Ryan Anderson on living in California, life after basketball, and his time in Orlando

Dante, George, and Jake catch up with former Magic forward Ryan Anderson. They talk about Anderson's life after his NBA career, his assorted projects, and his relationship with the Wagner brothers. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
On this edition of Orlando Magic Pod Squad, we catch
up with Orlando Magic fan favorite and one of our favorites.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
On Magic Pod Squad, Ryan Anderson.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Former Magic player kind enough to catch up with us
Magic fans afford a Department of Transportation reminds you that
fans don't let fans drive drunk. You've been drinking, don't
get behind the wheel. Instead, find a sober driver or
catch a ride service. Remember, drive sober or get pulled over.
Have a great night and drive safe. Oh lots to
talk about with Ryan Anderson. This podcast could have lasted

(00:33):
three hours if we wanted to. It's always great to
catch up with Rhino.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
What's life up to? What's life like now? For Ryan?
Living out in California. He does give some insight into.

Speaker 4 (00:42):
Those absolutely devastating Los Angeles wildfires that have just ripped
through California. His perspective, he was not too far from there,
his travels, life after basketball, raising a family, and what
else is in store in addition to all of his
great memories and some of his favorite teammates.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Here in Sane Central, Florida.

Speaker 1 (01:01):
We talk about life, among other things with Ryan Anderson
on this edition of Magic Pod Squad.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Those fawns long know if they're Orlando Magic.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
This is Cole Anthony, This is Jennon Suggs.

Speaker 5 (01:10):
This is Paulo Man Carroll the Orlando Magic and you're
listening to the Pod Squad.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
And welcome everyone to another episode of Magic Pod Squad.
Dante Marctelli, George Galante, Jake Tavian, and I promise you
there will never be another podcast quite like this one.
But what you're about to witness anywhere from the next
thirty minutes to six hours, you were going to be
thoroughly entertained, and we're just kind of gonna wing it
from there, right, but this is we are so thrilled

(01:36):
to have former magic player Ryan Anderson catch up with us. Ryan,
how you doing? My friend?

Speaker 5 (01:42):
Come on, guys, this is my favorite place to be
with you three. This is George is in Rome. George,
I'm so happy that you got to do this in
your cathedral. You went to you found a quiet spot
in the cathedral.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (01:55):
George is just happy to have George here. I think
last time George wasn't here, he was probably true have
them somewhere else.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Right on the topic of George, can I ask you
a question. Every every team has a George, like has
that position. Yeah, but no other team has a George, right,
does that make sense? No George job like George in
your travels.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
No one.

Speaker 5 (02:18):
I've never met another George. I've never met another George.
But also somebody who can work from all these European countries,
travel around him somehow be a part of the Orlando
Magic community. It's incredible. But yeah, no one there. There's
no one more fun to just attack than George. You know,

(02:39):
it's just so fun. And that's a testament to you, George,
because we all love it.

Speaker 6 (02:44):
I got I got thick skin, I got that.

Speaker 7 (02:45):
But like you said, Dante said that this is like
no other podcast you've heard before except for the five
other times.

Speaker 6 (02:51):
You've been on our podcast.

Speaker 7 (02:52):
So like you're a member of like the you should
get your five timers jacket here pretty soon.

Speaker 3 (02:57):
Yeah, can I have a jet?

Speaker 2 (02:58):
I'll wear it.

Speaker 3 (02:59):
I'll wear it single time. But also.

Speaker 5 (03:03):
I think we could go for six hours, like you said,
we could. I think, what's the record, what's your guys' record.

Speaker 7 (03:10):
It's the other four times you've been on the the whatever?

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Who's listening at that point?

Speaker 5 (03:17):
Like George's Ned, you know, just George's uncle, right, Ned,
Isn't that that's a name?

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Even even my daughters were like, Daddy, can we turn
this off now? And I'm like, no, we got to finish.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
No, we're here because we're having fun. You've mentioned I
might break open a bottle of wine.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
What restaurant are you at, Ryan, What restaurant are you at?

Speaker 6 (03:39):
Allstone back there?

Speaker 3 (03:40):
Hey Anderson, Yeah, that's important.

Speaker 5 (03:45):
If I if I pan this over a little more,
you could tell that I'm a dad of a five
and three year old.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
There is a clutter.

Speaker 5 (03:50):
I mounded up toys on this side just to get
them out of the way.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
We have the popcorn machine. We entertain over here. We do.

Speaker 5 (03:59):
We have a lot of line that we're not drinking
because George, we're gonna get into it. We're gonna get
into the dry January and all of our and you're
gonna accept this challenge with me.

Speaker 7 (04:09):
But it's already January thirteenth, and I had like six beers.

Speaker 5 (04:12):
The other night, So that's fine. No, No, So I
was just on a chat Dante. I was in Steamboat
Springs for a little country. Not the biggest country fan
my wife is, but it was a great show.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, I wasn't. I'm going to starting now.

Speaker 5 (04:26):
I'm starting as of the tenth, no eleventh, so we'll
go tell till February eleventh.

Speaker 6 (04:33):
What oh, you can start it whenever. It doesn't have
to be on.

Speaker 5 (04:37):
I just knew this trip was coming up, and there's
no way I'm going to be sober listening to country
music that I've.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
Never heard of my life.

Speaker 5 (04:44):
Blue grass, you know it was. It was a good time.
But I love live music. I appreciate good music. But
there were some.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
There's some interesting folks, interesting folks out there. It was
it was Texas Week. What are you doing the show
with Ryan?

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Because we all have our list that we're going to
do and nowhere on it that I had the I'm
gonna ask.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
And we're gonna we're gonna go through one of those.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
Questions, one of those questions as he drinks a beer
right now, that's perfect. Start over on the third, it's
a waterloo. That's different.

Speaker 8 (05:17):
That's there's sponsors with.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
Vodka in it. With vodka. No, no, no, there's not, there's
it's it's it's not Spike. I was not.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
I was not a country music fan either, but my
wife Landa loves country music. So now I'm kind of
I kind of dig it.

Speaker 5 (05:31):
So she made you, She made you get that guitar
behind your head. She made you and made you throw
it up there. She did, she made me post it
up there. But are there other things that you you
do for your wife now that you never thought you would?

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Do? Country music concerts? What else?

Speaker 5 (05:45):
My whole life is completely changed and completely everything I
do is for my wife now. Yeah, I you know what,
you know what? I I love her, I love my kids.
But uh yeah, I if I have to listen to
country music in the car another day, you know, I'm
just bringing headphones in the car from now it?

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Okay?

Speaker 9 (06:07):
Are you don't you get to decide? That's my role
If I'm driving, I'm deciding.

Speaker 5 (06:12):
Oh, good point. It's a good point. I think my
problem is is that I I don't know to listen
to these days? What kind of music? What do you
guys into? Because if I'm gonna listen to music, it's
just throwback annoying. I think I'd say early two thousands
hip hop and fifty cent. I could see George listen to.

Speaker 9 (06:30):
Some of that, you know, hardcore gangs, limp biscuit, like
with my one and a half car.

Speaker 3 (06:37):
Yeah, you can't really listen to that stuff.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
It's like Wonderwall. If you get some Oasis.

Speaker 3 (06:42):
Oh there, you tell me listen. Did you know I
can play that on the guitar. I can play one.

Speaker 6 (06:46):
Don't you go grab a guitar right now?

Speaker 2 (06:49):
I have to see that.

Speaker 3 (06:49):
You want me to really do that?

Speaker 5 (06:51):
Of course I'll bring down No, it's gonna take I'll
bring down the guitar. Can you guys just talk amongst yourselves?

Speaker 6 (06:57):
Absolutely, got no problem.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
That's all we have seen.

Speaker 7 (07:01):
This is why, this is why the podcast with Ryan
Andrew can First of all, there can be no time
on it on it because we say in our to ourselves,
all right, we got to limit these guys to a
certain amount of time because well, the listener doesn't want
to listen that long. And then after a while, when
you have Ryan on, you just don't care. I don't
care whether the listener from this one wants to You

(07:22):
know what this could be. This podcast could last thirty
two minutes. It could also last two hours and thirty
two minutes. And do you guys have to decide whether
you want to listen that long?

Speaker 8 (07:31):
Do you realize.

Speaker 9 (07:32):
Ryan Anderson was on the very first Orlando Magic podcast
that Drew Garabo and I did in like twenty eleven.
It was we just made a radio show and then
put it on the internet, and we didn't even know
what podcasting was. And we kept Ryan Anderson on the
phone for like forty five minutes, and George was texting

(07:52):
us like, because I.

Speaker 6 (07:54):
Don't read that, you gotta let him go it.

Speaker 8 (07:58):
He definitely doesn't remember that.

