Andre Iguodala: Steph Curry is the closest thing to Jesus Christ | EP. 75 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

when I signed with the Warriors 2013 I'm. saying to myself I think I've met the. closest thing to Jesus Christ I think. y'all need to start taking stuff more. serious when he's talking because what. he's saying he really believing and thus. far it's all come true. I've been grinding all my life all my. life been running all my life sacrifice. also pay the price wanna slice not to.

roll the dice that's why all my life. I've been grinding all my life. hello welcome to another edition of Club. Shay Shay I am your host I'm also super. proud of Club Shay Shay and the guy. that's coming to for a drinking. conversation today is a four-time NBA. champ he was the 2015 finals MVP a. two-time all-defensive player two-time. gold medalist an All-Star New York Times. best-selling author businessman podcast. hope Andre. Iguodala did I say that Ray is it.

Iguodala or eagle dollar well you're on. point. igadala depends on who you ask I'm. asking you my father would know how to. say his name he would say igua dollar. but my mother would say a good dollar. but I think I know my pops is from so so. you could go with the iguador eagle. dollar is the proper way but a good. dollar is easier right and then I've had. it butcher since I was a toddler so yeah. because a lot of times you said it's. like nah it's Iguodala but he been. saying the eagle dollar so I was like.

okay what is it just say Iggy most of. the time people just say egg and keep it. moving right. coming off an NBA championship four-time. Champion what's the summer been like. thus far. for me Summer's always crazy in terms of. just getting business done right so like. I hit the ground we just running we just. running so obviously uh when you say. business not basketball business off. Court business or Court business for. sure you know doing a lot of things I'm. doing in Tech probably around like 80. companies I've invested in now right uh.

private sector companies. um you know the markets got hit a little. bit right now so you don't see as many. IPOs they're slowing down with that but. you know prior to cover hitting had a. few IPOs couple companies that uh did. well. um you know recording the podcast from. my man Evan Turner uh that's been really. good we had some exciting guests this. week right um but it's just it's just. pure work and then I got some. interesting things uh business-wise that. I'm developing on the basketball side as. well um some media other Media stuff as. well so we just cooking in the kitchen.

you play a long season obviously you. played longer than anybody else where. you're in the Celtics but you won the. championship how soon do you start back. ramping it back up to get ready for. another season that's a good that's. funny because I had a great conversation. with Chris Bosh after the first time he. won this was 2015 and uh I was at a CEO. a CEO barbecue uh Ben Horowitz uh half. Andreessen Horowitz and uh saw Chris. Boss there and I asked him the question. when I'm supposed to get back in the gym.

and he had probably the best response he. said as wait as long as possible and. he's like you know that long season's. crazy. um you went through it all you got to. enjoy it because they gonna throw you. right back in the gauntlet as soon as. season starts and you don't want to have. to go through you know it's almost like. hitting a rookie wall when you get when. you just you overplay right you know. what I mean you just get burnt out of. the game and you feel like you're. working as opposed to just enjoying your. passion so I always keep lifting weights. and just keep my body tight right and. then I probably touch a ball.

August 1st August 1st it's July wow so. you've gone almost two months without. touching the basketball yeah I mean but. you know I got you'll touch a ball just. by accident right like if you run into a. ball you'll just like do yourself yeah. yeah you might do that but you're not in. the gym getting ready right for. preparing for a season I'm not doing my. two a days because I'll do like like a. two weeks or two a days like on my own. right like I get in there where I live. weights go through a hard workout go. home take a nap eat get back up and go.

in the gym at night and get a 500 makes. right and I do that for like two weeks. but you know as you can as I'm getting. older you you work smarter like like. you're watching Floyd yeah you're like I. don't need to work for four hours I can. get the same work an hour and a half and. I'm just tight with it that was that was. the hardest part for me is that I still. try to do the same volume with the same. intensity as I got older and my. hamstrings and my quads they couldn't. take it and I didn't understand that. until I had the injuries in the off. season a little while and I was like you.

know what I gotta train smarter not. harder harder the volume my body just. can't take that yeah same thing yeah. you know and then I'll be like well I'm. sore and and I just wore him out but I'm. like whoa It's still different right. when you say when you like how much. longer do you want to play. or it has to be the right situation it's. not a matter of length it's being in the. right situation. 100 I think it's uh everything has to.

align even off the court too right. because when uh if there ever becomes a. time where I feel like I mean it could. be now it could be next year it could be. in two years if I feel like. basketball's taken away from uh off the. course Endeavors then I say I gotta step. to side so we're getting closer and. closer to that right where I got a lot. of good things going on off the court. and I'm really having to think about. really weighing that option where I I'm. it's more valuable off the court even if. it's a you know the things I'm doing off. the quarter for 10 years down the road.

right you know people thinking it's. instant gratification they think I've. been investing and I got all these crazy. Investments and I'm saying oh this has. been 10 years in the middle yeah you. just got to build out knowing that you. know the private Investments are really. like. five to ten years out right obviously. the Warriors is a great situation and. you're a free agent if that's something. you're amenable to because you spoke. about there's nothing like the warriors. with how they treat their players the. way you do business there what makes the. Warriors and how they do business so. much different because you've been in. Philly you've been in Miami you've been.

in bed uh Memphis you've been in Denver. so it's not like you've been with one or. two teams you've been with four or five. teams so you know the the practice. schedule you know the training you know. everything so what makes Golden State. situation so unique I think it's just a. combination of what I've been able to do. off the court as well as the. accomplishments we had off on the court. you know a little bit of both on and off. so just building that relationship with. Steve Steve let me maneuver how I know. how to maneuver and he knows that I'm. locked in so if I'm playing basketball. that's my passion so I'm there early you.

know I'm getting my reps up I'm leaving. late so I'm I'm locked in right but at. the same time the things that I'm doing. off the court you don't have access like. that anywhere else now you're starting. to see little Tech hubs pop up. everywhere you know um into things that. Michael rubin's doing are amazing in the. Philadelphia area so guys can get into. that you always got New York here in La. you got a lot of folks from Silicon. Valley especially in the media space. they come down here to La so it's. starting to get spread out more but in. terms of you know the top talent meeting. the CEOs direct access is right there in. the bay and um like I said before you.

know when I took I did a I had a job. with Comcast Ventures like where I was. actually going to the office this was. during my time where I didn't go to. Memphis where I was a full-time employee. for for uh Comcast and I was with their. uh their Tech uh investment firm and was. able to uh get a lot of knowledge there. get my feet wet now I'm off and start my. own firming that's up and running so you. know just a lot of things going on in. the right place yeah let's talk about. that Memphis situation. what what really would cause there was. some guy that was was taking some shots.

from a distance even though you were. kind of quiet about the situation I. thought you being a veteran player say. you know what I see they got something. special here they got a lot of they got. jaw they got some young Talent let me. Mentor these guys let me let me see what. I if I can help do for them what staff I. was able to bring a little bit to Steph. and clay and Draymond what was your. thought process in Memphis so this is. this is the issue I had you know I was. really upset about how it all played out. because as you know if you could trade. it to the team what happens pack up your.

bags you go to work right right they. call you say hey we excited to have you. you know we can't wait to have you and. you know in our city start looking for a. place we got a realtor here's a. basketball player development or you. know people that help you off the court. with you know finding the right way to. navigate the city okay that's normally. how it works cool set it up you go there. you do your job. this situation was you you see it more. and more now in basketball especially. when guys have one year left on their. contract you know uh probably going to. buy you out uh probably not looking to. bring you in uh probably looking to.

trade you right you know we we brought. you so they're having all these. conversations after you've gotten traded. there. day one you could trade day when I got. traded on it might have been July seven. eight whatever the day was okay right. you know uh I think I think Katie made. his decision and then he went to. Brooklyn. soon after that I uh talked to Bob Myers. I'm already know when it was about to. happen trade happens is Memphis get on. the phone with the agent. never talk to anyone from Memphis agent. goes you know they're not looking to. bring you in they'll have a trade or.

something before the season even starts. so let's look at our options. coming out of Memphis okay because. you're not even gonna go right so when. that's the conversation from the. beginning right. is to my understanding oh okay they're. literally want me it's not even like. they don't want me it's just business. right nothing personal all right you got. an asset with a uh you know you were. able to make a move with the Warriors. you got a one-year uh expiring contract. you're looking to move that to a team. that may want me to help them get to a.

title run which ended up being Miami in. return you want some assets of draft. picks and exchange as you're going young. that's the game I understand basketball. so all right we're on the same page. one month go by two months go by three. months go by because remember just July. right this happens right and what are we. doing you know am I getting ready for. the season I just made another finals. run right we just went to the finals. four years in a row right right yeah 15. 16 17 18 19. so. all right I gotta start you know. figuring out how I want to start getting. ready for the season because I need to.

