October 22, 2024 • 31 mins
On episode one of the 3rd season of the Between Bites podcast, Nina Compton and Larry Miller are joined by New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green.
Coach Green shares his love for the city of New Orleans, its culture, and how he and his family have embraced living here.
Green discusses transitioning from player to coach and the challenges and rewards of his coaching career, particularly in nurturing young talent as he expresses excitement about this season's Pelicans team.
Later, Green talks about his favorite restaurants in New Orleans and the other cities he visits while traveling with the team and talks about how important nutrition is for NBA players.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:12):
And we're back for season three. This is the first
episode between Bites with Nina Compton and Larry Miller, brought
to you by the good folks at Caesar's New Orleans. Nina,
who do we have today? Coach will agree, that's right.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Thank you all, Thank you, Larry, thank you, Nina. I'm great.
I'm great.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Excited, UH know about this upcoming season, but more importantly
right now, at this moment, I'm excited to talk.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, now, Coach, this is we appreciate it very much
getting this time with you. I mean, obviously we're ramping
up and about to get going.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Training camp starts next week.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yes, it does.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I checked with Nina and I can free up my schedule,
just saying if you need an extra guy at practice.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Oh well, I got three questions. Can you can you defend?
Are you good defender?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
In my mind? I defend better than I do physically?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Okay? Can you shoot?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
In my mind? I shoot better than I can.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Can he rebound? Can you rebound?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You should see me on the boards. I think everything
else not so much when I grew up with sharpened.
But it's different.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
You could play for me, man.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
So exciting things coming this year. Through fourth year with
the Pelicans. How are you settling into being a New Orleanian.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I'm loving it.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
This is a beautiful place to live and to uh
just adapt to the community. The people here are amazing.
They're incredible. They've welcomed myself and family with open arms.
Obviously y'all know about the food and the culture. And
what I love about New Orleans is like people here
(01:52):
they work hard, but and they don't complain, but they
can't find a reason to have a good time.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, and that's that's pretty cool to see that exture.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It sounds a little bit like where you grew.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Up too, right, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Detroit is very similar, a little colder, Yeah, but you know,
people work hard.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's it's a tight knit community.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
You know, you kind of all know each other, you
know your neighbors, and people just they just enjoy, you know,
having fun.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Yeah, Detroit is becoming a big culinary destination now. A
lot of chefs are opening up or people are moving
back to Detroit to open up restaurants. So that's a
beautiful thing to see blossom when you go home to Detroit.
What is something that you have to have to eat?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
It's a couple couple of things that I have to have,
so some some some real good soul food. I got
a couple of spots Savannah blue and beans and corn
bread my two staples. Mediterranean like Middle Eastern food, and
it's the biggest, dearborn, Michigan has the biggest population of
(03:04):
Middle Eastern culture and people outside.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Of that, I have no idea.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah yeah, so just like the pea and the hummus
and gotta have that. And so those are probably my
my two, like that's my my go to.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah sure, And when your hair and you know, where
do you go out to eat? If you go out
to eat? I know everybody's busy and travel, so I
get that. But if you're hair and you say I
had a really I need to treat myself. Where do
you go to eat?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Where you when we start.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
All day?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
It's a couple of places. I live in the Uptown area,
so Shai is one of my go to spots there.
Let I love that spot, the Chloe. I pop into
the Chloe. Robert and I really good friends. Chapter four.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He told me he was.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
An athlete too, So chapter four, chapter four, yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So those just a few a few places, a little Dizzys,
you know, sometimes on the weekend, so we're yeah, my
wife is a foodie, so she's she finds all the
spots and then she says, we got to go here.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And as you were growing up and going to college,
playing well enough to be drafted in the league, and
now your whole professional life is traveling. Obviously traveled for basketball,
but now you have some money to spend. Did your
taste in food change with that extra freedom and being
(04:42):
in different cities forty times a year?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
It did?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
You know, when you're young, when you when you're just
coming out of college, you're eating a lot of just
crazy food, like you're eating you know, Fridays and you know,
Kentucky Fried Chicken, and you just eating jump pretty much.
And it was actually one of my teammates, Aaron McKie
and Kevin Ali, those two guys like got on me.
(05:08):
It was like, you can't be eating this stuff. You know,
I was eating chili's and I was just whatever, like
that's what I was accustomed to eating. And then they
started not only telling me I couldn't do it, but
they were taking me to restaurants every road trip, showing
me like this is where you want to dine. These
are the restaurants you want to eat. It's how you
want to fuel your body. And it's stuck with me
(05:30):
and to this day, I'm continuing my mind, you know,
continuing to change some of the food that I eat
and try to eat healthy, but I you know, I
still eat good.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
It's so when you travel, what are the like your
favorite cities, Like, Oh, I can't wait to go back
to I don't know, Miami.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Or wherever it is.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Where do you get like really pumped up where you
just like for the for the food or just the
ambiance or whatever it is. Well, you're like, I love
coming to the city.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So and I'm not saying it's to hype anything up.
We're spoiled here, and so me start with that. Yeah,
there's there's no food better than New Orleans no matter
where I've gone in the United States, like in this country.
But I do still get excited for certain restaurants in Miami.
I go to Prime one twelve on South Beach, So
(06:28):
that's that's a go to spot when I go there.
If I go to Dallas, they got a Noble in
a hotel.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
So I'm gonna hit that spot we have here now so.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Now, yeah, it just opened up, so I haven't gone yet,
but I'm gonna be excited to go.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Houston's.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
They actually have a restaurant called Willie G's, so I
gotta go there.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah spot, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
So I took my son the other day. We actually
were in Houston and I told him, you know, this
was my restaurant.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
You believe me. He's like, this is around, you know, like.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Or order whatever y'all want, It's on me. So yeah,
I definitely have a you know, New York.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Catch is.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I love catching downtown. So it's just different places that
you know, you go. And these are kind of the
statements that.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
How hard is it finding a good place to eat
after the game.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
That's the hardest part, you know, Normally restaurants are starting
to close down, so you just find you try to
find places that may stay open that have a menu that.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
You ever dropped the business card on them?
