Vince Carter hosting his former Tar Heel teammate Antawn Jamison revealing stories from their time playing in Chapel Hill, being recruited and playing pickup with MICHAEL JORDAN! Plus, Antawn talks about his favorite memories playing with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in the NBA and much more.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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presented by Caesar Sportsbook of Omaha Audio. You know s
Vince Cardi here, Roz is doing what Roz does. She's busy,
she's out doing whatever. So for those who aren't Carolina fans,
(00:45):
you may log off now and if you are welcome,
we're gonna start to show that way. But the reason
I say that because I bring in an old friend,
and I mean old friend. I'm talking about somebody that
has what you doing, Carol. Let me see National Player
of the Year, scored a lot of buckets against Duke. Yeah,
(01:05):
all of those good things. Man, As one James is
in the building, Let's go, what's up man, how you doing?
Thank you? Know, there's always a pleasure. Thank you, thank
you thinking we can reminisce and talk about the good
old days and so forth. So we're definitely glad to
be here. Man, awesome, man, Man, how you been? Man? Like,
what's up? We're gonna get this out the way and
then we're gonna get right down to the nitty gritty
(01:27):
what's the golf game looking like? I know you working,
and I know all that stuff, but it's been a while.
I got the opportunity to play about so ago. But
after April night, give me like a couple of weeks
and then I'll be able to get back in reform
and we can go back to normally wagers that we
have there on the golf course, having a good time
and so forth. So yeah, I want to get right
(01:48):
into it. Uh it's it's tournament time, you know, great
memories of tournament time. But you know, before I get
too far deep in there, you know, I want to
kind of dedicate this show to our Guyla Colajah, you know,
near obviously near and dear to us, and you know it's, uh,
(02:09):
it gives me chills just thinking about him, but I
wanted to kind of I can't have you on and
us not start there because for all of the Carolina
fans who know who knows Auta Mola and you know,
can all tell a story of what he means to them.
And we know you went out there, you know, to
to to the funeral and everything and got a chance
(02:29):
to kind of you know, see him go to a
better place. But every time I talk about or think
about Auta Mola, you know, I think about one night
that makes me smile as soon as I say I
always think back to one of the nights in in
(02:52):
the Dean Dome, late night going into right to bring
you in the new year, us playing one on one
on one, and Autam Mola beat us going into the
new year. You remember that, and and just kind of
just as small on his face and just you know,
out of only being Alam Molla bringing joy to it,
it's like not happy. I mean we I'm talking about
(03:14):
getting it in like it was like no mercy basketball.
It's always been that way with the three of us.
We were labeled the three Musketeers because that's just kind
of we kind of just hung out. We came in together.
I remember coming into school early and you guys are
there we kind of just got to know each other.
I already knew obviously you a little before that, but like, man,
who's the man? Like it's watching Adam Olive go from
(03:38):
you know, a German basketball player to learning the American
way to being a great dude. Man. But do you
remember that night? I do remember that night, and that's
the play I remember because you know, and we know
Automotive Automo, it's always underneath the radar, always humble, but
probably the fierstest comparitor. I think that you and I
(04:00):
have ever you know, competed against, and you always hear
these stories about these players that you would love to
have on your team in Automotive, zimplify that. But I
remember that night and it was funny because he was
just going off all American. I don't care, I just
pop your butt twenty five points a game. I just yeah, man,
(04:23):
what And I just remember the passion and the energy
that he had, And that's exactly who he was on
the court and off the court. That's who he was
as a brother. Somebody was to you. It was an
incident when somebody would call on my phone and he
was ready to go. And I mean, that's that's the
(04:46):
definition of He didn't ask any questions. I mean, he
was always there. And it's fun events if you talk
to people wherever you saw Antoine, you saw Vince, you
saw the mode where advancing. I mean, we was like
that our entire time at Carolina. And like I said,
(05:07):
to come from Germany into a surrounding that he wasn't
comfortable with and just to blend in with the likes
of yourself and me, you know, the Mactars and and
you know you gonna get this. But when I say
a dear friend, somebody who we would to the day
(05:29):
we died, always carrying our hearts and just know that
the love he not only had for our friendship, but
for the University of North Carolina, I mean it was
it was tough. And uh, knowing that he's in a
great place now, but I mean, you know it, just
like I know it. When that happened, I think a
piece of both of us kind of like, I mean,
(05:50):
we lost a lot because you know, we talk about family,
we talk about brothers, but Adam mother was truly our
brother from another mother. And uh it's still because I
still can't you know, fandom that he's not here or
not get that call and like, I don't know, slow down,
what did you say? Yeah? What did you say? You
(06:12):
know the Knights and grey Hole, you know him trying
to dance, and I mean just you know, so many
fun memories. But I mean truly God said and like
I said, I mean words came the five what he
has meant knowing for my life or for yours as well.
But I know we know he's in a better place.
It's tough, yeah, And I mean I remember two other
(06:35):
things that stick out. This is after our days of
Carolina now adults in heaven, our own families and with
father figures to our kids. And yeah, I'm almost always
reaching out, hey I'm in the States, I'm coming. Where
are you? You know? And I remember the last time
(06:56):
we the three of us got together was did we
did that on one of the other shows that I
did at the house? And yeah, it was just a
good time, you know. Just you know, I look at
that picture sometimes and I remember posting that picture when
he passed and just looking at him and just like
he just lights up the room. And for those who
(07:16):
don't know Adama like that and like who is this guy? Man?
Just look him up? Man, just when you see his
picture alone, it's gonna make you smile and just feel
good just because of the person that he is and
just he was just I mean, he did that, He
did that, He did that to people. We were walking
in the malls, remember that. I think the thing that
(07:39):
you know, I think it makes people love that show
is because this is the first time you and I
both all the way from our parents, a mom, my, dad,
a household, and we took that journey together. You know,
we all had to dream of of playing in the
NBA and just the things that we accomplished, it was
(08:00):
all of us. And I think, like you said, a
lot of people don't the name don't stick out because
he didn't play twenty some years or fifteen years in
the NBA. But to the Carolina fans, they knew exactly
what he has emplified and uh and what he meant
to us. I mean, he's just like I said, you
came replaced the love that we had for one another
and the things that we went through and his brother,
(08:23):
his mom. It's just you know, it's I don't know,
it's it's tough though, but Vince, but like I said,
it's just it was a great guy. I mean, it's
not one person to say anything negative about Automola and
what he has meant to anybody. But uh, definitely going
too soon. And like I said, he would definitely be
carried forever in my heart, your heart for everybody hearts,
(08:45):
especially at Carolina too. So for sure. Shout out to
his brother the Cola and his kids. Shout out to
those young men and now we love you, we support you.
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Speaker 1 (11:22):
Tell me about your recruit mix up for I don't
even I don't. I'm not sure a lot of people
know you. You you committed to Carolina earlier. But when
I say early, you committed when I committed going into
my junior year of high school to your junior year. Correct.
So my saw right here outline what was it? I
(11:45):
had took my biggest thing for me. I never asked
you that, did you take any visits other visits now
because I don't if I don't remember being from Charlotte,
cause we had just moved from Louisiana to Charlotte, and Okay,
of course I wanted to play college basketball and I
just got to acquaint to what ACC basketball was all about.
And I knew I wanted to stay close to home.
(12:07):
So I had took an unofficial visit to South Carolina,
unofficial visit to in C state, and I took an
unofficial visit to Duke. So up until then, I'm like, hey, man,
now this is when was this. Now this was that
sophomore junior, that summer summer. So I took those visits
and I was just like, you know, Grant Hill showed
(12:31):
me around Tonya Lan, Tonya Lane and those guys. I
was like, man, this might not be bad. But once
I walked on the campus of Carolina and Coach Ford
and you know, coach Gus and Dave Henders who recruited you.
Coach Ford, did I remember it came to uh one
(12:52):
of my AU games, and you know, charismatic as he
is always you know, shooting the shooting the breeze and
cracking Joe. And I was like, you know, I you know,
I can vibe with that. And it wasn't until you know,
my parents and I took the visit to Carolina. It
was just something about Carolina just I said, this is
this is me, this is this is why I want
(13:14):
to play college basketball. And I remember going until my
junior year. I already knew I was going. At my
senior year, it was on the thought. And I remember
our senior year at the Beachball Classic. Yeah, and my
high school coach was like, you know, that's Vince Carter.
They talked about he might be going to Carolina. So
(13:36):
I was like, go go speak to him, and I
remember you you and your mom was there, and I'm
just trying to vibe you know, you know how you
doing going to Carolina? Man, hopefully we're going to be
tea and your mom just like, so what is it
about Carolina? You're like, you know, what what was about
Coach Smith? I mean, she's sitting there like if anybody
know you know, yes, yeah, but you know, because we
(13:56):
were getting I was taking the I took a visit
right after beach ball, so I was leaving straight there
for I didn't know that, Yeah, I was going. That's
why she was asking that I took. I took an
unofficial since I was already out that way, so me
and coach Break, my high school coach and the assistant
coach I think as well, we took a visit to
(14:18):
Carolina right after unofficial, so that's why she was asking.
That is funny because I remember the first time we met,
and it's almost like we've known each other for like
more than the time that we knew each other. Because people.
You gotta remember at that time, social media wasn't the thing.
