John Wall on Calipari Leaving, Trevor Ariza on Winning a Title with Kobe and the Lakers

John gives his opinions on John Calipari leaving Kentucky to become the head coach at Arkansas and what it means for the future of both programs. He also discusses the Men's and Women's NCAA title games, and if Dawn Staley could be a good candidate for the Kentucky job. Trevor Ariza joins the show and they talk about Trevors legendary high school days in LA, winning an NBA title with the Lakers and what Trevor learned from Kobe that he brought to John on the Wizards.

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to Point Game with John Wall and CJ Toldonnald,
presented by DraftKings. Don't forget DraftKings is your home for
all the action across the NBA and gets you closer
to the game. We all love. The crown is yours.
It's gonna get some business out the way. Later in
the show, we're gonna have John's former teammate in two
thousand and nine NBA champion, Trevor Reza joining us. But

(00:28):
I've been excited. I haven't talked to John here since
some major news broke out a couple of days ago.
So I just want to introduce John John Wall, our
co host on the show Point Game. John, How you
doing man?

Speaker 2 (00:41):
I'm great, man.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
I got opportunities to I went to Cabo for a
little vacation, the business trip. Now I went to the
backdowns All American game in Houston, and now I'm back here,
back in Miami, sitting down relaxing for a little bit.
I ain't traveling tall go watch my AU team play
and decided to get back to the podcast. I mean,

(01:03):
we took two weeks off, so we're gonna make up
for some time we missed. But I'm excited to be
back and just get to talk about a lot of
news and great things that's been going on.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Yeah, man, I mean, you know, one of the reasons
why I was like, we got to do a podcast
with you is because when big things in basketball happen,
there's always a good chance that it's going to relate
back to you. Now what I was alluding to him
for Coach Cal, let's talk about it. Coach call announced.
I think it was a couple of days ago, and
it's now official that he is going to be the

(01:33):
new coach at Arkansas. So leaving Kentucky. What was your
reaction to the news. Give us the lowdown, what what's
going on.

Speaker 3 (01:43):
It wasn't too shocking to me because just the way,
like you know what, I mean, they lost, They lost
the game to Oakland, and you start hearing out the
news do get rid of Cal?

Speaker 2 (01:50):
We need to get rid of Cal. We need this,
we need that.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
And I think, like you said in his h his
last message to Blue Nation, I mean, it was his
dream job. Then me have opportunity to come to experience
everything he has done. Everybody know how big Kentucky basketball is.
It was big before he got there, But I feel
like he took it to a whole nother level, you
know what I mean, having a lot of guys come
in and be number one recruits, number one recruiting classes,

(02:15):
a lot of five star guys coming there, so many
guys that's in the NBA. I think, well, he had
seven eight guys that was in an All Star Game
this year, a lot of number one picks that came
through there. And you know, a lot of people based
their legacy off championships. You I mean, championship are great,
don't get me wrong, Like everybody wants to win them,
and I feel like every school wants to win him.
For him, I think it was just that was his

(02:35):
ultimate goal, but it was bigger than it also, you know,
I mean he built so many great relationships with people
in Kentucky, with all the parents, the kids that played
for him, and you just see the love. If you
go into the comments all the kids that you're gonna
have some haters, you gonna have some people that really
respect and love what he did for him. Well, for me,
it's sad to seemly. You know, I'm still a part
of Kentucky. I'm still gonna be Big Blue Nation year mean,

(02:55):
that's the school. They gave me opportunity to play on
the highest level and college basketball d one one of
the biggest schools ever, and didn'tet opportunity to go to
the MBAK, you know. I mean, that's always family me.
I have dy Jersey tat on me. I'm in the
Hall of Fame. So it's always loving support with Kentucky
and that's never gonna change from that. But I'm always
going to support cal too, no matter what school's he at.

(03:17):
And I think he just, like he said, it was
just time, you know what I mean, Like it's sad
to see a breakup like that happened, but I think
it was just time. You could see it and hearing
his voice like he had like a lot more joy.
He's getting that excitement back now and he getting the
start fresh. I mean, like you said, sometimes you need
a new fresh start, even though you might want to
be with that person instead of with that person. I

(03:37):
think he needed a fresh start and he's doing what's
best for him and his family. And I just feel
like it's gonna be a lot of pressure to whoever
get the next job of Kentucky kind of live up
to what he did.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
You.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
I mean it might not be the championships, but all
the other things that he brought to the university.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
I think it's gonna be special.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
But uh, I think, uh the ad Mitch Bonnhardt gonna
do a great job just trying to find somebody new,
find somebody else to come in and keep the legacy
going to building can But Augusta as got a great
when they coach Cale, and I think they're super super excited.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Yeah, and we'll talk about maybe you know, who could
fill that spot. But like I think there were you know,
there were a couple of weeks there when people are
you know, I think some reports are coming out that
Cal staying and in a lot of this news, it's
like you said, you weren't shocked. It makes sense. So
like let's go back to a couple of weeks ago
when when it was looking like Cow was gonna stay.

(04:26):
Was there any thought to you in your head of like, man,
while you staying, Like it's a lot of pressure, You've
done a lot in like the UK fans want championships,
but like you know, so were you in your head
like thinking about that possibility that this could happen.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yeah, for sure, Like I mean, like as simple as
this man, Like it's all what have you donely, like
you know, any part of business doing? That's what have
you done for me lately? And I think you want
to be wanted, you know, I mean, you want to
feel the love, you want the support, You want to
be wanted where you are. And I think that void
had just went away with the last four years of
how things that went in the tournament, not going far,

(05:03):
having certain ubstances against certain teams. I think like the
fan base just got annoy it. But it's interesting because,
like I said before, it's like everybody praising them for
what he was doing didn't stop raising him. I mean,
so it's a gifting the curse. But at the same time,
now when he decided, oh I might take this Arkansas job,
now you hear all the fans like, no, we don't
want to leave, we want out to stay. But like
you kind of pushed them out, you know what I mean,

(05:23):
Like you kind of gave them the void to it.
Like we if I'm not feeling the love and support
I've been getting for the last fifteen years when I
came here in two thousand and nine twenty ten, what
am I staying for you know. I mean I think
he found that he's found his happenings back because I
think if you just watch it, every coach wants to win.
Like the difference is he has a lot of young guys.
I mean, but he makes no excuses. He keep up

(05:44):
a couple of veteran guys, a lot of young guys.
When you look at most of the team that's winning,
they got juniors, they got seniors, they got fifth year seniors,
sometimes six year seniors because you get those extra years
because of the redshirt of COVID. And I mean not
too many teams going there with a lot of freshmen
to go in. I mean it's hard. It's very difficult.
Me never in that spotlight. You really don't know what
that march madness feeling is. Like, I mean, it's one

(06:06):
game is over and then when the buzzy hit you like, damn,
my season is over. I mean, so it's different. But
like I said, I'm happy for him whatever he feels
best for him and his family. You know, he always
got a lot of love for me from a lot
of players that play for him. I know, the University
of Kentucky, Lovelm, the Big Blue Nation fans still love him.
It's just now you gotta wait and see who's going
to be next, Like who's going to fill the void?

Speaker 1 (06:27):
Yeah, you said you talked to him very recently, and
any tidbits you can share that that may have not
been said by him or by the meat at all.

Speaker 3 (06:38):
No, I talked to him yesterday. I just said with something, coach,
how you doing? I mean, just checking on it. I mean,
because God thinks somewhere you've been for fifteen years that's home.
It's like, well you've been. You built so many great relationships,
you have done so many great things for university. So
just start over and start fresh as something new. But
and just in his voice, you get hear the excitement,
like you know what I mean, You get a new
opportunity to start freshing. He's loved over there, he's got

(07:01):
the support, he got the fan base that wants him.
So it's sometimes you have to make that move, and
sometimes you don't want to break have that breakup. But
like you said, I feel like it was needed. They
need a new voice at Kentucky, and he had an
opportunity to go get a new jobs. So I'm not
mad at him that you got to do his best
for you at any day now.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
I you know, before this, I mean, yeah, it's been
fifteen years. Coach was at Memphis National Championship there or
went to the National Championship and you know, went to
Kentucky and went far, you know, one in twenty twelve.
Do you think you know? But like mainly I think
the big thing people know calas you know, he gets
his players prepared for the NBA. Now that he's going
to Arkansas, a team that necessarily we don't see go

(07:41):
very far in the tournament. Do you think his his
sort of coaching initiatives or like approach to coaching changes
at all or is he still you know, you go
to get NBA ready with coach.

