August 17, 2022 • 48 mins
On Part 2, Brad & Noah talk about:
- Kentucky's dribble drive offense
- Tyler Herro's storm into the NBA
- Brad's best teammate at UK
- Brad's work with Sahvir Wheeler
- His time as a GA at UK & new role at LIU Brooklyn
- Young coaches finding their coaching voice
....Losing to 15 seed St. Peter's...Best rapper at basketball...Current best player in the NBA...and so much more!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Walkie Talkies is a production of I Heart Radio and
the College Athletes Network. Hello, Gang, Yeah, thirteen of your
past teammates are currently in the NBA, and I'm gonna
rattle every single one of their names off. You've got
Bam out of Bio, Hommy Diallo, Dear and Fox, Malik Monk,
(00:25):
s g A, Kevin Knox, Nick Richards, PJ. Washington, Emmanuel Quickly,
Tyler Hero, Kelvin Johnson, and Isaiah Briscoe is getting out
of the league. But we all know that he's you know,
he's a motherfucker too. So Walkie Talkies Ganging. Welcome back
into Part two of w t Z fifteen here on
the College Athletes Network, featured on iHeart Radio. I'm your host,
Noah Buana. We're gonna pick back up right where we
(00:46):
left off in Part one with our guests Brad Caliperry.
Make sure to refer to the show description for more
details on what's inside of Part two, and also if
you guys could please click that subscribe in download button,
we'd really appreciate it. Now let's get right back into
it with Brad Caliperry. You're around all of that talent,
you're competing against all of that talent. At what point
around those guys were you able to kind of step
(01:08):
in and be like, you know, obviously you're their friend,
but also give them a little bit of mentorship because
of like your background and like man, like, of course
I know this, of course I can help you out
with this. Like at what point was the respect and
trust level earned, you know, with them? Yeah, And I
think it came with more of like I was capable
of doing it myself, because like, if you can't do
(01:28):
it yourself, you guys are gonna look at you like
what you're telling me to do this, but you can't
even do it yourself, like you know when, which sometimes
is unfair I got it, I got it, or sometimes
that is unfair because like but like this is what
it is. It's like the thing like with a lot
of players, like you could be the smartest guy in
the world. If you're a clown and you don't treat
them with respect, they don't trust you. You don't build
(01:49):
that relationship for him. You can know everything. They don't
care what you have to say right right right now.
That you know you care about them, they'll like they'll listen,
they'll be out and if they think you don't care
about them, they'll just they don't care, like I mean,
And like a lot of that starts like in the
summertimes with because each team is different. You lose five
six guys a year, so it all starts in the summertime.
And you know, guys are in the gym, they see
(02:12):
everybody knows who's working the most, who's doing what, and
you know how they're attacking things their mentality, and I
think the respect starts from there when they see like,
all right, guys are taking this serious. But also the camaraderie,
the stuff outside of practice and the dorms, whatever it is,
where guys are getting along. You know, there's that mutual
respect to be like yo, like I'm looking out for you,
(02:33):
like this is what it is. And you know there's
just times where it's like even if it's some little
like you said, like next time, like be able to
higher whatever it is, like it's just a little things
just to like make sure everything is perfect because a
lot of the stuff and dribble drive is very detailed
and sometimes like you run things, if you run a
(02:53):
dribble drive is not detailed, The timing is not precise
the spacing isn't right, it's not gonna work. And obviously
it starts with the players and who can get by guys,
who can make the play. But at the end of
the day, if you don't have the same the right space,
the you know, the right timing, it's still not gonna work.
So for me being around that and them also knowing that,
(03:14):
then on top of that, knowing that, you know, we
have a good relationship out of it. I'm not trying
to do this for like my own benefit, because you know,
what have I got out of this? Like if I
really wanted to, like if I was trying to get benefit,
I'd tell them the wrong thing and then you look
stupid and it's like was like, no, I'm not doing that.
And you know, I think that played a partner is
just developing those relationships in the summer with guys, you
(03:35):
know from the jump in six am workouts, whatever it is,
you know, Jim late and Jim on day, like it
don't matter, Like guys just know everybody's taking it serious
and you're all there with each other, right, I mean,
like it maybe because of their stature currently in the NBA,
it's hard to look back and and think that you know,
at once upon a time, all of those guys were
(03:55):
at that amateur phase where like they weren't dearon Fox,
they weren't Malik Monk playing with Lebron James, like, they
weren't at that level. So, like, you know, it is
cool to just be able to build for you look
back on that like rapport and respect that you built
with guys who are so now accomplished in the NBA
and have those kind of memories of just like you know,
because I have my own, like you know, things I
(04:15):
recall on where like you give somebody a tip and
they really were messing up and then they you know,
correct it, do it right, and you just have that
like little moment of like you dap up and you
know like, oh he appreciated that. That was like that's
that's my boy. Like I, you know, I want to
see you do better exactly right, looking out for you,
that kind of thing. So, you know, especially you being
able to do it with these guys and seeing where
(04:37):
they're at now, it's got to feel even more special
knowing like, man, like I remember seeing you when you
couldn't even do this, and like being that close to
it and then seeing the growth and development, like it's
always special and they're your friends, you know you want
to see them do well, so um, you know being
around those guys, you know you mentioned the Dribble Drive offense,
like who would you say? And then this this these
next couple of questions you're gonna be You're absolutely being
(04:59):
put on the spot. And if any of your your
boys listen and they want to take it up with you,
that's fine. But I'm gonna ask is a have to
who first one is who who was the best in
the Dribble Drive? Who do you think operated the best
out of that Kentucky offense. That's so difficult because you
gotta think the first year you had Isaiah Malik and
the Aaron like they're just your poison man. They were
all great, but like like you gotta think like they're
(05:21):
all different beasts. Like you had the game Fox had
forty You had a game Malik had forty seven. You
had a game they had a triple double. Like it's
really like if somebody has a going, that's what you're
going to like the snow like Fox had it going,
you go to him the whole game Malik had it going.
You go to him the cale game. Isaiah has a
Mitch Master, you go to him the whole game, Like
it's just you really like who, Like what are you
(05:42):
gonna do? Like you know, there's there's only so much
you could do, the dribble, driving to each other man
like you really had like this like like small little
amateur trio exactly. And then you had Shay who's came
around second half of the year where he really made
himself dominant. Like you have so many guys that just
like really showed like you know, this is what it
(06:03):
is like even like even Quick, it took him a
couple of years, but like Quick came in and worked
harder and damn or anybody at that position. And you know,
for those guys to really come in and really dominate
like that, it shows, like you know, especially those first
guys I mentioned, like they really dominated guys and like, yeah,
that shows how they you know, how they separated from
(06:25):
other guys. I mean, you're a Jersey guy too, I
think to a little bit, to a certain extent, you're
a Jersey guy and I'm a full blown Jersey guy.
But um, you know, I know, the whole Briscoe background
and just like grew up with just watching him and
you know, to see it not really pan out like
in the NBA, Like you being kind of close to that. Like,
what do you think maybe was like the advocate for that,
(06:45):
was it the jumper? Was it like because he's obviously
got the skill, he's got the ability. I don't know,
what do you think maybe like went into him. I mean,
you know, he obviously is a successful hoopery, Like he
makes a ton of money playing overseas, but the end
goal for guys is always getting the NBA. And what
do you think maybe like separated him to always have
that talent and be the best player on the court
in high school and it knowledge and then it not
really pan out all the way. You know, it happens
(07:07):
for some guys. But what do you think like maybe
happened to him all right? Like, I don't know, you know,
everybody's path is different. He said, like he makes a
lot of money overseas, he made money in the G League,
and he he did his thing. Sometimes you get put
on a team where you know they have multiple guys
in front of you, and you know there may not
be that option to get called up. You know, you
get put in a position where they have two or
(07:29):
three guards already that they're stuck with that aren't getting traded,
where you just don't have the position to you know,
take a step forward or like you know this it
is what it is. Sometimes you just get put in
a bad spot. And obviously he's talented enough, and everybody's
seeing that. Everybody knows that he's one of the best
guards that come through there, and you know, there's only
so much you can say. You can't really say much
(07:49):
negative about him. He just you know, sometimes you don't
get put in the right position to really make a
step forward or you know, really give yourself the opportunity
to show like yo, like I'm really better in these guys.
And it's like, I know he had an injury. I
think it was the last one or two years ago
that probably set him back a little bit when he
was getting the chance to play. I think it was
in Portland maybe, I think um to you know, where
(08:12):
he showed what he could do and you know, he
made it known like yo, I can I can play
in this league. But you know, sometimes when you float around,
like I said, teams have guys up there that are
already there that probably aren't going anywhere, and it makes
it hard for those guys in the G League. But whatever,
you know, organization is to move up. Yeah, yeah, you're right.
The opportunity thing is there's always super Key she a
(08:33):
ton of guys who get drafted, and if it turns
out to be the wrong opportunity, you know, it could
derail the career they could have had, Like it was
like for another like Dacary Johnson. I remember Oklahoma City
drafted him or he was with Oklahoma City. At least
they had Nick Collinson, Kendrick Perkins surgery baka where you're going?
And now he's making millions in China? Like like you
(08:55):
said where you like? Like what like what are you
gonna do now? Like you have three high level bigs,
two of them or one of them all star Like
they're just so much you could do. Yeah, So back
to putting you on the spot, who did you you know,
post practice one v one King of the Court, who
did you play against the most and who of them
did you have the most success on that? If I
(09:17):
you know, you asked today, would not be able to
deny that you were frying him? Uh Man? So I
played a lot with quick Quick and quite a um
really those guys ash ashy against I mean quickly, Quick
is really dominant once for whatever reason, I don't know why,
(09:37):
but he always plays out of his mind and once
and good too. But the third times we go back
and forth with each other. But for whatever Quick is
very dominant at once, and I don't know what. It's
very annoying because then like his first year practice, he
would struggle and he played once and he's just cooking everybody.
You're like, where has this been for the last few months?
(09:57):
Like come on, like what's like? What is going on?
And now it's like you you see it now, like
all the work he's put in, like one of the
better backup guards and elite where he's really making himself
known as yeah on elite level score. But you know
there are times where you're just like damn, like who
who to? These two are kind of the most interesting
(10:18):
to me. Well, I got three more putting you on
the spot questions and you can keep them quick if
you want, But I don't know if it doesn't even
matter what order I asked him, And who was the
best of the now? Ill asked that last, we'll leave
that Cherry for last, who of them all surprised you
the most with their current NBA career? That is like, wow,
you know you're better than you know, maybe other people expected,
(10:40):
or maybe just thin you expected. Like who who of
the guys that I named in the NBA has surprised
you the most? I don't think any of them have
really surprised me because you see it from a standpoint
where you know what they're capable of, because I see
them every day a year for seven eight months and
you see how they develop over the years. Or even
(11:01):
the guys that were there two years j for instance,
you know with them every day for two years of
it and you just see them develop and you know,
like they have that mentality of you know, I'm dominant,
this is how I'm gonna be, like this is what
type of player I am. When you go to UK,
you carry yourself like a professional. You have that mindset
(11:24):
so when you get in the league, it's not too
much of a shock and now there's not too much
that's really like off putting or like you know, it
catches you off guard to where now you can go
in and do what you do. You just have to
take it to another level, and most of those guys,
when you develop the foundation of how hard you have
to work, that carries over to where now you don't
get to the league and now you can place them.
