D-WADE! DWYANE WADE TALKS BIG 3, RETIREMENT AND FAMILY!

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Man, welcome back all the Smoke, Episode nine with my brethren,
my brother, I'm kind of disappointed, man, you figured out
your sweaty hands situation. You know, it just ain't sweating
no more. I'm moisterized. I'm using a lot of baby lotions.
I told you, baby, I told you boys growing in
front of our eyes and your products, give your products
and shout out. Shot out here with the poy miss
pretty boy. Mrs look at it. I can tell it's

(00:29):
already making your nose a little smaller. Anyway, man, we
got a great episode. Man NBA retiree, future Hall of
Famous in eligible flashing of the game, Man, Dwyane Wade, Man,
thank you for coming in my hand sweaty. I was
sitting over here thinking. I was like, I'm wiping myself off.

(00:49):
You know, I let guest slide, though I don't let
you slide. I think it's this. I think it's just
solve velvet over here. The man used to trying to
tell you, Man, tell them what network we are. Show
Time Baby imm and Ice Box did a collab and
made out perfect. You know what I'm saying, Ice Boxing image,

(01:11):
you know something I think? Yeah, anyway, man, tell me
what tired life is like sixteen years correct, sixteen sixteen
in the NBA and and you're done. Yeah, what is
that like? Now? It's actually fun? Was it like? For me?
It's like I want to show people with a different
way to retire, you know, I mean everyone got this mind,
this man setup. When athletes retired, they're gonna be walking funny.

(01:33):
You know, they're gonna be broke, they're gonna be divorced,
they're gonna be so far and so on. So for me, man,
it's always just about inspiring the next generation of Listen,
this is the way you walk away from the game.
This is where you retire. So I'm having fun. Man.
I saw you in the gym a handful of months
ago and he was working out hard to like, any
of you have any of that basketball? Do you still
want to play? Left in you? I love a game.

(01:54):
I mean you guys know that that goes they love
goes nowhere. But my passion for started to leave. You
know what, once it was, once it became more of
a business than it was about just a natural fund
and the reason we all started playing, it started to
take less, more and more away from me. So I'm
at the point now where I'm really for the first time,
probably since I was a kid, that I'm enjoying the

(02:14):
game from a fan perspective, you know. So I'm cool
man without the ice bags, without it man, without it all. Man,
I think I'm more athletic now than I was my
last few years. So what is this some of the
stuff you're into now? Obviously you got a little one.
She just turned one, right, Yes, she just turned one, Okay,
so tell me what it's like. What do you into
besides daddy duty and what what's your daddy day looked like? Yeah? Man,

(02:35):
I mean, you know, I think everyone knows when you know,
when you played the sport like we play, it takes
you away from a lot of things, especially at your family,
you know, being as president as you would like to be.
But also once you get on this side, you realize
how hard it is to be as president as you
want to be, you know. But for me, it's it's
been cool. Man. I got kids and arrange over eighteen

(02:55):
and one, so I made it support them in different ways,
and uh, it's my hardest job, but it's my most
fulfilling one, and I've done some cool things in this world.
But being a parent, watching my kids succeed and grow,
it's my most fulfilling you know. Job. So it's really cool, man,
I'm chilling you guys, know, Man, Yeah, you have a
long run, man, hell of a run. Tell me a
little bit about your Warner slash T and T slash

(03:17):
Bleach report deal. What do you what should we expect
from you in that space? Well, listen, I was like
a lot of people, man. You know, you say, I
don't want to do that. I ain't gonna do that.
You know, you got this when you playing, and they'd
be like, yo, these are the things you can do. Man,
I'm not doing that. And then you get on this
side and you realize like, okay, you gotta keep all
your options open, you know. So for me, man, I

(03:38):
sat down with the Turner family and they willed me.
I really went in with the expectations though I don't
want to be the athlete to talk about other other
guys right when I'm done playing. I don't want to
be that guy. But they wired me with just the opportunity,
you know, with with the whole one of media um
and everything that they that they have and what they
can provide, you know, for me, So I'm definitely excited

(03:58):
to um to announce that we announced that we got
a show that's coming out every Tuesday start in late January.
And Candice Parker, myself and big fellow shock Um Adam
left co he is, uh, he's o Ernie and we're
coming up with our own vibe, our own show. UM.
So for me, it's cool. I get an opportunity steal
stay um you know close enough to the game. Um.

(04:20):
You know, as as I am now very active on
Twitter about supporting the next generation and talking about him,
So I get to do that, you know, and have
that platform. Um. And then as well, I wanted more
you know, um you know that, and they see me
as more than just you know one, They see me
as you know, multidimensionals. So we worked on Bleach Report.
You know what I can bring in them? What kind
of content can I bring? Um? So I'm creative directive

(04:41):
Bleach Report. Um. And also yeah man and then also um,
I have a production company that I'm really jumping into
and you know we have a deal together you know
there as well. So for me, it was a three
dimensional kind of deal. I wanted to touch every aspect um.
Of the brand and I'm able to do that. So
delationhops man, thank you, congratulations Miami Heat. Let's talk about

(05:03):
the Heat. Um getting Jimmy Butler. Yeah, man, they're starting
the ball starting to look good. You know how you
feel about them right now? Well, first of all, we
were trying to get Jimmy last year. You know when
Jimmy was trying to get he was trying to get
that last year. Man, Jimmy. You know, my one of
the good things about me leaving Miami going Chicago is
out for his relationship with this guy. And once I
got around him, man, you you you two guys, that's

(05:25):
my boy. My boy. You know what I'm saying. He
reminds me both of you guys. Um, just an amazing
He's amazing person, a little misunderstood, you know what I'm saying,
becomes all come from a good place. Sometime it may
come out wrong, but it's all coming from a good
place for him, and it's all come from his upbringing
to it all comes from that. And once I've seen
his crazy, I said, okay, get I know you're crazy

(05:46):
to get live um. So I'm so happy to see him, man,
And you know, he's happy. You know, Miami and Jimmy
is the perfect marriage. And you know what he's doing
for the young guys on the team, what he's doing
for Bam done here, Yeah, what he's doing for Todler,
what he's doing for Andre. He's giving them guys so
much confidence, you know what I mean. Jimmy is comfortable
being Jimmy. He don't need to score out and show

(06:06):
you guys like to score thirty or night. He's really
sharing the ball, He's really sharing the attention with those guys.
And you can see it, you know, you see that.
You know that environment that we talked about, that culture
that these guys have bought into it and they're playing amazing. Man,
the sky's the limit. They can just continue to keep going.
You think they're a piece of way. I think they
can contend in the East. I think right now they
can contend, uh, you know, to a certain you know extent.

(06:28):
It depends on how much these young guys grow throughout
this year, right and they gotta they gotta they gotta
fall a lot, you know, to get up and then
be able to walk and run. But it's experiences throughout
this year is gonna show us in the playoffs. You
know what kind of level they compete at. They're showing
everybody right now, we can win, we can win anywhere.
They went into Milwaukee morning, wanted to run on, but
they got young guys, and they gotta bring these young

(06:49):
guys alone fast. But I would never count them out.
I would never count of mind me he organization hard man. Yeah,
I've never counting them out. But I think we all
look forward to and say when they gonna be at
that championship level, you definitely want to continue to ask
certain pieces to help you get there. But when you
got emergence of a bound, when you got emergens of
Kendrick and Toddler, these young guys, these are kind of

(07:10):
guys that you when you talk about we need another piece,
where you actually got these pieces right now? So you know,
I believe that anything happened for them. You touched on
a little bit. But tell me what it's like that organization.
You know, because you hear the old pat Riley Lakers stories,
you hear some Miami stories, and you hear a supposter
as well, like tell me what that ut all right

(07:30):
stories you heard about? All right? Um? You know it's
it's I think It's as simple as as this party
had a vision. He had a vision for you know
how he felt that players and you know how he
felt that his organization would be ran. And he's ran
it exactly the way that he felt. He wanted to
be professional. He wanted to be the most professional. Uh.

