In this week's BEST OF CLUB 520, we look back at Jeff Teague and the guys top moments of the week. In an exclusive interview with Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner talks to the guys about Nico Harrison and the Mavericks trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers. And Tracy McGrady speak on punching Jeff in Atlanta, playing in today’s league, and so much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yo, yo, yo, your old fanatics. How y'all doing, How
y'all doing?
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Love is energy.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Y'all know what the time it is at this club
five twenty I'm your host. My name is DJ Wills,
Live in Fanatics, spects man one time for boom.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
We know the viobs twenty five dollars unlimited talk text
do or what they had with the T five gen
Nation while y'all know what time of this? Come on, man,
tap in and get you a phone. Man.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Still got my game with me up here. To my
far left, we got my dog Bishop be hearing out
the pearlies.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How you what nasty saying?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
And what up? Fanatics? My boy? What's up? Baby? What on?
What up?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Tapped in for show. To my right, my dog young
Nacho Young team got you what what's good?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
We got a good one today, got a good one today.
Come on man, listen man, we got a special special
guest man. We couldn't imagine that we would have digitallemen
on our platform, but it's a blessing.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
We're about to have a dope conversation.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Were happy to share this moment, which y'all we have
the one, the only, the commission mister Adam.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Silver joined the five twenty makes him noise.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, the go go.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Sir. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasant thank you boss man. Hello, Yeah,
energy energy, I love this.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
First and foremost. Who want to say thank you? We
appreciate you joining us or how you doing?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I'm doing great? This is incredible. I mean, I for
the fans, this must be fantastic. Just to the whole
environment here, I mean, congratulations to Michael Rubin.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I can't believe what he's built for sure, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Listen, this is a blessing to have you on this stage. Obvious,
you know what I'm saying. You got to walk across
that stage. But for me and be here, it's our
Draft night moment. Baby, Yeah I got I didn't. I
didn't walk across the stage. I didn't go to the draft,
but I got a chance to hear my name, Carl.
It was pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
You got a championship ring though.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, I got a championship better than being drafted. Yeah,
talk about it. I snuck out of there with one. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Now, I wanted to ask you this question because everybody's
moment no is their dream to get across the NBA
say shake your hand and hold a jersey.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
What was it like for you the first time?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And she got to be in that position and helps
the draft as the commissioner, it was.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It's it's it's emotional for me. It still is because
you know, for that moment to come into the NBA
for these players and just as importantly for their families.
So when you're standing up on stage, particularly for you know,
the top draft picks who are sitting there right in
front of you, you're staring at often at their parents,
(02:36):
their siblings, their friends. So it's it's truly emotional. I
mean I feel it along with them. And then when
the guys come up on stage, I mean, obviously some
of the best athletes in the world. They've already performed
at a high level in college and Europe or whatever else.
Like when I put my arm on them and I
shake their hand, they're often you can feel how nervous
(02:56):
they are. You know, it's it's such and I think
it's just a lot of them been holding in the
emotion and it's just a release because even if you're
projected to be the fifth pick or the fourth but whatever,
it is, the reality of that actually happening. So I'm
just saying, like I'm holding it together too. For a
lot of them, it's just and and it's I'll just
add it, it's a privilege to be up there. I
(03:17):
don't have any particular talent, you know, unlike a player,
so I realize I'm fortunate to be part of the experience.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Who was the first player you introduced to the NBA,
which I said, who was the first person you introduced
to the NBA? Like, what was your first pip?
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Oh man, I gotta think about that, because you know,
I was the deputy commissioner for several years and did
the second round as well, So I gotta think about that.
I can't remember who who the first player is? Is
like draftives.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I want to ask you this question.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Obviously, you know legal background worked in the NBA as well,
recipes obviously, like great David Stern. What was that moment
like when you found out that you were going to
be the commissioner?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Oh Man, I mean I again, I just remember feeling
how fortunate I was I had at that point, I
had already worked for the league for twenty years. Yes,
at the time I found out I had worked for
David Stern that entire time, so I had a seat
in the room, so to speak, for a lot of
that had transpired over that time. And again I worked hard,
(04:24):
but at the same time, I realized it takes a
fair amount of luck to be in the right place
at the right time. I saw it as tremendous responsibility
to carry this league forward off of all those great
players that had come before me, great commissioners, you know,
David Stern being the most recent. So you know, it
(04:45):
was momentous, there's no question about it. But you know,
it takes a while to sink in you just again,
just and I still feel that even eleven years later.
Just it's an awesome responsibility because in addition to the
literally hundreds of millions of fans globally that for the players,
their families, the tens of thousands of employees of the NBA,
(05:08):
you know, and now the w NBA that that we're
part of, it's you know, you you feel the weight
of the responsibility. And in this league, I mean, there's
there's incredible things that happen every day, but there's also
things that are risks to the business. You know that,
and it's ultimate responsibility working together with the players, with
(05:28):
the team owners to make sure the league continues to
operate smoothly. So I would say, I'm I'm all struck,
but also feel that sense of responsibility most definitely.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I got a question were talking about draft night and
you being up there calling names, and it's been some
nights where guys' names didn't get called in that first round.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Oh, what's that feeling? Like?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Do you ever be like, man, I just hope, hope
this kid gets called, because obviously I didn't go to
the green room, but I'll skip. That was a scary
feeling for me to be in a green room and
I get my name called. And we had some guys
go super super in the first round and be the
last guy in a green room, Like, what's that feeling?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
You know?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
I'm Often it happens occasionally where there is a player
who's projected to go higher and drops for whatever reason.
And often in some cases in between break in between picks,
I'll walk down and just say hello to the player
and their family. I've you know, we have a lunch
in the day of the draft, so I've talked to
(06:25):
them and I see them before the draft, but also
just to remind them that nobody can predict the future
that I mean I think about you know, I mean
our MVP in Shay I forgot it. Only he's like
the eleventh pick or whatever. He wasn't a top ten pick.
Tyresee wasn't a top ten pick. But not only were
they not ten top ten picks, but they were both traded,
(06:48):
you know, and and and you have incredible players. You know,
Jokich was a second round pick. Ye young Man just
pointed out to me. You know, Traymond Green was a
second round pick. I mean, you have look at the
current finals. You know, you have players who are enormous
(07:09):
contributors who weren't.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Drafted at all.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
And so I always see it as my responsibility to
remind them that this is just one point in time
and you should take motivation from this. And again that
understandably these teams are making these decisions, but don't let
that sort of prediction be controlling on you and go
double down on your work, because there's a reason that
(07:34):
they're there, that they were projected to be there.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
And even if you know, if you think the NBA is.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
The four and fifty best players in the world, so
we have a relatively small draft compared like, if you
watch the NFL draft, how many rounds they have. It's
only a two round draft. So again I just remind them, like, yeah,
it sucks in that moment, it feels embarrassing potentially, but
go get them. You know this, This isn't gonna determine
(08:01):
your faith.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Oh definitely.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
You brought a very interesting point up. We're looking at
the finals right now. Obviously Games seven will take places
very very soon. We have two small market teams, you see,
a lot of the nerratives is just like, oh, the
NBA is upset.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
We don't have bigger markets in that.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
We would love to have that conversation with you because
obviously it has been great basketball being played. The energy's
been high. You've been in both arenas, the fans there
seem happy. Is it just a narrative? It is just like, nah,
y'all not really tuned in into the actual product.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I could say so much about that, A
few things. I'll say.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
One of the points I made the other night was,
you know, I'm sure that a lot of NFL fans
here when the Steelers and the Packers play, you know,
Pittsburgh and Green Bay Nobody says two small market teams. Instead,
it's two storied franchises. And I want to emulate the
NFL from that standpoint. I mean our goal and we're
on our way there that whatever market it is, they
(08:53):
have passionate fans. They're competing for the championship. And just
like in Milwaukee where you won that championship, Jeff, you
know it's the story, isn't that it's a small market.
It's the best franchises in the NBA, the best teams
in the world, competing for championships, and increasingly in a
digital world where the incremental difference between Indianapolis and Chicago
(09:17):
should become irrelevant because we have a global fan base.
We have something like a two billion person social media community.
I mean something like seventy million people will have watched
the NBA Finals this year. So the fact that there
may be a million more people that live in one
market or another shouldn't be the issue.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Now.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I accept that it's a narrative going in the other thing,
I'll point out some of those markets are only smaller
relative to the size of other NBA markets. The mayor
of Oklahoma City pointed out that three hundred million Americans.
Close to ninety percent of Americans live in cities and
towns that are smaller than Indianapolis in Oklahoma City, like
(10:01):
most of us, I'm from the suburbs of New York,
but I grew up in a town Ryan, New York
that had fifteen thousand people and so and my growing up, Yeah,
New York City wasn't that far away, but it seemed
like it was a million miles away.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That was my town.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
When Little League season started, we had a Little League parade.
My high school class only had a couple hundred people
in it. That was my world. So I think it owned.
This small versus big market narrative only becomes relevant because
of historically how we've looked at things. But again, the
world's changing quickly. To me, if you're Jannis Tenakunpo and
(10:41):
you're in Milwaukee, you're globally known, and nobody's going to
convince him that if you went down the road to Chicago,
then you can be that much of a bigger star. So,
and I'm lastly saying, just having going back and forth
from Indianapolis to Oklahoma City and vice versa over the
last two weeks, the passion is unbelievable in those towns.
I just came in from Indianapolis this morning. I mean,
(11:02):
you're there. Every storefront has banners in it for the Pacers.
Same thing in Oklahoma City. Every building has a huge.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Banner on it.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Everyone's wearing merchandise. If you see on television, everyone's wearing
the team colors. It's like a college environment. And so
in some ways, when you're in those markets where that
are smaller, it captures people's attention even more than you know.
I live in New York City now, when when we
have teams in this town that are competing for championships,
(11:32):
as big as that audience is, it's not as all
consuming as it might be in a so called smaller
market for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I mean we were talking to a guy yesterday.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
He was telling us about how it was in New
York when they were just making the Eastern Conference finals.
And I think that's what the narrative is because when
you see all the people outside it was what a
million people almost outside, you started thinking like, man, if
they was in the finals, what would that look like?
So I think that's worse, you know, talk about but
to me being from Indiana and seeing how the Pacers
(12:04):
react and the fans are it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I think it's beautiful for the league.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
It is.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
And also, I mean when it comes to basketball, no
state is more closely associated with the game than Indiana.
I know you're still coaching high school. Yeah, while they're
staying in Oklahoma City. I mean, it's this sport feels
endemic to those markets. It's as I said, it's not
there's the support for the thunder for the Pacers, but
(12:31):
also people just love the game in those cities and
states and you can really feel it. And I think
particular the way these finals are being played, just selfless
style the past first, I mean both teams. It's a
great defense, really physical. I think people are really eating
up these finals. They're just really enjoying them.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
For sure, we'll be getting some expansion teams here soon
there what the expansion teams?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
How you feel about the you.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Know, I it's something we're going to look at. It's
more complicated I think sometimes than people realize, because I
think some people look at expansion that you're printing money.
It's not because it's like if you own something, you're
selling an interest in it. If you're one of the
thirty owners in the NBA and just say you expand
by two teams, It's not that different than selling a
(13:19):
portion of your team to someone else, you know. Having
said that, there's so many great markets out there that
love the NBA. It's something we're definitely gonna look at.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Okay for sure, Yes, I now he said Seattle. Who
was just trying to figure out, like what cities would
be good to bring.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
A new team too.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Obviously they do the Summer League in Vegas, so it's
equipped for NBA basketball, So I know Vegas will probably
be a coolest spot.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Like you said, Seattle had a team already.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
You know, it's interesting. I mean, we had a team
in Seattle before. It's such an incredible market. Many of
my years that the NBA were spent when we still
had a team in Seattle. There's no doubt about the
love for basketball there. And Vegas. You just mentioned where
we are Summer League. I feel like we have a
team there. Yeah, you know, the the two weeks or
so that Summer League goes, it literally like it consumes
(14:11):
the whole basketball world. Those games when we first start
playing the Summer League, they are Those games were hardly
even on television. Now sports centers operating out of Las
Vegas studio shows there. You know, it's it's like they
I've never been to the Baseball Winter Meetings, but that's
what it feels like. You know, all the general managers there,
teams are doing deals, Guys who weren't drafted or there
(14:33):
the draft picks are there.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
They're selling out in the arena.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
So like, I feel like we already have a huge
presence in Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Definitely sure. I wanted to ask you a fun question.
I recently introduced somebody to the movie Eddie, and then
we watched Celtic Pride. So those old NBA movies that
used to integrate all the things between us, me and
the Spans fictional in the NBA. I want to know,
how does that happen? Is there a license into our
conversation that happens, because you know, you see a lot
of things meet you and some of the players, some
not I would love to see. Is that's something that's
(15:01):
in the works future as a game is going we
get back into that. But how's a conversation or something
like that happened?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Well, the way it works, and I was at the
league for Eddie and Celtic Pride. And there's a division
of the NBA called NBA Entertainment that I used to run.
And so when people and for anybody here today or
is listening to this, wants to make a movie involving
the NBA's teams come to us, I mean we try
to make it easy, you know, in es since we
come and say if you want a license.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You know our logos or our name.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
You know, we want movies to ultimately be positive, of
course about the league.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
So you know, most people realize that.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
So it's not that we're not approving things that come
to us, but we'll have discussions with the producers and
the writers and the directors. But we want people to
be talking about basketball. We want them to be talking
about the NBA and the WNBA and all the things
we're doing. So, you know, I think over the years
we've learned to try to make it a bit more
turnkey for people who want to use our intellectual property
(16:00):
say please, you know, we to the extent that you
have a new angle and it maybe people want to
do something about mascots. It's not always just about the
you know, there was a movie called Like Mike something
they remember you know, there's you know, uh, the Michael
Jordan Last Dance. You know that came out in the
middle of the Pandemics.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
The movie would common just right, just right.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Yeah, you know, I mean.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
But also even like one of my favorite basketball movies
is Hoosiers, even though the NBA had nothing whatsoever to
do with that, Like any movie that's about the love
of the game is we think is really positive for us.
