Danny Green on UNC vs UK, Tourney Predictions and Playing with LeBron

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, that'll probably be my best friend of all time.
Like I come four speed in Atlanta Game three and
I go behind my bet he tried to steal the ball.
You know, I do my family behind the back and
then kem bazmore to try to help, not just boom.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
What's going on? Everyone? Welcome to point Game presented by DraftKings.
Don't forget. DraftKings is your home for all the action
across the NBA and gets you closer to the game
we all love. The crown is yours. I'm on your host,
CJ Toldono and as always I'm joined by the reason
why we have this show. Five time NBA All Star,
number one overall pick in the twenty ten NBA Draft.

(00:36):
Ladies and gentlemen, John Wall, John, how are you feeling, man?

Speaker 1 (00:39):
It's good man. I'm I'm feeling great, great, great, great.
Happy to be back for another episode, just to talk, man,
just to shit back and get these guys where we
want to give them. So I'm super site.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
We're in a good time at basketball right now because
we got March Madness coming up. Playoffs are almost here,
so I know we talk about Kentucky aloming this pod.
In this last weekend was Selection Sunday. How are you
feeling about your Wildcats Kentucky getting that three seed.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
I'm super excited. I feel like I wanted them to
win the SEC tournament, you know what I mean. But yeah,
they fell short of that. But it's tough to win
nine games, you know what I mean, because if you
go your whole tournament, win that, then you got to
go to the NCAA tournament. So I think they just
gave they wanted to win, for sure, I wanted them to.
I think just give them a break, get some guys healthy,

(01:28):
get their mindset ready for the NCAA tournament, and just
know this. You lose one game, you go home. And
I hope those guys make it a heck of a
run because I have them going far and I hope
they can do something special.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
I want to go back to the NBA because we
had a bunch of fun games and moments that happened
since we last talk. Now you have talked, actually in
our last episode, you talked about two of these guys
who want to bring up the first one. I'm just
gonna ask you, did you see that Anthony Edwards dunk
last night against the Jazz for sure.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
I almost threw my phone across the room, and I
think that what was spit tackler about it is he
dunked the basketball so hard to ball hit his finger
and dislocated it, and you had to shit back and
watch because like in that moment he looked at him,
but then he looked at his finger and he didn't
really like give that like how he wanted to celebrate,
So he walked to the back every like what happened,
hoping like break his finger or anything. But I don't think

(02:25):
I ever seen somebody get dunked on and get a concussion.
That's what That's the point that that's the point that
got me, like what like you got dunked on Neil
John Collin shot him because he used to want dunking
on a lot of people and to get dunked him
like that, But then like I have to walk to
the back and can't play no more. Like it's like damn,
I would be mad about that because I've seen him

(02:47):
walk into the bench and like somebody was like holding him,
like like touching his back, try and talk to him.
He moved a hand like you know, kind of probably
mad and then probably like man I can't finish the game,
but uh yeah, and especially man, we had to. We
talked about this on the one of the other episodes,
like I told everybody, he's he's special. The way he
worked out is the way he determined himself to be great.
The leadership has brought to his team spectacular. And that

(03:09):
was like, that's dunk of the year for sure. I
don't know if anybody in the top that one.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, it actually brought up We were trying to think
of like best dunks of all time and we're bringing
up Blake, Blake Griffin, who had you know? And I
want to ask you this, do you still classify the
dunk or is it a little bit in the shady
area where like throwing in the dunk like you're above
the rim and you're it's not technically you like grab
the rim.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Well, I throw it in. I think the part that
you have to understand and respect more than like the dunk,
like grabbing the rim is something. But to be that
high and I can just throw the ball in and
still make it like that unless you know how I am.
And uh, you got Blake to have some dunks. I remember,
like I said before, I had or list Frank injury,
my foot against the Bulls, and then I can just

(03:51):
go to like you know, you go to the internet
real quick. I'm like, man, this is the game Blake
played New York in the LA He it'spin moved dunk,
baseline dunk. I'm like, damn, like of the years going
like the way he started doing that game. But you
even got Deondrea Jordan. I mean, like when he caught
the Ali on Brandon Knight. So it's so many spectacular
dunks that's been going on, but man, that was special.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Off top of your head, do you have like three, like,
what are your top three dunks of all time?

Speaker 1 (04:18):
I gotta go Vince Carter on Alonso Morning.

Speaker 2 (04:21):
Oh, I can't think you're gonna say Olympics.

Speaker 1 (04:23):
Oh you just say any time, like you don't have
to be NBA.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
I think all time. Yeah, NBA.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
Well, Olympus is one for me. Olympus is winn to
jump over foot is one? Gerald Green Alli Windmill in Jersey. Yeah,
it's spectacular, underrated dunker.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
One of the best dunkers of office.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Sure I was. I was in Houston with him and
he was older and he still was like, no socks,
no shoes on in socks, wind mill twing legs, avert
another guy.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
I wanted to talk about what we've talked about on
the show A Bunch Kyrie. So last Sunday, Kyrie had
that left handed skyhook I think skyhook game winner, And
I think here's what I want to bring him up
because I feel like we're not showing enough love. I mean,
I know me and you are, but like people seem
to have forgotten about Kyrie because he's been on a
couple different teams, and like they're forgetting that he is

(05:08):
him right now, he's averaging twenty six points a game. So, like,
can you one describe what makes Kyrie Kyrie, why he's
special and maybe even going to you know, your relationship
with him and those battles that were so special that
everyone remembers.

Speaker 1 (05:22):
I think makes Kyrie specially because nobody else can do
what he do. He's the best layup finisher we've seen
in the game either hand, can catch and shoot, can jab,
shoot off the dribber, shoot mid range, can post up floaters,
either hand. He's just special. Man. Like I say, I
think he's the most scared player that I have seen

(05:44):
play the game of basketball. I mean, I wasn't around
older days, but I've watched a lot of highlight watch
a lot of YouTube. There's nothing that man can't do
on the basketball floor, and he's doing it at six two,
I mean, and then I think he showed us in
what in Brooklyn he can He can catch an alley
and dunk that people think he can't. He barely uses it.
But our battle has always been amazing. I think just

(06:04):
us competing at the high level, you know, I mean
him being younger than me, but one of the best
guards in the league. I'm competing at him, so like
he's going to bring the best out of you, just
battling going there to day to day. I remember he
was at home in DC and he had a reverse.
You know me, I'm used to timing up blocks, and
I took over the whole left side of the backboard.
I'm like, there's no way he can reverse and spin

(06:26):
it on the other side of the glass, and he
did it. I'm like, man, damn, you know what I mean.
So like some things, he just just like how is
he able to do it? And I think a lot
of people appreciate what Kyri's done when he's done, but
him now, you could just say he's happy, like he
ain't dealing with no other stuff. He just focused and
locked in on playing basketball. He has his family, he
has his kids. He's enjoyed that, and you could just

(06:49):
see it's to join his face like he just like, man,
i'might here to play basketball. You know what I mean.
He's enjoying it. He's a very special talent. Like I
said before, like when our mom passed or is dealing
with injury. He's a guy that contact me, make sure
I'm good. Even when we played the year I was
coming back from my achilles in LA at the Skills Academy,

(07:09):
we competed, and I mean just competing at a high
level and just trying to make each other better. That's
one thing we always did and one thing I do
wish could have happened. It would have been special. I
think for the league is me and him to match
up in a whole playoff series. You always feel short
of that, but I wish we would have the opportunity
so the league can see that in my prom and
him and his prom.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Can I can I clear something else up with the
Ogs because you know how the social media works, is
they they run with quotes, so and I'm in social too,
so I know how to get headlines. The thing that
I saw people in the last couple of days, they
were a quote and saying like you said that the
NBA people don't play defense anymore. Yeah, and that's the
only thing they ran just that.

Speaker 1 (07:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
And then people were like John Walt didn't play defense,
And I'm like, you guys don't know the stats, so
I'll let you just you know, let's use.