So she was like, it wasn't no YouTube you can
(14:42):
go and see all of this. I just I saw yeah,
and I'm like it was just like it was like,
oh you said you know, I said, oh you. It
was like I feel like every introduction that you played
in different aau outside of having to play someone in
your area, you meet him from a new it was
kind of like that, oh you to do that, I'll
(15:02):
be hearing about Like it was so kind of like that. So,
I mean, I remember that like it was yesterday, and
it was that instant connection, like it wasn't forced. It
wasn't like it was just just asking questions you. I mean,
he was listening and just so far we were just
bouncing off each other. I'm like, seem like, you know,
pretty good guy, you know, not too bad. You know,
we can win some games together. I think we can
make it happen. It was funny because it was like,
(15:24):
you know, that's the guy that talking about might be
going to Carolina, he might be your team, and I'm like,
so to go over here and run to him and
stuff like that. So that was funny. It was the
first time that we met, and then I remember, uh,
fast forward, Uh, we played the McDonald's game together, and
that's what that's what I knew who Vince Carter was
(15:44):
because I think I didn't see you at the Beach
Ball Classic. I think yall had. I just I saw
you at the beginning. So we played like different yeah,
played different times. And then I just remember I saw
the slam dunk contests in Saint Louis. I was just
like and then like just the practices, think about eventual
we had, man, we had Kevin going that ny Be
(16:05):
called ron ursa god sham god. I mean, we had Paul,
we had It was like, I remember that was practice.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I was just like, I said, bro, this is what
I gotta deal with, you know, for the next couple
of years in college, because it was we was strade everybody, Yeah,
and it was like it was supposed to be in
practices like our practices were like just.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
So it was just like, I was like, man, that
class was crazy. And to think about the type of
success that everybody from that class have had, whether it's coaching,
playing the game of basketball. I mean they talk about
the Lebron class and so far, which they deserve it
should talk about. But we we had some heavy hitters
(16:58):
in that class that went on the Do Exceptional Things
Hall of Famers, yourself and so forth. And let's not
talk about the draft class. I mean you had Dirt
d Whisky up in there and Mike Bibby and those guys. Man,
Mike viv good name man, my man, Yes, sir, And
(17:18):
speaking of a memory that we probably want to put
out of our mind. But let's let's just get this
other quick subject out of the way. What happened to
us this year? In your opinion? Uh, what do you think?
I think the nil? Would you like me? I think
I'm gonna give you my opinion on this too before
you go any further. I just think we got comfortable
(17:39):
in Cocky that we had our guys, our main core
guys returning, and we just thought it was going to happen.
When I went early in the season, I went for
a preseason game and I was a little concerned because
it was a preseason game that we should have blown
where everyone I can't remember who it was, Jesse Smith,
I remember that game, yeah, yes, and it was we
(18:01):
should have blown them out of the water. And we
didn't get it done. It's kind of like, Okay, it's
preseason whatever. But I'm like, all the games were like that,
and that was a concern for me because we felt like, oh,
we just turn it off and it just kind of
got out of the hand from that. So that's what
I saw from there, which concerned me. But so think
about this. Let's say after our sophomore year, when we
lose to Arizona, we come back. Just think about, like
(18:25):
I said, everybody went to both sessions of summer school.
Everybody we played events. We played NonStop the whole summer.
I mean three or four o'clock in the morning, we
just getting up shots. So think about coming back the
next following season. After you get done with practice, you
gotta go and shoot a Duck and Donuts commercial. After
(18:48):
I get done with practice, I'm going to shoot this
car dealership commercial. And I get it, Like, I truly
believe that players deserve to get paid for the name
and likeness. I just think, he stop. Can you imagine
aund your time? I just say, I don't think that
we probably would have made it to the final for
(19:09):
the next year because you get a dollars the opportunity. Yeah,
I knew, and I knew, and you know how that
Duke Carolina game. I remember the game at Duke and
I remember the ball just rolling on the floor and
I'm just like, nobody's diving for loose. That's a Duke
Carolina game. And I love the guys. I think, you know,
(19:31):
we just got to the point, we got complacent and
we felt like it was going to be as easy
as it was because we caught fire at the right
point time of the season. So I think they thought
that we could just carry that over. But as you know,
other teams are like preseason number one. I mean, they
going and we never we never counter acted. I talked
(19:54):
to Human and he was like, boy, this is a
different team, he said, this is this is a totally
different team than what I had last year. He said,
they gotta worry about other, you know, things outside of basketball.
But think about it, Vince. For us, it was just
we go to class, we do our work, and we
was the one thing, especially in my profession, what I
see now is the field for the game is not there.
(20:18):
Imagine all the open runs that we had, Vins. I
went there the first day they was able to practice
or just just you know, go up this place pick up.
So they played that day and I had the boys
with me and I said, I see you guys tomorrow.
Y'all gonna play again tomorrow, right? They were like, nah,
(20:38):
we're scheduled to play next week. I was like, huh.
So for us, we got a basketball scholarship to go
to the University of North Carolina, of course, don't get
me wrong, school, whatever other kind of things you got
going on, but which we played every single day. And
I think the problem that we're dealing with is these
(21:00):
guys have these guys that can everybody can work out,
everybody can do between the legs, everybody can do all
this other stuff. But the feel for the game, the chemistry,
the competitiveness is kind of like taking a step back.
I think draft nights, Oh yeah, what do you What
do you know about draft? I'm sitting there, me and
my boy, the drafted again, having a good time your table.
(21:25):
Next step, me and my mama sitting there. So my
mom and dad here, my agent here, and my agent
is like, look, it's gonna be a trade. Uh, you're
not going to Toronto. So just letting you know, you know,
they get the phone call before see see you already
knew that. And me meanwhile, we sitting over here, don't
know a thing. But obviously the deal was with you.
(21:48):
And I'm gonna say right from that point. Now we're
here like living it up, and like I said, about
to get drafted, you know, like I said, sitting next
to us, and the weirdest thing to me is and
obviously we we always talk about where we worked out
and everything, and I worked out for Golden State and whatnot.
And when you got drafted to Toronto and let me
go back. I don't know if you know Toronto had
(22:09):
already said if I was available at four, I might
as well come work out for him because they were
gonna draft. Yeah, okay, now draft Knight gets here. Number
one an't care. They already knew it was already understand
over number two, okay, then number three, ry for friends
that ain't cool. Number four, I was like, okay, they said,
(22:30):
I remember telling them a They said, they go to
draft me. Okay, said Twary Jameson. I said, b wait
what I said the same thing. My agent was right there,
so he told me so, they said in twy jameson
number fourth picture on the raptions, I'm getting up. I'm like, okay,
I said, I don't know where I'm going, but from
what I just heard, this is not gonna be it.
You're not gonna end up here. So I'm getting up. Bro,
(22:52):
I'm trying to huld my mom. My mom like, no,
it's cold. We didn't say anything, but I said, mom,
just give me ah, I'm not going here. Just they're
like Toronto, like what so, But I didn't know what.
I did not know because I thought I was either
going to Golden State or Dallas. So come to find out,
(23:13):
Golden State was trying to keep you from that from
Dallas because Dalla was in talks were Toronto about moving up,
so go to State Like look, cash will switch. You know, well,
we don't want to lose that to one. So that's
how it happened. And just like you know, Beachball Classic,
I mean, this is the way we started our friendship.
(23:35):
And I remember exactly first day on campus, like just
the way we compete against one another events. We were
paying ourselves for that moment. It was funny you didn't
know we was getting traded. I kind of knew. I
just didn't know where I was going. But to sit
there I'm taking David Stern hands. He like, you know,
don't keep that hat on too for too long. You're
(23:55):
getting traded. So I knew what was going on. I
just didn't know. I'm sitting back the interview with the
fifth pick. I said, oh, you know what I'm saying. Okay,
I get drafted with the fifth pick. The Golden State
was I was like, oh, I ain't cool. I'm not
going to Toronto. I'm going to Tola State. Cool a cool.
(24:16):
So you know I'm getting me though. My family get
me all putting on the hats and I'm sing I congratulations,
hunking moms and box and all that and stuff like that,
and it's like, man, that's crazy. But boys going four
or five all right? Cool? And I remember putting the
hat on, and I remember my family the getting their
hat all right and stuff, and they told me this,
but obviously I didn't see that part of it. But
I remember put my hat on, and I remember walking
(24:36):
up the steps, taking the first two steps, and I
see you standing there to the right, and when you
were standing there, you were trying to say something to me.
But I was so excited and my heart beating, like
it's about to happen. What So you were like, like
you were saying, come to find out, you were saying,
(24:57):
we're about to get traded. I was like, so by
the time, I'm trying not to fall because the one
thing I had in my mind was like, bro, all
of this the camera gonna be follow you do not know,
because that's that's that's all I cared about. We were
walking up. I'm like, oh, it gotta be careful, but
it was slippery. You had the brand new bottles all like.
I was like, bro, do not sit and you're talking
(25:18):
to me to I was like what, I was like,
I mean, whatever, I take the picture. David starting saying, hey,
h standing right here, it's about to be a trade.
So I stood back and you were trying to tell
me. I was like, bro, I don't know what you're saying.
My heart beating in my ears or something. I can't
hear you. I can't understand you. So he's like, so
I remember saying, dang, somebody is about to get traded
(25:39):
already and back then wait until eight or nine piggs
later to address the peak. They knew right away, and
it was like we were sitting there, we we said
there taking the hand off when we take I got
the picture right there down in the game, like, yeah,
I said, it's crazy. I was like, hey, the business
of basketball has been for we learn that my sweet
(26:03):
my sweet mate is like my teammate and sweet mate
because for y'all know, we lived in this like the
we had sweets. Like I'm trying to go to bed
at three o'clock in the morning, I'm trying to get
I'm trying to listen. I had at fifteen two fifteen.
But I was just like, oh, that's what he was saying.
(26:24):
We getting traded for each other. Bro, Why did you
say that? Yeah? And my parents were like they were fixed.
They they said once they fixed the hand. They was
like what they were just throwing go to state hands,
go to your table. That hats coming out. It was
like a crazy crazy And it's funny because I told
you about like and by the way, our careers are
going to be intertwined because of course we went to
(26:45):
Carolina getting traded for one another. And I just remember
that that that freshman that mean that rookie season. I'm
just like and I always I respect it because I knew.
I'm like, this is the stuff people like did you
see the Dunky did on ESPN. I'm like you you
should have been there practices at Carolina. The dunk thing
(27:07):
he was doing. I told people Junk High it was crazy.