(11:45):
And when you get to the league, if you're complacent,
guys past you. There's so many guys trying to make it,
playing with desperation that you know, guys when they come through,
they have that level of desperation where I have to
make it. So now I don't think it's really a
thing of they surprise me, but it's like like this
is you know, what you were supposed to do, Like
you worked for this, Like this is where you're supposed
(12:06):
to be at, Like now do you take it to
another level or you, you know, continue doing what you're doing.
I'll give you an example because obviously you had a
closer look. But someone to me, um that always stands
out and you know it's dope to see, like just
him crushing it. But Tyler Hero never came off to
me as like I didn't think it was gonna average
pointy of game and be the sixth man of the
(12:27):
year by his third season. There's if you would ask
me that when he got drafted, I would have said
zero percent chance, like I didn't think he would be bad,
But did I think he'd be this good right away? Now?
So I would say, like you know, an instance like that,
like pretty big, pretty big surprise to you. But you
gotta understand he has a mentality about him where he
(12:48):
just does not care. He doesn't care who it is,
like he's put in so much work to where he
has he can have that mentality where like I don't care,
like I'm confident in my abilities, like Tyler is so
skilled too. Now I just have to be confident in
myself in my game to where I work on these
shots I make, do it a high clip whatever it is,
like if I need to make players, I'll make place.
You know, you got Jimmy Butler by your side. If
(13:10):
he's struggling, now I step up. So now it's like
what now I'm with him. If there's games I gotta
get thirty, I get thirty games on average on average
and twenty and there's games Jimmy gets and you get
like you know it is what is but his role
like you said, he came in sixth Man of the Year,
like he was a master at his role. Like that's
what he does, and he's obviously going to keep pursuing
(13:32):
the higher role because that's what type of mentality is.
He wants to be one of the best players to
ever do it, one of the best scores, one of
the best shooters, whatever it is, and clearly he's capable
of doing that with his being only his third year.
But like I said, it comes back to all the
work he's putting in, all the hours season the gym
and a's thing. He said, I saw that firsthand. So
it's not anything that's like oh wow, like where that
(13:53):
come from? Like no, like that was like, you know
what he always was then, what his foundation was built on.
And he's also someone that falls right into the I
got into the right environment kind of thing, Like you know,
you couldn't asked for a better situation to be drafted
into than being in my organizations. Unbelievable and like you think,
he did get put in a good position, But it's
the same thing. Do you take advantage of your opportunity
(14:13):
and full advantage of He could have been fine and
average ten twelve points, been a whatever role player, but
you know, I'm good, Like I have this opportunity. Let
me take this to another level and yeah, makes them him,
you know, And it's it's interesting to hear like you
talk about it because obviously we've been saying like you're
you were so close to him for that one year
(14:33):
and just you know, from an average you know, college
basketball NBA spectator who's never been around him, like you
don't get to see the small intricacies that do make
him next level and like better than the rest of
the majority, which is cool because like that's why you know,
I'm doing some scouting now. And like it's funny because
like you see, like people write these reports and it's like, well,
(14:54):
you only watch that kid one time, like and my
my m O is like, man, I'm not writing about
kids unless like you know, I've seen him four or five, six, seven, eight,
nine times, and I'm confident in like I know the
kids like abilities, I know some of his weaknesses, like
he's got this potential show these flashes, has these weaknesses.
Like and so when you only when you're not that
(15:14):
close to players, like you know, you've got a million
people formulating opinions and I and I was like, I'm
using you know, Tyler as an example, um, just because
of just like not being close to him at all
and then being surprised by like wow, Like I you know,
I wouldn't have guessed that this guy had that extra
you know to him in his game that was gonna
make him pop and stand out as much as he
(15:36):
has this quickly. I didn't think, like, you know, I
think when he got drafted, I kind of just assumed like,
oh yeah, jj reddick Kyle korver. I didn't really you know,
I didn't really think much into it. Never be a
way different, way different, Yeah, right, he got a lot
more ship and I could completely admit, like I hardly
watched him at Kentucky that year. I don't remember what
(15:57):
my teams were that year that I was paying more
attention to, But like that was why I had such
a shallow opinion or like a you know, they didn't
think less of him. I just didn't know what he
was really capable of. And so I think that that's
always something to keep in mind when people are, you know,
basing their opinions and making their judgments just like, dude,
how much have you seen the kid play? How much
of his strength and weaknesses do you really know? And
(16:19):
for him, Like, I think that's why I was just
so surprised because like I didn't know anything about him,
and I just formulated this opinion that was not educated.
So um, he is my surprise guy. Um. And the
last one that I gotta get you to answer is
out of all of them, and I'm you know, anybody
will have any different answer this who is the best
one that you were around? And it's not taking in
(16:40):
account any of their NBA accomplishments. Just at Kentucky, your teammate,
you were like, this is the best player I've ever
been around. This is the best teammate I've ever had.
You gotta say, you gotta get, you gotta give at
least you can't say three names. You can't. I'll let
you say too, But you can't say three Oh man,
that's tough because no one's gonna be mad at you.
(17:01):
It's okay, no no one care. No I know, I know,
I know. It's tough. Malik Monk was one of the
most special talents in college that I've been around ever
in my experience. The level of scoring like he can
do it like such a high level and such a
high clip, like their days and practices were like, dude
is a missing and nobody can stop him. And man,
(17:25):
I'm sad he's not on the Lakers anymore. He was
a fucking he's a microwave. He's special. He leak is special. Um,
is that your choice? That's a good choice. We can
move on if that's your guy. Man, Yeah, it might
be yeah, all right, we're gonna have to report that
to the I hit him and tell him like, you're
(17:48):
the best player I've been with. Okay, quick Breakwalkie Talkies Gang.
When we come back, Brad gets into more of his
coaching journey on staff at UK and his new position
at l i U Brooklyn. In the meantime, click that
subscribe button and download button. We'd really appreciate it, and
you can follow Walkie Talkies on social media at w
t Z podcast. Stay with us, everybody. We will be
(18:08):
right back and we're back on Waloukie Tucky's podcast. Let's
bring back in our guest Brad Calipari. So, you know,
I we when we transitioned into the you know, your
basketball knowledge and things like that I mentioned. You know,
you've been around these great basketball environments and great basketball
minds all your life. Um, you took a graduate assistant
(18:28):
position at Kentucky during the two season and during your
time as a g A in that lone season, Like
what did you feel like going into that role? You
still have to learn about the game and learn about
the coaching side of it that you know being a
g A has helped you with now that you have
upgraded from that role after a year. I think a
(18:50):
lot of it is being open minded to like for
our staff, like everybody's coming from different places, you know,
how guys think, how guys do things. Because like the
amount of hours spent in the gym was nothing new
to me, Like that was always something where you're in
the gym all day, Like that's nothing that was like, oh,
like we gotta be in the gym from this time
this time, because like for us, we never had set times,
(19:12):
but like it was known, like you need to be
in there like most of the day, like you need
to get things done, like you're in there earlier, in
there late, Like there are times when you leave it
whatever time to come back at seven, eight o'clock, nine o'clock.
And now like for me, luckily that wasn't something I
had to learn. But you know, there's sides of it
where you know the scouting aspect. You know certain things
(19:33):
with film UM training guys and you know that's something
that was like one of the main things I did
was was working guys out and UM, like spending a
lot of time building relationships and you know, getting close
with those guys. And I think that's where I benefited
the most, was transitioning from player to coach, learning how
to really like the stuff that I did growing up
(19:54):
that you know, helped me be better and who I
learned it from, UM, teaching those guys and then putting
my tweaks on it to make it how I think
would be better and ultimately help kids succeed and you know,
develop a better jumper whatever it is, and be better
for himself. What what? What do you think maybe your
favorite UM aspect thus far of the coaching thing has been,
(20:18):
is it more scouting? Is a more player development? Is
it more film study UM and breaking down film? Like
what where do you kind of navigate to that is
like peaks your most interest thus far? Definitely player development UM.
And I say that because you get to see these
kids every day, work put in hours and you see
(20:40):
their development. They don't see it until it really hits
Like for one instance, I worked all year summer n
till after the season with Savier, and Savier came in
shooting thing from three, and the whole year we worked
on a jumper and like the whole hours hours and
(21:02):
reps every day, multiple times a day. And it got
to the point where now he was shooting thirty five
percent from three. Towards the end of the year, is
shooting eighties something from the line over forty something from
the field, like all his numbers were up. But like
in the beginning of the year, he didn't really see that.
And it was the same thing like we go back
(21:23):
to before, like they have to know you're there for them.
There was some hesitant or some like he was hesitant
at first to like really stick with me because the
results weren't showing immediately. So when he was fully bought
into where like you know, like he's for me, this
is gonna help me get better. I need to stick
to this. And then we stayed together throughout the year,
(21:46):
like we have that relationship. Like he got better, he
saw it, he started to feel him shooting the ball
better whatever it is, making the right place, and you know,
ultimately he ended up being a what a Couzy finalist
towards the end of the year, and you know, you
have those situations where it's like all right, like now
for me, seeing him get better like that made me
feel good, Like now I'm seeing him getting better now
(22:08):
he knows he got better like him seeing that is
really like it's a good sense of like, you know,
like I really like I helped this kid do what
he wanted to do and get closer to, you know,
his dreams. I think that, um, the player development is
something that like hits the hardest with me too, for
a lot of those similar reasons. And like I think
I just I worked myself out for so long when
(22:30):
I was younger, and I tried so many different things,
like and I realized like, well, this helped my jumper
get better, and this helped my handle get better, and
that you you kind of you know, you pick up.
I don't know however long you've been training fifteen fourteen,
fifteen years, like, but you are now, uh special assistant
to the head coach at l I U Brooklyn, And
I'm gonna go ahead and assume that you know from
(22:51):
our conversation that being a head coach is the long
term goal for you, um so, kind of a two
part question here again, what made you want to leave
Kentucky after just one year? Normally g A positions are
a two year stint in some cases, So what made
you want to depart through just a one year? And
after your l I you Brooklyn stand whatever you plan
to do? Are you looking to kind of stay on
the college side, maybe test the NBA waters do a
(23:13):
little bit of both. What do you think about that?
Um So? I took a one year grad program on
purpose to force myself to make a decision on you know,
what I was gonna do because I think for me,
like growing up in it, there are some things like
I'm more advanced with and that's just natural because I've
been around it so long. UM I didn't want to
give myself like I'm not ready, like I'm gonna stay
(23:37):
another year like no, like I wanted to, you know,
take a leap, like now this is time to go
do this, um but ultimately get away. See a different
type of coaching style, a different type of program at
a maybe a lower level, and you see most of
the most of the good coaches, a lot of like
the ones that have had a lot of success, they
(23:57):
started lower level schools, they work their way up through it,
and you know that's most of them. How it is
because now you see it from all three levels. You
see at the lowest level. I've been around the highest
level of my whole life, and in some aspects that
gives me an advantage. But for now me to see
it as a low lower level and the major level,
whatever it is, it gives me an advantage to that
now I've seen every level of whatever peak I'm at,
(24:20):
and being able to get away from you know, my
dad when he does, and seeing it from another point
of view, from a different type of coaching style. I
think that broadens my knowledge of the game and it
really helps me expand and how I'm going to be
as a coach, because I'm still trying to find how
I'm going to be. I have no idea how I'm
gonna be as coach. When I get the opportunity to
be so as much information as I can gather and
(24:43):
put together and what I can do and how I'm
gonna do it, that's all essentially. Um. I just need
the opportunity to be around good guys, good coaches, whatever
it is, and see how they operate. And then if
you know, when I have the chance, I'll have the
decision to run and how I want to run it.