Speaker 1 (07:51):
Ours for big I know I played defense, bro, I
was in the area when you had to really guard
some of the best guards. It wasn't no somebody else
guarding him. I was going are on the best of
the best guards. I feel like I should have been
one more all defensive teams late the league and still
is a couple of years. I probably have the most blocks.
I think I have the most blocks of the point
guard of all time as point guards, but as guards

(08:12):
under sixty four or sixty three, I think it's d
Wade in me. I feel like if I didn't have
the injuries, I could have had a chance to catch him.
I mean, I was great at blocking shots, but it's
like I'm not saying nobody don't play defense. You have
guys that still compete at high level. I'm just saying
those guys that's locked down defenders. If I know he's
guarded me, I'm gonna running pick and a roll and
get him switched off for me to get a week

(08:33):
of defend on me. That's basically what I mean. And
it turns into one on one basketball trying to ISO.
So I've seen somebody say like, well, Herb Jones play defense.
I'm like, I know Herb Jones plays defense, he takes
the challenge. I know guys like Kawhi Leonard plays defense.
I see Anthony Vers play defense. I know who else
you want, like a Jared Vannit, but those type of times,
Andrew Wiggins, those guys Jami Green, they do play defense,

(08:54):
but they can't guard everybody. And before you used to
have a team that can guard, and if you had
a week defend, you have help. But now it was
just like I said, basically pick up basketball. You know
you get ISOs. Now you tell me how many teams
got a playbook, and tell me how many plays they
got in a playbook. I would love to know that nowadays.
When I first came in rest in peace Flip Saunders.
I had a playbook with so many players, It's like, whoa,

(09:16):
I'll remember all these you know what I mean. But
luckily for me, I knew we had a kind of playbook,
kind of like from Minnesota when you ran most of
the players for the four men and two minutes, because
back then they had Kevin Garnett, the trust Bee World
or Walle de Zerbiac, you know what I mean. Then
sometimes you have a side pick and roll. They had
Sam Quencil and Marburry and those guys. So I knew
what our playbook was and most of our players was
going to But I don't think teams really have a

(09:38):
full playbook like that now, you know me. You have
certain counters in certain sets you go to to get
guys the ball, but it always turned into ISO for it.

Speaker 2 (09:44):
We're gonna take a break. We're gonna have Danny Green
joining us next here on Point Game presented by Draft Games.
Right back, All right, welcome back to Point Game with
John Wallas. Did you told Donald? Presented by Draft CA.
We're excited to bring on our next guest here. Three
time NBA championship with the Spurs, Lakers, Raptors, two thousand

(10:08):
and nine NCAA Tournament champion with UNC and I know
we're gonna get into that because john'sientucky ladies and gentlemen.
Danny Green, Danny, how you feeling, man.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
I'm good. I'm good man. I appreciate you having me on.
Thank you as a whole of introduction.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
I got to get up. So I'm a Lakers fan,
so I'm going to talk about that a little bit.
So appreciate you for that title. But Danny, we've seen
you on the court this year. We've also seen you,
you know, doing some broadcasts and some media stuff. So
I just want to get our listeners and viewers caught up.
What have you been up to since, you know, hitting
the court with the Sixers earlier this.

Speaker 3 (10:40):
Season exactly that. I actually just love Yahoo Studios.

Speaker 4 (10:44):
I'm doing the bracket and the tournament with them, so
just talking some of the game. We'll be watching the
game in studio live, mostly against some live reaction stuff,
and then we'll be talking and breaking down the game.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
It's been a.

Speaker 4 (10:55):
While since I've actually been honed in on college basketball
watch it here there. Once you're in the pros, you
kind of just focus on and not only doing homework
for media stuff, but for your scout. So I was
usually watching professional games, NBA games because I'm got to
keep it the date. If i want to play, if
I'm going to play against the guy, I need to
know who was who. So it's been it's a little

(11:15):
different now, but I feel like college is this time
of year is always fun. Everybody's ready to see if
they can win some money. Everybody's ready to see if
their school can represent them the right way, you know
what I'm saying. So that's a fun time.

Speaker 1 (11:27):
Yeah, I did. I didn't feel winning the championship and
you done like NCAA championship, could you know, like that's
what it's all for, Like if you did for one
year or two year, three year, four you you just
want to win one, you know, I mean could That's
something you get to hold for a long time.

Speaker 4 (11:39):
I'm very lucky, bro, especially to being my last college game.
I was a senior, so be able to win my
last college game, it's surreal moment. You know, as a kid,
you dream of this when when your driveway working out
wherever it is. But yeah, to go win a championship
in college, what you go to those schools for It's
what while you.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
Went to Kentucky and y'all had a chance to y'all
had a really good team. You have really good this year.

Speaker 4 (12:00):
So you guys might be able to do it is
you know, if Carolina don't don't do it. I see
Kentucky being one of the teams. I don't want to
see Yukon going back to back. So you want to
see a new winner. But yeah, man winning the national title,
being able to play with some of those guys, being
on that stage, being in my senior year, going to
the tournament every year, and the able a chance to
experience it.

Speaker 3 (12:20):
Everybody gets that.

Speaker 4 (12:21):
So I'm truly blessed man to be a part of
some great groups, not just in the NBA but in
college too. So said, I'm extremely blessed to be in
the positions I've been in.

Speaker 2 (12:30):
Danny, we talked about a lot on this show, like
the ups and downs, the highs and lows of the career,
and you talked about, you know, playing in the tournament,
playing for unc Obviously you guys are top, but then
you know, you get into the NBA and I think
a lot of people know about you. You know, you
won these championships the NBA, But like you had an
interesting start. You're waived by the Calvs after twenty games,
and a lot a lot of times the story ends

(12:51):
there for a lot of players. But you went g
League overseas and then you had a breakout season with
the Spurs, and I think we all, you know, a
lot of the community found out about you from that finals.
But can you talk a little bit about like sort
of what you were going through early on in your
career and like sort of that unlocker discovery that led to,
you know, the career that we all know.

Speaker 4 (13:10):
Yeah, when you're a kid, it's tough to understand, you know,
and I actually handle some of the tough parts of life.
When you're an adult, you've seen so many ups and downs.
You're going through so many different things. That's just part
of what builds you as a man and your character.
And it never ends, never stops. Whether you're a kid,
whether you're an adult. There's always no matter how successfully are,

(13:31):
there's always gonna be ups and down. There's always gonna
be pitfalls. There's only gonna be you know, parts where
you're gonna lose confidence or second guess yourself. Even as
an adult, you know, and you know to be like,
you know, I know I can do this, but I'm
not getting this. You know, I'm not getting attention. I'm
not getting you know, what I deserve. And that's a
big part of life. You know, there's gonna be some
unfair treatment. There's gonna be uh, some hiccups. There's gonna

(13:51):
be sometimes where you do everything right and you still
don't get what you're supposed to you deserve and understand.
As adult now it's easier for me to handle it
and figure out other avenue. As a kid, all I
knew was I got to get in the gym.

Speaker 3 (14:03):
You know, I gotta get better. I gotta I.

Speaker 4 (14:04):
Gotta find you know, find a way to make it happen.
And this is probably one of the first times in
my life where I'll truly like busted my ass to
get somewhere and not see the reward for not right away,
but like pretty soon. So it's like I'm still waiting.
He's still waiting on a call. He's still waiting on this.
But yeah, as a young and you know, not only
just on the court, I didn't start till my senior year.

(14:25):
So lucky enough, I got to win a championship. But
I was playing good my miss my freshman year. Then
we had a whole good recruiting class come in and
I'm on the bench barely playing and seeing if I
want to transfer. Not back then, you can't just transfer
keep playing. You got to sit out of here, do
all other extra stuff.

Speaker 3 (14:39):
Pain't paying you.

Speaker 4 (14:40):
So going from that and haveing family issues back home,
you know, somebody pops getting locked up, certain things, brothers
going through it that there's a lot of different things
up and down. So yeah, early on, even getting drafted
and like people think you make it and you got
a lot of money back then, I don't know if
you know. I was a second round pick and the
money was nowhere near what it is today around pick

(15:00):
before taxes, like forty four, it's like four hundred thousand dollars.
And after that you may may take the two hundred
thousand dollars and people think you're making a millionaire. So yeah,
you still have to pay the debts, whether it's college
or family, whatever it is, and figure out your way
and figure out if you're going to be in a rotation.
I had to play during a lockout when overseas, so
but Luckily I had a good foundation around me. I
had a good supporting cast with not only my Carolina family,

(15:23):
but my my real family, you know, my father and
my brothers. They were all there and we all have
said different stories, up and downs and testaments of life. Luckily,
mine wasn't as crazy as some other peoples are going
through it in different ways. So during that time, it
said basketball is my outlet. My family was my outlet.
And even now it's the same. You know, I use

(15:43):
other Now I have other outlets. I can have podcasts now,
we can talk about it. I can go media stuff,
I can do different things. I can talk with my friends.
Some people go to therapy. I've done therapy that helps
you vent and get different perspective on it, which is
a big thing now. Before back in the past, people
were looking at therapy and like, I don't, you know,
look at it. It's a different, different viewpoint. But I
think it's healthy. We have a healthier world now. You know,
it's a little softer, it's a little more sensitive. I

(16:04):
do like the old school part of the world, but
it is healthier for you know, our next generation, our
kids to be able to express themselves and get the
help and the resources that they need.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
And you talked about like sophomore year, you think about
going to Portal. One thing I always try to they
like high school kids when they making a college decision,
like make it for yourself. You know what I mean,
Because if somebody else making for your college, your high
school coach or somebody like that, and it don't work out,
you're blaming them for it. But if you put yourself
in that position, you like, I can I can sit
here and I can fight through it. I can make
that adjustment.

