Episode 23: Leading Long Island - JR Holden and Ronnie Burrell

Chris catches up with Brooklyn's G League GM and head coach to talk about the journeys that brought them through playing careers overseas on the road to the NBA as part of the Nets' staff.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey, what's going on. It's Chris Coreno. This is the
Voice of the Nets podcast. Wishing you all a merry Christmas.
If you're celebrating happy Holidays, the week between Christmas and
New Year's is where we're coming to you with this one.
The Nets are starting hit stride heading into Christmas at
one eight consecutive games, longest active winning streak. Along with

(00:29):
Philadelphia and the NBA, have the best record in the
NBA going back to November. And today we're gonna introduce
to you a couple of individuals who are extremely important
to the development of young players in this NETS organization.
The GM of the Long Island Nets, j R. Holden,
a guy who was wildly considered one of the best

(00:50):
players to never play in the NBA. He's an All
EuroLeague a decade team, won two year Old League titles
UH nine years with Seska Moscow, represented Russia in the
Olympics in two thousand and eight. He's got a very
interesting basketball story and we'll talk to him about that.
The other is the head coach of the Long Island Nets,

(01:12):
Ronnie Barrell, another guy who went through Europe to get
where he is today. A Jersey guy, a star at
Montclair High School, and we'll talk to both JR. Holden
and Ronnie Barrell about they're very interesting basketball lives. We're
talking about the synergy between the Long Island Nets and
the Brooklyn Nets, some of the young players, their approach

(01:34):
to developing young talent, that and much much more. You'll
get to know about them as individuals personally as well.
We'll do the what makes you laugh, cry, think, and
you'll get to know those two guys. So right here
on the Voice of the Nets, let's start it off
with the general manager of the Long Island Nets. Here

(01:55):
is our conversation with j R. Holden. All right, we're
with j R. Holding the general manager of the Long
Island Nets. But that is just a small piece of
what has been a fascinating basketball life for JR. Holden. Jr.
It's great to talk to you. Thanks for joining us.

(02:17):
I'm just great to be here. I appreciate you inviting
me on. I mean this is a special one for
me as well, so I'm truly excited and honored to
be here. Well, how was there was it a mover
and shaker event out in the G League showcase for
you guys? I know you get the whole league coming
out there, a lot of scouts. What's that experience like
out in Las Vegas when you have all the G

(02:38):
League showing up for that showcase. I think it's very
nerve racking, probably for the players. Of course, the gms
and scouts, we've all known each other for years, so
it's kind of just catching up at one place, almost
very similar to Summer League, right, we're all what you know,
you're all saying hello and reconnecting. But for the players,
it's a time where you actually know every G E

(03:00):
M is in the building, every scout, probably for every
team at least pro scout is there. So it's a
little bit more stressful for them. And they know there's
no fans, so you actually see the guy evaluating and
scouting you, face to face, eye and I and that's
probably a little bit tougher for them than it is
for us. You are a personnel scout for a few
years prior to coming into Brooklyn with the Nets organization

(03:21):
and then becoming the GM of the Long Island Nets,
and I thought, I always think that's a very underrated
aspect of the n b A is We hear so
much about international scouting. We hear about UH college scouting
because everybody you know, follows the college game and sees
these players and they're interested in the draft. But finding
the the other ways to fill out the roster UH

(03:45):
is so hugely important, and I would imagine it's something
like the G League Showcase is a huge part of
that for sure. I mean, if you look at our
team and you know, I feel like we have a
very good team in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irvan,
Ben Simmons, Oh Harrison. The list goes on of our
fifteen guys well, but them have played in the G League.
So when you think about our team the way it's

(04:07):
constructed right now, Joe Hare, Seth Curry, Cam Thomas, do
go down, t J. Warren, who was a lottery pick, like,
go down the list. Everybody has played in the G League.
So having that, having eyes on that and being able
to find talent and see guys actually grow their games
in the G League is usually important to the NBA.
And also you're just when you're a personnel scout, I

(04:29):
mean you're trying to find guys just on the end
of benches or maybe guys and or like what are
you looking for when it comes to other teams, because
sometimes finding a guy, um that that hasn't had a
major role with an NBA team, but you can project
him to fit into your team is of huge importance.
I mean, look what Royce O'Neill has done. I mean

(04:51):
he was you know, he was starting, but you know,
still filling out that roster is usually important. Well, I
mean the perfect example will be Utah, Right, he bounced around.
He was in Emphis and doing the G League, he
was in Toronto, going back and forth between, but he
never could really turn the corner for those two NBA
teams although he was playing in the G League. And
I think our staff overall did a great job kind

(05:12):
of finding that individual talent and then seeing where he
fit in with us. And you know, opportunity is everything,
and he's been given a great opportunity with us. But
to his credit, he's he's been a stud since he's
been here. For sure. How in depth do you go,
like as a scout that's looking for guys that maybe
in a situation, I would imagine there's a lot of intel,
right that goes beyond just what you could see on

(05:36):
game film. Game film for sure. I mean a lot
of times we're not scouting, we're scouting guys that we've
seen all the way back from high school. Right. So
it's not just that, it's also who's his trainer. It's
also you know, the company he keeps, whether it's family members, friends,
all that. So the intel the development of a player
so much beyond just what you see on the court.

(05:58):
You know a lot of times people do on this
and those influences can really help you and push you
over the over the hunt when it comes to your
actual individual training, and you well, you know as well
as I do, the game is so much more mental
than physical at times that that outside influence is usually important.
You've been on the other side of that, j R.
Where you're You're a guy that grew up in western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, right,

(06:21):
and then went on to uh go play at Bucknell
and end up overseas for thirteen years, uh mostly with
Seska Moscow, one of the most famed programs out in
in Europe. And you know, you're on the All decade
team in the EuroLeague. Uh So the fascinating journey there
and I want to get into that, but you've been
on the other side of I'm sure before you went

(06:43):
over to Europe, or maybe even as you were there,
you had that dream of catching the eye of a
scout in the n B A and and trying to
get to the n B A. Um, what was your
mindset in terms of getting to the NBA and when
ended it short of shift to well, I've had this

(07:03):
great European career, this is my journey. Uh. You know that.
That's an interesting question because I think as a player,
you're always thinking you want to play at the highest
level possible, right, That's always the dream of to go
no matter what sports you're in. I think for me,
I came out during ninety eight during the NBA lockout,
so getting a chance to come right out of college

(07:25):
and playing ports smith and all those different things, I
didn't get that opportunity to So my first opportunity was overseas,
and when you're overseas, I mean I was blessed the
opportunity to see Tighus Etney, Anthony Buoye and those guys
that played in the NBA my first year overseas, So
I didn't see it as so much as a oh
you weren't good enough. Some guys were choosing Europe for

(07:47):
more money and for different reasons over the NBA, especially
back then because you were only allowed to Americans on
every team. It's a little different now, but you know,
early on in my career you were only allowed to Americans,
so they were very specific, you're pain teams and the
players the American players they wanted. So for me, I
would say that change as far as my mindset, maybe
my first year overseas, seeing those guys that I tius

(08:09):
any who hit a game when he's shot in the
n s A tournament and yeah, and seeing him be
you know, runner up for Rookie of the Year with Sacramento.
So seeing those things and saying like, man, he's over
here and he's taking it serious, and he won a
EuroLeague championship, you know, with Azoal Gears early in his career.
It just made me say, man, you gotta be the
best where you're at, and if you're the best where

(08:31):
you're at, the NBA will find you. But I don't
think I took that mentality over there. I think once
I got there and seeing other players going it. I've
seen Anthony Parker, who's a famed European player, come back
to the States and play eight nine years in the
NBA after being drafted, failing and then coming back. So
Serrunus says, a cabbage from Maryland goes overseas, then he
comes back and gets a three year deal with the Paciers.