get ready for that particular team right. what's going on and now the sentiments. changed you know how it goes team wants. to leverage a guy who multiple teams. want they want to leverage this team. with this team will talk I might have. come to La could be the Clippers could. be the Lakers so Memphis is smart are we. going to leverage your darling who can. we get more from Memphis or or LA Lakers. or LA Clippers who can we get more from. we just gonna leverage them off each. other right and. need a team bit because they knew what. was going on so trade doesn't happen so.

now they're like. all right maybe we want you to come in. but that's not where your mind is but we. we already discussed what. the day you traded for me you told me I. wasn't gonna come right so what are we. doing now I mean what changes me as the. player never changed right so obviously. you're just not getting what you want so. you want me to come in so you felt some. type of way because they told you one. thing and you're expecting it for to be. that and now all of a sudden they uh. reverse course and said no all of a. sudden yeah we do want you to come in. well you want but now they want you to.

come in so you can showcase so they can. it's just really showcasing for them to. get more but whatever. I just been around basketball for too. long I know how things work right all. right man y'all want to do business so. I'm gonna do business as well so now you. start hearing other teams in the trade. you might hear Milwaukee you might hear. Portland you might hear this team and. now I'm like wait wait wait wait wait. wait wait wait wait I do have some. control of my destination regardless of. if that is frowned upon or not right. because we've been hearing that lately. we don't like when players request. trades yeah but I think there should be.

some accountability with teams in terms. of all right we traded for you to trade. you out. and then you want to change course now. the player should have some type of. say-so in terms of where they want to go. and then in Corporate America that's. usually the case you can pretty much. determine where you want to go if your. employer says we don't want you here you. can go somewhere else right so I just. started taking matters in my own hands. all right you want to trade me to this. team all right I'm gonna reach out to. that team listen uh I got a couple. months left on my contract if you traded. for me I can just retire you know you. just really right taking control of your.

destination and. I'm not saying by any means but you just. right you know I feel like I've been. around long enough I know how to handle. that certain certain situation right so. that's how the situation was handled and. I told them hey you said you had to. trade done by August September we late. September now you want me to come in all. right I'll just sit at home because. ultimately the CBA says you can find a. player for not showing up right so if it. was really uh if it was really an issue. I would have just missed every paycheck. right not going to Memphis right now.

when you break all that down if they. really wanted me they would have just. fined me for not showing up right so it. was a mutual agreement you know you. don't have to come to the right training. camp well maybe but maybe the players in. Memphis didn't understand what the front. office had going on with you 100 that's. why you've never heard me say anything. negative about any of the players if. you've heard me say anything about those. guys I love those guys I'm you know vice. president of a union you know I'm a. player first type of guy right I got. y'all back I'm trying to help y'all. understand the business understand the. game so it's never been a personal right.

you know situation and I think uh you. know you got for an office who may feed. certain guys information that's where. they get in their knowledge of the. business from so they might go into an. interview and speak a certain type of. tone towards me not understanding the. situation because of who they got it. from so it's just like you only hear one. side of the story okay. there was this meme going around where. you were having a conversation with. Andrew Wiggins it was very similar to. the situation I think maybe it's first. year or the second year uh Draymond and. KD and he's doing this he's doing this.

to Katie and Katie like I understand. very similar to me with you and Andrew. Wiggins what were you telling Wiggins. and what were you trying to get him to. understand what he wasn't doing as. opposed to what he needed to do it's. funny because he was doing the right. thing so what happened was he you know. wig showed that he's one of the top. defenders in this league right in the. playoffs yes period yeah you know he had. the guard Luca uh you know he spent a. little bit of time on job and then he. had the garlic guard Jason Tatum yeah.

you know top three young these are the. new faces of the league coming right up. correct so he had to go and he's still. young he's 27 years old so. um I remember one of our first games. versus the Lakers early in the season we. played LeBron wakes pulled me to the. side and he said you know what some tips. on growing LeBron. I said oh [ __ ] you this this is the type. of player I like right a guy to ask me. questions that means he listening right. and from there me and wigs has built. this great Rapport like that's my guy. and I always knew he was good just may. not have been the right situation so we. in the finals and.

whoever he's guarding he's giving them. problems so obviously both team Scout. Boston is setting picks on him. constantly they trying to get him off. Tatum right. first thing we're gonna do is we're. going to run sets and we're just gonna. hit Wiggins we're just trying to get a. switch we just need to get Wiggins off. the table right and the first couple. games he was getting through the screens. and in that particular game that was. game three we lost game three. he was accepting the switch right and. I'm telling wigs. don't get hit by no more picks you know.

and if it's two-sided because Wiggs has. four teammates on the court too that. should be helping him not get hit right. and you know the communication may not. have been there like it should have been. right and I'm telling wigs all right. we're not we're not uh it's not a. two-way communication it's one way it's. you and it's only you somebody said a. pick run through them or go around them. don't accept switching and it's a. compliment to how good of a defensive. player you are that's what I was trying. to get him to see and I would just let. him know like you know I've been.

guarding everybody my whole career you. know I Carmelo Kobe Braun Joe Johnson. was an amazing guy I had to guard you. know Paul Pierce you know I'm in one. game I got at Rondo Ray Allen Paul. Pierce kg that's when I knew I was a. great defender and I was trying to get. wigs to see that right you know how you. know how I know you're a good Defender. because they keep sending pics on you. because they don't want you regarding. the best player right now you know who. you are. go kill him right yeah and that's. exactly what he did you watch the rest. of the games you didn't see him switch.

too much on picks or accept the switch. and he did what he had to do do you. think before he got the Golden State he. lacked confidence I think it's I mean. you think about it he's the number one. pick in the draft and he never played a. game for the team that selected him. number one overall and then he gets. shipped to Minnesota and then Minnesota. trades him for D'Angelo I think D'Angelo. Russell right right and so you know he's. like well damn I'm the number one pick. in the draft and I don't got moved twice. in like three years bro yeah. I don't think he lost confidence I just. don't think he was in a situation that.

warranted confidence okay when you're in. certain organizations and the goal may. not be to win a championship the goal. may be. let's try to win more games than we lose. right and let's try to make it look good. right. it's really hard to play. the right way it's really hard to play. Team Basketball it's really hard to. sacrifice because really all you're. doing is trying to show face like I got. my 20 points tonight I got 25 tonight I. did my job right and that happens all. across Sports on you know the bottom.

half of the teams guys is just trying to. get their numbers to say it wasn't my. fault right so it's just you just get. caught up in bad habits of of you know a. bad organization not to call them a bad. organization it's just not winning ways. right and and. you you just continue to get criticized. in terms of how you're playing the game. right and then he gets to a situation. where oh I'm playing a win so I don't. have to get 25. he averaged 18 this year. but he was a great 18 shot the highest. percentage he had from three points from. the three point line All-Star game start.

at the All-Star game was amazing for us. and then he was our second best player. in the playoffs period correct like he. was our second best player and that says. a lot from you know we got Steph we got. Draymond we got clay those guys have. been running the league for the last. eight years right you know I mean so for. him to come in and do that the talent. was always there he just never been in a. position to really play with real. confidence and play Real Basketball why. do you they're totally different players. and I don't want people to misconstrue. that's why I'm saying that Andrew. Wiggins is better than Kevin Durant I'm.

not saying but why do you think he was. such an adequate replacement for Kevin. Durant. yeah yeah I do think they're different. you know. um and I think we have uh it's a. different type of Team especially with. our young Talent like with a guy like. Jordan Poole yeah we didn't have that. explosive score off the bench because we. had KD right like we didn't have an. Explorer like it was myself Sean. Livingston uh Barbosa and uh Maurice. space was there early but we had good. depth Off the Bench but it was more like. uh.

players who did specific things where. you just sit there and spot up and shot. the ball or you play defense you you. were a smart player we didn't get 30. who can go through who would go get. 33-4-5 games in a row and with KD we. didn't need none of that just JK ball. move out the way if we need to bucket. well with wigs I feel like it's a little. different because of having Jordan Poole. having clay come back and you know you. know Clay's gonna get his attempts what. do you say I ain't sacrificing for. nobody but I thought wigs was just. really good at being able to uh what he.

did better than he's ever done his. careers rebound the ball the way he did. right you know he just did the podcast. with me and he said I'll never average. four rebounds for the rest of my career. he was attacking the glass you know I'm. saying you know he's finally started. getting to the line wasn't afraid of the. line so he was picking up on the. intangibles we didn't Wiggs is always a. guy who would just go get you 24 points. a game but he might have three rebounds. right he might have one assist so it was. it was empty stats because he was in a. bad situation right in terms of winning. but he came into a winning situation and.

he started doing all the little. intangible things and it just meshed so. well with our team because of what else. we had around. you caught a lot of criticism Steph wins. his fourth ring he's Finals MVP finally. he's a two-time MVP he's regarded as the. greatest shooter ever and you say it. after winning this fourth ring and. winning the finals MVP that he. solidifies himself as the greatest point. guard and you said that stone face as if. Magic Johnson didn't exist is not still. here you know what happened I went and.

