John on Mark Pope and Playoff Picks, Plus Jamal Crawford on 1-on-1 vs Kobe and the Return of the NBA to Seattle

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to a point game with John Wall and TJ
Toldonno presented by DraftKings. Don't forget DraftKings is your home
for all the action across the NBA gets you closer
to the game. We all love. The crown is yours.
Just get some business out the way. Coming up on
today's episode, NBA Legend three times six Man of the
Year Jamal Crawford will be joining the show. But listen,
we got John Wall here, the man, the myth of

(00:29):
the Legend, and as usual, we're going to open up
on some Kentucky news because they have made their higher.
First of all, John, how you feeling, man?

Speaker 2 (00:39):
I feel great, man.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
I just came back from working out and feels good therapy,
So I'm good.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I'm just relaxing, chilling.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Okay. So the major development Kentucky has made the higher,
I think I feel like it was a little bit
of surprise and people are feeling good about it. So
let me hear how you feel about the hire of
Mark Pope as the new coach at Kentucky this past week.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
I think it's a surprise. I mean I don't think
he was probably one of the top choices. Yeah, I
think I know they want that. Billy Donovan, Scott Drew,
and Dan and Hurley. I think those are the main ones,
and I think Bruce Pearl is one of the ones
on the radar. I don't know too much about him,
so I can't really speak on it, but from the
press conference, like everybody was super excited, and I know

(01:23):
he kind of probably got a lot of love because
he was on the championship team there in ninety six
I think ninety four ninety six here. I think he
played there, and uh, I see he brought like Tony Delk,
Derek Anderson, those guys out with him, So I think
that was dope. And he came out with the trophy.
So I think him having like let history there playing
there and then winning championship here and a lot of
people having respect for him, I think that was dope.

(01:44):
But I really don't know too much about him, but
everybody seemed like they're excited, and uh, now it's about
building a team now, you know what I mean, Because
a lot of guys are decommitting a lot of guys
into the portal, so got to figure out how to
build a team and build it with the guys that
he wants I mean that's always the toughest part about.

Speaker 2 (02:01):
A lot of coaches.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
From what I've seen from playing college and just watching
the game, a lot is a lot of kids will
transfer try to get out there because that's not the
same coach that recruited them or the coach they wanted
to play for. Or if you're a coach that take
over and then there's a player there that you didn't recruit,
you kind of like gott to finish that out at
the guy don't want to end the portal and figure
out how to make things happen. So whenever you build
your foundation of the guys that you want, the type

(02:23):
of character players that you wanted your roster, then you
would kind of see what type of guy he is
and what he can do with the program.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
Yeah, talk about because on a previous episode, you're saying,
you know, you'll forever support coach cal change your life,
but you're also forever Big Blue Nation, So you know,
how do you stay involved with that program with a
coach that you don't necessarily have a direct connection to,
but you're both you know, Kentucky Legends.

Speaker 3 (02:46):
My thing is just talking to the guys around you know,
I mean just figuring out what players they get, try
to have a relationship with those guys. I'm being so
cool with the equipment manager guys and talking to those
guys a lot of talking to the athletic director. It's
gonna be different for me, though, because you know me,
I talked to a lot of Coyle assistants, a lot
of people that was in the office that I knew
in that personal relationships with because I played for him

(03:06):
and it was around him for a year. So it's
gonna be different for me. But I think them me
the same glove I've always got. I don't think that
would ever change now. It was just trying to build
a relationship with the new coach if he's willing to
willing for that, you know.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
I mean, I don't know how that goes.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
But I'm gonna do everything I can to try to
support and go to games as much as I can,
you know.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
And at the same time, I'm gona support cal you know.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
I mean, that's a guy that came to my house,
met my mom, won my mom over to give me
the opportunity to leave to stay in North Carolina, and
she had all the trust in him that I trust.
My son to go play with you. And like I say,
he gave me the opportunity to play for a powerful
school in Kentucky. But just like if he was at Memphis,
I would have went to Memphis, you know what I mean.
I just it was playing for the coach, but also

(03:47):
respecting the university I played for at the same time,
you know what I mean. So I never would doubt
that of what changed, but Cale gave me the opportunity
and U I forever Cheersdad. So I'm always gonna support
him no matter what and where he goes, and about
what team he can build and what team can Mark
Pope build.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
You know, his squad that he captained, that championship Kentucky
team coming out the bus and then him coming out
of the trophy was I feel like a lot of
people who were maybe undecided about on how to feel
about the higher kind of got hype in that moment.
So that was cool. Okay, John, I want to move
on to the NBA because the last regular season games
were yesterday and the playing is now set. Tell me,

(04:26):
I want to know about your general thoughts on the
play in You know, these teams they got to go
through a little mini tournament here to get into the playoffs.
So what are your feelings for these next few days
as a player is set and we're going to see
who's going to make the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
For me, I never really liked it to play in,
you know, I mean, to be honest, I think the
best sixteen teams should get in. So if your top
eight team you get in, That's how I feel. I mean,
that's how it was when I first came in.

Speaker 2 (04:49):
It was playing. But I know the NBA is trying
new things and it's spanning it.

Speaker 3 (04:54):
So now you give those teams just between seventy and
teen to fight for a spot. You I mean seven
and eight you get a chance lose twice, not nine ten.
You get to lose once. Yeah, so you kind of
set your stone, you know. I mean, if you win
a seven eight game, you're seven seed. You lose that game,
you get a chance to play to win them nine
ten to be the A seed. I think it's interesting.
You got some great matchups, you mean, basically the team

(05:15):
that just played each other basically, you know what I
mean kind of I mean, you got the Lakers in
New Orleans playing again, and I think it was a
little different from New Orleans. You I mean having brand
the Egan come back from injury and then try to
put him into the rotation and try to build that
chemistry back. You mean, because they was playing well. You know,
that's always something you have to deal with when the
guy's come back from injury. Especially how good is Brandon
injury is He's probably, if not their best player, the

(05:35):
second best player between Zion, you know, you can go
either way between them. And then CJ's been on the heater,
Trey Murphy's been playing well. We know how great Herb
Joneson's being for them this year. So I think they
got punched them out. But if you watched the last
game yesterday, a lot of teams that you needed to win,
like the Pelicans that got punching them out first quarter.
You know what I mean, you look at it. Timy
was playing the Sons, they got punched them out first quarter.

(05:57):
What I mean, the Sons came out they wanted to
get a six seed. Being a playing game, and all
you can do at end of the day is control
your own destiny, and the Sons came out early control
that and then they didn't have to worry about if
the Repelicans wonted lost that they did their job. Nail
was up to the I mean the Pelicans to win
to lose, So they feel comfortable that. I think they
feel a lot more excited. They don't have to play

(06:17):
one or two games to try to get into a
playoff spot. You got your spots solidified in. You got
the ten wards for seven games, So I think it's
gonna be interesting. It's just funny because whoever get the
seventh seed, you have to play different first round, so
that's gonna be a tough matchup. So and the same
as on the other side, I feel like, you know
what I mean, if you get the seventh seed, you
got the Knicks in the first round, I mean first round.

(06:39):
I mean, if you get the ABC, you got Boston
in the first round. I mean, you get the AB
seed in the West, you have OKAC in the first round.
And a lot of people are kind of doubt them
because they say they don't have to playoff experience. But
I think just the way those guys have been playing well,
Shaye has been a hell of a leader for those guys,
and those are all guys just running around him and winning.
That's tough for him to finish number one in the
West win. A lot of people call.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Them the youngest team in the league.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
If I'm not mistaken and didn't expect them to even
be in the playoffs or even be in the play
in to be who they are, that's a testimony to
their their coach and their coaches to have doing a
hell of a job their front office for sure, and
then Shape being ahead of the snake for those guys.

Speaker 4 (07:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (07:14):
I like what you said though about, you know, the
best sixteen teams to make the playoffs. But what's been
interesting about the playing for me as a fan just
watching it is is trying to figure out the strategy,
Like there's some real seeding strategy. Like so yesterday with
the last regular season game with a lot of teams,
I feel like in the past, they'd be like, we're
already in the playoffs, like you know, we're gonna rest
some guys, But like you had the Knicks facing the

(07:37):
Bulls and if they have lost, they would have got
the three seed and would have played, you know, the
inexperienced Pacers. But now they're the two seed and they
could potentially when what maybe it looks like you know,
within beedback that they're going to get the sixers. So
I guess put put yourself in the shoes. If you
were on the Knicks yesterday, would you have gone out
and try to win that game or would you have
been like, no, let's lose so we can, you know,

(07:58):
get the three seed and play the inexperienced Pacers.

