April 28, 2026 • 45 mins
He grew up in a small town in Colorado, stayed in state for college, was drafted 20th overall in 2007 and tripled the length of a typical NBA career by staying in the league for 12 years.
Jason Smith thought he was going to be the only “short” person in his family when he got to 5’10” in middle school and started at that same height his freshman year of high school. By the end of that school year, he was 6’6” and just kept growing. By the time he was done, he was 7 feet tall and had schools from throughout the country knocking on his door. He decided to stay in state and attend Colorado State University so his family could be close and drive to all his games (home and away).
In 2007, Jason left CSU early and entered the draft. The 76’ers took him at #20 and Jason saw action in 76 games as a rookie. From there a journeyman career began with stops at many different teams including the Hornets, Knicks, Magic, Wizards, Bucks and Pelicans. Along with all the trades came a few injuries and many hours in the training room.
Jason retired in 2019 and focused on being a father and husband as well as doing some media work with the Wizards. He’s also collecting accolades in retirement: in 2026, CSU inducted Jason into their Ring of Honor and his jersey hangs in the rafters at Moby Arena in Fort Collins.
Listen to Jason’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.
To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com
Jason Smith thought he was going to be the only “short” person in his family when he got to 5’10” in middle school and started at that same height his freshman year of high school. By the end of that school year, he was 6’6” and just kept growing. By the time he was done, he was 7 feet tall and had schools from throughout the country knocking on his door. He decided to stay in state and attend Colorado State University so his family could be close and drive to all his games (home and away).
In 2007, Jason left CSU early and entered the draft. The 76’ers took him at #20 and Jason saw action in 76 games as a rookie. From there a journeyman career began with stops at many different teams including the Hornets, Knicks, Magic, Wizards, Bucks and Pelicans. Along with all the trades came a few injuries and many hours in the training room.
Jason retired in 2019 and focused on being a father and husband as well as doing some media work with the Wizards. He’s also collecting accolades in retirement: in 2026, CSU inducted Jason into their Ring of Honor and his jersey hangs in the rafters at Moby Arena in Fort Collins.
Listen to Jason’s story and conversation with Susie Wargin on the Cut Traded Fired Retired Podcast.
To learn more about the host Susie Wargin, visit www.SusieWargin.com
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So I go into my freshman year of high school
and that's like when the big transformassion takes place. I'm
seeing all my friends have these huge, gross spurts. But
I'm like, oh, wait a minute, I don't feel like
I've grown anything. So I go into the physical freshman
year and I was five ten. I was like crushed.
I have no chance of being tall like my family.
My brother is seven to two, my other brother six
(00:20):
y four, my sister's six to two, my mom's six foot,
my dad six five. I was like, I'm going to
be the midget of the family. So I didn't really
think anything. I was like, all right, let's work on
your point guard skills. You can still play basketball. Let's
have fun with it. But then five ten at the
beginning of freshman year and six six at the end
of my freshman year.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome to Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired. If this is your
first time, thanks for checking out the podcast. There is
no order to the episodes. Just pick and choose whenever
you want to hear some great stories from professional athletes
and coaches. If you're a regular, you already know how
this works and thanks for all your support. I'm your
host Susie Worgen. This episode's guest was born in Greeley
and grew up in Kiowa, and for a while, Jason
(00:59):
Smith thought he'd be the only short person in his family.
That was until a growth spurt his freshman year of
high school took him from five ten to six six.
He was a star player at Platte Valley High School
and was named three ya's most outstanding player his senior year.
Jason opted to stay close to home and accepted a
scholarship at Colorado State University, where he was the Mountain
West Freshman of the Year and first team All Mountain
(01:22):
West the next two seasons.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
He left the Rams.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Early and was the twentieth overall pick in the two
thousand and seven NBA draft and made an impact immediately
with the seventy six ers, playing in seventy six games
his rookie year. Jason would end up having a twelve
year career in the NBA with several teams, and also
dealt with a number of injuries. After his retirement in
twenty nineteen, Jason focused on being a husband and father,
(01:45):
doing some media work, and collecting more honors. In twenty
twenty six, he was inducted into CSU's Ring of Honor,
and his jersey hangs from the rafters of Moby Arena
and Fort Collins. It's always great to chat with the
fellow Ram ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Jason Smith cut Traded Fired retired podcast with Susie Wargen.
Jason Smith, how are you?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I am doing good and I'm trying to keep my
voice alive from coming down off Cloud nine from yesterday.
But yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You've had a big weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
You're in town for you were put into the Ring
of Honor for the CSU Rams and you now have
a banner up and movie arena, which is really cool
and what an honor. First of all, before we get
into all this, what was it like to get that
call to know that you were going to be in
that Ring of honor?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You know it? It was a very difficult thing for
me to actually accept in my mind because I know
all of the greats that came out of Colorado State,
and to be in that conversation with Amy Van Dyken
and Sonny Lubig and Becky Hammond and all the other
great I was blown away. John gave me the call
and I was just like are you playing a joke
on me.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Like to call somebody else?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I think you button diled me. I don't know if
that was supposed to be me, But for me, my family,
my friends, everyone here at c you, they know all
the hard work that I had to put in to
get to this point, and for me, it was an
absolute honor.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah. No, really cool.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
And what's even neater about the whole situation is that
you're from here, which is where we'll start with this,
and you know you play ball here and then you
spend twelve years in the NBA. I mean you have
to look back and go, you know what, Yeah, actually
you tripled the average length of an NBA career, So
you did all right?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
You deserve this.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, if you take it all the way back to
curzy Colorado days, Yeah, Platte Valley High School playing some
high school basketball, mister three A two times my junior year,
my senior year, and then heading off to Colorado State.
I mean, I was just happy to be playing basketball
in college Division I scholarship. My parents were very adamant
(03:45):
of you are a student athlete, and I took that
to heart because I just worked my tail off in practice.
If I ever got any playing time. That was great,
But my coach has challenged me in college going into
my freshman year. They're like, we're gonna have to red
shirt you because you're not big enough, you're not strong enough.
And I was like, what do I gotta do to
be playing my first year? Well, me, coming out of
(04:07):
high school, I was seven foot one ninety were so
gay enough, and they said, if you can get your
weight up to two twenty five by the start of
the season, we won't red shirt you.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
So how you played your freshman year?
Speaker 1 (04:20):
That's how I played my freshman year.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I made a conscious effort going from Curzy, Colorado to
Fort Collins, Colorado every day during the summer, getting in
the weight room with the strength coach. They gave me
cases of protein shakes, and.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I just here's another insure.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I know, I know, I just put the work in
day in, day out, and for me, that hard work
paid off just so I didn't get red shirts, so
I had an opportunity to get on the court.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Oh that's awesome, Jason.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
That's just the little tidbit. And then that's how I
got on the court. I started to compete with the
elder classmen of the sophomores and the juniors, and there
was at the time a guy named Matt Nelson on
the team, and I had watched him play in high school,
and I was like, there's no way I can compete
against this guy. But then when I put all that
work in and I gained some weight and I learned
tendencies of different players, the coaching staff really realized, Hey,
(05:10):
he's taking it to heart that he's going to do
anything and everything that we tell him to do to get.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
On the floor, which is huge.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
It was groundbreaking.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Ye, you were coachable, yes.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
And so that's that's the key. Okay, So let's go
back then to Curzy. So you grow up, you're born
in Greeley, grew up in Curzy. Did you play other sports?
Because you didn't come out of the wombs seven feet tall?
So assuming you had other sports that you were that
you liked, in the end, you tried out.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I've played baseball when I was little. I hated
the fact that if you hit three out of ten
you were good. So I was like, this is the
worst sport ever, too boring for me, too slow. I
played soccer when I was little. Obviously the little track
and field competitions during school. I love that blue ribbons
were for me, that's for sure. And then once everybody
(05:53):
started catching up to me athletically, I was like, oh man,
I don't think I can do this track thing. This
is a little bit different. But I got into high
school and track with was a great way for me
to stay in shape in the off season.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Did you hur?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I did not hurdle. I was not I was not
a fast runner. I could do high jump, though high
jump was my thing. Long jump, high jump, lots of
the actual running relay races not so much.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Not my thing.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
My feet got real slow. But uh after that, I
just kind of focused into basketball right around my sophomore year,
and it paid off for me.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
When did you grow When did you have that big
star or did you have a vispert question?
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I had five to ten when I was in sixth grade,
And I tell this to people all the time that
ask me how tall are you and when did you
have your gros spurt? Sixth grade five ten, seventh grade
five ten? I was like, Oh, that's not good. Eighth
grade five ten. I was like, Oh cool, everybody's starting
to catch up to me. I'm starting to look people
to eye. I'm like, all right, I've got this one
last gross spurt. Come on, I got to get above
(06:47):
six feet. So I go into my freshman year of
high school and that's like when the big transformasion takes place.
I'm seeing all my friends have these huge gross spurts.
But I'm like, oh, wait a minute, I don't feel
like I've grown anything. So I go into the physical
for freshman year and I was five ten. I was
like crushed. I have no chance of being tall like
my family. My brother is seven to two, my other
(07:08):
brother six four, my sister's six to two, my mom's
six foot, my dad six y five. I was like,
I'm gonna be the midget of the family. So I
didn't really think anything. I was like, all right, let's
work on your point guard skills. You can still play basketball.
Let's have fun with it. But then five ten at
the beginning of freshman year and six six at the
end of my freshman year.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
So that gross spurt. And I've compared it with the
likes of Dwight Howard Otto Porter Junior, one of my
teammates in Washington. They both had the same type of
gross spurts that I did, and from that five ten
to six six at the end of the freshman year,
and then going into my sophomore year six eight, junior
year six', ten coming into my senior year seven foot.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Wow all in high.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
School it was all in high.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
School did it hurt your freshman?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Year.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Yeah i've talked to a few guys that talk, about
like you just lay in bed and you're.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Aching, yes your back, aches your shin's, ache and my.
KNEES i have the ojga slaughtered bump on my knee
plant or. FASTIITUS i had heel, cups little jelly heel
cups in my. Shoes we're trying to just keep me
upright at that, point my mom was constantly getting me
orthotics for my, shoes and it's.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Like you were growing. Daily.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Literally it was a painful, experience and it was great
because my high school coach really realized THAT i was
going through a lot of. Pain he's, like you know,
what if you have to set out of, practice do.
It you have bigger things ahead of. You you don't
need to be going out there and going hard all the.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Time so and you're not a point guard? Anymore, Yes,
yes very. Much, So oh my, gosh that is. Crazy.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Wow, okay so as you go through high, school as you,
mentioned you get all these accolades while you're in high
school and you are most outstanding player for The All
state game your senior. Year you have other opportunities aside
From Colorado. STATE i Read, Gonzaga, Utah, wyoming and any
other places that you were.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
CONSIDERING i think at the TIME i was really torn
Between Gonzaga Colorado, state BUT i had offers all from
The East, coast and my high school coach really helped
me with the whole process of Eliminating he, said do
you want to go east of The. MISSISSIPPI i was, like, heck,
NO i don't want to go over.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
There that you even bet over, That, NO i had,
not SO i hadn't known what was over.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
There so for, ME i just wanted to stay a
little bit closer to Home West Coast midwest. Area and
once we kind of limited, that the letters just flooded.
In and WHEN i got, RECRUITED i knew because my
brother was tall and he had played, basketball and he
was recruited by the top twenty five teams throughout the entire,
country and we just got bombarded by, mail SO i was,
(09:32):
like let's limit it a little. Bit even though when
we did limit, it Those East coast schools still kept sending.
Letters so it's a very tough thing to kind of.
