Being a Playmaker

Join Luds, Kevin Mench, and John Rhadigan live from Dirk Nowitzki's new restaurant at DFW airport, part of the Playmakers Group. Special guests Nancy Lieberman and Eddie Najera add star power to the conversation as they delve into a wide range of topics.

From Dirk's achievements to the growth of women's sports and the potential NBA expansion into Mexico, the discussion is rich with insights. The physical toll of being an athlete, the importance of coaching and ownership, and personal stories from the guests highlight the competitive spirit and resilience in sports.

Tune in for a dose of motivation, reflections on breaking barriers, and the impactful role of charity work. It's a dynamic mix of basketball, hospitality, and heartfelt conversations!

#beaplaymaker

Episode Transcript

(00:09):
Hey, welcome in. This isour podcast. It's it's the big Head
Pod and it SuDS with bloods uhand yet really that's not appropriate, so
because you know, how do youmarry those? So here it is.
This is Playmaker. The guy witha big head is drinking. So really,
so your nugget doesn't look so here, here's what it is. This

(00:32):
is Playmakers, not yet famous.Round table. Yes, because when we
do these are gonna get fame.You're gonna say we're actually on our no,
but we'll be. This is arectangular table in Terminal C at DFW
Airport. Yes, it's okay,so we call it a square tabletangular,
call it a round table. Italmost looks like a one of the sand

(00:53):
shuffle board tables that's there. Oh, we should play shuffle board. A
beer pong table. It's beer pong. We can set up some cups and
we could. Oh look and herecomes next, Jason, bring it on
in. Wow. This is weare at Dirk Nowitzki's restaurant at DFW.
Are looked at this. We haveflat bread pizzas, We have these beautiful

(01:15):
pretzel bites and what else roller town, big German. This is Dirk's beer
and it is fantastic and you brewedby himself, him out there stirring.
You need to come to this restaurant. It's at Gate C thirty seven at

(01:37):
DFW Airport and this place is fantasticand we are here to talk about generations.
Really, frankly, we're gonna pullthe audience about generations here. That's
an upcoming podcast will be we willbe the yes, I mean next stuff
and all that you need to see. The best one we're gonna talk about
is the self proclaimed alpha one youlike the elphas alp Yeah, the twelve

(02:00):
year olds are calling themselves alphas.Yes, we've been relegated to the beta
role as babies, right, we'rebaby boomers boomers, yeah, boomers.
No, apparently I'm a gen spenceron? Am I a gen z?
Gen z or not? Always?A millennial? Millennial? Are you kidding
me? You're a millennia seventy eight, which is what Jen Why? I

(02:23):
think? Oh here you're a why. Yeah, you're a Y chromosome.
So take that. Uh. We'llhave other guests stop buying the course of
the program with Kevin mentioned John Radiganand we're just here hanging out. We're
just grabbing people as they walk by, trying to We're hoping somebody famous coming.
I see anybody famous. I mean, there's a big picture of Dirk

(02:45):
right there. I wish that couldtalk. But if we see anybody famous,
we'll grab them, We'll throw themon the podcast. But it's the
playmakers not yet famous roundtable, andthat's what we're doing. We're gonna just
talk maybe some sports. I don'tknow, we might what are sports?
I mean this is we're in anairport. I mean we want to see
people. This is beautiful brand.Look at all this the renovations. It's
actually brightened here. It doesn't looklike sanity asylum and stuff everything. He

(03:10):
loves the airport. I do,Hey, I like the people Watch.
You don't like people luds? Justsay it correct, Okay, So Rad's
and not when I'm in, Ido like. I love the people Watch.
And I'm in this airport quite abit. But are you eighteen team?
We fly in and out of hereall the time, so I like
to get in. I like tosit in a corner and watch. My
favorite airport, honestly, is thepeople want or people Watch? Is o'

(03:32):
hair? Oh my gosh, ifyou get everything that the gen Zers and
boomers and Alphas all come flying.Hair is the biggest, right, But
I think DFW is the most busiestairport. Correct you just say the most
busiest? I think he did.I don't think it's hair is the biggest
most and I said busy Okay,so he didn't. It's a combo grammatically,

(03:53):
Yeah, it's not his. Sorry, we're enjoying ourselves today, right,
just having fun with exactly. Andthen she didn't like by the way,
it's yeah, we're recording this eightfifteen am. Yeah, yeah,
he's are breakfast tacos. We loveit. Men. She doesn't like beer,
so he drinks whiskey. So thiscould get You don't have any idea
where this could go? Yes,if you're flying out today, if you're

(04:13):
terminal a take take the tram andare you flying? Flying right back to
my house? What we're done?Yeah? I hope we're not flying.
Yeah, yeah, we're driving.So where do we start? It's Dirk's
place. That's pretty cool. Imean again, that big picture of him
seven footer. I want to tellyou something about Yeah, I do,
mister dir I do. I wantto hear that I am not a big

(04:34):
basket. I don't know a lotabout that. I know you all,
but you know I watched games hereand there. He has he not won
or achieved every award that a basketballplayer can come up with? Is there
anything he hasn't achieved as a basketballplayer? From a trophy to and banner

(04:54):
to the statue, MVP, MVPsall start, every star MVP. Is
there anything left? Yeah? Idon't. I don't think there's anything that
you do the har Yeah, hallof Fame, right, he's there,
Yeah, Hall of Fame. Soyeah, that's the ultimate and first ballot,
by the way. Okay, sohere here's a question. I asked
mole and if Dirk just happened towalk by, yeah, we'll grab him.

(05:16):
Yeah, I would ask him.And here's a question. And if
I'm not here, you guys askhim. I may have to get escorted
up. And I asked the samequestion of Chris Chelios and ma Madonnell.
When it comes to having your jerseysretired, the Hall of Fame, the
NBA Championship, all those things,is there one more important than another?
Yeah? Well, I you know, I got a different answer from both

(05:40):
of those, And from Chelios itwas like he wanted to see his jersey
hanging in Chicago State, which hejust accomplished. Not to go, but
that was more for him, andthat was about his family. My kids
will be able to walk in someday. Wait a second, oh,
just some Hall of famers might walkby. Where are you going? Great
Nancy leeber In Hall of Famer walksinto this rat You never know who might

(06:05):
show up at Dirk's restaurant. Longhug. We got food s down and
hugging me because we got a spotfor you. We've got snacks. Are
you awesome to see you again?No, noney, you are talking,

(06:25):
we're talking sound and you're slide down. I'm sure, yeah, let me
move if we This is how ithappened. A chance to try the flat
bread perfect ye, I gotta have. But right now I get somebody right
here. We're bringing Nancy in.Yes, who won this seating chart?
No kidding? Yeah goodness, wow. He made sure talk about the first

(06:50):
thing that comes up. He saidit. We knew he would enjoy it.
We knew we have Dirk spirit.We got came out. These are
what kind of flat bread pizzas?I will try a jerk spirit and I'm
not a drinker. Good because I'mfixing it. What's over there? Step

(07:13):
food? Flat bread, flap pizza, flatbread pizza. Jason, what is
it? We have a pepperoni?What's the other one? Jamaican jerk?
Nancy on that one? Wait?You call me a jerk? What the
hell? So can I tell youwhat happened? We love to hear.
I was on the phone walking inhere. I'm so embarrassed. In my
MinC I was walking in with DelHarris. I was talking to him and

(07:34):
we're just chit chatting, and I'mlike getting ready to walk in and I
unzipped my purse to get my Icarry a gun, and I went,
Dell, you just said you're justsetting. I got to go to my
car. He goes, which one? Long? I go before I get
arristed? Would you vouce for me? He goes, what's going on?