watched uh winning time on HBO yeah Max. and I watched his magic on Apple TV yeah. so I had knew about magic and I Revere. magic sometimes we rear guys and and it. works both ways sometimes we we look too. much into a guy. or we don't look enough into it right so. you can get both ways where God. and I don't want to I don't want to mess. up my words but I got to see Magic's. weaknesses yeah where I could never see. him before right and now I'm watching. every little close thing and I'm like oh.

okay now I'm seeing you know his. weaknesses and I start watching uh an. Olympic Channel 92 Olympics yes you know. what I mean so I'm really watching. everything I'm looking for God's. weaknesses now right you know what I. mean so just watching that in depth and. when you're in the finals you're looking. for anything to get away from the finals. so I was really throwing myself an. immersion to Magic so being able to. break down his game from that and then. always oh I know Steph's weaknesses. right you know I'm with him every day. right so just matching up things. everything's everybody's been saying. about them.

and the team's magic hat with him the. team Steph had with him like magic had. I think higher a higher level three of. the top three player no matter how you. slice it and and I think magic had a guy. who's never. he's gotten credit for how good he was. but I don't think people know how good. James Worthy was oh yeah yeah James. Worthy would be a great player in any. and every area oh yeah which is rare. yeah you know you know what in football. is certain guys that their games don't. Translate correct magic had a few guys.

with games would translate right you. know I think Cooper's game would. translate especially three into three. yeah. about uh B Scott B Scott gamer would. translate because he was kind of a 3D. guy as well you know what I'm saying. volatility was nice yeah and this was. early with him he was a big passer he. was a passing big man right which would. be great right now he'd be a poor man. Joker today you know I mean so magic had. really great talent around yeah and then. you know it's funny when they talk about. Steph they really like breaking down the. weaknesses of the guys around him you. know they always want to talk about what.

Draymond can't do right and they always. forget about what he can do and then. clay they always try to call him one. dimensional he's always been a great. two-way player plus he just had two two. injuries yeah yeah and you just said it. you know Wiz coming in because they try. to say it was KD and then Wiz coming in. Steph still do it then you got young. playing pool you know he was regarded as. the worst draft in the draft right the. guy said that yes the worst pick thus. far in the draft and Steph got this guy. out here he about to get 100 million so. I think for you know always a fan of. Jason Kidd that's one my favorite point. guards he always got his guys the max.

contract so it ain't all the way about. your number but the guys that what they. can do around you Steph's done. everything you can imaginely think of in. terms of basketball whether he's got the. stats for himself he's got the chips and. what he's done for his teammates and on. top of. magic did it with the Lakers in terms of. evaluation the Lakers had when he got in. look at the valuation of the Warriors. when they brought the team with Steph. versus right now right it's just it's. astronomical so you know everybody wants. to try to put different parameters on. what makes you great well he's he's he's.

checked off every box is Steph really a. point guard considering that Draymond. really runs the offense or is he a two. masquerading as a point because I think. there are a lot of two I think Dame. Lillard I think John I think all these. guys Iggy they're really tools. like that they're really two's. masquerading so so. this is going to sound like off but it's. not. but. Draymond is so smart he just know where. to throw the ball because he know them. two killers gonna catch it yeah so I.

don't think his assists are inflated. because most guys don't know where they. like the ball right don't know how to. get it to him yes when they get it to. him yes what play to call but you know. Draymond is like the point a point guard. out there but man that drill that. dribble hand up that dream I'll be doing. he's running the other side he dropped. that thing up and then sometimes he'll. like fake he gonna hand it off and then. go dunk it but he knows how to bounce it. he sees Steph coming he'll bounce the. ball no step one in a certain place the. way he can hit uh uh clay and they don't. never have to break Rhythm that's an art.

that comes from playing with someone for. such a long period of time and knowing. that person but I will say that. David Lee was an All-Star I believe. Steph was out there. so I do believe like Steph has a great. Dynamic with his power forward right and. if you get a high IQ power forward. they're going to succeed but when you. get a power forward like Draymond who's. the high probably the top IQ guy in NBA. history like he's in that top one. percent yeah it's a daily combination.

look. Steph and that's what I say about. athletes they pretend I don't hear I. don't care I don't care they do care and. they do here and if they don't hear it. they got some homeboys that hurt it and. if the homeboys didn't hear they got. family members that heard it but somehow. it finds a way to get back and Steph. Curry made it a point to be known I. heard what y'all was saying don't think. I didn't hear it now. because y'all said I got the other the. first one okay y'all didn't want to give. me no credit y'all talking about I. played bad it got the MVP fine that's. fine the next two I played unbelievable.

Katie got the MVP he deserved those MVPs. but y'all make it seem like I was like a. role player yeah yeah yeah and so now. no KD. I did this what y'all want to say now. what was he like behind the scenes. because I know he was Globe I mean he. still see people upstairs and say okay. so look at it it's a little six foot six. two still he's so cute and cuddly and he. thinking all the time yeah I told you. you know what. Draymond opened my eyes one day and I.

hope I don't get Draymond in trouble but. Draymond was spot on Draymond watches. closely I'll watch it closely another. guy watching closely people don't really. pay attention to his kavan Looney come. on 26 years old been in the league 12. years. [Laughter]. but quiet has kept uh. consistent wise the moon might have had. a third best year for us yeah you know. Steph wigs and you know Pooh was nice. but he was a little inconsistent because. he's young but consistency loon was.

getting four points 18 rebounds yeah so. but I'm just saying us three watching. and Draymond said it one day he said. step like that don't get it twisted. Steph like that stuff like that. attention but it's a competitor yeah. predator's attention like oh yeah oh. y'all y'all think it's a game huh yeah. yeah y'all think it's sweet and we used. to always say like guys think stuff. sweet and they get them to court and. they're like man this light skin dude. I'm about to kill him and before they. know it now all the guys in the league. say the same thing like I didn't know he. was that good but man I look up he had.

30. but now guys know it and then he. getting the best of everybody every. night yeah you know what you heard what. uh my man from West Side Chicago said. Patrick Beverly. I'm getting the right meal I'm in bed by. 9 30. I don't watch all the film I got a. big one tomorrow I gotta go get Steph. Curry. every night yeah every night and he keep. he keep doing it he'd been doing it yeah. and then this year before the injury he. we got off to 18 in one start right so.

it was it wasn't like it was a fluke. like oh we about to really run it we. about to really run through y'all so for. him to he's got that ego in him where. he's he wants to all to know like I'm. really one of them dudes right I want to. know the pitch you guys went to Sag. Harbor. about four or five years ago to recruit. this one guy so when you're on the. flight the private jet going over there. what are you talking okay who's gonna. talk first what's gonna be what are you. gonna tell him what are you gonna tell. him how do we convince him.

to come to Golden State and play with a. guy that's a two-time MVP unanimous MVP. three guys all before you guys have. always gone to the All-Star Game. Draymond was you know on the customer. being defensive player of the year Clay. is a top five shooter all time so what's. the pitch how do you convince Kevin. Durant to come to Golden State and link. up with you guys I mean we all play ball. we've been playing ball against each. other since we were kids right Steph. clay you know Steph myself and KD we.

have been teammates before people didn't. remember that 2010 World Championships. we were on the same team right so we got. a chance to spend some time with each. other practice every day that was one of. my favorite basketball trips all of us. right and. I think what you find out about a lot of. basketball players this is my reason to. go into going to the Warriors you've. been in the I have been in the league 10. years 10 years a long time in the league. yeah and I'm my whole thing is I want to. play basketball and have fun I just want. to have joy I want to wake up in the. morning and I want to look forward to. going going to work that's all I want to.

do and KD was around the same time in. his career right and you have seen what. he had been going through uh you receive. Chris Paul go through still to this day. yes they gonna try to hold that over. Chris Paul had forever right and I try. to tell people Chris Paul is one of the. greatest winners of all time it just so. happens it may not be in the books for. you to win a championship right but. who's to say that your career is less. than thou because you didn't win a chip. you still wanted the top at what you do. all time right and you get tired of. hearing that noise you just said it we. all hear it yeah so I think the pitch. was listen man.

you the best you're the best basketball. player in the world nobody arguing that. and you play your best when you enjoy. the game. we didn't play it against KD multiple. times we just played them we we were. down three one to him we came back and. we have been seeing him over the years. you know the game you broke his foot he. had 35 and it was eight minutes to go in. the second quarter like right we know KD. listen we just want you to come here and. have fun man whatever you want to do. we're gonna We gonna make sure you have. fun and we're gonna win and I think that.

was the big part of it just being the. reinsurance that you know there's no. egos because you know that's going to. affect the team more than anything yeah. most people don't understand how the ego. affects the team more than anything else. it ain't about X's and O's it's really. the pros and Joseph can y'all get along. and right and just everybody's it feels. like they're being valuable right it's. it's easy when you got one guy and then. you got a bunch of other guys correct. but Steph at that point in time was. equal because he had won back-to-back. MVPs he was already a champion Kevin.