Speaker 3 (07:50):
Cal Nope, I think nothing changes and he still loved
the coach. And I think that's the reason one reason
why he made the movies, because he's not going to
change how he coached.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
He's not going to change. He's not gonna change his style.

Speaker 3 (08:01):
We have to understand he was the one that done
king when coaches was scared to do they want to done,
you know what I mean, Like people were terrified as
being that one to done. He started the one that
done there like he got it going, and then you
started to see the guys at Duke and all these
other great schools started to be wanted done, you know.
I mean people was terrified that at first you had
to do two years or three years. I mean, because

(08:21):
it was so many great talents before he started that
should have been one of done. Easily could have won
one of done. But I think I think that's another
big reason why he made the movies, like, yeah, I
want to win championships.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, I want to go far in the tournament. Truch
everybody does.

Speaker 3 (08:34):
I don't think no coach sits there and say, yeah,
I got one of them players, But I don't care
about winning. You still want to win, you know what
I mean. But a Kentucky's a lot of press state.
They want to hang banners. They don't care about what
the rector is, the record is. They want to go
far in the tournament, you know what I mean. The last
couple of years haven't been that for him, and I
think they kind of started to get to the fans
and they wanted things to change. And I mean, sometimes

(08:54):
you're stuck in your waist. But I think he does
a great job of what he does and hopefully keep
doing great things at Arkansas. And I feel like he's
going to keep the same trend going there he had
when he had Kentucky. Jess arkasas me because like I
think he did it at Memphis.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, it's not like he didn't have a trend where
he already had it going.

Speaker 3 (09:13):
Like who's really going to Memphis before coach Kyle with
the Memphis Right, you see what I'm saying, Like who
was going to you Max before he went to U
Mass Right? I mean like great players were going to
Kentucky regards before coach Kyle got it done, get me wrong,
but then they had a downfall for a couple of years.
I mean in I t a couple of years, it's
not making a tournament. Then boom, Kyle come back. You
got team like us come in. You get five five

(09:34):
five star recruits coming in, five guys going in the
first round. You start off eighteen and oh you know
what I mean, the next year you bring the recruiting
classes Brandon Knight and Dawn Limb and Tan I mean,
you bring those guys in. Then the following year, Ad
and them come you win the championship, I mean, so
it's just like he has a trend, and I think
what he brings to the game and what he brings
the college basketball is going to continue to go. And

(09:55):
I think Kentucky lost a great one, but we never
know who they can replace him hopefully do a great
job also.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
Man, so I just got like chills a little bit
because I'm like, Coachkal isn't just gonna have like you know,
he's gonna bring some guys over there, right, there's gonna
be he's gonna want to come out out the gate
on fire, like you we might see another eighteen o.
Like what what do you expect from that? That program.

Speaker 2 (10:18):
I really don't know too much about the school.

Speaker 3 (10:20):
I know they, I mean it's a basketball for they
and the sec that football school.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
Also.

Speaker 3 (10:23):
Don't get me wrong, they have other great sports, but
I don't really know the history about it anything. But
I just think he's going to keep the same trend going.
I don't think nothing stops here for him. I mean,
I think it's a different place I've been in Kentucky
where you have those crazy fan base that's probably the
best in the country for me. Yeah, but uh, he's
gonna bring Town wherever he goes, Like, I don't think
town is going to not want to mess with coach Kyle.

(10:44):
I think they're going to continue to want to deal
with them. The pedigree he bring, the area he brains.
I think it's just great for God's basketball.

Speaker 1 (10:52):
So let's talk about the huge coaching vacancy over at Kentucky. Now,
are there some names that you like? Are there some
names that you're saying and that you could see there
like talk about, you know, some specific names and maybe
even just like what type of coach do you need
over there at Kentucky now to you know, pick up
on some winning ways.

Speaker 3 (11:10):
I just hope they get a great coach. That's the
university I went to. I want them to continue to
be good man. I want to continue to support them.
I want to continue to be able to go to games.
Whoever the new coach come. I want to be able
to bild a relationship with him so to have the
opportunity to come back and steal use the facility when
I work out, you know, I mean come around and
be around the team and go to practices and go
to games and support I'm always going to continue to
do that because that place is like home to me.

(11:32):
I mean, even though coach guys separated, that's still the
place I call home. That's where I went to college.
That's where I left high school and learned how to
be a man on another level to prepare me for
the NBA show. Whoever they get a hope is great.
Hope I can build a relationship with them and hope
as a guy that can get them to where they
want to get to and win more championships.

Speaker 1 (11:50):
Yeah, I want to talk about the women's tournament in
the championship too, But as a segue, people are even
throwing Don Stealely's name into coaching Kentucky. You think we
ever do you think Don could handle that job and
succeed or do you think we'll ever see something like that?

Speaker 2 (12:06):
Man?

Speaker 3 (12:06):
The way the game is growing from women and men,
and you never know, you know, I mean, I think
Lindsay Hardy has the opportunity to get an interview for
the head coaching job. So just to see like these
coaches breaking, these women coaches breaking the record of just
being G League coaches, being assistant coach on the NBA teams.
You know, even in the NFL you have coaches women
coaches on the sideline, Like I think that's great for

(12:27):
the game. And Don Staley's a goat, you know what
I mean, Like from being a player to coaching and
what they thinks she's done in a short amount of time,
it has been amazing. I mean, so it's a lot
of supporting. You just see the love, Like that's the
type of love you want your players to have. You
like to play for your coach, and I mean like
they love everything about don the way she carries herself,
the way she is as the person, the way she

(12:49):
believe in God, the way she prepares them. She does
at a high level. I mean, so you have to
respect everything Don Staley does. But what she has going
to Sycolna is up to her. If she wanted to leave,
I bet she You get a lot of opportunities, and
I think she will eventually get opportunity to coach min
that you want to. I mean, I think it just
all depends on what she wants. But she's a hell
of a coach, a hell of a person, and I

(13:10):
respect her.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
Let's talk about that national championship even in the final
four too, your general reaction. Let's sum it up, like
from that final four that we saw the Iowa Yukon game.
You know, Uh, South Carolina took care of business pretty
easily in that second half to go to the National Championship.
Same story. I think for the National Championship you called
South Carolina. Was there any I guess, any doubt in

(13:32):
your mind in those last two games where you're like, oh,
it could be somebody else.

Speaker 3 (13:37):
I just think Ayoa had a chance, you know what
I mean? They beat him last year, you know what
I mean? And they come in with a whole new
team from last year. I think the biggest separation was
it their defensive game plan on Kaylan car was amazing.
She miss shots though, don't get me wrong, but the
girl Raymond Johnson played great defense.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
Yeah, I mean she she.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Had a revenge tour from last year and me been
on the team and then losing in the final four,
I think it was big for them. But I think
the separation of the whole tire game was and we
all knew what it was gonna be going into it once.
Who made the most threes and could iouay stop them
on the rebound it? I think, I mean, uh, and
this South Carolina team was a better shooting team than
the team from last year from the outside, I mean,

(14:19):
and that's the key. You look at last night in
the men's game, they said, we'll let Edie kill. We
can't give up threes. Then they only took seven threes.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
Eight threes. That's probably the lowest they ever took all season.

Speaker 3 (14:29):
They only made one, I mean, and that was a
tough one on a fadeaway on Buzzy beater. So then
Harley was like, listen, we're not gonna let them beat
us with three. So the game planning, what it basically was,
was three. So I think John Stale and their coaching
stat kimbl the great game plan of not trying to
give us so many threes. But at the same time,
iou missed a lot of threes, I mean, missed a
lot of easy baskets. But South Carolina played well, played great,

(14:53):
and they said that's what they do. I mean, great
teams they separate and get that separation that they need,
the same as U Kons always coach called coaching that
second half. They get that stretch where they go on
to ten to thirteen and fifteen run fifteen oh run,
and it's hard to get back into the game because
they can't speed them up. They're getting off his rebounds
and they're making their open shots. That's when it just

(15:14):
gets tough.

Speaker 1 (15:15):
I wanted to ask you about a specific player on
South Carolina because I was watching her again and seeing
the highlights Malaysia full whiley well, I think you know
the question I might ask, but like, what do you
think about her game? And then I want to ask
you about a yes signature move that electric?

