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O L I. An

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fan duel sports book makes it easy.

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Man. I'm honored to welcome this next

0:52

guest to the show, a guy who

0:55

number one, I've had the chance to win

0:58

a gold medal with, but

1:00

also someone who I've had the opportunity

1:03

to build a relationship with, to call

1:06

a little brother, to try to share

1:08

knowledge that I've learned over my teen years

1:10

and and give it back to the younger guys

1:13

that's taking this league by

1:15

the storm and taking over the

1:17

league. And so I'm honored to welcome this next

1:19

guest, all star, another

1:21

all star on The Draymond Green Show,

1:23

none other than Jayson Tatum.

1:25

J T. What's up, my brother, My

1:28

dog. Appreciate you, Adam. Absolutely,

1:30

I appreciate you coming on. Man. I've been you

1:33

know, we we we're trying to keep this thing

1:35

going man, and having all stars on here

1:37

like you can't. You can't show up unless

1:40

your resume right, man. So you

1:42

know, I appreciate you coming on live

1:44

with us to keep that street going. No,

1:47

no probb, no problem.

1:50

Absolutely. But you

1:52

know, first off, I wanna obviously

1:54

this will be a lot about you, about your career,

1:56

and I want to know, uh number

1:59

one and starting off, man, one of the things that

2:01

I admire most about you,

2:03

and this is even

2:05

before I really got to know you. It's

2:07

just how how you are as

2:09

a father. And you know, we all

2:11

see the pictures of you induce

2:14

Um. You know, we see him with you all the

2:16

time. But as

2:18

you and I both know, in this life, a lot of

2:20

a lot of things can be staged, you know, but

2:23

getting an opportunity to know you and seeing

2:25

how handsome you are with him,

2:27

um, it's one

2:29

of the things that I admire about you. So first

2:32

off, I just want to know, like, how is it for

2:34

you being a father to your son? Man?

2:38

Uh? I mean, as you know, it's it's

2:41

about far uh the

2:43

best thing in life. Um,

2:46

you know, bigger than any accomplished, any

2:48

award, any amount of money.

2:51

Um, that genuine

2:54

you know relationship, especially

2:56

like I gotta I got a son, so as

2:59

he's gotten older and I've

3:01

gotten older, just our relationship and

3:03

it's almost like that's my mini meet, right

3:06

so like and I've had

3:08

the privilege in the honor of like, you

3:10

know, I had him when I was nineteen. I didn't

3:13

I ain't playing it. It was an accident, so be it.

3:16

But us you

3:18

know, him growing up, you know, as

3:20

as a as a kid and and me growing

3:23

in my career and basically you know, we're

3:25

sharing this journey together. Um,

3:27

and that was that was a big thing for me that

3:30

you know, first year in the league and you know

3:32

he was born, um Decemberien.

3:35

You know, I wasn't going to sacrifice either.

3:38

I wasn't going to let one take me from

3:40

the other. I was gonna, you know, in

3:43

a way to take on both challenges, Like I'm gonna

3:45

be the best father I can be and I gonna be the best basketball

3:48

player I can be. And we know we're gonna make it

3:50

both work at the same time. And it's

3:53

not really like work. You know, it's it's now has become

3:55

second nature, Like you know, that's just part of my

3:57

my routine as part of my day. It's just like

4:00

what I'm saying me and Duce, you know, we're rocking

4:02

out. That's incredible,

4:04

man. I think I

4:07

love it, man, because I know for me personally, um,

4:10

you know, I have two daughters as well, and

4:13

and you know that relationship. I look forward

4:15

to you one day having a daughter because that relationship

4:17

with them girls,

4:19

it's just a little different.

4:21

Like obviously, but like you

4:23

said, with your little man, it's like you're mini me, you

4:26

know, And that's that's kind of how I you

4:28

know, that's how I am with DJ. It's like, you

4:31

know, people see him on the sideline at

4:33

the games, but like he had all the practice like this dude

4:35

feel like he's a part of the team. Like he'd

4:38

be saying stuff to me like hey, you you

4:40

went to the gym without me, Like everybody wanted

4:42

to see me and they don't want to see you.

4:45

And you know, but that's

4:49

it's so important to

4:52

be able to share the journey with them,

4:54

you know, because the reality is our

4:58

kids are growing up totally different

5:00

than we grew up, you know what I'm saying, Like they're

5:02

growing up with a silver spoon,

5:05

you know, they're growing up with access

5:08

to all of these different things, to a totally

5:10

different life than we ever grew

5:12

up with. And and my my everyday

5:14

thing or my everyday thought, it's

5:16

like, how do I give to my kids,

5:18

and especially my son, how

5:21

do I give to them what Saginaw

5:23

gave to me that I know Saginaw isn't

5:26

given to them. How

5:28

can I still instill some of that in

5:30

them? You know? And and so I think for me

5:33

that's the big thing. And that's why I love how

5:35

hands on you are with him, how much you have

5:37

them around, because man, that's

5:40

like you can't you can't pay for that experience.

5:44

And so it's such a beautiful thing, manure

5:47

and you that's the million dollar questions.

5:49

Like you said, we worked

5:52

so hard to give our kids, you

5:54

know, a life, a better life than than we had

5:56

growing up. And like that's what you're supposed

5:59

to do as a parent. But you spot

6:01

on, like you know, especially like raising

6:03

young men, you know, how do I instill

6:07

that that toughness so that would work ethic

6:09

that you know, just living in St. Louis every

6:11

day that you know, it's just a part of my everyday life.

6:13

Whereas you know, Deuce

6:15

he come to NBA games,

6:18

he's sitting courtside in the locker room. He on private

6:20

jets. We're going to the the islands. Like all

6:23

he knows is paradise and and and

6:25

and new sneakers and all that. So

6:27

it is like, uh, especially as

6:29

you get older, it's something that I definitely got worked on of,

6:31

like that that balance

6:34

of right of life, you know,

6:37

enjoying this life but understanding that like you know,

6:39

you gotta at some point you gotta work

6:41

for life of your

6:43

own. But now that's definitely the million

6:45

all question. I

6:48

think. You know, you know, one of the interesting

6:50

things that I did when when you when you think about

6:53

um, really setting your kids up for the future,

6:55

which I think is is a very important

6:57

thing, and you start talking about a will and a

7:00

it's like for me, my girls

7:02

get money at eighteen. My

7:05

son don't get money until one. Because

7:09

the reality is it's like for

7:11

my girls, I don't want them to ever feel

7:13

like or a guy to ever

7:16

feel like he can control

7:18

them because of something that he have, or

7:20

for them to feel like man, I need to turn to

7:22

this guy to rely on them.