Durant had an MVP but he hadn't won a. championship yet so theoretically on a. pedestal why while you might think Kevin. Durant was the better player. Steph had accomplished more so now how. do you get those guys and for Steph I. think the step was the key because Steph. got to be willing to like. go ahead KD right slide that up hey get. up out the seat right and let Katie. because without step blessings first of. all you're not even on that plane if. Steph says no we're not doing this we're. not doing it.

Bob Myers Steve Curry like okay bro we. good then true and I think what hasn't. been spoken enough is that I think Steph. took a back seat. for how long was Katie there three years. three years I think Steph took a back. seat every year he did like I'm talking. about stats wide yeah numbers rise. attempts wise clay was getting more. shots clay clay told you man I ain't. sacrifice but nobody but Clay is gonna. be clay and we love clay but Steph was. that one that sacrificed the most you. know how many more threes would he have.

if kadian come along right you know what. I'm saying like like you know in the. plus we got you guys blowing everybody. out just imagine he's playing I mean. Steph will play like 30 minutes a night. exactly exactly and no one talks about. you know he he never complained never. had an issue never talked about his. brand you know his brand possibly could. have took a hit right you know he wasn't. quite selling as many shoes right you. know what I mean and and he just kept it. all in stride because I think he just. knew the bigger picture man when you win. everything else is going to come how. it's supposed to come what's he what's.

he like Optical. off the court. staff is who he is he's interested. individual because. he doesn't get outside himself you know. no matter where he is he you know he's. comfortable. in his own skin and I think that's. coming from that background that he had. because he and Claire are similar right. in terms of nothing faces them like. they've seen it all they've seen a. hoopla they had fathers that played in. the NBA so they kind of know what to. expect yeah so nothing really faces them. so they they don't really have to go.

search for attention you know they don't. have to really uh look apart for anybody. to really accept them they say that I've. been through all this I've been to a. million NBA games before I played my. first NBA game right I just want to go. out here and hoop this is what I love. doing and uh I think that is one of the. blessings that you know we don't see as. much is that that balance that we have. is because those two came from the NBA. and then you know the other balance is. that that crazy man on the other end. with the fire it's just an amazing. balance you know like we can just cover.

every part of every aspect of the. picture and I think that's what makes. for a great culture. you guys win the did you go inside man I. want to win this so bad because there's. so many people I want to say shut down. you know what uh I mean clay got up. there says man them bombs from Memphis. draymonds with Draymond was going crazy. stem was talking did you guys think. about that before you went inside like. you know I want to win there's some. people I want to tell some things I. think I think we got there once we got. to the finals you know once once I saw.

the way the playoff picture was mapped. out I was like whoa. we got a real chance we got to take care. of business each round we can't slip up. right because I think with us you know. we lose the wrong game that's it for us. we that's our Achilles heel we lose the. wrong game and then our confidence. waiver a little bit we kind of wacky. like that but I knew we took care of. business. um through each round would be good and. then. once we got to Dallas and we went up.

what we went up 2-0 yeah and then we. should have went up I think we went up. 3-0 we had a 3-0 yeah so once once we. got to the finals I knew Boston was good. and I said we gotta win we don't win. it's over we gotta win and. I need wigs to play at a high high level. and wigs and I had that conversation I. said wigs if you play at a high level I. don't even think I got to play coach. ain't gonna put me in you play at a high. level we're gonna win it. what do you thinking you go down 0-1 you. go down 2-1 with game four still in.

Boston right so what's what's what's the. mindset of game four you're down 2-1 you. don't want to go even though you got. stuff a historically generational Talent. you don't want to go down 3-1 because. the likelihood it's happened before. you're on a team that got track down 3-1. but you know the odds are not in your. favor running somebody down 3-1 we've. been down two one before our first. championship Cleveland had us two one. two one people forget that similar. situation we had home court advantage so. we lose game one. game one was kind of funky because you.

got to leave and they came back game one. was funky there's a few things that. happened in game one and I'm looking up. at the scoreboard and I'm thinking why. the game's so close some ain't right. right or I'm watching the game and you. know you watching too close now you. start a conspiracy theory like listen. man that that I don't know man that. that's that killed that killed our run. right I don't want to say what killed. the run but that killed the run that. killed the run and it wasn't really what. Boston was doing so I'm confident in. that sense like they we gave the game.

away right and they took it and they. they had to make some shots they had to. make some shots and they shot what 75. for three late in that second half it. was crazy so I saw that and I'm like all. right we good now we lose game three but. game three I was confident I said I. already figured them out they won game. three they got home they got the energy. the crowd was incredible you know. Draymond was trying to figure his thing. out I'm like Draymond figure it out I'm. not worried about him we play hardest we. can game four with one game four now. we're going back home I just need staff.

to give me a Michael Jordan finish and. it was crazy what Steph was really good. and they considered that his Bat his. worst game right but Steph was doing all. the intangibles right wiggas played out. of his mind again Wiggins played out his. game out of his mind who has some big. plays yeah game five he didn't have 20. points so people don't know the impact. of a guy who might only have 11 points. who was a big key to game five then I. said Steph gonna finish him off and then. Steph Steph got rid of them boys you got. on me but what is it about you in. Memphis because Memphis knocked you guys.

out of the play in a couple years ago. not goodbye you weren't there. um. but so what is it what is it what is it. about Memphis. is it young and they don't know any. better they should lead their Elders. alone because Josh is talking Dylan. Brooks is talking I mean these guys and. the fans have bought into it uh uh you. know they be playing who up that trick. and dreby had the title here like yeah. we will whip that trick to yeah we all. about that what is it about Memphis the. Grizzlies and you guys that is it causes.

such an intense robbery I think we bring. the best out of our opponents and we've. always had a we had a we've had a great. competitive history with Memphis when it. has Zebo when they had the saw they had. Conley yeah uh they had Tony Allen right. they had us down 2-1 as well right and. uh it was second round and I think that. was 2015. so they've always played that. great grind type your basketball and I. think this this Memphis team now they're. a well-oiled machine right they got a.

good front office that knows how to pick. Talent they got a good coach that puts. everybody in a position to succeed and. it's like you said you got your main guy. and it's not like they have others. because they got a lot of talent but. everyone accepts their bro love Jaren. Jackson yeah love them I even love Dylan. yeah Dylan's so crazy that he needs to. be crazy to be in the NBA I always tell. people sometimes why is that guy so. confident if that guy wasn't that. confident he would not be in the NBA. right he needs that confidence to be who. he is now he might be Feast of famine. but. he he needs to be that confident and.

crazy to be in the NBA and they got some. other guys on the team yeah yeah people. don't get William Zaire a young boy he's. going to be great yeah and Stephen Adams. is one of the guys who you know he just. he has that presence out there and. kavan Looney was a big part of why we. won that series you know we switched up. the uh the matchups a little bit and. confirmed you know he started having the. 16 18 rebounds yeah I think he might. have had a 20 29 rebound yeah it was it. was crazy so I think they're just a. well-o machine.

um I did say it in one of our uh uh. Scout meetings that they too they they. too young to even understand. in what they're doing right you know. what I'm saying like once you start. really understanding the pressure of I. have to win it changes I don't think. they understand the pressures of having. to win so they just play free and they. play with that confidence and that's a. scary team right when uh you guys now. obviously Kevin Durant. requested a trade and you know Phoenix. the Miami Heat were the first two teams.

on his on his uh on his list but there. are very few teams that have. draft picks and the young talent that. the Brooklyn Nets the one team that has. the talent young talent that can satisfy. the Nets and the draft picks is the. Warriors. do you think the Warriors should be. willing to revisit the Kevin Durant and. give up it's gonna probably it's going. to probably cost you Jordan pool and. Commando and moody maybe Wiseman and. some draft picks maybe Andrew Wiggins.

maybe they have to move uh uh. Ben Simmons because you got two Ricky. guys on the max contract so both of. those guys can't build the same team but. it's going to cost you three or four of. your young talented guys in some draft. picks is that something that you believe. the Golden State Warriors are interested. in or be would be willing to be. interested in. I think Katie has put himself in a on. that. that tear and it's only it's only two or. three of those guys you know you look in. that bronze KD uh you stay off putting.

stuff on there for sure you honest. Giannis yeah yeah yeah yeah Giannis. Giannis for sure I think. when you got guys like that and they. give and they looking at you. it's like that Meme where the dude. holding hands with this girl. you got to look at it because he's just. that good and. foreign. we've won so much that. people don't understand how hard it is.

to win a championship period I'm talking. about any sport it's one of the hardest. things you can do and then when you. start winning so many people assume that. it's just easy right so they looking. like no I will just get another one. without such and such or we could do nah. like you got to keep stacking you got to. win every team has ever won a. championship has been. the more talented team in the entire. league and it's been like that you got. to have talent so with that Talent you. gotta look Joe loves the young core he. loves he loves he's got this thing you. know you know they're thinking light. year speed light years ahead that's his.