(08:53):
So seeing those guys, I just focused on being the
best where I was at and hopefully I was good
enough to to get a look or an opportunity to
get here. Yeah, because I think of being a young
guy coming out of college. I mean, you're twenty one
two years old. Um, I don't know how much you
had traveled at that point, but now you find where
was the first stop you had in Europe? The first

(09:15):
stop was Riga, Latvia, So you're twenty two years old,
you're going to Latvia. I mean, just from a human standpoint, Uh,
what was that experience like for you? How did that
influence maybe the rest of your European career? Uh? To
be honest with you, I had really never spent time

(09:37):
in year before I took the job overseas. So getting
on an airplane, I'm back then and and really just
growing as a man myself and realizing, like if you
get on a plane, usually you see a lot of
people of all different races and nationalities. I'll let you
know now. When I got on that plane to go
to Riga, Latvia, I was the only black person on

(09:57):
the plane, and so in my mind I was like,
what have I gotten myself into? Because honestly, I never
even heard of Red Latvia. Everybody usually hears of Spain
and Italy and Greece, but read the Latvia. It was
my first opportunity. Um, so for me it was it
was very scary, but it was also it was a dream.
And I always said to myself, is I can always
come back to get a job. I have a bucknail degree.

(10:18):
So if this is the only opportunity, you take advantage
of it and see what happens. See where the chips,
where the chips may fall. Were you that kind of
kid growing up? Were you Were you open to a
lot of experiences? Were you curious? What you know? I
wonder how how it would be for somebody that would
be open to the kind of experiences that you've been

(10:40):
open to in your life. Did you see it at
a young age in yourself? Um, I would probably say no.
I think most times when you grow up in all
you know is your city, right, your friends and your
your community. And I think as I got older and
was able, uh to go to high school and and
you know, at Lensley and willing West Virginia and then
going to Buck Now, I think you start being exposed

(11:02):
to so many different things that it opened your eyes
up to Like at one point it was like, I
don't want to go back to Pittsburgh, right, But when
I was growing up in Pittsburgh, I never imagine leaving Pittsburgh.
So it's one of those things that as you grow
and develop as a as a young man or as
a young woman, I think you start realizing that the
world is so much smaller than you think. And you

(11:23):
start traveling to you know, we played at Colorado and
Hawaiian Air Force and these are places I never imagined going,
and I did them all before I was twenty one
years old. Well, you you wrote a memoir. I remember
I had seen the Blessed Footsteps to Believe your memoir
about your life, and you talked about living without boundaries
and how that could be the keyest success. Um that

(11:45):
is that that mindset, I guess set you up for
your life right where you you have those boundaries of
I'm a Pittsburgh kid and I'm not gonna leave here,
and then well maybe I go to high school West
Virginia and while I'm at buck now I see these
other places. Certainly, now you see that the world is
a little you said it's smaller, but it's also there's
a lot more opportunity out there. You just have to
be open to it. I'll totally agree. I mean, that's

(12:08):
that's basically living living your life without boundaries. I think
a lot of times you get your degree in something
and you think that's what it is, but sometimes you
don't even use your degree after college and you become
great at something else, or your passion becomes something else.
So living life without boundaries is more you have to
live for you and what your dreams and passions are,
not so much what people try to pin a pigeonholes

(12:29):
you into being. And I guess that you know, you're
always brought up in that conversation and some of the
greatest players who never played in the n b A,
And I know you don't see that as a as
a negative. You see that as a positive because it's
not easy. You know, a lot of guys go to
play a lot of Americans go to play in Europe,
they don't have the kind of careers that Jay are
holding it. I mean, you're an all decade team thirteen years,

(12:49):
nine championships in a row with one of the top
teams in Europe and Seska Moscow. Um that that's not
easy to do. People think that like Europe's a fallback plan.
But maybe you know, knocking around from team to team
in the n b A isn't the greatest life either.
You were able to build something in Europe, and I

(13:12):
think that's something that I'm sure you're incredibly proud of.
What do you think the key to your longevity was
playing overseas? I think for me, I would say that
the key was being being focused and being open and
being excited, excited out about where you were at. I
think a lot of Americans go over in their mindset
is they can't wait to get back home, like, oh,

(13:34):
I can't wait to perform so I can get to
the NBA. I can't wait to have a good year
so I can get to this Summer League team. And
when you're doing that, not only do they feel that,
and you have to understand, I got to see Mark
Gasol and and Pau Gasol and the bar On, all
those guys and when they were eighteen and nineteen years old,
before they became these famed NBA players. But I don't

(13:55):
think we realized that growing up. Plan for Barcelona that
is their NBA and for Real Madrid, when you're growing
up in Spain, that is their NBA. So when you
go over as an American with the mindset if you
want to leave, they take that personal because their dreams
growing up was the play for Barcelona, not for the
New York Knicks, or for the Brooklyn Nets or for
the Philadelphia seventies sixers. That wasn't their dream. So for me,

(14:16):
it was embracing where I was at and trying to
ingratiate myself and the dreams and aspirations of my own teammates.
They wanted to be a champion, they wanted to be
a EuroLeague champion, and that was important for me to
to dive in and go be just as committed as
they were. When you're playing a place like Cesska. What
was it like for an American player in terms of
what your teammates today accept you. Did they look to

(14:39):
you to be the leader? Did they you know, did
opponents go harder at you because you're American. What was
the experience like, I think it changes. I got older
as I got older. I think, um, you realized that
our team had seven different nationalities. I played with Smodus
who was Slovenia. I played with Papua Lucas, who was Greek.
I played with you know, uh, a myriad of different

(15:01):
players that he was with your teammate for a while. Yeah, yes,
Trajan was my teammates. So Dave Vanderpool was a teammate
who was here as an assistant coaching year ago. So
and then you have a coach. I played for nine
years and I only had one Russian coach. So when
you really think about it, it's such a like every

(15:23):
it's so many nationalities all together. You're not really just
Russian representing Russia. You're representing, basicly a global team that
plays for Russia, and you want to represent Russia to
the best of your ability because you're playing for that team.
So I think all of us, every body from different places,
came in and just said we want to represent SESCA
to the best of our ability. I don't think it

(15:44):
was Hey, you're the leader, because you're American or you're
the leader because you're a Greek or Slovenian or Russian.
It was more of us, just hey, let's figure it
out together and we'll find our leader within within our
own group. You mentioned the coaches, and a couple of
them might know that you had at SESCA were would
be um known to American basketball fans. Um Montititory Messina,

(16:05):
who was an assistant for a while into Greg Popovich.
He's from Italy. Um. I think a lot of people
always thought maybe he could be an NBA head coach.
I know he went back to Europe, but everybody kind
of saw him as the mild matter of Italian guy
that was sitting next to Gregg Popovich all those years. Um,
it probably wasn't so mild matter. I know he was
a pretty tough coach right when he was with you
a Teska. Yes, he was nowhere near his mild mannered

(16:28):
as people would would believe coach was. He was pretty
uh energetic. I would say he was very demanding. Um. Again,
I think for him, he had coached Manu Ginobili when
man who was a kid. He coached uh A Yard
who played a few years with the Clippers, he had
coached for Shard Gristin, who came from Chicago and one

(16:48):
two or three championships overseas. So I think he had
his way of doing things, and I think sometimes when
you're successful that way, it's hard to change. So I
would say he was very demanding and had an old
school style approach. It's so different now seeing him back
in Europe after experiencing his town with the Lakers the time,
his time with the Spurs. He's totally different and definitely

(17:08):
a better probably a better coach now than he was
years ago. Yeah, but you still probably would see him
now and be like and get those nerves get up
right from being a practice. I know my partner on radio,
Tim Capstraw, he was a college kid. He played for
p J Carlsmo at Wagner when PJ was just starting
out and they're they're adults and they're you know, they're
in their sixties now, and he'd still see him and

(17:29):
he'd be like, I still I still get nervous, like
I'm a little kid around him. You know, he's gonna
yell at me or something like that. Uh. He flavor
David Blatt to um and you know we had a.
He had a short stint with the Cavaliers at one point,
but he was the the national team coach. What do
you recall your time with David Black and what did
you learn from him? Post Black was unbelievable. Um, I