(07:51):
He believes in you know, hard work. He believes in
being in shape. He believes in you know, the hours
that you put into the gym, being real hours or
not just for Instagram Instagram. You know, he believes in
you know, he's set a culture and he set responsibilities
for each individual. And just think about it, man, where
we come from, Right I get drafted out of from

(08:13):
Chicago and out of Milwaukee into the NBA, into Miami.
If I don't have accountability, if I don't have a
cultural structure, I wouldn't be sitting here with you guys
right now. You know what I'm saying. So you've got
a lot of these young, you know, individuals from in
the city getting drafted into the NBA had been throwing
all this money, and you know, to have an organization
that has, you know, a bible for this organization to

(08:34):
say these are the rules, this is what you need
to follow to be successful. A lot of young guys
need that, you know. You see some guys go to
organizations that don't have that same structure, and guys are
super talented are out the league pretty quickly. I don't
know what it takes. So I must respect to Miami
for setting that coach. Now, someone who's kind of gone
against the green a little bit, someone I personally reached
out to and spoke to Jack Has and then you

(08:54):
play with him ast you, Dion Waiters. You know, he's
kind of having trouble kind of finding his footing in
that situation. Any any of bias or anything you know
about him that you would kind of help him out
with trying to find his way there. Man, I'll talk
to the U. And so my little brother man, you know,
I mean before he became a Minami, he we stayed
in contact, um, and it's unfortunate what's going on with him.
And the kid loves the hoop. He loves the hoop,

(09:17):
and I think what we're seeing right now is now
that the game was taken away from him. Um, he
don't know how to deal with it, you know what
I'm saying. And he came out and said that last
year being hurt and trying to come back and and
live up to whatever these expectations were, and he was
disappointed in himself by how you know, he played last
year and and and everything. But when he don't have hoop,

(09:38):
he don't know how to to live in to navigate
through this world. And that once again tells you about
taking kids out of any city and you're throwing them
in this big world and you expect him to be perfect,
but you're not, you know what I mean. So it takes, unfortunately,
it takes a lot of a lot of incidents that
Diana is going through to get you to understand and
to learn, and hopefully you know, he can catch it

(10:00):
before too late, and he's not looking you know, on
outside of again saying man, I just want to get
back in and get another opportunity. M So hopefully you know,
not only him, but hopefully the people around him can
continue to keep grabbing him and letting him know that, Man,
don't let this opportunity that you have slide away. You know,
let's go. He's he's a hooper, man, he's one of
you know, he's one of the best. When he's healthy

(10:20):
and he's pot when he's in shape as man's right.
But once again, you don't stand where you come from.
It's not that easy just to say, hey, you should
do X, Y and Z. That's not how he was raised,
you know what I'm saying. So it's it's a it's
a tough situation. I mean, you got us here, all
three of us. You know you spoke to all of us. Man,
you need to lean on us, lean on us because
we believe you've got a lot of talent. Man, we
don't want to see you waste that and control your

(10:43):
own narrative. Don't let nobody else control your story. You
control it, because they're twisting buck y'all up. Way he
was away from the heat for a couple of years,
How was that? Like? I know that it was different
because he was one of those guys I look at,
like Tim Duncan. Yeah, it's been your whole career with
one team. You're gonna have a statue out front, a

(11:03):
couple of seats on the course side of your your
your name, all that, like all that. You know what
I'm saying, That's what I'm That's what I'm thinking. And
it's still gonna happen. But how was that those years
away from the heat. You know what Jackson, I mean,
I'm one of those players that should have left, right
I'm supposed to be one of those players that we
named the Dirks, the Kobe's, the Duncans, um. But it happened,
you know what I'm saying. And it's a lot of

(11:24):
reasons and that it happened. But for me, actually, once
it did, I made the best of you know of it.
I went to Chicago, went back home, and I took
a different approach. I really focused on the community in Chicago. UM.
That was that was huge for me because I lost
a family member a couple of days I thought, decided
to go to Chicago UM and started that process of

(11:45):
trying to help better better in that community. UM. And
then from a basketball perspective, you know, I got a
chance to hear my name being called. You know, I
listened to I listened to Jordan, I listened to Scotty being.
I mean, that's what my vision and my dream to
become a basketball player startist that day, that moment when
I got my name called for the first time in Chicago,
you know, as a Chicago and that was that was

(12:07):
emotional for me. It was emotional for my family. So, um,
there was a lot of things I take from Chicago.
You know, my agent, you know, rest in peace every
time has passed away throughout that Um, you know when
I went to early when I went to Cleveland, but
I got a chance to spend time with him for
the last year, and he was a father figure to me.
You know, it would have it would have hurt me
been in Miami because he couldn't travel and I wouldn't
been able to see him. To not be able to

(12:27):
have that last moment and those membership, you know, it was.
It's a reason why everything happens. That's what I'm trying
to say, Like, you know, it is supposed to happen
that way, but it is supposed to happen that way.
So a lot of great things came out of my
time in Chicago. Man, I see my grandma before she
passed away. I got a chance to be around her.
She was years old. So I got a chance to
do a lot of things in my life that at
this point now I would have felt a certain way about.

(12:49):
You know what I'm saying, not a Cleveland thing that
we appreciate. Thank you, Cleveland, Thank you for making sure
I got back. You know, they did me a solid.
They made sure I got back where I belong, So
I appreciate them. That's what's up man? That Oh three
drafts you bron mellow boss. Everyone played extensive years. Obviously,
you know Chris had to cut short because you know,

(13:11):
health yments. But tell me a little bit about that group. Man.
You guys accomplished a tremendous amount. All had long careers.
Talk about that. That that group of four people, Man,
that was fun. I mean, you guys know, when we
first decided to play the game, was a lot of
things said about about us joining cheating. Yeah, that they't
cheat it definitely, it was it was a different It

(13:39):
was different at that time to make that decision. You know,
I think now, you know, obviously it's a little bit
more accepted ten years later, but at that time it
wasn't a popular choice. But I think when we're in
the game, right, we played this game where they said
if you don't win championships, your career is a failure,
especially when you considered great. So don't don't knock us
for trying to win championships, right, do what we needed.
That's the point of the game, right, that's what y'all,

(14:00):
That's what y'all made the point of the the game is, right.
So now we can't have a great career if we
don't win championship, which is stupid, but once you make
that what it is, then they expect us to go
out and try to do that. And that's what we
had to do. Lebron he he wanted to fill that
championship and he felt that his best opportunity to do
that was with guys he knew what they was gonna
bring on a nightly basis, other guys that can take

(14:22):
a little pressure and stress off for you know him,
I don't care how great you is. No one does
about himself, right, So we had an opportunity at the
same time and to put ourselves in position where we
change the dynamics of the NBA from a player's um,
you know, in position. Yeah, we put the power in
the player's hand and to be you know, three young
guys to make a decision we may understanding what the

(14:43):
future would you know, hopefully be and to see it
that way now, I'm so proud of you know, those
three young guys at the time that to put the
egos to the side and decided, Hey, we're gonna do
something that's not only going to benefit us, it's gonna
benefit so many others aufter us, change the whole culture. Absolutely.
Compare your first ring and oh six with Shock two
winning back to back with Broun and Chris oh Man,

(15:07):
big fella. So, first of all, so thankful for him, man,
I don't I don't think people give him enough credit
what he did for yeah man, what he did from
my career, what he did for the Miami organization, and
what he's obviously what he's done for the game. But
you know, I wouldn't be sitting here, you know, as
a three times champion if I didn't play with someone
that showed me, you know, how to do it daily
and what a champion looks like. You know what I'm saying.

(15:28):
So big ups the big fella UM come to Miami,
just changing changing my life and changing the culture you
know in Miami too. Now we're walking around without chess,
spoke talks with Championship organization. UM. But that first one, man,
I was young. I was twenty four years old. I
was just out there just hoping, not thinking about nothing.
I had guys like Gary Payton. On my team, I

(15:50):
had guys like Jason Wall and Lantoine Walker, James Posey,
like these dudes like big fellas though I mean Hall
of famers, man, I don't believe with players. But they
allowed me just to go out there and just play.
They allowed me to be flashed, be reckless as who
and they was the leaders of the team and we
both we all helped each other get what we what
we wanted. But I was young. I have to winning that.

(16:12):
I'm like, oh, yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Here
comes every year, back next year. And then reality really
set forth real early in my career. As of that,
I started going through a lot of injuries. You know,
a lot of trades happen. And by the time I
got to the Big Three or I appreciated it more understood.
You know, how quickly can be taken away from you.
And I always feel that once you want a championship,

(16:33):
now it becomes harder because if you never want, you
really don't know exactly what you're missing from that standpoint.
But once you win, and then you go through losing seasons.
We went through fifteen games where we want in the
season and so forth. Now it really makes the rest
of your career hard because now you know what that
feeling feels like once you've been to the mountaintop. So, um,
I got tired of losing. I tried to get knocked

(16:55):
on the first round. He's going thirty at night and
doing all that is cool for a while without the
while He's like, wait, man, this is beating me down,
and I want to I want to taste that that
championship again. So for me, man, just how to make
a decision that I want to be known as a
great score that I want to be known as a
great winner. And that decision for me was like, I
want to be known as a winner, so we do

(17:15):
whatever takes. So what was it like with that with
that team? I mean, coming in with so much expectation
that and uh, you know, and then when you guys
started the Big Three and your first ring was with them,
your second ring and then third ring. Tell me what
it was like winning at the second time around with
those guys, in particular with bron And because I heard
Broun learned a lot from you, you know, as far

(17:36):
as you know how how you just gave shot credit
as far as we approaching the game, and winning and
this is not Lebron hadn't had that up to that point.
So to tell me a little bit about that, Yeah,
and I knew that, you know, I mean, I knew
he was a hell of a player. I think we
all we didn't know how great he was gonna be,
but we knew what great news was there. And he's
continued to show as each year what greatness looks like.
But for me, I took it um upon myself to
try to give him the knowledge and what I was