moniker and he's like I got a. championship group now and I feel like I. got a championship group I'm trying to. build within it which is you don't see. that at all and you know that's kind of. but he's you know he's got to look so. it's gonna be a difficult decision to. make for them. you joined the Warriors after playing. with the nuggets. what transpired uh uh I think it was. George Carl called you a mole uh not a. whole lot of players former players like. George right uh Boogie cousins had a lot. to say I think you said some things.

about him what transpired uh with the. nuggets and then Golden State because if. I'm not mistaken Golden State beat you. guys in the playoffs right and then you. later joined them that uh that following. officer we were the third seed. um Gallo goes down with a ACL tear like. three games left for the playoffs. Timothy my God Moscow broke his thumb. before the last game of the season and. uh. we just got caught in a bus or staff. start shooting threes and running down. the court before it went in you know he. just right you know that's like the. coming out party so it was a great.

series they beat us uh fair and square. uh but it was one particular thing uh. that happened where we had an interest. in uh Scout report you know with Stephen. Clay you know we're just gonna rough him. up a little bit right you know what I'm. saying and uh it was getting a little. borderline you know and uh you got a. board line dirty yeah so I I'm I was. never a fan of I can't stop you so I'm. gonna try to rough you up a little bit. right I'm you know man May the best man. win right you know I I feel like I'm the. better player and if you get me today.

you got me right and uh I remember. George Carl I mean not George uh Mark. Jackson right you know I'm I'm in front. of their bench and he was like yo why. y'all trying to hurt my players. why y'all trying to hurt my players and. I'm like uh coach I don't move like that. so you know I just I I don't move like. that. that was it that was all you said that. was it I don't I don't play like that. coach. and I think after the game you know Mark. and I I joke with Marcus and Martin. threw me under the table he's like I'll. throw you on the table I said you know. after the game Mark said you know I'm.

pretty sure that I got confirmation from. one of their players that the sky report. was to hurt my guys right and you know. we understand how we talk to each other. right listen I I'm basketball one-on-one. right we're gonna compete you beat me. you beat me that's how I moved right but. everybody in the world know the sky. report you just watching right you know. our bigs is crashing into the guys they. get a bit clumsy you know steps they're. running into the you know you can see it. so that was the sentiments coming out of. that and and George didn't have an. adjustment.

for them boys and them boys beat us. right and typical George. is going to run with a narrative that. he gonna run away from what it was right. you just got out coached right you. didn't make any adjustments so let me. look for something else and he's done it. throughout his career he wrote a book he. has some things about you know young. African-American men and his reason for. why they aren't as successful under him. was because they didn't have fathers. he's done he said some things about some. African-American players that I uh. didn't take too kindly of and you know. we haven't seen George in a while and.

he's just looking for attention so. you'll see him on Twitter you know every. other week just looking for some. controversy and just looking you know to. bring his stature back up. considering that the tree. the Draymond KD mm-hmm. that was a situation. KD wants to ball late in the ball game. Draymond gets the rebound draymond's. bringing up like he's done so many times. in that situation KD normally got would.

get a ball to KD he busted up the court. Draymond said hey I got it this time. just get on down the court I'm gonna get. you a better shot. whatever happens happens right they go. to the bench. neither guy's willing to let that. situation go. what are you thinking. um it's certain situations you got on. your teammates right and you know you. got certain teammates who. in certain situations you can't calm. them down you gotta let them just get it. out right and then you know I've been in.

situations where I've had. some tense interactions you know with my. teammates or with Draymond and I may. understand. all right let them get it out or no now. is the time for me to respond now it's. time for me to you know come with this. approach so it's all timing and. everything so that was that was a wild. situation because you don't see that. that often right so now you're just. assessing like how should we move. because we had never Draymond we've seen. Draymond. behaving this manner before we had never.

seen Kevin Durant get upset publicly at. a teammate right so he's like damn I. mean and then what was what was why did. it why did he get to this I'm okay I. understand that you wanted a ball he. didn't give you the ball but it's not a. big no no big deal and for it to get in. it for it to escalate right like it did. anything change because everybody said. they didn't change but it felt like from. the outside it felt like a lot changed. I don't think you know to be honest I. don't think too much changed. because we still got back to the finals. yeah and then you know it took a KD.

Achilles for us to lose the finals and. Katie's are not playing clay Torres ACL. in game six and you know you still but. it's still cool with it still playing. cards were they still laughing and. talking and going around because. something had to I mean you know grown. men now you know how we are here now you. know but we butt head like that there. yeah but I think I think I've seen I've. seen teammates actually yeah of course. but they cool afterwards yeah we handle. like man we squash and we move forward. right and I think uh we did everything.

we were supposed to do that year in. terms of making sure that we kept that. thing tight-knit making sure like we. didn't have way too many leaks but y'all. suspended Draymond it was almost like. y'all suspended Draymond to show Katie. we got your back we gonna suspend him uh. because we want you to resign that's. what it looked like from the outside the. level would look like to me. well we just had a conversation you got. that top tier Talent what you gonna do I. mean not only is it smart financially. for the business but it's smart to get. wins it's smart to try to keep like.

yeah you got to do anything how do you. win a championship you gotta have the. best talent yeah who the most talented. guy one of the most talented ever yes. ever yeah so but at the same time you. know I think there was faults all around. right it wasn't just one guy you know. did you have a team meeting did you guys. just did you guys ever discuss that yeah. we had discussions internally because we. all tight with each other right you know. we we boys we family we family end of. the day right like that is bigger than. basketball my family right so let's just. handling like family so you know they. handle their business and then we kind.

of you know did what we had to do right. so you know I think that's what was. beautiful coming out of that is that we. didn't really have no leaks you know uh. we had good days we had bad days we. talked through it and you know. everybody's tight to this day but it was. a lot coming from that you know uh it. was I think it was tough for some guys. too when you don't. you still hear noise after you've. accomplished things right you know we. keep winning and we keep accomplishing. things but we just keep getting hit we. keep getting attacked right oh we can't.

solidify that y'all messed up the League. this ain't fair you know you got other. guys on other teams you know my best. friend every Turner is like yo man this. is not cool man this ain't Fair we don't. have a chance and so we're just giving. it's giving skip an opportunity. everybody can steal so it's just like. this is this is really beautiful for the. game of basketball because we still. playing Team Basketball we're still. number one league in assists we still. top five in defense we playing. basketball the right way so it's not. like we just cheating we really. executing at a very high level right and. human nature you you we hear it you said.

it you know we hear it we watch. everything and whether we like it or not. things affect us and it can determine. how we react to the noise so one guy. might react this way another guy might. not react that way right and you know. one guy may be saying you know one foot. in one foot out because he's tied. another noise another guy might be. saying I see this guy on the way out you. know not. that that happened but. you just start assuming and right what. they say assume is you make an ass out. of you and me right and then now you got.

fictional beef and you don't know where. it came from it just slowly crept in and. that's one thing we were good at with. keeping that noise out and I think it. just the noise kind of crept in and just. threw us off a little bit do you believe. Steph will be as accepting of KDL. reunion with KD as he was in the. beginning considering that they just won. a championship because I'm gonna be. honest with you I do not believe had you. not gotten KD you could have ever beaten. the Cavaliers again after they walk you. down 3-1 Kyrie was on a different level. LeBron was always on that level I'm glad.

you said Kyrie was another level you. don't know Kyrie's on another level. Kyrie Kyrie had to arrived I don't. believe if you don't get KD I don't. believe you can beat the Cavaliers today. again because they had gained so much. confidence from coming back from down. 1-3 as opposed to you guys had to have. lost confidence because that was the. first time in the history of the NBA. Finals someone had came back so it was. almost like it was a match made in.

heaven KD needed you guys to solidify. his place as a champion you needed him. to continue this run. there it is point blank period I do. think we are built uh we got we got. the way our cloth is built is something. in that DNA that isn't quantifiable in. terms of our toughness because we've. been down before we've been down three. one two we just went down three one two. yeah who I felt like who I felt like was. the best team in the league yeah I felt.

like OKC was the best team in the league. they had the most size they had surges. playing his best in his career Stephen. Adams was doing his thing KD they got. set they got three seven Footers on the. front line right and one of them can't. be stopped by anywhere on the court. right and you know um and they got. Reggie Jack coming up playing well yeah. yeah Dion Waiters was playing well he he. was like they got him on the steal and. then Russ is being Russ you know then. they had I think Merle was on that team. they had some Shooters they had thought. pelosia was one of the top defenders in. the league too he's six eight right they.

