Justin Begg is one of the best point guards in the city of Houston and he sits down with RDWA and Ez Corner to talk about his visit to George Mason and why he decided to commit. Begg also talk about the AAU Nike EYBL circuit and the impact it has on him and other top players. His father Christian Begg is one of the most influential people in the AAU circuit, he talks about his impact on his career and explains how it is to have him as a coach, and many more!
Watch and follow all RDWA Podcast content across all social media platforms
Tiktok: @rdwapodcast
Instagram: @__rdwa
Youtube: Real Deal with Akil
Use discount code: RDWA to get 15% off any varsity cooler at https://varsitycoolers.us/discount/RDWA
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yo, it's the real deal to kill easy corner collab
subscribe rate review, itunes,spotify, all of that wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Another day, another dollar.
You know how I grind.
It's another episode, like hesaid, of the easy corner, but
also the collab with the realdeal to kill.
So it's something new and fresh.
But anyway, my guests, as youguys can see, man, the killer
from Episcopal State, championYBL, on that court, on the YBL
(00:38):
circuit, all state, mr Justinbeg, man, how you doing today?
Hey man, it's been a long timecoming.
We all know kind of a littlebit.
This interview was actuallybound to happen, so like we can
kind of get you up to speed.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, let me know so.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I interviewed the point guard at Houston,
christian named Montana we were.
One of the questions was who isthe guy that brings the best
out of you?
He says this guy right here,justin beg.
They had a classic SBCchampionship game which
Episcopal fell short.
Yeah, but we all know that weplan to see that.
(01:17):
I plan, I'm gonna say it now.
I think the rematch is gonnahappen in the SBC championship,
even though they're gonna playin district play.
But I'd rather see the matchupwith the biggest prize on the
line.
But that's this is where thisinterview step stems from.
So obviously I've been watchingJustin for a very, very long
time.
You know that I keep up withhigh school basketball real
heavy.
(01:37):
But this is Justin big.
So just kind of just talk aboutyour journey of basketball and
like how, how kind of reallystarted for you man.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
So, like my dad, christian beg Shot to him and he
kept me in the game for a longtime, still in the game because
of him, his knowledge, he's ataught me a lot.
You know, going through someups and downs with him as our
relationship, that coachrelationship, but, like, since I
was really like two or threeyears old, had a ball in my hand
(02:09):
, just playing basketball withthe older guys, that's when I
was a little kid and maybekindergarten, you know, playing
up, yeah, play, and playingmiddle school basketball when
I'm in elementary, not supposedto be dribbling the ball, my
left hand being able to make alayup, like with my left hand
when I'm like four or five, youknow, but yeah, I shot, I shot
(02:29):
up to my dad, really, that'sthat's why I'm playing
basketball, that's where I do itfor.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
That's okay.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I do want to.
I do want to stay on this part,because you say your dad
because he's in the, he's in thesport, he's a big name out here
.
So having your dad be a like acoach but also father, how hard
was that for you growing up.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
For me.
Yeah, on the court, it was alittle difficult because of the
Feedback coming from him.
Just it wasn't the same as itcoming from another person.
Yeah, I yell, coming fromsomebody else, compared to your
dad, a little different touches,a little different.
But besides that it's alwaysbeen love.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, I know I used when I went out when I played
ball my dad wasn't into thatlike it was the total I was out
to get coached by, like theschool coaches, or even a you,
so I was once another dynamicwhen it came to father Coaches
what's the conversation is likeafter games?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
when is it close?
So like, does it, does it turnoff?
Or because I said I Knowcoaches they want to turn it off
.
But like, what's theconversation after the game?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Especially after a bad performance man.
So many that's the worst word,that's the worst like so many,
like midday games, not how toback performance.
Going straight to the hill,just straight to the gym.
I believe you.
I believe you know that our owndrives, you know.
You know, maybe some tears hereand there, but we always man, I
(04:13):
don't even know what to say.
We all used to go back andforth with each other after,
after a game, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I remember the first time I'm seeing you play.
I want to say that you're inseventh grade and you and you're
playing with your Houston Hoopsteam at Crossover and I think
you played an older team and allI just remember Just saying
your dad, you guys won and Ithink somebody tried to argue
something, something, and yourdad was just like man no, no, no
(04:39):
we won't, we, won't we justgetting off the court?
but just talk about your dad'spassion and enthusiasm, because
Obviously we know what he's donefor you as a father.
But just can you kind ofelaborate what he's done for
other stars, like there's a lotof stars that's like two-way
stars football and basketball.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
A lot of other players in this city man, my dad
has Brought so much knowledgeto the game for other people and
my dad is not, you know, andwho does this for no dollar and
then, like that, he just keepsit real with you.
He he's not gonna sugarcoatnothing.
If you're good enough, you'regood enough, you're not, you're
not.
But yeah, that's all I can say.
My dad's just knows the game onanother level and it's it's
(05:21):
proven by the guys he's had inthe pros and and by all the guys
he got coming up in the futuretoo talk about your game and
how's developed, because I'mgonna sit here and be honest,
because this is what easy cornerdoes Justin?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
it took you probably at least probably like three
years to actually finally growon me, because I was just
looking like, okay, I Looked andI was just like he's good, but
then all of a sudden I saw youin big games when you got better
.
So just talk about your youelevator game.
By being small, just it now tofilling in your body and you
(05:59):
just knocking down shots whenit's time to play.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
I think like since freshman year my games matured
and I just gotten bettermentally.
You know I'm not the same timidJustin I might have been
sophomore freshman yearespecially I'm a alpha's.
Like I'm gonna get it, you know, like I want it in that big, in
that big moment it's me, I wantthe shot, I want to play.
You know I'm saying so, likeI'm always looking for the next,
(06:27):
the next big game, the next bigmoment.
I'm just ready for it.
Oh, I'm not taking nothing,nothing lightly.
I take every game for a hundred.
Maybe not everybody sees itthat way, but that's why I play
so hard, so confidence.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I've been around players back in high
school that had to growconfidence, because not
everybody want to take that shot, people just want to pass the
bomb, make the right basketballplay, quote-unquote.
Was there a certain game,certain message or certain
practice that led to that classin one of my form?
For my teammates, it took apractice with a sophomore for a
(07:04):
coach to literally get on him,go on one-on-one in practice and
then he got that dog in them.
Was it a certain moment?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I would say my sophomore year.
Going to my sophomore year,after maybe the first or second
game in the season, I knew likewhere we were and where we stood
, like our talent was there.
But we just needed that one guywho was gonna take us over the
hill to To accomplish that biggo at the end February, the SPC
championship and I feel like mysophomore year was definitely
(07:33):
that.
No, especially leaving it outon the floor for a state
championship, winning on abuzzer beater against the num1
team, arguably in Texas, withwith that talent, everything
like that.
You know, I think that was themoment right there.
Oh, you did a buzzer beater inthe state championship.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Yes, hey man.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Hey, that's right, when you edit this, run that
clip.
Run that clip when the cornerof the pump fake.
Yeah, did you like be honest,did you know that shot was going
in when it left there?
Yeah, because it was a.
It was like that was thedifference between a tough shot
and a shot maker.
So, like, did you just gottajust know?
Like yeah, it's going.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I need to store.
Okay, we're in the statechampionship game against Green
Hill.
No, it shall be Lee Dordt,michael Robinson college.
So they're the number one teamin Texas and SBC private school
(08:31):
basketball by far.
Everybody thinks, oh, this is abreeze game.
We come out, it's.
I want to say we're either upat halftime or it's tie game.
Fast forward, fourth-quarter.
We're down.
We're down.
Maybe five with three left togo.
They come down.
Shot, hit, shot.
(08:51):
I hit three threes in a row,three threes in a row, and two
of them in the last minute.
So when it came to that lastone, I just knew it like it had
to come to me.
I'm hot, hot hand.
Was it tired or was it?
Was y'all down?
We were down, we were down.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
He said he's one or two.
Oh, two, three, how manyseconds, little baby?
Hey, it was 17 seconds left.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Okay so 17 seconds.
We got to go full court, yeah.
So it was a dribble handoffplay.
I kind of like crowded thethree-point line, got to the
corner, pump fake in the corner,got him up in the air, shot on
one leg, kind of fading away,and when I when I let it go, I
just knew it was going.
It would look too good.
It was too clean too perfect.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
The funniest part about that play was you guys
celebrated but you guys reallyactually ended up spring back on
Like the turn, like they startspring down, like oh, that was
(10:00):
one of the that's one of thebest games I've ever seen.
But I do want to actually touchon, though obviously I want to
kind of shift gears to, but Not,I don't want to, I don't want
to touch on right now youplaying on it, but just
experiencing it, knowing that,like I said, you've seen a lot
of great performances and a lotof great play on the YBL circuit
(10:23):
.
For people that don'tunderstand that environment,
describe the environment as afan.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
It's fast-paced killer be killed.
No, no, plays off at all, it's.
It's.
It's not your, your local.
Just get up and down the court,open gym run.
This is a real deal.
It's not.
This is not a weekendtournament.
This is something that peoplejust want to do like they wish
(10:50):
to do it in their life.
You know, you know what I'msaying.
Like this, this league, issomething serious and it
translates to, to the cause ofthem, to the next level and it
gets you prepared for for whenyou have to go out and and be on
your own next year as a senioror as a freshman College doctor.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Give me some, some notable performances like you've
seen on the on the YBL, becauseI got just said, like it's I
kind of thought about it todaylike this probably gonna be the
first time in a while knowingthat you ain't going to the YBL,
he's dead because you got to gooff to college.
Yeah, so just kind of just talkabout the notable performances
that you've seen on the YBLcircuit.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
I'm gonna start off with my, my brother, jaylen Lowe
.
Last year I peed down.
It was just crazy.
Every game sitting on the benchwith him playing up man it was,
it was crazy.
It was like.
It was like as a whole new him.
He was just he was turning upevery game throwing logs to Jase
Posey, joe Tuggler, yeah,ashton hard way hard away in
(11:54):
threes.
You know who else do we have?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Jackson Prince was on that, jackson.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Prince was on that team.
Everything but some othernotable Performances.
I'll say my teammate TreyJohnson this year came off the
plane from Hungry.
You had 30 points, first gameat Peach Jam.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Just crazy off the plane like like it was nothing,
tired, still Hung likeeverything you know this is
gonna be a question I'm gonnaask you and I'm gonna ask your
dad.
When we get them on, there'sthe inklings that they think the
game is rigged for Houstonhoops to always make the Peach
(12:36):
Jam, because every time theyfeel like, oh, we look at the
status, ah, how did it?
Who's making?
Just talk about a little bitthis, this?
Can we just put to bed thatmyth that nobody is, nobody Is.
It's swaying one way.
Y'all just went at the righttime.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Yeah, we just went at the right time and and Just
like the name of the Houstonhoops carries, carries a lot of
respect with it, like mr Passner, he's had this for a long time.
My dad, you know, those kind ofpeople were just Just known
around the world, not only forthings that we do on the court,
(13:14):
but things that we do off thecourt, like.
I'll give you an example we, wetry to be as respectful as we
can.
We have many, we get manymessages that are about, oh, the
Houston hoops.
We're very respectful to us,they they're.
They're nice here, they're nicethere.
They're not like everybody else.
Maybe at a hotel people knowour names, things like that.
But also, I just want to sayour place speaks for itself,
(13:37):
yeah no, does it?
Speaker 2 (13:38):
does Y'all would like I say y'all, y'all, one at the
right yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Yeah yeah, and we, we deserve to be in the you, in
the pcm every year, no matter,no matter the case, especially
this year, especially yearsbefore.
So I just want to put that tores like the hoops yeah, we, we,
yeah, we.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Now one of them like Stop playing go Give the people
that's listening like a behindthe scenes, like a schedule of a
you, because obviously a you is, it's growing by the year.
So talking about like aschedule for y'all.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
So really I want to say a you starts spring break,
spring break.
Yeah right after the statechampionship, spring break.
You know you have everydaypractice.
Who's had two a days every dayduring spring break, except for
that last little couple days.
We have our Spring, you know,tournament or something, local
(14:34):
tournament or we might traveland then we might have one more
tournament after that and thenwith first you I bl session,
after that, first you are belowsession, it's just constant
practice.
You I bl session practice,maybe a weekend off, but you
write back on that schedule.
So it's like just practice,practice, practice, just making
(14:54):
sure everything's sharpened forthe, for the session and just
getting ready for that angle atpgm.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I want you to talk about one relationship that you
have, because I love thisdynamic and he's one of my
favorite players to watch.
Talk about the relationship youhave with one, aj Bates talk
about him a little bit, becauseI I've enjoyed you.
It just feels like you guysfeed off each other Every time
(15:22):
you play, so how different isgonna be knowing, when it comes
marks, you're not playing withhim?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yeah, I've been playing with Bates since I was a
freshman, so really that's myguy.
Like we are just one, two punch.
I feel like we feed off eachother.
We know we have a little betterIQ than some people we might be
playing with or playing againston the court, so we know where
(15:49):
we need to be, where we are atall times.
It's almost like we have thattwin connection to where we just
know what to do and when to doit at the right times.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
The fact that Seven Lakes and Episcopal hasn't
happened.
I like hey y'all ducking thatsmoke.
Hey, they ducking that smoke.
The fact that Seven Lakes andEpiscopal hasn't happened in
four years has really baffled me, because, like, because like is
so much storylines going intothat game, but also those are
(16:22):
two of the better teams in thestate.
Like we have deserved to seethat match up at least one time.
