March 9, 2021 • 26 mins
Getting picked in the NBA Draft is something only 60 athletes in the world accomplish each year, and 2020 was an even more daunting time to pursue that dream. In Season 2 of DRAFTED, narrated by Keegan-Michael Key, we follow two exceptional talents — The University of Georgia’s Anthony Edwards and Kentucky’s Tyrese Maxey — as they navigate a historic and unprecedented road to the 2020 NBA Draft. Over this season's 10-episodes, Anthony and Tyrese record themselves and tell their own stories, along with their agents, families, and coaches, about their challenging journeys and what it takes to go from childhood dreamer to college star to the NBA. In this first episode, Anthony Edwards navigates his final weeks before the 2020 Draft with the help of trusted coaches and mentors who trained him and believed in him from a young age. He works out for the NBA teams picking at the top of the draft, trying to prove that he should be taken first overall on draft night.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Drafted is a production of tree Ford Media, Clutch Sports Group,
and I Heart Radio. Welcome to Drafted. I'm Keegan Michael Key,
and we're back with season two NBA Draft. In season one,
we followed eight elite college football players as they made
(00:20):
the leap from campus to the NFL. This season, we'll
hear the first hand personal experience of two of college
basketball's most elite prospects, the explosive Anthony Edwards, who started
at the University of Georgia. Away words, it's show talk
can go, Oh yeah, there's Edwards. Look here that fuf
(00:43):
Man and the University of Kentucky's Tyres Maxie, arguably the
most energetic, hardest working player in the draft. Draw fast,
this is your first game? Are you for Christope, Chilly?
(01:03):
You got a star. Anthony and Tyree's will mike themselves
up as they prepare for the draft and tell their
own stories, giving us a wrong, honest look and what
it takes to go from childhood dreamer to college star
to being chosen as one of only four hundred and
fifty NBA players in the world. And this season we'll
(01:26):
go even further behind the scenes with unprecedented access to
their agents, Clutch Sports Group founder and CEO Rich Paul.
Somebody can say, what do you think about a hundred
million dollars and only ten million of it is guaranteed?
So what are you talking about? And their new head
of basketball Omar Wilkes the Warriors, asking if the Wolves
have said anything, what Charlotte's thinking? Are there trades? It's
(01:47):
all a game of chess. We'll hear the inner workings
behind the multimillion dollar decisions. As it look, the money's
dried up. There's definitely not seventy million dollars out there
for you, and so that's a miss opportunity, if that
was even real. We're joining these players and their agents
at a truly unprecedented time. The college season and the
(02:09):
n C Double A Tournament were canceled because of the coronavirus.
This is the first year the tournament wasn't held since
its inception in nine For months, they couldn't participate in
scrimmages or even pick up games, and the NBA Draft
was postponed, not once, but twice. Like all of us,
(02:30):
they adjusted, But when you're a potential NBA lottery pick,
your new normal looks a little less normal than what
the rest of us experienced were one not down. Well,
that's all we got, sick. Let's do it. Let's do
it man. This is where we find nineteen year old
(03:01):
Anthony Edwards, just a week before his life is about
to change forever, in the god Be Road gym on
the tough south side of Atlanta, working with his longtime trainer,
Justin Holland. Seven days, maybe a seven day come on
and Lord Ford knock it down, good good. Anthony is
(03:26):
being talked about as a top five pick and the
potential number one overall player in the draft. But the
truth is he shouldn't be not because he isn't the
most exceptional talent. He is, come number one, come lumber one.
He shouldn't be here because what it took for him
to get to this moment in this gym seems impossible.
(03:51):
Not just your job, it's literally your job for nine
and yet you've been doing it. Literally, get exit to
the deal whenever you want. Anthony didn't grow up with
unlimited gym access or many of the other resources available
to some prospects, and the odds of any child's NBA
dreams coming true are already staggering. About the same as
(04:15):
a kid wanting to become an astronaut and actually ending
up in zero graphy Roger on the next page, update,
Out of every ten thousand high school varsity basketball players,
roughly three seniors make it to draft night. Thousands and
thousands of incredibly talented athletes with strong support systems can't
(04:39):
get there, and Anthony faced more daunting challenges and bigger
obstacles than almost all of them. So how do you
do it when so many others can't? Why Anthony Edwards
and not them? Here we go? It was what Whitney
leaf everything is the video game I met Justin when
(04:59):
I was in ninth grade. That's Anthony talking. He was
trying to this this dude who my uncle was cool with,
and he told him like, come to Justin. He's gonna
put you in a blender or something whatever. So I
came in here. I came up here the first day
and we worked out, and I was tired, and I
was like, I'm not going back, and my uncle was like, well,
that's good, We're going back. That's basically the basketball version
(05:21):
of forcing Anthony to eat his vegetables. It's good for him,
but he sure doesn't like it. And so we just
started working out then, man and Justin just we was
just in the gym like every day, all all day,
all night. And then we just got better, got a relationship.
And he's still ugly though, but you know, we got
a really good relationship now. In nineteen year old guy culture,
(05:41):
insulting the people you care about is a sign of affection.
That's how you tell someone like justin their family, and
that bond is evident whenever they mock each other or
clown around in the gym. We're Anthony Now recounts an
impromptu one on one game from his time at the
University of Georgia, playing without the right shoes and shorts.
I went on and I was trying to play with
(06:02):
like one on one, and then I told her I
ain't gon to play with because Crane wanted me to
get it into five o five, but I ain't have
that was out there. I'm getting we really go out
that the marn I don't know. I don't know what different,
but I don't know what works. Skin of Jesus lords,
(06:22):
little little think a pet kidding me in my seat slide,
I said, I can't move. Yeah, I might go out there.
