October 14, 2024 • 8 mins
Signed to a two-way to contract by the Nets last season, Jaylen Martin has yet to take the court in an NBA game, but the future is bright for the 20-year-old. Chris Carrino chats with Martin, who discusses his background through Overtime Elite and grinding in the NBA G-League.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
You started your NBA career across the river with the Knicks,
playing for the up in Westchester. Now you'll be making
the commute to Long Island. But you're a Tallahassee kid.
What's been the change from Tallahassee, Florida to New York City.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I was just like the environment, it's like a lot faster,
you know, back home a little bit. Yeah, back home,
you know, like if I want to run to the store,
run against some food, I can just hop in the
car drive anywhere. But here's kind of like like you
the uber eats are like walking or somewhere. So I
just feel like pretty much that's like the most different
part about it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Yeah, people in this area know your high school coach
very well, Charlie Ward. I mean, Heisman Trophy winner of
Florida State. Uh played for the Knicks. He's high school coach.
What kind of mentor was he in preparing you for
what you're going to be about to go the journey
(01:08):
right now for you?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I feel like he was a great mentor. I feel
like I feel like we got to know him like
personally as a coach, so like we really didn't like
look at him like as a like a Heisman Trophy
winning NBA player, Like we didn't like I didn't realize
like how big he was until like I left and
came to New York and like actually, like a lot
of people or even how big he was until last
he like because we're interacting with him every day, and
(01:30):
then he taught us like a lot of like life lessons.
Like the way he coached was like more about like
like life and being like a good teammate and like
stuff like the small like the small things about basketball
and not so much about like well you know, like
he kind of like he helped develop us and players,
but like I feel like he had like a different approach,
which I feel like that helped me out a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Would you have would you have thought about it differently
if you knew what kind of impact he had on
you know, the football, basketball ball while you were in
high school? Do you think you're what his words would
have resonated a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Actually, I feel like I feel like it was better
this way. I feel like everything was very genuine. It
wasn't like, oh, like he's a Heisman trophy when here
playing in bass, so I'm just gonna do this. I
feel like we actually like got to know him on
a different level and looked at him like as a
person instead of like a like a like an idol
or like like something like that.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Nobody was tougher than Charlie Ward. I mean in in
a basketball uniform. I mean he had that football player's
mentality when he played basketball. What's your How do you
characterize your game? What do you think your NBA skills are.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I feel like I'm a great physical attacker going downhill,
making the play. I'm good at catching, shooting, and then
I feel like I'm good on defense, and I feel
like I just like play hard. Like I feel like
at first, like growing up, I didn't play its hard.
But I feel like like just watching like the game
and like watching like older players and playing with older
players like kind of forced me to start like playing hard.
(03:00):
I feel like I just like giving them all, like
every time I went to court.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
I feel like you did you feel just because you
were just so talented above the other guys you were
playing against, that you didn't think you had to play hard?
I mean, why did you think that that wasn't important
at the time.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Because I feel like when I was in middle school,
I was already like kind of taller and more skill
than everybody. So it kind of came easy until like
I started playing like high school in middle school, and
that's when I realized, like, I'm gonna have to guess
some toughnes It's like it's not gonna be easy.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
You know, former net coach and now the president of
the Clippers, Lawrence Frank, when I used to talk to him,
he had this thing that always stood in my head.
He said, you know, playing hard is his skill like shooting,
like dribbling. Some guys just you know that they can
they developed that skill of playing hard. There's a lot
of guys your size, with your athletic ability in the NBA,
not in Tallahassee, but in the NBA. Right, So what's
(03:51):
going to separate you from everybody else? And I guess
that's how hard you're gonna play. Your relationship with some
of the other guys on this team. This is a
young group, right, I know. I saw you out there
joking around a little bit with Jackie, another two way
(04:12):
guy that you'll be with. What's been your relationship As
we get ready taping this before the first training camp
with some of the younger guys, and what's that camaraderie?
It almost feels like a college group out here. I
know you didn't you went to Overtime Elite, didn't go
to get that college experience, but it feels like that
kind of camaraderie here.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I'll say, like it feels more like AU to us
kind of like as far as like bonding with our
teammates because I feel like like growing up, like I
played Dreek multiple times, Like I played a couple other
guys like Oamar I played like, so I feel like
just growing up like playing against each other, and now
like we're on the same team. So I just feel
like it's kind of easy because like we all went
through the same process together, face each other, had some
(04:53):
tough battles against each other, and now like we can
like just talk talk back on that. Like if I
want to go talk to Ree, we always talk about
how we played each They're a PGM and everything like that.
So I just feel like it's good to bond with somebody.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, and you're your experience though going you you didn't
go to college, what was the what was the thought
process of going to Overtime Elite, which a lot of
people have done, coming out of high school? What was
the what was the thought process?
