February 21, 2024 • 38 mins
Live in front of a packed crowd at NBA Crossover from All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis Tyrese goes 1-on-1 with his friend, 2-time WNBA MVP, 2-time WNBA Champion and author of the new book "Dear Black Girls," A'ja Wilson! They talk about the excitement of Tyrese being a first time All-Star, her book, her statue at South Carolina, and the challenge of winning back to back championships. They also discuss the ideal WNBA/NBA starting lineups, dealing with the media after losses, her incredible fashion, and hanging with Usher!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Downhill. Max NCAA champion, number one overall pick, two time
w NBA champion and two time m v P Miss
Asia Wilson can be given around the applause. Please Asia,
(00:25):
Miss Wilson, thank you so much for joining us today.
Maxie on the mic. I want to start with an icebreaker,
you know, I want to talk about the SEC. I
want to talk about your game Cocks and my Wildcats.
I think there's more Wildcats fans in here, right, thank you? Yes, yes,
(00:49):
but no, seriously, on a serious note, I want to
start about the talk about your statue. Let's start that.
How did that come about?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Like?
Speaker 1 (00:57):
What was that? A surprise? Was that? I want to
talk about that a little bit. Yeah, it was a
huge surprise.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Honestly, I thought it was a joke. When they first
brought it to me and mentioned it. I was at
graduation and the president of our school was just like,
you know, we're going to give this person a bronze
statue and they'll be immortalized. And then the camera was
just on my face and it was jaw dropping because
I never would have imagined because I always say, like
people with statues, they're either dead or they're on their way.
So for me at the age of like I think
(01:22):
I was maybe twenty four the time, twenty three maybe
to have a statue that I can go see was huge.
So yeah, shout out to the University of South Carolina
for doing that, because that is.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Huge, right right, I've watched you on a certain podcast.
I was like, I'm always intrigued about college decisions. Yeah,
because for me, like I wanted to go to the
UK since I was like sixth grade, I want not UK,
but I wanted to play for coach Cal. So I
was like, I knew for a fact, what was the
same scenario with you? How'd that go? Yeah, I knew.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I mean at sixteen I wanted to go away from home.
I was like, man, I want to leave my parents,
and then I ended up being in my backyard at
the University of South Carolina. But when it came to
coach day and plan for somebody that just like really
cares for her players, it was a no brainer. So
it was huge for me to go to South Carolina
and just kind of probably one of the best decisions
I made at the age of sixteen.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
But it has a lot of fun. I feel like
Cal and coach Staley are very similar, Yes, extremely similar,
because I see her She's intense. She's intense and like
even when like she came to coach like our practice,
like being like sixers in Philly, Yeah, and she was
on us, getting on us. I was like, is she
on't coach or she's a fan? You know what I mean?
So like, yeah, I just wondered if you have like
(02:30):
any interesting stories that you can tell from Coach Staley,
like something that you know what I'm saying, something funny,
something interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I think the biggest thing for her she never made
me comfortable. She always wanted me to be uncomfortable, so
she would just like call me different names. I'm like,
my mama doesn't even talk to me that way, but
go ahead, since I am playing for you. But no,
She's someone that just will get the best out of
you no matter what. And I think that's how her
and coach College is so similar, because they are going
to drag it out of you no matter what.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
So I love playing for her right she was She's
talked about this is funny because they both said something
very similar to me, kind of when I was trying
to come into my own and the NBA is about
building your own confidence and like being able to do
the work. And like I know some college coaches and
some college experience are different, not so like ours are
pretty similar. Like we have coaches to where they gonna
(03:17):
push you to be better, but you gotta want to
be better on your own, you know what I'm saying.
I want you to talk a little bit about that,
because you have a work ethic that I've seen just
from being on the outside looking in, just watching videos
and watching tape. I'm like, man, she works her tail.
Two time NB a WNBA champion, two time MVP, like
to still be going out there and motivated at work.
Like what motivates you? How did that come about? My
(03:38):
biggest probably my family?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
And like you said, like I feel like our coaches
saw the potential in us to be great and it
was just us finding that and they allowed us to
find it. They allowed us to touch the hot stove
sometime and get burned and learn from.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It and then go be great.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But I think the biggest thing for me is like
I want to be great on all levels. Like I
don't want anyone, I don't feel like taking a day off.
I'm gonna try to present myself as me no matter what,
and surrounding my people like people around me, they surround
me being like, no, I'm not gonna let you fail.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I'm not gonna let you get down on yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
So I think that's so key is to what makes
us great, what's continued to make us like legendary right right?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And for me, I just kind of talked about it
while you were in the back, like like you inspired me.
Like I'm honestly like I always got to sit and
watch you win another championship or second, like two times
in a row, which I think we should give it
around of the past because I don't think I understand
how hard that is, Like she's been successful on you know,
both levels of college are probably in high school. But
(04:32):
I just want you to talk to them a little
bit about like your leadership because the way you lead
is I feel like it's different. You know what I'm saying.
You are personal with your teammates, You're able to connect
with them. That's important. Yeah, for sure. For me, the
way I lead, the way I love to lead.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Is I get to know my teammates on a very
personal level, Like I would take time no matter what
throughout the season to be with them individually, so I
know how to communicate with them. Some teammates I can
cuts out and be in their ear and yell. Some
teammates I have to pull as I didn't talk to
And I think that's how you get the best out
of anyone is understanding them on a level that's bigger
than just dribbling a basketball, more so on a personal level.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Right, and then when you have that relationship that on
a personal level, and then not even just basketball, like
this is just life in general, I feel like, is
what you're saying. Like, when you have that personal level
with them, you can talk about anything, anything, and that
next everything comfortable and not just talking about them having
your back on the weak side. You can talk about
their family, you can talk about their life. And whenever
you have that connection, it makes it easy on the court. Yes, Okay,
(05:31):
that's cool, that's cool. I have a Okay, I want
to take a little turn right here. Miss Asia has
a book. I do, and I thought we were friends.
I'm just saying, look, when you want your friend to
send you one of her books, what do you guys?
Stay yes or no? Yes? No, no, no. But I
(05:51):
need I have to support it. I need to go
buy the book. I need to read it, and then
after I read it, she can tire.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, so maybe we could do like a jersey swap
because I'm still on my jersey.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
No no, no, no, no no.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So the same way you're over here talking the book,
I'm waiting on something.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Okay, that's fair. Okay, that's there, it is.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I'm glad we can be in the middle of this, okay, okay,
or like tickets to a game, anything, anything, because you've
been to one of my games.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Okay, that's true.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And when I went to go see you don't play. Okay, okay,
you said, don't talk about that all right for.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Some substance, the last game of the age you came
in to, I didn't play very well. But it's okay,
next time I will. I give y'all that. Anyways, let
me talk about the book a little bit. I want
a serious note, like what, like what drove you to
write this book? What was the deciding factors? What made
you sit down and do this? Because this is a
big deal. This is not like like congratulations seriously, Like
(06:41):
I know I'm joking a lot about it, but like
really congratulations because this is a big deal. I want
you to talk a little bit about that and just
talk about what went into that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Well, I think the biggest thing that I wanted to
get across with my book is that we're human as
professional athletes. I know a lot of people may see
us in our uniforms and I mean, phenomenal athlete here,
y'all give it up for Reese. Yes, peace that he
is crushing it. Obviously he's hearing Indie all start. He's
killing it. But at the same time, Reese is a person,
He's a human. He goes through things, and I think
sometimes that gets hidden because they see how great we
(07:10):
are on the court. And that's kind of what my
book is. It puts it in perspective of that I
am human. I have days, I have anxiety, I have depression,
and I'm still living. I still wake up every single
day and I'm putting this cape on and I'm trying
to be the best age I can be.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And it's in a journal form for people.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It's kind of like a diary for people to really
see into my life, how I've overcome a lot of things,
and then when you see me on court, you kind
of feel it on a personal level and understand why
I scream after my end ones and I work so
hard and.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
If you guys ever want to check it out as
Dear Black Girls, it's everywhere. Yeah, it's a fun read.
And I'm not just saying that because my face is
on it.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
No, no, no, I agree. And you know, I feel
like you are someone who talks about like the mental
health aspect of it like I do as well. Like
when I first started this podcast, I talked about like
because I'm started in all my second year, I started
most of my third year, I got hurt, and then
the it's an aspect of being able to come back
from injury, being able to you know, my team was
(08:04):
playing pretty well, so I sided like, look, I'll come
off the bench and do whatever I need to do
for us to win. And like, you know, as a player,
as a person with pride, I don't know if you
ever came off the bench ever. I did in college,
so you know how to feel, especially you know you
could be a certner exactly, so you know how that feels.
So like I was just wanted to really preach about
how like mental health really means something. You know what
(08:25):
I'm saying, and I want you to be able to
talk to people or be able to sit down with
yourself and have those tough conversations with yourself and then
be all right and be okay with having those conversations
with yourself. So I feel like you're advocate of that
as well. And you know we appreciate you for being
able to step up and talk about that. Yeah, it's
a pivot. Yeah. If you listen to MAXI and a mic,
(08:46):
or you heard any stories about myself, y'all know that
I have a very very passionate father. I think he
maybe a'll here somewhere. I don't know where he is,
but he's a very very passionate father. And I want
to talk about yours, your relationship of yours because I
read something. I think y'all have something in common, Like
we have something in common as far as our dad's
pushed us to be better. So I want you to
talk about that and talk about your relationship. Yeah, I
(09:08):
was a late bloomer.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
My dad played overseas for about ten years and I
guess when he had me, he was like, you are
going to play basketball? And I was like, no, I'm not.
