Jamal Crawford FULL EPISODE | EPISODE 26 | CLUB SHAY SHAY

hello i'm shannon sharp welcome to. another edition of club shay shea i am. your host. also the proprietor of club shay shea. and the guy that's stopping by for a. drinking conversation today. is three-time nba sixth man of the year. he's the all-time leader in four-point. plays. he's the only man to drop 50 with four. different teams. and he's the oldest player in nba. history to score 50 points in the ball. game. jamal crawford all my life been grinding. all my life. sacrifice hustle paid the price wanna. slice. got to roll the dice that's.

[Music]. all my life. how you doing i'm good thanks for having. me how you doing. i'm good i'm good thanks for stopping by. so what are you currently doing. uh remote schooling is getting most of. my attention to start you know. i got three younger kids in the house. and uh my schedule is based around them.

so. you know once they get settled and get. everything going me my wife split it up. and then i get to work it out. uh and then just doing my thing i do in. the community so and still watching some. ball but. you know those are my main focuses right. now so are you done with ball or would. you like to get an opportunity to come. back and play. yeah i would love to get an opportunity. to come back and play you know i'm. working like a. you know opportunity is there and if it. doesn't happen i'm doing it for me. anyway just. love of the game you know and yeah you. know nothing can replace that feeling i. think i can still help to be honest with. you but uh you know.

vets are having a tough time getting. back in right now so i'm trying to be. patient. and look at the glasses half full so. even after 20 years you've played 20. seasons. you've accomplished probably more than. you thought you would at this point. and and you still want more you still. have that hunger you still have that. drive to say you know what. i can still help a team absolutely i. would be playing. whenever it's official retire i'll be. playing after that i'll be at la fitness. or. 24 hour fitness around you so i'll. definitely play it somewhere just loving. the game that's the only thing it's. about for me at this point.

so you want to continue to play so only. for a contender. or you just want to get back in the. league to play to show you still can. or does it need to be for the contender. no i would love to play for a contender. but obviously. you know it's not always about the. destination sometimes the journey. and i went through it in phoenix having. a younger squad and. seeing guys like devin booker and. deandre eight and tell bridges and. really. you know really being there for those. guys guys like tj warren and seeing that. they. you know have that vet in the locker. room things they may have not have known.

things they can learn. they can carry uh for the foundation of. their career i had the same thing when i. was. playing with scottie pippen or charles. oakley and i can learn how to be a pro. until i have pros around me and those. vets around me learning that being on. time is being early as a young player. and staying late so. uh if you can build those good habits. for a younger team as well you know i'm. all for it. so what is the age that jamal will. officially retire or is there an age or. you just like you know what. i because it seems to me you still have. the passion and you said even after.

you're done. you're still going to play so what's the. the end point what's the. what's the time that you says okay i'm. done with nba basketball. i still might play at lifetime or. 24-hour wherever. but i'm done with the nba i'm not sure. to be honest with you i think last year. i was getting to that point. you know and seeing how things were. going with mello and that just broke my. heart and then. you know it was a lot of people that. kind of wanted to see him out the league. you know and said he was too old or he. wasn't this or that but. he reinvented himself he stayed patient. and when i was losing my faith that.

really restored it. and then getting a call from brooklyn. you know going through those practices. and playing that one game. it basically solidified what i already. knew i could do on the court it just. needed the opportunity you know it. didn't last long. unfortunately but for me i think after. this year i'll have to revisit it. and kind of see where we're at and if. nothing happens and kind of make that. decision there. you mentioned mello reinventing himself. but the thing that you've always done. jamal. you were willing you've always accepted. your role you're like okay i'm gonna. come off the bench. i'm fine with that i don't think mello.

in the beginning accepted that role that. teams wanted him to come off the bench. and he saw himself as nuggets nix mello. but that's not how teams needed him they. didn't need a knicks uh a nuggets mellow. and you've mentioned he reinvented. himself it wasn't until he accepted the. role. i'm coming off the bench i'm gonna get. shots i'm gonna have to be more of a. catch and shoot guy. i'm not gonna get the post stuff that i. normally get is that. we used to finally start to see he can. actually help a team.

he can definitely help a team in the. situation especially like with okc. you know i think that's where it kind of. started right as far as like. you know can we use him this way is he. opening different things and if you look. if you go back and look. that was probably the least amount he. actually had the ball so i think he. bought in there. and then when he went to houston you. know they don't like mid-range shots it. was more threes or less. mellow strength you know being a bully. in the mid post area right i think he. was open to it he didn't look. good in that situation and you know. knowing him a little bit i know that. he was willing to do whatever if they.

were just straight shooters have a. conversation with him. and and then when he gets this situation. in portland that fits into a t they need. him. they he embraced it he said you know. what i trust you guys i know you're. gonna do right by me in my career what. i've accomplished. so i have no problem being a sixth man. and coming off and he probably just. looks at himself as a sick starter you. know when he gets out there. especially cj being out recently right. he's had some huge games he's had. it obviously dave is you know scored 50. and went crazy but. mello's has some games that have really. kind of helped them get over that hump. where they need that additional score so.

i'm so happy for him. because if you really look at it he's. really their only post up player. they don't have a big they can dump the. ball down to in the post and say go get. me a bucket. mellow is that guy you know dame is. spectacular he is he's a little small to. be posted up. that's really not cj's game uh cantor is. really not a post player so if you look. at it. melo is really their only post up guy. yeah it's a perfect situation for him. they've really embraced him i don't. think they've used what he didn't do. well against him you know they didn't. try to. hold that against him and i think he's. been able to flourish i think he's fresh.

mentally. you know i even see him dunking now even. if it's just gonna double a double. so how does because clearly you could. have been a starter. how were you so why why were you so. willing to embrace. okay this is the role they see me in let. me embrace this. get the job done and you've made you. arguably the greatest man. in nba history why were you so willing. to embrace that role. when you can drop 50 on a given night.

and knowing that you. good enough to be a starter to be honest. with you i got to appoint my career that. i was tired of losing you know i was at. year 10. i'd average i think 20 points accumulate. for three straight years and. i didn't want to be that guy who's a. good player on bad teams yeah he's a. good player. he's just putting up numbers on bad. teams i didn't want to be that guy i've. always won. ever since i was a kid i won when i was. in high school won a championship one in. college. the games i played and i didn't want to. be that guy and at that time. they kind of put you in a box you know. what i mean like he's that guy so i said. you know what i'll do whatever it takes.

i got traded to atlanta i remember. meeting with rick's son their president. he was like you know what we just went. to the playoffs we have our starting. five in place. but you can still have a huge role for. us come off the bench and i was like you. know what. i'm confident enough for myself and i'm. more i'm all about the team whatever you. guys want i'll do it. and so i didn't know that the second. half of my career that would kind of. take on a life of its own it's cool to. go to camps. and be in games with the kids especially. they look like me coming from my. communities are like you know what. it's not always about starting it's cool. to be a six man you know because they.

said they had. no reason to have the jason terry's but. for whatever reason. it really resonated with them when i did. it you know and i think that's that's. really cool. and i'm happy with the way it turned out. did. did you ever go to a situation you like. but the guy that's starting i'm better. than him. he should be coming off the bench i. should be starting. i know i like that to be honest with you. i just always said you know what there's. real for all of us. right needs a little use you know and. even as a sixth man. my teammates the coaches they treated me. like a starter they treated me with that.