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So I actually wanted to go to college and I
had around like five official visits going into my senior
year to some schools. But then like overtime, OTE came
in like with like a plan. They sat down to
talk to me and my mom and just show like
like another way like to get to my goal. Like
my ultimate goal was to get to the NBA, Like
no matter like how I had to get there, That's
(05:38):
all I wanted to get there. So they came in
like with a plan and talked about like personal development,
personal still training, like we have like more like access
as far as like NBA teams coming. So we have
like NBA teams coming.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Throughout the day.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
We have pro days where all the teams show up.
So I just feel like it was a way to
center myself. Do I want to be with thirty kids
and have a chance to make it or don't want
to go to college to where like it's like thousands
of kids trying to make it. So I just feel
like me being one of the thirty like just gave
me like a better chance of trying to get.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Some ultimate So they recruited you like a college. Yeah,
they me like a college basically was Kevin ally involved.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Coach Ali was kind of involved on tours end.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, and then the experience of going there and then
you go to the G League and with the west
Chester next. I mean, it was the experience. What you thought,
I mean, what are some of the things that were
going through your mind and you're going through that first
G League experience.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
It was kind of tough at first because I wasn't
playing as much, but then like soon as I start playing,
like then day, it was like kind of just like
basketball to me. So it's really just about like just
getting better. I feel like that's my motto. I just
want to get better and just working hard and just
like letting my game show throughout the G League.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
What do you like to do off the court? I mean,
your your whole life has probably been wrapped up in basketball.
Said You've been focused on being a pro since you're
in high school. But when you have a chance to
have some downtime or relax, and you know, what is
that like for jailing?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I can hang out my friends a lot, like so
I'm always always with my friends no matter what we
want to do, Like, is it going to the beach,
are going bowling playing the game. So really I just
like hang on my friends playing the game. And I'm
also into like some computer stuff. I was taking a
couple of classes at Morehouse. Okay, yeah, the computer science.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
All right, maybe Zire Williams too is into that stuff,
so maybe a bond with him about that. You're gonna
have anybody staying with you, any family or anything like
that up in in Brooklyn this year in Long Island
or no, I'm by myself, by yourself, you like that way?
I mean school.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I probably have my friends convisit me, our cousin convisit
me every once in a while.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Sure you're gonna get to know the roads that go
from Long Island to Brooklyn a lot. Oh yeah, right,
but operate, good opportunity for you here.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Excited, Yeah, I'm very excited. All right.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Well, we really appreciate you joining us. Thank you so much.
It's great get to know you, sir. Thank you.
You started your NBA career across the river with the Knicks,
playing for the up in Westchester. Now you'll be making
the commute to Long Island. But you're a Tallahassee kid.
What's been the change from Tallahassee, Florida to New York City.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I was just like the environment, it's like a lot faster,
you know, back home a little bit. Yeah, back home,
you know, like if I want to run to the store,
run against some food, I can just hop in the
car drive anywhere. But here's kind of like like you
the uber eats are like walking or somewhere. So I
just feel like pretty much that's like the most different
part about it.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Yeah, people in this area know your high school coach
very well, Charlie Ward. I mean, Heisman Trophy winner of
Florida State. Uh played for the Knicks. He's high school coach.
What kind of mentor was he in preparing you for
what you're going to be about to go the journey
(01:08):
right now for you?
Speaker 2 (01:09):
I feel like he was a great mentor. I feel
like I feel like we got to know him like
personally as a coach, so like we really didn't like
look at him like as a like a Heisman Trophy
winning NBA player, Like we didn't like I didn't realize
like how big he was until like I left and
came to New York and like actually, like a lot
of people or even how big he was until last
he like because we're interacting with him every day, and
(01:30):
then he taught us like a lot of like life lessons.
Like the way he coached was like more about like
like life and being like a good teammate and like
stuff like the small like the small things about basketball
and not so much about like well you know, like
he kind of like he helped develop us and players,
but like I feel like he had like a different approach,
which I feel like that helped me out a lot.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Would you have would you have thought about it differently
if you knew what kind of impact he had on
you know, the football, basketball ball while you were in
high school? Do you think you're what his words would
have resonated a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Actually, I feel like I feel like it was better
this way. I feel like everything was very genuine. It
wasn't like, oh, like he's a Heisman trophy when here
playing in bass, so I'm just gonna do this. I
feel like we actually like got to know him on
a different level and looked at him like as a
person instead of like a like a like an idol
or like like something like that.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
Nobody was tougher than Charlie Ward. I mean in in
a basketball uniform. I mean he had that football player's
mentality when he played basketball. What's your How do you
characterize your game? What do you think your NBA skills are.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
I feel like I'm a great physical attacker going downhill,
making the play. I'm good at catching, shooting, and then
I feel like I'm good on defense, and I feel
like I just like play hard. Like I feel like
at first, like growing up, I didn't play its hard.