I hate to sweat I hate everything around it, leave
me alone. But no, he just saw greatness in me.
And it was very hard for me to distinguish, excuse
me from father and coach. And that was the hardest
thing because I'm like, I'm your baby girl, like love me,
(09:31):
don't tell me to make a layup, like stop yelling
at me.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
But he saw.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Greatness in me, and he believed in me in days
that I didn't believe myself. And I'm so grateful for
him to put in that basketball in my hand as
late as it was at the age of eleven twelve.
I'm grateful for him because he continued to push me
to this day. He's texted me He's like, you know,
you should have got that rebound and I'm like, damn
that yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Waity, so like come on, so I have MVP. But no,
that's great though. I think we all need somebody like that,
no matter whether it is our dad, our brother, our sister,
our brother, like our best friend. You need somebody's gonna
push you. And for me, I have the same thing
like my father, he was not was. He's still on me,
(10:12):
like I know the other day, you know, once I
was announced as an All Star or whatever, and he's
big on like just focusing and like knowing the game
and like getting off your for all those topic different
things that you do like to mentally lock in. And
my mom caused me and she's talking to me and
she's screaming. She's hype together talking about All Star. I
actually hear my dad in the background like, man, get
off the phone, breath of this game that you got.
(10:33):
But I need that, you know what I'm saying. That's
something that I needed. That's something that I really liked,
and that's something that we have in common, which is
really cool. For sure. I want to talk a little
bit about the asis. Come on, how does that change
your life at all? Because that's it's like I don't
know for me, Like just watching y'all, it's big times.
(10:54):
It's amazing to watch. Like I'm just so happy for
like what you've done just for not just yourself, but
for the entire sport of women's basketball basketball period. You've
like shed a lot of light on it. So I
really want you to talk about that. What's your thought
presses on that and how that come about? Yeah, I
mean it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I was dropped to the aces in twenty eighteen, and
I remember Bill and Beer bad Boy. Bill gave me
the basketball and he was like, this is your franchise
and I was like, what do you mean? This is
my French I'm a rookie, Like I don't know what
I'm doing. I'm just I'm trying to figure ot. I'm
glad I'm not going to class anymore. And he was
just like, you know, take it and you have the wheel,
just drive us, drive us to the promised Land. And
obviously I surround myself with great players and we just
(11:31):
have fun. I think that's the biggest thing is we
have fun. And we were one hundred percent honest with
each other, and that is hard sometimes. And when you
get twelve women for a whole summer and you're around
each other for forty games, you might you just want
to bang your head against the wall.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Honestly, some days I'm like, why did I sign up
for this?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
But they are my sisters, and we have grown and
we're starting to become a dynasty and a legacy and
we're going to try to go after this three feet.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
We're gonna see how this goes. But it should be
a lot of fun. No. I love that. I mean
that's as a fan of just back basketball, Like it's
just amazing to watch, Like I'm able to watch, you know,
at the crib of being able to watch, you a person,
watch that entire group in person, Like y'all had an injury,
you know, to one of your closest, you know, one
of your closest friends. How did y'all? Like I want
(12:14):
you to explain to them and like someone who wouldn't
know basketball, how did y'all combat that? Because that's that's
very difficult, you know what I'm saying that the odds
were against y'all. Now you know, y'all are probably the favorites,
you know, with her, you know what I mean, they're
going into the season or going into the playoff series.
That happens, and you know, your eyes dropped. How do
you you know, how do you combat that? I think
it's all a mental game.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I feel like every single day we're playing a mental
game within ourselves that we're trying to figure it out
and we're all just trying to go along with And
when we lost our short starting point guard in a
game that we needed to win to win a championship,
it was like we have to win from within and
that was a moment where Becky Ham and our coach
was just like, either y'all gonna do it or you're not.
And it's one of those things that we just kind
of had to self reflect and say, hey, I'm built
(12:56):
for this, I'm here for this moment, and I'm going.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
To crush it.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
And sometimes you gotta hype your stuff up in those situations,
and it's sometimes it's hard because you don't want to
get it overconfident or cocky, but those are the moments
that you need. And I think in that moment when
we did have those injuries to our big players and
we go from number one seed to underdog, it was
just winning from within and I think we did a
great job of doing that right.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
No, I agree, And again I'm gonna keep talking about
it because it's it's it's a surreal moment for me
because like going again and go and support you going
to sport a frame, go and support that entire group
that you know that I know, and to be there
and actually see somebody win a championship. I've never actually
seen that. I mean, like in the college level, I
was sadly, you know, COVID happened. I didn't get to play,
(13:35):
I didn't try to compete for a national championship, and
sadly also we haven't you know, reached that level yet,
which one day we will, but uh, for you to
be able to do it multiple times, Like how difficult
was it the second time? First off? Ten times harder?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Like I feel like the target I always say it
comes the target was on our back year one, but
then we didn't became the target year two, Like it
was no on your back. It's like, know what you
and when you say you're getting someone's a game every
single night, it's ridiculous. Like it's people shooting one hundred
percent from the field sometimes and I'm like, where's this team?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
They're just.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
So Yeah, it was definitely a lot harder, but at
the same time, I feel like we had a lot
of tests in the world and throughout our seasons that
made that win that much more sweeter. And winning it
in New York was tons of fun. I love hearing
the booze after we won. Love that was the matchup
everyone wanted and I'm like, we gave it to you guys,
So it was tons of fun winning it there.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
You're you're very active and won the community. Yes, you
like social media talking about you do, and you deserve to.
But where does that come from? Is that just the
personality that you have.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Oh yeah, it's just me. I'm a little sassy thing. Yeah,
I get a little sassy sometimes. I'm not afraid I talk.
I gotta let people know I'm human, Like you're tweeted
at me. No one else is not a computer.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's not AI. It's me.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
So if my feelings get hurt, I'm gonna let you know.
So now I gotta hurt your feelins.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
See how we go? Now now to rights Stoma grown.
But here I am be a movie. She she got me.
I gotta get hurt. But nah, I want to. I
want to kind of resurface into the mental health aspect.
(15:24):
You know, we talk a lot, We have a lot
of fun for me. You have two dogs, right, Yeah,
you have the little bitty dogs.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Don't call them a little beat Okay, they're Australian Shepherds
mixed with poodles.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Period. They're a combining way twenty pounds. What is that
My dog's level leg and weighs twenty pounds. Okay, well,
but the heart of a rock wilder Anyways, how do okay,
because in my opinion, pets are They're like I call
my dog my son, Like, so, how does that help you?
(15:57):
You know what I'm saying, How does that help you cope?
Because when you come home a long road trip, Yeah,
they don't show you no emotion, you know, because you
go on Twitter, like you said, we're human, so we
see you missed you was let's say, well night you
was two for sixteen. Yeah, it hurts when you go
on Twitter. You can't even open up your phone without
them talking crazy about you. So when you get home
to see your dogs, they're like, I want you to
talk about just the coping part of it. How to
(16:19):
find How do I say? It's like a vice. I
know you can debrief.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yeah, I mean my dog is my dogs are my
safe space. I feel like for those who have putts
in here, it's unconditional love. Like no matter what kind
of day you're having, my dog is like, let's go
for a walk.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
He doesn't care about anything. He's like, give me a treat.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
And I'm like, you know what, yes, And I love
that And I think that is just I love my
two dogs.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
They are emotional support dogs.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
They have a little best and everything, but they are
really my children, and they also teach me about responsibility
and being on time. But they also are just loving,
Like they're just loving. And in those days when socials
kicking my butt and people are just being people, I
can always come on my dog.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
They don't talk back, they listen. Well, it's just they're
like just all around good people. And I guess my
dogs are people. Ain't gonna lie. I think my dog
do a little talking back. Oh true, Yeah, dog weigh
one hundred and eighty pounds and oh yeah, you know.
Sometimes I have my my uncle and my brother who
live with me. And my brother he's uh he watches
the dog a lot when I'm gone, and just recently, uh,
(17:19):
my brother kevim In is in his room. I don't
like when nobody's around the cheper whatever. I love my
dog room throughout the house. He's one hundred eighty pounds,
but I live roam through out the house. He's pretty
you know, pretty well trained. So he was messing with
my brother. He leaves him in the leaves him in
the room his room. He bites a hold through the box.
I said, what how why is he in the room.
But then it's a little stuff like that, like and
(17:41):
then they give you the puppy dog, like, oh, you
really don't mean to bite through the whole house. Yes, yes,
but I love my dog though, love my dog and this,
and like you said, it's an emotional support thing for me,
Like it's something that I need. I need when I
come home. And I love my Philly fans and they
they are the best, you know what I'm saying. They
really do a good job of making not just myself
(18:02):
but the team in general go out there and fight,
go out there and really go out there and try
to win every single game. But you know, when they're
tough on me, and I love them for that. I
go home and I get to I get to hug
my dog a little bit, and you know he exactly.