were just built to win it and we. actually walked them down so there's we. got that DNA too where we got that. confidence so I don't think our. confidence waiver we just you know. Cleveland came through the bus all. situation happened with Draymond all. right mom plays game five y'all win the. series is over probably because we have. don't forget Vogues went down games. went down game five I believe. he done for the year right. so you know and we still had opportunity. in in game seven right we were one sub.

away I talked to Steve after the game I. would never say it but we were one sub. away from winning the championship right. so we had the confidence but. yeah to have KD I'm taking KD. all day every day you uh yeah I'm I'm. I've had a lot of success playing with. Kevin Durant the 2010 World Championship. was his coming out party and then two. NBA champions coming out of that yeah. and then I played with him in the. Olympics 2012. right I'm pretty much. undefeated with Katie so but you but you.

you believe Steph is open to a reunion. with Kevin Durant. I haven't had that conversation with. Steph. um quite honestly you know I think he's. in a different place now we've been. we've just been enjoying winning the. league I call this money Heist that show. on uh Netflix yeah where they everybody. know everybody in the world know man. it's just it's just eight people that. just keep robbing us of everything we. see him coming we know they about to. come here and get it and we can't stop. right that's how I summed up this year. we start off 18-1 so y'all know we here. y'all know this ain't no fluke right and.

then we had a little slippers with some. injuries and then playoffs start and I'm. like and we looking like oh this sweet. we lock in we going we're going we gonna. come get another one don't let us come. get this one right because y'all know. what's gonna happen if we come Draymond. gonna be Draymond we come and get this. one y'all don't like hearing yeah yeah. but still but when you guys got when. when Stephanie got knocked out of the. playoff of the play in Memphis he said. we had some injuries he said but y'all. better get us now because y'all don't. want to see us next year he foretold of.

what was to come yes. and I think my first funny because my. first uh when I signed with the Warriors. 2013. and uh you do the press conference you. say what you're supposed to say PC I'm. coming here to try to win a championship. right nobody take you seriously right. but I I'm saying to myself I think I've. met the closest thing to Jesus Christ. not to put that on him right but I've. never seen an individual night he he. doesn't stray away from who he is in. terms of who he is as a person so you. know what you get night in night out and.

I can see it and so. I'm thinking I'm about to go try to win. a championship and and then we win a. couple and then he comes out and he says. y'all better get this now because we're. coming back. I think y'all need to start taking stuff. more serious when he's talking because. y'all just so used to him being the Baby. Face Killer this nice kid right you know. his faith is very strong. that faith is strong that means he got. that faith is real so what he's saying. he really believing and. thus far it's all come true before you.

play with him did you realize how good. stuff was I mean to watch it from a. distance you're like damn man dude. making all these shots and then you get. up close to him and you watch him in. practice and you see the things that he. does before he even stepped foot on the. court did you realize Steph was this. good like generational like Transcendent. good yeah so when I saw him when he was. younger I saw with deficiency so I'm the. type of basketball mind where I'm just. looking for your flaws right all right. what doesn't he do and and can he get. better at what he doesn't do well like.

can he can he get rid of those. deficiencies so early in steps correct. you step was thin right and he would get. beat up and his Achilles heel was. European guards like the Rubios yeah and. uh Navarro from Spain who we played in. the World Championships uh dragic. scoring drastic so they were like crafty. and thin and they a little chippy so. they you know they hit you below the. belt a few times here and there it might. throw you off and his handle wasn't. always this tight right Steph's handle. wasn't always tight he getting loose.

with the ball he always been loose with. the ball with his turnovers right and if. you just watch Steph's progression he's. continued to get better and that's the. part people don't see you know they. don't see us in the in 5 a.m working out. all the ways we pushing you know what's. my man Harrison from the Steelers yeah. we seen him but he had been doing that. you know he just get strong Steph was. the same way he just he just get like he. had been working and building up right. and he's been progressing year in year. out like this year Luna be on a bench.

saying all right it's a tight game late. in the fourth we need Steph to be like. MJ we need them to start picking the. game apart you know we don't need staff. to shoot a half court three or just pull. up from three we need to get to a midi. we need to need a bucket and he start. getting to it right he started getting. the paint Up and Under so you saw him. flipping the ball like he was getting. like and that one. early on is that let's run him off the. three right and but he wanted to settle. now Steph going on Steph gotta got a. layup package he got a float game he's. not afraid to go in there and mix it up. with the big so now with the three the.

three ball dropping and with his Flow. game he's almost he's undockable exactly. and they all and you've never seen a six. two guy six three guy a guy under six. five dominate the game the way he is nah. we've never seen that I mean I mean. small guards when I talk about guards I. mean magic was different magic magic was. in in the 50s and 60s early 70s magic. would have been a a a five four or five. right let alone a point guard but you. have to go back to AI to look at a guy.

under size dominate the game and Steph. you just took it you just took it to it. I mean for this long because you see you. see Isaiah he stopped in her long run he. just couldn't get away but he's stopped. and couldn't dominate the game offense. I'm just talking about guys who did it. for this long like yeah I had this run. but hey I only played 12 years in the. league 11 years in the league in his. last few years you know he's bouncing. around a little bit Isaiah had Achilles. tear his career really didn't last that. long so you don't you rarely see guys at. that size really do it but for this long. and I'm they on a seven eight year run.

him Draymond clay they really ran. through the league they disrupted a lot. of a lot of things for a lot of guys I. think what happened what helped him is. that early on he had the injuries he. probably got that bug out of there and. so now he's on he's on a stretch now. where he's about to be healthy for for a. few more years let me get you you have. an older brother correct how did he push. you to become a better version of you. my my older brother he hates when I say. this but he was just he was just. terrible.

I mean he would just punish me. so he was always bigger and stronger. than me how much older than you he's. only a year and nine months okay but he. was just that big brother that was just. he was like a bully right. but as I got older he started seeing how. good I was and he started feeding me. that confidence I've never told him this. he was feeding me confidence I didn't. know it right so once I got to like my. freshman sophomore year high school he. he would let me hang out with him he's. like I'm about to go party he was like. but you you're gonna do good in life you.

get good grades and you can who stay in. your room right we'd be going to the. same place hey big brother you know you. ain't stay in the house. don't rock with me I'm not getting it. right but then as I'm getting older I'm. like oh he really said that he you know. he was kind of right feeding me that. confidence. yourself correct because I didn't know. but when you get that confidence like. that's what really is taking you over. the top right you ran you ran track what. were you what would you have been I was. a high jumper and triple jumper I was. actually supposed to go to college.

but high jump okay the basketball I. didn't play AAU but one year right so I. basketball wasn't a guarantee until. after my junior year I played AAU I had. a good summer but I think I was like top. five in the country high jump my. sophomore year right so I was looking at. that route too. Trooper jump that was my event how far. you triple jump triple jump I was like. 47 I would have got to 50. I didn't do. it my senior year I would have got to 50. feet but I was like 47 48 feet okay my. uh my junior year okay that's pretty. good small Springfield Illinois what's.

going on what's Springfield like. Springfield Springfield gets mad at me. in that uh Lincoln's Hotel Lincoln from. there it's funny I was just watching. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and uh uncle. uncle uh what's Uncle Jeffrey yeah uh. Butler Jeffrey no Butler Jeffrey Uncle. Phil Uncle Phil yeah so I'm watching uh. I'm watching um Fresh Prince last week. I'm starting from the beginning with my. wife and uh Uncle Phil parents come into. town and uh he's talking about how he's.

he marched with the Panthers you know he. listened to Martin Luther King I Have a. Dream speech like he been around the way. he from uh I think he said it's from. Baltimore and DC but come to find out. Will finds out he's from this little. small town North Carolina humbucking or. something like that but he never wanted. to identify that he was from there. because it was a small town no one. really made it out everyone got stuck. there and his parents were a little. upset with him and you know I have an. interesting relationship with. Springfield where you know I did read. that majority NBA players come from a. town like Springfield 150 000 people a.

small community you know. um you get a basketball community and. like high school was big high school. basketball was huge Idols there but. coming from Springfield uh most people. get stuck especially to. African-Americans you know we got a lot. of great talent but guys don't get the. grades and you see a lot of good. athletes uh they get to college for a. semester they end up right back home. after first semester because they. couldn't cut it academically and I went. to Arizona because I told myself.

I got to get as far away from home as. possible because I can't come back. because once you get back. you're not leaving again so it's just. that type of relationship but you know. uh always go back and uh you know take. care of the youth in terms of you know. whether it be uh you know jerseys and. athletic apparel uh iPads. um you know my mom does some great. things with the YMCA uh there's a ton of. talent there you know it's just getting. them their mindset that there are other. things outside of Springfield if I work. all you guys went to the University of. Arizona Steve Kerr Gilbert Arenas.