Navigate but at the same time it was, Awesome, yeah
because you get those letters from those schools and you
know that their top twenty, five you hear about them ON. Tv,
now GRANTED i grew UP i didn't have CABLE. TV
(09:52):
i WAS, ABC, CBS, Nbc, fox maybe, Right that's WHY
i never really grew up with college. Basketball the only
games THAT i saw were whoever was on the national,
stage which Was jordan or The knicks or The, lakers
the major market, team.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Right for A nuggets.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Game, Yeah so for me in the college, ASPECT i
didn't really know WHAT i was getting myself. Into BUT
i was potentially a little biased because both my parents
went To Colorado, state.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
And one o they. DID i didn't know. That, yeah,
okay and.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
One of my brothers he graduated From Colorado state with
an engineering, degree SO i had a bit of a.
Bias but also there was one POINT i went to
A nuggets game AND i was very lucky to talk
to THE gm of The nuggets at the, Time Kiki,
vandwick and he was. Awesome. Yeah LIKE i had one
question for. HIM i was, like does it matter going
to a bigger school or a smaller school for? Basketball
(10:43):
do you guys look for that in a? Player and he, said,
honestly if you're, good it's our job to find. You
AND i took that to. Heart that hit me with
a thousand pounds down the right over the.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Head, well, like and look at, colleges same. Thing if you're,
good you're at a THREE a school found.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
You, Yes, Yeah and.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
That's WHY i took it to. HEART i, said you know,
what it doesn't really. Matter IF i go to A,
gonzaga WHICH i KNEW i was going to for sure red,
SHIRT i would have no chance of. Playing i'd be
far away from. Home that's WHY i was, like you know,
What Colorado state's not a bad. Idea i'm going to
take care of everything THAT i can. CONTROL i can
work my tail off to get on the court and.
Everything AND i did. THAT i committed To Colorado state
(11:22):
even THOUGH i had offers From gonzaga And Oregon state
And Arizona, kansas like all these top twenty five. Schools
they just, said we'll take a chance on. You we'll
probably have to red shirt, you but we'll take a
chance on. You so for me to go To Colorado
state and have the best opportunity to, succeed plus making
my parents, happy my brother was. Happy and the nice
thing about being close to. Home WHEN i talked to
(11:42):
a lot of the college athletes on recruiting trips was
they wish they could be closer to home because as
a college, athlete many people don't realize the time restraints
that you have of you only have a couple minutes
each day to yourself because you got weights and study
haul and classes and training, sessions everything going. On so
for me to be close to home when we did
(12:04):
have a, BREAK i could go home and see my.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Parents oh, yeah you're forty minutes.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Away, absolutely that was a big decision part for, me
plus all my.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Family they got to see all of my college, games,
yeah which was insane to, me AND i thought it
was normal because that's what my parents. Did they drove
to every Continental United states game that we. Had they.
Did only games that they missed were the games that
we played in whole lit R, yeah because they couldn't,
fly so.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Oh my, gosh they drove Like San Diego.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
State game and they loved the road. Trip so that's
why that's cool to kind of fast. Forward we talked
about off. Air it's not that hard for me to
drive long. Distances San diego is twenty three twenty four
hours From, Denver.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Colorado you, know all the time by my sister.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Went to school at NAU So Northern Arizona university Of, Flagstaff,
arizona fifteen hour. Drive you could take it either going
over The Rocky. Mountains we could go down Through New
mexico and my grandma she lived down By New Mexico texas,
border Like amarillo, area and that was a nine hour.
Drive so these drives were nothing to.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
ME i feel, like this is such a crazy thing.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
To hop on the. Road let's take a, drive.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Family, truckster let's.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Go, well it pays off for you because you come
To Colorado, state like you said, earlier you did all
the work what you needed to do to get on the.
Court you're The Mountain west freshman of the. YEAR i,
mean you have a great. Season you have great seasons
for two more after, that and then you Leave Colorado
STATE i mean with a whole bunch of.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Records you leave.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Early at that, time you were ninth all time and
scoring sixth and, rebounds fifth in block, shots second most
with double. Doubles what went into the decision to leave
then in two thousand and seven and enter the.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
DRAFT i think we kind of groomed myself because After
i'd gotten that accolade my freshman, year they had definitely
put that on my. Mind, really it was all my teammates, like, Oh,
Jay you're gonna go in THE nba draft right after freshman.
YEAR i was, like what are you talking? About there
is no CHANCE i have a chance in hell in
getting to THE. Nba SO i didn't really believe it
(14:02):
at that. Point but my coach he asked. Me he's,
like so what are you? Thinking And i'm, like what
do you? Mean what AM i? Thinking i'm coming back
to go to class, right like what time's? Practice he's, like, no,
like are you going to stay or are you going
to make a decision to? Leave AND i was, like
is this a? Joke did you guys put him up
to asking me, this like what's going? ON i had
(14:22):
no idea what was going? On but he was like
honestly the fact that you don't realize. It let's keep
putting it into your. Mind you have the potential to
play post. College you could go. Overseas you have a
very slim chance to get into THE, nba but it
takes a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Of, work and this is your freshman.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Year my freshman, YEAR i had no. IDEA i was
just happy to be in. COLLEGE i got my education paid.
For my parents are happy That i'm going to.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Get it playing. Basketball.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yes so THEN i go into my sophomore year AND
i had that drive and determination to work even harder
BECAUSE i got the accolade that freshman, year AND i
knew that we Had Matt nelson leaving from the, program
AND i had a real opportunity to kind of step
into that role of that main guy on the. Team
so my sophomore year was. AWESOME i performed, really really.
(15:08):
Well the coaches did a really good job of helping
me throughout the entire year of dealing with ups and
downs and really reading defenses and offensive looks and getting
your teammates. Involved so had a really good sophomore. Year
after that sophomore, year they, said, hey are you going
to take that jump? Again and they asked me that.
QUESTION i was, like, No i'm not mentally ready to leave.
(15:29):
COLLEGE i enjoy. IT i enjoy the work aspect of.
It for, me thinking of leaving and being kind of
like on your, own, yeah that's what a professional athlete is.
Like you are responsible for yourself at all, times AND
i just wasn't ready for. IT i took it to.
Heart my coaches, said all, right, well let's go with
your junior. Year you got to have a better year
than your freshman and sophomore. Year SO i was, Like,
(15:51):
okay let's put in the, work let's do the. Job
AND i had a great junior. Year our team had
so so. Success we're kind of, average middle of the
pack of the. Conference but then my head coach had
gotten fired Daily air had gotten. Fired, yeah and that
sent shockwaves through, me through our, team my, family because
we had this plan of potentially leaving after my senior.
(16:13):
Year but then that got accelerated drastically because he got
fired and you don't know who they're going to bring.
In and every one of my teammates was looking at me, like,
hey what are you. Doing and at that, POINT i
had had a better year in my junior, YEAR i
THINK i was averaging seventeen points ten. Rebounds the draft
boards and. Everything i'd been on them for years and
(16:36):
people were just. Waiting, WELL i took a. Chance and
the biggest thing for me was really trying to convince
my parents.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
You left school. Early.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yes, yeah they were, all you are a student. Athlete
and it took some convincing for my, parents BUT i
proved to them THAT i was business, READY i was athletically,
READY i was mentally, ready and they took a chance on,
me Saying i'm ready to. Go i've thought about this
(17:06):
for the last two, years and for me to take that,
JUMP i felt horrible for my teammates BECAUSE i knew
that as soon AS i, left majority of them were
going to transfer.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Out, yeah you were the. ANCHOR i was the anchor
of the.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Team AND i felt really bad for a couple guys
on the, Team Stuart creesen And Ronnie, aguilar because they
had used their red shirt years for medical, exemption and
they had used their transfer red shirt year because they
had already read shirt one, year so they were stuck
with their one year of elegibility left At Colorado. State
And Stuart creesan is a dear friend of, mine and
(17:40):
to this date we still joke about it because he
knew THAT i was going to, leave and he was
pissed at the, time but we laugh about it now
because he knew THAT i made the best decision for,
myself for my, family and he really accepts it. Now
but it is one of those great memories that is
kind of a bittersweet moment in our. Relationship we embrace
(18:01):
it fully and then and then after that it was just.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Awesome that's, Good and you, know it makes a lot
of sense when you think about especially you come from
a small town and my husband's from a small town
In rye in Southern, colorado and when he came To Colorado,
state he flunked out his freshman. Year he was honor,
student you, know and just it's that jumper even just
going TO csu at, LEAST i, mean you kind of
knew it because you had family there and your. Brother
but then you THINK, nba AND i, mean that's like
(18:24):
a different planet from what you've seen in little Northern.
Colorado so that's a big. Jump and then for your
folks to, Go, okay, yeah you can leave school. Early
have you finished.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
SCHOOL i have not finished.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
School and they ever say.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Anything they have said it a, lot AND i try
TO i try to spin it in the fact that
you go to, school you want to get a good
job and. Everything you have a good. JOB i had
one of the best jobs in the entire.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
World, YES i had.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
To go play. Basket, OH i say. IT i had
to go play. BASKETBALL i got to play basketball for
a living and for twelve, years exactly twelve years went
by so fast for. Me that's when you know that
it's not a. Job BECAUSE i had conditioned myself to
put in the work and develop consistency of your workout,
schedules your eating, habits your sleep, schedules your. Recovery and
(19:09):
that was kind of an evolution as my career went
on of just really becoming a. Professional the better you
are that, way the more years you will.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Play and it changes as you get older too you
have to do which we will get.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Into, yeah and, really twelve years in a professional sport
is almost like a lifetime of working a regular. JOB i,
mean if you do it right and you do your contracts,
RIGHT i mean you can really you, know it's kind
of like dog.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Years you can make that really work for. Yourself SO
i think you did all?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
RIGHT i did pretty.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Dark, okay so let's go to draft night AND o,
seven you get picked twentieth, overall buy The Miami, heat
but then that same night get traded to the seventy six.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Ers well what was that?
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Like so let's take it back to WHEN i was
doing all my. WORKOUTS i came From Colorado, state not
really a basketball well known, school SO i had to
prove to all thirty teams That i'm for, Real i'm.
SERIOUS i hadn't really fully committed to going into the
draft until about halfway through the, process AND i really
got convinced by all the organizations, saying, no you're not
(20:08):
going back to, school like somebody's gonna pick you. Up
you're good. Enough AND i did that because this was
the first year that high school players had to go
to college for a. Year so The Kevin, durantz The Greg,
odins And Michael conley juniors they were all coming. Out
PLUS i had to compete with The florida back to
back national championship team they came. Out so my draft
status just kind of kept on ticking down and down
(20:29):
and down and.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Down but ad was one or two that he was number.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Two, yeah And Greg oden was number, one AND i
wanted workouts with those, guys but everybody created that narrative
of if you work out with this, guy you have
a high potential to lose against this. Guy SO i
was that underdog mentality Of i'm going to come in
there And i'm gonna out work. You nobody knows WHO i.
Am i'm kind of the dark horse of the. DRAFT
(20:54):
i did seventeen workouts in nineteen days OVER i want to,
say thirteen or fourteen different. CITIES i was constantly. FLYING
i had two bags with. ME i didn't care what
time it, was where it. WAS i was, like just
tell me what TIME i have to be to the.
GYM i was ready to. Go and as a seven,
footer there's not many of, you, RIGHT i was athletic
enough the fact THAT i did seventeen workouts in nineteen,
(21:16):
days and these are not easy. Workouts these they're putting
you through.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
The, grinders and they want to see what you can.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Do they want to see what you can, do they
want to see when you, break if you get. Tired
but that was WHERE i really leaned on My Colorado
state days of my, coach Coach Bill. PETERSON i thank
him to this day of how much he worked me
out in altitude six am workouts before, practice before, class
AND i really took that to heart because those workouts
(21:42):
were the most difficult That i've had to deal. With
so WHEN i got to THESE nba, workouts it was cake.
