DeMar DeRozan on Playing w/ LeBron & Leaving Toronto | Ep. 30 | Special Free Agency Conversation

hello club shea fans it's your favorite. television uncle shay sharp. and i know you've been patiently waiting. for season two of club shay. and we're currently in production but. just to get you through. we got a special episode with demar. derozan. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice. hustle pay the price wanna slice got the. roll of dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life look all my life. been running all my life sacrifice plus. will pay the price wanna slice.

got 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 shannon sharp. i'm also the proprietor of club shay. shay. and the guy that's stopping by for. conversation and a drink today. is a four-time nba all-star a two-time. all-nba selection. a member of the 2014 fiba gold medal. winning team. and a member of the 2016 real gold medal. gold medal winning basketball team demar. derozan demar how you doing man i'm. great man.

absolute bruh thanks for stopping by. with me and thank you for having me okay. the season's over what is demar derozan. doing currently. um back in the gym honestly um really. didn't take no time off you know it was. a crazy. season as everybody know um i just want. to stay after it you know. take care of my body and just. stay stay healthy you know i mean got. back in the gym. spend more time with the family um but. for the main part just refocusing you. know figuring it out.

did you start back up normally earlier. normal than you normally would. yeah way early i i really didn't take no. time off why not. the year was already crazy right um and. how. compact it was right there's a lot of. stuff i didn't get to do. maintenance-wise on your body right. you try to just rest as much as you can. right as we was playing so much so. just kind of like re refining my body. right you know um. being more conscious of that eating a. lot better right um. understanding that you know this summer.

was an important summer for me. especially going to a free agency so i. just wanted to keep that passion and. drive. going into the summer and really not. taking no time off okay let's talk about. free agency you are an unrestricted free. agent. you spent the last two years um. in san antonio what. is demar derozan looking for if he were. to leave seattle in a new excuse me in. san antonio. if you leave for a new home what are you. looking for um i mean it's all about. winning at that point you know what i. mean um.

going into my 13th season right um you. seeing all these guys just competing for. a chance i hear a lot of guys say that i. heard a lot of guys in baseball and. basketball and football said it's all. about winning. but they normally end up going to the. team that pays them the most money is it. all about winning. or you know you want to get compensated. too why winnie i mean. you try to you trying to meet the fine. you try to balance it as best as you can. right at this point you know you got to. wait you got to weigh out the. opportunity of winning a championship. kind of more right especially with the. career i had i've i've been fortunate.

to make a lot make money yeah you know. what i mean but at this point you know. your ultimate goal is always to compete. for a championship. how hard you know you go to san antonio. and you know what they're you know what. san antonio represents they normally win. but they kind of you know some injuries. some things happen and it didn't go. the way we normally expect things to go. in san antonio. how tough was it for you because even. when you're coming from toronto. you're used to being in the playoffs. making deep runs yeah i mean it was. tough it was. for my career especially later in my.

career at that point it was tough you. know i'm. learning a new system a new environment. everything was new for me right but it. was something that was a. something that was needed right to help. me be a better leader right you know as. soon as i got with those guys in san. antonio it kind of put me in a different. frame of mind of how to teach and even. learn from younger guys. right um kind of push them and push. myself to kind of expand my game a. little bit more so. it helped it was a challenge but it. helped at the same time you know. just the adversity and everything that.

came with it what's it like playing for. pop. because you you've had a lot of. different coaches over your career. but pop is when they they talk about. mount rushmore coaches. he's probably going to be on that mount. rushmore what's it like playing for him. is he demanding what type of coach is he. um pop is. uh he's very unique you know. what you see on tv it's it's it's a lot. more. okay in every type of way he's one of. those guys that's that's going to demand. the best out of you not just as a as a.

player as a human being first and. foremost. and that kind of translate over when you. go to work on a court. um and the humanity the humility. that he brings to to to the gym every. single day is is. one of a kind so he's a hell of a person. i got the utmost respect for him. even before we even get to the. basketball court that makes it. that much more entertaining when you. step out there and put them put on a. jersey form right. when you look at where basketball is.

heading everything's about analytics. but you really haven't succumbed to that. because you're still a great mid-range. shooter. you don't fall in love you shoot the. three you're not you know. nobody's gonna mistake you for steph or. dame for shooting the three but you like. i can be a great player and shoot ten. footers shoot eighteen footers get to. the paint. how are you able to resist because a lot. of guys haven't been able to resist that. temptation. because the analytic says if you're 18. feet why not take. three feet back and shoot the three um.

i mean it's kind of like the times we. live in you know we. it's it's one i grew up watching and. loving old school basketball right. you can never you can never move me away. from that right. what gave me my love and passion was. watching 70 and. 80s basketball right um but just me just. being true to myself right not. um falling victim to what everybody say. needs to happen right now i feel like if. you if you dominate and you're great at.

what you do. right why should you steer away from. that right you know and and in the midst. of it you know i i have moments where i. get caught up into it but at the same. time. you know i if if i have a teammate. that's what he do. i'm gonna get you the easiest shot as. possible so you can do that i don't. gotta settle and just come down do this. but. until somebody stopped me from doing. everything else right. you know i never felt the need to just. give in to that side of the game yet. one of your biggest inspirations was. kobe. kobe started shooting the threes a lot.

later in his career but early. kobe was strictly mid-range play in the. low post the high post get to the top of. the key. what is it what was it about kobe's game. that you like. that's what i want to model my game out. there i mean everything first of all it. started off. that was the only games i could watch on. tv growing up in l.a kcal 9 was the only. only channel we had so when i was seven. years old. watching kobe as a rookie that was who. you know i could consistently watch. right. so whenever i watch him i imitate. whatever he did as a kid.

right an imaginary court in a room. whatever and they kind of just continue. to translate as he grew. in me seeing you know the stepping. stones that he. took playing basketball i wanted to do. the same thing and it just carried over. you know so just watching him and having. an opportunity to watch him even though. he didn't have cable. that's who i i gravitated to early on. what's it like. to that's the guy you want to pattern. your game after that's the guy you. you want to imitate that's the guy that. you idolize.