Those two people laughing our pillars. In Anthony's basketball family,
(06:43):
Justin and his uncle Drew. My name Andrew Banks. I
go by Coach Drew, Uncle Drew. Oh they was ain't
called me? Now how I fit into his life? We
can go back a decade. I just want old kids
just always well specially I always stood out. Around the
age six or seven, Anthony joined Coach Drew's youth football
(07:06):
team and only later did Coach Drew turned into Uncle Drew.
So when he got there, you know he I tell
people truth, he hated it. He hated the grind part
to praise, you know, hey man, sweat and yelling, you know,
you know old school Oklahoma drill, you know, run run, run,
battering ram and people who coach my hard man. He
(07:27):
took a lot of hits. He took a lot of pounds.
Because if he didn't come through that, that gauntlet at
the young age, I don't think he could be the
kid eve right now in the basketball court of that
that has a lot to do with it, I mean
a lot. I think he didn't play football. I don't
think he will have a dog in him now that
like he got in basketball court, like on the basketball
court is you know, the filth hall of the Mother Party.
I think it's nothing to him being a six ft
(07:49):
five two and twenty five pounds shooting guard who attacks
the basket like a battering ram. It's part of what
makes Anthony's game unique. Scouting reports, he described his game
using football to chnology a running back exploding past and
through defenders, a downhill scorer, powerful physical player who opposents
just bounced right off of. Nobody will break him on
(08:16):
the basketball court, and just something mental even like when
we praise on I'm working out widow and stuff. Just
on a block band. He's gonna be a problem in
there's elf because it's just something mintm. You know, I
just tell the truth. You know, I've been there besides
its immediate family, brothers, and so I've been alone with anybody,
so I really know. I know what's going on. I
know the key, I know they about, you know, I
know the dude, the dunks and the wheels and the wants.
(08:38):
I know. But the push I know him. I know
him like you might. You know, I kind of raised
like you might, have got two kids of my own.
I treat him no difference, So I know where he
is who and what is Anthony Edwards. That's a question,
and BA executives are less clear on. Teams don't always
want a football player on a basketball court. Some doubt
(08:59):
hisort on defense, his decision making with the ball, his
ability to help teams win a week out. LaMelo Ball
and James Wiseman are also being talked about. Is going
first overall to Minnesota. There still isn't a clear cut
number one pick right now, and because of that, the
team's picking near the top of the draft want individual
workouts with Anthony before making their multimillion dollar decision. So
(09:22):
Anthony prepares with Justin and Uncle Drew at the god
By Road. Jim, We'll be right back. I gotta work out,
want to war? Wait when you should? When you when
(09:48):
you show well, I'll go see Rody. His first workout
it is with the Golden State Warriors, a team that's
played in five of the last six NBA Finals and
the possessor of this year's number two pick. So on
the prescribed day, Anthony works out for coach Steve Kerr
(10:11):
and the Warriors, giving them a private glimpse into his potential.
I just worried out for the Warriors. Came in about
like ten thirty and I got some shots up my
front of him Joe and my abilities and stuff. I
feel great about it. Yeah, Anthony told reporters he thought
(10:33):
he shot the ball particularly well that morning and didn't
shoot the ball well. This is Anthony's agent, Omar Wilkes,
head of basketball for Clutch Sports Group. Obviously everything's relative,
you know when you have Stephen Curry and and Clay
Thompson on your team, But that wasn't what they were
there for. An is so gifted that like how he shoots,
it's important. Obviously he can continue to work on and
(10:55):
improve it. But they wanted to see just how hard
he pushed himself, and so I think he realized there's
another gear he could go into. And the Warriors were
very open and candid about that, and they're like, hey,
we would like to see you at another gear, like
we know you have it, and he does and you know,
so freakishly gifted that he's probably been able to get
by at times without having to tap into that that
(11:17):
higher gear. So he really learned from that, which was
encouraging and and took the constructive criticism. Anthony is the
only player Omar is representing this year, and despite having
NBA All Stars and players chosen in the top ten,
Omar has never had a number one overall pick as
a client. But there's even more at stake here than
(11:38):
the extra millions a number one pick could bring. He
recalls the first time they ever met. I was attending
Steph Curry as an elite camp every summer, went to camp,
sat down next to Stephen and his friend Chris and
his younger brother Seth, and I was like, who's the
best player at this camp? And They're like, there's this kid,
Anthony Edwards. He is the best kid here. Like, isn't
(11:59):
on any of the ranking boards? We the best player?
And I watched aunt and literally three plays later, I
was like, Oh, he he is for real. It was
the year after a sophomore of high school, so he
was going to be a junior in high school. So
it was fortunate enough to keep plugging away, locked my
targets in on him, and just recruited him about as
hard as anyone I've recruited. So it was kind of
serendipitous the way it all came together. And you know,
(12:19):
I've just from the moment I saw him, I knew
he was destined for great things. Omar, Justin and Uncle
Drew invested years into his success, and they all tell
a similar story, not of a hurt teenager from a
rough neighborhood who suffered through tragedy, but of seeing a
kid they knew could do something special, a kid they
felt compelled to help escape his circumstance. It's hard not
(12:40):
to be overly invested in him, especially with his story,
and want to root for his success. And I mean,
it's corny when people say it, but it truly takes
a village. And that's kind of what we were working
with there. Now that he's done with the Warriors, Anthony
has gout scheduled with the Minnesota temper Wolves, who hold
(13:02):
the number one pick, and the Charlotte Hornets with pick
number three within the next few days. But first, a
much more important matter. What you're going chicken? Hey Drew,
what you're going around? Sis three? Chicken? Anthony, Justin, Uncle Drew,
and the other core members of Anthony's circle sit down
for lunch following the Warriors workout. Like everyone else, they
(13:24):
want to know where Anthony will be playing this season.
