April 10, 2023 • 36 mins
Antoine Walker joins us this week to reflect on his career and share thoughts on this year’s current Celtics roster. He tips off the conversation explaining how he plans to be around the Celtics organization in an ambassador role going forward. He then dives into his early career in Boston, drawing parallels between his relationship with Paul Pierce and what he sees now between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
The conversation pivots into Walker’s college career, the development of the “Walker Wiggle” and what it was like to have his college coach, Rick Pitino, join him in Boston.
As the episode wraps up, Antoine and Marc discuss how he was a player ahead of his time, taking threes and playing the perimeter as many young stars and frontline players in the game do today. Antoine closes with final thoughts on how his career unfolded after being traded by Boston, including reflecting on his championship run with the Miami Heat.
2:25 - Updates From Antoine
4:05 - Playoff Outlook
6:48 - Relationship with Paul Pierce
14:21 - Early Years In The NBA
16:10 - Rick Pitino, From Kentucky To Boston
22:42 - Walker Wiggle
25:20 - A Game Of Threes
29:35 - Career After Boston
33:25 - Relationship With KG
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome everyone. This is View from the Rafters Today. We're
bringing in a man who hails from basketball country life
is funny. Okay, don't go there, not yet. Well, we
talk about him our post The Bust One Boys is
the crazy story, not actortball. It's the crazy thing to me.
It's like where you came from. Yeah, we're all older
than we think. We are always Gold League Gray Baby.
(00:23):
What's up everyone. We are winding down season three of
You from the Rafters behind the scenes with the Boston Celtics,
and during today's episode, we are going to turn it
back to the nineties. We got Antoine Walker coming on
the show today and listen, Antoine is actually rolling his
way back into the organization right now as an ambassador
for the Celtics. So he's going to be back in town,
coming to some games during the playoffs. He's going to
(00:45):
talk about that to you all, and we're really excited
to have him back in the fold with the organization here.
But we dove into pretty much everything about his career.
We started out talking about his time with Paul Pierce,
how that maybe translates a little bit to what Jalen
and Jason Tatum are going to nowadays right now and
their run and trying to get to the NBA Finals
and get get over the hump. We talked about his
(01:08):
early days with the team, and Rick Petito, his college coach,
taking over the helm here as the head coach of
the Boston Celtics in his in Antoine's second year of
his career, and then really going into those later parts
of his career. He and Paul Pierce made a run
to the conference finals, he got traded away to Dallas,
wound up coming back about a year and a half later,
(01:29):
and then in the end he wound up going down
to Miami and being able to win a championship alongside
Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. So he's got a lot
to talk about. You're gonna want to hear it all,
and it's coming up next. Before we get into that,
just a quick reminder, as always, we got to ask
you to please rate, subscribe, and review. Literally, we appreciate
every single one of you who has given us a
(01:51):
watch and a listen this year. We wouldn't be here
without you, so thank you for that. And just a
reminder as we wind this down Every Tuesday, the audio
episode is dropping on your favorite podcast platform and every
Wednesday we're coming out with the video on your YouTube channel.
So without further do, let's toss it over. Here's Antoine
Walker talking about literally anything and everything throughout his career
(02:12):
with the Celtics. All right, Antoine Walker, Man, it's been
a while we haven't had you in the Celtics orbit
and way too long. Man. What's been going on on
your side of things over here over the last couple
of months, a couple of years, Just enjoying life. I'm
still very much involved in the game, doing TV, you know,
(02:32):
obviously out for Fox, and I'm still getting the opportunity
to be a part of the NBA game and being
able to express my knowledge of it and give my opinion.
So it's been going really really well for me. Is
being able to still be a part of it. And
I was doing the SEC network for four years, just
(02:54):
recently stopped doing that this past season, but still very
much a part of the game working with the Celtics,
and then the ambassador role got a little six so
I haven't been up there as much this year, so
I s threw me off a little bit, but looking
forward to continually working with them and probably be up
there doing the playoffs. Let's go into that though, Man,
(03:15):
that that's kind of a big deal of having you
back in the orbit, like I said, and being an
ambassador for the franchise. What made you want to do this?
What are you going to be doing with the team,
and why are you excited to get back here and
be involved with the franchise, the fan base, the community
and all that stuff moving forward? Well, Obviously, the Celtics
are a team that drafted me back in nineteen ninety six,
(03:36):
took a chance of this nineteen year old kid, and
I had a lot of success and that visually made
me the player who I was. And obviously know Boston's
a sports town and if you can make it anywhere,
especially in the NBA, and to be able to have
some success and have Boston embrace you the way Boston
embraced me the fan base embraced to me, is great.
(03:58):
But great to be back and um working with the team.
Obviously followed the team and love what they're building with Jason,
Tatum and Brown and the quarter they have in place now. Um,
and I think the championship is coming soon. Those those
guys who got to they definitely have the talent to
do it. Um, they're putting a great product on the floor,
(04:20):
and it's just a matter off, you know, the ball
bouncing away a little bit, or break here, a break there.
But UM, I like what they got their established and
they've got some experience. Obviously, we know playing in the finals,
and I was able to see three of those games live,
so I know they're right there. UM to putting up
another banner. I like the sound of that. I like
where you're going here. Do you think it can happen
this year? I think it's wide open in the in
(04:43):
the league. I think what team gets hot? Um, players
get hot. I'm with you on now. I think it's
I think it's one of those it's one of those
years that it's hard to pick a clear cut favorite. Um.
I think every team in the top four or five
I've looked great at moments throughout the season what it
looked like world beaters. So it's gonna be a very
competitive playoff. It's gonna be a team that can stay
(05:04):
healthy and whip players can get hot. You know, we
can get hot for six seven weeks. I got a
feeling what we saw it last year, right J t
and j B definitely got hot at the right time.
The whole team got hot. So let's see if it
can happen again. What do you remember about that that
run that you made to the conference finals that one year.
I mean, you guys, you got hot at the right
(05:26):
time right being able to turn it on and make
that run to the conference finals. What do you remember
kind of spurred that for you guys? Made a big trade.
We traded for Ronnie Rodgers and and Gout was able
to play a little bit of a small ball with
him at the five and four and just to take
come around. We were we were we were very good
defensive team that year, and I think that's what that
(05:50):
kind of kind of pulled us over the top. But
it was our first time making a deep round like that,
My first time, Paul's first time, and we played again
it's an experienced team that had been together while Jason
kidd in that group, and we couldn't get past them.
But it was great experience, great learning experience, and it
taught us a lot about the dedication and what you
(06:12):
need if you want to get to the ultimate goal,
and let's getting to the NBA finals and playing for
a championship. Yeah, it's it's definitely not easy to get there.
Like you said, every year there's usually it feels like
there's you know, two, three, four teams in each conference
that can make that run. Let's hope that the Celtics
and can do it again this year and win a
couple more games than last year. You touched down Paul
(06:33):
right there. He came on the podcast a couple of
weeks ago. I gotta ask you about your time spending
with him his first I think five years in the
league were spent as a teammate of yours. What do
you remember about those days back in the late nineties
and early two thousands and when you guys first teamed up,
just great success. You know, when Paul came in, he
was a terrific talent. For us to be able to
(06:57):
mesh and figure it out was spec And I think
it started from us being friends off the court and
building a relationship as being friends off the court, and
that kind of carried over to the court and we
had great respect for each other's skill set and talent.
Said I think Paul is one of the pier scores
in the league. Get to the foul an when he
wants to UM, and I respected that, so I didn't
(07:18):
mind being one being him being one a M And
I think that's what really helped us UM have the
success that we did, is because we respect each other's
talent and skill set and and that's that's the main
thing when you make it a run like that. UM.
Obviously we came up a little short, but it still
was fun as far as trying to get the Celtic
(07:40):
glory days back and becoming a really competitive playoff team.
When I got there, the team was in the rebuilding mode,
So to get to add Paul Um after a couple
of years was great and special for me. And you know,
it's it's turned out to be. We didn't we didn't
achieve what we wanted to, but we still put like
we put the Celtics in a good position and put
(08:01):
them back on the map as a competitive playoff team.