Speaker 3 (15:31):
I see she did it, bind it back again. She
missed it this time, but she's super electric. I feel
like her and the other girl out on number five Johnson,
she's a freshman all So they came in. I think
they really gave Shocker Line the boost they needed because
they were struggling early on. They wasn't making shots and
Ayouas was rolling. And they came in early in the
second the first half, in like first quarter, second quarter,

(15:52):
they came in. I think she had like nine or
eleven going to have the them Malaysia girl had like
what seven or not going to have. So they came in,
gave them that scoring booster they needed, and from that
point forward, when they got the game close and they
went up with five, I think three or five going
into half, they knew we was in the game now,
and then all it was was just the making shots.
But I think the freshman's played well for when it

(16:14):
made big shots for when they need them too.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
And then Cadoza, you couldn't do nothing with it down there.

Speaker 1 (16:19):
One thing I want to ask you about Caitlyn Clark
and a lot of these, you know, the girls that
are going into WNBA draft, is the draft is happening
next week and then the season is starting I think
May fifteenth. Talk can you talk about that turnaround? Like
the time between I think you had what six months
before you became Anna, they have like.

Speaker 3 (16:39):
Two It's different, not even two months. Come on, bro,
they just they just finished the championship game Sunday. They're
getting drafted this Monday. That I mean, so your life
changes that fast? And I'm like, we took time, Like
the men's played Monday yesterday. You don't get drafted to
June to look how much I mean, you got juniity,
you got the summer league. So they have time, you know,

(17:02):
I mean to relax and prepare.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
But I don't know.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
I think it's great. It's gonna be a lot of
great talent coming into the WNBA. It's already so much
great talent in the WNB now. I just love the
love and support that the women game again, Like for me,
I always been a fan of the women's game. Like
if you notice me, when I was in DC, went
to a lot of Mystics games. When I'm on the
road and I have opportunity, I try to go to
games and support and it's just excitement. I just love

(17:28):
to watch basketball, no matter it was men's and women.
But I think the platforms they're getting now it's spectacling.
It's special for them and hopefully they can up the
money for them to get paid more than WNBA, you know.
I mean, because they're so gifted and talented, there shouldn't
be no knock on if they are men's or women.
I mean, if the NBA order w B, I think

(17:49):
they should get taken care of. They probably won't get
to the level we are, but they should get taken
care of very well, you know. I mean, because if
they want to go overseas, I think they should be
for them to decide, you know what I mean. Or
the ones that don't make it in WNBA, but they're
too talented to have to play in WNBA and then
go over SIPs to just make sure they financially straight.
They're too talented, too gifted, so hopefull they can make

(18:11):
a change in that environment.

Speaker 1 (18:12):
At some point, last question before we had to break,
do you think Caitlyn and Angel Reese do you think
either of them make the All Star team and their
rookie season?

Speaker 3 (18:23):
Oh no, I got to shid on don't. But I
think they're both going to be a lectric against spectacling.
If Caitlyn goes once, you get to play with the
Leah Boston, So that'd be a great matchup and dynamic,
do it?

Speaker 2 (18:32):
Worr?

Speaker 1 (18:33):
I mean, so I thought that was doing Aleijah calling
the game, and then you know.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
Yeah, I guess I said, and she see the revenge
toy end the way it did, you know me from
losing to them last year that, yeah, see don come
back and win.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
I think that was spectacular.

Speaker 1 (18:46):
So and then knowing Caitlyn's going to be on her
squad next.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
Year, so I wonder what that conversation was after she celebrated.

Speaker 1 (18:51):
Right right, it looked like all respect between everybody. So
all right, well we're going to take a break and
we come back on point game, which John won't c
told Donno. We're gonna be joined by NBA Champion Trevor Reza.
We'll be back on point game. Welcome back to Point

(19:12):
Game with John Wall and CJ tol'donnell, presented by DraftKings.
We are now joined by two thousand and three California
Mister Basketball and two thousand and nine NBA Champion with
the Los Angeles Lakers Ladies and Gentlemen, Trevor Resa joining
the show. Trevor, how's it going man?

Speaker 2 (19:29):
Doing good? Chilling, chilling, Brody.

Speaker 1 (19:33):
I like when we get you know, John's former teammates
on here, because I feel like there's a lot of
stories that probably you know, you guys haven't told, so
I guess I wanted to. I want to know, Trevor,
how was it playing with John at Washington? Do you
have any funny stories? Like what was that experience playing together?

Speaker 2 (19:53):
Man?

Speaker 4 (19:55):
I think I called John probably liking this earlier part
of his career where he was just starting to figure
out the game. I will say so in that space,
in that time, we was, you know, we had to
go in to my first year as there as his teammate.

Speaker 2 (20:10):
We was sorry yourself. It was frustration.

Speaker 4 (20:14):
But the second year that we were teammates, that's when,
like every that's when he took off into who he
was as a player and everything just went upwards from there.
You know, he got everybody involved canning down the court,
you know, take two or three dribbles. He already at
the other end of the basket, and that it made
everybody else's job easier because all we had to do

(20:34):
was run the lanes out of run to the three
point line, and run for layups because he puts so
much pressure on the rim. So you know, being betting
the opportunity to play with somebody like John was it
was good for It made my job easier.

Speaker 3 (20:49):
Yeah, I was telling them about the game. I forgot
how many threes you had. I think you had like
thirty eight or forty was in Philly. In Philly, I
mean in the first half, I don't know, I think,
but it was just like this is when the NBA
was like they used to always like tag and not
really switch pick and rolls and help. And I was like,
all right, I know what my shooter is. In transition,

(21:10):
he was running to the slot in the half court.
It was deep corner and they just kept helping, help, help,
and I was like, we ain't got to really do
too much, like he's making shots. But uh, for you, Trip,
I'll just You've been my og since we first met
in twenty twelve. We played together for twenty fourteen, and
I like most vests. Bro, you came in very silent.
You always was about business, but when you spoke, we
all knew HI meant business. It was no bullshit. So

(21:32):
I just want to give you a flowers and let
you know how much you meant to me. And I
appreciate it because I'll never forget. Uh We playing our
first game in playoffs against the Bulls and I was
jogging back like two minutes into the game.

Speaker 2 (21:44):
I was like, what the fuck are you doing? Get back?
I'm like, Bro, what you mean? Like, Bro, every possession
means something?

Speaker 3 (21:51):
I mean from that and that from that day for like,
I had a lot of vets, but you came in
early and taught me how to be a professional, like
how much every possession meant no matter what, and never
to bes around. So you being who you was mister
basketball in LA and going to uh LA and then
leaving it not probably going first round with you thought
like how did you manifest your career to get to

(22:11):
where you wanted to? Like what made you put that
work into it, because you know you was wanting to
start players in high school and all that and then
go to U c. L. A man for me was
just understanding that everybody's journey is different. Uh some people,
some people, you know, get things.

Speaker 4 (22:30):
I mean, obviously you don't, nobody's getting anything handed to them,
but people are making decisions on other people and what
they can do. And my job always was to or
mentality was to show people that day really you know,
I'm one of those people that kind of slipped through
the cracks a little bit. So that kept me focused,
That kept me motivated, and I always knew that I

(22:51):
was I felt like I was one of the best
players for what I for what I do around the
world at the time.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
So confidence never was nothing. I'll always bet on myself.

Speaker 4 (23:03):
I always did that because I know the type of
work that I was willing to put in and I
knew where I was willing to go to make sure
that winning was the main priority.

Speaker 1 (23:15):
Yeah, going back to because I think you know, people
consider you in LA basketball legend, but a lot of people,
you know casuals are like, oh, because the one with
the Lakers, But you grew up in LA played for Westchester. Also,
I have a fun story back in two thousand and three,
Westchester came I don't remember this erie, Pennsylvania to play
McDonald's classic and I became friends. I was I was

(23:37):
a freshman. I became friends with Hassan Adams because he
liked my academic sweatsuit and he goes, where'd you get
that here? And I was like, I worded this online.
So Hassan Adams is like asking where to go and
eat when we were there, and so and I got
my Slam magazine signed by you and Hassan and some
other guys in that squad.