It makes you refocus. And the next time I get
to step in front of them at was Fargo, I
try to perform my hardest, hardest, but we pivoting more
(18:24):
more time, and I'm gonna trying to get you out there.
I know you. Listen, you're the all star. Tell you
guys celebration. Did everyone see the banner that was up?
Let's give some man, this is big time. Don't like
I can't stay humble.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
But this is a huge moment for you if you
have to embrace it, take it in like these are
huge moments.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I should get on my exolution and go on Twitter.
Why not? You're right, You're an all star. They can
never take this away from you. They can't.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I appreciate you're gonna remember this snow in Indiana, this blizzard.
Always listen you it snowed in South Carolina then, But
I have never seen anything like this.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
This is ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
My hair, God, you live my lashes are collecting snowflakes?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Where am I live in Vegas? So, I mean it's
that's a different dynamic. I mean, I think I would
rather have a little bit of snow than where you
with you endure. I'm just saying. I mean I didn't
I didn't see real snow until I got to Philly.
But now that I'm used to it, so it doesn't
really bother me. Anyway. Anyway, here we go. We'll talk
about this. I want to, I want to who. This
(19:32):
is gonna be a tough question for you, and it's
not nothing. It's gonna be a good question. If you
had to make a starting five right collectively, m HM
of current W players in NBA players. Let me tell you, mam. First,
I want him. I have one. I can't wait to
(19:53):
hear your No. Listen, this is I really thought about
this before when you was talking. All right, I'm gonna
throw my I'm gonna throw us in there. I'm gonna
throw throw myself, and I'm gonna say me, And then
I'm gonna say from the W and also from the
University of Kentucky nine hour. Yes, okay, that's fair, kent Yucky.
Y'all gonna stay together. No, no, no, no, say right, Kentucky, kan Yucky. Okay. Anyways, hey, guys,
(20:16):
don't you know my man. Don't don't let that kin Yucky.
She went to South Carolina. But okay, I got those two. Yeah,
I got right. Who's gonna score the ball? She's like amazing.
So far, y'all are quick. Yes, you know what I'm saying.
So then we're gonna go small. I'm gonna say Anthony
Edwards at the three because I really like the way
he plays basketball. And then I'm gonna go you at
(20:38):
the four because I think you're versatile. You know, you're
able to play five, for you can handle a little bit.
I don't think i've ever seen shoot right hand. Wow,
I'm just joking, all right, I'm just joking. All right,
that's a lot. I've seen you do it. But I
mean I had to throw that in there. I have
to give you. Okay, you're gonna shame, that's fine, and
then at the fire will go Joe, Well, okay, fair.
(20:59):
So now we have spacing. We got to create a
little bit of everything. You know what I'm saying, got shooting.
This is in the middle of this right now. I'll
give you a good little break.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Okay, we got us boom, I'm gonna do the joker
at the five, like we're nice with it, like we
got some passing going on like that.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I got two NBA guys. Oh mmmm, Who am I
putting at the three? This is difficult, This is hard.
Why would you do this? This was not on the sheet,
y'all listen. I did not prey for this. I'm gonna
go jewel oid. I'm gonna go jeweloid at the two,
(21:38):
huge jewel I need a three. You got some scoring?
I need a three. I need a three. Who's a
three in y'all league? In our league? Like I don't
know I was gonna go KD, but that was gonna
be too easy. That's smooth, you know what I'm saying.
Oh that's tough. Oh I might go braun at the three?
Braun At? What am I doing? That's a big score?
(22:00):
I want to be cheat. I thought that was that
was gonna be like easy. I didn't want to know
I'm going bron. I mean I'm not mad at that.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Yeah, we have some solid teams. That's a solid team there. Yeah,
that team, but yours is going to come off the bench.
I mean we're kind of in it. So okay, we
got solid teams. Okay, real anyways, we'll refocused now, we'll
get back serious.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
We'll get back serious. I want to talk about you
talk about them giving you the keys to the franchise,
and I want you to just tell the people, like again,
I didn't like basketball terms, but like how you handle
that with just life, you know what I'm saying, Like,
because so much more comes to that. Like I was
really talking to my uncle the other day, my uncle,
my brother about like just having meet it every day,
(22:40):
Like you know, I started out, I had like a
little different journey than you. Like I started I was
twenty first pick and then like I was coming behind
Ben Simmons, I was coming behind Joel I was coming
behind like step Curry, Like I kind of got molded,
you know what I mean. So like now as like
somebody who you know, No, I wouldn't say that guard
and guard you know what I'm saying, someone who's trying
(23:02):
to coming to the like, I want you to explain
to them, Like that's a hard thing. Like every time
you lose, you have to go talk to the media.
It's not just the good times when you lose and
you like I talk about shooting two for eighteen, like
the other day when I was game that you came
to I was four or for a lot and be lost,
kind of stuck it up. Anyway, Okay, it happens. It happens.
(23:23):
It really happens, and you have to go out there
and talk to the media be professional about it. I
want you to talk about that, because that's that's very difficult. Yeah,
I mean the crowd gets heavy, it gets heavy, but
you never let it fall off. You always adjust it.
Like that's how I look at it.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
You just got to always keep your keep the main thing,
the main thing, and it's understanding how far you've gotten
have gone, and understanding how far you have to go.
And it's really really hard to have it and talk
to the media and they ask the same questions and
they try to reword it in a different way. But
I think the biggest thing is just staying true to
us and understanding what we bring to the table and
knowing that I will never shoot that way again, but
if I do, it happens. But understanding like y'all gonna
(23:58):
get me on my eyes and then y'all give me
on my lose. So either way, I just stay even
killed through it all and help hopefully people understand that
we are humans, so we're not perfect. I mean, I'm
not going to y'all's job and being like why aren't
you typing faster? Like I would never say that, Like
why aren't you Why aren't you saying things quicker? So no,
So when it comes to us, it's like, let us live,
let us do our jobs. Promise you we're gonna be
we great at it. We worked hard at it.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And we're gonna bring wins right And for me, like
the way you put that is like perfect, because like
it's not just all basketball. That was just in life
in general. You know what I'm saying, you going sometimes
you have a bad day, and sometimes you didn't type
as fast as you needed to, and sometimes you didn't,
you know, teach your best to your students that day.
But it's all about perseverance. It's all about bouncing back.
(24:40):
And I feel like you've done that. You know what
I'm saying. You had, you know the aces like when
you first got there, how were all we stunk like
pu right, okay, didn't even make playoffs? And you were
able to turn it around. You were able to be
a part of something that turns all the way around.
And now y'all trying to be a three P so
like that's different. That's way different. And then this is
me jumping around, just me just thinking I'm telling to hey, gotcha,
(25:00):
I want to talk because you have to be very
creative in your leadership that way. I feel like you're
creative also with like your fashion. Yeah, drip or drown.
I thought I was goofy. She's good for you to
me anyways, But listen, I want to do I want
to talk about like where the jersey dress thing that,
(25:22):
where did that come into play?
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Like I'm a nineties baby, So that's what I grew
up on, like the okay two thousand baby, what yeah,
like some place driving license's got two thousand ill. Anyways,
it just really came from just like the nuance look
of what I grew up on, Like that's what I
always saw. I love the slot socks, the jersey dress like,
but at the same time, I'm a girly girl, and
(25:45):
I don't want everyone to like miss out on that. Like, yes,
I am a I try to be a beast on
the court, but at the same time, like I'm still
going to be a girly girl like you. Yes, my
nails are done, last hair, that's why the snow is.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Killing me out here. But we move on. But yeah,
that's really it.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
And I think style is a great representation of our personalities.
We bring different things all the time. I mean, you
got a little drip you icy up here, like it's
light you know what I mean? Light word like new
balances on to you know what I'm saying. But no,
I like to be comfortable but also nice at the
same time.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Right right, I think, And we're just talking about like
your personality now, like the way you are able to
just sit up here and have this type of conversation
and be yourself, you know, like you you don't shout
away from none of that. You know. It's funny like
the first time I met you, who's at an All
Star Yeah, and Cleveland and Cleveland not us not remembering. Yeah,
(26:37):
it's so much. But and when we left, my uncle
he lives with me, you met him and he was like, man,
I really like her energy. You know what I'm saying,
Like the way you carry yourself. I want to talk
about that because you have You've inspired a lot of
people and not just women. I'm talking about people all
type of you know, humans, all of us and including
myself and my uncle. He was like, man, he like
(27:00):
she has a fan of me forever. And every time
you play, every time he talks about why he doesn't
have a jersey yet, But we talked.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
About it's crazy I don't have a jersey at either.
Say it's okay, it's okay, We're not gonna go back
to it.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
But I want you to talk about how that came about,
Like how do you People always talk about like my
personality and how I go out there and I try
to smile all the time and bring positivity. Where did
your personality for where to come from? What did that like?