And it's something that we always remember. You said, you
guys started out like the relationship started off the court.
I gotta ask you a little bit more of that.
What was it that made you guys connect as just
like guys off the court, that you were able to
relate with each other and grow that relationship. I'm just
curious how that started out and what really helped to
(08:23):
take off. I think it's virtual respect for both each
other's basketball and skill set. I mean, I can't When
Paul came in, I had already made an All Star team.
I think he respected that and skepted my skill set
and then me respecting as an understanding where he was
good at and he was a gifted score He was
a gifted guy that can get to the bathroom when
he wants to. He can score the basketball at a
very very high level. So all those things played a
(08:46):
part in that. And we both had the will to
want to win. I think that's that's one thing that
people don't understand. Me and Paul are both very competitive.
We want we want the best, we want to be
the best, and I think that's what made us special
and was able to click right away. But we also too,
and not just a love tapping. To add to that,
spent a lot of time together off the court. I
(09:08):
think that's important to build those type of friendships off
the court and to have a lot of respect for
each other. And me and Paul hit it off right away.
What do you guys used to do together? Everything, dinners,
we go to dinners together, we hang together, we would
club it together. And we're still good friends now, just
was a couple of months in la spent a couple
spent the week with them out in la Um. So
(09:30):
we're still very much good friends and and that that's
that's what I think what helps you when you're trying
to win a championship and has to assess on the court,
when you're able to build friendships like that as well.
All Right, when Antoine Walker is at Paul Pierce's house
in la you guys are sitting down for dinner, what
are you guys talking about? I gotta know that's the
(09:51):
variety things. Obviously we talking sports, and we love sports
and all sports. We argue about players and different things
that maybe going on. We're talking about girls, We're talking
about everything that you can never imagine. So we have
their great conversations that we have. We like a lot
of the similar things, so it makes for easy conversation
for us to get along really really well. You see
any similarities between you guys and Jason and Jalen. I
(10:15):
mean obviously very different eras different types of players in
some ways, but similar trajectories and careers. You guys started
playing together at about the same time Jason and Jayla
did in their careers. Do you see some similarities there
between your duo and their duo? Yeah, I do, and
I think, um, what I like about them if you
(10:37):
really watch them, they don't fight over the ball, so
you tell they have mutual respect for it. Took a
while though for them to learn that, I feel, but
you can just see it though, And I think that's
why if you start to see so much success and
you started to see a little deeper playoff run because
they have a little they have that type of respect
for each other. Um. But one thing that I could
(10:58):
say about those guys that you know, they're both wing
players sometimes because difficult. You know, I was more of
a powerful Paul was more of a wing. So to
see two wing guys able to figure it out and
have success is great and um and to be one
of the most exciting duels. But I could tell that
(11:20):
they have mutual respect for each other because in the
beginning they didn't look like that. But you know, over
the last I would say the last year a year
and a half has been great. Something Paul told me
when I talked to him a couple of weeks ago,
is that he really wants to integrate himself with these
guys and get to know them better as people off
(11:42):
the court and try to fill them in on some
of that Celtics history that in culture that maybe they
don't know yet. What do you want to what type
of relationship would you want to have with these guys
now that you're you're getting more involved in the organization
here moving forward or and by the way, do you
have a relation and ship with either of them at
this well? Uh, yeah, I mean I don't have a veryship.
(12:03):
Why I talk to them personally, um, but when I
see him, it's always deep conversations out Jason's dad is
a guy that I grew up with and played ball against,
so I know him very well, So I have some
type of to him. But but just just the fact
that I think one thing I could say with these
(12:23):
guys and the connection that you want, they got a
chance to do something special and they're doing it that
y'all has Me and Paul, we're young. You could be
together for a while. You know, it could be a
ten fifteen year run. And they've already been the one
finals obviously, they didn't win it, but you know, if
you're playing at that level and get into the Ultimate
and have a chance to win championship, ride it out. Um,
(12:45):
you know, I'll have a voice. Continue to try to
talk to the organization about adding pizzas when you need
to add pieces and be vocal, and also embrace the
Boston community. I'm not far and more know the things
that they won the community, but it's a great sports time.
People there are real true fans and they support you
(13:06):
and you know, all those things play a part and
making you a run and I want them guys to
make the most out of their career. So those are
type of conversations that I would want to have with them.
And they got a chance to do something special and
you can bring a title to Boston will be you know, unbelievable.
They bring another banner to there and understand that how
that goes. So I think those are some of the
(13:26):
things you want to share with them and continue to
get better. And they need each other to get The
league is too balanced now, so you can't do it
by yourself. You have to have multiple guys that's going
to deliver, and they have to take that leadership type role.
It's a really good point that the league really does
have a lot of parody, a lot of balance. You
got to have multiple guys being able to step up,
to be able to not only make that run to
(13:48):
the finals, but then to get over the hump. They
just figured that out last year, finally getting into the
finals for the first time. We're talking about them in
their early portions of their careers. I want to talk
to you about that part of your career. You get
drafted in ninety six. Um, soon there after one season in,
you get your college coach coming in to coach you
in the pros. What were those early years like for
(14:10):
you and your adjustment from you know, coming from the
Kentucky program to playing for the Boston Celtics Men. That's
a pretty good run of being in some elite programs, right,
I mean that was wild. Yeah, it was actually a
love overwhelming because when I came in, even to take
this step back, NBL card drafted me. He was the GM.
(14:30):
J Jones was the assistant coach. I mean, we all
know you got the Timey Heights Sins doing the tv UM,
Cedric Maxwell doing radio. Yeah, at the time, he had
Joe Joe White in the stands. Bill Russell was a
part of organization. Rin all Back was still around, so
you understand the tradition of Celtic M, the Celtic organization,
(14:51):
which which is very special, and it was great for me.
It made me want to I was. I felt like
I was a true Celtic M. You believe you get
you get it kind of and bready than your blood
that that's what you want to get it back. And
obviously to try to get back to those glory days
was really tough. But I felt like me and Paul
did a good job of starting the foundation of one
(15:14):
getting back to winning basketball UM, making considerably deep, deep
roads in the playoffs. Obviously I didn't win a championship
in Boston, but you know, shortly out there year and
a half AFT I think eight at that leave. You know,
two years later they win the championship. UM, the foundation
was laid and I always feel like that myself and Paul,
(15:34):
even though Paul got there, was the one that was
a part of that championship team. But I always felt
felt like I was a part of that and the
rebuilding process of that, of getting back to those glory
days of being a championship team. You talked about the
legends that are just like all around you, especially at
that time when you came back, because a lot of
(15:54):
those guys they were still you know, fifty sixty seventy,
they were around a lot. Yes, who do you remember
sitting down and having conversations with and what came out
of some of the ones that like really pop in
your mind? Um and unscratched p you made. So the
legends for me is a little different probably, you know,
obviously everybody else Bird was still around. Man Bird was
(16:16):
a training camp before he took the job with the Pacers.
He still was around. Um. Obviously mL was the head coach,
Casey Jones was to assist it. Um my first year
you had read all back was still around and very
knowledgeable other game. This is a pretty good list of
legends so far. Yeah, that's like Royal Bill was. Bill
(16:40):
was around and you know it was a low overwhelming
at first, honest still what we was trying to get accomplished,
and I knew it was gonna be a rebuilding process,
but I was so excited to be a part of that.
And I don't want to leave out Sedgric Maxwell, who
was another guy who was great he talked to who
was already yell who traveled with us. Obviously, you know Tommy.
(17:01):
We all know Tommy hys and and what Tommy meant
for the organization and what he did for us, and
he was a great guy to talk to at the
games on the plane, and I just understand the history
of being a Celtic and being a true Celtic was
the most special part about it. I obviously you want
to get back to what the success of those guys have,
(17:22):
but it also was fun to be able to try
to get back to that, to that level, and that's
what myself I embraced it and Paul, so it was happy.