7:24

But for my son at eighteen,

7:27

are bro like you? What you're doing like,

7:29

you're going to school, You're going to work? Like, what's

7:31

up? What you're doing like? And the

7:33

maturity level of guys and girls are a

7:35

little different as well. Guy's matrot

7:37

slower. So that's kind

7:39

of something that I'm That's something that

7:42

I am doing with my kids. And I

7:44

thought I thought that was the right way

7:46

to go up. At least I think it is. We'll see. I

7:48

think parenting is all trial and error, and

7:51

that is all it is, trial and error.

7:53

I tell people talk it ain't no perfect

7:55

way to be a parent. You know what I'm saying.

7:57

You gotta figure it out. Did you go? Absolutely?

8:01

Man? But take take me on your journey.

8:03

Man. You went to Shamana prep

8:06

um home of David Lee,

8:08

home of Brad Bill and then

8:10

you come through there. Uh

8:12

at you know, a school that's all had

8:15

already put out to all stars and

8:17

you're coming through that. What was it like? Um,

8:20

just going to Shamana, Like, I know, you could have went

8:22

to a a public school

8:24

uh in St. Louis, but you decided to go to

8:26

Shamana, which seems to be working for

8:28

the for the guys from St. Louis. What

8:30

what was behind that decision? For you, I

8:34

ain't had no choice. That was my mom

8:36

from the from the middle,

8:39

from elementary school. My mom was like,

8:41

you're going to a hall boy Catholic school, Like

8:44

you don't need no distractions from eight

8:46

to five every day, Like it's all about books

8:48

and bagsketball. So yeah,

8:50

I wanted to go to a public school with all you know, people

8:53

in the neighborhood and all my friends from here. You but

8:56

I, like, I just knew that wasn't the thing. I knew I was

8:58

going to one of these. We got like like five

9:00

private schools in St. Louis that are all boy. We

9:02

are in the same conference. But it

9:04

was just perfect time because you

9:07

know, um, Brad's mom was my

9:09

mom's volleyball coach in high school, and Brad

9:12

grew up. We grew up in the same neighborhood. It was

9:14

like four minutes from my crib. So

9:17

I went to Shamanad in middle school and

9:19

my my first year was his last year. So when

9:21

I was in seventh grade, Brad was in

9:23

in talk grade. So that

9:25

was really the you know the stamp.

9:28

Just um, I had

9:30

a perfect role model,

9:32

a perfect like visualization every

9:34

day of who I

9:37

wanted, like where I wanted to go, where I wanted

9:39

to be, and like he was he

9:41

was living proof um. You

9:43

know. So getting to see him every day in the classroom,

9:47

working out after practice, him

9:49

dropping me off from school every day and going to the games,

9:51

and you know, seeing him put on the show, it

9:53

was like it was it was a perfect scenario for me

9:55

because this was like I want to get to where

9:57

he's getting to and I get to see you

10:00

know, his everyday routine, um

10:03

up close. So you know, home forever.

10:06

Thankful for that, for being in that

10:09

position. That's incredible.

10:11

And and as you went through high school, so well

10:13

you're going from seven grade to eighth grade, Brad

10:15

goes on the Florida spent one year at Florida,

10:18

then he goes to the league. Once he

10:20

left Shalmana, did y'all relationship

10:23

continue to grow or was there like a

10:25

gap where y'all kind of fell out of contact or

10:27

has that always been a constant to someone that's

10:29

always been directing you? Oh

10:32

no, that's he like that's

10:34

like Brad is the big brother.

10:36

You know that I didn't have right, Yeah,

10:39

even when he got to the league. I remember on

10:43

it was either my freshman or sophomore year, Like

10:45

one of my spring breaks, Brad

10:47

was like he just texted and he's like, yo,

10:50

like ask your man, can you come up here and just like

10:52

come check with me and come to a couple of games. I'm

10:54

like, all right, but I'm out. Like

10:58

like I went up to d C. I spent like

11:00

a week with him, him and his brothers Um

11:03

went to a couple of games. But like even in the

11:05

summertime, Brad would come home

11:08

and it would be times where

11:10

he would pull up in front of my crib nine

11:13

o'clock in the morning he called me, I'm

11:15

sleep. He called me like, yo,

11:17

come on brother, outside, I'm

11:19

damn all right. Let me get in the shower. And I would

11:22

just like I would get in a call with him, We

11:24

go get some we go work out, and then

11:27

we go his crib, played the game Chill,

11:30

and then we go work out again and he takes me home. Like It's

11:33

plenty of tim summers where I like would

11:35

spend the whole day with him and like

11:38

just we just be out. But it was always

11:41

just like he always

11:43

was telling me that, you know, he wanted to do for me with you

11:46

know, nobody did for him. And you

11:48

know, from that point on, I've always

11:50

had, you know, none but love

11:53

and the most respect because

11:56

you know, he didn't have he didn't have to do that, right

11:59

he from day one, he always told me he

12:01

wanted me to be better than him. You know, he

12:03

wanted me. He wanted to show me, you

12:05

know, the ads and out of the things that he wished

12:07

he knew. Um, and

12:10

you know, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Brad. So

12:13

yeah, we as as I got older, we got much closer.

12:16

Um. Brad was the first person to take me to the club

12:19

and I was like when I was like sixteen,

12:22

and uh yeah, he

12:24

took me to the club a couple of times. My mama found

12:27

out, she custom out, but

12:29

it was all of after that, Like that's the kind of relationship

12:31

that that we had. Like my mom

12:33

cuts Brad out in front of my house one day, like you

12:36

got my son at the club. He still

12:38

got stuff to lose, blah blah blah. But it

12:40

was just the principle. She wasn't really mad, but

12:42

she had she couldn't act like she was cool with it. But

12:46

yeah, Brad's first person to take me to the club, like,

12:48

yeah, we did it. That's

12:50

an incredible man to have someone like

12:52

that that you've known from

12:54

that age to continue to show you the way.

12:57

You make sure you get that back to somebody,

13:00

bro, because that's that's that's that's important.

13:02

That's how we continue to

13:04

grow our game. That's how we continue

13:07

to to grow as as

13:09

young men most importantly, you know what I'm saying,

13:11

as professionals. So you make

13:13

sure you get that game to the next guy, because

13:15

that's that's how this that's how this cycle

13:18

go, man. And I think that's

13:20

such a beautiful thing. And him

13:22

him saying like I want you to be better than me as

13:25

good as Brad is, You're you're you

13:27

are him at six ten, which

13:29

which already kind of push you in in a different

13:32

like not

13:35

not not a different category because y'all both

13:37

all stars, you're both elite, like y'all both

13:39

scored with the best of them, but six

13:41

being six ten and being able to do that,

13:44

that automatically just puts you in a different

13:46

place because there's only

13:50

Katie Um

13:54

at six ten who can do that maybe

13:56

Katie and I actually

13:59

got. I actually got and

14:01

I had a great opportunity

14:03

to see that this summer, and

14:06

and what I told everybody, Um,

14:09

and I'm jumping all over the place a little

14:11

bit, but this is just still so natural, so will

14:14

will rewind a little bit. But what

14:16

I told everybody was on

14:19

our team, it was Katie team, like USA

14:23

team, it was Katie team, as it should have been.