I mean it was one time. I mean when we
were doing the rebounding drill, it was like Serge with
the mack tok me out of my we down there
just and all of a sudden, this dude just cleansed
and take it. I'm just like, that was in practice,
so it was one thing to see the highlights. I'm
(27:29):
like the dunk contest, I'm like, yeah, I've been seeing
that for three years down the road and he he
was touching the top of the back. Boy, I'm just like, yeah,
there's nothing. One of the moments that I'll never forget
was a proud moment for me of you is your
back to back fifty balls And that was I mean
(27:49):
it's a little different now. I mean there's some Kobe
Bryant obviously putting them up like three four, But at
that time, it was you ed Cole were the only
ones that put up back to back balls. Like what
how did that make you feel? How were you feeling?
Like what type of zone were you in and when
did you know, particularly the second fifty ball, that you
(28:10):
were gonna do it again? Well, I think the thing
for me because I told you, you know, my rookie year.
To see the success that you was having Paul Pierce
dirt like, I'm like, man, like I was CODs Player
of the Year, might be all these cats and like
(28:31):
it was tough. It was the furthest I've been away
from my family. I'm on the West Coast when I'm
getting out of practice, everybody's getting ready to go to bed.
I didn't really have anybody. And I remember, like between
you and Mad being able to like just let out
my frustration with you too, yep, and you were like, bro,
like I know what you can do, Like just take
(28:52):
It's gonna take time. And for you to be able
to like sympathize with me after all the success she
was having dunking over people and because I was on
the other side, just think about it. That's what I'm saying,
your friends. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, versus crazy
for me to not have the team's success, not have
(29:12):
the individual success. It was the first time I ever
doubted myself in life in basketball because you got to
think about. In middle school, we was always the most athletic,
the most talented high school all Americans would get to
college and I got to the league, and it's just
like I'm doubting myself. But then I remember I went
(29:35):
home for like a month. I came back and I
just I just dedicated myself to my craft, learning how
to shoot. And I remember that year I was having
some success. I was like, you know what, it's starting
to become easy. I can get the shot off, mid range,
shooting three a little bit. We played Gary Payton. What
(29:56):
year was that for you? That was my my third year,
and I remember we played up in Seattle, Gar Payton,
those guys for Charlotte. Oh bro up, go ahead, Yeah,
fifty one points. And I was just like I said, man,
I didn't see that coming. And I just remember like
(30:17):
the text message from you from everybody like, boy, I
knew you could do it. Congrass some I'm like, okay,
you know, I'm starting to play like how I knew
I can. I can play the game of basketball on
this level. And then it was like two days off
before we played the Lakers. And this is when the Lakers.
I think this might have been they either back to
back or they were trying to three. P might have
(30:38):
been on the back to back. Here Kobe shack everybody.
And I just remember like just getting to that zone, like, Bro,
you just hit fifty one. You got to make sure
you you bring it. You know, this is you know,
shocking Kobe. I want trying to hit fifty one anything
like that. But I just remember, you hear about people
(30:58):
talk about being in that zone. You've been there. The
basket is so wide, man, no matter what you're going
at the speed, that nobody is on your level. And
this everything just became easy. I wasn't rushing, I was
getting to my spots. I was just the little things
and rebounds, the office and boards, like all that stuff
was just coming to me. And I just remember down
(31:21):
that stretch, it was me and Kobe going back and forth,
and you know, Kobe to me was the second coming
to Mic And I'm like and at that particular time,
like we had more Laker fans at the arena because
we played at Golden State than we did go to
State fans. But just to know, like, you know, I
(31:42):
remember after a game, like Kobe and shot both like
you know, the game, like them like soln find like yeah,
you know, you know you're making it. Bro, So this
Sports Center sports spin up like Bro, like yeah we
know cod but man, yeah, one that got. That's the thing.
Kobe first fifty one fifty point game. He had never
(32:04):
scored fifty one fifty points in the NBA game. It
was his first fifty point game, and it was just
I just remember like just like he coming down, you know,
Larry Hughes going and Bobby Shirt and I'm just like
and I'm coming down like Horrace Gray. I remember Phil
Jackson like, and I remember sating like over there and
stop this man. He kills us. But I'll tell you
(32:25):
one thing. It's funny because after I hit fifty one
points back to back, the next game we played was
against the Lakers. Viz. When I said I never worked
hard for a bucket my life, I just scored point
that game. I went from fifty one back to back
to nothing. When I say they had shack Kobe, Dad Fish,
(32:47):
yeah look at that. Oh you'll get you're getting that.
What is this? Let's feel Jason gener on the side
like I don't get him. They came back and and
for me, it was like this is my third year
in the league. I never experienced being mentally prepared for
like that type of like triple ta, Oh no, he
(33:10):
ain't getting fifty to night. So I was like, and
I just remember, like I remember after the game Covid
them coming out laughing like not the Knight hung felt.
But to me, it was just like I felt like, Okay,
I'm on the same level as Vince. Now I'm on
the same level as Paul and their guys in my
(33:30):
class that I put on his pedestal because y'all had
so much success the first early in your careers and
now it's like, you know, like that's when I knew, like,
you know what, this won't be doing until I can't
do it anymore. And you mentioned Covid, I know you
you ended up obviously you had that battle. You ended
up playing with Cold. What what you know? We hear
(33:52):
stories about Cod from other guys. For you, what was
it like playing with Cold at that time? It was
it was it was so easy. Our lockers was next
to each other. You know me, I'm like one of
the greatest type players. I'm just like a sponge. And
he was so receptive. The thing about Cole if you
(34:13):
dedicate yourself to the game of basketball and you want
to win. He was the best teammates ever, him and
Shack Beef because what Shaq was giving it not one
hundred percent. Had other stuff. That year the White was
on the team. The White, you know, always joke in
and stuff like that. But if you came and practiced
hard and then you did everything the coaches like he was,
(34:36):
I love playing with it. I mean, one time, it's
funny story. We're on a plane. You know. He always
did that that system like a like a snake. See.
I mean, he be doing that and he said, Jamo
that way. He called me like come here, and I'm
like Kobe never called me on the player. I said,
what's going on? He watched a film, Vince, I mean
just watching filmly like look, he said, I see you
(34:57):
as open. He said, I didn't see you. He said,
next time, next game, you know, just just hey, pass ball.
I'm open. I'm looking at the film. Vince. He got
four guys and I'm like, how you doing do I'm open?
You got four guys right there on you. But he
was like, he said, I got blinders on. I just
see the basket. He said, next time, just let me know, Showley.
(35:18):
But sure that next game we played, I think it
might have been I forgot Phoenix or somebody. It was
the most thirty two points that game I had. You know,
they double team and I'm yelling Colby, I mean just
lay up after the layup, and like that's the type
of player he was. He was the ultimate competitor. I
mean he won to win. You remember the time when
(35:41):
Mike came and we did our our game, our run
at Chapel Hill and this is we were like, it's
Michael Jordan, he just came out of a championship and
we're playing pick up game with Mike. Just the intensity
that we played with. We said pigs, we diving on
the floor for loose balls. But that's the type of
(36:05):
that's the type of you know, attention that he demanded.
And Cold was the same way. Like to me, I
love playing with Cold. I could have played with Cold
my whole career because we all wanted the same things.
Like my work ethic was compared to none. I remember
my first day of training camp, I knowing me the
first one in the gym. You know, we had practice
(36:27):
around eleven o'clock. I get to jail like eight o'clock,
I'm getting shot up. I walk in. Kobe comes off
the court just swim. I'm like, well, he just got
just getting out the shower, like na, he been hits
is five o'clock in the morning and this is what
we was doing tour days. But that's just the type
of person he was. He He never let anybody or
(36:49):
wanted to think anybody was outworking him. And as a teammate,
it was the same way. As long as you coming in,
you competing every day, you're giving everything to your craft
and to the team. He was the best teammate ever Lebron. Yeah,
you also played with Lebron and your time with him,
I mean what Lebron has accomplished, and you got the
(37:12):
opportunity to see Lebron in his early stages and obviously
you're seeing what he's done now and what he's accomplished.
You know, it's about like, Lebron James is the all
time leading scorer in NBA history, and you got that
opportunity to play with him. You got to see him
every day. What are your thoughts on him as a
young guy to where he is now. Yes, I got
(37:35):
traded midway through the season, and you knew he was.
He was getting ready for greatness. To say, I'm shock
a surprised that he's the all time leading scorer in
the NBA history. I'm not just like Cole the work ethic,
the attention to detail, the amount of money he's spent
(37:58):
on his body, to make sure he's you know, prepared
for the rigors of like eighty two plus deep into
the playoffs, I knew it. I think at that particular time,
Bron needed to go into a situation like he did
with Miami. He needed because at that particular like Cleveland
(38:19):
was still kind of like trying to figure things out
and you like learning how to win and learn how
to win and learn how to the difference between Bron
and Kobe. Kobe was more like Mike, uh just the mentality.
Brown was more like heavy gold luck, you know, just
(38:42):
still having a good time. They all hear six they
was doing. So I think Bron needed to go that
pat Riley and learn about the mentality that Mike and
Magic and those guys d Wade already had it. So
I think by those couple of years, by him being
down there in Miami and it took him to the
(39:03):
next level because he he was arguing he could have
won the MVV every year. That's type of talent that
he was. But I think he needed to go down
there and experience, like, you know what, I've been kind
of doing this all wrong. And from what I heard
after he got back from Miami, from the people with
the organization, you can tell he came back different. He
(39:25):
came back well little you know what, this is how
we got to do things. And he was it's his
basketball mind. I never seen anything like it. I remember
like Mike Brown trying to draw players and Brown he's
a coach. I mean, you think about you know, Kobe
I played with Shaq with Cleveland, but like Brown was
(39:47):
like his mind just it would like I never seen
it before as a player. And then he had the
opportunity because you hear, most great coaches were not great players.