Like you could arguably say,Seven Lakes is one of the best
public schools, but alsoEpiscopal, we know they're the
one of the best private schools.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
So you think Seven Lakes is ducking y'all?
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Yeah, for sure, bates knows it.
Yeah, yeah, bates knows it.
Nas too, yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
So who made?
But when it comes to like this,I mean it comes down to with
the AD, the coach, and it getsout together like Nah, it really
just takes one player fromtheir side to say hey, coach,
can we play Episcopal?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Because?
We've already put out the wordthere.
It's up for them to accept thechallenge.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
And then on the schedule is your obviously no,
no, and this and this Ron.
So this is like the game that'ssupposed to happen.
Basically, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Because, like I said, when you think about it, these
are two or probably the bestpoint guards in 2024 in the city
of Houston.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Like, at the end of the day, they've been together
for all these years.
Like, why not their senior year?
Like, and honestly, these aretwo pretty good teams as of
right now, with notable wins.
Like, everybody wants to seethat match up.
Everybody wants to.
What's the ranking?
I don't know what the rankingis, but as far as like, these
are teams that can win SPCchampionship.
These are teams that can win astate championship.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So they play who you got.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Who do I?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
got Honest opinion.
Honest opinion Send the bios inthe room.
Nobody.
Nobody.
If, if, if, if, if, if, if youwere talking.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Because the thing is like I said I love Bates and I
said I was at the breading gamebig, I was impressed.
I was like they, they, they,they, they, they, they Kingston
families, even though you had 39, but but big in that leadership
, bates, net leadership.
But then got, got big here.
Man Like you, you can nevercount him out.
(18:08):
I think that would be a classicgame.
But if I had to give the edge Iwould give the edge, and I'm
not just saying this becausehere I'm going to give the edge
to a Piscobo, because I thinkthat boy, jaquiel Registe, makes
the difference.
Getting him back If it was lastyear's team I'm taking lakes,
(18:29):
but this year's team, when thatguy, jaquiel Registe, stayed
back, I said I know what big andthem are trying to, they, they
trying to give this, they, they,they, they.
They knew what happened lastyear in that SBC championship.
They trying to rewrite somewrongs and say, hey, it's all
right, get that, that, get back.
Season is coming, yeah, so likeso, so that's what?
And so I would take a Piscoboas of right now.
(18:53):
But speaking of a Piscobo, talkabout playing for Coach Wayne
Jones, talk about and the onething that I appreciate about
him is not just only the coach,the man that he is, so just talk
about the man and the coachthat Coach Wayne Jones is.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Coach Jones is like a father figure at school, like
anything you need.
You go to Coach Jones.
You know you need to talk tosomebody.
You go to him practice.
You know he listens.
He's a.
He's a guy you can come to atany time of the day, no matter
what it is basketball,schoolwork, problems at home,
anything like that.
But as a coach, coach Jones isis helping you for the next step
(19:36):
in life, like your future.
For me, I'm playing forsomething bigger than than just
a Piscobo.
I'm playing for my, my nextyear at George Mason, stuff like
that.
He's preparing you for thefuture and and just wants to see
the best for you.
You know what I'm saying.
So plan for Coach Jones hasbeen a great experience,
especially since sophomore year.
(19:56):
He really put the ball in myhands and trusted me just to for
it to be like my team and andbe the leader of the team.
So I really thank him for that.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Do you believe?
Years prior it was probably thebiggest misconception about
private school.
What have you feel like guyslike you, montana Willard
Montana Willard, nigel Walls,sebastian Sebastian Adams?
What have y'all done forprivate school basketball?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I feel like all those guys you just named, we've all
made it to where, like peoplewho are at public schools, they
starting to realize, hey, I kindof want to go to this private
school because, hey, this guy'sgetting all this pub from, from
going here and turning thisplace up.
That's kind of what we've doneand and it's it's also been like
people like Xavier Willard or,you know, da Hughes and our
(20:47):
Jeharry Long, who's also JaylenWaddle.
Yeah, Jaylen Waddle paved theway for people like us, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Y'all guys.
Y'all guys.
Talk about your crew, your,your, your Piscoball crew.
Obviously, shout out.
I know my boy, deshawn Brody,is no longer there.
Shout out, shout out, brody.
But just talk about themessages between you, jekyll and
and Breva.
I just just talk about the whatis the met, because I want the
(21:17):
coaches out there.
Obviously, we know if aPiscoball is going to go where
they need to go, it's on y'allthree, because this is y'all
last year.
What's the conversations likebetween y'all three?
Speaker 3 (21:31):
It's, it's real serious.
That's what I was saying.
It's real serious.
When it comes game time, whenit comes to the lights turning
on at seven o'clock on thatFriday afternoon SBC, you know,
conference game it's time tolock in.
It's no more fun and games it'sit's winter going home at that
point.
So we, we, we lock in when it.
(21:53):
When it comes to time, maybe,you know, there might be a
couple of games during theseason where we'll play around,
but when it comes to those biggames, yeah, we're really locked
in, we're real focused.
And those conversations getreal deep with those, especially
with them freshmen, or thepeople who just they're just
there to be there.
But hey, yeah, it's, it's someserious over there.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Talk about the Episcopal community as a whole,
because the one thing that Isaid I always resonate with,
with you guys, and I think a lotof these kids just kind of just
forget, like you guys embracethe dual sport.
Yeah, and that's what Iappreciate about Wayne Jones,
like I, to me he's almost amentality of a football coach
(22:34):
when he when he got y'all,because it's just more like the
dogs are off the leash.
Go go, get a bucket.
Go go go play hard defense.
Let's play in transition.
Justin, get these guys.
You, you're setting the tone.
So just talk about theEpiscopal community as a whole.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
We are.
We're not like people mightthink we're soft stuff like that
, but like we play hard, we playtogether, we play smart, we try
to play smart, we try to playsmart.
But having some freshmen likeAleema Lies won an eight and
five.
You know things might get outof hand, but when it comes to
when it comes to it, like we are, are locked in on the game and
(23:15):
just ready to go.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
What's the legacy that you want to kind of leave
out, episcopal?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
I want to leave like I don't know what, like just a
legendary one.
Like I want to be just known asoh, that's that guy number five
.
Like I want to be known asthat's five, right there, that's
five, right there.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Put the Jersey in the rafters right now.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Yeah, like five people, people.
I just want people to know likefive is not not to be played
where around.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Because when I look at the Episcopal mantle point
guard mantle I feel like it'sbeen passed down and I want to
know from like Juice Williams toDoc, now to you, who do you
pass that throne to?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
I'm gonna say I'm passing that throne to Aleema
Lies won an eight and five themtwo right there, but they just
they're two young guys onvarsity getting great minutes.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
You're great yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Producing a lot for us.
You know sometimes the Leansout there scoring a lot Hidden
Threes playing defense.
You know his mid-ranges lethal.
Same with Aiden.
You know he's, he's gonna comeout.
I feel like next year is gonnabe his year where he starts and
turns into that, that startingpoint guard, the guy like me, my
sophomore year.
Yeah, take over the program.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
So I want to kind of just talk about those two in
particular Vife and Alajuan.
Obviously, this is you, yourguys last ride.
Yeah, obviously they'refreshmen.
We all know that you guys are,are, are, are going to the SBC
tournament.
You can almost book it likedeath taxes and you guys making
(24:53):
the making, the tournament isguaranteed.
By the time that rolls around,episcopal probably played 25 to
30 games.
They're not freshmen anymore.
They won't be consideredfreshmen anymore.
How bad do you need those guysto produce to get where you want
to go?
Speaker 3 (25:12):
I'm gonna start off with Aleem right here, aleem,
aleem got to produce bothmentally he got a mentally lock
in and physically lock in.
I just sometimes he just getsin his own hair.
But you know, we're going totalk him through it, okay.
Stuff like that, but it's justthe it's.
I feel like it's just thefreshman jitters still.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
He's still not 100% used to it.
You know they both coming fromhomeschool situations so they
never really played in front ofthis like big crowds all the
time.
But yeah, when it comes to thattime in next month January,
february they go.
It's going to be a differentthing.
You're going to see adifference.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Because my whole thing is, a lot of freshmen can
always just say hey, man, I havethree years left, you're the
senior.
So what's kind of your messageto them?
Because at the end of the day,we know, like I said, it's
strictly business you guys leftsomething on the table that that
believe that is rightfully youguys.
So what is the message to them?
That these three years canreally go by?
You're not guaranteed to winevery year.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah, you're not guaranteed anything next year.
You never know what couldhappen during your summertime.
So, just I'm like, just justtreat others like the way you
would want to be treated, LikeI'm treating you with the most
respect.
Treat me with the most respect,but like, just lock in, like
you don't have these moments forlife.
(26:36):
You know, I feel like my highschool career has gone by like
this.
I feel like yesterday I wasjust a freshman and now I'm a
senior, the season's halfwayover.
I'm just going to say cherishall these moments, man, Like
it's.
There are moments that are thatthey just go by so fast and you
just, I don't even know, Likejust time is moving.
(27:00):
Time is moving too quickly foryou to just cherish on someone
that's in the past, work on yourfuture and just make sure you
lock in on everything you'redoing.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
I do want to ask the situation last year.
How sweet would it be if you inyour high school career stay
championship with anotherbrother?
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah, how would that feel?
Man that would put the IC onthe cape for my high school
career.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
I'm going to put you best point guard and come out of
the city.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
What best point guard ?
Come out of the city, for sure.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
City.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Out the city, like out the city City of Houston
Ever.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, oh easy.
I'm sorry, your face is easy.
I'm saying okay, this is what Iwill say.
If we talking about somebodygetting two state champions, two
state champions two buzzerbeaters and brought every single
year, brought my top.
What you think, Is that so soso it.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I would say it's tough GMG yeah, Top yeah.
I don't think.
I don't think.
Nobody in the city is going topay.
I mean no, I would say theresume will stack up against
anybody.
But my whole thing is myrebuttal to you is this Montana
(28:16):
really has one more year.
What if he gets a statechampionship history?
That would be my rebuttal.
It would be.
It would be not enough.
I'll make the confidence though.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Think about it.
He's not wrong Like it's, it's,he's in the discussion and it's
a debate.
So that's what it's, so that'sso.
That's my, that's my wholething.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
So do you know the history?
I'm pretty sure you're part ofthe history of TMG, yeah, bt
about TJ4 or two.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
I think that's that resume is going to be.
You know what I?
Speaker 3 (28:45):
mean, and it doesn't just stop right here in high
school, it obviously keeps ongoing.
So like the way I see myself inthe next five years, I feel
like I will have that resume andjust approve it to back it up.
So like that also goes intowhat I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
The one thing I do want to.
I want to ask you this question, the one, the question that I
want to ask you is for everybodythat said they believe that
your spot was given because whoyour?
Dad is what's your answer tothat?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
I've been in the gym too many late nights, early
mornings, you know, work on mybutt off.
For somebody to sit here andsay that until you put somebody
in front of me, that's going toprove to me that they are better
than me and I shouldn't be inthe spot that that I was in.
I earned every second, everyminute, every moment I was in,
so for somebody to say thatthat's just heartbreaking to
(29:38):
towards me.
Now it's not fair to me to saythat to me because of the
opportunity I've been been given, but I work for it, so it
should have been given to me orI should have gotten it, okay.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
No, I do.
I do want to shift a little bitbecause you said you want to
George Mason.
So why George Mason?
What came to that conclusion?
What stood out during thatvisit?
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Just everything really like.
Even just getting to theairport, they treated me like
family.
As soon as I got there, thecoaching staff, you know, coach
skin, coach, a mic everybodyjust was like.
It felt like a home environment.
I would say like they justtreated me with the utmost
respect, especially my parents,which was a major thing.
You know, fairfax Virginia isan amazing place.
(30:31):
It's a new environment, newclimate, all that a new region.
I don't be starting a newjourney at everything, but Mason
, like the conference, are ineverything.
They're on the rise.
I feel like you're going tohear a lot about George Mason
and Pirate basketball in thecoming future.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Talk about George Mason a little bit, because
they're actually kind of I seethat they're actually recruiting
Houston a lot.
So, just kind of just talkabout that.
And quick story about GeorgeMason.
I watched the game in 06 whenthey beat you kind of go to the
final four.
So I just I do want to know tooalso how many play, because the
head coach was on that finalfour too.
(31:09):
How many, how many coaches arestill like there at George Mason
?
That was on that final four.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I believe there's another one, coach Butler, oh
yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Oh, he was in the corner, the corner side.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
It's your coach in there, George.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Mason no, no, no, no, no, like they played, they
played.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Yeah, so they beat you.
So they keep it within thefamily base?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Yeah, yeah, jim Larenega, man Shout out Jim
Larenega, coach in Miami, but hewas the head coach, yeah yeah,
they keep that in the family,but was there any other schools
or any other visits that?
Speaker 3 (31:39):
you took.
No, I didn't.
I didn't take any other visitsand it was just kind of like
like I took that first visit toGeorge Mason, it just felt so
good.
I just it just felt like home,you know, and it was just the
right time and the right placeof when I got.
When I got that offer and andthe opportunity to go to George
Mason, I was like, yeah, this isit for me.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
I want to kind of switch gears, because actually,
obviously, like my job is tokind of study what you kind of
do, talk about the painting yoursister did the picture, and
also talk about the modelingcareer at Episcopal.
Man, got to, just got to justtouch on those, though, because
at the end of the day, you'remore than an athlete.