Speaker 3 (08:02):
Well, for me, I don't even think about it like that,
you know, I mean, like I look at it, I
don't respect a lot of if teams or players move
like that, I didn't respect you know. I mean because
any day you want to play the best of the best.
Any day you got to go through everybody to get
to where you want to get to, and that's the
top of the food chain. I never got the opportunity
to get to the East Commers finding or the top
of the food chain. But you don't want to. You
just want to play. You I mean, just happy to

(08:22):
be in the playoffs. And I think the way you
treat the game the way the game will treat you back.
And I think the way the Knicks went out about it.
Could they seen the Cavs loss and they seen Milwaukee loss,
so they could have lost that game and stayed in thirty, like, Okay,
we could take the easier route, but you know what
I mean, last home game of the season.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
You know your fans is there.

Speaker 3 (08:39):
You want to go in there playing well, and I
respect them for going out there and competing, and they
got the number two seed.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
Okay, who we see? Who we see?

Speaker 3 (08:46):
Uh, that's just a testimony of how TIBs is. That
testimony of how special Jalen Bruns have been this year.
And they feel like, no matter who we match up against,
we might have the best player on the floor in
every series. Yeah, you know what I mean a lot
of if you can say that in a lot of series,
it's like, okay, we would take on any matchup we got.

Speaker 2 (09:02):
That's how they feel, you know.

Speaker 3 (09:03):
I mean, And if you could feel like you got
the best player or the second best player every time
you step on that court, it's like you give yourself
a chance, you know.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
I mean.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
The way he's been playing this year, in the stretch
he was on his last month has been spect tackling.
But I like the way they went out there and competed.
We want the second seed, Like if it's Philly or Miami,
we want the second seed.

Speaker 2 (09:21):
And I respect it.

Speaker 1 (09:24):
Yeah, it was gonna be my follow up question with
the same thing, but I think you kind of answered
it there. With the Lakers. You know, if they win
their their one playing game and getting the playoffs, they
face the Nuggets and people are saying like, no, they
should lose, and then they get that you know, the
seventh or the eight seed or whatever and play ok see,
and it's like if you're duck and smoke this early, like,
how confident can you be for the remaining you know,

(09:46):
the remainder of the playoffs or so I just you know,
also too, if the Lakers purposely lose, you know, the
first playing game, they're gonna have to face the Warriors
of the Kings, where you know they didn't win all
those games. It's not a for sure. So I like
you what you said, you just got to go out
there and compete.

Speaker 3 (10:03):
And well, yeah, if you do that, but then also
look at this doe. If you take the one eight right,
let's say they lose on preface play and win the
AF seed you got you got the Clippers or you
got the Clippers.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
Or the math second round. Yeah, yeah, I mean, don't
they play for five one?

Speaker 3 (10:16):
They play for five, right, yeah, yeah, so it's like,
what are you talking about? So if then if you
go go beat the Nuggets, you still got Minnesota or
the Suns. So I feel like, no matter what, you're
going to have a tough match up regardless, Like you
know what I mean. I think I think all ten
teams in the play in on the Western Conference all
finish like what above five hundred or like ten games,
about five hundred, I'm not mistaken, like ten or tour

(10:36):
games one hundred. All think that's been done in a
long time. So you're gonna have to play whoever. I mean, like,
you play whoever. It doesn't matter. It's a game of basketball.
I mean the regular season, you know, I mean, everybody,
look at what the matches wasn't who won the most games.
That's cool, handy and dandy, But now you got to
go beat them four times out of seven. So now
it's real game planning. A lot of teams, if I

(10:57):
was a coach, I wouldn't show you my strategy of
what I doing the playoffs, so I got to play
in the regular season. So a lot of coaches don't
show you the schemes they might use in the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
That they got to see you. They just play regular coaches.

Speaker 3 (11:08):
In the regular season, if you kill, you kill, go ahead, Congratulations,
you got the win. But now when it matters most,
who gets the most win, that's all that matters. I mean,
they doesn't matter what the series was in the regular season.
So I feel like ducking those smoke is no need
for that. Just go play basketball at the highest level
at some point in time. You gotta play this. You
gotta play that. Like, I don't think no, no situation

(11:31):
is an easy route, you know. I mean it's the playoffs. Like,
these teams are legit. They're here for a reason. They
could play at the highest level. They have a superstar
or stars or a big time star on their team
that's either an All Star or r NBA guy. So
you got to see it no matter what round you're in.
So just go out there and compete and see what happens.

Speaker 1 (11:48):
Love, It's gonna be interesting. It's gonna be interesting to
see how it shakes out. Okay, one more thing I
wanted to bring up because I was watching Lebron speaking
of Lakers, I was watching Lebron and JJ's new pod
Mind the Game, and the clip that was sort of
clipped down and went viral. I don't know if you've
seen it, that gor Tat screen they were talking about,
so obviously you were. You were one of the guys
who benefited quite a bit from that Gartat screen. So

(12:10):
they would explain it how it works, and it looks
like an almost near unstoppable play. So give us some
background on that people are calling the gir Tat screen,
but you know the way you were using it too.
We're getting buckets, so give us a little bit of
background that we weren't seeing in that mind the game
at all.

Speaker 3 (12:24):
Shout out to gor Tod screen, but really I've watched
Russ do it with Kenjer pregnant a lot. Yeah, okay,
And when I got gort toyed, I was like, bro,
we can start using this. So for us it's like
it's different though because they switched picking rolls now, but
like back then they used to ice on the side.
So I would tell gordt Tod it's a signal thing though,
like I just do a hand signal, Like I would

(12:45):
do a hand signal and he would know, don't come.
Like I got a lot of dunks on that play,
like Spectacle a big time dunks. But it was just
like we were running ice for a couple of times,
like they run, we run picking roll like angle pick
and roll. They call ice and we'll see how they
guarding it. They down in me and they jumped to
the side of the side real quick. I'd be like,
all right, bet, I'm gonna go just run and play
a couple of times. Then if it was a big

(13:06):
mummy we needed a bucket, or I just want to
get a highlight, I'd be all right, you know, this
is time for the screen, and the guard ultimately jump
to ice, thinking the bigs there, and if Gorta had
hit the screen, I'm just got a straight line drive
to the basket and it's meet me at the rim
now a time to ten. I'm loving my chances to
meet somebody at the rim. So yeah, it was perfect,
but like yeah, I Gord Tod did it, and we

(13:27):
made a lot of spectacular plays off of him and
then scored a lot off of him, did a lot
of great things like shout out to him. He said
a lot of heckup of screens for our team. Throughout
out my time, I played with him and made the
job eas for me. That's why I was able to
average ten eleven twelve a siston. I mean a lot
of times throwing past them. He's a hell of a
finisher like he might not they called him polish hammer,
hit dunk on you sometimes, but he had a lot

(13:48):
of finesse to finish around the rim. So shout out
at Gort Tod and but I first seen Kendrick Perkins
do with us, and I was like, damn, Like I
get a center that can screen like that, I hopefully
I can make it work.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
And we made it spectacular, all right.

Speaker 1 (14:00):
So you may officially be saying that should be called
the Perkins screen.

Speaker 3 (14:05):
I'm not giving a credit. They calling it a Gort screens,
So I'm giving gordt Tod the credit. But I'm just
saying where I learned it from. And I wanted to
teach Gord tot day, you know what I mean. So,
like the same thing is he played with Steve Nash,
you know what I mean. And I'm like, bro, how
was it playing pick and roll with Steve Nash? Like
which angle did you say?

Speaker 2 (14:21):
Screens that? Like, how do you do this? How you
do that?

Speaker 3 (14:22):
So that's what made the pick and Roll so spectackle
for us, because he learned so much from playing with
Steve Nash that I can pass the ball as well
and score as well. That he taught me things that
I can learn, you know what I mean. So versus
we both taught each other certain things. And I can
make some of my space tackler plays because he had
great hands. He could finish around the basket. That's why
I was able to be great and pick and roll,
you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (14:42):
So all right, Gortak, come on the show. I love that.
That that was some of the most fun basketball that
I've seen. And like you said on previous episodes, like
I think.

Speaker 2 (14:51):
I was just talking, I was just talking to another day.

Speaker 1 (14:53):
Yeah, he I feel is a stat. Right he was
the most player you've ever assisted to in your career.

Speaker 2 (14:59):
I think so, think so Yeah, I think so got
to be him or Brad for sure.

Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, all right, maybe we'll see on the show him
on the show next. All right, we're gonna take a
break here. When we come back from break on point
game with John Wall and CJ. Toldano presented by DraftKings,
We're gonna be joined by the legend Jamal Crawfords. You
don't want to miss that we'll be back after the break.

(15:23):
Welcome back to Point Game with John Wall and CJ Toldno,
presented by DraftKings. We are so excited to bring on
our guests here for this episode. We're now joined by
three time NBA six Man of the Year, Elite Bucket Getter.
You see him on T and T, the man with
some of the best handles in NBA history. Let's please
welcome Jamal Crawford to Point Game. Jamal, what up?

Speaker 4 (15:46):
Man?