You know, it's like, Okay, I like how he ran things,
(25:04):
like I'm gonna do it this way when I get
the opportunity, like, and each coach is different and they're
gonna do it their own way. And you know, everybody's
had success in their own ways, so it's not like
a knock if I don't want to do it this way.
It's just how I personally don't see it. And like
I said, there's nothing wrong with That's just guys are
gonna run their teams differently than each other, and being
around different coaches just gives me the opportunity to see
(25:25):
more ways and learn more. Another interesting thing to add
on to that is, like one of my mentors that
I've been working with, UM, he's been saying to me, like,
you know, it'll take some time to find your coaching voice,
Like it took me four years to find that, like,
you know, consistent, confident coaching voice of like now you're
giving instruction, not getting instruction, And the only way to
(25:45):
you know, feel comfortable in that role is just wrap
it out and keep building on that that voice of
like and then try and because like even for me,
like I don't really yell on screen, like I'm more
cerebral like teaching, like that's just how I am. But
like if I need to speak up, I speak up.
So like there's not a time where I'm like m
F and guy it's like screaming, right Like, I just
(26:07):
that's not how I am right now. If if I change,
I change, But like right now it's more of just direct,
Like if I need to speak to a broad a
group of people, it was three or four guys, I
know how to be direct and be demanding, but it's
not like a screaming going crazy like I just that's
not how I carry myself. Yeah, so I found myself
to teach. Yeah. Yeah, And then then that's always what
(26:28):
it comes down to, was like what's your style? Are
you the m F or are you the the cerebral guy?
Are you you know, more on the chill side, Like yeah,
there's there's probably a little bit of both in everybody,
like a lot of you know, but it just comes
with the experience and like just finding what's comfortable for
you and also what's most effective to you know, get
the most out of your players. So the second part
of that question that was you're looking to stay on
(26:49):
the college side test the NBA waters like a little
bit of both. Where do you think you're at idea
no idea, I have no idea, Like I wouldn't mind
doing either one. Um. One thing that always stuck out
to me though, and it's starting to get like this
in college is like in the n b A, and
you see, job security is very not secure. Um So
(27:11):
like that's something I always kind of like it's hard
for me to look at because it also takes longer
to rebuild an organization. So I feel like the leash
with some coaches is way shorter. Um Like, for one instance,
like Dwayne Casey, one coach of the Year, made it
to the finals, got fired, like, you know what, didn't
make it to the finals, but yes, she second round
of the playoffs, but I still, yeah, they didn't want
(27:34):
you to ye, sorry, yeah, they had a chance to
make it to the finals, and you know, got fired
like he won Coach of the Year and got fired
Like I don't know the details of the back story,
but like to me from outside looking in, like that's crazy.
One coach of the year, Like why would you fire
the coach of year? There's something else I don't know,
(27:55):
but like you start to see it more in college
now guys are getting let go like here and there,
and you know it's that's something you're always gonna have
to deal with. And I think a lot of the
difference in NBA in collegees like NBA is pure xs
and ohs, Like you don't have to recruit, you don't
make phone calls, like you're dealing with grown men. They
have families, Like they come in they like this is business.
Now college it's a lot of teaching, molding, you know,
(28:19):
helping kids, developing the young men. UM parents have to
know that they can trust you with their kids. UM
really feel comfortable with you and how you're doing things.
I feel like there's a lot more to it than
just basketball. And you're setting them up for you know,
after basketball, like this is what you're doing, but like
how you develop them now is the mold that they're
(28:41):
going to be when they're done playing and you know
what they're going to be set up to do. Yeah,
And AND's like to go on to the differences of
like college coaching and NBA coaching something that I've always
observed is like that idea of like they are older,
it's more business like, it's a more transactional thing. It's
just like you know, guys come to practice, they do
their job, they get their actual work, and they leave.
(29:03):
They got families, they got kids. Like it's not as
like tightly knit and connected and as like you know,
but like to me, like that seems shallow like that
like yeah, but but but you sense to it because
then it's like it's only basketball. No. But I don't
say so. I don't say it in a sense of
like that's what I want. I say it in a
sense of, like you get more out of the basketball
(29:26):
if you know, if you're a personable person, like you're
gonna build relationships with people at the end of the
day no matter what. So like I say that like
as someone who you know loves loves people, will talk
to anybody. And you know, I just like it because
of just I look at where college basketball currently is,
and you know, you the coaches that are retiring like
Jay Wright and UM, Steph Curry's coach at Davidson, I'm
(29:49):
trying to blank on his name, Bob something, and UM
coach k retiring, like all these guys kind of slowly
stepping away, like, to me, is a telling tale of
like where the game is headed. And I just like
from my own college basketball experience and some of the
like the teams I've been around, it's like the NBA
just like it just seems more basketball. It's like it's
just it's just hoops. Like, yeah, guys go home to
(30:10):
their families and like whatever. And I was only stating
that because like I've had coaches say to me, like
college coaches say to me, like that's why they don't
want to do the NBA route is because like there's
not the ability, you know, to build a relationship with
Lebron James or Region Rondo because they gotta go home
and you know, feed their family, or they're going to
do this project in l A. And it's like, yeah,
that's fine. But like look at a guy like Phil
(30:31):
Handy Man like his like his relationship with players, like
and that tight knit bond that he has, Like there's
a ton of that around the NBA. And I don't know,
I just look at it as more of like a
you know not and I agree with you. Like the
way I framed that would definitely came off like it
could be shallow, But I didn't mean it in a
sense of like, you know, yeah, like I don't I
don't want anything to do to these guys. Just keep
(30:51):
it basketball. No, it's more so like I don't think
I want to deal with like persuading a seventeen or
eighteen year old kid to come to you know, this
school and do this, and then like not him not
get what he wants, and all of a sudden, him
and his family hate us, and all hell breaks loose
and it's like they're just too you know. The NBA
is just like man, like you don't do your job,
like you want to act like a baby, Like get
the hell out of here. Like everybody's got to be
(31:13):
on their p's and ques and like, you know, be
a professional. And I don't think at the college level
there's enough of that, like we're professionals here because like, yeah,
people categorize them as amateur sports and all that kind
of stuff. But like, you know, you tell me if
I'm wrong. You've been around the game, like deeper parts
of the game than me. But like the NBA just
has that vibe of like you either are a pro
or you're not and if you're not a pro, you're
not gonna make it here. And that's what makes UK
(31:35):
unique is you have basically you carry yourself as a professional.
The university carries itself professionally with how we do things,
you know, treatment, practice, workouts, individual workoutsft, conditioning, all of it.
It's all carried and the professional manner. Which is why
it separates itself from a lot of schools is you
(31:56):
have those guys. They are ready for it because you know,
they know the schedule, they know how it is. It's
just on top of you know how things are you
have to work. Our guy is going to class like
you know, what are they doing? But I think in
a sense like when you know what that professional culture is,
it's easier to teach and understand and you know, like
this is how guys did it, Guys were successful doing it,
(32:18):
this is why you should do it. And you know
there's carry over and benefit to when you act like
this because you develop a maturity level of professionalism and
you know yourself and on and off the court. I
mean that's why you see like you know, only a
select few amount of guys from you know, maybe the
lesser degree. High major teams like only have a couple
of guys get drafted versus a tow, a Kentucky, a Villanova,
(32:42):
and they have you know, fifteen twenty dudes getting drafted
year and year out, or like their total number of
guys getting drafted. Is because like we said it earlier,
but about the culture that is you know, cultivated there,
and um, it sets you up to have that carry
over that you're talking about. And I think that, like,
obviously it's clear as day that like the majority because
(33:03):
not everyone goes to the NBA, it's a very small club,
and so the majority of Division one college basketball players
like don't get the opportunity to be a part of
those kind of cultures. And so therefore you get the
other side of it, which does become the majority of
Like you're dealing with kids who are entitled, You're dealing
with kids who don't have that professional mindset, and so
sometimes I think, like it just gets tiring. It's like, man,
(33:25):
being around this is you know, a waste of energy.
It's toxic. It's it's not doing anything for any of us.
And if you don't have the you know, open minded
iss open mindedness or the self awareness to kind of
like get over yourself. Then you know, you can make
it a miserable experience for everybody. And I think that
if you experience that side of college basketball, like you know,
that's that that was you know, not to make it
about me, but like I was just I didn't. I
(33:47):
wanted a break before I did a graduate assistant thing
because I was like, man, like I just think like
the way college basketball is turning like and the way
some of the some of these kids act that I've
been around, like I'm okay, Like I I would rather
try to pursue it in another avenue also where you
can get more experience from you know, you can only
do so much as a g A within that one
team setting. Um, I want to finish up on what
(34:09):
we were talking about with like differences in NBA coaching
and college coaching because your dad did do and my
stupid or did he do some he was with the
nuts and then the nuts, right, Yeah, that's that's why
you're a Jersey guy. Okay, So like what what would
you say like about you know, that perspective of you know,
being an NBA coach, Like you know what I said
to you, either deny it or not deny it, either
(34:30):
accepted or rejected as it being you know, semi true,
semi fair. Like what I want to know what you
think about the claim I made. I mean, I think
it's definitely fair because those guys have families. They have
to go back to their families. There's only so much
time that you know, guys can spend with them outside
of basketball. And when guys have kids, wives, you know,
(34:51):
it's it's tough for them. Like you know, basketball's there
their job, but like you also have a family now
and then, like you said, you have those guys that
they're always in the gym. You have certain guys that
are in the gym more often than not, Like most
of from what I've heard, the staff, like the head coaches,
the assistant coaches, like they do their work, But the
(35:12):
guys that are in there are like in there more
often than the other guys. Are the guys player development,
the ones that are doing all of that stuff when
the guys come in late at night, you know, and
obviously you have some assistance that come in late at
night with those guys. But everything that I've heard and
experienced at least, is those guys that are on the
(35:32):
come up, they want to make it. They're in the
gym all the time, and those are the ones putting
in those hours, just like the guys that are up
there probably didn't when they were coming up. And it's
he said, it's the benefit of it when you get
to that level and it's the business side of it.
You don't have to worry about certain things and you
have guys that are in those positions to handle that business.
And that's what that is. Okay, last break coming up here,
(35:56):
home stretch of the two part pod series with Brad
cal Perry. Awesome stuff thus far. Coming up, Brad talks
about losing to fifteen seeds St. Peter's in the first
round of the tournament, key lessons from his dad, as
his dad and as his coach, his current best player
in the NBA, and even more. To stay with us,
we'll be right back and we're back on Walkie Tucky's podcast.