Yeah, this year there's NILdeals, you know, then you've got
(32:24):
to kind of brand yourself.
At the end of the day, you'vebeen at Episcopal.
That is more than sports isknown for education.
Just got to just talk aboutthat.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Yeah, my sister, she did like.
She had like a little artproject for art class
photography class.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
She took a picture of me and and kind of matched that
George Mason theme a little bitwith the green and yellow and
white-ish stuff, and I really mysister did a great job on that.
And to speak on the modelingthing.
It's like a little event thatwe do for our school.
It's called the Style Show,senior Style Show and it was
just a great experience.
Got to model at the Galleriafor Macy's and it was just it
(33:00):
was.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
it was fun, you know lights on you, cameras on you
smiling parents in the crowd.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
everything was just nice yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Obviously, like I just said, man for Episcopal to
win the SBC Championship.
What needs to happen?
Speaker 3 (33:21):
What needs to happen.
What needs to happen?
We just got a.
We got a tough one in in StJohn's, houston Christian, st
Mark's.
I feel like those are the, themain people that we got to worry
about.
But it's really not about them.
It's more about us and the waywe got to play.
We got to come out as a unitand play together and stop
(33:45):
worrying about oh, I need mine,mine, mine.
You know, if you get, if we getours, yours comes with it Stuff
like that.
We're going to play togetherand just lock in on on what our
main goal is and we'll achieveit.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Talk about your secondary hobby, the collection
of shoes.
Talk, talk, talk about that andwhat has shoes?
What kind of joy that hassneakers brought you.
What's the?
What's the best pair ofsneakers you've ever played in?
So kind of just talk about likeyou're, you're, like you're one
(34:20):
of the shoe guys and your dad Ican even get started about that
man.
We know who he is.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Shoes has been a crucial part of my my life since
little kid.
I've always loved shoes,especially because of my dad.
Jordan's really just everythingNike.
I'm just keeping keeping realwith you.
Everything Nike and Jordan isabout all we go.
But you know, like best shoesI've played in, currently my
(34:48):
favorite shoe to play in if Icould play on it in it every day
, would be my Kobe six UIBLs.
But I also do like Jordan 11s.
Jordan 11s is it's somethingwhen you break it in, you get
the squeak and the comfort, thehigh top, everything like that.
It looks nice, it feels nice,it's.
It's not too heavy for me.
(35:09):
But you know the bread 11 is myfavorite shoe.
I do have a question with that.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Do you have to kind of get two pairs, one to play in
and one for soap?
Speaker 3 (35:18):
It's like a certain point where, like your Jordan's,
you wear your Jordan so muchthat it's just like, okay, it's
about time for me to just startlacing them up and put them on
the court.
So like, that's what it was,especially with my bread 11s I I
worn them a lot and it was justlike, oh, they still look good.
I hope you loved it.
I ain't really wearing them out.
(35:38):
I'ma put them all according.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
This is why I'm glad we collabing on this.
I'm talking to the generationbelow us.
When it comes to Jordans, y'allwill never understand when it
came to holiday time with themcool grays.
You have to stand in line forshoes.
You had to literally get up atthree in the morning.
Hey, you still up.
(36:04):
You want to go to the mall?
You gotta stand in line.
You gotta get your ticket.
Stand in line.
Now, jordans, you can just goinside the store and get your
pair.
You know what I mean?
It's totally different.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
What joy has shoes brought you?
A lot of people just don'tunderstand the shoe culture.
But what does shoes do for your?
Speaker 3 (36:25):
confidence.
Shoes is like it's a part ofyour persona.
I say I'm five.
People say there's somethingthat was like five Me, I always
gotta have the nicest shoes onmy feet.
I can't just be a regularsnuggler guy.
My dad always asks me hey, weplaying this, we might be
(36:46):
playing a not so good team.
Why are you wearing these EYBOtoe-bees up?
I'm like I gotta look good, Ilook good, I play good.
That's how I feel.
I'm always rocking theaccessory, not because I just
want to look cute, I just wantto look confident.
Me having a nice drip is whatthey call it.
Me having a nice drip is how Ifeel.
(37:08):
Like I get buckets.
That's just a part of me.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
You're gonna be like the loud color shoes.
Yeah, loud color shoes.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
You ain't wearing a team color shoes.
I got a question because you'reone of the most elite.
You're an elite guy in the city.
What's your take on the trashwearing the great shoes?
You have to be elite to wearthe elite shoes because there's
a lot of guys like me and myfriend always had a say with
(37:37):
back then with the elite socks.
Don't wear elite socks ifyou're not elite.
So just talk about when you seepeople with nice shoes but they
ain't getting no PT.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Yeah, you might, especially nowadays.
You see a lot of these kids outhere with some EYBL shoes and
they ain't never stepped foot onan EYBL team, you know.
It just comes apart where youearn that privilege to put these
shoes on because of the statusand the hard work that you put
into all this stuff, especiallywith all these kids rocking
(38:12):
these Kobe's and everything Like.
If you ain't getting no playingtime, why you wearing such nice
shoes?
Let somebody else get a chanceto wear these.
I don't want them, man.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
That's funny Talker.
I would say this I'm about toalmost get to a top five on this
for you.
Give me your top five HoustonHoops teammates.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Team mates, team mates.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Like in your whole career, Houston Hoops, and you
know it spans back a long time.
If I had a guest, I want to saythis Just let me know, if I'm
right, If it's two names thatI'm going to put on there I
don't know AJ Bates and JamalKreeti.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Are those two on the make the list?
Okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
I'm going to give all time just because of the
history behind it.
I want you to actually tell alittle bit of the history.
So I'm going to say these aremy top five teammates Anthony
Bates, aaron Valentine Drail andMiller Jamal.
And who am I missing?
(39:22):
Oh and Nephy, oh, okay, nephy,no okay.
So these guys are all guys wholike, who just been there for me
when you know like as friendsit could be, it could be
anything like we've we've allseparated now, but we all keep
in contact and those are just myguys and such a, such a young
(39:45):
age and like they just been myhomies, my day ones.
You know anything I need, I goto them still to this day.
If I need to call Jamal, youknow, call Jamal right now
you'll still answer.
You know, drail and he just gotcongratulations, colorado.
Colorado, I'll call him rightnow.
He gonna go answer all theseguys Nephy, aaron Bates, all
those guys just my boys fromsuch a young age and made so
(40:08):
many, so many memories together.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
What's your best team that you played on with my I?
Speaker 3 (40:15):
already know that answer.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Eighth grade year Talk about it, talk about it.
Eighth grade year Was that.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
COVID year.
Covid, maybe wait, let me.
Let me switch it up Seventhgrade summer.
Seventh grade summer was myfavorite and best team.
My dad was coaching no.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I like I said that's the first time I saw y'all play
at crossover.
Y'all beat my boy coach MoJones, the assistant coach at
same time as Episcopal.
Y'all beat his team.
I was there like because Ithink y'all beat him and that's
when your dad walked off.
No, no, no no, we would, wewould.
We would, because I got said ohno, no man, yes, so so, so so,
(40:53):
but talk about that team.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
We just it was like those guys had been together
since we were in fourth grade,maybe third fourth grade around
those times.
So we really just had a record.
We really like meshed welltogether, like we knew
everything.
We knew the plays, we were alltight knit clothes, spending,
spending 90, each other's houses, stuff like that.
(41:15):
So like the relationship andthe bond between us was like no
other, like all those guys arelike brothers to me, so I got a
question that you say thatbecause right now I actually
teach on a middle school.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
When you say you kind of know the plays and stuff
like that, I want you to kind ofjust talk about the
unselfishness that you learnedduring the, during those years.
And how did that start?
Because there's a lot of middleschoolers.
Look at me, I'm here to drop 40or amen, I'm trying to get my
50 and it's just more likethey're not really like students
(41:50):
of the game.
But when I watch a HoustonHoops young team play they know
how to pass and cut, get to thered spots and do that.
Talk about the knowledge in thestudent of the game.
That started early.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
I'm going to say, I'm going to put that on my dad
because he's the reason why weweren't selfish, we weren't just
looking for me, me, me, me, me.
It was about we, like my dadhas, in the gym, to our
practices, we start off somedays we start off dribbling just
on the baseline pass and bouncepasses, chest as like
(42:22):
fundamental things that mostguys, most people, don't do
during their normal a youpractice.
But we were doing those things.
We were running plays.
We knew to all the plays likethe back of our hands, like we
just knew it, so like thatculture that my dad just
instilled into us is the reasonwhy we were like that.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
I want to shift it up a little bit.
We talked about thegenerational gap, so I want to
ask NBA.
I know you watch a lot of NBA,you taking Michael all the bar.
Michael Jordan, all right, I'ma LeBron fan, but I just want to
see what you're going to say.
Who are your top five playersright now?
Speaker 3 (43:04):
In league.
Kevin Durant.
I'm going to give it to LeBronKevin Durant, lebron Luca, kyrie
and Jason Tatum.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
How does Yonus not make your?
Speaker 1 (43:18):
favorite.
Oh, he's your favorite, or doyou think this is the best?
That's my favorite.
This is Yonus.
This is not the best, this ismy favorite, yonus, is in that
best.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
He's in the best right now.
But those are just my favoriteguys that if I'm bored at home
NBA highlights at school I'mlooking up Luca, kyrie, lebron.
You know, sometimes Favoriteartist, top five, top five
Travis Scott, ot7, qwani.
Shout out to OT7, qwani.
Y'all don't know about that,what's?
Speaker 1 (43:47):
your name.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
OT7, Qwani.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
OT7, qwani Qwani.
Yeah, Is that a rapper?
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Yeah, I did research.
What are you from, philly?
Speaker 1 (44:00):
OT7, qwani.
Yeah, that's two.
Lil Uzi.
I like his last album.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
Who else I said Travis Scott man.
Oh, a little double low rightnow.
I've been listening to a lot ofV's lately.
(44:34):
Some say these I got someunderground rappers I listen to
too.
But yeah, I know like this dudenamed Jade's Rick Ross.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
I would say this I always because I'm an education.
So the one of the first thingsI always say is I Tell a kid
every day on, every time in thefirst day school, give me a song
and give me a song so I shouldlisten to.
So I just think, as if you tellit, hit on him to do that, we
got a reciprocate, the sameenergy, because I got you said I
(45:40):
can't lie without my students,I'm not on baby, and I'm not on
Rala without my students, I'mnot on them.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
I was.
It is some good music out here.
I'm not gonna look like I did.
I'll tell you, lose the first,last album I did like.
So, matter of fact, give.
I give you a quick story.
So I don't.
I'm starting to use tiktok more, so I did a review, lesson 20.
That album was good, mm-hmm.
So I get on there, do like alittle review.
I'm gonna get like a lot oflikes and comments on it.
I'm thinking the comments gonnabe like some bashing yada yada.
(46:09):
It was like there was a green.
What I was saying about it.
But they would shock me wasthat they start saying man, look
, the og respects the youngerrap.
Wait, you know this person.
(46:33):
At first I was in a fan, but hegot yeah so if I give artists
to?
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Oh, t7 Connie oh T7.
Yeah, oh, t7, connie got the.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
Like the kids put me on, rala on baby, like they are
only responsible for putting meon Rala Little baby, like, like.
And then, honestly, I I do wantyou to talk about this.
Talk about, because we didn'treally have it, but we, it was
the beginning.
Talk about the mixtape era.
(47:18):
You just talk about the bigthing because you guys are
almost making cartoonish thatwe've never seen before.
You should just be raw clips,instrumentals.
Now we just people turning intomonsters, people popping out of
cakes like they ducking theball.
Speaker 3 (47:36):
So just talk about how the luxury of the mixtape
era has enhanced you guys like Ifeel like the heart of the
mixtape you got, the better, thetalented guy you are, almost as
if like I'll give you anexample right now in the UIBO
(47:56):
stage the people with the bestyou know mixtapes were.
Like LA could do.
You know, todd Petterford,those top ranked guys, and like
the mixtape era is like whatevery kid's dreaming of.
They dream of that stuff.
You know I'm saying like that'snot something that you could
just go out there and buy likeyou got to be talented enough to
Play good enough, get recordedby somebody and hopefully get it
(48:21):
for free.
You know, if you pan for amixtape then you know, maybe you
might not be there yet, but youknow, like getting a mixtape on
the UIBO level that's justamazing accomplishment if you
can do it one day.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
How's it?
How has it enhanced thebasketball culture?
Speaker 3 (48:38):
Oh, you know, people put their own songs on.
Like I can get a mixtape,somebody can send me a mixtape.
Y'all could just video and nosound.
I could put Ochi-Semmokani inthe back and just turn it up a
little bit like that's just likeyour own little spit on it,
like like back in the day, ify'all had that, that technology,
my dad probably put some DJscrew on the back of his His
(49:02):
bass on mixtape stuff like that.
But like it's definitely.
I'm not gonna say he's justhelped, but as far as like stuff
like Instagram, tick, tock, youknow it, it helps your, your
peace of mind For your friendsto see what, what's up with you.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
Obviously, like I just said, I think we all in the
in the social media era, we'reall living it.
But just talk about what is thesocial media culture do for you
, for your friends and you'rewho you hang out with.
Speaker 3 (49:36):
Social media can help , but it can also hurt a lot.
Like Twitter is a great way toGet in contact with all these
coaches, but, like you justgotta be mindful of what you do,
especially for like Instagram.
They're, like, there's a lot ofstuff like you might have put
(49:57):
out in the past.