You know why I'm not worth whatever was pulled to
happen and go happy. Whatever was fouled happen, whatever, whatever
the best situation you're gonna have. It always does in life.
None of your life ain't happen that they's called in.
If you never look, you know what's crazy? What I
won't never happen. I think it's two different Like I
(13:44):
think it's like if you go with the Wolves, I
think and I think it and go every twenty when
we're good a year, we gotta make playoffs. I think
you're they stay up to Like after I midday stay,
I felt so much better once they they stay. Though,
because Anthony is only nineteen years old, Justin knows how
(14:05):
important it is for him to go to a team
offering the right fit and coaching is a big part
of that. Here's Justin again talking about the staff of
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yeah. They they Coolly Saunders, the coach,
you know, like the like the staff, the hat, the
front office, like everybody, like everybody's like they're young and all.
(14:28):
I know. This is why I'm telling I'm not worried,
but you've got two angels. I ain't come to tell.
It took me. It took me about it. I ain't
thinking this out to about a year ago. We're talking
about how weird, how Minnesota about first, we were talking
about this first. As here I've been, I've been trying
to tamp people that though Drew Drew, Drew been realized though,
(14:52):
that everything that happened to me is a good thing.
And Anthony is unflappable optimistic demeanor makes it easy to
forget he's so young and that he's already been through
more than most people twice his age. You would never
see me worried. I say what every time my wants something,
he it It never happen. Speak about this, right, if
I go to Minnesota, right, we played the Warriors, got
(15:13):
to go. I'm not nobody else, don't cry. But if
I go to the Warriors. But if I go to
the Warriors, you gotta put your best defend on Ferria
all time. You can't leave him. Then you got a sniper.
Anthony is talking about playing alongside Warriors all stars Steph
(15:35):
Curry and Clay Thompson, two of the most accurate prolific
scorers of all time. I ain't never seen Clay sho
I don't seen step shooting that moment. But this ain't
hitting them, but the knick they're like issue like that
that sounds real, thought sound real? NBA players workout. Curry
(15:56):
is unreal. Like he unreal? Brough bro it like he's
just doing this. Yes if he miss, if he miss,
he's only gonna missing one, Like you know, I might
miss two, one and row three in a row. He's
gonna miss one, you know? Isaly how he missed? After that,
(16:17):
I'm gonna like brow how are you only missing one
in a row? Brout. In the hyper competitive world of
pro sports, where everyone fights to be the alpha dog,
it might sound odd to hear the potential number one
pick and his trainer, his coaches and friends gushing about
another player. But Steph Curry is actually that good at
(16:39):
shooting a basketball. He made almost five hundred more three
pointers than the next closest NBA player last decade, while
still being the sixth most accurate of all time, effectively
making him the greatest three point threat ever. Here's Anthony
continuing in Awe, no warm up, Stepoy came up? Buy out,
(17:01):
buy out? You're thinking, man shooting tennis balls? He shoot like,
I don't know what about to say that. Ain't you
ever seen about to shoot the ball like them. See
ever again, I know I can shoot, but like them,
like I can imagine why play workout? Bro, I would
be hes like, oh my god, you know if the
(17:22):
one drop was shocked. Anthony isn't exaggerating. Clay once scored
sixty points against the Pacers while only touching the ball
for ninety seconds. He dribbled eleven times the entire game.
It's the kind of performance that changes the way top
(17:44):
prospects work out for your team. Drew. The folks said,
come here and try all we're talking about the like
since I'm like, go to being around you were like,
good people don't look good. So at the We're going
state came talking and they were like, but you had
a good workout, man, But you know, seeing seeing other
guys shoot, we're spoiled looking at tepnically every day, like
(18:05):
you know, you had a good work out of day.
But we just use some people not missing the road.
We feel like what is going on in their life?
They must be going through so good. Only a few
people in the world can shoot a basketball like those
two the way. Only a handful of people know what
it takes for somebody like Anthony to reach the cusp
of arguably the most exclusive major sports fraternity in the world.
(18:32):
We'll be right back. Here's Uncle Drew again. I'm the
sacrifices everyone at that lunch table made to get Anthony
to this point, to give him to what he had
(18:57):
to be. It was a lot to go into it
to give him now, so not the tooth my own home.
But he knew that deep down inside that I did
what I had to do and went though did before
all the rankings came there, before he became the starter
he is now, you know, behind the clothe Colonel Death
coach Justin. He did her because Justin did a lot.
He's still doing a lot, and he's still doing anything.
Like I said, his wife she did. She had to do.
(19:19):
She had to take care because just got a little
boy too, so she did, she had to do take
care of his name, Chase. She did a thing to uh.
A lot of people did a lot. I'm just speaking
on the people that I can speak on that I
ain't that I can really vouce for so because Jordan's
did a hell of a job too, So you know,
I ain't trying too nobody hard him this. I'm just
telling the truth, and sometimes you tell the truth, it
(19:39):
sounds like you're two people home. But this ship went't easy, man,
it was not at all at all. I mean at all.