(17:51):
mean I know all every all the listeners, they know
Andre Carolinko, who was, you know, a really good NBA player.
He was on a national team and Sergey Ammonia and
Victor Priappa, who were also drafted in the NBA, were
on that team and Coach Black was coming. And the
first thing I would say I learned about him is
like he garnered respect as soon as he walked in.
So he walked in, and you gotta think, you have

(18:13):
Andre Kerlinko, who just signed a seventy four million dollar
day on the NBA, and he was like, basically, it's
going to be my way or no way here. And
I think buying, getting Andre to buying, got the whole
team to buying it. I think it's very hard to
do that, not being Russian, not speaking the language to
the you know, like our former Russian national team coach,
and he came in and I think him setting that

(18:36):
standard right away. Just let me know one that he
was all about business and trying to win. But to
that it wasn't gonna be favorites. It wasn't gonna be
Andre Kerlinico and the rest of the team, or the
NBA players and the rest of our team. It was
one team and he did an incredible job as far
as the coach, I would say he was one of
the best offensive minds I've ever played for just his

(18:57):
ability to change on the fly and see things that
we may not see as a player. UM. I mean
for me, like he helped he helped us win the
first ever gold medal for Russia UM in two thousand
and seven. So and that was against a team that
was loaded with Paasa, Mark Busso Navarro, Ricky Rubio. I mean,

(19:17):
this team was stacked and we won in Spain. So
that's not a credit just to me, but coach Black was.
He was pretty special a the coach. If I recall,
you made the game winning shot in that in that
game too, didn't you? Yes? Is that your highlight of
your European career? Definitely the highlight of my mbiing career.
European championships were great, but to actually hit the winning
shot to win a country its first ever gold medal

(19:38):
and to actually you know that put us in the
Olympics for two thousand and eight. That was definitely a
special time in my career and probably the highlight of it.
I want to touch your time with the Russian national team,
but I just want to go back to David Black
for a moment, because you know he It's interesting you
talked about his approach with all those stars players that

(20:00):
you had, and there he gets hired by the Cleveland
Cavaliers to coach a young team and Kyrie was there,
but there was and then Lebron. All of a sudden,
there's a shift. Lebron chose back up in Cleveland and
now David Blacks coaching. It's a much different coaching job. Um,
you think that approach of maybe he tried the same

(20:20):
approach and it didn't work with a star player like
LEBRONO was always curious guy, always thought David Black could
be a really good NBA coach. Well, I talked to
Coach Black during that time. I would say I feel
like he did the opposite. I think the mystique of
Lebron and getting someone that was an NBA champion to
come back home and I think he became a little

(20:41):
bit more passing just because I think he felt like
he had to be that way because Lebron, as great
as he is, I mean, he's one of the smartest
basketball players ever to play. So I think coach blackpool
back a little bit um and wasn't as probably confident
and decisions he made, whether it was to help Lebron
or in his you know, in Lebron's and not maybe

(21:02):
something that wasn't gonna work. I think sometimes when you
get a European coach trying to coach a player who's
already an NBA champion, who's already one of the greatest players,
I think it's harder because you don't think he knows
the game the way you know it because he's been
in Europe and not the NBA. So I just think
Coach black had had, you know, had his issues, but
I think he had a great staff. I think Tyler
really helped him, who had helped you know, ended up

(21:23):
winning the championship here. So yeah, I would say it
was more the other way around. I think he kind
of took a back seat and wasn't the same you know,
disciplinarian and it's going to be my way. So the
lesson is is just you gotta be true to yourself
and who you are. UM, you know what he David Black.
Just one last thing on him is that I know

(21:44):
that he's had some health issues now and that he
he wrote an incredible letter after he was diagnosed with
UH with MS UM and man, it's just it's so
moving and I've gone through some health struggles on my
own and I just found it, UH incredibly power or full. Um.
He's been very graceful through all of this, and UH,

(22:05):
I think there's a lot of lessons. If anybody has
not seen it, go Google. You know David Black MS.
His statement that he made UM talking about how you
approach something like that and having the support in your
life and not being afraid to ask for help and
things like that, really incredible message. I'm sure you have
you spoken to him at all during this time. I have, UM,

(22:28):
you know, he was doing a little bit of consulting,
I believe with the Knicks. So I've seen him a
few times in the States, and UM, he's always going
to be the same. You know. It's amazing that when
you see someone going through those health struggles, if you
meet him, you don't know it, right, everything is so
positive and uplifting and how is the family and how
is life? And for me, I always see him as

(22:50):
my coach, and you know, when I met him, it
kind of moved me because he was like, you know,
I'm no longer a coach for friends, and that that
really touched me because you know, you just you just
never see it that way, right, you just see it.
And for him to be going through those things and
still be as uplifting and inspiring as he is, it
was just it was an honor. Yeah, that's tremendous um.

(23:12):
So j are your decision. You you grew up you're
a little younger than maybe like six years younger than me,
but we grew up around the same time, and you know,
Ronald Reagan and the Cold War and you know, Russia
was the enemy and and things at the time when
you were playing over there had kind of been had
lessoned to that degree. But did you struggle it all
to to to play for the Russian national team? Like,

(23:35):
was that a decision that you had to struggle with
it all, or just the fact that you were there
for so long playing it was just a natural kind
of thing because I bring it up because I know
when in the old Way Olympics, I worked for NBC
and we were calling those games and Becky Hammond had
made that same decision to play for the Russian national team,
and she took a lot of heat for it. So
what did you, What was the decision like for you

(23:57):
to do that? Um early on the decision, because I
didn't think about playing in Olympics and all that when
it very first happened, I looked at almost like a
businessman Like I looked as like a businessman goes to
Europe and has a successful business and no one says
anything right whether you set up a company over there,
but back and forth. So my mindset was I'm just
trying to get the best and to maximize my career

(24:19):
as a basketball player. I wasn't even thinking honestly about
like Russia USA. And as things went on, it became
a little bit more um nerve racking, just because now
it's like, oh, this black American makes a shot to
now put the Russian team in the Olympics and he's
going to represent Russia. And I think that's the first

(24:41):
time it registered to me, Like when my mom was
like like nervous, like is this the right thing to do?
Is it really worth? Its basketball and playing an Olympics
really worth, you know, the anything that could happen, any
blowback from it. And at that time, I think that
was the first time I realized that it was a
little bit bigger than basketball. UM. But before then, be
honest with you, I never even thought about it. And

(25:02):
the hardest game probably I've ever played in my career.
And even though after the first thirty seconds of it,
I just played basketball and it was fun, was actually
playing in Shanghai versus the USA team, UM, because they
didn't come out and say hello, Like Kobe Bryant didn't
say a word to me, Carvello didn't say a word
to me. Coach k didn't say a word to me.
And I didn't know if that was basketball and them

(25:24):
being the redeem team or was that personal. Isn't like
you're American, but you're not representing us, so you don't
you're not really a part of what we're done. So
that was you know, that was felt like a little uncomfortable.
But besides that, I just played basketball. Did you ever
get any like, did anybody was say anything to you
from that group. Well, no, after the get well towards
the end of the game. To be honest with you,

(25:45):
Kobe was the first one that was like, hey, I
just wanna give you a prop shoreing NBA player like
to this day, like that's for Kobe Bryant to say that,
like probably another highlight of my basketball career, um and act.
He had the moment recorded, which was pretty cool. So
that's yeah, that's pretty much you know, I would say

(26:06):
that was pretty much my back and forth with anybody.
Actually went to lunch with Lebron the next day at
California Pizza and Shane I was walking across and he
was like, hey man, let's grab lunch. So he was
young then, he wasn't Lebron yet, so I grab lunch
with him. So it was a great experience for me.
But I feel like that interaction was after basketball. I

(26:26):
think they they realized that it was more basketball, but
before then it was I really didn't know how it
would go. And there was there any other backlash in
terms of playing besides the players on the floor that
you talked about or when it was more of it
was more of the other stuff like Time Magazine saying
like competitor or trader. Those are things like your parents

(26:46):
and your sister and other family members are concerned about
where I didn't even realize that, like they would consider
me a trader because I was playing basketball in Olympics.
Like I think the Olympics supposed to be where we
bring everybody together and there isn't this animosity between countries
and things like that, but in theory, that's where it's
supposed to be, right, So that was the only, I