So we're always encouraging people who want to do anything
around basketball. You know, I'm when I walk through this
fan festival, I want more tension focused on basketball. And
(16:45):
that's like my job is to get more people to
love this game.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Definitely, you say your favorit basketball is Hoosiers. That's very interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Probably probably.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Come on, I haven't seen who's yours. Did you play
back in the day in high school or anything?
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Did I play? Yeah, that's why I wear I played,
but not well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I mean, you walked in. I was like, okay, you
might have said the screen and slips. I didn't know
you was that tall, I said. I was like, he
might have been a sniper.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Big gore back in the day.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
We might need you in the park and I'm in
the office, thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
So I had a question like when the like a
trade like Luca happens, right and it kind of shocks
the league, Like what's it like in the league office?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Like do y'all know, like whoa, this is about to
be wild?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Or you know just before.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
I you know, first of all, say one of the
misnomers I think out there is that I have the
power to disapprove of trade. I don't think the only
what the league's role is, as you can imagine, in
a in a cap system and a set of rules
around trades. What happens is before the trade is known publicly,
although sometimes they're leaked or or or they're informally announced,
(18:02):
but for a trade to be official, it gets called
into the league office. It's kind of old school, you know,
where both teams have to get on the phone and
lawyers and people in basketball operations literally line up the contract.
So if somebody make it up is making eight million dollars,
you have to ensure that the other team has eight
million dollars of cap space in order to sign that player.
(18:25):
You have to assure that it complies with all of
our rules. And so we get if assuming a trade
hasn't been leaked, A call will come into the League office,
a team will say we want to set up a
trade call.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Both sides will be on the call. It's a little
bit like anybody who's bought a home.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
And there's a closing, the closest thing where you've got
to make sure like you indeed have the title to
the house. Yeah, there's been an inspection and there's a contract,
all those things, so there's in essence of checklist, and
then the trade becomes official. So we don't and because
the teams often in particular trades and Luca is a
good example where the teams are very secretive. They're not
(19:06):
necessarily tipping us off. We learned about it, I mean
we learned about it be ahead of the public, but
only it's usually only a question of hours because we
have to go through that official process of approving it.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
But not sooner than that.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Was that like when you've seen that come across where
you kind of shocked, like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
I would only say, I mean because in many ways
I'm a fan like others, and teams aren't necessarily calling
the league office for suggestions on player movement, So there's
the fan in me. That only because that's not a
player move that people were talking about or the shows
like yours were talking about. I was surprised from that standpoint.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I want to ask you that question, obviously, what the
game growing? Media is evolving, ever changing, right, You got
player podcasts, got independent stuff like that. What's one thing
you think that the actual media outlets can improve that
could actually help the game. I know we get a
lot of criticism, but what's something that we could actually
help promote the game better or help progress?
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Well, first of all, I'll just say kind of in
the same lane when I was talking about movies about
the NBA, I'm very appreciative of the amount of media
coverage we get. I recognize it's not all going to
be positive, but to me, as long as it's.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Genuinely from the.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Heart and it's real passion and people aren't making up
stories about us, I appreciate it. And you know, it's
one of the things great about sports is people come
with their opinions. Yeah, and they like things, they dislike things,
and we learned from that too, you know. And it's
we pay attention to social media, we pay attention to
traditional media. You get great ideas from there, I think
(20:44):
the only thing I'd add to the extent there's more
media that's educating fans about what goes into championship basketball.
I think sometimes if you haven't been close to the game,
and I've learned a lot over my time because I
didn't play at a high level to understand that it's
(21:05):
not just about effort. It's about the plays that are unfolding.
It's about the sophistication of the coaching, It's about the
sophistication of the scouting. I mean, I think sometimes like
understanding what goes into being an NBA.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Player, the amount of hard work, the amount of training.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
But also I think sometimes because the way our game
is called, you know, it's moving so quickly, even for
the best announcers, play by play announcers like Mike Breen
or the best color commentaries, the best color commentary, it's
moving so fast there's not necessarily time to explain everything
(21:45):
that's happening that you know, it's not just this guy
is off tonight, but he may be off because it's
incredible defense and what is the scheme and what is
that defense? So I think sometimes like those other shows,
whether it's a pregame show, or halftime or it's an
afternoon show podcast, you name it about the NBA, just
(22:06):
to be talking about more about the game and what
goes into team basketball and what pros and what goes
into making the NBA and staying in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yeah, sure, that's definitely got You always talk about how
the NBA is a business and the fraternity and what
they do for the players after they leave the game.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
You want to indulge in that a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah, obviously it's a bunch of programming now that it's
been coming into the league. When I first came in
the league, theoie rookie transition and all those great things
that you have to do when you first get in
the league, I was wondering, how can we like, I'm
not gonna say better it. I think it's does a
really good job and everything is nice when you retire
from basketball, But is it anything like you would suggest
(22:49):
or some of the guys who might retire at the
age of like thirty thirty one, is there anything you
can suggest to help them with that process.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
It's a great question. A few things.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Number One, so for the first time we have a
former player who's running the players Association Andre Gudala, So
he's very attuned to the issues of not just former players,
but the transition for a player to go from being
on the floor to then the rest of their life,
and to how they're going to use the skills they've
(23:23):
developed as a player, and what new skills they might
need to be successful whatever they choose to do, whether
it's to be in the media or to run business
or whatever else. The other thing Andre is doing is
building a closer relationship between what has been a separate organization,
the Retired Players Association and the union that currently represents
the players, because I think that can help with the
(23:44):
smooth transition as well. And then you mentioned the Rookie
Transition program, So that's a program for players coming into
the NBA, the transition of coming from college or Europe
wherever it is. Now the world's changing quickly because now
with nil deals and collectives, guys are now coming into
the league and the same thing for the women in
(24:05):
the WNBA now in many cases having been paid, so
they already have a certain sophistication around payments and being
you know, shoe deals and things like that. But so
they come in we have the training in I think
one thing that Andre is very focused on, and in
fairness and the Union leaders before him, is enhancing those
(24:26):
programs so that while you're a player, there's a lot
of different counseling on managing your money, managing your life,
you know, dealing with social media, all those things. And
the Union has done a fantastic job. There's a role
for our teams and a role for the league and
doing all those things. And then I think also where
Andre now, I think the focus is all right, what
(24:49):
more can we do for helping the players manage that transition?
And then once I said, they become a retired player,
because I often and Jeff you can speak this. When
you're right off the there may be a period of
sort of decompressing, taking some time. There's that change from
being on the road the whole time. Often guys are
getting reacquainted with their families or they you know, they've
(25:11):
they've had kids while they were playing and haven't been
around as much. So there's that period. But then now
you have essentially the rest of your life ahead of you.
What kind of programs can we help provide to train people?
And I'll just say lastly, I mean there's also one
of the things that we put in place several years ago,
and and Michelle Roberts was head of the Players Association,
(25:33):
Chris Paul was president. Union's lifetime health insurance for guys
who played in the league, which is a huge deal,
and also enhancing the pension programs, the four oh one
K program, so that for somebody who has played, you know,
a certain minimum threshold of years in the league, you
know to a certain extent, you'll be set. No, you're
(25:53):
gonna have health insurance. You know you're gonna have a pension. Now,
you know that that's not suggesting they should just be
satisfied with that. But on top of that, there's all
these other opportunities, and you're obviously a great example of
it of what can you then use that platform you
have by virtue of being an NBA player and then
building careers beyond what you accomplished on the floor.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
For sure, most definitely we talk about the NIO situation
all the time. I know you probably get asked this
a million times. Is it a possibility to high school
players go back to the NBA straight?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Maybe? But the NIOL impact, you say, you got lesser
people in the drift. This year.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
If you think is that something is gonna be an
on one issue, is it's just a new transition period
because it's just new.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Yeah, when you think about it, we don't, as I said,
we only have a two round draft. And the fact,
I think it's really positive that some of these young
men are getting good information in essence and realizing that
they're unlikely to be one of the to be selected
in those two rounds. And if that's the case, and
they can remain in college and be paid and in
(26:56):
many cases paid significant amounts of money. That so, so one,
they're getting compensated for their skill and maybe even more
importantly to extent they want to be professional basketball players.
They're getting real minutes, they're getting great coaching, and they're
continuing to train and improve at their craft. So it's
(27:17):
a win win for everybody. As opposed to losing eligibility
because somebody's convinced you that you're going to be a
top draft pick. Not getting drafted, you can't go back
to college and now you're going to play maybe in
Europe or Asia or something else, as opposed to really
honing your skill and having your best shot at playing
(27:39):
in the NBA and The other thing is if you're
not going to be drafted and you're going back into school,
it shouldn't be lost that you're also, you know, continuing
to get an education, because realistically, you may not have
an opportunity to play in the NBA. It may be great,
you know, it may to go play in Europe. There's
great basketball playing played around the world, but that may
(28:01):
you know, not compensate you at the same level as
being in the NBA. You may not be able to
do it for as long. So now you finish, you
play for three four years in Europe, whatever it is,
but now you have a college education and then you
can go out and then pursue another career. So I
think the fact that some of those young men are
withdrawing their names is very positive to me. That just
(28:22):
means there's better information out there in the marketplace.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
Will we ever get back to kids being able to
come straight out of high school? Like what that ever
be a thing again in ANBA?
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Do you think you know, we've talked about that, you know,
just so everybody understands, like, that's not a decision we
can make on our own. It can only it has
to be negotiated with the Players Association, and when we
last discussed it, I think that the general feeling from
the teams and the players is to extent that those
young players have that extra year. Honestly, whether it's in
(28:54):
college or are playing in Europe, it's better for the
league because they come in better skilled, with a little
bit more maturity.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
We've talked about obviously the All Star format possibly being
the USA versus the world. We've got a lot of
great international players, a lot of than won VP recently,
we've got camps around the world. Is there a possibility
that we could get an expansion saying that's not in
the United States.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Well, we have the Raptors, of course, but you know,
a little bit sail around the way down.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
I know they're attached. It's not the same. Yeah, over time.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
I mean, one of the things we've been looking at
the league, at the league is whether we can help
operate a new professional league in Europe. I mean, don't
get me wrong, there's incredible basketball being played in Europe,
and there's some really great teams, and you know, several
of our most recent MVPs have come from Europe. But
(29:49):
I think from a commercial standpoint, basketball professional basketball hasn't
been nearly as successful in Europe as the size of
the market might suggest. So that's one path I wouldn't
called expansion directly, but it's building off the NBA brand
and potentially doing more in Europe. To your direct question
(30:11):
about teams in Europe, I think over time it's definitely possible.
Like I was in Paris last summer for the Olympics,
I mean, the interest was off the charts.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
I mean, to me, it was the hottest sport there.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
I mean like we were selling out every game, not
just the games involving USA, but you know, the gold
medal game was USA versus France.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I mean the.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Game before the US Serbia game was some of the
best basketball I had seen. So there's great players, enormous interest.
I think part of the limitation is on players' bodies.
It's not just the length of the flight, but when
you're jumping multiple time zones, it's important guys get proper
rest for being on the floor. It's disruptive. You know,
(30:57):
there's people Remember there used to be supersonic jets that
went back and forth from New York to Paris. You
know the concord that there's some commercial airliners now who
are talking about restoring supersonic jets. I mean, I think
that if the traveler faster, honestly, that would be a
game changer.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
It would make it easier to do.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
But as I said, I think the next step is
to sort of plan a flag in Europe, potentially with
the European League, and then go from there. But I
think if any league could do it, you could easily
imagine teams in Paris, London, Madrid, Berlin. I mean it's
not for lack of interest, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Most so you can imagine having a back to back
in Paris. Man.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Yeah, like you said, that flight would have been crazy,
but it'd probably be a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Though. I think guys will be open to playing in Paris.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I've seen guys go over there for preseason games and
exhibition games and they're like, it's cool to be over here.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
You got any adjustments that you would like to make
for the All Star the All Star Game, we want
to bring some new take something out, like how do
you feel about All Star Weekend?
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Well, the weekend itself, which we're not judged on for
those who are there, is fantastic. I mean I think
anybody who was in the Bay Area in San Francisco
last year. I mean there's tons of events and parties,
and there's a fan festival kind of like this. I mean,
(32:26):
people love that experience there the game itself, as we've
not put our best foot forward, and I think the
players recognize that. We recognize that. So, as you mentioned,
we're talking about changing the concept, doing something maybe close
to what the NHL did in the four nation faceoff.
I mean, I think it if it were just straight
(32:47):
up USA World, as much as fans would love that,
I'm not sure be fair to the players because roughly
thirty percent of the players are up from outside the
United States, so it wouldn't be fair to pick half
the team from thirty percent and the other from seventy percent.
But I think we're looking I know we're looking at
different formats now talking the Players Association because we need
their agreement where we would use that concept again similar
(33:10):
the NHL did, where you'd create that passion around the
USA playing other countries, other regions.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
In the world.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
I mean, I'm particularly excited about it. I'll just add,
so next year, our All Star Game is moving to
NBC where it was in the old days, and we'll
be in the middle of the Winter Olympics. So on
the Sunday when the All Star Game takes place, for
TV watchers, they'll be watching the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
Yeah, you know, all day, then you'll.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Come to our All Star Game, and then after All
Star Game, we'll be going back to the Olympics. So
I'd love to play off that theme that we'll be
smacking the middle, as I said of that Olympic competition.