I was so ecstatic to see Paul get a championship
with the Celtics because we always was to talk about
that and talk about, you know, we had a chance
to win one that how special would it be? So
(17:44):
I was very fortunate to get mine in Miami, UM
a couple of years before. Paul wasn't what I thought
that way I would get one that, but it was
so exciting to see him get one in O eight
as well. Let's keep going on. In those early years,
I touched down it Rippetino comes on board. I think
you had only played one season in the NBA at
that point, so you had just gotten out of his
program at Kentucky. What was that like when your college
(18:07):
coach got hired to be your NBA coach at the
Celtics U. I was excited because Coach p was tough
on me, which was not a father but he was
a father figure from him. He demanded the best out
of me, worked me really hard. So I was looking
forward to that aspect of it, and coach was Coach
was one of those guys that was a winner. I
mean when you come from a guy who winning seventy
(18:28):
eighty percent of his games. When he came to us,
we were counting the rebuilding stage. My rookie year, we
only had one fifteen games, so it was fifty twenty
one fifteen games. So when he came in, he came
into a difficult situation. We had a couple of lottery
picks and brought in had Chassi and Ron and and
the rebuilding process started. I think one thing for Coach
(18:49):
that was a little struggle for me and him. You know,
he won seventy I just said, he wants seventy percent
eighty percent of his games. I'm not sure that the
Zach number. And now you have to rebuild and the
process to the long time, and all you gotta do
is look at how many guys were traded and picked up.
The list is line in his tenure. That's coach. So
(19:12):
they'll let you know the impatience sometime that coach had
with that. So that's some of the things that that
I had to deal with as being one of the
young star players on the team. But he did right
by me. He signed me to the max contract. He
had a unique job where he was the GM and
the head coach, which is very difficult to do. Um
to do both the coach guys and they have to
bring guys ins. But um, he did that. So but
(19:36):
I knew how, I knew how to handle coach he.
I knew he was gonna be very difficult. I knew
he's gonna be hard on me. It was not gonna
be easy. I just think the process of him taking
his time and maybe given the year or two to
be really successful, he didn't have the patience for it.
Was he the same coach in Boston as he was
(19:58):
in college. Oh no, did you see differences kind of
his demeanor and that stuff. I was definitely different. I mean, obviously,
you go from winning you know, eighty percent of your
games too, you know below five hundred. You know that's
going to change anybody. So I don't think it changed
(20:19):
him for the worst. I just think it and made
him more impatient. Yeah, I don't think he you know,
we hear this term a lot of trust the process.
If you look at how many times he's trading and
moved players right away, So it's tough to get continuity
when you got new faces coming in and out the door.
And I think that was one of the things that
(20:39):
if it was one thing that that was a little
hard to do, was to find a consistent group that
we was going to be playing with. But um, for
me individually, it was great because he knew my skill
said he knew what I can do, and obviously I flourished.
I made an All Star team with him at his coach,
my first All Star team in ninety eight, and a
number of great things. Patino has been nothing but a
(21:01):
great person to me off the court and on the court,
maximize on my skill set and allowing me to be
the best player possible. Can you believe he's still going Uh,
I know he has the passion. Not being at I
guess a marquee program. Now take it out with Saint
John's a big thing. But you know, see him go
(21:23):
to Iona and such like that. It's a little surprising
because I know he you know, he wants to win
at a very an I know he's very successful I own,
but I know the level and where he wants to
play at. And so now being at Saint John's, you
will see you will see a new rebirth coach Patino
trying to get to another national title at City. He
(21:45):
still sounds as hungry as he was back in the
day when you came out on board, man like, it's
crazy that he's still got that drive at his age.
Oh no, unbelievable, unbelievable passions for the game and wants
to win. And trust me that Saint John Nallam will
not be disappointed. He'll he'll put the best product on
the floyd. He'll recruit, He's going to recruit his butt off.
He's gonna make those guys very competitive and get them
(22:06):
back to some of the glory days. Or Saint John,
if he takes Saint John's to the tournament and they
make a little run. We gotta get an Antoine wiggle. Oh,
no question, I'm gonna ricutity no guy. So I'm all
for coach and be rooting for him one hundred to
teen percent. Let's go in on the wiggle man. When
did this come about? What brought this out? I wasn't
(22:26):
here in Boston back in the day. I grew up
in upstate New York, so I didn't get to watch
you guys all the time. But I very much remember
the wiggle coming out. I just don't remember exactly when
it burst. So what do you remember about when that
first shook off those shoulders for the first time? That
was just in college. I mean I used to we
used to dash and car we used to dash his
month players and stuff like that. But I used to
(22:48):
just do a little some little shoulder shrug and stuff.
In Cosmon, Coach Pane was like, listen, laws, it a'll
stop you from getting in the press. I can do it.
And when I got to the league, it's just something
that just carried over and as Star liking it, Timmy
high So I think Timmy might have the one that
called to walk away boo and people starts and started
(23:09):
to pick up on it, and it's just something that
kind of care me through my career. What's up the
fund brings some excitement to the game, But it was
very random. We used to dance a lot in college
and it's just something that, you know, the emotion of
a game. I just did it and they ended up
picking up stain. It's funny. Now we've got Jason on
the team, right, and he's got this thing that everyone
(23:30):
calls the kiss of death where he makes a certain shot,
he kisses his fingers and throws it up in the air.
But it seems like there's like he picks and chooses
the moments when that comes out. And you probably did
the same with the wiggle. Take me through how in
the moment, in the flow of the game, your body
tells you and your mind tells you, all right, now's
(23:50):
the time it's coming out. It's all about time and score, time,
score situation. If it's a comeback, you know, it's different ones.
If it's a regular you know early in the game
you may just get a little wiggle. If it's a
one of those situation where we didn't came back and
made a run and I made a big shot, you're
gonna get a big wiggle, and then then the game
(24:13):
you never know which one you're gonna get, which you
wanna get one at the end of the game, you
make a big bucket late in the fourth quarter. So
it's like different little variations to it, but it's all
in the floor of the game and how the game
is going. Um for me, it was it was like
that for me, all were making the run or we're
in the big situation making a big shot, that's when
it's coming out. No, obviously game winners is definitely coming out,
(24:34):
so that that that's that's how that's self is flanatory there.
But then the game, it's all about the floor. In
the run of the game, you might you might wiggle
the whole length of the court if it's a game.
I've seen some of them, yes, sir. Well, Hey, another
part of your game that is similar to what we're
seeing nowadays is the three point shot. I mean, you
(24:56):
went from I can't remember what year it was, I
think it was two thousand when you really started taking
threes at a high rate. I think from from the
prior year, I think you were taking three and a
half a game and then that season you went up
to seven point four per game, so you more than
doubled it. What was it that led into that? Uh,
and you really spike in the amount of three point
(25:19):
attempts in your game. Um. It was a weapon amount
being able to be six to nine extending the floor.
M Paul was a guy that got to the free
throw l thirteen fourteen, you know, ten ten plus times
a game. UM. So it was more about space and
then giving him an opportunities to have vaka space the
floor because we didn't have great three point shooting and
we played together. H. And also it was a weapon
(25:41):
a mine to be able to be six nine, six ten.
It was not really a lot of big guys that
can that wanted to come out there for on the
floor and guard me. So it was something that UM
that I had as an advantage and then I tried
to use that to my best ability. And then Jim
applying to UM really has stilled a lot of confidence
in me, really allowed in allowing me to no take
(26:04):
seven eight three of the game, which was unhurried to
have back then. And that's my next question. Yeah, so
to allow me to do that, that was all based
on gen I'm still a confidence in me and trusting
me to take good ones. And I mean I didn't
always take good ones, but he trusted me that I
would take good ones and and just made it a
big part of my game. Well, you made thirty six
(26:26):
percent of your threes that year, so someone tells me
that was a good move. But you mentioned it there.