(07:58):
I go, I have a cutof my I go. I got to
go to the car. It washe didn't get through security. I mean
you didn't he didn't get too security. But just now yeah. And I
went back and where my car wasparked and put the gun in there and
walked back and like, okay,this is good. So t s.
A. Didn't wonder why you turnedand tucktail and ran, Really I did.

(08:20):
I was just waiting for your name. She's so sweet. Yeah.
Yeah, that's tests test test.I scored a me too. Yeah.
So we never said athletes are smart. No, no, they've never especially
ones that are in the Hall ofFame. I mean, apparently when you
get you get two guns. Itreminds me of the of the Barry Switzer

(08:41):
thing where he didn't remember and thebag came through security. He was coming
to training camp. He came throughsome bag comes through security, and he
gets pulled over and there and we'reall in Austin, going where the hell
Switzer is not a practice? What'sgoing on? And the famous sound bite
from Switzer is I forgot to takemy pistol out of my backpack. Oh

(09:05):
my god. Yeah, So Switzerthey got they caught him at least I
and catch you, Nancy right afterer. Huh, Switzer got off. I
went back to the Yeah you werein the meet, you were in you
were in there. What's a Maverickgame? I tell my guy take it
out of my bag. I'm flyingtomorrow. Gives it to the guy who's
driving the guy puts it back inthe bag. I got through securities,

(09:26):
gets all handcuffed. Nancy was afelony. This is why, this is
why he was on the no flylist trying to get through here. Hey,
x Funge twenty two thousand dollars.Excuse me, sir, You not
have a flight that takes off anytime? You got a flight to catch?
Yeah, yeah, we want totalk to them next week. Foster,

(09:48):
he's a big head, that's whatyou know. Kicks Brooks. We would
play it at Toby Keys, agolf tournament, and we had not met,
and he was late getting in thecar and they go, yeah,
it's it's a street guy. AndI looked and he told me Kicks Brooks
and I'm like, what his nameis? Kicks? Okay. He gets

(10:09):
in the corner and go country guy, you're late. Was supposed to play
golf. He goes, did youjust call me country guy? I said,
yeah, I mean your Brooks anddone and you're done with me because
you're late. We became great friends. That's great. Yeah, and we
played nine eighteen holes together. Theycame out to NBA Summer League to see

(10:31):
me play. When they were doingRIBA's show, get this freaking buck.
I get you some chocolate. Said, we're sitting We're sitting here with a
name dropper. I saw, soI I have a question. Yes,
so who is the most famous athleteperson in general in your opinion that I
know this, I know where thisis going, but you know where it
is. Muhammad Al really Muhammad Alilike buddies with under his wing. I

(11:00):
was twenty. I was in collegemy senior year. Yeah, when you
get divorced, because you're next onmy list. But so we met in
New York. A lot's happening.Yeah, I'm can you never let me
go? He took my question andthrew it under the box. Yeah.

(11:20):
Thirty seven years of Muhammad Ali.And in the last ten or twelve I
would call and his wife and Lanniewould say, baby, he's been waiting
for you all day. And I'dcome into house in Phoenix and I'm like,
hey, Mohammed, and how areyou are you doing okay? And
I go, you know, I'vecome out of retirement more than you.
And he's like, I can sayit, you know, because he really

(11:43):
didn't talk, but he'd be he'dbe ready. Are you are you angry
that I came out of retirement morethan you, more success, more fans,
more, and Lonnie's like really likedancing. It was rubbing it into
mind. Yeah, I would justscoreboard. I would put his bib on
and I would feed him like freezerpops and I'd wipe his mouth. That's

(12:07):
the same thing would mention before yougot, I thought me because he calls
me a rampa. For God's sake, Yeah, Grandpa over here. Every
event towards the end of his life, Lonnie would call me and go,
honey, and I go yes.She'd say, Mohammed has to go to

(12:31):
New York to do this event.Would you m see it? And I
went yes. She goes, Ididn't tell you the date I go doesn't
matter. It doesn't matter. AndI would fly to wherever they wanted me
to. And is there anything onespecific thing you would take out of spending

(12:52):
all that time with him? Yeah, there's two people in life. There's
givers and there's takers. And hetaught me at twenty to respect everybody and
to fear nobody. I'm not afraidto come on your podcast. I'm not
afraid to coach men. I'm notafraid to play against men. I'm not
afraid to be great. I'm notafraid to be Tej's mommy. He taught

(13:16):
me I respect everybody. But hejust gave me that resilience. And he
was like like I didn't have afather, and you know, he was
like my dad, my friend,my hero, and he never let me
go. I had him for thirtyseven years. And the best part is

(13:39):
at his funeral, Billy Crystal spoke, you know, and all the President
Clinton. So I slide into myseat in Louisville. Yeah. Well the
thing is, Billy Crystal lived inher neighborhood, for god sake. Well
he's in New York. Any whyare you and I even here? No?
Because I'm older than ye. Rememberremember the pretty girls always hang with

(14:03):
the ugly girls to make them evenprettier. So that's why we're here.
Yeah, that's good. Look,I'm fifty five molder than all of you.
And I've tried to take it offmy license after I put the gun
back. But love story. Igo to the Young Young Center in Louisville.
I fly in, I do thewhole you know, the what is

(14:24):
it? A procession by his oldhouse and everything in Louisville and then I
slide into my row and the guygoes, hi, i am King Abdullah
from and I go Hi, Igo, I'm a king too, And
he goes and he goes, howcan you be a gig? And no,

(14:46):
Billy Crystal is there and he's like, I can't believe you're doing this.
I'm a Sacramento king, I'm theirassistant. Call and he just listen
to me. He goes, whathe and I look at mill and he
goes, don't go there. Yeah, okay, were you with the King's
when Muhammad? Yeah, where areyou really? Yeah? Then I go,
I'm a king. You cannot bea king? No, I'm a
king, trust me, I'm aking. Yeah. You got to throw

(15:09):
something her in her winningness, whichwhich brings me to a good top.
You're talking about right now, Nancy, as far as you still talk about
playing with men, you're not afraidof anything. Right. What's the big
story now? Like women's college basketballright now? Yes, of course that's
the big story, right, Kaitlynexactly. Yeah, you offering her five
million dollars to play is the bigstory in the three v three league.

(15:31):
Three three offered her five million dollarsbased salary to play eight games. And
you know she coachy Blood, doesn'tget out much. No, No,
I know that she's she coaches oneof the big three teams. I coach
Power. It was a little trickybecause Caitlyn and I are good friends.
She's she's gonna win my point Guardof the Year award at the Final Four

(15:52):
for the third time. But sinceher freshman year, Coach Blueter has been
so super nice to allow me tozoom with the team to be a friend
of the Iowa program. So sheand I have become good friends. Matter
of fact, I was there Monday, her last game in Iowa and after
the game and they let me comein the locker room. I still fangirl

(16:15):
fangirl around you guys, because Ijust love sports and what great people have
done. And uh, we're inthe locker room and she gave me her
game worn jersey and she autographed itand it smelled, And the other day

(16:36):
I watched the game two nights agoand I wore it, and I'm like,
in my house, I wore theCaitlin Clark autographed jersey and I'm like,
yeah, but I wore No.No, I had people over there.
But I also but I had aerosol, like you know, for breeze.