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Nah, we call ahead, well ahead, We're trying to call ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
So if the first time CJ.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
CJ.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
McCollum and his wife came to eat one of our restaurants,
it was after a game and he had made the
reservation for like nine fifteen and I'm watching the game
and I'm like, he's not going to make it, make it.
And we last seating was at ten o'clock. But between
different things after the game and everything, it was about
ten fifteen and they showed up just to say thank you.
Don't have to stay open, right, No, we did it,
(08:12):
you know, we wanted to feed you. But it was
it all of a sudden brought that that idea to mind.
That Oh man, that's you know, is it find a
place that's open or go back to the room and
order room service?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
You ever cut items off of the room service menu?
Does the nutritional.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Staff I'm not a big room service guy.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But I mean for the team, like no mac and cheese?
Speaker 4 (08:32):
No?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Nah?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
You know we ariol does a good job. She's one
of our nutritionists, and you know they do. They've we're growing.
We're growing in that area. Were understanding, we're all understanding
of how important food is, how fun food is too,
but just eating the right food. So just taking what
you like and then making that as healthy as possible
(08:57):
so we could we could all be our best.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So they're doing a good job.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
So what else do you guys do? Besides specialized diets
with the players, because I'm very intrigued on how do
they because their body goes through a lot, so how
do they prep for these games.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
It's well, it's pretty extensive some of the you know,
the work that can be done to figure out what
guys should be eating and what should they stay away from.
So they do a nutritionous blood tests and it'll come.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Back and tell you. I mean, you probably heard of it,
but it'll come back and.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Tell you like this is these are the foods that
your body respond well to, and this is what your
body just does not respond well to. And you know,
our guys are a lot of them half chefs and
that can make these meals for them in an arena
after games, this food that's already prepared for them or
(09:55):
certain meals. So it's incredible. It's incredib where they NBA
has gone and where sports has gone in terms of
meal prep and diet and nutrition. And it's extremely important.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
How often as you deal with this generation after you
of players, do you look at them and just like say, hey, guys,
it wasn't like this in the old days. Even the
old days were only what ten years ago?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Either, you know, I try not to.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
I try not to make those big comparisons because they
don't want to hear that.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
They don't want to hear that at all. They don't
want to hear us.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
It doesn't matter the pay grade.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
They do not want to hear that. They like I'm
old to them, and I'm like, I'm young. Am I cool?
Like Noah, coach you old man, like, get out of
here with that.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
So but it's it's it's still refreshing to watch the
newer generation and to learn and to adapt. And that's what,
you know, drives it continues to drive me. I got
my kids are all, you know, twenty four, eighteen twelve,
(11:15):
so they in that age group too where I'm learning
from them. I'm learning all the rap songs, right, I
know them by.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Heart, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So what they're doing on social media, I think it's
a tough, tougher world for them. You know, when we
were growing up, you guys we could go to we
could you could go out, you could have a good
time with your friends, and nobody was recording. Right now,
these guys, they don't have the luxury to you know,
(11:45):
kind of hang out and just have a good time
without somebody having a camera and posting it and taking
pictures and posting it, and.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
So to some degree it's a it's harder and it's lonely,
you know.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Yeah, I definitely agree that.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
They have so much access to so much.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Information that, you know, just like you, I feel old.
I'm telling the cook's like, hey, I used to write
all my recipes down and they just snap a picture
and they're like just scrolling through. So for me, it's
I see a lot of potential in this in this generation,
but it's also very scary because you really have to
(12:23):
like protect them a little bit more because they're exposed
to so many things that when we were coming up,
it wasn't like that.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It was You're supposed to fall down and skin your
knee right right.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Now, they can google it before it happens.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
As your playing career was progressing and I almost made
a run there, every year is a blessing in the league.
When did you start thinking about what's going to happen
after I retire and narrowing that down to saying I
want to coach.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
You know, when you get to the last few years,
you can feel it. I was starting to understand, Okay,
this is coming to an end. That's number one, Like, Okay,
this is getting ready to and that's tough. It's one
of the toughest for a professional athlete. It's one of
the toughest periods of your life because it's something that
(13:18):
you've more than likely we've done all our lives.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And so when your when.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Your preparation is always geared towards I'm preparing for this,
right it's like breaking up with, you know, your longtime girlfriend,
long long time life that you've ever had, I mean
not ever, but in terms of outside of family, in
terms of people, and so I know that's coming to
(13:45):
an end. I'm trying to make sure I'm in a
good space. And then, you know, I took a year off.
I think I thought that was for me, that was
that was big. I took a year off and just
didn't did nothing, just was silent, and I just was
working on habits, you know, my habits, you know, being
a good father, being a good husband, you know, my
(14:05):
spiritual foundation, going to church and prayer, and so throughout
all that spending time with family, doing things I've just
never done. I never went on vacation in December because
we always playing. So it was during those times that
I was started to say, Okay, I gotta do something.
(14:26):
And it got to April, you know, so spend a
whole year. And then in April comes and my wife
and I we were in the car and she was
just like kind of smacked me in the.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Back of the head. Yeah, she was like, what are
you going to do? I was like, what do you mean.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
She's like, you can't sit around here for another year,
Like you gotta like you got too much to offer.