(17:58):
given from the guys I played with you on me
that I was given from from GP and and and
Shock and just those those legends. Though, I try to
get that same game to to Bron, and we became
insufferable in that sense, you know what I mean, because
he realized he recognized that in me as well, and
he respected me enough as a big brother, you know
what I mean, as well as competitor, that he believed that,

(18:19):
you know, I'm I'm not gonna bullshit him, that I'm
that I'm giving him real game. So you know what
I appreciate now too is to watch him give others
that game. You know what I mean that I know
that you know, we developed in Miami and that I helped,
you know, become a part of his you know, his
his whole career. So um, but I was just, man,
I was just thankful that he decided to team over
with us, you know what I mean as well, Like

(18:41):
he brought so much to us in our careers and um,
you know we all benefited from from that. So just
that run like it was, it was surreal. Bro. We
got every team's best every night, you know what I'm saying.
We learned a lot about ourselves. I think early on
we was getting We was not in eight when we
first got together that first year, and he was coming
at us, you know what I'm saying. It wasn't like

(19:02):
even if they was afraid, they didn't show it. That
afraid turned to some courage and we had to look
ourselves in the mirror and be like, hold on, like
are we built for this? You know what I'm saying,
Not up, they built for it because they're coming at us.
And we had to show everybody that we were that
we were built for your best, you know every night.
So to win two championships in four years together, Um,
the way we did it, um was you know, a

(19:24):
storybook you know for us, we would love to win
for but this game is too it was too good
for that. Um, and we broke down alone the way
as well. That last year we was mentally physically we
was jazz. Yeah, it was mentally man, we was the
jokes weren't funny no more in the locker room. Yeah,
you know what I mean. We want as cool as too,
We want as cool as as people in the public.

(19:45):
Guy thought we were to each other like it just
was different. We was around each other for a long time.
We took a lot of scrutiny as well, and it
kind of warned us a little bit, but you know,
we did try to enjoy it along the way as well.
It's important that the time the time you away, when
you left the heat, a lot of people thought you
the relationship with Pat Roddy was fractured. And then you
end up coming back and doing and doing the farewell tour.

(20:06):
Wish our relationship like now we got a great relationship.
I think that that moment, I think both of us,
neither one of us wish to this data that happened,
and um, you know, I think we dealt with it
and we talked, you know, as man and man face
to face, and Pat know how I feel about it.
I know I've been very open about how I feel
about how all that went down. But you know, I

(20:28):
think it ended the way they needed to. I think
once I came back, I had to I had more
of appreciation for the organization, had a more appreciation for
the city, and I think vice versa, you know as well.
So like once again that moved, probably everyone said, oh man,
he should have been the life for it should never happen.
But it's the best thing for all of us that
to happen. Yeah, we've seen each other in a different

(20:49):
like once I wasn't there anymore in both ways. UM,
so you know everything is kosher, man. You know, I'm
just I'm so happy that the successes keep. You know,
it's it's still going for the heat. Um. And you know,
as I get away from the game and do some
other things I want to do, eventually, I would love
to migrate back to being a part of the organization. Um,
as I figure out what my life is really gonna

(21:09):
be about and continue to get back to that city.
You know, the way that they gave to me for
so many years, tell me what it was like playing
with Chris and then you know him being a good
guy he was and really to me probably the one
that sacrificed the most out of the day free and
then for him to to have his career cut short
and have to leave you like, yeah, bro, CB is

(21:30):
so talented. A lot of people understand Man like that
guy like he he was the piece that made it
all work and um, you know, and especially when when
Bron left. Man we've seen like it was pretty much
his team. He he definitely got. He definitely got the
check um. But you know, just to see how talented
he was, he was. You know, he was one of
those guys that started this wave of big shooting threes,

(21:52):
you know, playing on the perimeter, not banging down low
just we had the guarden. We was guarding with golden statement.
We know, man, the whole package. You couldn't get out
must on him and play you wasself skilled, bro so skilled, fast, quick, athletic.
I like his braids, like I don't you know he

(22:13):
gets you on the ice on that wing and he
gets and then he he knew how to get files.
He was. He was so good. I think earlier on
a lot of people called himself because he didn't play
inside and he was six eleven. But later on you
can see how he was a part of the game changing,
you know what I mean, Like right now, he would
be killing right now, man, you know what I'm saying.
So like for me, you know, I was able to

(22:33):
walk away from the game in my whole marriage, but
the game got taken away from him, you know what
I'm saying that. And I was talking to him recently
about it and he seems to be a calm with
but I was like, see, you know what you would
be doing right now though, And I think he's trying
to move his mind away from that. But he could
still be bawling right now and still be a huney
million out here for him, you know what I mean,
Because he's that kind of player. He gets the offense moving,

(22:55):
he could shoot it um and he can ice so
one on one to take you to the basket. Fin
there's dunk on you all that. Like, he just had
the whole package, man. So he was the piece that
me and Brian relied on to make it all really
work when it came to you know, the versatility of
what our team really needed and an identity of like
how we was going to play. You know, he came
back and added that three point into his game and

(23:16):
it changed our whole team. There's no question. What's your
best member of two thousand and ten? And why the decade? Decades?
Decade as a whole, Uh for from my career or
just period just a decade? What you think either one? Uh,
it's been a hell of a decade. Life has changed
a lot in ten years. I mean a lot um

(23:36):
from from your mid twenties to your twenty seven to
thirty seven. You know, my life has changed dramatically, but
just the world around us. You know what I'm saying,
Like crazy, Um how far you know it's coming? Just
ten years? I'm just king years? No, I mean it
was just getting popped, you know what I'm saying. Like so,

(23:57):
Like I remember Eddie Curry was one of the first
ones to introduce me Stagram and I was like, what
the hell is this man? You can put pictures on?
I'm like, why would I want to put pictures out?
You know what I'm saying, Like it was crazy and
now you know you can't. You can't do nothing without
social media. Social media has become the two every everyone uses. Um,
so I think it's it's been cool. I'm thankful that
I'm I'm thankful that I'm older in this generation. I'm

(24:19):
thankful that I had the experiences before this last decade, uh,
you know, to set my foundation is I now try
to navigate in this world. But it's the change has
been amazing too. It's tough to navigating now, especially like
you said, because I kind of feel, and I spoke
on this before, like there used to be real veteran
leadership and your o GS you can lean on the
kind of you know, dodge the pit holes or stuff.

(24:40):
They messed up. As you know with my career and
all my way out, I kind of saw that was
almost a dying situation. Like now the o GS is
not really letting the young fellows lean them because they're
fighting for playing time and contracts and all this kind
of stuff. So I kind of felt like the mentorship
and really like the o G s of the locker
room kind of left, you know what I mean. So
without that, this world with how many pitfalls now it's tough.

(25:01):
It's definitely a tough situation. Tell me what it was like.
You were one of the first and I followed you
a handful of years after. But to win custody of
your kids, because that normally doesn't happen for for athletes. Never. Yeah,
that was ever you got two people that did it. Man,
your legend, bro agend, that was. That was a tough

(25:26):
time for me because you know, when I decided to
go for custody, I really didn't have a lot of examples.
I ain't really have too many people I can reach
out to and say, bro, like, how was the process
you know what I'm saying, Or give me confidence that
I even can you know, send a chance? Um So
I think for me, man, it was it was. It
was on charter of warders. But you know, it was
all about just being in my kids lives. And unfortunately
that was the way I had to do it, you know,

(25:47):
because of my how our relationship went. But um, once
I got that opportunity to be there, you know more,
I think it was beneficial for both of us. I
needed them and they needed me, you know what I'm saying.
And and just even now you know I got Zers.
You know, he's a basketball player and he's trying to
navigate through this world of you know, of having his
father's last name. That's it, you know what I mean.

(26:07):
If I had his father and looking like me a
little bit, and people having expectations of how he should be,
what he should be, you know what I mean, And
like that's been tough, you know, as a parents and
trying to have him to navigate, you know what I mean.
I think I can give him all the game in
the world, but Awesomeately, I've never lived that way that
he's living. I never I didn't grow up as with
a famous dad and a famous stepmother and and it

(26:28):
just means and it means to We're talked about this
at All Star in l A. When I introduced you
to my son and you introduced you and they both
was like real, real shot. He was like, bro, they
didn't come up like we're coming up. We're trying to
make him tough. But now look at your son and switched.
Now like he a totally different player than when when
the All Star Games in l A. He totally different. Now, yeah,
he's totally different. And I mean the biggest thing is

(26:48):
we talked about this, and I think you hear brown
even said that what Browne is you want him to
have fun game would be a great team for me.
It's all about I understand what basketball did you know
from for our family, But you know, we learned so
much through life through the game of basketball and for me.
As you're playing this game, you know, if you have
to work at this, if you have you know, you know,

(27:09):
if you have the foresight to understand what sacrifice looks
like and all these different things, You're gonna be better
in life for it. These are life lessons at the
game of basketball is teaching you. And I put them
in a tough situation this year where I brought him
out here to l A to play a Sierra Canon.
You know, he comes from Miami where he's on the
team where he can score right right, he's on the
team now where he may touch the ball officially five
six times to score, you know. And you're in the

(27:32):
era now where with socially, every kid got all the highlights,
all the moves, and everyone has the ball in the hand.
And I'm trying to tell him, if you want to
be good in this game, you gotta learn how to
play without the ball in your hand. You gotta learn
how to sacrifice. You gotta learn how. And it's tough,
and it senior season. But what I'm trying to do mentally,
is build something to him, um as a basketball player,
but also in life. There's understanding what life is about.