same respect you know so i never looked. at it like that. i had to trick myself you know when i. first did it because i never come off. the bench up to that point so i said you. know what. mentally i said okay superman is coming. again they're just getting warmed up for. superman. you know so i would do things like that. to kind of trick myself to give myself. that edge come into the game but. i never looked at like that i always. looked at like you know what i'm. providing all the great teams. had a sixth man from genoa to pierce. ricky pierce to kevin mchale back in the. day. you know the microwave right so all. those guys jason terry with dallas.

i said okay you know what all these. elite level teams have a guy. that brings that punch off the bench and. i have no problem doing that. when i was when i played i wasn't the. starter but i felt that. it wasn't the start at first and then i. worked my way into the starting lineup. but i felt coming off the bench it gave. me a sense of the game. i got a feel of exactly what what i. needed to do. once i got into the game is that how you. looked at it because you got a feel you. coming in at about. six seven minutes into the ball game you.

get a sense of the flow you get a sense. of how the refs are calling the game. what you what exactly you need to do in. order to help your team win on that. given night. you nailed it that's exactly what i was. doing i i'm telling chris or joe johnson. at the time in atlanta like okay when. you play pick and roll they're coursing. to your left and then the second guy is. going to rotate. so i'm giving them things to look at it. and knowing when i get in the game i. don't have to go through that because. i'm watching them go through right. time i see that i'm a primary scorer i. know the defense is going to shift to me. when i come to the game they know what i. come in the game to do. so i'm watching how they're playing. different things who i should put in.

pick and roll who do i want to get a. shot. how they gonna do it all they're trapped. in the second rotation this time okay so. i'm watching all these things and. download it so i know when i come in the. game i hit the ground running. and in my coaches and teammates i think. it gave them a comfort as well. because starters you know you may get. off to a slow start sometimes you're. looking for that bench to come give you. that off that night. when you're in your fourth game at five. nights in milwaukee or denver wherever. it might be. to kind of get things back rolling and. get over the hump. how do you maintain your confidence. because you're you know you're. you're coming off the bench and your job.

is to light it up. and all of a sudden that light that that. particular night. you don't have it how do you maintain. confidence. for the next night and the next night. because you have a specific role. your role is to give us buckets off the. beach. and you know what the other teams know. that's my specific role too so they're. trying to stop that right so. for me i just i think work ethic. eliminates fear i've always been a. student. i've never been a know-it-all i've. always been a guy trying to learn you. know i don't care who it was from you. know. person on the street or person who's.

worth a billion dollars i'm always. trying to learn educate myself i did the. same thing with basketball watch a lot. of film. watch a lot of tape uh see how i can be. better and so for me i was always. playing the game within the game and not. just looking at the surface level stuff. but digging deeper to see how i can be. effective for my team and. uh it worked out for me when do you know. that you got it going on a particular. night is it is it a feel. is it like the first two or three shots. going in when do you know it's like. you know what y'all in trouble tonight.

shannon if i you know what's funny if i. hit the first two shots if i hit the. first shot. oh it's over i'm all like hey bring the. band out bring it. it's party time now hey i'm telling you. and now with social media everything's. being documented in real time so i know. if i do a crazy move in a shot. it's like i feel like i'm a monster and. i just get bigger and bigger and bigger. on the court right you know so for me. that first shot i could my highest. scoring game in my career i scored 52. against the heat. right i missed my first four shots but.

they felt good. and they feel good from that point on to. the third quarter in the first quarter. third quarter i didn't miss a shot i hit. 16 straight. shots down the court but i felt it even. when i was over four. you know so it's just funny sometimes. players may feel it but they don't get. the opportunity to get to the. you know the the rest of the game they. may come out during a short leash you. just never know how things go but. but for me i can tell when that first. mate goes in i'm like oh it's gonna be a. long night for me. it's funny that you say that that your. best night. you had scoring wise you missed your. first four shots.

me i just needed to catch the ball. sometimes i just caught the ball and. went down. because in my mind i don't want that to. creep in on shannon you dropped it you. dropped it they know. and so now they're gonna start tugging. and pulling at the ball bumping you a. little bit more. to make you lose confidence how do you i. mean how do you like. because you say you know i miss those. shots but they stand they felt good. they felt good and before i know it i'm. dribbling the ball. and i'm skipping down the court i'm. coming down with a rhythm in the box. i don't even know what i'm doing it's. just the moment and the feeling of it.

right so. once i do that i'm in the game and once. i'm in the game i think anything can. happen. and it can change the course of the game. you can you may hit a half course shot. it was worth three points but it was. worth so much more than that when the. crowd is going crazy and. your teammates are into it it gives you. a whole new juice a whole new life so. yeah. you're right we see these guys with. tremendous handles now we see steph. curry patting the rock. i think kyrie irving has had the best. handles that i've ever seen. and i've seen from rod strickland to. isaiah thomas and yourself. had crazy handle stephon marbury where.

would you put your handles. when it comes to handles with guys being. able to not only just we've seen guys. handle the balls but they can't shoot. we've seen guys can shoot they can't. handle the ball but you were a. combination. where would you rank your handles i hate. talking about myself to be honest with. you but. i would say i would say i'm top tier if. there was a top shelf of drinks i don't. drink the top shelf of drinks i'll be on. that top shelf. you already talked yo i'm on the top. still okay give me. okay all the time give me your four top. handles of all time.

uh not including myself i'm not gonna. include myself i'm not gonna okay. uh i'm gonna put isaiah thomas okay. i'm gonna put kyrie okay i'm gonna put. white chocolate white chocolate. okay jason jason yeah you see i got him. on my poster up there he's right here. and i gotta put uh oh this last one. allen iverson slash rod strickland slash. nick van axel. last step on mars very i'm putting the. ball in there last.

because i think the thing is that when. we see guys with hamlet it's one thing. to have handles because we've seen guys. at the park that have handles. and can't shoot a lick but the way these. guys can handle the ball. and still get their shot off that's. what's most impressive to me is that. i've seen great shooters. but they need someone to to pick for. them or they have to come off screens or. or they have to. you know but these guys can handle them. all kyrie and steph curry to get the way. they can handle the ball and get that. shot off dave. i forgot about dame lillard dame uh.

skip to my lou you got you got i got. some my move. you got a lot of people yeah but i think. like you said the difference is. especially in today's game if you can. dribble the ball and you can shoot your. unguardable because the physicality you. can't get too close to somebody can. dribble right. right but you can't back up and let them. shoot either so if you can do both. you you know you walk in 25 points a. game if you have the freedom to do it. what do you think about what you see. with these guys shooting these logo. threes. i watch dane and i watch steph curry.

shoot logo threes like they're shooting. free throws. did you ever think the game would morph. into what it's become. not at all because when i came in the. game uh you know it was specific. positions. right if you use a point guard i don't. care if you was the best shoe in the. world you got to get that wing score of. the ball first. you better throw it in the chat right. right i don't care who you are so if you. look at a guy like ray allen who's the. best shooter until still. five threes a game right could you you. know what i mean so the game is morphed. and changed and to see step to see dang. see trey young.