You gotta sacrifice. There's the only way, there's only way
he gonna be great in life. Man, this ship is
gonna be given to you gotta be You gotta make
some a major, amazing major sacrifices, and you gotta cut
certain sh off. So I cut a lot of stuff off,
you know, the dude I had to do to get
him down. People like Justin and Uncle Drew often get
(20:03):
lost in the story of a teenage basketball prodigy. It
becomes about the prospects game or his potential, his work ethic,
his strengths and his weaknesses, and those do matter. But
Anthony's journey would not be possible without these critical people. Again,
here's his agent, Omar Wilkes. These guys have been with
him for years and years, since he was in middle school.
(20:25):
In a lot of ways, you know, it's unfair because
you see Anthony, he gets credit, and I guess people
that dig a little deeper, like oh, his agent, you know,
I get some credit. But it's those people have been
in the trenches with him for a long time and
like they're thinking me, but I'm like no, no, no,
thank you guys, like you got him to this point.
Like you know, an ansent a unique story. You know,
(20:47):
he's not supposed to be here, like he wasn't he
wasn't born on third base. He was There's no silver
spoon to be found. He wasn't set up for success.
He was loved on by his mother and grandmother and
tragically losing them at such an early age. You know,
a lot of people in the community were able to
kind of rally around him, but he wasn't supposed to
(21:08):
have this success. He did, and that's a testament to
him and the people around him. He was only in
eighth grade when he lost the two closest people in
his life. And since that point, there would be no
story about Anthony Edwards without his team off the court,
without Justin and Duncal drew siblings, his closest friends, or
(21:29):
that Jim at god b Road. Throughout this whole process
we worked out at the gym that we started it.
That's Justin again talking about the seemingly endless months of
training to prepare Anthony for draft. You know, whereas other guys,
you know, they flew out the l A and Miami
(21:50):
and even you know, downtown and Bucket Atlanta, but we
actually stayed on the South side of Atlanta where we
all started it. You know, it's it's not it's not
the best neighborhood in America, but you know, it's it's
where we're from. College Park, where the gym is located,
has the second highest crime rate in the state and
almost a third of the residents live below the poverty line.
(22:10):
And it's where the Charlotte Hornets scheduled their workout with Anthony,
with a former legendary player termed Owner coming to watch.
It doesn't get any bigger than Michael Jordan when you're
talking basketball. So um, you know, we were excited and uh,
Michael Jordan, he came to that gym on the south
side of Atlanta in College Park on Gottby Road, and
(22:32):
I'm pretty sure he probably didn't know where he was,
but uh, that was like the biggest thing. I'm like, Yo,
we brought Michael Jordan. The work that we started putting
in in this gym is the work that got Michael
Jordan walk in this gym. The same gym that nobody
cared that we were working out in. Michael Jordan is
coming to see you, and on some level, he's coming
to see all of them, to watch Anthony play, to
(22:54):
see every dribble, drive and shot representing the thousands and
thousands of hours they've all put in together. People do understand.
You gotta have a little look on your side. You
gotta be blessed. You gotta have a talent because I
know a lot of I know a lot of good people,
a lot of good athletes that didn't make something went
wrong along the ways. It's so easy to get in
trouble handing down him, and it's it's so easy, so
(23:17):
many good athletes in the streets out here that didn't
make it, Like, well, hame to that kid, Well hame
to that kid. But ship they said, what happened to
that kid? He made it? And I always told him, like, listen,
you gotta understand, bro, between everybody in your circle, your family,
your coaches, if you don't make it, we don't make it.
They're gonna say if you didn't make it, he would
mess around with the wrong people. So I always try
(23:40):
to tell like, if you don't make it, they're gonna
laugh at us. It ain't about you, man, about everybody.
You know. If I embarrassed myself, I embarrassed you. You
know you don't you don't want to be a part
of obs. So we gotta make it man. You know,
so there was to drive ahead. We just we gotta
make it. No matter what, we gotta get there. We
don't make it that close. We gotta get there now.
(24:02):
After everything they went through, all the late nights and
early mornings, all the heartache, sweat and tears, the college
season getting canceled, and the draft moving twice, after eight
long months where Anthony couldn't play in a real game
or scrimmage. Now at last, they're only one week away
(24:25):
coming up this season undrafted. I want to be someone
that doesn't have any what ifs. I don't want to
be at the end of my career when say, dang,
what if I just worked a little bit harder. So
our goals every day for they reasons and make over
two thousand shots. Let's put in the world NBA stands
for no boys allows. If you're a child, if you're immature,
(24:46):
you won't last there. Kyle turns to me and said,
you're not ready. The other guys on our team. I said, John,
get ready to play forty minutes because he's he's not
ready to play. The money's dried up. There's definitely not
seven million dollars out there for you. And I'm not
sure if that was even real or not. In his
workouts when I'm near to watching workout, I always had
a chip on his shoulder. No no no no no
no no no, don't run real like you want to run,
(25:09):
come pushing on a field like a little baby ship.
I think some of them were just stunned, like stunned,
like one in the world. It's crazy because people ask
how different it is, but this is all we know.
This is all I know, Like this is the only
time being in the draft process. My goal is for
them to be ready to play, because NBA ready is
completely different. You can take my basketball career away, oh everything, fame,
(25:32):
but you can't take my happiness away. Drafted is a
production of tree Fork Media, Clutch Sports Group, and I
Heart Radio. The executive producers are Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman,
Eric's a Lot, Sean to Tone l Kie, and me
Keegan Michael Key. The series is produced and written by
Eric Winer. Jared Brom is our coordinating producer. Trey McCain
(25:55):
is our associate producer. Tom Monahan is our senior audio engineer.