and finally stepping on the court and. like. i'm about to play against kobe yeah um. i was it was surreal i mean i it's only. two people i've ever been around i had. that type of ore. where you just was like kind of like. golly like it was it was him and jordan. see everybody keep saying it was them. two people like i swear every time you. walked on the court it was just a. different type of. like you know i don't know what it was. but i had the opportunity at 15 to work. with kobe. and every summer we used to play open.

run games um. at lmu out here in l.a so i was 16 17 18. and was always like. it was you know it just didn't feel real. right you know so by the time i got to. the league. i kind of knew what to expect but it was. it was definitely a different atmosphere. the drew league um you're participating. in the drew league it's reported that. the ball brothers lamelo lonzo they're. putting a team together. the drew league is the what the the the. rucker is to the east coast the drew. league is to the west coast yeah but.

the uh obviously rucker's a little lot. older than 1950s and you had wilt. chamberlain had julia serving. and kareem um playing in that but a lot. of the younger guys. so what is it about playing in this. league that says you know what is that. something just to keep you to give you. run. um i think julie always been a community. feel right i remember i first started. playing when i was 14 15 years old and. every time you went down there you was. able to play against and see guys. for free running at this middle school. before it you know got big.

used to play at this middle school you. just have three four rows of benches and. you can come in there and watch. baron davis play right you know what i. mean you see all these la greats going. there and play. and the atmosphere was always like you. know family. the the neighborhood to come out and. watch and to see it grow and. and turn in to what it's turned into. it's amazing right. the players brian came there played kobe. katie so many players came and you see. the whole just community come out. just really just the whole hood come out. and watch it for free.

you know you can't beat that that's. that's what basketball is based off and. to be able to see that and be a part of. that makes it one one of a kind. has la replaced nyc. yes yes oh so y'all resort to mecca now. yes. no question what i i believe so. especially after the lockout year. you can't beat it you know if you go. back and look how many great players. that came and just. they had to come and be there in in lead. a mark and. you got to bring your a game there's. been plenty of aba players that come.

through there and get embarrassed. by by guys from compton and watts and. you got to bring your game when you come. there. because it was a shortened season you. talk about condensed it was condensed on. top of condensed. you talk about 10 fewer games in two. fewer months. do you believe some of the injuries were. a result of that or you just think it. was just like you know. i believe so it was it was tough it was. tough um. this was definitely a tough year i. remember during the season we were. trying to compare to the lockout year.

how tough it was and this this is by far. this season was by far the toughest. season. you know just it was crazy it was it was. i think at one point we played. 40-something games in 68 days right you. know. and that takes the toll especially with. traveling and the older you get you know. it's. you're more prone to injuries yeah for. sure so i believe so. how difficult was it because you. mentioned that this offseason you're. trying to make a conscious effort to eat. better. how hard is it when you're playing. basically every other day. you're you know a lot of times what.

you're dead you play two games in one. location. that helps but it's but to eat to make. sure you you eat correctly and be able. to get your training in. as you normally would if it was a. regular season yeah that's that's. by far you you know it's it's it's one. of the most important things especially. the older you get. yes you know you got to take care of. yourself get the proper rest it was it. was some days where. you know if we was traveling getting in. late you hungry so you're just resorting. detroit you get anything you know just. for the night and.

getting up early got a test consistently. just trying to get something to eat so. you could lay back down. like it was the consistency was just so. far over the place to where you couldn't. be on top of your normal routine. you mentioned about this being your 13th. season and. going back and i'm looking at the young. players now. the lucas and the jayson tatums and the. donovan mitchells and the trey youngs. and these guys coming out dropping 40. and 50. what is it about the young players now. as opposed to like when you came into.

the league man. the game is definitely evolving you got. to appreciate it you know i mean i do. especially being an older guy i remember. how i was when i came in the lead i look. at a lot of i played against shaq. right i played against tracy mcgrady i. played against all the old guys that. i grew up watching right you know and in. the sea and be a part of the lead and. see how much it evolved this is crazy. right you know. but at the same time it's fun to see i. root for all the young guys i got a lot. of. great relationship with a lot of young. guys but you just see that next. evolution of the league taking this step.

right now you got to give credit to. those young guys. i was having a conversation i said i. believe the guys are more skilled now. the weight. yeah yeah and people like no no no no. it's nothing like 80s basketball i said. look just cause you tackling somebody on. the basketball court that don't mean you. skill yeah. that means you're physical there's a. difference between being physical and. being skilled. the way these guys can handle the ball. the way they can get off their shot from. any angle. it's it's it's incredible man i go back. even to this day and watch a lot of. older guys and the creativity.

wasn't nowhere to where it is now you. know with from. from not just the point guard shooting. guard percent position you got biggs. doing. there was no kds going around no like. it's it's crazy when right when you sit. back and that's why. it's so easy for me to still be a fan. and watch it because the creativity is. just. a match man you mentioned some of the. guys that you played against you played. against shaq. kobe tracy mcgrady and now you're in the. era with lebron. and k.d and kawhi take shaq aside.

obviously he's a big and there's nobody. that plays the big position like shaq. because all these guys not yolk and. embiid. a.d they shoot they shoot three. what is it about kd and lebron in this. era as opposed to tracy mcgrady and kobe. in your in. the previous era um. man k.d first of all he's. never seen nobody like katie especially. with coming off the injury he had right. um i had an opportunity to play against.

him a lot um before this season started. and i was telling people like. it don't look like nothing ever happened. to him right um. katie is one of a kind i can't even. compare kd to nobody. when it comes to brian brown has he's. been one of those guys. since he came in lead to dictate the. game right you know it's not too many. dictators. in his league that could be as dominant. as as he is you know a lot of. a lot of guys back in the day will you. know i'm gonna go out there. i'm gonna shoot your face off i'm gonna. get up 30 35 shots right. however night go at least you know i let.