Speaker 2 (23:52):
Uh, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (23:53):
But that's what I want to talk about. Like Westchester
not only in LA, but you guys were like a
team that was on the map, that putt that like
Slam talked about like you guys were kind of stars.
So can you talk a little bit about your time
at Westchester? And like the LA basketball.

Speaker 4 (24:07):
Scene and Westchester it was for me or for all
of us really it was it was like so they
had like like like a status on you know what
you would do if you if all these games are
on tonight, And it was the Lakers, the Dodgers, the
comments west Chester and then the Clippers and everybody else.

(24:30):
But you know, at that time, it was dope because
playing with all those players, we competed against each other
every every day to make each other better. Only thing
we really cared about doing was playing basketball. And it
wasn't like how it is now, where you know, you
could just see everybody or know what people are doing.
You actually had to like be there to witness what's

(24:51):
happening at that time. So every game of ours, we
really like brought a lot of people out, brought a
lot of students out of adults, and that kind of
just got us going because we were excited.

Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yeah, I played west He breaks off of us a
city of poem Dad, Dwayne Polly, That Dwayne Polly, and
the other kid, what's his name, Jordan's Sum he could
shoot Jordan May. He went to Arizona. So yeah, I
was mad about that. I didn't want to tell anybody
about that one. But we always we always whooked. As
in the City of Parts class y'all was nice. Here,

(25:24):
y'all was cold. Uh, so Penny, t Mac, and Kobe
that was your favorite players growing up?

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Well? Was it about those players that made you gravitate
to their game?

Speaker 4 (25:33):
T Mac just he was He was so smooth with
his game, like that has he poor hang dribble Pool
was I don't know that shit was like opening us
the Bible and watch it but.

Speaker 2 (25:46):
Reading. But t Mac was always cold.

Speaker 4 (25:49):
Kobe was always a killer, and Penny Hardaway, he was
just like we got the little Penny doll and his
Their body types are similar similar to mine as well.
So I always kind of just like idolized the way
that they played and I wanted to figure out how
I can like incorporate the things.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
That they did to my game. Yeah, Penny was tough, man.
I just hate he got injured because he was so
tough for real.

Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah, it's the biggest part we all, you know, we
always say like if nobody got injured whatever, But you
could just tell how gifted he was. And I had
the opportunity to see Tam when he's at Mount Zion
for that one year.

Speaker 2 (26:25):
Oh yeah, and.

Speaker 3 (26:26):
I was young, young, like I just was starting to
figure out what basketball was. And I'm like, damn because
my Zion's one of those schools to go to.

Speaker 2 (26:34):
I'm like, damn, you.

Speaker 4 (26:35):
Can't also forget like like ninety four, ninety five or whatever,
like when he was when Penny played for the Magic
and they were playing against Jordan the Bulls.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
He was low key better than Jordan's in that series.

Speaker 3 (26:49):
You know, I watched, I watched, I watched YouTube highlight,
so like me, I'm big on, like I watched basketball
all day women. Boys, I'm on YouTube so I can
see like how great they was.

Speaker 2 (26:58):
You know.

Speaker 3 (26:58):
It's not the same as going to get when I
was too young to understand, but I just wanted to
see like how gifted he was. And I was like,
damn yeah, very creative man, a player before it's time.

Speaker 1 (27:10):
Trevor, you talked about that order where you were saying Lakers, Dodgers,
Westchester Clippers. You actually had an interesting tie that I've
heard the story a couple of times, but I had
some follo up questions that you know, everyone knows, you know,
Q Rich and d Miles with the two taps, apparently
you know the origin was was they were coming to
watch you guys. Can you give a little bit of
explanation or backstory?

Speaker 2 (27:30):
On that.

Speaker 4 (27:30):
So, uh well, when we were in high school, uh,
we used to would anybody do like a crazy play
or hassan or somebody thrown off the backboard to sign
and hill dunkyt or somebody hit a deep three, and
we'll just turn to each other and just like tap
our head, like knuckle up, like get ready for war

(27:51):
because it's you know it's going down.

Speaker 2 (27:53):
You know who's in the trenches. But we're always in
the trenches together, so you know, we just left with up.

Speaker 1 (27:59):
And so the the Clippers were in the crowd, they
had saw that, and then that made it to the
well we know it as.

Speaker 4 (28:05):
Well when they got when the Miles and uh in Q,
when they all got drafted, they were still really young. Yeah,
you know the Miles was still he was a year
removed from high school, so you know they took him
as a high school to my school or at Westchester.
We were known for having like a lot of pretty
girls at the time. It was just one of the
schools to go to. So everybody just and we had

(28:28):
a good basketball team, so everybody just liked to be
around you know that way. Gravitate to it.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
You got to, Yeah, that gotta be dope though, having
two professional teams like in a major city like that,
you don't mean like playing because me being from North Carolina,
we and rally like we got like Durren Bulls up
the street like the Carolina Hurricanes. Like for us, we
would go see like n C State Carolina Duke.

Speaker 2 (28:52):
So that was us.

Speaker 3 (28:53):
I like being like like being in a major shit
like that, being a dope program school like you said,
girls basketball Star Arts and then you got the NBA
teams right here and the baseball team come see and support.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
I know that had to be dope, all right.

Speaker 4 (29:07):
It's it's a gift and a curse too, because you
get Jada to a lot of things. We're here Hollywood,
the pretty the beautiful sun, the palm trees, the beach.

Speaker 2 (29:20):
You could get Jaden. You know everybody is in La.

Speaker 4 (29:23):
So you come here and you whether across your favorite
actress or you know, musician. But then you still got
to go on about your day and do what you
gotta do. So if you figure out a way to
like make it here in La, I feel I feel
like you fitting anywhere.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
That's why I'll be saying sometimes because I'd be like
I'm glad I'm from North Carolina because I ain't have
to exposure to a lot of stuff, you know. I mean,
like these kids now get so much exposured so much,
and I'm like, imagine being from New York. You got
jay z a Rod coming to your games. I'm like,
I'm trying to ride and cross with them and go
buy a chain and do something like that. Like I
just I wish I had it, but I'm glad I didn't.
So I know it could be tough for a lot

(29:59):
of these kids out with all the exposure access they
get in nowadays.

Speaker 4 (30:02):
Yeah, yeah, you got to keep them grounded, man, You
got to give them. I mean, as adults, we have,
you know, vices and things that we pick up. So
just imagine a kid that people know that everything is
coming to them at one time. That's that's a lot.
So being able to, like say, balance is a It's
a key factor in moving forward.

Speaker 3 (30:23):
Yet, so I heard you speak, is what Kobe means
to you? You said, Kobe Vauschker, you become the start
in this league and he believed in you. How did
that make you feel?

Speaker 2 (30:31):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 3 (30:32):
Because you watched him, you looked up to Cobe and
have an opportunity to compete against him and just playing
with him.

Speaker 4 (30:37):
I mean that that that shot my confidence through the roof.
When I got traded to LA, I was coming from
Orlando where I really wasn't playing a lot, you know,
And it wasn't because I wasn't, you know, as good
or whatever. It's just it wasn't The style of play
didn't fit the way that I played. So when I

(30:59):
got to LA, we had a couple of practices or whatever,
just just me as an competitor. He seemed to like
gravitate towards that. I would guard him every day. He'll
he'll meet me at the gym, Like he would never
beat me there, he will always meet me there. So
I think he took a liking to that, and you know,

(31:22):
knowing that I will put in that type of work,
it was only natural that he saw a fit for
our personalities to kind of mess together because he was
a worker.

Speaker 3 (31:33):
I didn't feel win the championship being in l A.
I know that had to be fire being back home
playing for you me a team. You probably watched him
growing up in winning championship.

Speaker 4 (31:45):
For him, like, yeah, that was crazy because again winning
out I won at Westchester a lot, but to win
for the Lakers, man they blocked figure roll off. You see,
like all the people coming out to watch our bus
just go to the to the coliseum and then getting
in the coliseum and like when they call your name

(32:07):
to announce you because you know you want and everybody
chanting your name, that ship is unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
Like that was the best moment that.

Speaker 4 (32:16):
I think they gotta be surreal or winning a championship
here just in the arena, just hearing the people like
screwing your name.

Speaker 1 (32:23):
It's crazy talk talking about Kobe and everyone has a
story about you know, how mentally tough he was. I
and tell me if I'm correct here, I feel like
it was he's underrating how funny he was cause you
shared a I think on his birthday last year, you
shared a text exchange where you you sent him a
picture where he was shooting over a triple team and

(32:44):
then he responded that means that it's an easy putback
for if I missed the shot.