Mixed and edited by Steven Johnson and Jasper Leek, additional
production help from Tim Shower, June Rosen, and Hailey Mandelberg.
For transcripts of the show and more information on Drafted,
go to tree Fort dot fm. For more podcasts. For
my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
(26:16):
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Drafted is a production of tree Ford Media, Clutch Sports Group,
and I Heart Radio. Welcome to Drafted. I'm Keegan Michael Key,
and we're back with season two NBA Draft. In season one,
we followed eight elite college football players as they made
(00:20):
the leap from campus to the NFL. This season, we'll
hear the first hand personal experience of two of college
basketball's most elite prospects, the explosive Anthony Edwards, who started
at the University of Georgia. Away words, it's show talk
can go, Oh yeah, there's Edwards. Look here that fuf
(00:43):
Man and the University of Kentucky's Tyres Maxie, arguably the
most energetic, hardest working player in the draft. Draw fast,
this is your first game? Are you for Christope, Chilly?
(01:03):
You got a star. Anthony and Tyree's will mike themselves
up as they prepare for the draft and tell their
own stories, giving us a wrong, honest look and what
it takes to go from childhood dreamer to college star
to being chosen as one of only four hundred and
fifty NBA players in the world. And this season we'll
(01:26):
go even further behind the scenes with unprecedented access to
their agents, Clutch Sports Group founder and CEO Rich Paul.
Somebody can say, what do you think about a hundred
million dollars and only ten million of it is guaranteed?
So what are you talking about? And their new head
of basketball Omar Wilkes the Warriors, asking if the Wolves
have said anything, what Charlotte's thinking? Are there trades? It's
(01:47):
all a game of chess. We'll hear the inner workings
behind the multimillion dollar decisions. As it look, the money's
dried up. There's definitely not seventy million dollars out there
for you, and so that's a miss opportunity, if that
was even real. We're joining these players and their agents
at a truly unprecedented time. The college season and the
(02:09):
n C Double A Tournament were canceled because of the coronavirus.
This is the first year the tournament wasn't held since
its inception in nine For months, they couldn't participate in
scrimmages or even pick up games, and the NBA Draft
was postponed, not once, but twice. Like all of us,
(02:30):
they adjusted, But when you're a potential NBA lottery pick,
your new normal looks a little less normal than what
the rest of us experienced were one not down. Well,
that's all we got, sick. Let's do it. Let's do
it man. This is where we find nineteen year old
(03:01):
Anthony Edwards, just a week before his life is about
to change forever, in the god Be Road gym on
the tough south side of Atlanta, working with his longtime trainer,
Justin Holland. Seven days, maybe a seven day come on
and Lord Ford knock it down, good good. Anthony is
(03:26):
being talked about as a top five pick and the
potential number one overall player in the draft. But the
truth is he shouldn't be not because he isn't the
most exceptional talent. He is, come number one, come lumber one.
He shouldn't be here because what it took for him
to get to this moment in this gym seems impossible.
(03:51):
Not just your job, it's literally your job for nine
and yet you've been doing it. Literally, get exit to
the deal whenever you want. Anthony didn't grow up with
unlimited gym access or many of the other resources available
to some prospects, and the odds of any child's NBA
dreams coming true are already staggering. About the same as
(04:15):
a kid wanting to become an astronaut and actually ending
up in zero graphy Roger on the next page, update,
Out of every ten thousand high school varsity basketball players,
roughly three seniors make it to draft night. Thousands and
thousands of incredibly talented athletes with strong support systems can't
(04:39):
get there, and Anthony faced more daunting challenges and bigger
obstacles than almost all of them. So how do you
do it when so many others can't? Why Anthony Edwards
and not them? Here we go? It was what Whitney
leaf everything is the video game I met Justin when
(04:59):
I was in ninth grade. That's Anthony talking. He was
trying to this this dude who my uncle was cool with,
and he told him like, come to Justin. He's gonna
put you in a blender or something whatever. So I
came in here. I came up here the first day
and we worked out, and I was tired, and I
was like, I'm not going back, and my uncle was like, well,
that's good, We're going back. That's basically the basketball version
(05:21):
of forcing Anthony to eat his vegetables. It's good for him,
but he sure doesn't like it. And so we just
started working out then, man and Justin just we was
just in the gym like every day, all all day,
all night. And then we just got better, got a relationship.
And he's still ugly though, but you know, we got
a really good relationship now. In nineteen year old guy culture,
(05:41):
insulting the people you care about is a sign of affection.
That's how you tell someone like justin their family, and
that bond is evident whenever they mock each other or
clown around in the gym. We're Anthony Now recounts an
impromptu one on one game from his time at the
University of Georgia, playing without the right shoes and shorts.
I went on and I was trying to play with
(06:02):
like one on one, and then I told her I
ain't gon to play with because Crane wanted me to
get it into five o five, but I ain't have
that was out there. I'm getting we really go out
that the marn I don't know. I don't know what different,
but I don't know what works. Skin of Jesus lords,
(06:22):
little little think a pet kidding me in my seat slide,
I said, I can't move. Yeah, I might go out there.
Those two people laughing our pillars. In Anthony's basketball family,
(06:43):
Justin and his uncle Drew. My name Andrew Banks. I
go by Coach Drew, Uncle Drew. Oh they was ain't
called me? Now how I fit into his life? We
can go back a decade. I just want old kids
just always well specially I always stood out. Around the
age six or seven, Anthony joined Coach Drew's youth football
(07:06):
team and only later did Coach Drew turned into Uncle Drew.