14:25

He was he was one of the most experiences

14:28

Katie. But

14:31

it felt like to me, and I want

14:33

to I want to hear your thoughts, it felt

14:35

like to me, you were being primed for it to be

14:37

your team. That's next go around and maybe Katie

14:40

come back, Maybe Katie don't. But

14:43

I felt like he was priming you like a

14:45

j T. Go give me a bucket, man, he's your

14:47

turn, Come on now, go give me some buckets.

14:49

And hearing the conversation, but also seeing

14:52

how everyone else on our team

14:55

when it wasn't Katie, everybody was

14:57

turning to you, and you had

14:59

games where you took go over. So I like,

15:01

how how are you did you feel that? Are

15:03

you seeing? That? Is that the goal? Like? What

15:06

is your goals moving forward with USA?

15:09

Yeah? Now, I think I

15:11

think you spot on. I think that

15:14

played a huge part in my decision. I

15:16

think I remember you calling

15:18

me in a summertime and like telling

15:21

me, like, Bro, I remember, I'll never forget

15:23

you said, Bro, forget all this stuff about rest,

15:25

like we can rest when we retire, and

15:27

I don't, like, like yeah

15:30

if I'm only like I

15:32

got the rest of my life after

15:34

basketball to rest and do what if I won't,

15:37

And like this is you know, nothing

15:39

is promised, like this is a special opportunity.

15:41

So after talking to you, and

15:44

then the next thing was like, well s

15:47

k K on the team. And I

15:49

think for me, like I remember

15:51

being fifteen years old and going to k

15:53

Kemp and d C and like how

15:56

excited I was to be there and

15:58

fast forward, you know, play in against some

16:00

of the playoffs flash year and then

16:02

now being on the same

16:04

team as him, and like getting

16:07

to see how somebody that like I looked up

16:09

to at one point, like how he'd

16:11

go about his routine and how he worked, how he

16:14

you know, just think and see

16:16

the game, you know, on a personal level,

16:19

like we're gonna be on the same team. That was for

16:21

me. I was like all right, yeah, I'm going and

16:23

I remember being in

16:26

and out there in Vegas, and like, I remember the first day

16:28

we scrimmaged, and I remember we played the

16:30

Select team and they kicked the ask. The first day. We

16:32

was out of shape. We was

16:35

out of shape. We wasn't used to playing with each other.

16:37

But I remember specifically coming down on the wing,

16:40

somebody kicked me the ball and on

16:43

the Celtics, I would have shot it and

16:45

it was like a halfway like I could have shot it, and I just

16:47

remember k was to the next it

16:49

was to the right of me, and I passed it to him

16:52

and I remember he got mad at me. He was like he

16:54

was like, yo, don't look for me, Like he was like,

16:56

be yourself. I need you to kill And

16:59

I was like damn, Like

17:02

that was the first time I was like like

17:04

no, like he wants me to who too, Like

17:06

don't look at it, like that's Katie, Like no, we're on the

17:08

same team, Like he needs me to do me

17:10

on this team and not

17:14

like I mean you you you're right? Like is

17:16

It definitely started to feel like that, like obviously

17:19

we all knew his team, but just

17:21

somebody like that in the middle of a game, you

17:23

know, he comes down the court, he telling me to post

17:25

up to give me the ball to go score. I

17:27

was like all right, like yeah, I'm

17:30

I'm getting I'm I'm I'm I'm working

17:32

towards getting to that level, like I'm earning the respect

17:35

of somebody like that, and

17:37

ultimately, like that was obviously

17:39

us winning it, but like that was one of my favorite

17:41

parts of you know, being on the team.

17:44

Um just kind of like at

17:47

that moment, if I you know that makes sense, No,

17:49

absolutely, And I actually

17:52

remember the exact moment that you're talking

17:54

about when he when when

17:56

you swang the ball to me, Like, hey man, come

17:58

now, I

18:01

remember that exact moment. But I thought it was great

18:03

because, like I said, the reality is

18:06

right, you should

18:09

you you should. It's on you to carry

18:11

USA for the at least the next two cycles,

18:13

you know, like like that's your thing moving

18:15

forward. And like I said, even if Katie come back

18:18

on the next cycle for Paris, that's

18:21

almost him just like coming to past the Patton,

18:24

Like yeah, I still have got it and I'm still cold

18:26

and I love it. Who but I'm

18:28

really coming to past the Patton. And so I

18:31

think, uh, like that should

18:33

be your mindset and what

18:35

also should be your mindset is regardless

18:40

of whatever happens this summer, I

18:43

mean or this season, this playoffs,

18:47

you should be dedicated

18:49

to having the absolute best

18:51

summer of your life. And

18:54

you already work, but

18:56

but there's more to be done because

19:00

your only goal next year, going into next

19:02

year should be like,

19:05

no, I'm one going to be the MVP

19:07

of the NBA next year. You should be

19:09

the m v P of the NBA next

19:11

year with your skill level

19:13

with like you've been

19:16

doing this now. Say, a

19:18

lot of people don't don't realize how young you

19:20

are. I didn't either until we got to the Olympics

19:23

and I'm just sitting there and we all kicking it, and

19:25

then some of the questions you was asked, I'm like, man,

19:28

I oh

19:30

here baby, But you like you've

19:32

been doing it at this level since

19:35

you came into the league your rookie year, which

19:37

is now with five years, and so

19:39

people tend to think like, oh, no, like

19:41

you just one of us. You know what I'm saying, like, oh yeah,

19:44

like no, he just wanted us because

19:46

at the because of the level you've been doing that.

19:48

But the reality is you still can't place

19:50

replace that experience. You still can't

19:53

replace those years of gaining wisdom,

19:55

and so it was super refreshing

19:57

to me when you start asking some of the questions

19:59

you was asking. I'm like, oh,

20:02

Ship, like this is fun for me, like being able

20:04

to share something. Like it's

20:06

one thing to share a game, get game

20:08

to a young dude, Like, that's

20:11

all great, it's fun. I love

20:13

to do it. It's

20:15

a totally different thing to get some game to

20:17

a star, like to a

20:19

young star. That's a totally

20:21

different thing. And so for me, I'm like, oh,

20:24

man, like this is this is gonna be fun,

20:26

Like I I enjoy that. And so I

20:29

think that should be your number one goal

20:31

going into next year. Bro, Like you should be

20:33

thinking nothing else. No,

20:36

I mean you, You're definitely right.