LIKE i knew what they were going to throw at.
Me in anything that they did throw at, Me i'd
seen much worse At Colorado. STATE i go through the,
WORKOUTS i get, Done i'm. Exhausted my last workout was
In Salt Lake, City, utah and the team knew that
all the guys had had maybe nine or ten, workouts
(22:03):
AND i told them this is my seventeenth workout and
they were, like you gotta be. Kidney are you? Okay
do you need our medical? Staff like do you need
some ice? BATHS i was, like, ninety let's. Go this
is the last. Workout last one's the best. One and
WHEN i said, that they were, like you're gonna make.
It you have the right mindset because this eighty two
game season is no. Joke and if you can take
that same mindset into. THIS i kind of took that to.
(22:27):
HEART i was, like, oh MAYBE i was doing the
right things At Colorado. State So draft NIGHT i was
at a bar In Fort collins in a private, room
And i'll never. FORGET i had all my families and
friends in the area and we were, there probably fifty
sixty people in the back, room and we had THE
(22:47):
tv going, on and the draft was going, on AND
i hear the bar area go, nuts AND i was,
like what sporting event is going? On we got the draft,
Tonight like what's going? On about five seconds, later THE
tv had announced my, name so they got to hear
it before there was a. Delay so when the twentieth
(23:07):
pick came, around that sense of, relief like all this
hard work has paid. Off the team that picked me Was,
miami AND i was, like, oh, Yeah i'm going to
play With shaq and D. Wade this is gonna be.
Great two minutes, Later philadelphia was the twenty first. Pick
they did a pick trade or a, swap and it
was already. PREDETERMINED i didn't know about, it so my
(23:28):
mind Was, Miami, Miami Miami South.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Beach.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Yes so THEN i get traded To philly AND i was, like, oh, dang,
okay this isn't, bad all. Right Now i'm playing With Andre,
Gudala Andre, Miller Samdalen, Bear Reggie, evans and these are
all guys THAT i had, watched oh, yeah Like Andre
miller and At, Arizona Sam dollenbar tremendous shot, blocker underrated offensive.
Player but Also Andre. Miller he was with The, nuggets,
(23:53):
yes AND i remember watching him play With nana And,
carmela AND i was just, like this is going to be.
Nuts SO i was really. Excited we had four rookies that,
year and it was an awesome, experience a very big
learning experience and a transition in life to go from
small town Of curzy To Fort, college WHICH i considered
a big, town to phill adelph ten million, people blue collar,
(24:17):
workers very passionate about, this.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Very.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Passionate and you play, WELL i mean you do a.
Lot you play in seventy six games your rookie, season
that's a.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Lot it was a, lot and it was really a
testament of me working hard in. Practice, now, granted basketball
is a little bit different once you reach the next
level of the, politics AND i did not realize. That,
yeah but BECAUSE i was a first, ROUNDER i was
guaranteed to play a certain amount of minutes tonight IF
i performed in practice and all those parameters and, everything
(24:50):
AND i didn't really realize. THAT i was just, like all,
right all these old guys are probably gonna get to.
Play i'll have to groom myself kind of like you're
coming in your freshman year high school and the seniors. Play,
yeah wait your turn.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Toil win a garbage time or.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
WHATEVER i made that mistake real. QUICK i was, Like
i'm probably not gonna. Play i'm a. Rookie nobody's gonna.
PLAY i don't have to do a bunch of these
rookie duties and. EVERYTHING i would just kind of practice really.
HARD i put in the work before, practice after, practice
and it got me a little bit of playing. Time
AND i was. ATHLETIC i could play some. DEFENSE i
didn't really THINK i was going to get any offensive
touches Because i'm the. Rookie i'm never going to touch
the ball. Whatsoever you just go in there and be
(25:22):
the practice dummy and play great. Defense SO i really
had a learning curve to try and figure out what
THE nba lifestyle. Was and it was.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Tough it's, crazy especially coming from. COLLEGE i, mean you
play a lot of games in, college but you don't
play eighty two and the road trips and, boohoo you
do make money and, whatnot but it's still travel is
part of, it and it affects your. BODY i don't
care if you're a pro athlete or. Not it's hard to.
Travel and when you have those kind of trips and
you're especially like back to back road games and things like,
THAT i, mean you really have to learn how to
(25:54):
figure out how to keep your body right and your.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Mind it's the nuances of THE. Nba and that's WHY
i say it's much more difficult because going from high
school to, college everything gets, faster the competition is. Better
but when you go to college to PROFESSIONAL i thought
it was going to be even, faster more, competition and it.
Wasn't it was a little bit, slower more meticulous on, details,
interesting and it really surprised me BECAUSE i was, Like,
(26:17):
okay everybody's athletic, here everybody can play the game of,
basketball but how are you? Mentally can you deal with the?
Travel can you deal with those back to? Backs and
at the time two thousand and, seven we were still
playing five games in seven, days and it was. Torture
you're getting in at three, am you have a game
at seven. Pm you got walked, throughs you got training. Room,
(26:38):
literally just trying to compartmentalize your day to make sure
that you're at training room or getting your treatment, right
or making sure you're conscious of who you're playing on
any given night is so. Difficult and that's WHY i
tell anybody who has a chance to play in THE,
nba it's not physically who's, better it is who mentally
can fight through, fatigue fight through the, injuries some, bruises
(27:01):
and get into this nice consistent pattern OF i might
have been a twenty point scorer in, college but MAYBE
i can do about eighteen to twenty maybe fifteen to.
Eighteen find your, niche find what you're good, at what
the team needs from, you because not everybody can be
that twenty five point night right. Guy and for, ME
i learned that real. QUICK i was, like all, right
(27:23):
you're going to go screen for the guy who scores
all the. Time and the better you, screen the more he,
scores the more accolades you. Get so it was a
learning curve AND i really had to learn, that and
it took me three or four years to really figure
that whole nuance out of the basketball, part and it
really hit me ONCE i got. Traded it's a whole
nuance and we're probably fast forwarding through MY nba. CAREER
i don't know how much you want to go into
(27:43):
detail on that, one but.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Well, yeah, no we'll get to the.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Trade SO i want to ask About so your second,
season you tear YOUR acl before the, season so not
only your rookie, season you have to learn how to
do the physical mental. Part now all of a, sudden
you're in the injury room and you missed the whole, year, Right,
yeah so there's a huge learning curve because now you're.
Alone you're still kind of part of the, team but
you're not with the, boys you're not in the locker.
Room so it's really different and mentally.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Very, tough extremely tough to go through AN acl injury
my second year as a big. Man you don't know
if you're going to be able to come back and
be the same person that you. Are everybody, says, oh
you're going to be, better, stronger, faster and for me
it wasn't the case BECAUSE i had AN acl taar
PARTIAL mcl tear two tears of my lateral, meniscus LIKE
(28:28):
i did it. Good. WOW i had, microfracture which was
experimental procedure at the time of drilling into the bone
to promote bleeding and kind of fill the pothole of
those meniscus. Tears and it was a, lot and the
rehab was. Tough it was, difficult and like you, said
when you're not around the team and you're kind of,
alone isolated just with your, rehab, guy it's. Tough you're
(28:51):
not close to, home family's not, there all that In,
philly all of that In, philly all of it In,
philly and it was just kind OF i had never
been through an like, that SO i didn't really know
what to. Expect BUT i tackled. IT i embraced. IT i, knew,
Hey i'm not going to be the same self THAT
i was pre, surgery But i'm going to be the
best version THAT i possibly. Can and kind of overcoming
(29:13):
that was difficult BECAUSE i sat out the entire. Year
So i'm going into the next. Summer and if you,
rewind BEFORE i had gotten, HURT i had Played Summer.
LEAGUE i got most improved In Summer, league SO i
was on the up and. UP i was ready to
go for my second. YEAR i was locked. IN i was,
like all, RIGHT i got to taste my rookie year
going into the Summer. League and then we had Coach.
(29:34):
Gergovich he was an assistant coach for The nuggets at the,
time and he runs a camp out In vegas for
all of the first, year second, year third, year fourth,
year whoever wants to. Come it's really just working WITH
nba guys at a higher. Level AND i got that.
Opportunity and it was a four day camp and this
was the third day and everybody was feeling the same
the way THAT i. Was we go into the, CAMP
(29:55):
i was. Tired we did a five on four drill
AND i was driving left on the left side of
the court And i'll never. FORGET i planned my left
foot and it just did not have anything there AND
i fell over my. LEG i heard, pop pop. POP
i was ACL mcl and those meniscus so.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Non, contact non.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Contact so that's what was really hard for me with
the injury, aspect is trying to get yourself mentally over
the fact that your body is. Fine now.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Every time you play your, foot you can't think about.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
It second guess you think about. It, man it really
took me a long, time shoot probably two three years
post surgery to really trust that my body was.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay and you, said for a big, man you don't
know if you're going to come, back is? It it's, different,
right because you're JUST i, mean you're. You, You you're,
bigger you way. More there's all those, things those factors
that go into getting healthy.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
Again when you go.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Into a, surgery lots of doctors they can kind of
give you a plan of how long it's going to
take you to recover for a normal, Individual but when
you're seven feet tall and they're trying.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
To twice as big as most, people.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Where are we going to take this graph? From we
can't really do a cadaver from somebody else because not
many people are your. Size so those small decisions and
this is your. LIVELIHOOD i had. TO i took it
from my patella on my same knee and we just
went with. It and then those things just kind of freaking. Out,
Yeah but then coming back off of, IT i trusted
(31:27):
in the rehab. PROCESS i got stronger, physically BUT i
always had that kind of second doubt in my, mind
like AM i, okay fully two years three years, LATER
i was. Fine but that really made me focus on
the rehab aspect of, it taking care of your, body
because that's what a professional. Does you're going to have
injuries eighty two. Games that's tough to stay healthy for
all of those and for me to really realize that
(31:49):
the injury aspect is a part of the, game and
the better you deal with, that just like sleep and
recovery and the travel, aspect the better off you'll be
and the more years you could potentially.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Play absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Right so you come back in, nine played fifty six.
Games before the twenty ten, season you get traded to
the Then New Orleans hornets Now. Pelicans what was that?
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Like that was shell shock because it was two days
before trading camp had started. Coaching Willy green and myself
got traded down In New orleans and the trade was
potential not to go through because they had found something
in the back Of willy green'sknee and they were about
to exnay the. Trade SO i almost had to go
back To philly and we sat. OUT i watched the
(32:28):
first day of training. Camp they came to, terms added
some more cash or something onto the deal and we started.
That BUT i remember WHEN i got, TRADED i had
talked to the then Coach Monti, williams AND i was, like,
Man i'm really excited for this. OPPORTUNITY i can't wait
to be a spark for you off the. Bench he was, like,
well first of, all we don't want you to be a.
Spark we want you to be a. Flame he instilled
(32:49):
the utmost confidence in your. Reaction, Right i's kind of taken.
BACK i did the same. THING i was, like, OH
i THOUGHT i said the right, thing but you want
me to be more than. That, okay SO i get down.
There but he really helped me understand the aspect of
the game THAT i never really kind of got THAT
i need to fit in in my. Box stay within your.
(33:10):
BOX i want you to do, A b AND. C
i don't want you to think ABOUT d THROUGH. Z just,
one two and three and you will play in this
league a long. Time you're, athletic you have the, mindset
you know the x's and. O'S i just don't want
you to kind of go out there and do your own.