Speaker 5 (07:59):
But there is long that like two amount of bread,
I got stares, lots of.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
Stairs in this house. This is this is the most narrow.

Speaker 6 (08:11):
Take a second, Take a second to catch your breath.

Speaker 7 (08:13):
Now, what you need to do from here on out
is you need to do like Dante and just mount
the guitar in your room down there. Yeah, just mount
it down there that way, you can just grab it
and go next to the bar.

Speaker 8 (08:23):
Anyway people have had a guitar at that Morton's you're at.
That's crazy that that.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
Just playing this you can't do you.

Speaker 8 (08:34):
Know, there is no way you can play.

Speaker 6 (08:36):
There's no way.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
I don't even know how to hold it.

Speaker 3 (08:40):
I'm pretty out of tune, but how to hold it.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
But I'm gonna listen. This is impressive, George.

Speaker 3 (08:46):
You're gonna say, no.

Speaker 2 (08:49):
Love wonderful, This is wonderful.

Speaker 3 (08:51):
You have to sing. I'm only playing if you sing.

Speaker 6 (08:55):
This is gonna be a quick playing man.

Speaker 3 (08:58):
I might mess it up, but I'll just give you
the gist just to prove it to you.

Speaker 6 (09:02):
All right, let me hear it?

Speaker 2 (09:04):
Okay, Anderson Oasis?

Speaker 3 (09:09):
Where were we?

Speaker 6 (09:12):
We might have to get start? Yeah, I can't hear it.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Thing we can't hear it is.

Speaker 6 (09:21):
That act like you're playing. I think that's what.

Speaker 8 (09:25):
It didn't happen.

Speaker 3 (09:29):
Effort nailed it. Come on, that was amazing, good job.
Well did did you hear the essence of it? Though
a little bit?

Speaker 2 (09:39):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (09:40):
No, yeah, nothing, you didn't. I'm playing smells like teen
spirit right now. You don't hear it?

Speaker 2 (09:47):
All right?

Speaker 5 (09:47):
To be honest with you, guys, I I have no
idea what I was doing. But I just learned how
to play the guitar. I just learned.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
I mean, I'm learning how to play the guitar.

Speaker 5 (09:57):
But I hope everyone at home the waste of that
five minutes was worth it for them.

Speaker 3 (10:01):
It allowed us to set the stage for the podcast.

Speaker 5 (10:05):
But if you want me to play something while we're talking.
Just I got play. I can strum the guitar, just like.

Speaker 9 (10:11):
That guy at the party, just strumming in the back
in the corner.

Speaker 5 (10:16):
I think that was my greatest fear when thinking about
getting a guitar, is you never want to.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
Be the guy that's like, you, guys want to listen
to this right now.

Speaker 9 (10:24):
No one really wants absolutely, please please, that's exactly.

Speaker 8 (10:28):
What we want.

Speaker 2 (10:28):
I'd say no if somebody else.

Speaker 8 (10:30):
Sit awkwardly while you're strumming your guitar, and then when you.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
Have an awkward voice.

Speaker 5 (10:35):
Is there anything more awkward than when you're in an
environment like that and somebody's like, you guys want to
hear me sing like I got a really good voice,
just kind of like what I did with the guitar,
and it was really bad, but you could give more
grace with the guitar.

Speaker 3 (10:48):
But somebody starts singing in their god awful.

Speaker 9 (10:51):
I can't hide it when we have bad anthem singers,
which is very rare, but when we do, oh, I.

Speaker 8 (10:59):
Just my face just goes. I can't I can't hide it.

Speaker 3 (11:03):
Yeah, it is so cringey.

Speaker 5 (11:06):
There's a few things more cringey do you remember that
gruel that's saying the national anthem recently, and she.

Speaker 3 (11:11):
Was She's like, I got to check in the rehab
after this. Do you remember that? Yes, nothing against rehab
or anything.

Speaker 5 (11:18):
Good for her for realizing whatever, but it's like maybe
it took something like that, but that was just like,
I mean, she has a great voice, recording and everything,
but may.

Speaker 8 (11:28):
Ryan, is that what happened?

Speaker 9 (11:29):
You played guitar poorly and then decided to do dry January?

Speaker 3 (11:32):
Yeah? I think I needed I think you need to
cut back for it. Yeah, tell us about this.

Speaker 2 (11:38):
What is the challenge because I do dry Martina? Yeah?
But is this the same.

Speaker 5 (11:45):
Yep, dry, yep, dry, dirty, dirty Martini January?

Speaker 3 (11:49):
I like a dirty I So, George, this is what
we're gonna do.

Speaker 6 (11:53):
Okay, Okay, just me and you. This is it.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
You're the only one that's committing right now. Commit and
you're the only one that expressed like this.

Speaker 5 (12:02):
I think it's time, you know, it's time for I
want to see I want.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
To see a play by play George getting just ripped
through this process.

Speaker 5 (12:11):
Shirt off pictures for you guys right, who wouldn't want to?
I mean you guys, this is how you get. This
is how you get people going that. This is how
you get more people watching. Get George to take a
shirt off in Rome. There's plenty of gyms out there
in Italy.

Speaker 3 (12:27):
Okay, So this is what exactly I would.

Speaker 2 (12:33):
I would watch more, tell you that at all.

Speaker 6 (12:38):
I can't even get you to answer my text let alone.

Speaker 3 (12:41):
George, George, this this will okay?

Speaker 5 (12:44):
Because number one, number one, George, you need an accountability partner.

Speaker 3 (12:47):
You can't do this alone. It's very difficult to do
it alone. Okay.

Speaker 5 (12:51):
Number two, number two, burn five hundred calories a day,
a day exercising like not. I walked, you know, I
walked around. I had a buddy that was in this
with me, and he did that. Because I've been doing
this the past four I lost thirty pounds in a month.
Guys like, wow, this was I this was the end

(13:12):
of COVID. I gained a bunch of weight and I
looked in the mirror, like this is not what. I
can't do this anymore. So I five hundred calories a
day burning it. Any diet plan you want, I mean, obviously,
if you have health issues or something, check with whatever
would work best for you. But any diet plan. No sugars,

(13:35):
no like excess sugar. This is the hardest part.

Speaker 6 (13:37):
I think, no sugars, you lost, No, it's I'm telling.

Speaker 3 (13:42):
You, how much do you want it? This is okay,
maybe maybe we'll that bad. Well, this is you're all sired.

Speaker 7 (13:51):
You're thirty six. Like you're thirty six. This is easy
for you. When I was thirty six, I was still
running miles and miles and miles. I'm in my fifties now.

Speaker 3 (13:59):
But you know what I do. George, do you have
a peloton?

Speaker 6 (14:02):
I don't, dude.

Speaker 5 (14:05):
Yeah, I'm yeah, I'm a free They'll send one for
free over your way.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
Yeah, this is this is to me.

Speaker 5 (14:13):
I love riding the bike. I hate running. I'll never
run another day in my life. And I ride the
bike and I lift weights five hundred calories a day.
Diet plan, no excess sugars or just try and no alcohol.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
And in thirty days, what.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Kind of sugars? What were your main sugar sources? What
did you kind out?

Speaker 3 (14:31):
What that's the problem for me?

Speaker 5 (14:33):
I love everything that has any I love cookies, I
love candy, I love cakes, everything, So I mean, take
a bite of it. It's a part of your diet plan.
But I try to just eliminate all the excess sugars.
It's insane. Not to get too serious on the topic,
but it's true. It's it's insane how much excess sugar
is in these foods, And especially with the kids. You notice,

(14:55):
like all the cereals I'm getting them all this stuff,
it's like twenty five grams of sugar. My kid loves
a coke zero, that's like his favorite thing. There's seventy
grams of sugar in a regular coke. So if you
want to have a coke zero, have a coke zero.
Aut a you know, a game or or you know,

(15:15):
every like a special occasion.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
But it's crazy.

Speaker 5 (15:18):
I mean, when you really learn that's what's making people
unhealthy these days, is these blood sugar levels and just
eating all this crap. But it's incredible. I feel like
a living testament. I'll send you pictures of my of
the progress.

Speaker 3 (15:34):
Last year.

Speaker 5 (15:34):
I kind of went weight oriented, and I'd never seen
my body even when I was playing. I never saw
it transformed like that because there wasn't as much emphasis
on diet when I was playing. I remember with with
Joe Rigowski, who's like who's you know, the former strength coach.
I'd go eat subway like two like foot long subway subs.

(15:56):
There could be worse things to eat. Bag of chips,
you know, that was my I thought that was healthy,
you know, because Jared at the time, you know, he
was pretty trustworthy.

Speaker 2 (16:08):
I'll never forget a Donald Foyle grabbing an apple and
Joe Rogowski saying, who's that for?