Speaker 5 (15:47):
What up y'all? I appreciate y'all having me for sure.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
I know your schedules busy, uh so I did want
to get caught up because you know, we knew you
from your your playing career and now you're killing the
broadcasting game. And we were talking about it a little
bit before. Can you just describe what your schedule has
been like, because you said the grind hasn't really stopped.

Speaker 6 (16:06):
So let me go back. So on March twenty fifth,
I left home. It was Seattle to Atlanta, Atlanta to Chicago, Chicago,
back to Atlanta, Atlanta to Phoenix, Phoenix to Atlanta, Atlanta
to New York. It's coming up New York, back to Atlanta, Atlanta.
Finally home. So that's a three week trip. As John knows,
we don't do three weeks trips in the league. That's

(16:26):
a long time to be away from home.

Speaker 3 (16:28):
Now we might get ten days at the most. I
know your kids where you at? Bro your kids find
like where you at? Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 (16:36):
I wanted to ask you, Jamal. You had a twenty
year career. Your highlights are still shared on social on
a daily basis. And we mentioned before three times six
minute of the year, how come you were never an
All Star? Like, well, how come they never? Like what
was preventing you from being that?

Speaker 6 (16:52):
The first time I thought I could have been All
Stars in New York and at the time I was
averaging almost twenty one and five assists, and for guys
who were averaging that, I was one of only three
who didn't make it. But they were like, you didn't
have enough win. So I'm like, I get it, I
understand right. And then the second time I thought I
should have been an All Star was my first year
at the Hawks. Here here we are third in the division.
I'm the second league scorer. I want the top fourth

(17:13):
quarter scores in the league. I'm managed an eighteen at
the time, but they said, okay, well you come off
the bench. I'm like with them, if I was starting
doing the exact same thing, you see, i'd be all started.
So you want me to sacrifice come off the bench,
But I'm doing these numbers and not making an exact
same thing happened with the Clippers, and my teammates were
all advocating for me, said I should have been All Star.

(17:35):
I was top five and fourth quarter scored again, but
at that time we were fighting when they make the
decision that we were fighting for first in the league.
And that was the first time I remember, like the
TNT guys, I think Charles and c Webb had me
on their All Star team, you know, they.

Speaker 5 (17:47):
Do like the pre like who that was, will make it?
They had me on there.

Speaker 6 (17:50):
And so I'll tell you guys the story the time
with the Clippers. I remember me and Steph Curry were
talking like a few days before they select him, like
who thinks gonna like, well, it's either you or me,
and we're both wrong if they really made it that year,
So it was just crazy out the D League.

Speaker 5 (18:07):
It was crazy.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
Yeah, And that's interesting you say that because they said
the same thing to me earlier. When I felt like
I should have made it my fourth field, there was
like you got to be a winning team, And now
you look at it, it's like, don't matter if you
winning or not. Like you could be last, you could
be in the playing it doesn't matter. They just going
by what the fans want to see now. So you
should have definitely been one of those. But it's just
interesting how things change over the years, you know. I mean,
because you've been in the league for so many years,

(18:29):
they'll tell you what, you're not winning enough or you're
not starting. Well, it doesn't matter. I'm doing what started
supposed to do. I'm taking the sacrifice for my team
to be great.

Speaker 6 (18:37):
And you guys, coaches, you gotta just still double team
me every pick and roll the BF you treat me like.

Speaker 5 (18:42):
A start something.

Speaker 4 (18:43):
Yeah, I don't get it.

Speaker 6 (18:44):
But it's just crazy because the thinking of that, and
I had talked to I believe it was Sewer at
that year with Stephan. I think I was gonna be
one of the injury placements, just in case somebody got hurt.
And you know how the HJ wall. There's one year
in Dallas where they were pulling people. I think it
was torn eight or something. They're pulling people from Dallas,
like y'all want to play. I think JK had played
because it just happened to be in Dallas make the

(19:05):
All Star Game. So it's just saving money. Nobody got hurt.

Speaker 2 (19:08):
Saving some money, saving some money. Ain't got no flights
to the.

Speaker 6 (19:11):
Hotels exactly, saving some money and travel. So for me,
I just wanted to be at one time, and I
didn't if I was All Star, just one time, bro,
I promise you, I know, we'll go play a lot.
I was gonna plow to move a different move every
time down the sid. I was gonna make it. I
was gonna maximize it. Y'all was gonna know I was
out there.

Speaker 3 (19:26):
But yeah, you was the perfect guy to put into
an All Star game, you know what I'm saying, Like
you know how it is ruck and parking thing like that.

Speaker 2 (19:31):
You are the All Star type of guy.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
And to be me being young and see you do
the move that we see on the street ball, you
don't think you're put in the NBA game. I mean
you only had a sub a couple of guys that
can do that and make it look like it's special
and have a heck, of a creative so you definitely
should have been one, So you definitely get your flowers
for sure.

Speaker 6 (19:49):
I appreciate that. And then hearing it from you and
guys like that on your level, that means the most,
to be honest with you, because my peers because they
know that the All Stars, the Hall of Famers, those
guys who did it at the highest level, well know
what it looks like and what it feels like. So
that means more than me than anything for sure.

Speaker 3 (20:03):
Well, morning, bro, like, I just want to thank you,
thank you for taking your time out today to really
appreciate you. And I want to jump right into it
because yesterday you made it plead to help your fellow
brother Nate Robinson out as he needed a kidney transplant.
I just want you to share with your without audience
what you think can help them and see what we
can do to make that push get out there.

Speaker 6 (20:21):
Well, first off, I'm proud of Nate because he's been
going Diallasis three times a week from now for a
couple of years and he hasn't said anything anybody as
public and as loud. And I'm proud because we've been
trying to get him to say that because there's people
out there that will help, that could be a match,
but they didn't really know you know what I'm saying.
So you know, Nate has the heart of a lion.
So for him to finally not now break down, be

(20:43):
vulnerable and say something is gonna think I feel I
can help him. It can also help so many different people,
you know, just like with you in your situation, for
you to speak about what you spoke about, bro, that's
gonna help so many people because all it takes sometimes
that one moment to say I'm gonna do this, so
I'm not gonna do that, and it can change your life.

Speaker 5 (20:59):
It can change your life. They can change others lives
as well. And you guys are inspirations.

Speaker 6 (21:03):
And for him to say that, I was so proud
of him, and now you know, we're gonna see you
know how the match process works.

Speaker 5 (21:09):
Because Nate, we need him around. We got to have around.
He needs so much.

Speaker 6 (21:13):
Like you should see how he pours into the youth
and Seattle. He treats every kid in the community like
it's their kid, yelling at him, caring about him, loving
on them, pouring into him. And so we need that.
That inspires inspiration, but aspires hope as well. So I'm
glad he said something. We're gonna work to see how
it works, the process and try to give them a kidney.

Speaker 3 (21:29):
Yeah, definitely hope we can help for sure, man, because Nate.
Nate's a great person, great character, great father, just like
you said, doing things in the community, just being around him,
knowing how he is is a person. He's always genuine,
always uplifting people last year, So anyway we can help
and hopefully we can get that for him, because like
you said, we need him on this earth for a
little bit longer.

Speaker 2 (21:48):
We don't. It's not his time to go yet.

Speaker 6 (21:49):
Even you guys bringing it up and talking about it
now is helping. So the more we talk about it,
the more it only takes one, you know what I mean,
It only takes one. So for us, hopefully we keep
pushing that message out, something happens.

Speaker 1 (22:02):
I feel like people forget about Nate and even like
we talk about your highlights, Jamal too, Like Nate was
another guy I was living in Chicago when d Rose
you know, was going through injuries and Nate right they
had signed Nate and he got us in the postseason.
Like guys, in the playoffs, beat the Nets that series.
Go back and watch that. That was incredible. That Like
mentally that saved me because I was so depressed about

(22:24):
watching this Bulls team come up short. But then Nate Man,
he stepped up.

Speaker 6 (22:27):
Nate, I've never seen anything like Nate, especially from where
I'm from. So basketball, State player of the year, football
State Player of the Year the same year, recently own
the record in the hurdles like this, and he can
dance like he can play basketball like his son.

Speaker 1 (22:42):
His son's playing at Colorado too for Dion, so like, yeah.

Speaker 5 (22:45):
He is ex crazy.

Speaker 6 (22:46):
Younger son and daughter are doing well right now playing
high school basketball where his daughters in eighth grade going
to high school next year. And his son, Nail is
really really good, one of the best point guards in
state and Washington players out our old high school up.

Speaker 1 (22:58):
I want to go to the seat. I want to
talk about this Seattle brotherhood and just Seattle basketball. But
I do want to just to bring things back a
little bit because it's crazy to me as a basketball fan.
I get to sit with you and John right now.
You know, your guys, two of the most electric NBA players,
Your handles, the move packages, so I wanted to know
Jamal because John came on the scene or came in

(23:19):
the NBA. You know about I think like nine years later.
What was the first time you saw John When did
he get on your radar? And what was your reaction.