So I think it's a good time for us to
be looking at those formats.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
Okay, cool, cool, Yeah, Oh, I wanted to ask Pseudo,
so Lebron you know he's on his last.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Leg the league. Make sure you said that, not me.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
I'm saying that who you think that can fill that
void of like the new face of the NBA.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Just like you know, I always say, like, you know,
we don't create those faces of the league office. They
earn it on the floor. It's interesting to watch these finals.
Obviously Shay is our MVP. He was the scoring leader
this year, but again I mean he's he's having a
great final so far. But ultimately Lebron is a face
to the league, and Michael was and KD was, and
(34:30):
these guys and Steph because they win championships. I mean,
it's looking fairness to any individual player. It's also a
team sport, and Lebron made that point the other day
for sure, but look at sports are about competition, it's
about winning. And the great news is kind of like
what I was saying about the draft earlier. I don't
have to sit here and predict sort of who our
(34:51):
next face of the league is. They they earn it,
you know, they are established by what they do on
the floor, and it's it's great to see now that
this next generation. I think in a way it's the
best of all worlds because Lebron is still at forty
years old playing an incredibly high level.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Steph is playing an incredibly high level, so is Kevin.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
You know, so there it's wonderful to see that generation
still here mentoring this next generation, but ultimately ultimately that
that this next generation who want to take that mantle
from them again, that that's where the competitive juice is coming.
They got to earn it by demonstrating they deserve to
be the face of the league by their performance on
(35:33):
the floor.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Gotcha, definitely.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
I wanted to ask I think for all those basketball
heres in the off season, we get to see all
the players playing different situations. Now when you're integrating the NBA,
like having the Drew League on the NBA app, things
of that nature. Is that something that's like purposely saying, Okay,
we're going to embrace every aspect of this game and
keep growing. Or is this something organically guys, just like
you know what, if everybody's rocking with this, we might
(35:55):
as well include ourselves in that.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I would say it's that's a case where it's definitely both.
I mean, what's cool about the Drew League or Rucker
or anything else is that it's truly organic. I can
take zero credit for that, but then we can be
very intentional about it and say the NBA app is
a central repository of basketball of every you know, over time,
(36:19):
truly everything basketball, but right now anything involving NBA players.
NBA players are playing in those summer leagues, whether it's
summer leagues here in New York or in LA or
Drew or whatever else that you know. Especially one thing
about social media, it's not always fine. It's not always
easy to discover what you're looking for. If you think
(36:40):
about X or Instagram whatever else. Like those algorithms are
pretty good at feeding you more basketball you've shown interest
in it, But there's nothing like that ability to go
to the NBA app and that is identifying for you.
If there's great basketball out there involving NBA players off
season or future NBA players, what's happening in your par asia,
(37:02):
We're gonna deliver it directly to you and that and
that's a place where we're trying to get a lot
more sophisticated, but we want to take advantage of of
of all that great all that great content, all those
great games that are already out there.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Most definitely for sure. Now, listen, I got the jersey on.
I'm saying they got a lot of fans missed the
classic jerseys. Is there a world where we could possibly
have the All Star Game back into the original uniforms
of the players.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
You know, I'm looking around there. There's a there's a
gentleman out there named Sally Raka, and he oversees all
of merchandising. So, Sally, you heard that shit? Are you
nodding your head? Yes, he's saying, yes, we're gonna we're
looking at that idea. No, it's we we go back
and forth like people want new Uniforny, they want Oh
but I love the idea of it, of the classic jerseys.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I love how you putting on the spot there by
start life.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
It's a you know, hey, you know the feedback from
our fans is critically important.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
So thank you everybody, most definitely, Well listen, Commission, We
appreciate your time and makes Norse in Mississippi one time, y'all,
thank you, thank you for having me, most definitely one
time for fanatic sex. Two pounds for Boots Mobile, twenty
five dollars unlimited tall text dowt.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Or where they had Team g nationwide. But shure, we
appreciate you all, y'all.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
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Speaker 1 (39:30):
Yes, sir man, we back at it again, man, another
episode of Club five twenty podcasts.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
I'm the host.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
My name is DJ Willis. Still got my brothers on
stage with me. To my left, we got my dog
Bishop be here out the praileies.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
How you what saying? And Nacy what up? Fanatics?
Speaker 1 (39:44):
What's that in fanatics? Vest? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. To
my right my dog young Nato young tig Gow you
what I'm chilling? I'll see you back there? Ford. What's so?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
What's adding waiting for? Shore Man?
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Listen man, we have fanatics with it and we got
another wonderful guest man, long awaited guests man. We were
very talking about this episode Hall of Famer, when the
codas a duel, we all grew up on his shoes,
Pure Hooper man, the one that all invented, t Max Trace, McGrady,
Big Dollard join us.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
Hey, yes, sir man, make my younger get up and
greet me. Man, turn my mic on in this s
motherfucker man?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
What up?
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Younger?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
What's up?
Speaker 6 (40:31):
Bro?
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Huh?
Speaker 1 (40:32):
What's up.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Man, you remember you punched me. Let's get this swing
out this south.
Speaker 6 (40:35):
The wa just get it out the way right now.
This dude right here, he used to play so much.
I just want to beat his ass.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
Ain't too much. It's young, bro.
Speaker 6 (40:43):
He just played entirely too much. Man, you're trying to
get back in the league.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
This league's playing.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Around too much. Say, I did play around a lot,
but we had to get your side of the story.
You know what I'm saying, two sides to the story.
So do you remember what happened? Y'all really believe to
you going that? He said, Really, I'm gonna tell you,
I'm put it for you. So I used to mess
with back every day.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
And he used to be like, man, shut them like
shut up, always talking like so I used to mess
with him.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
He was the one day we was eating, I was
we was in the thing and I was sitting back
and he walked up. He was like, I was like,
I was hot. I ain't thinking nothing of it, Like, man,
what the Marvin? Like, what you're gonna do?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (41:29):
G initial ain't a young fellow's my little homie.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Man.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Y'all doing good things up here, bron We didn't watching y'all. Man,
we're trying to man long awaited episode.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Man.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
We happy you could pull up.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
Man, Like we said, we all big fans to you
for show Man grew up with the Sea Man's Man.
We're gonna start first and foremost. We all love the
good feet game, and you got some legendary kicks, right,
So what's it like?
Speaker 2 (41:53):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
You know how you came into the league, But what's
that moment with Tamates his first signature shoot?
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Just like that that kid?
Speaker 6 (42:00):
Man?
Speaker 2 (42:00):
You know, shit, we always a kid playing on a.
Speaker 6 (42:03):
Playground and you was out there with your favorite player
hooping in them shoes.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
And for me it was MJ's, it was pips, and
then penny.
Speaker 6 (42:11):
Came along, and that's all I wore when I had,
you know, an opportunity to get some pennies. But then
when I it came along with I got my shoe,
and then it wasn't. It wasn't to the point I
saw my shoe had it in hand, award. But when
you go out in public and you see kids or
your fans with your shoe, that's the validation right there.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
That's like, damn, Doug, I made it.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
What's crazy seeing somebody with your jersey or see somebody
with the sneaks song noh, the sneaks because anybody in
the NBA gonna have a jersey. Everybody can have them sneaks, everybody.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Can have it on.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
See that black and blue colorway, crazy oog color way.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
And what's crazy is you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
You had like eye kind of moments in your shoes,
Like you know what I'm saying, the TMAC once the
All Star moment off the backboard, Like yeah, when you
see that, you just see like moments Like when we
look at other peoples shoes, we think of moments. So
for you to have your first couple of signatures are
like crazy moments in them. It just kind of like
submitted it all in. Our moms want to ask you,
what's your favorite shoe that you designed? What's your favorite
Tmax shoes? Uh?
Speaker 6 (43:12):
For me, it's the three point five And a lot
might not know about the three point fives. I ward
those when I was on the USA team was a
qualifying team, but about three point five. But because they
don't know, I'll say the t MAC threes threes was
the most the fire that we still selling to this day.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
The t MAC three is you know what I'm saying,
always got me a whooping in my household because I
asked my mama about two pair of shoes so I
can missmash them, and she was like, yeah, we ain't
going for that, most definitely, man. But listen, man, before
we get to the episode we got to get for you, man,
shout out to.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Temm Me John Me John John.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Yes, sir, be here. Tell the people they need to
do for you, sir, man, just wear draws, rid them draws.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
I don't know, ain't no white draws.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Then they got the Elastic Man, the Sindo band for
Man for today. It's how it takes the ball handling matters.
Pauls on the court. But I'm talking to get drugs.
Keep your balls hand over.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
To me, little pouch in the front.
Speaker 8 (44:09):
Hey, yo, just to get him together right there? Yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah yeah. Great drums is like great fans. Shout
out to Tommy John.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
Hey, hold.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
Shout out to Tommy Dunn.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
Bro Man, you know we're rocking heavy with y'all, man,
but you've been going crazy recently. Man.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
We got to talk about it instantly. You about to
say it.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Hey, you brought up and we ain't gonna get to
inho be messy, but you brought up Indiana pace the
lessen man. What the code is a lace up at
the CT for the Pacers our dog Jamal intend Sir.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
We heard the back and forth conversation about Kyrie.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
That's cool. We ain't gonna get to that, but it's
dope to hear players, especially who is around, show love
that people who don't get like recognition.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
All the time.
Speaker 6 (44:54):
I'm glad you said that because that was the sole
reason for for me saying that. I know I'm gonna
trust me. I know basketball, bro, and I know Kyrie
is the best when it comes to handles.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
It's two of my best.
Speaker 6 (45:08):
And I'm on record of saying this, it's Kyrie and
his skipped to my lout, my old teammate, then the
two best like for me. But yeah, when I get
an opportunity to highlight somebody that's in my generation of basketball,
my era, I'm gonna take the time to do that.
The thing is, people don't know my agenda when I
said that, so of course I expect that reaction, and
(45:31):
it's the reaction that I wanted, right, because I'm highlight somebody.
Like when you look at Jamal and Tinsley bro people
and comparing him to Kyrie, Yeah, they're gonna laugh at that,
but you go over and really see what that motherfucker
did when he was a rookie. It ain't too many
casts that had twenty three assists when there was a rookie.
So although you might laugh that he's not compared to Kyrie,
(45:54):
he's still somebody you can learn to and appreciate his game.
So using Kyrie was my man, go, you gotta use
somebody like that. And then the trigger words is yeah
he better he got mad at us, right, It's it's
it's the Internet game, bro.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
Oh yeah, that's all I did. So shout out to
Jamal in Tensley.
Speaker 6 (46:11):
Man.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Now these young folks know who he is.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
That's like looking in the crowd and you still see
people with t Mac jerseys and stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (46:19):
What is that like?
Speaker 1 (46:20):
Because I don't never see a tea anybody tea, but
like to see that, like, what's that like?
Speaker 2 (46:29):
You know tea man?
Speaker 6 (46:31):
I It's love bro, you know, And I don't take
it for granted. I appreciate every time I see somebody
with a T Mac jersey on anything T Mac. You know,
even twelve years after being retired, that shit still does
something to me because.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 6 (46:46):
I appreciate their appreciation of me, and I'm always gonna
show love.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
That's the best one right there? Which one? That ping
stripe from right here to Buddy Strikes was tough.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
I was gonna ask you the next one, what's your favorite?
Because you got a lot of iconic jerseys, know what
I'm saying. You got the Raptors, you got Orlando, you
got Houston. What's your favorite jersey?
Speaker 6 (47:05):
Me? That purple, That purple Raptors jersey is fire. Oh yeah,
I'm talking about like, out of all jerseys, that purple
Raptors fire the rookie year.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Yeah, yeah, that's the one. Yes, that's the one.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
That's That's that one. Now you look at today's the NBA, right,
A little bit of a difference between you. You play
a little bit more freedom. We've got the finals going
on right now, Game seven. Okay, see Pacers, I want
to ask you if you could play for either one
of those teams right now? Where are you pulling up
to Indiana?
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Indiana?
Speaker 6 (47:35):
I mean I First of all, they got a freaking
great coach. Rick carlyle Is is probably one of the
best basketball minds in the game right now, and we're
seeing that every night.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
But I like that cohesive. They don't have a superstar,
so I like that cohesive.
Speaker 6 (47:51):
I like that they do it by committee and integrate
somebody like me that could get buckets consistently.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
With what they already have great shooting.
Speaker 6 (48:00):
You got great predntrators and ask someone that could get buckets.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
I like my chances most definitely.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
And you got both those teams. Obviously, with all stars superstars,
you have a lot of role players. Do you see
the league gravitate more towards that, because I know back
y'all that you had the higharchey was a little bit different.
You had like two or three guys took the majority
of shots. Everybody on the fiel their roles. Now with
both these teams, you got some offen bitch who can
go shoot sixth threes and it's all gravy.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
Hell yeah, I love it.
Speaker 6 (48:21):
I love it because in today's game, there's a lot
more hoopers, you know what I mean. There's not guys
that just do one specific thing right, one thing. That's
really great. You got these guys. Man, they could score
on both sides of the body. They could do multitude
of the things on the basketball court coming off your bench.
When I you know, when I played shit, you had
(48:41):
somebody that Joe can only he's.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
Only a guy that could shoot in the corner. That's it.
Like you just stationary pieces.
Speaker 6 (48:49):
Now you can interchange with these type of players that's
playing the game today.
Speaker 2 (48:52):
I like how you said that.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Would you think your game obviously you could score them
in bunches, You can score any kind of way. You
think your game with a trans better now than it
did back then. I mean, yeah, come on, team, No,
I'm being really. I mean, you average, so you probably
would have averaged forty.
Speaker 6 (49:08):
I'm not gonna be arrogant at save forty. In my mind, yeah,
I feel I can score forty.
Speaker 1 (49:14):
I mean real lately, I think I.