Speaker 2 (27:21):
How it's just within I feel like just I know
it sounds cliche, but life is too short to be
hanging our heads and being stuck in our own mind sometimes,
so I just try to find outlets. Yeah, Like, I
just try to find outlets the best way I can connect.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
You never know what people are going through.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
So if I can show up and be myself and
be happy and change a life or make someone else smile,
that's a great day to me. And I hope that
I can show up to people like that all the
time but also be really it.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I don't like fakeness. I don't like bad energy.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I feel like we can all pick that up very quickly,
and it's kind of like those are the energies you
stay away from. And I try to make sure that
I can just kind of be a rubber band in
that situation where I'm bouncing off positivity. Positivity, excuse me,
And you do a great job as well, Like I
mean to be a two thousand baby. Y'all a kind
of crazy, but I'm just saying the generation is kind
of wild, but.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
You're really good at it. We're not that far. We're
not that far from each other, so we are anyway. Anyways,
that positivity, I give a shout out to my grandmother's
you know, you shout out to one she passed away,
and then there's one that's still living. I think she's
here right now, don't know where she is. Grateful those
(28:27):
two women they create like this family treat that me
and my uncle always talk about, and they created this
precedent of like, you will work hard, you know, you
will earn everything that you got, but while you're doing that,
you will have a positive attitude. You will be grateful,
you will be thankful, and you will shine a light
on others. So for you, I want to talk about
(28:49):
your circle, Like I want you to tell everybody how
important it is to have a good circle, grid tight circle,
like you have good people around you. So like, I
think that's the thing that you should talk about because
that's very important.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, I mean, I always say my reflect my circle
is a reflection of me. So I try to make
sure that I have people that are in my circle
that tell me things that I need to hear, not
necessarily things that I want to hear all the time.
No one really likes, so yes, man, because we can
pick those up any other day. But I'm a huge
family girl. I love my family. They are my rock,
my rib everything in between. And you're so lucky to
have a grandma still alive. Oh my God, hold on
(29:21):
her so tight. God, those moments that those are moments
that we never get back by. The moments that we
chare some most And so when it comes to family,
I lean on them through and through and as I
get older, and no one tells you about parenting your parents.
It's the hardest thing in the world. But I'm learning
how to do it day by day. But they are
the ones that hold me up and the reason why
I'm able to hoist trophies because they are constantly in
(29:42):
my ear, always supporting me. So that's kind of how
you see when you show up, it's not just me,
it's my family. It's everyone that helped the village to
help raise me. And I'm grateful for them. Yeah to
God to be all. I got like three more for you.
I got a four one Before we get go back
serious an a lot we have to tal talk about
the like Usher, did you be able to go see him?
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Like in the just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Yes, y'all, I saw Usher lie and it was the
craziest experience of my life.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Did you did you go to Super Bowl? Yes? I
went to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
I wish I would have watched it on my couch
because all I saw was like Usher just skating around,
and I feel like on TV he looked ten times
better because it made sense. But it was a quiet
It was an interesting experience. I mean, Usher is one
of the goats in the music industry. Obviously we always
raised off of some classic of his, so yeah, it's
pretty cool to kind of meet him.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
He's like this tall though.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
No ship, no shade, Listen, listen, no shade.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
He's just all, Okay, I want to get that really
serious because we're both to Yeah. I didn't say that
we're going to use the word goofy. That's fine. I
(31:00):
was just cool. But I want you to talk about
So I did this thing on my podcast with all
my guests and not just my guests but myself as well.
I want you to talk about one thing that you're
thankful for. Just go on wherever you want to talk
about one thing that you're thankful for. And then I
have another question for you after you go at them.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I am thankful for the fact that basketball doesn't define me.
It doesn't. It's not who I am. It's just something
that I'm really good at. And I found myself in that.
And I'm forever grateful of the woman that I'm becoming,
seeing where the woman that I once was and where
I am now. I am truly grateful of how the
journey I've been along has kind of I reefed the
(31:44):
benefits from it.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
So I'm thankful for that, right. I think that's that's
a great thing to be thankful for. I know, I'll
just talk about again my dad and my mom. It
was on me heavy as a kid about just like
being able to be a great person, you know what
I mean, And it just like grades and all those
different things that comes with it. But that's important, Like
you said, that's extremely important to be able to go
(32:04):
out there and be your own person, not just and
not lit at the firing, not that the basketball, not
to let the accolades. When you step off the court,
like even when you do stuff like right now, people
can still feel your personality, they can still feel your presence,
and they can feel that leadership. And we appreciate you
for that one more, all right. I always talk about
(32:25):
like for me, like my little slogan is like, I
want to get one percent better every single day. So
I want you to tell the audience what you want
to get one percent better at in your normal and
like your personal life, and then basketball wise.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Ooh, basketball wise, I want to get one percent better, right,
I mean, the shade is real up and here, y'all.
It might be snowing, but it's shady. My right hand
is fine, So I don't know what we're talking about.
I want to get one percent better at my three
point shot. Okay, there it is, period, and then one
percent in real life. I need This is really off topic,
(33:03):
but I need to get better at eating breakfast.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I don't eat breakfast.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
And I know they say it's the most important meal
of the day and like breakfast champions, I do not
eat that, Like not even a bowl of cereal y'all.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
What about before you work out? No smoothie? I do
like I do that afterwards.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I feel like if I eat before I work out,
I'm going to throw up or I'm going to feel
like I'm going to throw up. So I can't eat
before I work out, and I work out pretty early
sometimes how early I'm not going to disclose that.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
My earli is like eleven am. That's impossible. It is
because when you really think about it, their mind, it
is say eleven am in Vegas. Time is like literally
midday at East Coast.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Okay, but anyways, I don't like breakfast, and so my
one percent is going to be eat at least something
Asia banana.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
That's smoothie. Okay, okay, okay, okay, I have do you
have any question for me? Before I was saying my
last thing, how does it feel to be an All Star?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
And be honest, the people want to know, like genuinely,
how are you feeling right now, like in this moment.
This is a huge moment for you, and I don't
want you to like be all humble and be.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Like ooh, it's cool, cool, you know, just go to hoop. No,
but like we're like just here, you know, I'm wouna
say this. I'll be real. Yeah. For me, it means
a lot to me because a lot of people say
I couldn't do it. Period. Yes, a lot of people
said I couldn't do it. I was I was, I
was big on that like, and I came out, like
(34:30):
I said, I had a different path, you know what
I mean. I was, I was twenty first overall pick
I had you know, Ben Simmons ahead of me. I
had Joeli being on my team. I had all these
wonderful guys. And it's like, oh, he would just be
this good. You know, it will never be this good.
It'll only be right here, like this is his ceiling.
And for me, like I see those things. I see everything,
(34:51):
you know what I mean, even on social media, like
I know my mom, my dad, they hey when I
get on social media. But it's like I love social
media because it does it does wonder for me. I
like to see that stuff like show me like okay,
oh I can't do this. Like for me my rookie year,
in my college years, I didn't shoot well from three.
I feel like I was a good shooter, but I
didn't shoot great percentage wise. So I see everybody talking
all the you know, the writers whatever, he'll never be
(35:13):
this good because he can't shoot threes. So my second year,
I come back, I shoot forty two from three. Okay,
he'll never be this good because he can't. He can't
average twenty. Then you average twenty period. It's like, I'll
never be this good because he can't lead his team.
He can't he can't go out here and average seven
six a game. He can't go out there and play
with Joel and be He can't go out there and
do what he does best and you know, lead a team.
(35:35):
I think I'm doing okay, you know what I'm saying.
Pretty good. I appreciate that, but no, seriously, it's a
surreal moment and I can I can let my guard
the Olympics always do on my podcast or this live podcast.
I called my mom after like a day after that
announcement was made, and we played a game we won,
came home from Utah, and like I just had shed
(35:58):
a few tears cause it's like I said, like, no
one ever said, oh, he'll be an All Star. It's like, oh,
he'll just be this good or he'll just be that good.
And the people at my corner they believed in me,
you know, shout out to my uncle, shout out to
my you know, my whole entire clutch team and my brother,
all those guys, my family, and they believed it. I
told him, like I was like, man, I'm gonna be
I'm gonna do this, this, that, and the third. And
(36:20):
they never doubted me. They only only pushed me to
be better. You know, when I had those off games,
games like you know, when you came and saw me,
they was like, yeah, you was trash tonight. But these
next two games, you're gonna go out here. You're gonna
get forty, you're gonna get thirty, and it's gonna be okay,
y'all gonna win. So for me, it's just I'm just happy. Man,
this is surreal. I'm taking it all in and I'm
extremely happy to be able to I'm extremely happy to
(36:44):
be able to explain this, to be out here for
the seventy six ers because they took a chance on me.
They took a real legit chance on me at twenty one,
and Joel Norman gets to represent them, he's been there
and he's not here this time. But for me to
still be out here sent that organization that took a
chance on me, you know, I'm very thankful for. And
then blessing, that's great, that's great. I wrote that. Yes,
(37:10):
I think that's that was great. That was great. I
think that was perfect. That should be like a yearly thing.
Every I'm not doing this with you because okay, because
we tried to get miss Wilson on here, but she's
the busy person.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
I think I was in season sorry, I was trying
to win the championship. Let me hit you up game three? Hey,
did you want to join the podcast? What are you
even talking about? Right, you're right, and I understand that,
and then we would have been on zoom. But now
we're live, you guys can see us in real life.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Okay, you're right. You can see the drip live. You
wouldn't have been able to see the drip on zoom. Okay,
that's very true. She's right, thank you, She's right a lot,
but we don't Okay, all right, fine, but this is great.
This is great, This is amazing, right, I'm right, thank you, Okay, no,
thank y'all. Can we give a round up falls for Asia?
