Andre Drummond on Secrets to being a Great Rebounder, Crying at the Draft, and Mental Health in the NBA

Ryan talks with 4-time NBA rebounding leader, 2-time NBA All-Star Andre Drummond about the emotions he experienced on Draft Night, his secrets to being a great rebounder, and the importances of maintaining mental health in the NBA

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
How is everybody doing? I want to welcome you into
a very very special episode of NBA Rookie Life with
Brian Hollins. I got a very special guest here.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Man.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Listen. He was the ninth pick in the twenty twelve draft,
two time All Star, one time third team All NBA
twenty sixteen, four time guests I said it, four time
rebounding leader. We're gonna put some respect on this name.
A little later in the show, Okay, Big East Freshman
of the Year, my dog, mister Andre, drummon, Dray, what's
good with your boy?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Or what's the word? Are you doing doing?

Speaker 1 (00:32):
Good? Man, Dre? I gotta I gotta tell this story
though about the first time we met. Dog. We gotta.
I gotta put this out here, man, before.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
We get going. Vegas is Vegas?

Speaker 1 (00:41):
Do you want to tell the story? You want me
to tell that, you gotta tell it? Okay, So I
get out. I just signed to the Clippers at this
time where I got the Girds camp, and you know
it's like it's it's it's like training camp, like an
early training camp for NBA players, and Dre was newly
drafted there, and you know, you do the drills early

(01:01):
in the day. In the second half of the day,
you're gonna play and Dre is there. He's a rookie.
And I remember I'm playing against Dre. I'm playing against you,
and you know, we're running up and down the court
and this is funny looking back now, we'll explain why
later in the show. And you elbow on me bumping.
I'm looking over. I'm like, what's wrong with this dude?

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Man?

Speaker 1 (01:22):
So you hit me, I hit you back. I'm like,
this dude is tripping. I'm like, and what I didn't realize, Dre,
you had to have been what eighteen.

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Seven seventeen turned eighteen seventeen.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Trey is seventeen turning eighteen at time, he looks like
a girl. Man. He looked like he could be my
uncle and son. Man, and he's hated me. I'm like,
I'm like, what's what's wrong with this dude?

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Man?

Speaker 1 (01:44):
This dude is bucket. And then I remember after the game,
we played through the game. You know, listen, I don't
mind no contact. As big as we got to get
used to bump, you can't you come? You come. That's
that's bumped central for the bigs. And I want you
after the game, I say, young fella, do you know
how good you are? I'm like, what are you doing?
You don't need to be bumping in that, But I said,

(02:05):
you are going to be a dog in this league. Man.
You don't got to do none of that. And I
think for me, it was fun watching you progress through
your career. And I thought it was just funny, Drake,
because when we get into the league, right like, we
feel like we gotta show ourselves. We got to do something.
And I laughed now in a sense, like like you

(02:26):
are such the nicest, coolest dude on the entire planet. Dog.
Do you remember that, Drake?

Speaker 4 (02:31):
Imber as soon as you As soon as you said it,
I was like, oh yeah, I remember, girks king.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
I remember I remember going into it like my uh
my a.

Speaker 4 (02:38):
You coaches like yo, just back down for knowing what
do what you gotta do. So to me, I'm just
out there just trying to play physical. I'm like this,
this is why I think the NBA basketball list everybody's
elver one pushing and move people around. An intimidation factor
I try to use.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Well, Drake, I'm skinny. You don't realize you you probably
twice my strength. So but I think it's you know,
it's funny because, like you said, a lot of us
big guys we learned the position, you know, as we go.
But I think that was cool for you to get
out and go. And now I remember talking Lawrence Frank
at the time he was talking. We got on the
same flight. I say, you got a good one there.

(03:17):
I said, he could run. He's big, he's strong. I say,
he might be a little while, but he's gonna be
all right. He's like, you're right, You're right.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
And look at that now twelve years later, Yes.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
Sir, And I'm sure you've probably given some of those
same talks to a number of other guys. Man, I
know you're amazing vet and mentor. But Dre, I gotta
jump in that time machine. I want to I want
to stay there with you. This is NBA rookie life
with Ryan Hollins. I want to know what it was
like on your draft day.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Man.

Speaker 1 (03:46):
Now, you were the ninth pick. I was the fiftieth pick.
We got completely different stories. Dogs. I'm I'm gonna live
through you right now.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Man.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
So you know, at the time, it was it was
a Jersey Jersey where they were doing the draft, my mom,
my sister, my uncle, my agent at time, Rob Polinka,
and my other uncle was there too, So it was
really tight knit, just my close family. And you know,
I just remember just being told, you know, I'm going
anywhere from two to eight ainy those positions.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
I'm like, I'm leaving soon.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
Had the second pick at that time.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Second pick of.

Speaker 4 (04:19):
The draft was Washington Washington. Third was I lied second
with Charlotte and he took Mike Okay Gil Chris. Third
was Washington, Fourth was Cleveland, Fifth was Sacramento, who took
Thomas Robinson. Six with Portland, who took Dame Lillard. Sata
was Harrison Barnes and Golden State. Eight was Terrence Ross

(04:41):
to Toronto and me to Detroit.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
At nine.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
I was going to ask you, I like how you knew,
because listen, Dog, your hit list you had about you
had eight guys who was supposed to be you. I
had forty nine of them. But for real, for real,
I remember all those guys. So how was that you know?
You said you knew for the draft day. Walk me
through that moment when you you know you were actually drafted. Man, Listen,

(05:05):
I tell this story almost every podcast. I was drafted
during the commercial, so I don't. I'm like I said,
I'm still living to you, dog listen, no, no, lie,
the commercial went on, I was drafted. I thought I
wasn't drafted than I was, and then we celebrated. But
how did it go for you? Dog? Walk me through
that moment?

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (05:20):
So, you know, as I said earlier, I was told
I was going to work from two to eight. And
the night before the draft that lef midnight at one am,
my agent calls me said.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Hey, I need you to get up. Detroit wants you
to come work out for them.

Speaker 4 (05:34):
I'm like, damn, it's this miss midnight ahead, get up
right now, midnight, midnight, midnight.

Speaker 2 (05:41):
I'm not supposed to be telling.

Speaker 1 (05:42):
This, But had you worked out for them before?

Speaker 2 (05:45):
Not to that night?

Speaker 1 (05:46):
So you've worked out every everyone above and to pick
there they said at midnight and I've never heard of that. Dog.

Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yes, I don't know I'm supposed to say that anyways.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
Yeah, so I worked out for them at that time
of the night and then, uh, you know, they told
me if I fall to nine, I'll have a home,
And in my mind like okay, well, at least I
know where my stopping point is. But you know, everybody
wants to go high and the higher in the draft.
But I was happy to know that I had a
home coming up. I just remember, you know, as as
David Stern. Lucky for me, I got to see David
Stern on his last go round. That's a huge honor

(06:18):
for me to have for sure. You know, to see
him come out, wow, like this is like what they're
doing game like video games. Like he comes out and
he you know, welcome.

Speaker 2 (06:28):
To the NBA drafting.

Speaker 4 (06:29):
I'm like, I'm living this, like I'm like in my
player right now, living this right now facts. And I
remember when he came out and he's like everybody knew
any day was going first. So Aby goes first. You know,
we're all sit back in the chair. We're not worried
about that then. And then after like the fourth pick,
you can start seeing like guys start getting ant c
because I know some guys probably been told differently, so

(06:50):
they're seeing their numbers get picked, and you can see
people starting to leave forward in the chair like all
right now, like how long is it's gonna taken?

Speaker 2 (06:57):
That anticipation.