to see all these guys shooting it from. logos they're just. they're making their teammates better. too even though they're they're shooting. from the logo. they're making their teammates better. because they're providing space when you. have space and you can't touch now. the game is just unlocked and you see. that and see these kids work on that. i was born you know 15 years too early. because i. really enjoyed this because when you. look at it. you guys took those shots it was the end. of the quarter. it was the end of the half it was it it. was late in the shot car you tried to. beat the shot clock.

these guys are taking the shots that you. took at the end of the half the end of. the game. late in the shot clock they're taking. that shot with 18 seconds in the shot. clock they're taking that they taking. that shot. they come down they'll come down a. three-on-one and launch a 28-foot. three-pointer. yeah you know what the worst shot in. basketball was when i came in off the. dribble three they said you can get that. shot with five seconds on the clock why. are you coming down shooting that shot. now. people didn't think you could win to be. in the shooting jump shooting team to a. golden state change right. so now right you know 15 20 years later.

the game is just unlocked it's like. everybody has freedom to shoot they can. expand and see how far they can go with. it i mean now you've got guys like you. said pulling up right inside half court. 20 seconds on the clock right that's. unlocking the game. we haven't seen this before nobody's. been able to to have that freedom and. then to take the game to that kind of. level so it's an unbelievable place. right now. yeah what i saw with the all-star game. with dame and steph. that was ridiculous that was the. greatest shooting performance that i've. ever seen in the game. i'm watching guys take one step across. half court shoot the ball.

like it's their normal shot and they. splashing it. what dame did to end the game he scored. the last 11 for for lebron's team that. won. in the last shot of the game he walks. one step across half court and shoots it. and like okay. steph curry is already waving by in the. confidence to shoot like that. right because i mean even that. confidence to do that you have. to be so heightened the heightened. confidence it has to be through the roof. right you know to shoot that shot and. not say oh man my teammate even though i.

have the freedom of teammates to let me. be crazy you know. what am i doing this for but these guys. are taking it to a new level and it's. just fun to sit back and watch. when when you realize and it's probably. i don't know if it's ever going to be. done again. a guy plays with four different teams. and he's able to score 450 with four. different teams. what do you remember about each 50-point. game in the in those. in the specifics of the team the first. one. with the bulls uh it was roman madras. you look this up roman ledrowski says my.

last game on the beat it's pre-game. you know you doing scrum he says my last. game on the beat. you can score go give me 50 a night and. i looked and i turned seriously i'm. gonna get 50 tonight. and i wouldn't got 50 in toronto and i. remember i was wearing some s dot. carter's and jay-z. texted me after the game said must be. the shoes you know so that was cool. the the second one was against miami and. they just won the championship and like. i said i missed the first four. shots and then i scored 42 straight. points without a miss. so it was like a it was like a video.

on it i had 16 straight shots in one. game you know those 16 eight of them. were threes like i was that was the. hottest night of my life to me if i. would stay i came out with seven minutes. to go. so if i was staying in it probably been. like 65 i believe you know that was. probably the hottest night. uh the third one was against charlotte. and that was. maybe the easiest one to be honest with. you i shot a lot of free throws i shot. 18 free pros and. i had a rough game the night before in. atlanta and i remember don nelson said. you know we're not having shoot around. just sleeping all day i slept all day. and had 50. the last one was probably.

the most impressive person. because that's what people like oh he's. you're 19. he can't do this no more you. know. doing on dirks tonight of course and. everybody's there watching all the. legends there charles barking everybody. there. and they do it off the bench and i've. been coming off the bench for over a. decade and i didn't and i had really. good games games i'm like man i would. start this would be 50. they had the opportunity to do that to. score 50 off the bench and five assists. and five rebounds it had been. unbelievable to win that's the only game. i ever scored 50 and lost. but on dirk's night to celebrate with. him it was it was unbelievable.

when you hit the 16 straight shots had. you ever been that hot before. and had you ever been that hot since i. had never been that hot before i. i may hit 10 in a row they missed one. and hit another two and this one and. this. not 16 straight it felt like i could. have kicked it up there. you know that was that was the miami. heat they just won the championship the. year before. was that opening night that you got. no it wasn't open night it was uh it was. in january i believe okay. january but they had just won the year.

before you know so when they come to. town on the guard. it's the show you got wave got shaq you. got g yeah it was a show. yeah you you played you played last year. for like with brooklyn you mentioned. when they went down into the bubble you. had a five you had a five-point game in. five minutes. did playing in that situation lead you. to believe that you know what i can. concede i can still play i can still. give somebody 15 minutes a night. and maybe give them double digit points. i'm i'm gonna tell you two things today.

absolutely shane. i went to practice i got there late i. went to practice. and practice looked just like the game. did and i didn't want to just come back. against anybody milwaukee at the time. was number one the east i said i want to. come back and get somebody nice. so for that five minute stretch it was i. mean i had five points and three assists. in five minutes. right and the whole game the complexion. of the game changed and for my tea base. it was what they had seen in practice. the crazy part about the hamstring was. the hamstring and i'm telling you this.

i've never said it the hamstring. happened in the weight room. i never lift weights i'm notorious for. lifting not lifting weights and just. going to you know do my routine and go. do my thing. but here i am being blessed enough to. get a call. i'm not going to go to a new team i'm. not doing the weight better. you know i lifted i guess just that was. too quick to turn around for the weights. to. not playing for 16 months to the weights. the right to the game but now i feel. great now and. yeah it confirmed what i believed i knew. uh previous previous season.

i'm looking at you and i'm looking at. you played a lot of different teams you. mentioned the bulls you mentioned. toronto you mentioned you so you play. with a lot of great players the clippers. when you around those great players i. mean. what did what is you how do you like i. guess it's different from basketball. because. you know you try not to step on. anybody's toes but i got a job to do. here. i also got a job i understand you are. who you are. but i got a job to do how do you how do. you manage that because. from what i see and from what i hear.

basketball player egos are a lot. different than football players egos. well i was blessed to play some great. superstars every superstar i played with. and every star player i played with. empowered. they said no no you do what you do you. know if you look back at the clippers i. was there five years we had two. superstars and chris paul and blake. griffin and deandre jordan became a star. for five years i was top five in the. league in fourth quarter scoring. in the whole league when i was with the. clippers so they empowered me to say you. know what we're superstars we're gonna. do our thing we're gonna leave this but. we know the fourth quarter is your time.

so they never uh tried to say. slow down or any of that they empowered. me and wanted me to be better because. they felt like it would help our team be. better so i was blessed to play some. great great players. you mentioned i mean playing with so. many great players and and. they're they're empowering you um. so when you say they empower you. how would someone not empower you to do. your job and. what what can a superstar do to like. guys don't feel comfortable. being themselves well for me and my game.

you see me i take some crazy shots. shannon. if they come off and say hey hey man you. need to slow down you know. then it's going to get me thinking you. know and then the worst thing especially. a basketball player could do is think. right so you know if that gets you. thinking then now you're like oh no let. me go this way now you're not aggressive. and i've never been a defender to that. degree so i'm gonna be on the bench by. maybe some having office. you know and they've always said no no. go be that attacker. uh go be that guy that you know kind of. like not our secret weapon but.

you know one of our our guns and go make. it happen they've always done that. and most coaches i've played for have. done that especially a guy like doc. rivers he never held what i didn't do. well against me. he always empowered me as well and i. think that helped me. in my career as well why weren't you. guys able to get it done with the. clippers you mentioned you have blake. griffin. or you have chris paul who's one of the. premier point guards who's going to be. an. all-time great you have the andre jordan. the buttons. super star at the time why weren't you. guys able to get the ball across the.