Speaker 4 (16:36):
And it's tough as a kid, right you only like seventeen,
eighteen years old. Even deciding to go to school, your
parents are big influence on where you go. I mean
I always thought I could play anywhere, but going to Carolina,
I'm like, shit, I wasn't the top Maye McDonald's. But
I wasn't like one of those guys, you know what I'm
sayings like, damn ill go to Carolina. I might not
play and I didn't. I didn't play until my senior
I had to fight to get into that. So even

(16:56):
when I was thinking about transferring, it was like, what's
a better fit for me? Because I wasn't playing and
also what's closer to home because that issues going on
the bank at the crib. So, you know, just going
through that process and becoming a man and learning how
to make decisions on your own, it's tough and finding
out who you are and what's the best for you.
You kind of don't really know that at that point,
but you still figure it out. So, you know, these
young kids now said it's easier to figure out, and

(17:18):
now they can move better and get paid. And also
if things don't work out in the situation they don't like,
they can figure out and still play without having to
sit out a year or do.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
This and that.

Speaker 4 (17:27):
So it's that it's a better space for the young
kids and they're getting more of what they deserve. And
it said the resources around them are making it you know,
healthier mentally and for them to grow up fast. We
have to have so much more information. You know, I
had to go to the library. J Up, you know,
was saying back in the day there was no Google
on the phones. You got to you got Google, can learn,
they got TikTok, and they learned so much on social
media that they're way smarter than us earlier. So the

(17:48):
maturing faster, which helps them to become adults, you know,
make decisions for themselves. Back when we were younger, it
was really hard. We just had to trust and our coaches.
We should trust in our AAU coaches program and our
parents like this might be that's it was like we.

Speaker 3 (18:01):
All right, I guess I'm going to fucking you know
what I'm saying. This work.

Speaker 4 (18:05):
But now kids are able to grow up and now
they get more freedom to do it, and they're encouraging
more to make decisions earlier to where they can grow
up fast and become mature adults by the time make
a decision to go to college.

Speaker 1 (18:15):
Yeah, so you was able to learn under one of
the most respected coaches of all time, coach pop Uh.
I just always want to know, like how was it
being coached by him and how he makes each and
every player come out and be a better version of
theyself in their leadership. Because I always respected Pop, like
you know, I mean going to the USA Select team,
being around him, just hearing them talk about the game

(18:36):
and the respect fact he has. I always wish I
had the opportunity to be coached by himself.

Speaker 4 (18:41):
Yeah, I want to I want to ask you how
your experienced with him was during the USA team, because
it's a different guy in season.

Speaker 3 (18:46):
Not everybody can play.

Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, I think USA. I think like he was joking
and laughing a lot more. And it's like he wasn't
the head coach at the time, but like he's being
around his president just trying to pick his knowledge as
much as possible. But I know it's totally different being
in a full season under him. Then you know me,
He's like, it's like when I first got to coach cal,
like you let me just talking to me before I
played for him, I'm like, oh, he's cool. But then
when he starting to get between those four lines and

(19:10):
you got twenty suicides in twenty minutes at six am,
I'm like, god, I think I picked the wrong school.
So I would let to know your experience what POP was.

Speaker 4 (19:17):
So I was lucky enough to have a crazy high
school coach. Shout out to coach Tim Kluse. He coached
me in Saint Mary's and he coached Iona. We had
success and then ended up having issues and also transferring
and going to different schools and went to Long Island,
you know, c W Post and Long Island. But he
was crazy, so he prepared me for coach Williams and

(19:37):
then who prepared me for Pop to handle him? But
I said, not everybody can play for Pop. And off
the court, he's great, you know, Grandpa jokes comedian. You know,
I can't stop black, And I got older, I got
more comfortable with asthma. But you just his presence is
like feared, like you just scared, nervous. You want to
be like the principal. You know what I'm saying, it'll
be on your p's and q's. And when he said something,

(19:59):
you listen and you you're trying to because your first
instance of like when you get with him, he's gonna
let you know that you're not safe by cussing out Timmy,
Tony and Minum. So like when you get there, it's like,
all right, new guys here, even no matter who we're playing,
he's gonna call time out and rip somebody. And it's
gonna be somebody you don't expect them to rip. And

(20:19):
you're like, damn, that just puts you on. You're already
you're already scared of him, but now you're like, damn,
you cuss out Timmy like that, I know I'm not
safe to I better make sure I do my job.
But yeah, he on the court, most intense guy. He
loves a getting very passionate study, but most intense in
your face. Depending on who you are. He knows who
can handle what. But he's gonna push you. They put
you on, say, at a box, but they put you

(20:41):
in a position to where your strengths are until you
can be successful in that and figure out how to
wait to push the right buttons to get you to
play at your Like. So if it's like, oh, we
know John plays better when he's angry, you know what
he We play so and So on Thursday. This is Sunday,
we play fucking who knows it might be a weaker team.
We're gonna play them right now. Might cush you out
to get you angry for that game Thursday. Like that's

(21:02):
the type of things Pop will do. It's like a
chess game. So it's like, all right, I know you're
chasing so and so. He may not be as good
chasing Kyle Kover, but you better be on your fuck
because we got Klay Toms and Seth Curry. So if
you don't do your job chasing James, I'm gonna cush
you out and take you out and you'd be sitting
in the doghouse. So I know that that you're gonna
be built up to where you're gonna take the game serious.
You have a sense of urgency, so when you're chasing
these other guys, you're gonna be ready, and then you

(21:23):
have some one of your better performances. So he's really
good at that playing the chess game, but also just
a get the best out of you and putting your
positions to be successful, Like, all right, this is what
you're good at. Gonna do that and you're gonna perfectice.
You're gonna be elite at this. You don't need to work.
You can work on some of that weaknesses here and there,
but you know, you're good at floats and penetrating the
pitching and find a guy, so you're gonna do that.
You shoot a three occasionally in the corner, so Tony
was really not shooting many threes outside of the corner

(21:45):
threes when he's wide open, you fatilitape, you don't have
an open shot. You find somebody and you you know,
do that. So they were really good with that and
not just pop with assistant coaches as well.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
Danny do you have like a crazy or funny pop
story that won't lead your head like you always come
to you when people ask.

Speaker 3 (22:02):
There's a thousand of them. It depends on situation.

Speaker 4 (22:04):
You know, there's final situations, there's preseason situations. I always
love preseason pop because he's very more. He's a lot
more laxatic. Our preseasons were pretty like because we had
older guys. He messed with some of the new guys
coming in and cussed out the old guys to scare
the new guys and also throw them because he ain't
afraid to if you're new, to throw you in the fire.
So you get a call up and you're just I'm

(22:25):
just hit a cheer guys on no first quarter. He's
gonna throw you in the game and see if you're
fucking ready, like yo, oh John, let's go.

Speaker 3 (22:31):
And you're like, I just got here.

Speaker 1 (22:32):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3 (22:32):
I don't even know the place, get in there. You
know what I'm saying. He's gonna he's gonna call your number.

Speaker 4 (22:37):
So I always enjoyed when he messed with those guys
and randomly select starters and see how the reaction is
and it makes some jokes. So I have a thousand
pop stories that stand out, and every time we went
to dinner. I remember going to dinner with him as
I got older and was comfortable enough to ask him
questions about like some of the things he did when
he played, and.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
He's like, oh, you're got to fucking cut for some
and so they picked the wrong guy. You know, I
should have been playing.

Speaker 4 (22:59):
And you know, his first experience, you know, when certain
things that I legal, when we got legal, you know,
his first experience we ever tried, you ever tried drugs before?

Speaker 3 (23:06):
It's like, you know, he told the long story, but
I tried it one time. It didn't go well.

Speaker 4 (23:12):
I didn't know where I was at, and I never
tried it toge like something like that. So those things
always stand out for me. Funny as hell, But those
things I would never ask when I was a kid.
I would ask when I was older. It's like, all right,
he's more comfortable telling me. And I've been with him
for six seven years, it's like, all right, he's you know,
I did this one time I was hanging out this girl.

Speaker 3 (23:26):
I dropped off.

Speaker 4 (23:27):
I forgot I dropped off, and I was like, he's like,
where's a Jenny or something like that. I never did
it again. I never tried it again.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
So yeah, hey, how well do you think when you
can flaish under him, how can he still connect with
the young players?