(27:53):
It's not just you know about I got it, I
got it is me, me, me, so many other components
to making life successful. And so I'm just trying to
teach him as many lessons I can before he goes
off next year and go to college. And it ain't
on me, you know. So yeah, man, I want to
backtrack a little bit. What was it like to go
from I don't know how much you got to see

(28:15):
your kids before you got CUSSID to just having them
all the time, Because I went through it, you know,
I mean while I went through where I was, you know,
seeing them on weekends or every other Wednesday there with
me seven days a week. That's a huge transition transition
and then trying to be playing an NBA right talk
about that. Yeah, it was, it was. It was definitely
a tough transition for you know, it's tough in the
weekend paring. First. First of all, when you get your

(28:36):
kids on the weekend, they want to have fun. You
gotta be the fun parent, but you're also trying to
parent them. You know what I'm saying, that's one of
the toughest things to do. So but is it easy
or job when it comes to the responsibilities when you
get them for a time? Is this everything started? I
started thinking about all the responsibilities that I now had,
you know what I'm saying for them, And it was
a simple stuff like, you know, they weren't here for

(28:56):
the weekend and now they stand. So now I'm like, okay, okay,
what kind of bears they need? What what kind of
cheese they need? What kind of thing? Like, I gotta
everything closed it is. They had all the stuff I
need to teach them now, and so it was at
first it was like, you know, I want custom and
I was just you know, I had an emotional moment,
and then it snapped back into me that I had
so much to teach them, and I had so much

(29:17):
responsibility coming my way, and I had to put so
many people around them. You know that I need to
find people to trust to put around my kids because
of my job and my career takes me away from
being around So man, it's definitely tough. It's not easy
at all being a single parent, and neither way it's
not an easy thing. But ultimately, you know you're gonna
do what's best for for your kids. And I got

(29:38):
told my boys. We learned on the fly, we learned together.
I've learned how to parent you guys by how you
guys are. I'm not gonna parent you the same. You
know you're not the same, right, Um. They don't expect that.
And I try to parent each of my kids differently. UM.
I support them differently. Um. And so far as working,
I don't think it stays the same as the love.

(29:58):
The love is there, That's what I'm saying that, and
that's what it's most important. Man. I your love. You know,
we we we've seen and recently the social media stuff
and you know how supportive you are with your youngest
son and and him feeling comfortable enough to come out,
and you guys being so loving and supporting. And it
gives me chills right now even talking about it, because
the negative backlast you guys like really bothered me. Like
I'm on social media argument people like, man, what the

(30:19):
funk are you talking about? Right now? You know what
I mean? Like that unconditional love, but but touch on
what that is like being a professional Hall of Fame
player playing in a masculine sport, and then your son
being a homosexual, and and then being comfortable enough to
have that kind of communication with at such a young age,
which I think it's important. Yeah, it's first of all,
I you're don't talk about strength and courage. You have

(30:43):
way more than I have, you know, I mean you
can learn something from your kids, right, Um, you know,
but in our household, man, that's all we talk about.
We talk about making sure our kids be seen by
each of us. Um, me and my wife. You know,
we talked about making sure our kids, you know, understand
that they're you know, the power in their voice, you know. Um,
you know, we want them to to be whoever they

(31:03):
feel that they can be in this world. Like that's
how I go. You know, understand you can be whoever,
you can be whatever. Now, there's some things that's gonna
you know, why are you trying to go down that process?
This is what's gonna come at. It's gonna be a
lot of negative, it's gonna be a lot of hate,
and it's not even just from my son's sexuality. It's
just about being a young black man or first foremost right,

(31:23):
So everything that comes with that So for us, man,
I don't when I respond to things socially, I'm not
responding because you hurt my feelings. I'm not responding because
that I even care enough of what you're saying, because it's,
as we say in the hood, is ignorant. While responding
is because I understand my platform. I understand that I'm
speaking for a lot of people that don't have the

(31:45):
same voice that I had right as a father, um
or you know, I'm even speaking for my twolve year
old right now because I haven't allowed him to sit
in front of a microphone yet. But I'm speaking for,
you know, for so many others you know, you know
in the l g B, t Q plus can unity.
So for me, man, like I said, it's just it's
just my my my version of supporting. Like you know,

(32:06):
I had to look at myself in the mirror when
my when when my son at the time was three
years old and me and my wife's are having conversations
about you know, us noticing that you know, he wasn't
on the boy vibe as I er was on, and
I had to look at myself and her and say, whatever,
your son come home and tell you he's gay. What
what are you gonna do, How are you going to be?

(32:28):
How are you going to act? It ain't about him,
he knows who he is. It's about you. Who are you?
You know what I'm saying. So all these people that's
out there saying those things, look at yourself. Understand that
you're the one that got the issues. You do one
got the problem. It's not the kids. It's not the
ones who decide that. You decide that, Yeah, they're born
a certain way, and you say they got to be
that way. It's not. That's not That's not life. Man.

(32:50):
I watched my son from day one becoming to who
she now eventually is coming to you know what I'm saying.
And for me, it's all about nothing changes with my love,
nothing changed with my responsibilities, you know what I'm saying.
So one day I gotta do now is get smarter
and educate myself more. And that's my job. And I

(33:10):
went through it, you know, growing up. My oldest brother's homosexual.
And but I think me being around him and understanding different,
being different is the reason why I'm so loved by everybody.
It's the reason why I'm able to sit and have
a conversation with everybody from anywhere, any race, and and
be anywhere, because I've seen somebody being different, and I

(33:31):
loved him just as much as I love myself, you
know what I'm saying. So so I understand that. And
and like my brother, he dealt with a growing up.
We grew up in the hood, so he dealt with
a growing up. But my brother's six square, you know,
you know, he loved a square. He square. But but
I love my brother to death. And by him being
different and being around him as a young kid, it

(33:52):
helped me be able to open up to everybody and
to love everybody like I do. So it was beneficial
to me, not even just more as just wills to him.
People this is They're normal. They're not even different, you
know what I mean. That's new normal. Everybody get used
to Everybody get used to it. Man, this is the
new normal. So if anybody different, we we looked at
as different, you know what I'm saying. The ones that

(34:13):
don't understand it, the ones that don't get it, the
ones that you know, have stuck in a box. You're different.
Not the people out here living their lives, man, you
know what I'm saying. Like, ultimately, you want your kids
to be free and living their lives and I don't care.
You know what you you know what you want to
do from a standpoint. If you want to play a sport,
then player sport. I don't. You don't have to be
like me players sport and be yourself. You know, whatever
you want to do, it's my job to support you

(34:34):
doing and make sure that you that you have all
the twos you need to be. You know, it's happy
as you can't be in this worldwide where you're doing it.
Why you you know, um, you know why you're going
into the person that you are that you're going to
grow into. UM. So they're not different than normal, you
know what I mean. The ones that don't understand it
are the ones that everybody definitely look at them. And
we just wanted to commend you on on just taking

(34:55):
that head on. And like you said, it's more about
your platform and being able to educate you know what
I mean, because obviously you touched on early on is
it's a tough pill to swallow, but the love and
support you showed is tremendous. First of all, foremost, like
you said, being a black child, man or woman in
this country is hard enough, you know what I mean,
and then adding that component to him. But I think
that the effort you guys showed as a family and
the unity and the love and the family was huge, man,

(35:18):
was huge and needed it because, like you said, there's
plenty of other people going through it having to pretend
who being someone they're not or scared to speak out
or can't speak out. And when people like you went
with your platform and your wife's platform are able to
show unity, I think that goes a long way. Man. Really,
my wife has been amazing by the way. You know,
I mean I could say that I'm I am the
man I am from that standpoint because being around someone

(35:41):
who's been so cultured, you know what I mean that
that when she came in, she let me, she gave
me some different leads is to look through of life
and change my whole perspective, you know, I mean, I
grew up with the same perspective. Is a lot of
these people out here that's a lot ignorant, you know,
I mean, I grew up with all the perspective right,
and you meet people on the way to help you
take those glass is often put on some different ones,

(36:01):
you know, what I mean, look through life through a
different lens. And that's what my wife has been able
to do. So it's been cool. Man, she makes you better.
It's a good thing to have somebody around everything. Man
is a great woman, there's no question about that. We're
speaking on your wife. Tell us what it's like having
such a public relationship. You know, obviously we want to
keep as much stuff private, but when you have a
superstar movie wife and a superstar NBA player, the good,