road i mean crosstalk finished line. i think it was two things i think one uh. we had some bad breaks you know in the. five minutes stretching the playoffs at. one point. chris uh i think he blake breaks his. hand i think chris pulls the hamstrings. you can go look we're playing the. portland trailblazers we're up to one. series. this is a five minute stretch uh there. was some other injuries but to be very. very honest i think we were. mentally ready to take that step i think. at the time we were all thinking about.

our youth off we don't get it done this. time you know we want to get it done go. get the last time we got time on our. sides. right right look at a team like even okc. at the time when they played miami in. the finals. uh it took years for even one of those. guys to get back to the finals between. durant westbrook and heart you know so i. think we weren't mentally ready to take. that next step and i think in the end it. cost us. but people talk about the the. the budding of the heads between chris. paul and blake. did you notice it did you notice it did.

you feel like there was tension between. those two guys. because superstars normally somebody has. to say. take a backseat with jordan pippen. pippin knew. hey i ain't better than jordan i'm cool. but shaq and kobe had some tension. because. kobe's like hold on bro hey i i'm level. and so for for us it was interesting and. it was weird because. not just those two you can pick up on. little things here there throughout our. team. right we never never just addressed it.

we never just addressed that. on and dealt with i don't know because. off the court we were cool. everybody was cool right but we we never. addressed the head on. and i think that was the rule of the. problems when it gets tough. and now somebody say something you don't. know where what kind of place is coming. from. right because you guys have never. addressed it head-on. what you say but hold on right right. right but you got tenure. that's where you're supposed to step in. because you were there before i mean you. you were what i mean at that time you. had been in the league six seven eight.

years. 19 years absolutely why didn't you why. didn't. because you the og why didn't you pull. cp aside why didn't you pull blankets. why didn't you guys go to dinner. and says god look in order in order for. us to get to ultimately where we need to. be. we got to be together and we're not oh. we had those meetings. we had those talks we we definitely. haven't you know but. it just we never all and it wasn't just. those two we've never. all got on the same page if you look.

shannon i'm telling you that for that. five year stretch i think we were third. or fourth in the league and wins. like we were winning a bunch of games. but when it counted. either be bad luck or us never. addressing what was really going on the. elephant in the room through all of us. it didn't happen and that's something i. think if you look back on that we all. regret. did you know do we know what the. elephant in the room is were they vying. for okay this is my team no this is my. team no this is my team. i was here the longest i'm the best. player what is it. that's the thing like both of them was.

very comfortable who they were if you. look at that time. they both were probably top two or three. with lebron and kd they had the most. commercials out there so it wasn't. like this is my team this commercial it. was just a weird dynamic and like i said. just one of those two. it spread throughout the team and we. never got on the same page and it always. came to a halt. when we're in the toughest moments in. the playoffs but sometimes when you have. situations like that the teams end up. choosing sides. you get if you got a 15-man locker room. and you got two superstars.

and you know half of the guys going with. him and half of the guys over there and. that serves no purpose for anyone. no not at all and but that wasn't the. issue we were both everybody was cool. both of them like they brought. good news we was cool with everybody. that's why it's so weird it wasn't like. man this was going on we got to handle. this and it's these two and it wasn't. like. that like they were very quarterly they. would talk everything was cool. but it was just something bubbling. throughout our team that we didn't. address and. it cost us bottom line you phoenix. you mentioned book you mentioned brit.

you mentioned the guys some of the guys. deandre ayton the guys that you played. with. when we talk about devon booker. everybody says and we saw the 70-point. game. that he had did you know he had that any. you know i didn't know about book until. i saw him i didn't know that winning. mattered to him as much as it did and. what i mean by that is. i looked at him from a distance like. yeah he's putting up all his points but. they losing every game. right he's scoring a bunch he's losing. right then once i got. next to him and we started playing.

one-on-one every day and we start. uh talking the game and seeing how. competitive he was even with practices. and scrimmage i'm like oh this dude's a. dog. like he's gonna be just fine when the. pieces around him are set up the proper. way. right and and now they're wreaking the. benefits of cp coming he changed the. whole complexion. along with their growth internally but. getting to monty williams getting you. know coaches like that vet coaches who. are stable and. know who they are along with what's. going on it's no surprise they're doing. well. how would you describe your play are you.

better suited to play with younger. players because they're gonna listen to. or older players or you just i mean uh. you like i i roll with the punches i do. that's what that's what i'm most proud. about my career i could adjust i've had. 20 different coaches so imagine you when. you go to college right. or your first four years you've got one. coach he's like you know what i want you. to be the number one receipt. the second coach is like nah next year's. no i want you to be number two that's. like now you're a part of the bishop. that's like you might be a tight end. right you just have to adjust and adjust. the whole time and never lose yourself.

and still be true to who you are and. still find a way to make it happen. that's what i'm most proud about so for. me. i think an older team would lean on me. more to make it happen on the court. i think the younger team will probably. lean on me more off the courts that they. can have. do you have a coach ever said something. to tick you off like. bro let me do me. yeah i've had some coaches i've had some. coaches i play. i play crazy style and i get it i'm an. acquired taste my my style isn't for. everybody you got everybody no i'm not.

for everybody you ain't gonna eat the. hot sauce on your pancake like whatever. it might be. i get it so for me you know i just tried. to. what i did learn about myself is i. usually have more fun and more success. with guys who actually played that i'm. playing for because they they know you. can go both for three or four before. they turn around you know they know that. some guys that haven't played maybe not. know that the feel of the game oh he's. off tonight he missed two shots i'm like. no i'm just getting in the game now i'm. getting louder so. yeah i've had that happen before and i'm. just trying to just roll the punches.

let's talk about doc doc had great. success in boston he moves to la you. guys are having success with the. clippers. but for whatever reason as you mentioned. he's not able even after getting kawhi. after getting paul george. bringing on some other guys he's not. able to get it over the finish line they. have a 3-1. lead they're up by double digits and all. those games five six and seven. they don't get it done he moves on are. you surprised that he wasn't able to get. it done. with last year's roster and what do you. think about the job he's doing in philly.

right now. yeah i was surprised uh being a 3-1 i. just knew they'd find a way to. get you know but it's it's a slippery. slope it's a. it's a touchy thing because now if you. lose that one i've been up 3-1-1. and lost you know and we we played uh. houston we lost and we were down three. we was up. he was like oh we're gonna finish at. home we're up in game. six nineteen fourth quarter nineteen the. fourth point at home. you could simulate that a hundred times. and ninety nine times and they work in. our favor and that would be the one time.

it did. right and their best player james hard. didn't play one second in the fourth. quarter. so they came back with prison josh smith. jason terry corey brewer and dwight. howell. right so i've been in that that locker. room in that situation. before but it's 3-1 sounds like a wide. margin. but after it's three two now they start. getting fake we got nothing to lose man. i mean look lebron those guys did. against the warriors. right i mean and then when he gets game. seven everybody's tight you're like oh. man like they got momentum so. i was surprised i didn't finish it. seeing the job he's doing in.