I think that's great. Shout to Max and the mic
(37:59):
shot our heart. Shout to everybody. M
Downhill. Max NCAA champion, number one overall pick, two time
w NBA champion and two time m v P Miss
Asia Wilson can be given around the applause. Please Asia,
(00:25):
Miss Wilson, thank you so much for joining us today.
Maxie on the mic. I want to start with an icebreaker,
you know, I want to talk about the SEC. I
want to talk about your game Cocks and my Wildcats.
I think there's more Wildcats fans in here, right, thank you? Yes, yes,
(00:49):
but no, seriously, on a serious note, I want to
start about the talk about your statue. Let's start that.
How did that come about?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Like?
Speaker 1 (00:57):
What was that? A surprise? Was that? I want to
talk about that a little bit. Yeah, it was a
huge surprise.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Honestly, I thought it was a joke. When they first
brought it to me and mentioned it. I was at
graduation and the president of our school was just like,
you know, we're going to give this person a bronze
statue and they'll be immortalized. And then the camera was
just on my face and it was jaw dropping because
I never would have imagined because I always say, like
people with statues, they're either dead or they're on their way.
So for me at the age of like I think
(01:22):
I was maybe twenty four the time, twenty three maybe
to have a statue that I can go see was huge.
So yeah, shout out to the University of South Carolina
for doing that, because that is.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Huge, right right, I've watched you on a certain podcast.
I was like, I'm always intrigued about college decisions. Yeah,
because for me, like I wanted to go to the
UK since I was like sixth grade, I want not UK,
but I wanted to play for coach Cal. So I
was like, I knew for a fact, what was the
same scenario with you? How'd that go? Yeah, I knew.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I mean at sixteen I wanted to go away from home.
I was like, man, I want to leave my parents,
and then I ended up being in my backyard at
the University of South Carolina. But when it came to
coach day and plan for somebody that just like really
cares for her players, it was a no brainer. So
it was huge for me to go to South Carolina
and just kind of probably one of the best decisions
I made at the age of sixteen.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
But it has a lot of fun. I feel like
Cal and coach Staley are very similar, Yes, extremely similar,
because I see her She's intense. She's intense and like
even when like she came to coach like our practice,
like being like sixers in Philly, Yeah, and she was
on us, getting on us. I was like, is she
on't coach or she's a fan? You know what I mean?
So like, yeah, I just wondered if you have like
(02:30):
any interesting stories that you can tell from Coach Staley,
like something that you know what I'm saying, something funny,
something interesting.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
I think the biggest thing for her she never made
me comfortable. She always wanted me to be uncomfortable, so
she would just like call me different names. I'm like,
my mama doesn't even talk to me that way, but
go ahead, since I am playing for you. But no,
She's someone that just will get the best out of
you no matter what. And I think that's how her
and coach College is so similar, because they are going
to drag it out of you no matter what.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
So I love playing for her right she was She's
talked about this is funny because they both said something
very similar to me, kind of when I was trying
to come into my own and the NBA is about
building your own confidence and like being able to do
the work. And like I know some college coaches and
some college experience are different, not so like ours are
pretty similar. Like we have coaches to where they gonna
(03:17):
push you to be better, but you gotta want to
be better on your own, you know what I'm saying.
I want you to talk a little bit about that,
because you have a work ethic that I've seen just
from being on the outside looking in, just watching videos
and watching tape. I'm like, man, she works her tail.
Two time NB a WNBA champion, two time MVP, like
to still be going out there and motivated at work.
Like what motivates you? How did that come about? My
(03:38):
biggest probably my family?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
And like you said, like I feel like our coaches
saw the potential in us to be great and it
was just us finding that and they allowed us to
find it. They allowed us to touch the hot stove
sometime and get burned and learn from.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
It and then go be great.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
But I think the biggest thing for me is like
I want to be great on all levels. Like I
don't want anyone, I don't feel like taking a day off.
I'm gonna try to present myself as me no matter what,
and surrounding my people like people around me, they surround
me being like, no, I'm not gonna let you fail.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
I'm not gonna let you get down on yourself.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
So I think that's so key is to what makes
us great, what's continued to make us like legendary right right?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
And for me, I just kind of talked about it
while you were in the back, like like you inspired me.
Like I'm honestly like I always got to sit and
watch you win another championship or second, like two times
in a row, which I think we should give it
around of the past because I don't think I understand
how hard that is, Like she's been successful on you know,
both levels of college are probably in high school. But
(04:32):
I just want you to talk to them a little
bit about like your leadership because the way you lead
is I feel like it's different. You know what I'm saying.
You are personal with your teammates, You're able to connect
with them. That's important. Yeah, for sure. For me, the
way I lead, the way I love to lead.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Is I get to know my teammates on a very
personal level, Like I would take time no matter what
throughout the season to be with them individually, so I
know how to communicate with them. Some teammates I can
cuts out and be in their ear and yell. Some
teammates I have to pull as I didn't talk to
And I think that's how you get the best out
of anyone is understanding them on a level that's bigger
than just dribbling a basketball, more so on a personal level.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Right, and then when you have that relationship that on
a personal level, and then not even just basketball, like
this is just life in general, I feel like, is
what you're saying. Like, when you have that personal level
with them, you can talk about anything, anything, and that
next everything comfortable and not just talking about them having
your back on the weak side. You can talk about
their family, you can talk about their life. And whenever
you have that connection, it makes it easy on the court. Yes, Okay,
(05:31):
that's cool, that's cool. I have a Okay, I want
to take a little turn right here. Miss Asia has
a book. I do, and I thought we were friends.
I'm just saying, look, when you want your friend to
send you one of her books, what do you guys?
Stay yes or no? Yes? No, no, no. But I
(05:51):
need I have to support it. I need to go
buy the book. I need to read it, and then
after I read it, she can tire.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah, so maybe we could do like a jersey swap
because I'm still on my jersey.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
No no, no, no, no no.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
So the same way you're over here talking the book,
I'm waiting on something.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Okay, that's fair. Okay, that's there, it is.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I'm glad we can be in the middle of this, okay, okay,
or like tickets to a game, anything, anything, because you've
been to one of my games.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Okay, that's true.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
And when I went to go see you don't play. Okay, okay,
you said, don't talk about that all right for.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Some substance, the last game of the age you came
in to, I didn't play very well. But it's okay,
next time I will. I give y'all that. Anyways, let
me talk about the book a little bit. I want
a serious note, like what, like what drove you to
write this book? What was the deciding factors? What made
you sit down and do this? Because this is a
big deal. This is not like like congratulations seriously, Like
(06:41):
I know I'm joking a lot about it, but like
really congratulations because this is a big deal. I want
you to talk a little bit about that and just
talk about what went into that. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Well, I think the biggest thing that I wanted to
get across with my book is that we're human as
professional athletes. I know a lot of people may see
us in our uniforms and I mean, phenomenal athlete here,
y'all give it up for Reese. Yes, peace that he
is crushing it. Obviously he's hearing Indie all start. He's
killing it. But at the same time, Reese is a person,
He's a human. He goes through things, and I think
sometimes that gets hidden because they see how great we
(07:10):
are on the court. And that's kind of what my
book is. It puts it in perspective of that I
am human. I have days, I have anxiety, I have depression,
and I'm still living. I still wake up every single
day and I'm putting this cape on and I'm trying
to be the best age I can be.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And it's in a journal form for people.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
It's kind of like a diary for people to really
see into my life, how I've overcome a lot of things,
and then when you see me on court, you kind
of feel it on a personal level and understand why
I scream after my end ones and I work so
hard and.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
If you guys ever want to check it out as
Dear Black Girls, it's everywhere. Yeah, it's a fun read.
And I'm not just saying that because my face is
on it.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
No, no, no, I agree. And you know, I feel
like you are someone who talks about like the mental
health aspect of it like I do as well. Like
when I first started this podcast, I talked about like
because I'm started in all my second year, I started
most of my third year, I got hurt, and then
the it's an aspect of being able to come back
from injury, being able to you know, my team was
(08:04):
playing pretty well, so I sided like, look, I'll come
off the bench and do whatever I need to do
for us to win. And like, you know, as a player,
as a person with pride, I don't know if you
ever came off the bench ever. I did in college,
so you know how to feel, especially you know you
could be a certner exactly, so you know how that feels.
So like I was just wanted to really preach about
how like mental health really means something. You know what
(08:25):
I'm saying, and I want you to be able to
talk to people or be able to sit down with
yourself and have those tough conversations with yourself and then
be all right and be okay with having those conversations
with yourself. So I feel like you're advocate of that
as well. And you know we appreciate you for being
able to step up and talk about that. Yeah, it's
a pivot. Yeah. If you listen to MAXI and a mic,
(08:46):
or you heard any stories about myself, y'all know that
I have a very very passionate father. I think he
maybe a'll here somewhere. I don't know where he is,
but he's a very very passionate father. And I want
to talk about yours, your relationship of yours because I
read something. I think y'all have something in common, Like
we have something in common as far as our dad's
pushed us to be better. So I want you to
talk about that and talk about your relationship. Yeah, I
(09:08):
was a late bloomer.
Speaker 2 (09:09):
My dad played overseas for about ten years and I
guess when he had me, he was like, you are
going to play basketball? And I was like, no, I'm not.
I hate to sweat I hate everything around it, leave
me alone. But no, he just saw greatness in me.