Speaker 4 (23:40):
He's adjusted well, man, I think he's had to, especially
with the Kawhi situation, and then when Damar came over
and LaMarcus came over, he had different personality, had to
adjust and adapt to because those guys are not saying
that they're not humble guys, but they're not like Timmy
Tony Mono, like the foreigners are just different, you know.
La Marcus humble guy was still like you know, he's

(24:01):
got superstars, Chawhi, sus Lamar, they used to being their
guys in their system before they came over.

Speaker 3 (24:06):
And then we had Becky, So he had Becky. She
kind of interned first and then he helped. She helped
and now she's doing her thing with the women's Siwe.
She's do an amazing things.

Speaker 1 (24:15):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (24:16):
So he's had descendants.

Speaker 4 (24:17):
All over the league, all over the world, well, playing
coaching in Europe. So I think he's done an amazing
job allowing people to grow and also to learn his
system just not you know, women, men, kids, everybody. You
see that he's touched, I said him. Certain people have
the micas touch, you know what I'm saying, Like, they
always find ways to sprinkle it into people and they

(24:38):
become successful. You know, you see it in Miami and
you see it. You even see Lebron and his people
would clutch, you know, that type of thing. Certain guys
that he puts in certain positions, even his guys, and
he's able to make their platforms or whatever grow. Pop
is one of those guys and he's able to do
it not only with men, but on the women's side
as well.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, Danny, going back to one of your championships twenty
twenty Lakers the Internet. You know, Lakers haters of course.

Speaker 1 (25:02):
Are out there.

Speaker 2 (25:02):
They like to sit discount the bubble. They call it, oh,
the Disney Championship, the bubble let Mike your whatever, What
is your response to people who say that that title
was easier?

Speaker 4 (25:12):
I mean, to each their own. You know, everybody has
their opinion. You know, everybody has one, some of them, madam,
some don't. Some of them hold more weight than others,
depend on where you've been and what you've done.

Speaker 1 (25:22):
To me.

Speaker 3 (25:22):
It was the hardest one mentally, physically, emotionally. It's just tough.
That's said. And I've spoken on this multiple times, hundreds
of times. No matter how nice you make an area,
it's still tough to be in it. And it was
a really nice resort, you know what I'm saying. But
being in that space for one hundred days, the first
two months without your family, friends, girlfriends, wives, et cetera,

(25:43):
and then being with them confined in a small space.
No matter how much you golf, no matter how much
you go to restaurants or walk around the facilities, it
closes in on you.

Speaker 4 (25:54):
And it was it was tough. It was tough, But
what's that It was well worth it. We got a
chance to win and got out of there with a win.
Because I can imagine being on the other side of it,
your Miami. You have to go one hundred days and
then come out and lose. That's got to be to
go home with that, that's got to be a tough one.
Because even years that we did lose, when we weren't
in the bubble, it was a tough summer for me.
We had short summers. We lost to Miami. Short summer,

(26:16):
tough one and I got a chance to travel world
and do whatever and kind of like try to take
my mind off of it when you're in COVID in
the bubble and all you can think about that's the
only thing going on. When you're a basketball fan and
just a basketball like. You know, it says your passion.
It's hard to get your get away from it, and
it could wear on you a lot mentally.

Speaker 1 (26:34):
Mhm. So it's so many young talented guards in the
league right now. Who you think it like? Your top
five you think right now? Because it's like, you know,
the game has changed. It's so different from it's different.
It can't be as physical and you know, so I wasn't.

Speaker 3 (26:48):
Like jel, I know, bro, we' defensive guys. We were
to you know, be a physical guard.

Speaker 1 (26:53):
Can somebody just tell me? The other day I had
said it on the O G's podcast, and I was like,
it's so different now. It's a lot. It's just really
about scoring, Like I mean, a lot of shots, a
lot of scoring and just a man like when you
first came and you could shoot fifteen to seventeen threes
in one game, you might behead director, you know what
I mean. Somebody telling them like you don't play defense.
I was like, if you don't think I did that,
your choice. I'm not about to argue with you, Like

(27:13):
you got your own point, but I just like to see,
like where everybody point of view, because you came in
a year right before me and know how it is,
like how the game was played, and like how do
you see, like who you think is your top five guard?
You think it's special right now?

Speaker 4 (27:26):
To your point, it has changed a lot the game.
And I know, I remember I've seen the clip he says.
It's hard to watch at times it's just all offense.
I do like the fact that alim Sil was trying
to figure out a way to less defensive, because they
did change the rules a little bit.

Speaker 3 (27:40):
You know, Trey used to James had us swipe through
the arms.

Speaker 4 (27:43):
Can't play, they find ye, you stopped jump backwards.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
You can't even defensively. They got screeners.

Speaker 4 (27:50):
The toughest thing that said, these guys are so good,
it makes it even harder when you let Gowns seat
the legal screens.

Speaker 3 (27:55):
We let him carry the ball trail.

Speaker 4 (27:57):
I'm saying certain guys will make a decision shoot pass
football on the floor, double step backs now like it's
a different game.

Speaker 3 (28:03):
But the young group for me, man I love.

Speaker 4 (28:06):
And said, I'm biased because some of these kids I
got to play with him, watch up close, and you know,
Tyers Max is one of them, Desmond Dane and I
got to see John Moran if you know, things go
in the right direction for him. Those are young guys.
But guys that I didn't get a chance to see
or match up with, will play with. Anthony Edwards. I
got a chance to play against him. But he's starting
to come into it. You know, he's one of my
favorite guys. When he's mustle TV yes night and night
out they're playing Utah Jazz. Nobody can see a Minnesota

(28:29):
Utah Jazz game. But when he's doing ship like that,
we got the posters. You gotta watch him, what I'm saying, like,
I got to see what he gonna do at night
and night out. There's some young guys that's like the
way who Jenleen Brunton's playing really well. Tyers Talbert had
a great such earlier. Right now he's struggling, but I
do I love the way he plays the game. But
it said something when it comes from Biggs Segoun from Houston.

(28:52):
I could see him being another Yokic coming up.

Speaker 1 (28:56):
About him when I was there, he got a chance
to be special. I've seen up close and personal.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
When you see it's like you don't really notice, and
when you get a chance to see it up close,
you're like, all right, I knew Tyreese Max is gonna
be just the way he carried himself, like, Yo, he's
gonna be good like he's in.

Speaker 3 (29:09):
I didn't think it's gonna be superstar. I want to
shoven superstar that fast. And I'm like, yo, and wh
I've seen playing like he's gonna be a star and
you can see it saying is another good thick Wenby.
Haven't got a chance to see him up close, but
just watching how he moves, I'm not gonna lie. Like
at first, I was like, we're not having another bow
Bol situation.

Speaker 1 (29:24):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (29:24):
I just couldn't see a seven to five guy being
effective and being that light and thin. But in today's
game before it stretch him and check, those guys are
gonna be young enough and coming. But outside of these
really young guys, you know, you got Shay, you got Luca,
you know those guys Jason Tatum that the kind of
right now running the league, and I think the league's
in a good space. Jaylen Williams another kid people see

(29:47):
that backcourt man. Those those kids are unbelievable. They really
deserve their flowers offensively and defensively. They're gonna be okay,
See it's gonna be And you know we were making
fun of Okay, see just a year or two like
this is so terrible. Why you know what I'm saying.
They have always picks, Why they not using them? Getting
rid of them? They're gonna be bad for them. They
shave has really turned that organization around, and then bringing
in Jaylen Williams aboard and then Check getting healthy. So

(30:09):
you know, So those are some of the young guys
that I like to watch and said I want to
see jogging back. But I think the NBA is in
a good space right now because I rest. I wonder
when bron is gone, when the old two guy's.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
Gone as league.

Speaker 4 (30:19):
I think the league is a really good hands right
now and a good space with hopefully Zion's staying healthy
and all these other guys that I just mentioned coming
into their own and coming into their prime.

Speaker 2 (30:29):
Danny staying on the young guys conversation. You know, we
have the Thunder, we had the Timberwolves kind of hovering
that one and two spot. But everyone's still picking the Nuggets.
Everyone's still picking you know, Celtics to make it there.
So it is is experience. Can you talk about how
that experience kind of like really comes into play in
the playoffs?

Speaker 4 (30:46):
Huge man, because when it comes down to the playoffs,
the game slows down his fourth quarter execution, you know,
And that's what's what experience. If you haven't been there before,
you don't know how you're going to react, and you
don't know how your players can react. When it comes
to coach also coaching, you don't know how coach is
gonna react. They may over coach. They may not know
what play to call, who to put in. They may
not trust this guy or trust that when it's like

(31:08):
all right, and it all comes down to when when
I think of plays, it comes down to not only
your stars, but your X factors, And is the coach
gonna put those guys.

Speaker 3 (31:15):
In the position too to help save the group? You
know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (31:20):
It might be like, say, if it's not Bostons in
Minnesota saying all right, we got Uh, what's the other
other group who's coming up? The man Mike Connley, Olvise's
a that but like another young kid.