Speaker 4 (06:58):
There's nothing like it, especially like when teams tell you
that they like you and they're interested in you, and
then you see that team go with somebody completely different
and it throws you off. And then that emotional rollercoaster
begins right there once that happens to you, And I
was blessed, man. I was blessed to know beforehand that
I had a chance to go somewhere else. I thought
I was going to. I had a really good work

(07:19):
out in Portland. It was Portland and Golden State. I
had two really good workouts for and I thought I
was going there. And when I didn't get picked, I'm like,
all right, that's cool, but I just got to wait
two more places in and I'll be good. And you know,
once Terrence Ross went, you know, I started crying because, yeah,
it started. My draft picture is terrible. I hate it

(07:41):
to this day. I wish I got a chance to
retake that picture.

Speaker 1 (07:46):
Hold on, hold on, bro So you started crying immediately
when Terrence got but hit Terrence got drafted, because you like,
I'm not. I admit I knew. I knew I was
going to know Lord than Charlotte. Okay, me too, But
if I didn't know what's gonna be doing it, you
start crying.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Bro crying, Man started crying.

Speaker 4 (08:03):
I was like, man, like my moment is about to happen,
and I just I couldn't control that. I feel like
I just had a flashback of like my life that
led up to like this moment of about to walk
on the stage, and I just was a mess.

Speaker 2 (08:16):
Man.

Speaker 4 (08:16):
I'm like, yo, I was. I was grieving no longer
being a kid anymore. Like I'm thinking about my childhood
friends are probably gonna lose contact with, you know, kids
that played basketball with that, I'm probably gonna lose contact
with just you know, people I've grown up with. I
know that it's going to be a huge shift in
my life once this moment happens. And you know, I've

(08:39):
had a lot of really really good people in my
life that sticked around this entire time too, So I'm
really blessed to have them still.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Who are some of those people?

Speaker 2 (08:47):
You know, You've got Mikey B's on here, Mikey B's on.

Speaker 4 (08:50):
He lived across the bridge, used to beat us to basketball,
then he came to joint sides, so he played with
me his last two years school.

Speaker 2 (09:00):
You know, I got my guy, Ali Dexter.

Speaker 4 (09:03):
Darting dex That's my guy, man, Dexter Darted, you know,
Adam Jones, uh Man, I got Greg Clarity, I got
all kinds of guys that I've grown up with throughout
time that sticked with me and and really, you know,
help me get to where I'm at right now. But
just that moment though, to get back to that moment
of walking on the stage and seeing David Ster, and

(09:25):
I'm like trying to get myself together. I'm you know,
wiping my face. I'm trying to myself. I just I
just can't pull it together. I can't pull it together.
I just remember I took the picture. Like I'm sobbing,
like just yo, every time I see that picture of
my mom's house, I get disappointed. I'm like, I just
ruined the best picture that was supposed to be the
best picture ever.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
Now, who was the first person when you got drafted?

Speaker 2 (09:47):
Like?

Speaker 1 (09:48):
Was it was it hug mom, you know, high five agent?
Or was it a blurred Do you remember what you did?
Did you ever go back? And I like, for one,
I wasn't there. Did you ever go back? And like
why the drafted? Was people show you clips?

Speaker 2 (10:02):
You know?

Speaker 1 (10:02):
Was the phone was going wild?

Speaker 2 (10:03):
What what?

Speaker 1 (10:04):
What was happened?

Speaker 2 (10:04):
Like?

Speaker 1 (10:05):
Literally right when all right? With the ninth pick, Andre,
Like what happened then? Bro?

Speaker 4 (10:11):
I remember this moment for datum like I can, I
can tell you this and you can do play by player.
I remember I just dropped my head and I said
to myself, thank you God. And I got up and
hugged my mom.

Speaker 2 (10:21):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (10:22):
We did a handshake. Then I went over to my uncle.
I went to my agent, then my uncle, then my
other uncle, and then my sister. Then I walked up
to the stage. That's pretty simple, man. I just remember
I was you. You've ever been nervous where your body
starts shaking? Yes, as soon as Terrence Ross's name was called,
my body just I'm losing my mind over.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
I'm like holding myself like, yo, this.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
We got Oh you got hey, listen, hold on, man,
you clean, you clean?

Speaker 2 (10:54):
Hold on.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
We actually had a clip here you clean babyface, and
the clip man, I forgot it since we seen you
clean babyface.

Speaker 2 (11:02):
Man. Yeah, might just shaved off one time.

Speaker 1 (11:07):
With the ninth pick.

Speaker 5 (11:09):
In the twenty twelve NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select
Andre Drummond from the University of Connecticut.

Speaker 1 (11:25):
We saw the emotion that Jay mentioned. Justice talk me
through it, Dre, talked me through it.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
Dre, I'm listening to disbelief at this point.

Speaker 4 (11:33):
Man, I'm like looking at myself now and I feel
that same feeling right now. Just that's crazy, that overwhelming joy,
Like damn I did it.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
Would you look at that?

Speaker 1 (11:42):
Oh no, you look you look real Roster, my Jamaican.
Loved about my Jamaican brother. We both got that Jamaican heritage. Man,
I see it right there. Man without without.

Speaker 2 (11:53):
The beer man, man clean shaving.

Speaker 1 (11:57):
How about how about the suit man? You look real
plain Jane with the mim We wasn't going for no swagger,
but we know you, we know the swag is there.
You were playing j right now.

Speaker 4 (12:05):
Okay, I kept it settling, I kept it real soll
I wanted to just be clean cut and just ready
for business, all.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
Right with Dre. So you get your rafted all it's
all the dream. You know, you're back in the lab.
I'm sure you went to the crib or got to
work or they figure you out. Talked me through that
first veteran that you saw the first time you got
there and you saw the you know, people don't know,
you know, we do summer league. We do you know,
rookie camps, and we'll come in for a little stuff
like that. Then the veterans show up. What did you

(12:32):
remember about the first time the whole team and all
the veterans came. What was running to your mind? Like
this is different, like where they come from. Man, I
was in here getting stretched and shooting and everything was simple.
Talk me through that experience. A lot of people don't
know for the NBA player, like it's the first day
of school, Like darn, they're like, all right, first day
of school. Different.

Speaker 4 (12:50):
Yeah, remember some league we I think it was the
day before our first game. Some of our best coming down,
I knows, Charlie go the way of a Jason Maxshield
Roll Brandon Knight. At the time, was there for some
of the guys that came down, and I just remember
looking at them like, damn, I'm not the biggest guy
like Ron anymore.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
So at the time, I was pretty I think I
was very ignorant.

Speaker 4 (13:13):
To the fact of like looking on Google and seeing
guy's heights compared to how they look in person.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
For sure, for sure.

Speaker 4 (13:19):
A big misconception of like what it looks like on
paper compared to how guys looking person like people, said
Kevin Brant sixth eleven.

Speaker 2 (13:25):
I think he seven one.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
For sure, he is for sure he is Me and
KD same hike dog, same yes. So yes, so just.

Speaker 4 (13:33):
Thinking down with damn. You guys are pretty big. So
I'm like, all right, whatever, I'm not. I'm not scared
of anybody. So we get the plane. You know, it's
very physical. I remember Greg and I were going at it.
Then me and Jason actually don't went at it. And
then that was my first That was my first instance
of seeing someone who was stronger than me, and I
didn't like it.

Speaker 1 (13:50):
Max differently was moving me.

Speaker 4 (13:52):
All over the place if he wanted me over here
he was. There was nothing I could do. So I
remember after our practice, you know, I'm just putting on
my gear. I finish shooting. So Charlie on the wave
comes over to me and throws me a practice loop.
He said, every morning, I need you to pick this
up and drop it off from me. So I look
at it. That was actually like I saw. I looked

(14:18):
at him. I was just like, what you mean? I
got picked this up hevery day. He said, you're a rook.
You gotta, you know, do what I asked you to
or it's gonna be an issue. I said, what you
mean by that? I was I was a very curious
kid at the time. You're not gonna just tell me something.