Speaker 6 (49:17):
Shay average thirty two this year in a wide open league,
wide open game. I averaged thirty two. When that shit
was tight, score was seventy eight to eighty. You see
what I'm saying, and only shot like four or five threes.
Put me in today's game where I can shoot ten
eight to ten threes, and I'm gonna get to the
free throw line because I'm gonna get to my spots.
Speaker 2 (49:38):
That's deb near a forty piece. Yeah, probably average, that
might be a forty. And you had that mid range.
Speaker 1 (49:44):
I we was in Atlanta used to shoot the MIDI
used to like, yeah, you probably average forty. I'm thinking
about it, like thirty two back, Yeah, you probably gonna average.
Speaker 6 (49:55):
Yeah. I mean it's it's an easy game, now, bro,
you defensively like now I. They want to try to
add the physicality to it. But if you can't touch
me when I got the ball in my spot, like
you got to back up and get me. Nah, I'm
gonna shoot right up. I ain't even got to put
the ball on the flo. I'm gonna shoot right on
your right, in your face. People don't realize how tall
(50:16):
you are.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
You you like sixteen.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
Y'all know.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
They had me guarding him one time when he was
in Detroit. Did you lock it sh it up?
Speaker 6 (50:28):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (50:28):
No, he went straight to the block. They like, just
picky ld.
Speaker 6 (50:33):
Sick up, smart man. I couldn't move really, you you said,
you know what's crazy? Tied for him to be so good.
I identify him when I look at Magic Johnson play basketball.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
I see ty Reese a little bit. Okay, well, here's
what I mean by that.
Speaker 6 (50:55):
When you watch Magic play dominant right hand player, dominant dominant,
you don't really see them do too much on his
left side of their body. Tyres is the same way.
If you only could be dynamic on the right side,
and you got two killers that can play both sides
all over the court, you think you're gonna beat me
being dominant on one side.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
So for him to for Tyre's to be great, Tyree's.
Speaker 6 (51:20):
Gonna have to If you're gonna have four points, damn it,
you gotta accumulate for your team at.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
Least forty points. That has to be the accumulation.
Speaker 6 (51:29):
You can't have four points and only accumulate like twelve
points for your game. Now, if you want to be
a superstar, I'm fine with four points, but give me
fifteen assists, give me eight rebounds. That right there, to
me is like a Jason Kidd. That's a match like
that's having an end print and you don't have to
score that much.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
Gotch.
Speaker 6 (51:49):
But you can't give me four seven, six, nah fan nah,
I respect it.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Teammate when I'm making on this. You know, two years
ago they trying to make their jokes about Jaylon Brown
and said his left hand is the strongest. But you
know what he did, He went and got paid and
got a chip. They all talk about got het got
a left hand. He ain't gonna left cool. They ain't
gotta have a left fit and raised that banterrup killing.
Speaking of Jaylen Brown, I noticed, like your little brother,
It's like, who reminds you of you in the league
(52:18):
right now? Like me, the only person I really see
that kind of remind me of you was like Kevin Durant.
The way y'all score the ball is really kind of similar.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
That's that's that's really it. I mean, it ain't too many.
Speaker 1 (52:30):
I used to think Paul George, but then when I
watched PG, y'all kind of a little different. But like
you and KD, y'all do the rocker hanging dribble, pull up?
Speaker 6 (52:37):
Why why why?
Speaker 2 (52:39):
PG?
Speaker 1 (52:39):
What?
Speaker 2 (52:41):
He was a little more like pinned down shoots he
tried he tried today. Funny like that.
Speaker 1 (53:01):
I like that. I like you froight. But speaking of
comparison to somebody youngster is coming up. I've seen a
lot of people do a lot of you know, comparisons
for as Bailey to say, you know, best case scenario,
he could be a really he could be close to
Tracey McGrady.
Speaker 6 (53:13):
How do you feel about that? I like a the
Bailey's game. I actually want to see him in and
play this year. The kid has tremendous upside, smooth about
six six seven, six eight, got a nice shot.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
Tough shot maker.
Speaker 6 (53:26):
You gotta be a tough shot maker if you want
to be compared to me, you got to be able
to make tough shots. And I think he he's going
to be able to developing that creativity off the dribble.
Needs to get better, but he has the potential most definitely.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
Obviously, you know you went straight out of the high
school to the league with the nil situation. Now you
know you do a lot of mentoring you around these kids.
What's the advice that you give them?
Speaker 3 (53:45):
Now?
Speaker 1 (53:45):
With you know what I'm saying, you could possibly make
more money going back to school than being a first
round pick.
Speaker 2 (53:50):
You saying what would I do?
Speaker 1 (53:52):
I know what you do it.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
I'm saying, what advice did you get the youngest man?
Speaker 6 (53:56):
Honestly, I think you got to have people around you
that that understands finances, you know what I mean, because
given high school kids, you know, to five million dollars,
that's tough to have for them on their mental I
was eighteen years old coming out of high school, signed
(54:17):
a twelve million dollar deal, but I still kept my drive,
like I didn't let that effect where I wanted to
go with my game. And I think a lot of
these kids now, Man, I'm hearing them, it's like they
feel like they made it.
Speaker 2 (54:29):
When they get their money, bro, it takes a little
bit of that drive away.
Speaker 6 (54:33):
And I don't think these kids have that same type
of drive or you know, and enthusiasm to reach the
highest level of basketball within themselves. You know what I'm saying.
When they get this money, I think they lose a
little bit of that. And it's strong and important that
they have people around them that can understand the money
(54:56):
and what to do with it, but also keep them
level aheaded and keep them focused on the task that hand.
And that's improving as a basketball player because you nowhere
near where you're going to be in five to ten
years definitely.
Speaker 1 (55:08):
And you talk about this all the time because Seee
is a coach, right now then I Yo, it looks good,
but it could stunch your growth. Where you you get
this money now, you can jeopardize some money later. But
it's crazy how y'all talk about as professionals, but they
take advice from other people who ain't even got to
that level yet. It's like they forget the main thing.
Like the goal is to make it to the NBA.
Like that's the goal. I tell all the kids that
(55:29):
I come in contact with, like, Okay, you can get
this money. That's great, you can help your family right now.
But the goal is to make it to the league.
Like two million dollars. Believe it or not, it go
kind of yeah, it's not a lot. I used to
think people was crazy when they said that. I'm like,
two million dollars, you crazy, I'd be good for life.
But in that world it goes kind of quick though.
Speaker 5 (55:50):
Yeah, you're trying to keep up with the Joneses. Then
when you run out your money, then your family looking
at you like what's the next? Now you even to
fuck your whole self up in your career, so I'll
get it.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
Yeah, that'd be the first thing is they take care
of everybody.
Speaker 2 (56:02):
Else with that money.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
They stressed out and now they don't get no more money.
Speaker 6 (56:05):
It's scary, man, It's a scary situation, you know what
I mean, because these guys are so fragile, and it's
glorified on social media, so that's all they see. Yeah,
they're consuming all this information being social media, and they thing, damn,
I'm getting this money. Like I got a lot of
money in my pocket. I'm rich now, Nah, bro you
(56:26):
you ain't nowhere near that. You can blow that shit tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
Now you talked about you came into the league at eighteen,
you know what I'm saying, got you some chicken, but
now you're responsible. But what was your first like wild
out purchase? Was like, all right, I'm on that today.
Speaker 6 (56:38):
My first wild out purchase. Honestly, my wife like because
listen on, look man, man, look, let me explain. All right,
let me explain. Let me explain.
Speaker 2 (56:54):
So I'm crazy, like you married. Yeah, you broke bread,
broke bread. Let me tell you so, I always like
Biggie was my favorite artist.
Speaker 6 (57:14):
Back then, and Biggie used to talk about Lexus land Cruiser. Okay,
so I always wanted a Lexus land Cruiser.
Speaker 3 (57:21):
Bro.
Speaker 6 (57:21):
So when I graduated high school, I drove to Raleigh,
cause that's I was in Durham, North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (57:26):
I drove to Raleigh.
Speaker 6 (57:28):
I'm at the Lexus JYP dealership looking to get my
land Cruiser. I see this this female that's the receptionist.
Speaker 3 (57:35):
I was like, damn.
Speaker 2 (57:37):
So I had to go talk to him to see
what's up.
Speaker 6 (57:41):
After that, this is the time where before the draft,
I'm driving. I'm going around touring all my teams. Man,
so I got connected with her. The Bulls are playing,
we go to dinner, watching the NBA Finals. I felt like,
this is gonna be my wife.
Speaker 2 (57:57):
Bro.
Speaker 6 (57:58):
I'm traveling from city to city, calling her on the
on the flight, on my flight checking in. That's when
they had phones on the plane. So I'm swiping my
credit card calling this woman. This was nineteen ninety seven, fan,
it's what twenty twenty five?
Speaker 2 (58:14):
Still married as four years later? So yeah, louis.
Speaker 6 (58:22):
Right?
Speaker 2 (58:22):
Invest him ninety seven ninety seven? Dog ow old? Was
he ten ninety seven? How old are you?
Speaker 1 (58:30):
I'm thirty seven ninety seven. I was seven, Yeah, I
was ten. Now I gotta ask a questions. Did you
still buy the car? I still bought the car?
Speaker 3 (58:40):
Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (58:41):
Where is it that now, Oh, I sold it out.
That's just man. That motherfucker probably crushed somewhere in the
junk yards.
Speaker 5 (58:47):
I wanted to ask you, did you and Vince ever
have any one on one matchups?
Speaker 3 (58:51):
Nah? Never?
Speaker 2 (58:53):
Nah, we didn't.
Speaker 5 (58:55):
Where did uh tell me about your one on one league?
Speaker 6 (58:57):
Man?
Speaker 3 (58:57):
How that's so?
Speaker 6 (58:58):
I started my one on one in twenty twenty two,
and it's really just based off of my story and
how I got to where. You know, I ended up
being nineteen ninety six junior in high school, one of
the best players in Central Florida. No one really knew
about me and outside of my region. This guy from
(59:20):
Adidas comes to my high school and he has a
camp that wants me to attend.
Speaker 2 (59:27):
This camp.
Speaker 6 (59:28):
I go to ABCD. We all know about the ABCD camp.
Lamar odam top high school players. I make a name
for myself on this platform, right, It's not that anything
changed about me. It's just a platform that I got
on and they created, you know, some buzz for me.
Speaker 2 (59:47):
Ended up being the number one player in the country. Well,
for these kids.
Speaker 6 (59:51):
Out here that it is being overlooked, probably had some
you know, turbulent times on their journey. Basketball who knows
somebody in the family probably died.
Speaker 2 (01:00:03):
He had to step up as a man and take
care of the family. You just don't know what their
role was.
Speaker 6 (01:00:08):
For these cats, I wanted to create a platform for
those type of dudes that get overlooked. And one on
one basketball is not for everybody. It's a lot of
talent out there, Jeff. You know it's some cats on
your block where you come from, nice as hell at
one on one so and to me, we all grew
up playing one on one basketball.
Speaker 2 (01:00:25):
That's the pure essence of our sport.
Speaker 6 (01:00:27):
So creating that that that foundation for these guys, that platform.
I wanted to create stars through one on one basketball.
And that's what OBL is really about, just really giving
guys another chance, giving them.
Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
A hope to live out their dreams. Because we all
come from places. It's like such and such could have
made it. But such a such could have did this,
but so from somebody else, have another outlet, maybe not
the most traditional roud because you never know what they
got going on, but a chance to make it to
feed their family from basketball. That's always a good look show.
Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
So check us out.
Speaker 6 (01:00:55):
OBL started a YouTube channel week We're going on five
part series right now. We got four souls out and
you can see what I'm doing with these guys. Man,
they I think they appreciate that. We need to come comment.
Tell you one of them, bro, y'all come do it, bro,
I want to comment.
Speaker 1 (01:01:09):
Let's come out here acting food. Next one, I'm for
real sal pull up all right, so WAC love that?
So most definitely man make some moist team at one
time for the one time Mac wear.
Speaker 5 (01:01:20):
Them drums, Mat and Neal size boy and they ain't
thaying and that little pouch should I walk around the
beach with them?
Speaker 6 (01:01:27):
Walk around the beach? Well, that's on you saying, don't
shirt on with just these just the drowns?
Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
Are you out of podcast?
Speaker 1 (01:01:33):
On the respect man, y'all wearing them boxes for Showman
on top of mobawke you.
Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
Doing your appreciate y'all? Yeah, give it up, give it up,
give it up again?
Speaker 6 (01:01:43):
Club five twenty Okay on the big stage, I was
holding it down.
Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
Hey, I don't know what they're doing, but hey, don't worry.
Speaker 8 (01:01:52):
Be back here one forty five for the shub park
Off podcast with Cee see Sabathia.
Speaker 2 (01:01:57):
We're gonna be going all day, all week.
Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
The volume
The volume.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yo, yo, yo, your old fanatics. How y'all doing, How
y'all doing?
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Love is energy.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Y'all know what the time it is at this club
five twenty I'm your host. My name is DJ Wills,
Live in Fanatics, spects man one time for boom.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
We know the viobs twenty five dollars unlimited talk text
do or what they had with the T five gen
Nation while y'all know what time of this? Come on, man,
tap in and get you a phone. Man.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Still got my game with me up here. To my
far left, we got my dog Bishop be hearing out
the pearlies.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
How you what nasty saying?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
And what up? Fanatics? My boy? What's up? Baby? What on?
What up?
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Tapped in for show. To my right, my dog young
Nacho Young team got you what what's good?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
We got a good one today, got a good one today.