Speaker 6 (23:27):
I'm gonna tell your story. I've never even told John.
So John goes to look at the smile. John goes
to Rebok, right, and everybody there has a team, but
we're not actually there.

Speaker 5 (23:38):
The guys there were Rebock. I think AI had a team.

Speaker 6 (23:40):
I think at the time maybe Darris Miles had a
team and I had a team, and from when I heard,
I don't know if it's true. John was like, I'm
on Jamal Crawford's team and like whatever, little you know,
a team that signed us to even even though you
weren't there.

Speaker 5 (23:55):
And he was like, man, he likes your damn Like what.

Speaker 6 (23:56):
So I first saw him in high school obviously, you
know my young guy a duel Gaddy was right right
behind him from the point guard. So I was hipped
to John a long time ago. And the thing about
John is there's players that are great, there's players that
are good, and there's players that are electric. He was
like everything rolling the one when he had the ball,
you had to watch them. When he had when he's

(24:17):
in the court, you had to watch them. You had
to smooth look as he still does. He was the
baby fac assassin, but he'd kill you and he had
so much heart and he would guard and he could
do everything on the court. And I remember playing against
him when he first came to the league and I
was with at the time. I believe I was with
the Hawks Hawks. Yeah, Like damn man, I'm like you said,
I'm nineteen years in the league and I'm still like,
that's Jay Wall right there. Like I knew he was

(24:38):
one of the next ones. And people got to really
look back and see like this dude was the way,
Like this is the dude. How we look at it, man,
how we look at John How we look at all
those young guards come in the game. That was Jay
Wall and even the Veterels taking of It's like, oh,
this is the dude right here. Because he was so competitive,
but all the talent and all the skill, he was
a winner. Like he was a winner, dude, just will

(25:00):
you to win and to watch him and watch how
you progress, Like I just love his game. I love
who is the person even more. I'll tell you his story
about him well off the court, he was one of
the first stars we had coming pro am before we
moved and made it popular to come to both. This
dude came in the hood by himself on the drop
of a hat. He's always been there. So when he

(25:21):
told me, like I need you on the show, Like, bro,
you serious? All the stuff you've done for me in
the past that nobody knows about. And lastly, I think
he came to my house him in Isaiah Thomas and
they was on jet Ski's. I think that was one
of the first time too that were on jet Skis
to watch this whole progression, watch him go be this
world wide star and watch his love for the game

(25:41):
and watch his passion.

Speaker 5 (25:42):
I still admire him even though he's younger.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
Yeah, and that's that's dope, bro, cause I appreciate it
coming from you because, like I tell a lot of people,
Jamal is like my favorite player outside of ally everything
like handles do all that, Like that was exciting to
me because I was only like five eight and tenth grade,
Like I wasn't tall. I grew in my tenth grade
year and I was gonna tell that same story because
it was the lockout here after my rookie y after
my rookie's lockout here, and Jamal like, yo, you want

(26:06):
to come down, Like hell, yeah, we just hooping.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
I remember me and you.

Speaker 3 (26:10):
It's Nate, it's Isaiah, it's Tony Rowing and that's like,
that's like one of the richest lakes you said. I
was happy as hell just to be out there. I
was at his crib playing video games and we just
jet skinned through the lake and I'm like, damn bro,
like I'm really at Jamal crffer house. I'm really hanging
with the NBA started time for me. I was just
trying to get my name known in this and to

(26:30):
get the respect for my peers. Was like you said,
that's the most umost respect out anything. Like a lot
of people look back and see what I did. But
to hear from gods that I looked up to, that's
all you can ever ask for.

Speaker 6 (26:41):
Yeah, and it's the truth. Like you absolutely were the
way if you took it to a whole of the level.
Like the guards that came after you were looking to
you like you're the dude. You know what I'm saying,
And that's how supposed to go. Like you said, I
looked at the Irish so from ivers In to like
Baron Davis and Steve Francis to me to then you
got d Rolls. It's a lineage, you know what I'm

(27:01):
saying to you, And then it comes you know John,
all these guys like that's how it works and that's
how it goes. It's like I always looked at it
like you know what, like I got I heard from Denzil.
If we're on a relay team, I hand you the baton.
Now it's your turn. Now you run your race. Now
you ad to the next one. And that's how we
live forever. It's the legacy, you know what I'm saying. Yeah,
So I sponsor.

Speaker 3 (27:21):
I sponsored three AU teams, right, and I have to
agree with you on some of your commons issues that
make AU Circund difficult. I drop in on my team
as much as I can their teams where their parents
are ripping our coaches, and I'm like, this is not cool.
So didn't they tell you stir out? I think DFM
that wanted me to pay their son to play for
my team.

Speaker 6 (27:39):
Wow, wow, See I ain't got that far in it.
Yet like that's my third year coaching. I'm coaching my son,
I'm coaching so many other dope kids in the city,
and I just want them to stand on principal, stand
on boroughs and stand on We can't coach them where
they are.

Speaker 5 (27:54):
We're trying to coach them where they're trying to go.
And they have a cheat code.

Speaker 6 (27:57):
Because even my coaching staff with coach Keith, Keith Smith
and Real Hennies both played D one. I think we're
on the only staffs where all three coaches played Division
one basketball, so we know how to help your kid
get there. And so that part of it where the
parents can getting away, bro, it's like if my mom.
The one thing I take pride in is my parents
never ever ever told a coach, oh, you should be

(28:18):
doing this or he should be doing that. And that
was just like local coaches, you know what I'm saying.
So I wore that with pride now looking back and
being in the space because it's like the parents can
getting away sometimes we all want the best for your kid,
Like we're stacked pricing time, money, energy, But if a
parent was like, yo, I need to pay him, Like
first off, y'all really ain't trying to chase this for

(28:39):
real because you have a cheeko with me being John
Wall and you are I'm good. I don't need the
wins and losses that way. My wiz is getting these
kids from point A to point C and hopefully they
can go further than that.

Speaker 2 (28:50):
That's like, that's why I said.

Speaker 3 (28:51):
I was like, I had to tell the parent, I'm like,
your kid out as good as I was at this age,
and I didn't get a dollar like I just played
because I love.

Speaker 2 (28:58):
To play the game.

Speaker 5 (28:59):
I love to play.

Speaker 2 (29:00):
And it's like, we don't get paid to coach these kids,
Like we don't get paid.

Speaker 5 (29:04):
To have a program. It costs us the coach.

Speaker 2 (29:05):
That's what I'm saying. That's what I was trying to
explain to people.

Speaker 6 (29:08):
It's probably one hundred thousand a year, and not not
that it has to because it's out my own pocket
because I want them to have experiences. Get my wife
team bands everywhere we go around the country. We get
the same hotels everywhere we go around the country. We
fly people with the team, not like guest person. Nothing
where they need to go. Everywhere we go on the road,
we were in out at least one place. It could
be a David Bushes, bring your mom's sister, family whoever comes,

(29:29):
free for everybody. So we just all over the country
the whole time.

Speaker 5 (29:33):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (29:33):
We're written out switees to the NBA games, you know
what I mean. Like, so I'm trying to get them
totally different. Bro, We're done FaceTime with Jay Cole Like
we're trying to get the totally different experiences. We watch field,
We're doing everything the college and pros do. We got
schedules on the road because we want them to get
that experience. We want them to see what it's really
like when you get beyond high school and you know
that's what you're really chasing. And I enjoy that you

(29:53):
say that because I was watching Ron doing all the
smoke and he broke down.

Speaker 3 (29:58):
Like they have a routine to have a schedule, watch
and film. We're taking phones. It's no going straight to
social media after the games, you know, because that's what
a lot of kids want to look to.

Speaker 2 (30:06):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (30:07):
Now you do everything is what's my highlight? Like what
did I does? Like no, no, no, So I'm glad
to speak on that and see how it is because
like I was saying before, like it's just so different
with au now because it's all about what circuit you on.
Like when I played, it was no Nike, you were Nike,
you were Rebloka, you were Adidas. But we played in
every tournament everything. We didn't care, like you couldn't if

(30:29):
you was the best player at this position. I'm playing
this guy here, Like I remember my first time going
to cat this classic. I'm playing the dual Gotti and
Avery Bradley. This when I first realized who Avery was.
I knew a duel was, but I didn't know where
Avery was. But it's just so different that these kids
want money and who what shoe deal you with? If
you don't got to shoot deal, they don't want to
play for you.