(36:22):
bad and in between, it's going to be publicized. Tell
me how you guys navigate through that and and hold
a common you know strength. It's been tough at times.
You can lie to you. She ain't been easy, you
know what I'm saying. I think ultimately for us, you know,
we both love each other. We both are committed to
supporting each other. So we figured out. But it's definitely
times where um, you know we have to you know,

(36:45):
we have to go through the ship together. Um. But
you guys, see, man, my wife is very outspoken. She's
a real one. She's not ain't not none of that
is for show. That's who she is. Everybody knows it.
You know, one thing you know about guys, she is
who she is. Um, so she's helped me grow up,
you know what I'm saying in a lot of errors.
But you know, I support her, you know, and I

(37:08):
think for me early on to just something simple as
I had to be okay with supporting her as an
actress first because like I got with as an actress.
But then it gets real when you start seeing those
sexual scenes, You're like, hold on, hold on. Before ghost
was got being Mary Jane wife, now I was like,
oh player, but then he became ghosts. I don't mess

(37:29):
with him. Uh but yeah, man, you know what I mean.
So I think I've grown so much just about being
in a relationship with this woman. Man. But um, you know,
she's somebody who I feel like, you know, you can
help the world change, you know, I mean, she can
definitely change the world. She has it in her. So
it's been cool watching her grow into you know, who
she's become as well, and and understanding alone the way

(37:50):
like even though you know we have a public relationship,
you know, we definitely try to keep on individual brands,
you know, going and and then we understand the right
time to bring it together, you know what I mean.
Like just like the getor ready to added we had
and we got another coming out soon. That's pretty cool.
And we bring it together the right way, but we
also keep it separate, you know in a sense as well,
because you know, Mama got to pay half on a
lot of things. You were half and half over on

(38:16):
the side. And remember that agreement we talked. Tell me
what it's like to because it's almost like a roll
reverse on off. Can We spoke about how as soon
as you were retired, it's time to move to l
A and that's probably because you need to support her
and her movement. Now, tell me what that adjustment was,
liking what that situation was. Well, you know what, it
wasn't as easy as I probably have made it look um,
But you know, I think about this. You know, for

(38:38):
the last let's eight to ten years, my wife has
been flying to Miami every weekend. She works five days
a week. She fled to Miami every weekend and make
sure the family is you know, make sure we're good.
You know, she's been doing that a week out the
week out the week for years. So when it was
time for me to to to now it's time for
you to support you know, it was like, hey, leave
what you leave your comfort zone and you know, bring

(38:58):
your ass to l A. But know, my wife's career
is here, my daughter's here, you know. Um And for me,
it was just like sitting down thinking about each of
my kids and I'm like, all right, how can each
one of them benefit? Um here, I have a six
year old son who lives here. How can he benefit
for me being here? And then how can my career
benefit for me being here? And you know it all
signs pointed up, so it was it actually became an

(39:20):
easy decision from the standpoint of the next phase of
my life. Um, you know, to to make that move.
But everyone saying, how can you leave Wade County? How
can you That's that's always gonna be there, you know
what I'm saying. But you know, my home is what
my family is. My family is here, so you know,
right now, you know we're forging forward. You know what
this side gonna look like. And anytime I'm ready to
go back to Miami to get that way kind of love,

(39:40):
I get on the plane, hop back and go do
what I need to do. I mean it could be worse.
I mean, l A, I mean it could be a
lot worse. She's telling you that you got to go
move to Milwaukee to Memphis. You gotta move to Hollywood
with me, baby. So I think that's cool. Let's go
back to desire. Um, I know it's kind of hard.
I have two sons too, like we talked about, and

(40:01):
it's hard to put high expectations or your son at
this act because, like I said, you want them to
have fun. You want them to grow up and be
their own man. Um, do you have any expectation to
them and playing with Brownnie? You know, I know you
love that you're being able to sit the courtside with
Lebron and cheer on your boys talk. Let's talk about that. Yeah, man,
First of all, that's the fun part of him. Man,
his parents make a decision like hey, you know, when

(40:22):
I knew I was moving out to l A and
brown on the phone just talked about, you know, both
of our kids and where they was at. I think
Brownie was at Cross Worlds at the time. We both
talked about it. And to be able to make a
decision that, you know, let's it's a basketball decision for
us as a family is a senior um to put
them together, you know, to do something special. Other players
joining that's very talented was Zarya Williams and um, you

(40:44):
know Brandon Boston over there, I mean as well and
other kids. It was like, yo, this is a great
this is a great time to be a dad's right,
right for both of us. And you know, as you
see him on the sideline, you see me on the sideline.
We get into it, and then we get into it
from a fan perspective, man, and just support the parents
perspective as well. We crazy his head on that sideline
just like the rest of the parents in the world.

(41:04):
Just because we played the sport. I don't mean we
you know, we're not just like everyone else. So that's
been cool, you know, from that from the respect to
be able to to to to create a memory for
those guys, this is the moment that's happening for them.
They on ESPN and all this cool right right, more
than NBA teams, they're getting exposure daily. Um, and it's
tough because they got to navigate it. But you know,

(41:26):
we're trying to prepare them for the for the for
the next level um of college and once they reached
this real world. So um, it's been cool as well. Man,
kind of advice, your gift to him, I think from
a basketball perspective, you know, as I talked about, it's
very something to my dad. You know, I want you
to be You have to make sure you put yourself
in a position where a coach always feel like you
deserve to be on the floor. I'm not. Don't never

(41:47):
be one dimensional, you know what I mean. Have multifacets
to your game. Um, And I think that's one thing
he's developed right now. Like what I love about what
my son is doing is defensively, he's turned into a
good defender, you know. I mean he's changing the game
to inastially when he gets in. Uh. That's the stuff
I care about more so than the dunks in the highlights.
So and my advice to him, man, it's you know
what I'm saying, Like you're finding like who you are?

(42:09):
Find you know what I'm saying, and find like your
purpose and playing this game? Why are you playing? That's
why I act like I said, why are you playing
this game? Because I don't want you to play because
your dad plays, because the world spect you to what's
your reasons? So find your wife, find your purpose of
why you play this game? And you know If it's
for the right reasons, then keep going. If it's for
the wrong reasons, then let's sit on and let's talk
about it. Because you only play this game, you know,

(42:31):
for for you know, for you. You're not playing this
game for me. You playing this game for that year.
So I just love that he's enjoying it, you know
what I'm saying. And wherever it takes him, um, it's
going to take him to his right path, you know
what I mean. What's up now? What the power and
influence that social media have and you being who you are,
your wife being who she is, does that concern you
about your kids? You know, like you said, your youngerselves

(42:53):
not known in yet, but but but being a part
of it because it can be such a nasty area
and some kids really get lost in it. Yeah, it
definitely concerns you. You try to keep them off social
media as long as possible, but that's that this the world, right,
So I think we try to help them navigate how
the world's going to be. Like, you know, it's only
so long you can keep it from to keep the

(43:14):
real world from because it's coming, and you know, and
I think our job is to help them navigate through it.
You know, when it comes to comments, you can't have
comments from kids. They're gonna read them, or they their
friends gonna tell them more. Someone's gonna make sure they know.
So for us, it's about every time they go through
you know, something that's been sad, is something they can't
do with is our job as parents to parent them

(43:35):
and help them through it and not hide them from
what the world is. You know what I mean, the
worst thing to do is to call them, call them,
call them, and then now you gotta let them out
to the world, and they don't know how to navigate. So,
you know, we grew up talking about we have street smarts,
but there's gonna be a little different. They got to
be street smarts, but life smarts. So we're trying to
teach them how to navigate through life. Now. It almost

(43:56):
like you kind of the Thanksgiving social media post you
guys made, it's kind of what's kind of like the
welcoming and more of it made a splash. Although you
guys did the Pride parade in Miami, the social media
post on Thanksgiving, it's kind of what splashed the world.
So with the positive and the negative feedback was there
a conversation amongst the family because everyone kind of came out.