Richard Jefferson Mike Baby Jason Terry. Aaron Gordon. yourself Channing fry Luke Walton if all. you guys play on the same team at the. same time. how far are you going to March Madness. first of all uh first of all Gilbert. Arenas is the best player to come out of. Arizona is it clear-cut not even close. what I'm a big I'm big on Gilbert. Gilbert had everything Hibachi Hibachi. put 60 on the Lakers and a pair of Dolce. and Cabanas.

yeah I remember that I do I do we went. to Dolce Gabbana and said give me some. chews that it's a high top and he. strapped them on and. that's never been they made him take him. off he was coughing up the court people. don't people don't know how good Gilbert. Arenas. was because you know you get all the. other stuff you have my statement on you. know Rasheed and Giannis but yeah I'm. saying like we talking about straight. game and what I've seen these guys do. and you know. he this career wasn't as long as it. should have been the injury but Gilbert.

was the best player to come out of. Arizona so with that saying all that we. got a chance to get we got a chance to. get far like final four Championship. fall we got a chance. you're in the 2004 NBA draft if they. were to do an mbu selected ninth overall. by the Sixers if they were to do that. draft over again where is Iggy getting. drafted Dwight that was the White House. for sure yeah. um Okafor was two been going with three. Sean Livingston was four Devin Harris. was five children the Atlanta six luau.

all day seven yeah. uh where did you go you went ninth I. probably would have went like third if. you picking off second or third because. people forget how good Al Jefferson was. yeah Al Jefferson went on a run where. we're in Utah yeah uh Minnesota. where he he was he was 25 and 10 on. every single night right you could just. pencil it in and so you can see. Charlotte Jimmy Millsap was pretty good.

out there in Utah too yeah yeah yeah. yeah yeah yeah yeah but he had one hand. he only went one way but he couldn't. stop it right I'll might have went to. and then I probably would have went. three. Delonte West was also in your draft and. he's kind of falling on hard times have. you reached out to him have you talked. to Delonte have you seen him in a period. of time I haven't I haven't seen Delante. you know um but Delonte and I had some. really good interactions in the uh Ricky. Francis program we were actually in the. same group so I was I was able to see.

the Brilliance in him you know like he's. actually a brilliant individual and you. know It's just tough to see you know. um it's really tough to see it's really. tough to speak about because you know. it's just two sides like we can help him. a little bit more but at the same time. he got to help himself so you know I. know Mark Cuban did a beautiful gesture. to try to help him out a little bit and. you know he's going to keep guys trying. to help him but you know we gotta we got. to meet in the middle right and. hopefully we can. hey what was it like playing with Allen. Iverson because you were supposed to be. the you were supposed to be AI 2.0.

because they had today our original Ai. and then you come in what was playing. what was playing with AI like uh he he. was like my big brother on the. confidence team you know I never forget. I'll be in the games and I'm a rookie. and I wasn't expecting to start out the. gate right I wasn't expecting to play. that much out the gate you know I earned. my minutes and I'm playing a lot but now. I'm playing against guys I looked up to. right you know I think your high school. years you're looking at a lot of college. players and those guys end up ending the.

league Rip Hamilton was one of my. favorite players right Rasheed Wallace. is one of my favorite players you know a. lot of Carolina guys Vince Carter right. was one of my favorite players you know. Antoine Jameson so I would see these. guys and uh I remember my Rip Hamilton. experience I was just looking at rev. Hamilton I'm like man he good like like. he's an All-Star right and he had been. an All-Star yet and AI was just he. looked at me and he kind of punched me. in the chest sit you better than him. what's wrong with you and now it clicked. right. all right I got you right I got you and.

he slowly but surely just kind of start. helping me with the smaller things how. to deal with the media you know not you. know enjoy enjoy life because they gonna. turn on you at some point which. eventually it happened right but he was. just preparing me for all those things. that I couldn't see coming so when it. happened I can reflect and say all right. he did his job in in terms of you know. helping me grow with the game and things. that I would have to deal with that most. people don't really want to talk about. or or bring up besides practice is there.

any similarities between Ai and stuff. foreign. or lack of practice with one and. practice with the other. I think they're really true to who they. are. like that's the big that's a big. similarity between them two like. opposite ends of the spectrum right but. they're very comfortable with who they. are and they don't want and they say. I'm not changed for any anybody Steph. would say I'm not I'm not changing to be. more famous I'm not changing the you. know sell myself out or I'm not changing.

my faith to you know endorse this or. that like he stays true to who he is AI. was the same exact way you know I'm from. where I'm from these are the boys that. grew up with me and they got through the. mud with me these are my guys they're. coming with me right you know why leave. them behind in the mud I'm bringing them. with me they're gonna see the Finer. Things in life I'm not changing who I am. or where I came from just because I say. so so I would say that's that's the. similarities of the two. if Steph ruined the game because. everybody's shooting threes not egging. everybody can't shoot like still and. they turn it oh it's a three-point game. the analytics says if you make this many.

threes it's the equivalent of that many. twos but you got guys that shouldn't be. shooting three shooting threes [ __ ] I. don't think it's guys I think all of. them shouldn't be shooting them. and but did he ruin the game I saw a. little kid uh he made a shot and he he. wouldn't sleep on it now he went to. sleep on the court it ain't I mean I see. wnb I see Skylar Diggins did it in the. WNBA congrats to her Cola having a great. week yeah but the kids the kids going to. sleep on the court yeah man yeah I'm. taking my belt off.

now now. that that's I think our coaching has. changed a lot in every sport right over. the last 15 years yeah because the. money's gotten so large right now we're. trying to build professional athletes. and we're not coaching them the right. way we're not holding them accountable. we're not being we're not disciplined in. the right way I understood what Mark. Jackson was saying when he ruined the. game step didn't ruin the game is that. coaches believe everybody can shoot the. ball like stuff this guy has a god-given. ability and you've worked on the crowd. you worked on just don't think you can.

just go in the gym and start launching. threes like oh yeah but still do it his. father was one of the best three-point. Shooters of all time so he'd been. working on being a great three-point. shooter since he came out the womb. correct people not thinking about that. hey just go out there and shoot a whole. bunch of Threes And and we're going to. the lead how was Mark Jackson the. foundation of what the Warriors later. became even though he didn't see them to. the promised land it was almost like and. you know not to sound you know. sacrilegious or anything but Dr King. says I have a dream and he didn't get to. see a lot of the friends getting buried. what we have today is that Mark Jackson.

you yourself. clay stab Draymond you guys were the. foundation piece but what were some of. the things that that he developed in you. guys that later helped you guys become. the four-time Champions that you are I. think it's a it's a common theme it's. called confidence and you know we talk. about. in every sport everybody that's. professional. it ain't but that much in terms of you. know the top talent first to bottom. right now I do think our bottom is. getting a little lower we got to fix the.

bottom right in all our Sports we got to. raise the bottom right you raise the. bottom you got a great product right and. now you know we just get that guy's. creeping in the league that shouldn't be. here but that confidence thing that Mark. put in them is something different. because I know some coaches. who you know you take a guy like Johnny. Flynn who had injuries and he was he was. drafted before staff right and he you. know had he been in a different. situation hey. he might still be here right so I think. you know Steph would have was going to. be who he was but I think he got there. um with the help of Mark in terms of.

just feeding him that that confidence. every single day yeah I got the best. shooting back court in the history of. the game. and and and they killed him yeah they. beat him up you say something crazy. right now like I said Giannis I said. Rasheed Wallace would be like honest. yeah yeah I think you were crazy too I. think you've been in that bottle right. there you see she she had no Falls. that's all I'm saying all right I'm. gonna leave it like that except except. up here like she she he was he was his. modern days Kyrie where they was upset. with him because he wasn't upset he. wouldn't accept you know the way that.

the league in society says this is how. you got to move as a NBA player he's. like no I'm gonna do me so he kind of. fought the system and it kind of hurt. his game right but we go to Mark Jackson. and I get his one story. we in front of the whole team and this. was this is probably the most powerful. moment that I've ever seen and he. told Steph. Steph you're our guy. you are All-Star you're our best player. you're taking the last shot. we got to make sure your number your. numbers come first you can get your.

numbers every night. now if another point guard come in here. and it's trying to outplay you or making. it a match about you and him and he. trying to outdo you. I'll take a loss. I'll take a loss. you're gonna win that matchup. and when Mark said that in front of the. whole team. so ain't okay nobody hate can't nobody. be mad the head coach just told y'all. who the man is right right move out the. way and he gonna make sure the man that. he's always gonna be the man because he.

ain't gonna let nobody come in and show. him up and I just weighed the Olympic. team so I'm still me right. I had no problems with that I said. that's the type of Coach I want to play. for wow. when you get there Steve Kerr asks you. to come out the bench you'd better start. of your whole career right. what did that do to your ego. the ego it didn't really bother me the. ego. it bothered me that I was playing well. it didn't ask you too much I was playing. well right I was playing well you know.