Speaker 3 (16:16):
No one loved food and wine. I think I learned
a lot.

Speaker 5 (16:19):
Like I went my first trip to NAPA, I texted
A Donald immediately, within three minutes text me the longest
list of No one loved wine and food more than
a Donald Foyle.

Speaker 3 (16:32):
We used to.

Speaker 5 (16:32):
Respect the veterans back then, though, we used to really
respect those guys. He was around just to teach us
wise old lessons like how to sip on a good
merlou and you know, and some locker.

Speaker 2 (16:45):
M lessons too, who's the best?

Speaker 5 (16:48):
He had great financial advice, really, I remember JJ Reddick
was so inspired by A Donald and how he was
so financially steady and how to save and and I
remember him talking about that, and for me, I really
admired and looked up to him.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
But yeah, he never ate an apple, never aid an apple.

Speaker 2 (17:10):
And I got to ask you this and I and
I hate to do this, but you mentioned JJ Reddick
and I got to get your thought because I think
you can offer a unique perspective on this. We just
found out a couple of days ago JJ Reddick lost
his home. Right they just moved out to La With
the wilds that happened out there in Palisades, I'll let everybody.
You don't have to let everybody know exactly, but you're
not far from those fires, and now give us a

(17:33):
sense of of what it's. What's happening out there, Ryan,
and how close you are you?

Speaker 5 (17:38):
So I'm in Hermosa Beach, which is they call the
South Bay. It's south of lax and everything happening is
is north.

Speaker 3 (17:46):
I mean, it's interesting because.

Speaker 5 (17:49):
I so I told you about ste going to Steamboat
in Colorado for that music festival, and we left.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
Nothing was going on all of a sudden.

Speaker 5 (18:00):
You know, our nanny's here, who we've a family friend,
we've trusted her for years, and you know, she's here
with the kids and she's texting us what's happening, and
so we follow the news and it's.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
Scary, man, it's scary.

Speaker 5 (18:14):
How fast, you know, twenty three thousand acres I think
now in a matter of how long has it been,
I mean not even a week religious uh, twenty three
thousand palace that Palisades fire, twenty three thousand miles. I
don't want to butcher all the statistics because it's it
is kind of hard to follow exactly where the fire

(18:35):
is now and the winds shift so much out here.
But the Palisades, Pacific Palisades, which is an absolutely beautiful
community and amazing people, and and these eat they eat
and fire, I mean, they're taking out these these communities.
And when you hear about schools burning down and people
losing their homes, it's it's absolutely devastating to see. And

(18:57):
it was so I felt I still do feel really guilty,
to be honest, being down here and we're kind of
in a safe zone, like we took the kids down
to the beach yesterday and people acting like life is
normal down here. You you don't even really see the
plumes of smoke. When we first got back, we saw
some you do see some ash residue on the cars

(19:18):
out here.

Speaker 3 (19:18):
I mean, that's how big these fires are.

Speaker 5 (19:21):
But it's Uh, just you know, my wife and I
have been up all night just watching news, you know,
putting the kids down, just watching updates, seeing these helicopters
bring in tons and tons of water. They're finally getting
some more help out here. But again, like I said,
it's it's hard to know exactly what's going on unless

(19:43):
you're out there, and we're far enough away to where
you know, for us, it's it's just sad to see.
And I do not to get too political, but I mean,
I I think that there were a lot of mismanagement
steps that happen, and a lot of this brush could
have got cleared out, uh, to maintain some of these fires.

Speaker 3 (20:05):
Obviously fire hydrants they didn't have water in them.

Speaker 5 (20:08):
It's like, you know, some of these reservoirs were dried
up right before this happened. It's it's it's pretty sad
to see. And you want to trust, you know, your
your local enforcers, you know people that you pay your
government money too, especially in California where we're paying crazy

(20:28):
taxes out here, you want to trust that firemen can
attach a hose to a hydrant and water's coming out
to save lives. And that didn't happen, which is crazy.
I didn't know that about JJ losing his home, and
that's it's so sad. But yeah, there's thousands and thousands

(20:48):
of homes lost and people, you know, they're just finding
you know, finding out dead bodies and people are missing
and all this stuff, and it's it's pretty pretty traumatic
out here, especially out there obviously, but it's this little
bubble I'm living in. It's a lot of people are

(21:11):
trying to give back. It's an incredible community down here.
My wife's gone to donation centers and she told me
she was in line for an hour and a half
just trying to at one center she drove to.

Speaker 3 (21:23):
There's actually.

Speaker 5 (21:26):
She got turned away because they didn't know what to
do with so many supplies.

Speaker 3 (21:28):
So people are given back.

Speaker 5 (21:30):
I would encourage anybody listening to donate to any any
fun to help those families, because I can't imagine that
now they're saying it's up to the Palisades fires eleven
percent contained, just eleven percent contained, and right now this
is the most devastating economical natural disaster, devastating all around.

(21:57):
But I mean, I don't know how our country comes
to support how do you rebuild something like this, one
hundred and twenty billion dollars just.

Speaker 3 (22:08):
Right now and it's not over. It's crazy to me.

Speaker 5 (22:13):
So anyway, I just my prayers are with all those people.
We've been thinking about a NonStop. And yeah, I mean
I would just encourage people to give or donate, and
my family and I were doing the same.

Speaker 3 (22:25):
We're trying.

Speaker 5 (22:26):
We have so much again, like people are losing their homes.
Our kids have so many little toys and all this
stuff that we don't need, and it's like it would
be I wish we could just clean house and give.
To know exactly where to give. We're trying to find
the best places. But anyway, that's my rant about the

(22:46):
fires and prayers for JJ And.

Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yeah, it's sad. It's sad. I can't imagine losing that
many memories in people.

Speaker 2 (22:57):
It's amazing, Ryan, the human spirit. I mean in Orlando, right,
so you've had hurricanes, You've been in New Orleans, You've
seen devastation there right with natural disasters, and you've seen
it now in California. It is amazing these communities have
to come together. There's something about it. You always hear
about the kind of the weather. Events in sports right,
those two kind of bring communities together, and unfortunately, these

(23:20):
devastating times, it is amazing the human spirit and what
you see out of people.

Speaker 5 (23:24):
Oh absolutely, I would say that was my favorite thing
about living in New Orleans is you know, people don't
quite understand when you spend a few days there, you
don't understand why it's so great. And it took me,
it was actually a pretty short amount of time to
realize this community is so tight knit and what they
went through with Katrina and how they banded together, and

(23:47):
they know their city isn't perfect and the most beautiful
place on earth, but to them, they create that environment
just through their spirit and their personality.

Speaker 3 (23:56):
And I feel like people in LA.

Speaker 5 (23:58):
It's crazy because it's La sort of is the anti
antithesis to.

Speaker 3 (24:04):
That uniting camaraderie New Orleans.

Speaker 5 (24:07):
You don't really see a lot of that, And it's
unfortunately that things like this kind of take communities to
a different spot and you see a lot of people
uniting and coming together now and really wanting to help
each other in a place where maybe in the world
you would think perception wise that it might not be

(24:28):
that way. In LA, you know, people are just looking
out for themselves and wanted to make more money, and
you know, and and but really you see people banding together.
And like I said, my wife just being in a
line for an hour and a half just shows that
people are blessed to live down here. It is it's
an absolutely beautiful place to be. But man, living in

(24:51):
Malibu is unbelievable. The Palisades, all those places are beautiful,
but it's it's uh. You would think some places like
that would be detected with a lot of funds. And
I think a lot of people are realizing some changes
need to be made out here. And we'll see, we'll see.
I just really I can't fathom what's going on. It's

(25:12):
pretty wild. But like I said, it is amazing. Like
you said, the human spirit is a beautiful thing.

Speaker 2 (25:20):
As you get a chance to reflect and think about
You've been retired for a few years now, right, So
will la be your home? Do you plan to move
somewhere else? And what is life like now? What are you?

Speaker 3 (25:31):
What the heck are you doing to fill your time?

Speaker 5 (25:33):
I absolutely love Hermosa Beach here, Like I said, it
is just like a little bubble community.

Speaker 3 (25:39):
We really never leave our little area. We have a
golf cart with the kids and we cruise around. There's
great food and bike ride and weather's great.

Speaker 5 (25:47):
I do love it here. We have been contemplating if
there was any way to keep this house and rent
it out or something like that, but we're I think
we're pretty dead set on selling this because we're going
to move to outside of Nashville Franklin, Tennessee area.

Speaker 2 (26:05):
All in on the country music thing.

Speaker 3 (26:07):
We're going all in on the country music.

Speaker 5 (26:09):
I will say this, I there's some people out there
in the music industry, especially the Christian music industry, that
I've gotten really close with and quality just good humans
and good men that I look up to and I
admire and I want to.