(27:07):
guess weird thing for me, Like it really became a
personal thing where it was I almost looked as like
I would never play for the USA team. I would
never get that invite. So a chance to plan the
Olympics and experience something that very few ever get to experience.
I couldn't pass that opportunity up, even at the expense
of a little bit of backlash. And I think Becky
probably got a little more backlash because I think she

(27:29):
was a little more well known because of her time
in the United States and playing in the w n
b A, And also I think there was some you know,
from her standpoint was like, you know, they didn't pick
me for the USA team, and I'm gonna go show
you now, you know, I think her her situation is
probably a little different. You weren't in that well, you know,
I I should have been on the U s A team.
I mean, you know your place, and you had an

(27:49):
opportunity to play in the Olympics. Um, yeah, well I
was on the plane with Becky. Becky, you're a percent right.
We all flew over together, the boys, I mean, the
men's and the women's team. And her biggest thing was
just that she wanted to prove that she was just
as good as every player on that USA team. Um,
it was so much that she had played in the

(28:10):
w n B A. She was a top player in
the w n B A. She felt like she had
earned the right to least they invite and she didn't
get it. So I think her situation totally was different
because she felt like she was a better player in
the w n B A that should have at least
got an invitation. It's going back to what Kobe said
to you. Did you have that feeling already or did

(28:32):
you need somebody to tell you, you know, hey, you're
an NBA player, Like like I'm wondering, like what did
that mean? Or did that when Kobe says that to you,
do you start to think maybe I should have given
it a shot, Like I'm just thinking what you're your
thought was when he's saying that to you. Um, it
was more of a thing for me. It was more

(28:52):
of just like a respect thing. Um it wasn't. I
didn't take it as like, oh, maybe I should have.
I didn't even think that deep into it. I think
when you're competing and somebody is playing hard, and during
their time that was the redeem team, they were trying
to beat everybody by a hundred points. UM, it was more.
I think it was more like I didn't back down,
more like, oh, this kid kept coming and coming and coming,

(29:14):
And I think it was more respecting that than saying,
you know anything beyond that. UM. I would feel like
honestly playing in the European Championships made me feel comfortable
of saying I was NBA player. So playing against the
Runa says a cat A Garbage and Tony Parker and
guards like that, who was a finals MVP during that time,
and playing well and beating France, I felt like I

(29:36):
already knew I was good enough to playing the NBA.
It was just that wasn't my journey, Well, your journey
now leads you through Long Island where you're general manager
of the Long Island Nets. So this is your foray
into the NBA. Maybe this is what you were called
to do uh in the n B A being at GM,
it's the first time you're doing this. Um, what are
your thoughts on building a team and how is it

(29:58):
going to be different in building uh a G League
team as opposed to maybe one day getting a chance
to do it in the NBA level. I'm sure the
priorities are a little bit different in terms of G
League and what an NBA GM is trying to do.
For sure, I think for me, the one great thing
is that I get to work up under one of
the best gyms in the league and Shawn Marks, and

(30:19):
we're in a championship window now with the players we
have on our team. So what how they're building and
how we're building in Brooklyn is gonna be a lot
different than how we're building in Long Island. And to
your point, I think the number one thing for us
in the G League is development, right, so both on
the court and off the court, because we want to
make sure the players we've drafted and the players that

(30:40):
we want to invest in long term are developing at
I don't want to say a rapid rate, at a
rate that they should be is that they were in college.
And a lot of times when you don't do that
and you're sitting on the bench, it's hard to stay
prepared when you're just doing stay ready group and half
court and two on two and three on three over
the course of seven months and the NBA season. But

(31:01):
if you get a chance to play up and down
games against everybody who's chasing that same dream that's at
the level you are, I think it helps you develop faster,
and you're able to actually spend time and make mistakes
where it's not under the watchful eye of CBS and
NBC and T and T and every ESPN outlet. You're
able to grow and make mistakes and and all these

(31:21):
things like I'm in the background, And I think that
gives players confidence to grow and be more confident when
they are um on the bright lights. How do you
decide when when you're gonna bring up the nets? Two
way guys or you know the David Duke's the day
run Sharps, the um you know, Kessler Edwards how do
you decide when they come to play, when they when

(31:44):
they're not with you. What's that process like between you
guys and the nets. It's kind of like all one staff, right,
I mean there is no no. We don't say, oh,
that's Brooklyn and that's Long Islands. Like we're all the
nets and we don't have fifteen players. We have thirty players,
and we're always back and forth. From the back and

(32:06):
forth was less about hey, who's playing well. It could
be injuries, it could be rest, it could be we
feel like he's been playing well in the G League.
Let's getting a few minutes in an NBA game. So
I think there's so many different reasons to bring up players.
At the beginning of the season, we were banged up,
so having Duke and having tests and day Ron, we're

(32:26):
really important to our team. And then as we got healthy,
those guys weren't playing as much, so it was hey,
let's make sure they stay fresh and get their reps up.
And then you got to see the I guess the
product of them playing was Indiana. All our young guys
got in and contributed. Yeah, super proud moment, But think
about if they didn't play basketball for the last two

(32:46):
months just sitting on the bench. You getting at Indiana game,
you're rusty, you're nervous, you really can't find the flow.
But I feel like you're playing it on the island
and get minutes in the G League just helps you
stay more prepared when when you get your opportunity um
in the NBA, and I those guys have to be
your priority right when it comes to the their time
in the G League, because you know, it's weird, you're

(33:06):
in a situation with the other players. You may find
a guy, you draft a guy, you you put them
on your G League team and you're trying to develop
them and then you know whatever, the the Orlando Magic
could come along and just sign them, right, So that's
a weird kind of situation to be in. Yeah, it's weird,
but I guess being a former player, I try to
make it all about the players, especially in the G League.

(33:27):
So our development is one through twelve in the G League,
we we really do try to focus on the guys.
And my message to everybody at the beginning of the
season was the same, progression, not perfection, and if and
if your goal is the NBA, that's not my goal.
My goal is to get you better so that you
can get a better job next year, whether it's in
the G League, more money, whether it's a great job overseas,

(33:50):
or it's the NBA. If everybody on our team gets
a better job next year, I've done my job. And
that's not always going to be wins and losses. That
may be a guy getting a two dollar job overseas
to actually get his career started. So for me, it's
always this progression and getting you a better job, you know,
and making you a better player and a better person.
And I could see that you're a perfect guy to

(34:11):
do that because you that's what you've lived your life.
I mean, that's been your basketball life. And think it's
a great way to to sort of finish up here
before we get to the end. I thanks for your
your time, and we're gonna talk to your head head coach,
Ronie Burrell. We're gonna do that a little later on
to another guy that was in that similar situation right

(34:32):
coming out of college and and not having NBA opportunities
going and playing overseas. A little kinship with Ronnie for sure,
love RB. I've known him a whole I knew when
he's playing overseas in Poland, when it was Ham, Travis Best,
Quintell would some guys that played in the NBA. So yes,
I've known RB a minute now, and to me, it's
all opportunity. I knew RB would be great. I know

(34:53):
he's gonna be a hard nosed coach, and I like
the European vad honestly. I think having that, you know,
we didn't we didn't get minutes off and days after
you have three bad games overseas, you might be going home.
So I like the mentality of like every day is important,
every possession is important. And I think a lot of
times in the NBA, because you play so many games
and because you get into the mindset of next play,

(35:16):
in Europe was totally opposite and that play was more
important than the next play. So you've got to focus
on what we did right, what we did wrong, so
then we can move to the next play. And I
think RB embraces that, and I'm I was super excited
to have him as our head coach, and I think
he's on a phenomenal job. I always like to finish
these things with um, you know. Jim Valvano speech at

(35:37):
the spiece that the never give up stuff. I always
I always go back to that and watch it from
time to time. And um he he had said that
there are three things to do to have a everybody
should do to live a full life every day and
it was sink laugh, cry, Um, I ask you, and