20:39

Uh. And I think this is gonna

20:41

be my first kind of full

20:44

summer, uh since I've been

20:46

in the league. I played on the

20:48

Fever team in twenty nineteen,

20:50

I got injured, come

20:52

around and Covid hit and that was

20:54

the shortest offseason you know, NBA history,

20:57

And then last year, uh,

21:00

you know, we was in training camp with USA

21:02

while the season was still going on. So it was just it's

21:04

always been something so I'm

21:06

definitely, you know, after this season,

21:09

you know, handled this season first, but uh,

21:11

this off season coming up is something I'm

21:13

really really looking forward to, uh,

21:16

because you're right, like, and

21:19

I think the Olympics had a lot to do

21:22

with that. Um, you know,

21:24

coming off the Olympics and winning a gold medal

21:27

and being with you guys, like the

21:29

best players in the world, like

21:32

as competitive as the game's where, but just going

21:34

through practice when we're spilling the teams up,

21:36

scranging each other problem five, Like,

21:40

there's nothing better than that in the summertime at that

21:42

point. So just coming into

21:44

the NBA, like I've been competing against

21:47

and with the best players in the league all summer and

21:49

then carrying that into the into the season

21:52

is like that Honestly, it's the best way

21:54

to prepare, uh, you

21:56

know for a season. You

21:59

know. What's crazy is one to one of the main

22:01

reasons I wanted to do Olympics last year

22:03

was so I could stay in great shape leaving

22:06

out of last season to come into this season

22:08

because in my mind, I'm like, yo, I want to get back

22:10

to an all star level, and I know the

22:12

key to me playing at an all Star level

22:15

is simply being in shape. And so

22:17

I'm like, the Olympics will help me roll

22:19

right into September and shape and I can hit

22:21

the ground running into the season. And

22:23

so I definitely feel where you're coming from. And like,

22:26

even for me going back to the Select team days

22:28

when I played on the Select team, like I'm

22:31

like, yo, I got better this week, Like I'm

22:33

playing these guys, I got better, you know what I'm

22:35

saying. And so I think that's

22:37

a I think that's a really big deal. And

22:40

speaking of of our USA team,

22:43

you're now head coach um email

22:45

Udoka who he was,

22:47

he was one of our one of our assistant coaches

22:50

with the USA team. Got to spend a lot of time

22:52

around him, see what type of duty is kind of

22:54

see his coaching style, and I thought it

22:56

was great. And one one observation

22:59

that I've had in watching your game is

23:01

is Um and y'all play

23:04

but in your game and I feel like you've taken

23:06

the next step in that it's like it's

23:08

less side step

23:10

three, you know what I'm saying, It's less

23:13

like you're a tough shot taker and a tough shot maker,

23:15

you know. But I think I think there's

23:17

a time and a place to take tough shots.

23:19

Like there's a time when you gotta take tough shots,

23:22

and then there's a time when you're that good

23:24

that you go get the shot that you want. You know what

23:26

I'm saying. And I

23:28

feel like you're you You're finding that balance.

23:31

And I was wondering, like if is

23:33

that something that that e May

23:35

and eight Miles. I know you you you talk

23:37

a lot to eight Miles to somebody who helped me

23:39

a lot over the last couple of years just understanding

23:42

the game. What what impact

23:44

has those guys had in coming in and on

23:47

on your game individually?

23:50

Yeah, I think I think it's a combination a

23:52

couple of things. Obviously, Uh,

23:54

you know the new staff um and

23:57

you know he may being a new coach and just

23:59

like a different sort

24:01

of philosophy, right. You know, people always

24:03

ask me, you know, what's the difference between Brad and eMate?

24:05

I mean, they just different front people. Like

24:08

they both great basketball minds, but you know,

24:10

they just kind of approach things differently, and that doesn't

24:12

make one better than the other. But you

24:14

know, I appreciate them both. I had Brad my first four

24:16

years, and you know, I'm thankful

24:19

for him a lot. And now you know, being with email.

24:22

UM. And also I think I'm

24:24

just I'm

24:27

still I'm still young, but I'm getting older at the same

24:29

time. So game, the game is sawing down, and

24:31

I'm learning to like read the

24:33

game a lot differently than I did

24:35

two years ago. Right, it's sawing down for me.

24:38

UM, knowing when the like

24:40

you know, exert more energy and when to save

24:43

energy and things like that. Thing I just didn't think about,

24:46

you know, my second and third or even my fourth

24:48

year. Right. Uh. So I

24:50

think having a new staff sometimes just having

24:52

a new voice can

24:55

be helpful. Um. But you know, I love

24:58

having email. Um. Obviously we start it

25:00

off, it was rocky, you

25:02

know, up and down. UM. And I

25:04

mean I think that's just part of

25:07

it. Obviously, what expectations. People just want

25:09

you to adjust like that, and the reality

25:11

is this is you know, if things

25:13

take time, right. Uh.

25:15

But one thing I've appreciated is that

25:18

he's he's definitely coached me, um,

25:21

you know, coach me hard and held me accountable

25:23

and and held everyone accountable. UM.

25:26

And I think that's something that that we definitely

25:28

needed. UM. And when we got

25:31

like an open, open door policy,

25:33

everybody can boys stay opinion.

25:35

Um, you know, regardless

25:37

you know, the top man or the fifteenth man. You come in and work

25:39

every day. You got something to say, you can say it.

25:42

And I think that's definitely made us better. Um,

25:44

you know his last two and a half months. No,

25:47

it's incredible. I mean to see where your team

25:49

has gone from even like when we played y'all

25:52

in uh in Boston, I think it was in December,

25:55

and then when we just played y'all we

25:58

can week and a half ago, totally

26:00

different team. And

26:03

I think it all starts on the defensive end, which

26:06

like you know, you know when you when

26:08

when the coach is good, when the coach you can judge

26:10

a coach of their team defense, like

26:14

if a team can't

26:16

defend, look no for

26:18

her to the coaching staff, like

26:21

like coaches chief defense. And

26:25

and it's a sign of accountability

26:28

and all its just everything that is about

26:30

it, a sign of your team's toughness to your mental

26:33

focus, Like that's a coaching

26:35

thing. And I think where y'all

26:37

defense is and and but but more

26:39

importantly, not even so

26:41

much of how good it's been, but

26:44

the philosophy of it, like that

26:46

took some figuring out, like to figure

26:48

out, we're gonna start robbing out

26:50

next each other. This is how we're gonna guard.

26:53

We're gonna switch one through five or switch

26:55

one through four. Y'all switching one through five

26:57

most of the time. Um, and

26:59

then we're forcing everything to ride at the

27:01

rim and like guys

27:03

are over extending, guys are pressing

27:06

up and literally forcing you right into him,

27:08

and he cleaning up all mistakes at the rim.

27:12

Like to get to that philosophy,

27:15

it takes some some twisting and turning,

27:17

like y'all switched lineups a couple of times, Like

27:21

you know, it takes some stuff to get

27:23

there. And and I think that's like I said, I think

27:25

that's a big coaching thing and

27:28

a move that they made that has changed your season.