philadelphia i'm not surprised because i. knew if anybody could get. ben simmons and mb on the same page and. get that team believing to get them over. the hump you'll be done. i remember texting him i'm like oh. you're gonna take them to the next level. i just knew it i. know he stands for i know he's about i. know how he gets everybody buying the. team and that's exactly what they need. but it seemed to me that on doc's exit. the superstars they threw doc under the. bus. is that and what i'm seeing now as they.

play maybe it's the same things you're. seeing. in clutch situations they can't get. stops defensively. and they can't execute offensively the. same thing that happened in that 3-1. lead yeah yeah you know what the regular. season especially when you come to a new. team it's about building those habits. i remember doctors always say uh it'll. be game you know 35 we're playing in. utah he's like yeah it worked tonight. but it's not gonna work. in the western conference semis it's not. going to work in the playoffs you know. so he's always thinking long term. so i'm gonna give them the benefit of.

the doubt especially until i see them. under that fire right now you know they. still figure stuff out. they still got another half of the. season i want to see where they're at. when the playoffs come around to see if. you know the justices. but the two the two superstars what are. they figuring out. you like okay put the ball in the basket. okay now. i was told i don't know if you heard. this also. you're talking about the two greatest. wing defenders since pip and jordan. and i see luca on a conga line i see. bradley beal. you can't be a defensive team if you let.

the stars. go get 10 15 points over their season. average you're absolutely right you're. absolutely right but. luca did it last night too and doc ain't. coaching. oh so that's where you said it what dog. that's what i need to hear you say. i wasn't in that particular locker room. so i don't know exactly. but i'm sure when it's when it's time to. play the blame game it's easy to find. that you know i think it's. totally accommodating everybody right. yeah i think it's a combination of. everybody i i've always said that you. win. the team lose the team but you can't let.

luca do that. well the wrestling's letting luca do it. no but but the rest of the league ain't. got the best two best wing defender. since jordan appeared. that's true sometimes people got your. number though you know it may be just a. certain matchup and i didn't watch that. potato jason tatum got their number two. that's a bad boy. what about really that's another bad boy. k.d hardin and kyrie. i see i know a lot of people got they. know. they didn't get them on the list hey. jamar they need to get an unlisted. number. because they don't want to be public got.

them just dialing them up. but one thing we do know is kawhi why. is is almost like a robot you know he's. gonna be there you know he's proven he. got two championships. he's a lockdown defender when it's time. to be there he will be are we sure about. this. now see i think you're talking about the. kawhi from san antonio. we haven't seen that guy well in toronto. we saw that guy. no no no we thought we saw them build a. wall we saw kd get hurt. we saw klay thompson get hurt we hadn't. seen kate. we haven't seen kawhi sitting that chair.

in a long time well hold on now we just. talked about how the league is now you. can't. touch no more so it's gonna take a while. to stop anybody anyway. these days now anyway man. so you look who you like who you like in. the west then you like the clippers you. like the lakers you like utah you like. the nuggets i like i like the lakers in. the west. i like the lakers in the west i like. brooklyn and east i think that's the i. think that's the finals match up that's. my favorite. i think that's the matchup everybody.

wants to see that's the one everybody. wants to see so. fingers crossed that both those guys do. what they're supposed to do and they. they get where we see these guys at the. highest level. what's your favorite team you played on. i would say the clippers and the knicks. and the mix. we weren't that good at the time but. there's nothing like playing in the. garden. and it's like you're on stage performing. i remember one game samuel jackson. came in the game and i wasn't playing he. was across court and i had a suit on and. said. well you ain't playing i said my hand. myself on my head he said oh like i was.

only coming to watch you play so just. moments like that you don't forget. you can't you can't uh duplicate that. energy that's in the garden anyway. and then the clippers because i feel. like we should i'm not saying we should. have won a championship but i felt like. we should. at least make the finals one of two. times. even though you weren't the energy. because everybody understands. the garden we understand what happens in. the garden. just not basketball games you have an av. performing concerts and kevin hart. selling out comedy shows boxing matches. yeah right so you have so much of.

in the history of the garden do you. believe if you guys. what if you guys had gotten to a nba got. into the finals. on that team you guys have been rock. stars celebrities right now. all right we'll walk on air you would. literally walk on there sprewell came to. walk around new york right now that was. 20 years ago. when they went to the finals so yeah i. think we'd be walking on there we. wouldn't pay for any meals anything in. town forever.

donald sterling you were there yeah. we all here look i live in l.a now and. there's not very many buildings that you. can pass especially here in beverly. hills and old wilshire. that doesn't have sterling on it so we. know he's a big presence. did you know you you hear things but did. you know. it was to that extent in which he did. not like. blacks no i had zero idea i. obviously i heard he was different you. know right. he's a little weird he had these weird.

white parties and things that nature i. heard all that. and even like but he wasn't present with. our team. in my years there before he got you know. removed. he came in the locker room one time so. it wasn't like he was. we see him across court but he wouldn't. say nothing right we saw a locker in one. time. so when we heard that this could. potentially come out. we were like okay well he's already a. little weird a little different so what. did he say that's without us knowing. what was said. right then when we hear the tapes now. it's taking on a whole different life of. the song.

you know now at the time social media. just kind of started. and you had people giving their opinion. about what what they should do and what. you should do and this is y'all's moment. this is y'all's. you know you gotta take a stand and we. even have some players from golden state. say hey if you guys don't want to play. we won't play either. you know so it was it was deep and we. had to. do that and. they pushed it he didn't need to be. there anyway with those kind of thoughts. nobody knew it was to that degree at. that level. are you surprised the nba took the steps.

that it. that it took in order to remove him. no if you look at at the nba they've. always kind of been the leader. this world you know and adam is. unbelievable he doesn't even just feel. like a commissioner he feels like. someone you can talk to. somebody that's really going to listen. to you listen to it yeah and. listen to what's best for league and. your concerns and try to rectify that so. i had no idea. that it was gonna go uh that fast but he.

made it happen. and we were able to breathe a little bit. as it did happen that fast. you were in minnesota with jimmy butler. cat carl anthony towns andrew wiggins. we want to know about what really. happened at the practice. because we got bits and pieces here and. somebody said this over there. i need to know the people really want to. know what really happened. and how did it happen at the practice i. was gone at that point. remember i only stayed one year okay but.

jimmy called me. okay he said man if you could have been. at this practice here. they said he came in there he came to. the practice i believe. after it got started and they were kind. of shocked to see him because i think. he's come off of injury or something he. came in there. and i'm gonna tell you to call this part. and i don't know jimmy said this i think. he had his rolex on while he was killing. everybody. i think he had a rolex watch on while he. was killing people picking them apart in. practice and walked off again. it was classic from what i heard so.

why didn't jimmy like you said you're an. acquired taste. yeah listening to jimmy watching jimmy. jimmy is also an acquired taste. but you would think if something tastes. good you would like okay. i'm gonna at least try it why don't you. think jimmy worked in minnesota. i think jimmy knowing him and playing. with him. jimmy's all about hard work he's all. about getting better he's all about team.

and if he doesn't feel that from. everybody then he's already rubbed off. the wrong way you gotta remember jimmy's. a self-made superstar. right juco you know had to really grind. if you know a situation where he had to. come up through he wasn't one that was. you know. uh prodigy as a kid and like knew what. this was going to be he. he made himself even when he came to. chicago he's a defender first he got. minutes by being a defender. so he respects the grind i say that to. say this he respects the grind he. respects the game. he respects people that put the work in. and he respects.