But I feel like like just watching like the game
and like watching like older players and playing with older
players like kind of forced me to start like playing hard.
(03:00):
I feel like I just like giving them all, like
every time I went to court.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
I feel like you did you feel just because you
were just so talented above the other guys you were
playing against, that you didn't think you had to play hard?
I mean, why did you think that that wasn't important
at the time.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Because I feel like when I was in middle school,
I was already like kind of taller and more skill
than everybody. So it kind of came easy until like
I started playing like high school in middle school, and
that's when I realized, like, I'm gonna have to guess
some toughnes It's like it's not gonna be easy.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
You know, former net coach and now the president of
the Clippers, Lawrence Frank, when I used to talk to him,
he had this thing that always stood in my head.
He said, you know, playing hard is his skill like shooting,
like dribbling. Some guys just you know that they can
they developed that skill of playing hard. There's a lot
of guys your size, with your athletic ability in the NBA,
not in Tallahassee, but in the NBA. Right, So what's
(03:51):
going to separate you from everybody else? And I guess
that's how hard you're gonna play. Your relationship with some
of the other guys on this team. This is a
young group, right, I know. I saw you out there
joking around a little bit with Jackie, another two way
(04:12):
guy that you'll be with. What's been your relationship As
we get ready taping this before the first training camp
with some of the younger guys, and what's that camaraderie?
It almost feels like a college group out here. I
know you didn't you went to Overtime Elite, didn't go
to get that college experience, but it feels like that
kind of camaraderie here.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I'll say, like it feels more like AU to us
kind of like as far as like bonding with our
teammates because I feel like like growing up, like I
played Dreek multiple times, Like I played a couple other
guys like Oamar I played like, so I feel like
just growing up like playing against each other, and now
like we're on the same team. So I just feel
like it's kind of easy because like we all went
through the same process together, face each other, had some
(04:53):
tough battles against each other, and now like we can
like just talk talk back on that. Like if I
want to go talk to Ree, we always talk about
how we played each They're a PGM and everything like that.
So I just feel like it's good to bond with somebody.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Yeah, and you're your experience though going you you didn't
go to college, what was the what was the thought
process of going to Overtime Elite, which a lot of
people have done, coming out of high school? What was
the what was the thought process?
Speaker 2 (05:18):
So I actually wanted to go to college and I
had around like five official visits going into my senior
year to some schools. But then like overtime, OTE came
in like with like a plan. They sat down to
talk to me and my mom and just show like
like another way like to get to my goal. Like
my ultimate goal was to get to the NBA, Like
no matter like how I had to get there, That's
(05:38):
all I wanted to get there. So they came in
like with a plan and talked about like personal development,
personal still training, like we have like more like access
as far as like NBA teams coming. So we have
like NBA teams coming.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
Throughout the day.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
We have pro days where all the teams show up.
So I just feel like it was a way to
center myself. Do I want to be with thirty kids
and have a chance to make it or don't want
to go to college to where like it's like thousands
of kids trying to make it. So I just feel
like me being one of the thirty like just gave
me like a better chance of trying to get.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Some ultimate So they recruited you like a college. Yeah,
they me like a college basically was Kevin ally involved.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Coach Ali was kind of involved on tours end.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Yeah, and then the experience of going there and then
you go to the G League and with the west
Chester next. I mean, it was the experience. What you thought,
I mean, what are some of the things that were
going through your mind and you're going through that first
G League experience.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
It was kind of tough at first because I wasn't
playing as much, but then like soon as I start playing,
like then day, it was like kind of just like
basketball to me. So it's really just about like just
getting better. I feel like that's my motto. I just
want to get better and just working hard and just
like letting my game show throughout the G League.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
What do you like to do off the court? I mean,
your your whole life has probably been wrapped up in basketball.
Said You've been focused on being a pro since you're
in high school. But when you have a chance to
have some downtime or relax, and you know, what is
that like for jailing?
Speaker 2 (07:09):
I can hang out my friends a lot, like so
I'm always always with my friends no matter what we
want to do, Like, is it going to the beach,
are going bowling playing the game. So really I just
like hang on my friends playing the game. And I'm
also into like some computer stuff. I was taking a
couple of classes at Morehouse. Okay, yeah, the computer science.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
All right, maybe Zire Williams too is into that stuff,
so maybe a bond with him about that. You're gonna
have anybody staying with you, any family or anything like
that up in in Brooklyn this year in Long Island
or no, I'm by myself, by yourself, you like that way?
I mean school.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I probably have my friends convisit me, our cousin convisit
me every once in a while.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Sure you're gonna get to know the roads that go
from Long Island to Brooklyn a lot. Oh yeah, right,
but operate, good opportunity for you here.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Excited, Yeah, I'm very excited. All right.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Well, we really appreciate you joining us. Thank you so much.
It's great get to know you, sir. Thank you.
Host
Chris Carrino
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com