At that time, there weren't many players taking five, six, seven,
eight three pointers a game. It was more like the
high volume three pointers shooters were taking like two, three,
four a game. Yep. Do you think that you were,
(26:46):
like were you ahead of the times here with what
fit into the game of basketball and how you could
really maximize skill sets out there? I think I was
ahead of times because we hadn't seen at the pro
level where you've seen you guys six nine step out
shoot threes at the at the at the rate I
was doing it, it was a couple of big guys
that can you know, they can stept out away from
(27:06):
the basket and make plays and do certain things. But
I definitely think now it's like you have to be
able to do that now. Yeah, it's just part of
the game. But I think now I think when I played,
it definitely was surprising to a lot of people, and
I took a lot of grief from it. I mean,
I would hit you know, you would get even Celtic fans,
they would you know, you know, you take too many
(27:27):
of them, they'll stop booing and you'll hear people chirping
in the crowd and saying different things. Because you're tall,
the six nine, they expect you to be under the
basket and do certain things. So it wasn't great all
the time, but it worked out to be one of
the adventagers that I had as a player and one
of the unique skill sets that I had. That's got
(27:47):
to be one of the hardest things to go through though,
Right as a player, when you're doing something at that
time that's it's kind of unconventional, and because of that,
you're gonna get a little feedback from people who want
you to be conventional. How much of a challenge was
that for you, like mentally just to kind of stick
with it really bothered me once once I got to
(28:08):
consent from the coaches and the players and team if
it's part of our gang strategy, me being able to
space the floor and make threes Um, it made it
easy on them. Um. I've had moments though, something though.
We know fans from Tusky be um nasty essay, certain
things that you know that don't resonate with you. Well,
(28:29):
and you know I probably barked out and barked back
at them at times. But those the team and the
and the and the coaches were filed with mean shooting
threes and being able to help the team win. I
had no problem with it and not just dealt with it. Well,
you built that reputation of scorer, three point shooter, rebounder
for the first seven years of your career here in Boston,
(28:51):
made the All Star team a couple of times. Then
in two thousand and three you're traded. What was that
experienced for you first and foremost? But then it's like,
not even a year and a half later, you're back.
They had to have been a crazy, crazy experience for
you to leave and try to adjust to all those
(29:11):
emotions and then be back like fourteen fifteen months later. Well,
I think you said it right. It was the emotion.
I mean they drafted me. I played my first seven
years there. I mean we were just starting to become
a playoff team. I was having individual success, so it
was very difficult. I mean, it was hard on me
personally to get traded because I thought I'd be asselted
(29:32):
the rest of my life. And so I went through
that part of it. And then after that, I mean
went to a great organization and Dallas Maverige, went to
the playoffs to play with some great players and Dirk
and Steve Nash and then our opportunity that if I
only year came back to get traded back there and
play one more year, which was great and moving forward,
(29:53):
just did you know, I became a free agent, and
you know, it became a numbers game. Me and Danny
didn't see out of the eye and in negotiations, so
I ended up you know, one over to the Miami Heat,
which was great for me when the championship. But UM,
no regrets in that in that sense. I mean, you know,
(30:13):
I would always love to have the Paul Pierce career
where I played fifteen years with one team, and um,
I always dreamed of that, but it didn't happen. But UM,
I was very fortunate to be able to size of
a free agent, UM and play well, get traded once
and then you know, side of the free agent and
play with some great organizations and some good teams. So um,
(30:34):
always thankful for that. But in my heart, I still,
you know, even though I got my championship with the
with the Heat, I always feel like I'm myself to
get heart h before you went into that the contract
negotiations with Danny and really just like right after the
trade coming back to town, what was that reunion Like? Uh,
it was great. I mean we you know obviously, um,
(30:56):
you know, man, Danny didn't hit it off. We had
we obviously the guys trade you you're gonna always have
a little animosity towards them, and so we had to
figure that aspect out and then we got the free
agency him when not weren't able to figure things out
as well. But you know that happens. It's it's tough
when you're a GM and you know, you have different
goals and different plans for a team, and Danny was
(31:17):
looking in a different direction and he was able to
make a huge monster trade and bringing Kevin Gardner to
Rayalen and the rest is history about that. So he
you know, his thought process was really really good and
being able to bring a championship back to Boston. So
you have to give Danny a lot of credit in
the moves that he made. But you know, individually, I
would have loved to retire the Celtic and play fifteen
(31:40):
years with the Celtics. That would have been a dream
of mine, but it didn't happen. But I was very
fortunate to sign with the Miami Heaton and play with
you know, Shagty Wade and lines on Morning, you know,
hall of famers, and play for pat Rally and win
me a championship and be a part of some special
So I think both of us got what we wanted. Um,
(32:01):
if you really look at it, the Celtics end up
getting the championship and I end up getting my championship.
It's a win win man. Hey, what was that year
like for you? That title run with the Heat and
you got a young d Wade coming up and playing
like an absolute mediac during that run. You've got Shock
putting the team on us back at times? What was
that run like for you to be a part of
(32:22):
I was very special playing with guys a Hall of
famers and to put that team together the way the
pat Rolly did. Um. We used to have a slogan
that says fitz Hey Straw, with guys hug out six seven, eight,
guys hung out together all the time, going at dinner
on the road. Just the journey and the goal that
(32:42):
we had. Shock missed the first twenty games of the season,
he got hurt up in the season, and you know
just how everything just panned out. D Wade kind of
riding his magical ride there in the finals. How great
he was and all those things were unbelievable. Last thing
I want to ask you about, and you you mentioned
him a few minutes ago, but Kevin Garnett, he's he's
(33:05):
spoken about the way that your guy's relationship changed at
some point where for some reason there was a little
bit of animosity there, but then you guys were able
to embrace each other a little bit later on. What
do you remember about UM, the way that you guys
either clash or whatever it was, and then how did
that get resolved? And where are you guys at now? Well,
(33:25):
Kevin can of Chicago and playing high school basketball, an
obviously UM had a lot of success here in Chicago,
and you know, and we would play against each other
in the summer leagues and stuff like that. When you
guys wouldn't see what it was really very competitive. I
would have loved to have seen it, by the way,
just say it. And we we we really went at
(33:47):
each other, and uh, but May and Kevin had the
most respects for each other. I love Kevin. I love
his energy that he plays with, what he brings to
the game, and I think it was everything was all competitive. Man.
One of the best fillers that I had was going
back and watching this jersey get raised in the rafters
and and and then embracing the way we embraced each
(34:07):
other and the respect I have for him and the
respect he has for me. People don't understand that's That's
one thing. How I talked to Kevin about going to Boston.
We both wear Gary Payton's wedding. People don't know that.
Kevin came to me and he said that you're the
one who made him want to do it. Yeah. He
came to me and asked me, you know about the
(34:27):
Celtics and about the situation, and I told him the
best thing that he could ever do and is to
go play with a guy like Paul and be a
part of that organization. And so I feel a part
of it. We always uh, and he also mentioned that
in his speech, So I always feel good about that.
But you know, Kevin's got we got tied to certain
(34:48):
people here in Chicago, so we always have the upmost
respects for each other. But it's always about when we
played against each other and the times that we did
and nothing but love for Kevin. Kevin is Hall of fame,
a great talent. I love him to death. I love
what he braced the game, and I really enjoy that
(35:09):
weekie and him getting his jersey put up in and
being invited to that really made me feel special and
I think it broke the ice there could have been
between us if it was any type atension. It broke
it to be there to pay him a lot of
respect for a person that you know, we all understand.
To get your jersey hung up in Boston, how special
that is, Yeah, no doubt. And hey, you said that
(35:30):
you felt like you were kind of a part of
it all with that O eight team that you helped
to kind of lay that groundwork for that to be
able to happen. Oh yeah, well everyone everyone now knows
that that conversation that you had with Kevin Garnett played
a huge role in his decision to say, okay, all right,
let's do it. Kevin McHale, get me out to Boston.
(35:50):
Let's get this done. That conversation maybe what started that
entire process. So everyone owes it to you for making
that happen. There's no way we can hide that. But
then also you mentioned there about you coming back to
town for his jersey retirement. This has been great, Man,
to have you coming back into the fold here. Paul
is coming around more, KG has been coming around more.