Speaker 6 (30:50):
It's crazy because I always look at it like, you
know what, I'm not saying we should all, you know,
not try to take advantage of certain situations or trying
not try to win a certain situations. But are we
playing a long game or we're playing for like a
dollar right now? Like if you can get this information,
because that's the most important thing, the information. If you
can get the information and then go apply it that's

(31:11):
life changing. That right there is gonna better chance to
make you more way more money in the long run
if you listen to it and go apply it. Then
chasing this quick dollar, Oh man, I got it. I
got a bag for five hundred. I got a bad
fifteen hundred right now. Like, if you do that, you're
gonna always tell yourself short, it's just what it is.

Speaker 5 (31:27):
The fact of that versus let me keep doing. I'm doing.

Speaker 6 (31:30):
Oh he gave me that. Doug Christie changed my life,
Gary Payton changed my life. Oh they did that. Okay,
So this is how pros work out. delG christ is
the person I've seen even using a handheld phone. Bro,
I'm like, okay, he's practical. Ankleweights on, okay, beat on.
Time you at the gym thirty minutes before. I'm like okay,
I'm looking at all these small nuggets. I didn't want
his phone number. So now fast forward, we got kids saying, nah,
forget your phone number. Yeah I know you, Jay Waller,

(31:52):
jamorro or whoever. I need a bag, bro, Like what
that's crazy, and the parents to allow that yaffling to me.

Speaker 3 (31:59):
It's skip fuck, it's skipping as well. Following Instagram, I
need some money? Did Oh my goodness, crazy.

Speaker 1 (32:08):
Bro, Jamal. You've talked about Doug Christy kind of helping
you out in your career. What's the backstory on that.

Speaker 6 (32:16):
So when I came back to so I'm from Seattle.
I moved to LA from thirteen to sixteen. Instill my dad,
my grandmother, his mom, And when I came back to Seattle,
that was like my mixtape circuit. You know what I'm saying.
I'm looking for every gym like I'm back. I left
at five to nine, I come back in sixty four.
I'm like, I'm trying to because it's before social media.
Where's the best players at I'm trying to get my

(32:37):
name back that I'm back in town, right, and so
my name started getting so loud that I start going
to Uh, you know, I played this pro am and
I played this prom based on my high school coach.
He knew him, he coached his assistant coach at the time,
same high school. And I played this prom which is
now mine. In one of my first four games, I
think I had eight points combined. They pushing me is

(32:58):
the physical error of pro and Dude, I'm playing against
David Stida May Shane Kill. But Doug really took me
under his wing and he's like, yo, you can work
out with me.

Speaker 5 (33:06):
I'm like cool.

Speaker 6 (33:07):
So if we're supposed to be at the gym is seven,
I'm there six waiting for him. I didn't call it
a bus. He don't know all this. Whatever it took.
I didn't have his phone number. So how we made
the date or playing the next day was from the gym, right,
I'll be here Wednesday at seven o'clock. I'll be there
Wednesday at six waiting for him. He knew I was serious.
I never asked him for a dollar. I'm like, yo,
just show me how to be a pro. Okay, you
got to be in the best shape. Okay, you got

(33:27):
to take care of yourself. Oh, pros are doing this. Okay,
pros are doing that age they shot sup. So I'm
learning all this and I'm watching him and for me
him saying, yo, if you do these things, you can
make it.

Speaker 5 (33:36):
Man.

Speaker 6 (33:37):
That was all I needed. It changed my life, cause
I'm like, that's my goal. I never played to like
I wasn't trying to change my life. Like I wasn't
trying to be like, oh, I need to be rich.
I need to be famous. I wanted to play against
the best like I was the ky Like yo, I'll
play the NBA to play in the NBA. I ain't tripping.
I just want to be against the best. And so
for me, that's what I was always chasing. And so
with that, when I got that pro in my life, man,

(33:59):
that changed every thing from me. So I shout out
to him, He's always gonna be the big bro.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
Yeah, that's dope, that's dope.

Speaker 1 (34:06):
I want to go back because you grew up in Seattle,
and I think in the nineties, if I'm not mistaken,
you were actually working at the Sonics Arena and we
obviously know Sean Kemp, Gary Payton era. What do you
have any interesting stories of working in the arena? Did
you have any brushes with other NBA players during that time.

Speaker 6 (34:23):
I remember at the time, one of the first days
I worked, they were about to either play Minnesota or
Minnesota have practice in the arena. So I remember Anthony
Peeter was one of the guys. I played against him
pro him maybe a year or two before. And so
you know, now I'm crazy now looking back because we've
been in arenas before. Shoot around and you can see

(34:43):
somebody working there. He may say your name, you're looking
a way up you like, I don't know, dude, you
know what I'm saying. So he probably looked at me
as a kid. He knew I was the same kid
that played against the year before. But I'm working the
arena and I used to always bring up the food
from the basement. So I would bring up the popcorn,
the cotton, candy, the peanuts, whatever from the basement and
take them the concession stands during games. So that's supposed
to be like a five to ten minute trip. But

(35:05):
after I would, you know, make my trip. I would
go to one of myles, and they weren't gonna tell
me to move. I'm slipping on the court dreaming and
looking at Gary Payton and looking at you. I'm like, damn,
I'm so close to it. Like it inspired me to
keep working, And so that ten minute trip would turn
to a thirty minute trip because I would just stay
up there and just watch, like, man, they go gp
round the court right there. You know, he's playing against

(35:25):
stephan On Mallberry right there. He's playing against my move
right there. That's crazy. He's just like here playing against
Nick bann Axel. These are heroes from me, so I
was just so close to the action. It just made
me want And I'm watching the crowd react. I'm like, man,
they're gonna be reacting for me like that one day.
They don't even know who I am right now, but
one day I'm gonna be on that same court, you
know what I'm saying. So it just inspired me to
dream and that was one of the best things. That's

(35:47):
the first job I ever had, and that was one
of the best things that happened to me because it
made me push even more. I'm like, damn, they leave it,
you know, John, they leaving the car, they leave in
the court for me. They're gonna get their fans like,
oh that's dope. That's like, it's just it's just inspired
even more. So that was the main thing for me.

Speaker 3 (36:03):
Yeah, that's fire there, cause that's like Stackhouse at his program.
Back home, they used to play the Saint No so Ill.
I used to go out there and watch it. I'm like, damn,
they got nice cars, like I'm.

Speaker 2 (36:14):
Not used to the other that.

Speaker 3 (36:15):
So that's give you another motivation, not seeing that's what
we play it for, Like you could take all that away.
I still gonna play the game just how much I
love it, but just to see it and like get
to see stars. I never get to go Team Big games.
My time seeing Bay players was at the program, you
know what I mean, Like, hopefully they come back and
play at the program, I get to see them.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
So it was always dope. When would you.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
Think Seattle get their NBA team back? Because I know
everybody itching for that. Everybody's itching for that, and like
I tell a lot of people, Seattle got a lot
of hoopers.

Speaker 5 (36:44):
A lot of a lot.

Speaker 2 (36:45):
Of people don't understand.

Speaker 3 (36:46):
I mean hoopers really up from Seattle, Like if you
really go back into your search. I've been around to
Seat a couple of times. I love being there going there.
I've been to it weekend. Shout out to him also
signing for the rest of the year. I mean, that's
great for him. But y'all got a lot of hoopers.
So when y'all, I think I'll get your NBA team back.

Speaker 6 (37:01):
Bro, you know when they left in two thousand and eight,
I think two thousands there last year, so they left
two thousand and nine, I was like, oh man, first off,
I was one of the ones that's naive, Like they
ain't going nowhere, Seattle. How are you gonna take the team?

Speaker 1 (37:12):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (37:12):
Five years. I'm like, okay, think we'll be back in
five years. Nothing.

Speaker 6 (37:16):
And so now I really think with expansion possibly happened
all that, I think we're right there. So I think
this is the time. I really believe it could be
really soon. But to your point, we have so many
Hoopers and I'm gonna tell you what's even crazy when
you really think about it. We have so many Hoopers
and most of the Hoopers came after the Sonics left. So

(37:36):
think about that. You know, in North Carolina you have Charlotte,
and you know in New Orleans you have the Pelicans.
You have all these people that you can kind of
pull from. All Zion's right there. I see him on
TV every day. It inspires me we didn't have that
for the last sixteen years. So that shows you the
importance of the pros we have in the community. It's
actually there you coming back to kick things off. Blake Griffin,

(37:59):
come in, here, comes Chris Paul, here, comes Kyrie, here
comes kd. All these guys coming in to the proram
and all these kids seeing it like now, it's believable.
We're not charging nobody. All your favorite players is right
there in front of you. That gives you a whole
different fuel. I remember maybe four years ago it was
Kyrie's last year in Boston, going to his last year
in Boston, and he hit me up, like, bro, I

(38:19):
need to get in the gym, I need to get
back right. So he came and stayed in Seattle for
a month and we worked out every day. I had
a young Pallo ben Carro in that run. Pollo was
fifteen by the end of it. Guy's like, Yo, what
college my man at. I'm like, nah, he's a high
school dollar. He's fifteen. So imagine for Polo right, who
I'm going to pick up every day? All this stuff.