I can just resurface, but Ijust say, just be mindful of
what you do, what you post andwhat kind of things that you
look at on your Instagram andthe things that you promote.
Because, like nowadays it's allabout your NIL, your name,
image and likeness, stuff likethat.
So I can always ruin stuff andyou can just think Opportunities
(50:20):
can be taken away from fromstupid mistakes that you make
just post on your Instagram.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Give all the way.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
I'm not gonna talk about social media real quick,
because a lot when you, when youballing the way you are, they
could be kids at either schoolor social media.
Oh, he's him.
Yeah, he's the goat, he's alegend.
All those things.
Does that like boost yourconfidence?
Or there's something you try tolike ignore a little bit,
because I can you know?
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Yeah, especially at school, I will say this like
like I might joke around and belike oh yeah, I'm him, like this
isn't this, but like I don'treally just act like that.
I'm not.
I'm not that type of personwho's just gonna be like oh yeah
, I deserve more than youbecause of this thing.
At the end of the day, we'reall human, we all.
I go to the school just likeyou do.
(51:06):
I tie my shoes, I wake up,brush my teeth, just like you do
.
So we're not any different, anda lot of people don't see that,
but that's how I View the worldas far as right now, because a
lot of people are getting bigheaded in the things that they
do and I just my parents taughtme differently than that.
So that's just my view on those.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
We touched on sister.
I'm sweet Just on pops.
Talk about mom's, talk aboutwhat, what, what she's done for
you, because at the end of theday, like you know, obviously
You're always gonna be attachedto Christian.
Yeah, that's it, but can youjust talk about mom's for a
little bit?
Oh?
Speaker 3 (51:45):
My mom's a different, different animal.
You know, like my mom, she's ata lot of my home games.
Recently she's been a lot of mymy piss will games, but my
mom's just she couldn't alwaysbe out to every a you game like
my dad Could.
You know my dad's with the teamand everything, but my mom is
(52:06):
the most supportive person ever.
If I'm going through somethingespecially though, like we
talked about those bad games youknow we're driving home with my
dad.
I go see my mom.
You know she's real supportive,but my dad might think I just
went home crying to my mom, butmy mom would always sit down,
have, sit down, talk to me andlike things I need to do to get
(52:28):
better in those situations,stuff like that.
So my mom's helped me mentallyovercome some some, some
roadblocks.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
Talk.
Give me a player that youalways in the city, that you
felt like.
I wish I would have played withhim played with him I.
Got a player in mind, but Iwant you to say your player
first.
Speaker 3 (52:56):
Play with him, rob.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Oh, that's a good one .
I wasn't even thinking abouthim, yeah, but I was thinking
about I would always it wouldhave been interesting to see you
even though I love AJ Bennett'syou and Zion Piffed into the
back.
I would, I would, I wouldactually want to see, to see
that.
No, but it could have beenthree guys, three starting,
(53:22):
three starting guards and you,aj and Zion.
But I would always want to seethat.
I was actually at that gamethis year when Clu-Cuze played
the hook.
That was actually one of themost intense games.
I see, like it was a good game,but like, but like I just said
that that's the player that Iwas thinking about, rob, yeah, I
kind of forgot about it.
Speaker 3 (53:43):
If you're throwing that, love yeah, that screen
picking role, somebody help upthe big, help up that love he
gets in that every time.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
I do have a question but like it's because he's my
guy and I want, I just want.
I want you to describe oneplayer to me and he's my guy and
I'm going to have him on easycorner.
How did you and AJ Bates kindof control, divide who goes
(54:13):
competitive?
Speaker 3 (54:13):
Because, like I love my boy Divon.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
I said.
But sometimes I should be likedeep, what was it?
Easy, you know me?
I said I bet, so just talkabout the misconception of him.
But also like when he's lockedin, he's one of the best guards
in the state.
Speaker 3 (54:29):
Yeah, yeah.
He just man like Divon'scompetitive nature is something
different.
You know, like him on the courtis a lot different from him off
the court.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Because the only reason why I said that?
Because I was at that Coos gameand like he did something, he
said something and then you andAJ just go over to him and he's
like all right, all right.
So just talk about, like thatrelationship you have with him,
that you I think y'all areprobably one of the few guys
that can really talk to him.
What do you want to really talkabout?
Speaker 3 (55:01):
Just the relationship .
Like I said, we've beentogether since freshman year.
So it was like a differentaspect that we have towards each
other, like at the end of theday, we might say we better than
one another, but like we stillin this together.
We were still, you know, goingand seeing each other every day,
practicing with each other.
We've been with each othersince freshman year.
So, like just, he has adifferent type of respect
(55:24):
towards us than he might havetowards other people, but like
Devon, like I said, different onthe court than he is off the
court.
He's the loudest person all thetime off the court and on the
court and I don't know, you knowwhat I'm saying but but like
his play is loud.
When he's locked in, his playis loud.
So you know, that's my guy.
(55:45):
I love that dude.
Speaker 2 (55:47):
Talk about this 2020 class, Just talk about it as a
whole, because I think I kind oftold I told the last interview
I did was with David Ellis, thedetaker from Hottel, and I said
2024 throughout the board ofsports of the city was pretty.
I told myself I ain't going toreally get emotional, but I am
(56:09):
going to get emotional because2024, like I feel like I watched
all grow up.
So it's just more like justtalk about some of the notable
players and stuff like that,Because to me, you're the head
of that forefront.
Like if there is basketball inthe city, there is guys that
represent the city.
You got a guy that goes likeyou AJ Bates, Robert Miller,
Zion Pippkins, guys that been ontop for so long.
(56:30):
Now you guys are almost threemonths away from the end.
Talk about your class.
Speaker 3 (56:37):
You know, I would say people like the people you name
.
Jared Harris, yes, you'reHarris.
You know Kate Dodson.
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Clarence.
Speaker 3 (56:45):
Pia, you know what?
I'm saying Like McDermott yeah,people like Ashton Shadow, cam
Patterson.
Speaker 2 (56:52):
Yeah, cam, that's my guy right there Cam.
Speaker 3 (56:55):
All these people, we've just we've been head of
100 since for a long, long time,like we've made noise in the
city since we were in eighthgrade and like to finally see us
all grow up and all taking ourown separate ways.
It's a little sad, but you know, like we, just we ready for
(57:15):
that next step in life andthat's the ultimate goal being
able to go to concert free andplay and continue to play
basketball.
Speaker 2 (57:24):
That's the other question that I have Obviously I
kind of make it jokingly thetransfer portal of high school
basketball.
But obviously you've been loyaland I would say a lot of your
2024 compadres actually beenloyal to that.
Talk about you guys standing onthat and finishing what you
(57:48):
guys started, because JaredHarris we know he wants that
state championship.
Jekyll Rajiste has came back toEpiscopal to get a state
championship.
Cam Patterson four years atSummer Creek.
Aj Bates at Seven Lakes, wheneverybody and their mama thought
that Devon was leaving.
Clements he got Clements at 13and 0.
That's my guy.
(58:08):
He got Clements at 13 and 0.
So just talk about the journeyand the loyalty of 2024 and
finishing something that youguys started.
Speaker 3 (58:17):
We like.
For me especially, I feel likeI owe that to my coaches, the
loyalty, you know, the promise Igave to my guys last year about
just coming back, just tryingto win another state
championship this year aftercoming short, falling short last
year.
I feel like we all know all theguys that we just named.
(58:39):
We all can go somewhere elseand just and produce at a higher
level possibly.
But you know, staying loyal towhere you know is home, where
you know people love you andhave your back, that's what I'm
looking for, that's what I like.
You know, Episcopal has justbeen home to me for the last
four years and they've beentreating me with the utmost
(59:00):
respect and brought me newopportunities in life that I
might not ever get.
You know, I could call myfriends back in five years.
In five years I might be ableto make a connection on man at
Episcopal, just off of stayinghere.
And you know, J'Kill, comingback is an amazing thing.
So I feel like we got thatchance to just put the icing on
(59:21):
the cake and win that statechampionship this year.
Speaker 2 (59:23):
And I got two more questions.
I know if you had to do more,but I'm not going to.
Okay, one of my questions isgive me four, two thousand and
twenty four guys in the city ofHouston that you will pick a
game or run away.
Speaker 3 (59:40):
On my team.
Speaker 2 (59:40):
On your team.
You got to pick four.
Speaker 3 (59:43):
Four, hmm, twenty twenty four guys, twenty twenty
four, I'm going to pick.
I'm going to pick Rob Miller.
Speaker 2 (59:53):
Yes, it doesn't have to be my position.
You just pick the best five, oryou?
Speaker 3 (59:58):
Yeah, I'm going to pick Rob Miller.
I'm going to pick J'Kill, okay,because I know his strength and
his weaknesses.
Yeah, yeah, I'm going to pick.
I'm sorry, so I'm not going topick Bates as my guy, but I'm
just Bates.
He's not going to pick youright now.
(01:00:20):
Okay, get your seven lakes at.
Speaker 2 (01:00:22):
Episcopal matchup yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:00:25):
I'm going to pick.
Jared Harris, I'm going to pick.
Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
Payet Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:00:32):
That's four.
Yeah, that's four, that's four.
Speaker 2 (01:00:34):
I'm paying, okay, okay, I'll take that and I think
my well, I actually really dohave another question after that
, but I'm going to let you askthis question before I ask this
question.
But let me ask this questionreal quick.
Who is the person Like I askedMontana Wheeler who is the
person that brings the absolutebest out of you in this city?
Speaker 3 (01:00:57):
It got to be Montana.
Wheeler it got to be Montana.
Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
Wheeler what he told me, his reasons.
I want to know your reasons.
What about that matchup makesit so special?
Speaker 3 (01:01:09):
I feel like it's the fact that we've been playing
each other since the beginningof of you know, rivalries.
I feel like our fathers on twodifferent oh two of the best
dads in the game.
Speaker 2 (01:01:19):
Man, yeah, yeah, yeah , yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:01:23):
Yeah, two different sides of.
I didn't even put that intoconsideration.
You got Teddy with on one sideand Christian Big on one other
side.
Oh God, oh God, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01:30):
Oh God, oh God, the two different.
You know circuit teams.
You know he's a big Adidas guy.
Yeah, my dad's a big Nike guy.
So going head to head, are youknow two sons, you know a
Revalent around the same era,you know same conferences, stuff
like that.
So playing him, I played himevery year for the last four
years, except freshman year,except freshman.
(01:01:52):
So those battles we've beengoing at it since fifth grade,
fourth grade.
He used to play on the bluechips.
I used to be on this teamcalled Texas Thunder, that long
ago.
So stuff like that and that'smy dog at the end of the day.
But we always are justcompetitive.
(01:02:13):
It's always going to be a moviewhen UCS play.
Speaker 2 (01:02:16):
The last statement that he made that he says I
guard Hill, but I feel liketheir best players don't guard
me.
You say what to that statement?
Speaker 3 (01:02:27):
I'm going to say this last year.
Last year was a littledifferent because we didn't have
nobody.
If I wasn't guarding you then,or if Braylon wasn't guarding
you and I wasn't guarding you,we didn't have nothing else.
So this year you're going tosee a little different.
It's me versus him.
This year, head on head, I'mguarding him 90, 40.
Speaker 2 (01:02:49):
When you saw that what was your mindset.
He used to get me on the show.
I told him that.
I told him he used to get me.
Yeah, Go ahead and kill me.
Go ahead with your question man.
Speaker 1 (01:03:02):
So this is going to be a little bit of a change of
subject.
One game, let's say you'regoing to 15.
Who's winning?
You or your pups?
Speaker 3 (01:03:12):
Me what.
He can't guard me, though.
What's going?
Hey, I'll tell you a quickstory.
Story time with Bay.
I'll tell you a quick story.
I have not beat him yet, buthe's ducking the smoke.
I have not played him in twoyears.
Every time we play, we used toplay for these Kobe's.
I eventually got him, but wedidn't end up playing for him
(01:03:34):
the last time.
But last time we played he beatme.
It was about two years ago.
It's a little different.
Now I'm a little more of a try.
He used to give me a littleblocking back.
Yeah, post-duck, he can't holdme.
Now I'm a little too fast forhim.
Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
Why do you think he played in two years?
What do you think it's?
Speaker 3 (01:03:53):
him he can't keep up, no more.
He realized it he cannot keepup.
He lost, yeah, he lost Hisknees hurt His knees hurt, his
knees cracked.
Speaker 1 (01:04:02):
His knees popped.
Speaker 3 (01:04:03):
He make excuses and things.
Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
Paul, paul, did you believe that he can't beat me on
the block?
He just got on this one shot, Igot you, I got the rebound.
That's how.
Speaker 1 (01:04:17):
I'm good, thanks, that was my last one.
Speaker 2 (01:04:20):
And my last question, I want you to actually say it
in the camera who is Justin Begg?
Speaker 3 (01:04:28):
Justin Begg.
Clash of 2024, alpha Dog.
I'm just me, at the end of theday.
I'm not looking to be nobodyelse, I'm just five.
Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
Let me go to the camera with the real deal with a
kill man.
Follow us on all social mediaplatforms.
Episode coming soon.
We're here with five EpiscopalKiller, the George Mason commit,
eybl circuit, all SBC statechamp, all state Justin Ben.
Speaker 1 (01:05:29):
We out.
Yo, it's the real deal to kill easy corner collab
subscribe rate review, itunes,spotify, all of that wherever
you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Another day, another dollar.
You know how I grind.
It's another episode, like hesaid, of the easy corner, but
also the collab with the realdeal to kill.