(36:13):
It's so great to have all you guys back around,
these young guys who are trying to really carry it
on of what you guys helped build over the last
couple of decades. So we can't wait for you to
be back in town in your ambassador role. I can't
wait to see you at some games the rest of
the season, during the playoffs, yes, sir, and until then, Man,
we appreciate you coming up man, thanks for having me Man.
I look forward to saying you man well. I get
(36:35):
a Bien's househol
Welcome everyone. This is View from the Rafters Today. We're
bringing in a man who hails from basketball country life
is funny. Okay, don't go there, not yet. Well, we
talk about him our post The Bust One Boys is
the crazy story, not actortball. It's the crazy thing to me.
It's like where you came from. Yeah, we're all older
than we think. We are always Gold League Gray Baby.
(00:23):
What's up everyone. We are winding down season three of
You from the Rafters behind the scenes with the Boston Celtics,
and during today's episode, we are going to turn it
back to the nineties. We got Antoine Walker coming on
the show today and listen, Antoine is actually rolling his
way back into the organization right now as an ambassador
for the Celtics. So he's going to be back in town,
coming to some games during the playoffs. He's going to
(00:45):
talk about that to you all, and we're really excited
to have him back in the fold with the organization here.
But we dove into pretty much everything about his career.
We started out talking about his time with Paul Pierce,
how that maybe translates a little bit to what Jalen
and Jason Tatum are going to nowadays right now and
their run and trying to get to the NBA Finals
and get get over the hump. We talked about his
(01:08):
early days with the team, and Rick Petito, his college coach,
taking over the helm here as the head coach of
the Boston Celtics in his in Antoine's second year of
his career, and then really going into those later parts
of his career. He and Paul Pierce made a run
to the conference finals, he got traded away to Dallas,
wound up coming back about a year and a half later,
(01:29):
and then in the end he wound up going down
to Miami and being able to win a championship alongside
Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. So he's got a lot
to talk about. You're gonna want to hear it all,
and it's coming up next. Before we get into that,
just a quick reminder, as always, we got to ask
you to please rate, subscribe, and review. Literally, we appreciate
every single one of you who has given us a
(01:51):
watch and a listen this year. We wouldn't be here
without you, so thank you for that. And just a
reminder as we wind this down Every Tuesday, the audio
episode is dropping on your favorite podcast platform and every
Wednesday we're coming out with the video on your YouTube channel.
So without further do, let's toss it over. Here's Antoine
Walker talking about literally anything and everything throughout his career
(02:12):
with the Celtics. All right, Antoine Walker, Man, it's been
a while we haven't had you in the Celtics orbit
and way too long. Man. What's been going on on
your side of things over here over the last couple
of months, a couple of years, Just enjoying life. I'm
still very much involved in the game, doing TV, you know,
(02:32):
obviously out for Fox, and I'm still getting the opportunity
to be a part of the NBA game and being
able to express my knowledge of it and give my opinion.
So it's been going really really well for me. Is
being able to still be a part of it. And
I was doing the SEC network for four years, just
(02:54):
recently stopped doing that this past season, but still very
much a part of the game working with the Celtics,
and then the ambassador role got a little six so
I haven't been up there as much this year, so
I s threw me off a little bit, but looking
forward to continually working with them and probably be up
there doing the playoffs. Let's go into that though, Man,
(03:15):
that that's kind of a big deal of having you
back in the orbit, like I said, and being an
ambassador for the franchise. What made you want to do this?
What are you going to be doing with the team,
and why are you excited to get back here and
be involved with the franchise, the fan base, the community
and all that stuff moving forward? Well, Obviously, the Celtics
are a team that drafted me back in nineteen ninety six,
(03:36):
took a chance of this nineteen year old kid, and
I had a lot of success and that visually made
me the player who I was. And obviously know Boston's
a sports town and if you can make it anywhere,
especially in the NBA, and to be able to have
some success and have Boston embrace you the way Boston
embraced me the fan base embraced to me, is great.
(03:58):
But great to be back and um working with the team.
Obviously followed the team and love what they're building with Jason,
Tatum and Brown and the quarter they have in place now. Um,
and I think the championship is coming soon. Those those
guys who got to they definitely have the talent to
do it. Um, they're putting a great product on the floor,
(04:20):
and it's just a matter off, you know, the ball
bouncing away a little bit, or break here, a break there.
But UM, I like what they got their established and
they've got some experience. Obviously, we know playing in the finals,
and I was able to see three of those games live,
so I know they're right there. UM to putting up
another banner. I like the sound of that. I like
where you're going here. Do you think it can happen
this year? I think it's wide open in the in
(04:43):
the league. I think what team gets hot? Um, players
get hot. I'm with you on now. I think it's
I think it's one of those it's one of those
years that it's hard to pick a clear cut favorite. Um.
I think every team in the top four or five
I've looked great at moments throughout the season what it
looked like world beaters. So it's gonna be a very
competitive playoff. It's gonna be a team that can stay
(05:04):
healthy and whip players can get hot. You know, we
can get hot for six seven weeks. I got a
feeling what we saw it last year, right J t
and j B definitely got hot at the right time.
The whole team got hot. So let's see if it
can happen again. What do you remember about that that
run that you made to the conference finals that one year.
I mean, you guys, you got hot at the right
(05:26):
time right being able to turn it on and make
that run to the conference finals. What do you remember
kind of spurred that for you guys? Made a big trade.
We traded for Ronnie Rodgers and and Gout was able
to play a little bit of a small ball with
him at the five and four and just to take
come around. We were we were we were very good
defensive team that year, and I think that's what that
(05:50):
kind of kind of pulled us over the top. But
it was our first time making a deep round like that,
My first time, Paul's first time, and we played again
it's an experienced team that had been together while Jason
kidd in that group, and we couldn't get past them.
But it was great experience, great learning experience, and it
taught us a lot about the dedication and what you
(06:12):
need if you want to get to the ultimate goal,
and let's getting to the NBA finals and playing for
a championship. Yeah, it's it's definitely not easy to get there.
Like you said, every year there's usually it feels like
there's you know, two, three, four teams in each conference
that can make that run. Let's hope that the Celtics
and can do it again this year and win a
couple more games than last year. You touched down Paul
(06:33):
right there. He came on the podcast a couple of
weeks ago. I gotta ask you about your time spending
with him his first I think five years in the
league were spent as a teammate of yours. What do
you remember about those days back in the late nineties
and early two thousands and when you guys first teamed up,
just great success. You know, when Paul came in, he
was a terrific talent. For us to be able to
(06:57):
mesh and figure it out was spec And I think
it started from us being friends off the court and
building a relationship as being friends off the court, and
that kind of carried over to the court and we
had great respect for each other's skill set and talent.
Said I think Paul is one of the pier scores
in the league. Get to the foul an when he
wants to UM, and I respected that, so I didn't
(07:18):
mind being one being him being one a M And
I think that's what really helped us UM have the
success that we did, is because we respect each other's
talent and skill set and and that's that's the main
thing when you make it a run like that. UM.
Obviously we came up a little short, but it still
was fun as far as trying to get the Celtic
(07:40):
glory days back and becoming a really competitive playoff team.
When I got there, the team was in the rebuilding mode,
So to get to add Paul Um after a couple
of years was great and special for me. And you know,
it's it's turned out to be. We didn't we didn't
achieve what we wanted to, but we still put like
we put the Celtics in a good position and put
(08:01):
them back on the map as a competitive playoff team.
And it's something that we always remember. You said, you
guys started out like the relationship started off the court.
I gotta ask you a little bit more of that.
What was it that made you guys connect as just
like guys off the court, that you were able to
relate with each other and grow that relationship. I'm just
curious how that started out and what really helped to
(08:23):
take off. I think it's virtual respect for both each
other's basketball and skill set. I mean, I can't When
Paul came in, I had already made an All Star team.