And so I made some phone calls, and one phone
call led to another opportunity, to another opportunity. I was
extremely blessed to have my first didn't know what I
was gonna do, but coach. They just was like, yeah,
(15:03):
come on in, come on in and watch. And then
next thing you know, they was like, here, put these
clothes on and get on the floor, and so I
just gotta I kind of started coaching.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
From there and it was natural.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
It was just natural being on the floor of players
and teaching and helping them maximize their platform.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
How many times did you look at a guy and
so this guy's got a chance.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Rarely, really rarely did I look at a guy.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
By the time you were coaching we had the Developmental League,
the G League.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, for sure, I'll take that back. I have looked
at the guy. I was like this.
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Guy, and guess what I was wrong that guy and
I never made that mistake again, Like that was a mistake,
Like you don't count He was young, you know, trying
to figure it out, but he did, he figured it out.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
And I never made that mistake. Agetting And I'm not
gonna like count people out because you know, if we
don't believe in them, then we can't coach them, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
So so what what are you looking forward to for
this season?
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I'm excited about our our team. You know, just a
ton of high character guys that all work hard and
they they're competitors and I'm excited to represent this city again.
It's a lot of excitement around our team, and so
(16:31):
we all understand that we got to go out and
work and there's a responsibility that we put on each
other in accountability and so super blessed and fortunate to
lead this group. And Griff and Ms Benson and all
the staff around us have been amazing, and so it's
fun to come to work. So I'm always excited about that.
(16:51):
Every day I get up, I'm just like, ah, yes
here and so that that's fun for me.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
If you could have only hicked one and again being
this young into your head coaching career, playing or coaching.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Playing for sure, yeah, for sure, playing nothing beats that.
It's you know, coaching is is. It's a it's a
little harder than playing in terms of you have no control.
At least playing you can actually you actually can determine
some things on the floor, and coaching you just.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
You feel hopeless, right yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Do you think that I am I trying to put
you on the spot as a former player at that
level is do you think the game is easier for
you to understand versus someone who came up, like supposed
to have come up from the with just low level
coaching film room and then made it up to the
(17:51):
head coach. Do you think that where's the future of coaching?
Do you think it is the data, the smart, nerdy
guys who sit in the corner, or the guys who
have actual, real experience at.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
A high level.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
I think the guys that have experienced at a real
level and they and they put the work in and there,
you know, having an open mind. They have an advantage.
There's nothing like somebody that's actually done it. And you know,
it's like flying a plane, right, you know, a pilot
that's been through storms and you know, knows how to
(18:30):
land in tough conditions. But also you know, it's can
can look at the sky like they can just see
stuff before. I can tell you everything about a plane,
but I've never flown one, and so they have an advantage.
But I don't think that that stops people that that
hadn't played basketball before from studying the game, being a
(18:51):
part of it, being being able to coach at a
high level, or president or gen like. I don't think
it stops them. I just think people that have done
it for they walk in with a natural advantage and
then you have to put the work in behind that
to continue to have credibility.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
So I have a question, if you had to take
one player, one one who would it be? Any from
any year? It could be from the seventies. If you
had to go one where with the one person, who
would it be?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
I'm playing them one on one? Oh my lord.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I mean my all time favorite player is Michael Jordan,
and so he would be one of the guys that
I wouldn't want to play against and learn from, because
really I'm just trying to I'm trying to learn how
to be What's some things that you're doing to be great?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
And what about when you go back to cities where
how does the what's the etiquette for getting to eat
with coach Green? Do the will the players ask you
hey next week? Or do you reach out to them?
Or what happens if you're going to a town you
haven't seen your buddy in fifteen years, you're going out
with him and teams on their own or they need
(20:03):
to guys.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
So a couple of different things we do. We have
team dinners in certain cities. Sometimes after a game we're
staying over, we may rind out a restaurant. The whole
team shows up and we're just having a ball. Sometimes
it's we laying at a restaurant. We'll have some team dinners.
Sometimes we don't, and guys are just free to do
whatever they want to do. I'll meet up with friends
(20:25):
in certain cities. I usually try to schedule ahead. You
know that I want to take these this group out,
and so they'll know ahead of time and they'll just
confirm yes, no, I can make it, and then if
they can't, we'll figure out another day to do it.
But you know, most of the guys, they enjoy it,
like they you know, they're in their rooms playing video
(20:48):
games whatever, hopefully watching some film too, but they enjoy
getting out and just and having that camaraderie.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
And are any of your kids on the path to be.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
In basketball?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
My oldest son this is his second year and playing
professionally in Switzerland.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
So he's in Freeburg, plays for Freeburg Olympic Ross they're doing.
Last season, they won everything, all three Cups and if
you know anything about your basketball, like they were one
of the better teams.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
And so this is his second season. And I think my.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Youngest you know, he's a golfer and and plays basketball,
but basketball is first.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
But he can play golf too.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So they're they're athletic, and I just want them to you.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Know, you're not pressure.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
I'm pressuring them to be to work hard. Like, if
you're gonna do it, you gotta work at it, you know. Otherwise,
like I don't even know if I want to show up.
If you're not gonna put the work into it, I
want to show I want to show up and know
that you I.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Just found out yesterday's super Max contract in twenty and
thirty five at whatever the end of this steal is
one hundred and twenty million a year.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I think everybody's gonna play basketball.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
That's a lot of money. You might need to adopt.
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
It's a lot.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
It's crazy. It's yeah, how is it? And I know
that the we I say, we Pelicans have done a
really nice job with player developed and some of the
folks in the organization. But what is it really like
to have a kid these days who grew up regular,
(22:32):
not not even close to this, the the opulence that
could be in front of him after when he goes
pro I mean, how tough is that to see? Or
is it just fun to see the wide eyes every
time you travel or every time they get to see something.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Well, first, it's a it's a you know, it's such
a blessing for those young men that you know, they
step into the NBA and their lives change and family's
lives change, right, And then like I just I just
feel like we are stewards over their careers. And so
when you talk about player development is collective It's like
(23:12):
all different parts of the organization are trying to make
sure that they come into a stable foundation, trying to
give them a stable foundation, trying to help them understand
that this life span of being a professional is short,
It's a short window, so how can we help you
maximize this, And we're just trying to create that environment
(23:36):
for them that is fun. They understand, you know, how
important it is to work at you know, their skill
set to try to have some balance in life. We
want these our young men to be good young like
good people and so holding them, holding them accountable to that.
