July 23, 2024 • 30 mins
Hear the story of former NBA player Anthony Morrow, and how he used the summer league to solidify a spot in the NBA and set records in the process. Heavy In The Paint
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Twitter: @19MGroup
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:11):
So when mom tells you this,did you get a little teary eye with
mom reflecting no, not not notbeing not at that moment, I just
was like, you know, Iwas charged up. You know what I'm
saying. I mean it was aspecial moment, of course. But did
you get did you get those phonecalls like that girl in high school and
(00:34):
I ain't want to pay no attentions? She called it like after this,
They was doing that before that.So you fast forward through your rookie year,
it comes to a close. There'stalk now obviously you got to make
(00:58):
the team again next year as anundrafted player. There was no discussions whatsoever.
You automatically going to play with theWarriors in summer league, right.
Yeah. So but after my afterthat year, I was already I was
already they already accepted my contract forthat second year. Okay, so you
(01:19):
already yeah yeah, So like aftermy first year, I was I'm still
the first, the only rookie Ibelieve, you can look it up.
I'm the only rookie to ever leadthe league. Yes, that is after
like the rookie John Nelson is areal guy. Huh, the only undrafted
(01:42):
rookie I think just rookie in general, rookie in general. I got the
black ups over there, it's overthere, somethhere. My mama put us
some wow. Hey. Yeah,that was the only rookie to ever lead
the NBA and three point wow.And I think I believe it's still stands.
I'm not sure, but I thinkit is. But after that year,
(02:05):
shouted Don Nelson because he told mewe was playing the Phoenix Sons.
I had like thirty something something likethat, and I after the last three
out, he was like, don'tshoot no more threes, don't miss one
because you got the record right now. It's like, damn, coach,
that's what sucked. So he's like, I'm gonna take you out of the
game if you shoot a three,even if you make it. So like
(02:28):
he was like, I want youto win this because you it's big.
You know what I'm saying. Ilove doing that shot up the done man.
But yeah, so like after that, like my contract was guaranteed my
second year, so like going inthe Summer League, the second Summer League
for me, like I was comfortable. Okay, you got a place.
(02:50):
You moved out the hotel, right, Yeah, I moved out yeah,
yeah, yeah, I moved outand you said that Ukraine money back,
right send me? Yeah? Thenwe sent that back that yeah, yeah,
we sent that back. It wasgood, thank god. Yeah,
I ain't gonna lie. So youmove out, you all settled, and
(03:14):
then you go into that second yearsummer league. Now you watch the draft
Anthony Randolph, Steph Curry in thatdraft, right, talk about going into
that. What was your thought processof going in because what's that contract guaranteed?
To know? My second year?Yeah, that was already done,
Like they was not going they alreadythey were like what you are part of
(03:37):
this now? Like they they guaranteedit before the summer league. Okay,
beautiful. I would have just hadto do some wow something crazy for me
not to feel. So I wasthinking like already like after the second year.
Now it is moll tiye that wason Jersey and all that. You
know what I'm so you get tothe summer league. There was no even
(03:59):
question is about it. You wasdefinitely gonna play in that summer league.
Yeah, because I mean they wantedme. Now I'm the number I'm the
showcase person. I mean Steph wasnumber one of course because they had just
drafted him and and but you know, they like you wanted to showcase guys,
so you put on and you know, but Steph was the new draft
pick, so it was like everybodywanted to see him, right and then
(04:21):
ant was that the year before youknow what I'm saying, I mean that
year getting old? No yeah,no wait, yeah no, no,
it was at first, damned Steph. The next year, okay, rookie.
(04:42):
So you and Anthony were rookies.Yeah, me and An was rookies.
Okay, so you're rookie. Soyeah. So he played in that
summer league that second year too,so it was all three of you guys
because Steph about you getting busy inthat summer league game, so that I
remember that now, so yeah,because that was first yeah, and had
the yeah yeah, yeah, Anscores. He puts up the rookie record.
(05:05):
He puts up the record in thesummer league game, which was what
at that time forty two I think, just like, yeah, forty two.
He put up forty two. Andthen the next game you break the
record, right yep, which waswhat forty it's forty seven I think,
(05:26):
okay, which is still the recordnow to this day. That's my brother.
I'm gonna tell you what I toldhim too, because I had sprained
my ankle in practice in Summer League. In the next game that game,
the game I didn't play yet fortytwo and then they kind of like shut
him down, like all right,you did was you supposed to do?
(05:48):
And he killed he played. Imean, he's still amazing, like for
real. And then I told himthe next day he was like, how
you feel. I was like,man, ankle, straight man, i'mnna
breaking record of the day though,bro Wowa, I said, I'm gonna
break it today. I'm gonna breakit. He was like, all right,
we're gonna see and Shoututa Rico Hines. He got this big, like
(06:11):
this huge poster, like this portraitof my last shot before I broke the
record, and it's like Steph andEnrico and like everybody in the background on
the off the bench just cheering,and it was like a special moment,
bro, because excuse me for me, it was just about like I mean,
(06:34):
we had like a special bond asa team and coaches. You know,
we weren't very good. We wasreally young, but that's what Summer
League was about. Yeah, someleague was about that. So you put
up you put up forty seven.And at that point I'm like, cause
(06:55):
I know Chris. I'm calling.Chris said, YOA, I gotta get
him on the show. Who isit? I was like, Yo,
I said, Yo, Cris,I need you Wait a minute. I
asked for half the day. Isaid, wait a minute. You got
that. See what I'm saying.He did this day and Randolph did this
down every more. Yo. Idid that? Yo caught? He said,
(07:15):
yo. And then I said thenext day, talk about what it
was like after you broke when youbroke that record and set that record,
what was it like for you?Because it was once again all lives on
Anthony Morrow. Mm hmm. BroIt was like that was like the ultimate
(07:36):
like confidence boost because like my rookieyear, like I had like a you
know, you're on the Scout Reportafter you do certain stuff like you scoring
and you're doing this. Now youown the Scout Report. They're well looking
for you now they are, solike that second year was like, all
(07:58):
right, now I know I'm areal NBA caliber shooting guard or small for
whatever you want to call me.But I'm a pro for real, you
know, But people come after youlike basketball wives when they come to that
like on the court, like theygonna know you know what I'm saying.