Speaker 1 (14:31):
It wasn't being rude, it was like, what do you
mean react like? It was like, what's happened to me
if I choose? If I choose to decline this? And
he was like, well, you just have a liking, you know,
it's a part of any tradition. Like he was really cool.
You know CVS from uk too, so real cool dude.

Speaker 4 (14:44):
So he knew that he saw that I was ignorant
to what was about to happen to me.

Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (14:50):
Instead of reacting, he took his time and was like, yo, listen,
just because you my Yukon brother, you know we have
a relationship. Let me tell you how this goes. There's
something you do with no questions asked. You are new here,
you are the fresh fish. If we say do something,
you do it with no questions asked, it will be
beneficial in your favorite I said, cool, cool, So I'm

(15:11):
bringing this stuff every day. Then I don't think I
can do anything else After that, After the summer League.

Speaker 2 (15:17):
That was it. It told me I was good.

Speaker 1 (15:19):
Oh you got a way good man, man, I see
look you musa sound like get do.

Speaker 4 (15:24):
I didn get don this maybe like four or five
times what I can think Max four or five times here?

Speaker 1 (15:29):
See I remember see as a young guy, I'm gonna
date myself and I'm sure some og has a word
story like I used to have to like load the plane,
damn like like the plane in the bus.

Speaker 2 (15:39):
We used to carry the boss too at to carry
the boss, to remember that at to carry the.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
Boss, okay, the shooter, know the plane the bus. I
had to carry some things for the veterans. You know,
I had to do something, you know, little gopher, a
little golfer action. Go for this, go for that? You
know I want? Oh man, all right, dre is there
is there a moment that you can walk me through.

(16:02):
I gotta pull you down before I bring you back up,
big fellaw, we'll go there. We know you certified dogs
and you can do this now. You know. It's funny.
A lot of the young guys don't like to do this.
But that NBA moment where you talk about Max on
you around. But was there something in game like a
story you have for me. For me, it was Marvin Williams. Normally,
you know, it's a big guy. We could come over

(16:22):
late and still block the shot. They ran a split
cut and before my head turned back around, he got
hit and was yeah, and I'm like, I'm like, I
see Marvin Hill got bounced like that. Then I realized, like, okay,
everybody in the NBA has bounced like you. Bro, Like,
so you're late. You ain't getting there, you know, Like,
was there a moment or a player or somebody that
a story that stands out with You're like, this is

(16:43):
not what I thought it was? Welcome to the league.

Speaker 4 (16:45):
Yeah, I tell the story all the time when someone
asked my welcome to the league moment was the first
time I played Dwhight.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
Howard in Houston.

Speaker 1 (16:52):
This prime dwhite Man Man.

Speaker 4 (16:56):
Man Man, and Dwight was one of my favorite players
hit too. He and a few other guys I really
love watching. So for me, I'm like eighteen years old,
I'm geeking. I'm looking at one of my favorite players.
So I'm not backing out for this dude. I'm everything
I got. I'm just gonna throw it at him and
maybe he'll respect maybe he'll respect me. So I am

(17:17):
trying my darness to stop this man from scoring.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
He was just two steps foul, all out of whack
that game.

Speaker 5 (17:27):
Man.

Speaker 4 (17:28):
I don't know what the what the statue was that game,
but I know it's pretty bad. Another another story, another
strength story that I have was Pekavich godfather, Yes, father, man.
When I say when I looked at our schedule, I
always looked at me. Played in Minnesota to see if
I can find a way to get hurt. I have

(17:48):
to play. And I still have my marriage to that man.
He's the reason why I started lifting.

Speaker 1 (17:54):
Hold on, Dre, So you didn't lift weights and then
you played against Pekovich and started lifting. He waits after that, like,
hold on, what, let's rewind and walk through this one. Okay,
let's see this up because it's a different dog.

Speaker 2 (18:07):
I remember playing.

Speaker 4 (18:08):
I remember playing him for the first time, and that
was the first time I felt weak outside of the
Jason Max Steel story. And I said, this was the
last time someone makes me feel this way. So from
that day before, I started lifting, started eating right, started lifting,
and uh, I mean, my track record shows what I've
done after twenty thirteen.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
What did he do to you in the game that
made you feel that you need to get in the
way I respect your gangster by saying, hey, I need
to get better.

Speaker 4 (18:35):
I felt like a child. I just feel like I
just couldn't do anything. There's nothing I could have done
to stop that man from scoring.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
Nothing.

Speaker 4 (18:41):
I used two heads, I'm pushing. He's just slow grinder,
just moving me down. I just had nothing for him.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
Absolutely, for those who don't know, for Pekovich, he had
a big old his head was huge, He wore about
a nine. Okay, he was boffed, he had tattoos. This
was a on the dope man and he had he
was athletic too, so like yes, when you hit him,
hit it move dog like. So no, listen, everything you're
saying is certified. And if you didn't do your work early,

(19:11):
and sometimes even if you did it, because he was
patient on the block too.

Speaker 4 (19:14):
Like you wait for you you know, yes, wait, come on,
come on over, list let's go ahead.

Speaker 1 (19:18):
This was there. Was there anything else from a practice standpoint,
you know that you had to like adjust to or
anything that you remember, you know as a young guy,
like man coach kept telling me this, like you know,
I remember, like I had a thing. I kept screening
out of bounds and they're like, you can't screen out
of bounds, and I just kept doing it. They're like,
stop screening out of bounds. And I'm like, y'all gotta understand.

(19:41):
My college coaches like you go find that man and
set it wherever he is. You go set that screen,
Like is there anything you did or a story you
had where you just like, man, I didn't I didn't
understand this one dog.

Speaker 4 (19:52):
Yeah, that's two stories. I'll give you the first. I
remember our first day of training camp and we're doing
like three on three like shel Drew like have to
do the cutoff, come meet you in the paint type thing.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
And I have this thing.

Speaker 4 (20:04):
I mean, I still do it now where I just
do these fancy layups all the time. And I remember
I got in the pocket past and I think it
was gradual, stepped in front.

Speaker 2 (20:12):
I did a three sixty layup, but I missed.

Speaker 4 (20:16):
I remember coach frankn stopped the practice and saying this
is not the Harlem glow charters, like what are you doing?
I won't do it again. Two players later, I do
this again natural reaction because that's like I've done it
so much in high school. Not just I can't help myself,
It's is a natural thing. So I do it again.

(20:36):
He sends me to the line. I'm running up and
down the sideline. Never did it again. So I remember,
we're doing you know, the five man week into the breaks.
So instead of like you know, laying the ball up
all like all the other vets are, I'm doing dunks
and windmills between the legs. I mean, I remember Ben
Wallace comes over. He said, hey, I'm feeling better. Save

(20:56):
your legs because four or five years you can be
doing that no more. Laugh, man, what if I go
back to doing it again? And to this day, to
my cea, Ben wil you were absolutely right. Once I
got to like year seven, I'm like, all right, y'all,
I'm not just coming here to do windows somemore. I
got to have a reason to do it. Saw that energy,
Oh my goodness. But they definitely definitely are cars too.

(21:19):
All the rookies watching pay attention with cars. You get
don't come there with no car better than the veteran.
Listen with Stanley Johnson. You remember what Stanley came in
with a g wagon after his second week of being drafted,
we popcorn his car, butter oil and the couple jarge
of salt.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
I think he had the new car. I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 4 (21:40):
So yeah, uh driving suburban or escalating all your rookies.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
Y'all hear our rookies don't come with no nice whips. Listen,
And we didn't seen truck show up on brecks.