(36:17):
Let's bring back in our guest Brad Calipari. All right, now,
talk to me about the special assistant and what that
role has kind of been like for your starting out up. Um,
so like for me, I could do a lot of
this stuff like normal assistance could do UM. I can't
reach out make calls to recruits, but there is certain
times like I'll be able to go on the road
and recruit. UM work out a lot of guys, you know,
(36:39):
do all the film, the scouting stuff, anything like that
where you know, scheduling organization whatever, you know, recruits, we
need to look into film stuff, you know, anything like that.
Basically everything but be able to go on the road
and recruit unless given whatever waiver it is to where
if somebody is not on the road then I can
go UM. But basically everything besides that, so you know,
(37:02):
it's been a good opportunity. It's just like another step
for it to you know, where I want to be
and you know, continue to move and work hard through
it and developed that knowledge of the game and that
experience still. So you know, we've we've talked about your
dad a lot, and I always like to semi wrapped
the show up with like where the journey is taking you,
(37:22):
what you've taken away from the journey. But for you,
I want to kind of frame it in a sense
of like what's one key takeaway? It could be more
than one. From your dad as your dad and from
your dad as your basketball coach ah Man, so my
dad as my dad. His whole thing, really, like since
I've been a kid, is just you know, you're no
(37:43):
better than anybody. You don't act better or like you
you don't act like you're better than anybody. Even though
you're in the position you're in, you still don't carry
yourself like you know, I'm above people, like you're blessed,
You're lucky, you have the opportunity where you where you are,
and you know some people are and asfortunate and you can't,
(38:04):
you know, shame them with that. You know, you have
to be there and basically be more of a servant
leader than you know what you would be. And now
that's one of the things like growing up with him
and then even playing for him, like as a coach,
like you've got to be a servant leader. You've got
to really, you know, step back sometimes to show like
you're here for those around you, even though you may
(38:26):
be more advanced in some aspects or whatever your position
is a little higher or whatever it is, like I'm
an entire level on the total but whatever it is
doesn't matter. But you're willing to do the dirty work,
the stuff that nobody wants to do. You're willing to
get behind guys that need help that you know you
can push forward and you'll be there for them when
they're at their lowest, whatever it is, they'll be there
(38:48):
for you. And that's a part of if you're going
to be a leader. You need guys to respect you,
and you need guys to want to be there for
you and really push for you. But at the same time,
they have to know that you're there for them and
what you're doing is in their best interest, and how
you do that is showing them like, look like I'm
willing to do this just for your like I don't
(39:10):
gain anything out of this, Like this is for you,
Like I'm not gaining anything out of this, and really
putting yourself in vulnerable positions to where you know, like
this could hurt me, but like this is for you essentially,
like I'm good, Like I'll be able to bounce back
from this, but I want you to be in a
good position. And them seeing that you're willing to take
risks like that and really put yourself in those positions
(39:31):
for them, I think that helps develop a level of
respect and even that relationship that guys really want to
have with each other. Yeah. Man, that's a true testament.
You know, We've said it the whole episode about just
like how you were raised, how your dad you know,
coaches his players, but also you know, raised his children
and his family. And you know, super cool to hear
(39:52):
it from you because, like I said, always been a
coach cow fan. Family has always been a fan of
you guys. And just like what he's been able to
accomplish in the basketball world, like what a legend. And um,
you know, having moved around and seeing all sorts of things,
you know, these last couple of years for you in particular,
what do you think the one thing is that maybe
you've taken with you the most that's currently helping you
along this journey Right now? My dogs the dog eat
(40:16):
what do we got? And I got two German shepherds.
They keep me company when I'm lonely. I feel that man. Yeah,
but uh now, um, just you know, developing that foundation
of professionalism and like what a winning culture is like
growing up in that like that carries with you so
like you have that expectation of how things are supposed
(40:39):
to run, like how guys are supposed to act and
carry themselves. The amount of work guys put in. You know,
that's always going to be binding me because that's the
culture I was brought up and that's a culture that's successful.
And you know, when you move around you have sometimes
you have to rebuild or start a new culture. And
that's what it is. So when you're around a championship
caliber culture, that's what you want. If there's a school
(41:02):
that you end up being that that there's not have
that type of culture, that's what you have to bring in.
And that's what you have to try to get guys
to buy into and and understand. Man, you've had a
you know, special journey thus far. You've got a lot
more in the store for you. UM. I appreciate you
sharing all of that knit and gritty stuff and and
kind of going in depth with me and open it
(41:22):
up and being vulnerable. Um. You know, for the listeners,
I do want to hit you just with some fun
quick hitters and I'll let you get the hell out
of here. Uh. First one I want to ask that
I know people are wondering, is like, what what was
it like being on the end of losing to a
fifteen seed and you weren't playing, you were coaching but
what was that, Like, I mean, like, are you embarrassed?
Are you you have that sense of embarrassment of like, dude,
(41:44):
we really we were that two seed that did that.
Like you're sitting there and you're like, damn, like it
don't feel real because you're like, we weren't supposed to
lose that. But what's crazy is they went on and
be Purdue Murray State like they'd be other top top
fifteen teams. So it's like, yeah, they have some guards
on the team that were special, Like they did some
big things like played well, and you know, we hit
(42:06):
a game where we didn't play well outside of oscar
Oscar head is thirty five and seventeen or whatever. You know,
we just struggled offensively outside of him, and you know,
their guards played out of their mind, and you know,
for that stretch, they made it to the Elite eight
and you know, had an historic run. But still at
the same time, you're like, damn, like like we had
(42:28):
it and we were good enough to play in the
National Championship Game and we beat two of the teams
that were in the Chip by and by, and yeah,
it's it's what it is. And you know, being on
the outside of it and you see, like, you know, fifteen,
he gets the Elite eight. Like we all felt the
same way of like that's awesome. So you had, you
guys had to get to a certain point where you
(42:48):
were probably like damn, it sucks that we were one
of the teams that they took down, but like, wow,
they're really in the Elite eight, like no one's ever
done that before. It was it was better that they
kept winning because then it was like, it's not just us.
So now it's like, yeah, it's like you know, it's
not just us. At least the first day it was
produce all right, We're like we're okay, we're but like
I said, I think the worst part is seeing like
(43:10):
you have Kansas and North Carolina both great teams, but
like in the year, like we were dominant against most
of that didn't work out. Um alright, So having been around,
having been around Drake a little bit and seeing him
warm up with you guys and you know him just
(43:30):
being a big fan. Is he the best rapper that
hoops or do you have someone else over him best?
Frock believe it or not? Quebo or I mean no,
not do Why do people always say Quebo is a
little Dirk. I think, yes that that was my answer.
There's got a pure junger Man. Dirk is nice. But
(43:52):
Quebo has been on the biggest stage where he's like
actually shown like he could hoop. It's crazy that people
really he plays in all the celebrity games, but you
don't see celebrity games. But like you see all the
stuff even though you know who else is. Did Davies,
Oh yeah, I heard David skin hoop and also like
one guy that never plays but I think played d
one at one point was two Chains. But yeah, I
(44:12):
I I've heard the same thing about Davies. But I
just feel like those videos I've seen a little Dirks
jumper man, like it is pure. It's ridiculous, Like it's
like one after the other. You're like, why does he
know how to do this? Um so not Drake. Drake
is not your answer. Drake's out is not my answer.
He's getting better though, he's getting way better. I I
(44:32):
was supposed to go up to Toronto, you know, watch
him in the little league that he has in his
house Worth, you know the stuff where you know he's
been you see all his videos rac Yeah, but you know,
and I love I love, I love his effort, but
god damnit, Drake your trash. I'm just messing who all right,
(44:54):
last one? Who's the overall best player in the NBA
right now? This answer is going to tell me a
lot about you. Man. This, this is, this is, this
is going to complete the interview or it's going to
ruin the interview. So what do you got? And don't
just say a name. You gotta say a name and
give a reason that that's the rule. I feel like
you're gonna give me if I say Lebron. Oh, you're
(45:15):
talking to the right guy. Man, I ain't give you
a ship if you say Lebron. That's that's what's gonna
make or break this interview. There's a lot of people
are saying Steph Curry. A lot of people are saying
you honest, Steph Curry has more of a case than
the honest. I feel like, but I like Lebron because
Lebron average thirty and eight and thirties. Hey man, you
completed the interview. That was the answer I was looking for.
(45:36):
And I don't get it too often because I am like,
I am hardcore Bron stand and like but done it
for so long he's been dominant, dude, And even though
the team sucked last year, it doesn't matter. He's like,
if they didn't suck, he would have one V would
have won the scoring title, and if they a D
was a D, they would have won the championship. And
he's still like, that's where people need to shape the
(45:57):
their their outlook on what's going on. Like if that
was the case, if you know all that stuff to
you know, going to shambles, like that would be the storyline.
It's like, oh wow, he's going to the player. This
is my thing. Like with right, the Honest is dominent.
It's crazy. But like in the playoffs, they didn't have
Chris Middleton. I've been telling people this for like the
last two years. Chris Middleton is the X factor. He's
(46:18):
the one that can score three levels. The Honest scored
three levels. So when you're in the playoffs and guys
started sending to three guys that you makes it harder.
Who's gonna go get your buckets? Chris Middleton? But they
didn't have them this year. So what happened the end
up losing Ron, It doesn't matter. He'll go get it
wherever That's why I say Steph Curry has more of
a shot a best player in the league. Yeah, you
(46:39):
don't even You know what's funny is that you didn't
even mention Kevin Durant, which Durants the most skilled player
in the league. But he does and he's She's showing
it by this, like you know this, this Brooklyn stuff
is like he doesn't want that extra added emphasis of
pressure that you see, you know Broun take on for
so many years. The one shitty thing about the Lebron case, though,
(47:00):
is that he's played for so long and he's not
gonna win one every single year, and now it's just
giving all the naysayers and the haters the ability to
be like, oh yeah, what about your eighteen and what
about your nineteen. It's like, dude, look at what you're saying.
You're talking about your eighteen and nineteen and he's still
he's still at that level. Then an All Star eighteen
straight years or whatever it is, eighteen straight seasons, Yeah, well, um,
(47:23):
I got them. I got them on the come up
this year. Man. I don't know what the hell they're
gonna do, but I just I think a d s
on on an m v P on an m v
P Tterror this year if he stays healthy, because he's
got the goods in my mind. But um, I'm happy
you said Lebron. I don't get a lot of lebron
on here. Um, But man, I appreciate you coming on
the show. This was This was great every everything I
(47:43):
could ask for. I'm glad that we were able to
sit down and shoot the ship up. I do appreciate
you coming on, man, it was it was great having
you and uh, you know, great hearing about your story,
your journey, you know, talking about your dad and just
being willing to, like I said earlier, open up about
this stuff and and uh, you know, give the give
the listeners a great episode. So thank you, my man.
I appreciate it. All right, walk you're talking. That's a
(48:03):
rap for our two part episode series with Brad cal Perry.
Really had a great time sitting down with him and
hearing his perspective on all the variety of things that
we got the chance to touch on. Really good. Dude
gave us a lot of good content all throughout the
two episodes, So I appreciate him for coming on the show.
Be sure to subscribe and download the pod for us,
it does go a long way. There will be no
podcast next week, but the following week we are back
(48:24):
with another two parter with one of the most famous
walk Ons to ever do it. I'm not going to
tell you who, so stay tuned and follow at w
t Z podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to find
out who and also for video highlights of every episode.