(16:59):
And now she said there in hersports bro right, and people are
like, well, yeah, sheuh. Who offered him the five million
dollars? The Big three? IceCube? The Big Three, the Big
three, the league bloods doesn't getout much. You need to explain it
to him, Nancy, three.What is the Big three? Explain to
go ahead, Nancy. The Bigthree is three. It's three on three

(17:22):
ice cube. Beat everybody to itseven years ago. He beat the Olympics,
he'd beat the NBA, he'd beatcollege. He beat everybody to it.
So this is his story. Hewasn't there the night the last game
where Kobe scored sixty. He wasdoing a concert somewhere. He goes back
to his house and he's moping aroundfor months and Miss Kim, his wife,

(17:47):
goes, oh Shay, that's hisround name. Oh Shay, stop,
you can't do this, Go dosomething about it. So he calls
his he's a great Laker and OaklandRaiders fan, and so are now Vegas
Raiders, and they start talking aboutlet's start a three on three leagues.

(18:07):
So when guys are retire, theyhave a stepping stone. So the coaches
in the Big Three, Doctor jGeorge Gervin, Clyde Drexler, Rick Mahorn,
Rick Barry, Michael Cooper, GaryPayton, Lisa Leslie, Nancy Lieberman
are Hall of Fame coaches. It'samazing. And we play in NBA arenas.

(18:30):
It's ten weeks. If you gothrough the playoffs from June to September
one, we're getting fourteen fifteen thousandpeople all night. Our ratings are higher.
We outrate in the summer golf,the WNBA, NBA, Summer League
soccer, and Major League Baseball.Because you're on CBS, right, CBS,

(18:53):
Yes, Yeah, Because it's thepace of the game. There's a
lot of energy. It seems moreinto too. The way it's the way
the court's set up. It's youknow, the NBA, you're there,
you're if you're a one in thecourt, you're you know, one hundred
feet away. This it's a halfcourt, right, so that everybody's right
there. So you have that whichbrings I would think, bring more people
in. Because of I got achance to actually write what what's everybody gonna

(19:15):
do with their phone? Taking selfiesand everything else? Somebody runs by,
you get more chain, and Ithink that's probably helps the contribute to Clebs
are there like Jason kidd Lebron JamesH. L Cool, Jay Snoop Dog,
all these, you know, KanyeWest. A lot of celebrities come
and hang out. Well, you'reone of them to You're gonna be a

(19:37):
celeb ball. It's like the league. I mean it's around right, well,
the players are, not the friendsare, but the players all that
community is kind of supporting it.But if you go into the AAC where
we've played for five six years,and there's fifteen thousand people there, white
people, black people, brown people, Asian people, Muslim people, hues,

(20:00):
Christians has been there. You cameon my birthday, on her birthday,
and and my daughter and who knows, my kids were big ice Cube
fans, and so I go there. My kids are like, oh my
god, that's ice Cube, andI go, well, we can probably
get them over here. My kidsare getting pictures with ice Cube. You
know, it's just amazing. Eddie, you never know, he just got

(20:27):
better looking. You want to situp there, No kidding, Teddy,
look at you you guys. We'redoing well. I think he's gotten short.
We got we got a Mic foryou, Eddie, do you want
to be in the Big Three?We'll give you the five million that we
gave going to be on each otherhere. That's got the big german,

(20:52):
Eddie, not her Monday. Wellthis is a good crew. Yeah,
you think about roller Towns will keepit? How many? How many players
are on the oas team? Five? Five players? It's not think about
Grandpa's old timers day at Yankee Stadium. These guys aren't sixty, they're thirty
nine, forty forty two. Butthink about ten players to draw fifteen thousand

(21:17):
people. We've been to the BigThree, right, So I think that
the NBA has a problem that they'regoing to have to buy that league out.
Otherwise they started losing some some fans, which is fine. I mean
there's plenty to go around, sure, but because of the x NBA players
coming in and now there's like youngerguys. Instead of going overseas to play

(21:38):
there, they staying here. AndI don't blame them. I mean,
you stay, you stay close tohome. And yeah, but then but
look at what now the NBA istrying to compete with. Isn't isn't the
Saudis? Aren't they trying to createa league as well. Now, so
there's like so much speculation and Ithink that's the next money for the NBA.
Really if I'm missed, I don'tknow if I'm wrong, Like I
guard that James Bton got offered somethinglike nine hundred million dollars to I mean,

(22:02):
I didn't hear that I go playin Saudi Arabia. He would have
taken it, But I don't knowif I wrote Harry, But I mean,
they've got baseball, right, they'vegot a soccer league, they've got
they got the golf. Golf isthe one, so what wouldn't basketball be
be the next thing? I meanit seems like I think they're going to
become owners eventually. Yeah, becausethere's no way. The franchises, the

(22:25):
values, they're the top, sothere's no way. And they're ready incorporate
the new c VA or the newTV deal into the pricing. That's what
Mike sold for. Really, whatdo you think ownership is gonn allow that
right? Does an ownership have tovote on new buyers? Do you know
who they own? A sign?Yeah? Do you think they're like money?
Yeah? Yes, that's true.Quickly, Eddie Nahara who's just joined

(22:47):
us. We've got Eddie Nancy Leeberman, a Hall of Famer, one of
the greatest women's basketball players ever.Cried two scrubs. Kevin, I don't
Eddy is the first ever Mexican bornper person to play in the NBA,
to be drafted, to be draftedone one one Mexican player that made it

(23:07):
Passio Yamus Okay, great friend ofmine, but he you know, he
soake around for a couple of years. He didn't play much. But I
was the first one drafted in andhad a great career with the Mavericks and
other team. But somebody to lookup to, right growing up? Did
look up to as far as beinga Mexican born player too as fire?
Did you? Did you emulate himor did you not even know of it?

(23:29):
I actually you talked about the otherMexican playing. Yes, I learned
what not to do if I want, well, that's me, that's bloods
to drink a beer, the biggerman beer. I can drink it.
That guy was drinking like twenty beerswhen he was playing in Acaitve and I
was like, dude, like,what are you doing. Yeah, I
played with We've all played with guysthat drink bloods. You're the you brought
that guy drinking twenty beers queen periods. Yes, it's a lubricant. Yes,

(23:55):
there's nothing wrong with It's good forthe joints. Yes, yeah,
So what are you doing these days? At a little bit of everything.
I decided to walk away from agreat job with the Mavericks. I was
very grateful with Mark and the wholestaff because I was there for five years
as a talent evaluad and you know, honestly, like I was a little
afraid to walk away from where,you know, but ultimately I kind of

(24:19):
build this courage, and you know, have kids, and I decided to
take a one year off and notdo anything and try to figure it out.
And finally, because of the NBAwas great to me, so I
ended up making and saving money.So then I started doing my own investments
in the US and in Mexico,and two of them are doing really well,

(24:41):
and one is actually a basketball teamof course, in the Pro League
in Mexico. Have a great partner, and I spent a lot of time
down there. I actually had DwaHoward. He's interested in playing out in
Mexico. He can name more moneyoverseas. But I've play you played thirty
eight, and I wanted, whycan I coach to Mexico? You can