And it was very hard for me to distinguish, excuse
me from father and coach. And that was the hardest
thing because I'm like, I'm your baby girl, like love me,
(09:31):
don't tell me to make a layup, like stop yelling
at me.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
But he saw.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
Greatness in me, and he believed in me in days
that I didn't believe myself. And I'm so grateful for
him to put in that basketball in my hand as
late as it was at the age of eleven twelve.
I'm grateful for him because he continued to push me
to this day. He's texted me He's like, you know,
you should have got that rebound and I'm like, damn
that yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Waity, so like come on, so I have MVP. But no,
that's great though. I think we all need somebody like that,
no matter whether it is our dad, our brother, our sister,
our brother, like our best friend. You need somebody's gonna
push you. And for me, I have the same thing
like my father, he was not was. He's still on me,
(10:12):
like I know the other day, you know, once I
was announced as an All Star or whatever, and he's
big on like just focusing and like knowing the game
and like getting off your for all those topic different
things that you do like to mentally lock in. And
my mom caused me and she's talking to me and
she's screaming. She's hype together talking about All Star. I
actually hear my dad in the background like, man, get
off the phone, breath of this game that you got.
(10:33):
But I need that, you know what I'm saying. That's
something that I needed. That's something that I really liked,
and that's something that we have in common, which is
really cool. For sure. I want to talk a little
bit about the asis. Come on, how does that change
your life at all? Because that's it's like I don't
know for me, Like just watching y'all, it's big times.
(10:54):
It's amazing to watch. Like I'm just so happy for
like what you've done just for not just yourself, but
for the entire sport of women's basketball basketball period. You've
like shed a lot of light on it. So I
really want you to talk about that. What's your thought
presses on that and how that come about? Yeah, I
mean it's incredible.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
I was dropped to the aces in twenty eighteen, and
I remember Bill and Beer bad Boy. Bill gave me
the basketball and he was like, this is your franchise
and I was like, what do you mean? This is
my French I'm a rookie, Like I don't know what
I'm doing. I'm just I'm trying to figure ot. I'm
glad I'm not going to class anymore. And he was
just like, you know, take it and you have the wheel,
just drive us, drive us to the promised Land. And
obviously I surround myself with great players and we just
(11:31):
have fun. I think that's the biggest thing is we
have fun. And we were one hundred percent honest with
each other, and that is hard sometimes. And when you
get twelve women for a whole summer and you're around
each other for forty games, you might you just want
to bang your head against the wall.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
Honestly, some days I'm like, why did I sign up
for this?
Speaker 2 (11:46):
But they are my sisters, and we have grown and
we're starting to become a dynasty and a legacy and
we're going to try to go after this three feet.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
We're gonna see how this goes. But it should be
a lot of fun. No. I love that. I mean
that's as a fan of just back basketball, Like it's
just amazing to watch, Like I'm able to watch, you know,
at the crib of being able to watch, you a person,
watch that entire group in person, Like y'all had an injury,
you know, to one of your closest, you know, one
of your closest friends. How did y'all? Like I want
(12:14):
you to explain to them and like someone who wouldn't
know basketball, how did y'all combat that? Because that's that's
very difficult, you know what I'm saying that the odds
were against y'all. Now you know, y'all are probably the favorites,
you know, with her, you know what I mean, they're
going into the season or going into the playoff series.
That happens, and you know, your eyes dropped. How do
you you know, how do you combat that? I think
it's all a mental game.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
I feel like every single day we're playing a mental
game within ourselves that we're trying to figure it out
and we're all just trying to go along with And
when we lost our short starting point guard in a
game that we needed to win to win a championship,
it was like we have to win from within and
that was a moment where Becky Ham and our coach
was just like, either y'all gonna do it or you're not.
And it's one of those things that we just kind
of had to self reflect and say, hey, I'm built
(12:56):
for this, I'm here for this moment, and I'm going.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
To crush it.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
And sometimes you gotta hype your stuff up in those situations,
and it's sometimes it's hard because you don't want to
get it overconfident or cocky, but those are the moments
that you need. And I think in that moment when
we did have those injuries to our big players and
we go from number one seed to underdog, it was
just winning from within and I think we did a
great job of doing that right.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
No, I agree, And again I'm gonna keep talking about
it because it's it's it's a surreal moment for me
because like going again and go and support you going
to sport a frame, go and support that entire group
that you know that I know, and to be there
and actually see somebody win a championship. I've never actually
seen that. I mean, like in the college level, I
was sadly, you know, COVID happened. I didn't get to play,
(13:35):
I didn't try to compete for a national championship, and
sadly also we haven't you know, reached that level yet,
which one day we will, but uh, for you to
be able to do it multiple times, Like how difficult
was it the second time? First off? Ten times harder?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Like I feel like the target I always say it
comes the target was on our back year one, but
then we didn't became the target year two, Like it
was no on your back. It's like, know what you
and when you say you're getting someone's a game every
single night, it's ridiculous. Like it's people shooting one hundred
percent from the field sometimes and I'm like, where's this team?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
They're just.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
So Yeah, it was definitely a lot harder, but at
the same time, I feel like we had a lot
of tests in the world and throughout our seasons that
made that win that much more sweeter. And winning it
in New York was tons of fun. I love hearing
the booze after we won. Love that was the matchup
everyone wanted and I'm like, we gave it to you guys,
So it was tons of fun winning it there.
Speaker 1 (14:30):
You're you're very active and won the community. Yes, you
like social media talking about you do, and you deserve to.
But where does that come from? Is that just the
personality that you have.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Oh yeah, it's just me. I'm a little sassy thing. Yeah,
I get a little sassy sometimes. I'm not afraid I talk.
I gotta let people know I'm human, Like you're tweeted
at me. No one else is not a computer.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
It's not AI. It's me.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
So if my feelings get hurt, I'm gonna let you know.
So now I gotta hurt your feelins.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
See how we go? Now now to rights Stoma grown.
But here I am be a movie. She she got me.
I gotta get hurt. But nah, I want to. I
want to kind of resurface into the mental health aspect.
(15:24):
You know, we talk a lot, We have a lot
of fun for me. You have two dogs, right, Yeah,
you have the little bitty dogs.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Don't call them a little beat Okay, they're Australian Shepherds
mixed with poodles.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Period. They're a combining way twenty pounds. What is that
My dog's level leg and weighs twenty pounds. Okay, well,
but the heart of a rock wilder Anyways, how do okay,
because in my opinion, pets are They're like I call
my dog my son, Like, so, how does that help you?
(15:57):
You know what I'm saying, How does that help you cope?
Because when you come home a long road trip, Yeah,
they don't show you no emotion, you know, because you
go on Twitter, like you said, we're human, so we
see you missed you was let's say, well night you
was two for sixteen. Yeah, it hurts when you go
on Twitter. You can't even open up your phone without
them talking crazy about you. So when you get home
to see your dogs, they're like, I want you to
talk about just the coping part of it. How to
(16:19):
find How do I say? It's like a vice. I
know you can debrief.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yeah, I mean my dog is my dogs are my
safe space. I feel like for those who have putts
in here, it's unconditional love. Like no matter what kind
of day you're having, my dog is like, let's go
for a walk.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
He doesn't care about anything. He's like, give me a treat.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
And I'm like, you know what, yes, And I love
that And I think that is just I love my
two dogs.
Speaker 1 (16:42):
They are emotional support dogs.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
They have a little best and everything, but they are
really my children, and they also teach me about responsibility
and being on time. But they also are just loving,
Like they're just loving. And in those days when socials
kicking my butt and people are just being people, I
can always come on my dog.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
They don't talk back, they listen. Well, it's just they're
like just all around good people. And I guess my
dogs are people. Ain't gonna lie. I think my dog
do a little talking back. Oh true, Yeah, dog weigh
one hundred and eighty pounds and oh yeah, you know.
Sometimes I have my my uncle and my brother who
live with me. And my brother he's uh he watches
the dog a lot when I'm gone, and just recently, uh,
(17:19):
my brother kevim In is in his room. I don't
like when nobody's around the cheper whatever. I love my
dog room throughout the house. He's one hundred eighty pounds,
but I live roam through out the house. He's pretty
you know, pretty well trained. So he was messing with
my brother. He leaves him in the leaves him in
the room his room. He bites a hold through the box.
I said, what how why is he in the room.
But then it's a little stuff like that, like and
(17:41):
then they give you the puppy dog, like, oh, you
really don't mean to bite through the whole house. Yes, yes,
but I love my dog though, love my dog and this,
and like you said, it's an emotional support thing for me,
Like it's something that I need. I need when I
come home. And I love my Philly fans and they
they are the best, you know what I'm saying. They
really do a good job of making not just myself
(18:02):
but the team in general go out there and fight,
go out there and really go out there and try
to win every single game. But you know, when they're
tough on me, and I love them for that. I
go home and I get to I get to hug
my dog a little bit, and you know he exactly.
It makes you refocus. And the next time I get
to step in front of them at was Fargo, I
try to perform my hardest, hardest, but we pivoting more
(18:24):
more time, and I'm gonna trying to get you out there.
I know you. Listen, you're the all star. Tell you
guys celebration. Did everyone see the banner that was up?
Let's give some man, this is big time. Don't like
I can't stay humble.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
But this is a huge moment for you if you
have to embrace it, take it in like these are
huge moments.