I look forward to seeing you all back here in
two weeks and remember us. Cute Walkie Talkies is a
(48:47):
production of I Heart Radio and the College Athletes Network.
For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Walkie Talkies is a production of I Heart Radio and
the College Athletes Network. Hello, Gang, Yeah, thirteen of your
past teammates are currently in the NBA, and I'm gonna
rattle every single one of their names off. You've got
Bam out of Bio, Hommy Diallo, Dear and Fox, Malik Monk,
(00:25):
s g A, Kevin Knox, Nick Richards, PJ. Washington, Emmanuel Quickly,
Tyler Hero, Kelvin Johnson, and Isaiah Briscoe is getting out
of the league. But we all know that he's you know,
he's a motherfucker too. So Walkie Talkies Ganging. Welcome back
into Part two of w t Z fifteen here on
the College Athletes Network, featured on iHeart Radio. I'm your host,
Noah Buana. We're gonna pick back up right where we
(00:46):
left off in Part one with our guests Brad Caliperry.
Make sure to refer to the show description for more
details on what's inside of Part two, and also if
you guys could please click that subscribe in download button,
we'd really appreciate it. Now let's get right back into
it with Brad Caliperry. You're around all of that talent,
you're competing against all of that talent. At what point
around those guys were you able to kind of step
(01:08):
in and be like, you know, obviously you're their friend,
but also give them a little bit of mentorship because
of like your background and like man, like, of course
I know this, of course I can help you out
with this. Like at what point was the respect and
trust level earned, you know, with them? Yeah, And I
think it came with more of like I was capable
of doing it myself, because like, if you can't do
(01:28):
it yourself, you guys are gonna look at you like
what you're telling me to do this, but you can't
even do it yourself, like you know when, which sometimes
is unfair I got it, I got it, or sometimes
that is unfair because like but like this is what
it is. It's like the thing like with a lot
of players, like you could be the smartest guy in
the world. If you're a clown and you don't treat
them with respect, they don't trust you. You don't build
(01:49):
that relationship for him. You can know everything. They don't
care what you have to say right right right now.
That you know you care about them, they'll like they'll listen,
they'll be out and if they think you don't care
about them, they'll just they don't care, like I mean,
And like a lot of that starts like in the
summertimes with because each team is different. You lose five
six guys a year, so it all starts in the summertime.
And you know, guys are in the gym, they see
(02:12):
everybody knows who's working the most, who's doing what, and
you know how they're attacking things their mentality, and I
think the respect starts from there when they see like,
all right, guys are taking this serious. But also the camaraderie,
the stuff outside of practice and the dorms, whatever it is,
where guys are getting along. You know, there's that mutual
respect to be like yo, like I'm looking out for you,
(02:33):
like this is what it is. And you know there's
just times where it's like even if it's some little
like you said, like next time, like be able to
higher whatever it is, like it's just a little things
just to like make sure everything is perfect because a
lot of the stuff and dribble drive is very detailed
and sometimes like you run things, if you run a
(02:53):
dribble drive is not detailed, The timing is not precise
the spacing isn't right, it's not gonna work. And obviously
it starts with the players and who can get by guys,
who can make the play. But at the end of
the day, if you don't have the same the right space,
the you know, the right timing, it's still not gonna work.
So for me being around that and them also knowing that,
(03:14):
then on top of that, knowing that, you know, we
have a good relationship out of it. I'm not trying
to do this for like my own benefit, because you know,
what have I got out of this? Like if I
really wanted to, like if I was trying to get benefit,
I'd tell them the wrong thing and then you look
stupid and it's like was like, no, I'm not doing that.
And you know, I think that played a partner is
just developing those relationships in the summer with guys, you
(03:35):
know from the jump in six am workouts, whatever it is,
you know, Jim late and Jim on day, like it
don't matter, Like guys just know everybody's taking it serious
and you're all there with each other, right, I mean,
like it maybe because of their stature currently in the NBA,
it's hard to look back and and think that you know,
at once upon a time, all of those guys were
(03:55):
at that amateur phase where like they weren't dearon Fox,
they weren't Malik Monk playing with Lebron James, like, they
weren't at that level. So, like, you know, it is
cool to just be able to build for you look
back on that like rapport and respect that you built
with guys who are so now accomplished in the NBA
and have those kind of memories of just like you know,
because I have my own, like you know, things I
(04:15):
recall on where like you give somebody a tip and
they really were messing up and then they you know,
correct it, do it right, and you just have that
like little moment of like you dap up and you
know like, oh he appreciated that. That was like that's
that's my boy. Like I, you know, I want to
see you do better exactly right, looking out for you,
that kind of thing. So, you know, especially you being
able to do it with these guys and seeing where
(04:37):
they're at now, it's got to feel even more special
knowing like, man, like I remember seeing you when you
couldn't even do this, and like being that close to
it and then seeing the growth and development, like it's
always special and they're your friends, you know you want
to see them do well, so um, you know being
around those guys, you know you mentioned the Dribble Drive offense,
like who would you say? And then this this these
next couple of questions you're gonna be You're absolutely being
(04:59):
put on the spot. And if any of your your
boys listen and they want to take it up with you,
that's fine. But I'm gonna ask is a have to
who first one is who who was the best in
the Dribble Drive? Who do you think operated the best
out of that Kentucky offense. That's so difficult because you
gotta think the first year you had Isaiah Malik and
the Aaron like they're just your poison man. They were
all great, but like like you gotta think like they're
(05:21):
all different beasts. Like you had the game Fox had
forty You had a game Malik had forty seven. You
had a game they had a triple double. Like it's
really like if somebody has a going, that's what you're
going to like the snow like Fox had it going,
you go to him the whole game Malik had it going.
You go to him the cale game. Isaiah has a
Mitch Master, you go to him the whole game, Like
it's just you really like who, Like what are you
(05:42):
gonna do? Like you know, there's there's only so much
you could do, the dribble, driving to each other man
like you really had like this like like small little
amateur trio exactly. And then you had Shay who's came
around second half of the year where he really made
himself dominant. Like you have so many guys that just
like really showed like you know, this is what it
(06:03):
is like even like even Quick, it took him a
couple of years, but like Quick came in and worked
harder and damn or anybody at that position. And you know,
for those guys to really come in and really dominate
like that, it shows, like you know, especially those first
guys I mentioned, like they really dominated guys and like, yeah,
that shows how they you know, how they separated from
(06:25):
other guys. I mean, you're a Jersey guy too, I
think to a little bit, to a certain extent, you're
a Jersey guy and I'm a full blown Jersey guy.
But um, you know, I know, the whole Briscoe background
and just like grew up with just watching him and
you know, to see it not really pan out like
in the NBA, Like you being kind of close to that. Like,
what do you think maybe was like the advocate for that,
(06:45):
was it the jumper? Was it like because he's obviously
got the skill, he's got the ability. I don't know,
what do you think maybe like went into him. I mean,
you know, he obviously is a successful hoopery, Like he
makes a ton of money playing overseas, but the end
goal for guys is always getting the NBA. And what
do you think maybe like separated him to always have
that talent and be the best player on the court
in high school and it knowledge and then it not
really pan out all the way. You know, it happens
(07:07):
for some guys. But what do you think like maybe
happened to him all right? Like, I don't know, you know,
everybody's path is different. He said, like he makes a
lot of money overseas, he made money in the G League,
and he he did his thing. Sometimes you get put
on a team where you know they have multiple guys
in front of you, and you know there may not
be that option to get called up. You know, you
get put in a position where they have two or
(07:29):
three guards already that they're stuck with that aren't getting traded,
where you just don't have the position to you know,
take a step forward or like you know this it
is what it is. Sometimes you just get put in
a bad spot. And obviously he's talented enough, and everybody's
seeing that. Everybody knows that he's one of the best
guards that come through there, and you know, there's only
so much you can say. You can't really say much
(07:49):
negative about him. He just you know, sometimes you don't
get put in the right position to really make a
step forward or you know, really give yourself the opportunity
to show like yo, like I'm really better in these guys.
And it's like, I know he had an injury. I
think it was the last one or two years ago
that probably set him back a little bit when he
was getting the chance to play. I think it was
in Portland maybe, I think um to you know, where
(08:12):
he showed what he could do and you know, he
made it known like yo, I can I can play
in this league. But you know, sometimes when you float around,
like I said, teams have guys up there that are
already there that probably aren't going anywhere, and it makes
it hard for those guys in the G League. But whatever,
you know, organization is to move up. Yeah, yeah, you're right.
The opportunity thing is there's always super Key she a
(08:33):
ton of guys who get drafted, and if it turns
out to be the wrong opportunity, you know, it could
derail the career they could have had, Like it was
like for another like Dacary Johnson. I remember Oklahoma City
drafted him or he was with Oklahoma City. At least
they had Nick Collinson, Kendrick Perkins surgery baka where you're going?
And now he's making millions in China? Like like you
(08:55):
said where you like? Like what like what are you
gonna do now? Like you have three high level bigs,
two of them or one of them all star Like
they're just so much you could do. Yeah, So back
to putting you on the spot, who did you you know,
post practice one v one King of the Court, who
did you play against the most and who of them
did you have the most success on that? If I
(09:17):
you know, you asked today, would not be able to
deny that you were frying him? Uh Man? So I
played a lot with quick Quick and quite a um
really those guys ash ashy against I mean quickly, Quick
is really dominant once for whatever reason, I don't know why,
(09:37):
but he always plays out of his mind and once
and good too. But the third times we go back
and forth with each other. But for whatever Quick is
very dominant at once, and I don't know what. It's
very annoying because then like his first year practice, he
would struggle and he played once and he's just cooking everybody.
You're like, where has this been for the last few months?
(09:57):
Like come on, like what's like? What is going on?
And now it's like you you see it now, like
all the work he's put in, like one of the
better backup guards and elite where he's really making himself
known as yeah on elite level score. But you know
there are times where you're just like damn, like who
who to? These two are kind of the most interesting
(10:18):
to me. Well, I got three more putting you on
the spot questions and you can keep them quick if
you want, But I don't know if it doesn't even
matter what order I asked him, And who was the
best of the now? Ill asked that last, we'll leave
that Cherry for last, who of them all surprised you
the most with their current NBA career? That is like, wow,
you know you're better than you know, maybe other people expected,
(10:40):
or maybe just thin you expected. Like who who of
the guys that I named in the NBA has surprised
you the most? I don't think any of them have
really surprised me because you see it from a standpoint
where you know what they're capable of, because I see
them every day a year for seven eight months and
you see how they develop over the years. Or even
(11:01):
the guys that were there two years j for instance,
you know with them every day for two years of
it and you just see them develop and you know,
like they have that mentality of you know, I'm dominant,
this is how I'm gonna be, like this is what
type of player I am. When you go to UK,
you carry yourself like a professional. You have that mindset
(11:24):
so when you get in the league, it's not too
much of a shock and now there's not too much
that's really like off putting or like you know, it
catches you off guard to where now you can go
in and do what you do. You just have to
take it to another level, and most of those guys,
when you develop the foundation of how hard you have
to work, that carries over to where now you don't
get to the league and now you can place them.