That just how you treat people from the time you
(23:56):
walk in this building wherever you are in the city,
Like it's a representation of yourself, your families, your organization.
So it's a lot a lot of people are you know,
a lot of people are steering them in the right direction,
and it takes us being on the right you know,
together as well as a staff to guide them, like
these are precious moments for them and this can make
(24:19):
a break a nineteen twenty year old when they walk
into a professional sports team, and so we feel a
huge responsibility and trying to make sure we do the
right thing.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
That's right. That is so well said, and it's so
true because if I got a check for with all
these zeros, I don't know what I would do. You know,
it's overwhelming and it's a lot to take in at
a very young age. So I don't think anybody can
prepare for it, even though you tell them before, until
they actually are in that moment to experience it.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
You heard the term success is relative, Right, the more success,
the more relatives. Yeah, as soon as they get here,
they start to experience that.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
You know, it's just a part of it.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Do you think there's a like it's I don't want
to say, well, they're not here and we can lock
that door if they hear us, but like like Trey
Murphy and do you want to pinch their cheeks? They're
like the little kids and they're cute, and there's an
excitement at Jose Alvarado when everybody's out on the court
jumping around and you see the guy smiling and hugging.
(25:36):
It's not something maybe you're not used to seeing in
the NBA A lot. Would that be fair to say
on other teams? And I'm not dogging them, but it
was It's been refreshing the last two or three years
to see how much everybody appears to get along in public,
but just jumping around during shoot around, playing giving each
(25:58):
other elbow, stuff like that, the team almost seems more
like a bunch of buddies hanging out.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
They are and that's real. That's that's kind of that's
who they are. That's like a part of what is
being built here is you know, we none of us
can can attain what we're really going after unless we're
grabbing each other and taking taking people with us and
and we're we're talking about that all that's one of
(26:26):
our When we bring the huddle in, you know, you
go one, two, three are saying this together and no
matter what happens, we just we just want to be
together and and try to go after this, you know
as a whole, but together everybody is a part of it.
Like it doesn't matter. You know, Big Shot in the
equipment room, like he's a part of it. Like sometimes
he's in the huddle. So you know, as hard as this,
(26:50):
as hard as it is sometimes to go to work
and grind, we want to.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Make this also enjoy as enjoyable as possible.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Yeah, getting to play basketball and making it and that's
a good combination. When you were as that decision towards
the end of your playing career that you were going
to go into coaching was coming about. Was there ever
any interest in college versus.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
BRU No, not at the time, no interest in college
in terms of I didn't have any college coaches coming
after me or programs.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
It was more NBA than it was college.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
So I know that you're very busy and you travel.
What do you do when you have downtime during the season.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Nothing, I'm just I'm at home. I'm spending time with
my family. I golf in the off season, but I
don't golf during the season, and so it's just just
rest really, just rest or read and just you know,
when I when I'm not doing when I'm not in basketball,
(27:58):
watching film or teaching or taking somebody to dinner, I
just try to put my feet on the ground at home.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Yeah, and relax.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
How much time do you take off during the year.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
We get it, We get it a good amount of.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Time, But do you take it? Do you really zone out?
Speaker 6 (28:12):
And you know that's the hard part is, you know,
as as I'm growing being a head coach, learning how
to be balanceding off season two how much work versus
how much time off versus how much family time.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
And so that's a fine balance. I'm still learning.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Yeah, that's that's tough.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Yeah, we're trying to find the balance every day.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Nina's balances to go in at ten in the morning
to start chopping vegetables and come home at midnight. It's
not quite that.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
I make my rounds at the restaurants to see Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
So if going back to Nina's one on one question,
if you had a dream four top for dinner of
people you've either played with, their coach with or have
meant that level for you, but there's only three other
people sitting at the table, who do you think is
gonna be at that table?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Oh? Here you go, here, there.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
You goes questions, how are you trying to squeeze you?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I love I love to have dinner with a former president,
Barack Obama. I think that'd be great. You're making this
tough on me. I don't know, I don't know. I mean,
these are good questions. I think I have to go
(29:37):
back and do some research on, like who would I
want to sit at dinner and talk to, listen to
you know, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I think Obama would be.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I think that would be a long dinner. Yeah, it'd
be bringing dinner then a sleepover something. But it's just
he just seems so intriguing at and so approachable, you know,
where you feel like he's just very down to earth,
but very smart, very forward thinking, but at the same
(30:09):
time the cool dad. You know that you just want
to be around.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
I'd love to sit down and have just talk about life,
you know, no cameras. Yeah, that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Yeah, I agree, it's definitely.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
I don't know who I would have. That's a tough
question now I think of it, it's a tough question.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
That's a tough question.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
There's so many people that you, you know, you pulling
from and learning from.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Yeah, who would you have?
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Oh I would have you coach induct Tator, Yes you
did right there. Yeah, well, coach, thank you so much
for your time today. We're very, very excited about the
twenty four to twenty five season. We're even more excited
to get you to have you here in New Orleans
that that we appreciate the everything you've done with the team.
(30:58):
The team's getting better and better and there it's a
fun experience on game night.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Thank you, Larry Nina, Thank you all. It's a pleasure anytime.
I appreciate y'all.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Big, wait for the y'all, wait for yeah yeah great,
wait for the big, wait
Speaker 3 (31:19):
For the read wait for or make wait for the
back on everybody back well, go wrong,
And we're back for season three. This is the first
episode between Bites with Nina Compton and Larry Miller, brought
to you by the good folks at Caesar's New Orleans. Nina,
who do we have today? Coach will agree, that's right.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Thank you all, Thank you, Larry, thank you, Nina. I'm great.