(35:59):
I do this in all my guests here at JR. Holden.
What makes you laugh? First off, I love that speech
and I watch it almost every year when they show
it on ESPN. And I don't know about you, but
I don't know why. I'm almost cry every time I
watch it. Like I know what he's gonna say, I
know exactly how he's gonna move, and who's gonna help

(36:22):
him on the stage. I know all of it. But
I'm almost moved to tears almost every time I see
it regardless, and I know what's gonna happen. That's what
I That's the same with me because that and that's
why I do this. I think it's an insight into um,
how people think and how they live their lives and
and yeah that so, but but that might be the
cry part for you move too emotions and yeah, maybe

(36:44):
you should watch it every every year just to to
to channel that energy. Um what about laugh? Who makes
you laugh? What makes you laugh? Uh? You know what,
I try not to take myself too soo seriously, So
I try to laugh at every opportunity I get. I mean,
I have two kids, so I embrace that and my wife,
So I think my family just being around him and

(37:06):
having their support, they definitely make me laugh because, uh,
I know I probably come in and a little hard
on him at times like you haven't even been here,
you're at working like you run everything. So they definitely
keep me grounded and they definitely make me laugh. Do
you want to edit the crme part? We know we
said you said Jimmy v speech can move you to tears, absolutely,

(37:27):
and and I think the other part of it it's
it's like in a it's in a sad but a
happy way too because he's so life affirming at the
same time. You know how it ends. Um, So that's
that that just Yeah, it hits you in a way
that many things don't. Um. The think part. You know

(37:47):
what we know outside the Barkley Center, there's the Oculus,
the digital board that goes around and so many people
see it, and you got the world walking past there
coming out of the subway walking into that arena. If
there's something you could put up there so that you
want people to think about, slogan afraid, something that you
live your life by, UM, that you want to pass

(38:08):
on to people. What do you think it would be.
That's a tough one. Uh. I would always, I guess
it would be always say humble and be kind of people,
be kind to everybody. I think you just never know
who you're gonna meet, why you're going to meet them,
what impact they play in your life, even with basketball.
I have a son in the autism spectrum, eight years old,
non verbal, and he makes me think every day just

(38:30):
how blessed I am to even have a son. Right,
And you had all these dreams of what we would
be doing, sheeting baskets and going to games, and we
do none of those things. But none of that changes.
So my biggest thing is I've met so many good
people out of fed into me to help me become
a better man and a better person and a better father.
So I would always just say stay humble and be

(38:51):
kind to everybody. That's tremendous. I really appreciate you, uh
and doing this and talking about that UM and maybe
we'll checking another point down the road. I know there's
so many things I wanted to get into with you,
but I really appreciate you joining us, Jr. I was
great talking to you. Oh, thank you so much for
having me. And like I said, we got the same birthday,

(39:12):
so you know. JR. Holden, thank you, buddy, thank you,
thank you. Thank you to Long Island Et General manager
j R. Holden. And right now the shift gears and
talked to his head coach, head coach of Long Island Nets,

(39:34):
Ronnie Barrell here on the Voice of the Nets. I
appreciate you doing this, Ronnie, thank you very much. I
know you just got back from Las Vegas. You're out
there for the G League Showcase Ronnie. And so you
played the early part of the season two seed for
the the Showcase Cup, right, and now you get into

(39:57):
the regular part of the season. It's kind of like
the in season tournament that's been talked about with the NBA, right.
I could just see the league at some point going
to this where a certain regular season games count toward
a an in season tournament. Do you think that would
be an interesting thing? It would be interesting. You know.
The cool thing about the g LEA showcases that the
top seeded teams played for prize money, which is split

(40:19):
up amongst the players and the G League players, right,
which is, um, it's good. It's good for them, it
gives them incentive. I don't think that that incentive works
with empty players, right for obvious reasons. But there's other
ways to incentive ze. So I think the idea just
being thrown around it is a cool thing. And obviously
the G League part of its value to the NBA

(40:42):
itself is experimentation, you know, so they get to experiment
with the value of the league and I think it's
been successful, you know so far, the lee showcases everyone
looks forward to. There's a few things that I'll get
into in a little bit. A rule changes that they
kind of go through the G League to kind of
experiment with them, and we'll touch on that. But you first,
you mentioned being out there with all these other teams

(41:03):
and guys trying to showcase their talents, and um, it's
your first time as a head coach, and I know
you've had a you know, a journey and a basketball
journey that has taken you through Montclair, New Jersey, U
n C Greensboro then onto places like France and Germany
and Poland. Um. But as your first time as a

(41:24):
head coach, is your approach different because it's a developmental league?
Do you think that you're judged on wins and losses
or you judged on how you develop young talent? Yeah.
I've said this to people many times and I don't
know off to know how they take it, But I
think that in this league the development pieces it's paramount, right. Uh.

(41:47):
Wins and losses come naturally, right, because we're competitors and
it's our job, but we focus on the players individually
and making them. My goal I always say is players
are assets, right, plays are professionals. I want them to
be a better version of themselves at the end of
the season then when they started the season. And that's

(42:08):
that's That's like the championship in the G League. How
many players careers can you affect in a positive way?
I mean, that's that's the goal. That's the most important thing.
The wins and losses are a byproduct of what you
do development wise in this league. Do you feel like
that's a goal for a coach on every level? Though? Right?
You want to have an impact on people, especially young people. Yeah,
I hope, so, I hope something. I wouldn't be in

(42:29):
this business if it wasn't for that. I the people
aspected in the power of sports, right may sound cliche,
but it's the truth, right, It's the most powerful part
of it. And uh, I you know, was once a player,
and I have lifelong relationships of my coaches and they've
changed my life for whatever reason. I'm saying that I'll
be able to do that in any way like some
of these guys have done for me. But I try.

(42:50):
What do you still think back on when you think
of some of your coaches in the past, guys that
have influenced you, and in what ways have they done
that with somebody that stands out to you? Yeah, I
mean in the most the the grandest sense of coaching
and mentorship and fatherhood literally, you know, like I was
a single parent, household child, you know, and when I

(43:10):
got to college, my college coach, Fran McCaffrey became the
central male figure in my life and taught me on
and off the court the basis of everything that I knew,
you know, as a man today. Right. So that's the value,
and that's you know, it's pretty strong example, I think,
but it's that's how strong it can be. Fran was
at UNC Greensboro where you played, and then he went

(43:31):
on a coach I think at Sienna and now he's
at Iowa. People know from Iowa is a tremendous cold
known as one of the better coaches around the league.
And it's it's incredible to see that. You know, and
you'll you'll try and pay that forward. So what's you
were when you you you go on that journey college
to Europe and now getting a chance to be a
head coach. Where did the seed? What? When did you

(43:52):
realize that maybe coaching was something that you wanted to do. Yeah,
I wasn't. I was never a player who wanted to
get into coaching after Coincidentally, I think that as a player,
I was a leader. I had leaders of qualities in
these things. For whatever reason, I wanted to uh become
a scout. I wanted to work in the front office,
right So I thought, Um, I enjoy and still do

(44:12):
enjoy evaluating talent. That's still part of what I do.
I started in share development, and player development begins with evaluation, right,
So I always thought I had a knack for that.
But once I retired as a player, I became a
grad assistant, and in that role in college, I was
always on the court with the players, always you know, active,
and I kind of started to realize what I was
doing was developing a coaching style and whatever my coaching

(44:33):
voice and presentation would be rapport with the players. And
also honestly just found out that I was not through
with being on the court. I was not ready to
put on suit and tie and sit in the stands.
It wasn't that wasn't for me yet, right, So I
fell into coaching that way. And if it's for me now,
I hope it does. Yeah. And is there there that

(44:54):
relationship with j R. Holden? We talked to him here
on the on the podcast as well, and he's a
guy that had a similar journey to yours. I mean,
he was a you know, long time great in the EuroLeague,
but he probably saw something of himself in you having
gone through what you've gone through and your basketball journey. Um,
is there that kinship and is that the kind of

(45:16):
thing that you feel resonates with the kind of players
you're coaching in the G League that a lot of
them have kind of not come from big college programs.
Maybe I've had to think about playing over in Europe.
Is that something that maybe resonates your message with the
guys that you coach right now? I think so. I
try to do it. And one thing, I try not