Speaker 3 (26:25):
Continue to build relationships with.

Speaker 5 (26:27):
They have kids as well, and I want my kids
to grow up in a slower paced.

Speaker 3 (26:35):
Church on every street corner, you know, kind of.

Speaker 5 (26:39):
We do have some properties, so I want them to
experience nature and and just have a quieter, slow paced life,
especially being in La I know we're not in La La,
but it's not a slow pace, quiet of a life.
People don't take the extra time to say hi and
how you're doing, and that's to me.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
I I get really fulfilled.

Speaker 5 (27:02):
Like starting your day with somebody actually caring about you
a little bit, it changes your whole day. And so
but we were we were looking at where we would
want to end up in Nashville. So we had a family, uh,
my wife's sisters family went out there to look in
the Nashville area because her husband was a former Green

(27:23):
Bray he was going to get a job out there.
We went out there all together, ended up finding falling
in love with a place called Leaper's Fork out there,
and so that's where we ended up buying some property.

Speaker 3 (27:38):
They ended up moving to Dallas because he didn't get
the job.

Speaker 5 (27:41):
So we're but yeah, so he's you know these military jobs.

Speaker 3 (27:48):
It's like he ended up getting a better.

Speaker 5 (27:50):
Opportunity and and uh anyway, but so Nashville's were going
to end up?

Speaker 2 (27:55):
What is what did what didn't Green Brave be enough
of a resume for you? What didn't you make that?

Speaker 6 (27:58):
Would that would? Yeah, that'd be the end?

Speaker 3 (28:00):
Yes, everybody trust me. Yeah, it's been.

Speaker 5 (28:06):
It's interesting talking to him about finding a job after
being retired for ten years being a Green Bray and
leaving because medical you know, injuries and all this stuff.

Speaker 3 (28:16):
It's so hard for those guys to find jobs, And I'm.

Speaker 6 (28:18):
Like, who, which is crazy?

Speaker 3 (28:20):
It wouldn't be. I mean, obviously I think there's.

Speaker 2 (28:22):
A person right right.

Speaker 5 (28:24):
Yeah, there's a stigma with with PTSD and trying to
think maybe you know what kind of trauma have.

Speaker 3 (28:31):
They witnessed and experienced?

Speaker 5 (28:33):
But a lot of these guys are come out okay
and with the proper help, even if they do have PTSD,
who's a better worker and a better team player? And
that's like the ultimate.

Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (28:46):
But yet I could find a job easier being a
freaking professional basketball player than these guys because I put
my lap on the line with my teammates every night. Boys,
It's ridiculous. It's really, it's absolutely crazy. We talk about
it all the time. But yeah, as far as what
I'm doing now, I have three projects, and I'm really
excited about guitar. Yeah, my us. You better believe when

(29:10):
I'm out in Nashville and we do that my tenth
anniversary one, I'm gonna be but I'm going to be
crushing that guitar. Okay, yeah, probably not. But now three
things I'm really excited about. A food in sports type show,
so a YouTube potentially we'll see where it goes.

Speaker 7 (29:34):
I don't, which we've talked about for probably a day now.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
You guys have actually tried. We I went.

Speaker 6 (29:41):
We talked about it with you.

Speaker 3 (29:42):
We wanted to do you, yes, and I went with you.

Speaker 7 (29:45):
Guys like a Diners, drive ins and dives type place,
but for an NBA athlete, right, didn't we talk about that?

Speaker 5 (29:51):
Yeah, exactly, exactly, and yeah, so it's great that you
guys actually, yeah, you remember and you know exactly my concept.
It's basically a road trips So it's road trip show
where you're going to each NBA city you go, yeah,
sort of like the Diners, Drivers and Dives. You go
see historic Anthony Bourdaine meets Diners, Drivings and Dives. You

(30:13):
go sit down at the end of the of the
night with an athlete from each team at their favorite restaurant,
have a conversation that's more in depth than who's the
greatest NBA player of all time?

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Like how many times do you have to hear that?
Boys anymore?

Speaker 5 (30:30):
You know, like like how did you go through this?

Speaker 3 (30:33):
Right? Yeah?

Speaker 6 (30:34):
Thanks, let me scratch that one off my list.

Speaker 5 (30:36):
Hold on, yeah, yeah, don't please don't ask me that question.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
Don't ask that.

Speaker 6 (30:40):
What have I ever asked you that question ever?

Speaker 5 (30:42):
I know no, But it's like, you know what I'm saying,
every podcast talks about the same stuff, or every every
news broadcast, I'm.

Speaker 3 (30:52):
Done hearing about it.

Speaker 5 (30:53):
I'd rather hear more about what Mike makes a guy
tick or how you've been through challenging times.

Speaker 2 (30:58):
That's really cool.

Speaker 5 (30:59):
Yeah, you know, last time I was with you guys,
I was doing a mental health type podcast.

Speaker 3 (31:04):
So that's evolving.

Speaker 5 (31:06):
So that's one thing I'm I'm working on, but sort
of take putting a backseat to that a little bit.
And the thing that's the most current thing I'm working
on that I'm really excited about and I can't get
into too much detail is a art and athlete collaborate
collaborative like memorabilia. And I don't want to get too

(31:28):
much into.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
The details because they don't want anybody to steal my idea.

Speaker 6 (31:31):
Okay, So through.

Speaker 3 (31:33):
This group I met, uh like a few months back.

Speaker 5 (31:38):
These guys are incredible people and I sort of spit
fired all these ideas I've been having over the years,
and they just love the concepts and their doers and
I'm not I'm like the idea. Man, So I these
guys are making these dreams come to life and to
whatever capacity, I don't know yet, but I will say

(32:01):
two paintings with this incredible artist out of Canada have
been finished, and that's all I will say. And it
will be it will be somewhat interactive, is it.

Speaker 2 (32:13):
Kind of like like, for example, like for people to
visualize like like Hedo jumping off a trampoline and brushing
a stroke on a wall.

Speaker 5 (32:20):
Like that kind of hart, Well, you're this idea would
be the credle I'm gonna get every foreign teammate I'm
gonna get. Yeah, you know, I don't know why the
thought of Heato just dive bombing and painting, which is
or or or marsh Gore tat you know, polish hammering
a paint.

Speaker 3 (32:42):
That would be incredible that can't miss.

Speaker 2 (32:46):
I just think it's can't miss material.

Speaker 5 (32:47):
So you pretty anything can evolve the next meeting and
anything can evolve.

Speaker 7 (32:53):
But have you gone through the problem Like I didn't
know this until I was into this a little bit,
that there's a don't just stop playing and you don't
just say that you're retired, like you have to go
through a whole process with the league and the play
like have you gone through that, Like are you finished?
Like is it official that you're retired? Has the paperwork
been submitted? How long did it take to submit the paperwork?

(33:14):
Because I'm learning now that like some guys take years
before they finally just say all right, I'm done officially
and they haven't played for five years before the paperwork comes.

Speaker 5 (33:23):
In, Like like, oh, you mean they're just free agents
for three years?

Speaker 6 (33:28):
Yes, yeah, but we all know that they are playing anymore.

Speaker 5 (33:32):
Yeah, technically I never released I don't think the truth
is I never.

Speaker 3 (33:37):
Really thought highly enough of myself to release like a
public statement.

Speaker 5 (33:42):
Ryan Anderson is retiring today and I'm not right, thank
you basketball.

Speaker 3 (33:48):
Yeah. I could have wrote a song about it, you know,
I still can you still can't.

Speaker 5 (33:53):
Yeah, too late, it's too it's been. That would be hilarious.
By the way, five years later, I just released something
like guys, I've decided to retire.

Speaker 3 (34:03):
And I wrote a song like dude, you are forty
eight years old.

Speaker 2 (34:07):
Or if you don't just paint something, if you paint
good by basketball?

Speaker 3 (34:12):
Right? I think a song would be more of a splash, No,
you know.

Speaker 7 (34:16):
The next podcast, Next podcast we do, we what we
need everyone.

Speaker 5 (34:22):
I've been waiting for the magic to to give me
at least a ten day contract, but it hasn't come around.
You know, I've been I've been hoping on the latching
onto my free agency dreams. No, I, Georgia, answer your question.
I to be honest with you. I have the most
incredible team of financial people of you know. I'm not

(34:43):
like I said. I didn't release a statement. I didn't
really even talk to anybody.

Speaker 3 (34:46):
I just to me. I kind of wanted to like
I was when I was done.

Speaker 5 (34:51):
I was done, and I kind of I had my
son and I just went back to I think we've
talked about this before.

Speaker 3 (34:58):
But there's like two sides me.