Speaker 2 (21:53):
Yeah, I've seen it. I've seen it. Behave yourself and.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
You know, listen to what Dray said to be humble,
you know, because it's nothing. All the veterans want to
hear you say is cool, man, you got it. We good.
Whatever you need from me and the quicker that you
just showed that you willing to do whatever we do,
they're gonna leave you alone. But if you want to,
you know, fight the system the whole time.

Speaker 4 (22:14):
Yeah, it could be a long season for you, really
long season for you.

Speaker 1 (22:20):
All Right, stay tuned. Andre Drummond lets us know something
that he does that I don't think I've ever heard
him in the NBA player ever doing, and it's a
big key to his rebounding. All right, stay tuned. We'll
be right back. All right, Dre, Now we tore you

(22:41):
down we got to bring you back up, big fella.
Like I said, so this is I stretching out over here.
We gotta bring you out, all right. And we were
talking about all the bad stuff. Let's talk about the
good stuff, because you have some of the most impressive
plays that I have seen in the NBA. And from me,
I can speak from personal knowledge playing against you. I've
always prided myself on being the fast at big in
the league. And I remember running and you. You took

(23:05):
off so fast. You're bro. You might be the first.
You and the White Night be the only bigs that
in my lifetime that have ever beat Legit beat me
down court, and I remember looking up over my head
and you were dunking the basketball, catching it live, and
I was like, that dude is different because he about
one hundred pounds and running and moving. And then listen, Dre,

(23:26):
you you are. You a different type of beast man.
But our favorite part of the show the NBA Brick
Life Film Room. So now that you're a veteran, now
we're gonna look for coach Dre. Okay, and I need
Coach Dre to break down with some swacker. I'm gonna
show you some of your clips, and we're gonna go
through them. Let me know what play was called, what
was run, what you're looking for, because Dre, I think
don't not enough people put respect on it, the big

(23:48):
man game and especially your game, because it's not just
running in there for a rebound or going to make
a move. You've worked on these moves thousands of times.
You're looking for reds, you're looking for keys. So let's
go to one of one of the fun moments. Man.
I never had one of these, but you had a
game winner in Milwaukee that way. I want to see
and I want you to walk me through.

Speaker 2 (24:06):
For sure, seven point five seconds for the pre season
to win.

Speaker 6 (24:12):
It, but bas Harris trying the ball.

Speaker 7 (24:15):
The ball finally does to KCP four seconds, but Tavi
is pretty shot.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
It's short. I great capt it in two point one seconds.
He kept it in.

Speaker 4 (24:28):
This was one of my first NBA game winners I've had,
and I just remember the play, Babe Belyve that it
was for Pope. I supposed to come set in my
pick and roll, but if they switched, I was supposed
to stay in the paint and get the rebound. So
it's pretty self explanatory. You know, once I set the
screen good enough.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
They switched.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
I've seen the young Yani saw me who didn't have
all the muscles yet. Just put him under the basket
and just put myself in good positioning. There's nothing you
could have done about that besides found me.

Speaker 1 (24:54):
What about positioning? I see you, you know, like, once
you realize you're not getting it, you know, your feet
stay acted. What's the importance right there?

Speaker 4 (25:01):
Yeah, So once I set that good screen on, You're honest,
I've seen them fall. I said, all right, well, Popa's
gonna get the ball, So I have to position myself
to you know, get in the middle of the basket,
because I know Popa's a good shooter. And the thing
about being a good reminder is doing who's shooting the ball?

Speaker 2 (25:16):
And I know all my teammates in the way they
shoot a lot a lot of Pope shots are long.

Speaker 4 (25:20):
So I just put myself in the best position to
you know, have the ball at least fall in front
of me or tip the ball back in.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
What was that feeling like, man, that celebration right there. Look,
you're getting mob game winner.

Speaker 6 (25:30):
Man.

Speaker 1 (25:30):
I'm sure you at the crib too.

Speaker 4 (25:33):
You know, for that being my first NBA game winner,
I was, and that was that was a game to
put us into the playoffs for the first time, just
two thousand and four, So that was that was a
huge game winner.

Speaker 1 (25:42):
See. I like the moment where you said that you
know you knew where Pope shot is going off, because
if I notice when I'm watching your feet, but you're
running to a spot like it's almost like you knew
where the ball was going to be missed. You know
some people just standing and where it goes, it goes.
You literally run to the spot where the ball is
going to. Man, that's key right there.

Speaker 3 (26:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (26:02):
Man, it's just reading the play and then reading the game.
There's another one, Indiana, remember this one too.

Speaker 1 (26:08):
Okay, let's let's run through this one. Man. So you
had another game winner. What's what's going on here?

Speaker 6 (26:12):
In this moment five seconds to play, four seconds to play,
Brandon gets buy him scoops.

Speaker 7 (26:18):
It can't score it, but it's tamped upping in. With
three tenths of a second to play, Andre tamps it
in miss lead eight ninety six, and.

Speaker 4 (26:35):
Oh man, the play was to have Brandon come on
the open side to his left hand side. I think
we said a full course screen for him, and the
play was just to have both of our bigs b
in the paint to get the rebound in case he missed.
But I've seen Brandon make that shot a million times,
so I didn't think he was gonna miss it. But
once I seen him shooting kind of off, like, oh,
this is it right here? So again, positioning is everything,

(26:56):
knowing that he's shooting a layup and is putting hiself
in a good position to get it right in the middle.

Speaker 1 (27:00):
All right with this, where did Brandon Knight shot miss?
You talk about you know, hope shots normally come off
a little long. Where did his shots normally miss? Because
you literally, again we're watching you. You're literally running to
a spot and getting this up and you know, talk
to me, hey man, what were your teammates saying?

Speaker 4 (27:15):
Then?

Speaker 1 (27:16):
You know, was there a vote of confidence before that,
like dre go ahead and clean this up, do what
you do? Or like that's crazy if coach actually said, well, Biggs,
y'all go in there and get a rebound somehow, like
that was actually the play sounds like.

Speaker 4 (27:27):
So with Brandon Jennings man, he's so talented and with
him his shots are very soft too, especially when he
drives to the basket because he knows I'm in there too,
so he just gives himself a good chance to score
or the best position for me to rebound. So he
told me he's gonna throw high off the glasses that
goes in and goes in, but if not, you'll be
right there to tip the ball. And so once you shot,
I kind of circled around to that left hand side

(27:48):
and got right to it.

Speaker 1 (27:49):
So Brandon actually came to you before the play and
said he was gonna shoot it in a way where
you can actually go and get it if I missed. Yes, Wow,
that's cool stuff.

Speaker 2 (28:00):
That's a skill man.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
Speaking of Brandon jennings Man, he was one of the
I think I don't think there's enough respect put on
his name as a young player in the league to drop,
you know, the numbers that he's put up. What do
you remember about a young Brandon jennings and the things
that he was able to do in the league or
what was he different, you know, putting an extra work
in practice? What do you remember about be jennings Man.

Speaker 4 (28:18):
Brandon jennings is just a hooper all in all, hooper
everything through and through.

Speaker 2 (28:23):
He loved the game of basketball.

Speaker 4 (28:25):
He respected it and treated the game as if every
game was his last. And you know, the witness him
get hurt in Milwaukee really hurt our team a lot
that game that we lost him, that we had such
a really we had such a run, a really good
run going on where were strung off like four or
five wins in a row, and then he got hurt.
But loved Brandon Jennings. Man, he was a hell of

(28:46):
a guard for me. He made my game very easy.
And I think he needs a lot more of respect
for his game.