(08:18):
So now it just boosted me tolike, all right, now we gotta
start finding new more like creative waysto work out and work on your footwork
and defensively apply metrics and being inshape and shooting drills like anything. You
know. So it kind of justheightened my like mindset. I felt like
(08:41):
I felt like a real NBA player, Like, Yo, you're gonna get
it. You're gonna be here fora while type thing. You know what
I'm saying. What was that nightlight afterwards? Because I mean that's Vegas,
man, I mean it wasn't youwant me to say, man,
what you want me to say?Trying? It was d Floyd Mayweather,
all the all the homies, man, Florida got me in the club that
(09:05):
night. Oh you okay, that'swhat with the homies. Yeah. I
was with the homies man, likewe was. We was kicking it.
Floyd come out. They didn't wantto let us in the club at first.
He's like, man, he justbroke the record. Let him in.
They opened the door right up.Floyd come out there with fifty people.
I'm like, man, Floyd,that's love, bro, But Floyd
(09:26):
coolest. Hell yeah, it's likekind of random, but Floyd. But
he was little, as little asever, right man. It's like everybody
tall them Floyda the first went outthere. Why y'all tripping? Let him
in. It's like me and likemaybe six guys my daddy, included my
cousins, my brother. It wasn'tnothing crazy. They're like, nah,
look, Quinn, you know whatI'm saying. But it was a fun
(09:48):
night. Man. We had agood time. Man. It was like,
you know, I ain't. Imean, I never felt like I
had a job playing in the NBA, and now I would tell them,
like, you know, to theplayers that get drafted, I don't care
where you get drafted. Off you'reundrafted, you sign, you unsigned,
and you get on. Don't goin there thinking it's a job. Don't
(10:11):
go I know so many players thatI played, like on the same team
with or played against that I'm coolwith still to this day that approached it
like that. You know, I'mlike, bro, you get to wake
up and all you gotta do isplay basketball and do some business stuff.
(10:33):
You know what I'm saying, it'snot like you gotta wake up and be
an accountant or something like, it'slike you hate you. You can't hate
something you've been doing your whole lifeunless you didn't like it. Then.
I've been playing basketball under a whistlesince i was four years old. Bro
Wow, I said, Bro,I can't. I can't imagine waking up
not doing this, you know whatI'm saying. So I'm like, man,
(10:56):
you know, I talked to alot of young guys back then.
Some of them understand, they figureit out, and some of them don't.
What I mean, let's start youloving them. I remember watching that
game, and like I said before, you could just see your sense of
confidence and even you know, fromgoing to Jersey, seeing you play with
(11:16):
the Oklahoma City Thunder, and andand and and having you know that confidence
it really exuded and then you know, really just springboard. What did you
ever allow yourself to get comfortable?And I've heard people say at times,
you know, I'm uncomf I'm comfortablebeing uncomfortable, like you know, always
(11:37):
looking over your shoulder, you know, always not really saying you know,
I got it, I'm here nowmade it. Did you ever allow yourself
not allow yourself to get comfortable andjust enjoy all of the experience. When
did you know, did you everallow yourself to be able to get comfortable?
(11:58):
I couldn't, man, because Istill felt like the day that I
got to sign with the Warriors,so like yere salemate now, and I
still was thinking like, yeah,we still got to put in even more
work, you know what I'm saying. You know, when I got to
you know, the first like reallyreally contender in Oklahoma City, it was
(12:20):
like it recharged me, you knowwhat I'm saying, because it was like
a contender wants you. So nowit's like everything every day has to be
we locked in. It can't belike, oh, you know, now
I'm on the team where they gotKatie and Rush and all these guys,
(12:41):
and it's like I don't have todo as much. I'm like, no,
I want to be a part ofthat, you know what I'm saying.
I gotta be and if I haveto work harder than anybody to be
a point. Like my two favoritepeople ever to work out with, like
in a workout just for record workout, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Why
(13:05):
because they work out like them peopleare like different, bro, Like they
real tacticians with it, Like theywork out differently. But the way they
go about the work, it's likeit's like watching the artist paint or something
like that, you know what I'msaying. And the fact that they would
(13:26):
like Kevin grab me a man afterpractice. Shoot, you know what I'm
saying, and we'll do like drilland me and stuff did this before before
I got to Okay. See,but it's like whatever move you do,
I gotta do and you know,whatever move I do, you have like
we'll take you know what I'm saying. And then it's just like a bunch
(13:50):
of it's just just different type ofdrills based off how you play. I
can't explain it all the way,bro, but it's really like real technical
skill for the most skillful stuff youever see with them guys, man.
And that what I that's what Iused to look forward to what I was
(14:11):
Oklahoma and ain't gonna say even thoughstuff was young, man, but we
still worked out in the summertime.But those two dudes, man, you
feel like you got to work inwith them like they work out like they
play for real. It's not likedifferent yeah. You know, I always
have been amazed by, like Isaid, your humility, but also your
(14:33):
care for other people. Man.You never a big time man like yo,
I got this and that, becauseyou know when you got the contract,
you got the multi year demn andstuff like that, got some cheese.
You never was like yo, mancoming through it with shades on and
all that stuff. You steal yourselfwith your braids and stuff like that.
(14:54):
And you always talked about and Iwas found and fascinating when I looked it
up myself. You know, yourgive back for you know, Anthony Marral
charities and stuff and doing and stuffwith your foundation, back to school stuff.