Speaker 5 (35:01):
There's Ryan who played in the NBA, you know for
over a decade.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
I'm the basketball guy, shooter whatever, you know.

Speaker 5 (35:10):
People come up to me and it's like which it
doesn't happen a whole lot, but people are really nice.
But it almost stops through my tracks because I'm like
the other part of me is i feel like I'm
still in Elderado Hills, California, that I should be working
at the local grocery store, and I'm just like the
normal home guy, a home buddy guy, and it's a weird.

(35:35):
I can't explain it any other way. It's like I'm
when I was done playing basketball. I got reverted back
to just absolutely I just want to be back to
my life and enjoy my family. And I almost at
this point, I almost forget. I had a veteran came
in the locker room one time and said, enjoy this

(35:56):
because you're gonna blink and it's gonna be over. And absolutely, Man,
that's the way it feels. It's like, did I really
do that?

Speaker 3 (36:05):
You know? So everything was taken care of with my
financial team.

Speaker 5 (36:10):
Everything is, you know, everything that you need to do,
like you know, I have no idea, George, what you
need the process, but they took care of it.

Speaker 3 (36:19):
Yeah it might.

Speaker 5 (36:21):
I might still be a free agent out there.

Speaker 3 (36:23):
I don't know.

Speaker 8 (36:24):
Ten day season, I'm gonna have to look that up.

Speaker 2 (36:27):
Guy last night, we could use it.

Speaker 5 (36:29):
Seriously, I think from three, Yeah, I think I could
be thirty. I've been shot. I've shot maybe ten basketballs
in the best five years. But yeah, I could be weird.
Maybe would Yes, we we are guys.

Speaker 3 (36:46):
Do you do you watch what's your like? Do you have.

Speaker 9 (36:50):
Is basketball just in the rearview mirror or are you
still locked in at all?

Speaker 5 (36:55):
I watched people that I care about I love from
I love those boys. To be honest with you, I'm
a horrible fan in certain ways, like I haven't watched
a whole lot of basketball this year. But Duncan Robinson's
one of my great buddies. I mean, that's a group

(37:16):
right there. You know, Duncan's really close with Franz and Mo,
and Duncan introduced me to Franz and Mow and they're
they're all all three of those guys are incredible. So
I keep up with them mostly just checking up on
them they're injured or you know.

Speaker 3 (37:29):
Mostly I bug Duncan, I think the most. But he
reminds me so much of myself Duncan does.

Speaker 5 (37:38):
That's why I I always want to check in on him,
see how he's doing. And because the guy had so
much success and then all of a sudden, he plays
five games, then he doesn't, then he starts, then he doesn't,
and that's such a.

Speaker 3 (37:52):
Mental game for some guys.

Speaker 5 (37:53):
And I will say Eric Spolstra's I've never in my
limited time with Miami was at absolutely the wildest rotation
coach I've ever played for that season, and you never
know if you're gonna play, or you're gonna start, or
you're you know so, But he's he's been able to
manage it and do pretty well with it. But like

(38:14):
I said, I mostly just keep up with guys that
I really care about.

Speaker 3 (38:17):
But I'm I'm not the greatest basketball fan.

Speaker 2 (38:21):
What can you tell Magic fans about Franz and Moe?
I think we you know, Franz is kind of a
mystery because he's quiet and he's kind of shy, and
Moe is this great which I think you appreciate. Moe
is this thinker, he's this cerebral There's more in life
than than this right now, right, So what can you
tell us about those two?

Speaker 5 (38:38):
Well, Moe is definitely the personalty. Moe is the guy
who who gave every ounce of his personality still that
Franz never had to. You could see him as kids,
You could see him as kids, like Moe's doing all
the talking, sticking up for Franz, doing all the stuff,
and then Franz doesn't even need to say anything because
Moe's out there, you know, Gibber jabber everybody that's heat,

(39:02):
but Franz definitely. You could see when he's comfortable. I
think he's he is on the shire side, but you know,
on the court you can see his his swagger come
out and is he has confidence and swagger.

Speaker 3 (39:17):
So it's almost like shelled up just for when he's
on the court. But yeah, they're dynamic. Why would you
need to talk if you got mo around?

Speaker 5 (39:25):
And uh, but I've I've hung out with them enough
now and spent some quality time with them enough to
see he's got a huge sense of humor. It's easy
to make him laugh and and he's just a really fun,
good guy to be around. But those guys are just quality,
good dudes, and you want to see those guys be successful.
And yeah, I mean they're they're great players and really

(39:48):
really good people.

Speaker 7 (39:50):
How did you meet them, Bryan, How did you come across?

Speaker 2 (39:54):
So?

Speaker 5 (39:54):
Yeah, So I got really close with Duncan when I
was in I was in Miami and he was a
rookie at the time, so he was kind of on
the verge of we'd we'd be talking. He sat next
to me on the plane and uh, we'd be talking,
like I'm gonna go to Europe. I'm not gonna play,

(40:14):
you know, I'm not gonna make it here. I'm not
gonna you know, he didn't have a lot of confidence.
I saw how great of a shooter he was and
how good of a player he was, but he's such
a he was in his head at the time so much,
and I related a lot to that, and so we
just got to be really close. And then I forget
the first time I met Fronzen, but it had to be,

(40:35):
you know, six years ago probably, and we just hit
it off immediately. And anytime, you know, we were together,
we we'd hang out when we were in Vegas for
Summer League event or something like that, and they they
actually would come down to the South Bay here every
once in a while. I think the last time I
saw him, Franz and Mo and Duncan we're going to

(40:56):
this local breakfast place that always has a line down
the block.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
And it's my job.

Speaker 5 (41:01):
I was going to the airport and I drive by
him and I it's packed outside, you know, so I
want to embarrass them as much as I possibly can,
So doc Mo, your froggs and they're so big and wise,
hey boys, you know, and everyone's looking at him. It
was a great way for them to start breakfast. And

(41:24):
but in a way I kind of feel like big
brother a little bit to those guys, you know, and
and but I respect him and think they're all awesome people.

Speaker 8 (41:33):
Ran a year ago, JJ Reddick was on first Take
and doing stuff like this, not with us, but you know,
he was a he was a talking head. Now he's
the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaker 9 (41:43):
Uh did you ever think when you were when you
were playing with him that he would sign up for
something like that.

Speaker 8 (41:49):
There is a lot that goes into what he's doing
right now.

Speaker 5 (41:53):
I think this world he's in now it has become
an evolution of what he's done through his career to now.
I think I never would have thought he would have
been a coach. I I did see and everybody said
would say the same thing that he's the hardest working
dude in the gym.

Speaker 3 (42:15):
His work ethic was crazy.

Speaker 5 (42:16):
I mean he'd be there an hour after everybody shooting,
and he saw that, you know, doing drills in the
weight room. And I remember him saying in the off season,
he I'm going to take one week off and I
would always take like three months off or you know,
two months depending on playoffs, Like, I need a break,
Like my mind, I'm so in my mind during the

(42:37):
season that I just need a physical and mental break,
which is why my body always looked so good while
I was playing. You know, I was known for my body.
People would question if I took steroids all the time.

Speaker 2 (42:48):
But I remember those.

Speaker 5 (42:49):
I remember that I had many statements.

Speaker 3 (42:53):
I was shredded.

Speaker 5 (42:55):
Yeah anyway, So but his work ethic always shine through,
and you know, hardest working guy ever. But then you
see him go into these roles in the podcast world
and be able to communicate and talk with the biggest guys,
biggest athletes, and he he leads the conversation.

Speaker 3 (43:14):
He's so talented at it.

Speaker 5 (43:16):
And also you take that and then you take the
criticisms in the comments and all the crap that you
got to take online with being a figurehead and being
somebody who's putting their content out there, you know, you
got to handle You got to be able to manage
that and handle that pretty well. I think he probably

(43:36):
college helped him a lot with that, being able to
like the world's most hated and loved college basketball player ever.
So all these things sort of built up to where
I think he's the perfect coach because.

Speaker 3 (43:48):
He knows the game so well.

Speaker 5 (43:50):
He's talked to all these guys where he can connect
with every athlete. He's been through the fire of the
comment sections and the you know, he doesn't care. He
doesn't care about it. He's not sensitive.

Speaker 3 (44:02):
You can't be.

Speaker 5 (44:04):
You can't be a sensitive head coach in the NBA
because you're going to be loved one day and hated
the next day. And it's the same thing as being
a player. It is very difficult. But when you've had
all that experience, I think it adds up to somebody
being a good coach.

Speaker 3 (44:20):
What do you guys think about it all? Is it
crazy to you guys?