Speaker 1 (28:53):
In fact, no lives there, man, b Jennings a lot
of respect. Man, that brother. Before he got hurt, he
talked about a dog like he was on that list
of like you knew Bete Jennings was gonna be one
of those dudes you knew when he was coming to town. Man, y'all,
y'all had a little like a little like y'all were
that kind of did y'all buy into like the You know,
obviously you can't plan to see like Detroit without knowing

(29:13):
the bad boys, But you guys, did you guys try
to create your own like bad boy swagger or like
you know mindset.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
With that team for sure.

Speaker 4 (29:20):
That's definitely the mindset that we had, just like being
that blue collar, tough team that every night, you know
it's gonna be a Dol.

Speaker 1 (29:25):
Fight, all right, Dre. This next clip here, this is
one of my favorites. You know, I had to make
sure we threw this in here. And listen, big fella,
big fella, forget the position, you just the basketball player here.
This is the salt. Talk me through this moment. What's
going on here? Man with the pitty pat double pat handles? Man,
come on, big fella.

Speaker 6 (29:43):
Nearly picked off by Stevenson, but Stanley Johnson controls Andre
puts it on the Dad Christ cards.

Speaker 1 (29:53):
There's some seven foot handles. Look at this thing, folks,
Halem globe.

Speaker 4 (29:58):
Trotter, like shout out to remy work on. It's definitely
a drill that we do. You know, just reading the play,
it soo to be an elbow play for Linxon Gallay,
come off and shoot it. He stepped over. He stepped over.
Just put a little extra on it got to the cup.

Speaker 1 (30:12):
So you worked on this move. Hold on double behind
the back pack and go there.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
It's a move I work on, you know, trying to
have the best advantage of the elbow because I'm very
fashionate with the ball too, so being able to have
connors to get out by the defender to score.

Speaker 1 (30:27):
That's pretty Dray. That's that's pretty Dray. And you know
it's funny, like I've seen you make so many plays
where it's like he's that big, how does he move
like that? Like is this just something in the summertime?
You're always working on these moves, You're always going through stuff,
but like you have some pretty moves dog to where
people go back and look like like dog, that is clean.

(30:48):
I don't care who did it, how it happened. Like
you listen, we're not gonna talk about you crossing cp
and cp fone. We'll leave that one. But what is
that just something that you're always been natural to you?
A lot of big men don't and can't move like
that like what you just pulled off their in game.

Speaker 4 (31:06):
Yeah, for me, it's a lot of work that I
put in, but mainly just genetics, man, just having that outletical.
I have strong geens in my family of just athletes,
and just the hard work I put in day in
and day out, and I work outside the box. I
don't do traditional big men workouts like I work out
in the summertime as if I'm playing on the wave
or as a guard, to keep that mobility, mobility in

(31:27):
my feet. We're down to shoot a trillion jump hooks
all summer. You get set, you get stiff, So you know,
for sure, to train my mind to be active and
move around a lot, to do all those guard workouts
with the ball handling, being able to move full speed
with the ball making counterplays if I do get those positioning,
and I think a lot of big should work on
that because there's those once in the lifetime times where

(31:49):
you get put in that position. You got to be
able to capitalize on those moments.

Speaker 1 (31:53):
All right now talking about we saw the handles. You
let some people up from three too, man, And this
is the league that's constant evolving, so it's not just
your hand. And let's see this other clip. Talk me
through this, because you kind of like set the internet
off and everybody was see, Dre, I knew you had
it me and you we talked about this before and
you knocked down some you know, some three pointers. Everybody
was kind of like, man, we ain't no Drumming could

(32:15):
do that stretch five man, put them on the wing,
smoke and drumming.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
That means in a three he can do that.

Speaker 3 (32:23):
Exco things drummers big bulls, not boxing out there, but
he's just so big he gets the rebound.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
Made a career out of that at the rift Trumming
second three ties the ball game, Wow, Consumbo the kickout
Drummond watch a third.

Speaker 3 (32:37):
Oh yeah, Andre Drummond's made fifteen threes in his regular
season NBA career, but he adn't there. Uh no, he doesn't.
He's made three here tonight, and the bulls and needed
I've needed all of them wide open and obviously Toronto
in the beginning saying you know what, we go ahead,
We'll let you shoot those, and he is making them.

Speaker 2 (32:57):
Hey. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (32:59):
For me, it's something I've worked on my TI career.
Being able to shoot that shot and shooting it confidently
is the key to it. And you know, this game
here was more so on audition, you know, letting the
teams around the league and my team know that I'm
able to shoot the shot. It's not a shot that
I would take religiously, but if I'm open, I'm willing
to take it and make it.

Speaker 1 (33:20):
See. That's what a lot of people don't realize too.
These are the right place. You know, some people feel like,
well I worked on it, let me go do something
outside the offense. All these shots are in the offense. Now.
Is this stuff that you were doing in training camp
also and in practice, and obviously every team is different.
You know, we get it. If you're the biggest, most
athletic guy, you know, sometimes you're going to have to
hit the block, You're going to have to be there.
But is this something that you guys came in saying like,

(33:42):
hey man, this is the offense. Take these shots when
they're available for you.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (33:46):
You know during training camp, you know, we really were
honing in on shooting more threes, and as in Chicago,
we weren't shooting enough three.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
So that's something that we try to work on and
throughout training camp. I would shoot those shots if I
was open.

Speaker 4 (33:57):
I wouldn't take bad ones because for me, it's shot
that I normally take, So I try to take them
if I'm wide open.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
I think that's a good shot and something that everybody
should work on.

Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yeah, and we're seeing literally all the best bigs in
the game are shooting at three mb lets it go,
you know, yogic as it go. You're letting it fire here.
So I think that's a big thing. And I think, like,
like you said, you know in the league, you're a
basketball player. You know, forget the position. Obviously not you're
never not going to rebound no matter where you're on
the floor, but you know you're a basketball player, all right.
J We we had to have some fun with you, man,

(34:26):
because I love listen. Listen, Drake, you are one of
the greatest players we've ever seen, rebounders ever seen. Play
the game and hold on, man, hold on, man, big Fuller,
you hit threes in the lane. Man, talk to me
about this moment right here. Metal eight seconds for hour
to work with.

Speaker 5 (34:45):
Bounded by Irving, stolen by trumming, trumming coast to coast
with the throwdown, then.

Speaker 4 (34:54):
Chuck a dudes on the way to the basket.

Speaker 1 (35:02):
Even just smiling at this one. I don't think, man,
shoot the Caps. Take a look at this up on
drumming Tyreek Hill. Now with Miami and so is drumming.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
Man. You know, we were having a really good game
against Miami.

Speaker 4 (35:26):
I think it was like my third game as a
Brooklyn met and starting against I was really just feeling myself.
And on top of that, Tyreek Hill just signed to
the Dolphins like a couple of days before that. So
it's more how much played for him than actually trying
to sell anybody.

Speaker 1 (35:39):
Yeah yeah, yeah, so that's what the peace.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
Sign was for. It was more so just paying homage
to one of my favorite players in the NFL.

Speaker 1 (35:45):
Really really, so what made Tyreek Hill one of your
favorite players?

Speaker 4 (35:48):
He's fast and he's he's my next door neighbors, so
that kind of works out too.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
So I've already had a relationship prior to that too.

Speaker 1 (35:55):
Did Tyreek Hill hit you up after you hit the
deuces for Tyreek? Did he say anything to you? Was
there a text after the game or or exchange with
you and him?

Speaker 4 (36:03):
I was more just social media reacting to it. But
everybody says it was nuts, But it's more so just
a play to show some.