So it's something new and fresh.
But anyway, my guests, as youguys can see, man, the killer
from Episcopal State, championYBL, on that court, on the YBL
(00:38):
circuit, all state, mr Justinbeg, man, how you doing today?
Hey man, it's been a long timecoming.
We all know kind of a littlebit.
This interview was actuallybound to happen, so like we can
kind of get you up to speed.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, let me know so.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
I interviewed the point guard at Houston,
christian named Montana we were.
One of the questions was who isthe guy that brings the best
out of you?
He says this guy right here,justin beg.
They had a classic SBCchampionship game which
Episcopal fell short.
Yeah, but we all know that weplan to see that.
(01:17):
I plan, I'm gonna say it now.
I think the rematch is gonnahappen in the SBC championship,
even though they're gonna playin district play.
But I'd rather see the matchupwith the biggest prize on the
line.
But that's this is where thisinterview step stems from.
So obviously I've been watchingJustin for a very, very long
time.
You know that I keep up withhigh school basketball real
heavy.
(01:37):
But this is Justin big.
So just kind of just talk aboutyour journey of basketball and
like how, how kind of reallystarted for you man.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
So, like my dad, christian beg Shot to him and he
kept me in the game for a longtime, still in the game because
of him, his knowledge, he's ataught me a lot.
You know, going through someups and downs with him as our
relationship, that coachrelationship, but, like, since I
was really like two or threeyears old, had a ball in my hand
(02:09):
, just playing basketball withthe older guys, that's when I
was a little kid and maybekindergarten, you know, playing
up, yeah, play, and playingmiddle school basketball when
I'm in elementary, not supposedto be dribbling the ball, my
left hand being able to make alayup, like with my left hand
when I'm like four or five, youknow, but yeah, I shot, I shot
(02:29):
up to my dad, really, that'sthat's why I'm playing
basketball, that's where I do itfor.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
That's okay.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I do want to.
I do want to stay on this part,because you say your dad
because he's in the, he's in thesport, he's a big name out here
.
So having your dad be a like acoach but also father, how hard
was that for you growing up.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
For me.
Yeah, on the court, it was alittle difficult because of the
Feedback coming from him.
Just it wasn't the same as itcoming from another person.
Yeah, I yell, coming fromsomebody else, compared to your
dad, a little different touches,a little different.
But besides that it's alwaysbeen love.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Yeah, I know I used when I went out when I played
ball my dad wasn't into thatlike it was the total I was out
to get coached by, like theschool coaches, or even a you,
so I was once another dynamicwhen it came to father Coaches
what's the conversation is likeafter games?
Speaker 2 (03:35):
when is it close?
So like, does it, does it turnoff?
Or because I said I Knowcoaches they want to turn it off
.
But like, what's theconversation after the game?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Especially after a bad performance man.
So many that's the worst word,that's the worst like so many,
like midday games, not how toback performance.
Going straight to the hill,just straight to the gym.
I believe you.
I believe you know that our owndrives, you know.
You know, maybe some tears hereand there, but we always man, I
(04:13):
don't even know what to say.
We all used to go back andforth with each other after,
after a game, that's for sure.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
I remember the first time I'm seeing you play.
I want to say that you're inseventh grade and you and you're
playing with your Houston Hoopsteam at Crossover and I think
you played an older team and allI just remember Just saying
your dad, you guys won and Ithink somebody tried to argue
something, something, and yourdad was just like man no, no, no
(04:39):
we won't, we, won't we justgetting off the court?
but just talk about your dad'spassion and enthusiasm, because
Obviously we know what he's donefor you as a father.
But just can you kind ofelaborate what he's done for
other stars, like there's a lotof stars that's like two-way
stars football and basketball.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
A lot of other players in this city man, my dad
has Brought so much knowledgeto the game for other people and
my dad is not, you know, andwho does this for no dollar and
then, like that, he just keepsit real with you.
He he's not gonna sugarcoatnothing.
If you're good enough, you'regood enough, you're not, you're
not.
But yeah, that's all I can say.
My dad's just knows the game onanother level and it's it's
(05:21):
proven by the guys he's had inthe pros and and by all the guys
he got coming up in the futuretoo talk about your game and
how's developed, because I'mgonna sit here and be honest,
because this is what easy cornerdoes Justin?
Speaker 2 (05:36):
it took you probably at least probably like three
years to actually finally growon me, because I was just
looking like, okay, I Looked andI was just like he's good, but
then all of a sudden I saw youin big games when you got better
.
So just talk about your youelevator game.
By being small, just it now tofilling in your body and you
(05:59):
just knocking down shots whenit's time to play.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
I think like since freshman year my games matured
and I just gotten bettermentally.
You know I'm not the same timidJustin I might have been
sophomore freshman yearespecially I'm a alpha's.
Like I'm gonna get it, you know, like I want it in that big, in
that big moment it's me, I wantthe shot, I want to play.
You know I'm saying so, likeI'm always looking for the next,
(06:27):
the next big game, the next bigmoment.
I'm just ready for it.
Oh, I'm not taking nothing,nothing lightly.
I take every game for a hundred.
Maybe not everybody sees itthat way, but that's why I play
so hard, so confidence.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Yeah, I've been around players back in high
school that had to growconfidence, because not
everybody want to take that shot, people just want to pass the
bomb, make the right basketballplay, quote-unquote.
Was there a certain game,certain message or certain
practice that led to that classin one of my form?
For my teammates, it took apractice with a sophomore for a
(07:04):
coach to literally get on him,go on one-on-one in practice and
then he got that dog in them.
Was it a certain moment?
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I would say my sophomore year.
Going to my sophomore year,after maybe the first or second
game in the season, I knew likewhere we were and where we stood
, like our talent was there.
But we just needed that one guywho was gonna take us over the
hill to To accomplish that biggo at the end February, the SPC
championship and I feel like mysophomore year was definitely
(07:33):
that.
No, especially leaving it outon the floor for a state
championship, winning on abuzzer beater against the num1
team, arguably in Texas, withwith that talent, everything
like that.
You know, I think that was themoment right there.
Oh, you did a buzzer beater inthe state championship.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Yes, hey man.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Hey, that's right, when you edit this, run that
clip.
Run that clip when the cornerof the pump fake.
Yeah, did you like be honest,did you know that shot was going
in when it left there?
Yeah, because it was a.
It was like that was thedifference between a tough shot
and a shot maker.
So, like, did you just gottajust know?
Like yeah, it's going.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I need to store.
Okay, we're in the statechampionship game against Green
Hill.
No, it shall be Lee Dordt,michael Robinson college.
So they're the number one teamin Texas and SBC private school
(08:31):
basketball by far.
Everybody thinks, oh, this is abreeze game.
We come out, it's.
I want to say we're either upat halftime or it's tie game.
Fast forward, fourth-quarter.
We're down.
We're down.
Maybe five with three left togo.
They come down.
Shot, hit, shot.
(08:51):
I hit three threes in a row,three threes in a row, and two
of them in the last minute.
So when it came to that lastone, I just knew it like it had
to come to me.
I'm hot, hot hand.
Was it tired or was it?
Was y'all down?
We were down, we were down.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
He said he's one or two.
Oh, two, three, how manyseconds, little baby?
Hey, it was 17 seconds left.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Okay so 17 seconds.
We got to go full court, yeah.
So it was a dribble handoffplay.
I kind of like crowded thethree-point line, got to the
corner, pump fake in the corner,got him up in the air, shot on
one leg, kind of fading away,and when I when I let it go, I
just knew it was going.
It would look too good.
It was too clean too perfect.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
The funniest part about that play was you guys
celebrated but you guys reallyactually ended up spring back on
Like the turn, like they startspring down, like oh, that was
(10:00):
one of the that's one of thebest games I've ever seen.
But I do want to actually touchon, though obviously I want to
kind of shift gears to, but Not,I don't want to, I don't want
to touch on right now youplaying on it, but just
experiencing it, knowing that,like I said, you've seen a lot
of great performances and a lotof great play on the YBL circuit
(10:23):
.
For people that don'tunderstand that environment,
describe the environment as afan.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
It's fast-paced killer be killed.
No, no, plays off at all, it's.
It's.
It's not your, your local.
Just get up and down the court,open gym run.
This is a real deal.
It's not.
This is not a weekendtournament.
This is something that peoplejust want to do like they wish
(10:50):
to do it in their life.
You know, you know what I'msaying.
Like this, this league, issomething serious and it
translates to, to the cause ofthem, to the next level and it
gets you prepared for for whenyou have to go out and and be on
your own next year as a senioror as a freshman College doctor.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
Give me some, some notable performances like you've
seen on the on the YBL, becauseI got just said, like it's I
kind of thought about it todaylike this probably gonna be the
first time in a while knowingthat you ain't going to the YBL,
he's dead because you got to gooff to college.
Yeah, so just kind of just talkabout the notable performances
that you've seen on the YBLcircuit.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
I'm gonna start off with my, my brother, jaylen Lowe
.
Last year I peed down.
It was just crazy.
Every game sitting on the benchwith him playing up man it was,
it was crazy.
It was like.
It was like as a whole new him.
He was just he was turning upevery game throwing logs to Jase
Posey, joe Tuggler, yeah,ashton hard way hard away in
(11:54):
threes.
You know who else do we have?
Speaker 2 (11:59):
Jackson Prince was on that, jackson.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Prince was on that team.
Everything but some othernotable Performances.
I'll say my teammate TreyJohnson this year came off the
plane from Hungry.
You had 30 points, first gameat Peach Jam.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
Just crazy off the plane like like it was nothing,
tired, still Hung likeeverything you know this is
gonna be a question I'm gonnaask you and I'm gonna ask your
dad.
When we get them on, there'sthe inklings that they think the
game is rigged for Houstonhoops to always make the Peach
(12:36):
Jam, because every time theyfeel like, oh, we look at the
status, ah, how did it?
Who's making?
Just talk about a little bitthis, this?
Can we just put to bed thatmyth that nobody is, nobody Is.
It's swaying one way.
Y'all just went at the righttime.
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Yeah, we just went at the right time and and Just
like the name of the Houstonhoops carries, carries a lot of
respect with it, like mr Passner, he's had this for a long time.
My dad, you know, those kind ofpeople were just Just known
around the world, not only forthings that we do on the court,
(13:14):
but things that we do off thecourt, like.
I'll give you an example we, wetry to be as respectful as we
can.
We have many, we get manymessages that are about, oh, the
Houston hoops.
We're very respectful to us,they they're.
They're nice here, they're nicethere.
They're not like everybody else.
Maybe at a hotel people knowour names, things like that.
But also, I just want to sayour place speaks for itself,
(13:37):
yeah no, does it?
Speaker 2 (13:38):
does Y'all would like I say y'all, y'all, one at the
right yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Yeah yeah, and we, we deserve to be in the you, in
the pcm every year, no matter,no matter the case, especially
this year, especially yearsbefore.
So I just want to put that tores like the hoops yeah, we, we,
yeah, we.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
Now one of them like Stop playing go Give the people
that's listening like a behindthe scenes, like a schedule of a
you, because obviously a you is, it's growing by the year.
So talking about like aschedule for y'all.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
So really I want to say a you starts spring break,
spring break.
Yeah right after the statechampionship, spring break.
You know you have everydaypractice.
Who's had two a days every dayduring spring break, except for
that last little couple days.
We have our Spring, you know,tournament or something, local
(14:34):
tournament or we might traveland then we might have one more
tournament after that and thenwith first you I bl session,
after that, first you are belowsession, it's just constant
practice.
You I bl session practice,maybe a weekend off, but you
write back on that schedule.
So it's like just practice,practice, practice, just making
(14:54):
sure everything's sharpened forthe, for the session and just
getting ready for that angle atpgm.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I want you to talk about one relationship that you
have, because I love thisdynamic and he's one of my
favorite players to watch.
Talk about the relationship youhave with one, aj Bates talk
about him a little bit, becauseI I've enjoyed you.
It just feels like you guysfeed off each other Every time
(15:22):
you play, so how different isgonna be knowing, when it comes
marks, you're not playing withhim?
Speaker 3 (15:29):
Yeah, I've been playing with Bates since I was a
freshman, so really that's myguy.
Like we are just one, two punch.
I feel like we feed off eachother.
We know we have a little betterIQ than some people we might be
playing with or playing againston the court, so we know where
(15:49):
we need to be, where we are atall times.
It's almost like we have thattwin connection to where we just
know what to do and when to doit at the right times.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
The fact that Seven Lakes and Episcopal hasn't
happened.
I like hey y'all ducking thatsmoke.
Hey, they ducking that smoke.
The fact that Seven Lakes andEpiscopal hasn't happened in
four years has really baffled me, because, like, because like is
so much storylines going intothat game, but also those are
(16:22):
two of the better teams in thestate.
Like we have deserved to seethat match up at least one time.
Like you could arguably say,Seven Lakes is one of the best
public schools, but alsoEpiscopal, we know they're the
one of the best private schools.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
So you think Seven Lakes is ducking y'all?
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Yeah, for sure, bates knows it.
Yeah, yeah, bates knows it.
Nas too, yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
So who made?
But when it comes to like this,I mean it comes down to with
the AD, the coach, and it getsout together like Nah, it really
just takes one player fromtheir side to say hey, coach,
can we play Episcopal?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Because?
We've already put out the wordthere.
It's up for them to accept thechallenge.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
And then on the schedule is your obviously no,
no, and this and this Ron.
So this is like the game that'ssupposed to happen.