off the whole clip. right for you you know when you're. playing against lebron you know he's. going to go out there and dictate the. whole game right. he's going kind of chess chess play. chess all. all night with you so if he's playing. against somebody that wants to get up 30. 35. shots he's gonna slow the pace down. you're not getting that many shots off. against us oh no no you know he's gonna. dictate the whole game. like it's by far you know and it's crazy. you're you're from l.a you're from. compton. and i tell people this like everybody's. experience you might come from somewhere.

but your experience might be unique to. you. what was it like for you growing up in. compton um. i mean thinking a lot of the negativity. that i was going through was norm. but having having uh. a circle around me to teach me the right. way to go about things you know it was. so easy to get caught up in a lot of. negativity that was going on a lot of. temptation to go the wrong way but. i was unique because even in a. neighborhood i grew up in. a lot of people always steered me away.

from a lot of the negative stuff. you know and they seen something in me. that i probably didn't see in myself at. the time right. but having that helped me and propelled. me in the right direction and continue. to. go after whatever it was i was after and. that was something positive so for me. um that was unique because i i look back. at it to this day and. not know where i'll be if i didn't have. that type of circle around did you. always want did you know you always. wanted to. play basketball you always wanted to be. a professional basketball player yeah i.

always wanted to do anything. sport sports wise because i tried. baseball. you know you tried football. in the streets we played football now i. always had a passion for football like i. wanted to play i want to play if i get. an opportunity. i'm gonna play but i'm glad i didn't. because i'm glad i didn't but. you know you always had those those. those dreams and restorations but. i didn't know but i knew i wanted to. make it out i didn't know how right. but i knew whatever positive route i.

needed to take i was going to do it. you are going to restrict the free agent. you say the lakers kobe was. your guy the lakers i'm assuming was. your team. what would it be like for you being a. local kid. to don the purple and gold i mean. growing up. i you can't ask no kid if they want to. play home they'll say no. you know i mean at some point you you. definitely want to have that. opportunity and especially if they want. you why why not. right why not right you know um it's a.

great opportunity. um would you have wanted to start your. career in la i think not because you. because you're a lot older no i i don't. think i was ready for it. at a young age i'm glad i i always tell. that story i'm glad i went to a whole. another country. okay and have the like mature faster. right i didn't i could have. got lost in coming home you know i mean. but at this point in my career you know. me understanding how everything works. it's. it's a lot easier you know what are your. thoughts on. a super on super teams um i mean i.

i always liked it when it was balanced. where every single night you could go. in any arena and you playing against a. great team. right you know their their best player. and. their best role player right not looking. up and seeing you know. three four you know what i mean on one. team right. sometimes it just throws off the balance. because you know that was the lead. right every single night looking looking. forward to play this team and this team. this team well this team don't got. nobody so i'm gonna chill tonight so see.

my pushback is tomorrow is that they've. always been super teams. the celtic the lakers were a super team. the only difference is. the players didn't team up you know they. did a great jerry west did a great job. of drafting. the celtics they did a great job of. drafting but the celtics. and the lakers were super team that's. why they met all the time. in the finals right all right and but. now the players with this. this player empowerment they're like. okay oh demar you cool. i'm cool with you bro let's let's link. up let's do this thing. and the old guard don't really like that.

man michael would have never played with. larry lag would have never played with. magic. but it's a new era now right the aau a. lot of these guys. you know zion and john moran played aau. together a lot of these guys played. together so they're familiar with each. other. so they're like bro let's go and link. this thing up yeah it's that it's. definitely a two-way street. right a half times where you know you. want to compete that and right knock. down the. the big dogs that there's two three of. them on one team then just like to your. point. it's it's it's it's easier it's. definitely a different time right you.

know it's easier to get on the phone. call have relationships with guys. knowing that i know i could go play with. that guy right you know i mean um so. it's it's a fine line but just the. competitor to me has always wanted being. be able to compete against the best of. the best every single night but you want. a level playing field now they got two. or three super teams and i'm on a team. that's not a super team. that ain't right yeah that's when they. get uh. right but yeah but how difficult would. it be to play let's just say for the. sake of argument if you were to go to. with the lakers and you would obviously.

lebron and a.d. do you feel that it would be difficult. for you because a lot of people like. well. i'm not going to get the same number of. shots that i would normally get. had i been in toronto where it's just me. and kyle. or in san antonio and it's basically. just it's kind of meat. right now and uh lamarcus no you mean. you you take brooklyn as an example. three of the greatest scorers this. leaders ever seen. right and they balance it out well right.

it sucks that they can be. healthy through the whole thing because. i think they would have been in finals. right. those three guys come on and they they. figured it out they worked it out and. they had they had the great. rhythm when they played together so it's. definitely possible to work you know and. and it's it's all about just coming. together you know we we all smart best. great basketball players honestly and if. you want to win you'll find a way to. make it worse. yeah no question where were you when you. found out you had been traded. um i was watching equalizer 2.

at the movies. i had just left and i was going to get. something to eat and um. and i had made the phone call back and. that's when i got the word. um and i remember i was in the car i. just told the dude. pull the car over and i just got up. walked down the street i think i sat in. front of like a dell taco. jack-in-the-box or something for like 40. minutes you couldn't believe it you were. surprised. yeah i just i just couldn't believe it. because it was just one of those moments. like. because two days prior um we had had a.

conversation about you know. running this whole thing back so that's. what made it. more surprising right you know how it. came about and everything so and then. you had done something that the other. great players hadn't done. you stayed in toronto bc got up out of. there yeah. t-mac got up out of there cb got up out. of there. you're like i'm a i'm a wrong i'm a ride. to the wheels falling off in toronto. yeah and y'all do your boy like this. yeah after you told me you gonna do it. like that right right that that.

that was the part you know what i mean. because obviously anybody know in. in toronto like i was i was willing to. lay it all out. yeah you know what i mean and it's for. it to happen like that it definitely. sucked. you know because emotionally i was. invested not knowing the other side. right because that's all i knew toronto. was all i knew at that point so you good. with them now. oh yeah yeah i don't have no problem you. you you understand that. it's part of the game right you know. it's part of the business and. you know nobody exempt from from from. that happening you know i mean so right.