THING i was, like, OKAY i could do. That so
ONCE i figured that, OUT i was, like all, Right
(33:31):
i'm gonna work on A b AND. C i'm gonna
play great, Defense i'm gonna work on my one offensive,
skill And i'm gonna stay in the gym on. SKI
i was, like IF i can perfect, this because at
the time we Had Chris, Paul David, west a mecha
Okafor Trevor, reza, like we had a really good. Team
they didn't need me to. Score they needed me to
go in there and give them, relief to like give
him a break a little. BIT i can have my
(33:52):
little mid range shot pick and, roll and IF i did,
well he'd keep me on the.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Floor what was your one offensive pick and?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Roll pick and, pop pick and pop to mid range
of fifteen to seventeen. FEET i was in the TOP
i don't know five in the league With LaMarcus aldridge
And Tim duncan and then myself to be mentioned in those.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
GUYS i was, like, yeah, ooh coaches.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Right ill LIKE i to do a shoot this mid range.
SHOT i can do that. Skill SO i figured it
out and that was kind of the turning point OF
i don't need to show them everything THAT i can,
do but IF i can be excellent and efficient in one,
CATEGORY i can play in this league for a long. Time.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Wow that's great, Advice, yes and probably one that more
guys need because they try and do way too, much
way too.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Much, yeah and once you start expanding and going out like,
that that's how you play yourself out of.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Absolutely, yeah because you cannot be. EVERYTHING i don't care
what sport it. Is and if you have a few
little different things you can do and do them really, well,
yes make that your.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Thing. Yes, yeah any professions like that. Too.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Okay so you sign in twenty eleven a three year
deal With New. Orleans that's going into the lockout, SEASON i, think,
right and you score a career high twenty six points
in a. Game So i've said pretty well with your
one off, SKILL i.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
DID i, Did and the fact that that coaching staff
really kind of believed me and embraced. Me that's WHY
i went back To New. Orleans because it wasn't necessarily
the most monetarily great, contract but BECAUSE i liked that coaching,
STAFF i love the city Of New.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Orleans it was.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Awesome, yeah makes a huge, difference All, right more injuries
than too while you're In New. Orleans, yep, knee same
knee or different nas opposite, ny opposite knee and a labor.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Issue, yeah SO i was a shoulder or.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Hit that was my shooting, Shoulder so my right. SHOULDER
i went up to block a shot On Kawhi, LEONARD
i went back to the extreme ranges of motion hurd a.
POP i had torn my labor and there was potential
to not have, surgery but it was just caused me
so much, pain SO i had to get it. Done
plus it was my shooting, arm SO i needed to
get it done for my professional well. Being right my,
KNEE i had something floating around in it and it
(35:51):
would lock up on me, occasionally SO i needed to
get a scope to get it. Out but yet again another.
Surgery so as a professional, athlete your best ability is your,
availability AND i had started burning those bridges down To New,
orleans so there was question of is he going to
be healthy? Enough can he sustain AN nba. Season that's
WHERE i was, like all, RIGHT i really got to
put the time and effort into keeping my body.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Right what did you? Do what kind of things did you?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Do then really just getting with the training, staff, Trusting
and this was at the time where foam rolling had
just begun being very, popular and getting massages and GETTING
i had no problem getting in the cold tub, whatsoever
but getting massages and making sure that all of the
tendons and ligaments were fully healthy and warmed up before
play after, play and really taking care of your, body
(36:35):
eating right and nutrition and sleep and recovery was really
big at the. Time.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
Yeah, Absolutely, Okay so you finish out that contract In
New orleans and then you kind of go one year
at a time for the next few.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Years.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Right you do one year with The knicks all eighty
two games, though, yes is that the first time you
had all eighty two?
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Games, yeah, okay there you.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Go july of twenty, fifteen you sign a one year
deal with The magic had twenty five points against The.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Nuggets was that?
Speaker 1 (36:58):
HERE i don't remember if that was, THAT i couldn't find.
It blur those couple of years of going one year here.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
WHEN i know you're all over the.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Place and then in twenty, sixteen three year deal With.
Washington but two years later they trade you to The
bucks yep in a three team. Deal and then that
same season you go back To New orleans to The
pelicans and another three team.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
Deals so what was all of that, like.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
And were you were you getting married at this point
or having you, KNOW i know you're probably young into,
that but then you got to balance family and all of.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
That so WHILE i was In New, ORLEANS i had
gotten married twenty thirteen and then we.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Would, okay so early on for all, this it was
a whole. Whirlwind when bless her, heart In New, orleans
we got. Married then she was eight and a, half
almost nine months pregnant WHERE i signed with The. Knicks
so we uprooted our life In New orleans to go
up To New, york and she put the utmost trust in,
me and we had the best, doctors had our first
(37:53):
daughter up In New. York had one of the worst
winters we. Had Derek fisher was our head coach in
the Zen mat was THE gm and it was one
of the worst seasons In nick's. History AND i just
remember that was horrible and it's something to forget. One
but then we go down To, orlando had a great
year down In. Orlando it was a drastic change of
(38:15):
weather and living conditions and just quality of. Life then
WHEN i get the contract IN, dc that's where we
had just kind of been through the ringer of traveling
from one city to the next city to the next.
City but that's professional athletics as in. General so to
kind of have her by my side with our, daughter
then in D c we had our second, child my,
(38:37):
son and to have them kind of. There basketball didn't
necessarily fade or become, secondary but you knew that regardless
if you had a good game or a bad, game
they were. There they were, there your, rock your, cornerstone
AND i really leaned on them through those tough times
of getting, traded having some, walls maybe not getting playing,
(38:57):
time going from city to, city and then being away
for long periods of time away from your, kids and
it's it's very. Difficult that's where the mental aspect of
the game is utmost. Important BUT i kind of conditioned
myself to really realizing. That and you want to maximize
your opportunity in your profession as long as you possibly.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Can, absolutely, yeah because.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
As soon as they say no, more you're not coming
back through those. Doors And Father time is undefeated and
every professional athlete goes through it and it's really difficult
aspect to go. Through but for, ME i was, lucky
like you, said to play twelve, years three. Times the
average of a professional basketball. Player SO i am one
hundred percent grateful for my entire.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Career so in twenty, nineteen do you officially retire after that?
Speaker 3 (39:43):
Season you, know that's what you sent in your. PAPERWORK
i have not sent in my.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Paperwork but at the same, time twenty, nineteen as soon
as you don't hear from teams and you don't get
a contract as a professional, athlete AND i know many
many other teammates and former players that have gone through,
this you always hold out because you always think that
somebody's going to give you a.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Call, well then you See Philip.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Rivers, Yes, like don't want to put that out there, Now,
BRANDON i am completely done with. BASKETBALL i have no
shot of coming. Back Philip rivers and me are completely.
Different but for, me it was really hard for me
to kind of say goodbye to the. Game SO i
didn't want to, say, Hey i'm, Retired i'm, done because
that just kind of closed the. Door AND i was
never a negative, individual like there's always a Chance i'm.
(40:26):
Done i'm completely. Done i'm turning forty this. YEAR i
have been doing broadcasting for the last six. Years it's
been amazing BECAUSE i get to talk the. Game, yeah
BUT i don't have to worry about my knees and
my back and my ankle just feeling crappy the next.
Day so for, me it's a way to stay close
to the game And i'll never forget those amazing. Memories
and Like i've, said twelve years it went by so.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
FAST i bet it.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Did, yeah, Okay and so now you are doing pre
impost for The wizard's.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Games. Yep keeps you. Involved but, again like you, said
you don't have the physical part of.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
IT i don't have the physical things THAT i got
to worry, about and staying connected to the, game it's
such kind of an arm's. LENGTH i still get to
see the connections of all the trainers or the coaches
when they come into. TOWN i don't travel with the.
Team i'm still dad first and. Foremost SO i coach
my daughter's fifth grade basketball. Team i'm able to be
(41:17):
around for all their sporting, events and my wife does
an amazing job of kind of getting them prepared for
all their stuff for. School and that's really WHAT i
want to. BE i don't want to be in the
coaching realm to where you have to be there two
hours before the, guys and two hours after, THEN i
would never see my. Family front. Office you're constantly connected
to your, phone And i've had opportunities to do, both
(41:40):
but BECAUSE i had the twelve years in THE, NBA
i was gone so much in that amount of. Time
my daughter's, eleven my son is. Eight those are perfect
ages to where they still sort of like, me oh,
yeah And i'm still. Cool and as they get, Older i'm.
There and that's huge for me BECAUSE i want to
be there for them through their, sports through, school through
those big moments in. Life now maybe when they go
(42:02):
off to college and create their own, lives then POTENTIALLY
i could come into that coaching aspect or front office.
Aspect but for right, Now i'm enjoying being. DAD i
get to talk a little basketball with The, wizards And
i'm loving.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Life that's the. Best, yeah you, KNOW i did the
same THING i.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
WAS i was at Nine news and did that morning,
show which is brutal, hours and once our kids were
in middle, SCHOOL i was, like you know, WHAT i
need to be home and meet me more of. Mom
and then WHEN i got the sideline gig for The,
broncos they were both pretty much out of high, school
AND i still called. THEM i was, like is it
okay IF i take.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
This they're, like we don't. Care, yeah we're out of the.
House i'm, like all, right.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
Great and so it's later when they're you, know done and,
god BUT i still felt LIKE i needed to ask
Because i'm, LIKE i don't want to be a bad
mom and you have work come in front all of, you,
Guys BUT i bet you have opportunities later on like.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
That but now you get to be, dad which is
JUST i get to be.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Dad and that's WHY i do THE tv gig is
to really kind of continue those relationships when those teams
come to, towns whether it's scouts that are in, town
whether that's the training, staff the coaches that really the coaching.
Realm it's a revolving. Door you could be with one,
team you could be with. Another we think players have
the ability to go from city to. City coaches have
the same ability and to see those. Guys And i've
(43:09):
always been a guy who builds. Relationships i'm never going
to burn a. Coach i'm never going to say he
is horrible and, everything because you never know when you're
going to see them the next. Time that's what city
they're going to be, with organization they're going to be.
With so for, me that was a big thing THAT
i learned throughout my playing days is build those. Relationships
never burn the, relationships build those. Bridges.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Yeah, Absolutely, Yeah and there's no cap on coaching. AGES
i mean you could be coaching in the front office
to who knows. WHEN i, mean you see him in
the seventies and. Above, now, okay so last, Question, JASON
i asked all my guests, this when you give, advice
and now that you're also coaching your daughter's, team this is.
Great when there are down times or you're trying to
get through the tough, times what do you tell, People
because you've been through a lot of, them you, know
(43:50):
with injury and getting traded and all the ups and
downs you had in your.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
Career the downtimes are when you can really reflect and
look at yourself in the, mirror become better person and
a better. Individual when you're, winning things are covered, up
things always seem. Amazing but when you lose or when
you have an, injury that's where you can really kind
of self, reflect get, better really make yourself into a
(44:16):
better person. Player that's really something That i've really taken
to heart THAT i kind of like the losing times
better than the winning. Times because, winning, yes it feels,
great everything tastes, better you sleep better at. Night but
when you, lose that's where you learn how to build
yourself up, better, stronger, faster AND i really embrace those
tough times and to kind of be in the. Uncomfortable
(44:39):
it's easy to be, comfortable but when you get into
those uncomfortable, moments that's where you truly grow great.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
Advice, hey this was really.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Fun this was.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Awesome thank you for taking the.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
TIME i know you have a ton of family here
and you're taking some, time but it's great to have
you back and good to sit down with you and
people will love hearing from. You and congratulations again on
The ring Of.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Honor thank. You this was an awesome. EXPERIENCE i appreciate.