And you know, I want tosay this in the most respectful way,
you know whatever. It ain't likeyou had the multi year you know,
(15:20):
max supermax contract you gave and Ithink that was something that was like
yo, this brother out here andnot just saying Okay, I got money,
I don't have to be out here. You were out there and fully
vested into giving back and helping people. This might sound like a crazy question,
and I've always asked you this before, but why why you you you
(15:43):
have to take the hard road toget to the NBA. Why was it
so important for you to give backfor me? Man, I ain't gonna
lie. It's just I mean,I'm still over there, bro, Like
that's exactly who I am. I'mWes Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina,
Bro. And my whole entire sideof my mother's family is from there,
(16:08):
you know. So like you knowmom upstairs right now, she's made some
turkey wings. By the way,brother, you need to come down to
the country. Man. I hadto get got what number I had,
Man, I had the old Ihad the other number. We're good,
Yeah, we're good now. We'regood now now. But honestly, like
real talk, Bro, I alwayshad an infinity for like charity work,
(16:32):
philanthropy, everything. Man. Mymom was big on it. And when
I was growing up, my momwas a huge Billy Graham fan. You
know, I didn't understand what BillyGrhat was as I got older, you
know, and of course like MartinMalcolm and all them and you know,
but she put me on with alot of people. She showed me a
(16:53):
lot of people that was doing alot of the work I'm doing now that
didn't get the opportunity to get thelight shine on them or had the status
for the news stations to come overthere in an area that we grew up
in our session. You know,they wasn't coming over there to support you
know, my grandmother or my momor my aunt Beverly or my aunt.
(17:15):
Like, they wasn't coming over therefor that. So like we kind of
I felt like, well, I'ma force them to come over here because
I live where I'm from. WhereI'm from, it's a food desert.
It's all kind of like it's noresources. It's either violence or you can't
come down unless you know somebody.I mean a lot of relatable areas in
(17:37):
America. You know, I don'twant to sound cliche, but that's really
what it was, you know.And I was like, if I can
do something. We started hamburgers,hot dogs, go get some book bags
from up there, bring them overhere. You know. It was just
me and the guys, you know, and now we got like a machine
running. So shout out on myboard man a more charities, bro.
(18:00):
You know. July thirty first,you know, we have a fundraising dinner.
And August tenth we got our backto school. We've been going since
two thousand and nine. So We'refifteen years and you know, I had
to get to the point where itgets frustrated because you think, like,
wow, these other initiatives getting usattention. You know, I'm younger thinking
(18:22):
like this, and I'm like,they got to the point where I was,
like, you start seeing the kids, it's like, you know,
they want to be around you,They want to be around the homies and
my guys. When someone working withhealthcare, some of them lawyers, you
know what I mean, God,Daddy adopted like people coming down here.
You know what I'm saying. Mymom work in the community for thirty something
year, forty something years. Likenow, it's like, no, we
(18:47):
are what we're supposed to be doing. We don't need the news, we
don't need nobody make them come nunts. So I don't have no problem.
I interact with everything, you know, and I love it because not only
am I comfortable because it's my community, but when I see the reaction to
the people. We got financial literacyprogram, mental health program, like we
got everything going on and we building, you know, and shout out to
(19:10):
the city. We just got agreat dope grant just now, and you
know, I just I mean,that's why wow, because why not you
gotta go. Yeah, ain't nobodyelse gonna do it? You know what
I'm saying now the July thirty first, and you gotta come on and serious
said to that man. We gottapromote that and make sure that we support
(19:33):
that and letting the masses know.Now you have a silent auction? Are
you doing the silent auction and thingsof that nature? Are you uh for
this? Yeah, we're gonna doa small soid We're gonna do a small
auction. Usually we do like abigger silent auction when we do the gala,
but this is this is just ajust a fundraising event. Oh well
(19:55):
dinner. It's gonna be real nice. But there's some discretion to it right
now because I know my manager's gonnabe like, blast it out right now.
But get the information. Yeah.Yeah. The really reason why I
say is because you know what,we gotta get some of these guys.
I'm not sure that Penny ever giveyou. Penny always ever give you a
pair of shoes or something autograph.I know, you know what. That's
(20:18):
a good point, yeah, becausenow at this point I need Penny to
give me like three pairs of shoes. Man, give to me big homie
for you. Yeah for me?I need yeah for me? What side?
What side twelve? Side twelve?Oh yeah, then one of his
shoes he can signed. I needthat. Yeah. Hold on a second,
(20:42):
because I said, wow, Wow, Wow, it's sitting right up
here. It's sitting right up here. You know what I'm saying. Wow,
real deal, Yo. I'm gonnamake sure I'm gonna reach out to
the Pity because y'all are doing somany great things, man, And I
(21:02):
know you had spoken to him beforeon the show or stuff like that or
some but I'm gonna make sure I'llreach out ass Penny man. You know,
definitely make sure there all sign apair of sneakers and stuff, and
make sure you know definitely, man, you gotta get you. I don't
know if you can wear Memphis gear. I don't think you can win them.
I don't know if you no,no, cause I'm retired now,
(21:23):
bro, But you Georgia Tech allright, they'll get it, they will
understand it. But you know,wrapping up, man, you know when
you look back on this, causeit's gonna come up. Summer League.
They just did a story on twentyyears of the NBA Summer League and you
(21:44):
will featured in there. We're talkingabout I think Steph Curry was talking about
what you did when you look backat your career because how many years,
nine, ten, what was it, ten? Ten, ten, ten
years? When you look at yourcareer as an undrafted player, didn't take
any shortcuts, you know, alwaysman, always there. What do you
(22:07):
look back when you look back onit. What is your biggest takeaway from
your NBA career, bro, otherthan being able to take care of my
family and my kids. Number one, the camaraderie, bro, Like just
to be just to look back andbe able to say, Bro, you
(22:30):
got to do that for real.You got to play at the highest level
of something that you love since youwas a baby. You know. That's
like number one. I thank Godfor that experience and that, you know,
my career every day because so manypeople around the world that want to
do that. You don't really realizeit when you win it. So when
(22:55):
you're out of it, you reallyrealize, like, and you did something.