I think he respected that and skepted my skill set
and then me respecting as an understanding where he was
good at and he was a gifted score He was
a gifted guy that can get to the bathroom when
he wants to. He can score the basketball at a
very very high level. So all those things played a
(08:46):
part in that. And we both had the will to
want to win. I think that's that's one thing that
people don't understand. Me and Paul are both very competitive.
We want we want the best, we want to be
the best, and I think that's what made us special
and was able to click right away. But we also too,
and not just a love tapping. To add to that,
spent a lot of time together off the court. I
(09:08):
think that's important to build those type of friendships off
the court and to have a lot of respect for
each other. And me and Paul hit it off right away.
What do you guys used to do together? Everything, dinners,
we go to dinners together, we hang together, we would
club it together. And we're still good friends now, just
was a couple of months in la spent a couple
spent the week with them out in la Um. So
(09:30):
we're still very much good friends and and that that's
that's what I think what helps you when you're trying
to win a championship and has to assess on the court,
when you're able to build friendships like that as well.
All Right, when Antoine Walker is at Paul Pierce's house
in la you guys are sitting down for dinner, what
are you guys talking about? I gotta know that's the
(09:51):
variety things. Obviously we talking sports, and we love sports
and all sports. We argue about players and different things
that maybe going on. We're talking about girls, We're talking
about everything that you can never imagine. So we have
their great conversations that we have. We like a lot
of the similar things, so it makes for easy conversation
for us to get along really really well. You see
any similarities between you guys and Jason and Jalen. I
(10:15):
mean obviously very different eras different types of players in
some ways, but similar trajectories and careers. You guys started
playing together at about the same time Jason and Jayla
did in their careers. Do you see some similarities there
between your duo and their duo? Yeah, I do, and
I think, um, what I like about them if you
(10:37):
really watch them, they don't fight over the ball, so
you tell they have mutual respect for it. Took a
while though for them to learn that, I feel, but
you can just see it though, And I think that's
why if you start to see so much success and
you started to see a little deeper playoff run because
they have a little they have that type of respect
for each other. Um. But one thing that I could
(10:58):
say about those guys that you know, they're both wing
players sometimes because difficult. You know, I was more of
a powerful Paul was more of a wing. So to
see two wing guys able to figure it out and
have success is great and um and to be one
of the most exciting duels. But I could tell that
(11:20):
they have mutual respect for each other because in the
beginning they didn't look like that. But you know, over
the last I would say the last year a year
and a half has been great. Something Paul told me
when I talked to him a couple of weeks ago,
is that he really wants to integrate himself with these
guys and get to know them better as people off
(11:42):
the court and try to fill them in on some
of that Celtics history that in culture that maybe they
don't know yet. What do you want to what type
of relationship would you want to have with these guys
now that you're you're getting more involved in the organization
here moving forward or and by the way, do you
have a relation and ship with either of them at
this well? Uh, yeah, I mean I don't have a veryship.
(12:03):
Why I talk to them personally, um, but when I
see him, it's always deep conversations out Jason's dad is
a guy that I grew up with and played ball against,
so I know him very well, So I have some
type of to him. But but just just the fact
that I think one thing I could say with these
(12:23):
guys and the connection that you want, they got a
chance to do something special and they're doing it that
y'all has Me and Paul, we're young. You could be
together for a while. You know, it could be a
ten fifteen year run. And they've already been the one
finals obviously, they didn't win it, but you know, if
you're playing at that level and get into the Ultimate
and have a chance to win championship, ride it out. Um,
(12:45):
you know, I'll have a voice. Continue to try to
talk to the organization about adding pizzas when you need
to add pieces and be vocal, and also embrace the
Boston community. I'm not far and more know the things
that they won the community, but it's a great sports time.
People there are real true fans and they support you
(13:06):
and you know, all those things play a part and
making you a run and I want them guys to
make the most out of their career. So those are
type of conversations that I would want to have with them.
And they got a chance to do something special and
you can bring a title to Boston will be you know, unbelievable.
They bring another banner to there and understand that how
that goes. So I think those are some of the
(13:26):
things you want to share with them and continue to
get better. And they need each other to get The
league is too balanced now, so you can't do it
by yourself. You have to have multiple guys that's going
to deliver, and they have to take that leadership type role.
It's a really good point that the league really does
have a lot of parody, a lot of balance. You
got to have multiple guys being able to step up,
to be able to not only make that run to
(13:48):
the finals, but then to get over the hump. They
just figured that out last year, finally getting into the
finals for the first time. We're talking about them in
their early portions of their careers. I want to talk
to you about that part of your career. You get
drafted in ninety six. Um, soon there after one season in,
you get your college coach coming in to coach you
in the pros. What were those early years like for
(14:10):
you and your adjustment from you know, coming from the
Kentucky program to playing for the Boston Celtics Men. That's
a pretty good run of being in some elite programs, right,
I mean that was wild. Yeah, it was actually a
love overwhelming because when I came in, even to take
this step back, NBL card drafted me. He was the GM.
(14:30):
J Jones was the assistant coach. I mean, we all
know you got the Timey Heights Sins doing the tv UM,
Cedric Maxwell doing radio. Yeah, at the time, he had
Joe Joe White in the stands. Bill Russell was a
part of organization. Rin all Back was still around, so
you understand the tradition of Celtic M, the Celtic organization,
(14:51):
which which is very special, and it was great for me.
It made me want to I was. I felt like
I was a true Celtic M. You believe you get
you get it kind of and bready than your blood
that that's what you want to get it back. And
obviously to try to get back to those glory days
was really tough. But I felt like me and Paul
did a good job of starting the foundation of one
(15:14):
getting back to winning basketball UM, making considerably deep, deep
roads in the playoffs. Obviously I didn't win a championship
in Boston, but you know, shortly out there year and
a half AFT I think eight at that leave. You know,
two years later they win the championship. UM, the foundation
was laid and I always feel like that myself and Paul,
(15:34):
even though Paul got there, was the one that was
a part of that championship team. But I always felt
felt like I was a part of that and the
rebuilding process of that, of getting back to those glory
days of being a championship team. You talked about the
legends that are just like all around you, especially at
that time when you came back, because a lot of
(15:54):
those guys they were still you know, fifty sixty seventy,
they were around a lot. Yes, who do you remember
sitting down and having conversations with and what came out
of some of the ones that like really pop in
your mind? Um and unscratched p you made. So the
legends for me is a little different probably, you know,
obviously everybody else Bird was still around. Man Bird was
(16:16):
a training camp before he took the job with the Pacers.
He still was around. Um. Obviously mL was the head coach,
Casey Jones was to assist it. Um my first year
you had read all back was still around and very
knowledgeable other game. This is a pretty good list of
legends so far. Yeah, that's like Royal Bill was. Bill
(16:40):
was around and you know it was a low overwhelming
at first, honest still what we was trying to get accomplished,
and I knew it was gonna be a rebuilding process,
but I was so excited to be a part of that.
And I don't want to leave out Sedgric Maxwell, who
was another guy who was great he talked to who
was already yell who traveled with us. Obviously, you know Tommy.
(17:01):
We all know Tommy hys and and what Tommy meant
for the organization and what he did for us, and
he was a great guy to talk to at the
games on the plane, and I just understand the history
of being a Celtic and being a true Celtic was
the most special part about it. I obviously you want
to get back to what the success of those guys have,
(17:22):
but it also was fun to be able to try
to get back to that, to that level, and that's
what myself I embraced it and Paul, so it was happy.