(44:18):
I saw Zayr made a post, you obviously spoke on
and gave me spoke on. It was there like a
family coming together with that before you guys kind of
spoke your piece. When I've seen that. When I seen
Zaire's post, I loved it, you know, saying as a
big brother, Oh he dropped sixteen, let me get my sixteen.
You know what I'm saying. I loved it. And you

(44:40):
know that I found it about supporting each other's right.
No matter don't matter together this so we're all about
supporting each other. So when I've seen that, as as
as big brother, I loved it. Man, you know what
I'm saying. Um, you know, I just keep you know,
I keep telling my kids. You know they're going to
make mistakes in life, but I keep telling how proud
I am of them because you know, they're growing, you know,
into who they want to be. And it's hard in

(45:02):
this world to navigate and be who you are because
so many people is putting off this energy of who
they think you're supposed to be. And you know, I'm
trying to keep that away from them. And and show
each one of them to be you and make everybody
else figure it out around you and on your side
supposed to you look me a lot of your peers
on the propping them up. You know what I'm saying,
a lot of you. I'm down with you Brown that

(45:24):
I look man, And the love and support from you know,
send this NBA community. First of all, you know your
brother's it's been incredible. It's been dope. You know what
I'm saying. Um, you know, so I appreciate it. And
we went to smoke too, so you know if you
need it already know already listening, pulling up to go
back to what you said. I mean, you know, man,

(45:44):
it's like me and my wife is we have such
a public life, but then we have moments where you know,
we saw each other the movies, right, you know, we
walk up as y'all you and your ladies, me and
my lady, and we just try to be normal people,
you know what I'm saying. And you know that's the
that's the one thing I like about l A to us,
you run into it more, yeah, you see it more.
So I've been able to try to enjoy a normal life,

(46:05):
you know, in this Hollywood. It's crazy, but we try
to have those moments. What we're just doing regular ship.
People looking at it like, what is that them? Standing
on previous shows? People think because you know, we were
highly paid athletes and that that we're not human, We
don't have feelings, you don't have emotions, were not regular.
We're regular as people, regular people regularly. We was at
the movies one time and him and Gabby came in

(46:26):
and Gabby yelled my name across the whole movie. Nice,
what's up? But it's just you know, it's like he said,
it's just regularness that that that people don't think we have.
But we definitely do. Sure, definitely do. Let's talk a
little bit of NBA. What do you think of the game,
because it's so much different now from when you came

(46:48):
in the game where this it was you know, they
were allowed to play some defense and it was more
transition and this isn't that you can hopste up Yeah,
used to used to kill. I think his his biggest
thing to me was rejecting the pick. And we knew
in the scattering port he's going to reject the pick.
Stay like that is still because if he goes over.
He's going down here regards. But if you jump too high,

(47:08):
he's gonna cross over and go based on it, dunk
that bit and force them to the pick. And you
can never force them to the pit. But anyway, just
the future that the game and how it's changed from
the time you were making, you know, doing what you
do to what it is now. Well you got those
way different, way different, right, I mean it changed multiple
times in my career. Um, So I'm not one of
those guys, even though it's still I'm still fresh and

(47:30):
just left the game, But I'm not one of those
guys that feel like, oh, they need to play the
way we played. It needs to you know, the world
changes and you have to evolve with it, you know
what I'm saying. So the game is evolved. You know
the rules have changed, um, and you know it's allowed
guys to have more freedom to be more creative. Um.
You know. I mean you see a guy like James,
the numbers he putting up, and it's not that they're

(47:52):
doing something that guys haven't done. I mean, I was Cobe,
Kobe put up a string like that, MJ put up
a stream. It doesn't matter, you know, I'm saying the
way the style was, and I just feel like allowed
them to be them, allowed them to make to create
their own you know, uh portrait, you know, and they
got a blank canvas. Let them trig with their stories,
going to be in their generation. Um So, I love it.

(48:14):
I support it. Um you know, I feel like we
all set you know bars, you know, records are set
as a bar, and that bar set for the next
person to come and jump over it. You know, it's
the only way that you know, in our community, we're
going to succeed if we set bars allowed and and
and have the next generation keep jumping over. So you know,
these guys are trying to jump over the bars that
was set by the guys before them. They're just doing
it in a different way, and there's nothing wrong with it.

(48:36):
Who were some of the younger players you enjoy watching
these days? Um So, obviously one of my favorites is
DeAngelo Way, Way, shout out there, Way, the first athletes
that touch on that. Well, I love a kid, you
know what I mean, Like he's I love him one too.
He's not perfect. Boom, Let's get that out the way now,

(48:58):
we know that made mistakes. Cool. I like him I
want nobody that's perfect right back from him, right. He's
the hell of a basketball player, the fashionable kid. Um.
You know, it really got his mind in the right
place when it comes to what you want to build.
He has a vision for himself. So you know, when
I sat down with him, I was like, this is
a person I wanted to leave my brand. Um and
I had the honor to be able to do that.
So it's cool for me. Man. You know, obviously he's

(49:20):
one of my my favorite players. But you know, I
love a lot of the young guys. I mean, Devin
Booker is one of my favorite. Love Devin, um um.
I love the new guys like m John Morant, Monster
Boy can go um um, Luca, I love Luca look,
I mean it's it's something. Just the numbers that Lucas
is putting up at the unbelievable. It's crazy. But Jaren

(49:43):
Jackson is one of my favorite I love that. I
love just seeing his growth so far. Another night, the
kid hit nine threes, big man coming in shooting a
couple here. Now you hit nine threes. Uh, Well, So
there's so many young you other young guys like dearon
Fox and I really really like, I love the potential
of dear and you know, I'm me like, if he
reaches his potential, the sky's the limits of Donovan Mitchell.

(50:04):
You know that's my young What I love about Donovan
Donovan that he have Donovan to texts me two in
the morning, ask me anything and he's like, hey, d
I need you. Can you watch this film? Can you
send me some notes? Like he do anything? And I
love that he reaches out and use their resource. You
know what I'm saying. See someone that's someone that reminds
me of you very someone that I mean, do you

(50:26):
agree with that is or anything else in the league?
Do you think because to me when I saw him
players like damn, this is another d way. Yeah, I
agree with you got when I look at him and
see certain things, it's like it's like that means saying
myself right and you tell oh, ship, Yeah, definitely, I
love that kid, you know what I'm saying that. But
what what I love most abut him and he's not
shying to reach out naxt. Now you know what I'm saying.
You you're getting this place sometimes when you feel like

(50:48):
I got all answers or you know, I don't want
to feel like I need anybody Like the kid. He
reaches out and he asks all kind of questions you
no matter what time I let him know, like you know,
my line is open anytime I can help you navigate
through this um So, you know, he's definitely one of
my favorite people. Also, it's one of my favorite players.
So it's a it's a longless I love the talent
of these young guys. Now they have to reach that,

(51:08):
you know, the what the pressure that we that we
put on them or who's going to be the next star?
I mean, but I love it Like zach Lavine. I
love zach Lavinia, you know what I mean. He got game.
These kids got they can. I don't mean to call
your kids they men. Yeah, but like these young men
they can, they can go. It's just about, you know,
saying somebody around them that can help them all reach
their potential to see who's going to be the next grade.

(51:31):
You touched on Donovan Mitchell reaching out to any other
players leaning on you because I know Kobe has an
open window and open door policy with that, have more
players reached out to you as well well? A lot
of guys that you know, I host a camp in
the summers, you know for guys um where it's called
the invite and I invite UM. You know, multiple guys
that come to my camp and we kind of have
that moment where we sit and talk about business. Um.

(51:53):
I like to talk about my pitfalls and you know,
my successes. Um, we talk about the game. You know.
So you know I had a lot of the young guys.
You know, Cody White was there, Colin Sacks was there. Uh,
some of the young guys like Devin and some of
these guys, younger guys was there. Like it's just cool
to be able to pass down, you know, the information
knowledge that you learned throughout this game. So I've been

(52:13):
doing it for two years and I'm excited to keep
it going. So definitely, guys reach out all the time.
They're not as shy as like I probably were when
I came in. It was just a different it was
a different Yeah, I want to ask nobody nothing because
the vets they want to trying to message you like that. Yeah.
So it's just it's a different day, man. So it's
cool to be a part of being like one of

(52:34):
the vets that they feel they can reach out to.
It's the question I wanted to ask you give me
five of your most underrated players you played against that
I played again? Underrated. We know all the good players
you played again, that's a damn five. Uh that was underrated,
joo one of I mean, it's a Hall of Famer
to me. But Chauncey Billups, big shot, very underrated bro So,

(53:00):
the rated, perfect piece for that team. Hated guarding him.
Um he just he just had a knack for those
always under control, always under controled. I love you, but
I hated Chauncey bro as a competitor. Um So. He
definitely was one of my top five underrated players I
played against. Um so many many players. I'm going back

(53:22):
to the beginning of my career too. I'm just trying
to go back. I need some names. I got Baron Davis. Oh, well,
everybody know my bads. Beat helped me become the player
that I became. Early, very early, gave me everything I wanted.
But I grew up. I had to grow a fast.
You grew up past I had to. I had to
take them diapers off early. Yeah. Yeah, b D definitely

(53:43):
loved b D. I mean, he's one of those players
that unfortunately had to deal with injuries kind of like me.
But you know certain players you like man and they
didn't have to deal with it. If what if you
know what I mean, we got a chance. We saw
primetime b D you know, early on, but with that
we believe Bearing was unbelievable. He was the best player,
hands down, and I'm just like guy and he was

(54:04):
still dragging one leg and back back and so if
he was, if it was that goes stay b D.
When you get oh man, that was that was one
of my That was one of the most exciting teams
to watch. Bro never know what to expect out of y'all,
but we got a dot coming listened, sign me up
right away, im there. I mean that that was amazing