no agendas it's all about winning and. and when he went to. miami i told him i said you were built. for miami 20 years ago. you didn't even know it but the way. everything you stand for and what you're. about and how they go about their. business. he was a miami player so i think those. things rub him the wrong way if he sees. anybody not. fall in line with all those things you. don't have to be perfect you don't have. to make every shot. you're going to try hard you're going to. put your team first and you're going to. work hard and if you don't do those. things. jimmy's awesome let's talk about some of. your teammates and when i.

when i mention your name you tell me the. first thing that comes to your mind. okay nate nate robinson character. character i played with nate in high. school and i played with him again. in the nba character he was the same. nate's the same as six in the morning. six at night he's a character let me ask. you one thing about nate. why didn't you call nate and say nate. don't you get your ass. in that ring hey. you know what nate was basketball state. player of the year football state play. of the year. until this day owns the fastest time to.

hurdles they can do anything. but what i told them is that i said look. when you go in there man you got to be. calm you got to be calm. you got to remain calm you know boxing. just watching i'm not a boxer i would. never go in there. but just watch them they always look at. floyd mayweather he don't even start. really getting into it to round three or. four when he's. dissected and he's he's i mean he's the. the best but. right i told nate just to be calm just. be calm and when he went out there it. was like he was moving so fast. you know but i would never bet against. nate but i didn't like to see what i saw.

at all but but here's the thing you. wouldn't met against nate in something. basketball. maybe football related maybe track and. field you put somebody in an unfamiliar. environment. i i wouldn't bet against a lion but if i. put a line in. in water it says okay b this crocodile. will be this alligator i'm taking. alligator. i'm taking the animal that's in his. habitat you're absolutely right i i. thought. honestly i thought it was more of. charity i didn't know there was really. good damn boxing like that like i. thought it was a cherry type thing. it was real it was real but but how you.

fight for charity. you know you know i'm saying that like. oh they'll play fight hey don't play. fight. we either do this so we don't yeah i. learned that watching it now you the. door you ain't. man that was crazy that was crazy and. then when snoop started singing it just. made it way. worse man sue about his bias knew. somebody with snoop said oh lord. yeah i gotta talk to snoop about that. one but now it was i mean. but if you think about nate nate. believes he can temple jump over tall. buildings and. he's done that he's proven that so right. there ain't no back down in him at all.

and i respect that part about it for. sure. of all your teammates who talk the most. trash oh that's a good one. talk the most trash out of all of them. maybe rick brunson rick brunson was a. good trash talker. he really had to he had to slip in one. liners yeah slick one-liners. uh i thought you were gonna say the. truth. oh you're right. you 100 right and hey you know what it.

ain't even close actually i'm tripping i. was tripping on that right. the truth is absolutely number one trash. talking list and probably the number one. i played against. was kevin garnett so them two together i. couldn't even imagine that. you played with some some tough guys you. played with oak. metal world peace jimmy butler derrick. rose stefan marbury. steve francis chauncey billup you got to. go get you going into a fight. who are you taking with you i'm taking. oak. and meta i'm taking the two i'm taking.

oak. and metal them too then two is first. why do why do what i mentioned tough and. i said okay we got to go to a fight. everybody break up oak oh my dog i've. been known over 25 years so i know oh. but it's funny to hear other people talk. about oak let me flip it out all your. sports friends. that ain't nfl who you taking in the. fight that you just been over to you. who i will take. i'm gonna take ray lewis yeah.

i'm gonna take. i'm gonna take keith burns. i'm gonna take. oh i'm going to take. stephen jackson yeah and i want to take. matt barnes. you can't go wrong i mean i'm good so. you can't go wrong with them at all. they're my boys too you can't. you can't go wrong i'll take.

if you basketball player give me oak. give me stacks. give me matt baldwin you you have all. the i give you all the rest of them. i play with all three of them too so i'm. going to war with all of them. them three your signature movie i mean. everybody. the crossover you know iverson had a. great crossover. uh but you they you drink j cross. over. how do you set the move up and how did. it come about. well i got different variations of it to.

be honest with you and and. when i grew up i was watching isaiah. thomas i was watching tim hardaway and. then allen iverson took it by storm. but allen's is always it was a left and. right you know and. and it was getting everybody with it yup. he rocked mike's world with that one but. um and he did it twice if you go back. and look he hit him with a short. person right and then he hit him with. that long one but uh. yeah so i learned from those guys and i. always went through the iverson one i. said you know what. what if i do it behind my back it would.

be even harder for the defense to get. the ball. and so i said i'm gonna do it behind the. back and i start making different. variations of it. you know and being a guy who's six five. you know with long arms. sometimes i'll lose the ball but only i. know where it's at so i can they think i. lost it i can go back and get it. it plays right into the crossover you. know so for me i just i. i saw it and saw it and started evolving. mine i stole some from all those guys. just trying to make my own collage. because what makes you are so nick as. you mentioned you're six. five those guys are six three and below.

you look at iverson you look at steph. you look at kyrie hardaway. ron strickland all the guys that compact. the rock none of them. were as long and lanky as you are. that's why when you talk about top. handles i didn't want to to my own horn. but i'm like no i'm six five so that's. that's a that's an advantage for me. because i have such long arms and i can. put the ball in places. uh and then you know go back and turn. into a crossover. who your favorite player do you crossed. over.

i'm gonna go to ray allen hey how you. ran over for you. you crossed over shooting you proud of. that no because ray was jesus child's. work that was my life in high school. when i saw that movie i'm like okay he. got game that's jesus that's. you know so just ray being a shooter and. being uh you know. such a great player and hall of fame. player and such respect for him i would. say real. nothing against me at all it's just the. stature here right. uh we talked about you coming off the. bench explain the conversation.

the first time a coach says jamal we're. going to move you from the starting. lineup. and you're going to be a reserve you're. going to start coming off the bench what. was that conversation. and did you like but i'm giving i'm. giving you buckets as a starter. yeah it was larry brown he was one of. the first ones. you know once i established myself in my. career before i was even six man i was. in year six and i just started and. averaged i think 18. years before he was like no i want you. to be the the you know our punch off the. bench i think our team will be better.

and i'm a really a big team guy so he i. said all right well. he's like i'm gonna give you the same. freedom everything you know so i had. some really good games. it's just that simple it was that simple. it was a it. you felt a little weird at first like oh. man you know a little shot to the ego. but you know what i always look at like. a challenge. like i'm into different challenges i. always feel like there's another. mountain to climb so for me. i said you know what this is something. i've never done before let me see if i. can do it and i'm confident enough in my. skills that i thought i could make the. adjustment it was more so mixed i had to. make an adjustment. um okay i need your mount rushmore six.

men. now you only got four spots yeah yeah. i'm gonna go. jr janobly jason terry eddie johnson. dale curry. ma uh uh lamar odom we got microwave. and jamar crawford you only get four you. only got four spots. well i'm not i'm not going on that list. so i'm not even putting myself on there. oh you know no i can't i don't put. myself. on those lists and i don't i just i pay. homage to people if you look at my wall.