Speaker 1 (31:35):
McDaniels, Yeah, Jada McDaniels, Alexander Walker.

Speaker 4 (31:39):
Like those guys, those are the guys they're gonna need
to step up. You know, I'm saying, Athe's gonna do
what he does. Cat's gonna do what he does.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
Go Bear, Mike Collin. But like when it comes to
the playoffs, the game solds down.

Speaker 4 (31:47):
We need somebody to come out of their their own
and win it's a series, win us a game, and
that could be like one of those guys when it
comes to Okay, see it may not be check Jalen
or you know, it might be Isaiah Joe coming off
the bench. You know, we need him and score for team.
For us, the average fifteen for the series. That changes
the whole day. The other team didn't game plan for that.
So experience is huge when it comes to the playoffs,

(32:09):
because playoffs, when it comes down to it, every team
knows everybody's plays, and it comes executing for forty eight
minutes or for longer of the forty eight minutes and
another team and usually that comes down to experience, and
nobody's Denver, Jamal and Yoki. They know each other so well.
It's like they all, right, fourth quarter, we know we're
doing San Antonio. We had four players. Everybody knew when
they were coming. They still couldn't stop them because we

(32:29):
just knew each other so well. It's like we knew
they cut this off, there's another option, Tony coming back door,
so and so, Manu here, and it was just all
some guys that in that moment, even though they know
the plays, they might get nervous and mess it up
because they don't have that experience. They're just like, ohr,
the lights might get to them. You don't know how
they're going to react in those moments when it comes
down to executing in front of twenty thousand fans screaming

(32:50):
on the road and when you know there's something on
the line.

Speaker 3 (32:54):
So experience plays a huge factor when it comes to winning.

Speaker 1 (32:56):
Championship for sure. I mean we just playing in playoffs
early on. We had Trevor Reza and they taught us
so much about like I didn't know, you know, like
the first possession, somebody like they don't mean nothing. I Rember,
I didn't get back Trevor fetched me out so bad.
He's like, no, every fucking possession means something, and it
really does. Like Denny said, like you knew everybody play,
you know they want to run. I remember, I think

(33:17):
it was twenty fourteen while we were playing Indiana and
we knew that was running the side pick and roll
with George Hill and David West pocket pass with You
couldn't help because Paul George in the strong corner. So
it was like, how did we stop it? Like we
knew to play, but it was just bread and butter.
So experience definitely comes to factor too. It like my
first time in the plous we didn't know. We knew
we wanted to run the fourth quarter, but we were
just nervous. We never was in that position before. But

(33:39):
then the next year after that, I finally had that
experience understood. And then my last year twenty seventeen, we
lost to the Celtics. We knew I was gonna kill.
He was gonna do his thing, you know, he was
scoring at the high level. But Game seven, kay Lynn
went for like fifteen and the fourth quarter that we
didn't expect.

Speaker 3 (33:54):
Didn't plan for.

Speaker 4 (33:55):
At least y'all have to experience like it took years
years of like finally all right, feel comfortable in that
space and said, every every possession matters. It started the
game to the end because it sets the tone, and
that first possession sets the tone. And I remember the
year that we won it in twenty fourteen. We came
back next year, it was wild in the West. We
lost the game. We was two seed, lost the last
game of the season ended up being a seventeen.

Speaker 3 (34:14):
We played the Clippers in the first round, and this
is when I think they might have had I don't know.

Speaker 4 (34:18):
This was a short season. We had back to back
in the playoffs. Was crazy and two seeds versus seven
seed and it's us the Clippers. Really should be a
Western Conference final matchup, but it's a first round matchup.
And to start the game, I'm guarding JJ with chasing
and which sutting down Jaja JJ's first quarter, he's getting
everything shot to look like not shutting down, but we're
keeping him contained, you know what I'm saying. And all

(34:39):
of a sudden, Matt Barnes is getting three and like
what the and kawhi Jar you know, they're like and
it's like yo, Timmy's like Yo, you can't. We can't
allow this to happen, like you can't like and for
Timmy to say something, you know, go at quiet in
a huddle, let him know, like, yo, wake up, you
know this is time.

Speaker 3 (34:52):
It don't matter first quarter four like its first possession.
You got to make sure you don't. You can't let
guys like this hurt us. We can't prepare what we
prepare for. Jas had to score ten to fifteen. We
can't prepare for Matt Barnes scored nine points in the
first court, Like, nah, he's supposed to stay under his
four points or within that.

Speaker 4 (35:07):
If he affects the game, that changes the heart, like yo,
now we got to stop other guys. So all those
possessions matter, man, and Tony was a big Timmy. All
those guys are big on like letting you know when
you're messing up and when you need to execute and
be on your p's and q's, like look, don't dick
around like you need to be awake.

Speaker 3 (35:23):
Wake the fun and that pop was great at that too.
You cuss everybody out. Anybody.

Speaker 2 (35:27):
I got a question for both you guys, because you
and c and Kentucky going back to college a little
bit with the tournament coming up, I wanted to ask
you if you guys could build your all time five
from your respective schools. So you and c versus Kentucky,
who do you think would win?

Speaker 3 (35:42):
They have a great they have a great alum man, unbelievable.
But when we have Mike, that's tough.

Speaker 4 (35:50):
We have Mike, you know it, It's tough to compete
that we have Mike, Evince, we got Stack, we got
guys in our even our second unit would be pretty good.

Speaker 3 (35:58):
I know as of late, our alum had hasn't been
as good.

Speaker 4 (36:00):
So like, if you go by era, it'll be a
tough like Kentucky can probably get us in you know,
certain maybe twenty twenty tens.

Speaker 3 (36:08):
You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 4 (36:09):
Like later, like are a lot of our guys back
in the day with Sam Perkins, like Anteline Jamison. The
Vince says back, there's so many guys that we can
list off. But if you go by error, it'll be
a tough matchup. But if you go all time, I
think it's a tough when you have Mike, Vince, stag
Twan Jamison. She I mean, and this is before you
college played, But Tyler Tala had this great run in.

Speaker 1 (36:31):
The in college.

Speaker 4 (36:31):
Talla Hansbrough had a great college career and recently had
a rankings of like the best college careers.

Speaker 1 (36:36):
And I think it has to be. It has to be.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
And it was interesting to me to see like that
they did a lot of one and done's.

Speaker 4 (36:43):
But we have we have a Really it'd be a
hell of a matchup, I'll tell you that, regardless of
what the lineups are, because you got azcause you got
all those guys.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
Man, it's just that you hit it right. I know,
Like it depends on what the game is so different.
So that says all the time because somebody just I
think Book and Matt Barr just had one about like
you as Kentucky and they was like putting their teams
together and stack. Stephen Jashon was like, hell no, mad,
the team you put together and have a chance.

Speaker 4 (37:10):
Ye because like I mean, if you now old enough
to because back when we idolize those guys, they're still great.

Speaker 3 (37:16):
When you watch the eighties and nineties, the basketball is
so different, like completely still set now.

Speaker 4 (37:22):
It's like yo Ad is shooting three, like the Bigs
weren't shooting threes back then.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
What I'm saying, like able to handle the ball.

Speaker 4 (37:27):
Becuz was handling the ball, shooting threes, doing like That's
a tough matchup for fucking Anton Jamison. That's a tough
matchup for she any of those guys playing a big spots.
So it's different games, hard to compare. I do love
where the game is growing, though, and I do still
respect old the elders, the older guys that paved the

(37:48):
way for us, and they are great. But these kids nowadays,
they're doing stuff so step backs and euro steps. We
weren't doing that shit in high school.

Speaker 1 (37:55):
Man getting called for travelers. Yeah, they wouldn't know what
it was. I mean the first time a step in
high school, the rep called travel. I'm like, what I said,
you must not be watching. I do not watch no NBA.

Speaker 3 (38:06):
They showed a flip of the first euro step. I
think it was Dominique Wilkins back.

Speaker 1 (38:09):
In the day.

Speaker 3 (38:10):
Yeah, it's bad they called the travel. They called the
travel and I'm like, that's a clean move. It was nice.

Speaker 4 (38:15):
I think you might have missed it, but it was smooth.
They didn't know what it was. Because they didn't know
what it was, they just called the travel. I was like,
damn back and eighties actually tried it just eleven.

Speaker 2 (38:22):
What happened was Genobo getting called for him early on.

Speaker 3 (38:25):
No no, no, no, no, he's one of the first that
he's one of the first to kind of bring it
over for real. Yeah, he was one of the trend setters.