It we'll have to do this, again so, yeah let's do.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
It thank, You Thanks.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
Jason new episodes Of, Cut, Traded, Fired retired are released On.
Tuesdays please download and like this podcast wherever you listen to,
podcasts and keep up on new releases by following On
twitter And instagram at ctfur podcast and also on the
website ctfurpodcast dot.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Com i'm your, Host Susie.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Warton to find out more about, me visit susiewargon dot.
Com thanks so much for, listening and until next, time
please be, careful be, safe and be.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Kind take, care
So I go into my freshman year of high school
and that's like when the big transformassion takes place. I'm
seeing all my friends have these huge, gross spurts. But
I'm like, oh, wait a minute, I don't feel like
I've grown anything. So I go into the physical freshman
year and I was five ten. I was like crushed.
I have no chance of being tall like my family.
My brother is seven to two, my other brother six
(00:20):
y four, my sister's six to two, my mom's six foot,
my dad six five. I was like, I'm going to
be the midget of the family. So I didn't really
think anything. I was like, all right, let's work on
your point guard skills. You can still play basketball. Let's
have fun with it. But then five ten at the
beginning of freshman year and six six at the end
of my freshman year.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome to Cut, Traded, Fired, Retired. If this is your
first time, thanks for checking out the podcast. There is
no order to the episodes. Just pick and choose whenever
you want to hear some great stories from professional athletes
and coaches. If you're a regular, you already know how
this works and thanks for all your support. I'm your
host Susie Worgen. This episode's guest was born in Greeley
and grew up in Kiowa, and for a while, Jason
(00:59):
Smith thought he'd be the only short person in his family.
That was until a growth spurt his freshman year of
high school took him from five ten to six six.
He was a star player at Platte Valley High School
and was named three ya's most outstanding player his senior year.
Jason opted to stay close to home and accepted a
scholarship at Colorado State University, where he was the Mountain
West Freshman of the Year and first team All Mountain
(01:22):
West the next two seasons.
Speaker 3 (01:24):
He left the Rams.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Early and was the twentieth overall pick in the two
thousand and seven NBA draft and made an impact immediately
with the seventy six ers, playing in seventy six games
his rookie year. Jason would end up having a twelve
year career in the NBA with several teams, and also
dealt with a number of injuries. After his retirement in
twenty nineteen, Jason focused on being a husband and father,
(01:45):
doing some media work, and collecting more honors. In twenty
twenty six, he was inducted into CSU's Ring of Honor,
and his jersey hangs from the rafters of Moby Arena
and Fort Collins. It's always great to chat with the
fellow Ram ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Jason Smith cut Traded Fired retired podcast with Susie Wargen.
Jason Smith, how are you?
Speaker 1 (02:08):
I am doing good and I'm trying to keep my
voice alive from coming down off Cloud nine from yesterday.
But yeah, awesome.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
You've had a big weekend.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
You're in town for you were put into the Ring
of Honor for the CSU Rams and you now have
a banner up and movie arena, which is really cool
and what an honor. First of all, before we get
into all this, what was it like to get that
call to know that you were going to be in
that Ring of honor?
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You know it? It was a very difficult thing for
me to actually accept in my mind because I know
all of the greats that came out of Colorado State,
and to be in that conversation with Amy Van Dyken
and Sonny Lubig and Becky Hammond and all the other
great I was blown away. John gave me the call
and I was just like are you playing a joke
on me.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Like to call somebody else?
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I think you button diled me. I don't know if
that was supposed to be me, But for me, my family,
my friends, everyone here at c you, they know all
the hard work that I had to put in to
get to this point, and for me, it was an
absolute honor.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
Yeah. No, really cool.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
And what's even neater about the whole situation is that
you're from here, which is where we'll start with this,
and you know you play ball here and then you
spend twelve years in the NBA. I mean you have
to look back and go, you know what, Yeah, actually
you tripled the average length of an NBA career, So
you did all right?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
You deserve this.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, if you take it all the way back to
curzy Colorado days, Yeah, Platte Valley High School playing some
high school basketball, mister three A two times my junior year,
my senior year, and then heading off to Colorado State.
I mean, I was just happy to be playing basketball
in college Division I scholarship. My parents were very adamant
(03:45):
of you are a student athlete, and I took that
to heart because I just worked my tail off in practice.
If I ever got any playing time. That was great,
But my coach has challenged me in college going into
my freshman year. They're like, we're gonna have to red
shirt you because you're not big enough, you're not strong enough.
And I was like, what do I gotta do to
be playing my first year? Well, me, coming out of
(04:07):
high school, I was seven foot one ninety were so
gay enough, and they said, if you can get your
weight up to two twenty five by the start of
the season, we won't red shirt you.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
So how you played your freshman year?
Speaker 1 (04:20):
That's how I played my freshman year.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
I made a conscious effort going from Curzy, Colorado to
Fort Collins, Colorado every day during the summer, getting in
the weight room with the strength coach. They gave me
cases of protein shakes, and.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I just here's another insure.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
I know, I know, I just put the work in
day in, day out, and for me, that hard work
paid off just so I didn't get red shirts, so
I had an opportunity to get on the court.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Oh that's awesome, Jason.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
That's just the little tidbit. And then that's how I
got on the court. I started to compete with the
elder classmen of the sophomores and the juniors, and there
was at the time a guy named Matt Nelson on
the team, and I had watched him play in high school,
and I was like, there's no way I can compete
against this guy. But then when I put all that
work in and I gained some weight and I learned
tendencies of different players, the coaching staff really realized, Hey,
(05:10):
he's taking it to heart that he's going to do
anything and everything that we tell him to do to get.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
On the floor, which is huge.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
It was groundbreaking.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Ye, you were coachable, yes.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
And so that's that's the key. Okay, So let's go
back then to Curzy. So you grow up, you're born
in Greeley, grew up in Curzy. Did you play other sports?
Because you didn't come out of the wombs seven feet tall?
So assuming you had other sports that you were that
you liked, in the end, you tried out.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So I've played baseball when I was little. I hated
the fact that if you hit three out of ten
you were good. So I was like, this is the
worst sport ever, too boring for me, too slow. I
played soccer when I was little. Obviously the little track
and field competitions during school. I love that blue ribbons
were for me, that's for sure. And then once everybody
(05:53):
started catching up to me athletically, I was like, oh man,
I don't think I can do this track thing. This
is a little bit different. But I got into high
school and track with was a great way for me
to stay in shape in the off season.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Did you hur?
Speaker 1 (06:03):
I did not hurdle. I was not I was not
a fast runner. I could do high jump, though high
jump was my thing. Long jump, high jump, lots of
the actual running relay races not so much.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Not my thing.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
My feet got real slow. But uh after that, I
just kind of focused into basketball right around my sophomore year,
and it paid off for me.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
When did you grow When did you have that big
star or did you have a vispert question?
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I had five to ten when I was in sixth grade,
And I tell this to people all the time that
ask me how tall are you and when did you
have your gros spurt? Sixth grade five ten, seventh grade
five ten? I was like, Oh, that's not good. Eighth
grade five ten. I was like, Oh cool, everybody's starting
to catch up to me. I'm starting to look people
to eye. I'm like, all right, I've got this one
last gross spurt. Come on, I got to get above
(06:47):
six feet. So I go into my freshman year of
high school and that's like when the big transformasion takes place.
I'm seeing all my friends have these huge gross spurts.
But I'm like, oh, wait a minute, I don't feel
like I've grown anything. So I go into the physical
for freshman year and I was five ten. I was
like crushed. I have no chance of being tall like
my family. My brother is seven to two, my other
(07:08):
brother six four, my sister's six to two, my mom's
six foot, my dad six y five. I was like,
I'm gonna be the midget of the family. So I
didn't really think anything. I was like, all right, let's
work on your point guard skills. You can still play basketball.
Let's have fun with it. But then five ten at
the beginning of freshman year and six six at the
end of my freshman year.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
So that gross spurt. And I've compared it with the
likes of Dwight Howard Otto Porter Junior, one of my
teammates in Washington. They both had the same type of
gross spurts that I did, and from that five ten
to six six at the end of the freshman year,
and then going into my sophomore year six eight, junior
year six', ten coming into my senior year seven foot.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Wow all in high.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
School it was all in high.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
School did it hurt your freshman?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Year.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
Yeah i've talked to a few guys that talk, about
like you just lay in bed and you're.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Aching, yes your back, aches your shin's, ache and my.
KNEES i have the ojga slaughtered bump on my knee
plant or. FASTIITUS i had heel, cups little jelly heel
cups in my. Shoes we're trying to just keep me
upright at that, point my mom was constantly getting me
orthotics for my, shoes and it's.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Like you were growing. Daily.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Literally it was a painful, experience and it was great
because my high school coach really realized THAT i was
going through a lot of. Pain he's, like you know,
what if you have to set out of, practice do.
It you have bigger things ahead of. You you don't
need to be going out there and going hard all the.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
Time so and you're not a point guard? Anymore, Yes,
yes very. Much, So oh my, gosh that is. Crazy.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Wow, okay so as you go through high, school as you,
mentioned you get all these accolades while you're in high
school and you are most outstanding player for The All
state game your senior. Year you have other opportunities aside
From Colorado. STATE i Read, Gonzaga, Utah, wyoming and any
other places that you were.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
CONSIDERING i think at the TIME i was really torn
Between Gonzaga Colorado, state BUT i had offers all from
The East, coast and my high school coach really helped
me with the whole process of Eliminating he, said do
you want to go east of The. MISSISSIPPI i was, like, heck,
NO i don't want to go over.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
There that you even bet over, That, NO i had,
not SO i hadn't known what was over.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
There so for, ME i just wanted to stay a
little bit closer to Home West Coast midwest. Area and
once we kind of limited, that the letters just flooded.
In and WHEN i got, RECRUITED i knew because my
brother was tall and he had played, basketball and he
was recruited by the top twenty five teams throughout the entire,
country and we just got bombarded by, mail SO i was,
(09:32):
like let's limit it a little. Bit even though when
we did limit, it Those East coast schools still kept sending.
Letters so it's a very tough thing to kind of.
Navigate but at the same time it was, Awesome, yeah
because you get those letters from those schools and you
know that their top twenty, five you hear about them ON. Tv,
now GRANTED i grew UP i didn't have CABLE. TV
(09:52):
i WAS, ABC, CBS, Nbc, fox maybe, Right that's WHY
i never really grew up with college. Basketball the only
games THAT i saw were whoever was on the national,
stage which Was jordan or The knicks or The, lakers
the major market, team.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Right for A nuggets.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Game, Yeah so for me in the college, ASPECT i
didn't really know WHAT i was getting myself. Into BUT
i was potentially a little biased because both my parents
went To Colorado, state.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
And one o they. DID i didn't know. That, yeah,
okay and.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
One of my brothers he graduated From Colorado state with
an engineering, degree SO i had a bit of a.
Bias but also there was one POINT i went to
A nuggets game AND i was very lucky to talk
to THE gm of The nuggets at the, Time Kiki,
vandwick and he was. Awesome. Yeah LIKE i had one
question for. HIM i was, like does it matter going
to a bigger school or a smaller school for? Basketball
(10:43):
do you guys look for that in a? Player and he, said,
honestly if you're, good it's our job to find. You
AND i took that to. Heart that hit me with
a thousand pounds down the right over the.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Head, well, like and look at, colleges same. Thing if you're,
good you're at a THREE a school found.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
You, Yes, Yeah and.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
That's WHY i took it to. HEART i, said you know,
what it doesn't really. Matter IF i go to A,
gonzaga WHICH i KNEW i was going to for sure red,
SHIRT i would have no chance of. Playing i'd be
far away from. Home that's WHY i was, like you know,
What Colorado state's not a bad. Idea i'm going to
take care of everything THAT i can. CONTROL i can
work my tail off to get on the court and.