(38:41):
He's playing with Kyrie, Irvan zach Lavine, de Jontey Murray.
He's in these pro runs that are secluded nobody knows about,
and he's like, man, I ain't the best player out here,
but I ain't that far away.

Speaker 5 (38:52):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (38:52):
Like I'm fifteen, it's gonna go fast, and those pros
taken interest in them. Same thing happened with John Say Murray.
He come playing my proram the not I get me
day before I get married, and he gets forty in
the prom I'm playing, everybody's playing. That's like his introduction
to everybody. Oh he's for real. That gets your whole
different fuel. So to see these pros and those guys
in zach Levine all he's got still come back. There's

(39:13):
a ninth grader right now. I can text zach Levine
like YO, can break down some film with me, and
he's gonna respond. So that's what makes our community special.
We don't have the crabs in the bucket mentality. We're
all rooting for each other. If Nate has a Bowl event,
ten of us are going. If I got a problem,
everybody's coming. If I see's doing zeke and we all there.
And that's what makes it special. And that's why we
get so many pros. And we get the Sonics back.

(39:33):
Whenever that happens, we're gonna get any more pros because
we have that same fuel.

Speaker 1 (39:36):
Yeah, that's dope, Jamo, What kind of involvement or role
would you want to play if the Sonics came back?

Speaker 2 (39:43):
Man?

Speaker 6 (39:43):
Whatever, To be honest with you, whatever, I like, I whatever,
because I wear Seattle.

Speaker 5 (39:48):
So proudly like I've been.

Speaker 6 (39:50):
You know, no matter where I was, I've never left,
and I think like I was, my feet were always
firmly playing there. I'll playing in Chicago with the Bulls.
I'm in Michigan, I'm with New York Knicks, where whatever
it was, my feet were always in Seattle, and that
gave kids a different feel too, like they could see
me all summer long in the same community centers that
they and you know, shooting around, working them out, whatever
it is. So I'll wear that so proudly. Whatever role

(40:13):
they wanted for me, I would absolutely you know, be interested.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
That's dope you were talking about. You were, You've been
a coach for the last three years. I wanted to know.
This is a two part question. Was as a kid,
ever done a move and you're like, nah, like you can't,
like done a crazy move? And then they're like, but
you're Jamal Crawford. And then two the second part, has
that ever happened to you when you're coming up where

(40:37):
you did a move and a coach is like, no,
you can't do that.

Speaker 5 (40:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (40:41):
So the first part, our team does moves all the
time where it shocks me and I'm still a fan
to be honest with you, So I'll be like I
call time out, just call tell them I was dope.
That was dope, you know what I'm saying. So I'm
that coach. And then it happens when the team people
are playing against us, well that was tough. Like you know,
I'm still a fan in honestly, I'm still so connect

(41:01):
to the kids. Yeah, I coach my team, and my
team gets the best of everything. But these kids I
play against, I follow them, dmm you shend me some
dribbling drill ski all the time. Because bro, I want
to see I want to see the sport get better.
I want to see the sport continue to grow. But
I want these kids to have a chance. And like
we talked about earlier, information is the most important thing.
It's not like you just don't you know my team,

(41:22):
You the only ones get this information. Like no, I
want to see everybody get the best chance to get
do what they want to do and live out their
dream because That's what I've done. And I feel like
on this earth, honestly, I'm here. I finally figure out
I'm here to be a service to people like I'm
here to be an absolute service.

Speaker 5 (41:35):
I've been blessed. Man.

Speaker 6 (41:36):
I got to bless as many people as I can,
whether they play for me, they don't, whether we never
cross past, they may hear a message, they may see
something online. And that's my job here while I'm on Earth.
But the second part, like, what was the second part?
Sorry you ask the second part?

Speaker 4 (41:50):
I went on.

Speaker 1 (41:50):
The second part was have you ever done a move
in practice?

Speaker 6 (41:53):
And yeah, honestly, my first coach, coach bug shout out
to him. We still see how to coach right now.
And I just asked him this many a year ago
because I remembered it partly, and I remember I was
eight years old playing for him. Were doing coach two
line labs and everybody kids are struggling to get up there.
My first lap, I remember doing a jelly before y'all

(42:13):
called it, we called it jelly. I was doing a
backwards like left and I said, coach, I just asked
me a year ago. I said, coach, you remember my
first lap. It is like a backward like reverse labt
He said yeah, but you're forgetting the party. And it
came back to me, said you were behind the back
and then you get the backwards lab. At eight years old,
and I was like, dangn He was like, but I
never wanted to take that from me. He's like, because
you are the way you played, And my dad told

(42:35):
me it's too. I wasn't playing to be a hot
dogs what they used to call it. I just played
like I just got a ball, and it felt like
the ball just made me do these certain things and
I wasn't trying to do it. But my dad was like,
you're gonna play like that, you better own it. So
I just mastered my flow. I just mastered it because
I'm like, I want to play the same way with
La Fitness as I do at the playground, as I

(42:55):
do in front of twenty thousand, and I just mastered
my flow. And I think the best can do that.
I think the best players in the NBA can all
make themselves play like they did in high school. I
feel like high school is the most free. It was
the most like dominant. It was the most everything when
you were just won. Everything was the line. I feel
like the best players in the NBA can do that,
and they go through stretches of it before they may

(43:15):
have to go to a role or whatever it might be,
but they could do that at the highest level against
the best players, and that's what makes it special.

Speaker 3 (43:23):
Yeah, it just be a lot of that. Just be
off instincts though you ain't predetermined. Like I always tell people,
I just play off instincts. Like my behind the back move.
I never practice it. I just tried it when they
were like, oh shit, this is dope.

Speaker 2 (43:34):
It's dope. It's just all instincts, bro. You just play.

Speaker 3 (43:36):
It's free flowing, and like you said, you just find
your realm, you find your dance move, you find your wave,
and it's like if you stop, you stop it.

Speaker 5 (43:43):
I got account for it, I got a counter for it.

Speaker 6 (43:45):
But see, you're articulating and breaking down things that people
feel as complex in the easiest form. But as to
how you play, it's exactly how you play, Like we
didn't know what you were gonna do, Like we really didn't,
and that's what's crazy. And then when you get behind it,
you'd almost speed up as you did it to make
people really like, go for it, And it's just for you,
it's just natural. And that's why you're one of those

(44:06):
ones that have that gift. You have the quand right
like you could do stuff that is extraordinary and make
it look ordinary.

Speaker 3 (44:13):
Yeah, so we're gearing up for what we call the
best basketball the season in the playoffs. So because we're
gonna ask you, who are you excited to watch and
who do you want to see in a game seven series?

Speaker 6 (44:24):
Man, I'm excited to watch Phoenix and because they've been
struggling so much, I've been saying for the longest ending
of the point guard, and not to take away from
anybody else, but to add to what those guys do.
And the thing about it is, you have Ktie, you
got Book, you got Brad, and yeah, they can all
hail the ball, but they all are.

Speaker 5 (44:40):
Sacrificing to some degree as well.

Speaker 6 (44:42):
If you had a point guard like no, now, y'all
Brad and hit three in a row, we going right there,
and then y'all play out for that, just to give organization,
I feel like that's what they're kind of missing.

Speaker 5 (44:50):
So that's all.

Speaker 6 (44:50):
I was really happy to see them signs Isaiah because
I know how he thinks the game. He decided to
get the opportunity. But that's what they need to address.
And it ain't got to be the guy who started.
It could be the guy who comes off the bench
and plays with those guys organizers and those fourth quarter leagues.
They were giving up for a long time in the season,
like Noah, y'all, we got to go right here and
just give like be a conductor, you know what I'm saying,
and put those guys a guy they respect that can

(45:10):
kind of put them like, all right, you know John
said this or Zeke said this, so let's roll with it.

Speaker 5 (45:15):
We respect him, so he's you know, it's about the team.

Speaker 6 (45:17):
So I look forward to those guys in the playoffs
because I feel like they could be a tough out
if they kind of get together.

Speaker 5 (45:23):
Denver's gonna be tough. You know. They're so connected and
now they know their style works.

Speaker 6 (45:28):
Before they were, you know, they were doing it like damn, okay,
we get playoff success, we would win it. Now they
won it with that style, you know. So it's kind
of tough and jokers working backwards. And he's one of
the most dominant players who doesn't care about scoring. So
that's the trick in itself, you know what I'm saying.
Like Gary, it's scary because he's playing and I always
say this, he's not just playing against the players, He's
playing against the coach. You know what I'm saying, Like

(45:49):
he's like, oh you do that, I'll counter with this.
He's not even worried about the guy can't.

Speaker 2 (45:54):
It's just crazy how I think, like he would dominate
a game to shoot the ball four times.