I'm great.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Excited, UH know about this upcoming season, but more importantly
right now, at this moment, I'm excited to talk.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Yeah, now, Coach, this is we appreciate it very much
getting this time with you. I mean, obviously we're ramping
up and about to get going.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Training camp starts next week.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yes, it does.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I checked with Nina and I can free up my schedule,
just saying if you need an extra guy at practice.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
Oh well, I got three questions. Can you can you defend?
Are you good defender?
Speaker 1 (01:00):
In my mind? I defend better than I do physically?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Okay? Can you shoot?
Speaker 1 (01:05):
In my mind? I shoot better than I can.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Can he rebound? Can you rebound?
Speaker 1 (01:10):
You should see me on the boards. I think everything
else not so much when I grew up with sharpened.
But it's different.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
You could play for me, man.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
So exciting things coming this year. Through fourth year with
the Pelicans. How are you settling into being a New Orleanian.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I'm loving it.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
This is a beautiful place to live and to uh
just adapt to the community. The people here are amazing.
They're incredible. They've welcomed myself and family with open arms.
Obviously y'all know about the food and the culture. And
what I love about New Orleans is like people here
(01:52):
they work hard, but and they don't complain, but they
can't find a reason to have a good time.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, and that's that's pretty cool to see that exture.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
It sounds a little bit like where you grew.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Up too, right, Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Detroit is very similar, a little colder, Yeah, but you know,
people work hard.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's it's a tight knit community.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
You know, you kind of all know each other, you
know your neighbors, and people just they just enjoy, you know,
having fun.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Yeah, Detroit is becoming a big culinary destination now. A
lot of chefs are opening up or people are moving
back to Detroit to open up restaurants. So that's a
beautiful thing to see blossom when you go home to Detroit.
What is something that you have to have to eat?
Speaker 3 (02:43):
It's a couple couple of things that I have to have,
so some some some real good soul food. I got
a couple of spots Savannah blue and beans and corn
bread my two staples. Mediterranean like Middle Eastern food, and
it's the biggest, dearborn, Michigan has the biggest population of
(03:04):
Middle Eastern culture and people outside.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
Of that, I have no idea.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah yeah, so just like the pea and the hummus
and gotta have that. And so those are probably my
my two, like that's my my go to.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Yeah sure, And when your hair and you know, where
do you go out to eat? If you go out
to eat? I know everybody's busy and travel, so I
get that. But if you're hair and you say I
had a really I need to treat myself. Where do
you go to eat?
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Where you when we start.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
All day?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
It's a couple of places. I live in the Uptown area,
so Shai is one of my go to spots there.
Let I love that spot, the Chloe. I pop into
the Chloe. Robert and I really good friends. Chapter four.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He told me he was.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
An athlete too, So chapter four, chapter four, yeah it is.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
So those just a few a few places, a little Dizzys,
you know, sometimes on the weekend, so we're yeah, my
wife is a foodie, so she's she finds all the
spots and then she says, we got to go here.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
And as you were growing up and going to college,
playing well enough to be drafted in the league, and
now your whole professional life is traveling. Obviously traveled for basketball,
but now you have some money to spend. Did your
taste in food change with that extra freedom and being
(04:42):
in different cities forty times a year?
Speaker 2 (04:45):
It did?
Speaker 3 (04:47):
You know, when you're young, when you when you're just
coming out of college, you're eating a lot of just
crazy food, like you're eating you know, Fridays and you know,
Kentucky Fried Chicken, and you just eating jump pretty much.
And it was actually one of my teammates, Aaron McKie
and Kevin Ali, those two guys like got on me.
(05:08):
It was like, you can't be eating this stuff. You know,
I was eating chili's and I was just whatever, like
that's what I was accustomed to eating. And then they
started not only telling me I couldn't do it, but
they were taking me to restaurants every road trip, showing
me like this is where you want to dine. These
are the restaurants you want to eat. It's how you
want to fuel your body. And it's stuck with me
(05:30):
and to this day, I'm continuing my mind, you know,
continuing to change some of the food that I eat
and try to eat healthy, but I you know, I
still eat good.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
It's so when you travel, what are the like your
favorite cities, Like, Oh, I can't wait to go back
to I don't know, Miami.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Or wherever it is.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Where do you get like really pumped up where you
just like for the for the food or just the
ambiance or whatever it is. Well, you're like, I love
coming to the city.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
So and I'm not saying it's to hype anything up.
We're spoiled here, and so me start with that. Yeah,
there's there's no food better than New Orleans no matter
where I've gone in the United States, like in this country.
But I do still get excited for certain restaurants in Miami.
I go to Prime one twelve on South Beach, So
(06:28):
that's that's a go to spot when I go there.
If I go to Dallas, they got a Noble in
a hotel.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
So I'm gonna hit that spot we have here now so.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Now, yeah, it just opened up, so I haven't gone yet,
but I'm gonna be excited to go.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Houston's.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
They actually have a restaurant called Willie G's, so I
gotta go there.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah spot, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
So I took my son the other day. We actually
were in Houston and I told him, you know, this
was my restaurant.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
You believe me. He's like, this is around, you know, like.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Or order whatever y'all want, It's on me. So yeah,
I definitely have a you know, New York.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Catch is.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
I love catching downtown. So it's just different places that
you know, you go. And these are kind of the
statements that.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
How hard is it finding a good place to eat
after the game.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
That's the hardest part, you know, Normally restaurants are starting
to close down, so you just find you try to
find places that may stay open that have a menu that.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
You ever dropped the business card on them?