i got past it you know it was kind of. like kawhi involved though. i mean it had kind of been other if they. just thought they traded yeah like for. nothing just try to dump salary you know. because sometimes they do do that. do do do that so you know what i mean i. i mean. you it took a while right but it got to. a point where like you know you you got. to respect it you made peace with it. yeah. but it took you a while no it took a. while it took probably like probably. like about 10 months ago really. yeah probably after the bubble yeah i i. kind of just was like you know what.

then but they didn't so so you heard it. so you like. reading it on your phone or did they. call you i got the call. okay before it came out so i knew the. night before he came out okay like i got. your agent called you yeah no i talked. to the. yeah i talked to me yeah i talked talked. to him and you know he told me. and um i just hung up the phone you all. go up on it yeah. man come on what he said he he told me. he told me. you should've said hold on hold on my.

side now you we just had a conversation. two weeks ago. you said two days ago you we just had a. conversation two days ago. you say your boy good yeah and y'all do. this i mean when everybody else does. not think about everybody else's deal. yeah i stay. hey okay i felt like that would have. made it worse if i were to so i just. i said you know what you're done.

no no no it was it was it was the last. thing i expected. right i mean it was the last thing i. expected so when it when it hit it was. like. like you know that lost feeling like it. was just like all right what now. right i don't know what to do you got. one of the biggest. when you were in toronto you had one of. the he was. what spike lee is to the knicks what. jack nick. nicholson was to the lakers what billy. crystal is to the clippers.

he's that to toronto and i'm talking. about drake. what's it like playing when he's going. in on. everybody you know he's trash but he's. friendly with everybody. but he's giving everybody the business. yeah and you're like bro you. do he dropped farty on us man sit down. leave that man alone. no you gotta let drake be drake man you. gotta let him be him because he gonna. talk mess. beforehand and a lot of times a lot of. players on the other team before he. talked mess on the court he gonna. text you and talk crazy you know what i.

mean like that's what he doing. and you know we feed it we we feed off. it and. you know for him to be the biggest star. in the world and. and support and and come through like he. do man that's right that's. that's just him man you gotta let him be. him you went to drake. after you were traded what what what did. you guys talk about. um man we just we just really sat there. and. you know that but besides basketball. everything just the reinsurance of like. you know that was my.

that was my my partner that was a friend. that was a friend of mine. that was like man get away from. everything i know it's crazy. i couldn't even turn on tv that day. phone was going crazy i just went over. there and we. we set f said and talked for hours hate. sudden talk and. i think more than anything just him. being there for me as a friend. right first and foremost you know and. and no matter what you know when it come. to him he'll forever have. a friend of me and loyalty out of me. because you know he. he cared yeah he was doing that he was.

there for me when when. when everything was just going crazy you. know it kind of just. got me settled in a sense of like you. know you're gonna get past it don't even. worry about it. he uh he dropped your name in the uh the. freestyle lemon pepper freestyle with. rick ross. i need to get some money i mean cause i. gave you that name no you did you sure. did yeah. he keep monetizing that he didn't break. bread with me now. you're going to tell them what you want. me to tell a little i need you to tell. louis all right i'll let lou know. that all right but i let him know so.

what's it what's it like. with a guy you know nobody has had their. name dropped more than kobe right right. uh then jordan the lebron and kd i mean. but it's got to be a huge because that's. what that's for. forever yeah that's what wax would help. her no yeah i mean it's it's it's. it's amazing when it happened because i. remember um. i think we were sitting talking that. when this concert one day like. probably like two years ago and i was. like uh. one of my friends was like hey where you. gonna put d in the song he was like. ah i gotta figure out the right song i'm.

gonna get him in there. right he said just like you know like. two years ago we were sitting in his. dressing room or whatever and i ain't. thinking nothing of it i was like man. why you bring that up man. i ain't tripping like this is my man i. ain't trippin. so when it happened i remember he told. me about it um. last year about the song and i was like. damn you did i was like i can't wait to. hear but. when it happened it was crazy you know i. mean you got it you. i to this day i respect them for that. man it was crazy. tim duncan is your coach he's on the.

staff. becky hammer tim what type of coach was. tim. tim tim is tim would you see tim. that was because that was. that was tim tim is the best human being. in the world. but he was 10th as a coach you know i. mean i think. it was one game pop set out um. and tim was our head coach right a game. and i think we went in the halftime it.

was down. right and we was playing was playing bad. so i'm thinking tim going to come in. there. going off cussing us out he came in. there with the most common. demeanor just like come on guys let's. just get this win put it together bring. it in one two three. we go out there and win like it was it. was like that's tim. you know i mean like right like that was. just him and he. he just easy going his spirit was always. positive and he was just he was just. cool. becky hammond obviously she see. she seems a little bit more hands-on a.

little bit more. fiery um do you believe. that she'll get an opportunity if not. this year. next year to be a head coach in this. week for sure what's it going to take. because it's going to take someone with. a really open mind to say a woman. can coach men at the highest level yeah. i mean for me being on the other side. seeing becky every single day. becky from top to bottom know when it. comes to sports. she knows she's not she knows the game. right inside and out right you know from.

her scouts to. players player tendencies and the way. she you know she relate. relate with us it's like you know she. one of us right she played she wanted. all-time greats in her sport yes you. know so everybody respect her everybody. look at her in that light so. for me i don't think none of it like oh. we got a woman coach. right you know what i mean so it's just. you get a group of people who believe in. her. they'll see and they they get that. feeling yeah but how do you know how do. you how do you. you you break that ceiling because this.

is going to be unprecedented i mean. this is this might be the equivalent of. the first black this might be the jackie. robinson moment. because we always knew but i don't know. when i was growing up i never thought a. woman would coach me right. that never that never even donned done. dawned on me. especially at the highest level right. right yeah i mean. that goes with everything that happens. for the first time right you know it has. to happen for us to have this. conversation right you know i mean. it's at that point to where it has to.