Speaker 1 (36:09):
Move Yeah, man, I love it. I love it. Man. Okay,
let's let's pull up this next clip. Man, Let's show
your personalities right the seconds of the third quarter unbelievable,
like six minutes. Ron, Yeah, bulls, there's clumbing the top man.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
Left I'll tell you what that was.

Speaker 1 (36:34):
A that was an effort play right there.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
That was a effort like.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
Big drumming.

Speaker 2 (36:43):
I'll tell you what. I was just calling a vent
move there. Man. You know we're two seconds left. I
just got the end one.

Speaker 4 (36:49):
I wanted to make sure I got the file, so
I got to sell the play a little bit.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
I didn't know what it came it was, so I
was trying to look around for first.

Speaker 1 (37:01):
Shot. You red handed, man, And I think I love
Dre watching you from you know, being a young guy.
It seems like there's just moments where you're just enjoying
the game, bro, like you're just out there. You talked
about just you talking about be Jennings and you just
enjoying the game, loving the game. And I think this
is one of those moments, man, So for you, what's
going through your mind? Like you said, a veteran move

(37:22):
where you know, I remember, young Dre wants to fight
everybody and elbow and everything. Here you're using your heads.
So you know, I got to sell the foul a
little bit because a big guy like if you don't
hit the debt, you're not getting this call.

Speaker 4 (37:32):
Yes no, yeah, with that was just that play with
Like after I tripped, I noticed it did blow the whistle,
So I think, all right, well I'm just gonna throw
myself on the floors so I can get the file.

Speaker 2 (37:40):
So that's what I did there to nigga.

Speaker 1 (37:44):
It all right, Dre, you are you are? You are literally.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
Statistically the best ever.

Speaker 1 (37:49):
You heard it. Hold on your statistically what the best?
Talk to me, Go ahead say talk to talk big fellows. Ever,
no question, this is this is numbers. Men like women.
Line numbers, don't lie numerical. You are the best rebounder ever,
talked me through this amazing night here twenty nine rebounds
on Morris, step back gun.

Speaker 6 (38:09):
Won't go flushed on the futtled on my Andre.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
What an opening statement right there.

Speaker 6 (38:14):
As we start Miles with a leaner Andre with a
rebound Paul Iron, Andre boards it, George to the baseline,
shots off the heel. Andreas morous another rebound. He has
five nder Rodney step back gun short over Blake.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
Andre with another rebound, let.

Speaker 6 (38:34):
Me Stanley Johnson leans over, Stanley fires no. Andre way
up for the rebound, like that's mine and Andre back
on the court.

Speaker 1 (38:43):
Andre with a rebound Paul George.

Speaker 6 (38:48):
This is the reverse Andre boards out tested by Andre,
made a missic pulled the rebound out or Marcus Morris
lets it go, gots off the rim. Andre gathers in
the reboundary off the front. Andre with rebound number twenty one.
A boy Allen from outside, Andre with a rebound, Reggie

(39:09):
to the rim. Andre with a rebounals from long two
are rounded off to Andre. Guy's gonna be short rebound
off the deck to Andre. He has twenty five to
twenty five short Andre with a rebound. He's tied his
career high with twenty six rebound with a follow no

(39:29):
Andre with a rebound.

Speaker 4 (39:35):
I think this is open to night, I believe, and
I think it was just there's a lot of energy
momentum for us because the year that we ended up
last year, we weren't happy with it and we wanted
to really send a message this first game and everything
this came out way with this game. Honestly, you know,
it was just a gift from God man just having
this kind of moment. Well, I've had him a couple
of times, but this game in particular, it was just

(39:56):
a really good night for us as a team and
for myself.

Speaker 1 (39:59):
A lot of players. You'll hear like, you know, the
shooters will be like, man, I just got in the zone.
You know, everything I threw up went in. Do you
feel like you are hitting like a rebounding zone here
where like you're not even thinking, your body goes on
auto pilot? What's going on when these monster mega rebound
games for you?

Speaker 4 (40:15):
It's crazy to say that it really just was a
moment where everything just you say, my hand was a magnet,
then it just the ball just happened to be wherever
I was at at all times.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
All right, stay tuned. Andre Drummond lets us know something
that he does that I don't think I've ever heard
of in the NBA player ever doing and it's a
big key to his rebounding. All right, stay tuned, We'll
be right back. Drey, you talked about being the greatest

(40:48):
rebounder ever. A lot of people say I'm the greatest
player ever, the greatest shooter over, the greatest whatever. Ever,
Why do you have such a passion for rebounding? This
isn't just an accident. You go after it every time
you're on the floor.

Speaker 2 (40:59):
Yeah, for me, the knack for it came very early
in my career.

Speaker 4 (41:02):
I remember, like my first year in the league, I
would ask my coach, my high school coach where I'm
really close with, like, hey, like you, what can I
do to state relevant this league? Because you and I
both know you know, the average span of NBA players
what three four years if that? And it's tighter now too,
because some guys just getting sent straight to the G league.
We don't do something right away. So he's like, well,
let's go through the list of things that guys are doing.

Speaker 2 (41:24):
Now.

Speaker 4 (41:24):
You know, these guys who's already shooting threes, you big man,
weren't doing it at the time when I came in,
so that was off the list.

Speaker 2 (41:30):
Scoring.

Speaker 4 (41:30):
I was on the team with a lot of scorers already,
and I remember looking at all the top ranked guys
in the league for different things like scoring, rebounding, block shots, steels,
and I was looking at rebounds in it, like said,
I think the highest guy was like twelve point three.

Speaker 1 (41:43):
Do you remember who it was at the time.

Speaker 2 (41:45):
I think it was Dwight. I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
Dwight was always a double figure guy. He was one
of those guys definitely led the league and blocks and
rebounds when he was in on his stuff.

Speaker 4 (41:52):
Yeah, I think it was Dwight that was first I
looked at it. I said, I can get more than that.
And then that's where the love for it came, because
after that day I set out to get every single
rebound physically possible. And then once I realized that the
more rebounds I got, the more points I ended up scoring,
it just became second nature after that.

Speaker 1 (42:09):
Do you watch film on rebounding? Do you sit down
with a coach? How do you practice this? How do
you become that crazy?

Speaker 2 (42:18):
You asked that.

Speaker 4 (42:20):
There is no real way to practice it, more so
watching film and know we're playing with I asked this question.
I always struggle to give a direct answer because it
really is just instinct for me. And I read my
and I watched guys after practice, like I sit down
sometimes watch guys shoot.

Speaker 1 (42:37):
Shut up. I'm sure to watch your they name some
of the guys like you. So you've watched your teammates shoot?
Who are some of the guys you watched?

Speaker 2 (42:45):
Uh? In my time, you know, I sat down and
watch Brandon Jennings Branding night shoot. I've sat down to
watch Josh Smith shoot because he was ball handling a
lot first when he played with us, so I didn't
see what kind of shots he liked to take and
how they came up off the ram. Anthony Tolliver was
another guy that I used to watch a lot. Dennis
Shorter when I played in La Daris Garland when I

(43:06):
played in Cleveland. Colin Sexton, for sure is another guy.
Lebron obviously ad playing with them. KD.