But Broun had the opportunity to practice what he preaches,
what he saw. And of course, I mean this man
came out of high school built like a mad truck
(40:09):
fast like I don't never seen it before. I Q
like his basketball, i Q is people don't give enough
credit for his basketball at i Q. And the thing
I love about it and I think the difference between
the players when our generation and Broun Bron loves the
game of basketball. KD loves the game of basketball. If
(40:31):
they weren't playing, they'd be out there on the black top.
I mean, this is this is this is the mentality,
and that was the difference between I think Kobe and Broun.
Broun had to go down there and figure it out.
And I think Kobe already came in, you know, he
strogged a little bit, coach study studied. Yeah, you know,
(40:54):
every his his every move like I remember. And then
Kobe went to one to an organization that it's championship
or bus and Brown went to a situation in Cleveland
like you know, we never had just to say, you know,
just just bring people to come see to the stands.
And then he went now to Miami like, hold on, no,
(41:14):
we're just not down here to party and have a
good time. We here to win championship. And I think
once she got to that point, like now you know,
this is what is requiet. It's not just make it
to the finals every other year like pat Riot, like Bro,
we here to win championship. And lastly, I just want
to clear the air, get this out there, and then
we're gonna get out of here. Get out of your hair.
(41:35):
Ladies and gentlemen. You already mentioned a little bit, and
I want to double back on this MJ story. When
MJ came to tell to play pick up. Yeah, it
was a story that came out about this MJ situation
and how it all unfolded. And we've had conversations about it.
(41:59):
And this is not have anything to do with anybody,
not to Mark Spears, not to anybody, but we actually
lived this story as well, and we've had just recently,
we've had a conversation about it. But some of the
things that came out, if you would, we're not really
(42:25):
now now knowing the person who heard the story and
he said about he wasn't his favorite. Now I know
him now. If he said that, I didn't hear it,
and it wasn't surprised me if he did say. I
can only talk about what I experienced, what I saw.
And I remember they said, you guys got to be
downstairs and Dean Smith right, play pick up at a
(42:46):
certain time. Yeah, I'm like, all right, we'll be there. No,
you got to be here at a certain time. I'm like,
I remember that, what's the big deal? But yeah, we're
always there. Were always had three o'clock, you know, And
I just remember like nobody was in the gym but us.
Normally you have like the managers. You might have so
people walk in the concourse or whatever, but it was
(43:08):
just a team and there. I'm like, so we're sending
up stretching and stuff. And I'm like, man, okay, so
let's get started. They're like, hold up, wait, not, We're
gonna get started a little bit. I'm like, what's going on?
And coming out of tunnel, you know, everybody knows the
walk and I'm like, I said, they're about to go
(43:28):
the coming over the US and what's he doing? I said,
guys call on his shots on and you know the
little walk coming on and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (43:41):
This is our freshman year events. I'm like, bro, were
about to play with myself? Oh crap, okay, all of
a sudden, bo we start stretching. All of a sudden,
we straight up on the layup line.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
And I remember I played with the one game and
get some one game And when I say the tension
of detail, I say, we was at there sending screen.
We was that was the hardest I ever seen a
pickup game being played in my life. But wait, who
(44:14):
you remember he had like the walk Ons and he
had like he was like, nah, no give me them. Yeah,
And I remember and yeah, I got switched out on him.
I said, somebody can help help because I mean he
had that He's looking at them just and it's just
like he started getting into that. That all I'm like,
(44:37):
and I just remember, man, it was I mean, it
was just like we just got through playing because think
about it, with the Carolina just won a championship. This
is like the reason why a lot of us or
even playing the game of basketball be like Mike in
the backyard doing this Chicago. So to sit there and
like at the Smithson and the school that I'm going
(44:59):
to to have Michael Jordan come in, I didn't say nothing.
I'm sitting there just it's Michael Jordan's were sitting there
saying was in that master class he was giving us
out there called the screen your felt. I'm like, I mean,
it's just like because we learned, like this is the
intense for us. You know, we didn't know when this
(45:21):
opportunity or even it was going to happen. This is
what we gotta expect if we was to make it
to the next level. And I just missed. I mean,
we play hard. We diving Rember. I just remember the
time on the break, the one fast break I got.
It's like, you know, usually dunk it, but like, nah,
I'm going ahead dump this with extra hard man is
(45:48):
a real thing. Yeah. Yeah, one time, like he was
calling his shots. Yeah, don't reach, don't reach that because
you reached. I'm going in here for this fade away
And I was like, what are you talking about? Like
you said there it fade away like unbelievable, and I
was like, I don't remember, Like this is what I
was saying. I don't remember any trash talk. It wasn't.
(46:10):
It wasn't no trash talking, not from me. Yeah, it wasn't.
I don't recall any trash talking. So I just remember
quiet church mouse go aham, do my job. Picked said scream.
I played when the first game, said scream. The second game,
that's when he had to walk home and he played
against everybody and we I was like, yeah, I played
(46:32):
against him. Oh did I play with I want to
say I played with him once, but maybe not. So
let me ask you this so knowing that the talk
was this is the next coming of Michael Jordan's or
this is the closest thing to Michael Jordan to ever
come to Carolina that put a punch on you when
(46:55):
you played him that day. You never came up that way.
You just game. I didn't want to know. I've always
said that, like I didn't want to be the next MJ.
Because like, bro, that's as soon as you do that,
you automatically put pressure on yourself. And I'm like, bro,
like I might you might see some things, like you know,
(47:16):
I love the fade away. That was my thing. You know,
I hit you with the long fade away either way
or whatnot, and you see some stuff, but like it
was just like nah, I just wanted to see, Like
I'm not gonna say like I say, like, let me
see what this Michael Jordan thay was all about. But
at the same time, like, bro, like it's the best
to ever do it. So you know, you see where
you are at night, well, seventeen eighteen years old and
(47:39):
this man, the MJ, right girl, man like the man
had grown man stream like he was just I'm talking
about like trying to guard him back down, like he
just he just his ability to get to his spots
and he was prepared for everything that you could possibly
do during live action, you know what I'm saying. So
it was just like I said, I was a student
in that master class that he was giving, and it
(48:02):
was just like to be able to like you knew
about the dunk and and stuff. But Vince too, I've
seen you and you you his ability to get shot
off from people who are athletics. But no, away, I'm not.
I compare you. This one thing I will compare you
guys to. And you could jump and I'm sitting there
(48:23):
jumping with you. I'm jumping with you, I'm coming down
and you're still elevating up and it's like you're in
slow motion. Like That's the thing I will compare you
guys to, because I remember the day I'm like, holdo,
I'm jumping. I know I got a little bit of
athletical ability, but I'm coming down. He's just still hanging
and it's just like one of the time. That was
(48:47):
one of the things that because of my ability, I
learned and I took from his game is the ability
to kind of get in the paint and just be athletic,
and then sometimes it's just like all right, you done.
Your athleticism has expired. Okay, let me go ahead and
just wait and sometime, you know, you would see it
with the one hand, sometime with the play away, just
(49:08):
hold it up there, like those are the things like
I was like, that's another dimension of my game. I use,
like particularly when I got in the NBA more so
than in college, but like now I can just get
in the paint and just you know, cause we're talking
about were dealing with back my Tumbo's and you know,
Sean Bradley's and all those guys, so you know, just
big athletic, strong dudes. It's like I just had to
(49:29):
kind of wait, like pretty well started me and stuff.
So I guess the guys I had to go out
like KG was seven ft long, shot up here, the
same way the fade away. But for you it was
like I'm told them this and you would jump straight
up and then all of a sudden you could talk
your body face. I'm just like this dude still up
(49:49):
and one thing to come into the rim. I was
just like you know what, just he hanged but the
fade away and the jump shot and be like, Oh,
that's good. D On right there. I'm right there just
like And that's the thing I remember when I played
MJ for the first time. I'm like, this guy is
literally just hanging in the air on his jump shot,
same shot every time. The motion is just like those
(50:10):
are the things that you don't You see it on TV,
but you don't really appreciate it to you like literally
like live competing against it. That's the one thing I
will say that you had a lot of is that
you can actually play good defense on Vince. This is
before you learn how to like create off the drib
and stuff like that. But you were just sitting and
(50:31):
I'm just like, we come down, like what are you doing?
It was just and you had the same motion every time.
A lot of people don't understand your shot. It was
just like the actually shoot the ball. But that freshman, ye,
you was just so in your head. You was like
my shooting now. Everything was just But then when you realize, nah,
I'm taking this shot, I'm just like and then when
you start off the drill, but I'm just like, it's
(50:54):
a rap, so just get ready for it. So yeah, man,
And that's why it prepared me. I think played against
MJ then and then playing against m J when he
came back with the Wizards. You know, I had a
better understanding. It's one thing watching him J. It's one
thing watching him J. You know, for everybody who sue
claim like, oh no, it's another thing. You haven't to
(51:15):
guard that man live. Like, hey, funny story. I remember
because this is when I was at Golden State and
he was with the Wizards. He came in this MJ.
I mean, like I said, we played against played with
him in college and me and Gilbert like cooking. I
had like about thirty three thirty four. Man, he guarded
me one time I hit the shot. I'm like, yeah, baby, yeah,
tall here, calm down, my bad that's that's too don't
(51:41):
give me a start out like my bad player, it's
your game, I said, back his shots. I was like,
let me just Steve. But that's that's the type of
respect that he had. And like I said, I mean,
you know, it's a debate between who's the greatest Bron
or Mike. If you asked Broun, Broun played the game Coope.
(52:01):
We can't forget Kobe. I'm just saying, man, Tim, I
really appreciate it. Man. It's always a pleasure, you see,
when we get to talk and we have stories on end.
Like I'm hoping all our listeners out there really enjoy
this conversation because I knew it was gonna be a
good when I knew people were gonna hear some great stuff.