i got people at all before me so. everything you ain't got no picture of. yourself on the wall. no no look at it i got two punks back. there i got a bunch of people but i got. i got myself so i'm not gonna put myself. on them. okay so keep that in mind i'm going to. check happy check. michael. ricky pierce and eddie johnson in. microwave i'm not i can't do nobody for. my ear i got to get i got to get those. you know what i noticed that because a.

lot of a lot of rappers a lot of singers. do that. they don't like i mean in comedians. because i have some of those guys on the. show and they're like. man i can't put that guy he my arrow i. can't put him. what is it about guys from your area. that you find so hard to put on. owned by rushmore it's it's not about. them so much as. respect to the the generation for them. yeah because i i just we're standing on. their shoulders you know what i mean. like we didn't know what a six-man was. until it was half of the checkered. mckelver's guys so.

for me uh if you did my er if you change. the question said meyer i can give you a. better answer. okay your error ginobili. okay lou okay. jason terry okay lamar odom. that's it okay and i know but then i. gotta give love to ben gordon shout out. ben gordon just because he did his thing. when he was a sixth man as well. you grew up in seattle and seattle is.

really not it's not like look we we know. the. christie uh was in seattle yourself nate. robinson. i think you had someone else that uh. played uh and with your high school. but it's not like new york it's not like. one of these major cities that's known. for. detroit known for hoopers right growing. up in seattle and did you always know. you wanted to be an nba player it was. special because the basketball community. was so. tight you know you could see it gary. payton or sean kim once i was 16 years. old. they were going to my high school games. you know allowed me to come around them.

and. learn from them so the community was. always special for that reason alone and. then you see guys like uh when i was. coming out of high school. it was a big thing just to go division. one you know guys were getting more. scholarships and football we had more. history with the eric mccabs and corey. dylan's. right you know the lawyer malloys those. guys and basketball is only you know. doug christie. and clint richardson james edwards and. they were way before us besides doug. you know so i think doug really took me. under his wing and it in. in turn you know once i made it brandon.

roy isaiah thomas. deshonte murray zach levine kevin porter. now all those guys coming up. they see us in the community one of. their own going to the nba like we can. do it. right before it was like just if you go. in division one a big time division one. that was like going pro. it's raining it's we always inside the. gym you know but then you see a nate. robinson go. like oh maybe bradley i can do that i'm. marvin williams. martel webb spencer halls so many guys. and i think that's what the culture is. special up here because we're all. supporting each other at all times this. is a 8th grader right now.

or a sophomore in high school can text. zach with me and ask some questions. we're all right here that's the culture. we built did you always want to play. basketball or were there otherwise. you're interested in no football. i played football and i had hands i. think. i played football i started football. basketball baseball at the same time. eight nine year olds. football i had really good hands uh.

baseball i didn't really want to play. offense i just want to play defenses i. was in basketball. right and then basketball uh i just. stayed with it it was just natural to me. my dad actually played he played with. kevin love's dad. versus working yeah so i've always been. around basketball ever since i was two. years old man it's just. it's had a hold on me it still does to. this day but i'm looking at your body. type you're you're in your 40s and you. probably weigh. a buck 80. so i can just imagine you as. a 14 15 year old kid. did you weigh 120 pounds then no i. wasn't 120. i wasn't 120. i wouldn't.

poopy. i wasn't kooky out here but i was uh i. was like 165 170 at the time. but yeah i was 10. i was real thin. you dropped the legendary the pro the. program that you dropped 63 in front of. kobe. what was it like doing that in front of. kobe what was it like. playing against kobe and being around. him. i'm answering two parts in the second. part was gonna and you gonna start. debating about something all you know. where it's going but. okay the first part um kobe's aura was.

like nothing else. it was like nothing else i've seen the. closest i'd sing to it was jordan and. i've been around jordan. being with the bulls and him taking. interest in me and spending time. with them but kobe had a stranglehold on. the lead. he was just like he was that myth you. didn't see him unless he was the gym or. commercial you just get nowhere else you. never saw him out he never saw him at. the grocery store. and so playing against kobe our. relationship over the years took off and. we're. actually here for a richard sherman. softball game. and me and co we had respect over the.

years and and we. started talking and we just really hit. it off that day you know and. everybody comes to see i was like man. you got to get this guy pro in. and i'm like man comey still you know. you got that orb i'm like cold man would. you come to watch you playing probably. i said yeah and the guy from nike was. like no we got to get back to l.a. coach is like no i'm going to watch them. all play so he brought his whole family. at the winner he had every reason in the. world to say no. and he brought his family at the whim he. can't watch me play i'm driving over. like man kobe's behind me i don't. believe this.

but i said it's gotta be special so i. scored 63 and hit the game winning shot. and we we text a lot and and you know. our relationship really grew and took. off and i was just. you know honored and then uh i think. you're about to ask how i look at him as. far as a player. yes he was he was he was the best player. i played against. and obviously we're positions but he. just was and you know. he was a bit cold and i know that you. know you. have respect for both of them but you. love kobe as well you love kobe.

kobe was like nothing else this is. mentality and his. his work ethic and his skill he was he. was something different it was an honor. to play against him. where what made him so tough to defend. he was fearless he was fearless and he. had a counter to. every single move he had you know and. then he had two counters to it so. he could go over 15 and still hit the. game with a shot he wasn't shying away. so you have that kind of work ethic that. kind of steal that kind of mentality and.

that kind of freedom. oh man it's over you know so that's why. you've seen him score 62. in in dallas 461 or score 80 in the game. because. you put it all together in this magic. you i think i don't know if i had a list. it came out but i saw where you. commented. any list that doesn't have kobe in the. top five you don't have respect for it. no you you believe kobe is a top. five player of all time until about all.

players. per players currently and. yeah and i think a lot of players will. tell you that they've actually played. against them to be honest with you his. mentality and his competitiveness. just it set him apart you know and. obviously. like i didn't see will play i didn't see. like mr bill russell play who i'm. actually very fond of and tight with. i didn't see those guys play so i don't. want to disrespect them by any means i'm. saying guys that i've actually played. against scene play. you magic play right i saw that i got. those two i got those two lebron kobe.

and jordan my top five. i mean that's not that's not a bad top. five but you do know. in the history of sports it's not i. don't know if we've ever had a guy rank. top five. with only one mvp you're right but mvp. is. is kind of man-made right like even. that's man. your peers are the ultimate respect and. the ultimate bar for. you know how they feel about you right. he went five and two of the finals. how i look at it too is if you look at. the tape you look at any error i believe.

kobe would have. been dominant in every single year and i. think his competitiveness and work ethic. alone was separated from a lot of guys. it seemed to me you went more modern. players more modern players than your. top five. uh that because you got like i said you. didn't see russell played you didn't see. uh chamberlain play but you saw tim. duncan. i did see tim duncan i think he's i. think he's the best power forward ever. but those are you know shaq. i think shaq's right there too you saw.

larry. i did see bird it took me a while for uh. even lebron in the past i i saw bird but. it you know it took a while. it took a while those are the top 10. bird was. an acquired taste because we had never. seen i i had never seen a white guy be. able to do what he was able to do. and we i think you you took it for. granted and then when you watched it. he bust up everybody you talk about. fearless. everybody i talked to dominique wilkins.