(45:37):
to talk about myself as a player often as a coach.
But why is that, um just just to draw the
draw the lines to the team. But when I'm talking
to guys individually that are going through whatever the case
may be, an injury, personal situation, it's just a playing time,
I can tell them personal stories about it because I
understand all the feelings that all those guys in the

(45:57):
locker room or feeling right. And that's where it comes
in hand. Um. You know obviously, even though I'm not
quite that old and I am a different generation, and
the guys that I'm coaching, so some of the experiences
that I had in Europe they won't relate to, but
they enjoy hearing about them. Um. And that is the
basis of j R. And eys relationship. Is not only
when we competed against each other, um, if you want

(46:18):
to call it that, I don't even think I ever
had a close game against his powerhouse, right, But there
was a healthy respect because of the approach that I
had to the game and the process he had. He
knew the character that I had and vice versa. Right. So,
and you you speak to more guys without careers like
his UM that play long term stretches in Europe. Um,

(46:41):
there's a certain character that comes with that, you know
that you know, maybe some of our players will develop
at some point they have to find out. But yeah,
there's a mutual respect to that level, for sure. It's
amazing to this world right how chance encounters or meetings
with people or you know, you and JR whole then
both guys from the Northeast could end up playing in

(47:02):
Poland and develop a relationship that leads to you know,
another opportunity down the road. Uh, it's amazing all the
people right that you've probably met in this journey that
have now become a part of your career going forward. Yeah, absolutely,
it's um And especially with the NBA becoming more global

(47:25):
over the last twenty years, there's so many people from
the Brooklyn Nets organization in general once played against or
they coached me things like this. It's really really a
small tight knit community, you know, and I'm just really
thankful to be a small part of it. You can say,
you can you can answer this, honestly, we won't hold

(47:46):
it against you. But growing up in Montclair, New Jersey.
I think you're born in Livingston. You went to Mountclair
High School? Were you a Net fan? It's coincidental though,
because I was a Net fan. I hated the Knicks.
Um as a kid. Is that because were you were
you growing Were you a kid at the time, were

(48:06):
you with the Jason Kid years? What was the what
do you remember what? Yeah? So no, I was before that,
And I'll tell you why. My local barbershop in Montclare,
New Jersey at the time, a lot of the Knick
players lived there. I remember seeing Patrick Ewing getting his
hair cut in there, Kenny Walker, right and yeah, and

(48:27):
uh my mother didn't like them for some reason. And
so as a small kid, I was just like, yeah,
I don't like the Knicks either, right. So through the
church that I was going to at the time, they
would come and the Nets would give out low price
tickets to like the youth organization. So we used to
go to the games. And that was my first professional
sporting event. Was next games and I think it was
Brendan Burn Arena at the time. Um, so yeah, these

(48:49):
were Kenny Anderson and Derek Coleman days, you know, before
kid and those guys. So now I wasn't that fan
as a kid, and then at some point when I
started to take basketball more seriously, I was just a
fan of a game in general and specific players. You know. Yeah, no,
that's great, that's that that connection now, and now you're
part of the Long Island Nets, uh, and the heritage
that you know, the lineage that goes back to Dr

(49:11):
J and the old A B A teams that used
to play out in Nassau Coliseum. Um, you get to
coach this team. You know, we talked about the emphasis
on wins or losses, because there's got to be a
point where your priority. I know, you're all kind of
like one staff between Brooklyn and Long Island, and the

(49:34):
priority is to develop the guys that can contribute to
the Nets. Because it's an interesting situation. You've got guys
on your team and you want to make everybody better.
But you know, the the Charlotte Hornets can come along
and sign one of your guys. So how do how
do you walk that line? Of you know, the guys
that are belonged to the Nets and and prioritizing their

(49:58):
development over the rest of your team and trying to
get wins. Yeah, I'll tell you the only way I
know to do it. I can't say whether it's right
or wrong, but this is how I would want it
to be done. It if I was a player in
any role, is to address the head on him bigger
than the season. And this is the deal. The Brooklyn
Nets are trying to win the championship. If they assigned

(50:18):
a player to the Long Island Nets, he needs to
come back as a better version of himself to contribute
to that championship goal. Right. Everyone in the room needs
to know that and accept it, whether it's a hard
pill of Sweller or not. And that's just the case.
You think about Nick Claxton during my tenure here a
couple of years ago, he played some Long Island Nets ball, right,

(50:39):
and now he is in the role that he's in
that small stin help him, hopefully just even just a
one percent. That's that is um always going to be
the most important part of what this is. But you
have twelve other guys, thirteen other guys. Whatever the case
may be who are have basketball careers and we all
care for him. So whether it's a guy going overseas
and leaving us and making more money than you would

(51:00):
have in the first place, or you know, signing with
another NBA team Like you said, um quote about the
showcases that all thirty teams are there, right and guys
that do not have guaranteed contracts are on trial for
all of those teams, and um, you know, we don't.
We don't dance around those subjects. It's just the nature
of the league. And I think it's a good thing.

(51:20):
It makes for some difficult moments at times, but it's
just the nature of the league. Do you do you
confer with the Nets Brooklyn Nets staff in terms of
how they want how you want to use certain guys,
what kind of style like does there have to be
a a kinship, you know, a marriage between the defensive
style you're gonna play, the offensive style you're gonna play.

(51:42):
So that guys when they go to Long Island there
the calls, the play calls, things are all the same
as when they go to Brooklyn. Is that is that
something that's done between the two teams. Yes, that's correct, So, Um,
we want to make the transition seamless both ways. Right,
So yes, we uh we adopt you know, Jack Bond's

(52:03):
philosophies on both ends of the ball. Um, we operate
under the culture that Shawn Marks is built for the
Brook and Nets. The Nets organization has the same um,
the same style, and the same culture both g League
and NBA. Right, So you know when players go back
and forth, as we call it, um, it's seemless. The
jargon is the same, and UM it makes my job easy. Um,

(52:26):
you know because of what they've established and we just
we basically feed off and take parts from it, and
it makes it easy for the players. That's that's the point.
And you want to keep guys in the same role
that they would play. We're talking about there's there's four guys.
There's a long just Williams, day Roun Sharp, Uh, David
Duke and Kessler Edwards who can go back and forth
and they were with you guys at the showcase. So

(52:46):
you want to kind of keep them in the same roles.
I mean, it'd be easy to say Kessler Edwards is
so talented, let's play through him offensively, but that's not
what he's gonna do with the nets, right. And that's
the tough part though, because not only I mean you
want them to be a pair of them for with
their role will be with the broken nets, but also
some of our more talented guys they get put in
positions that they are not accustomed to and uh that's okay, yeah,

(53:10):
like you know, I'm certain maybe dave Ron Sharp is
not used to being thrown the basketball in the post,
you know often, but with us he will be. And okay,
so he will, yeah, you will. You will change their
roles a little bit. Yeah, right, But that's the good
thing about the g because there's a wiggle room for
experimentation kind of trying to get these guys out of
their cover zons. And I think that that will that

(53:30):
is speed up their development. Is there a lot of
communication between the development staff for the nets where you say, hey,
you know, we just you know, when you call up
whoever it may be Jacques or one of the assistance
and say maybe you maybe you talk to RFK, you know,
Ryan Farren Kelly or somebody like that and say, hey,
you know what day Ron did in the game the

(53:52):
other day, he did this, maybe you know, is there
that kind of sharing of information. Yeah, there is, and
they do a great job put in um, you know,
sims a place for us to communicate. Even if they're
on a road trip and they have for at seven,
you know, and they're busy, you know, they can check
their email and get updates on what the guys are
doing are end and you know we you know, we
all have personal relationships as well. We get on calls

(54:13):
and um there is a lot of exchange information. I'll
put you see that way. And they they keep a
close watching those guys well. And then we I talked
about this with the j R. That game where eight
guys sat out against the Indiana Pacers and the Nets
go on to win that game. And and guys that
you were coaching or contributing, I would imagine that there,

(54:34):
the reps they were getting down in the G League
helped the Nets win a game when maybe nobody thought
they could possibly win that game, right, I'd like to think. So,
you know, I watched that game, and you know, you
feel some pride because you know, Dave Rod's having a
great game again, you know. And uh, but that's for them,
that's for the players. It's difficult when you have such
a talented roster. You know, as the Nets do to

(54:56):
five minutes for these young guys when they need them.
We're here for them to get men, you know, to
keep them sharp and that, you know, in the most
general sense is what we're here for. And the Nets
never know when they're gonna need some of these guys
like they did on that day. So many guys make
a huge jump from their first year to their second year.
You've got you know you mentioned day Ron Kessler Edwards.