You know, I'm gonna tell youlike quick, I ain't gonna be
along with this, but my firstyear, my first year, my first
year when I didn't get a phonecall to go to get signed. It
was supposed to be. I thoughtI was going to Portland my last year
or whatever. And I went homeand I, you know, I'm around
(23:18):
the guys, everybody over here hangingout and stuff, and we're watching Opening
Night and the ball tipping. Wegot all the TVs on the games and
all that, and you know,I'm not like down, I'm like really
just kicking it, you know.And the guys started telling all these stories
about games that I played in theGolden State of Jersey or New Orleans or
(23:44):
Oklahoma City, and I forgot abouta lot of that stuff because you was
in it. So like that kindof gave me some stylist because it's hard
seeing that that first year you outthe league, you know what I'm saying,
and you think you supposed to beplaying that night, you should be
playing, and just them just itkind of like it kind of put me
(24:08):
in a place where it was like, hey man, you know you did
some stuff. They didn't say this, but the way they was telling me
stories like you remember when you hadtwenty six men, when we had thirty
two, Remember when we had twentyeight, Like and I'm like damn.
Some of that I don't even remember, but just the fact they were saying
that around me like that They wasn'ttrying to make me feel like you should
(24:29):
be in the league or nothing.They weren't saying that. They was just
talking like, you know, likedamn, what like you really was?
You know? You did it?You know what I mean? And they
gave me some solids in terms oflike cause you feel like you wasn't good
enough to keep playing. But they'relike, bro, you did some stuff
we never was you know what I'msaying, Like you was the one.
You are the one you and youwasn't there a cup of coffee? Yeah?
(24:53):
They was like yeah, So itwas like a lot of it was.
It was a lot of that rightthere. Really, you know,
it just kind of consolidated all mythoughts that I was having. I was
like, man, I should beplaying. You know what I'm saying.
It was like, man, lookit is what it is, but you
already you you did this undrafted.We didn't know what was gonna happen.
(25:15):
We enjoyed watching the whole movie,you know what I'm saying. And they
was there with me, you know, family, homies, friends, everything.
What do you what do you wantto do the next chapter? Anthony
Marl's like, well, we alreadyown it. Man outside the Foundation,
(25:37):
got some things cooking up with Amazontrucking business. Uh, got some other
things because a few job offers insales and consultancy training company, Going Crazy,
Podcast World Great, gotta show itsseven o'clock. The podcast. I'm
trying to get on the podcast.I mean, I don't know, I
(26:00):
don't know. I'm just thank you. You know how many times I've been
in New York to see you.You got you ain't been to Charlotte,
brother. I had to. Ihad to. I had I didn't even
have the backphone number. I hadto know, but that was on the
wall around the West Wing or somethingthat you just happened to pick up.
I'd always say, Yo, you'redoing all right, checking in and stuff
(26:21):
like that. Come on, Iain't I ain't disappear. You know,
you know you're a phone call awaybrother man. And now we got we
got two podcasts. One of themis called Both Sides of the Game podcast.
We actually yeah, Both Sides ofthe Game podcasts. You can take
it out on all the links isin my b Instagram front Line Fresh number
(26:44):
two, all one word front LineFresh tooth and uh, me and my
man Charlotte on the scene, Meand my manor with Sean ironically and my
my co hosts. My guys.They're from New York, They're both from
Queens. Okay, yeah, I'mwatched the shows. I watch you.
I just you know what it is, you know, man, I'm watching
(27:06):
it. I'm observing. I'm like, why are you getting wild like this?
You know, people still watching stufflike that. I see sometime you
be getting watched. Sometime you haveyour taptop, your shirt off. I
see that, I see all that. I see that comfortable over here.
Man, is the new media,ain't it. I watched it, yo.
I'm like, hey, mo,hey, hey, you're still a
(27:29):
brad. But uh no, nodesires to get into coaching, college,
high school, NBA. Uh youknow going that route? You know,
uh, you have a former NBAplayer, Damon Stottlemeyer down at your alma
matera at Drudgey Tech and stuff.Any desire to get back into coaching or
get into coaching or or working inthe front office, because I know you
(27:52):
did something briefly with the Oklahoma CityThunder. Ever, any thought of being
able to revisit something like that perhapsin the NBA. Yeah, I worked
with the Thunder and I worked withthe Hornets for a little bit. I
mean I I wouldn't turn it downdepending on the situation, uh, based
off you know, my previous experiences. But you know, right now,
(28:17):
if it comes, it comes,it gotta be like really like, it
has to be genuine situation. Reallylike, this situation has to be real,
genuine. But with training am uham training four five six, my
training company, my AAU team,Anthony mar Elite. I like the development
(28:38):
with where it is right now.And if you know, somebody want to
come in and say, look,man, we need to shoot and coach
or we want you to come anddo player development, I would definitely take
a look at that for sure,especially college, NBA, you know,
high school, you know. ButI like where it's at right now.
You know, it's it's real.You know. We we with the A
(29:00):
team. Sid to my brother DemicoCrawford, he he puts the rossis together
head coach Ashford, Gray Devine,Clyburn, coach Ben Johnston. That's Grant
Williams uncle blood uncle. Like withthem, man, it's like we really
developing players. We got like overfifty or sixty kids scholarships in the last
(29:21):
like three or four years. Soit's like real work, man, you
know what I'm saying. Like Ilike that. I like being hands on
and having it like that. Imean, you got now. I got
the same amount as I had lastI got four. I got three with
me. My daughter's in Atlanta.Oh okay, okay, okay, yeah,
about to say, hey four kids, man, congratulations. Listen,
(29:42):
man, I'm gonna cut you know, definitely, I'm gonna make sure that
I say this off air, butI'm gonna say it on air. Y'all.
Love you, man. I appreciateyou, and I admire you man
for what you stand for, whatyou continue to stand for, what you
stood for as an NBA player,but more importantly, what you stand for
(30:02):
as a black man, and yourhumility and what you have done and within
your community. I admire you.And like I said before, I truly
truly thank you for all the timesyou have given up your time and and
and really really shared your story.And I really appreciate you doing that right
now, and I wish you nothingbut the best. And I am also
(30:25):
my number ain't changed. I'm aphone call the way I got you.