27:31

No, you you're absolutely right, and it did.

27:34

Like we was not We wasn't used to

27:36

that at first, Like you know, i'd

27:38

be the first one to say I was a little hesitant

27:41

because I had only known one

27:43

way for four years and

27:45

uh, I would you know, not

27:47

my not last year, but my first three years. You know,

27:50

we was always a top five defense. We wasn't

27:52

this good, but I just was so accustomed

27:54

to doing things a certain way, and I

27:57

think part of growing is being open

27:59

to change and that's something I've definitely

28:01

learned this season. Um

28:05

and you know it was not perfect

28:07

first, but I think once we really bought in

28:09

and once we got healthy and

28:12

obviously has been working. And I think a part

28:14

of it is, like it

28:17

definitely is coaching. But I think you know,

28:19

when you look at the teams that got the best defenses,

28:21

like they got guys in their team

28:23

that like they give them were customer

28:26

absolutely, like

28:28

like guys that like give a fuck on defense,

28:31

and like now you know, and like the

28:34

teams that got the best even like that's something that we

28:37

you know, hold everybody accountable from

28:39

the first man to the last man. Was like, all

28:42

right, we might not be like the best offensive

28:44

team, but like we're gonna hang out head on this

28:46

defensive band. And everybody got pulled

28:48

their weight. And because if al in

28:50

your fifteen is gonna be switching

28:53

on the guards and pressuring and things like that,

28:55

and there's no excuse for you know, somebody

28:57

they second the third year, and you know that's something

28:59

that we just relate everybody.

29:02

It's it's incredible and I think, uh,

29:05

including me, I think when when y'all brought

29:07

out back, everybody's like, what the hell right,

29:12

but like that it made no sense.

29:15

And and then until you

29:17

realize like j

29:21

T still super young, j B still

29:23

super young, Marcus Smart

29:25

he got a little a little more experience,

29:28

but he's still young. Rob's

29:30

still young. And when you put it in

29:32

those terms, especially for me who's

29:35

now in a year ten and understand,

29:37

like Smart right now is in a position

29:40

I was in a like a couple of years ago

29:42

where we sucked,

29:44

but he's kind of right in that space,

29:46

so like not quite like that

29:49

VET, but almost

29:51

there, you know. And and so bringing

29:53

out back right now, when

29:56

I think about it, I'm like, yeah, it

29:58

makes total sense because y'all need did

30:00

that VET to look to, you know what I'm saying, And so

30:03

I see that now. But and then

30:05

also the fact that he's

30:07

he and things that he teached Robert Williams

30:09

as well, and so I think

30:12

that's huge. But in speaking to Robert Williams, um

30:15

having an incredible year, having a

30:17

defensive Player of the Year caliber

30:20

type of season. Um

30:24

no one talks about his offense. He's one of

30:27

the best passing

30:29

big man in the

30:31

League right now. And I

30:34

take that with a grain of salt, because jokers passed

30:36

better than all the point guards. So we're

30:38

not putting nobody in Joker category here

30:40

a little different than everybody, but

30:43

so we're gonna just count Joker as a point guard.

30:45

We're not talking about Joker. But just like

30:47

big man, big men who are like legit

30:49

big man don't have the ball all the time,

30:52

Robert Williams is one of the best passing

30:54

big man that I've seen, and no one talks

30:56

about it, and

30:59

I think, I think that's

31:01

a huge loss for y'all. Um, what

31:04

what like what can y'all do to

31:06

feel that role because there's not one guy that can

31:08

do what he does to bring to that team.

31:10

Man man, Listen, First

31:13

of all, feel terrible

31:15

for Ra just seeing

31:17

him the first day. He came in and out hard.

31:20

He's worked in the strategy, he's made to

31:23

be where he's at, and it's like he's just barely

31:25

like scratching the surface of like where

31:28

he can get to, Like this is like his first

31:30

full year like playing

31:32

starting like being a core

31:34

part of our team, and he's seeing where he's taking

31:36

us. So I feel terrible for

31:38

him. Because I just know that his confidence

31:41

was at an all time high. He was like really feeling good about

31:43

himself. And I mean guys

31:47

like him, it's not like you said, it's not many guys like

31:49

him that passed as well as you do. Uh,

31:52

extreme live threat on offense, don't

31:55

need don't like he don't need the ball,

31:57

and you know, the best defender on our team,

32:00

so like you don't you can't replace

32:02

the guy like that when you know, when you go down with injury.

32:05

Um, but I

32:07

think you know it's it's cliche that sound. It's

32:09

just like next man up and time we gotta figure it out.

32:12

Five games left, we're going into the playoffs, you

32:14

know, Uh, you

32:17

know, speedy recovery for him. You know, I

32:19

told him to take his time, don't you know when

32:21

you feel a d percent you know didn't

32:23

come back, but you know,

32:25

we just gotta try to hold it down until

32:27

he does, because you know,

32:29

it's not we don't have a guy on our team like so everybody

32:31

else's gotta gotta do more and step up. But

32:34

you know, he was having an unbelievable season. Absolutely

32:38

speaking to him as a live So check this out.

32:40

When we played you'all in Boston.

32:43

We played you in Boston. We're going to shoot

32:45

around. I have been watching a couple

32:47

of y'all games before, and I see

32:49

this dude catch some crazy ass lives.

32:52

Speaking of which this dre won Green

32:54

show. Bro, you say whatever the hell you want to say on

32:56

here, that's how we al. But

33:01

I see this dude catching these crazy ass

33:03

lives, I'm like, Yo, this is wow.

33:06

So I'm I'm like rewinding back through

33:09

it, like trying to figure out,

33:11

like where did where was the coverage

33:13

messed up at? And

33:15

for for those that don't understand, if if Robert

33:18

Williams is in the drop or

33:20

I mean if a big is in the drop on the

33:22

pick and roll and Robert Williams is rolling, that

33:24

big is taught. So the big when I said

33:27

a drop, that mean he's his guy

33:29

is setting the screen and he's a little

33:31

beneath him, so the guard can't turn the corner.

33:33

That's a drop. And the

33:36

most big five men playing the drop

33:38

on on in the pick and roll, and

33:41

you're taught as the big man to never let

33:43

the roller, which would be Robert Williams

33:45

get behind you. Once you let

33:47

the roller get behind you, your dead. So

33:51

I. So we're in shoot around earlier

33:54

before the game. Earlier that day. It was an eight o'clock

33:56

game in Boston, so we had to shoot around and

33:59

I stopped to walk through, and I'm like, fellas,

34:02

listen, y'all have to understand, if

34:04

you are even with Robert Williams,

34:06

he's going to dunk on you. He will

34:09

catch the lib on your head. I

34:11

just watched him catch three of them on a

34:13

D in one game. If

34:15

you're even with and that's a D.