So when he got there, you know he I tell
people truth, he hated it. He hated the grind part
to praise, you know, hey man, sweat and yelling, you know,
you know old school Oklahoma drill, you know, run run, run,
battering ram and people who coach my hard man. He
(07:27):
took a lot of hits. He took a lot of pounds.
Because if he didn't come through that, that gauntlet at
the young age, I don't think he could be the
kid eve right now in the basketball court of that
that has a lot to do with it, I mean
a lot. I think he didn't play football. I don't
think he will have a dog in him now that
like he got in basketball court, like on the basketball
court is you know, the filth hall of the Mother Party.
I think it's nothing to him being a six ft
(07:49):
five two and twenty five pounds shooting guard who attacks
the basket like a battering ram. It's part of what
makes Anthony's game unique. Scouting reports, he described his game
using football to chnology a running back exploding past and
through defenders, a downhill scorer, powerful physical player who opposents
just bounced right off of. Nobody will break him on
(08:16):
the basketball court, and just something mental even like when
we praise on I'm working out widow and stuff. Just
on a block band. He's gonna be a problem in
there's elf because it's just something mintm. You know, I
just tell the truth. You know, I've been there besides
its immediate family, brothers, and so I've been alone with anybody,
so I really know. I know what's going on. I
know the key, I know they about, you know, I
know the dude, the dunks and the wheels and the wants.
(08:38):
I know. But the push I know him. I know
him like you might. You know, I kind of raised
like you might, have got two kids of my own.
I treat him no difference, So I know where he
is who and what is Anthony Edwards. That's a question,
and BA executives are less clear on. Teams don't always
want a football player on a basketball court. Some doubt
(08:59):
hisort on defense, his decision making with the ball, his
ability to help teams win a week out. LaMelo Ball
and James Wiseman are also being talked about. Is going
first overall to Minnesota. There still isn't a clear cut
number one pick right now, and because of that, the
team's picking near the top of the draft want individual
workouts with Anthony before making their multimillion dollar decision. So
(09:22):
Anthony prepares with Justin and Uncle Drew at the god
By Road. Jim, We'll be right back. I gotta work out,
want to war? Wait when you should? When you when
(09:48):
you show well, I'll go see Rody. His first workout
it is with the Golden State Warriors, a team that's
played in five of the last six NBA Finals and
the possessor of this year's number two pick. So on
the prescribed day, Anthony works out for coach Steve Kerr
(10:11):
and the Warriors, giving them a private glimpse into his potential.
I just worried out for the Warriors. Came in about
like ten thirty and I got some shots up my
front of him Joe and my abilities and stuff. I
feel great about it. Yeah, Anthony told reporters he thought
(10:33):
he shot the ball particularly well that morning and didn't
shoot the ball well. This is Anthony's agent, Omar Wilkes,
head of basketball for Clutch Sports Group. Obviously everything's relative,
you know when you have Stephen Curry and and Clay
Thompson on your team, But that wasn't what they were
there for. An is so gifted that like how he shoots,
it's important. Obviously he can continue to work on and
(10:55):
improve it. But they wanted to see just how hard
he pushed himself, and so I think he realized there's
another gear he could go into. And the Warriors were
very open and candid about that, and they're like, hey,
we would like to see you at another gear, like
we know you have it, and he does and you know,
so freakishly gifted that he's probably been able to get
by at times without having to tap into that that
(11:17):
higher gear. So he really learned from that, which was
encouraging and and took the constructive criticism. Anthony is the
only player Omar is representing this year, and despite having
NBA All Stars and players chosen in the top ten,
Omar has never had a number one overall pick as
a client. But there's even more at stake here than
(11:38):
the extra millions a number one pick could bring. He
recalls the first time they ever met. I was attending
Steph Curry as an elite camp every summer, went to camp,
sat down next to Stephen and his friend Chris and
his younger brother Seth, and I was like, who's the
best player at this camp? And They're like, there's this kid,
Anthony Edwards. He is the best kid here. Like, isn't
(11:59):
on any of the ranking boards? We the best player?
And I watched aunt and literally three plays later, I
was like, Oh, he he is for real. It was
the year after a sophomore of high school, so he
was going to be a junior in high school. So
it was fortunate enough to keep plugging away, locked my
targets in on him, and just recruited him about as
hard as anyone I've recruited. So it was kind of
serendipitous the way it all came together. And you know,
(12:19):
I've just from the moment I saw him, I knew
he was destined for great things. Omar, Justin and Uncle
Drew invested years into his success, and they all tell
a similar story, not of a hurt teenager from a
rough neighborhood who suffered through tragedy, but of seeing a
kid they knew could do something special, a kid they
felt compelled to help escape his circumstance. It's hard not
(12:40):
to be overly invested in him, especially with his story,
and want to root for his success. And I mean,
it's corny when people say it, but it truly takes
a village. And that's kind of what we were working
with there. Now that he's done with the Warriors, Anthony
has gout scheduled with the Minnesota temper Wolves, who hold
(13:02):
the number one pick, and the Charlotte Hornets with pick
number three within the next few days. But first, a
much more important matter. What you're going chicken? Hey Drew,
what you're going around? Sis three? Chicken? Anthony, Justin, Uncle Drew,
and the other core members of Anthony's circle sit down
for lunch following the Warriors workout. Like everyone else, they
(13:24):
want to know where Anthony will be playing this season.