Speaker 4 (32:50):
The funny part about that is he was serious.

Speaker 2 (32:53):
That's what made it so funny. He wasn't fucking around.
He was dead serious.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
Gotcha.

Speaker 4 (33:00):
I think that was preseason two. That was a preseason game.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
That's crazy. Do you have any other you know, any
other like crazy Kobe stories or I mean you got
to play with them in a championship year, any any
stories that stick with you?

Speaker 4 (33:20):
Uh Well, something that I could share probably would be
we played in Golden State one time and he had
strained his his adaptor or something, and you know that
shit was like throbbing. He couldn't really like go like
side to side, it goes straight or backwards. But I
think he strained like the second quarter. By the time

(33:41):
the fourth quarter was over, he finished with forty four.

Speaker 2 (33:45):
So like.

Speaker 4 (33:47):
He could like he could trick his mind into like
doing things that his body couldn't do, uh physically, but
somehow he was still able to get it done because
of how strong his mental was. And seeing something like that,
then getting the opportunity to go play like with other
like talents, that's kind of like how like I'll be

(34:12):
able to like push somebody like John or push somebody
like Brad to be what they're going to be because
I know, because I've seen it personally, that there's another
level that you can go to mentally, and if you
can go through mentally something like that with the talent
that that you know, some of these dudes got the
talent that John had, Nobody could fuck with him. So

(34:35):
that's as a teammate, That's something that I always wanted
to be able to do with special players is continue
to feed you know that ego, feed things that they
need to be great.

Speaker 3 (34:46):
So you are dad at three ties, Trisian and tailor. Yeah,
I know that gotta be amazing. So I see your son.
Tis he a five star guard? You know, I mean
straight hooper. Yeah, how you've very balancing been a dad
being and also been a mentor and giving him the
real tough and that it isn't counter on the court.

Speaker 4 (35:03):
Yeah, that's that's a It's a tough balance because every
you don't want to hear somebody's voice every day all
day long. So like I got to pick and choose
when to like be the mentor or to critique his game,
and when to be bad. So like when he not
when his room's dirty or something and it's ship to

(35:25):
do in the house that he didn't do, I gotta
be dad. So I kind of like ease off the
the basketball. But when everything is intagging order here at
the house. He has a pretty good routine. Then I
can like like critique his game or like give him
a little hint or little pointers on things he can
do to just become a better player.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
Yeah, and another one, I like, how hard is it?

Speaker 3 (35:47):
Because like I'm going with my kids super too young,
they play soccer, but like how do you figure out?
Like you know, like I always say, parents sometimes forced
the kid to play a sport because they played it,
but you just let them fall in love with you
know what I mean? Do they want to do this routine?
Do you not want to do this routine? Like how
great do you want to be? Like, because you've been there,
You've done it now, I don't have to force you.
I want to see if you really want to get

(36:08):
there exactly. So what I did was up until the
eighth grade is or the summer. The eighth grade is
when like we decide on if this is something that
you want to do or try something else, because you'll
see kids be like super nice from like the fourth, fifth, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh,

(36:29):
eighth grade, right, and then they'll get to high school
and kind of like everybody will catch up to them.
So my idea was all right, let me just let
you naturally do whatever it is you can do, and
whatever it is that you can do, I'm gonna watch
and then when we get when it gets time to

(36:50):
that it matters, or like when it gets closer to
things that you really would need, then if you want it,
you're gonna show me that you want it, because you're
gonna ask for Like even now, like Tristan.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Tristan is in the seventh grade.

Speaker 4 (37:03):
Every day he's hitting me up about going to workout
or going to the gym or running or doing something.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
You always got a ball in his hands.

Speaker 4 (37:11):
But that's the hunger and the type of like mentality
that I think that you need because you don't want
to They play so many games in the summer time,
you don't really want to burn them out.

Speaker 3 (37:21):
So you got to actually love this shit to want
to do it. Yeah, be cause we playing AU. We
was playing three games Friday, three games Saturday.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
I'm damn yeah.

Speaker 3 (37:32):
It's now like you said that, Like nowadays, kids don't
even want to play AU as much.

Speaker 2 (37:36):
They want to just work out, workout, workout.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
Sometimes I get it, but you got to play a
little bit to see where your game stack up against what.

Speaker 4 (37:43):
Yeah, that's dope. That's a good mindset to have. Plus
I also they grew up different than the way that
I grew up, So I kind of like I give
them things that they got to figure out on their own.
Like this morning, figure out how to get to school.
I'm not taking you to school. Nobody's taking you to school.
Figure it out out because in life, you got to
figure things out yourself, and nobody's going to be there

(38:05):
to figure it out for you. So I try to
like put lessons of life into two to like their
age bracket and things that they can do.

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Trevor, I saw that actually your son is transferring to Westchester.
What does that mean to you? How much does that
mean to you? You know what that news?

Speaker 4 (38:26):
It's like it's full circle. Really it's cool for me because, uh,
it's almost like I kind of hold a controller a
little bit, be like myself, but you know, the decisions
of school are all his and what he what he
really wants or what he would feel comfortable. So I

(38:48):
get to like literally sit back and just watch my
younger self play at my whole high school again.

Speaker 2 (38:54):
It's it's really weird. It's dope. I know that got
I know you can't wait to see that and see
the flashbacks.

Speaker 4 (39:00):
I'm excited, like even going up to the school, Like
when I when I have to go up to the school,
it feels like it feels good to be there. So
I'm excited for him.

Speaker 1 (39:11):
That's great. And am I correct and saying that Arkansas
was looking at him? So me and John were just
talking about how Kyle was there, how serious is he
about you know, the schools that are approaching him, and
does he have any colleges that he's he's really liking
right now?

Speaker 4 (39:26):
Well, right now he's really just focused on like how
good he can get. Yeah, And that's what ill, That's
what I try to tell him. Just keep your head
down and just focus on the work, focus on your school,
focus on basketball. When the time comes for you to
figure out where you want to go or what makes
sense for you, then we start you know, talking about

(39:48):
it or or like really really really starting to focus in.
But for now, I want you to like see how
hard you can grind, how many days you can stack
together on being as good as you can be. And
that's what that's really where his focus is been, just
just in the work.

Speaker 3 (40:06):
How do you feel about high school kids getting I
l because now you got your son is in that
process where he can you know what I mean, potentially
if you want to take in I deals and do it, Like,
how do you feel about it?

Speaker 4 (40:16):
Uh? How do I feel about it? I don't know
if this is something that's not never been there. It's
just they got a name for it now. Yeah, for sure,
on thousand percent we all know.

Speaker 2 (40:29):
They just shot. It's more like, yeah, it's cool to
do that. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (40:33):
I mean they was gonna figure out a way to
get it done anyway. But I mean, I think it's cool.
A lot of a lot of people get an opportunity
to to you know, help themselves and help their families,
and you know that's that's a beautiful thing. We all
go to school to get a better education so that
we can port support our families better. I think that

(40:55):
is cool that amateurs get the opportunity to do the
same thing.

Speaker 2 (41:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (41:01):
I just think it's dope. Like you've been a father,
figured that's their hands on you know what I mean.
But you're letting your kids make the decision, but you
also can guide them through it. Because sometimes I think
it's great that these people can take care of their families,
but sometimes they take it the wrong way. Yeah, for sure,
you know what I mean. And that's the good. I
think that's the only thing out that wor me about it.
I'm glad they can get paid and take care because
I think we should have been doing it. Like you said,

(41:23):
it's been going on, but now they just find a
way to make it the right way. But I just
hope the parents don't take it too far and the
wrong way to mess their kid up from trying to
get to where they really want to get to.

Speaker 4 (41:33):
Another thing is probably just order trying to because once
a kid gets money and kind of and the family
doesn't have much, it changes like the natural order of
the way things supposed to be. You know, the kid
now becomes ahead of the household, and you know there's
like a little some sort of power struggle.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (41:53):
But if like we can like figure things, figure that
part out, I think I think things would be better
on like in the long run.

Speaker 1 (42:02):
Trevor talked more about your NBA career. I was actually
watching back some highlights and I don't know, people talk
about this dunk enough, but when you're on the necks
and you dunked on Ben Wallace. That was an insane dunk.
Can you talk a little bit about that dunk and
maybe tell us your favorite highlight of your career?