(11:45):
And when you get to the league, if you're complacent,
guys past you. There's so many guys trying to make it,
playing with desperation that you know, guys when they come through,
they have that level of desperation where I have to
make it. So now I don't think it's really a
thing of they surprise me, but it's like like this
is you know, what you were supposed to do, Like
you worked for this, Like this is where you're supposed
(12:06):
to be at, Like now do you take it to
another level or you, you know, continue doing what you're doing.
I'll give you an example because obviously you had a
closer look. But someone to me, um that always stands
out and you know it's dope to see, like just
him crushing it. But Tyler Hero never came off to
me as like I didn't think it was gonna average
pointy of game and be the sixth man of the
(12:27):
year by his third season. There's if you would ask
me that when he got drafted, I would have said
zero percent chance, like I didn't think he would be bad,
But did I think he'd be this good right away? Now?
So I would say, like you know, an instance like that,
like pretty big, pretty big surprise to you. But you
gotta understand he has a mentality about him where he
(12:48):
just does not care. He doesn't care who it is,
like he's put in so much work to where he
has he can have that mentality where like I don't care,
like I'm confident in my abilities, like Tyler is so
skilled too. Now I just have to be confident in
myself in my game to where I work on these
shots I make, do it a high clip whatever it is,
like if I need to make players, I'll make place.
You know, you got Jimmy Butler by your side. If
(13:10):
he's struggling, now I step up. So now it's like
what now I'm with him. If there's games I gotta
get thirty, I get thirty games on average on average
and twenty and there's games Jimmy gets and you get
like you know it is what is but his role
like you said, he came in sixth Man of the Year,
like he was a master at his role. Like that's
what he does, and he's obviously going to keep pursuing
(13:32):
the higher role because that's what type of mentality is.
He wants to be one of the best players to
ever do it, one of the best scores, one of
the best shooters, whatever it is, and clearly he's capable
of doing that with his being only his third year.
But like I said, it comes back to all the
work he's putting in, all the hours season the gym
and a's thing. He said, I saw that firsthand. So
it's not anything that's like oh wow, like where that
(13:53):
come from? Like no, like that was like, you know
what he always was then, what his foundation was built on.
And he's also someone that falls right into the I
got into the right environment kind of thing, Like you know,
you couldn't asked for a better situation to be drafted
into than being in my organizations. Unbelievable and like you think,
he did get put in a good position, But it's
the same thing. Do you take advantage of your opportunity
(14:13):
and full advantage of He could have been fine and
average ten twelve points, been a whatever role player, but
you know, I'm good, Like I have this opportunity. Let
me take this to another level and yeah, makes them him,
you know, And it's it's interesting to hear like you
talk about it because obviously we've been saying like you're
you were so close to him for that one year
(14:33):
and just you know, from an average you know, college
basketball NBA spectator who's never been around him, like you
don't get to see the small intricacies that do make
him next level and like better than the rest of
the majority, which is cool because like that's why you know,
I'm doing some scouting now. And like it's funny because
like you see, like people write these reports and it's like, well,
(14:54):
you only watch that kid one time, like and my
my m O is like, man, I'm not writing about
kids unless like you know, I've seen him four or five, six, seven, eight,
nine times, and I'm confident in like I know the
kids like abilities, I know some of his weaknesses, like
he's got this potential show these flashes, has these weaknesses.
Like and so when you only when you're not that
(15:14):
close to players, like you know, you've got a million
people formulating opinions and I and I was like, I'm
using you know, Tyler as an example, um, just because
of just like not being close to him at all
and then being surprised by like wow, Like I you know,
I wouldn't have guessed that this guy had that extra
you know to him in his game that was gonna
make him pop and stand out as much as he
(15:36):
has this quickly. I didn't think, like, you know, I
think when he got drafted, I kind of just assumed like,
oh yeah, jj reddick Kyle korver. I didn't really you know,
I didn't really think much into it. Never be a
way different, way different, Yeah, right, he got a lot
more ship and I could completely admit, like I hardly
watched him at Kentucky that year. I don't remember what
(15:57):
my teams were that year that I was paying more
attention to, But like that was why I had such
a shallow opinion or like a you know, they didn't
think less of him. I just didn't know what he
was really capable of. And so I think that that's
always something to keep in mind when people are, you know,
basing their opinions and making their judgments just like, dude,
how much have you seen the kid play? How much
of his strength and weaknesses do you really know? And
(16:19):
for him, Like, I think that's why I was just
so surprised because like I didn't know anything about him,
and I just formulated this opinion that was not educated.
So um, he is my surprise guy. Um. And the
last one that I gotta get you to answer is
out of all of them, and I'm you know, anybody
will have any different answer this who is the best
one that you were around? And it's not taking in
(16:40):
account any of their NBA accomplishments. Just at Kentucky, your teammate,
you were like, this is the best player I've ever
been around. This is the best teammate I've ever had.
You gotta say, you gotta get, you gotta give at
least you can't say three names. You can't. I'll let
you say too, But you can't say three Oh man,
that's tough because no one's gonna be mad at you.
(17:01):
It's okay, no no one care. No I know, I know,
I know. It's tough. Malik Monk was one of the
most special talents in college that I've been around ever
in my experience. The level of scoring like he can
do it like such a high level and such a
high clip, like their days and practices were like, dude
is a missing and nobody can stop him. And man,
(17:25):
I'm sad he's not on the Lakers anymore. He was
a fucking he's a microwave. He's special. He leak is special. Um,
is that your choice? That's a good choice. We can
move on if that's your guy. Man, Yeah, it might
be yeah, all right, we're gonna have to report that
to the I hit him and tell him like, you're
(17:48):
the best player I've been with. Okay, quick Breakwalkie Talkies Gang.
When we come back, Brad gets into more of his
coaching journey on staff at UK and his new position
at l i U Brooklyn. In the meantime, click that
subscribe button and download button. We'd really appreciate it, and
you can follow Walkie Talkies on social media at w
t Z podcast. Stay with us, everybody. We will be
(18:08):
right back and we're back on Waloukie Tucky's podcast. Let's
bring back in our guest Brad Calipari. So, you know,
I we when we transitioned into the you know, your
basketball knowledge and things like that I mentioned. You know,
you've been around these great basketball environments and great basketball
minds all your life. Um, you took a graduate assistant
(18:28):
position at Kentucky during the two season and during your
time as a g A in that lone season, Like
what did you feel like going into that role? You
still have to learn about the game and learn about
the coaching side of it that you know being a
g A has helped you with now that you have
upgraded from that role after a year. I think a
(18:50):
lot of it is being open minded to like for
our staff, like everybody's coming from different places, you know,
how guys think, how guys do things. Because like the
amount of hours spent in the gym was nothing new
to me, Like that was always something where you're in
the gym all day, Like that's nothing that was like, oh,
like we gotta be in the gym from this time
this time, because like for us, we never had set times,
(19:12):
but like it was known, like you need to be
in there like most of the day, like you need
to get things done, like you're in there earlier, in
there late, Like there are times when you leave it
whatever time to come back at seven, eight o'clock, nine o'clock.
And now like for me, luckily that wasn't something I
had to learn. But you know, there's sides of it
where you know the scouting aspect. You know certain things
(19:33):
with film UM training guys and you know that's something
that was like one of the main things I did
was was working guys out and UM, like spending a
lot of time building relationships and you know, getting close
with those guys. And I think that's where I benefited
the most, was transitioning from player to coach, learning how
to really like the stuff that I did growing up
(19:54):
that you know, helped me be better and who I
learned it from, UM, teaching those guys and then putting
my tweaks on it to make it how I think
would be better and ultimately help kids succeed and you know,
develop a better jumper whatever it is, and be better
for himself. What what? What do you think maybe your
favorite UM aspect thus far of the coaching thing has been,
(20:18):
is it more scouting? Is a more player development? Is
it more film study UM and breaking down film? Like
what where do you kind of navigate to that is
like peaks your most interest thus far? Definitely player development UM.
And I say that because you get to see these
kids every day, work put in hours and you see
(20:40):
their development. They don't see it until it really hits
Like for one instance, I worked all year summer n
till after the season with Savier, and Savier came in
shooting thing from three, and the whole year we worked
on a jumper and like the whole hours hours and
(21:02):
reps every day, multiple times a day. And it got
to the point where now he was shooting thirty five
percent from three. Towards the end of the year, is
shooting eighties something from the line over forty something from
the field, like all his numbers were up. But like
in the beginning of the year, he didn't really see that.
And it was the same thing like we go back
(21:23):
to before, like they have to know you're there for them.
There was some hesitant or some like he was hesitant
at first to like really stick with me because the
results weren't showing immediately. So when he was fully bought
into where like you know, like he's for me, this
is gonna help me get better. I need to stick
to this. And then we stayed together throughout the year,
(21:46):
like we have that relationship. Like he got better, he
saw it, he started to feel him shooting the ball
better whatever it is, making the right place, and you know,
ultimately he ended up being a what a Couzy finalist
towards the end of the year, and you know, you
have those situations where it's like all right, like now
for me, seeing him get better like that made me
feel good, Like now I'm seeing him getting better now
(22:08):
he knows he got better like him seeing that is
really like it's a good sense of like, you know,
like I really like I helped this kid do what
he wanted to do and get closer to, you know,
his dreams. I think that, um, the player development is
something that like hits the hardest with me too, for
a lot of those similar reasons. And like I think
I just I worked myself out for so long when
(22:30):
I was younger, and I tried so many different things,
like and I realized like, well, this helped my jumper
get better, and this helped my handle get better, and
that you you kind of you know, you pick up.
I don't know however long you've been training fifteen fourteen,
fifteen years, like, but you are now, uh special assistant
to the head coach at l I U Brooklyn, And
I'm gonna go ahead and assume that you know from
(22:51):
our conversation that being a head coach is the long
term goal for you, um so, kind of a two
part question here again, what made you want to leave
Kentucky after just one year? Normally g A positions are
a two year stint in some cases, So what made
you want to depart through just a one year? And
after your l I you Brooklyn stand whatever you plan
to do? Are you looking to kind of stay on
the college side, maybe test the NBA waters do a
(23:13):
little bit of both. What do you think about that?
Um So? I took a one year grad program on
purpose to force myself to make a decision on you know,
what I was gonna do because I think for me,
like growing up in it, there are some things like
I'm more advanced with and that's just natural because I've
been around it so long. UM I didn't want to
give myself like I'm not ready, like I'm gonna stay
(23:37):
another year like no, like I wanted to, you know,
take a leap, like now this is time to go
do this, um but ultimately get away. See a different
type of coaching style, a different type of program at
a maybe a lower level, and you see most of
the most of the good coaches, a lot of like
the ones that have had a lot of success, they
(23:57):
started lower level schools, they work their way up through it,
and you know that's most of them. How it is
because now you see it from all three levels. You
see at the lowest level. I've been around the highest
level of my whole life, and in some aspects that
gives me an advantage. But for now me to see
it as a low lower level and the major level,
whatever it is, it gives me an advantage to that
now I've seen every level of whatever peak I'm at,
(24:20):
and being able to get away from you know, my
dad when he does, and seeing it from another point
of view, from a different type of coaching style. I
think that broadens my knowledge of the game and it
really helps me expand and how I'm going to be
as a coach, because I'm still trying to find how
I'm going to be. I have no idea how I'm
gonna be as coach. When I get the opportunity to
be so as much information as I can gather and
(24:43):
put together and what I can do and how I'm
gonna do it, that's all essentially. Um. I just need
the opportunity to be around good guys, good coaches, whatever
it is, and see how they operate. And then if
you know, when I have the chance, I'll have the
decision to run and how I want to run it.