(55:18):
These were guys that played a major role last year
with the Nets. Their role has been diminished a little
bit this year, I think because of the talent and
maybe they're a little more healthy at that in Brooklyn.
But how do you see the development of some of
these guys now from their first year to their second year.
Maybe you want to take it one by one. A
guy like day Ron sharp Um, what do you think

(55:38):
his ceiling is in the NBA Hi, I mean yeah,
I think, uh, there's no mistake about his gifts athletically,
I think uh, mentally, he's a very young guy, right, so, yeah,
he's shown growth from last year to this year. If
you just look at his body, you can see that, right, Yeah,
this year much better shape it. And I think that

(56:01):
you know, with with the body of the mind goes
as well, all right, So I think that he's showing
maturity in that way, and you know, he's still got
areas to grow in, you know, mentally, immatured maturity wise,
you know, and he goes through some of those growing
pains with us and in Brooklyn, and I think it's
it's natural right for young man of his age, a
young man, you know. So no day Ron, I think
has shown growth. Kester, I think the same way, you know,

(56:24):
has shown growth in his body development. And I think
that I mean, he has an NBA body and versatility
on the defensive end is valuable, you know. So it's
my job during the time that he's here to try
to you know, it's still some confidence in him and
when Brooklyn calls on him, they'll be ready, both of them,
you know. So you know, then we have you know,
Alondas Williams and and David Duke. Alantis is a rookie, right,

(56:47):
so he's going through those rookie grown pains and see,
we'll see that's one of those people that you'll look
back in highsight and evaluate the job that we did
as a staff, you know, with him, see where he
ends up as far as how prepared he is. Yeah,
he was like a scoring guard at wake, but he
can pass and maybe he's not a true point guard.
I don't know, Like what do you what is the

(57:08):
Londish William? Does he and the Nets could use that
kind of true point guard who can break down the defense.
Is he that type of player? Yeah? Well, I think
you kind of hit it on the head. He's he
had a free reign in college, as many of these
really talented guys do, to do a lot um, so
then you have to kind of whittle it down and
find too some of the skill system to what their
NBA role. Maybe. So, yeah, he's a he's a big,

(57:30):
powerful guard with a lot of ball skills and passing ability. Um,
not technically a true point guard, which there are not
many true point guards anywhere now we all know, you know, So,
you know, developing the i q ps and developing his
field for the game as a possible NBA point guard,
you know, that's the challenge. It's not a hard it's
a hard job, you know, especially at that position. Yeah,

(57:51):
it's you know, it's like developing a young quarterback, you know, so,
um not, it's the challenge and that's that's an exciting
part of what player development is an exciting part of
the G League, you know. And I remember, you know,
working with Lawrence Frank over the years used to say
playing hard as a skill. And when I think of
David Duke, I feel like that's almost as great as skill.
It's just how hard he plays. Yeah. Absolutely, I'd say
that him is the intangibles. I mean, all these guys

(58:13):
in talentshed, but I think he's intangibles set him apart.
Plays hard, plays with motor and his approach. Um, this
is my first year that I was around him at length.
Extremely professional approach, extremely hard working, you know. So I
think that is gonna be his calling card and um,
you know, as a second year pro. Like I said,
I wasn't around him much last year, and I think

(58:33):
he's shown his professionalism. His approach to every day is
really really impressive for a guy's age. And then I
know he's not a he's not signed to a deal
with the Brooklyn Nets, but he's been with the Brooklyn Nets.
Chris Cioza, who's playing for you guys, And um, I
guess it's good as a coach when you're trying to
develop players to have a guy who's gone through those experiences.

(58:56):
Chris has played major minutes. He's he played with the
Warrior to the championship team. I mean, to have that experience,
UM as a quarterback for you guys, has got to
help you as a coach. I would imagine you know
what it does. And he's a he's a silent type
of leader, at least by example, UM, but the guys
follow him. He's kind of the catalyst for our locker
room in a way, and on the floor is the

(59:18):
same thing. He's He makes that part of my job
very easy to When you have a guy with that
kind of basketball i Q passing ability, you know, he's
he is a pure point guard, right and like I said,
there's not many guys like him. He was a pure
first and I mean he's had a game with seventeen
assists with zero turnovers and I've never seen that on
every any level, and at least not often. You know,

(59:40):
So when you have a guy like that, with that
kind of you know, passing creativity, it's pretty easy to coach.
And the boy said, if you're gonna play in the
NBA or even the G League. At that size, you've
got to be a very special player. I mean, it
just doesn't throw many of those guys at that size
that can do that. Absolutely actually, any especially he especially,

(01:00:02):
you know, he's one of the smarter craft your players
I've I've ever been around. M hm. You know. In
your journey from Montclair to UNC Greensboro to Europe, I
wanted your your time in France, Germany and Poland. I
just want to before before we go, I just want
to is there anything it stands out about your experience
in Europe as a person, as a professional that comes

(01:00:24):
to mind when you think of that time. It's being
a young man and going over there. I mean it's
got to be mysterious and challenging and scary and exciting
all at the same time, all those things, right, And um,
we talked about this earlier in the interview. Is like
the non basketball parts of this of what basketball can

(01:00:46):
do for people, right. I try to remind guys individually
most of the time, and even as a group. We
have a saying about the G League. It's called like
what the G the G League stands for for me
is gratitude grinding goals, right, so you know, being gracious
that we actually get to do this. That's a job,
right Obviously the grinding goals part of the self explanatory.

(01:01:07):
But being able to live in Europe, it's kind of
where I grew up in I opened my eyes to
the world, new cultures, new people, and like basketball gave
me that opportunity, you know, and that I'd never lose
sight of. You went in coaching, and what countries you
enjoyed playing in the most, uh all of them, all
of them, I mean Germany. I actually considered living in

(01:01:28):
Germany after retirement. I enjoyed it so much, you know.
Then my daughter was born there. Um, the Prey actually
a very easy place to live for Americans. But I
mean I've been all over Europe and every place is
so different and unique, and I learned more there than
I didn't school. You know, it's not even by miles,
you know, so no valuable experiences. Um luckily got to

(01:01:50):
meet some really really good people in the basketball world
over there, and uh, you know, as the game started
to globalize in the NBA started to integrate more European
coaches or in players, I started to realize that you know,
I know this guy from this place that I thought
was some obscure corner of the world, and now you
know we're in the same h We're in the same league,

(01:02:10):
So great experience. There really some good coaches over in Europe,
and uh we talked a little bit about you know,
Tory Messina was in the NBA for a little bit
as an assistant. He's a legendary European coach. Igor Koskof,
who's on the NET staff, got a chance to coach,
you know, for a year in Phoenix. Do you think
you'll see more guys that were European head coaches being

(01:02:34):
NBA head coach at some point? You know, I can
see it. I could see it. And then you know
on the flip side of that, you know you have
Will Weaver who I worked with. It was Australia. Yeah,
we're at the same fraternity of form. You know, Long
Island Net's head coaching and now he's in you know,
he's been in Australia and now he's coaching in France,
you know in Paris, so m I think the game
itself has you know, the lines are blurred between He

(01:02:56):
used to be a big, big difference in style of
play between MB and you're I think those lines are
kind of blurring now and you'll see more coaches going
both directions. Well, Ronnie, I want to ask you a
couple of things here to I always end the interviews
with and uh, this was you Remember the Jim Balbano
speech never give Up speech from the SPS. Yeah, of