Speaker 4 (38:31):
And then obviously, you know, James kind of made it
a perfect like affected that and then the step back
and then double step back. But the Euros are the
ones that kind of brought it over and made it
more like they normalized it so where it's like, yeah,
we do this in Europe, and in Europe they called
more travels there than they do here.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
So in an NBA they want to see entertainment. You
what I'm saying, They're not going to call as many
travels depend on who you are, not calling carries and
travels and double troubles. You know, certain guys, certain guys
make it it.

Speaker 4 (38:55):
But it's like if this is a special player and
he acts like he knows what he's doing, it's clean.
You know, bron might do a spin move until you're like, oh, Bron,
he did it like he was confidence had gotta be.

Speaker 1 (39:08):
It's like Joanna's coming in transition, like you know you
can do you taking three steps, like I barely get
stop him taking two steps. So it's like picking choose.
So the tournament getting close, how far you think Carolina
can go? We both, we both both for our teams
that just at least y'all made it to the a
SEC Championship when my team fell in the first round,
which I was upset about. But you know, like I
was saying earlier to CJ, it's like, it's tough to

(39:30):
win non straight, Like I mean when the conference tournament
then to go no, you.

Speaker 4 (39:34):
Need that loss, you need that lost. That loss is necessary.
And every time we won a SEC title, we lost
in the tournament. So that's why I do care if
Carolina one a SC like the conference uh tournament because
I wanted us to have a better chance because winning
the tournament it's hard to go in. You need that,
you need a little edge, and you need to your shoulders.
So I like our chances. I don't like the fact
that we lost NC State in the Championshi game. I

(39:55):
didn't want us to win it though, but the fact
that we lost.

Speaker 3 (39:57):
To them, I'm like, damn the State. What I'm saying, Yeah,
but they're not duke out.

Speaker 4 (40:02):
So like cool whatever, and so they would let them
have at But I like our chances. I do like
Kentucky's chances as well. I think this is one of
the years that we can get it done for sure,
gets to the final four. It'd be nice if so.
I'll be covering them on Yahoo. But we have a
good group, and I think our bracket is pretty I
want to say easy, but it's one of the easier ones.
It's it's pretty smooth.

Speaker 1 (40:21):
I think you know, Sunday you get the hardest bracket.

Speaker 4 (40:27):
Yukon I think has the toughest one. Kentucky has a
pretty good one.

Speaker 1 (40:31):
Like y'all. In the second round we might have Texas
or they will.

Speaker 4 (40:35):
But has a pretty smooth and we have a pretty
pretty good one. So I like our bracket. I don't
like the fact of them might have to stay Michigan
see Michigan State second and second third game. And then
Baylor's in our bracket. But outside of that, Yukon's got Illinois, Auburn,
all of them, it's to Kentucky. Y'all got some depending on
y'all had a bracket where the guys are injuries, so
like Houston, They're a little shaky, but they got I.

Speaker 1 (40:57):
Feel like Houston, Houston gets there every year year and
then like right around the tournament time, they start to
fall apart, like they have a good team every year.
I don't know. I think the Marquete guard might be
out right.

Speaker 4 (41:07):
There are seasons based on that, whether he can get
healthy or not and get back. Wisconsin has a good
decent group. I have some sleepers, but I think y'all
could definitely come out. Y'all can make it out. But
I like I like our chances. I like our chances
with our bracket.

Speaker 1 (41:20):
Yeah, for us. The most important thing for us, like
we can score the ball at a high level. I
just think they have to lock in defense, you know
how it is like to like the way they play
defense when they went to Tennessee the last game in
the regular season and one. If they can play that defense,
they have a great chance.

Speaker 4 (41:33):
I got a lot of talent, a lot of NBA players.
You have a mix, I think you have on the younger,
younger side. You have to rely on some of younger
guys to like keep it consistent because they've been great
all season. Now it's like tournament time. Are you're gonna
when the lights are break?

Speaker 1 (41:46):
Are you gonna when the moment?

Speaker 4 (41:48):
Are they gonna keep it going? You have to win
your losses. That's why I tell people in the tournament,
you gotta win your losses.

Speaker 1 (41:53):
The nights.

Speaker 4 (41:53):
When you play shitty, you find a way to get
a W. So I think Carolina at least makes the
final four. I'll be happy with that. If they have
to face like a Yukon On somebody in the final
four and they lose, I'm like, all right, I understand
is Connecticut is unbelievable, but.

Speaker 3 (42:05):
I'm hoping that somebody knocks them out early. I think
Auburn might get them.

Speaker 1 (42:08):
Yeah. I think that's like the most team. It's like complete,
like they just knowed who they are, Like they know
where they already brought a lot of guys back from
last year. They just completely know who they are. I'm
super excited for the tournament time. I think I might
sneak down to the final four and see.

Speaker 3 (42:22):
It's gonna be a fun one.

Speaker 1 (42:22):
Man.

Speaker 3 (42:23):
It's in Phoenix, so it ain't a bad place to be,
you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (42:26):
Uh, Danny, I wanted to ask you because you had
an interesting thing in your career. You played with two
thousand and nine Lebron and then you play with twenty
twenty Lebron. Were there specific differences between the two different Lebrons.

Speaker 4 (42:36):
He was still the same. He was a big kid,
but he found he knew how to win at that point.
He learned how to when he went down to SPA
in Miami. He knew how important the details and execution was.
He always had a great mind for the game. He
always understood the game. He knew it greatly. He was
a big that it had shack too at the time.
Big ass kids you know, play a lot, played around
a lot like a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (42:57):
But said he knew how to take it serious. He
knew what he needed.

Speaker 4 (42:59):
Around him to get it done, and he also knew
the details of like, yo, now we can walk through.

Speaker 3 (43:04):
Let's go over that again. I don't like that. I
don't like him there. Let's make sure let's get this.
Let's change that now.

Speaker 4 (43:09):
And because some people go through rounds like we all
hate you rouns fucking pointless. But if you serious for
no reason during the season is like, all right, we
played these guys last week.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
We don't need this. But in the playoffs walk through.

Speaker 4 (43:21):
If you take them tore you get you can get
something out of especially mentals like all right, make sure
so we know we're going over this is what they're
gonna do. And when they do do this, make this adjustment.
What are we gonna adjust to? So yeah, he was
big on that in the details, and I think he
learned that when he got to Miami. So that's the
only difference outside of that. Still a big ass kid
man like to have fun and play the game is
just to there's times where he can go off and

(43:43):
as times he said he's gonna make the game easier
for you and said during this times where it's like
all right, he's gonna challenge you. So it's like, yeah,
you better step up to the plate and he's going
to make sure you better be there or he's gonna
be like, yo, you're not doing your job. So you
just gonna make sure you're you're on your your p's
and q's too to not let him or the rest
of the group down.

Speaker 1 (44:03):
So now you and your now you got your own podcast.
Inside the green room, Danny Green like, how do you
feel about, like, let me take it that next step
of going into that and been into the podcast.

Speaker 4 (44:11):
Feel yeah, man, I love it, man, especially in the
fact that everybody's doing it, man, Like you know what
I'm saying, seeing you guys, seeing you have your own
Bronz JJ, all those guys.

Speaker 3 (44:19):
I'm this is year six for me.

Speaker 4 (44:20):
I've been doing it and I started doing it right
when right before the trade me who I.

Speaker 3 (44:24):
Got traded to Toronto.

Speaker 4 (44:26):
It was just another way for me because I always
know what I wanted to do after ball, and I
wanted to get into the media space because coaching, I
think I'd be good at it, but I just think
it's too stressful. I don't want to I don't want
to mess with it, man, saying I like to keep
my hair the color it is, and I like to
keep my hair. I don't want to be going balved,
people going bolved getting great hair. And you know the
stress of the player, man, Like we take on a lot.

Speaker 3 (44:47):
There's a house. I can imagine relying on other grown
men to keep your jobs to building like, this's an
unstable job for me. So I wanted to get into
the media space.

Speaker 4 (44:57):
So this was ultimately me getting reps, talking to front camera,
presenting myself how to talk the game, how to give thoughts,
breakdowns in certain time periods, also give my opinion, Also
have a platform, have a voice to use it for
other things. When COVID's happening, when black math, black Lives
Matter movements are happening, talking in you know, in the
political space. But also you know a lound players that

(45:19):
have ultimately changed us to have more power and say
so with guys, you know, being.

Speaker 3 (45:24):
Mistreated in the industry.

Speaker 4 (45:27):
So there's hell is a lot of stories of guys,
certain gms doing the wrong way, certain coaches in the
worldway coaches and gms are less likely to do that
now when guys are able to talk and their they're
on space freely about you know, their experiences and also said.

Speaker 3 (45:41):
They have more power what they want to do, where
they want to go.