I know you're gonna call me afterthis anyway, I said, I know
you're gonna call me. Yo,man, No, I want to make
sure we do what we gotta do, but hold type man. Another episode
in the books, Heavy in thepay
So when mom tells you this,did you get a little teary eye with
mom reflecting no, not not notbeing not at that moment, I just
was like, you know, Iwas charged up. You know what I'm
saying. I mean it was aspecial moment, of course. But did
you get did you get those phonecalls like that girl in high school and
(00:34):
I ain't want to pay no attentions? She called it like after this,
They was doing that before that.So you fast forward through your rookie year,
it comes to a close. There'stalk now obviously you got to make
(00:58):
the team again next year as anundrafted player. There was no discussions whatsoever.
You automatically going to play with theWarriors in summer league, right.
Yeah. So but after my afterthat year, I was already I was
already they already accepted my contract forthat second year. Okay, so you
(01:19):
already yeah yeah, So like aftermy first year, I was I'm still
the first, the only rookie Ibelieve, you can look it up.
I'm the only rookie to ever leadthe league. Yes, that is after
like the rookie John Nelson is areal guy. Huh, the only undrafted
(01:42):
rookie I think just rookie in general, rookie in general. I got the
black ups over there, it's overthere, somethhere. My mama put us
some wow. Hey. Yeah,that was the only rookie to ever lead
the NBA and three point wow.And I think I believe it's still stands.
I'm not sure, but I thinkit is. But after that year,
(02:05):
shouted Don Nelson because he told mewe was playing the Phoenix Sons.
I had like thirty something something likethat, and I after the last three
out, he was like, don'tshoot no more threes, don't miss one
because you got the record right now. It's like, damn, coach,
that's what sucked. So he's like, I'm gonna take you out of the
game if you shoot a three,even if you make it. So like
(02:28):
he was like, I want youto win this because you it's big.
You know what I'm saying. Ilove doing that shot up the done man.
But yeah, so like after that, like my contract was guaranteed my
second year, so like going inthe Summer League, the second Summer League
for me, like I was comfortable. Okay, you got a place.
(02:50):
You moved out the hotel, right, Yeah, I moved out yeah,
yeah, yeah, I moved outand you said that Ukraine money back,
right send me? Yeah? Thenwe sent that back that yeah, yeah,
we sent that back. It wasgood, thank god. Yeah,
I ain't gonna lie. So youmove out, you all settled, and
(03:14):
then you go into that second yearsummer league. Now you watch the draft
Anthony Randolph, Steph Curry in thatdraft, right, talk about going into
that. What was your thought processof going in because what's that contract guaranteed?
To know? My second year?Yeah, that was already done,
Like they was not going they alreadythey were like what you are part of
(03:37):
this now? Like they they guaranteedit before the summer league. Okay,
beautiful. I would have just hadto do some wow something crazy for me
not to feel. So I wasthinking like already like after the second year.
Now it is moll tiye that wason Jersey and all that. You
know what I'm so you get tothe summer league. There was no even
(03:59):
question is about it. You wasdefinitely gonna play in that summer league.
Yeah, because I mean they wantedme. Now I'm the number I'm the
showcase person. I mean Steph wasnumber one of course because they had just
drafted him and and but you know, they like you wanted to showcase guys,
so you put on and you know, but Steph was the new draft
pick, so it was like everybodywanted to see him, right and then
(04:21):
ant was that the year before youknow what I'm saying, I mean that
year getting old? No yeah,no wait, yeah no, no,
it was at first, damned Steph. The next year, okay, rookie.
(04:42):
So you and Anthony were rookies.Yeah, me and An was rookies.
Okay, so you're rookie. Soyeah. So he played in that
summer league that second year too,so it was all three of you guys
because Steph about you getting busy inthat summer league game, so that I
remember that now, so yeah,because that was first yeah, and had
the yeah yeah, yeah, Anscores. He puts up the rookie record.
(05:05):
He puts up the record in thesummer league game, which was what
at that time forty two I think, just like, yeah, forty two.
He put up forty two. Andthen the next game you break the
record, right yep, which waswhat forty it's forty seven I think,
(05:26):
okay, which is still the recordnow to this day. That's my brother.
I'm gonna tell you what I toldhim too, because I had sprained
my ankle in practice in Summer League. In the next game that game,
the game I didn't play yet fortytwo and then they kind of like shut
him down, like all right,you did was you supposed to do?
(05:48):
And he killed he played. Imean, he's still amazing, like for
real. And then I told himthe next day he was like, how
you feel. I was like,man, ankle, straight man, i'mnna
breaking record of the day though,bro Wowa, I said, I'm gonna
break it today. I'm gonna breakit. He was like, all right,
we're gonna see and Shoututa Rico Hines. He got this big, like
(06:11):
this huge poster, like this portraitof my last shot before I broke the
record, and it's like Steph andEnrico and like everybody in the background on
the off the bench just cheering,and it was like a special moment,
bro, because excuse me for me, it was just about like I mean,
(06:34):
we had like a special bond asa team and coaches. You know,
we weren't very good. We wasreally young, but that's what Summer
League was about. Yeah, someleague was about that. So you put
up you put up forty seven.And at that point I'm like, cause
(06:55):
I know Chris. I'm calling.Chris said, YOA, I gotta get
him on the show. Who isit? I was like, Yo,
I said, Yo, Cris,I need you Wait a minute. I
asked for half the day. Isaid, wait a minute. You got
that. See what I'm saying.He did this day and Randolph did this
down every more. Yo. Idid that? Yo caught? He said,
(07:15):
yo. And then I said thenext day, talk about what it
was like after you broke when youbroke that record and set that record,
what was it like for you?Because it was once again all lives on
Anthony Morrow. Mm hmm. BroIt was like that was like the ultimate
(07:36):
like confidence boost because like my rookieyear, like I had like a you
know, you're on the Scout Reportafter you do certain stuff like you scoring
and you're doing this. Now youown the Scout Report. They're well looking
for you now they are, solike that second year was like, all
(07:58):
right, now I know I'm areal NBA caliber shooting guard or small for
whatever you want to call me.But I'm a pro for real, you
know, But people come after youlike basketball wives when they come to that
like on the court, like theygonna know you know what I'm saying.