(25:02):
come and coach, Nancy. Irealized how many jobs you have asked me
to coach. You're a celebrity golfhost. I mean, do you have
time for all this, Nancy?I do. I do. Let me
tell you about Eddie. Eddie isone of the most amazing human beings.
How many years ago, seven yearsago, he asked Del Harris and myself
to come to Chiahuahua where he grewup. He's legendary there, the respect

(25:26):
that he has. We went toChihuahua because of who he is. It
was we were there two or threedays. We were treated like royalty,
and we did clinics, we hadtranslators. I'm grateful, that is what
I was going to say, Sothank you. No, it's been an

(25:47):
incredible journey. And going back toyour original question of what I'm doing,
I do that still in my hometownbecause to me, I think that as
a role model, especially for Mexicankids in my country and so in the
Ish. But then we have wehave we have to be there and we
have to make sure that we sharethe knowledge. I mean, I was

(26:08):
fortunate enough to play for great coaches, great minds, so I got I
got to know basketball at the highestlevel. Then I got to be around
icons like like Nancy and then shealso, like was my mentor when I
was coaching. So all these littlethings that I came and built up.

(26:29):
I mean, I'm trying to kindof share that throughout our country because basketball
was a number two sport in ourcountry. Soccer always is still a number
one, and it's up and coming. And that's the reason I got into
the business of basketball with the BasketballLeague down in Mexico, and that's taking
a lot of my time, butI'm having such a an incredible time to
the point that that they want togive me the involvement in politics, and

(26:52):
that's where I put the brakes.I was like, no, no,
no, no politics for me.Yeah, that's where it starts, Eddy
and then for usually where it endsin policy, I think, and I
think about it was more yeah.Yeah, So to that end, you
know, as a Texan, Iworry about Mexico, right, is it?
Because you know, I think Texanskind of view sort of everybody that's
coming across the border and stuff asif they are Mexican, which you know,

(27:15):
if you look at it at all, we know they're not. Is
Mexico Am I okay to worry aboutit? Or is it? Is it
getting better? Are there is thereimprovement there? Do I need to worry
about that? That place as acountry heavy well? The beauty of Mexico
is our neighbors, the US,So I believe that the US has a
correct influence in our country. Nomatter what party is running the country or

(27:38):
what they do. We do downthere. We still depend on the US
economy, so we still have sortof the same structure as the US.
There is corruption, of course,as any where in the world. But
at the end of the day,I think that it's gotten so much better

(27:59):
as the new generations up and comingpoliticians. They're younger, smarter, They
got educated in the US in grade, the Ivy League schools and all that,
so they're going back and giving backto the country, and I think
that eventually will be a better country. For sure. You talk about basketball

(28:19):
being the growth, It's always beena soccer country, right, Mexico has
with so when you were growing upas a kid, was it always soccer?
And then basketball just happened, youknow, with you know, so
the growth over the last thirty yearshas been more basketball than it has been
soccer. Because you think about globally, hockey is really never going to grow
other than here in Canada. It'snot gonna grow over your basketball for sure.

(28:40):
Baseball soccer Europe, yeah, butnot the way that Basketball's low costs
right, cost easier. And wehave more basketball courts in Mexico than than
soccer than any other sport. Uhand now because of full salt Indo soccer,
they're used being utilized for that particular. But at the same time,

(29:02):
we do have great infrastructure when itcomes to like gems, like Mexico City
has two NBA top of arenas,Monterey has one. We have an arena
that holds about fifteen thousand people.We also I own a piece of that
team as well in my hometown andwe actually draw about twelve thousand per game.

(29:22):
So it's up and coming, andI think that there's a great opportunity
for business there as long as youknow, you get the right partners.
And I do have a couple ofguys in there that are incredible. They
don't depend on the government. Theydon't have any contracts with the government.
They actually strictly business and they doit throughout the world. So white brands

(29:45):
Mexican guys that they supported my careerand also supporting my new endeavors with basketball
in Mexico, and we're doing itthe biggest leak of the community. That's
really what we're doing it for.Like we're investing money so we can start
utilizing basketball was a tool to makesure that we implement those values and fundamentals

(30:06):
that that we need, you know, daily life. Yeah, I mean
think about what you know in theNFL takes a game to Mexico City,
right, which is big right now? I think the well the help the
NFL is going to Brazil this year, the Eagles open in Brazil of all
places. And seeing that, Imean the growth, it's got to be
over two hundred percent from when youwere a kid, right, it was
really soccer and then maybe basketball wasjust something to do. I mean,

(30:30):
the last I wonder believe the lastten years basketball exploded. But I think
it's the NBA. They may havedone an incredible job going global and going
back to my point with the NBA, the French value at the top so
now they have to get creative,So how do you continue growing? Right?
And Saudi are Arabia, that's whowere describing it, those probe of

(30:53):
the new people coming in paying liketop dollars. But to me, it's
like you're topping too. You haveCanada, so now you tap me to
Mexico with one hundred and thirty millionpeople who live in there. So let's
say you capture fifty million. Nowyou're Amazon is still not going in Mexico.
There's trying to penetrate the market,which you know Amazon and Apple,

(31:14):
all these big corporations, they alsotapped out in the US. They have
all their clients. Yeah, wehave what two hundred and thirty million here
in the US, They probably coveredlike two hundred million. So now they
have to expand, and so doesthe NBA and not doing that. That's
where I've been and I'm bean talkingto the to the represents. Had a
conversation with the commissioner not so longago, like how time we don't have

(31:36):
a franchise in Mexico. I thinkit's just a matter of time. Has
to happen. Exactly along the linesof Menti's first question, Soccer than basketball,
like, we're in Dirk's restaurant,your former teammate. We're in Dirk's
restaurant. Dirk was a tennis player, right, and all of a sudden,
he's seven feet tall and he's like, maybe I should drive this basketball?

(31:57):
Have you I've seen him on aBFL field. That's funny, Eddie.
We've been playing heroes forever. Iwonder, yeah, he said it.
That's just former teammates. He's nottalking. I guy, you've seen
him like kick a ball. I'mlike, dude, like, what are
you doing? Really? Right,he'll playing the bad is what I was
saying. He can play tennis.He can play. Yeah. I think

(32:20):
he'd be very pickaball and that youhave to move very far. He's got
it. He's got to move atall. Yeah. So but Eddie,
did you start as a soccer playerand then all of a sudden you got
really tall? So I started asa soccer player. Everybody starts as a
soccer player in Mexico. And thenmy father was a pro baseball player.
So then I got to try tofollow the food stamps. Uh. Then
at fourteen, I went from beingsix feet to six eights. Uh.