(54:25):
with b D at that time to like you said,
dragging one leg at times just some monster dog and
to this day and he could still get buckets one
mad still get buckets on your slow motion, you know
what I'm saying. So he's definitely one of them for
me as well. Paper teammates my favorite teammates for different reasons. Um,
obviously everyone knows you. D is my favorite teammate of

(54:45):
course Mr Miami, Mr three oh five, The real three
oh five. You save me a lot of money on fines. Yeah,
you're riding here, riding. He don't check them outledge, he
just ride. He wouldn't even let me pay for him neither.
Uh do. Um. One of my favorite teammates was Channing
Friday when I went to Cleveland. Actually, he's funny, funny,

(55:07):
one of my favorite teammates, one of my favorite people. Um,
it's funny. A lot of your favorite teammates, not the
guys of everyone think think about it. Um, James Jones
one of my favorite teammates. Good dude, now gm Ethoenix. Um,
one of my favorite teammates. Man. Um, Eddie House, Oh,
I love Eddie House everybody. Oh, he's the character about

(55:29):
his mother. Shout out House, shut out to Eddie Household
fast talking. He's funny, probably talking what he gonna talk
about me? Whoever you're around, you gonna be talking about
one of my definitely one of my favorite. So it's
all the guys, man, that you know, once you go through,
especially you're going through this league as a star, these
the guys that you lean on. These the guys that
brings some human to you. These are guys that you
can talk about about anything, and they you know, saying

(55:51):
they always there that that that showed in that ear,
you know, tend to listen to your your wine and
complain about being the star in the league. You know
what I'm saying, You complaining, you know, but like these
guys that they mean a lot to you. So before
we transition out real quick into the next and final topic,
real quick, toughest player for you to guard and the
person you hated that guarded you the most. Um, toughest

(56:13):
players for me to guard always go with guys like
Rayal and Rip Hamilton. Then move they move. I hated that.
I'm a shot blocker too, so I like weak side.
I like, you know, knowing watching the ball stills gone.
I hated guarding those dudes, especially Rip because you had
them nails too. He was dirty as yes a lot

(56:34):
of times put them nails and you just start the
game like rip this the tip the ball, just tip.
I hated Guarden, hated Guarden, Raid, Just guys like that,
you know saying that move that constantly. Um, And you
said the guy hated guarding me, Yeah, Um, you know
what I mean. It was some guys who I felt

(56:55):
like guarding me good, But I never feel like I
hated no one guarding me. Always for me, it was
always a different challenge. So it was. And now I'm saying,
some guys played me very well. I mean, guy like
Kirk Hinrichs played me very well, you know what I mean.
And people like Kirk Hinrich he frustrated the hell out
of me too. For some reads position defender you know
what I'm saying, didn't go smart, didn't go for shot,

(57:16):
and he was tough and love defense. And when I
when I got him, when I had a game where
I scored forty while I walked away with my chest pokee,
you know what I mean, because it was so many
NICs where I had to work hard to get those points.
You know, shout out to Kirk hiras Man just underrated defender. Um.
But I didn't never hate a guy to fend like Kobe.
He guarded me once, he respected me. He guarded me

(57:38):
very tough. But I loved it, you know because like
even if you know he turned me, turned me, turned me,
I get a second count or I lose it or
something like. So now it's just it's the next challenge
for me. And throughout the game, you need to find
different challenges. So the best defenders of the round test.
Once I once I got to the point where I
felt like Ron, I'm here. Like once I once I
saw the respect from Ron, I was like, oh, I'm

(57:59):
here now when I'm early in my career. So these
great defenders, they let you know where you at. You
know what I'm saying. And so for me, like I
appreciate all of them, I didn't need one of them.
That's what's up. I gave my all buckets to you, didn't.
I know you're big into you know, even while you play,
but now definitely you know culture, just being on the scene.

(58:21):
You recently went to Diddie fifty a birthday party. Yeah, man,
claim Black Now it was dope, bro. You know I've
been on his l A side, you know, getting invited
to things that you've seen other people going through for
many years. It was cool. Um So actually my wife,
my wife wasn't there because she had some business in
New York. So I wasn't going to go. My wife

(58:43):
was like, fool, Yeah, you have a good time. You retired.
She was like you better go right. But you know
what was cool about it? First of all, I mean
Diddy brow and unbelievable. You know, amount of people together
from every different walks of life. You've seen how much
love that was there for brother love you know, so
you see what he means to so many different generations

(59:04):
and it's a beautiful thing to see. Um. But you know,
for me, what was so cool about it? And it's
a picture that I posted. We see me and did he?
You know, we we're toasting the champagne glass and at
that moment what we were talking about was uh, like
sixteen years ago. Um, and I was I was a
young kid, my second yar in the league. I was
in Purvey, you know in Miami it was opium and

(59:26):
didn't Prevey y'all know about it. H I'm sitting there,
I'm in I'm in the club and I'm starting to
feel myself a little bit. I'm getting my name going.
Uh and did he walks up to me? And I'm
sitting there like, oh ship did did he? And he
walked up to me and he said, Yo, I'm about
to make you the first supermodel superstar and like you know,

(59:46):
he was like, listen, I want you to um, I
want you to model for Sean John blah blah blah,
he had this whole plan from me, and I remember
just sitting there like okay, okay, okay, like you know
this is then, and so we were just talking about
this four circle moments, you know, and life, you know
what I mean. Like he was one of the first
ones to see who I could become in this world business,
you know what I'm saying, the business side, and really
put me on from that standpoint, and you know, just

(01:00:08):
to be there in that moment. We were just toasting
to just success, you know, black excellence and success you
know in life. Man. So it's cool man. Shout out,
happy fifty birthday, man, and shout out did he that birthday? Brother?
Now pull up owners and come drop off some rocks.
It's rocking all other stuff you got going on. Didn't
happy birthday? But you know nine times start acting for ship,
oh speaking for the biggest segment. Uh, the way you

(01:00:31):
will big with the stand socks. I see you'd be
rocking them all the time. I need a ship with
my boy. Don't send the plug. And from I know
you got a lot of you know, I ain't we
max for no way, no ways, the way ways, because
I see I see you just coming out with a
brand new pad to day. I ain't we speak on them,
but can I get some socks? List packs? My brothers,
let's get boxes. Well, goddamn it, let me get a

(01:00:52):
boxing boxing stand. Listen. So I just started a new
side company with stands. It's called Parkway Parkway, and we
just in the targets. So I'm in all targets around
the world. Shout out the Parkway, um, you know, So
for me, I'm gonna make sure that y'all guy boxes
and neighbors, all my people parkway side shout out the
park Shout the target too. So I'll make sure my

(01:01:14):
guys you know, sitting here, you know, with this fresh
shoes that they be wearing. I don't want to say
the brand name. You know, Yeah, Contracts were the fresh
fresh sneakers that they be wearing. I want to make
sure they got the right soide, I need that target
plug too. I'm in targets. I'm not in the ones
all around the world, so I need your target plugs,
like huge, shout the target target giveaway. This weekend, do

(01:01:34):
we do a give Christmas giveaway to the single mother's
toothbrushes and tooth figs? No, no, no, toys, clothes, whatever
the women need for this single Mother's not what I need.
You know what I'm saying. I keep my tooth picks
on me. Got to let's transition in the real quick.

(01:01:56):
We're gonna start doing some quick hitters. But music, what
do you listen to? Who's your top five? This? We
got something behind you on the wall. Unfortunately, I know
you heard it her way. Huh the big fella, you
know I got so for me, man, It's funny because
you know, we had these questions all the time. So
for me, I think jay Z is number one. When
I was young, it was Tupac, but you know, we

(01:02:17):
didn't get a chance to continue to keep growing together.
So I've grown up with jay Z. Man, he's number
one on my list. And from now I'm not saying
arrested in the order, but Drake is in my top five,
Little Wings in my top five. Thank you, um obviously,
thank you in my top five. Um and um ross

(01:02:40):
huh uh. You know this is what I lost, So underrated,
so many amazing there's so many amazing to pick from, bro,
But it's all about how you vibe. You know what
I'm saying. They tell that you know, saying, how you
relate to so those five, I'll relate to them on
a you know, on a different level. But nowadays, man
like I try to stay up in in the culture.