Come on man, listen man, we got a special special
guest man. We couldn't imagine that we would have digitallemen
on our platform, but it's a blessing.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
We're about to have a dope conversation.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Were happy to share this moment, which y'all we have
the one, the only, the commission mister Adam.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Silver joined the five twenty makes him noise.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes, sir, yes, sir, the go go.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Sir. It's a pleasure. It's a pleasant thank you boss man. Hello, Yeah,
energy energy, I love this.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
First and foremost. Who want to say thank you? We
appreciate you joining us or how you doing?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I'm doing great? This is incredible. I mean, I for
the fans, this must be fantastic. Just to the whole
environment here, I mean, congratulations to Michael Rubin.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
I can't believe what he's built for sure, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Listen, this is a blessing to have you on this stage. Obvious,
you know what I'm saying. You got to walk across
that stage. But for me and be here, it's our
Draft night moment. Baby, Yeah I got I didn't. I
didn't walk across the stage. I didn't go to the draft,
but I got a chance to hear my name, Carl.
It was pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
You got a championship ring though.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, I got a championship better than being drafted. Yeah,
talk about it. I snuck out of there with one. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Now, I wanted to ask you this question because everybody's
moment no is their dream to get across the NBA
say shake your hand and hold a jersey.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
What was it like for you the first time?
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And she got to be in that position and helps
the draft as the commissioner, it was.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
It's it's it's emotional for me. It still is because
you know, for that moment to come into the NBA
for these players and just as importantly for their families.
So when you're standing up on stage, particularly for you know,
the top draft picks who are sitting there right in
front of you, you're staring at often at their parents,
(02:36):
their siblings, their friends. So it's it's truly emotional. I
mean I feel it along with them. And then when
the guys come up on stage, I mean, obviously some
of the best athletes in the world. They've already performed
at a high level in college and Europe or whatever else.
Like when I put my arm on them and I
shake their hand, they're often you can feel how nervous
(02:56):
they are. You know, it's it's such and I think
it's just a lot of them been holding in the
emotion and it's just a release because even if you're
projected to be the fifth pick or the fourth but whatever,
it is, the reality of that actually happening. So I'm
just saying, like I'm holding it together too. For a
lot of them, it's just and and it's I'll just
add it, it's a privilege to be up there. I
(03:17):
don't have any particular talent, you know, unlike a player,
so I realize I'm fortunate to be part of the experience.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Who was the first player you introduced to the NBA,
which I said, who was the first person you introduced
to the NBA? Like, what was your first pip?
Speaker 4 (03:32):
Oh man, I gotta think about that, because you know,
I was the deputy commissioner for several years and did
the second round as well, So I gotta think about that.
I can't remember who who the first player is? Is
like draftives.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
I want to ask you this question.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Obviously, you know legal background worked in the NBA as well,
recipes obviously, like great David Stern. What was that moment
like when you found out that you were going to
be the commissioner?
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Oh Man, I mean I again, I just remember feeling
how fortunate I was I had at that point, I
had already worked for the league for twenty years. Yes,
at the time I found out I had worked for
David Stern that entire time, so I had a seat
in the room, so to speak, for a lot of
that had transpired over that time. And again I worked hard,
(04:24):
but at the same time, I realized it takes a
fair amount of luck to be in the right place
at the right time. I saw it as tremendous responsibility
to carry this league forward off of all those great
players that had come before me, great commissioners, you know,
David Stern being the most recent. So you know, it
(04:45):
was momentous, there's no question about it. But you know,
it takes a while to sink in you just again,
just and I still feel that even eleven years later.
Just it's an awesome responsibility because in addition to the
literally hundreds of millions of fans globally that for the players,
their families, the tens of thousands of employees of the NBA,
(05:08):
you know, and now the w NBA that that we're
part of, it's you know, you you feel the weight
of the responsibility. And in this league, I mean, there's
there's incredible things that happen every day, but there's also
things that are risks to the business. You know that,
and it's ultimate responsibility working together with the players, with
(05:28):
the team owners to make sure the league continues to
operate smoothly. So I would say, I'm I'm all struck,
but also feel that sense of responsibility most definitely.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
I got a question were talking about draft night and
you being up there calling names, and it's been some
nights where guys' names didn't get called in that first round.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Oh, what's that feeling? Like?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Do you ever be like, man, I just hope, hope
this kid gets called, because obviously I didn't go to
the green room, but I'll skip. That was a scary
feeling for me to be in a green room and
I get my name called. And we had some guys
go super super in the first round and be the
last guy in a green room, Like, what's that feeling?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
You know?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
I'm Often it happens occasionally where there is a player
who's projected to go higher and drops for whatever reason.
And often in some cases in between break in between picks,
I'll walk down and just say hello to the player
and their family. I've you know, we have a lunch
in the day of the draft, so I've talked to
(06:25):
them and I see them before the draft, but also
just to remind them that nobody can predict the future
that I mean I think about you know, I mean
our MVP in Shay I forgot it. Only he's like
the eleventh pick or whatever. He wasn't a top ten pick.
Tyresee wasn't a top ten pick. But not only were
they not ten top ten picks, but they were both traded,
(06:48):
you know, and and and you have incredible players. You know,
Jokich was a second round pick. Ye young Man just
pointed out to me. You know, Traymond Green was a
second round pick. I mean, you have look at the
current finals. You know, you have players who are enormous
(07:09):
contributors who weren't.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Drafted at all.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
And so I always see it as my responsibility to
remind them that this is just one point in time
and you should take motivation from this. And again that
understandably these teams are making these decisions, but don't let
that sort of prediction be controlling on you and go
double down on your work, because there's a reason that
(07:34):
they're there, that they were projected to be there.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
And even if you know, if you think the NBA is.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
The four and fifty best players in the world, so
we have a relatively small draft compared like, if you
watch the NFL draft, how many rounds they have. It's
only a two round draft. So again I just remind them, like, yeah,
it sucks in that moment, it feels embarrassing potentially, but
go get them. You know this, This isn't gonna determine
(08:01):
your faith.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Oh definitely.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
You brought a very interesting point up. We're looking at
the finals right now. Obviously Games seven will take places
very very soon. We have two small market teams, you see,
a lot of the nerratives is just like, oh, the
NBA is upset.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
We don't have bigger markets in that.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
We would love to have that conversation with you because
obviously it has been great basketball being played. The energy's
been high. You've been in both arenas, the fans there
seem happy. Is it just a narrative? It is just like, nah,
y'all not really tuned in into the actual product.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
You know, I could say so much about that, A
few things. I'll say.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
One of the points I made the other night was,
you know, I'm sure that a lot of NFL fans
here when the Steelers and the Packers play, you know,
Pittsburgh and Green Bay Nobody says two small market teams. Instead,
it's two storied franchises. And I want to emulate the
NFL from that standpoint. I mean our goal and we're
on our way there that whatever market it is, they
(08:53):
have passionate fans. They're competing for the championship. And just
like in Milwaukee where you won that championship, Jeff, you
know it's the story, isn't that it's a small market.
It's the best franchises in the NBA, the best teams
in the world, competing for championships, and increasingly in a
digital world where the incremental difference between Indianapolis and Chicago
(09:17):
should become irrelevant because we have a global fan base.
We have something like a two billion person social media community.
I mean something like seventy million people will have watched
the NBA Finals this year. So the fact that there
may be a million more people that live in one
market or another shouldn't be the issue.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Now.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
I accept that it's a narrative going in the other thing,
I'll point out some of those markets are only smaller
relative to the size of other NBA markets. The mayor
of Oklahoma City pointed out that three hundred million Americans.
Close to ninety percent of Americans live in cities and
towns that are smaller than Indianapolis in Oklahoma City, like
(10:01):
most of us, I'm from the suburbs of New York,
but I grew up in a town Ryan, New York
that had fifteen thousand people and so and my growing up, Yeah,
New York City wasn't that far away, but it seemed
like it was a million miles away.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
That was my town.
Speaker 4 (10:18):
When Little League season started, we had a Little League parade.
My high school class only had a couple hundred people
in it. That was my world. So I think it owned.
This small versus big market narrative only becomes relevant because
of historically how we've looked at things. But again, the
world's changing quickly. To me, if you're Jannis Tenakunpo and
(10:41):
you're in Milwaukee, you're globally known, and nobody's going to
convince him that if you went down the road to Chicago,
then you can be that much of a bigger star. So,
and I'm lastly saying, just having going back and forth
from Indianapolis to Oklahoma City and vice versa over the
last two weeks, the passion is unbelievable in those towns.
I just came in from Indianapolis this morning. I mean,
(11:02):
you're there. Every storefront has banners in it for the Pacers.
Same thing in Oklahoma City. Every building has a huge.
Speaker 3 (11:11):
Banner on it.
Speaker 4 (11:12):
Everyone's wearing merchandise. If you see on television, everyone's wearing
the team colors. It's like a college environment. And so
in some ways, when you're in those markets where that
are smaller, it captures people's attention even more than you know.
I live in New York City now, when when we
have teams in this town that are competing for championships,
(11:32):
as big as that audience is, it's not as all
consuming as it might be in a so called smaller
market for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I mean we were talking to a guy yesterday.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
He was telling us about how it was in New
York when they were just making the Eastern Conference finals.
And I think that's what the narrative is because when
you see all the people outside it was what a
million people almost outside, you started thinking like, man, if
they was in the finals, what would that look like?
So I think that's worse, you know, talk about but
to me being from Indiana and seeing how the Pacers
(12:04):
react and the fans are it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
I think it's beautiful for the league.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
It is.
Speaker 4 (12:08):
And also, I mean when it comes to basketball, no
state is more closely associated with the game than Indiana.
I know you're still coaching high school. Yeah, while they're
staying in Oklahoma City. I mean, it's this sport feels
endemic to those markets. It's as I said, it's not
there's the support for the thunder for the Pacers, but
(12:31):
also people just love the game in those cities and
states and you can really feel it. And I think
particular the way these finals are being played, just selfless
style the past first, I mean both teams. It's a
great defense, really physical. I think people are really eating
up these finals. They're just really enjoying them.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
For sure, we'll be getting some expansion teams here soon
there what the expansion teams?
Speaker 2 (12:55):
How you feel about the you.
Speaker 4 (12:57):
Know, I it's something we're going to look at. It's
more complicated I think sometimes than people realize, because I
think some people look at expansion that you're printing money.
It's not because it's like if you own something, you're
selling an interest in it. If you're one of the
thirty owners in the NBA and just say you expand
by two teams, It's not that different than selling a
(13:19):
portion of your team to someone else, you know. Having
said that, there's so many great markets out there that
love the NBA. It's something we're definitely gonna look at.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
Okay for sure, Yes, I now he said Seattle. Who
was just trying to figure out, like what cities would
be good to bring.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
A new team too.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Obviously they do the Summer League in Vegas, so it's
equipped for NBA basketball, So I know Vegas will probably
be a coolest spot.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
Like you said, Seattle had a team already.
Speaker 4 (13:46):
You know, it's interesting. I mean, we had a team
in Seattle before. It's such an incredible market. Many of
my years that the NBA were spent when we still
had a team in Seattle. There's no doubt about the
love for basketball there. And Vegas. You just mentioned where
we are Summer League. I feel like we have a
team there. Yeah, you know, the the two weeks or
so that Summer League goes, it literally like it consumes
(14:11):
the whole basketball world. Those games when we first start
playing the Summer League, they are Those games were hardly
even on television. Now sports centers operating out of Las
Vegas studio shows there. You know, it's it's like they
I've never been to the Baseball Winter Meetings, but that's
what it feels like. You know, all the general managers there,
teams are doing deals, Guys who weren't drafted or there
(14:33):
the draft picks are there.
Speaker 3 (14:35):
They're selling out in the arena.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
So like, I feel like we already have a huge
presence in Las Vegas.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Definitely sure. I wanted to ask you a fun question.
I recently introduced somebody to the movie Eddie, and then
we watched Celtic Pride. So those old NBA movies that
used to integrate all the things between us, me and
the Spans fictional in the NBA. I want to know,
how does that happen? Is there a license into our
conversation that happens, because you know, you see a lot
of things meet you and some of the players, some
not I would love to see. Is that's something that's
(15:01):
in the works future as a game is going we
get back into that. But how's a conversation or something
like that happened?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Well, the way it works, and I was at the
league for Eddie and Celtic Pride. And there's a division
of the NBA called NBA Entertainment that I used to run.
And so when people and for anybody here today or
is listening to this, wants to make a movie involving
the NBA's teams come to us, I mean we try
to make it easy, you know, in es since we
come and say if you want a license.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You know our logos or our name.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
You know, we want movies to ultimately be positive, of
course about the league.
Speaker 3 (15:35):
So you know, most people realize that.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
So it's not that we're not approving things that come
to us, but we'll have discussions with the producers and
the writers and the directors. But we want people to
be talking about basketball. We want them to be talking
about the NBA and the WNBA and all the things
we're doing. So, you know, I think over the years
we've learned to try to make it a bit more
turnkey for people who want to use our intellectual property
(16:00):
say please, you know, we to the extent that you
have a new angle and it maybe people want to
do something about mascots. It's not always just about the
you know, there was a movie called Like Mike something
they remember you know, there's you know, uh, the Michael
Jordan Last Dance. You know that came out in the
middle of the Pandemics.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
The movie would common just right, just right.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Yeah, you know, I mean.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
But also even like one of my favorite basketball movies
is Hoosiers, even though the NBA had nothing whatsoever to
do with that, Like any movie that's about the love
of the game is we think is really positive for us.
So we're always encouraging people who want to do anything
around basketball. You know, I'm when I walk through this
fan festival, I want more tension focused on basketball. And
(16:45):
that's like my job is to get more people to
love this game.
Speaker 1 (16:49):
Definitely, you say your favorit basketball is Hoosiers. That's very interesting.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Probably probably.
Speaker 2 (16:56):
Come on, I haven't seen who's yours. Did you play
back in the day in high school or anything?