34:18

If you're even even with him,

34:20

he's going to catch it on your head,

34:22

So you gotta stay below. And

34:25

I'm like animated. I'm telling them

34:27

and everybody like, all right, I got it, and

34:30

I get in to pick a roll and now I'm dropped

34:33

and I thought I was beneath him,

34:36

and he still caught the lib on my

34:39

head. I'm like to

34:43

have that threat where you literally

34:45

just put it up anywhere and he gonna

34:47

get it through it. People don't

34:49

understand, And I love

34:52

to hear your thoughts on it to me, having

34:55

a live threat Robert

34:57

Williams. Javel McGee for

35:03

what they do for DeAndre Aiden's

35:06

a good one as well. What they do

35:08

for your for your floor space,

35:10

and it's equal to what a

35:12

shooter does for your floor space because

35:15

you can't leave the body. What

35:17

are your thoughts on and you get you you had

35:20

the opportunity to play like play with someone like

35:22

that on the daily. I've had that before in the past.

35:25

What are your thoughts on having that live throughout

35:27

the dunker, Because I think it's just as important

35:29

as having a shooter, the space, the floor.

35:33

It just it makes it your offense so much

35:35

more dynamic. Right, you got somebody

35:38

like me coming off the pick and roll. Nobody

35:41

ever is going under, right. I

35:44

wish I would, I wouldn't mind it,

35:46

But they're not going under. So you gotta chase me over

35:49

the top. Because if you go under, the stopped behind them shooting

35:51

a three. So if you got somebody

35:53

chasing me over the top. And like you said,

35:56

most traditional bigs are in

35:58

drop, you know a lot more

36:00

recently they corralling or up to

36:02

touch. I gotta get out of my hands. But you

36:05

got somebody chasing me over the top. So now I got the

36:07

defender in jail. He behind me, So

36:10

now you gotta make a decisions. And

36:12

you know, somebody's athletic is robbed. Even when

36:14

I get in trouble and I don't got nobody,

36:16

you just throw it in the area. So

36:19

now you you're wondering if you

36:22

want you want to try to stop me from scoring or

36:24

you won't. You don't want to get because most big don't

36:26

want to get up a live. They hate going in the

36:29

film and giving up a lot. No big

36:31

once stay man to score. That is uh,

36:34

that is a fact, and we all knew it absolutely

36:37

so it just like you said, just like having to

36:39

shoot, it just makes it so much more dynamic,

36:41

especially as athletic as a rob or like

36:43

Jabelle may get somebody that long. Uh,

36:47

you just stow it up and they go get it. Absolutely

36:50

man, I think I think it's incredible. I wish

36:52

him was speedy recovery as well, so I you

36:55

know, have an appreciation for the growth

36:58

of y'all. A's a team and you

37:00

know we've been dealing with a lot of injuries. You hate to see

37:04

teams loose anything because

37:06

of injury. So definitely

37:08

wishing the speedy recovery. But and

37:10

still speaking of your team, for

37:12

years, there's been this whole notion

37:15

of you and jay Len Brown can't play together.

37:18

Again, y'all are so young

37:20

in your career. The fact that people want

37:22

to write it off already is kind of tough.

37:24

But in the same token, um

37:27

it is. In

37:30

the same token, it's

37:32

also respect to y'all and what y'all have

37:34

done, because, like I said, since

37:37

y'all came into it, y'all been doing it at this level.

37:39

And so for

37:42

for everybody in their mind, it's been more than

37:45

four years, you know, because

37:47

your rookie year, y'all went to the Eastern Conference

37:49

Finals. You're dunk on Lebron James.

37:52

You know, like this this

37:54

is your rookie year. So for everybody, they've

37:56

now been seeing it for so long in their mind

37:58

it's like that can't work. They

38:01

need to move on. The reality

38:03

is that hasn't had any time,

38:06

any time to manifest

38:08

itself into what it could possibly be. I

38:12

am. I am extremely happy to

38:14

see it working because

38:17

I have a huge amount of respect for Jaylen

38:20

Brown the player he is. I

38:22

mean, the way he handled and shoot the ball

38:24

now, like he

38:26

worked on his game like there's

38:28

no other way to

38:31

slice it. That he that guy who

38:33

he was five years

38:35

ago at Cal He that

38:37

gout work on his game like there's

38:40

no other way to slice, and so I'm happy to see it

38:42

working. But what what was the key

38:44

for you and and

38:46

and him blocking out all the noise and

38:48

and understanding that ultimately, bro, we got each

38:50

other and people are gonna talk and they're saying this,

38:53

but at such a young age y'all having to go through

38:55

that and work you'all way through that. What was

38:57

the key for y'all to stick together and say,

38:59

like, we're gonna figure it out together.

39:03

Yeah. I think it's

39:06

a lot to digest there, I think. Uh

39:09

So my first year was his

39:12

second year, JB went. JB been in the conference

39:14

finals three times. He went the

39:16

year before when I got there, and then the bubble

39:18

year and I've been twice. Um,

39:22

so we've had way more success then

39:25

we haven't. You know. Last year, you

39:28

know, it was the weirdest season in NBA

39:30

history with protocols, no

39:32

fans, Guy's dealing with COVID,

39:34

no vaccine, like, it was the weirdest season.

39:37

He get hurt. We was

39:39

a seventh seed, we made the playoffs. You know, it wasn't

39:41

great. Started off rocky this year, so

39:43

it was like it was like a rough year and a

39:46

half and you know, we

39:48

didn't play great that time, but it

39:50

is what it is. But we've had way more success

39:52

together then we haven't.

39:55

We you know, we've made the playoffs every year. And

39:57

I think in this league what I've realized

40:00

this everybody

40:02

you can't Everybody would say you can't win until

40:05

you do. Nobody can win the championship. Nobody

40:07

could be the best pay on the championship team

40:10

until they do it, until until

40:13

you do it, like

40:16

and and the narrative just like that's

40:18

just what it is, like book like,

40:21

he wasn't a winner until his

40:24

you know, he had some pieces around him and he went to the championship.

40:27

Now he is like, no, we all knew

40:29

how good he was and what he could do. He

40:31

just no, no, not to the guys on this team.

40:33

They just weren't that good. So

40:36

like, I think, we

40:38

can't figure it out until we win the championship

40:40

and then it's like, all right, they can win. And I think

40:42

that's just like the world that we live in. And

40:45

once you understand, like that's just the

40:47

business of what we do. And you

40:50

know, yeah, it seems

40:52

like we've been together forever. It's been

40:54

five years, but I just turned

40:57

twenty four and and and JB is only twenty

40:59

five. Well they say you don't

41:01

reach your prompt till nine,

41:04

So now it's yeah,

41:08

thirty, so we can just say thirty.