Speaker 4 (45:44):
And and you know, players are frowned upon when they
were asking for trades when they want to go here,
you know, and a lot of fans they only see
what the media prints. Again, so they're alway going to
take the negative, the dramatic kind of like the content
and that always draws you, Oh, so and so wants
to trade, so and so doesn't like this, and it's like, yo,

(46:04):
I said this. They takes small bits and pieces of
what you're saying and not the full story just to
get clicks. And now that also allows us to be like, oh, yeah,
I said this, but this is what I meant. It's
not how I said that. You know what I'm saying, Like,
it's all context and tone, and it's like they can
take one small thing and take it act and now
it's like players able to like, look, this is what
I was thinking. Now that fans get insight, this is oh,

(46:24):
this is what really was happening. He's not just a dummy.
He didn't make this mistake or he didn't just say that,
or he's not trying to come at his teammate, or
he's not trying to stir up shit.

Speaker 3 (46:31):
He's just saying his opinion. Look, this is how I felt.
It was like Demo's having his podcast. Now he's going
with he's getting heat like because he's giving his opinion
of his relationship with Darvin Hams.

Speaker 4 (46:41):
So yo, I'm just telling you how I saw he
had a bad relationship with him. Why the hell, y'all
you know what I'm saying. I'm just saying small things,
and y'all taken out of context. But so that's what
I love about the space. I love that players are
able to use their power for you know, more than
in their voices, for you know, other things outside of basketball,
but also on the basketball.

Speaker 3 (46:56):
Court, to be handled and treated the way they should
be treated.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Danny one one last question and appreciate you coming on here.
Can you just speak a little bit about because if
I'm not mistaken, you're not done playing, like you know,
I'm standing ready right like, tell us a little bit
about how complicated and how like interesting that is is,
Like you're available, but also you're making moves to be
ready for post career. So tell us a little bit

(47:21):
about that.

Speaker 4 (47:22):
I've been said, I've been lucky to be put in
situations where people prepared me for the future and see
the bigger picture way before it happened.

Speaker 3 (47:29):
So I've been doing this for a couple of years.

Speaker 4 (47:32):
I went to the sports catt to you because like
people when they've done playing, it's a real shock for
them and they're not ready for it and they don't
know how to just they don't how to handle it.
So as tough as it is, still not being able
to play, watch it's hard to watch the big games
and you're not playing data already, know you know how
this is, knowing you could get out there like I could.
I could literally do this so I could help a
team I could do, you know what I'm saying. So

(47:52):
it's hard to watch the game and not feel away
or not have a bias. It said, let alone if
you had nothing else going on. Luckily, I'm trying to
keep busy. Keep in mind if it's do media stuff,
to do that. So you know, people talk told me earlier,
get into this now, don't wait till later. So I
got into that doing the sportscaster, you doing the podcast,
doing tournament time. But in the same breath, bust of
my ass physically, make sure I'm in the gym, you know,

(48:14):
every day, and if a call does happen, I'm ready,
you know what I saying. I'm not I'm prepared. And
then when the team does see me, it's like, oh,
you know, he's not just here to be a cheerleader
or to you know what I'm saying, be a veteran
at the end of the bench to teach us some
things like now we can actually use this guy, you
know what I'm saying, Like we might want to keep
him for next year.

Speaker 1 (48:31):
And so this is tough.

Speaker 4 (48:31):
It's tough when you're going through it cause I'm a
little more old school. I'm not the type of post
my workouts. And when you don't post it or you
don't record it, it's like, oh, it didn't happen, or
people don't. People forget about you quickly. You know, people
don't know what you're doing. And I'm you know, I
fall victim to it too. It's like, yeah, shit. When
when John was out in the league, I'm like I've
seen him playing. I'm like, all right, I think you
can hoop. But I'm like, I don't know, what is it.
You know, people, if you don't see you play on

(48:52):
that level, it's like, oh, I don't know. They'll discredit
it or he's not ready or he can't fit. And
I'm like, I think John could play it. I think
he definitely could. He definitely could help a team. Who
someow I had argument some like, you know, have a
fifteen seven and seven. I'm like, nah, nah, no way.
Then he gets on the court and he plays with clippers,
Like shit, John could easily average fifteen seven, fifteen and seven.
I'm saying like seven assists fifteen points just because I

(49:13):
haven't seen him do it. I've seen enough for some
of the workouts. But people said in this day and age,
it's a tough battle between promoting yourself. I'm not one
of those people, and showing it and recording it and
to show you that you're ready. It's like, yo, I'm ready,
and a lot of people won't believe it or put
faith in you or give you a chance or opportunity
unless they see you doing those things. And it's like
it's a tough battle every day for me, it's like it.

(49:34):
But I'm gonna keep working. I'ma keep staying ready.

Speaker 3 (49:36):
I'm gonna keep because I didn't do all this rehab
to just fucking retire.

Speaker 4 (49:39):
I did all I tore my eclcl all that hamstring,
and I came back in eight months.

Speaker 3 (49:44):
I didn't do all that just to be like, all right,
call a quiz.

Speaker 1 (49:47):
Nah.

Speaker 4 (49:47):
I'm trying to get the most out of it and
play because I can do media forever.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
I could do that to him ninety years old. I
could basketball. You only do so at certain time.

Speaker 4 (49:56):
So I'm gonna try to play it as long as
because I don't want to leave the court with no regrets.
When I hang them up, it's like, you know what,
I had nothing else left to give. I gave the
game all I got. But yes, I'm staying ready physically
basket wise. I'm still working out, but I'm doing other
things to keep me busy.

Speaker 3 (50:09):
Soda. It's not as tough mentally and emotionally on me.

Speaker 4 (50:12):
And I just have a little one, little one six
seven months now, so he keeps me positive. Appreciate you, brother,
appreciate you. So it keeps it keeps me on. It
keeps me focusing on the positives. But I'm very much
in shape and ready to help a team. And I
could help a team. I can still shoot at the ball,
I can still good corner to the corner. I can
still play a little defense. And it's like I said,
not many people playing great defense. It's like I'm not
gonna be a liability out there, but I can still

(50:35):
do you know, things that can help a team.

Speaker 3 (50:37):
And I'm just waiting on that call. Man.

Speaker 1 (50:39):
Yeah, you hit it right on another. You definitely got
to stay ready, but you also got to do other
things so you don't get frustrated. To get some stretched
like me being able to take my kids to school,
watch them play soccer, watch them go to boxing. Like
that's the only thing that's keeping me saying, because how
you say, you're watching a game, you're like, man, I
know I can do this. I know I can help
a team, but like you said, you're just in a
different space sometimes where you can't really can control. And

(50:59):
like for me, I'm like I post this workout. Then
I was like, man, I'm not about to post everything
because sometimes you post and they be like, well, you're
not playing against nobody, or you're not.

Speaker 3 (51:07):
You're playing against this. They're gonna just credit it either way.

Speaker 1 (51:09):
And I'm like, in the summertime, you got teams that
come down here, or it's all pros that being Miami
aroun I'm playing. I'm like, well, this is not just
anybody that's from the park or don't have a name.
But how you said, you find you find that space
where you feel like you're comfortable what's next for you,
But you still stay ready, like you said, until you're
ready to give it up. You know, when the time is,
when you feel like you got some left, you're going
to continue to work.

Speaker 4 (51:29):
It's a it's an everyday battle man, because half of
your friends are gonna be like, yo, keep going, and
half your friends and be like, yeah, you had a
great career.

Speaker 1 (51:35):
I ain't try that last I'm not. Yeah, but you
do hear that?

Speaker 3 (51:40):
You do you see other people sending you like I've
had a great career, man, and unfortunately said I never
was a superstar. And even superstars don't get the opportunity
to end their career the way they want to. Carmelo
Dwight like, there's a bunch of guys.

Speaker 4 (51:54):
It just happens abruptly, and you're seeing all these podcasts,
the guys telling the story like, damn, I give the
game so much, I might not be able to, you know,
end it the way I wanted to, even if I
did the right way. Regardless if you're a great locker
room guy, regardless you have three champions, they don't really
give a damn.

Speaker 3 (52:06):
What have you done for me lately? What can you do?
They don't care.

Speaker 4 (52:09):
So me come into terms with like not being not
saying I'm gonna be okay with it, but be able
to handle like, all right, even though I bust my
eyes and I don't get the call. I gave it
my all and like, all right, I can find ways
to adapt and adjust to it and understand, like you know,
life is not always gonna happen the way you think
it's or what you want. Might say, you can do

(52:30):
everything right and still not get the opportunity. But how
do you bounce back from that? What are you gonna
do next? What is the other avenue? So yeah, I
understand it, I get it. I don't like it. Then
when you're old and you have injuries, people may not
give you the opportunity. But the fact that is that
I've seen so many other guys have their careers end
abruptly and they're just not like Keny Martin talks about

(52:50):
on Gills podcast, It's like, all right, I understand and
the fact that I'm prepared for it allows me to
kind of cope with it better than other people may
be able to cope with it.