happen for it to be. believable right you look around at. sports. not just basketball you're looking. around football it's women involved. right. some type of way you have women referees. right in a field. nobody never thought that true but it. happened yes you know now it's it's. it's it's normal once it happened right. now it's moving forward you kind of. forget about it that's. it's a woman rough out there so it's. just that next step that somebody want. to take that. let's get back to the mid-range because. you. book and i'm looking at cp3 yeah you can.

shoot threes but that's really not where. you try to make your living at you try. to make your living. in the mid-range why is that a lost. start. um because i think you you look around. the lead and it's it's. it's it's great to see when you see guys. like steps. coming across court shooting threes it's. amazing you know what i mean you. trae young all these guys that that do. incredible things from the three-point. line dang. damien litters it's amazing you know um. but it gets when you when it's time to.

simplify and get a bucket. you got to be able to play in that that. mid-range right it's just lost because. you look around and everybody doing it. right i never would have thought if you. would ask when i was young you would see. biggs. doing step back threes yeah yeah you. never imagined that you know i tell a. lot of young guys now who. who don't realize that i remember you. used to. have to have a power forward and a. center on the court. you have to have a power forward and. right on the court you know only person. who used to shoot threes was.

the specialists who shot threes you know. right look at a lot of games back dale. curry. those nature there were specialists they. were specialists who shot the three. right. you look at games now like you said it's. like 35 to 43s getting shot yeah. back in the day it used to be four for. 12 for the whole game yeah you know what. i mean. but um that was between two teams. exactly so. it's it's just it's just one of those. things that you know. it happens so much now it's easy to. forget about everything else. um with the game because so many people.

are doing it now at a high level. what makes devon booker special man. when he he's tough he's tough i always. judge. every player that i play against by. their toughness in their heart. and book got that toughness in his heart. and. his creativity with that ball his poise. his patience he's he he's always been. big time. right and it's just crazy to think this. is first playoff run right. he in the finals you know and that's a. credit to what type of player he is and.

he brings it every single night. growing up in la i'm reading that. master p was your aau coach what type of. coach was pete. p was he was. and he was master p at the time oh yeah. he was yeah he was all that he was. he was like a father figured for us. growing up honestly you know um. he was was he he brought us in and and. made us feel like like one of one of his. kids right now in all honesty.

you know and he he allowed us to be us. um he just related with us on a. different level. you know and it bring the best out of us. and that's why so many kids went and. played with him back then and. he did so much for us at that point. to where when it was time to step on the. court you know we we. we was rocking with p every time right. what was one of the. things that he taught you that helped. you become. the player of the person the man that. you became i mean everything i mean. being around peace so much.

at a young age you you see how it was. like. to deal with fame money um. business um he was always a teacher of. that. that that aspect of it of looking at it. like. you know we're not going to play. basketball forever you know um. so he was always preparing you for the. aftermath it was always that even. even if we didn't want to hear it then. it was always said said to us and always. brought up to us then for us to see. a lot of things hands-on for with him.

made it easier like he'll be with us one. day then you you look on tv and he's. taking care of something with a big deal. and it's right oh damn he just was with. us. right at practice now you see him in his. light handling a business as a mogul. that he is. it it put a lot of things in perspective. and kind of gave us that motivation of. of. understanding what it was like you know. what i tell people all the time i said. it was easy for me to succeed because i. saw my brother succeed. right yeah and i'm like here in the. house where i live he grew up like i. grew up here what i ate.

he slept where i slept hell he played in. college i could play in college. he went to the nfl i could you see. master p doing that yeah you're like. i was just talking to him the other day. he's my coach yeah well he did it. i could do those things is that is that. how that's exactly what it was because. like we we i remember we used to just. listen to him tell stories right like. stories about everything right and be. amazed by it. and have a normal conversation go eat it. take us to. six flags wherever it was and it was.

like you know. like that father figure type to where. you see him. go to a concert and you see all these. people who don't know him but. you know the the fame you see the. fortune you you go to his house and see. them. see the match and see the different cars. you go to video shoots you seeing all. these things and it makes. and make it more possible for you to be. successful. right i mean it made it like somebody. you know got that yeah for sure and it. also gave me a different type of um. it made me even more humble by the time.

i made it to the lead because it was. like i had a chance to see what it was. like. you know right i seen the ups and downs. a lot of stuff that he went through and. he always used to share that with us you. know. with the lookout for who to look out for. so. when i was going to the league you know. i had that that confidence and. motivation. because i seen it from somebody my whole. childhood. he talks about how he wants to coach he. believes he can be the pelicans coach. do you think master p could actually. think he could coach in the nba. p he's one of those renaissance man.

he can do anything yeah like whatever. you put his mind to you he said ramen. noodles he sells cereal. that's what i'm saying t-shirts i didn't. heard him say he he was gonna sell air. to somebody so. you know that's that's just me. you played with the son at usc. um how is it because it's. like when you when you young and you. meet a celebrity. it's like how do you like look at them. like okay he just coached.

and his son is just that's just my. teammate. how do you not look at them and revere. who they are um because i was able to. see. the work ethic okay you know what i mean. i remember when. romeo was filming tv shows at the same. time and have to be on set. 12 14 hours a day right still got to do. school work right and still find time to. go to the gym right. you know so when you see the background. of things you you you kind of you kind.

of look at them like. damn like no i don't want that you're. doing too much right you know me so you. have a different type of. respect level for him you know initially. before you know anything it's always. it's always to look at it like oh they. got everything like this and that. but it's a lot of stuff behind the. scenes that we was able to see playing. together. that they had to go through that was. that wasn't easy right you look at it. now that um. p's son hersey got a 2 million. endorsement deal from a technology. company. and we see that colleges now that guys. are going to be able to make.

money off their like it's going to be. able to sell autographs going to be able. to do things. where they can benefit were you are you. in favor of thing. that for sure yeah for sure like like. damn i. i need to be coming over like right. about now yeah for sure. and the crazy thing i always say and i. always said this. i stayed home and played because i was i. was scared to leave. if something happened right or if i. needed two hundred dollars or. anything i didn't have it right i played. home to wear for any. if i needed some bread all right i could.