Speaker 4 (42:20):
Oh, man, let me see Duncan on bell Ben ben
Wallace was they just won the championship right the year before,
Defensive player of the Year. He's been the defensive player
of the year the whole time. We getting drugged at
the time, I think we were getting popped, but NBA
was a little bit different. So I caught the ball

(42:41):
I think like fifteen feet out, did a little pump fake.
She did like a little swipe by I get on
my little launching pad and that was it. You found
the shit out of me two by the way he
slapped all in my face. But that was crazy though.
That was That was probably one of the craziest moments

(43:01):
of my career.

Speaker 1 (43:02):
Yeah, any other any other dunks or highlights or even
just you know plays that come to mind when people
talk to you about, you know what with you.

Speaker 4 (43:11):
I think I played Orlando one time and I don't
thought that Donald Foyle that was pretty bad.

Speaker 2 (43:16):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (43:17):
I never see that one though, but that one was crazy.
And then the one on Chris Kman when I played
in Houston. Yeah, with the Clippers that it was crazy.
They might they might have taken that YouTube best. Well
they're so old man.

Speaker 3 (43:32):
And back then you dunk a bit wild like that
and got foul like that, you might get a flake
on one of two.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
Nowadays, yeah, it might be out.

Speaker 3 (43:39):
That's of course I want to act like because you
played in different areas where like you could be physical
to now you can barely touch anybody, and you've been
a great defender like that. Was that a hard adjustment
to make because you could be physical, you know, I
mean you could bump across the lane back in the day.
Now you can barely breathe on anybody, and it's hard
to guard.

Speaker 4 (43:58):
Yeah, you just got to figure out way used to
be who you are within the rules. So, like you said,
when I first got into the NBA, if somebody came
through the paint and you didn't touch them, you was
coming out like you gotta check people coming through the paint.
So once the moots got a little bit different, you
found different like mentalities or different like techniques or different

(44:20):
ways to approach the situation. So like, for me, let's
say you are under like you said a La pat
right and your man going the front side instead of
the backside, and I'm at the nail. I'm gonna check you.
Why because you can't. I just can't let you get
a free run at the basket.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
That's of it.

Speaker 4 (44:39):
You know, if you get that man later on, the
referees might call foul if I don't check you earlier
in the game. So really it's about setting the tone
and being true to who we were within the roots.
I still think there's some sort of physicality, it's just
it just looks different. So instead of like giving like
a forearm or some like body checking him. Yeah, so

(45:04):
it's a little different. It's the same, but it's different. Yeah,
min learn new techniques for sure.

Speaker 1 (45:10):
Like you said, you guys talk about the new NBA.
But I saw this meme today that it showed Rondo
wearing Lebron's and it's like, this is how crazy Lebron's
sort of time has been that players who've since retired
were rocking his signature shoes. Now, I know one of
Lebron's biggest high school games Trevor was against west Chester.

(45:31):
Can you and you've played against him, you've been on
part of his team. Can you just talk a little
bit about on Lebron, like seeing him and playing against
him in high school and then also playing against him
and playing with him in the NBA.

Speaker 4 (45:41):
Man, he's pretty much the same thing. It's no difference
to me. He's for like my age group or whatever.
He's been the best player since fifteen years old until forty.
So only other person who could say that really probably
is Kareem that he's been the best player since he
was fifteen up until you forty and Brian is still going.

(46:06):
So the things that he's done, his accomplishments, he's like
surpassed expectations, Like I don't think that we've ever seen
in the game before. Well, we definitely haven't seen it before.
When you're playing or when you're like have to compete
against those guys, you don't. I mean, obviously you let

(46:29):
them know you have respect for them, but you never
because you still have to compete. So any slight type
of edge that players like that can get, they'll take us.
So like, yeah, throughout my time or throughout my career,
I don't want to give nobody an edge because I'm
already guarding the toughest players every single night. So yeah,

(46:52):
I'd rather make my job as easy as I can
make it and a certain extent.

Speaker 3 (46:59):
Take it away from basketball, not how much of kids
mean to you, Like what the what's the best moment
about being a girl?

Speaker 2 (47:04):
Dad? Man? You have to be completely different with girls
and boys.

Speaker 4 (47:12):
You know, I can cust my sons out or whatever,
you know, and to my daughter look at me while
I'm cussing them about and then like I just turned
in the mush because she wants me to, like, you know,
pipe down a little bit. So it's weird, but you know,
I also have to you know, pick and choose when
to be firm with her as well too, because just

(47:33):
because you know they're different, the obstacle is still gonna
be the same as the growth. So just having that
balance of knowing when to ease up and when to
h lay it on it, Yeah, you gotta find that.

Speaker 3 (47:51):
They say, they say girls make your soft, so I
had to ask me, I mean, because I ain't got one,
but that's one of my goals in the future.

Speaker 2 (47:58):
Girl, and everybody's gonna make you off.

Speaker 4 (48:00):
I'm like, bro, uh, yeah, it's gonna make you look
at things a lot different, like everything, you.

Speaker 3 (48:05):
Know, like, oh, for sure, that was a that's what
we need, though sometimes we do need to give us
a chill peel.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
Yeah, for sure, Trevor, you played for a lot of
NBA teams, and so I wanted to know what was
your Do you have a favorite team or favorite city
you'd like to live in.

Speaker 4 (48:26):
I got a few, And since I played for a
few places, I get the luxury of saying that I
got a few places that are like, you know, my
favorite Houston obviously playing home, d C and Miami, those
were my favorite places to play in.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
And what what what is it about that environment in
those cities?

Speaker 2 (48:46):
Like, uh, Well, in d C, it was the team
that I enjoyed the most.

Speaker 4 (48:53):
The team was more like I think that's the closest
that I was with, uh what like the full team?
You know, like you have players that you fucked with
from other places or people that you know prior to
being in the NBA that you just are cool like that.
But when I was in DC, like the environment or

(49:14):
the locker room, I should say we John and them
did a really good job of making sure everybody felt
at home. That's the only way you go from being
that sorry to like turning around and being that good.
You got to feel comfortable, you gotta feel safe, and
you got to know that your teammates are going to
be there and what they're gonna do. So it's almost

(49:35):
like when we were in When I was in d C,
everybody just knew what to do from like just the
system and the tendencies that each player had. But playing
in La, that's home, so you know, I was used
to that. I get to go home to you know,
my brothers here, and my mom's here, all my friends.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
So if I ever got like uncomfortable.

Speaker 4 (49:58):
Or then, or and feel like being around my teammates,
I'm right here.

Speaker 2 (50:05):
In Miami. You got beach, you got every day that
you wo in Miami.

Speaker 3 (50:11):
Bro, we was it was just like for me like
he said, like when I first got to it was,
we wasn't good and we were trying to figure out
everything and moving veterans around. So when we traded for
the veterans we got and then Trail came around, we
got other more veterans. He just made it better because
he knew how to be a pro. He made us
learn to be better pros. But we just like you said,
we did team dinners, We go movies, We were doing

(50:32):
all this together, and that's how you be your camaraderie.
But we felt like we didn't get we just one
piece of Like we could over the pace, we couldn't
get over the hump, you know, because I was still
figuring out how to be a master of the mid range.
And they did a great thing game plan and then
we gave away leads that we didn't know how to
close him out at the time. But we feel like
we matched up with him because we had traveled gard
Le Bron. Like, we're not saying nobody's gonna stop it,

(50:54):
but Bron couldn't help off as much as you wanted to,
cause trails knocked down Shooter and a lot of teams
if you didn't have Bron is Roaman and you in trouble.
So we just felt we matched up with him.

Speaker 4 (51:05):
Yeahs like and he closed out hardest ship.

Speaker 2 (51:11):
That's I think that's the underrated part of him. No,
seriously though, Like he'll be in the paint head on
the rim to clog up the paint so you kick
that ball out. He's in a full on sprint to
get to wherever his man is to close out. And
like when your best players are doing things like that
everybody else falls in line, like everybody else falls in line.

(51:34):
So yeah, he just I don't know, that's how good
he is.

Speaker 4 (51:37):
He's so good at other things that things that are
smart you don't even realize like how important they are,
and you went't pay attention. But he had good Yeah,
he had good coach. He learning from an early age
that all even the little things go a long way.