Speaker 1 (18:45):
I should get on my exolution and go on Twitter.
Why not? You're right, You're an all star. They can
never take this away from you. They can't.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
I appreciate you're gonna remember this snow in Indiana, this blizzard.
Always listen you it snowed in South Carolina then, But
I have never seen anything like this.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
This is ridiculous.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
My hair, God, you live my lashes are collecting snowflakes?
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Where am I live in Vegas? So, I mean it's
that's a different dynamic. I mean, I think I would
rather have a little bit of snow than where you
with you endure. I'm just saying. I mean I didn't
I didn't see real snow until I got to Philly.
But now that I'm used to it, so it doesn't
really bother me. Anyway. Anyway, here we go. We'll talk
about this. I want to, I want to who. This
(19:32):
is gonna be a tough question for you, and it's
not nothing. It's gonna be a good question. If you
had to make a starting five right collectively, m HM
of current W players in NBA players. Let me tell you, mam. First,
I want him. I have one. I can't wait to
(19:53):
hear your No. Listen, this is I really thought about
this before when you was talking. All right, I'm gonna
throw my I'm gonna throw us in there. I'm gonna
throw throw myself, and I'm gonna say me, And then
I'm gonna say from the W and also from the
University of Kentucky nine hour. Yes, okay, that's fair, kent Yucky.
Y'all gonna stay together. No, no, no, no, say right, Kentucky, kan Yucky. Okay. Anyways, hey, guys,
(20:16):
don't you know my man. Don't don't let that kin Yucky.
She went to South Carolina. But okay, I got those two. Yeah,
I got right. Who's gonna score the ball? She's like amazing.
So far, y'all are quick. Yes, you know what I'm saying.
So then we're gonna go small. I'm gonna say Anthony
Edwards at the three because I really like the way
he plays basketball. And then I'm gonna go you at
(20:38):
the four because I think you're versatile. You know, you're
able to play five, for you can handle a little bit.
I don't think i've ever seen shoot right hand. Wow,
I'm just joking, all right, I'm just joking. All right,
that's a lot. I've seen you do it. But I
mean I had to throw that in there. I have
to give you. Okay, you're gonna shame, that's fine, and
then at the fire will go Joe, Well, okay, fair.
(20:59):
So now we have spacing. We got to create a
little bit of everything. You know what I'm saying, got shooting.
This is in the middle of this right now. I'll
give you a good little break.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Okay, we got us boom, I'm gonna do the joker
at the five, like we're nice with it, like we
got some passing going on like that.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
I got two NBA guys. Oh mmmm, Who am I
putting at the three? This is difficult, This is hard.
Why would you do this? This was not on the sheet,
y'all listen. I did not prey for this. I'm gonna
go jewel oid. I'm gonna go jeweloid at the two,
(21:38):
huge jewel I need a three. You got some scoring?
I need a three. I need a three. Who's a
three in y'all league? In our league? Like I don't
know I was gonna go KD, but that was gonna
be too easy. That's smooth, you know what I'm saying.
Oh that's tough. Oh I might go braun at the three?
Braun At? What am I doing? That's a big score?
(22:00):
I want to be cheat. I thought that was that
was gonna be like easy. I didn't want to know
I'm going bron. I mean I'm not mad at that.
Speaker 2 (22:05):
Yeah, we have some solid teams. That's a solid team there. Yeah,
that team, but yours is going to come off the bench.
I mean we're kind of in it. So okay, we
got solid teams. Okay, real anyways, we'll refocused now, we'll
get back serious.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
We'll get back serious. I want to talk about you
talk about them giving you the keys to the franchise,
and I want you to just tell the people, like again,
I didn't like basketball terms, but like how you handle
that with just life, you know what I'm saying, Like,
because so much more comes to that. Like I was
really talking to my uncle the other day, my uncle,
my brother about like just having meet it every day,
(22:40):
Like you know, I started out, I had like a
little different journey than you. Like I started I was
twenty first pick and then like I was coming behind
Ben Simmons, I was coming behind Joel I was coming
behind like step Curry, Like I kind of got molded,
you know what I mean. So like now as like
somebody who you know, No, I wouldn't say that guard
and guard you know what I'm saying, someone who's trying
(23:02):
to coming to the like, I want you to explain
to them, Like that's a hard thing. Like every time
you lose, you have to go talk to the media.
It's not just the good times when you lose and
you like I talk about shooting two for eighteen, like
the other day when I was game that you came
to I was four or for a lot and be lost,
kind of stuck it up. Anyway, Okay, it happens. It happens.
(23:23):
It really happens, and you have to go out there
and talk to the media be professional about it. I
want you to talk about that, because that's that's very difficult. Yeah,
I mean the crowd gets heavy, it gets heavy, but
you never let it fall off. You always adjust it.
Like that's how I look at it.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
You just got to always keep your keep the main thing,
the main thing, and it's understanding how far you've gotten
have gone, and understanding how far you have to go.
And it's really really hard to have it and talk
to the media and they ask the same questions and
they try to reword it in a different way. But
I think the biggest thing is just staying true to
us and understanding what we bring to the table and
knowing that I will never shoot that way again, but
if I do, it happens. But understanding like y'all gonna
(23:58):
get me on my eyes and then y'all give me
on my lose. So either way, I just stay even
killed through it all and help hopefully people understand that
we are humans, so we're not perfect. I mean, I'm
not going to y'all's job and being like why aren't
you typing faster? Like I would never say that, Like
why aren't you Why aren't you saying things quicker? So no,
So when it comes to us, it's like, let us live,
let us do our jobs. Promise you we're gonna be
we great at it. We worked hard at it.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
And we're gonna bring wins right And for me, like
the way you put that is like perfect, because like
it's not just all basketball. That was just in life
in general. You know what I'm saying, you going sometimes
you have a bad day, and sometimes you didn't type
as fast as you needed to, and sometimes you didn't,
you know, teach your best to your students that day.
But it's all about perseverance. It's all about bouncing back.
(24:40):
And I feel like you've done that. You know what
I'm saying. You had, you know the aces like when
you first got there, how were all we stunk like
pu right, okay, didn't even make playoffs? And you were
able to turn it around. You were able to be
a part of something that turns all the way around.
And now y'all trying to be a three P so
like that's different. That's way different. And then this is
me jumping around, just me just thinking I'm telling to hey, gotcha,
(25:00):
I want to talk because you have to be very
creative in your leadership that way. I feel like you're
creative also with like your fashion. Yeah, drip or drown.
I thought I was goofy. She's good for you to
me anyways, But listen, I want to do I want
to talk about like where the jersey dress thing that,
(25:22):
where did that come into play?
Speaker 2 (25:24):
Like I'm a nineties baby, So that's what I grew
up on, like the okay two thousand baby, what yeah,
like some place driving license's got two thousand ill. Anyways,
it just really came from just like the nuance look
of what I grew up on, Like that's what I
always saw. I love the slot socks, the jersey dress like,
but at the same time, I'm a girly girl, and
(25:45):
I don't want everyone to like miss out on that. Like, yes,
I am a I try to be a beast on
the court, but at the same time, like I'm still
going to be a girly girl like you. Yes, my
nails are done, last hair, that's why the snow is.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Killing me out here. But we move on. But yeah,
that's really it.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
And I think style is a great representation of our personalities.
We bring different things all the time. I mean, you
got a little drip you icy up here, like it's
light you know what I mean? Light word like new
balances on to you know what I'm saying. But no,
I like to be comfortable but also nice at the
same time.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Right right, I think, And we're just talking about like
your personality now, like the way you are able to
just sit up here and have this type of conversation
and be yourself, you know, like you you don't shout
away from none of that. You know. It's funny like
the first time I met you, who's at an All
Star Yeah, and Cleveland and Cleveland not us not remembering. Yeah,
(26:37):
it's so much. But and when we left, my uncle
he lives with me, you met him and he was like, man,
I really like her energy. You know what I'm saying,
Like the way you carry yourself. I want to talk
about that because you have You've inspired a lot of
people and not just women. I'm talking about people all
type of you know, humans, all of us and including
myself and my uncle. He was like, man, he like
(27:00):
she has a fan of me forever. And every time
you play, every time he talks about why he doesn't
have a jersey yet, But we talked.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
About it's crazy I don't have a jersey at either.
Say it's okay, it's okay, We're not gonna go back
to it.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
But I want you to talk about how that came about,
Like how do you People always talk about like my
personality and how I go out there and I try
to smile all the time and bring positivity. Where did
your personality for where to come from? What did that like?