Everything AND i did. THAT i committed To Colorado state
(11:22):
even THOUGH i had offers From gonzaga And Oregon state
And Arizona, kansas like all these top twenty five. Schools
they just, said we'll take a chance on. You we'll
probably have to red shirt, you but we'll take a
chance on. You so for me to go To Colorado
state and have the best opportunity to, succeed plus making
my parents, happy my brother was. Happy and the nice
thing about being close to. Home WHEN i talked to
(11:42):
a lot of the college athletes on recruiting trips was
they wish they could be closer to home because as
a college, athlete many people don't realize the time restraints
that you have of you only have a couple minutes
each day to yourself because you got weights and study
haul and classes and training, sessions everything going. On so
for me to be close to home when we did
(12:04):
have a, BREAK i could go home and see my.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Parents oh, yeah you're forty minutes.
Speaker 4 (12:07):
Away, absolutely that was a big decision part for, me
plus all my.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Family they got to see all of my college, games,
yeah which was insane to, me AND i thought it
was normal because that's what my parents. Did they drove
to every Continental United states game that we. Had they.
Did only games that they missed were the games that
we played in whole lit R, yeah because they couldn't,
fly so.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Oh my, gosh they drove Like San Diego.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
State game and they loved the road. Trip so that's
why that's cool to kind of fast. Forward we talked
about off. Air it's not that hard for me to
drive long. Distances San diego is twenty three twenty four
hours From, Denver.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
Colorado you, know all the time by my sister.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
Went to school at NAU So Northern Arizona university Of, Flagstaff,
arizona fifteen hour. Drive you could take it either going
over The Rocky. Mountains we could go down Through New
mexico and my grandma she lived down By New Mexico texas,
border Like amarillo, area and that was a nine hour.
Drive so these drives were nothing to.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
ME i feel, like this is such a crazy thing.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
To hop on the. Road let's take a, drive.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Family, truckster let's.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Go, well it pays off for you because you come
To Colorado, state like you said, earlier you did all
the work what you needed to do to get on the.
Court you're The Mountain west freshman of the. YEAR i,
mean you have a great. Season you have great seasons
for two more after, that and then you Leave Colorado
STATE i mean with a whole bunch of.
Speaker 3 (13:30):
Records you leave.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Early at that, time you were ninth all time and
scoring sixth and, rebounds fifth in block, shots second most
with double. Doubles what went into the decision to leave
then in two thousand and seven and enter the.
Speaker 1 (13:41):
DRAFT i think we kind of groomed myself because After
i'd gotten that accolade my freshman, year they had definitely
put that on my. Mind, really it was all my teammates, like, Oh,
Jay you're gonna go in THE nba draft right after freshman.
YEAR i was, like what are you talking? About there
is no CHANCE i have a chance in hell in
getting to THE. Nba SO i didn't really believe it
(14:02):
at that. Point but my coach he asked. Me he's,
like so what are you? Thinking And i'm, like what
do you? Mean what AM i? Thinking i'm coming back
to go to class, right like what time's? Practice he's, like, no,
like are you going to stay or are you going
to make a decision to? Leave AND i was, like
is this a? Joke did you guys put him up
to asking me, this like what's going? ON i had
(14:22):
no idea what was going? On but he was like
honestly the fact that you don't realize. It let's keep
putting it into your. Mind you have the potential to
play post. College you could go. Overseas you have a
very slim chance to get into THE, nba but it
takes a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Of, work and this is your freshman.
Speaker 1 (14:38):
Year my freshman, YEAR i had no. IDEA i was
just happy to be in. COLLEGE i got my education paid.
For my parents are happy That i'm going to.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Get it playing. Basketball.
Speaker 1 (14:47):
Yes so THEN i go into my sophomore year AND
i had that drive and determination to work even harder
BECAUSE i got the accolade that freshman, year AND i
knew that we Had Matt nelson leaving from the, program
AND i had a real opportunity to kind of step
into that role of that main guy on the. Team
so my sophomore year was. AWESOME i performed, really really.
(15:08):
Well the coaches did a really good job of helping
me throughout the entire year of dealing with ups and
downs and really reading defenses and offensive looks and getting
your teammates. Involved so had a really good sophomore. Year
after that sophomore, year they, said, hey are you going
to take that jump? Again and they asked me that.
QUESTION i was, like, No i'm not mentally ready to leave.
(15:29):
COLLEGE i enjoy. IT i enjoy the work aspect of.
It for, me thinking of leaving and being kind of
like on your, own, yeah that's what a professional athlete is.
Like you are responsible for yourself at all, times AND
i just wasn't ready for. IT i took it to.
Heart my coaches, said all, right, well let's go with
your junior. Year you got to have a better year
than your freshman and sophomore. Year SO i was, Like,
(15:51):
okay let's put in the, work let's do the. Job
AND i had a great junior. Year our team had
so so. Success we're kind of, average middle of the
pack of the. Conference but then my head coach had
gotten fired Daily air had gotten. Fired, yeah and that
sent shockwaves through, me through our, team my, family because
we had this plan of potentially leaving after my senior.
(16:13):
Year but then that got accelerated drastically because he got
fired and you don't know who they're going to bring.
In and every one of my teammates was looking at me, like,
hey what are you. Doing and at that, POINT i
had had a better year in my junior, YEAR i
THINK i was averaging seventeen points ten. Rebounds the draft
boards and. Everything i'd been on them for years and
(16:36):
people were just. Waiting, WELL i took a. Chance and
the biggest thing for me was really trying to convince
my parents.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
You left school. Early.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yes, yeah they were, all you are a student. Athlete
and it took some convincing for my, parents BUT i
proved to them THAT i was business, READY i was athletically,
READY i was mentally, ready and they took a chance on,
me Saying i'm ready to. Go i've thought about this
(17:06):
for the last two, years and for me to take that,
JUMP i felt horrible for my teammates BECAUSE i knew
that as soon AS i, left majority of them were
going to transfer.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
Out, yeah you were the. ANCHOR i was the anchor
of the.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Team AND i felt really bad for a couple guys
on the, Team Stuart creesen And Ronnie, aguilar because they
had used their red shirt years for medical, exemption and
they had used their transfer red shirt year because they
had already read shirt one, year so they were stuck
with their one year of elegibility left At Colorado. State
And Stuart creesan is a dear friend of, mine and
(17:40):
to this date we still joke about it because he
knew THAT i was going to, leave and he was
pissed at the, time but we laugh about it now
because he knew THAT i made the best decision for,
myself for my, family and he really accepts it. Now
but it is one of those great memories that is
kind of a bittersweet moment in our. Relationship we embrace
(18:01):
it fully and then and then after that it was just.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Awesome that's, Good and you, know it makes a lot
of sense when you think about especially you come from
a small town and my husband's from a small town
In rye in Southern, colorado and when he came To Colorado,
state he flunked out his freshman. Year he was honor,
student you, know and just it's that jumper even just
going TO csu at, LEAST i, mean you kind of
knew it because you had family there and your. Brother
but then you THINK, nba AND i, mean that's like
(18:24):
a different planet from what you've seen in little Northern.
Colorado so that's a big. Jump and then for your
folks to, Go, okay, yeah you can leave school. Early
have you finished.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
SCHOOL i have not finished.
Speaker 3 (18:35):
School and they ever say.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Anything they have said it a, lot AND i try
TO i try to spin it in the fact that
you go to, school you want to get a good
job and. Everything you have a good. JOB i had
one of the best jobs in the entire.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
World, YES i had.
Speaker 1 (18:49):
To go play. Basket, OH i say. IT i had
to go play. BASKETBALL i got to play basketball for
a living and for twelve, years exactly twelve years went
by so fast for. Me that's when you know that
it's not a. Job BECAUSE i had conditioned myself to
put in the work and develop consistency of your workout,
schedules your eating, habits your sleep, schedules your. Recovery and
(19:09):
that was kind of an evolution as my career went
on of just really becoming a. Professional the better you
are that, way the more years you will.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Play and it changes as you get older too you
have to do which we will get.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Into, yeah and, really twelve years in a professional sport
is almost like a lifetime of working a regular. JOB i,
mean if you do it right and you do your contracts,
RIGHT i mean you can really you, know it's kind
of like dog.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Years you can make that really work for. Yourself SO
i think you did all?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
RIGHT i did pretty.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Dark, okay so let's go to draft night AND o,
seven you get picked twentieth, overall buy The Miami, heat
but then that same night get traded to the seventy six.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Ers well what was that?
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Like so let's take it back to WHEN i was
doing all my. WORKOUTS i came From Colorado, state not
really a basketball well known, school SO i had to
prove to all thirty teams That i'm for, Real i'm.
SERIOUS i hadn't really fully committed to going into the
draft until about halfway through the, process AND i really
got convinced by all the organizations, saying, no you're not
(20:08):
going back to, school like somebody's gonna pick you. Up
you're good. Enough AND i did that because this was
the first year that high school players had to go
to college for a. Year so The Kevin, durantz The Greg,
odins And Michael conley juniors they were all coming. Out
PLUS i had to compete with The florida back to
back national championship team they came. Out so my draft
status just kind of kept on ticking down and down
(20:29):
and down and.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Down but ad was one or two that he was number.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Two, yeah And Greg oden was number, one AND i
wanted workouts with those, guys but everybody created that narrative
of if you work out with this, guy you have
a high potential to lose against this. Guy SO i
was that underdog mentality Of i'm going to come in
there And i'm gonna out work. You nobody knows WHO i.
Am i'm kind of the dark horse of the. DRAFT
(20:54):
i did seventeen workouts in nineteen days OVER i want to,
say thirteen or fourteen different. CITIES i was constantly. FLYING
i had two bags with. ME i didn't care what
time it, was where it. WAS i was, like just
tell me what TIME i have to be to the.
GYM i was ready to. Go and as a seven,
footer there's not many of, you, RIGHT i was athletic
enough the fact THAT i did seventeen workouts in nineteen,
(21:16):
days and these are not easy. Workouts these they're putting
you through.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
The, grinders and they want to see what you can.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
Do they want to see what you can, do they
want to see when you, break if you get. Tired
but that was WHERE i really leaned on My Colorado
state days of my, coach Coach Bill. PETERSON i thank
him to this day of how much he worked me
out in altitude six am workouts before, practice before, class
AND i really took that to heart because those workouts
(21:42):
were the most difficult That i've had to deal. With
so WHEN i got to THESE nba, workouts it was cake.
LIKE i knew what they were going to throw at.
Me in anything that they did throw at, Me i'd
seen much worse At Colorado. STATE i go through the,
WORKOUTS i get, Done i'm. Exhausted my last workout was
In Salt Lake, City, utah and the team knew that
all the guys had had maybe nine or ten, workouts
(22:03):
AND i told them this is my seventeenth workout and
they were, like you gotta be. Kidney are you? Okay
do you need our medical? Staff like do you need
some ice? BATHS i was, like, ninety let's. Go this
is the last. Workout last one's the best. One and
WHEN i said, that they were, like you're gonna make.
It you have the right mindset because this eighty two
game season is no. Joke and if you can take
that same mindset into. THIS i kind of took that to.