Speaker 1 (51:54):
Well, I was curious because you know with both you
guys like you know, most of your life if your
goal is to make it to the NBA, so you
made it to the NBA, and Trevor, we have so
much life left, you know, So what's like a new
goal that you're sort of chasing in this phase of
your career? Her life?

Speaker 4 (52:13):
You wanted, well, obviously to see my kids, you know,
be an everyday father. That that was one of my goals.
But outside of like things that are serious or things
that I have to do, I like to travel. So
my goal is to see as many places and get
to as many countries as I can get to, just

(52:35):
to see like how they live, things that they do.

Speaker 3 (52:40):
Now for me, like you said, like just we travel
so much as were playing, not with our kids as much,
you know. I mean our family is basically our team.
Spend so many days with them. Just seeing my kids
go to school every day, pick them up, take me
the practice. For me, just investing, find other things to
keep my mind. Go and continue to work out to
stay in shape, for sure. But I didn't travel a

(53:01):
lot when I played, so like for me now, like
I'm traveling, I want to see the world. I ain't
travel as much when I play. Everybody while you don't travel,
I'm like I do on a motive. But we don't
never know when our time can end, so go I
take full advantage of it. But like you said, just
being able to see your kids bro take them to
school and smiling their faces for me as a siting.
For him, I know, it's even more exciting because he
has the sentence in high school on the verge of

(53:23):
going to college and between to being the NBA. And
you can't ask for nothing better than that to follow
in the footsteps and kind of see the path that
you was on.

Speaker 2 (53:32):
Yeah, the best part about that is guys like y'all.

Speaker 4 (53:35):
I could just call y'all and get into a ship like, hey, yo, man,
he's this is what he looks like, right now, this
is what he's not doing Colado.

Speaker 3 (53:44):
Yeah, cause it's funny because his son played on my
A team he was younger. He did he moved when
he was moving to LA and I was like, damn,
but it was perfect though. Like but like you said,
like you get to the point where you finish eighth grade,
what you really want to do, Yeah, if you want
to take it here as we can move here and
get get straight to it, like you have, you have

(54:05):
the blueprint, you in LA. You have your friends that train,
you know how to train.

Speaker 2 (54:08):
You still in the gym working out, So they got
to be even more motivation for him.

Speaker 4 (54:13):
Yeah, it is, I think because although like we have
the same frame and we are probably that we looked
at exact same he's he's completely different than I am,
you know, and he has a different skill set than me.
The thing that I try to get him to do
or learn is the things that I did that got

(54:34):
to be your base, Like that got to be something
that is always always always on point, and that's playing
hard and playing defense and rebounding.

Speaker 1 (54:45):
What's that like when when you're watching to play other
former NBA players, you know kids, is that kind of
wild where you're like, oh, that's Scotty's kid, you know,
that's Lebron's kid, like it are they just like, No,
there's just ano a guy that I got to play against.

Speaker 2 (55:02):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (55:02):
I think for them again because it's through their lens,
it's just someone that.

Speaker 2 (55:07):
They have to play against.

Speaker 4 (55:09):
They all have like a target on their back because
they're kids of professionals, you know, so like everybody's always
going to be oh, that's such and such, such and such.
That don't change being in between those lines and having
to compete. So that's one of the things that I
always try to like, uh, let my kids know, like

(55:34):
y'all have to fucking compete at all times. You never
know who's watching. Everybody want to take your head off,
so strap up.

Speaker 1 (55:43):
Mm hmm yeah. Trevor John, do you have anything else
that's good? What do you have? Do you have any
other memories? One? One last memory to sort of leave
us on of playing with Trevor.

Speaker 2 (55:57):
Oh, we got a lot of We got a lot
of them.

Speaker 3 (56:02):
But my biggest thing, like I said, I just want
to give miss Flowers because you don't have a lot
of vets that come in and teach you certain shit.
Some vests, is they be alter ego and don't really
want to help the young guys. And learning from all
my vests between him, Drew Good and out hearing to
Andre Miller, they they gorta all those guys. They helped
me try to help the younger guys. They came after me.
So as long as I gave him his flowers, that's

(56:23):
all I really cared about. That was the biggest thing
for me. Yeah, I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (56:26):
Man.

Speaker 4 (56:27):
I'm one of those people that kind of like to
just like, if I can fly under the radar, I
will for sure.

Speaker 2 (56:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 3 (56:35):
I said, if he's silent, you're not gonna hear him. Like,
he'll be in a room and he just be to itself.

Speaker 2 (56:39):
Cool.

Speaker 3 (56:40):
But that's how you always be because when you be
real and be to yourself, you don't never have to
fit in and remember what you're trying to do to
be somebody else. And that's what we always respected. Because
he came in, he didn't try to take over the team.
He's like, I'm the vet, I'm gonna teach you out
certain ways. I'm a staut the way, but when y'all
fucking up. His voice was definitely her it won't no
bullshit when he had to say something.

Speaker 4 (56:59):
Yeah, I appreciate that too, because again, like they didn't
have to. You guys didn't have to listen. You know,
you guys or lottery picks, y'all are y'all are faces
of franchise, So like y'all didn't have to listen. So
I appreciate the fact that you guys respected me enough
to hear what I have to say. And again, like

(57:19):
just watching you guys play and watching y'all grow, and
watching y'all y'all game grow, you know, I felt like
a proud big brother because you know, I've seen what
it was when I was there to you know, watching
the rest of you guys's career and as it continues,
you know, for my young guys, just watching them like
continue to blossom. This that's like a you know, that's

(57:42):
the point of pride.

Speaker 2 (57:44):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (57:44):
Hell yeah, like you said, like a big brother, some
shit we didn't have. And like I said, it's always
tough comingness because you never know how nobody gonna act.
New team going into a new locker room. And you
got certain guys that's drafted high, like you said, they
can be like after vets, I'm not listening and if
it's gonna be like you know what, I'm just gonna
do my job. But go ahead, go your way and
finish and figure out how you're gonna figure it out.

Speaker 2 (58:03):
And it's always been loved.

Speaker 3 (58:05):
I appreciate the friendship, the brother ship we have coming
in being being a great teammate, bro. And it's great
to see where your son going, seeing where you're going
in the next part of your life and you know
what it is, Bro.

Speaker 2 (58:16):
Appreciate you always perfection.

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Yeah, Trevor, thanks for coming out. Appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (58:22):
Great wroughtch your magazine, Bro, you should have shown the magazine.
That's time.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
I got the magazine.

Speaker 2 (58:26):
I got the magazine. Ain't even bringing I don't even
you remember it. No, I remember that.

Speaker 1 (58:33):
I just remember Hassan coming up to me and like, hey,
where'd you get that academic sweatsuit? And it was too
I don't know if you guys remember back then. Those
are crazy.

Speaker 2 (58:42):
It probably was brown. You probably had some TEMs during
the time too, because.

Speaker 1 (58:47):
No, I think I was wearing some some I here
in Pennsylvania. It was yeah, because it's January and that
was like guys like I lived. I lived from two
hours from Cleveland. That's where I could see NBA players.
But when you guys came, that was a huge deal
to the city to me. And they were like, these
guys are the next guys. And then I was like,

(59:07):
I remember watching I was like, I met that guy.
So you were probably like one of the first NBA
players that I met.

Speaker 2 (59:13):
That's crazy, I was.

Speaker 4 (59:15):
I wasn't an NBA player and we played it. What's
I think? We played a team called Chester Chester High.

Speaker 1 (59:21):
Yeah, Chester was there and the Cathedral Prep was my
was my school, Gery Cathedral Prep. That was who Kobe
played in high school for the state championship too when
he was at Lower Marion. It was great talking to
each ovor appreciate you coming on the show. There's been
Point Game with John Wall and CJ Toldnno. Will be
back after the break. Welcome back to Point Game with

(59:47):
John Wall and CJ Toldonno. Presented by Draft Kings. Just
as a reminder, bucket a brick is brought to you
by Draft Kings Sportsbook. Draft Kings Sportsbook is your home
for all things NBA action, from player props, the same
game parlays. Check out every I think DraftKings sportsbook has
to offer to make your NBA experience even sweeter. The
crown is yours. We all know, Bucketer Brick, John, I'm
gonna make a statement. If you agree, you're gonna say bucket,

(01:00:09):
and if you disagree, you're gonna say Brick. So you
ready for this this edition of a Bucket Brick, We
got some good ones here for you. So the first
one Tyrese Maxi. He scored fifty two points on Sunday night,
his second fifty point game of the season. And then
Joelle didn't play, but he's back. In the Sixers, they're
kind of like, I don't know, if they end up

(01:00:29):
a seven, that's like a fake seven seed, right. So
the Sixers are currently favored at nine to fifty to
win the Eastern Conference, meaning if you bet one hundred,
you could win nine hundred and fifty bucks. So Bucketer Brick,
the Sixers are gonna win the East.