(32:45):
This is the video of Mexican.Right, So I went and try out
in high school. My first meaniin high school. I went to try
out for the baseball team. Thecoach looked at me from my feet all
the way up, this little showguy, Mexican guy, and then he
had the nerve to say, like, I don't need you in baseball.
Why don't you go try out forbasketball? So he gave me the best
advice. He killed my dream,of course, yeah, baseball, because

(33:07):
he don't say that baseball field,it's not it's it's okay, better and
dirt. Oh no, no,I've done back then. I mean I
remember I was throwing eighty four milesper hour like when I was thirteen thirteen.
Yeah, Randy Johnson time, wellhe has letting it go and the
catcher's mitt while And I wish Mexicowas like the US. I mean the
US. You have private wealth investingin our communities, right, and it's

(33:30):
a good business, Like you haveso many uh so many gyms, multi
sport gyms where you can go trainand and it's some good business. Mexico
doesn't have no structure, so youhave to defend in the US once you
get to a level like myself atseventeen. Okay, now I can play
basketball on a high level. Idominated Mexico, so I have to go

(33:52):
to the best market, which itwas the US. And I was lucky
enough to make that decision. Uh. But going back to question, like
Bucker baseball, and that guy killedmy dream in baseball. So I went
to bas school and I started,and I obviously worked my ass off to
get to where I am and itwasn't given to me. And I'm paying
for it right now and I'm sureNancy can agree with it. To hear

(34:14):
replacement two years ago, I needto have these replaces in my bag.
Wow, Because I was not astalented as a big german, so I
had to like scacrifice my body forthe most part. But I love it.
You were diving, you were settingscreens, You were the guy who
was energizing the team and everybody youknow in baseball, football, you know

(34:34):
hockey, somebody has to do thedirty work. Yeah, so Lud's did
dettonhok right, rocking shots? Thinkabout it as entertaining, but as athletes
at twenty years old, think aboutdid you worry about how your body's gonna
feel me? You're forty five plasticor Robert except I was spitch and do
all these things, which is whyyeah, which is why I have We
can't wake up in the morning withoutsomething hurting. I mean, I'm the

(34:57):
youngest of this group, but Istill feel eighty five. He does because
of like you said, we don'tthink about this generation you talk. What'd
you call him earlier? Let's Alpha? The new generation? Yeah, Alpha's
works not there anymore. They watchand they're better automatically, they attically get
better as opposed to how we wereraised, the doing parts. What do
you guys think about these new athleteslike gamers that don't even put that athlete

(35:20):
in there? No, I shouldhave done that is yeah, but your
body'd be better. Obviously you don'thave to deal with have your original hip,
wouldn't you? You don't have todeal with carpal tunnel. Right that
guy you know listening to Eddie talk, how many times did you hear the
word investment? Because you've done alot of that, right? Is he
the next mister one wonderful made fromthe Shark Tank Mexican version of the Shark
Tank not even close. Nancy couldjoin the panel. I'm in I'm in,

(35:46):
say there you go, I'm in, but you know, but it's
just growing and growing and growing.Well, that's like volleyball too. Right
now we're having volleyball in twenty twentyfive Professional Women's Volleyball Federation, which just
started Dallas is going to have ateam next year. My first year in
the w when I was coaching inGM and Detroit, I would say the

(36:07):
franchises were maybe worth five million dollarsthey're being evaluated now and ninety million with
wnba wnba wnba ninety million because ofwhat's happened since COVID. It's amazing the
opportunities that remind me of your past. You and Eddie's coaching paths crossing.

(36:30):
He was first of all, Eddiedoes not discriminate against anybody. We're minorities.
And when he got the coaching jobwith the Legends and I was there
their first coach and assistant GM.We knew each other, but he reached
out and we would watch film andwe would talk. And did he follow
you as coach? Was he thenext coach after year? Is it Dell

(36:52):
first? For a little bit,it was Dell's second, wasn't it you
were first? Than me, dida good job. They actually held their
name Legends, not so me somuch me as don't have Nancy Liverman the
best there. It was actually prettycool and I really that's when I learned

(37:15):
a bit of the business. SoI got involved with the Allegends as as
the ownership group, and I startedseeing like some potential there. In fact,
when I had this conversation with Adam, I mean, I might be
going to New York next week tomeet with them because I wanted that G
League team, and they use somebodyelse, local guy that I know,

(37:38):
And then he was calling me totry to sell me the team, and
I was like, wait a second, yeah, And so now now they're
they're kind of flirting with me again. But because I know and I learned
from the text of Ladies about coaching, about running the team, and also
about ownership, now feel comfortable goinginto that business. And I feel comfortable

(38:01):
bringing some of my friends as investorsto put some money into it, because
at the end of the day,I think that the G League is continuing
to grow, just like Nancy said, the w NBA now it's a ninety
million that's that's incredible, incredible,and by the way we do have owned
to female and that's that's a requirementfor US men's you have to have a

(38:24):
female team that I haven't even gotto it. We have to operate twenty
twenty five. So I do havetime men's basketball. We have to operate
like in the next three or fourmonths. But I eventually I'm gonna have
to come back to you because Ineed players, any coaches, I need
a whole structure. If you wantto take it, Nancy, you'll coach,
we can commission. He'll be thecommissioners. You talk about the growth,

(38:45):
you talk about the professional women's professionalvolleyball, Correct, Nancy, that's
coming. But I've had discussion withathletic directors in the North Texas area about
most a lot of girls when theyget to high school, they go away
from basketball and they go to volleyball. The only reason they so away.
I just had this conversation. Somewomen don't like the physicality. You want

(39:05):
to play back. No, it'snot the running, it's the it's you
know, in hockey you get hiton every play. You're going to get
hit in that. He was good, Yeah, but that's the alphas.
You know, even in basketball,you know it's going to be physical,
but it's not going to be everysingle play. But women, I haven't
I've had my basketball camps here forforty four years. We've had three hundred

(39:28):
thousand kids come through camp. Theydon't want to get hit, and so
when they don't want to get hit, they go to volleyball to hit,
but not the physicality on them.That's just I mean, just think about
how we were raised. So thatjust goes because we were just talking about
the generational thing of how we wereraised to fight through stuff. It's almost
as if they don't want to fightthrough it, they want to take the

(39:50):
easy path to I don't know howbig volleyball is in Mexico, if it's
even if it's even thought of.As far as you know soccer, I
know baseball's big. Benji Gill isa good buddy of mine, right coaching
team to coach, you know,the semi final. Yeah, so you
know, Benji. But baseball andthen and then basketball. But is there
anything else that you know? Likewe said, the numbers just seem to
especially at the high school level,so I'm so at the college level,

(40:10):
seems like the numbers would be downto no numbers are all up because there's
more girls playing sports. Now youyou can you know, kind of divide
and conquer. But you know withnils with the money they're getting, but
with the money like in the NBAis getting better. The college coaches female
making a million as Don Staley,Kim Molgie just finished signing thirty five million

(40:35):
dollar contracts. I'm the highest paidcoach in the in the Big Three.
And you know, I mean it'snice when somebody who is ownership believes in
you. I've been a GM withthe with the Legends, with the Detroit
Shock in the W So not onlycan you coach, but you can be
a GM like Eddie. Eddie broughtsome sponsors from Mexico, some ownership money

(41:00):
I think maybe from China. Right, you brought your buddies or that was
Johnny. But you were on thelogo on the floor. So you know,
we're not just one trick ponies.I'm more like we're entrepreneurial. Uh
athletes. Yeah, you know,we're athletes, and but we were doing

(41:22):
it in our career. We didn'tknow probably that we were connecting a lot
of dots. But you know,so Nance, let's because you were talking
about women and taking that punishment right. And we talked. You and I
talked last night about Caitlin taking thefive million, which we don't know if
she's going to do. I don'teven know if she's had the offer presented
to her yet. Person she hasnot. Okay, I didn't think she

(41:44):
had anyway, But you told meyou're one of the maybe the only person
in the world who knows what it'slike. I mean, look at the
size difference between you and Eddie andif you were in when you were playing,
you played against men and a guyEddie's side set a screen on you.
Yeah, what is that like?Look in nineteen eighty I had known