Basically, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Because, like I said, when you think about it, these
are two or probably the bestpoint guards in 2024 in the city
of Houston.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Like, at the end of the day, they've been together
for all these years.
Like, why not their senior year?
Like, and honestly, these aretwo pretty good teams as of
right now, with notable wins.
Like, everybody wants to seethat match up.
Everybody wants to.
What's the ranking?
I don't know what the rankingis, but as far as like, these
are teams that can win SPCchampionship.
These are teams that can win astate championship.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So they play who you got.
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Who do I?
Speaker 1 (17:40):
got Honest opinion.
Honest opinion Send the bios inthe room.
Nobody.
Nobody.
If, if, if, if, if, if, if youwere talking.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Because the thing is like I said I love Bates and I
said I was at the breading gamebig, I was impressed.
I was like they, they, they,they, they, they, they Kingston
families, even though you had 39, but but big in that leadership
, bates, net leadership.
But then got, got big here.
Man Like you, you can nevercount him out.
(18:08):
I think that would be a classicgame.
But if I had to give the edge Iwould give the edge, and I'm
not just saying this becausehere I'm going to give the edge
to a Piscobo, because I thinkthat boy, jaquiel Registe, makes
the difference.
Getting him back If it was lastyear's team I'm taking lakes,
(18:29):
but this year's team, when thatguy, jaquiel Registe, stayed
back, I said I know what big andthem are trying to, they, they
trying to give this, they, they,they, they.
They knew what happened lastyear in that SBC championship.
They trying to rewrite somewrongs and say, hey, it's all
right, get that, that, get back.
Season is coming, yeah, so likeso, so that's what?
And so I would take a Piscoboas of right now.
(18:53):
But speaking of a Piscobo, talkabout playing for Coach Wayne
Jones, talk about and the onething that I appreciate about
him is not just only the coach,the man that he is, so just talk
about the man and the coachthat Coach Wayne Jones is.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Coach Jones is like a father figure at school, like
anything you need.
You go to Coach Jones.
You know you need to talk tosomebody.
You go to him practice.
You know he listens.
He's a.
He's a guy you can come to atany time of the day, no matter
what it is basketball,schoolwork, problems at home,
anything like that.
But as a coach, coach Jones isis helping you for the next step
(19:36):
in life, like your future.
For me, I'm playing forsomething bigger than than just
a Piscobo.
I'm playing for my, my nextyear at George Mason, stuff like
that.
He's preparing you for thefuture and and just wants to see
the best for you.
You know what I'm saying.
So plan for Coach Jones hasbeen a great experience,
especially since sophomore year.
(19:56):
He really put the ball in myhands and trusted me just to for
it to be like my team and andbe the leader of the team.
So I really thank him for that.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
Do you believe?
Years prior it was probably thebiggest misconception about
private school.
What have you feel like guyslike you, montana Willard
Montana Willard, nigel Walls,sebastian Sebastian Adams?
What have y'all done forprivate school basketball?
Speaker 3 (20:24):
I feel like all those guys you just named, we've all
made it to where, like peoplewho are at public schools, they
starting to realize, hey, I kindof want to go to this private
school because, hey, this guy'sgetting all this pub from, from
going here and turning thisplace up.
That's kind of what we've doneand and it's it's also been like
people like Xavier Willard or,you know, da Hughes and our
(20:47):
Jeharry Long, who's also JaylenWaddle.
Yeah, Jaylen Waddle paved theway for people like us, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Y'all guys.
Y'all guys.
Talk about your crew, your,your, your Piscoball crew.
Obviously, shout out.
I know my boy, deshawn Brody,is no longer there.
Shout out, shout out, brody.
But just talk about themessages between you, jekyll and
and Breva.
I just just talk about the whatis the met, because I want the
(21:17):
coaches out there.
Obviously, we know if aPiscoball is going to go where
they need to go, it's on y'allthree, because this is y'all
last year.
What's the conversations likebetween y'all three?
Speaker 3 (21:31):
It's, it's real serious.
That's what I was saying.
It's real serious.
When it comes game time, whenit comes to the lights turning
on at seven o'clock on thatFriday afternoon SBC, you know,
conference game it's time tolock in.
It's no more fun and games it'sit's winter going home at that
point.
So we, we, we lock in when it.
(21:53):
When it comes to time, maybe,you know, there might be a
couple of games during theseason where we'll play around,
but when it comes to those biggames, yeah, we're really locked
in, we're real focused.
And those conversations getreal deep with those, especially
with them freshmen, or thepeople who just they're just
there to be there.
But hey, yeah, it's, it's someserious over there.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Talk about the Episcopal community as a whole,
because the one thing that Isaid I always resonate with,
with you guys, and I think a lotof these kids just kind of just
forget, like you guys embracethe dual sport.
Yeah, and that's what Iappreciate about Wayne Jones,
like I, to me he's almost amentality of a football coach
(22:34):
when he when he got y'all,because it's just more like the
dogs are off the leash.
Go go, get a bucket.
Go go go play hard defense.
Let's play in transition.
Justin, get these guys.
You, you're setting the tone.
So just talk about theEpiscopal community as a whole.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
We are.
We're not like people mightthink we're soft stuff like that
, but like we play hard, we playtogether, we play smart, we try
to play smart, we try to playsmart.
But having some freshmen likeAleema Lies won an eight and
five.
You know things might get outof hand, but when it comes to
when it comes to it, like we are, are locked in on the game and
(23:15):
just ready to go.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
What's the legacy that you want to kind of leave
out, episcopal?
Speaker 3 (23:21):
I want to leave like I don't know what, like just a
legendary one.
Like I want to be just known asoh, that's that guy number five
.
Like I want to be known asthat's five, right there, that's
five, right there.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Put the Jersey in the rafters right now.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Yeah, like five people, people.
I just want people to know likefive is not not to be played
where around.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
Because when I look at the Episcopal mantle point
guard mantle I feel like it'sbeen passed down and I want to
know from like Juice Williams toDoc, now to you, who do you
pass that throne to?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
I'm gonna say I'm passing that throne to Aleema
Lies won an eight and five themtwo right there, but they just
they're two young guys onvarsity getting great minutes.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
You're great yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:11):
Producing a lot for us.
You know sometimes the Leansout there scoring a lot Hidden
Threes playing defense.
You know his mid-ranges lethal.
Same with Aiden.
You know he's, he's gonna comeout.
I feel like next year is gonnabe his year where he starts and
turns into that, that startingpoint guard, the guy like me, my
sophomore year.
Yeah, take over the program.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
So I want to kind of just talk about those two in
particular Vife and Alajuan.
Obviously, this is you, yourguys last ride.
Yeah, obviously they'refreshmen.
We all know that you guys are,are, are, are going to the SBC
tournament.
You can almost book it likedeath taxes and you guys making
(24:53):
the making, the tournament isguaranteed.
By the time that rolls around,episcopal probably played 25 to
30 games.
They're not freshmen anymore.
They won't be consideredfreshmen anymore.
How bad do you need those guysto produce to get where you want
to go?
Speaker 3 (25:12):
I'm gonna start off with Aleem right here, aleem,
aleem got to produce bothmentally he got a mentally lock
in and physically lock in.
I just sometimes he just getsin his own hair.
But you know, we're going totalk him through it, okay.
Stuff like that, but it's justthe it's.
I feel like it's just thefreshman jitters still.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
He's still not 100% used to it.
You know they both coming fromhomeschool situations so they
never really played in front ofthis like big crowds all the
time.
But yeah, when it comes to thattime in next month January,
february they go.
It's going to be a differentthing.
You're going to see adifference.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Because my whole thing is, a lot of freshmen can
always just say hey, man, I havethree years left, you're the
senior.
So what's kind of your messageto them?
Because at the end of the day,we know, like I said, it's
strictly business you guys leftsomething on the table that that
believe that is rightfully youguys.
So what is the message to them?
That these three years canreally go by?
You're not guaranteed to winevery year.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Yeah, you're not guaranteed anything next year.
You never know what couldhappen during your summertime.
So, just I'm like, just justtreat others like the way you
would want to be treated, LikeI'm treating you with the most
respect.
Treat me with the most respect,but like, just lock in, like
you don't have these moments forlife.
(26:36):
You know, I feel like my highschool career has gone by like
this.
I feel like yesterday I wasjust a freshman and now I'm a
senior, the season's halfwayover.
I'm just going to say cherishall these moments, man, Like
it's.
There are moments that are thatthey just go by so fast and you
just, I don't even know, Likejust time is moving.
(27:00):
Time is moving too quickly foryou to just cherish on someone
that's in the past, work on yourfuture and just make sure you
lock in on everything you'redoing.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
I do want to ask the situation last year.
How sweet would it be if you inyour high school career stay
championship with anotherbrother?
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Yeah, how would that feel?
Man that would put the IC onthe cape for my high school
career.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
I'm going to put you best point guard and come out of
the city.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
What best point guard ?
Come out of the city, for sure.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
City.
Speaker 3 (27:31):
Out the city, like out the city City of Houston
Ever.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah, oh easy.
I'm sorry, your face is easy.
I'm saying okay, this is what Iwill say.
If we talking about somebodygetting two state champions, two
state champions two buzzerbeaters and brought every single
year, brought my top.
What you think, Is that so soso it.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
I would say it's tough GMG yeah, Top yeah.
I don't think.
I don't think.
Nobody in the city is going topay.
I mean no, I would say theresume will stack up against
anybody.
But my whole thing is myrebuttal to you is this Montana
(28:16):
really has one more year.
What if he gets a statechampionship history?
That would be my rebuttal.
It would be.
It would be not enough.
I'll make the confidence though.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Think about it.
He's not wrong Like it's, it's,he's in the discussion and it's
a debate.
So that's what it's, so that'sso.
That's my, that's my wholething.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
So do you know the history?
I'm pretty sure you're part ofthe history of TMG, yeah, bt
about TJ4 or two.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
I think that's that resume is going to be.
You know what I?
Speaker 3 (28:45):
mean, and it doesn't just stop right here in high
school, it obviously keeps ongoing.
So like the way I see myself inthe next five years, I feel
like I will have that resume andjust approve it to back it up.
So like that also goes intowhat I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (29:01):
The one thing I do want to.
I want to ask you this question, the one, the question that I
want to ask you is for everybodythat said they believe that
your spot was given because whoyour?
Dad is what's your answer tothat?
Speaker 3 (29:15):
I've been in the gym too many late nights, early
mornings, you know, work on mybutt off.
For somebody to sit here andsay that until you put somebody
in front of me, that's going toprove to me that they are better
than me and I shouldn't be inthe spot that that I was in.
I earned every second, everyminute, every moment I was in,
so for somebody to say thatthat's just heartbreaking to
(29:38):
towards me.
Now it's not fair to me to saythat to me because of the
opportunity I've been been given, but I work for it, so it
should have been given to me orI should have gotten it, okay.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
No, I do.
I do want to shift a little bitbecause you said you want to
George Mason.
So why George Mason?
What came to that conclusion?
What stood out during thatvisit?
Speaker 3 (30:08):
Just everything really like.
Even just getting to theairport, they treated me like
family.
As soon as I got there, thecoaching staff, you know, coach
skin, coach, a mic everybodyjust was like.
It felt like a home environment.
I would say like they justtreated me with the utmost
respect, especially my parents,which was a major thing.
You know, fairfax Virginia isan amazing place.
(30:31):
It's a new environment, newclimate, all that a new region.
I don't be starting a newjourney at everything, but Mason
, like the conference, are ineverything.
They're on the rise.
I feel like you're going tohear a lot about George Mason
and Pirate basketball in thecoming future.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
Talk about George Mason a little bit, because
they're actually kind of I seethat they're actually recruiting
Houston a lot.
So, just kind of just talkabout that.
And quick story about GeorgeMason.
I watched the game in 06 whenthey beat you kind of go to the
final four.
So I just I do want to know tooalso how many play, because the
head coach was on that finalfour too.
(31:09):
How many, how many coaches arestill like there at George Mason
?
That was on that final four.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
I believe there's another one, coach Butler, oh
yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:17):
Oh, he was in the corner, the corner side.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
It's your coach in there, George.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
Mason no, no, no, no, no, like they played, they
played.
Speaker 1 (31:24):
Yeah, so they beat you.
So they keep it within thefamily base?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
Yeah, yeah, jim Larenega, man Shout out Jim
Larenega, coach in Miami, but hewas the head coach, yeah yeah,
they keep that in the family,but was there any other schools
or any other visits that?
Speaker 3 (31:39):
you took.
No, I didn't.
I didn't take any other visitsand it was just kind of like
like I took that first visit toGeorge Mason, it just felt so
good.
I just it just felt like home,you know, and it was just the
right time and the right placeof when I got.
When I got that offer and andthe opportunity to go to George
Mason, I was like, yeah, this isit for me.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
I want to kind of switch gears, because actually,
obviously, like my job is tokind of study what you kind of
do, talk about the painting yoursister did the picture, and
also talk about the modelingcareer at Episcopal.
Man, got to, just got to justtouch on those, though, because
at the end of the day, you'remore than an athlete.
Yeah, this year there's NILdeals, you know, then you've got
(32:24):
to kind of brand yourself.
At the end of the day, you'vebeen at Episcopal.
That is more than sports isknown for education.
Just got to just talk aboutthat.
Speaker 3 (32:32):
Yeah, my sister, she did like.
She had like a little artproject for art class
photography class.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
She took a picture of me and and kind of matched that
George Mason theme a little bitwith the green and yellow and
white-ish stuff, and I really mysister did a great job on that.