Speaker 2 (27:21):
How it's just within I feel like just I know
it sounds cliche, but life is too short to be
hanging our heads and being stuck in our own mind sometimes,
so I just try to find outlets. Yeah, Like, I
just try to find outlets the best way I can connect.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
You never know what people are going through.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
So if I can show up and be myself and
be happy and change a life or make someone else smile,
that's a great day to me. And I hope that
I can show up to people like that all the
time but also be really it.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
I don't like fakeness. I don't like bad energy.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
I feel like we can all pick that up very quickly,
and it's kind of like those are the energies you
stay away from. And I try to make sure that
I can just kind of be a rubber band in
that situation where I'm bouncing off positivity. Positivity, excuse me,
And you do a great job as well, Like I
mean to be a two thousand baby. Y'all a kind
of crazy, but I'm just saying the generation is kind
of wild, but.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
You're really good at it. We're not that far. We're
not that far from each other, so we are anyway. Anyways,
that positivity, I give a shout out to my grandmother's
you know, you shout out to one she passed away,
and then there's one that's still living. I think she's
here right now, don't know where she is. Grateful those
(28:27):
two women they create like this family treat that me
and my uncle always talk about, and they created this
precedent of like, you will work hard, you know, you
will earn everything that you got, but while you're doing that,
you will have a positive attitude. You will be grateful,
you will be thankful, and you will shine a light
on others. So for you, I want to talk about
(28:49):
your circle, Like I want you to tell everybody how
important it is to have a good circle, grid tight circle,
like you have good people around you. So like, I
think that's the thing that you should talk about because
that's very important.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah, I mean, I always say my reflect my circle
is a reflection of me. So I try to make
sure that I have people that are in my circle
that tell me things that I need to hear, not
necessarily things that I want to hear all the time.
No one really likes, so yes, man, because we can
pick those up any other day. But I'm a huge
family girl. I love my family. They are my rock,
my rib everything in between. And you're so lucky to
have a grandma still alive. Oh my God, hold on
(29:21):
her so tight. God, those moments that those are moments
that we never get back by. The moments that we
chare some most And so when it comes to family,
I lean on them through and through and as I
get older, and no one tells you about parenting your parents.
It's the hardest thing in the world. But I'm learning
how to do it day by day. But they are
the ones that hold me up and the reason why
I'm able to hoist trophies because they are constantly in
(29:42):
my ear, always supporting me. So that's kind of how
you see when you show up, it's not just me,
it's my family. It's everyone that helped the village to
help raise me. And I'm grateful for them. Yeah to
God to be all. I got like three more for you.
I got a four one Before we get go back
serious an a lot we have to tal talk about
the like Usher, did you be able to go see him?
Speaker 1 (30:03):
Like in the just a little bit.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Yes, y'all, I saw Usher lie and it was the
craziest experience of my life.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Did you did you go to Super Bowl? Yes? I
went to the Super Bowl.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
I wish I would have watched it on my couch
because all I saw was like Usher just skating around,
and I feel like on TV he looked ten times
better because it made sense. But it was a quiet
It was an interesting experience. I mean, Usher is one
of the goats in the music industry. Obviously we always
raised off of some classic of his, so yeah, it's
pretty cool to kind of meet him.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
He's like this tall though.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
No ship, no shade, Listen, listen, no shade.
Speaker 1 (30:39):
He's just all, Okay, I want to get that really
serious because we're both to Yeah. I didn't say that
we're going to use the word goofy. That's fine. I
(31:00):
was just cool. But I want you to talk about
So I did this thing on my podcast with all
my guests and not just my guests but myself as well.
I want you to talk about one thing that you're
thankful for. Just go on wherever you want to talk
about one thing that you're thankful for. And then I
have another question for you after you go at them.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I am thankful for the fact that basketball doesn't define me.
It doesn't. It's not who I am. It's just something
that I'm really good at. And I found myself in that.
And I'm forever grateful of the woman that I'm becoming,
seeing where the woman that I once was and where
I am now. I am truly grateful of how the
journey I've been along has kind of I reefed the
(31:44):
benefits from it.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
So I'm thankful for that, right. I think that's that's
a great thing to be thankful for. I know, I'll
just talk about again my dad and my mom. It
was on me heavy as a kid about just like
being able to be a great person, you know what
I mean, And it just like grades and all those
different things that comes with it. But that's important, Like
you said, that's extremely important to be able to go
(32:04):
out there and be your own person, not just and
not lit at the firing, not that the basketball, not
to let the accolades. When you step off the court,
like even when you do stuff like right now, people
can still feel your personality, they can still feel your presence,
and they can feel that leadership. And we appreciate you
for that one more, all right. I always talk about
(32:25):
like for me, like my little slogan is like, I
want to get one percent better every single day. So
I want you to tell the audience what you want
to get one percent better at in your normal and
like your personal life, and then basketball wise.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Ooh, basketball wise, I want to get one percent better, right,
I mean, the shade is real up and here, y'all.
It might be snowing, but it's shady. My right hand
is fine, So I don't know what we're talking about.
I want to get one percent better at my three
point shot. Okay, there it is, period, and then one
percent in real life. I need This is really off topic,
(33:03):
but I need to get better at eating breakfast.
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I don't eat breakfast.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
And I know they say it's the most important meal
of the day and like breakfast champions, I do not
eat that, Like not even a bowl of cereal y'all.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
What about before you work out? No smoothie? I do
like I do that afterwards.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I feel like if I eat before I work out,
I'm going to throw up or I'm going to feel
like I'm going to throw up. So I can't eat
before I work out, and I work out pretty early
sometimes how early I'm not going to disclose that.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
My earli is like eleven am. That's impossible. It is
because when you really think about it, their mind, it
is say eleven am in Vegas. Time is like literally
midday at East Coast.
Speaker 2 (33:42):
Okay, but anyways, I don't like breakfast, and so my
one percent is going to be eat at least something
Asia banana.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
That's smoothie. Okay, okay, okay, okay, I have do you
have any question for me? Before I was saying my
last thing, how does it feel to be an All Star?
Speaker 2 (33:58):
And be honest, the people want to know, like genuinely,
how are you feeling right now, like in this moment.
This is a huge moment for you, and I don't
want you to like be all humble and be.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Like ooh, it's cool, cool, you know, just go to hoop. No,
but like we're like just here, you know, I'm wouna
say this. I'll be real. Yeah. For me, it means
a lot to me because a lot of people say
I couldn't do it. Period. Yes, a lot of people
said I couldn't do it. I was I was, I
was big on that like, and I came out, like
(34:30):
I said, I had a different path, you know what
I mean. I was, I was twenty first overall pick
I had you know, Ben Simmons ahead of me. I
had Joeli being on my team. I had all these
wonderful guys. And it's like, oh, he would just be
this good. You know, it will never be this good.
It'll only be right here, like this is his ceiling.
And for me, like I see those things. I see everything,
(34:51):
you know what I mean, even on social media, like
I know my mom, my dad, they hey when I
get on social media. But it's like I love social
media because it does it does wonder for me. I
like to see that stuff like show me like okay,
oh I can't do this. Like for me my rookie year,
in my college years, I didn't shoot well from three.
I feel like I was a good shooter, but I
didn't shoot great percentage wise. So I see everybody talking
all the you know, the writers whatever, he'll never be
(35:13):
this good because he can't shoot threes. So my second year,
I come back, I shoot forty two from three. Okay,
he'll never be this good because he can't. He can't
average twenty. Then you average twenty period. It's like, I'll
never be this good because he can't lead his team.
He can't he can't go out here and average seven
six a game. He can't go out there and play
with Joel and be He can't go out there and
do what he does best and you know, lead a team.
(35:35):
I think I'm doing okay, you know what I'm saying.
Pretty good. I appreciate that, but no, seriously, it's a
surreal moment and I can I can let my guard
the Olympics always do on my podcast or this live podcast.
I called my mom after like a day after that
announcement was made, and we played a game we won,
came home from Utah, and like I just had shed
(35:58):
a few tears cause it's like I said, like, no
one ever said, oh, he'll be an All Star. It's like, oh,
he'll just be this good or he'll just be that good.
And the people at my corner they believed in me,
you know, shout out to my uncle, shout out to
my you know, my whole entire clutch team and my brother,
all those guys, my family, and they believed it. I
told him, like I was like, man, I'm gonna be
I'm gonna do this, this, that, and the third. And
(36:20):
they never doubted me. They only only pushed me to
be better. You know, when I had those off games,
games like you know, when you came and saw me,
they was like, yeah, you was trash tonight. But these
next two games, you're gonna go out here. You're gonna
get forty, you're gonna get thirty, and it's gonna be okay,
y'all gonna win. So for me, it's just I'm just happy. Man,
this is surreal. I'm taking it all in and I'm
extremely happy to be able to I'm extremely happy to
(36:44):
be able to explain this, to be out here for
the seventy six ers because they took a chance on me.
They took a real legit chance on me at twenty one,
and Joel Norman gets to represent them, he's been there
and he's not here this time. But for me to
still be out here sent that organization that took a
chance on me, you know, I'm very thankful for. And
then blessing, that's great, that's great. I wrote that. Yes,
(37:10):
I think that's that was great. That was great. I
think that was perfect. That should be like a yearly thing.
Every I'm not doing this with you because okay, because
we tried to get miss Wilson on here, but she's
the busy person.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
I think I was in season sorry, I was trying
to win the championship. Let me hit you up game three? Hey,
did you want to join the podcast? What are you
even talking about? Right, you're right, and I understand that,
and then we would have been on zoom. But now
we're live, you guys can see us in real life.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Okay, you're right. You can see the drip live. You
wouldn't have been able to see the drip on zoom. Okay,
that's very true. She's right, thank you, She's right a lot,
but we don't Okay, all right, fine, but this is great.
This is great, This is amazing, right, I'm right, thank you, Okay, no,
thank y'all. Can we give a round up falls for Asia?
I think that's great. Shout to Max and the mic
(37:59):
shot our heart. Shout to everybody. M
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com