I was so ecstatic to see Paul get a championship
with the Celtics because we always was to talk about
that and talk about, you know, we had a chance
to win one that how special would it be? So
(17:44):
I was very fortunate to get mine in Miami, UM
a couple of years before. Paul wasn't what I thought
that way I would get one that, but it was
so exciting to see him get one in O eight
as well. Let's keep going on. In those early years,
I touched down it Rippetino comes on board. I think
you had only played one season in the NBA at
that point, so you had just gotten out of his
program at Kentucky. What was that like when your college
(18:07):
coach got hired to be your NBA coach at the
Celtics U. I was excited because Coach p was tough
on me, which was not a father but he was
a father figure from him. He demanded the best out
of me, worked me really hard. So I was looking
forward to that aspect of it, and coach was Coach
was one of those guys that was a winner. I
mean when you come from a guy who winning seventy
(18:28):
eighty percent of his games. When he came to us,
we were counting the rebuilding stage. My rookie year, we
only had one fifteen games, so it was fifty twenty
one fifteen games. So when he came in, he came
into a difficult situation. We had a couple of lottery
picks and brought in had Chassi and Ron and and
the rebuilding process started. I think one thing for Coach
(18:49):
that was a little struggle for me and him. You know,
he won seventy I just said, he wants seventy percent
eighty percent of his games. I'm not sure that the
Zach number. And now you have to rebuild and the
process to the long time, and all you gotta do
is look at how many guys were traded and picked up.
The list is line in his tenure. That's coach. So
(19:12):
they'll let you know the impatience sometime that coach had
with that. So that's some of the things that that
I had to deal with as being one of the
young star players on the team. But he did right
by me. He signed me to the max contract. He
had a unique job where he was the GM and
the head coach, which is very difficult to do. Um
to do both the coach guys and they have to
bring guys ins. But um, he did that. So but
(19:36):
I knew how, I knew how to handle coach he.
I knew he was gonna be very difficult. I knew
he's gonna be hard on me. It was not gonna
be easy. I just think the process of him taking
his time and maybe given the year or two to
be really successful, he didn't have the patience for it.
Was he the same coach in Boston as he was
(19:58):
in college. Oh no, did you see differences kind of
his demeanor and that stuff. I was definitely different. I mean, obviously,
you go from winning you know, eighty percent of your
games too, you know below five hundred. You know that's
going to change anybody. So I don't think it changed
(20:19):
him for the worst. I just think it and made
him more impatient. Yeah, I don't think he you know,
we hear this term a lot of trust the process.
If you look at how many times he's trading and
moved players right away, So it's tough to get continuity
when you got new faces coming in and out the door.
And I think that was one of the things that
(20:39):
if it was one thing that that was a little
hard to do, was to find a consistent group that
we was going to be playing with. But um, for
me individually, it was great because he knew my skill
said he knew what I can do, and obviously I flourished.
I made an All Star team with him at his coach,
my first All Star team in ninety eight, and a
number of great things. Patino has been nothing but a
(21:01):
great person to me off the court and on the court,
maximize on my skill set and allowing me to be
the best player possible. Can you believe he's still going Uh,
I know he has the passion. Not being at I
guess a marquee program. Now take it out with Saint
John's a big thing. But you know, see him go
(21:23):
to Iona and such like that. It's a little surprising
because I know he you know, he wants to win
at a very an I know he's very successful I own,
but I know the level and where he wants to
play at. And so now being at Saint John's, you
will see you will see a new rebirth coach Patino
trying to get to another national title at City. He
(21:45):
still sounds as hungry as he was back in the
day when you came out on board, man like, it's
crazy that he's still got that drive at his age.
Oh no, unbelievable, unbelievable passions for the game and wants
to win. And trust me that Saint John Nallam will
not be disappointed. He'll he'll put the best product on
the floyd. He'll recruit, He's going to recruit his butt off.
He's gonna make those guys very competitive and get them
(22:06):
back to some of the glory days. Or Saint John,
if he takes Saint John's to the tournament and they
make a little run. We gotta get an Antoine wiggle. Oh,
no question, I'm gonna ricutity no guy. So I'm all
for coach and be rooting for him one hundred to
teen percent. Let's go in on the wiggle man. When
did this come about? What brought this out? I wasn't
(22:26):
here in Boston back in the day. I grew up
in upstate New York, so I didn't get to watch
you guys all the time. But I very much remember
the wiggle coming out. I just don't remember exactly when
it burst. So what do you remember about when that
first shook off those shoulders for the first time? That
was just in college. I mean I used to we
used to dash and car we used to dash his
month players and stuff like that. But I used to
(22:48):
just do a little some little shoulder shrug and stuff.
In Cosmon, Coach Pane was like, listen, laws, it a'll
stop you from getting in the press. I can do it.
And when I got to the league, it's just something
that just carried over and as Star liking it, Timmy
high So I think Timmy might have the one that
called to walk away boo and people starts and started
(23:09):
to pick up on it, and it's just something that
kind of care me through my career. What's up the
fund brings some excitement to the game, But it was
very random. We used to dance a lot in college
and it's just something that, you know, the emotion of
a game. I just did it and they ended up
picking up stain. It's funny. Now we've got Jason on
the team, right, and he's got this thing that everyone
(23:30):
calls the kiss of death where he makes a certain shot,
he kisses his fingers and throws it up in the air.
But it seems like there's like he picks and chooses
the moments when that comes out. And you probably did
the same with the wiggle. Take me through how in
the moment, in the flow of the game, your body
tells you and your mind tells you, all right, now's
(23:50):
the time it's coming out. It's all about time and score, time,
score situation. If it's a comeback, you know, it's different ones.
If it's a regular you know early in the game
you may just get a little wiggle. If it's a
one of those situation where we didn't came back and
made a run and I made a big shot, you're
gonna get a big wiggle, and then then the game
(24:13):
you never know which one you're gonna get, which you
wanna get one at the end of the game, you
make a big bucket late in the fourth quarter. So
it's like different little variations to it, but it's all
in the floor of the game and how the game
is going. Um for me, it was it was like
that for me, all were making the run or we're
in the big situation making a big shot, that's when
it's coming out. No, obviously game winners is definitely coming out,
(24:34):
so that that that's that's how that's self is flanatory there.
But then the game, it's all about the floor. In
the run of the game, you might you might wiggle
the whole length of the court if it's a game.
I've seen some of them, yes, sir. Well, Hey, another
part of your game that is similar to what we're
seeing nowadays is the three point shot. I mean, you
(24:56):
went from I can't remember what year it was, I
think it was two thousand when you really started taking
threes at a high rate. I think from from the
prior year, I think you were taking three and a
half a game and then that season you went up
to seven point four per game, so you more than
doubled it. What was it that led into that? Uh,
and you really spike in the amount of three point
(25:19):
attempts in your game. Um. It was a weapon amount
being able to be six to nine extending the floor.
M Paul was a guy that got to the free
throw l thirteen fourteen, you know, ten ten plus times
a game. UM. So it was more about space and
then giving him an opportunities to have vaka space the
floor because we didn't have great three point shooting and
we played together. H. And also it was a weapon
(25:41):
a mine to be able to be six nine, six ten.
It was not really a lot of big guys that
can that wanted to come out there for on the
floor and guard me. So it was something that UM
that I had as an advantage and then I tried
to use that to my best ability. And then Jim
applying to UM really has stilled a lot of confidence
in me, really allowed in allowing me to no take
(26:04):
seven eight three of the game, which was unhurried to
have back then. And that's my next question. Yeah, so
to allow me to do that, that was all based
on gen I'm still a confidence in me and trusting
me to take good ones. And I mean I didn't
always take good ones, but he trusted me that I
would take good ones and and just made it a
big part of my game. Well, you made thirty six
(26:26):
percent of your threes that year, so someone tells me
that was a good move. But you mentioned it there.