And to speak on the modelingthing.
It's like a little event thatwe do for our school.
It's called the Style Show,senior Style Show and it was
just a great experience.
Got to model at the Galleriafor Macy's and it was just it
(33:00):
was.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
it was fun, you know lights on you, cameras on you
smiling parents in the crowd.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
everything was just nice yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
Obviously, like I just said, man for Episcopal to
win the SBC Championship.
What needs to happen?
Speaker 3 (33:21):
What needs to happen.
What needs to happen?
We just got a.
We got a tough one in in StJohn's, houston Christian, st
Mark's.
I feel like those are the, themain people that we got to worry
about.
But it's really not about them.
It's more about us and the waywe got to play.
We got to come out as a unitand play together and stop
(33:45):
worrying about oh, I need mine,mine, mine.
You know, if you get, if we getours, yours comes with it Stuff
like that.
We're going to play togetherand just lock in on on what our
main goal is and we'll achieveit.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Talk about your secondary hobby, the collection
of shoes.
Talk, talk, talk about that andwhat has shoes?
What kind of joy that hassneakers brought you.
What's the?
What's the best pair ofsneakers you've ever played in?
So kind of just talk about likeyou're, you're, like you're one
(34:20):
of the shoe guys and your dad Ican even get started about that
man.
We know who he is.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Shoes has been a crucial part of my my life since
little kid.
I've always loved shoes,especially because of my dad.
Jordan's really just everythingNike.
I'm just keeping keeping realwith you.
Everything Nike and Jordan isabout all we go.
But you know, like best shoesI've played in, currently my
(34:48):
favorite shoe to play in if Icould play on it in it every day
, would be my Kobe six UIBLs.
But I also do like Jordan 11s.
Jordan 11s is it's somethingwhen you break it in, you get
the squeak and the comfort, thehigh top, everything like that.
It looks nice, it feels nice,it's.
It's not too heavy for me.
(35:09):
But you know the bread 11 is myfavorite shoe.
I do have a question with that.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Do you have to kind of get two pairs, one to play in
and one for soap?
Speaker 3 (35:18):
It's like a certain point where, like your Jordan's,
you wear your Jordan so muchthat it's just like, okay, it's
about time for me to just startlacing them up and put them on
the court.
So like, that's what it was,especially with my bread 11s I I
worn them a lot and it was justlike, oh, they still look good.
I hope you loved it.
I ain't really wearing them out.
(35:38):
I'ma put them all according.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
This is why I'm glad we collabing on this.
I'm talking to the generationbelow us.
When it comes to Jordans, y'allwill never understand when it
came to holiday time with themcool grays.
You have to stand in line forshoes.
You had to literally get up atthree in the morning.
Hey, you still up.
(36:04):
You want to go to the mall?
You gotta stand in line.
You gotta get your ticket.
Stand in line.
Now, jordans, you can just goinside the store and get your
pair.
You know what I mean?
It's totally different.
That's crazy.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
What joy has shoes brought you?
A lot of people just don'tunderstand the shoe culture.
But what does shoes do for your?
Speaker 3 (36:25):
confidence.
Shoes is like it's a part ofyour persona.
I say I'm five.
People say there's somethingthat was like five Me, I always
gotta have the nicest shoes onmy feet.
I can't just be a regularsnuggler guy.
My dad always asks me hey, weplaying this, we might be
(36:46):
playing a not so good team.
Why are you wearing these EYBOtoe-bees up?
I'm like I gotta look good, Ilook good, I play good.
That's how I feel.
I'm always rocking theaccessory, not because I just
want to look cute, I just wantto look confident.
Me having a nice drip is whatthey call it.
Me having a nice drip is how Ifeel.
(37:08):
Like I get buckets.
That's just a part of me.
Speaker 1 (37:12):
You're gonna be like the loud color shoes.
Yeah, loud color shoes.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
You ain't wearing a team color shoes.
I got a question because you'reone of the most elite.
You're an elite guy in the city.
What's your take on the trashwearing the great shoes?
You have to be elite to wearthe elite shoes because there's
a lot of guys like me and myfriend always had a say with
(37:37):
back then with the elite socks.
Don't wear elite socks ifyou're not elite.
So just talk about when you seepeople with nice shoes but they
ain't getting no PT.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Yeah, you might, especially nowadays.
You see a lot of these kids outhere with some EYBL shoes and
they ain't never stepped foot onan EYBL team, you know.
It just comes apart where youearn that privilege to put these
shoes on because of the statusand the hard work that you put
into all this stuff, especiallywith all these kids rocking
(38:12):
these Kobe's and everything Like.
If you ain't getting no playingtime, why you wearing such nice
shoes?
Let somebody else get a chanceto wear these.
I don't want them, man.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
That's funny Talker.
I would say this I'm about toalmost get to a top five on this
for you.
Give me your top five HoustonHoops teammates.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Team mates, team mates.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Like in your whole career, Houston Hoops, and you
know it spans back a long time.
If I had a guest, I want to saythis Just let me know, if I'm
right, If it's two names thatI'm going to put on there I
don't know AJ Bates and JamalKreeti.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Are those two on the make the list?
Okay, okay.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
I'm going to give all time just because of the
history behind it.
I want you to actually tell alittle bit of the history.
So I'm going to say these aremy top five teammates Anthony
Bates, aaron Valentine Drail andMiller Jamal.
And who am I missing?
(39:22):
Oh and Nephy, oh, okay, nephy,no okay.
So these guys are all guys wholike, who just been there for me
when you know like as friendsit could be, it could be
anything like we've we've allseparated now, but we all keep
in contact and those are just myguys and such a, such a young
(39:45):
age and like they just been myhomies, my day ones.
You know anything I need, I goto them still to this day.
If I need to call Jamal, youknow, call Jamal right now
you'll still answer.
You know, drail and he just gotcongratulations, colorado.
Colorado, I'll call him rightnow.
He gonna go answer all theseguys Nephy, aaron Bates, all
those guys just my boys fromsuch a young age and made so
(40:08):
many, so many memories together.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
What's your best team that you played on with my I?
Speaker 3 (40:15):
already know that answer.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
Eighth grade year Talk about it, talk about it.
Eighth grade year Was that.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
COVID year.
Covid, maybe wait, let me.
Let me switch it up Seventhgrade summer.
Seventh grade summer was myfavorite and best team.
My dad was coaching no.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I like I said that's the first time I saw y'all play
at crossover.
Y'all beat my boy coach MoJones, the assistant coach at
same time as Episcopal.
Y'all beat his team.
I was there like because Ithink y'all beat him and that's
when your dad walked off.
No, no, no no, we would, wewould.
We would, because I got said ohno, no man, yes, so so, so so,
(40:53):
but talk about that team.
Speaker 3 (40:55):
We just it was like those guys had been together
since we were in fourth grade,maybe third fourth grade around
those times.
So we really just had a record.
We really like meshed welltogether, like we knew
everything.
We knew the plays, we were alltight knit clothes, spending,
spending 90, each other's houses, stuff like that.
(41:15):
So like the relationship andthe bond between us was like no
other, like all those guys arelike brothers to me, so I got a
question that you say thatbecause right now I actually
teach on a middle school.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
When you say you kind of know the plays and stuff
like that, I want you to kind ofjust talk about the
unselfishness that you learnedduring the, during those years.
And how did that start?
Because there's a lot of middleschoolers.
Look at me, I'm here to drop 40or amen, I'm trying to get my
50 and it's just more likethey're not really like students
(41:50):
of the game.
But when I watch a HoustonHoops young team play they know
how to pass and cut, get to thered spots and do that.
Talk about the knowledge in thestudent of the game.
That started early.
Speaker 3 (42:01):
I'm going to say, I'm going to put that on my dad
because he's the reason why weweren't selfish, we weren't just
looking for me, me, me, me, me.
It was about we, like my dadhas, in the gym, to our
practices, we start off somedays we start off dribbling just
on the baseline pass and bouncepasses, chest as like
(42:22):
fundamental things that mostguys, most people, don't do
during their normal a youpractice.
But we were doing those things.
We were running plays.
We knew to all the plays likethe back of our hands, like we
just knew it, so like thatculture that my dad just
instilled into us is the reasonwhy we were like that.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
I want to shift it up a little bit.
We talked about thegenerational gap, so I want to
ask NBA.
I know you watch a lot of NBA,you taking Michael all the bar.
Michael Jordan, all right, I'ma LeBron fan, but I just want to
see what you're going to say.
Who are your top five playersright now?
Speaker 3 (43:04):
In league.
Kevin Durant.
I'm going to give it to LeBronKevin Durant, lebron Luca, kyrie
and Jason Tatum.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
How does Yonus not make your?
Speaker 1 (43:18):
favorite.
Oh, he's your favorite, or doyou think this is the best?
That's my favorite.
This is Yonus.
This is not the best, this ismy favorite, yonus, is in that
best.
Speaker 3 (43:26):
He's in the best right now.
But those are just my favoriteguys that if I'm bored at home
NBA highlights at school I'mlooking up Luca, kyrie, lebron.
You know, sometimes Favoriteartist, top five, top five
Travis Scott, ot7, qwani.
Shout out to OT7, qwani.
Y'all don't know about that,what's?
Speaker 1 (43:47):
your name.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
OT7, Qwani.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
OT7, qwani Qwani.
Yeah, Is that a rapper?
Speaker 3 (43:55):
Yeah, I did research.
What are you from, philly?
Speaker 1 (44:00):
OT7, qwani.
Yeah, that's two.
Lil Uzi.
I like his last album.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
Who else I said Travis Scott man.
Oh, a little double low rightnow.
I've been listening to a lot ofV's lately.
(44:34):
Some say these I got someunderground rappers I listen to
too.
But yeah, I know like this dudenamed Jade's Rick Ross.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
I would say this I always because I'm an education.
So the one of the first thingsI always say is I Tell a kid
every day on, every time in thefirst day school, give me a song
and give me a song so I shouldlisten to.
So I just think, as if you tellit, hit on him to do that, we
got a reciprocate, the sameenergy, because I got you said I
(45:40):
can't lie without my students,I'm not on baby, and I'm not on
Rala without my students, I'mnot on them.
Speaker 1 (45:47):
I was.
It is some good music out here.
I'm not gonna look like I did.
I'll tell you, lose the first,last album I did like.
So, matter of fact, give.
I give you a quick story.
So I don't.
I'm starting to use tiktok more, so I did a review, lesson 20.
That album was good, mm-hmm.
So I get on there, do like alittle review.
I'm gonna get like a lot oflikes and comments on it.
I'm thinking the comments gonnabe like some bashing yada yada.
(46:09):
It was like there was a green.
What I was saying about it.
But they would shock me wasthat they start saying man, look
, the og respects the youngerrap.
Wait, you know this person.
(46:33):
At first I was in a fan, but hegot yeah so if I give artists
to?
Speaker 3 (46:50):
Oh, t7 Connie oh T7.
Yeah, oh, t7, connie got the.
Speaker 2 (46:58):
Like the kids put me on, rala on baby, like they are
only responsible for putting meon Rala Little baby, like, like.
And then, honestly, I I do wantyou to talk about this.
Talk about, because we didn'treally have it, but we, it was
the beginning.
Talk about the mixtape era.
(47:18):
You just talk about the bigthing because you guys are
almost making cartoonish thatwe've never seen before.
You should just be raw clips,instrumentals.
Now we just people turning intomonsters, people popping out of
cakes like they ducking theball.
Speaker 3 (47:36):
So just talk about how the luxury of the mixtape
era has enhanced you guys like Ifeel like the heart of the
mixtape you got, the better, thetalented guy you are, almost as
if like I'll give you anexample right now in the UIBO
(47:56):
stage the people with the bestyou know mixtapes were.
Like LA could do.
You know, todd Petterford,those top ranked guys, and like
the mixtape era is like whatevery kid's dreaming of.
They dream of that stuff.
You know I'm saying like that'snot something that you could
just go out there and buy likeyou got to be talented enough to
Play good enough, get recordedby somebody and hopefully get it
(48:21):
for free.
You know, if you pan for amixtape then you know, maybe you
might not be there yet, but youknow, like getting a mixtape on
the UIBO level that's justamazing accomplishment if you
can do it one day.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
How's it?
How has it enhanced thebasketball culture?
Speaker 3 (48:38):
Oh, you know, people put their own songs on.
Like I can get a mixtape,somebody can send me a mixtape.
Y'all could just video and nosound.
I could put Ochi-Semmokani inthe back and just turn it up a
little bit like that's just likeyour own little spit on it,
like like back in the day, ify'all had that, that technology,
my dad probably put some DJscrew on the back of his His
(49:02):
bass on mixtape stuff like that.
But like it's definitely.
I'm not gonna say he's justhelped, but as far as like stuff
like Instagram, tick, tock, youknow it, it helps your, your
peace of mind For your friendsto see what, what's up with you.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
Obviously, like I just said, I think we all in the
in the social media era, we'reall living it.
But just talk about what is thesocial media culture do for you
, for your friends and you'rewho you hang out with.
Speaker 3 (49:36):
Social media can help , but it can also hurt a lot.
Like Twitter is a great way toGet in contact with all these
coaches, but, like you justgotta be mindful of what you do,
especially for like Instagram.
They're, like, there's a lot ofstuff like you might have put
(49:57):
out in the past.
I can just resurface, but Ijust say, just be mindful of
what you do, what you post andwhat kind of things that you
look at on your Instagram andthe things that you promote.