go home 15 minutes away from here. right get get some money 20 for my. parents because. i don't i can't take nothing or do. nothing else right to help me out. you know what i mean i'm gonna get in. trouble i'll get in trouble get the. school in trouble yeah yeah but you walk. around your campus and you see your. jersey. hanging around you see all this so i'm. i'm all for it and i'm i'm glad. that it definitely changed and these. kids should be. been should benefit off their themselves. so. do you think the the big schools.

will get even bigger because they can. offer even more. so now let's just say for basketball the. north carolinas the dukes the kentuckys. the kansas. are they gonna have an unfair advantage. um i mean that's the next step. i think so too that was first thing that. i thought about as well you know because. the big schools can sit up here and say. we can offer you more. but y'all got some big donors too y'all. got them hollywood y'all got the big big. bucks yeah that's. that's that yeah you like movies right. yeah. so it's it's definitely going to be one.

of those things that it's going to be. something else that they're going to. need to figure out because. you know the big school's going to try. to take advantage. why did you choose usc over carolina i. mean the blue i mean. i'm a tar heel fan no i must admit i'm a. tar heel fan. um i mean i remember i took an. unofficial visit and. i mean i was i was amazed about. everything with north carolina. but leaving north carolina after. visiting it i looked at it like you know. all these great players. came through here you know say i make it. through here i'll just be another.

great player i kind of want to go. somewhere else and kind of leave a mark. right start a new trend right i'm from. l.a. not too many people from l.a even go to. usc they. normally pick the other schools right. you know so i wanted to be that guy to. be like all right let me go here and. make a change. kind of i always kind of want to take. different routes and kind of the tougher. route so. that's kind of why i stay home too. you said so-cal basketball has passed. new york as the mecca basketball. so okay we got kawhi hardin westbrook.

clay paul pierce paul george. you holliday i mean who's on your mount. rushmore i want to know. reggie miller bill walton who's on the. mount rushmore southern cal. basketball player of all time it's it's. that's hard because. you kind of got to go generation. generation what else. you can't just pick one because we got. so many so many players but. for me i i'm putting. who i learned so much from and where i. got a lot of my motivation from is.

i got to go with a lot of older guys. like baron davis okay. raby reggie okay um. them two them too for sure gave me a. different like. passion of growing up watching watching. the game of basketball. that's a good one i i'm i don't want to. pick nobody from. from my generation yeah i'm trying to. stick with you gonna live by bill walton. bill walden he definitely got to be up. there you definitely gotta put bill. walden in there. but we we got so many there's so many.

that's why. who else i feel like i'm missing. somebody. you played against paul you played. against everybody hard kawhi westbrook. clay paul pierce pg. it's so hard man it's it's hard because. i want to pick something from our. generation. the generation before.

uh nah he's from philly. uh i'm gonna go. kenny anderson step on mulberry. but this is what kareem kareem and. kareem take a like folks. y'all for his by himself. give me somebody from the last 20 years. oh last 20 years new york.

i'm trying to think last 20 years you. can't even just. chris mullen nah come on now uh. middle world peace i love meta but. steph what about mulberry. come on i love i love steph i love you. you put them on the spot let me try new. york new york. last 20 years you could name from l.a. yeah y'all y'all guys i mean the new. guys but you know people moved from new. york you came out here. i mean they moved from new york again.

like they got out of the cold weather so. that's what that is so. really they got roots they got roots. back in new york. how much pressure is it on. american basketball when you go play. international. because you're supposed to have the. supreme players yeah you got the best. of the top 10 players in the nba you're. probably gonna have anywhere between. eight nine seven and ten something of. that nature so you go to fever. 2 2014 you play in the olympics how much.

pressure do you feel the pressure do you. know what's expected of you um. for sure because it's always hostile. territory. right you know every single country. everybody want to be the americans. everybody like that's that's the big. that's the big deal you know um and you. feel it when you play against a lot of. these countries. you look up it's been times we play. certain countries you look up in the. crowd and it's like. we outnumbered yeah like you know i mean. there's three american flags all that. like. we completely outnumbered in in the.

culture of a lot of these country. countries you got to do nothing but. respect them because they come. with that passion that love and that joy. and that that. that that hunger to want to beat the. american team right. so we're going to get the best effort. every every single night. so you got to bring it because you don't. want to be on that team that that went. down or lost to somebody. you follow sports you're a big sports. buff the shakira richardson story. she tests positive for marijuana she's. the fastest woman currently in america.

and she's not able to go to the tokyo. olympics because. she flunked the test she said she was. dealing with depression her biological. mom had passed. and she needed something to to ease her. mind. your father passed recently and you were. one of the first to. put a face on mental health right what. are your thoughts on. her and then talk about your own dealing. with. your mental ill the mental health issues. nothing but loving.

support for her you know i could imagine. how that feels losing somebody then you. know going out there doing what you love. to do that kind of. suppress the pain that you go through um. put yourself in a position to be able. to make the olympics and get that taken. away from you. from from some something that's. legalized right and basically almost. across the america you know see i see i. see both sides of the equation. and what i've what i've learned i'm a. little i'm a lot older i'm a little.

older i'm a lot older than you. what i started to see is that people. want to preserve. something right but they don't want to. practice it see it's easy for us to sit. back and say well it's only weed. but what if you're the woman that. finished fourth right right right would. you still feel that same way it's only. we i finished four so i'm good. let her go would you feel that same way. we see that. what's going on with diversity yeah. everybody's fun diversity. as long as i'm not impacted by it see. everybody's. everybody is for something yeah as long.

as they're not getting something taken. from them right right. and so that's what i see the side of it. and it's. i think it's it would be unfair that. if 25 people did something right the one. person that did something wrong and it's. only one. he's like okay just we're going to just. forgive it but what about the other. people that lost. opportunities in the past now i got a. problem with the rule i agree with you. right marijuana is not no performance. enhancement. because i know a lot of people and they. have enhanced nothing but the ability to.