At that time, there weren't many players taking five, six, seven,
eight three pointers a game. It was more like the
high volume three pointers shooters were taking like two, three,
four a game. Yep. Do you think that you were,
(26:46):
like were you ahead of the times here with what
fit into the game of basketball and how you could
really maximize skill sets out there? I think I was
ahead of times because we hadn't seen at the pro
level where you've seen you guys six nine step out
shoot threes at the at the at the rate I
was doing it, it was a couple of big guys
that can you know, they can stept out away from
(27:06):
the basket and make plays and do certain things. But
I definitely think now it's like you have to be
able to do that now. Yeah, it's just part of
the game. But I think now I think when I played,
it definitely was surprising to a lot of people, and
I took a lot of grief from it. I mean,
I would hit you know, you would get even Celtic fans,
they would you know, you know, you take too many
(27:27):
of them, they'll stop booing and you'll hear people chirping
in the crowd and saying different things. Because you're tall,
the six nine, they expect you to be under the
basket and do certain things. So it wasn't great all
the time, but it worked out to be one of
the adventagers that I had as a player and one
of the unique skill sets that I had. That's got
(27:47):
to be one of the hardest things to go through though,
Right as a player, when you're doing something at that
time that's it's kind of unconventional, and because of that,
you're gonna get a little feedback from people who want
you to be conventional. How much of a challenge was
that for you, like mentally just to kind of stick
with it really bothered me once once I got to
(28:08):
consent from the coaches and the players and team if
it's part of our gang strategy, me being able to
space the floor and make threes Um, it made it
easy on them. Um. I've had moments though, something though.
We know fans from Tusky be um nasty essay, certain
things that you know that don't resonate with you. Well,
(28:29):
and you know I probably barked out and barked back
at them at times. But those the team and the
and the and the coaches were filed with mean shooting
threes and being able to help the team win. I
had no problem with it and not just dealt with it. Well,
you built that reputation of scorer, three point shooter, rebounder
for the first seven years of your career here in Boston,
(28:51):
made the All Star team a couple of times. Then
in two thousand and three you're traded. What was that
experienced for you first and foremost? But then it's like,
not even a year and a half later, you're back.
They had to have been a crazy, crazy experience for
you to leave and try to adjust to all those
(29:11):
emotions and then be back like fourteen fifteen months later. Well,
I think you said it right. It was the emotion.
I mean they drafted me. I played my first seven
years there. I mean we were just starting to become
a playoff team. I was having individual success, so it
was very difficult. I mean, it was hard on me
personally to get traded because I thought I'd be asselted
(29:32):
the rest of my life. And so I went through
that part of it. And then after that, I mean
went to a great organization and Dallas Maverige, went to
the playoffs to play with some great players and Dirk
and Steve Nash and then our opportunity that if I
only year came back to get traded back there and
play one more year, which was great and moving forward,
(29:53):
just did you know, I became a free agent, and
you know, it became a numbers game. Me and Danny
didn't see out of the eye and in negotiations, so
I ended up you know, one over to the Miami Heat,
which was great for me when the championship. But UM,
no regrets in that in that sense. I mean, you know,
(30:13):
I would always love to have the Paul Pierce career
where I played fifteen years with one team, and um,
I always dreamed of that, but it didn't happen. But UM,
I was very fortunate to be able to size of
a free agent, UM and play well, get traded once
and then you know, side of the free agent and
play with some great organizations and some good teams. So um,
(30:34):
always thankful for that. But in my heart, I still,
you know, even though I got my championship with the
with the Heat, I always feel like I'm myself to
get heart h before you went into that the contract
negotiations with Danny and really just like right after the
trade coming back to town, what was that reunion Like? Uh,
it was great. I mean we you know obviously, um,
(30:56):
you know, man, Danny didn't hit it off. We had
we obviously the guys trade you you're gonna always have
a little animosity towards them, and so we had to
figure that aspect out and then we got the free
agency him when not weren't able to figure things out
as well. But you know that happens. It's it's tough
when you're a GM and you know, you have different
goals and different plans for a team, and Danny was
(31:17):
looking in a different direction and he was able to
make a huge monster trade and bringing Kevin Gardner to
Rayalen and the rest is history about that. So he
you know, his thought process was really really good and
being able to bring a championship back to Boston. So
you have to give Danny a lot of credit in
the moves that he made. But you know, individually, I
would have loved to retire the Celtic and play fifteen
(31:40):
years with the Celtics. That would have been a dream
of mine, but it didn't happen. But I was very
fortunate to sign with the Miami Heaton and play with
you know, Shagty Wade and lines on Morning, you know,
hall of famers, and play for pat Rally and win
me a championship and be a part of some special
So I think both of us got what we wanted. Um,
(32:01):
if you really look at it, the Celtics end up
getting the championship and I end up getting my championship.
It's a win win man. Hey, what was that year
like for you? That title run with the Heat and
you got a young d Wade coming up and playing
like an absolute mediac during that run. You've got Shock
putting the team on us back at times? What was
that run like for you to be a part of
(32:22):
I was very special playing with guys a Hall of
famers and to put that team together the way the
pat Rolly did. Um. We used to have a slogan
that says fitz Hey Straw, with guys hug out six seven, eight,
guys hung out together all the time, going at dinner
on the road. Just the journey and the goal that
(32:42):
we had. Shock missed the first twenty games of the season,
he got hurt up in the season, and you know
just how everything just panned out. D Wade kind of
riding his magical ride there in the finals. How great
he was and all those things were unbelievable. Last thing
I want to ask you about, and you you mentioned
him a few minutes ago, but Kevin Garnett, he's he's
(33:05):
spoken about the way that your guy's relationship changed at
some point where for some reason there was a little
bit of animosity there, but then you guys were able
to embrace each other a little bit later on. What
do you remember about UM, the way that you guys
either clash or whatever it was, and then how did
that get resolved? And where are you guys at now? Well,
(33:25):
Kevin can of Chicago and playing high school basketball, an
obviously UM had a lot of success here in Chicago,
and you know, and we would play against each other
in the summer leagues and stuff like that. When you
guys wouldn't see what it was really very competitive. I
would have loved to have seen it, by the way,
just say it. And we we we really went at
(33:47):
each other, and uh, but May and Kevin had the
most respects for each other. I love Kevin. I love
his energy that he plays with, what he brings to
the game, and I think it was everything was all competitive. Man.
One of the best fillers that I had was going
back and watching this jersey get raised in the rafters
and and and then embracing the way we embraced each
(34:07):
other and the respect I have for him and the
respect he has for me. People don't understand that's That's
one thing. How I talked to Kevin about going to Boston.
We both wear Gary Payton's wedding. People don't know that.
Kevin came to me and he said that you're the
one who made him want to do it. Yeah. He
came to me and asked me, you know about the
(34:27):
Celtics and about the situation, and I told him the
best thing that he could ever do and is to
go play with a guy like Paul and be a
part of that organization. And so I feel a part
of it. We always uh, and he also mentioned that
in his speech, So I always feel good about that.
But you know, Kevin's got we got tied to certain
(34:48):
people here in Chicago, so we always have the upmost
respects for each other. But it's always about when we
played against each other and the times that we did
and nothing but love for Kevin. Kevin is Hall of fame,
a great talent. I love him to death. I love
what he braced the game, and I really enjoy that
(35:09):
weekie and him getting his jersey put up in and
being invited to that really made me feel special and
I think it broke the ice there could have been
between us if it was any type atension. It broke
it to be there to pay him a lot of
respect for a person that you know, we all understand.
To get your jersey hung up in Boston, how special
that is, Yeah, no doubt. And hey, you said that
(35:30):
you felt like you were kind of a part of
it all with that O eight team that you helped
to kind of lay that groundwork for that to be
able to happen. Oh yeah, well everyone everyone now knows
that that conversation that you had with Kevin Garnett played
a huge role in his decision to say, okay, all right,
let's do it. Kevin McHale, get me out to Boston.
(35:50):
Let's get this done. That conversation maybe what started that
entire process. So everyone owes it to you for making
that happen. There's no way we can hide that. But
then also you mentioned there about you coming back to
town for his jersey retirement. This has been great, Man,
to have you coming back into the fold here. Paul
is coming around more, KG has been coming around more.
(36:13):
It's so great to have all you guys back around,
these young guys who are trying to really carry it
on of what you guys helped build over the last
couple of decades. So we can't wait for you to
be back in town in your ambassador role. I can't
wait to see you at some games the rest of
the season, during the playoffs, yes, sir, and until then, Man,
we appreciate you coming up man, thanks for having me Man.
I look forward to saying you man well. I get
(36:35):
a Bien's househol
Host
Marc D'Amico
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