41:10

So if you look at that point, like DN,

41:13

we still like not as good as

41:15

we gonna beat. And

41:18

for us, we are two of like the most competitive

41:21

guys. I think the best one of the best things

41:23

for my career and his is that we've been on the same

41:25

team and that we worked

41:28

with each other, worked out play one on one

41:30

a million times, Like I

41:33

push him and he pushes me, and

41:35

it's been and it's a healthy competitiveness

41:38

and environment between us.

41:40

And like you said, the strikes

41:42

that he's made from this first year and and to who he

41:45

is now, he's he's made the All Star Game last year.

41:47

I was extremely happy

41:49

for him, just knowing how

41:51

far he's come and like who the player is now,

41:53

Like like you said, saying what he does now, that only

41:55

means that he worked on his game, Like

41:58

that's all that that means. So and

42:00

I know that about at him, and I know like

42:03

how bad JB wants to

42:05

win aside from everything else, and

42:07

like we trust each other enough

42:09

and like I've been in enough close

42:12

games, I've been in enough playoff series where

42:15

I know, like if I have I got number seven

42:17

on my team, I know, I

42:19

like I believe he gonna do whatever it takes for us to help

42:21

to win this game. Like we didn't want enough close

42:23

games together, enough playoffs series, We're

42:26

like, I know, push come to shove. He got

42:28

my back and I got his. And

42:31

as fine if the whole world doesn't

42:33

see that or know that, or like we're

42:35

not posting on Instagram

42:38

with each other hanging out every day or this

42:40

and that, and like that's fine, but

42:43

we like as long as we know and the people in that

42:45

locker room know that, like, you know, we and this together,

42:48

and I think it just makes for it's gonna make

42:51

for a better story, you know, whenever we do

42:53

hang that banners like no, we can

42:56

you know, we can't do this together. Absolutely.

42:58

I think for a while, I always hoped

43:01

that y'all can figure out who's the one and who's

43:03

the two. And in my mind,

43:06

no disrespect to JB, he's

43:08

in incredible talent, a great

43:11

player. I think you're

43:13

you are a generational talent. And

43:15

so when you have a generational talent that

43:18

automatically makes you the number one. The

43:20

Wayne way, it was a number two in

43:23

Miami when Lebron

43:25

went there and told Lebron

43:27

gonna be number two, you go be number one.

43:32

Probably one of the greatest twos Kobe

43:34

was a number two. Is shot right being

43:37

the number two. It's not a bad thing. You know,

43:39

we we live in this world. They try to make it

43:41

like it's a bad thing. Being

43:44

number two is not a bad thing. And one thing you should

43:47

understand as a number one,

43:50

don't take your number two for granted, because there's

43:52

not There's not many twols

43:55

that can go for forty and just go get you

43:57

forty in a night like Ain't many twols

43:59

that do that. Only the great teams got

44:01

that. And so I

44:04

think it's very important for you to understand

44:08

show him his love, give him his flowers,

44:10

give that appreciation so he know he

44:13

got that from you. Because

44:16

when you feel that, my

44:19

fuckers will go to war for you, you know what I'm

44:21

saying, that's ultimately when he know

44:23

you will go to war for him, he'll go

44:25

to war for you. And that's ultimately

44:27

how you win championships. Like you know, Marcus

44:30

Smarter, go to war for you. That's how you

44:32

win championships. And I think it's

44:34

very important for you as

44:36

the number one to to

44:38

get them guys love and support, even

44:40

though they're older than you and you're younger. You

44:43

just get you just kind of get thrust it into

44:46

that, you know what I'm saying. And I think that's

44:48

important for you to fill out as your climb.

44:50

I think I'm probably more excited about your

44:52

clown to this m v P than you are.

44:55

But that ship give me chills, man. I

44:57

get excited about it just to see

45:00

young guys doing well. Man, especially

45:02

like I said, young guys that

45:04

I have a relationship. But but

45:07

I don't want to I don't want to hold you too long. But I got

45:09

a couple more questions and as you know, I could sit here

45:11

and talk to you all day, but you

45:13

know we've been speaking about your career and I'd be remissed.

45:17

Also, a guy who I had an opportunity to play

45:19

with us well, I want to go medal

45:21

with legendary coach

45:24

K who you had the

45:26

opportunity to play with. For a dude, obviously

45:29

we know this is his last year. Um,

45:32

what what was it that Coach K? Gave

45:35

you. I think I saw something where he called you a punk

45:37

as St. Louis kid or something like that. Like what

45:40

what was it that Coach K gave to you and

45:42

your year there and beyond? Because

45:45

I know, the relationship don't just stop once

45:47

you leave that campus. Man,

45:51

that's that is my guy. Um

45:53

And like you said, I've still

45:55

talk to coach at least once,

45:57

if not twice a month ever since I left

46:00

school. Uh So that's

46:02

something I really you know, I'm proud

46:04

about my decision of going to Duke that like that's

46:06

something that I cherish his relationship and

46:08

that like that it didn't just stop once

46:10

I walked out that door and left. Um,

46:13

you know Durham. But man,

46:16

now he was coaches that was

46:18

he was great for me because I think initially

46:21

when I first got to do you know, I

46:24

knew I was only going for one year, right,

46:26

but we had we had like a mix of

46:29

like the six income and freshmen. We had

46:31

some older guys on our team. And

46:33

part of me was

46:35

like people

46:38

people tell me all the time. They were like, I don't

46:40

know if you know how good you are? Like

46:43

people tell me that all the time. So my mentality

46:45

walking in, was like, man, I'm

46:48

happy to be here, Like I'm from St. Louis.

46:50

I never I never

46:52

thought I would go to do the university

46:54

like that. It never crossed my mind

46:57

like that Coach k was gonna come St. Louis and sit

46:59

in my even wrong and like we

47:01

want you to come. So I was. I was so happy

47:03

to be there, and

47:06

initially, like there were times where I was

47:08

just trying to like I was just trying to be

47:10

a part of the team. I was just trying to

47:13

fit in. And there

47:15

were a handful of times and that was the last time.

47:18

Um, we was playing a Virginia and

47:22

uh a c C game. You know, the Virginia

47:24

is always probably one of the better defensive teams in

47:26

the country. But um,

47:28

I think I think I'm making the right play,

47:30

like I'm catching it, I'm making an extra

47:33

pass. I'm not really being aggressive. I've made have

47:35

had like four points, but I was

47:37

like two for three. I wasn't really shooting. I

47:39

think we might have been up to ur it's tired of half

47:41

time. I come in and I'm like, I'm

47:44

feeling good about it. And

47:47

I remember coach Ka came

47:49

in. He took out of told his story mentime, he took

47:51

his jacket off and he threw

47:53

that. He threw it right at me, like

47:55

it hit like hit my leg, at my feet, and

47:58

he was like he just started snapping, like

48:00

you saft fast. St Louis kid.