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Nah, we call ahead, well ahead, We're trying to call ahead.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
So if the first time CJ.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
CJ.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
McCollum and his wife came to eat one of our restaurants,
it was after a game and he had made the
reservation for like nine fifteen and I'm watching the game
and I'm like, he's not going to make it, make it.
And we last seating was at ten o'clock. But between
different things after the game and everything, it was about
ten fifteen and they showed up just to say thank you.
Don't have to stay open, right, No, we did it,
(08:12):
you know, we wanted to feed you. But it was
it all of a sudden brought that that idea to mind.
That Oh man, that's you know, is it find a
place that's open or go back to the room and
order room service?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (08:24):
You ever cut items off of the room service menu?
Does the nutritional.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Staff I'm not a big room service guy.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
But I mean for the team, like no mac and cheese?
Speaker 4 (08:32):
No?
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Nah?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
You know we ariol does a good job. She's one
of our nutritionists, and you know they do. They've we're growing.
We're growing in that area. Were understanding, we're all understanding
of how important food is, how fun food is too,
but just eating the right food. So just taking what
you like and then making that as healthy as possible
(08:57):
so we could we could all be our best.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
So they're doing a good job.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
So what else do you guys do? Besides specialized diets
with the players, because I'm very intrigued on how do
they because their body goes through a lot, so how
do they prep for these games.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
It's well, it's pretty extensive some of the you know,
the work that can be done to figure out what
guys should be eating and what should they stay away from.
So they do a nutritionous blood tests and it'll come.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Back and tell you. I mean, you probably heard of it,
but it'll come back and.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Tell you like this is these are the foods that
your body respond well to, and this is what your
body just does not respond well to. And you know,
our guys are a lot of them half chefs and
that can make these meals for them in an arena
after games, this food that's already prepared for them or
(09:55):
certain meals. So it's incredible. It's incredib where they NBA
has gone and where sports has gone in terms of
meal prep and diet and nutrition. And it's extremely important.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
How often as you deal with this generation after you
of players, do you look at them and just like say, hey, guys,
it wasn't like this in the old days. Even the
old days were only what ten years ago?
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Either, you know, I try not to.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
I try not to make those big comparisons because they
don't want to hear that.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
They don't want to hear that at all. They don't
want to hear us.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
It doesn't matter the pay grade.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
They do not want to hear that. They like I'm
old to them, and I'm like, I'm young. Am I cool?
Like Noah, coach you old man, like, get out of
here with that.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
So but it's it's it's still refreshing to watch the
newer generation and to learn and to adapt. And that's what,
you know, drives it continues to drive me. I got
my kids are all, you know, twenty four, eighteen twelve,
(11:15):
so they in that age group too where I'm learning
from them. I'm learning all the rap songs, right, I
know them by.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Heart, you know.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
So what they're doing on social media, I think it's
a tough, tougher world for them. You know, when we
were growing up, you guys we could go to we
could you could go out, you could have a good
time with your friends, and nobody was recording. Right now,
these guys, they don't have the luxury to you know,
(11:45):
kind of hang out and just have a good time
without somebody having a camera and posting it and taking
pictures and posting it, and.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
So to some degree it's a it's harder and it's lonely,
you know.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Yeah, I definitely agree that.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
They have so much access to so much.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
Information that, you know, just like you, I feel old.
I'm telling the cook's like, hey, I used to write
all my recipes down and they just snap a picture
and they're like just scrolling through. So for me, it's
I see a lot of potential in this in this generation,
but it's also very scary because you really have to
(12:23):
like protect them a little bit more because they're exposed
to so many things that when we were coming up,
it wasn't like that.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It was You're supposed to fall down and skin your
knee right right.
Speaker 4 (12:35):
Now, they can google it before it happens.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
As your playing career was progressing and I almost made
a run there, every year is a blessing in the league.
When did you start thinking about what's going to happen
after I retire and narrowing that down to saying I
want to coach.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
You know, when you get to the last few years,
you can feel it. I was starting to understand, Okay,
this is coming to an end. That's number one, Like, Okay,
this is getting ready to and that's tough. It's one
of the toughest for a professional athlete. It's one of
the toughest periods of your life because it's something that
(13:18):
you've more than likely we've done all our lives.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
And so when your when.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
Your preparation is always geared towards I'm preparing for this,
right it's like breaking up with, you know, your longtime girlfriend,
long long time life that you've ever had, I mean
not ever, but in terms of outside of family, in
terms of people, and so I know that's coming to
(13:45):
an end. I'm trying to make sure I'm in a
good space. And then, you know, I took a year off.
I think I thought that was for me, that was
that was big. I took a year off and just
didn't did nothing, just was silent, and I just was
working on habits, you know, my habits, you know, being
a good father, being a good husband, you know, my
(14:05):
spiritual foundation, going to church and prayer, and so throughout
all that spending time with family, doing things I've just
never done. I never went on vacation in December because
we always playing. So it was during those times that
I was started to say, Okay, I gotta do something.
(14:26):
And it got to April, you know, so spend a
whole year. And then in April comes and my wife
and I we were in the car and she was
just like kind of smacked me in the.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Back of the head. Yeah, she was like, what are
you going to do? I was like, what do you mean.
Speaker 3 (14:42):
She's like, you can't sit around here for another year,
Like you gotta like you got too much to offer.
And so I made some phone calls, and one phone
call led to another opportunity, to another opportunity. I was
extremely blessed to have my first didn't know what I
was gonna do, but coach. They just was like, yeah,
(15:03):
come on in, come on in and watch. And then
next thing you know, they was like, here, put these
clothes on and get on the floor, and so I
just gotta I kind of started coaching.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
From there and it was natural.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
It was just natural being on the floor of players
and teaching and helping them maximize their platform.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
How many times did you look at a guy and
so this guy's got a chance.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Rarely, really rarely did I look at a guy.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
By the time you were coaching we had the Developmental League,
the G League.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah, for sure, I'll take that back. I have looked
at the guy. I was like this.