Speaker 5 (45:59):
Come on, bro, who does start too selfish? You know
what I'm saying.

Speaker 6 (46:03):
I know, let me let me kee these ky as
a boy, he's he's something totally different. So I'll look
forward to them as well.

Speaker 3 (46:10):
I think I think, I think the seven game series
is gonna be I think it's gonna go seven. I
don't know, but now they got it locked in, the
Clippers versus the MAVs gonna be exciting, das.

Speaker 2 (46:19):
I think they locked it in.

Speaker 3 (46:20):
So I want to get my popcorn ready to watch
that because you know the history they have, Like you know,
I mean, sure Clippers haven't been healthy most of the time,
but then Lucer dominates them.

Speaker 2 (46:30):
Then they have their Big three, then you have Luke
and Kyrie. That's figuring it out. Now.

Speaker 6 (46:34):
See they're playing now, they're not playing your turn, my turn.
They're playing with flow and they care for each other.
This is the one of the first times obviously, Jaylen
Brussell was there as well, but I think even Luca
has a different respect for Kai because he loves Jaylen
Brust Jail. Brussell was nice, he loved him. But Kay's
doing stuff for Lucas in the game, like, no, this
is crazy, Like he's excused. They both are bro Yeah, exactly.

(46:57):
This is the first time we've heard Lucas say, Shoot,
he's the batman, I'm the rocket, you know what I'm saying.
So that just shows you the respect that he has
for them. So they're gonna be a tough enout and
I think Kyrie will be even better in the playoffs
because the game who's him and slows down and now
all the things, all the things you think you think
you know about somebody's mannerisment he doesn't have. He's like us,
He don't have that pattern, you know what I'm saying.

(47:18):
So there's no way to guard him like that. And
he's that one miss match. So that's gonna be a fun, right.
I don't getting popery may go seven, You're absolutely right now.

Speaker 2 (47:27):
That's what I think, Mike Go seven.

Speaker 3 (47:28):
And I'm trying to sneak myself to one of the
games because I definitely have to see that Anywerson.

Speaker 5 (47:32):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you gotta have to go see I
want a person that'd be crazy.

Speaker 2 (47:35):
Yeah, that's gonna be a good.

Speaker 1 (47:36):
One, Jamal, I know you got to get out of here.
We appreciate your time. I wanted to ask one more question.
I knew I wanted to ask this ever since I
was like, we got this podcast because we talk about
it a lot. King of the Court won on one tournament.
If the NBA ever implements it now everyone talks about
who would win it now, But I want to know
if they had it back in your prime, do you
think he could have took it all.

Speaker 6 (47:56):
I'm gonna be honest with you. I don't think I
could have took it all, but I think I would
have shocked a lot of people, you know what I mean, Like,
I don't think I.

Speaker 5 (48:02):
Would have wanted who would have stopped you? Man?

Speaker 6 (48:04):
You got Kobe, you got kd You know what I'm saying,
Like you would almost have to do like weight classes
like in boxing, this is a six heavyweight middleight exactly
now now that that improves my chances like six or
five and under that type stuff. But Kobe bro I
just people forget and I'm glad some people are like,
you know, speaking up for him, of people forget how

(48:25):
to dominate. Kobe was like he was so dominant, and
he was so prepared, and he was fearless. He didn't
care about failing. That's the thing that really separated him.
And so any challenge, we knew he was gonna take
that challenge head on. It wasn't gonna be no run,
it wasn't gonna be no high, it was't gonna be
no excuses. It was gonna be because he did it
or he didn't do it, and he's gonna figure out
how to get it done. So I think Kobe and

(48:47):
everybody in there pining Kobe would win a one on
one contact.

Speaker 2 (48:50):
Yeah, yeah, because you gotta think he's gonna guard. He
don't care about guarden.

Speaker 3 (48:53):
He's gonna go guard like you see him in the Olympics,
and then on guard like that. And then on top
of that, you can't stop him off fence. He's making
tough shots, so he's making that's the scave part. And
then you're only playing three dribbles. A lot of guys
don't have a lot of ship rib.

Speaker 6 (49:08):
And he's mastered that in three dribbles. You know what
I'm saying. But see, I ain't gonna gard like that.
I ain't gonna hold you. I'm not gonna guard like
that like i'ma I'm gonna put my hand up if
FA can test, I'm not gone like.

Speaker 2 (49:19):
Bro, hey more, I got one last question for you, Leeves.

Speaker 3 (49:21):
So I'll be watching on T T and I just
got to ask, like, how is it working with Shaq
Canni parking the crew?

Speaker 2 (49:26):
Like I see y'all be having fun, man.

Speaker 6 (49:28):
We'll be having so much fun. And left Coat is
an ultimate point guard. Canvas is brilliant, like she's a
brilliant basketball mind. And Shaq's a shock and Shaq, bro,
there's nobody like Shock. You can't duplicate it. You don't
know what he's gonna do. He may come out with
a wig, he may come out with the steven a
stiff drawn online in his mind.

Speaker 5 (49:45):
He might he might do anything. Bro.

Speaker 6 (49:47):
He broke he break danced his intro the other day
when he was on it like he Shack is a
one of one and I love him.

Speaker 5 (49:53):
I'm I'm honored to work with him.

Speaker 6 (49:55):
To be honest with you, because Canvas is the goat,
Like basketball women's basketball players. Me like, seriously, there's only
one go to me, and she is that in Shack
and Shack and left Co is the rising star like
in this business. So for me, Bro, it's dope. It's dope.
It's a blessing, it really is. Because I didn't think
i'd be doing this at all. I didn't know what
I was gonna be doing after Hooper, you know what
I'm saying. But to do this it's a blessing. So
I'm honored every Tuesday night we all do.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
So you never thought about going to broadcasting after Hoopy?

Speaker 6 (50:20):
Bro, I took you know, in the summer, they take class.
I never took a class like I honestly, I was
gonna be a gym. I thought I was gonna be
in the front office, and I actually got seven offers
to be in the front office after I retired. But
once I figured out I had to move, I'm like,
now I'm locked in my family and my son.

Speaker 5 (50:34):
I'm coaching here. Now I'm cool.

Speaker 6 (50:36):
So TV is like, just come up, pop on and
a few appearances led to getting that seat, Bro, And
it's crazy how it works. And now I'm calling game
and that's dope. Dot Com, sighline reporting, like hosting Crawford's Council.
Now it's just now, I want to be as good
in this space as I was in basketball. That's dope
as hell because I thought I would have thought you
took the classes and all that, because like the same
mindset you had is like I want to be like

(50:57):
a GM and ship because I like I just saying,
like some people like just because you nice and I'm nice,
don't mean to mesh together, you know what I mean,
Like you got to know the background of it.

Speaker 3 (51:05):
A lot of people don't. But like you said, you
got to do all the moving. I don't think I'm
with all that, especially what you're coaching your son and
you got your family, you and your base where you
comfortable with.

Speaker 2 (51:13):
Like, that's a lot to deal with.

Speaker 5 (51:16):
That's a lot.

Speaker 6 (51:16):
And I think I got the perfect balance of being
home and still being on TV, you know what I'm saying,
and not where I have to give up my home
base because nothing's more important than that. So that's first
and foremost. But now it goes to a Seattle team
down here, you know what I'm saying, So it all depends.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
Then you get in front off a job. There were cool,
we cool straight exactly.

Speaker 1 (51:36):
Sure, Jamal, appreciate you for coming on man, keep killing
and everything you're doing. We'll be watching. This's been point
game and we're back after the break.

Speaker 5 (51:44):
Yes, sir, thank y'all.

Speaker 1 (51:50):
Welcome back to Point Game with John Wall and CJ Toldonnald.
Presented by DraftKings as a reminder, Bucketer Brick is brought
to you by Draft Kings sports Book. DraftKings sports Book
is your home for all things NBA action, from player
props to same game parlays. Check out everything DraftKings Sportsbook
has to offer to make your NBA experience even sweeter.
The crown is yours as usual. I'm gonna make a

(52:11):
statement here in Bucketer Brick. And if you say Bucket, John,
that means you agree. And if you say Brick, that
means you disagree, and then you explain why. So you
ready for this?

Speaker 2 (52:20):
Yep, yep, yep?

Speaker 5 (52:21):
All right?

Speaker 1 (52:22):
So this is playoff theme mostly so the first one
we're gonna go with here. One of the most interesting
playoff matchups coming up, and you mentioned it at the
top of the show, MAVs versus the Clippers. So the
current odds to win the series are even, so if
you bet one hundred and ten dollars, you can win
one hundred if you pick the winner. So John Bucketer
Brick the Clippers are gonna win the series versus the MAVs.