Thank you once again, man, my brother. Love you to death. Man,
(52:25):
It's always love when we get together. Man, VC Show.
We signing off. Man, Let's go
The VC Show is presented for the people by Caesar Sportsbook,
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presented by Caesar Sportsbook of Omaha Audio. You know s
Vince Cardi here, Roz is doing what Roz does. She's busy,
she's out doing whatever. So for those who aren't Carolina fans,
(00:45):
you may log off now and if you are welcome,
we're gonna start to show that way. But the reason
I say that because I bring in an old friend,
and I mean old friend. I'm talking about somebody that
has what you doing, Carol. Let me see National Player
of the Year, scored a lot of buckets against Duke. Yeah,
(01:05):
all of those good things. Man, As one James is
in the building, Let's go, what's up man, how you doing?
Thank you? Know, there's always a pleasure. Thank you, thank
you thinking we can reminisce and talk about the good
old days and so forth. So we're definitely glad to
be here. Man, awesome, man, Man, how you been? Man? Like,
what's up? We're gonna get this out the way and
then we're gonna get right down to the nitty gritty
(01:27):
what's the golf game looking like? I know you working,
and I know all that stuff, but it's been a while.
I got the opportunity to play about so ago. But
after April night, give me like a couple of weeks
and then I'll be able to get back in reform
and we can go back to normally wagers that we
have there on the golf course, having a good time
and so forth. So yeah, I want to get right
(01:48):
into it. Uh it's it's tournament time, you know, great
memories of tournament time. But you know, before I get
too far deep in there, you know, I want to
kind of dedicate this show to our Guyla Colajah, you know,
near obviously near and dear to us, and you know it's, uh,
(02:09):
it gives me chills just thinking about him, but I
wanted to kind of I can't have you on and
us not start there because for all of the Carolina
fans who know who knows Auta Mola and you know,
can all tell a story of what he means to them.
And we know you went out there, you know, to
to to the funeral and everything and got a chance
(02:29):
to kind of you know, see him go to a
better place. But every time I talk about or think
about Auta Mola, you know, I think about one night
that makes me smile as soon as I say I
always think back to one of the nights in in
(02:52):
the Dean Dome, late night going into right to bring
you in the new year, us playing one on one
on one, and Autam Mola beat us going into the
new year. You remember that, and and just kind of
just as small on his face and just you know,
out of only being Alam Molla bringing joy to it,
it's like not happy. I mean we I'm talking about
(03:14):
getting it in like it was like no mercy basketball.
It's always been that way with the three of us.
We were labeled the three Musketeers because that's just kind
of we kind of just hung out. We came in together.
I remember coming into school early and you guys are
there we kind of just got to know each other.
I already knew obviously you a little before that, but like, man,
who's the man? Like it's watching Adam Olive go from
(03:38):
you know, a German basketball player to learning the American
way to being a great dude. Man. But do you
remember that night? I do remember that night, and that's
the play I remember because you know, and we know
Automotive Automo, it's always underneath the radar, always humble, but
probably the fierstest comparitor. I think that you and I
(04:00):
have ever you know, competed against, and you always hear
these stories about these players that you would love to
have on your team in Automotive, zimplify that. But I
remember that night and it was funny because he was
just going off all American. I don't care, I just
pop your butt twenty five points a game. I just yeah, man,
(04:23):
what And I just remember the passion and the energy
that he had, And that's exactly who he was on
the court and off the court. That's who he was
as a brother. Somebody was to you. It was an
incident when somebody would call on my phone and he
was ready to go. And I mean, that's that's the
(04:46):
definition of He didn't ask any questions. I mean, he
was always there. And it's fun events if you talk
to people wherever you saw Antoine, you saw Vince, you
saw the mode where advancing. I mean, we was like
that our entire time at Carolina. And like I said,
(05:07):
to come from Germany into a surrounding that he wasn't
comfortable with and just to blend in with the likes
of yourself and me, you know, the Mactars and and
you know you gonna get this. But when I say
a dear friend, somebody who we would to the day
(05:29):
we died, always carrying our hearts and just know that
the love he not only had for our friendship, but
for the University of North Carolina, I mean it was
it was tough. And uh, knowing that he's in a
great place now, but I mean, you know it, just
like I know it. When that happened, I think a
piece of both of us kind of like, I mean,
(05:50):
we lost a lot because you know, we talk about family,
we talk about brothers, but Adam mother was truly our
brother from another mother. And uh it's still because I
still can't you know, fandom that he's not here or
not get that call and like, I don't know, slow down,
what did you say? Yeah? What did you say? You
(06:12):
know the Knights and grey Hole, you know him trying
to dance, and I mean just you know, so many
fun memories. But I mean truly God said and like
I said, I mean words came the five what he
has meant knowing for my life or for yours as well.
But I know we know he's in a better place.
It's tough, yeah, And I mean I remember two other
(06:35):
things that stick out. This is after our days of
Carolina now adults in heaven, our own families and with
father figures to our kids. And yeah, I'm almost always
reaching out, hey I'm in the States, I'm coming. Where
are you? You know? And I remember the last time
(06:56):
we the three of us got together was did we
did that on one of the other shows that I
did at the house? And yeah, it was just a
good time, you know. Just you know, I look at
that picture sometimes and I remember posting that picture when
he passed and just looking at him and just like
he just lights up the room. And for those who
(07:16):
don't know Adama like that and like who is this guy? Man?
Just look him up? Man, just when you see his
picture alone, it's gonna make you smile and just feel
good just because of the person that he is and
just he was just I mean, he did that, He
did that, He did that to people. We were walking
in the malls, remember that. I think the thing that
(07:39):
you know, I think it makes people love that show
is because this is the first time you and I
both all the way from our parents, a mom, my, dad,
a household, and we took that journey together. You know,
we all had to dream of of playing in the
NBA and just the things that we accomplished, it was
(08:00):
all of us. And I think, like you said, a
lot of people don't the name don't stick out because
he didn't play twenty some years or fifteen years in
the NBA. But to the Carolina fans, they knew exactly
what he has emplified and uh and what he meant
to us. I mean, he's just like I said, you
came replaced the love that we had for one another
and the things that we went through and his brother,
(08:23):
his mom. It's just you know, it's I don't know,
it's it's tough though, but Vince, but like I said,
it's just it was a great guy. I mean, it's
not one person to say anything negative about Automola and
what he has meant to anybody. But uh, definitely going
too soon. And like I said, he would definitely be
carried forever in my heart, your heart for everybody hearts,
(08:45):
especially at Carolina too. So for sure. Shout out to
his brother the Cola and his kids. Shout out to
those young men and now we love you, we support you.
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Speaker 1 (11:22):
Tell me about your recruit mix up for I don't
even I don't. I'm not sure a lot of people
know you. You you committed to Carolina earlier. But when
I say early, you committed when I committed going into
my junior year of high school to your junior year. Correct.
So my saw right here outline what was it? I
(11:45):
had took my biggest thing for me. I never asked
you that, did you take any visits other visits now
because I don't if I don't remember being from Charlotte,
cause we had just moved from Louisiana to Charlotte, and Okay,
of course I wanted to play college basketball and I
just got to acquaint to what ACC basketball was all about.
And I knew I wanted to stay close to home.
(12:07):
So I had took an unofficial visit to South Carolina,
unofficial visit to in C state, and I took an
unofficial visit to Duke. So up until then, I'm like, hey, man,
now this is when was this. Now this was that
sophomore junior, that summer summer. So I took those visits
and I was just like, you know, Grant Hill showed
(12:31):
me around Tonya Lan, Tonya Lane and those guys. I
was like, man, this might not be bad. But once
I walked on the campus of Carolina and Coach Ford
and you know, coach Gus and Dave Henders who recruited you.
Coach Ford, did I remember it came to uh one
(12:52):
of my AU games, and you know, charismatic as he
is always you know, shooting the shooting the breeze and
cracking Joe. And I was like, you know, I you know,
I can vibe with that. And it wasn't until you know,
my parents and I took the visit to Carolina. It
was just something about Carolina just I said, this is
this is me, this is this is why I want
(13:14):
to play college basketball. And I remember going until my
junior year. I already knew I was going. At my
senior year, it was on the thought. And I remember
our senior year at the Beachball Classic. Yeah, and my
high school coach was like, you know, that's Vince Carter.
They talked about he might be going to Carolina. So
(13:36):
I was like, go go speak to him, and I
remember you you and your mom was there, and I'm
just trying to vibe you know, you know how you
doing going to Carolina? Man, hopefully we're going to be
tea and your mom just like, so what is it
about Carolina? You're like, you know, what what was about
Coach Smith? I mean, she's sitting there like if anybody
know you know, yes, yeah, but you know, because we
(13:56):
were getting I was taking the I took a visit
right after beach ball, so I was leaving straight there
for I didn't know that, Yeah, I was going. That's
why she was asking that I took. I took an
unofficial since I was already out that way, so me
and coach Break, my high school coach and the assistant
coach I think as well, we took a visit to
(14:18):
Carolina right after unofficial, so that's why she was asking.
That is funny because I remember the first time we met,
and it's almost like we've known each other for like
more than the time that we knew each other. Because people.
You gotta remember at that time, social media wasn't the thing.