Speaker 7 (44:23):
I think it's I find it strange only just because
we know JJ for so long, But just from that aspect,
Do I find it strange that he's a coach. No,
I don't find that strange at all. I find it
strange that he went from podcaster to head coach at Lakers.
I find that that trajectory is definitely different. But it's

(44:45):
JJ right.

Speaker 2 (44:46):
Because he did the press conference and the line that
stands out is like, well, what do you think about
people say you can't do the job, and he said,
I host don't give a shit, right, that's what he yea,
he said, I don't. Has there ever been aligne said
by someone that's more true? Like he doesn't. He's very
caring about the people that he cares about, But I
mean the stuff that the stuff that doesn't matter. Has

(45:08):
anyone ever cared less about.

Speaker 3 (45:09):
That which needs to? Yeah? Stan was great, But I
think there's there's a let.

Speaker 5 (45:20):
There's great leaders I think are able to the definition
of a great leader is somebody who's able to admit
their mistakes and articulate them and move on from them.
I think that's what we're missing in the world a lot.
And even in coaching, I think it's a different age now.
It's a different world of coaches that used to just
be some guy, you know, yelling at you, screaming at you,

(45:45):
overworking you, no water, you can't drink water, you know,
no whatever, all this crazy things. Now it's you got
to dance around being a You're almost like a president.

Speaker 3 (45:55):
You're almost like the puppet. Heead figurehead of the team.

Speaker 5 (45:58):
If you don't think JJ has the greatest staff he
could possibly.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
Find around him to help him. Come on, you know,
is he great under fire?

Speaker 5 (46:07):
And can you take the weight of being this person
who can't could admit your mistakes and and say I
don't care.

Speaker 3 (46:16):
About all this BS. That's jj to me.

Speaker 5 (46:19):
And I think that's the new age coach that players
will respect because the players are different too, guys like
it's a younger generation.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
Man.

Speaker 5 (46:27):
I have to ask you, guys this question. Why do
you think NBA viewership is down this year?

Speaker 2 (46:36):
Good question. Everything is down. Nobody's watching TV anymore. That's
a part of it. Different ways to watch.

Speaker 8 (46:43):
People are watching on on social media.

Speaker 6 (46:46):
They're getting they're.

Speaker 9 (46:46):
Getting highlights, or they're betting, and so they're watching for
nobody sits there and watches forty eight minutes anymore.

Speaker 3 (46:53):
True, you know.

Speaker 7 (46:54):
And in our market you're getting a lot of Dante
Marcatelli from different angles too.

Speaker 6 (46:58):
You're getting a lot of plays played market.

Speaker 9 (47:01):
Yes, listening to the radio more radio, radio, radio, up.

Speaker 2 (47:07):
Radio radio play by play.

Speaker 10 (47:09):
So I think you're getting a lot of podcast I mean,
you know what, I I honestly think I don't think
there's something to it with the threes, but I think
you know, the viewership was through the through the roof
for the Cabs and Thunder the other day.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
I think it was through the roof there was a
year over year blew every game away that they've had
for years. I think people like good basketball, and I
think I still think at the end of the day,
if they find the right game or the right matchup
or teams that are playing the right way, I think
they'll watch. I think people are still watching. But you know,
I think there's a lot of one on one now
that I think kind of right, kind of all of

(47:44):
our back in my day, you've got to pass the basketball, right,
So I think that maybe maybe that turns people out.
But I'm still not sold that it's it's what everybody
says it is. I still think people are watching, but
I could be wrong.

Speaker 7 (47:55):
I could be I also think, from my perspective, you
could use some different teams to see on ESPN or TNT.

Speaker 6 (48:02):
And this is just from our standpoint.

Speaker 7 (48:04):
I mean, we've been begging for, you know, some national
TV games the last two years.

Speaker 6 (48:09):
Maybe you throw some more local and you're starting.

Speaker 7 (48:11):
To see that now you see some more Oklahoma City Thunder,
you see, you know, we had an uptick in national
TV games. You know, maybe people just don't you know,
they know they're going to turn on the TV and
see Boston against Golden State or the Lakers. You know,
there's more than four teams that are in the NBA,
and maybe they could do a better job of spreading
that wealth around.

Speaker 8 (48:32):
And I'll add this because JJ said it, and I
think there's something to it. I don't think it's everything.
But ESPN promoted the hell out of that game all
day long. They were doing live.

Speaker 9 (48:40):
Hits from Cleveland and and it was all positive and
a lot of times the people that we put out
there from a national perspective, and I understand why it
drives ratings and it drives engagement, But a lot of
times people want to say, is Lebron as good as
Michael Jordan's talk amongst yourselves? And like you said, Ryan,
and that's you know, I think we're all sick of

(49:01):
those storylines. Good basketball people find it.

Speaker 5 (49:04):
Like Dante said, I agree with that one hundred percent agree.
I agree with everything you guys just said. But Jake,
what you just said, it's like dead on to me.
I think you have to build storylines in drama, and unfortunately,
I mean, that's a lot of work for for TV
stations and everything.

Speaker 3 (49:23):
But people don't.

Speaker 5 (49:24):
Imagine growing up, we didn't have advertisement like we have now.
But you were you wanted to see Dominique against or
you know George, you wanted to go see you know,
Larry Bird against.

Speaker 3 (49:36):
You know somebody I did. Who did you grow up watching.

Speaker 5 (49:43):
My guy?

Speaker 6 (49:44):
Why would you're the one that byrd Dante's guy?

Speaker 5 (49:52):
And I was trying to think of the old some
reason give it in my mind? I don't know no,
but but they used to build up these storylines like
to me, I love UFC.

Speaker 3 (50:05):
I think Dan White is the greatest promoter ever.

Speaker 5 (50:08):
You take these unknown guys who it's so so much
easier to market an NBA guy or to say, you
know this, they're noticeable, they're recognizable, they're big dudes, they're
you know, it's easy to televise these guys. But UFC
didn't couldn't even have a You couldn't air this on

(50:30):
a on a regular TV station, you know, so the
build of everything, but you're building up these storylines to
where I can't not watch this, like I need watch this.
I mean, this is going to be entertaining and fun.
Now you watch the Lakers play and you see Lebron
and you you want to witness how great he is
in his history and what he's done, and like Lebron

(50:52):
has accomplished everything we've are.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
We we could talk about it forever. But he's older.

Speaker 5 (50:57):
And these guys aren't playing as hard and they got
a whole season and that's what you're watching now. So
all that everything you guys just said, guys aren't playing
as hard.

Speaker 3 (51:06):
I think they're sitting out of games for sure.

Speaker 5 (51:10):
Also, yeah, also we need to build up the drama,
like you know, when I even I feel like the
drama was relatively at an all time high when I
was ending.

Speaker 3 (51:22):
My career and through like some big years in my career.

Speaker 5 (51:25):
I mean, especially when I was in Houston that you
wanted to see the Rockets again. Who can beat Golden State?
Who can beat Golden State? So we're gonna watch anybody
because we.

Speaker 3 (51:35):
Need to see somebody take them out and this team
might be able to do it.

Speaker 5 (51:38):
And James Harden and you know, so I think, yeah,
we need the drama, We need a little bit more.

Speaker 2 (51:45):
Know we could do too, I think we could do
a better job because I think you mentioned UFC. Don't
they do a great job of promoting their stories, Like
a lot of these people have nothing, and we promote
and we celebrate, and I think, you know, we've got
a player in Trouble in Queen who was homeless, lived
in his car for a week, right and is now
playing in the NBA. These kind of I think more

(52:06):
of those stories that could be your next show. Why
don't you pitch that now?

Speaker 5 (52:09):
Well that to me, I keep grabbing my mic to
me that that is good in these great stories that
are out there.

Speaker 3 (52:15):
But the Food and Sports show I don't want.

Speaker 5 (52:17):
I'd rather I would rather ten times out of ten
talk to that dude than Lebron James, Like, I don't,
I I've.

Speaker 3 (52:23):
Heard enough about your story. You're great.

Speaker 5 (52:27):
You want to keep talking about arguing if you're the
greatest ever. Just stop talking about it and people will
probably say you're the greatest ever. It's frustrating to me, sorry,
but but I want to hear the story of the
dude who why am I forgetting his name? The football
player that had one hand from UCF sheriff.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
How do you I want to hear that story?

Speaker 2 (52:53):
Yes, absolutely, you know so, But you're.

Speaker 5 (52:56):
One hundred percent right, Dante, Like We need to focus
on building these storylines, like humanizing the effort it takes
to be great at basketball. I think people just think
that these people are gifted and they don't work. It's
just if you're seven feet and you're you got a
good body, then you should play in the NBA.

Speaker 3 (53:18):
I mean, there's way more to it.

Speaker 5 (53:20):
They need to humanize athletes a little bit more, and
I think that would do some service to bring in
some people, engaging some fans.