Speaker 4 (43:14):
Kai Patty Mills is another guy I watched a lot
too to just see his trajectory of shots. And the
reason why I do that is because once you see
the kind of shots your teammates are taking and where
they take them from and how that shot comes off
the rim, you know, if they're shooting forty plus percent,
that means they have a good chance of me to
make the shot when I was coming off at some

(43:34):
point in time on other side. So if you're shooting
in the corner, I used to place myself on the
other side of the rim. If you're shooting in the middle,
I kind of just take up as much space as
I can. And some guys have soft shots, some guys
have shots that go short, and some guys that you know,
shoot perfect and it's just a perfect miss. Like I
has perfect misses Kyrie Irving, His misses are really really clean.
It's easy to get his KD for sure. Ads misses

(43:58):
are really easy to get. Brandon Jennings, Reggie Jackson. Reggie
Jackson was when I like really like skyrocketed. I really
focused on him. I really focused on his shot because
he and I had this chemistry going on where I
had to like literally study him because if he and
I were in syning, our team had a good chance

(44:18):
winning games.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
So when you when you played with Lebron, was it
watching Lebron shoot after practice or would you actually pull
up clips and watch him? Like to what degree would
you go to study you know, a new team maker
when you got to LA and played Lebron.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
Yeah, both both.

Speaker 4 (44:36):
You know, I would have do it in a way
where it looked like I was being like weird of
just staring at them, but like passing, I'd be doing something,
but I'd be really consciously just watching guys and like
how they move a certain move they make to get
into their shots, whether it's a layup or jump shot.
And with him, you know, I watched a lot of
film I and we know Lebron James and what he
does and his shots are always at the back of

(44:58):
the rim, so he's always shooting. So for me, I
always try to space out as much as much as
I can when he shoots to have the boy either
fall in front of me or have the best chance
to read it once.

Speaker 1 (45:08):
It hits Drey, I got. I gotta give you flowers too, dog,
because I'm big here on NBA regular life with this bro,
You're one of the smartest people I know in my life.

Speaker 2 (45:15):
I appreciate you.

Speaker 1 (45:16):
They are Like there's something we show on the outside,
but on the inside, I know there's so much running
and I don't I don't say this disrespectfully, like I
hope this is in context for me. You're so smart, bro,
Like there's just there's there's levels to certain things, and
I'm glad your gifts are coming and rebounding. I hope
people see that that it's not just a brute thing

(45:37):
of okay, He's there's a lot of big, strong guys.
There's a big strong, athletic guys out there like you
are smart, bro, you are They are like a on
a genius intellect, Like you know what I'm saying, Like
not to say that I didn't think there was I've
always known this, but I want you to know, like
to here, that's not normal, bro, Like you're seeing life
in a different perspective. Like I love that about you, bro, Like,

(45:58):
I seriously I see.

Speaker 2 (46:00):
Do I appreciate?

Speaker 1 (46:01):
Okay, we got it for real? Bro? For real? Bro,
I need you to know that. I need you to
you don't hear that from me. By you know that
from me. You know how I feel about you, Bro,
walk me through this next clip. Also, you had you
got seven rebounds and ten seconds, dog Like, that's a
I call it stat patting, you call it whatever you want.

(46:31):
That's impressive.

Speaker 3 (46:32):
That's just man handling you going after physically getting to the.

Speaker 1 (46:36):
To the glass. I'm watching you dance. I'm watching you.
I'm looking at your feet. Now, What's what is going
on on here? What's your mindset?

Speaker 4 (46:45):
I think for me at this point in time of
the play, I just had that determination on that. I
just was I wanted to score that basket. No one
will to stop me from doing it. And in this
in this particular play, I think it was our I
think it was our first game playing against that right
up here?

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Is that one of our first games playing Yeah, that's
Greg that's moves.

Speaker 1 (47:02):
So you already know you and moos going out of
you already know y'all probably had some words before the
game and sudden you know that's your guy.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
That's my old g too.

Speaker 4 (47:09):
So it's more so me just proving the point that
you know, I've come a long way and.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
That uh, you know I'm here. I'm here.

Speaker 4 (47:17):
You know I respect his game and he's taught me
so much. So that was just me going after my
old g.

Speaker 1 (47:23):
Well, I remember playing against you too, Like you know
you play against Reggie Evans. He's a physical, live body.
He's just gonna beat you up there like you're not.
In moments you're not always physical, Like why are you
not always using your body? But you look up, you
got fifteen rebounds twenty Like how does that work? Because
normally it's like, dang, man, I got my work kind
of I got a box out drumming and that, like

(47:45):
you move and dance and use your feet and your body.
Will talk about that because that's not always common, but
you're one of the greatest to ever do this.

Speaker 2 (47:53):
Dray for me, it's very simple.

Speaker 4 (47:56):
You know a lot of guys that do see me
think I'm just gonna bang with them game, which I can,
but that's not that's not beneficial for me because then
I'll get tired.

Speaker 2 (48:05):
So what I end up doing is using my speed.

Speaker 4 (48:07):
Once I once I get done playing with you physically,
I'm gonna make you run now.

Speaker 2 (48:11):
Now we gotta go open down the.

Speaker 4 (48:12):
Course to track me now for sure. So that's why
I end up having like really high rebounding numbers. It's
because I'm playing a game with you within the game,
throughout the game.

Speaker 2 (48:20):
So I'll give you.

Speaker 4 (48:21):
I'll give you some t I was gonna tell you
so in the first In the first quarter, I test
the water. So I'm like, all right, I'm a bang.
What you see, what you do see if you react
to it. If you do, I'm going for ten rebounds
in the first quarter, no question, no question. If you
don't resist me in the first quarter, it's gonna be
a long way for you. But if you do get resistant,

(48:41):
I'll go to play and b which is using my feet.
So I'm gonna turn the game into a track meet.
So I'm gonna make you run as much as possible,
break you down a little bit. Okay, end of the
quarter is over. Second quarter, We're run it again until halftime,
running you up and down. So I'll probably have twelve
or thirty rebounds at this time already halftime. Come in,
I get the rest. He's probably gassed. Who was on

(49:04):
the other side of the locker room. Come back out,
start fighting again, moving him around, making sure you know
he's worn down. And then by the fourth quarter, you know,
most biggs equitting by then, like you're not gonna just
keep keep attacking me all game. It's a mix between
running up and down and just you know, battling with
hand to hand combat. So choice and George, how you

(49:25):
wanted to go?

Speaker 1 (49:26):
Talk your talk? Man, talk your talk? All right, Dre,
this is the last clip. I want. I want you
to break down, and I want this advice, and I
want to know what you're seeing this young man to
come and following your footsteps. That sounds pretty cool, man,
My man Jayalen Duran, he big, he's strong. He following
your footsteps in Detroit for sure.

Speaker 2 (49:47):
You know, I think Jaalen is well on his way
to being one of the next for me or bigs.

Speaker 6 (49:52):
In this sleegue shot clock at for Taylor.

Speaker 1 (49:55):
Oh that was during deep to Durham. I'm thinking a
Jam Durham turn around. Jalen durn points a very important errors.

Speaker 2 (50:07):
Out like that. Duran comes in.

Speaker 1 (50:10):
Nobody blocked out. It burks.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
There he is again.

Speaker 1 (50:17):
There goes that guy Durham. Nick can't convert. Cory hustles
the four four.

Speaker 6 (50:22):
Great God good sight, Kaylon durn go on gives it
up the beas dude gets the bounce back.

Speaker 1 (50:28):
No one loves hi. The Durham protom, Oh my goodness,
er Jalen Durham to kill you. The other way loves it.
Durham throws it down. This is jd You know. Fox
comes to get him basket, but Durham pro.

Speaker 4 (50:45):
Tom very strong, very mobile. I think once he learns
the game in the sense of the defensive aspect, I
think he's going to be very very good Offensively. He's
a catching dunk the ball. I think, softening up his
touch to shoot those jump hooks and being able to
shoot outside the paint. What he's doing right now is beautiful.
I'm very high on him. I think he's gonna be

(51:06):
very very good, and I respect his game. I'm happy
for him. I think he's in a great situation. Detroit
loves their bigs, especially when they play hard, and he
does that. So I'm looking forward to seeing what his
career turns out to be.