(22:27):
HEART i was, like, oh MAYBE i was doing the
right things At Colorado. State So draft NIGHT i was
at a bar In Fort collins in a private, room
And i'll never. FORGET i had all my families and
friends in the area and we were, there probably fifty
sixty people in the back, room and we had THE
(22:47):
tv going, on and the draft was going, on AND
i hear the bar area go, nuts AND i was,
like what sporting event is going? On we got the draft,
Tonight like what's going? On about five seconds, later THE
tv had announced my, name so they got to hear
it before there was a. Delay so when the twentieth
(23:07):
pick came, around that sense of, relief like all this
hard work has paid. Off the team that picked me Was,
miami AND i was, like, oh, Yeah i'm going to
play With shaq and D. Wade this is gonna be.
Great two minutes, Later philadelphia was the twenty first. Pick
they did a pick trade or a, swap and it
was already. PREDETERMINED i didn't know about, it so my
(23:28):
mind Was, Miami, Miami Miami South.
Speaker 3 (23:31):
Beach.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
Yes so THEN i get traded To philly AND i was, like, oh, dang,
okay this isn't, bad all. Right Now i'm playing With Andre,
Gudala Andre, Miller Samdalen, Bear Reggie, evans and these are
all guys THAT i had, watched oh, yeah Like Andre
miller and At, Arizona Sam dollenbar tremendous shot, blocker underrated offensive.
Player but Also Andre. Miller he was with The, nuggets,
(23:53):
yes AND i remember watching him play With nana And,
carmela AND i was just, like this is going to be.
Nuts SO i was really. Excited we had four rookies that,
year and it was an awesome, experience a very big
learning experience and a transition in life to go from
small town Of curzy To Fort, college WHICH i considered
a big, town to phill adelph ten million, people blue collar,
(24:17):
workers very passionate about, this.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
Very.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Passionate and you play, WELL i mean you do a.
Lot you play in seventy six games your rookie, season
that's a.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Lot it was a, lot and it was really a
testament of me working hard in. Practice, now, granted basketball
is a little bit different once you reach the next
level of the, politics AND i did not realize. That,
yeah but BECAUSE i was a first, ROUNDER i was
guaranteed to play a certain amount of minutes tonight IF
i performed in practice and all those parameters and, everything
(24:50):
AND i didn't really realize. THAT i was just, like all,
right all these old guys are probably gonna get to.
Play i'll have to groom myself kind of like you're
coming in your freshman year high school and the seniors. Play,
yeah wait your turn.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Toil win a garbage time or.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
WHATEVER i made that mistake real. QUICK i was, Like
i'm probably not gonna. Play i'm a. Rookie nobody's gonna.
PLAY i don't have to do a bunch of these
rookie duties and. EVERYTHING i would just kind of practice really.
HARD i put in the work before, practice after, practice
and it got me a little bit of playing. Time
AND i was. ATHLETIC i could play some. DEFENSE i
didn't really THINK i was going to get any offensive
touches Because i'm the. Rookie i'm never going to touch
the ball. Whatsoever you just go in there and be
(25:22):
the practice dummy and play great. Defense SO i really
had a learning curve to try and figure out what
THE nba lifestyle. Was and it was.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Tough it's, crazy especially coming from. COLLEGE i, mean you
play a lot of games in, college but you don't
play eighty two and the road trips and, boohoo you
do make money and, whatnot but it's still travel is
part of, it and it affects your. BODY i don't
care if you're a pro athlete or. Not it's hard to.
Travel and when you have those kind of trips and
you're especially like back to back road games and things like,
THAT i, mean you really have to learn how to
(25:54):
figure out how to keep your body right and your.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Mind it's the nuances of THE. Nba and that's WHY
i say it's much more difficult because going from high
school to, college everything gets, faster the competition is. Better
but when you go to college to PROFESSIONAL i thought
it was going to be even, faster more, competition and it.
Wasn't it was a little bit, slower more meticulous on, details,
interesting and it really surprised me BECAUSE i was, Like,
(26:17):
okay everybody's athletic, here everybody can play the game of,
basketball but how are you? Mentally can you deal with the?
Travel can you deal with those back to? Backs and
at the time two thousand and, seven we were still
playing five games in seven, days and it was. Torture
you're getting in at three, am you have a game
at seven. Pm you got walked, throughs you got training. Room,
(26:38):
literally just trying to compartmentalize your day to make sure
that you're at training room or getting your treatment, right
or making sure you're conscious of who you're playing on
any given night is so. Difficult and that's WHY i
tell anybody who has a chance to play in THE,
nba it's not physically who's, better it is who mentally
can fight through, fatigue fight through the, injuries some, bruises
(27:01):
and get into this nice consistent pattern OF i might
have been a twenty point scorer in, college but MAYBE
i can do about eighteen to twenty maybe fifteen to.
Eighteen find your, niche find what you're good, at what
the team needs from, you because not everybody can be
that twenty five point night right. Guy and for, ME
i learned that real. QUICK i was, like all, right
(27:23):
you're going to go screen for the guy who scores
all the. Time and the better you, screen the more he,
scores the more accolades you. Get so it was a
learning curve AND i really had to learn, that and
it took me three or four years to really figure
that whole nuance out of the basketball, part and it
really hit me ONCE i got. Traded it's a whole
nuance and we're probably fast forwarding through MY nba. CAREER
i don't know how much you want to go into
(27:43):
detail on that, one but.
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Well, yeah, no we'll get to the.
Speaker 2 (27:46):
Trade SO i want to ask About so your second,
season you tear YOUR acl before the, season so not
only your rookie, season you have to learn how to
do the physical mental. Part now all of a, sudden
you're in the injury room and you missed the whole, year, Right,
yeah so there's a huge learning curve because now you're.
Alone you're still kind of part of the, team but
you're not with the, boys you're not in the locker.
Room so it's really different and mentally.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Very, tough extremely tough to go through AN acl injury
my second year as a big. Man you don't know
if you're going to be able to come back and
be the same person that you. Are everybody, says, oh
you're going to be, better, stronger, faster and for me
it wasn't the case BECAUSE i had AN acl taar
PARTIAL mcl tear two tears of my lateral, meniscus LIKE
(28:28):
i did it. Good. WOW i had, microfracture which was
experimental procedure at the time of drilling into the bone
to promote bleeding and kind of fill the pothole of
those meniscus. Tears and it was a, lot and the
rehab was. Tough it was, difficult and like you, said
when you're not around the team and you're kind of,
alone isolated just with your, rehab, guy it's. Tough you're
(28:51):
not close to, home family's not, there all that In,
philly all of that In, philly all of it In,
philly and it was just kind OF i had never
been through an like, that SO i didn't really know
what to. Expect BUT i tackled. IT i embraced. IT i, knew,
Hey i'm not going to be the same self THAT
i was pre, surgery But i'm going to be the
best version THAT i possibly. Can and kind of overcoming
(29:13):
that was difficult BECAUSE i sat out the entire. Year
So i'm going into the next. Summer and if you,
rewind BEFORE i had gotten, HURT i had Played Summer.
LEAGUE i got most improved In Summer, league SO i
was on the up and. UP i was ready to
go for my second. YEAR i was locked. IN i was,
like all, RIGHT i got to taste my rookie year
going into the Summer. League and then we had Coach.
(29:34):
Gergovich he was an assistant coach for The nuggets at the,
time and he runs a camp out In vegas for
all of the first, year second, year third, year fourth,
year whoever wants to. Come it's really just working WITH
nba guys at a higher. Level AND i got that.
Opportunity and it was a four day camp and this
was the third day and everybody was feeling the same
the way THAT i. Was we go into the, CAMP
(29:55):
i was. Tired we did a five on four drill
AND i was driving left on the left side of
the court And i'll never. FORGET i planned my left
foot and it just did not have anything there AND
i fell over my. LEG i heard, pop pop. POP
i was ACL mcl and those meniscus so.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
Non, contact non.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Contact so that's what was really hard for me with
the injury, aspect is trying to get yourself mentally over
the fact that your body is. Fine now.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
Every time you play your, foot you can't think about.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
It second guess you think about. It, man it really
took me a long, time shoot probably two three years
post surgery to really trust that my body was.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Okay and you, said for a big, man you don't
know if you're going to come, back is? It it's, different,
right because you're JUST i, mean you're. You, You you're,
bigger you way. More there's all those, things those factors
that go into getting healthy.
Speaker 3 (30:51):
Again when you go.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
Into a, surgery lots of doctors they can kind of
give you a plan of how long it's going to
take you to recover for a normal, Individual but when
you're seven feet tall and they're trying.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
To twice as big as most, people.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Where are we going to take this graph? From we
can't really do a cadaver from somebody else because not
many people are your. Size so those small decisions and
this is your. LIVELIHOOD i had. TO i took it
from my patella on my same knee and we just
went with. It and then those things just kind of freaking. Out,
Yeah but then coming back off of, IT i trusted
(31:27):
in the rehab. PROCESS i got stronger, physically BUT i
always had that kind of second doubt in my, mind
like AM i, okay fully two years three years, LATER
i was. Fine but that really made me focus on
the rehab aspect of, it taking care of your, body
because that's what a professional. Does you're going to have
injuries eighty two. Games that's tough to stay healthy for
all of those and for me to really realize that
(31:49):
the injury aspect is a part of the, game and
the better you deal with, that just like sleep and
recovery and the travel, aspect the better off you'll be
and the more years you could potentially.
Speaker 3 (31:58):
Play absolutely.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Right so you come back in, nine played fifty six.
Games before the twenty ten, season you get traded to
the Then New Orleans hornets Now. Pelicans what was that?
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Like that was shell shock because it was two days
before trading camp had started. Coaching Willy green and myself
got traded down In New orleans and the trade was
potential not to go through because they had found something
in the back Of willy green'sknee and they were about
to exnay the. Trade SO i almost had to go
back To philly and we sat. OUT i watched the
(32:28):
first day of training. Camp they came to, terms added
some more cash or something onto the deal and we started.
That BUT i remember WHEN i got, TRADED i had
talked to the then Coach Monti, williams AND i was, like,
Man i'm really excited for this. OPPORTUNITY i can't wait
to be a spark for you off the. Bench he was, like,
well first of, all we don't want you to be a.
Spark we want you to be a. Flame he instilled
(32:49):
the utmost confidence in your. Reaction, Right i's kind of taken.
BACK i did the same. THING i was, like, OH
i THOUGHT i said the right, thing but you want
me to be more than. That, okay SO i get down.
There but he really helped me understand the aspect of
the game THAT i never really kind of got THAT
i need to fit in in my. Box stay within your.
(33:10):
BOX i want you to do, A b AND. C
i don't want you to think ABOUT d THROUGH. Z just,
one two and three and you will play in this
league a long. Time you're, athletic you have the, mindset
you know the x's and. O'S i just don't want
you to kind of go out there and do your own.
THING i was, like, OKAY i could do. That so
ONCE i figured that, OUT i was, like all, Right
(33:31):
i'm gonna work on A b AND. C i'm gonna
play great, Defense i'm gonna work on my one offensive,
skill And i'm gonna stay in the gym on. SKI
i was, like IF i can perfect, this because at
the time we Had Chris, Paul David, west a mecha
Okafor Trevor, reza, like we had a really good. Team
they didn't need me to. Score they needed me to
go in there and give them, relief to like give
him a break a little. BIT i can have my
(33:52):
little mid range shot pick and, roll and IF i did,
well he'd keep me on the.
Speaker 3 (33:56):
Floor what was your one offensive pick and?
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Roll pick and, pop pick and pop to mid range
of fifteen to seventeen. FEET i was in the TOP
i don't know five in the league With LaMarcus aldridge
And Tim duncan and then myself to be mentioned in those.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
GUYS i was, like, yeah, ooh coaches.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Right ill LIKE i to do a shoot this mid range.
SHOT i can do that. Skill SO i figured it
out and that was kind of the turning point OF
i don't need to show them everything THAT i can,
do but IF i can be excellent and efficient in one,
CATEGORY i can play in this league for a long. Time.