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Guy, and guess what I was wrong that guy and
I never made that mistake again, Like that was a mistake,
Like you don't count He was young, you know, trying
to figure it out, but he did, he figured it out.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
And I never made that mistake. Agetting And I'm not
gonna like count people out because you know, if we
don't believe in them, then we can't coach them, you know.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
So so what what are you looking forward to for
this season?
Speaker 2 (16:10):
I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
I'm excited about our our team. You know, just a
ton of high character guys that all work hard and
they they're competitors and I'm excited to represent this city again.
It's a lot of excitement around our team, and so
(16:31):
we all understand that we got to go out and
work and there's a responsibility that we put on each
other in accountability and so super blessed and fortunate to
lead this group. And Griff and Ms Benson and all
the staff around us have been amazing, and so it's
fun to come to work. So I'm always excited about that.
(16:51):
Every day I get up, I'm just like, ah, yes
here and so that that's fun for me.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
If you could have only hicked one and again being
this young into your head coaching career, playing or coaching.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Playing for sure, yeah, for sure, playing nothing beats that.
It's you know, coaching is is. It's a it's a
little harder than playing in terms of you have no control.
At least playing you can actually you actually can determine
some things on the floor, and coaching you just.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
You feel hopeless, right yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Do you think that I am I trying to put
you on the spot as a former player at that
level is do you think the game is easier for
you to understand versus someone who came up, like supposed
to have come up from the with just low level
coaching film room and then made it up to the
(17:51):
head coach. Do you think that where's the future of coaching?
Do you think it is the data, the smart, nerdy
guys who sit in the corner, or the guys who
have actual, real experience at.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
A high level.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
I think the guys that have experienced at a real
level and they and they put the work in and there,
you know, having an open mind. They have an advantage.
There's nothing like somebody that's actually done it. And you know,
it's like flying a plane, right, you know, a pilot
that's been through storms and you know, knows how to
(18:30):
land in tough conditions. But also you know, it's can
can look at the sky like they can just see
stuff before. I can tell you everything about a plane,
but I've never flown one, and so they have an advantage.
But I don't think that that stops people that that
hadn't played basketball before from studying the game, being a
(18:51):
part of it, being being able to coach at a
high level, or president or gen like. I don't think
it stops them. I just think people that have done
it for they walk in with a natural advantage and
then you have to put the work in behind that
to continue to have credibility.
Speaker 4 (19:09):
So I have a question, if you had to take
one player, one one who would it be? Any from
any year? It could be from the seventies. If you
had to go one where with the one person, who
would it be?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
I'm playing them one on one? Oh my lord.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I mean my all time favorite player is Michael Jordan,
and so he would be one of the guys that
I wouldn't want to play against and learn from, because
really I'm just trying to I'm trying to learn how
to be What's some things that you're doing to be great?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
And what about when you go back to cities where
how does the what's the etiquette for getting to eat
with coach Green? Do the will the players ask you
hey next week? Or do you reach out to them?
Or what happens if you're going to a town you
haven't seen your buddy in fifteen years, you're going out
with him and teams on their own or they need
(20:03):
to guys.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
So a couple of different things we do. We have
team dinners in certain cities. Sometimes after a game we're
staying over, we may rind out a restaurant. The whole
team shows up and we're just having a ball. Sometimes
it's we laying at a restaurant. We'll have some team dinners.
Sometimes we don't, and guys are just free to do
whatever they want to do. I'll meet up with friends
(20:25):
in certain cities. I usually try to schedule ahead. You
know that I want to take these this group out,
and so they'll know ahead of time and they'll just
confirm yes, no, I can make it, and then if
they can't, we'll figure out another day to do it.
But you know, most of the guys, they enjoy it,
like they you know, they're in their rooms playing video
(20:48):
games whatever, hopefully watching some film too, but they enjoy
getting out and just and having that camaraderie.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
And are any of your kids on the path to be.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
In basketball?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (21:02):
My oldest son this is his second year and playing
professionally in Switzerland.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
So he's in Freeburg, plays for Freeburg Olympic Ross they're doing.
Last season, they won everything, all three Cups and if
you know anything about your basketball, like they were one
of the better teams.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
And so this is his second season. And I think my.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Youngest you know, he's a golfer and and plays basketball,
but basketball is first.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
But he can play golf too.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
So they're they're athletic, and I just want them to you.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Know, you're not pressure.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
I'm pressuring them to be to work hard. Like, if
you're gonna do it, you gotta work at it, you know. Otherwise,
like I don't even know if I want to show up.
If you're not gonna put the work into it, I
want to show I want to show up and know
that you I.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Just found out yesterday's super Max contract in twenty and
thirty five at whatever the end of this steal is
one hundred and twenty million a year.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
I think everybody's gonna play basketball.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
That's a lot of money. You might need to adopt.
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
It's a lot.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
It's crazy. It's yeah, how is it? And I know
that the we I say, we Pelicans have done a
really nice job with player developed and some of the
folks in the organization. But what is it really like
to have a kid these days who grew up regular,
(22:32):
not not even close to this, the the opulence that
could be in front of him after when he goes
pro I mean, how tough is that to see? Or
is it just fun to see the wide eyes every
time you travel or every time they get to see something.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Well, first, it's a it's a you know, it's such
a blessing for those young men that you know, they
step into the NBA and their lives change and family's
lives change, right, And then like I just I just
feel like we are stewards over their careers. And so
when you talk about player development is collective It's like
(23:12):
all different parts of the organization are trying to make
sure that they come into a stable foundation, trying to
give them a stable foundation, trying to help them understand
that this life span of being a professional is short,
It's a short window, so how can we help you
maximize this, And we're just trying to create that environment
(23:36):
for them that is fun. They understand, you know, how
important it is to work at you know, their skill
set to try to have some balance in life. We
want these our young men to be good young like
good people and so holding them, holding them accountable to that.