You know, it's like, Okay, I like how he ran things,
(25:04):
like I'm gonna do it this way when I get
the opportunity, like, and each coach is different and they're
gonna do it their own way. And you know, everybody's
had success in their own ways, so it's not like
a knock if I don't want to do it this way.
It's just how I personally don't see it. And like
I said, there's nothing wrong with That's just guys are
gonna run their teams differently than each other, and being
around different coaches just gives me the opportunity to see
(25:25):
more ways and learn more. Another interesting thing to add
on to that is, like one of my mentors that
I've been working with, UM, he's been saying to me, like,
you know, it'll take some time to find your coaching voice,
Like it took me four years to find that, like,
you know, consistent, confident coaching voice of like now you're
giving instruction, not getting instruction, And the only way to
(25:45):
you know, feel comfortable in that role is just wrap
it out and keep building on that that voice of
like and then try and because like even for me,
like I don't really yell on screen, like I'm more
cerebral like teaching, like that's just how I am. But
like if I need to speak up, I speak up.
So like there's not a time where I'm like m
F and guy it's like screaming, right Like, I just
(26:07):
that's not how I am right now. If if I change,
I change, But like right now it's more of just direct,
Like if I need to speak to a broad a
group of people, it was three or four guys, I
know how to be direct and be demanding, but it's
not like a screaming going crazy like I just that's
not how I carry myself. Yeah, so I found myself
to teach. Yeah. Yeah, And then then that's always what
(26:28):
it comes down to, was like what's your style? Are
you the m F or are you the the cerebral guy?
Are you you know, more on the chill side, Like yeah,
there's there's probably a little bit of both in everybody,
like a lot of you know, but it just comes
with the experience and like just finding what's comfortable for
you and also what's most effective to you know, get
the most out of your players. So the second part
of that question that was you're looking to stay on
(26:49):
the college side test the NBA waters like a little
bit of both. Where do you think you're at idea
no idea, I have no idea, Like I wouldn't mind
doing either one. Um. One thing that always stuck out
to me though, and it's starting to get like this
in college is like in the n b A, and
you see, job security is very not secure. Um So
(27:11):
like that's something I always kind of like it's hard
for me to look at because it also takes longer
to rebuild an organization. So I feel like the leash
with some coaches is way shorter. Um Like, for one instance,
like Dwayne Casey, one coach of the Year, made it
to the finals, got fired, like, you know what, didn't
make it to the finals, but yes, she second round
of the playoffs, but I still, yeah, they didn't want
(27:34):
you to ye, sorry, yeah, they had a chance to
make it to the finals, and you know, got fired
like he won Coach of the Year and got fired
Like I don't know the details of the back story,
but like to me from outside looking in, like that's crazy.
One coach of the year, Like why would you fire
the coach of year? There's something else I don't know,
(27:55):
but like you start to see it more in college
now guys are getting let go like here and there,
and you know it's that's something you're always gonna have
to deal with. And I think a lot of the
difference in NBA in collegees like NBA is pure xs
and ohs, Like you don't have to recruit, you don't
make phone calls, like you're dealing with grown men. They
have families, Like they come in they like this is business.
Now college it's a lot of teaching, molding, you know,
(28:19):
helping kids, developing the young men. UM parents have to
know that they can trust you with their kids. UM
really feel comfortable with you and how you're doing things.
I feel like there's a lot more to it than
just basketball. And you're setting them up for you know,
after basketball, like this is what you're doing, but like
how you develop them now is the mold that they're
(28:41):
going to be when they're done playing and you know
what they're going to be set up to do. Yeah,
And AND's like to go on to the differences of
like college coaching and NBA coaching something that I've always
observed is like that idea of like they are older,
it's more business like, it's a more transactional thing. It's
just like you know, guys come to practice, they do
their job, they get their actual work, and they leave.
(29:03):
They got families, they got kids. Like it's not as
like tightly knit and connected and as like you know,
but like to me, like that seems shallow like that
like yeah, but but but you sense to it because
then it's like it's only basketball. No. But I don't
say so. I don't say it in a sense of
like that's what I want. I say it in a
sense of, like you get more out of the basketball
(29:26):
if you know, if you're a personable person, like you're
gonna build relationships with people at the end of the
day no matter what. So like I say that like
as someone who you know loves loves people, will talk
to anybody. And you know, I just like it because
of just I look at where college basketball currently is,
and you know, you the coaches that are retiring like
Jay Wright and UM, Steph Curry's coach at Davidson, I'm
(29:49):
trying to blank on his name, Bob something, and UM
coach k retiring, like all these guys kind of slowly
stepping away, like, to me, is a telling tale of
like where the game is headed. And I just like
from my own college basketball experience and some of the
like the teams I've been around, it's like the NBA
just like it just seems more basketball. It's like it's
just it's just hoops. Like, yeah, guys go home to
(30:10):
their families and like whatever. And I was only stating
that because like I've had coaches say to me, like
college coaches say to me, like that's why they don't
want to do the NBA route is because like there's
not the ability, you know, to build a relationship with
Lebron James or Region Rondo because they gotta go home
and you know, feed their family, or they're going to
do this project in l A. And it's like, yeah,
that's fine. But like look at a guy like Phil
(30:31):
Handy Man like his like his relationship with players, like
and that tight knit bond that he has, Like there's
a ton of that around the NBA. And I don't know,
I just look at it as more of like a
you know not and I agree with you. Like the
way I framed that would definitely came off like it
could be shallow, But I didn't mean it in a
sense of like, you know, yeah, like I don't I
don't want anything to do to these guys. Just keep
(30:51):
it basketball. No, it's more so like I don't think
I want to deal with like persuading a seventeen or
eighteen year old kid to come to you know, this
school and do this, and then like not him not
get what he wants, and all of a sudden, him
and his family hate us, and all hell breaks loose
and it's like they're just too you know. The NBA
is just like man, like you don't do your job,
like you want to act like a baby, Like get
the hell out of here. Like everybody's got to be
(31:13):
on their p's and ques and like, you know, be
a professional. And I don't think at the college level
there's enough of that, like we're professionals here because like, yeah,
people categorize them as amateur sports and all that kind
of stuff. But like, you know, you tell me if
I'm wrong. You've been around the game, like deeper parts
of the game than me. But like the NBA just
has that vibe of like you either are a pro
or you're not and if you're not a pro, you're
not gonna make it here. And that's what makes UK
(31:35):
unique is you have basically you carry yourself as a professional.
The university carries itself professionally with how we do things,
you know, treatment, practice, workouts, individual workoutsft, conditioning, all of it.
It's all carried and the professional manner. Which is why
it separates itself from a lot of schools is you
(31:56):
have those guys. They are ready for it because you know,
they know the schedule, they know how it is. It's
just on top of you know how things are you
have to work. Our guy is going to class like
you know, what are they doing? But I think in
a sense like when you know what that professional culture is,
it's easier to teach and understand and you know, like
this is how guys did it, Guys were successful doing it,
(32:18):
this is why you should do it. And you know
there's carry over and benefit to when you act like
this because you develop a maturity level of professionalism and
you know yourself and on and off the court. I
mean that's why you see like you know, only a
select few amount of guys from you know, maybe the
lesser degree. High major teams like only have a couple
of guys get drafted versus a tow, a Kentucky, a Villanova,
(32:42):
and they have you know, fifteen twenty dudes getting drafted
year and year out, or like their total number of
guys getting drafted. Is because like we said it earlier,
but about the culture that is you know, cultivated there,
and um, it sets you up to have that carry
over that you're talking about. And I think that, like,
obviously it's clear as day that like the majority because
(33:03):
not everyone goes to the NBA, it's a very small club,
and so the majority of Division one college basketball players
like don't get the opportunity to be a part of
those kind of cultures. And so therefore you get the
other side of it, which does become the majority of
Like you're dealing with kids who are entitled, You're dealing
with kids who don't have that professional mindset, and so
sometimes I think, like it just gets tiring. It's like, man,
(33:25):
being around this is you know, a waste of energy.
It's toxic. It's it's not doing anything for any of us.
And if you don't have the you know, open minded
iss open mindedness or the self awareness to kind of
like get over yourself. Then you know, you can make
it a miserable experience for everybody. And I think that
if you experience that side of college basketball, like you know,
that's that that was you know, not to make it
about me, but like I was just I didn't. I
(33:47):
wanted a break before I did a graduate assistant thing
because I was like, man, like I just think like
the way college basketball is turning like and the way
some of the some of these kids act that I've
been around, like I'm okay, Like I I would rather
try to pursue it in another avenue also where you
can get more experience from you know, you can only
do so much as a g A within that one
team setting. Um, I want to finish up on what
(34:09):
we were talking about with like differences in NBA coaching
and college coaching because your dad did do and my
stupid or did he do some he was with the
nuts and then the nuts, right, Yeah, that's that's why
you're a Jersey guy. Okay, So like what what would
you say like about you know, that perspective of you know,
being an NBA coach, Like you know what I said
to you, either deny it or not deny it, either
(34:30):
accepted or rejected as it being you know, semi true,
semi fair. Like what I want to know what you
think about the claim I made. I mean, I think
it's definitely fair because those guys have families. They have
to go back to their families. There's only so much
time that you know, guys can spend with them outside
of basketball. And when guys have kids, wives, you know,
(34:51):
it's it's tough for them. Like you know, basketball's there
their job, but like you also have a family now
and then, like you said, you have those guys that
they're always in the gym. You have certain guys that
are in the gym more often than not, Like most
of from what I've heard, the staff, like the head coaches,
the assistant coaches, like they do their work, But the
(35:12):
guys that are in there are like in there more
often than the other guys. Are the guys player development,
the ones that are doing all of that stuff when
the guys come in late at night, you know, and
obviously you have some assistance that come in late at
night with those guys. But everything that I've heard and
experienced at least, is those guys that are on the
(35:32):
come up, they want to make it. They're in the
gym all the time, and those are the ones putting
in those hours, just like the guys that are up
there probably didn't when they were coming up. And it's
he said, it's the benefit of it when you get
to that level and it's the business side of it.
You don't have to worry about certain things and you
have guys that are in those positions to handle that business.
And that's what that is. Okay, last break coming up here,
(35:56):
home stretch of the two part pod series with Brad
cal Perry. Awesome stuff thus far. Coming up, Brad talks
about losing to fifteen seeds St. Peter's in the first
round of the tournament, key lessons from his dad, as
his dad and as his coach, his current best player
in the NBA, and even more. To stay with us,
we'll be right back and we're back on Walkie Tucky's podcast.
(36:17):
Let's bring back in our guest Brad Calipari. All right, now,
talk to me about the special assistant and what that
role has kind of been like for your starting out up. Um,
so like for me, I could do a lot of
this stuff like normal assistance could do UM. I can't
reach out make calls to recruits, but there is certain
times like I'll be able to go on the road
and recruit. UM work out a lot of guys, you know,
(36:39):
do all the film, the scouting stuff, anything like that
where you know, scheduling organization whatever, you know, recruits, we
need to look into film stuff, you know, anything like that.