You know why I'm not worth whatever was pulled to
happen and go happy. Whatever was fouled happen, whatever, whatever
the best situation you're gonna have. It always does in life.
None of your life ain't happen that they's called in.
If you never look, you know what's crazy? What I
won't never happen. I think it's two different Like I
(13:44):
think it's like if you go with the Wolves, I
think and I think it and go every twenty when
we're good a year, we gotta make playoffs. I think
you're they stay up to Like after I midday stay,
I felt so much better once they they stay. Though,
because Anthony is only nineteen years old, Justin knows how
(14:05):
important it is for him to go to a team
offering the right fit and coaching is a big part
of that. Here's Justin again talking about the staff of
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Yeah. They they Coolly Saunders, the coach,
you know, like the like the staff, the hat, the
front office, like everybody, like everybody's like they're young and all.
(14:28):
I know. This is why I'm telling I'm not worried,
but you've got two angels. I ain't come to tell.
It took me. It took me about it. I ain't
thinking this out to about a year ago. We're talking
about how weird, how Minnesota about first, we were talking
about this first. As here I've been, I've been trying
to tamp people that though Drew Drew, Drew been realized though,
(14:52):
that everything that happened to me is a good thing.
And Anthony is unflappable optimistic demeanor makes it easy to
forget he's so young and that he's already been through
more than most people twice his age. You would never
see me worried. I say what every time my wants something,
he it It never happen. Speak about this, right, if
I go to Minnesota, right, we played the Warriors, got
(15:13):
to go. I'm not nobody else, don't cry. But if
I go to the Warriors. But if I go to
the Warriors, you gotta put your best defend on Ferria
all time. You can't leave him. Then you got a sniper.
Anthony is talking about playing alongside Warriors all stars Steph
(15:35):
Curry and Clay Thompson, two of the most accurate prolific
scorers of all time. I ain't never seen Clay sho
I don't seen step shooting that moment. But this ain't
hitting them, but the knick they're like issue like that
that sounds real, thought sound real? NBA players workout. Curry
(15:56):
is unreal. Like he unreal? Brough bro it like he's
just doing this. Yes if he miss, if he miss,
he's only gonna missing one, Like you know, I might
miss two, one and row three in a row. He's
gonna miss one, you know? Isaly how he missed? After that,
(16:17):
I'm gonna like brow how are you only missing one
in a row? Brout. In the hyper competitive world of
pro sports, where everyone fights to be the alpha dog,
it might sound odd to hear the potential number one
pick and his trainer, his coaches and friends gushing about
another player. But Steph Curry is actually that good at
(16:39):
shooting a basketball. He made almost five hundred more three
pointers than the next closest NBA player last decade, while
still being the sixth most accurate of all time, effectively
making him the greatest three point threat ever. Here's Anthony
continuing in Awe, no warm up, Stepoy came up? Buy out,
(17:01):
buy out? You're thinking, man shooting tennis balls? He shoot like,
I don't know what about to say that. Ain't you
ever seen about to shoot the ball like them. See
ever again, I know I can shoot, but like them,
like I can imagine why play workout? Bro, I would
be hes like, oh my god, you know if the
(17:22):
one drop was shocked. Anthony isn't exaggerating. Clay once scored
sixty points against the Pacers while only touching the ball
for ninety seconds. He dribbled eleven times the entire game.
It's the kind of performance that changes the way top
(17:44):
prospects work out for your team. Drew. The folks said,
come here and try all we're talking about the like
since I'm like, go to being around you were like,
good people don't look good. So at the We're going
state came talking and they were like, but you had
a good workout, man, But you know, seeing seeing other
guys shoot, we're spoiled looking at tepnically every day, like
(18:05):
you know, you had a good work out of day.
But we just use some people not missing the road.
We feel like what is going on in their life?
They must be going through so good. Only a few
people in the world can shoot a basketball like those
two the way. Only a handful of people know what
it takes for somebody like Anthony to reach the cusp
of arguably the most exclusive major sports fraternity in the world.
(18:32):
We'll be right back. Here's Uncle Drew again. I'm the
sacrifices everyone at that lunch table made to get Anthony
to this point, to give him to what he had
(18:57):
to be. It was a lot to go into it
to give him now, so not the tooth my own home.
But he knew that deep down inside that I did
what I had to do and went though did before
all the rankings came there, before he became the starter
he is now, you know, behind the clothe Colonel Death
coach Justin. He did her because Justin did a lot.
He's still doing a lot, and he's still doing anything.
Like I said, his wife she did. She had to do.
(19:19):
She had to take care because just got a little
boy too, so she did, she had to do take
care of his name, Chase. She did a thing to uh.
A lot of people did a lot. I'm just speaking
on the people that I can speak on that I
ain't that I can really vouce for so because Jordan's
did a hell of a job too, So you know,
I ain't trying too nobody hard him this. I'm just
telling the truth, and sometimes you tell the truth, it
(19:39):
sounds like you're two people home. But this ship went't easy, man,
it was not at all at all. I mean at all.
You gotta sacrifice. There's the only way, there's only way
he gonna be great in life. Man, this ship is
gonna be given to you gotta be You gotta make
some a major, amazing major sacrifices, and you gotta cut
certain sh off. So I cut a lot of stuff off,
you know, the dude I had to do to get
him down. People like Justin and Uncle Drew often get
(20:03):
lost in the story of a teenage basketball prodigy. It
becomes about the prospects game or his potential, his work ethic,
his strengths and his weaknesses, and those do matter. But
Anthony's journey would not be possible without these critical people. Again,
here's his agent, Omar Wilkes. These guys have been with
him for years and years, since he was in middle school.