Speaker 1 (51:18):
Is there anybody that he kind of reminds you of
when you watch I see you know, he's got the
corn rolls and the you know that the head vander
Ben Wallace swag right there. But is there anybody that
he reminds you like you're talking about him just being strong,
like he's a big boy man.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
Yeah, I mean, I think for him, I don't.

Speaker 4 (51:35):
I never do well with comparing people because I think
I think all guys should have their own own view
of how they see themselves. He's a basketball pay at
the end of the day. I never want to limit
him to being someone else. I think his ceiling is very,
very high. I appreciate guys that play hard. You know,
he comes in, he doesn't complain, he plays the game,
and you know, he's very fun to watch and he's
very skilled and talented.

Speaker 1 (51:56):
Do you feel like seeing you know embiid are MVPs
yo kids inbeed? You know Giannis if you I'm sure
he plays some part time five you know he plays
in the paint. Do you see the game trending back
towards size and why is that important for guys like
during and yourself. It seems like teams are You're gonna
have to get big. You see Anthony Davis out there dominating,

(52:18):
you know, in the playoffs right now, Teams are gonna
need people to grab these boards. Do you see the
game trending back towards this? And you know why is
this important to the game?

Speaker 2 (52:27):
For sure? I think history is a repeating itself. I
think the game is trending back to the land of
the giants.

Speaker 4 (52:32):
I think teams are starting to understand that you need
bigger guys in order to sustain the season because a
lot of teams are playing smaller, getting beat up on
the boards, and their bigs are beating up their guards
and they're losing players a little by little. So I
think once teams start to understand that realize the center
position is valuable, guys like Jalen, myself and all the

(52:52):
other bigs that are traditional bigs that are also mobile
will be needed.

Speaker 1 (52:57):
If you have a message or the better Yet, the
first time you get a chance to sit down and
chop it up with with Durren or he says, hey,
big fellow, I need your number, he gives you that
phone call. What are some words if you could share
that you have for him.

Speaker 4 (53:09):
If there was the time that they get a chance
to speak to him, I would just tell him that Detroit.

Speaker 2 (53:14):
It's going to love you.

Speaker 4 (53:15):
Guys like him who just play hard and play to
the best of his ability and plays tough, he'll be
loved in that city forever.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
Obviously.

Speaker 4 (53:23):
Just put in that extra work, man, you know, being
the first there and the last one out. I mean,
the more you work, the better you become. And you
know it shows your teammates, your seriousness and dedication to
the game. So when you do get the chance to
speak your mind, guys will listen and believe you because
you're putting in that extra work in each and every day.
And sitting down with your guards is another word of
advice I'll give them sitting down with your guards and

(53:44):
speaking to them and even do what I'm doing. If
you if you struggle to have you know, conversations with them,
you know, just watch them.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
That's how you learn. That's how I've learned in my years.

Speaker 4 (53:54):
You know, if you don't know how to communicate or
you know, articulate that you want to grow with someone
you know, you just watch them and then over time
you'll start building that relationship. To speak, but I think
his ceiling is so high, man, I'm so excited for
what's to come for him, and I'm looking forward to
many years of greatness from him.

Speaker 1 (54:11):
We'll shoot, Man. I want to go back to you
before we get out of here, and I want to
touch on something, man, because one thing I love about you,
the person, the human being, the athlete, the more than
an athlete. I hate when they try to just put
us into these little box. Man, you are aware of
your mental health and if you forgive me. The reason
I ask is because we have a chance to help
out so many more people beyond ourselves. The world is

(54:32):
much bigger than ourselves. Talk me through that mindset of
being aware of your mental health, of knowing, hey man,
this is too much for me. This is too little,
you know, communicating, expressing, if you had any advice for people,
just kind of getting through life. Because we are looked
at You're like, you're a superhero to people, dre so
when the superhero says dang, man, I got a little

(54:55):
kryptonite in my suit today, right right, Like, So talk
me through that and why is that important to you?
And man, how's how's that paid off? Man? I just
I love that about you, dude, keep that up. Don't
never change none of that for nobody, not ever.

Speaker 4 (55:07):
I appreciate that. I think for me personally, when I
started taking my mental health seriously, when I became a
lot happier. My advice to people who are ignoring it,
I wouldn't ignore it for too long. I would try
to find help or if you don't like talking to
someone's journal, you know, That's why I started doing before
I sought out therapy. I wanted to really write down

(55:29):
what was going through my mind before I said it
to someone else. I knew what the root of my
thought process was. Meditation, man, is huge.

Speaker 2 (55:37):
You know.

Speaker 4 (55:38):
I never really was a big fan of it, nor
did I understand the powerfulness of meditation. And having that
moment to yourself, whether it's ten or twenty minutes of
just silence or even if you like doing guided meditations,
is very very very good for me.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
It's peaceful for me. It helps me relax my mind.
You know.

Speaker 4 (55:56):
Just staying within, staying true to yourself and and being
okay with asking for help is the next thing. Especially
guys like ourselves, guys of the African American descent and
and guys in the NBA who do wear those superhero suits.
You know it's kay to take it off sometimes and
really focus on yourself.

Speaker 2 (56:15):
You know you can't.

Speaker 4 (56:17):
You can only save so many people before you worry
about yourself. You want to self destruct. And you know,
don't ignore the science when you feel yourself slipping, you know,
pay attention to it and really find the root of
what that that issue is and take care of that well.

Speaker 1 (56:33):
Dre, you got a mega fan, you know that over
here and myself, I'm always pulling for you, big dog,
you know that. And one thing we always like to
do here on NBA Rooky, like with Ryan Hollins, we
want to make sure that we support you. You come
on here and you blessed us or there any causes
and we talk about mental health or anything you can
or any new projects you're working on or something you

(56:53):
know we can shout out and come support and rally
and get behind you with talk to us about your
new project whatever it is. Man, this is your.

Speaker 2 (56:59):
Time currently working on a few things.

Speaker 4 (57:01):
You know, whenever I get them setting soon, you know,
I'll be sure to come on here again and then
we'll shoot it again. But currently nothing right now that
I have to shout out, but you know, just everybody,
continue to focus and mental health. Take care of your
mental take care of your loved ones, check on people
who haven't checked on it a while, and stay blessed.

Speaker 2 (57:20):
Man.

Speaker 4 (57:21):
You can follow me at Drumming on Instagram, where you
can follow me and Andre Drumming on Twitter, Andre Drumming
on TikTok and that's it.

Speaker 2 (57:30):
Don't email me, Dre.

Speaker 1 (57:34):
Appreciate you, little bro. We'll talk soon.

Speaker 2 (57:35):
Man.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
Whatever you need, you already know from my end, I got you, man,
And keep it up. Man, it's fun to watch. Rather
enjoy the journey, man, enjoyed. Listen, you're gonna be I
don't think you're gonna be an old guy like me
pretty soon, but enjoy that journey while you're in it.

Speaker 2 (57:50):
Man.

Speaker 1 (57:52):
All right, guys, amazing stuff there. Andre. Clearly he's one
of my favorite people.

Speaker 2 (57:56):
Man.

Speaker 1 (57:57):
Shout out to you guys for hanging with us. You
guys are my favorites too. You know I liked right
but you guys are right right up there. But nonetheless,
we can't do this without you, so we need your support.
Make sure you like it, follows, you subscribe, share the word,
and you know if there's anybody you'd like to see
on NBA Rookie like a Ryan Hollins tweet at me,
tweeted our NBA Rookie life man, let us know what
we can do, who you'd like to see, how we
can be better. But nonetheless love you guys, Thank you,

(58:19):
and I will be seeing you next week.