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Did I play? Yeah, that's why I wear I played,
but not well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
I mean, you walked in. I was like, okay, you
might have said the screen and slips. I didn't know
you was that tall, I said. I was like, he
might have been a sniper.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
Big gore back in the day.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
We might need you in the park and I'm in
the office, thank you.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
So I had a question like when the like a
trade like Luca happens, right and it kind of shocks
the league, Like what's it like in the league office?
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Like do y'all know, like whoa, this is about to
be wild?
Speaker 3 (17:35):
Or you know just before.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
I you know, first of all, say one of the
misnomers I think out there is that I have the
power to disapprove of trade. I don't think the only
what the league's role is, as you can imagine, in
a in a cap system and a set of rules
around trades. What happens is before the trade is known publicly,
although sometimes they're leaked or or or they're informally announced,
(18:02):
but for a trade to be official, it gets called
into the league office. It's kind of old school, you know,
where both teams have to get on the phone and
lawyers and people in basketball operations literally line up the contract.
So if somebody make it up is making eight million dollars,
you have to ensure that the other team has eight
million dollars of cap space in order to sign that player.
(18:25):
You have to assure that it complies with all of
our rules. And so we get if assuming a trade
hasn't been leaked, A call will come into the League office,
a team will say we want to set up a
trade call.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Both sides will be on the call. It's a little
bit like anybody who's bought a home.
Speaker 4 (18:44):
And there's a closing, the closest thing where you've got
to make sure like you indeed have the title to
the house. Yeah, there's been an inspection and there's a contract,
all those things, so there's in essence of checklist, and
then the trade becomes official. So we don't and because
the teams often in particular trades and Luca is a
good example where the teams are very secretive. They're not
(19:06):
necessarily tipping us off. We learned about it, I mean
we learned about it be ahead of the public, but
only it's usually only a question of hours because we
have to go through that official process of approving it.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
But not sooner than that.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Was that like when you've seen that come across where
you kind of shocked, like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
I would only say, I mean because in many ways
I'm a fan like others, and teams aren't necessarily calling
the league office for suggestions on player movement, So there's
the fan in me. That only because that's not a
player move that people were talking about or the shows
like yours were talking about. I was surprised from that standpoint.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
I want to ask you that question, obviously, what the
game growing? Media is evolving, ever changing, right, You got
player podcasts, got independent stuff like that. What's one thing
you think that the actual media outlets can improve that
could actually help the game. I know we get a
lot of criticism, but what's something that we could actually
help promote the game better or help progress?
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Well, first of all, I'll just say kind of in
the same lane when I was talking about movies about
the NBA, I'm very appreciative of the amount of media
coverage we get. I recognize it's not all going to
be positive, but to me, as long as it's.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Genuinely from the.
Speaker 4 (20:23):
Heart and it's real passion and people aren't making up
stories about us, I appreciate it. And you know, it's
one of the things great about sports is people come
with their opinions. Yeah, and they like things, they dislike things,
and we learned from that too, you know. And it's
we pay attention to social media, we pay attention to
traditional media. You get great ideas from there, I think
(20:44):
the only thing I'd add to the extent there's more
media that's educating fans about what goes into championship basketball.
I think sometimes if you haven't been close to the game,
and I've learned a lot over my time because I
didn't play at a high level to understand that it's
(21:05):
not just about effort. It's about the plays that are unfolding.
It's about the sophistication of the coaching, It's about the
sophistication of the scouting. I mean, I think sometimes like
understanding what goes into being an NBA.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Player, the amount of hard work, the amount of training.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
But also I think sometimes because the way our game
is called, you know, it's moving so quickly, even for
the best announcers, play by play announcers like Mike Breen
or the best color commentaries, the best color commentary, it's
moving so fast there's not necessarily time to explain everything
(21:45):
that's happening that you know, it's not just this guy
is off tonight, but he may be off because it's
incredible defense and what is the scheme and what is
that defense? So I think sometimes like those other shows,
whether it's a pregame show, or halftime or it's an
afternoon show podcast, you name it about the NBA, just
(22:06):
to be talking about more about the game and what
goes into team basketball and what pros and what goes
into making the NBA and staying in the NBA.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yeah, sure, that's definitely got You always talk about how
the NBA is a business and the fraternity and what
they do for the players after they leave the game.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
You want to indulge in that a little bit more.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Yeah, obviously it's a bunch of programming now that it's
been coming into the league. When I first came in
the league, theoie rookie transition and all those great things
that you have to do when you first get in
the league, I was wondering, how can we like, I'm
not gonna say better it. I think it's does a
really good job and everything is nice when you retire
from basketball, But is it anything like you would suggest
(22:49):
or some of the guys who might retire at the
age of like thirty thirty one, is there anything you
can suggest to help them with that process.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
It's a great question. A few things.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Number One, so for the first time we have a
former player who's running the players Association Andre Gudala, So
he's very attuned to the issues of not just former players,
but the transition for a player to go from being
on the floor to then the rest of their life,
and to how they're going to use the skills they've
(23:23):
developed as a player, and what new skills they might
need to be successful whatever they choose to do, whether
it's to be in the media or to run business
or whatever else. The other thing Andre is doing is
building a closer relationship between what has been a separate organization,
the Retired Players Association and the union that currently represents
the players, because I think that can help with the
(23:44):
smooth transition as well. And then you mentioned the Rookie
Transition program, So that's a program for players coming into
the NBA, the transition of coming from college or Europe
wherever it is. Now the world's changing quickly because now
with nil deals and collectives, guys are now coming into
the league and the same thing for the women in
(24:05):
the WNBA now in many cases having been paid, so
they already have a certain sophistication around payments and being
you know, shoe deals and things like that. But so
they come in we have the training in I think
one thing that Andre is very focused on, and in
fairness and the Union leaders before him, is enhancing those
(24:26):
programs so that while you're a player, there's a lot
of different counseling on managing your money, managing your life,
you know, dealing with social media, all those things. And
the Union has done a fantastic job. There's a role
for our teams and a role for the league and
doing all those things. And then I think also where
Andre now, I think the focus is all right, what
(24:49):
more can we do for helping the players manage that transition?
And then once I said, they become a retired player,
because I often and Jeff you can speak this. When
you're right off the there may be a period of
sort of decompressing, taking some time. There's that change from
being on the road the whole time. Often guys are
getting reacquainted with their families or they you know, they've
(25:11):
they've had kids while they were playing and haven't been
around as much. So there's that period. But then now
you have essentially the rest of your life ahead of you.
What kind of programs can we help provide to train people?
And I'll just say lastly, I mean there's also one
of the things that we put in place several years ago,
and and Michelle Roberts was head of the Players Association,
(25:33):
Chris Paul was president. Union's lifetime health insurance for guys
who played in the league, which is a huge deal,
and also enhancing the pension programs, the four oh one
K program, so that for somebody who has played, you know,
a certain minimum threshold of years in the league, you
know to a certain extent, you'll be set. No, you're
(25:53):
gonna have health insurance. You know you're gonna have a pension. Now,
you know that that's not suggesting they should just be
satisfied with that. But on top of that, there's all
these other opportunities, and you're obviously a great example of
it of what can you then use that platform you
have by virtue of being an NBA player and then
building careers beyond what you accomplished on the floor.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
For sure, most definitely we talk about the NIO situation
all the time. I know you probably get asked this
a million times. Is it a possibility to high school
players go back to the NBA straight?
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Maybe? But the NIOL impact, you say, you got lesser
people in the drift. This year.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
If you think is that something is gonna be an
on one issue, is it's just a new transition period
because it's just new.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Yeah, when you think about it, we don't, as I said,
we only have a two round draft. And the fact,
I think it's really positive that some of these young
men are getting good information in essence and realizing that
they're unlikely to be one of the to be selected
in those two rounds. And if that's the case, and
they can remain in college and be paid and in
(26:56):
many cases paid significant amounts of money. That so, so one,
they're getting compensated for their skill and maybe even more
importantly to extent they want to be professional basketball players.
They're getting real minutes, they're getting great coaching, and they're
continuing to train and improve at their craft. So it's
(27:17):
a win win for everybody. As opposed to losing eligibility
because somebody's convinced you that you're going to be a
top draft pick. Not getting drafted, you can't go back
to college and now you're going to play maybe in
Europe or Asia or something else, as opposed to really
honing your skill and having your best shot at playing
(27:39):
in the NBA and The other thing is if you're
not going to be drafted and you're going back into school,
it shouldn't be lost that you're also, you know, continuing
to get an education, because realistically, you may not have
an opportunity to play in the NBA. It may be great,
you know, it may to go play in Europe. There's
great basketball playing played around the world, but that may
(28:01):
you know, not compensate you at the same level as
being in the NBA. You may not be able to
do it for as long. So now you finish, you
play for three four years in Europe, whatever it is,
but now you have a college education and then you
can go out and then pursue another career. So I
think the fact that some of those young men are
withdrawing their names is very positive to me. That just
(28:22):
means there's better information out there in the marketplace.
Speaker 5 (28:24):
Will we ever get back to kids being able to
come straight out of high school? Like what that ever
be a thing again in ANBA?
Speaker 4 (28:32):
Do you think you know, we've talked about that, you know,
just so everybody understands, like, that's not a decision we
can make on our own. It can only it has
to be negotiated with the Players Association, and when we
last discussed it, I think that the general feeling from
the teams and the players is to extent that those
young players have that extra year. Honestly, whether it's in
(28:54):
college or are playing in Europe, it's better for the
league because they come in better skilled, with a little
bit more maturity.
Speaker 1 (29:04):
We've talked about obviously the All Star format possibly being
the USA versus the world. We've got a lot of
great international players, a lot of than won VP recently,
we've got camps around the world. Is there a possibility
that we could get an expansion saying that's not in
the United States.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
Well, we have the Raptors, of course, but you know,
a little bit sail around the way down.
Speaker 3 (29:24):
I know they're attached. It's not the same. Yeah, over time.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
I mean, one of the things we've been looking at
the league, at the league is whether we can help
operate a new professional league in Europe. I mean, don't
get me wrong, there's incredible basketball being played in Europe,
and there's some really great teams, and you know, several
of our most recent MVPs have come from Europe. But
(29:49):
I think from a commercial standpoint, basketball professional basketball hasn't
been nearly as successful in Europe as the size of
the market might suggest. So that's one path I wouldn't
called expansion directly, but it's building off the NBA brand
and potentially doing more in Europe. To your direct question
(30:11):
about teams in Europe, I think over time it's definitely possible.
Like I was in Paris last summer for the Olympics,
I mean, the interest was off the charts.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
I mean, to me, it was the hottest sport there.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
I mean like we were selling out every game, not
just the games involving USA, but you know, the gold
medal game was USA versus France.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I mean the.
Speaker 4 (30:34):
Game before the US Serbia game was some of the
best basketball I had seen. So there's great players, enormous interest.
I think part of the limitation is on players' bodies.
It's not just the length of the flight, but when
you're jumping multiple time zones, it's important guys get proper
rest for being on the floor. It's disruptive. You know,
(30:57):
there's people Remember there used to be supersonic jets that
went back and forth from New York to Paris. You
know the concord that there's some commercial airliners now who
are talking about restoring supersonic jets. I mean, I think
that if the traveler faster, honestly, that would be a
game changer.
Speaker 3 (31:17):
It would make it easier to do.
Speaker 4 (31:18):
But as I said, I think the next step is
to sort of plan a flag in Europe, potentially with
the European League, and then go from there. But I
think if any league could do it, you could easily
imagine teams in Paris, London, Madrid, Berlin. I mean it's
not for lack of interest, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Most so you can imagine having a back to back
in Paris. Man.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
Yeah, like you said, that flight would have been crazy,
but it'd probably be a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Though. I think guys will be open to playing in Paris.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I've seen guys go over there for preseason games and
exhibition games and they're like, it's cool to be over here.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
You got any adjustments that you would like to make
for the All Star the All Star Game, we want
to bring some new take something out, like how do
you feel about All Star Weekend?
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Well, the weekend itself, which we're not judged on for
those who are there, is fantastic. I mean I think
anybody who was in the Bay Area in San Francisco
last year. I mean there's tons of events and parties,
and there's a fan festival kind of like this. I mean,
(32:26):
people love that experience there the game itself, as we've
not put our best foot forward, and I think the
players recognize that. We recognize that. So, as you mentioned,
we're talking about changing the concept, doing something maybe close
to what the NHL did in the four nation faceoff.
I mean, I think it if it were just straight
(32:47):
up USA World, as much as fans would love that,
I'm not sure be fair to the players because roughly
thirty percent of the players are up from outside the
United States, so it wouldn't be fair to pick half
the team from thirty percent and the other from seventy percent.
But I think we're looking I know we're looking at
different formats now talking the Players Association because we need
their agreement where we would use that concept again similar
(33:10):
the NHL did, where you'd create that passion around the
USA playing other countries, other regions.
Speaker 6 (33:19):
In the world.
Speaker 4 (33:20):
I mean, I'm particularly excited about it. I'll just add,
so next year, our All Star Game is moving to
NBC where it was in the old days, and we'll
be in the middle of the Winter Olympics. So on
the Sunday when the All Star Game takes place, for
TV watchers, they'll be watching the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
Yeah, you know, all day, then you'll.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Come to our All Star Game, and then after All
Star Game, we'll be going back to the Olympics. So
I'd love to play off that theme that we'll be
smacking the middle, as I said of that Olympic competition.
So I think it's a good time for us to
be looking at those formats.
Speaker 5 (33:51):
Okay, cool, cool, Yeah, Oh, I wanted to ask Pseudo,
so Lebron you know he's on his last.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
Leg the league. Make sure you said that, not me.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
I'm saying that who you think that can fill that
void of like the new face of the NBA.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Just like you know, I always say, like, you know,
we don't create those faces of the league office. They
earn it on the floor. It's interesting to watch these finals.