(42:06):
pro league. I didn't have apro league in my prime in eighty.
I think Eddie knows this. Butdoctor Buss and Jerry West called me.
I was playing in a men's leaguein New York and they did Jane Polly
did a thing on me. DoctorBuss saw it. They called me the
next day and they said, wewant you to play for the Lakers in
summer league. Your coach is goingto be a young coach. It's his

(42:28):
first time. His name is patRiley. He did not want me on
his team. I even have thevideo of this with Pat and I didn't,
in his mind's eye, look likethe point guard that he would recognize.
So I fly to La. I'mout there. I'm getting my ass
beat every practice. He tells hisstory years later that you know, he

(42:53):
says to the coaches, he goes, what the hell are we going to
do with her? They beat therap out of her, They knock her
down, she doesn't cry, andshe tried to start two fistfights in practice.
Eighty or twenty two years old.I was twenty two years old,
and four days later I was juststarting point guard because I wasn't afraid,
and you know, you go on, you can't be afraid. Well,

(43:17):
well we've got we just want tolet you know what's going on. We've
got a bunch of airport executives whoare checking us out right now, which
is awesome. It's great, welcome. We love to see you, Thank
you all for being here, andwe are helping to make people realize what
an awesome concept a dirt Novitsky typerestaurant is. There are lots of them

(43:38):
throughout the country, and that's throughour Playmaker's brand and Eddie I want you
to weigh in for us on youknow, some of your best recollections of
Dirk being your teammate. I mean, this guy was. He's iconic,
He's unbelievable. He's so fun andfriendly and down to earth. What do

(43:58):
you remember? So I remember gettingdrafted by the Nevericks and I was there
was four rookies Corney, Alexander,Ayton, Thomas, Donald Harvey, and
I was a second rounder. Theyflew on Mark Ewan's plane to Dallas.
I flew southwest and I was like, so I got there. I was

(44:19):
like, okay, whatever, butguess what. The number one guy that
greeted me was Dark no kidding.Derek showed me the city around, and
I had no guarantee contract. Iwas a second rounder, so I didn't
even know. I didn't know ifI was well. I knew I was
gonna make the team. There wasno questions there, there was no doubts
in He didn't know that. Hedidn't know that. Nobody else in the

(44:43):
organization knew whether I was gonna makethe team or not because I had a
non guarantee contract. But he showedme around, took me around. Obviously,
I kind of got to learn hispersonality. Being from Germany's they're different,
just like I'm different being from Mexico. So he's his jokes were a
little more. It was more atmobive dry sense of humor. Yeah,

(45:05):
But at the end of the day, like we hit it off and we
had something in common. We wereforeigners in a big city. I was
coming from Norman, Oklahoma. Hewas coming from Germany, a small town.
Yeah, and we actually hit itoff. And he started like showing
me taking me around dinners and thisand that. I was like, Wow,
this guy has been so nice tome. But anyway, it's low

(45:29):
story short. Now we fast forwardto basketball. He would not let Sean
Braalley garden, he would not letanybody as at me garden. And again
no guarantee contract, and he wouldtell me like, do not take it
is here me And I was like, dude, I'm gonna get you hurt.
You don't understand, like I cango as hard as you want.

(45:50):
But that was that's when I knewthat he was gonna be special. Because
everybody criticized me his first two yearsthe typical European player females games, and
they were right. I mean,he was young, he was eighteen when
he got to Dallas. When whenI got drafted, he was twenty and
I was already twenty two. He'stwo years actually younger than me. But

(46:13):
doing the playoffs, the when thegame was on the line. The first
three or four years, he couldn'tdrive, he couldn't shoot. He would
throw it away or he would dosomething. But the one thing that I
can tell you is his resilience.He would get back into it. He
would delete that play and get backinto it. And he was actually fearless.

(46:35):
And he has a quote that Ireally really enjoyed that he said it.
He said like when he came topressure, he actually he loves being
in that situation. He actually sayssomething else, I'm not sure I make
love to pressure. That's when youput it out. I was like,
whoa, that's actually pretty cool,Dudeeah. So then I got traded and

(46:57):
then I came back around and hewas like the top this guy on the
team, and I was like,what the hell. So then he was
like Getty doing practice. Uh,you know the special situations one played obviously,
the balls going to dark. Andhe would tell me like, all
right, come on, let's seewhat you got and the first time.
The second time I came around,this guy put his shoulder on my chin.
I think I had a concussion.Didn't even know it, but I

(47:21):
was like, what the hell,dude, Like, why do you have
to be so aggressive? Now?I was asking him to slow down.
Yeah, yeah, because he wasso incredible. He was ready to be
the MVP and always had to winthe championship with the following year they wanted.
Yeah, so you were you werethere when they went to the finals
in eighty six. I mean inthe ninety how you think it is.

(47:45):
I don't even know. He's nota baby boomer. Yeah, twenty thousand
and six. Yeah, so I'mkindable. Well, the guys what I
was one of those guys that nowbig. So my contract situation, Thank
god, I was blessed and Iwas making enough money, but I got
traded for Eric Dampierre to Golden State. So I went from the best organization

(48:10):
to the worst at that time.Now Golden State has grown. He's the
only place that I asked for atrade because they we're not playing me and
they were paying me all this moneyand we had a younger coach in Mike
Montgomery, and I could tell hewas a little tentative about Dale Davis.
Cliff Robinson was in the team,and so I was like the third guy.
But anyways, I asked for atrade. So when I came back

(48:32):
in twenty ten, Derg was incredible. I mean he played defense. I
mean the last the finals against Miami, I think he broke his finger and
he continued playing on shooting him sohe continued playing. Now, when we

(48:53):
went to the Western Finals, heactually sprang his knee and I saw him
practice and I get it. DonNelson. Nelly was up protected him,
wouldn't play, and I'm like,look at it was like, dude,
like we needed I was, Iwas. I was playing one. I
just have surgery that I was supposedto take a year off. Came back
in seven weeks and I'm like,you need to play. And that was

(49:15):
my moments shot with the championship andwhen he shut they shot him down.
He wanted to play, Nelly said, And that right was that game seven
against exactly the third game against theSpurs. Than just never came back and
there was some finals and all that, and nan delis that we have the
nets. We had like the theeasy way. So I told him that

(49:37):
I'm winning the whole thing. Yeahgreat, but think about what he just
said about Nelly. Nelly Saw hada vision of the future. And there's
a lot of coaches, right youknow this who they will grind you to,
you know, in all of oursports if they think you can help
them win. Because a coach,Chuck Dailey said this to me when I

(49:59):
was coaching in Detroit. Right,he goes, Nancy, I was the
first time coach. He goes,go get the yearbook or you know the
little book that the media gets.He goes, go to Ron Harper and
I go to Ron Harper and itsays Ron has been you know, all
Pro, all this All Star game, and he goes, this man has
lost seventy percent of all the gameshe's ever played in. And it sounds

(50:20):
like he's going to be a Hallof Famer, but he's lost. He
goes, now, go to mybook and it says, Chuck Daily is
three hundred and fifty nine. You'reonly judged by your wins and losses as
a coach. Yep, we gotto get daddy out of here. That's
so too bad. And he's gotto go kiss babies. That's what you
do. He's got stuff to do. I mean, Eddie's that he's here

(50:40):
for a reason. It wasn't justsay we can't set one of these up
down in Chiuahua in Mexico. Right, that's right, so hey, maybe
Eddie would be Eddie has been KulbiLalos. That's my big name. Yeah,
that's right in DFLW. There yougo. Definitely Chiua. Let's make
sure we go talking. Derek's theguy to talk to. Let's get you
a rest, you guys for havingme. I could hang with you,

(51:04):
guys, you could York. You'regoing to stab somebody. I was to
stab somebody. I was in adress and patent leather shoes and this guy
was making fun of me when Iwas ten, and my shoes slipped as
I tried to scabble. Stop.Second, so you were in a mini

(51:25):
skirt and high heels. Just changedthat. I'm not a hooker looker.
Yeah, but you were in thedress up to here. No, I
was in it. I was ten. I wasn't trying to sell a broad
at that time. I was ten. I don't say anything, Nancy.