48:02

I should have left me where I found you, he said,

48:04

I didn't. He used to tell me all the time. I didn't bring

48:07

you here to be

48:09

good, he said, I need

48:11

you to be special. And

48:13

like any time in the game,

48:17

like the next day in film, if there was a shot, why

48:19

I could have shot

48:21

it. He would always pause in the film

48:25

being soft, Wow, you're

48:27

being soft. We don't need you to be soft. We

48:29

need you to be you. And somebody

48:33

that I respected so much and that had accomplished

48:36

so much thought this highly of me, and

48:38

like never gave me

48:40

the day off, never like

48:42

let like took it easy on me. Every single

48:44

moment where I wasn't being aggressive, while

48:47

I wasn't doing what was best

48:49

for the team, it would let me know, and

48:51

I really, like, I really appreciated

48:54

that, and I carried that with me. Um,

48:56

you know, coming into the league, I

48:59

said, but did you did you have the opportunity

49:01

to make it back for that last game. No,

49:04

I did not. I did not. I wish I did. But

49:07

I remember I remember watching that. I watched at

49:09

the house, and part of me

49:11

felt like like

49:14

I've seen every like you know, Grant

49:17

Hill and Christian later JJ red

49:19

J Williams. Uh,

49:22

you know all these guys that like I went

49:24

there for four or five years, call

49:27

those boozing, and I'm watching it. I'm like, alright,

49:30

like I went to Duke, but they like really

49:33

they like really went to do like

49:36

they spent four or five years that I spent

49:39

one. So like I

49:41

don't like that that might have been more for them,

49:44

Like I might have felt a little bit out of the place. I

49:46

like, and I'm thinking that, like I might have felt a little out

49:49

of place, like damn, like they really

49:52

like they had four or five years

49:54

and I only had one. But it

49:56

was it was special seeing all those guys come

49:58

for his last game. Obviously,

50:02

you know we lost, but we're

50:04

gonna redeem ourselves. You know this Saturday

50:07

Final four. If you ain't you got time,

50:09

you should watch it. Uh, you

50:11

know we're gonna be on TV. Yeah,

50:13

I'm gonna watching. Man send me your cash if too,

50:16

Man, I owe you some terrible

50:18

that terrible guys beating my spartans

50:21

man. But I'm

50:24

still pissed about that because we should have won that

50:26

game. Still pissed about that.

50:28

But uh number

50:31

one, as a four year guy, me

50:34

being there four years and Miles

50:37

being there too, or Gary Harris being there

50:39

too, that don't make me more of a

50:41

Spartan than them. Like I'm

50:44

a Spartan there, Spartan. We all went through the

50:46

grind. At the end of the day, you

50:48

step that you had to go through there to get to where

50:50

you was going. Whether they took you one year or whether it

50:52

took you four, it don't

50:54

matter. That's a part of your ground. That's a part of

50:57

your journey. You are just as

50:59

entitled to that.

51:01

That's them now. I what I will tell

51:03

you is for me personally, Guys

51:06

that want a national championship, even

51:08

if it's not my team Kleaves, you know what I'm saying.

51:11

If it's not Magic Johnson, guys who won

51:13

a national championship I,

51:17

regardless of my jersey retired, regardless

51:19

of any of that, you want a national championship.

51:21

I didn't. You're

51:24

ahead of me, bro, Like that's just what

51:26

it is. You know what I'm saying, and so I

51:29

can't understand, like

51:31

the guys that want a national championship,

51:34

but that don't just mean because

51:36

they were there for four years. Now, that's bullshit.

51:38

You learned to keep just like they

51:40

earned their key. So understand

51:43

that, man. Hey, But before we get

51:45

out of here, man and wrapping up, like

51:47

what's what what? What's what's

51:50

next? What what's it for the Celtics where you

51:52

see y'all going this year? What's like?

51:55

What is it success this year for the

51:57

Boston Celtics. Oh?

52:00

Man, I think I've

52:02

seen it on Twitter yesterday. We we both

52:04

lost last night, right, And I think I

52:07

remember they may have asked

52:09

some of the similar questions, but I remember it. You

52:11

know, they're saying like what can

52:14

you take, like how do you feel? What can

52:16

you gain from this loss? And I remember I

52:18

said, I was like, ain't no moral victories, like you either

52:20

win or you lose. And I've seen

52:22

something you said like the same thing last night. So

52:25

obviously you've been to the mountain top of a couple

52:27

of times, like you like you

52:29

know what it takes to get there, and

52:32

me playing for the Celtics, I

52:34

ain't If you you win a championship

52:37

or you don't. That's

52:40

like, that's that's it, that's that's

52:42

that's it for us. You know, hopefully, uh

52:45

you know, we get ribbed back, you know,

52:47

when we can and stay healthy. Um,

52:50

you know, I'm excited, man, it is It's

52:53

that time of the year. The playoffs is

52:55

like, you know, there's nothing like the playoffs and now it's

52:59

you know, everything back normal game. Um,

53:01

you know, so I'm looking forward to it. Obviously these

53:03

last it's last week and I had these

53:06

next you know, five games, just trying to figure

53:08

out, you know, who we're gonna play. Uh.

53:11

But yeah, you know, we've

53:13

been playing as well as anybody, and you know,

53:15

um, you know, we love our

53:18

chances and as as well as you know everybody

53:20

probably, so you

53:22

know, I goes just the same as y'all go. I

53:24

don't think everybody in the playoffs love their chances.

53:27

Shot most

53:29

people, say most people, somebody. Some

53:31

of these dudes just happy to get to the playoffs,

53:33

don't get it twisted. I'm

53:36

so happy not to be in that the playing

53:38

game. That's what I'm grateful for.

53:41

Hey, it's

53:43

been two years since I played in the playoffs. Man,

53:45

we played in the playing the game last year was fun,

53:47

it was cool, but I need

53:49

it, Like that's when I played my best basketball,

53:52

So I need that. Bro. I

53:54

appreciate you coming on, Man. It's

53:57

been an honor and a pleasure just coming

53:59

on the show of your journey. I

54:01

enjoy these conversations

54:04

and just listening and getting to you

54:06

know, here others journeys

54:08

and you know, how it may be similar to mine,

54:11

how it may be different, you know, and everybody's

54:14

journey. Everybody got their own

54:16

story, you know. So I appreciate you coming

54:18

on and sharing sharing yours with us.

54:21

Year five, already

54:24

on your way to a Hall of Fame career. And I remember

54:26

I said that to you this summer when we were talking about

54:28

USA, Like, Bro, this is all about

54:30

trying to build Hall of Fame resumes, Bro, and

54:33

you're doing that. Man, stay locked in,

54:35

Bro, you should. If

54:39

you don't get m VP next year, you're weak. Is fucked.

54:41

I appreciate you coming on the Draymond Greeny

54:43

Show. Got dog My

54:46

Man appreciates you, Yeah, sir,