Basically everything but be able to go on the road
and recruit unless given whatever waiver it is to where
if somebody is not on the road then I can
go UM. But basically everything besides that, so you know,
(37:02):
it's been a good opportunity. It's just like another step
for it to you know, where I want to be
and you know, continue to move and work hard through
it and developed that knowledge of the game and that
experience still. So you know, we've we've talked about your
dad a lot, and I always like to semi wrapped
the show up with like where the journey is taking you,
(37:22):
what you've taken away from the journey. But for you,
I want to kind of frame it in a sense
of like what's one key takeaway? It could be more
than one. From your dad as your dad and from
your dad as your basketball coach ah Man, so my
dad as my dad. His whole thing, really, like since
I've been a kid, is just you know, you're no
(37:43):
better than anybody. You don't act better or like you
you don't act like you're better than anybody. Even though
you're in the position you're in, you still don't carry
yourself like you know, I'm above people, like you're blessed,
You're lucky, you have the opportunity where you where you are,
and you know some people are and asfortunate and you can't,
(38:04):
you know, shame them with that. You know, you have
to be there and basically be more of a servant
leader than you know what you would be. And now
that's one of the things like growing up with him
and then even playing for him, like as a coach,
like you've got to be a servant leader. You've got
to really, you know, step back sometimes to show like
you're here for those around you, even though you may
(38:26):
be more advanced in some aspects or whatever your position
is a little higher or whatever it is, like I'm
an entire level on the total but whatever it is
doesn't matter. But you're willing to do the dirty work,
the stuff that nobody wants to do. You're willing to
get behind guys that need help that you know you
can push forward and you'll be there for them when
they're at their lowest, whatever it is, they'll be there
(38:48):
for you. And that's a part of if you're going
to be a leader. You need guys to respect you,
and you need guys to want to be there for
you and really push for you. But at the same time,
they have to know that you're there for them and
what you're doing is in their best interest, and how
you do that is showing them like, look like I'm
willing to do this just for your like I don't
(39:10):
gain anything out of this, Like this is for you,
Like I'm not gaining anything out of this, and really
putting yourself in vulnerable positions to where you know, like
this could hurt me, but like this is for you essentially,
like I'm good, Like I'll be able to bounce back
from this, but I want you to be in a
good position. And them seeing that you're willing to take
risks like that and really put yourself in those positions
(39:31):
for them, I think that helps develop a level of
respect and even that relationship that guys really want to
have with each other. Yeah. Man, that's a true testament.
You know, We've said it the whole episode about just
like how you were raised, how your dad you know,
coaches his players, but also you know, raised his children
and his family. And you know, super cool to hear
(39:52):
it from you because, like I said, always been a
coach cow fan. Family has always been a fan of
you guys. And just like what he's been able to
accomplish in the basketball world, like what a legend. And um,
you know, having moved around and seeing all sorts of things,
you know, these last couple of years for you in particular,
what do you think the one thing is that maybe
you've taken with you the most that's currently helping you
along this journey Right now? My dogs the dog eat
(40:16):
what do we got? And I got two German shepherds.
They keep me company when I'm lonely. I feel that man. Yeah,
but uh now, um, just you know, developing that foundation
of professionalism and like what a winning culture is like
growing up in that like that carries with you so
like you have that expectation of how things are supposed
(40:39):
to run, like how guys are supposed to act and
carry themselves. The amount of work guys put in. You know,
that's always going to be binding me because that's the
culture I was brought up and that's a culture that's successful.
And you know, when you move around you have sometimes
you have to rebuild or start a new culture. And
that's what it is. So when you're around a championship
caliber culture, that's what you want. If there's a school
(41:02):
that you end up being that that there's not have
that type of culture, that's what you have to bring in.
And that's what you have to try to get guys
to buy into and and understand. Man, you've had a
you know, special journey thus far. You've got a lot
more in the store for you. UM. I appreciate you
sharing all of that knit and gritty stuff and and
kind of going in depth with me and open it
(41:22):
up and being vulnerable. Um. You know, for the listeners,
I do want to hit you just with some fun
quick hitters and I'll let you get the hell out
of here. Uh. First one I want to ask that
I know people are wondering, is like, what what was
it like being on the end of losing to a
fifteen seed and you weren't playing, you were coaching but
what was that, Like, I mean, like, are you embarrassed?
Are you you have that sense of embarrassment of like, dude,
(41:44):
we really we were that two seed that did that.
Like you're sitting there and you're like, damn, like it
don't feel real because you're like, we weren't supposed to
lose that. But what's crazy is they went on and
be Purdue Murray State like they'd be other top top
fifteen teams. So it's like, yeah, they have some guards
on the team that were special, Like they did some
big things like played well, and you know, we hit
(42:06):
a game where we didn't play well outside of oscar
Oscar head is thirty five and seventeen or whatever. You know,
we just struggled offensively outside of him, and you know,
their guards played out of their mind, and you know,
for that stretch, they made it to the Elite eight
and you know, had an historic run. But still at
the same time, you're like, damn, like like we had
(42:28):
it and we were good enough to play in the
National Championship Game and we beat two of the teams
that were in the Chip by and by, and yeah,
it's it's what it is. And you know, being on
the outside of it and you see, like, you know, fifteen,
he gets the Elite eight. Like we all felt the
same way of like that's awesome. So you had, you
guys had to get to a certain point where you
(42:48):
were probably like damn, it sucks that we were one
of the teams that they took down, but like, wow,
they're really in the Elite eight, like no one's ever
done that before. It was it was better that they
kept winning because then it was like, it's not just us.
So now it's like, yeah, it's like you know, it's
not just us. At least the first day it was
produce all right, We're like we're okay, we're but like
I said, I think the worst part is seeing like
(43:10):
you have Kansas and North Carolina both great teams, but
like in the year, like we were dominant against most
of that didn't work out. Um alright, So having been around,
having been around Drake a little bit and seeing him
warm up with you guys and you know him just
(43:30):
being a big fan. Is he the best rapper that
hoops or do you have someone else over him best?
Frock believe it or not? Quebo or I mean no,
not do Why do people always say Quebo is a
little Dirk. I think, yes that that was my answer.
There's got a pure junger Man. Dirk is nice. But
(43:52):
Quebo has been on the biggest stage where he's like
actually shown like he could hoop. It's crazy that people
really he plays in all the celebrity games, but you
don't see celebrity games. But like you see all the
stuff even though you know who else is. Did Davies,
Oh yeah, I heard David skin hoop and also like
one guy that never plays but I think played d
one at one point was two Chains. But yeah, I
(44:12):
I I've heard the same thing about Davies. But I
just feel like those videos I've seen a little Dirks
jumper man, like it is pure. It's ridiculous, Like it's
like one after the other. You're like, why does he
know how to do this? Um so not Drake. Drake
is not your answer. Drake's out is not my answer.
He's getting better though, he's getting way better. I I
(44:32):
was supposed to go up to Toronto, you know, watch
him in the little league that he has in his
house Worth, you know the stuff where you know he's
been you see all his videos rac Yeah, but you know,
and I love I love, I love his effort, but
god damnit, Drake your trash. I'm just messing who all right,
(44:54):
last one? Who's the overall best player in the NBA
right now? This answer is going to tell me a
lot about you. Man. This, this is, this is, this
is going to complete the interview or it's going to
ruin the interview. So what do you got? And don't
just say a name. You gotta say a name and
give a reason that that's the rule. I feel like
you're gonna give me if I say Lebron. Oh, you're
(45:15):
talking to the right guy. Man, I ain't give you
a ship if you say Lebron. That's that's what's gonna
make or break this interview. There's a lot of people
are saying Steph Curry. A lot of people are saying
you honest, Steph Curry has more of a case than
the honest. I feel like, but I like Lebron because
Lebron average thirty and eight and thirties. Hey man, you
completed the interview. That was the answer I was looking for.
(45:36):
And I don't get it too often because I am like,
I am hardcore Bron stand and like but done it
for so long he's been dominant, dude, And even though
the team sucked last year, it doesn't matter. He's like,
if they didn't suck, he would have one V would
have won the scoring title, and if they a D
was a D, they would have won the championship. And
he's still like, that's where people need to shape the
(45:57):
their their outlook on what's going on. Like if that
was the case, if you know all that stuff to
you know, going to shambles, like that would be the storyline.
It's like, oh wow, he's going to the player. This
is my thing. Like with right, the Honest is dominent.
It's crazy. But like in the playoffs, they didn't have
Chris Middleton. I've been telling people this for like the
last two years. Chris Middleton is the X factor. He's
(46:18):
the one that can score three levels. The Honest scored
three levels. So when you're in the playoffs and guys
started sending to three guys that you makes it harder.
Who's gonna go get your buckets? Chris Middleton? But they
didn't have them this year. So what happened the end
up losing Ron, It doesn't matter. He'll go get it
wherever That's why I say Steph Curry has more of
a shot a best player in the league. Yeah, you
(46:39):
don't even You know what's funny is that you didn't
even mention Kevin Durant, which Durants the most skilled player
in the league. But he does and he's She's showing
it by this, like you know this, this Brooklyn stuff
is like he doesn't want that extra added emphasis of
pressure that you see, you know Broun take on for
so many years. The one shitty thing about the Lebron case, though,
(47:00):
is that he's played for so long and he's not
gonna win one every single year, and now it's just
giving all the naysayers and the haters the ability to
be like, oh yeah, what about your eighteen and what
about your nineteen. It's like, dude, look at what you're saying.
You're talking about your eighteen and nineteen and he's still
he's still at that level. Then an All Star eighteen
straight years or whatever it is, eighteen straight seasons, Yeah, well, um,
(47:23):
I got them. I got them on the come up
this year. Man. I don't know what the hell they're
gonna do, but I just I think a d s
on on an m v P on an m v
P Tterror this year if he stays healthy, because he's
got the goods in my mind. But um, I'm happy
you said Lebron. I don't get a lot of lebron
on here. Um, But man, I appreciate you coming on
the show. This was This was great every everything I
(47:43):
could ask for. I'm glad that we were able to
sit down and shoot the ship up. I do appreciate
you coming on, man, it was it was great having
you and uh, you know, great hearing about your story,
your journey, you know, talking about your dad and just
being willing to, like I said earlier, open up about
this stuff and and uh, you know, give the give
the listeners a great episode. So thank you, my man.
I appreciate it. All right, walk you're talking. That's a
(48:03):
rap for our two part episode series with Brad cal Perry.
Really had a great time sitting down with him and
hearing his perspective on all the variety of things that
we got the chance to touch on. Really good. Dude
gave us a lot of good content all throughout the
two episodes, So I appreciate him for coming on the show.
Be sure to subscribe and download the pod for us,
it does go a long way. There will be no
podcast next week, but the following week we are back
(48:24):
with another two parter with one of the most famous
walk Ons to ever do it. I'm not going to
tell you who, so stay tuned and follow at w
t Z podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to find
out who and also for video highlights of every episode.
I look forward to seeing you all back here in
two weeks and remember us. Cute Walkie Talkies is a
(48:47):
production of I Heart Radio and the College Athletes Network.
For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Host
Noah Buono
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