Speaker 2 (34:26):
Wow that's great, Advice, yes and probably one that more
guys need because they try and do way too, much
way too.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Much, yeah and once you start expanding and going out like,
that that's how you play yourself out of.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Absolutely, yeah because you cannot be. EVERYTHING i don't care
what sport it. Is and if you have a few
little different things you can do and do them really, well,
yes make that your.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Thing. Yes, yeah any professions like that. Too.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Okay so you sign in twenty eleven a three year
deal With New. Orleans that's going into the lockout, SEASON i, think,
right and you score a career high twenty six points
in a. Game So i've said pretty well with your
one off, SKILL i.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
DID i, Did and the fact that that coaching staff
really kind of believed me and embraced. Me that's WHY
i went back To New. Orleans because it wasn't necessarily
the most monetarily great, contract but BECAUSE i liked that coaching,
STAFF i love the city Of New.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Orleans it was.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Awesome, yeah makes a huge, difference All, right more injuries
than too while you're In New. Orleans, yep, knee same
knee or different nas opposite, ny opposite knee and a labor.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Issue, yeah SO i was a shoulder or.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Hit that was my shooting, Shoulder so my right. SHOULDER
i went up to block a shot On Kawhi, LEONARD
i went back to the extreme ranges of motion hurd a.
POP i had torn my labor and there was potential
to not have, surgery but it was just caused me
so much, pain SO i had to get it. Done
plus it was my shooting, arm SO i needed to
get it done for my professional well. Being right my,
KNEE i had something floating around in it and it
(35:51):
would lock up on me, occasionally SO i needed to
get a scope to get it. Out but yet again another.
Surgery so as a professional, athlete your best ability is your,
availability AND i had started burning those bridges down To New,
orleans so there was question of is he going to
be healthy? Enough can he sustain AN nba. Season that's
WHERE i was, like all, RIGHT i really got to
put the time and effort into keeping my body.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Right what did you? Do what kind of things did you?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
Do then really just getting with the training, staff, Trusting
and this was at the time where foam rolling had
just begun being very, popular and getting massages and GETTING
i had no problem getting in the cold tub, whatsoever
but getting massages and making sure that all of the
tendons and ligaments were fully healthy and warmed up before
play after, play and really taking care of your, body
(36:35):
eating right and nutrition and sleep and recovery was really
big at the. Time.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
Yeah, Absolutely, Okay so you finish out that contract In
New orleans and then you kind of go one year
at a time for the next few.
Speaker 1 (36:46):
Years.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Right you do one year with The knicks all eighty
two games, though, yes is that the first time you
had all eighty two?
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Games, yeah, okay there you.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
Go july of twenty, fifteen you sign a one year
deal with The magic had twenty five points against The.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
Nuggets was that?
Speaker 1 (36:58):
HERE i don't remember if that was, THAT i couldn't find.
It blur those couple of years of going one year here.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
WHEN i know you're all over the.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Place and then in twenty, sixteen three year deal With.
Washington but two years later they trade you to The
bucks yep in a three team. Deal and then that
same season you go back To New orleans to The
pelicans and another three team.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
Deals so what was all of that, like.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
And were you were you getting married at this point
or having you, KNOW i know you're probably young into,
that but then you got to balance family and all of.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
That so WHILE i was In New, ORLEANS i had
gotten married twenty thirteen and then we.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Would, okay so early on for all, this it was
a whole. Whirlwind when bless her, heart In New, orleans
we got. Married then she was eight and a, half
almost nine months pregnant WHERE i signed with The. Knicks
so we uprooted our life In New orleans to go
up To New, york and she put the utmost trust in,
me and we had the best, doctors had our first
(37:53):
daughter up In New. York had one of the worst
winters we. Had Derek fisher was our head coach in
the Zen mat was THE gm and it was one
of the worst seasons In nick's. History AND i just
remember that was horrible and it's something to forget. One
but then we go down To, orlando had a great
year down In. Orlando it was a drastic change of
(38:15):
weather and living conditions and just quality of. Life then
WHEN i get the contract IN, dc that's where we
had just kind of been through the ringer of traveling
from one city to the next city to the next.
City but that's professional athletics as in. General so to
kind of have her by my side with our, daughter
then in D c we had our second, child my,
(38:37):
son and to have them kind of. There basketball didn't
necessarily fade or become, secondary but you knew that regardless
if you had a good game or a bad, game
they were. There they were, there your, rock your, cornerstone
AND i really leaned on them through those tough times
of getting, traded having some, walls maybe not getting playing,
(38:57):
time going from city to, city and then being away
for long periods of time away from your, kids and
it's it's very. Difficult that's where the mental aspect of
the game is utmost. Important BUT i kind of conditioned
myself to really realizing. That and you want to maximize
your opportunity in your profession as long as you possibly.
Speaker 3 (39:17):
Can, absolutely, yeah because.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
As soon as they say no, more you're not coming
back through those. Doors And Father time is undefeated and
every professional athlete goes through it and it's really difficult
aspect to go. Through but for, ME i was, lucky
like you, said to play twelve, years three. Times the
average of a professional basketball. Player SO i am one
hundred percent grateful for my entire.
Speaker 2 (39:39):
Career so in twenty, nineteen do you officially retire after that?
Speaker 3 (39:43):
Season you, know that's what you sent in your. PAPERWORK
i have not sent in my.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Paperwork but at the same, time twenty, nineteen as soon
as you don't hear from teams and you don't get
a contract as a professional, athlete AND i know many
many other teammates and former players that have gone through,
this you always hold out because you always think that
somebody's going to give you a.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
Call, well then you See Philip.
Speaker 1 (40:03):
Rivers, Yes, like don't want to put that out there, Now,
BRANDON i am completely done with. BASKETBALL i have no
shot of coming. Back Philip rivers and me are completely.
Different but for, me it was really hard for me
to kind of say goodbye to the. Game SO i
didn't want to, say, Hey i'm, Retired i'm, done because
that just kind of closed the. Door AND i was
never a negative, individual like there's always a Chance i'm.
(40:26):
Done i'm completely. Done i'm turning forty this. YEAR i
have been doing broadcasting for the last six. Years it's
been amazing BECAUSE i get to talk the. Game, yeah
BUT i don't have to worry about my knees and
my back and my ankle just feeling crappy the next.
Day so for, me it's a way to stay close
to the game And i'll never forget those amazing. Memories
and Like i've, said twelve years it went by so.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
FAST i bet it.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Did, yeah, Okay and so now you are doing pre
impost for The wizard's.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Games. Yep keeps you. Involved but, again like you, said
you don't have the physical part of.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
IT i don't have the physical things THAT i got
to worry, about and staying connected to the, game it's
such kind of an arm's. LENGTH i still get to
see the connections of all the trainers or the coaches
when they come into. TOWN i don't travel with the.
Team i'm still dad first and. Foremost SO i coach
my daughter's fifth grade basketball. Team i'm able to be
(41:17):
around for all their sporting, events and my wife does
an amazing job of kind of getting them prepared for
all their stuff for. School and that's really WHAT i
want to. BE i don't want to be in the
coaching realm to where you have to be there two
hours before the, guys and two hours after, THEN i
would never see my. Family front. Office you're constantly connected
to your, phone And i've had opportunities to do, both
(41:40):
but BECAUSE i had the twelve years in THE, NBA
i was gone so much in that amount of. Time
my daughter's, eleven my son is. Eight those are perfect
ages to where they still sort of like, me oh,
yeah And i'm still. Cool and as they get, Older i'm.
There and that's huge for me BECAUSE i want to
be there for them through their, sports through, school through
those big moments in. Life now maybe when they go
(42:02):
off to college and create their own, lives then POTENTIALLY
i could come into that coaching aspect or front office.
Aspect but for right, Now i'm enjoying being. DAD i
get to talk a little basketball with The, wizards And
i'm loving.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
Life that's the. Best, yeah you, KNOW i did the
same THING i.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
WAS i was at Nine news and did that morning,
show which is brutal, hours and once our kids were
in middle, SCHOOL i was, like you know, WHAT i
need to be home and meet me more of. Mom
and then WHEN i got the sideline gig for The,
broncos they were both pretty much out of high, school
AND i still called. THEM i was, like is it
okay IF i take.
Speaker 3 (42:30):
This they're, like we don't. Care, yeah we're out of the.
House i'm, like all, right.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
Great and so it's later when they're you, know done and,
god BUT i still felt LIKE i needed to ask
Because i'm, LIKE i don't want to be a bad
mom and you have work come in front all of, you,
Guys BUT i bet you have opportunities later on like.
Speaker 3 (42:45):
That but now you get to be, dad which is
JUST i get to be.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Dad and that's WHY i do THE tv gig is
to really kind of continue those relationships when those teams
come to, towns whether it's scouts that are in, town
whether that's the training, staff the coaches that really the coaching.
Realm it's a revolving. Door you could be with one,
team you could be with. Another we think players have
the ability to go from city to. City coaches have
the same ability and to see those. Guys And i've
(43:09):
always been a guy who builds. Relationships i'm never going
to burn a. Coach i'm never going to say he
is horrible and, everything because you never know when you're
going to see them the next. Time that's what city
they're going to be, with organization they're going to be.
With so for, me that was a big thing THAT
i learned throughout my playing days is build those. Relationships
never burn the, relationships build those. Bridges.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Yeah, Absolutely, Yeah and there's no cap on coaching. AGES
i mean you could be coaching in the front office
to who knows. WHEN i, mean you see him in
the seventies and. Above, now, okay so last, Question, JASON
i asked all my guests, this when you give, advice
and now that you're also coaching your daughter's, team this is.
Great when there are down times or you're trying to
get through the tough, times what do you tell, People
because you've been through a lot of, them you, know
(43:50):
with injury and getting traded and all the ups and
downs you had in your.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
Career the downtimes are when you can really reflect and
look at yourself in the, mirror become better person and
a better. Individual when you're, winning things are covered, up
things always seem. Amazing but when you lose or when
you have an, injury that's where you can really kind
of self, reflect get, better really make yourself into a
(44:16):
better person. Player that's really something That i've really taken
to heart THAT i kind of like the losing times
better than the winning. Times because, winning, yes it feels,
great everything tastes, better you sleep better at. Night but
when you, lose that's where you learn how to build
yourself up, better, stronger, faster AND i really embrace those
tough times and to kind of be in the. Uncomfortable
(44:39):
it's easy to be, comfortable but when you get into
those uncomfortable, moments that's where you truly grow great.
Speaker 3 (44:44):
Advice, hey this was really.
Speaker 1 (44:46):
Fun this was.
Speaker 3 (44:46):
Awesome thank you for taking the.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
TIME i know you have a ton of family here
and you're taking some, time but it's great to have
you back and good to sit down with you and
people will love hearing from. You and congratulations again on
The ring Of.
Speaker 1 (44:57):
Honor thank. You this was an awesome. EXPERIENCE i appreciate.
It we'll have to do this, again so, yeah let's do.
Speaker 3 (45:02):
It thank, You Thanks.
Speaker 2 (45:04):
Jason new episodes Of, Cut, Traded, Fired retired are released On.
Tuesdays please download and like this podcast wherever you listen to,
podcasts and keep up on new releases by following On
twitter And instagram at ctfur podcast and also on the
website ctfurpodcast dot.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Com i'm your, Host Susie.
Speaker 2 (45:21):
Warton to find out more about, me visit susiewargon dot.
Com thanks so much for, listening and until next, time
please be, careful be, safe and be.
Speaker 3 (45:29):
Kind take, care
Popular Podcasts
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.
Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
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.