Speaker 3 (52:42):
For me, I say Brick just because I don't know
the status of what Kawhi Leonard is, right you know
what I mean? Like, I just don't notice status if
how well he's feeling and how many games he can
play or how many games he might miss. So that's
the biggest thing up in air for me, because if
he's healthy, y'all would take the Clippers for sure, you know,
I mean, you know how specially is. But also it's
tough to say because the way Luke and Kyrie has

(53:05):
figured how to play with each other and the pieces
they added have ben spectaculars. So in that series, I
take the MAVs just because I don't know the status
of what Kawhi Leonard is right now?

Speaker 1 (53:13):
What do the Clippers look like in terms in your
mind on going on a run. If Kawhi ends up
getting the full strength and that that Clippers team stays healthy.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
I think they can do something.

Speaker 3 (53:23):
Specially, they have all the pieces, you know, I mean
they have a great floor general and James and getting
them orchestrated and run their team on the hell of
a coach in TLU that makes the right changes and
adjustments throughout the game. But you know, the biggest thing
that everybody always going to say, and it's been the
Clippers say so or down for the last couple of years,
is healthy. I mean, like, can PG stay healthy, Can
Kawhi stay healthy? King James stay healthy. If they can

(53:45):
do that, I feel like they can match up with anybody.
They got the firepower to score, they have the ability
of one of the best coach in the league to me,
and also they have the defense, are tangibles and control
they need to control. So you know what I mean,
we say the same things every year about them. I mean,
I just hopefully they can all stay healthy. That's what
you want for everybody. I want no injuries throughout the
whole playoffs and hopefully you can just get the great

(54:05):
matchups that everybody want to see and get great basketball.
I mean, injuries are the part of the game that
we don't like to see, and it can change a
team going to the finals, a team winning championship. I mean,
it's all about luck, and it's all about health, and
hopefully we can have a good playoff series throughout the
whole playoffs of nobody having injuries and see these great
teams battle it out, and I think you might see

(54:25):
a lot of series go six or seven. To me,
that's how I look at it from the standpoint of
what the matches we have right now?

Speaker 1 (54:31):
Yeah for sure. Okay, moving on, And we were talking
about earlier in the show too, and why was so
important like sort of the seeding race at the end here.
So the Warriors are the ten seed, but they've been
hot end of the season, but Bucket or Brick, the
Warriors will make the playoffs. So they gotta win two,
I gotta win. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (54:51):
So yeah, no, it's a good one.

Speaker 3 (55:04):
I say, Bucket, I say Bucker that I know we
know what Steph Curry can get into when it's lock
in mode, you know what I mean. So I feel
like he would get there IFL Klay Thompson found this
rhythm back since he's been back in the starting lineup
and Wiggins hasn't been playing great for them later, I
think that's the key for them. If we can play
well for them, I get them going into the playoffs
for sure.

Speaker 1 (55:25):
Yeah, we were talking about it, like all these guys
are sort of like a ligning right now getting their
games back. They not only could make the playoffs, but
they could make a run. Like they're they're close to
full strength.

Speaker 2 (55:35):
Yeah, Kamika's coming back.

Speaker 3 (55:36):
Like they started a guy tray Jackson Davis and put
him at the center position and give him some high
Draymond at the four ageating certain matchups. So I mean
any day, like you never could count them out, like
the year they won a championship against Hisselfchiaus.

Speaker 2 (55:48):
Nobody thought they would make it that far, you know
what I mean.

Speaker 3 (55:50):
But when you got a guy like Steph Curry, you
have a pression like Draymond that fits into their team.
Is basically they they leader, their toughness, their energy guy
they iq that he brings for their team. And then
Clay flying his rhythm. They're scary team, you know what
I mean, because you know Stephan Clay can get hot
at any moment, and they attract so much attention offensively
that the other guys can get going and they making shots.

(56:12):
They're a tough team to deal with.

Speaker 1 (56:14):
How do you think they match up against the Thunder
who you have like an incredibly you know, Vetfield Star
team versus the Oks Thunders.

Speaker 3 (56:22):
They match up well, you know what I mean, Like,
no matter who you match up with, Shaye, SHA's being
Shaye all year, no matter He's been spectacled all year.
So no matter who matches though with him, He's gonna
do his thing. It's just about stopping other guys, I mean,
not letting the other guys get going. But they coach
then they all of a job. Shae makes the right plays.
Guys are making shots. I think they're one of the
best three point shooting teams in the league. They're great defensively.

(56:43):
Check Hogrim has had a hell of a rookie season,
you know what I mean. But I feel like the
year that he didn't play, he got opportunity to be
around the game, understand the game a lot more, watch
a lot of film, be around the guys. So he
really came into it as he's been in his second year,
not his first year, you know what I mean. So
he has let experience blocking shots, being able to pick
him pop. So he brings something to the team that
a lot of teams don't have. But we have to

(57:04):
wait and see.

Speaker 1 (57:05):
Yeah, okay, all right, next one here, it might be
a pack first team All NBA UH list this year.
So bucker to Brick. Jalen Brunson should be first team
All NBA this season. Yeah, Brick, I gotta go break
who's making it over him?

Speaker 3 (57:20):
I gotta go Brick. He's had a hell of a year.
Jalen Brunson's special, She's crafty, he's gifted.

Speaker 2 (57:26):
Uh, But you gotta.

Speaker 3 (57:28):
Go Shay and Luca, Like, yeah, come on, bro, Luca
leading the league and scoring, he's being spectacled like he
was on a stretcher with thirty point trim of doubles,
like the most thirty point triper doas. I guess like
this year in a row, could have kept it going.
And then Shane's just been Shay. He has with fifty
fifty thirty point games this year, So he didn't score
fifty so many thirty every so many times. So I

(57:51):
just Jaylen Brunt the second team. I mean, it's always
hard because you have so many great guys and so
many gifted guards in this league. But it's like, you know,
I mean, he put his team second in the East,
for sure, But Shay's been doing all ye day and
then one in the West, and then Luca has his
team there, so I put Jalen second team for sure.

Speaker 1 (58:08):
Though, Okay, interesting, all right, last one. I don't know
if you saw this last night in the Rockets game,
but Bobon was taking free throw shots, and they have
like a promo where if a team on the posing
team missed two free throws, they get free chickens. So
it looked like Bobon he was kind of, you know,
signaling to the crowd that watched this, I'm gonna miss

(58:29):
the second one, and he missed it and won the
free chickens. So I guess put yourself in that position
if you could give the opposing team a free prize
or whatever, would you miss that, you know, second shot
if it didn't matter last game of the season.

Speaker 2 (58:43):
Uh oh no.

Speaker 3 (58:44):
I want my points for sure, and then I want
my free throw percentage to be good.

Speaker 2 (58:48):
But I also seen him do a jump.

Speaker 3 (58:49):
Ball with his Avier Moon, and his Avier Moon won
a jump ball, so that was pretty interesting too.

Speaker 1 (58:54):
Have you do you have any interesting stories with Bobon
or you know, come across him in the league. He's
a he's a really.

Speaker 3 (59:00):
Really I've seen him I've watched him play, I've been
around him, but I haven't been on a team with
him or nothing like that. But everybody I know say
he's a great guy.

Speaker 2 (59:07):
It's cool.

Speaker 3 (59:08):
I know he's Inny, one of the John Wick movies,
so when I've seen that, I was surprised to see that, say,
what the hell big bobo out here doing fighting John Wick.

Speaker 2 (59:16):
But yeah, I'm not missing it.

Speaker 3 (59:17):
I need my free thumpercentage to be good and I
ain't trying to need my points.

Speaker 1 (59:21):
Yeah, I think Boban was a perfect guy to do that.
He's a man of the people, but like.

Speaker 3 (59:25):
Yeah, and he doesn't play as much, so he's probably like,
you know what, it's cool, I ain't tripping.

Speaker 1 (59:30):
Is it important to have a guy like that on
the squad? Who?

Speaker 3 (59:32):
Yeah, I think everybody has a guy like that on
their team. I mean like a great locker room guy,
just a great guy to be around, supports the team.
Really don't care if you play or not, just happy
to be in the league, Just happy to be around
the guys and bring that type of energy. I think
every team has it. And you could just tell.

Speaker 1 (59:48):
All right, John, As always, I appreciate you dropping your
knowledge on the podcast. Any any last notes to give
our fans and listeners as we had in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (59:57):
Here, I'm locked in. I mean we're some great some
great podcast shows coming up. Man, we can't I can't
wait to talk about playout basketball. Like I say, this
is like NCAA tournament. Jes you gotta win four games
instead of one, you know, I mean one game elimination.

Speaker 2 (01:00:11):
But it's exciting.

Speaker 3 (01:00:12):
You get to see guys lock in, compete against a
team where everybody knows your plays, knows what you want
to do. Which players can make the adjustment to help
their team win, Which coaches can make the adjustments they
have their team win. And it's like war, Man, you
going to war. You gotta go battle it, go get it.

Speaker 4 (01:00:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:00:28):
Stuff means something now, Okay, all right. This has been
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