So she was like, it wasn't no YouTube you can
(14:42):
go and see all of this. I just I saw yeah,
and I'm like it was just like it was like,
oh you said you know, I said, oh you. It
was like I feel like every introduction that you played
in different aau outside of having to play someone in
your area, you meet him from a new it was
kind of like that, oh you to do that, I'll
(15:02):
be hearing about Like it was so kind of like that. So,
I mean, I remember that like it was yesterday, and
it was that instant connection, like it wasn't forced. It
wasn't like it was just just asking questions you. I mean,
he was listening and just so far we were just
bouncing off each other. I'm like, seem like, you know,
pretty good guy, you know, not too bad. You know,
we can win some games together. I think we can
make it happen. It was funny because it was like,
(15:24):
you know, that's the guy that talking about might be
going to Carolina, he might be your team, and I'm like,
so to go over here and run to him and
stuff like that. So that was funny. It was the
first time that we met, and then I remember, uh,
fast forward, Uh, we played the McDonald's game together, and
that's what that's what I knew who Vince Carter was
(15:44):
because I think I didn't see you at the Beach
Ball Classic. I think yall had. I just I saw
you at the beginning. So we played like different yeah,
played different times. And then I just remember I saw
the slam dunk contests in Saint Louis. I was just
like and then like just the practices, think about eventual
we had, man, we had Kevin going that ny Be
(16:05):
called ron ursa god sham god. I mean, we had Paul,
we had It was like, I remember that was practice.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I was just like, I said, bro, this is what
I gotta deal with, you know, for the next couple
of years in college, because it was we was strade everybody, Yeah,
and it was like it was supposed to be in
practices like our practices were like just.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
So it was just like, I was like, man, that
class was crazy. And to think about the type of
success that everybody from that class have had, whether it's coaching,
playing the game of basketball. I mean they talk about
the Lebron class and so far, which they deserve it
should talk about. But we we had some heavy hitters
(16:58):
in that class that went on the Do Exceptional Things
Hall of Famers, yourself and so forth. And let's not
talk about the draft class. I mean you had Dirt
d Whisky up in there and Mike Bibby and those guys. Man,
Mike viv good name man, my man, Yes, sir, And
(17:18):
speaking of a memory that we probably want to put
out of our mind. But let's let's just get this
other quick subject out of the way. What happened to
us this year? In your opinion? Uh, what do you think?
I think the nil? Would you like me? I think
I'm gonna give you my opinion on this too before
you go any further. I just think we got comfortable
(17:39):
in Cocky that we had our guys, our main core
guys returning, and we just thought it was going to happen.
When I went early in the season, I went for
a preseason game and I was a little concerned because
it was a preseason game that we should have blown
where everyone I can't remember who it was, Jesse Smith,
I remember that game, yeah, yes, and it was we
(18:01):
should have blown them out of the water. And we
didn't get it done. It's kind of like, Okay, it's
preseason whatever. But I'm like, all the games were like that,
and that was a concern for me because we felt like, oh,
we just turn it off and it just kind of
got out of the hand from that. So that's what
I saw from there, which concerned me. But so think
about this. Let's say after our sophomore year, when we
lose to Arizona, we come back. Just think about, like
(18:25):
I said, everybody went to both sessions of summer school.
Everybody we played events. We played NonStop the whole summer.
I mean three or four o'clock in the morning, we
just getting up shots. So think about coming back the
next following season. After you get done with practice, you
gotta go and shoot a Duck and Donuts commercial. After
(18:48):
I get done with practice, I'm going to shoot this
car dealership commercial. And I get it, Like, I truly
believe that players deserve to get paid for the name
and likeness. I just think, he stop. Can you imagine
aund your time? I just say, I don't think that
we probably would have made it to the final for
(19:09):
the next year because you get a dollars the opportunity. Yeah,
I knew, and I knew, and you know how that
Duke Carolina game. I remember the game at Duke and
I remember the ball just rolling on the floor and
I'm just like, nobody's diving for loose. That's a Duke
Carolina game. And I love the guys. I think, you know,
(19:31):
we just got to the point, we got complacent and
we felt like it was going to be as easy
as it was because we caught fire at the right
point time of the season. So I think they thought
that we could just carry that over. But as you know,
other teams are like preseason number one. I mean, they
going and we never we never counter acted. I talked
(19:54):
to Human and he was like, boy, this is a
different team, he said, this is this is a totally
different team than what I had last year. He said,
they gotta worry about other, you know, things outside of basketball.
But think about it, Vince. For us, it was just
we go to class, we do our work, and we
was the one thing, especially in my profession, what I
see now is the field for the game is not there.
(20:18):
Imagine all the open runs that we had, Vins. I
went there the first day they was able to practice
or just just you know, go up this place pick up.
So they played that day and I had the boys
with me and I said, I see you guys tomorrow.
Y'all gonna play again tomorrow, right? They were like, nah,
(20:38):
we're scheduled to play next week. I was like, huh.
So for us, we got a basketball scholarship to go
to the University of North Carolina, of course, don't get
me wrong, school, whatever other kind of things you got
going on, but which we played every single day. And
I think the problem that we're dealing with is these
(21:00):
guys have these guys that can everybody can work out,
everybody can do between the legs, everybody can do all
this other stuff. But the feel for the game, the chemistry,
the competitiveness is kind of like taking a step back.
I think draft nights, Oh yeah, what do you What
do you know about draft? I'm sitting there, me and
my boy, the drafted again, having a good time your table.
(21:25):
Next step, me and my mama sitting there. So my
mom and dad here, my agent here, and my agent
is like, look, it's gonna be a trade. Uh, you're
not going to Toronto. So just letting you know, you know,
they get the phone call before see see you already
knew that. And me meanwhile, we sitting over here, don't
know a thing. But obviously the deal was with you.
(21:48):
And I'm gonna say right from that point. Now we're
here like living it up, and like I said, about
to get drafted, you know, like I said, sitting next
to us, and the weirdest thing to me is and
obviously we we always talk about where we worked out
and everything, and I worked out for Golden State and whatnot.
And when you got drafted to Toronto and let me
go back. I don't know if you know Toronto had
(22:09):
already said if I was available at four, I might
as well come work out for him because they were
gonna draft. Yeah, okay, now draft Knight gets here. Number
one an't care. They already knew it was already understand
over number two, okay, then number three, ry for friends
that ain't cool. Number four, I was like, okay, they said,
(22:30):
I remember telling them a They said, they go to
draft me. Okay, said Twary Jameson. I said, b wait
what I said the same thing. My agent was right there,
so he told me so, they said in twy jameson
number fourth picture on the raptions, I'm getting up. I'm like, okay,
I said, I don't know where I'm going, but from
what I just heard, this is not gonna be it.
You're not gonna end up here. So I'm getting up. Bro,
(22:52):
I'm trying to huld my mom. My mom like, no,
it's cold. We didn't say anything, but I said, mom,
just give me ah, I'm not going here. Just they're
like Toronto, like what so, But I didn't know what.
I did not know because I thought I was either
going to Golden State or Dallas. So come to find out,
(23:13):
Golden State was trying to keep you from that from
Dallas because Dalla was in talks were Toronto about moving up,
so go to State Like look, cash will switch. You know, well,
we don't want to lose that to one. So that's
how it happened. And just like you know, Beachball Classic,
I mean, this is the way we started our friendship.
(23:35):
And I remember exactly first day on campus, like just
the way we compete against one another events. We were
paying ourselves for that moment. It was funny you didn't
know we was getting traded. I kind of knew. I
just didn't know where I was going. But to sit
there I'm taking David Stern hands. He like, you know,
don't keep that hat on too for too long. You're
(23:55):
getting traded. So I knew what was going on. I
just didn't know. I'm sitting back the interview with the
fifth pick. I said, oh, you know what I'm saying. Okay,
I get drafted with the fifth pick. The Golden State
was I was like, oh, I ain't cool. I'm not
going to Toronto. I'm going to Tola State. Cool a cool.
(24:16):
So you know I'm getting me though. My family get
me all putting on the hats and I'm sing I congratulations,
hunking moms and box and all that and stuff like that,
and it's like, man, that's crazy. But boys going four
or five all right? Cool? And I remember putting the
hat on, and I remember my family the getting their
hat all right and stuff, and they told me this,
but obviously I didn't see that part of it. But
I remember put my hat on, and I remember walking
(24:36):
up the steps, taking the first two steps, and I
see you standing there to the right, and when you
were standing there, you were trying to say something to me.
But I was so excited and my heart beating, like
it's about to happen. What So you were like, like
you were saying, come to find out, you were saying,
(24:57):
we're about to get traded. I was like, so by
the time, I'm trying not to fall because the one
thing I had in my mind was like, bro, all
of this the camera gonna be follow you do not know,
because that's that's that's all I cared about. We were
walking up. I'm like, oh, it gotta be careful, but
it was slippery. You had the brand new bottles all like.
I was like, bro, do not sit and you're talking
(25:18):
to me to I was like what, I was like,
I mean, whatever, I take the picture. David starting saying, hey,
h standing right here, it's about to be a trade.
So I stood back and you were trying to tell
me. I was like, bro, I don't know what you're saying.
My heart beating in my ears or something. I can't
hear you. I can't understand you. So he's like, so
I remember saying, dang, somebody is about to get traded
(25:39):
already and back then wait until eight or nine piggs
later to address the peak. They knew right away, and
it was like we were sitting there, we we said
there taking the hand off when we take I got
the picture right there down in the game, like, yeah,
I said, it's crazy. I was like, hey, the business
of basketball has been for we learn that my sweet
(26:03):
my sweet mate is like my teammate and sweet mate
because for y'all know, we lived in this like the
we had sweets. Like I'm trying to go to bed
at three o'clock in the morning, I'm trying to get
I'm trying to listen. I had at fifteen two fifteen.
But I was just like, oh, that's what he was saying.
(26:24):
We getting traded for each other. Bro, Why did you
say that? Yeah? And my parents were like they were fixed.
They they said once they fixed the hand. They was
like what they were just throwing go to state hands,
go to your table. That hats coming out. It was
like a crazy crazy And it's funny because I told
you about like and by the way, our careers are
going to be intertwined because of course we went to
(26:45):
Carolina getting traded for one another. And I just remember
that that that freshman that mean that rookie season. I'm
just like and I always I respect it because I knew.
I'm like, this is the stuff people like did you
see the Dunky did on ESPN. I'm like you you
should have been there practices at Carolina. The dunk thing
(27:07):
he was doing. I told people Junk High it was crazy.