Because, like nowadays it's allabout your NIL, your name,
image and likeness, stuff likethat.
So I can always ruin stuff andyou can just think Opportunities
(50:20):
can be taken away from fromstupid mistakes that you make
just post on your Instagram.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Give all the way.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
I'm not gonna talk about social media real quick,
because a lot when you, when youballing the way you are, they
could be kids at either schoolor social media.
Oh, he's him.
Yeah, he's the goat, he's alegend.
All those things.
Does that like boost yourconfidence?
Or there's something you try tolike ignore a little bit,
because I can you know?
Speaker 3 (50:45):
Yeah, especially at school, I will say this like
like I might joke around and belike oh yeah, I'm him, like this
isn't this, but like I don'treally just act like that.
I'm not.
I'm not that type of personwho's just gonna be like oh yeah
, I deserve more than youbecause of this thing.
At the end of the day, we'reall human, we all.
I go to the school just likeyou do.
(51:06):
I tie my shoes, I wake up,brush my teeth, just like you do
.
So we're not any different, anda lot of people don't see that,
but that's how I View the worldas far as right now, because a
lot of people are getting bigheaded in the things that they
do and I just my parents taughtme differently than that.
So that's just my view on those.
Speaker 2 (51:27):
We touched on sister.
I'm sweet Just on pops.
Talk about mom's, talk aboutwhat, what, what she's done for
you, because at the end of theday, like you know, obviously
You're always gonna be attachedto Christian.
Yeah, that's it, but can youjust talk about mom's for a
little bit?
Oh?
Speaker 3 (51:45):
My mom's a different, different animal.
You know, like my mom, she's ata lot of my home games.
Recently she's been a lot of mymy piss will games, but my
mom's just she couldn't alwaysbe out to every a you game like
my dad Could.
You know my dad's with the teamand everything, but my mom is
(52:06):
the most supportive person ever.
If I'm going through somethingespecially though, like we
talked about those bad games youknow we're driving home with my
dad.
I go see my mom.
You know she's real supportive,but my dad might think I just
went home crying to my mom, butmy mom would always sit down,
have, sit down, talk to me andlike things I need to do to get
(52:28):
better in those situations,stuff like that.
So my mom's helped me mentallyovercome some some, some
roadblocks.
Speaker 2 (52:37):
Talk.
Give me a player that youalways in the city, that you
felt like.
I wish I would have played withhim played with him I.
Got a player in mind, but Iwant you to say your player
first.
Speaker 3 (52:56):
Play with him, rob.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Oh, that's a good one .
I wasn't even thinking abouthim, yeah, but I was thinking
about I would always it wouldhave been interesting to see you
even though I love AJ Bennett'syou and Zion Piffed into the
back.
I would, I would, I wouldactually want to see, to see
that.
No, but it could have beenthree guys, three starting,
(53:22):
three starting guards and you,aj and Zion.
But I would always want to seethat.
I was actually at that gamethis year when Clu-Cuze played
the hook.
That was actually one of themost intense games.
I see, like it was a good game,but like, but like I just said
that that's the player that Iwas thinking about, rob, yeah, I
kind of forgot about it.
Speaker 3 (53:43):
If you're throwing that, love yeah, that screen
picking role, somebody help upthe big, help up that love he
gets in that every time.
Speaker 2 (53:52):
I do have a question but like it's because he's my
guy and I want, I just want.
I want you to describe oneplayer to me and he's my guy and
I'm going to have him on easycorner.
How did you and AJ Bates kindof control, divide who goes
(54:13):
competitive?
Speaker 3 (54:13):
Because, like I love my boy Divon.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
I said.
But sometimes I should be likedeep, what was it?
Easy, you know me?
I said I bet, so just talkabout the misconception of him.
But also like when he's lockedin, he's one of the best guards
in the state.
Speaker 3 (54:29):
Yeah, yeah.
He just man like Divon'scompetitive nature is something
different.
You know, like him on the courtis a lot different from him off
the court.
Speaker 2 (54:41):
Because the only reason why I said that?
Because I was at that Coos gameand like he did something, he
said something and then you andAJ just go over to him and he's
like all right, all right.
So just talk about, like thatrelationship you have with him,
that you I think y'all areprobably one of the few guys
that can really talk to him.
What do you want to really talkabout?
Speaker 3 (55:01):
Just the relationship .
Like I said, we've beentogether since freshman year.
So it was like a differentaspect that we have towards each
other, like at the end of theday, we might say we better than
one another, but like we stillin this together.
We were still, you know, goingand seeing each other every day,
practicing with each other.
We've been with each othersince freshman year.
So, like just, he has adifferent type of respect
(55:24):
towards us than he might havetowards other people, but like
Devon, like I said, different onthe court than he is off the
court.
He's the loudest person all thetime off the court and on the
court and I don't know, you knowwhat I'm saying but but like
his play is loud.
When he's locked in, his playis loud.
So you know, that's my guy.
(55:45):
I love that dude.
Speaker 2 (55:47):
Talk about this 2020 class, Just talk about it as a
whole, because I think I kind oftold I told the last interview
I did was with David Ellis, thedetaker from Hottel, and I said
2024 throughout the board ofsports of the city was pretty.
I told myself I ain't going toreally get emotional, but I am
(56:09):
going to get emotional because2024, like I feel like I watched
all grow up.
So it's just more like justtalk about some of the notable
players and stuff like that,Because to me, you're the head
of that forefront.
Like if there is basketball inthe city, there is guys that
represent the city.
You got a guy that goes likeyou AJ Bates, Robert Miller,
Zion Pippkins, guys that been ontop for so long.
(56:30):
Now you guys are almost threemonths away from the end.
Talk about your class.
Speaker 3 (56:37):
You know, I would say people like the people you name
.
Jared Harris, yes, you'reHarris.
You know Kate Dodson.
Speaker 2 (56:44):
Clarence.
Speaker 3 (56:45):
Pia, you know what?
I'm saying Like McDermott yeah,people like Ashton Shadow, cam
Patterson.
Speaker 2 (56:52):
Yeah, cam, that's my guy right there Cam.
Speaker 3 (56:55):
All these people, we've just we've been head of
100 since for a long, long time,like we've made noise in the
city since we were in eighthgrade and like to finally see us
all grow up and all taking ourown separate ways.
It's a little sad, but you know, like we, just we ready for
(57:15):
that next step in life andthat's the ultimate goal being
able to go to concert free andplay and continue to play
basketball.
Speaker 2 (57:24):
That's the other question that I have Obviously I
kind of make it jokingly thetransfer portal of high school
basketball.
But obviously you've been loyaland I would say a lot of your
2024 compadres actually beenloyal to that.
Talk about you guys standing onthat and finishing what you
(57:48):
guys started, because JaredHarris we know he wants that
state championship.
Jekyll Rajiste has came back toEpiscopal to get a state
championship.
Cam Patterson four years atSummer Creek.
Aj Bates at Seven Lakes, wheneverybody and their mama thought
that Devon was leaving.
Clements he got Clements at 13and 0.
That's my guy.
(58:08):
He got Clements at 13 and 0.
So just talk about the journeyand the loyalty of 2024 and
finishing something that youguys started.
Speaker 3 (58:17):
We like.
For me especially, I feel likeI owe that to my coaches, the
loyalty, you know, the promise Igave to my guys last year about
just coming back, just tryingto win another state
championship this year aftercoming short, falling short last
year.
I feel like we all know all theguys that we just named.
(58:39):
We all can go somewhere elseand just and produce at a higher
level possibly.
But you know, staying loyal towhere you know is home, where
you know people love you andhave your back, that's what I'm
looking for, that's what I like.
You know, Episcopal has justbeen home to me for the last
four years and they've beentreating me with the utmost
(59:00):
respect and brought me newopportunities in life that I
might not ever get.
You know, I could call myfriends back in five years.
In five years I might be ableto make a connection on man at
Episcopal, just off of stayinghere.
And you know, J'Kill, comingback is an amazing thing.
So I feel like we got thatchance to just put the icing on
(59:21):
the cake and win that statechampionship this year.
Speaker 2 (59:23):
And I got two more questions.
I know if you had to do more,but I'm not going to.
Okay, one of my questions isgive me four, two thousand and
twenty four guys in the city ofHouston that you will pick a
game or run away.
Speaker 3 (59:40):
On my team.
Speaker 2 (59:40):
On your team.
You got to pick four.
Speaker 3 (59:43):
Four, hmm, twenty twenty four guys, twenty twenty
four, I'm going to pick.
I'm going to pick Rob Miller.
Speaker 2 (59:53):
Yes, it doesn't have to be my position.
You just pick the best five, oryou?
Speaker 3 (59:58):
Yeah, I'm going to pick Rob Miller.
I'm going to pick J'Kill, okay,because I know his strength and
his weaknesses.
Yeah, yeah, I'm going to pick.
I'm sorry, so I'm not going topick Bates as my guy, but I'm
just Bates.
He's not going to pick youright now.
(01:00:20):
Okay, get your seven lakes at.
Speaker 2 (01:00:22):
Episcopal matchup yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:00:25):
I'm going to pick.
Jared Harris, I'm going to pick.
Speaker 2 (01:00:31):
Payet Okay.
Speaker 3 (01:00:32):
That's four.
Yeah, that's four, that's four.
Speaker 2 (01:00:34):
I'm paying, okay, okay, I'll take that and I think
my well, I actually really dohave another question after that
, but I'm going to let you askthis question before I ask this
question.
But let me ask this questionreal quick.
Who is the person Like I askedMontana Wheeler who is the
person that brings the absolutebest out of you in this city?
Speaker 3 (01:00:57):
It got to be Montana.
Wheeler it got to be Montana.
Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
Wheeler what he told me, his reasons.
I want to know your reasons.
What about that matchup makesit so special?
Speaker 3 (01:01:09):
I feel like it's the fact that we've been playing
each other since the beginningof of you know, rivalries.
I feel like our fathers on twodifferent oh two of the best
dads in the game.
Speaker 2 (01:01:19):
Man, yeah, yeah, yeah , yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:01:23):
Yeah, two different sides of.
I didn't even put that intoconsideration.
You got Teddy with on one sideand Christian Big on one other
side.
Oh God, oh God, yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01:30):
Oh God, oh God, the two different.
You know circuit teams.
You know he's a big Adidas guy.
Yeah, my dad's a big Nike guy.
So going head to head, are youknow two sons, you know a
Revalent around the same era,you know same conferences, stuff
like that.
So playing him, I played himevery year for the last four
years, except freshman year,except freshman.
(01:01:52):
So those battles we've beengoing at it since fifth grade,
fourth grade.
He used to play on the bluechips.
I used to be on this teamcalled Texas Thunder, that long
ago.
So stuff like that and that'smy dog at the end of the day.
But we always are justcompetitive.
(01:02:13):
It's always going to be a moviewhen UCS play.
Speaker 2 (01:02:16):
The last statement that he made that he says I
guard Hill, but I feel liketheir best players don't guard
me.
You say what to that statement?
Speaker 3 (01:02:27):
I'm going to say this last year.
Last year was a littledifferent because we didn't have
nobody.
If I wasn't guarding you then,or if Braylon wasn't guarding
you and I wasn't guarding you,we didn't have nothing else.
So this year you're going tosee a little different.
It's me versus him.
This year, head on head, I'mguarding him 90, 40.
Speaker 2 (01:02:49):
When you saw that what was your mindset.
He used to get me on the show.
I told him that.
I told him he used to get me.
Yeah, Go ahead and kill me.
Go ahead with your question man.
Speaker 1 (01:03:02):
So this is going to be a little bit of a change of
subject.
One game, let's say you'regoing to 15.
Who's winning?
You or your pups?
Speaker 3 (01:03:12):
Me what.
He can't guard me, though.
What's going?
Hey, I'll tell you a quickstory.
Story time with Bay.
I'll tell you a quick story.
I have not beat him yet, buthe's ducking the smoke.
I have not played him in twoyears.
Every time we play, we used toplay for these Kobe's.
I eventually got him, but wedidn't end up playing for him
(01:03:34):
the last time.
But last time we played he beatme.
It was about two years ago.
It's a little different.
Now I'm a little more of a try.
He used to give me a littleblocking back.
Yeah, post-duck, he can't holdme.
Now I'm a little too fast forhim.
Speaker 1 (01:03:50):
Why do you think he played in two years?
What do you think it's?
Speaker 3 (01:03:53):
him he can't keep up, no more.
He realized it he cannot keepup.
He lost, yeah, he lost Hisknees hurt His knees hurt, his
knees cracked.
Speaker 1 (01:04:02):
His knees popped.
Speaker 3 (01:04:03):
He make excuses and things.
Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
Paul, paul, did you believe that he can't beat me on
the block?
He just got on this one shot, Igot you, I got the rebound.
That's how.
Speaker 1 (01:04:17):
I'm good, thanks, that was my last one.
Speaker 2 (01:04:20):
And my last question, I want you to actually say it
in the camera who is Justin Begg?
Speaker 3 (01:04:28):
Justin Begg.
Clash of 2024, alpha Dog.
I'm just me, at the end of theday.
I'm not looking to be nobodyelse, I'm just five.
Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
Let me go to the camera with the real deal with a
kill man.
Follow us on all social mediaplatforms.
Episode coming soon.
We're here with five EpiscopalKiller, the George Mason commit,
eybl circuit, all SBC statechamp, all state Justin Ben.
Speaker 1 (01:05:29):
We out.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.