Speaker 2 (53:27):
It's awesome.

Speaker 3 (53:27):
You got to trouble in Queen Jersey.

Speaker 8 (53:29):
Framed back there, that number twelve, that's t Q right.

Speaker 2 (53:32):
That is to Dwight Howard. If I got a thirty,
can I hang that?

Speaker 3 (53:36):
If you got me?

Speaker 2 (53:37):
Can I can? I put that up there?

Speaker 3 (53:38):
I'm gonna go get it right now.

Speaker 5 (53:39):
I'm gonna go get my guitar again, and I'm gonna
go now.

Speaker 3 (53:45):
There. Yeah, I want to put that on my wall.

Speaker 2 (53:48):
Baby, I want to put that right up there. I
gonna learn how to play guitar, Ryan and I so,
Ryan and Ile jam.

Speaker 7 (53:55):
Right, Yeah, yeah, you guys will play guitar, saying, and
I'll finally learn how to play the.

Speaker 6 (54:02):
Drums and then we can get the bit.

Speaker 3 (54:05):
I think this actually is the jersey that I got
from uh.

Speaker 6 (54:09):
We did give you that from.

Speaker 3 (54:11):
The which was by the way.

Speaker 5 (54:14):
By the way, I'm so happy that Vince is getting
honored through these teams and getting his jersey retired, and
I'm I'm it's so cool to see somebody that great
as a human being get honored and be that emotional
about it.

Speaker 3 (54:31):
And we all love Vince and know that he's the
greatest guy.

Speaker 5 (54:35):
I never have in my life have been celebrated for
playing basketball, not like I need it or want it.
It made me like cap my career off. That night
was so meaningful to me because you guys didn't have
to do that.

Speaker 3 (54:51):
And also, whenever.

Speaker 5 (54:54):
I tell this story of that night, Tracy McGrady is
sitting there bro ten people away from me, but I'm
the guy that he gets a little shout out.

Speaker 3 (55:05):
But I'm the guy that gets like in the highlight
reel it. Oh my gosh, I could not have in
a way.

Speaker 5 (55:14):
I felt like God to me never allowed me in
the best way to get to arrogant about myself, cause
like all the you know, I go to the night
where it's like I'm so excited you guys did it
up so great. We're doing the interviews. It's like, it
was so fun to bring my kids. My kids never
got to see me play properly, right, but to be

(55:36):
there for that, and then then Tracy mcgrady's getting honored,
and the whole time sitting there like people are gonna
be like, why why is Ryan?

Speaker 3 (55:45):
Who's that guy? But you guys did a lot. That
was great. Thank you for that.

Speaker 2 (55:50):
That mental people remember you, people remember what you did
and who you are and all that stuff.

Speaker 7 (55:55):
And I thought, and we won't let him forget dang it,
We're not gonna let him forget it.

Speaker 3 (56:00):
Thank you guys.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
Yeah, I mean this, We flew back eleven times. You
were a big part of the celebration.

Speaker 5 (56:08):
Come on, that was I I always have fun with
you guys, and I love going out there. You guys
already know all that, So I mean, maybe, honestly, Tennessee
is gonna be far less of a trick.

Speaker 2 (56:20):
It is.

Speaker 7 (56:21):
I actually have friends in Franklin, which is quite ironic.
So I'm gonna have to which reminds me of a
song ahead.

Speaker 2 (56:33):
Well we start our band, Can you have two guitars
in the same band?

Speaker 5 (56:38):
Texas Week, Yes, there were many. They proved it to you.
I have no dueling.

Speaker 3 (56:47):
I'm sure it happened.

Speaker 5 (56:48):
I didn't see it, but there were plenty of just smashed, hammered,
just the most old country boy. There was a guy
I won't say his name because to be honest, don't
even remember him his.

Speaker 3 (57:01):
Name, but he oh man. But it added to it.

Speaker 5 (57:05):
The more drunk that guy was made his voice it's
like you really are by the campfire was amazing.

Speaker 3 (57:10):
But he only had guitars. He only he had three
guitars with him.

Speaker 2 (57:15):
Last thing I got to ask you this. We'll end
on this. You you are so at peace, and you
seem to be in such a great place, and we
keep in touch with you so we know you're doing
well and you're thriving well.

Speaker 6 (57:26):
Because he answers your text bacs mine go usually.

Speaker 2 (57:29):
Want to tell you George. At the bottom it says,
tell George, you know, tell George.

Speaker 3 (57:35):
I know that you guys are attached at the hip.

Speaker 5 (57:38):
George, I will say every holiday, every every you do
you do the best job of like holiday and I
want to know how many people do you just go
through your phone and text everybody on special.

Speaker 6 (57:54):
Holdays No, I have a.

Speaker 7 (57:57):
I do some things on holidays and then birthday is
I like to tell people happy birthday.

Speaker 3 (58:01):
So it's really thoughtful.

Speaker 6 (58:04):
Yeah you're happy birthday.

Speaker 5 (58:06):
You're a thoughtful guy. But to be honest, to be honest,
it just gets annoying. You know when you text me
on my birthday, I'm kiding.

Speaker 3 (58:13):
George.

Speaker 7 (58:16):
Oh no, no, no, yeah, this after this is after
I google what happened to Garth Brooks by the way.

Speaker 5 (58:23):
You literally, literally, George, George might be the first person
to text me on a major holiday or my birthday
and it doesn't mean a lot.

Speaker 3 (58:32):
And I appreciate you.

Speaker 8 (58:32):
Really, You're not a twelve oh one guy.

Speaker 5 (58:36):
George, five facetimes this last birthday at twelve o one,
I got kids, like, come on.

Speaker 7 (58:42):
Finally at twelve oh four, I stopped calling. It was
I can't it took the end I took.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
You got of creepy when you're getting changed and you
get a Texas wear that shirt today?

Speaker 3 (58:52):
Yeah, you kind of gotta. I'm watching you.

Speaker 6 (58:59):
So do you have that Teddy Bear in the corner?
You put it in the corner.

Speaker 3 (59:05):
It's I mean, when you finish it, Yeah.

Speaker 5 (59:08):
When you finish on it, George as I'm watching in
the George voice.

Speaker 2 (59:14):
But the last thing I do want to say, you're
at such peace and you have found so much joy
and so many other things. And basketball is a part
of your story, but you're You're not. That's not who
you are. That's a part of your story. How what
would your advice be? How have you done it? How
have you find such peace and get to the place
that you're at right now?

Speaker 3 (59:32):
I was listening to something today. What was it? I
think it was relating to these fires.

Speaker 5 (59:39):
It's unfortunate that you have to experience troubled days to
really acknowledge the great days. I think you have to
go through some fire in your life to realize. I
it was really hard for me retiring. It was really
hard for me to the way I retired. You always
imagine the ship's sailing off, and you know, these perfect endings.

(01:00:01):
But really, I mean, that's a handful of guys.

Speaker 3 (01:00:04):
Get that. The guys that we are are.

Speaker 5 (01:00:10):
You think a majority of the NBA, you know, probably
ninety five percent of guys have short term careers, or
they're bounced around their whole lie or their whole career,
or it just doesn't work out in a team they
thought it would, you know, So for me I to
just accept that it took.

Speaker 3 (01:00:30):
Me a while.

Speaker 5 (01:00:30):
And it was during the pandemic, which made it extra hard.
So for me, I honestly I had to really work
to take control of my body, my mental health, my
physical health in order to figure out my happy place.
And you know, obviously I have an amazing family and
God in my life and all those things. You know,

(01:00:54):
I think you need it all. I would always say
during times when I was mentally going through it more.
You have to be prepared to walk into every day
like you have to put on your suit of armor
of how to to step in and acknowledge that one
person saying one thing to you can't set.

Speaker 3 (01:01:16):
You off and ruin your whole day.

Speaker 5 (01:01:18):
You know, you can deflect things you can, or one
thought comes into your mind and then.

Speaker 3 (01:01:23):
It's just that's the way my mind works.

Speaker 5 (01:01:25):
One thing comes into my mind, and then I could
for a while there, I could spiral and just go
deep down into this world and guess what, no One's
sitting on their couch thinking about Ryan Anderson's shooting percentage
in twenty nineteen or something. No one No one cares.
You're your own biggest critic. But when you can yeah, yeah,

(01:01:47):
josh oh, I got a good story for you after this.

Speaker 3 (01:01:50):
But but you're right, you're right, You're right when you
can ease. So for me, I did.

Speaker 5 (01:01:58):
I have a theory piss that I talked to weekly,
which is awesome. And I think you just have to
be proactive. And I think you have to if you.

Speaker 3 (01:02:07):
Want it enough to get out of these spaces.