(01:03:18):
course everybody knows that it's It's meant something to me
in my life. I always trying to watch it periodically
here to remind me of things. You you touched on
something but he he used to say to live a
full life, everybody should do three things every day. Laugh, cry,
and think. You mentioned the think part about the G
and G league, which doesn't stand for gatorade for you,

(01:03:39):
it stands for other things. Um, but what about what
makes Ronnie Barrell laugh? Oh? Man, could be a person,
could be a something you you like to watch? What
makes you laugh? Yeah? You know people sometimes people probably
almost everything. I have a really big sense of humor

(01:04:00):
out and and it's funny I see all those things.
It's like my daughter is could embody all of those things? Sure?
She is eighty eight years old, right, and she she
kind of invokes every emotion from me probably the only person.
She's certainly the only person that can do that right right,
And she's so much like me in that way that
she she makes me laugh, she tried. I think, like

(01:04:22):
all at the same time, Well we get so. I
think what he said cry was more of like, you know,
just move your moved your emotions and that will do it.
You know, a kid will do that to you, right,
you know. And sometimes it's a in a in a
way that's a sad cry. Sometimes it's a happy thing.
What's something that just spending time with your daughter can
make you happy? What are some of the things that

(01:04:43):
you can do with your daughter and make you happy? Oh,
I mean we don't. We don don't plan anything. She's
like my twin, you know. So we'll spend Christmas together.
We may not leave. Well I can guarantee you we
won't leave the house because it's it's freezing in Atlanta
here in Atlanta. Yeah, yeah, but no, you know, I
just I'm kind of careful you with life. I don't
like to plan things out when it comes to family

(01:05:04):
and loved ones and even friends, you know, and people
that really know me know it. I'm that way. Um,
something that may make me cry, I will say, is uh,
it's success and not you know, things that come with success,
But achievement of goals for me is something that I've
been moved to tears with before my personal life because
you know, it's a satisfaction, you know when anything like

(01:05:26):
the satisfactor you get after putting in work to achieve
something that doesn't have to come with any kind of
financial gain or any kind of accolade, but just you know,
internal feeling of accomplishment that is a that's a big
thing for me. I think being around professional athletes my
whole life, what I would I try and convey to
people who talk to me about it. What's this guy like?
What's that guy like? What are they said? They don't

(01:05:47):
have The regular fan doesn't have an appreciation for just
how much sacrifice and hard work it takes to get
to that level. And you think of all the great
players you saw up playing in Jersey in high school.
How many guys made it to play, got paid ever play,
you know, and it's just there's so much sacrifice and
so much determination, hard work that goes into it. You know,

(01:06:09):
it makes me think of something that h obviously I'll
keep the information private, but um, the best player. I'm
from Monclaer, New Jersey, and you know, it's just a
smaller suburb of North you know, a lot of athletes
in different sports. You know, I'm probably one of the
more successful basketball players to come out of Monk that
we've had others, but most of them don't don't go
to public school Monclair High School. They go to private

(01:06:30):
school or whatever the cases in New Jersey, you know
how it is. But the guy that I grew up under,
who was the most talented basketball player I had ever
met and seen. Um, he was the best player ever
to come out of my high school in my opinion.
He passed away last year. You know, he's a year
older than me. And that's one of the things that
has made me think deeply about um. You know, the

(01:06:52):
gratitude that I have to be able to do this,
you know, because he never you know, had the career
that I had, or whatever the case. Maybe, but it
was a much better player. It was a really really
good man, good person, somebody I looked up to. Things
don't work out for you in life that way, the
way he did for me is to be pure luck.
Blessing or whatever you want to call it, right, but
that is something that I never never forget about, and
that was a strong reminder to me. You know, you know,

(01:07:14):
you know how thankful I am to be, you know,
quite of the small fraternity of basketball. Absolutely, and it
leaves you with something to think as well. I I
always bring it back to um. The think part is
if you want to get your message across to people.
You know, you've got the oculus when you come into
Berkeley Center and there's that digital scoreboard that everybody can
look at as they come off the subway or come

(01:07:34):
through the arena, thousands of people are gonna see it.
If you had the chance to put something up there
to remind people of or to make them think about,
something that will it will last with them. What is
something you might want to tell to the masses? You know,
I don't I'm not great with like slogans. I don't

(01:07:56):
have a slogan for this, but the concept will be
And it's not even this has nothing to do with
like the the times and the events of the times,
not right, not like that, but just in general, it's like,
take a look at the person next to you, right
to your right or your left, you know, just be curious,
because that's been my biggest thing. I'm kind of I
tendency to be a loner, not super social or people

(01:08:19):
person in that way. But when you're in this game
or in these environments in this city, and the sport
brings you around people that you would have have met,
you know otherwise. Some of the coolest people, best relationships
I have with the people that I never would have thought.
You understand what I mean. Do you watch Ted Lasso?
Have you ever watched that? The TV show? So there's
an episode where he talked about being the character the coach.

(01:08:43):
Jason Snakis plays the soccer coach who's an American, he
doesn't anything about soccer, goes to coach a team and uh.
He said he saw something on the wall in the
school one day that said, be curious but not judgmental. Mhm.
And that's kind of what I think about when you
say that, be cure, he is. Don't you know everybody's
going through something, everybody's got a different story. I sometimes

(01:09:04):
look I sit in Barkley Center sometimes and I look
around and I go, there's twenty tho people here that
all have a unique life a unique story, a unique
uh voice in their head right now, and I'm curious
about all of them. And you never want to judge
a book by its cover. And listen, that was perfect
I could have. If I could, I will steal that one.

(01:09:25):
That will be you have my permission, Uh. Ronnie. Congratulations
on your success and good luck the rest of this
year with the Long Island Nets. I hope I enjoyed
getting to meet you and get to know you a
little bit of hope that people did as well. And
we'll talk to you down the road. Thank you, Ronnie,
thank you, and happy holidays to you and your daughter
and everybody you take care. I hope you enjoyed getting

(01:09:51):
to know a little bit more about Long Islandette, said
coach Ronnie Barrell there and Long Islandets general manager j R. Holding.
It is the holiday week between Christmas and New Year's
I thought I might share with you a couple of
things that I'm watching and listening to. First, the movie
part of the watching party. I was looking to get

(01:10:13):
into the Christmas spirit a little bit, and I was
hesitant to watch this movie because, if you know me,
when the question for me about what makes me laugh?
One of the first things that comes to mind is
the great Will Farrell. I can look at a picture
of Will Fowrel and I will laugh. Of course, I
love Elf. You watched it a million times during the

(01:10:35):
holiday season. But on Apple Plus he put out a
movie with Ryan Reynolds, a musical adaptation of you know,
one of the many of the Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Christmas carow. It's called Spirited. So I was a little
concerned because I love Will Farrell, but I wasn't sure
about watching him in a musical adaptation of a Christmas Carol.

(01:10:58):
I was pleasantly surprised eyes I enjoyed it immensely. It
is terrific. Ryan Reynolds is great, Well Farrell is great. Um,
it's not overly musical for a musical, if you know
what I mean. There's some good numbers, but everybody's not
singing all the time. Uh. And it's got a real
poignant message. And I thought it was really really well done.
So that would be my recommendation for the family during

(01:11:20):
the holiday season. Still got time there, watch Spirited on
Apple Plus. And you know, at the end of the
everybody always throws out their lists of their top ten
albums or best songs. Um. My favorite album of two
comes from Frank Turner, an album called ft h C
and I will leave you with this message lyrics from

(01:11:43):
the song non Serbium. To end our our season, so
to speak. Here the end of the year two thousand
twenty two. Here on the voice of the Nets and
Frank Turner belting out this one at the end. This
is what he says. But moving forward, let's keep things simple.
Here are my principles. Help the ones in need, do

(01:12:04):
your best to leave the others. Be doubt yourself and
keep your mind open. Navigate the progress and the scams.
Non Serbium. Final message for my thanks to my producer
Tom Dowd, engineer Isaac Lee. Thank you for listening and

(01:12:25):
please subscribe spread the word. I'm Chris Corino. This is
the Voice of the Nats podcast.