Speaker 3 (01:00:44):
Brick, I don't think East. I just have Boston winning.
I mean I think complete team. I just have Boston winning.
But if they finished seventh or eighth, this sixth or
not a seven to eight seeds, so that is gonna
be a tough out for any team first if you
verst or sacking, no matter what, because they are a
top three, top top three, top four team for sure

(01:01:05):
when they're healthy. To me, they're just how dominant Joel
and be this. I love Nick Nurse of the coach.
I love the access and pieces that added, and you
know Tyre's maxius who he is. So I just think
they're a better team. But you know, injuries have made
them fundle fundle a little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:01:21):
What edge do you give the Celtics because I think,
you know, as you said with me, some different factors.

Speaker 3 (01:01:26):
For me, I just feel like you have two guys
that's glue, guys that can fit on any team, and
you don't really get to men of those guys, and
they Drew Holliday and Derek White.

Speaker 2 (01:01:34):
But I also think they just have the depth. They
shoot the three wheel.

Speaker 3 (01:01:39):
They have two stars, superstars and Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum.
And I think Pazingers is the X factor, you know
what I mean, Like he can pick and pop and
then if you know a lot of teams switch a lot.
He's a guy that can you get throw the ball
to in the post and he can score, get to
the free throw line. So I think they just get
him another dynamic adjustment than what they had last year.
Me I'll work it with the guy that were picking Pop.
But he wasn't scoring in the post like he used

(01:02:00):
to when he was in Atlanta or have the same
face up game. His game has just changed. He's older,
I mean, so he's more of a still could defend
it a high level switch out. He blockshots, can shoot threes,
and I think with Rob Williams he wasn't switched out
as much. He was a lot threat for them. Whatever
Prezians at the five and sometimes they can go a
bigger line up and put out Corporite at the four
and Pasie five. I just think they have the right pieces.

(01:02:21):
I think they've been to a lot of East Commons finals.
They've been to the finals and loss, and I think
they know that Tenem, if they don't break through this year,
next year, you're gonna have to break it up. I mean,
because they gave they went all, they gave up. They
gave up Marcus Smart. It was a great piece for them,
probably the most love selfs in a long time. And uh,
finding the right pieces for their team. So I think

(01:02:42):
they're the team is up to them.

Speaker 1 (01:02:45):
Yeah, that'll be a crazy first round like that'll that'll
be for sure if that ends up being that okay
second one. The MAVs have won nine of their last
ten games and Lucas leading the league in scoring, so
h bucket to brick, Lucas gonna win at least two
m vps in his career. Butet, Yeah, for.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
Sure, I think it's up.

Speaker 3 (01:03:02):
I think if they were would have caught fire a
little earlier, he would have opportunity to win it. If
Yoks would at least slowed down a little bit, I
think he would have had it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:10):
Well.

Speaker 3 (01:03:10):
I think he still have opportunity to win it, But
I think it's between Luca and Yolk. Shaye was there
for sure, don't get me wrong, he was right there,
but I think the last couple of games he missed.
And I think that's kind of like those guys are
playing and Luca got the mass rowling, and that's a
team that's not a seed that anybody wants to see
because they had a great trade with Daman Gafford and PJ. Washington,

(01:03:31):
and I think Luke and Kyrie is figuring out how
to play well with each other. Yeah, that is very
scary because we know he uhould do the teams by hisself.

Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
And you had a score like.

Speaker 1 (01:03:40):
Kyrie, Oh my god, and Kyrie being healthy.

Speaker 3 (01:03:44):
Yeah, the day he looked like he's happy again. Man,
he just enjoyed playing basketball. He's he had a great
place in his life on what you could see from
him playing basketball in that piece.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
All right, So going back to college. Last night, Zach
Edie scored thirty seven and in the national Championship they
didn't win. But I'm curious because I've been going back
and forth on this, Zach Eedy will be a lottery
pick in the draft. Bucketter Brick.

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
It's a tough question. That's a good one. I just
think it might be tough way defensively how the new
league is. But for me, I would say a bucket.
I think you still just have to take them. You
don't find a person that's seven four that can score
and kind of athletic, and I think you should have
a good big career.

Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:04:30):
Why do you think that some people are sort of
downplaying him, like being such a dominants.

Speaker 3 (01:04:34):
I think just because his mobility of moving defensively. I
mean a lot of guys you look at it. You
really don't have back to the batch of scores as
big man. You got yoga jin and b. Other than that,
you got to be able to move latterly like Golbert,
he can move, block shots. He impact the game on
the defensive end, you know what I mean. You got
guys like check this playing the five sagoon, the space

(01:04:56):
and the floor.

Speaker 2 (01:04:56):
You know what I mean. It's just so many different dynamics.
But you just have to wait and see.

Speaker 3 (01:05:01):
I think he got better over from last year Eadie
to this year defensively. So I mean probably some of
you working throughout the whole draft process and see where
it goes.

Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
Something to look out for in the draft coming up. Okay,
final one, bucket brick. Now, this has gone some traction
on our socials, the behind the back move, so like
driving the basket, putting it behind your back, that's your move,
bucket brick.

Speaker 2 (01:05:25):
Bucket.

Speaker 3 (01:05:25):
For sure, I feel like I made it. I think
that mean I'm not the first guy to ever do it.
Don't get me wrong, for sure, but I think just
being in being in high school watching my mixtape, then
being in college watching when I was doing it too.
When I got to the league and made it famous
and then probably one of my best dunks ever against
the Hawks. I did that same move, and the difference

(01:05:45):
from me, I do it full speed without slowing down.
A lot of people do it, but they slow down.
I'm going full speed and there's no stopping it because
I did it. I think you look it up against
the Pacers, I did it. I went by my back
and they kind of like Georgia Hill kind of ready
lasts was coming to block it, and I didn't have
to finish my right. I leaned back and finish with
my left, and they ringing to each other. It was

(01:06:06):
going to have time, So I got different ways I
can finish off that. I can go right, right, right, left, right,
dunk a lot of stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:06:13):
I mean, yeah, that's the thing. It's like you didn't
invent it, but you've definitely people started using it after
seeing your highlights. Can you say who you learned that
from or when the first time you started doing it?

Speaker 3 (01:06:22):
To be honest, bro, I just tried it. Like for
me when I played basketball, I don't determine anything. It's
just all instincts for me. Yeah, Like if I see
it different, like one day, I just see a different
run this way, and I'm like, Okay, usually I can spin,
you know. I mean, I'm not really great at eurostep.
That's not my thing. I mean, so I'm like, let's
try this. And I tried it behind the back and
it worked, so I was like, I'm gonna stick with it.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
It's effective, all right, John, Well, it's been another episode
of Point Game. Appreciate you, presented by DraftKings. Everyone, please
go out there, rate reviews, subscribe, lead the reviews. Everyone
who also on our post left fan questions. Keep doing that.
Leave those in the reviews. We're gonna have a future
episode where John answers a bunch of those, and you
guys will get some hoodies and some hats. Point Game

(01:07:05):
merch on the way, John, anything else you want to
leave the fans with.

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
Oh yeah, Man, great to be back. Man.

Speaker 3 (01:07:11):
We ain't gonna take no break like that no more.
But like, yeah, we got that. We just enjoyed the man.
We're having fun. Got another special guests coming up soon.
And shout out at Trevor forgetting on today. Shout out
to Sycrolna women and Yukon men for winning the NCAA Championships.

Speaker 2 (01:07:25):
And now it's just a sight and get ready for
the playoffs. So I can't wait to see.

Speaker 3 (01:07:29):
And I think we're gonna have some great, great podcasts
when the playoffs storry.

Speaker 2 (01:07:32):
It's gonna be interesting.

Speaker 3 (01:07:33):
So shout us out, man, come support us Draft Kings.
You know what it is, man, We are having fun
and support us.

Speaker 1 (01:07:40):
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