I mean it was one time. I mean when we
were doing the rebounding drill, it was like Serge with
the mack tok me out of my we down there
just and all of a sudden, this dude just cleansed
and take it. I'm just like, that was in practice,
so it was one thing to see the highlights. I'm
(27:29):
like the dunk contest, I'm like, yeah, I've been seeing
that for three years down the road and he he
was touching the top of the back. Boy, I'm just like, yeah,
there's nothing. One of the moments that I'll never forget
was a proud moment for me of you is your
back to back fifty balls And that was I mean
(27:49):
it's a little different now. I mean there's some Kobe
Bryant obviously putting them up like three four, But at
that time, it was you ed Cole were the only
ones that put up back to back balls. Like what
how did that make you feel? How were you feeling?
Like what type of zone were you in and when
did you know, particularly the second fifty ball, that you
(28:10):
were gonna do it again? Well, I think the thing
for me because I told you, you know, my rookie year.
To see the success that you was having Paul Pierce
dirt like, I'm like, man, like I was CODs Player
of the Year, might be all these cats and like
(28:31):
it was tough. It was the furthest I've been away
from my family. I'm on the West Coast when I'm
getting out of practice, everybody's getting ready to go to bed.
I didn't really have anybody. And I remember, like between
you and Mad being able to like just let out
my frustration with you too, yep, and you were like, bro,
like I know what you can do, Like just take
(28:52):
It's gonna take time. And for you to be able
to like sympathize with me after all the success she
was having dunking over people and because I was on
the other side, just think about it. That's what I'm saying,
your friends. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, versus crazy
for me to not have the team's success, not have
(29:12):
the individual success. It was the first time I ever
doubted myself in life in basketball because you got to
think about. In middle school, we was always the most athletic,
the most talented high school all Americans would get to
college and I got to the league, and it's just
like I'm doubting myself. But then I remember I went
(29:35):
home for like a month. I came back and I
just I just dedicated myself to my craft, learning how
to shoot. And I remember that year I was having
some success. I was like, you know what, it's starting
to become easy. I can get the shot off, mid range,
shooting three a little bit. We played Gary Payton. What
(29:56):
year was that for you? That was my my third year,
and I remember we played up in Seattle, Gar Payton,
those guys for Charlotte. Oh bro up, go ahead, Yeah,
fifty one points. And I was just like I said, man,
I didn't see that coming. And I just remember like
(30:17):
the text message from you from everybody like, boy, I
knew you could do it. Congrass some I'm like, okay,
you know, I'm starting to play like how I knew
I can. I can play the game of basketball on
this level. And then it was like two days off
before we played the Lakers. And this is when the Lakers.
I think this might have been they either back to
back or they were trying to three. P might have
(30:38):
been on the back to back. Here Kobe shack everybody.
And I just remember like just getting to that zone, like, Bro,
you just hit fifty one. You got to make sure
you you bring it. You know, this is you know,
shocking Kobe. I want trying to hit fifty one anything
like that. But I just remember, you hear about people
(30:58):
talk about being in that zone. You've been there. The
basket is so wide, man, no matter what you're going
at the speed, that nobody is on your level. And
this everything just became easy. I wasn't rushing, I was
getting to my spots. I was just the little things
and rebounds, the office and boards, like all that stuff
was just coming to me. And I just remember down
(31:21):
that stretch, it was me and Kobe going back and forth,
and you know, Kobe to me was the second coming
to Mic And I'm like and at that particular time,
like we had more Laker fans at the arena because
we played at Golden State than we did go to
State fans. But just to know, like, you know, I
(31:42):
remember after a game, like Kobe and shot both like
you know, the game, like them like soln find like yeah,
you know, you know you're making it. Bro, So this
Sports Center sports spin up like Bro, like yeah we
know cod but man, yeah, one that got. That's the thing.
Kobe first fifty one fifty point game. He had never
(32:04):
scored fifty one fifty points in the NBA game. It
was his first fifty point game, and it was just
I just remember like just like he coming down, you know,
Larry Hughes going and Bobby Shirt and I'm just like
and I'm coming down like Horrace Gray. I remember Phil
Jackson like, and I remember sating like over there and
stop this man. He kills us. But I'll tell you
(32:25):
one thing. It's funny because after I hit fifty one
points back to back, the next game we played was
against the Lakers. Viz. When I said I never worked
hard for a bucket my life, I just scored point
that game. I went from fifty one back to back
to nothing. When I say they had shack Kobe, Dad Fish,
(32:47):
yeah look at that. Oh you'll get you're getting that.
What is this? Let's feel Jason gener on the side
like I don't get him. They came back and and
for me, it was like this is my third year
in the league. I never experienced being mentally prepared for
like that type of like triple ta, Oh no, he
(33:10):
ain't getting fifty to night. So I was like, and
I just remember, like I remember after the game Covid
them coming out laughing like not the Knight hung felt.
But to me, it was just like I felt like, Okay,
I'm on the same level as Vince. Now I'm on
the same level as Paul and their guys in my
(33:30):
class that I put on his pedestal because y'all had
so much success the first early in your careers and
now it's like, you know, like that's when I knew, like,
you know what, this won't be doing until I can't
do it anymore. And you mentioned Covid, I know you
you ended up obviously you had that battle. You ended
up playing with Cold. What what you know? We hear
(33:52):
stories about Cod from other guys. For you, what was
it like playing with Cold at that time? It was
it was it was so easy. Our lockers was next
to each other. You know me, I'm like one of
the greatest type players. I'm just like a sponge. And
he was so receptive. The thing about Cole if you
(34:13):
dedicate yourself to the game of basketball and you want
to win. He was the best teammates ever, him and
Shack Beef because what Shaq was giving it not one
hundred percent. Had other stuff. That year the White was
on the team. The White, you know, always joke in
and stuff like that. But if you came and practiced
hard and then you did everything the coaches like he was,
(34:36):
I love playing with it. I mean, one time, it's
funny story. We're on a plane. You know. He always
did that that system like a like a snake. See.
I mean, he be doing that and he said, Jamo
that way. He called me like come here, and I'm
like Kobe never called me on the player. I said,
what's going on? He watched a film, Vince, I mean
just watching filmly like look, he said, I see you
(34:57):
as open. He said, I didn't see you. He said,
next time, next game, you know, just just hey, pass ball.
I'm open. I'm looking at the film. Vince. He got
four guys and I'm like, how you doing do I'm open?
You got four guys right there on you. But he
was like, he said, I got blinders on. I just
see the basket. He said, next time, just let me know, Showley.
(35:18):
But sure that next game we played, I think it
might have been I forgot Phoenix or somebody. It was
the most thirty two points that game I had. You know,
they double team and I'm yelling Colby, I mean just
lay up after the layup, and like that's the type
of player he was. He was the ultimate competitor. I
mean he won to win. You remember the time when
(35:41):
Mike came and we did our our game, our run
at Chapel Hill and this is we were like, it's
Michael Jordan, he just came out of a championship and
we're playing pick up game with Mike. Just the intensity
that we played with. We said pigs, we diving on
the floor for loose balls. But that's the type of
(36:05):
that's the type of you know, attention that he demanded.
And Cold was the same way. Like to me, I
love playing with Cold. I could have played with Cold
my whole career because we all wanted the same things.
Like my work ethic was compared to none. I remember
my first day of training camp, I knowing me the
first one in the gym. You know, we had practice
(36:27):
around eleven o'clock. I get to jail like eight o'clock,
I'm getting shot up. I walk in. Kobe comes off
the court just swim. I'm like, well, he just got
just getting out the shower, like na, he been hits
is five o'clock in the morning and this is what
we was doing tour days. But that's just the type
of person he was. He He never let anybody or
(36:49):
wanted to think anybody was outworking him. And as a teammate,
it was the same way. As long as you coming in,
you competing every day, you're giving everything to your craft
and to the team. He was the best teammate ever Lebron. Yeah,
you also played with Lebron and your time with him,
I mean what Lebron has accomplished, and you got the
(37:12):
opportunity to see Lebron in his early stages and obviously
you're seeing what he's done now and what he's accomplished.
You know, it's about like, Lebron James is the all
time leading scorer in NBA history, and you got that
opportunity to play with him. You got to see him
every day. What are your thoughts on him as a
young guy to where he is now. Yes, I got
(37:35):
traded midway through the season, and you knew he was.
He was getting ready for greatness. To say, I'm shock
a surprised that he's the all time leading scorer in
the NBA history. I'm not just like Cole the work ethic,
the attention to detail, the amount of money he's spent
(37:58):
on his body, to make sure he's you know, prepared
for the rigors of like eighty two plus deep into
the playoffs, I knew it. I think at that particular time,
Bron needed to go into a situation like he did
with Miami. He needed because at that particular like Cleveland
(38:19):
was still kind of like trying to figure things out
and you like learning how to win and learn how
to win and learn how to the difference between Bron
and Kobe. Kobe was more like Mike, uh just the mentality.
Brown was more like heavy gold luck, you know, just
(38:42):
still having a good time. They all hear six they
was doing. So I think Bron needed to go that
pat Riley and learn about the mentality that Mike and
Magic and those guys d Wade already had it. So
I think by those couple of years, by him being
down there in Miami and it took him to the
(39:03):
next level because he he was arguing he could have
won the MVV every year. That's type of talent that
he was. But I think he needed to go down
there and experience, like, you know what, I've been kind
of doing this all wrong. And from what I heard
after he got back from Miami, from the people with
the organization, you can tell he came back different. He
(39:25):
came back well little you know what, this is how
we got to do things. And he was it's his
basketball mind. I never seen anything like it. I remember
like Mike Brown trying to draw players and Brown he's
a coach. I mean, you think about you know, Kobe
I played with Shaq with Cleveland, but like Brown was
(39:47):
like his mind just it would like I never seen
it before as a player. And then he had the
opportunity because you hear, most great coaches were not great players.