(01:03:02):
It's just hard for me. It's too many little it's
too hard little this little, this little that little bits
like everybody. Yeah, it's grown. We had a little wayane
a little bout what we had the little. Now it's babies,
baby baby step babies, yeah, legitimate baby like you know,
I didn't want this. They wave like babies. So you know,

(01:03:26):
my kids like kids, listen to everything. When I'm around him,
I try to try to be that cool hit dad.
But I mean, I know obviously, you know, we know
some of some of the guys you just can't deny.
Somebody don't break through and you can't deny you know
what I'm saying, shout out the baby and me goes.
You know, it's certain people you can they will not
be denied. That greatness is there. But when I get

(01:03:47):
in my car, man, I just I gotta go to
mold school playlist, you know, I gotta go to the music.
I know sound to your life. You know, we just
listening to it when you came in. Yeah I need that. Yeah,
I need that. So, you know, but shout out to
everyone who's doing their thing and create their own wave
and culture. Um, but you know, I'm old school Maya drummers.
I'm with you. If we're not out of supporting each other,

(01:04:08):
what the funk we doing? Get out of the way.
I mean you was at our party four, you know
what I'm saying, Like, yeah, I spoke. I didn't really
want to name drop on the show, but with Gabby's
birthday party was turned was so it was a CALLI
vo that was. That was the name of it. Caliboa right,
it was a calibody for real. You got your Your
name has been dropped in a lot of songs, jay Z,

(01:04:30):
you know, a lot of guys meet meal When I
was young, I was like, what's your favorite hoping jay
Z actually did a video the other day, Um, Jesus
playing Lebron I'm paying Dan Wight. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah,
I know where I remember I was that when I
heard I was in the Strip club back in the day,
shot alone a long time ago, and they played it

(01:04:50):
like cashly and I was like, wait, wait, wait, wait wait,
what was the first time you heard it first time
I heard it and I was like, I went up
to the teach. I was like, Yo, wait but that
play that again played on put it all night. I
was like, my mom made it. But I remember talking
to Jay about it. Man. I remember acting Jay like, YO,
like to me, it's crazy that you're creating, you know,
saying something that's magical for you and you think of me, right, Like,

(01:05:13):
it's still crazy to right And so I'm like, Yo,
like what made you say this? What made you say
my name? And this? Because he said it more than once,
you know what I'm saying. So it was just cool
to hear, you know, his perspective from a from a
standpoint of you know, what keeps artists relevant as well?
You know, I mean what keeps you relevant? What's going on?
You know? I get it. You are, you know, such

(01:05:33):
a sud So it was cool just had that conversation
with like, what what made you put my name in
in this song? Because it's you know and probably State
of Mine is legend, big song. It means a lot
to appreciate. We said old some money too. Layne told
me got a song coming out I'm called bottom like
stack Jack and I ain't know all stuff, but that
means a lot because I listen to Wayne you know

(01:05:53):
what I'm saying, so that that means a lot to us.
It might not, it might not mean not to some people,
but to us basketball players and listen to say music
and growing up, that should mean a lot. So I
don't think that we too cool to whatever we like.
Just like anybody else out there. You hear your know,
your name in the song, it could be your homies
from the hood stuff is in there. You're you're geeking
out every time my name is in a song, And

(01:06:14):
to me is always like, yo, I'm playing it. Let
me hear that, Let me hear that. So shout out
to anybody who decided to put this, because when I
was young, I don't think my name was cool enough
to go like I was like, I ain't wait, who
Michael Jordan's that's a name. Who gonna say? Ain't so
when they when they put your name and stuff, man,
it's just it's a unbelievable bad honor man. Respect dope.

(01:06:35):
Well you brought us a gift, man wine, you appreciate
really appreciate it. I mean we I wanted to ask
living or dead? Uh, five person wine session. Who would
you invite to that party? And straight up that's a dope,
dope as that's a question. So my first person I
think about is Mark Luther King, always number one person

(01:06:57):
I said, let me do security. I want I want
to bring my little the King right because it's a lot.
I gotta action the King King. Um, I'm definitely gonna
have Barack. I want to buy it with Brock, specially
drinking wine. I want to smoke a drink with me too. Yeah,
I want to buy Okay, you say smoking to join
and drinking wine. Both, we can do it. You know,
I want to buy it. Welcome to the side. He's

(01:07:21):
snuck it, he stuck. I'll live in I'll live in
county now right right, So let me see those two
for sure. Um, I think Oprah gonna be on my
list too. I think I want to sit on a rabbit.
Oh you know what I'm saying. Chicago got roots open,

(01:07:42):
is on the open in my room. Yeah, I gotta
be Um who else? Like, I need two more people
that's gonna be in there. Um, you got more Luther King,
you got Barack, got Oprah? I got jay Z in
my room to jay Z Jay Z wanted the coolest brothers.
A lot um but so much game. So I got
jay Z in my room too, after us you to
get him on our show. And last I think I

(01:08:03):
had Eddie Murphy. Oh you got you gotta have ye classic.
That's a classic setting, right, I mean you know what too?
And I forgot somebody. But it's hard. I wouldn't want
Denzel in there too, So you know what I'm saying.
If I could put another chair and make room, I'll
bring this. Matter of fact, I'll leave the room. Yeah,

(01:08:25):
I stand up in the corner. You got to be
my room right there? Yeah, A nice five. What would
a wine vibe be like with pat Riley? What of like?
What pat Riley would what you mean like? What would
that be like? Would it be a sit down? Have
you have you got sat down and had a glass
of wine? Why? Why do Why do I think he
carre himself like he on Good Fellows? Let me say
if to me? Yes, So I put our videos this

(01:08:47):
summer when I went ridife, he went on yacht old school,
he got rid of them. Man, let me tell you,
for the first time I met I met a different
pat Rally, But the first time last time ye had
the lading outfits. Yeah, I'm at a different and yeah,
and I think I walked away from that, like I'll

(01:09:09):
have so much respect and love from But I walked
away from that, and I said, Oh, I like this, dude,
because this is the path that the world will never get.
The chantas you know what I'm saying, Like when he
let his hair down literally and he had no jel
in that ship, no jel, just vacation, vacation and is
a vibe. He's a mood. I shout out the path

(01:09:30):
to post that video. First of all, you had to
ask him. I had to get proven. Now, okay, you
know what I'm saying, trying to teach you what he
was teaching. It was so definitely for sure. Last question, Um,
you know people can argue who's NBA is right now,
bron Katie when he's healthy, honest, once Broun has done,

(01:09:54):
who are the top three players you think will carry
the league into the next generation so to speak? Well,
I mean definitely Katie right obviously when he's healthy. Snipe
arguably just leave it at that. It's arguably it's crazy
people that it's crazy that people that have I guess
we just live in culture. They just love to talk ship.
But people that didn't deny his natural talent and the

(01:10:17):
fact that they have no basketball, you can't do it.
You can't do can't nobody on the plan to do
anything with Katie, you can't do okay, Right, So it's
just certain guys that just you can't do not with him,
and you know on this one, and Katie is another um.
So when I think about the next generation, for me,
I think about Katie being, you know, kind of the
leader in that in that field. You think about what

(01:10:38):
James hardness become Beard. I mean, it's undeniable. It's undeniable
that he's one of the greatest ever touched the basketball.
You know what I'm saying from a scoring standpoint, make
it look easy. I mean when he's done just the
way he's able to scored his basketball in the ways,
we've just never seen it like this before, you know
what I'm saying. That's why he getting hate because we've

(01:10:58):
never seen it like before. So he got to take
that out of iverson hate because he's the one of
the first ones to do it the way he's doing it.
But keep going, bro do it your way. So those
two for sure, and it's crazy they played together and yeah,
I got and for me, I love stuff, man, I
love Stuff. One of the greatest human beings that you
ever meet. But he definitely helped changed this wave and

(01:11:21):
his culture of this game. And you know, it don't
stop for him. Like if he was playing right now,
even though they wouldn't be as good, it would have
been a show this year. It would have been a show.
What people don't understand. This is a bad thing for
the NBA. They're resting because he gets some rest out
of Yeah, I don't know. And then I mean, it's

(01:11:42):
a cold game that people don't realize. I went went.
You know, I'm a Warrior and Laker fan at hard
post career, but Clay and stuff get to rest. Draymond
is playing twenty minutes a game. If they end up
being a bottom feeder, they're going to get a lottery pick.
Dello still doing this thing. Unfortunately, he might be a
you know, a casualty of war. But then you put
package that and get a superstar and they're right back

(01:12:02):
in the mix. People don't understand you. You got to
think that. You gotta think the game. You see it.
If you know the game. Well, man, we appreciate you
coming up here. Thank you for your time. Brother, But
I want to congratulate both of you man, both of
you guys man on this. What I'm saying, y'all are
a referenced for so many people you know out here
do y'all got so many fans out here, man, people

(01:12:24):
really respect and love were both of y'all stand for.
So you know, when y'all got the show, I reached
out to you right away. Congratulations and I'm glad that
I was able to come on here, man, means a
lot and grace. This velvet couch, man, we appreciate it,
and listen to me, It's gonna be a lot of
great people sitting here. So I'm glad I was able
to against the wall and your purple with the velvet.
You feel me anyway, man, that's a rap. Episode nine

(01:12:47):
the Wayne. We appreciate your time, man, Jack. We did
it again. All the smoke and make sure you find
the Showtime Basketball YouTube and all the platforms and stream podcasts,
all of them to see y'all next time. A loco

(01:13:13):
Babo h

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Hosts And Creators

Stephen Jackson

Matt Barnes

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}D-WADE! DWYANE WADE TALKS BIG 3, RETIREMENT AND FAMILY!