flunk out of school that's what that is. right but i get it but i i do feel bad. for. because like you know you gave you and. kevin love put. face to this issue and how we handle. everybody doesn't handle things the same. way true. so when did you realize that. man i just don't feel like demar i'm. just not myself. but i can't i don't really know what it. is right um. i mean i deal with that a lot especially. throughout my career. especially last few years it's kind of.

been like the toughest. of my career but i always try to find. things that motivate me to help me push. me through. right you know and and one thing has. always. been my daughters you know you look at. them they could care less about. the more the athlete right you know i. mean they look at you more so as. they're a superhero right so you're. invincible yeah so. in my mind i always put in like i can't. let them down right i know i don't feel. like myself i know. i'm having a bad day i may i may want to.

give up. i may want to just say man f all this. right you know. they look at you in a different light. right you know and that for me if i. didn't have them. i don't know where i'd be right you know. i mean that's that's that's my. that's my suppression right you know i. mean like you said every everybody's. different and i always tell people you. got to find something that that you can. lean on. that that loves you unconditionally. unconditionally. and and use that as your motivation to. get through because we all. we all going to go through something at. some point obviously yeah absolutely you.

know what i mean. and we got to have that that extra push. that we could lean on when times get. hard so. that's something i always give like you. said everybody got. find different avenues to go but you got. to find. the best thing the most best and. positive thing for you to. keep you going so did you you you. wouldn't sought professional help. nah i think i always always use i think. for me it was always. i never talked we never talked about you. know somewhat wrong with real bad and. everything you know we all got people. who care for it.

right always say man if you need me i'm. here for you just but do they really. do they really mean it what are you. saying that no some people mean yes but. we don't. really use it right you know what i mean. you'd be like cool because you know for. the longest. it's really hard tomorrow to be. vulnerable. and then admit that i'm vulnerable right. because what we're afraid what happens. is that sometimes when you say you're. vulnerable. people take advantage of it exactly. because if you're on the court and if i. know you got a weakness what i'm going. to do i'm going to pray on that weakness. that's what it is so if i tell you that.

man you know. you know we make light we used to make. light because we didn't have a great. understanding of. mental health right so if someone tell. they're feeling depressed you're like. you're weak that's what you're feeling. you're weak you need to man. up yeah and so for athletes because. athletes are human for the longest time. like you said. how your daughters look at you as. superhuman most people look at athletes. right as superhuman. like no they they have issues they go to. things you know they have.

you know husband wife or you know wife. husband have issues and they have issues. with kids and they have issues with. parents or friends so. don't think because someone can shoot a. shot or cancer pass. they don't have issues right and for you. and kevin love and others. to openly and honestly talk about it. that's that's a really positive. thing and i don't think you thought. about that at the time i didn't. but now it's like man. man the rod derozan man he in the league. he makes this and he's dealing with this. and i think it makes it okay. for young kids to say you know what i.

got things going on i need i need to. talk i need to. to just open up and be vulnerable yeah. it's the most important thing now and. like you said i i didn't even when i. came out and did it i did it. you know for my own selfish reason right. not knowing that. you know it'll help and motivate and. inspire. you know the conversation or or or or. make people willing to be more. vulnerable and talk about it you know. but once i seen. seen that happen i kind of got upset. with myself like damn why i wait so long.

why didn't. why didn't do something like this sooner. right help somebody. you know because that's what it's about. like my growing up my dad was. one of those old school man man that was. like you better not cry you're. exactly yeah it was always like we. didn't show love we didn't do no hugging. we didn't do a whole lot of that thing. you you were supposed to be emotionless. yeah as a man you're supposed to be. tough. yeah you don't fear anything you don't. show emotions because you're. showing emotion is a sign of weakness. and we are never supposed to be weak. now that's not you know that's how my.

grandfather raised you know. i'm raising men and men don't show. weakness men don't cry and men don't. show up. you know i don't i can't remember if i. ever heard my grandfather tell my. grandmother that he loved it. he didn't tell us he loved it right. either you got a roof over your head. right you got food on the table hell i. love you dude yeah i don't need to tell. you that you eating right. and so that was the approach and then. you kind of passed that down the line. yeah. and then you realize like hold on nah i. don't really think papa i don't really. think you know you did some good things. but i think i probably should tell my. kids i love them yeah.

and you know and and kind of stop this. that you're not a man if you show. emotion or you you know you. become vulnerable yeah yeah and the. crazy thing you say that. it's like even something like this would. help me it's like. i always tell people through real. conversations this is a. therapeutic conversation right where you. could walk away from it feel like damn i. got something off my shoulder today and. not even know it right you know what i. mean. and it's like that was a conversation i. always try to get people to. to have it's like talk about it right. you know i mean because once you talk.

about it with somebody that. you care about and you kind of have that. dialogue you can sit there and talk for. an hour two hours three hours not. knowing you then got so much off your. chest that you never talked about right. you know i mean and and that's kind of. where it starts to give that confidence. and that comfort. to be able to have these type of. conversations because hearing your. experience be like damn all right i'm. not the only one right you know me i. heard the same thing from shark man. damn now i can carry this over to the. next person and. you know kind of keep it rolling so. that's that's that was kind of like my. my mentor my mindset after i i opened up.

about it and. you know you're saying same type of. conversation i have with kevin love we. spent some time together just having. different conversation it was like. damn like i wouldn't knew that vice. versa but it. it it educate us to be able to help the. next person even more so. this social justice there's a lot going. on we've seen over the last. man over the last four or five years. it's been crazy and. you're from here with really the first. incident that was videotaped the rodney.

king um. you're probably four or five years of. age then so. i don't know how much of that you uh. remember. but i'm like i said i'm a lot older than. you but i remember it seemed like. all the issues basically just took place. in like california or. new york or chicago but now we're seeing. it spread out. what are your thoughts on how the how. you guys banded together in the bubble. and like you know what basketball is. important this is what we do.

but this is not who we are yeah because. the the community that's being. impacted they look like us right yeah. and it's it's crazy because i had the. opportunity to be on a lot of phone. calls a lot of meetings with. with all the guys in the lead and you. see how passionate. and with that side of reality meant. to everybody in different cities you. know it wasn't just for. us as a lead it was like yo i'm from. here and this is going on this is. affecting where i'm from right. this way the police this this this and.