Obviously Shay is our MVP. He was the scoring leader
this year, but again I mean he's he's having a
great final so far. But ultimately Lebron is a face
to the league, and Michael was and KD was, and
(34:30):
these guys and Steph because they win championships. I mean,
it's looking fairness to any individual player. It's also a
team sport, and Lebron made that point the other day
for sure, but look at sports are about competition, it's
about winning. And the great news is kind of like
what I was saying about the draft earlier. I don't
have to sit here and predict sort of who our
(34:51):
next face of the league is. They they earn it,
you know, they are established by what they do on
the floor, and it's it's great to see now that
this next generation. I think in a way it's the
best of all worlds because Lebron is still at forty
years old playing an incredibly high level.
Speaker 3 (35:09):
Steph is playing an incredibly high level, so is Kevin.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
You know, so there it's wonderful to see that generation
still here mentoring this next generation, but ultimately ultimately that
that this next generation who want to take that mantle
from them again, that that's where the competitive juice is coming.
They got to earn it by demonstrating they deserve to
be the face of the league by their performance on
(35:33):
the floor.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Gotcha, definitely.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
I wanted to ask I think for all those basketball
heres in the off season, we get to see all
the players playing different situations. Now when you're integrating the NBA,
like having the Drew League on the NBA app, things
of that nature. Is that something that's like purposely saying, Okay,
we're going to embrace every aspect of this game and
keep growing. Or is this something organically guys, just like
you know what, if everybody's rocking with this, we might
(35:55):
as well include ourselves in that.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I would say it's that's a case where it's definitely both.
I mean, what's cool about the Drew League or Rucker
or anything else is that it's truly organic. I can
take zero credit for that, but then we can be
very intentional about it and say the NBA app is
a central repository of basketball of every you know, over time,
(36:19):
truly everything basketball, but right now anything involving NBA players.
NBA players are playing in those summer leagues, whether it's
summer leagues here in New York or in LA or
Drew or whatever else that you know. Especially one thing
about social media, it's not always fine. It's not always
easy to discover what you're looking for. If you think
(36:40):
about X or Instagram whatever else. Like those algorithms are
pretty good at feeding you more basketball you've shown interest
in it, But there's nothing like that ability to go
to the NBA app and that is identifying for you.
If there's great basketball out there involving NBA players off
season or future NBA players, what's happening in your par asia,
(37:02):
We're gonna deliver it directly to you and that and
that's a place where we're trying to get a lot
more sophisticated, but we want to take advantage of of
of all that great all that great content, all those
great games that are already out there.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Most definitely for sure. Now, listen, I got the jersey on.
I'm saying they got a lot of fans missed the
classic jerseys. Is there a world where we could possibly
have the All Star Game back into the original uniforms
of the players.
Speaker 4 (37:28):
You know, I'm looking around there. There's a there's a
gentleman out there named Sally Raka, and he oversees all
of merchandising. So, Sally, you heard that shit? Are you
nodding your head? Yes, he's saying, yes, we're gonna we're
looking at that idea. No, it's we we go back
and forth like people want new Uniforny, they want Oh
but I love the idea of it, of the classic jerseys.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I love how you putting on the spot there by
start life.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
It's a you know, hey, you know the feedback from
our fans is critically important.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
So thank you everybody, most definitely, Well listen, Commission, We
appreciate your time and makes Norse in Mississippi one time, y'all,
thank you, thank you for having me, most definitely one
time for fanatic sex. Two pounds for Boots Mobile, twenty
five dollars unlimited tall text dowt.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Or where they had Team g nationwide. But shure, we
appreciate you all, y'all.
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Speaker 1 (39:30):
Yes, sir man, we back at it again, man, another
episode of Club five twenty podcasts.
Speaker 2 (39:35):
I'm the host.
Speaker 1 (39:35):
My name is DJ Willis. Still got my brothers on
stage with me. To my left, we got my dog
Bishop be here out the praileies.
Speaker 2 (39:41):
How you what saying? And Nacy what up? Fanatics?
Speaker 1 (39:44):
What's that in fanatics? Vest? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. To
my right my dog young Nato young tig Gow you
what I'm chilling? I'll see you back there? Ford. What's so?
Speaker 2 (39:52):
What's adding waiting for? Shore Man?
Speaker 1 (39:54):
Listen man, we have fanatics with it and we got
another wonderful guest man, long awaited guests man. We were
very talking about this episode Hall of Famer, when the
codas a duel, we all grew up on his shoes,
Pure Hooper man, the one that all invented, t Max Trace, McGrady,
Big Dollard join us.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
Hey, yes, sir man, make my younger get up and
greet me. Man, turn my mic on in this s
motherfucker man?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
What up?
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Younger?
Speaker 1 (40:30):
What's up?
Speaker 6 (40:31):
Bro?
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Huh?
Speaker 1 (40:32):
What's up.
Speaker 2 (40:32):
Man, you remember you punched me. Let's get this swing
out this south.
Speaker 6 (40:35):
The wa just get it out the way right now.
This dude right here, he used to play so much.
I just want to beat his ass.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
Ain't too much. It's young, bro.
Speaker 6 (40:43):
He just played entirely too much. Man, you're trying to
get back in the league.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
This league's playing.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Around too much. Say, I did play around a lot,
but we had to get your side of the story.
You know what I'm saying, two sides to the story.
So do you remember what happened? Y'all really believe to
you going that? He said, Really, I'm gonna tell you,
I'm put it for you. So I used to mess
with back every day.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
And he used to be like, man, shut them like
shut up, always talking like so I used to mess
with him.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
He was the one day we was eating, I was
we was in the thing and I was sitting back
and he walked up. He was like, I was like,
I was hot. I ain't thinking nothing of it, Like, man,
what the Marvin? Like, what you're gonna do?
Speaker 1 (41:29):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (41:29):
G initial ain't a young fellow's my little homie.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
Man.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Y'all doing good things up here, bron We didn't watching y'all. Man,
we're trying to man long awaited episode.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Man.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
We happy you could pull up.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
Man, Like we said, we all big fans to you
for show Man grew up with the Sea Man's Man.
We're gonna start first and foremost. We all love the
good feet game, and you got some legendary kicks, right,
So what's it like?
Speaker 2 (41:53):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
You know how you came into the league, But what's
that moment with Tamates his first signature shoot?
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Just like that that kid?
Speaker 6 (42:00):
Man?
Speaker 2 (42:00):
You know, shit, we always a kid playing on a.
Speaker 6 (42:03):
Playground and you was out there with your favorite player
hooping in them shoes.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
And for me it was MJ's, it was pips, and
then penny.
Speaker 6 (42:11):
Came along, and that's all I wore when I had,
you know, an opportunity to get some pennies. But then
when I it came along with I got my shoe,
and then it wasn't. It wasn't to the point I
saw my shoe had it in hand, award. But when
you go out in public and you see kids or
your fans with your shoe, that's the validation right there.
Speaker 2 (42:33):
That's like, damn, Doug, I made it.
Speaker 1 (42:35):
What's crazy seeing somebody with your jersey or see somebody
with the sneaks song noh, the sneaks because anybody in
the NBA gonna have a jersey. Everybody can have them sneaks, everybody.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Can have it on.
Speaker 5 (42:46):
See that black and blue colorway, crazy oog color way.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
And what's crazy is you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (42:51):
You had like eye kind of moments in your shoes,
Like you know what I'm saying, the TMAC once the
All Star moment off the backboard, Like yeah, when you
see that, you just see like moments Like when we
look at other peoples shoes, we think of moments. So
for you to have your first couple of signatures are
like crazy moments in them. It just kind of like
submitted it all in. Our moms want to ask you,
what's your favorite shoe that you designed? What's your favorite
Tmax shoes? Uh?
Speaker 6 (43:12):
For me, it's the three point five And a lot
might not know about the three point fives. I ward
those when I was on the USA team was a
qualifying team, but about three point five. But because they
don't know, I'll say the t MAC threes threes was
the most the fire that we still selling to this day.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:29):
The t MAC three is you know what I'm saying,
always got me a whooping in my household because I
asked my mama about two pair of shoes so I
can missmash them, and she was like, yeah, we ain't
going for that, most definitely, man. But listen, man, before
we get to the episode we got to get for you, man,
shout out to.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Temm Me John Me John John.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Yes, sir, be here. Tell the people they need to
do for you, sir, man, just wear draws, rid them draws.
Speaker 2 (43:52):
I don't know, ain't no white draws.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Then they got the Elastic Man, the Sindo band for
Man for today. It's how it takes the ball handling matters.
Pauls on the court. But I'm talking to get drugs.
Keep your balls hand over.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
To me, little pouch in the front.
Speaker 8 (44:09):
Hey, yo, just to get him together right there? Yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah yeah. Great drums is like great fans. Shout
out to Tommy John.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
Hey, hold.
Speaker 2 (44:23):
Shout out to Tommy Dunn.
Speaker 1 (44:25):
Bro Man, you know we're rocking heavy with y'all, man,
but you've been going crazy recently. Man.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
We got to talk about it instantly. You about to
say it.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
Hey, you brought up and we ain't gonna get to
inho be messy, but you brought up Indiana pace the
lessen man. What the code is a lace up at
the CT for the Pacers our dog Jamal intend Sir.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
We heard the back and forth conversation about Kyrie.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
That's cool. We ain't gonna get to that, but it's
dope to hear players, especially who is around, show love
that people who don't get like recognition.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
All the time.
Speaker 6 (44:54):
I'm glad you said that because that was the sole
reason for for me saying that. I know I'm gonna
trust me. I know basketball, bro, and I know Kyrie
is the best when it comes to handles.
Speaker 2 (45:06):
It's two of my best.
Speaker 6 (45:08):
And I'm on record of saying this, it's Kyrie and
his skipped to my lout, my old teammate, then the
two best like for me. But yeah, when I get
an opportunity to highlight somebody that's in my generation of basketball,
my era, I'm gonna take the time to do that.
The thing is, people don't know my agenda when I
said that, so of course I expect that reaction, and
(45:31):
it's the reaction that I wanted, right, because I'm highlight somebody.
Like when you look at Jamal and Tinsley bro people
and comparing him to Kyrie, Yeah, they're gonna laugh at that,
but you go over and really see what that motherfucker
did when he was a rookie. It ain't too many
casts that had twenty three assists when there was a rookie.
So although you might laugh that he's not compared to Kyrie,
(45:54):
he's still somebody you can learn to and appreciate his game.
So using Kyrie was my man, go, you gotta use
somebody like that. And then the trigger words is yeah
he better he got mad at us, right, It's it's
it's the Internet game, bro.
Speaker 2 (46:08):
Oh yeah, that's all I did. So shout out to
Jamal in Tensley.
Speaker 6 (46:11):
Man.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
Now these young folks know who he is.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
That's like looking in the crowd and you still see
people with t Mac jerseys and stuff like that.
Speaker 6 (46:19):
What is that like?
Speaker 1 (46:20):
Because I don't never see a tea anybody tea, but
like to see that, like, what's that like?
Speaker 2 (46:29):
You know tea man?
Speaker 6 (46:31):
I It's love bro, you know, And I don't take
it for granted. I appreciate every time I see somebody
with a T Mac jersey on anything T Mac. You know,
even twelve years after being retired, that shit still does
something to me because.
Speaker 2 (46:45):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 6 (46:46):
I appreciate their appreciation of me, and I'm always gonna
show love.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
That's the best one right there? Which one? That ping
stripe from right here to Buddy Strikes was tough.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
I was gonna ask you the next one, what's your favorite?
Because you got a lot of iconic jerseys, know what
I'm saying. You got the Raptors, you got Orlando, you
got Houston. What's your favorite jersey?
Speaker 6 (47:05):
Me? That purple, That purple Raptors jersey is fire. Oh yeah,
I'm talking about like, out of all jerseys, that purple
Raptors fire the rookie year.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Yeah, yeah, that's the one. Yes, that's the one.
Speaker 1 (47:17):
That's That's that one. Now you look at today's the NBA, right,
A little bit of a difference between you. You play
a little bit more freedom. We've got the finals going
on right now, Game seven. Okay, see Pacers, I want
to ask you if you could play for either one
of those teams right now? Where are you pulling up
to Indiana?
Speaker 3 (47:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (47:34):
Indiana?
Speaker 6 (47:35):
I mean I First of all, they got a freaking
great coach. Rick carlyle Is is probably one of the
best basketball minds in the game right now, and we're
seeing that every night.
Speaker 2 (47:47):
But I like that cohesive. They don't have a superstar,
so I like that cohesive.
Speaker 6 (47:51):
I like that they do it by committee and integrate
somebody like me that could get buckets consistently.
Speaker 2 (47:57):
With what they already have great shooting.
Speaker 6 (48:00):
You got great predntrators and ask someone that could get buckets.
Speaker 2 (48:03):
I like my chances most definitely.
Speaker 1 (48:04):
And you got both those teams. Obviously, with all stars superstars,
you have a lot of role players. Do you see
the league gravitate more towards that, because I know back
y'all that you had the higharchey was a little bit different.
You had like two or three guys took the majority
of shots. Everybody on the fiel their roles. Now with
both these teams, you got some offen bitch who can
go shoot sixth threes and it's all gravy.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
Hell yeah, I love it.
Speaker 6 (48:21):
I love it because in today's game, there's a lot
more hoopers, you know what I mean. There's not guys
that just do one specific thing right, one thing. That's
really great. You got these guys. Man, they could score
on both sides of the body. They could do multitude
of the things on the basketball court coming off your bench.
When I you know, when I played shit, you had
(48:41):
somebody that Joe can only he's.
Speaker 2 (48:44):
Only a guy that could shoot in the corner. That's it.
Like you just stationary pieces.
Speaker 6 (48:49):
Now you can interchange with these type of players that's
playing the game today.