(51:47):
So I had a plastic I wasin New York. We were and I
had a plastic night, but theguy was irritating me, and I got
mad at him with my flaming redhair, and I went to try to
stab them with my knife, andmy shoe slipped on them and my teeth
hit and I broke my teeth.I didn't build up, and my mother

(52:10):
was so upset with me. Mydad brought me back home the marble at
my teeth. No, your teethhit the marble. Now, if you
were a helpa and Today's day anddid that on a subdaysing the floor company,
you'd be getting the letter chair rightnow, then getting letting out,
yeah, plus letting the word upwith it gone. Now I'm telling you

(52:32):
that I had to stab somebody.I would I thought we're going to say
the guy punched you. Wait,Dave, what was Dave? Your coach?
Dave Tibbott. Okay, when Igot the job with the Legends,
Dave calls me. He goes comecome to the Star Center in Frisco.
He gets me on skates and Iwas a little shaky on the skates,

(52:53):
but I really want to learn howto go backwards. I don't know how.
So he gave me the gloves andeverything and two minutes in, I
fell my gloves up and I'm pushinghim and trying to fight him. Oh
Tip doesn't I know, but he'slike, do you want a fight or
do you want to skate? I'mlike, I want to really rather fight

(53:13):
from New York. Do you expectthe first You weren't wearing the same short
dress at the time when I wasno girl. I didn't. I'm not
an ice girl. But I'd loveto drive the zamboni. I'm sure we
can give you one. You candrive around town. You probably you ever?
Have you ever driven one? Yes? You have once? One time?

(53:35):
You drunk once. No, Iwas younger, It's like fourteen years
old. So I was Nancy.She was apparently dressing for the town.
Yeah, that's training a pretty woman. What do you guys got to?
Where's your car? My car hasbeen totals as him yesterday and he sold
his bike. But I'm getting butthat's by design. He s bike.

(53:58):
We went to the shoe the daythat we're done shooting somebody one went to
the Harley shop. Yeah, soldit and I said, well here's what
I want. We can do that, you know, and then my car
got totally as of yesterday from thehailstorm. Yeah, but I'm gonna bring
it back. I'm sorry, butyou're gonna buy a new bike. You're
gonna bring back whatever I took.I apologize. Oh yeah, you but
you're buying a new bike. Yeah. I think Nancy could ride a Harley.

(54:20):
You know what your ball? Theball said Neil. He says he's
gonna let me come out take battingpractice and have a UNI with my name
on it. Because the last timewhen Buck was there and Dion and I
went, did we walk in andDion has a uniform that says Sanders,
he has a hat adult and andthey're like, I'm like, we had

(54:43):
a T shirt for you, giveyou a Ranger's T shirt. And I'm
like, isn't that right? Likereally, yeah, well hey that's fucked
for you. Way yeah yeah.But he let me use his parking spot
underneath. So you have to giveyou a uniform. Give me a uniform.
Let me get in a can.Speaking of uniforms, bassling Nancy today

(55:05):
what he came in here with aDirk Novitski jersey so that he could sign
it for him? Did he onhis wall? But he ran off?
So you didn't get there to signit. Yet he ran off. I'll
get him later, we'll get him, we'll see him again. I'm gonna
get a nance leaveman, I'm gonnahave her sign it and you're gonna wear
it around town. Let's I wouldbe proud to wear that. You wouldn't?

(55:27):
You would take in your closet,like we have a male and female
legend. Off that jersey. Iwanted to get a game one one so
it stinks, right, Oh mygosh, this thing smelled Stinking's gonna persons.
No, no, she got topick up it. But look at
this Caitlin's jersey. She gave meafter the game Monday, and I was
so super happy, so I woreit during the game Monday. Yeah,

(55:52):
it's stunk. It smells sweat,Nancy, But she signed it to me
and took it off from her back. But how many times have you done
that? A lot? But thatwas cool of her, right, yeah?
Cool? No, very cool.Yeah. Now, so let me
ask you this, and we gotto get off. We gotta beat up.
I gotta go. Let me askyou what are we doing a show
here? Yeah? We're still doingOK. So let me ask you this.

(56:14):
Yes, can they beat flipping LSU. This year it's a one against
the three? Can they Can theybeat LSU? I want them to beat
I love her, I want themto beat LSU. They're not as athletic
as LSU is, and LSU's abetter rebounding team, and Kim Malkey's a
good coach. I mean, Ithink the physicality of LSU is going.
What's gonna separate that? Right?Because they're going to isolate her, They're

(56:36):
gonna make the rest of the team. What do you do in sports as
coaches and tee what do you do? You isolate their best player and get
beat by the rest, right,And that's what they're gonna do. Well.
Last year she had forty one againstthem. Oh she did yeah.
In the in the championship game,she had forty one. Okay, and
they lost by sixteen points. Okay, can we stop talking about sports for
a second? Can we can wehere? I want to hear how they

(56:58):
can of corn and your charity canOh wow? What corn? Your can
of corn? Really? Yes?I want to can you give us You're
gonna cry? Okay? So yes, I was poured out a can of
corn for me to go to theOlympics. Yes, I can't believe you
remember that. It's true. He'shad a lot of concussions. I don't

(57:20):
know how he remembers anything, hisname, but he remembers that. I'm
sorry. He calls it alcoholism.He called me Karen before. So I'm
fourteen years old. I get togo to a tryout. I come home
and I go, Ma, Mama, I'm going to the US tryouts.
And she goes like, hell youare. I don't have money to put
food on the table. I can'tfly you to Albuquerque. This can of

(57:44):
corn, they opened it, theycleaned it, and they put an envelope
that said, we're endeavoring to raisethree hundred dollars to send Nancy to the
US tryouts. This is nineteen seventyfour. Strangers put money in a can,
and I had enough to go tothe tryouts. Where were they nance
Albuquere, New Mexico. And itwas amazing, Like I was like a

(58:05):
sophomore in high school and this isPat Summit and Lucy Harris and these are
Hall of Famers and Myers. Iwas overwhelmed with I had never seen so
many great women play. And thenthe next year I make the Pan Am
team. As a junior, wewin the gold. Then my senior year
we win the silver, and I'mstill in high school. I wish I

(58:28):
knew where the people. I'm surethey're no longer with us, except we're
so generous to put money in acan that went door to door in far
rockaway. So if that can happento me, we can do stuff for
other people. People did it onblind faith and kindness. I'm not here
with you, guys. If strangersdidn't help me, I had nothing.