Speaker 5 (01:02:11):
You really have to understand that your your exercise, like
we're talking about Georgie accountability partner coming up. No, but
but regular exercise, you know, being able to talk about
these things and to think about them rather than just
let your mind take control of your day.

Speaker 3 (01:02:27):
I think.

Speaker 5 (01:02:27):
I think the world we're living in a mental health
pandemic essentially a lot of people. I mean, Dante, we've
talked about this. We talked about this on your couch
last time I was out there. When you didn't make
me pancakes in the morning, you said you were going
to make them and you just gave me a cold
cup of coffee in the morning. Anyway, No, no, but

(01:02:51):
you you know, when you go through these things, it's
important to look at your perspective but also to to
put some work into it, you know, to get.

Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
Going and go do something about it.

Speaker 5 (01:03:05):
Don't just sit and think your problems will be solved
or drinking is going to solve your problems. I mean,
I've yeah, so I think that's my I don't have
it all figured out. I mean, I have bad days
and good days. But I think it's good to get
to a place where I can say that I'm I
feel I feel like I'm super proactive of trying to

(01:03:28):
live the best life I can and be the best
dad I can and husband and all that.

Speaker 2 (01:03:32):
So that's awesome accomplishing that, my friend, Well done that.

Speaker 3 (01:03:36):
I think all you guys are.

Speaker 2 (01:03:38):
My brain is like a marching band. But that's good.
I gotta tune some of that out and focus a
little more.

Speaker 5 (01:03:44):
Yeah, it's good, it's good. But yeah, just learning yourself. Man,
It's crazy when the older I get, the more I'm
realizing how I don't even really know. I don't know
myself the way I thought I always did, especially when you.

Speaker 3 (01:03:59):
Play basketball your whole life. Sure, that's why.

Speaker 5 (01:04:01):
A lot of guys struggle when they retired, because or
military guys like we talked about earlier. I mean, you
go into these your your your whole life is you're
told what to do. Your world is his regiment, your identities,
basketball and then it's stripped from you.

Speaker 3 (01:04:16):
Who are you now? So I mean that that took me.
It takes a little while. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:04:22):
I love the I love I love the perspective, and
I love the projects that you're on. Keep us posted.
I can't wait to see it, and we can't wait
to follow and support. And uh and I'm ready. I'll
practice my guitar and we'll start this little gig here soon.

Speaker 3 (01:04:34):
I'm gonna have Wonderwall done.

Speaker 5 (01:04:36):
But but George, you need to get those vocals because
next time I start playing, if you were to sing,
if you would have sang well I did that, it
would have sounded way better from my end of that guitar.

Speaker 6 (01:04:47):
So when you were shadow guitaring, yeah, it would probably.

Speaker 3 (01:04:50):
You ruined that moment for me.

Speaker 2 (01:04:52):
George, what's the what's the most angry you've seen?

Speaker 3 (01:04:58):
George? One last thing, we'll end on this.

Speaker 2 (01:04:59):
What's the most.

Speaker 3 (01:05:00):
Oh man, we talked about this. Oh, he's angry a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
But uh, last night at the officials you can hear
him on fanduels.

Speaker 5 (01:05:14):
We were talking about this, What was it? You tell me, Dante,
Just remind me a little bit. When's what's the angriss
you've ever seen him? Maybe this is something maybe maybe
these anger we can't talk about on air.

Speaker 3 (01:05:26):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:05:26):
The angrist I've seen him was when Paulo bank Carrol
had thirty seven points in the first half and okay,
so sold. So I'm thinking we'll get Polo for the
walk off.

Speaker 6 (01:05:35):
No, it's not doing it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:39):
Don't move on anybody else that was doing the most recently. Yeah, yeah,
there's been, there's been others. He's so good, he's so good.
He's on it. He's on it.

Speaker 5 (01:05:49):
Okay, talk me through. He's got some injuries. Yeah, there's
some injuries.

Speaker 6 (01:05:53):
He's back now though, we're back back.

Speaker 3 (01:05:56):
We're okay.

Speaker 5 (01:05:58):
So is there some warming up to having him back
in the rotation? Is that what we're feeling.

Speaker 6 (01:06:03):
He's six, he's two records in.

Speaker 7 (01:06:05):
Games back now, he's thirty games now, thirty four and
first game back in twenty six plus minutes.

Speaker 6 (01:06:12):
So yeah, so that's not that's not I think. I
think I think we're okay.

Speaker 7 (01:06:21):
He wanted he wanted to make sure he was back
in the lineup when we weren't facing like you know,
we had two back to backs last week, so he
didn't want to have to hear the whole well, I'm
going to play in the first game and not playing
the second game. He wanted to wait till he could
play play. And I think we're there now, and so,
I mean, it hasn't taken long. Heat thirty four is
first game back, and twenty last night against uh at

(01:06:42):
the time, we're taking this against who wherever?

Speaker 6 (01:06:44):
We played last night Philly, So already do you.

Speaker 5 (01:06:48):
Think he has a chance to be the greatest magic
player of all talking about greatest players of all time?
This is actually relates talking about somebody other than Lebron?

Speaker 3 (01:06:58):
Does you have a chance to be the best?

Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
Our teammate is up for nomination for the Hall of Fame?
You know, that's something we didn't discuss either, but Dwight Howard.

Speaker 5 (01:07:05):
White Howard, it needs it needs to be acknowledged.

Speaker 3 (01:07:11):
I mean, I think it's coming around realizing how great
he was.

Speaker 5 (01:07:14):
I mean, you go through some personal stuff and you go,
you know, especially going into la everything's under a microscope.

Speaker 3 (01:07:21):
But then it took a little time. The guy's all
come on. Of course, he's all as.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
So he's in the conversation right, Shack Penny was right
there when it's all said and done, if not more right, guys,
I think he's certainly gonna be.

Speaker 6 (01:07:34):
I would agree with that.

Speaker 7 (01:07:36):
He's arguably already the fifth best player we've ever had,
and he's only been with us for two years, so
I would I would say that for sure.

Speaker 3 (01:07:44):
Followed by.

Speaker 2 (01:07:47):
AJ told us Donald Foyler everything you learned about basketball,
I learned from heido how to take care of your body,
importance of having it right.

Speaker 3 (01:07:58):
Yeah, totally.

Speaker 5 (01:08:00):
Yeah, he's oh, one hundred percent.

Speaker 3 (01:08:03):
Yeah, I learned all all that.

Speaker 5 (01:08:05):
He's a perfect example of of off the court, you know,
take care of his body excellent. Yeah, some guys just
some guys just have it, you know, and.

Speaker 3 (01:08:17):
And you know could do it. He could do it.
He could just show up and do it.

Speaker 5 (01:08:20):
Jay Will, Jay Will, you know you gotta love you
gotta love jay Will. The guy could just show up
and do it.

Speaker 8 (01:08:30):
Dragon Room, that was where I learned from.

Speaker 3 (01:08:33):
Yeah, a little Dragon Room is still there.

Speaker 5 (01:08:37):
The Dragon Room is gone, drag a long time gone.

Speaker 6 (01:08:40):
I believe.

Speaker 7 (01:08:41):
So I haven't been downtown in a while, but the
Dragon Room, I'm fairly sure.

Speaker 8 (01:08:44):
Downtown ain't downtown anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:08:47):
I know I need to.

Speaker 5 (01:08:48):
I want to go back and see. I'm sure it's
nothing nothing like when I was there. I'm sure nothing
is there anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:08:56):
That I still Chillers, he'll still go hit Chillers wrong
that he likes.

Speaker 3 (01:09:01):
It nice good.

Speaker 7 (01:09:04):
It gives me all the scoop about how you know,
all the all the side gigs about our side takes
about Chillers.

Speaker 5 (01:09:09):
So that's why I like, that's your spot. What is
the greatest what's the greatest restaurant in in Orlando?

Speaker 6 (01:09:17):
Chili's chill Burgers?

Speaker 2 (01:09:20):
Oh wow, wow, we've got this sixty lines restaurant. Now,
Hillstone was always a great restaurant. Luma isn't there anymore?
Did you like Luma?

Speaker 3 (01:09:31):
We always loved Luma. That was my favorite spot.

Speaker 5 (01:09:34):
Now it seems like a cool Mediterranean restaurant, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (01:09:38):
Yeah? I looked into that. It was pretty bummed.

Speaker 5 (01:09:41):
Which whatever that is I have, nobody knows, nobody knows.

Speaker 2 (01:09:45):
The age that'll do it for this edition of Magic
six hours, guys, I got come on, there's the guitar.

Speaker 3 (01:09:58):
All the don't cluck me off.

Speaker 2 (01:10:02):
Still next time, because I want to have this conversation
but off here, so that will do it all right,
and we'll see you next time. Folks,