Speaker 2 (48:52):
I like how you said that.
Speaker 1 (48:53):
Would you think your game obviously you could score them
in bunches, You can score any kind of way. You
think your game with a trans better now than it
did back then. I mean, yeah, come on, team, No,
I'm being really. I mean, you average, so you probably
would have averaged forty.
Speaker 6 (49:08):
I'm not gonna be arrogant at save forty. In my mind, yeah,
I feel I can score forty.
Speaker 1 (49:14):
I mean real lately, I think I.
Speaker 6 (49:17):
Shay average thirty two this year in a wide open league,
wide open game. I averaged thirty two. When that shit
was tight, score was seventy eight to eighty. You see
what I'm saying, and only shot like four or five threes.
Put me in today's game where I can shoot ten
eight to ten threes, and I'm gonna get to the
free throw line because I'm gonna get to my spots.
Speaker 2 (49:38):
That's deb near a forty piece. Yeah, probably average, that
might be a forty. And you had that mid range.
Speaker 1 (49:44):
I we was in Atlanta used to shoot the MIDI
used to like, yeah, you probably average forty. I'm thinking
about it, like thirty two back, Yeah, you probably gonna average.
Speaker 6 (49:55):
Yeah. I mean it's it's an easy game, now, bro,
you defensively like now I. They want to try to
add the physicality to it. But if you can't touch
me when I got the ball in my spot, like
you got to back up and get me. Nah, I'm
gonna shoot right up. I ain't even got to put
the ball on the flo. I'm gonna shoot right on
your right, in your face. People don't realize how tall
(50:16):
you are.
Speaker 2 (50:17):
You you like sixteen.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
Y'all know.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
They had me guarding him one time when he was
in Detroit. Did you lock it sh it up?
Speaker 6 (50:28):
Hey?
Speaker 2 (50:28):
No, he went straight to the block. They like, just
picky ld.
Speaker 6 (50:33):
Sick up, smart man. I couldn't move really, you you said,
you know what's crazy? Tied for him to be so good.
I identify him when I look at Magic Johnson play basketball.
Speaker 2 (50:51):
I see ty Reese a little bit. Okay, well, here's
what I mean by that.
Speaker 6 (50:55):
When you watch Magic play dominant right hand player, dominant dominant,
you don't really see them do too much on his
left side of their body. Tyres is the same way.
If you only could be dynamic on the right side,
and you got two killers that can play both sides
all over the court, you think you're gonna beat me
being dominant on one side.
Speaker 2 (51:17):
So for him to for Tyre's to be great, Tyree's.
Speaker 6 (51:20):
Gonna have to If you're gonna have four points, damn it,
you gotta accumulate for your team at.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
Least forty points. That has to be the accumulation.
Speaker 6 (51:29):
You can't have four points and only accumulate like twelve
points for your game. Now, if you want to be
a superstar, I'm fine with four points, but give me
fifteen assists, give me eight rebounds. That right there, to
me is like a Jason Kidd. That's a match like
that's having an end print and you don't have to
score that much.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
Gotch.
Speaker 6 (51:49):
But you can't give me four seven, six, nah fan nah,
I respect it.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Teammate when I'm making on this. You know, two years
ago they trying to make their jokes about Jaylon Brown
and said his left hand is the strongest. But you
know what he did, He went and got paid and
got a chip. They all talk about got het got
a left hand. He ain't gonna left cool. They ain't
gotta have a left fit and raised that banterrup killing.
Speaking of Jaylen Brown, I noticed, like your little brother,
It's like, who reminds you of you in the league
(52:18):
right now? Like me, the only person I really see
that kind of remind me of you was like Kevin Durant.
The way y'all score the ball is really kind of similar.
Speaker 2 (52:26):
That's that's that's really it. I mean, it ain't too many.
Speaker 1 (52:30):
I used to think Paul George, but then when I
watched PG, y'all kind of a little different. But like
you and KD, y'all do the rocker hanging dribble, pull up?
Speaker 6 (52:37):
Why why why?
Speaker 2 (52:39):
PG?
Speaker 1 (52:39):
What?
Speaker 2 (52:41):
He was a little more like pinned down shoots he
tried he tried today. Funny like that.
Speaker 1 (53:01):
I like that. I like you froight. But speaking of
comparison to somebody youngster is coming up. I've seen a
lot of people do a lot of you know, comparisons
for as Bailey to say, you know, best case scenario,
he could be a really he could be close to
Tracey McGrady.
Speaker 6 (53:13):
How do you feel about that? I like a the
Bailey's game. I actually want to see him in and
play this year. The kid has tremendous upside, smooth about
six six seven, six eight, got a nice shot.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
Tough shot maker.
Speaker 6 (53:26):
You gotta be a tough shot maker if you want
to be compared to me, you got to be able
to make tough shots. And I think he he's going
to be able to developing that creativity off the dribble.
Needs to get better, but he has the potential most definitely.
Speaker 1 (53:38):
Obviously, you know you went straight out of the high
school to the league with the nil situation. Now you
know you do a lot of mentoring you around these kids.
What's the advice that you give them?
Speaker 3 (53:45):
Now?
Speaker 1 (53:45):
With you know what I'm saying, you could possibly make
more money going back to school than being a first
round pick.
Speaker 2 (53:50):
You saying what would I do?
Speaker 1 (53:52):
I know what you do it.
Speaker 2 (53:53):
I'm saying, what advice did you get the youngest man?
Speaker 6 (53:56):
Honestly, I think you got to have people around you
that that understands finances, you know what I mean, because
given high school kids, you know, to five million dollars,
that's tough to have for them on their mental I
was eighteen years old coming out of high school, signed
(54:17):
a twelve million dollar deal, but I still kept my drive,
like I didn't let that effect where I wanted to
go with my game. And I think a lot of
these kids now, Man, I'm hearing them, it's like they
feel like they made it.
Speaker 2 (54:29):
When they get their money, bro, it takes a little
bit of that drive away.
Speaker 6 (54:33):
And I don't think these kids have that same type
of drive or you know, and enthusiasm to reach the
highest level of basketball within themselves. You know what I'm saying.
When they get this money, I think they lose a
little bit of that. And it's strong and important that
they have people around them that can understand the money
(54:56):
and what to do with it, but also keep them
level aheaded and keep them focused on the task that hand.
And that's improving as a basketball player because you nowhere
near where you're going to be in five to ten
years definitely.
Speaker 1 (55:08):
And you talk about this all the time because Seee
is a coach, right now then I Yo, it looks good,
but it could stunch your growth. Where you you get
this money now, you can jeopardize some money later. But
it's crazy how y'all talk about as professionals, but they
take advice from other people who ain't even got to
that level yet. It's like they forget the main thing.
Like the goal is to make it to the NBA.
Like that's the goal. I tell all the kids that
(55:29):
I come in contact with, like, Okay, you can get
this money. That's great, you can help your family right now.
But the goal is to make it to the league.
Like two million dollars. Believe it or not, it go
kind of yeah, it's not a lot. I used to
think people was crazy when they said that. I'm like,
two million dollars, you crazy, I'd be good for life.
But in that world it goes kind of quick though.
Speaker 5 (55:50):
Yeah, you're trying to keep up with the Joneses. Then
when you run out your money, then your family looking
at you like what's the next? Now you even to
fuck your whole self up in your career, so I'll
get it.
Speaker 1 (56:00):
Yeah, that'd be the first thing is they take care
of everybody.
Speaker 2 (56:02):
Else with that money.
Speaker 1 (56:03):
They stressed out and now they don't get no more money.
Speaker 6 (56:05):
It's scary, man, It's a scary situation, you know what
I mean, because these guys are so fragile, and it's
glorified on social media, so that's all they see. Yeah,
they're consuming all this information being social media, and they thing, damn,
I'm getting this money. Like I got a lot of
money in my pocket. I'm rich now, Nah, bro you
(56:26):
you ain't nowhere near that. You can blow that shit tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (56:30):
Now you talked about you came into the league at eighteen,
you know what I'm saying, got you some chicken, but
now you're responsible. But what was your first like wild
out purchase? Was like, all right, I'm on that today.
Speaker 6 (56:38):
My first wild out purchase. Honestly, my wife like because
listen on, look man, man, look, let me explain. All right,
let me explain. Let me explain.
Speaker 2 (56:54):
So I'm crazy, like you married. Yeah, you broke bread,
broke bread. Let me tell you so, I always like
Biggie was my favorite artist.
Speaker 6 (57:14):
Back then, and Biggie used to talk about Lexus land Cruiser. Okay,
so I always wanted a Lexus land Cruiser.
Speaker 3 (57:21):
Bro.
Speaker 6 (57:21):
So when I graduated high school, I drove to Raleigh,
cause that's I was in Durham, North Carolina.
Speaker 2 (57:26):
I drove to Raleigh.
Speaker 6 (57:28):
I'm at the Lexus JYP dealership looking to get my
land Cruiser. I see this this female that's the receptionist.
Speaker 3 (57:35):
I was like, damn.
Speaker 2 (57:37):
So I had to go talk to him to see
what's up.
Speaker 6 (57:41):
After that, this is the time where before the draft,
I'm driving. I'm going around touring all my teams. Man,
so I got connected with her. The Bulls are playing,
we go to dinner, watching the NBA Finals. I felt like,
this is gonna be my wife.
Speaker 2 (57:57):
Bro.
Speaker 6 (57:58):
I'm traveling from city to city, calling her on the
on the flight, on my flight checking in. That's when
they had phones on the plane. So I'm swiping my
credit card calling this woman. This was nineteen ninety seven, fan,
it's what twenty twenty five?
Speaker 2 (58:14):
Still married as four years later? So yeah, louis.
Speaker 6 (58:22):
Right?
Speaker 2 (58:22):
Invest him ninety seven ninety seven? Dog ow old? Was
he ten ninety seven? How old are you?
Speaker 1 (58:30):
I'm thirty seven ninety seven. I was seven, Yeah, I
was ten. Now I gotta ask a questions. Did you
still buy the car? I still bought the car?
Speaker 3 (58:40):
Yeah? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (58:41):
Where is it that now, Oh, I sold it out.
That's just man. That motherfucker probably crushed somewhere in the
junk yards.
Speaker 5 (58:47):
I wanted to ask you, did you and Vince ever
have any one on one matchups?
Speaker 3 (58:51):
Nah? Never?
Speaker 2 (58:53):
Nah, we didn't.
Speaker 5 (58:55):
Where did uh tell me about your one on one league?
Speaker 6 (58:57):
Man?
Speaker 3 (58:57):
How that's so?
Speaker 6 (58:58):
I started my one on one in twenty twenty two,
and it's really just based off of my story and
how I got to where. You know, I ended up
being nineteen ninety six junior in high school, one of
the best players in Central Florida. No one really knew
about me and outside of my region. This guy from
(59:20):
Adidas comes to my high school and he has a
camp that wants me to attend.
Speaker 2 (59:27):
This camp.
Speaker 6 (59:28):
I go to ABCD. We all know about the ABCD camp.
Lamar odam top high school players. I make a name
for myself on this platform, right, It's not that anything
changed about me. It's just a platform that I got
on and they created, you know, some buzz for me.
Speaker 2 (59:47):
Ended up being the number one player in the country. Well,
for these kids.
Speaker 6 (59:51):
Out here that it is being overlooked, probably had some
you know, turbulent times on their journey. Basketball who knows
somebody in the family probably died.
Speaker 2 (01:00:03):
He had to step up as a man and take
care of the family. You just don't know what their
role was.
Speaker 6 (01:00:08):
For these cats, I wanted to create a platform for
those type of dudes that get overlooked. And one on
one basketball is not for everybody. It's a lot of
talent out there, Jeff. You know it's some cats on
your block where you come from, nice as hell at
one on one so and to me, we all grew
up playing one on one basketball.
Speaker 2 (01:00:25):
That's the pure essence of our sport.
Speaker 6 (01:00:27):
So creating that that that foundation for these guys, that platform.
I wanted to create stars through one on one basketball.
And that's what OBL is really about, just really giving
guys another chance, giving them.
Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
A hope to live out their dreams. Because we all
come from places. It's like such and such could have
made it. But such a such could have did this,
but so from somebody else, have another outlet, maybe not
the most traditional roud because you never know what they
got going on, but a chance to make it to
feed their family from basketball. That's always a good look show.
Speaker 2 (01:00:54):
So check us out.
Speaker 6 (01:00:55):
OBL started a YouTube channel week We're going on five
part series right now. We got four souls out and
you can see what I'm doing with these guys. Man,
they I think they appreciate that. We need to come comment.
Tell you one of them, bro, y'all come do it, bro,
I want to comment.
Speaker 1 (01:01:09):
Let's come out here acting food. Next one, I'm for
real sal pull up all right, so WAC love that?
So most definitely man make some moist team at one
time for the one time Mac wear.
Speaker 5 (01:01:20):
Them drums, Mat and Neal size boy and they ain't
thaying and that little pouch should I walk around the
beach with them?
Speaker 6 (01:01:27):
Walk around the beach? Well, that's on you saying, don't
shirt on with just these just the drowns?
Speaker 2 (01:01:32):
Are you out of podcast?
Speaker 1 (01:01:33):
On the respect man, y'all wearing them boxes for Showman
on top of mobawke you.
Speaker 2 (01:01:38):
Doing your appreciate y'all? Yeah, give it up, give it up,
give it up again?
Speaker 6 (01:01:43):
Club five twenty Okay on the big stage, I was
holding it down.
Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
Hey, I don't know what they're doing, but hey, don't worry.
Speaker 8 (01:01:52):
Be back here one forty five for the shub park
Off podcast with Cee see Sabathia.
Speaker 2 (01:01:57):
We're gonna be going all day, all week.
Speaker 1 (01:02:00):
The volume
Host
Shannon Sharpe
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