(20:25):
In a lot of ways, you know, it's unfair because
you see Anthony, he gets credit, and I guess people
that dig a little deeper, like oh, his agent, you know,
I get some credit. But it's those people have been
in the trenches with him for a long time and
like they're thinking me, but I'm like no, no, no,
thank you guys, like you got him to this point.
Like you know, an ansent a unique story. You know,
(20:47):
he's not supposed to be here, like he wasn't he
wasn't born on third base. He was There's no silver
spoon to be found. He wasn't set up for success.
He was loved on by his mother and grandmother and
tragically losing them at such an early age. You know,
a lot of people in the community were able to
kind of rally around him, but he wasn't supposed to
(21:08):
have this success. He did, and that's a testament to
him and the people around him. He was only in
eighth grade when he lost the two closest people in
his life. And since that point, there would be no
story about Anthony Edwards without his team off the court,
without Justin and Duncal drew siblings, his closest friends, or
(21:29):
that Jim at god b Road. Throughout this whole process
we worked out at the gym that we started it.
That's Justin again talking about the seemingly endless months of
training to prepare Anthony for draft. You know, whereas other guys,
you know, they flew out the l A and Miami
(21:50):
and even you know, downtown and Bucket Atlanta, but we
actually stayed on the South side of Atlanta where we
all started it. You know, it's it's not it's not
the best neighborhood in America, but you know, it's it's
where we're from. College Park, where the gym is located,
has the second highest crime rate in the state and
almost a third of the residents live below the poverty line.
(22:10):
And it's where the Charlotte Hornets scheduled their workout with Anthony,
with a former legendary player termed Owner coming to watch.
It doesn't get any bigger than Michael Jordan when you're
talking basketball. So um, you know, we were excited and uh,
Michael Jordan, he came to that gym on the south
side of Atlanta in College Park on Gottby Road, and
(22:32):
I'm pretty sure he probably didn't know where he was,
but uh, that was like the biggest thing. I'm like, Yo,
we brought Michael Jordan. The work that we started putting
in in this gym is the work that got Michael
Jordan walk in this gym. The same gym that nobody
cared that we were working out in. Michael Jordan is
coming to see you, and on some level, he's coming
to see all of them, to watch Anthony play, to
(22:54):
see every dribble, drive and shot representing the thousands and
thousands of hours they've all put in together. People do understand.
You gotta have a little look on your side. You
gotta be blessed. You gotta have a talent because I
know a lot of I know a lot of good people,
a lot of good athletes that didn't make something went
wrong along the ways. It's so easy to get in
trouble handing down him, and it's it's so easy, so
(23:17):
many good athletes in the streets out here that didn't
make it, Like, well, hame to that kid, Well hame
to that kid. But ship they said, what happened to
that kid? He made it? And I always told him, like, listen,
you gotta understand, bro, between everybody in your circle, your family,
your coaches, if you don't make it, we don't make it.
They're gonna say if you didn't make it, he would
mess around with the wrong people. So I always try
(23:40):
to tell like, if you don't make it, they're gonna
laugh at us. It ain't about you, man, about everybody.
You know. If I embarrassed myself, I embarrassed you. You
know you don't you don't want to be a part
of obs. So we gotta make it man. You know,
so there was to drive ahead. We just we gotta
make it. No matter what, we gotta get there. We
don't make it that close. We gotta get there now.
(24:02):
After everything they went through, all the late nights and
early mornings, all the heartache, sweat and tears, the college
season getting canceled, and the draft moving twice, after eight
long months where Anthony couldn't play in a real game
or scrimmage. Now at last, they're only one week away
(24:25):
coming up this season undrafted. I want to be someone
that doesn't have any what ifs. I don't want to
be at the end of my career when say, dang,
what if I just worked a little bit harder. So
our goals every day for they reasons and make over
two thousand shots. Let's put in the world NBA stands
for no boys allows. If you're a child, if you're immature,
(24:46):
you won't last there. Kyle turns to me and said,
you're not ready. The other guys on our team. I said, John,
get ready to play forty minutes because he's he's not
ready to play. The money's dried up. There's definitely not
seven million dollars out there for you. And I'm not
sure if that was even real or not. In his
workouts when I'm near to watching workout, I always had
a chip on his shoulder. No no no no no
no no no, don't run real like you want to run,
(25:09):
come pushing on a field like a little baby ship.
I think some of them were just stunned, like stunned,
like one in the world. It's crazy because people ask
how different it is, but this is all we know.
This is all I know, Like this is the only
time being in the draft process. My goal is for
them to be ready to play, because NBA ready is
completely different. You can take my basketball career away, oh everything, fame,
(25:32):
but you can't take my happiness away. Drafted is a
production of tree Fork Media, Clutch Sports Group, and I
Heart Radio. The executive producers are Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman,
Eric's a Lot, Sean to Tone l Kie, and me
Keegan Michael Key. The series is produced and written by
Eric Winer. Jared Brom is our coordinating producer. Trey McCain
(25:55):
is our associate producer. Tom Monahan is our senior audio engineer.
Mixed and edited by Steven Johnson and Jasper Leek, additional
production help from Tim Shower, June Rosen, and Hailey Mandelberg.
For transcripts of the show and more information on Drafted,
go to tree Fort dot fm. For more podcasts. For
my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
(26:16):
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
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.