(08:18):
So now it just boosted me tolike, all right, now we gotta
start finding new more like creative waysto work out and work on your footwork
and defensively apply metrics and being inshape and shooting drills like anything. You
know. So it kind of justheightened my like mindset. I felt like
(08:41):
I felt like a real NBA player, Like, Yo, you're gonna get
it. You're gonna be here fora while type thing. You know what
I'm saying. What was that nightlight afterwards? Because I mean that's Vegas,
man, I mean it wasn't youwant me to say, man,
what you want me to say?Trying? It was d Floyd Mayweather,
all the all the homies, man, Florida got me in the club that
(09:05):
night. Oh you okay, that'swhat with the homies. Yeah. I
was with the homies man, likewe was. We was kicking it.
Floyd come out. They didn't wantto let us in the club at first.
He's like, man, he justbroke the record. Let him in.
They opened the door right up.Floyd come out there with fifty people.
I'm like, man, Floyd,that's love, bro, But Floyd
(09:26):
coolest. Hell yeah, it's likekind of random, but Floyd. But
he was little, as little asever, right man. It's like everybody
tall them Floyda the first went outthere. Why y'all tripping? Let him
in. It's like me and likemaybe six guys my daddy, included my
cousins, my brother. It wasn'tnothing crazy. They're like, nah,
look, Quinn, you know whatI'm saying. But it was a fun
(09:48):
night. Man. We had agood time. Man. It was like,
you know, I ain't. Imean, I never felt like I
had a job playing in the NBA, and now I would tell them,
like, you know, to theplayers that get drafted, I don't care
where you get drafted. Off you'reundrafted, you sign, you unsigned,
and you get on. Don't goin there thinking it's a job. Don't
(10:11):
go I know so many players thatI played, like on the same team
with or played against that I'm coolwith still to this day that approached it
like that. You know, I'mlike, bro, you get to wake
up and all you gotta do isplay basketball and do some business stuff.
(10:33):
You know what I'm saying, it'snot like you gotta wake up and be
an accountant or something like, it'slike you hate you. You can't hate
something you've been doing your whole lifeunless you didn't like it. Then.
I've been playing basketball under a whistlesince i was four years old. Bro
Wow, I said, Bro,I can't. I can't imagine waking up
not doing this, you know whatI'm saying. So I'm like, man,
(10:56):
you know, I talked to alot of young guys back then.
Some of them understand, they figureit out, and some of them don't.
What I mean, let's start youloving them. I remember watching that
game, and like I said before, you could just see your sense of
confidence and even you know, fromgoing to Jersey, seeing you play with
(11:16):
the Oklahoma City Thunder, and andand and and having you know that confidence
it really exuded and then you know, really just springboard. What did you
ever allow yourself to get comfortable?And I've heard people say at times,
you know, I'm uncomf I'm comfortablebeing uncomfortable, like you know, always
(11:37):
looking over your shoulder, you know, always not really saying you know,
I got it, I'm here nowmade it. Did you ever allow yourself
not allow yourself to get comfortable andjust enjoy all of the experience. When
did you know, did you everallow yourself to be able to get comfortable?
(11:58):
I couldn't, man, because Istill felt like the day that I
got to sign with the Warriors,so like yere salemate now, and I
still was thinking like, yeah,we still got to put in even more
work, you know what I'm saying. You know, when I got to
you know, the first like reallyreally contender in Oklahoma City, it was
(12:20):
like it recharged me, you knowwhat I'm saying, because it was like
a contender wants you. So nowit's like everything every day has to be
we locked in. It can't belike, oh, you know, now
I'm on the team where they gotKatie and Rush and all these guys,
(12:41):
and it's like I don't have todo as much. I'm like, no,
I want to be a part ofthat, you know what I'm saying.
I gotta be and if I haveto work harder than anybody to be
a point. Like my two favoritepeople ever to work out with, like
in a workout just for record workout, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. Why
(13:05):
because they work out like them peopleare like different, bro, Like they
real tacticians with it, Like theywork out differently. But the way they
go about the work, it's likeit's like watching the artist paint or something
like that, you know what I'msaying. And the fact that they would
(13:26):
like Kevin grab me a man afterpractice. Shoot, you know what I'm
saying, and we'll do like drilland me and stuff did this before before
I got to Okay. See,but it's like whatever move you do,
I gotta do and you know,whatever move I do, you have like
we'll take you know what I'm saying. And then it's just like a bunch
(13:50):
of it's just just different type ofdrills based off how you play. I
can't explain it all the way,bro, but it's really like real technical
skill for the most skillful stuff youever see with them guys, man.
And that what I that's what Iused to look forward to what I was
(14:11):
Oklahoma and ain't gonna say even thoughstuff was young, man, but we
still worked out in the summertime.But those two dudes, man, you
feel like you got to work inwith them like they work out like they
play for real. It's not likedifferent yeah. You know, I always
have been amazed by, like Isaid, your humility, but also your
(14:33):
care for other people. Man.You never a big time man like yo,
I got this and that, becauseyou know when you got the contract,
you got the multi year demn andstuff like that, got some cheese.
You never was like yo, mancoming through it with shades on and
all that stuff. You steal yourselfwith your braids and stuff like that.
(14:54):
And you always talked about and Iwas found and fascinating when I looked it
up myself. You know, yourgive back for you know, Anthony Marral
charities and stuff and doing and stuffwith your foundation, back to school stuff.