Speaker 2 (53:00):
Appreciate you. I hope you both get the call because
we said it on on previous episodes. Is that that's
make a difference, Like true.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
And complaining of why the game looked away so that
somebody blowouts and you know, stupidity and mistakes is like
that you need vets in these groups and any team.
So yeah, man, I appreciate you, appreciate you, appreciate you, man,
jed Man, good luck man. I can't wait to see
you back on the floor. I know you're gonna get
their brothers. If not, keep doing the podcast stuff, keeping
with the kids. But I know you're gonna get back

(53:28):
out there. I can't see you back on the floor.
Appreciate you having the podcast and how much you all
the best man, So love much, love always, and I'm
sure i'll see you.

Speaker 3 (53:36):
Goodluck to your boys to Kentucky.

Speaker 1 (53:38):
Thank you to some big things you boys to thank.

Speaker 2 (53:40):
You all right. Check out Inside the Green Room hosted
by Danny Green. We'll be right back on Point Game
presented by Draft Kings. One more Sentient with Johnathan Welcome
back to Point Game with John Wall and c J
Toal Donald, presented by DraftKings. Now we're gonna play our

(54:02):
favorite segment of every show, Bucketer Brick. And as a reminder,
Bucketer Brick is brought to you by the DraftKings sports Book.
Draftking sports Book is your home for all things NBA action,
from player props to same game parlays. Check out everything
DraftKings sports Book has to offer. To make your NBA
experience even sweeter. Their crown is yours. And I think John,
you remember how to play this. But for anyone listening

(54:23):
for the first time, Bucket to Brick, I'm gonna say
a statement, And if you agree, you're gonna say Bucket.
And if you disagree, you're gonna say Brick.

Speaker 1 (54:30):
So you ready, John, for sure? All right?

Speaker 2 (54:33):
Bucket to Brick. Okay, first one. Kentucky is currently plus
seven hundred to make the final four, So if you
bet one hundred dollars you could win seven hundred bucks
if they end up winning the titles. Hopefully that happens.
So John Bucke to Brick, Kentucky will make the final four.

Speaker 1 (54:48):
Bucket. I got him win in the final four. I
got him winning the championship. I got him going all
the way. I know, calgo make some adjustments for him.
I mean, and let them do they do. If they
lock in offenially offensively and on to making shots. They
got all the tools for that. They just canna lock
it on the defensive and for six games they'll be
holding up another national championship. So I had my school

(55:09):
going all the way.

Speaker 2 (55:10):
Do you like what Danny was saying like you almost
gotta lose one before seeking like.

Speaker 1 (55:14):
Yeah, for the streak, we wanted to win. The SEC
champions were so bad. But it's funny because the first
game when we play Alabama, we got we were down
like twenty early on before the tournament started, colle like, man,
I don't really care about this tournament. Ready on focused
for the next one, you know what I mean. So
we kind of went in with a mind set like
we was like, we was like, man, hell no, we're
trying to win. And we went up into the tournament

(55:37):
not saying like he wants us to lose on purpose,
you know what I mean. I think, you know, like
everybody wants to win SEC Championship regularly. Everybody want to
win every game became, you know what I mean. And
it was in Nashville. You know a lot of Kentucky
fans came. But I think like when we won that game,
like we would have lost Missispi State championship. I think
it would have gave us another type of hunger. But
you know what I mean, we left out on the
high horse and not saying that's the reason why we lost.
I mean West Virginia was a better team. That didn't

(55:58):
beat us, but we still came out with that mindset.
We was dominating every game. We played like we dominated everybody.
We just fell short to teen that was better than
us that day. They made shots that we didn't make,
and they was better than us. But we felt like,
I mean, Todanny, he might have that experience because he's
been there before. That was our first year, in my
only year. I just wanted to win the whole thing.

Speaker 2 (56:16):
So moving on staying in college. Okay, So a few
teams didn't make the NCAA attorney and they've opted out
of the NIT, like Saint John Syracus, Oklahoma and Pittsburgh.
So Bucketer Brick opting out of the NIT is a
good call.

Speaker 1 (56:31):
I say brick. For me, I would say brick because
I feel like you still it's represent your school. You
still just want to go there and compete, you know
what I mean? Like even though you fall short of
I say, if you want a team that falls short
of making the top six teams, you know, I mean,
now you got to be seventy nineteen and playing and
play in tournament, so you basically want to play the
play in tournament. But I guess it's a little different

(56:51):
because if you make it through the playing tournament, you
get a chance to still win NBA Championship, you know,
I mean, but I think just competing, Like some of
those guys might want to compete, might still want to
play at a high level, you know. I mean, I
know they're not probably used to have been in the
n I t but it's still a way you can
still play and compete at high level. And some of
those guys might be seniors, Like what are those seniors?
Don't get any say so? And they last game could
have ended how it ended.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Yeah, all right, so that's a brick, So you gotta play.
I mean, like a lot of these guys, they also
want to be showcasing their game still, you know, might
be getting.

Speaker 1 (57:19):
Ready for it. Yeah, And like you said, some of
those guys still can showcase their talent and still scouts
might still go watching them and see and see how
they're doing.

Speaker 2 (57:26):
Okay, all right, Moving on to the women's game. Caitlyn
Clark and Iowa. They got that number one seed in
the women's tournament, so bucker to brick, Iowa will win
the NCAA Women's Tournament this season. A lot of good
teams and a lot of good players.

Speaker 1 (57:44):
I say both. I won't say brick though, because I
never know. You never know, you know what I mean.
Kaitlyn Clark is super, super special. She's a dope talent.
You still got Don Staley in South Carolina, you know
what I mean. You know you got Yukon's coming up,
you still have lsu usc is playing well. It's a
lot of great teams that South there, but she's one
of those players that she can go on to run
like Kimba Walker and Shabbaz Naprin them did that one

(58:06):
year and go win it all. So I can't really
say no. It depends on who they would match up against.
But I think she's gonna put on the heck of
a tournament run and she might get close to doing
what she did last year or not even Okay.

Speaker 2 (58:15):
You can't say no, But do you have a team
maybe that you think if you were had to call
it right now, who would win the women's turney or
who your favorite?

Speaker 1 (58:23):
Pattic Carl I'm saying South Carolina for me, Like I mean,
just being so dominant two years in a row, undefeated
in the regular season. I just didn't have a complete team.
Even though they got a young team, they got a
lot of people that came in as young. But I
think just the way Don Stanley had them playing, the
way they believe in themselves in the day. When a
team like that, I think the only team, only people
that can beat them is they slves.

Speaker 2 (58:44):
Okay, final, Bucketer Brick, your buddy Dame Lillard. He had
a big game against the Suns. So Bucketer Brick, Dame
is the most clutch player in the NBA right now.

Speaker 1 (58:55):
Just this season or just all like since he's.

Speaker 2 (58:59):
I would say, like right right right now this season
or yeah, like currently most clutch this season.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
Yeah, that's what I would say. I would say Brick
because he hasn't had to do it as much as
he did. Importantly for me, I think the most clutch
guy I would say right now will probably be Shay.
I mean, because they've been in so many close games.
But if you want to say since he's been in
the league, I'm damn sure seeing Damian Lillard so many
clutch shots and big moments and he lives for those moments.
But you know what I mean, that's what Dame Dalla do.

Speaker 2 (59:28):
Yeah, definitely one of the top three all right, John,
that's been another episode of Point Game. How you feeling.

Speaker 1 (59:34):
I feel great, man, Like I said, I'm excited about
where a Point Game is going. It's great to get
up here every week. But you just talk basketball, just
talk anything that's going on in the world life. Just
picking people's brains and getting different hosts up here and
giving the people what they want to hear. So, you know,
I mean, I went on the OG show, I shout
out to Point Game part you know what I mean
to get us some more people to pay attention to

(59:55):
what we got going. But I think a lot of
people are enjoying the show. They're doing what we have going.
I think we just gonna continue to get better and better.

Speaker 2 (01:00:02):
Yeah, like John said, more guests on the way, keep supporting,
you know the show, keep following us on socials. Clips
are coming out. This has been Point Game presented by DraftKings.
Also remember please rate, review and subscribe and in the
podcast reviews you can drop questions for John He's gonna
answer those on upcoming episodes. So this been Point Game.
I'm CJ Toldonna, this is John Wall. Please gambling problem

(01:00:30):
called onening hundred Gambler or in West Virginia. Visit www
dot one eight hundred, gambler dot net, and New York
call eight seven seven eight hope and why, or text
hope and why for six seven three sixty nine. Connecticut
help is available for problem gambling call eighty eight seven
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(01:00:50):
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