That just how you treat people from the time you
(23:56):
walk in this building wherever you are in the city,
Like it's a representation of yourself, your families, your organization.
So it's a lot a lot of people are you know,
a lot of people are steering them in the right direction,
and it takes us being on the right you know,
together as well as a staff to guide them, like
these are precious moments for them and this can make
(24:19):
a break a nineteen twenty year old when they walk
into a professional sports team, and so we feel a
huge responsibility and trying to make sure we do the
right thing.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
That's right. That is so well said, and it's so
true because if I got a check for with all
these zeros, I don't know what I would do. You know,
it's overwhelming and it's a lot to take in at
a very young age. So I don't think anybody can
prepare for it, even though you tell them before, until
they actually are in that moment to experience it.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
Right.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
You heard the term success is relative, Right, the more success,
the more relatives. Yeah, as soon as they get here,
they start to experience that.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
You know, it's just a part of it.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Do you think there's a like it's I don't want
to say, well, they're not here and we can lock
that door if they hear us, but like like Trey
Murphy and do you want to pinch their cheeks? They're
like the little kids and they're cute, and there's an
excitement at Jose Alvarado when everybody's out on the court
jumping around and you see the guy smiling and hugging.
(25:36):
It's not something maybe you're not used to seeing in
the NBA A lot. Would that be fair to say
on other teams? And I'm not dogging them, but it
was It's been refreshing the last two or three years
to see how much everybody appears to get along in public,
but just jumping around during shoot around, playing giving each
(25:58):
other elbow, stuff like that, the team almost seems more
like a bunch of buddies hanging out.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
They are and that's real. That's that's kind of that's
who they are. That's like a part of what is
being built here is you know, we none of us
can can attain what we're really going after unless we're
grabbing each other and taking taking people with us and
and we're we're talking about that all that's one of
(26:26):
our When we bring the huddle in, you know, you
go one, two, three are saying this together and no
matter what happens, we just we just want to be
together and and try to go after this, you know
as a whole, but together everybody is a part of it.
Like it doesn't matter. You know, Big Shot in the
equipment room, like he's a part of it. Like sometimes
he's in the huddle. So you know, as hard as this,
(26:50):
as hard as it is sometimes to go to work
and grind, we want to.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Make this also enjoy as enjoyable as possible.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Yeah, getting to play basketball and making it and that's
a good combination. When you were as that decision towards
the end of your playing career that you were going
to go into coaching was coming about. Was there ever
any interest in college versus.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
BRU No, not at the time, no interest in college
in terms of I didn't have any college coaches coming
after me or programs.
Speaker 2 (27:26):
It was more NBA than it was college.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
So I know that you're very busy and you travel.
What do you do when you have downtime during the season.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Nothing, I'm just I'm at home. I'm spending time with
my family. I golf in the off season, but I
don't golf during the season, and so it's just just
rest really, just rest or read and just you know,
when I when I'm not doing when I'm not in basketball,
(27:58):
watching film or teaching or taking somebody to dinner, I
just try to put my feet on the ground at home.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Yeah, and relax.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
How much time do you take off during the year.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
We get it, We get it a good amount of.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Time, But do you take it? Do you really zone out?
Speaker 6 (28:12):
And you know that's the hard part is, you know,
as as I'm growing being a head coach, learning how
to be balanceding off season two how much work versus
how much time off versus how much family time.
Speaker 2 (28:28):
And so that's a fine balance. I'm still learning.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Yeah, that's that's tough.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:34):
Yeah, we're trying to find the balance every day.
Speaker 1 (28:38):
Nina's balances to go in at ten in the morning
to start chopping vegetables and come home at midnight. It's
not quite that.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
I make my rounds at the restaurants to see Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
So if going back to Nina's one on one question,
if you had a dream four top for dinner of
people you've either played with, their coach with or have
meant that level for you, but there's only three other
people sitting at the table, who do you think is
gonna be at that table?
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Oh? Here you go, here, there.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
You goes questions, how are you trying to squeeze you?
Speaker 3 (29:16):
I love I love to have dinner with a former president,
Barack Obama. I think that'd be great. You're making this
tough on me. I don't know, I don't know. I mean,
these are good questions. I think I have to go
(29:37):
back and do some research on, like who would I
want to sit at dinner and talk to, listen to
you know, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
I think Obama would be.
Speaker 4 (29:48):
I think that would be a long dinner. Yeah, it'd
be bringing dinner then a sleepover something. But it's just
he just seems so intriguing at and so approachable, you know,
where you feel like he's just very down to earth,
but very smart, very forward thinking, but at the same
(30:09):
time the cool dad. You know that you just want
to be around.
Speaker 2 (30:15):
I'd love to sit down and have just talk about life,
you know, no cameras. Yeah, that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
Yeah, I agree, it's definitely.
Speaker 4 (30:25):
I don't know who I would have. That's a tough
question now I think of it, it's a tough question.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
That's a tough question.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
There's so many people that you, you know, you pulling
from and learning from.
Speaker 4 (30:35):
Yeah, who would you have?
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Oh I would have you coach induct Tator, Yes you
did right there. Yeah, well, coach, thank you so much
for your time today. We're very, very excited about the
twenty four to twenty five season. We're even more excited
to get you to have you here in New Orleans
that that we appreciate the everything you've done with the team.
(30:58):
The team's getting better and better and there it's a
fun experience on game night.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Thank you, Larry Nina, Thank you all. It's a pleasure anytime.
I appreciate y'all.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
Big, wait for the y'all, wait for yeah yeah great,
wait for the big, wait
Speaker 3 (31:19):
For the read wait for or make wait for the
back on everybody back well, go wrong,
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