And you know, I want tosay this in the most respectful way,
you know whatever. It ain't likeyou had the multi year you know,
(15:20):
max supermax contract you gave and Ithink that was something that was like
yo, this brother out here andnot just saying Okay, I got money,
I don't have to be out here. You were out there and fully
vested into giving back and helping people. This might sound like a crazy question,
and I've always asked you this before, but why why you you you
(15:43):
have to take the hard road toget to the NBA. Why was it
so important for you to give backfor me? Man, I ain't gonna
lie. It's just I mean,I'm still over there, bro, Like
that's exactly who I am. I'mWes Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina,
Bro. And my whole entire sideof my mother's family is from there,
(16:08):
you know. So like you knowmom upstairs right now, she's made some
turkey wings. By the way,brother, you need to come down to
the country. Man. I hadto get got what number I had,
Man, I had the old Ihad the other number. We're good,
Yeah, we're good now. We'regood now now. But honestly, like
real talk, Bro, I alwayshad an infinity for like charity work,
(16:32):
philanthropy, everything. Man. Mymom was big on it. And when
I was growing up, my momwas a huge Billy Graham fan. You
know, I didn't understand what BillyGrhat was as I got older, you
know, and of course like MartinMalcolm and all them and you know,
but she put me on with alot of people. She showed me a
(16:53):
lot of people that was doing alot of the work I'm doing now that
didn't get the opportunity to get thelight shine on them or had the status
for the news stations to come overthere in an area that we grew up
in our session. You know,they wasn't coming over there to support you
know, my grandmother or my momor my aunt Beverly or my aunt.
(17:15):
Like, they wasn't coming over therefor that. So like we kind of
I felt like, well, I'ma force them to come over here because
I live where I'm from. WhereI'm from, it's a food desert.
It's all kind of like it's noresources. It's either violence or you can't
come down unless you know somebody.I mean a lot of relatable areas in
(17:37):
America. You know, I don'twant to sound cliche, but that's really
what it was, you know.And I was like, if I can
do something. We started hamburgers,hot dogs, go get some book bags
from up there, bring them overhere. You know. It was just
me and the guys, you know, and now we got like a machine
running. So shout out on myboard man a more charities, bro.
(18:00):
You know. July thirty first,you know, we have a fundraising dinner.
And August tenth we got our backto school. We've been going since
two thousand and nine. So We'refifteen years and you know, I had
to get to the point where itgets frustrated because you think, like,
wow, these other initiatives getting usattention. You know, I'm younger thinking
(18:22):
like this, and I'm like,they got to the point where I was,
like, you start seeing the kids, it's like, you know,
they want to be around you,They want to be around the homies and
my guys. When someone working withhealthcare, some of them lawyers, you
know what I mean, God,Daddy adopted like people coming down here.
You know what I'm saying. Mymom work in the community for thirty something
year, forty something years. Likenow, it's like, no, we
(18:47):
are what we're supposed to be doing. We don't need the news, we
don't need nobody make them come nunts. So I don't have no problem.
I interact with everything, you know, and I love it because not only
am I comfortable because it's my community, but when I see the reaction to
the people. We got financial literacyprogram, mental health program, like we
got everything going on and we building, you know, and shout out to
(19:10):
the city. We just got agreat dope grant just now, and you
know, I just I mean,that's why wow, because why not you
gotta go. Yeah, ain't nobodyelse gonna do it? You know what
I'm saying now the July thirty first, and you gotta come on and serious
said to that man. We gottapromote that and make sure that we support
(19:33):
that and letting the masses know.Now you have a silent auction? Are
you doing the silent auction and thingsof that nature? Are you uh for
this? Yeah, we're gonna doa small soid We're gonna do a small
auction. Usually we do like abigger silent auction when we do the gala,
but this is this is just ajust a fundraising event. Oh well
(19:55):
dinner. It's gonna be real nice. But there's some discretion to it right
now because I know my manager's gonnabe like, blast it out right now.
But get the information. Yeah.Yeah. The really reason why I
say is because you know what,we gotta get some of these guys.
I'm not sure that Penny ever giveyou. Penny always ever give you a
pair of shoes or something autograph.I know, you know what. That's
(20:18):
a good point, yeah, becausenow at this point I need Penny to
give me like three pairs of shoes. Man, give to me big homie
for you. Yeah for me?I need yeah for me? What side?
What side twelve? Side twelve?Oh yeah, then one of his
shoes he can signed. I needthat. Yeah. Hold on a second,
(20:42):
because I said, wow, Wow, Wow, it's sitting right up
here. It's sitting right up here. You know what I'm saying. Wow,
real deal, Yo. I'm gonnamake sure I'm gonna reach out to
the Pity because y'all are doing somany great things, man, And I
(21:02):
know you had spoken to him beforeon the show or stuff like that or
some but I'm gonna make sure I'llreach out ass Penny man. You know,
definitely make sure there all sign apair of sneakers and stuff, and
make sure you know definitely, man, you gotta get you. I don't
know if you can wear Memphis gear. I don't think you can win them.
I don't know if you no,no, cause I'm retired now,
(21:23):
bro, But you Georgia Tech allright, they'll get it, they will
understand it. But you know,wrapping up, man, you know when
you look back on this, causeit's gonna come up. Summer League.
They just did a story on twentyyears of the NBA Summer League and you
(21:44):
will featured in there. We're talkingabout I think Steph Curry was talking about
what you did when you look backat your career because how many years,
nine, ten, what was it, ten? Ten, ten, ten
years? When you look at yourcareer as an undrafted player, didn't take
any shortcuts, you know, alwaysman, always there. What do you
(22:07):
look back when you look back onit. What is your biggest takeaway from
your NBA career, bro, otherthan being able to take care of my
family and my kids. Number one, the camaraderie, bro, Like just
to be just to look back andbe able to say, Bro, you
(22:30):
got to do that for real.You got to play at the highest level
of something that you love since youwas a baby. You know. That's
like number one. I thank Godfor that experience and that, you know,
my career every day because so manypeople around the world that want to
do that. You don't really realizeit when you win it. So when
(22:55):
you're out of it, you reallyrealize, like, and you did something.