you kind of put everything in. perspective to where it's like yo this. just don't happen in l.a. right this happened in the small cities. and in st louis. right and you know just all over this. country that that. we kind of just sweep on under the rug. when it happens right you know so for. to hear everybody passion for it. in in in and how we banded together. to kind of just push everything forward. it was incredible. and i'm honored to even be a part of it. because like you said i remember growing. up when. after rodney king happened oh i was.

always confused and. asking my mom and dad like yo why do. police do this. right is this normal right why why you. know you kind of just. always have these questions and growing. up. in compton going through so much and. seeing how the police treat you and. the things that go on you you kind of. normalize it. until you get to that age of knowing. figuring out like yo this is not right. right you know so for the world that. happened like it happened last year with. the pandemic and. you know everything turned into what it. turned in and. us coming together as as a whole as a.

lead to come together to try to make. change. and see what we did it was it was. amazing you know i mean that's where it. starts. i think this is a new era because. it took you know in the 60s when you and. obviously with. with jim brown and mr russell uh kareem. abdul-jabbar he was only a teenager at. ucla. in the summit and i think it was 1967 66. 67 they had. the black summit in cleveland and and. then you had a period. where the athletes were like they were.

afraid to speak out. or they chose not to speak out on. certain issues because. you know i don't really want to mess up. my money yeah but you guys. now not all of you not only are you guys. socially conscious. you're morally conscious you feel you. have a moral obligation. because people that look like me that. come from neighborhoods like i came from. are hurting and for me i can no longer. in good conscience. sit here and say because i have a live. in my ivory tower. like it's not affecting me but it is. actually oh yeah it's more.

more than a lot of people think people. think because we have money we just. we just find we okay with going on it's. a lot of it's a lot of guys even myself. you you pick up your phone you see a lot. of stuff that go go on. yes you feel disgusted by it yes you. know i mean yes you kind of. you kind of find envious. in yourself at times right i'm in this i. remember when. when everything first happened in l.a. during the pandemic and i was sitting in. the house. i got up and i went down l.a where they. was where everything was going on. because i'm i didn't feel comfortable.

sitting in the house right. i had to be out there and see what was. going on and because. how you feel i feel the same way right. you know and and. it's not about the money it's about. what's right right and a lot of these. guys just because. we're in the league i still got a lot of. friend friends and family. that still live in these communities. right that i gotta hear that. i go visit and i see it in them i see. how scared they. they are to go to this store you know. what i mean my little my little cousin. go to the store if you're gonna make it. back because.

so much stuff to where it's my. obligation to be able to. be able to talk about it and try to make. change that's that's the thing. about what you see is because. empathy it forces you to lose your ego. because it puts you in another man's. shoes. for one second you have to see yourself. as another man not as you. yeah because if you only look at. yourself as you you straight yeah. i make this i live here so maybe. there's you know slight chance that i. may never.

but if you have empathy and you put. yourself in a man's shoe. that doesn't play a professional sport. that's not you know. and then you're like well hold on that. really could happen to me. yeah yeah yeah somebody you know. i really could leave and not come home i. mean. i can assure you nobody in george. floyd's family thought. that he was not going to return home. that day right philando castillo. and eric garners and the walter scotts. and the sandra blands and all those.

the terence crutchers out in sterling. nobody thought that like you know what. man we're gonna see them we'll see them. tomorrow. and tomorrow never came so when you. start looking at it from. through that lens you're like man it's. left up yeah. yeah by far it's it's it's and it's. crazy because. i sit up here and it's you look at it. from yourself then you look at it when. you have. kids yeah yes like you you kind of. double down on that feeling. even more right and it's it's.

it's just one of those feelings that. just because people successful. like we feel it we feel it more than. anything you know and we showed it when. we came together especially in the. bubble man and i respect. all my brothers in the league that that. that took that stance and was willing to. you know lose it all for what's right. right. you're a big music guy obviously you. drake are very good friends. this versus who would you like to see in. a versus battle. oh that's a good one.

i wouldn't want to i'm gonna keep it. west coast because you know we. we really haven't seen too much west. coast um. i'd a legacy ice cube. ice cube versus really anybody. because snoop's new went up against dmx. rescue soul. uh e40 and too short did their thing um. you're right we have. i mean uh kendrick lamar look first of. all. dr dre dr dre is gonna you know if you.

do a producer if you do his stuff dr dre. got to go against quincy jones yeah. nobody else can go against quincy jones. yeah yeah. uh dr dre against uh unless it's quincy. jones yeah that's it that's it. as far as like rappers i would love to. see cue. like who are you. one cube don't get as just do as he. should no he does. and i i wish he did like cube is one of. my favorite. he he one of my all-time favorites so i.

love cq i don't. i that's on them to figure out yeah. because i heard him talking the other. day they were talking about well what. about. going against l.a because ll don't get. the credit he deserved was. no he was the man too that that'd be a. hell of a win i would love to see that. yeah. i'm trying i'm trying to think i i can't. who could who could you. go against i don't i've been trying to. figure that out too i don't. before snoop did his i would i would say. like all right cube and snoop probably. right but i don't know i don't know who.

could compete with with you. right now who's who's your mount. rushmore rappers. west coast west coast yeah um ice cube. kendrick game. uh ice cube. kendrick game and i'm putting ipsy. hustle. you putting snip over i'm putting. like.

was she right i shouldn't have left a. new i shouldn't end up. i'm sorry i'm sorry huh but i'm i'm. i'm nip snoop toss up cause fast. the thing was about q is that cube. chew with nwa that cube and then when he. went solo. he would yeah he would yeah. everybody man he was he q q.

he was one of a kind man bro i really. appreciate you i know you're busy. getting ready to get back into the. season and uh you know got free agency. on the road. on the way down the stretch but uh i. appreciate it appreciate you thank you. man i appreciate that. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice. hustle pay the price wanna slice got the. roll of dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life look all my life. [Music].

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