when I the way I played in the finals. that's how I started off training camp. right where I'm I'm like I'm gonna have. a big year we gonna make a run like I I. had some work done on my body in the off. season right I got it right right I was. feeling great and so when he said come. off the bench I knew I would have to. sacrifice. my game right what I just showed through. three weeks I was playing well playing a. high level I ain't missed in a while I'm. feeling myself I'm thinking about making. an All-Star run right and when you say. Come Off the Bench you killed all my. personal yeah no ain't no All-Star ain't.

no personal goals ain't no all the NBA. ain't none of that ain't all defense. ain't no none of that and I think that. is that was the hardest part but Steve. went to Arizona was coached by Coach O I. went to Arizona was coached by cocho. it was hard for me to be mad at him. because we see basketball the same exact. way right so when he's explaining it. we're a better team with you coming off. the bench our our bench is more Dynamic. right you know. um you know I I can bring out staff I'm. Gonna Leave in clay he can get his stuff. off you know you and Sean could do your. thing we got some explosive scores and.

we're both coming off the bench you know. confesses could catch live so we're at. the very Dynamics so I just need you to. be a Swiss army knife and so. he was 100 right so it was hard for me. to fight it. um the hardest part was I knew I wasn't. going to have any numbers I knew when I. looked at the stat sheet it would look. like I didn't play good right in every. game he would say you play great tonight. I'm like Coachman I had four points. three rebounds five assists. three steals man this is just I'm trash. but I I understood what he was saying.

right you know I was a big part of why. we won the game but no one would know. right and I just couldn't be mad at it. but it all came to fruition once it once. it really mattered which was in the. finals and you know the rest of History. how did your life change you became the. first player to win the award without. starting a senior regular season game. the first MVP tonight I've started every. game in the finals you average 16 points. four says about six rebounds you uh held. LeBron to 38 shooting. um compared to 44 without how did win in. the finals MVP change your life.

and it really changed my life because I. move how I move like I'm not going now. people look at you different Finals MVP. ain't there ain't a whole lot of them. that's true now that's one that's one. thing I got to work on with myself. because I'll walk around and say. all right I I want I want Navy people. whatever like I don't even know where. the trophies at right you know I just. found my rings the other day they was. underneath the Shelf but I was like oh. let me put these on the show like why. stop hiding yeah so it took me because. I'm still playing I'm still trying to. keep that motivation like you know keep. keep level headed but sometimes I gotta. remind myself of who I am but I think.

more than anything on the business side. you know I did my first tech deal right. after and the deal I was trying to get. into it got rejected. as soon as I went Finals MVP three days. later I get an email. I got some room for you in this deal wow. that was my favorite part. and then from there now now in Roman. LeBron LeBron has probably got you. probably be 6-0 you'd probably be six. and one in the finals if it wasn't for. LeBron. got you in 2016 Miami got me in Miami.

yeah. the block tell me what's going through. your mind cause you got a layup I mean. still play Still bounce faster to you. you gotta live you know y'all about to. go up two points right and at that point. in time because points had become so. hard to come by yeah that might have. been that might have been the final the. deficit the final score of the game. might have been you guys win by two for. sure and you go up you lay the ball up. you just oh yeah okay Jr makes you. clutch you bring it back up and you hey. I'm right there I'm free and clear.

so it when Steph I threw I got the. rebound pushed it I probably should have. kept going but I hit staff to do two on. one right like we do practice drills. every day and then he bounces it back. I'm like dunk on his head when I go up. he he do my strip to where he would have. stripped it if I would have dunked it. right so I had to move it right and now. I'm like man what'd you just say man. he's and we ain't nobody scoring right. man just put the ball just lay it right. there and don't try to do nothing stupid. right in and it was one of the loudest.

the loudest sounds I ever heard. boom and when it happened I kind of I. was like damn. I was like yo that was the loudest I'm. like what just happened I I didn't even. know he blocked it but I heard boom and. I was like. man that was cold but I I was really it. was like a fan moment I was like man. that was beautiful yeah I was talking. about George in terms of you know your. your opponent get the best of you when. he blocked the shot I'm like God dang.

that was amazing like I had that energy. right you know and then for for. everything that come out of it you. always got to hear about it whenever. whenever you have success somebody gonna. remind you of did you know he was that. close. I wasn't surprised because if if y'all. noticed LeBron's always been chased down. block yeah and I think somewhere they. had a cold name for it where all all. Lebron wanted you to do as his teammate. was just run in front of the ball and. just run through the uh offensive player. just run through him and make him make. him do something right make him give me. a split second I'm gonna come and clean. it up right like that's been their thing.

so Jr did what exactly it was like I. said it was like throwing alley-oop. right I'm gonna set him up and blind. coming and and like I said I could have. tried to dunk it but I'm like I was too. far man just put the ball in the hole. and he came out nowhere and just made an. incredible play and then I'm thinking. like maybe I should have went to the. other side yeah. it was just an amazing play and you know. I've done many articles about it and. people expect me to have some type of. you know ill feelings I'm like man. that's one of the best things I ever. heard but I heard it I ain't see it I. heard it.

Coach K compared you to Scottie Pippen. do you like that comparison well I'm. from Illinois so. you grew up watching Scotty was my guy. Scotty's still my guy to this day I. played golfer Scotty uh right before the. pandemic like Scotty's my guy so you. know um I play point guard growing up. and they call me Lil Penny and they call. me Lil Scotty so I was just used to. hearing that my whole right basketball. career. I'm trying to figure out who's going to. retire first. Udonis you played with UD he's 42. Iggy.

18 years 38 mellow 38 Ron 37 PJ took it. 37 Chris Paul who's gonna retire first. ah man if I had to bet on it. probably me. [Laughter]. because like I said like I got some. things going on and the basketball. starting football I feel like it's in. the interfering I gotta you know because. I got some real goals and you know like. we talk about overall life goals right. and you never know you never know where.

life takes you and you get opportunities. to do certain things you got to take you. try to be Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk. somebody huh. yeah I'm trying to do some things man. because nobody like us has ever done it. right you know right you got you got. Robert Smith out there yes uh who I'm a. huge fan of you know I think MJ did it. the right way magic did it the right way. LeBron's doing it the right way yes you. know and and but they're they're figures. who have you know they're the top at. what they do of all time so for me I. feel like I gotta you know I gotta. really be businessman to have success in.

that space right I can't I can't go into. a room and I'm Andre Iguodala like I. can't go and say I'm Andre gonna let me. in no you gotta break I'm not Michael. Jordan I can't do that so for me is I'm. really I'm really tied in I'm you know I. do my studying on my own I'm going. through my own school right in terms of. you know making sure I'm reading the. right things I got to be up to date I. gotta know what's going on with the. markets I got to know what's going on in. the private sector and all those things. so that's where my mind's been taking me. so is that what you do like when you go. like okay I'm thinking about maybe. investing in this company you read as. much material information as you.

possibly can because that's your money. right no I mean that that that's my. bread and you know I ain't really trying. to lose it so I'm gonna make sure I know. everything there is to know about this. company before I put my hard-earned. money into it and I think you're. building a track record too I think. that's the biggest thing you know data. is all about your history right what can. you learn from from from historical. events that prepare you for the future. and then how can you better bet on the. future right and you're seeing things. before other people see it and now you. you monetizing that that's how. capitalism is just having information. other people don't have before they have.

it right and I think when you build that. track record with your own money. now you could become a bank you know now. you can become a private Equity Group. it's like here's my track record I've. invested in 80 companies here's my AR my. annual rate of returns uh you know. here's you know how much money I made. off that money. um and then these are deals I've gotten. into and here's my expertise on board. seats and this how I can help a company. grow and then these are the sectors I'm. in I'm in fintech I'm in SAS software. prop Tech Health Tech and consumer. marketplaces so just giving people like. I really have to prove to people that I.

know the space and I'm an actual. business man so that's how you've been. build a fun and then obviously you know. you got different funds with different. um the way they charge fees carries you. know 2 and 20 and you know you're. building billion dollar funds that's. what's generational wealth is and right. that's how you're able to acquire a team. and then once you acquire a team is you. know. you know they're building Arena cities. now now you're building a city around. your Arena so that's how you build. Generations is that what you're angling. for you want to own an NBA team you want. to be an ownership oh 100 and I think.

you know um. being around Pat Riley was big for me. and then being able to I read his book a. winner within and I read uh. uh blood in the garden which was on the. Knicks in the 90s beautiful book and. then it turns talks about how Pat got. his ownership shares with the Miami Heat. yeah going into that stage going to that. situation coming from New York and how. he leveraged right the situations right. get ownership and then how this how you. set up but you know Pat just didn't. leverage it he really produced in terms.

of what he did to the heat like he. really built that franchise and they're. known as they separated themselves from. everyone else in the league in terms of. how they build their culture and how. they they maximize their talent every. single year like if they got a bad group. guys in terms of talent they still find. a way to make it to the playoffs right. you know they always overachieve and. being there seeing how he works and it's. like you know you take the most at every. situation I took that from that. situation Iggy yes sir appreciate you. bro appreciate it good luck yes sir.

[Music]. all my life.