(58:51):
I had no food, no heat, no electricity, no father. That's
where I'm at right now. ChristmasTree though at the house, well we
got four of them. They're stillaround a lot of Yeah, but that's
part of charity bent that it's theonly reason I do it, because like
I didn't wake up at fifty ormake like us make good money and then

(59:14):
say I have a conscience about helpingpeople. I know what it's like to
feel less. I know what it'slike to not have It sucks to have
that in your life. We cantake a perfectly wonderful child who maybe doesn't
look like us, and we canbe dream givers, not hopestealers. I

(59:36):
have so many Nancy Camp moments.Nancy, you can't do that. Nancy,
you can't do that. Nancy.You can't be around you know luds.
You can't be around you know mencheor Otigan, you know girls don't.
Who are you to tell me whatI can be? You should be
encouraging me. And even if itdoesn't happen. I mean, look at

(59:57):
Billy Jean King. Look what shedid for me. What were you do
ten years old when you started playingat Rucker Park twelve Rocker you know,
yeah, Rutger Park Park in NewYork. It is the place where every
great player from New York goes andthey play pick up, right, most
of them we've we've heard of,right, all these kids that come through
Rucker Park make it to the NBA. Nancy's there's a twelve year old and

(01:00:19):
somebody, thank goodness, they takethe kise. Obviously it's a bunch of
African American kids who are who arereally good at basketball, and somebody took
her under their wing and said let'sgo. Doesn't it sound like, Nancy
that that little children's book at theengine that came lite that could? Isn't
that you? It is? Diontalks about Dion talks about that everybody has

(01:00:40):
his story. I'm you know,I don't look at myself as a minority.
I know I'm a woman and technicallyin this world. But my job
is I'm a risk taker. I'ma rule breaker. When I say rule
breaker, you know I'm not,you know, running a stealing. But
you can't tell me. I can'tcoach man. You can't tell me I

(01:01:00):
can't win a championship. You can'ttell me I can't. Dirk and I
and think about this in all theyears we've been here together. In twenty
twenty three, Dirk Novitzky and mewere inducted into the Naysmith Basketball Hall of
Fame together my Olympic team went in. I've already been in, and we

(01:01:24):
go in and we looked at eachother and went, can you believe we're
the class of twenty twenty three?You can never take that away. Baseball
was my best sport. Bobby Mercerwas my hero, my hero in baseball.
Hockey was my favorite best sport.Growing up. We used to play

(01:01:46):
roller hockey. I was Eddie Jockerman, Remember Eddie no face mask. I
mean we had like I said thegagline and Walter Kachuk and all these guys.
My mother's like, what is wrongwith you? My mother took me
to a psychologist when I was elevenyears old because I used to sleep with

(01:02:07):
the transistor listening and Marv Albert callthe hockey games, and you know,
Jockman is between the pipes and onlyGod saved more than Bernie Parant. Right,
I'm you except older. We arethe supports. We think about,
thinking about what we as athletes aregenerating. Right, Luds didn't even know

(01:02:28):
he was going to college and theytold me was I mean right, you
tell us you can't do it.They tell us, you know you're too
small, you know you're not goingto do this. But that just it
speaks volumes to what we were taughttold as kids that you're not it's you
can't play. Those are boys.You can't do it, Luds, you
can't do it. This is justyou know, I can't do it because
of this. But look at whatit's done. Because I think that's what's
missing from this generation now, ofof people telling them they can't do it.

(01:02:52):
Okay, then I'll just go youknow what else does everybody tells them
they can now? Yeah? Oh, yeah, especially their parents. Well
that's why everybody here's your trophy,you get anticipate you, which is bullshit.
The whole participation thing is bs.There's gonna be a winner and a
loser. Like I once asked Kobeand uh Lebron, I said, are
you okay? Like how much moneyyou make? And they're like, what

(01:03:14):
you know? Like ninety million?I said, are you okay diving up
your contract with the team one fourteenthor one fifteenth and they're like no,
no, Like Kobe said, there'sa reason why I don't trust you and
I won't give you the ball incrucial situations because when I'm going out to

(01:03:35):
work out at four in the morning, You're coming in at four in the
morning, I don't trust you.You're the last one to practice and the
first coming in leave coming in.Yeah, I'm going cleaves out drinking til
that you were coming in. Butto make it to where you are in
your career, and you know MINSIwhere you are in your career in RADS,
I mean, how many how manyawards do you have? How many

(01:03:57):
you gotta who has all been toldthat you can't do it right? You're
not going to be able to doit. So we're here and we all
have a background, a different story, but we're all grateful and we're mean
as shit, and we competed likethe devil, and it's okay to want
to win. So I why didI play at fifty? Why did I

(01:04:19):
play at thirty nine? I wantedto see if I could do it.
I wanted my kid to know whathis mommy did. Yeah, I mean't
have my prime. Yeah. Bythe time you played at fifty, you
weren't his mommy anymore. You werelike ma, right, and he's like,
yeah, hey, ma, let'sget in the game. Yeahhet born
with a competitive chain fit. Ithink we all were, though, right,

(01:04:42):
we had people that we looked upto. Is I'm more so than
others. We're still competitive, right, Yeah, And he's a problem,
I think just to ship how doyou motivate this generation? All I had
to do is a kid would say, I'm going to be better than you?
You and you? What do Ineed to do? Now? It's
just I'm gonna be a ready Okay, I watched it. I'm better than
you think I'm yeah, right,you know what I yeah, you know
why we build dream courts. We'retrying to get these kids out of the

(01:05:04):
house. You know, we playroller hockey, we played volleyball, we
played tennis, and now we playgolf on dream courts. We put nets
and the little strip and let weget kids who have been told, oh,
you're black, you don't get toplay. You play basketball and football.
No you don't. You do notget to tell me what I can
be sport office. It's not carethey are try everything. Yeah, absolutely,

(01:05:29):
that's why we do what we do. We gotta We got a look
at day things like I got anothergig here, overtime pay, yeah,
yeah, yeah, he knows.Dinner Yeah, Lorie Poulin, you're going,
dude, yeah, dinner. Weso appreciate you. I hope you
watch every minute of this. It'sawesome with Nancy, she's a Hall of
Famer. We had Eddie on,we all got when's the golf tournament Team

(01:05:56):
Castle Hills is September sixteenth? Incharities great charity is great. Just what
she's doing gallery the fourteenth. Ithink I should try to get Dirk to
bring some of this. Uh okay, oh yeah, get the big german
out there. Okay, no toSo who's your big star this year?
Do you have a big, hugestar. Okay, let me tell you

(01:06:20):
our friend. We wanted to honorDirk. His event is the same day
he and I talked. He felthorrible. Text me Nancy, I'm so
sorry. I'm so sorry. I'mlike, stop, I'm gonna see if
we'll work our date in twenty twentyfive. We're going to honor him.

(01:06:40):
I'm praying and hoping that either JasonKid or Shack says yes I'm talking to
this ye yes. So, Imean, just for your prayers out there,
that they will do it track.We'll always have the same group of
guys that are always there. Yourbuddy Jay Harris, he's the best.
Day's always a guy. We lovethat man. She went to college well

(01:07:05):
together. I'm older, but yougotta know, Dave stopped recording five minutes.
We gotta let Dave though. ThankYou've been awesome. We'll see you
next time. A