But Broun had the opportunity to practice what he preaches,
what he saw. And of course, I mean this man
came out of high school built like a mad truck
(40:09):
fast like I don't never seen it before. I Q
like his basketball, i Q is people don't give enough
credit for his basketball at i Q. And the thing
I love about it and I think the difference between
the players when our generation and Broun Bron loves the
game of basketball. KD loves the game of basketball. If
(40:31):
they weren't playing, they'd be out there on the black top.
I mean, this is this is this is the mentality,
and that was the difference between I think Kobe and Broun.
Broun had to go down there and figure it out.
And I think Kobe already came in, you know, he
strogged a little bit, coach study studied. Yeah, you know,
(40:54):
every his his every move like I remember. And then
Kobe went to one to an organization that it's championship
or bus and Brown went to a situation in Cleveland
like you know, we never had just to say, you know,
just just bring people to come see to the stands.
And then he went now to Miami like, hold on, no,
(41:14):
we're just not down here to party and have a
good time. We here to win championship. And I think
once she got to that point, like now you know,
this is what is requiet. It's not just make it
to the finals every other year like pat Riot, like Bro,
we here to win championship. And lastly, I just want
to clear the air, get this out there, and then
we're gonna get out of here. Get out of your hair.
(41:35):
Ladies and gentlemen. You already mentioned a little bit, and
I want to double back on this MJ story. When
MJ came to tell to play pick up. Yeah, it
was a story that came out about this MJ situation
and how it all unfolded. And we've had conversations about it.
(41:59):
And this is not have anything to do with anybody,
not to Mark Spears, not to anybody, but we actually
lived this story as well, and we've had just recently,
we've had a conversation about it. But some of the
things that came out, if you would, we're not really
(42:25):
now now knowing the person who heard the story and
he said about he wasn't his favorite. Now I know
him now. If he said that, I didn't hear it,
and it wasn't surprised me if he did say. I
can only talk about what I experienced, what I saw.
And I remember they said, you guys got to be
downstairs and Dean Smith right, play pick up at a
(42:46):
certain time. Yeah, I'm like, all right, we'll be there. No,
you got to be here at a certain time. I'm like,
I remember that, what's the big deal? But yeah, we're
always there. Were always had three o'clock, you know, And
I just remember like nobody was in the gym but us.
Normally you have like the managers. You might have so
people walk in the concourse or whatever, but it was
(43:08):
just a team and there. I'm like, so we're sending
up stretching and stuff. And I'm like, man, okay, so
let's get started. They're like, hold up, wait, not, We're
gonna get started a little bit. I'm like, what's going on?
And coming out of tunnel, you know, everybody knows the
walk and I'm like, I said, they're about to go
(43:28):
the coming over the US and what's he doing? I said,
guys call on his shots on and you know the
little walk coming on and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (43:41):
This is our freshman year events. I'm like, bro, were
about to play with myself? Oh crap, okay, all of
a sudden, bo we start stretching. All of a sudden,
we straight up on the layup line.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
And I remember I played with the one game and
get some one game And when I say the tension
of detail, I say, we was at there sending screen.
We was that was the hardest I ever seen a
pickup game being played in my life. But wait, who
(44:14):
you remember he had like the walk Ons and he
had like he was like, nah, no give me them. Yeah,
And I remember and yeah, I got switched out on him.
I said, somebody can help help because I mean he
had that He's looking at them just and it's just
like he started getting into that. That all I'm like,
(44:37):
and I just remember, man, it was I mean, it
was just like we just got through playing because think
about it, with the Carolina just won a championship. This
is like the reason why a lot of us or
even playing the game of basketball be like Mike in
the backyard doing this Chicago. So to sit there and
like at the Smithson and the school that I'm going
(44:59):
to to have Michael Jordan come in, I didn't say nothing.
I'm sitting there just it's Michael Jordan's were sitting there
saying was in that master class he was giving us
out there called the screen your felt. I'm like, I mean,
it's just like because we learned, like this is the
intense for us. You know, we didn't know when this
(45:21):
opportunity or even it was going to happen. This is
what we gotta expect if we was to make it
to the next level. And I just missed. I mean,
we play hard. We diving Rember. I just remember the
time on the break, the one fast break I got.
It's like, you know, usually dunk it, but like, nah,
I'm going ahead dump this with extra hard man is
(45:48):
a real thing. Yeah. Yeah, one time, like he was
calling his shots. Yeah, don't reach, don't reach that because
you reached. I'm going in here for this fade away
And I was like, what are you talking about? Like
you said there it fade away like unbelievable, and I
was like, I don't remember, Like this is what I
was saying. I don't remember any trash talk. It wasn't.
(46:10):
It wasn't no trash talking, not from me. Yeah, it wasn't.
I don't recall any trash talking. So I just remember
quiet church mouse go aham, do my job. Picked said scream.
I played when the first game, said scream. The second game,
that's when he had to walk home and he played
against everybody and we I was like, yeah, I played
(46:32):
against him. Oh did I play with I want to
say I played with him once, but maybe not. So
let me ask you this so knowing that the talk
was this is the next coming of Michael Jordan's or
this is the closest thing to Michael Jordan to ever
come to Carolina that put a punch on you when
(46:55):
you played him that day. You never came up that way.
You just game. I didn't want to know. I've always
said that, like I didn't want to be the next MJ.
Because like, bro, that's as soon as you do that,
you automatically put pressure on yourself. And I'm like, bro,
like I might you might see some things, like you know,
(47:16):
I love the fade away. That was my thing. You know,
I hit you with the long fade away either way
or whatnot, and you see some stuff, but like it
was just like nah, I just wanted to see, Like
I'm not gonna say like I say, like, let me
see what this Michael Jordan thay was all about. But
at the same time, like, bro, like it's the best
to ever do it. So you know, you see where
you are at night, well, seventeen eighteen years old and
(47:39):
this man, the MJ, right girl, man like the man
had grown man stream like he was just I'm talking
about like trying to guard him back down, like he
just he just his ability to get to his spots
and he was prepared for everything that you could possibly
do during live action, you know what I'm saying. So
it was just like I said, I was a student
in that master class that he was giving, and it
(48:02):
was just like to be able to like you knew
about the dunk and and stuff. But Vince too, I've
seen you and you you his ability to get shot
off from people who are athletics. But no, away, I'm not.
I compare you. This one thing I will compare you
guys to. And you could jump and I'm sitting there
(48:23):
jumping with you. I'm jumping with you, I'm coming down
and you're still elevating up and it's like you're in
slow motion. Like That's the thing I will compare you
guys to, because I remember the day I'm like, holdo,
I'm jumping. I know I got a little bit of
athletical ability, but I'm coming down. He's just still hanging
and it's just like one of the time. That was
(48:47):
one of the things that because of my ability, I
learned and I took from his game is the ability
to kind of get in the paint and just be athletic,
and then sometimes it's just like all right, you done.
Your athleticism has expired. Okay, let me go ahead and
just wait and sometime, you know, you would see it
with the one hand, sometime with the play away, just
(49:08):
hold it up there, like those are the things like
I was like, that's another dimension of my game. I use,
like particularly when I got in the NBA more so
than in college, but like now I can just get
in the paint and just you know, cause we're talking
about were dealing with back my Tumbo's and you know,
Sean Bradley's and all those guys, so you know, just
big athletic, strong dudes. It's like I just had to
(49:29):
kind of wait, like pretty well started me and stuff.
So I guess the guys I had to go out
like KG was seven ft long, shot up here, the
same way the fade away. But for you it was
like I'm told them this and you would jump straight
up and then all of a sudden you could talk
your body face. I'm just like this dude still up
(49:49):
and one thing to come into the rim. I was
just like you know what, just he hanged but the
fade away and the jump shot and be like, Oh,
that's good. D On right there. I'm right there just
like And that's the thing I remember when I played
MJ for the first time. I'm like, this guy is
literally just hanging in the air on his jump shot,
same shot every time. The motion is just like those
(50:10):
are the things that you don't You see it on TV,
but you don't really appreciate it to you like literally
like live competing against it. That's the one thing I
will say that you had a lot of is that
you can actually play good defense on Vince. This is
before you learn how to like create off the drib
and stuff like that. But you were just sitting and
(50:31):
I'm just like, we come down, like what are you doing?
It was just and you had the same motion every time.
A lot of people don't understand your shot. It was
just like the actually shoot the ball. But that freshman, ye,
you was just so in your head. You was like
my shooting now. Everything was just But then when you realize, nah,
I'm taking this shot, I'm just like and then when
you start off the drill, but I'm just like, it's
(50:54):
a rap, so just get ready for it. So yeah, man,
And that's why it prepared me. I think played against
MJ then and then playing against m J when he
came back with the Wizards. You know, I had a
better understanding. It's one thing watching him J. It's one
thing watching him J. You know, for everybody who sue
claim like, oh no, it's another thing. You haven't to
(51:15):
guard that man live. Like, hey, funny story. I remember
because this is when I was at Golden State and
he was with the Wizards. He came in this MJ.
I mean, like I said, we played against played with
him in college and me and Gilbert like cooking. I
had like about thirty three thirty four. Man, he guarded
me one time I hit the shot. I'm like, yeah, baby, yeah,
tall here, calm down, my bad that's that's too don't
(51:41):
give me a start out like my bad player, it's
your game, I said, back his shots. I was like,
let me just Steve. But that's that's the type of
respect that he had. And like I said, I mean,
you know, it's a debate between who's the greatest Bron
or Mike. If you asked Broun, Broun played the game Coope.
(52:01):
We can't forget Kobe. I'm just saying, man, Tim, I
really appreciate it. Man. It's always a pleasure, you see,
when we get to talk and we have stories on end.
Like I'm hoping all our listeners out there really enjoy
this conversation because I knew it was gonna be a
good when I knew people were gonna hear some great stuff.
Thank you once again, man, my brother. Love you to death. Man,
(52:25):
It's always love when we get together. Man, VC Show.
We signing off. Man, Let's go
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