You know, I'm gonna tell youlike quick, I ain't gonna be
along with this, but my firstyear, my first year, my first
year when I didn't get a phonecall to go to get signed. It
was supposed to be. I thoughtI was going to Portland my last year
or whatever. And I went homeand I, you know, I'm around
(23:18):
the guys, everybody over here hangingout and stuff, and we're watching Opening
Night and the ball tipping. Wegot all the TVs on the games and
all that, and you know,I'm not like down, I'm like really
just kicking it, you know.And the guys started telling all these stories
about games that I played in theGolden State of Jersey or New Orleans or
(23:44):
Oklahoma City, and I forgot abouta lot of that stuff because you was
in it. So like that kindof gave me some stylist because it's hard
seeing that that first year you outthe league, you know what I'm saying,
and you think you supposed to beplaying that night, you should be
playing, and just them just itkind of like it kind of put me
(24:08):
in a place where it was like, hey man, you know you did
some stuff. They didn't say this, but the way they was telling me
stories like you remember when you hadtwenty six men, when we had thirty
two, Remember when we had twentyeight, Like and I'm like damn.
Some of that I don't even remember, but just the fact they were saying
that around me like that They wasn'ttrying to make me feel like you should
(24:29):
be in the league or nothing.They weren't saying that. They was just
talking like, you know, likedamn, what like you really was?
You know? You did it?You know what I mean? And they
gave me some solids in terms oflike cause you feel like you wasn't good
enough to keep playing. But they'relike, bro, you did some stuff
we never was you know what I'msaying, Like you was the one.
You are the one you and youwasn't there a cup of coffee? Yeah?
(24:53):
They was like yeah, So itwas like a lot of it was.
It was a lot of that rightthere. Really, you know,
it just kind of consolidated all mythoughts that I was having. I was
like, man, I should beplaying. You know what I'm saying.
It was like, man, lookit is what it is, but you
already you you did this undrafted.We didn't know what was gonna happen.
(25:15):
We enjoyed watching the whole movie,you know what I'm saying. And they
was there with me, you know, family, homies, friends, everything.
What do you what do you wantto do the next chapter? Anthony
Marl's like, well, we alreadyown it. Man outside the Foundation,
(25:37):
got some things cooking up with Amazontrucking business. Uh, got some other
things because a few job offers insales and consultancy training company, Going Crazy,
Podcast World Great, gotta show itsseven o'clock. The podcast. I'm
trying to get on the podcast.I mean, I don't know, I
(26:00):
don't know. I'm just thank you. You know how many times I've been
in New York to see you.You got you ain't been to Charlotte,
brother. I had to. Ihad to. I had I didn't even
have the backphone number. I hadto know, but that was on the
wall around the West Wing or somethingthat you just happened to pick up.
I'd always say, Yo, you'redoing all right, checking in and stuff
(26:21):
like that. Come on, Iain't I ain't disappear. You know,
you know you're a phone call awaybrother man. And now we got we
got two podcasts. One of themis called Both Sides of the Game podcast.
We actually yeah, Both Sides ofthe Game podcasts. You can take
it out on all the links isin my b Instagram front Line Fresh number
(26:44):
two, all one word front LineFresh tooth and uh, me and my
man Charlotte on the scene, Meand my manor with Sean ironically and my
my co hosts. My guys.They're from New York, They're both from
Queens. Okay, yeah, I'mwatched the shows. I watch you.
I just you know what it is, you know, man, I'm watching
(27:06):
it. I'm observing. I'm like, why are you getting wild like this?
You know, people still watching stufflike that. I see sometime you
be getting watched. Sometime you haveyour taptop, your shirt off. I
see that, I see all that. I see that comfortable over here.
Man, is the new media,ain't it. I watched it, yo.
I'm like, hey, mo,hey, hey, you're still a
(27:29):
brad. But uh no, nodesires to get into coaching, college,
high school, NBA. Uh youknow going that route? You know,
uh, you have a former NBAplayer, Damon Stottlemeyer down at your alma
matera at Drudgey Tech and stuff.Any desire to get back into coaching or
get into coaching or or working inthe front office, because I know you
(27:52):
did something briefly with the Oklahoma CityThunder. Ever, any thought of being
able to revisit something like that perhapsin the NBA. Yeah, I worked
with the Thunder and I worked withthe Hornets for a little bit. I
mean I I wouldn't turn it downdepending on the situation, uh, based
off you know, my previous experiences. But you know, right now,
(28:17):
if it comes, it comes,it gotta be like really like, it
has to be genuine situation. Reallylike, this situation has to be real,
genuine. But with training am uham training four five six, my
training company, my AAU team,Anthony mar Elite. I like the development
(28:38):
with where it is right now.And if you know, somebody want to
come in and say, look,man, we need to shoot and coach
or we want you to come anddo player development, I would definitely take
a look at that for sure,especially college, NBA, you know,
high school, you know. ButI like where it's at right now.
You know, it's it's real.You know. We we with the A
(29:00):
team. Sid to my brother DemicoCrawford, he he puts the rossis together
head coach Ashford, Gray Devine,Clyburn, coach Ben Johnston. That's Grant
Williams uncle blood uncle. Like withthem, man, it's like we really
developing players. We got like overfifty or sixty kids scholarships in the last
(29:21):
like three or four years. Soit's like real work, man, you
know what I'm saying. Like Ilike that. I like being hands on
and having it like that. Imean, you got now. I got
the same amount as I had lastI got four. I got three with
me. My daughter's in Atlanta.Oh okay, okay, okay, yeah,
about to say, hey four kids, man, congratulations. Listen,
(29:42):
man, I'm gonna cut you know, definitely, I'm gonna make sure that
I say this off air, butI'm gonna say it on air. Y'all.
Love you, man. I appreciateyou, and I admire you man
for what you stand for, whatyou continue to stand for, what you
stood for as an NBA player,but more importantly, what you stand for
(30:02):
as a black man, and yourhumility and what you have done and within
your community. I admire you.And like I said before, I truly
truly thank you for all the timesyou have given up your time and and
and really really shared your story.And I really appreciate you doing that right
now, and I wish you nothingbut the best. And I am also
(30:25):
my number ain't changed. I'm aphone call the way I got you.
I know you're gonna call me afterthis anyway, I said, I know
you're gonna call me. Yo,man, No, I want to make
sure we do what we gotta do, but hold type man. Another episode
in the books, Heavy in thepay
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