about him and he was telling me stories. when when burt had 16 he was talking he. you know and they had to find some. of their own players because they was. like man. you can't be laughing at me while i'm. out here this dude is killing people. different but yeah these guys all those. guys before me except brian brown's. younger than me but everybody. else is over because i still pay homage. to people. lebron talk about lebron what makes rod. so impressive and are you surprised that. harry. is a year 18 he's still because we've.

never seen a player play. this well at this age this late in his. career. are you surprised that he's playing like. this i'm not because. look at look at look at the expectations. [Music]. this dude will cover his sports. illustrator and chosen one before he. graduated high school. he exceeded expectations that were that. nobody could exceed and he exceeded him. 10 years ago you know like so this dude. is he's one of one and his brain.

his brain how smart he's a basketball. scientist to the savant. he he he can he's a chance. for playing basketball it's funny. watching him says phoenix i was watching. him and i'm sitting on the bench. he was playing with his brain before he. was doing anything athletically i saw. him. i saw it was like digital i just saw. everything moving in his brain first. before he's moving the chess pieces to. what he wanted. he's he's like brother lebron is. he surpassed expectations 10 years ago. this dude is out of this world.

why do you think he received so much. criticism being i mean people say well. he play i mean. look at what he's accomplished and he. plays the game the right way and he. doesn't get any trouble off the field. he doesn't have anything bad to say. about anybody on the court. why the why such dislike with lebron. especially from some of the old players. they seem to find they they seem to keep. moving. the line well he does this well they. move the line a little further and say. well he didn't do that and they. he does that and they move it a little. further and say we hadn't done this.

why why wha why such criticism for. lebron. because i don't think people hate on the. good ones people hate on the greats. you know i mean and he's what he's done. is he's. changed the way the landscape of the. game he's changed the way it looks he. changed the way it feels he's changed. so many things that people weren't used. to right he's done it in such a way. that you can't do nothing about it like. this dude is one of he's going from the. east to the west going to the finals. winning championships here he went. championships there. i'm going 10 straight finals i i hadn't.

been to 10 straight finals in my program. or eight straight like i had done. yo so this dude is just there's no limit. to what he can do you know so you have. to respect it. he changed the landscape he made it okay. for a transcendent a great player. to go somewhere else because before. lebron really shaq was the only one. that had left but i don't know but at. that time. shaq wasn't as accomplished as lebron. was lebron had won two mvps. by the time he packed up he had gone to.

you know had gone to the finals. shaq had gone to the finals but i think. lebron at that time was probably what a. five or six time first team all-nba. player. so he was really accomplished so i would. give shaq. his credit shaq was the first to do it. as a great player to leave. but lebron when lebron went to miami. from cleveland. i think that opened up the floodgates. that nobody thought would ever open. yeah i think that did and that that. brought a lot of hate. i mean it brought a lot of love as well.

for going back home but i think the. miami thing is where the hate really. started. if you go back and think about it right. you got a decision it benefited a lot of. kids and everything but. i think that's where the hate started. because you had wayne who was a top 10. player at the time you had. bosch who's a top 10 player and now you. got the best player. at the time you know what i mean going. there so that's where i think the hate. really started. but i don't see the same level of. vitriol. for kd teaming up with james hard and. kyrie. yeah but they haven't won it yet either.

so if they win it that hate could come. potentially. because at the time when lebron did it. he was the first of his kind to kind of. do it that way. because what boston did they were in mid. 30s you know i mean. they did it all in their prime so i. think they've already seen that. hey you got some that hate going to. golden state right. well i think kd got it because he went. to a team that he had down 3-1. yeah that was part of it that was part. of it he had 3-1 i think that's.

that's what people kind of added that. twist to it. and they didn't get all over right. i mean it it's it's all the same right. even if they had them down two two ended. up losing it's the same you went to a. team. and that's what people's idiot fires. from i don't i don't you know i don't. care about it because at now it's it's. it's not. it's not good because we're judging. players on championships right. that's what you know that's what caused. this because it wasn't good enough to be. a great player. you say you're a great player but you.

didn't win anything and they throw that. up in your face. so now guys are saying okay well i want. to go win a championship. and now you're like well you ring chase. right you can't have it both ways. right right either championship matter. or they don't right and that's the whole. thing and that's what you just said. that's the whole thing. obviously i think your goat is uh. michael jordan. uh you played with mike give us some. what. what was mike like in practice uh some. of the gambling stories because we know. he's. he's an all-time great gambler always.

trying to get people out there money. yeah mike is like i didn't play with him. with the bulls but like i said when i. was with chicago my dad. had told me previously in the drafts. like hey man michael jordan likes your. game i'm just for social media like dad. get out of here how do you know michael. jordan. likes my game so fast forward i get. drafted to the bulls. and uh tim grover calls me one day he's. like hey mj said you can meet. you can meet him i'm like what so 6 30. in the morning i drive down there and. this is when he was prepping for his. comeback to the wizards. right and so i go down there and it's.

myself tim and mj in the weight room. i never forget the defensive slide drill. and. we're just talking i didn't want to talk. too much his workout you know he's like. hey. work out together i'm like oh man this. is crazy so i. called my friends that wasn't that. michael jordan nobody answers it's still. early in the west coast. so um that summer i start going there. working out with him playing with him. and he was just like. his aura it was like a ghost. he doesn't even know he doesn't seem. real does it he doesn't seem.

real he don't seem real. think about that me and you both feel. the same way there's many other people. that feel the same way. he don't look real he doesn't he doesn't. the first time i met him. i'm looking at him and i know he thought. i was crazy because it's like he was. levitating. he and and i know you're not supposed to. play reverence and you're not supposed. to be blasphemous like this. but he's like a god i mean it is. people if i can't explain it and.

everybody else that's ever met if. even superstars from shaq into jordan uh. me shaq to lebron. everybody else that's ever met him has. said the exact same thing. that he doesn't see like he's levitating. it looks like there's white smoke around. him i promise you it's something else. but i started being with him and hanging. with them and like just. watching him he invited me to his house. actually he picked me to be an uh extra. in his commercial to play the younger. version of him. and we're playing one-on-one and he just. really took a liking to me and so. you know i i just i never actually.

gambled with him you know i was good. because you know me yeah now i ain't. never gambled with him. personally but he's just he was just. something different i remember one time. he came out there and some dude was. talking trash. yeah michael i'm doing this you know i'm. doing this now and i'm making as a. player. player making he's on the max contract. i'm getting my ferraris now i'm doing. this. and they say yeah well now i get mine. they give it to me free just to drive it. he had on this true storage stuff he had. a yellow jordan outfit.

he had on some black white and yellow. jordans that probably still ain't out. and outside he had the other variety. match so he just was. his whole thinking was just on a whole. different plateau. he is he he's a different animal i mean. to be around him. you it's like i said it's hard to. explain. but you know you know ed he has no. problem the thing. the thing that i love about him he's. that. he has no problem telling you oh i'm. michael jordan you know that. hey there's one dude said uh i never.

said this one dude that said uh. who was it playing against him i forgot. i could stop you. he said man michael jordan's playground. air time come fly with me you've seen. the whole videos. you already know us about like he just. he he's up on all that stuff. and he's always he's always looking at. your feet to see what shoes you got. to make sure you got some jordans. and people ask they say well what's he. like i said i don't know what he i don't. know what he'd be like to you. but i'm saying he was cool with me if he.

knows he's comfortable. he's super cool but he gonna look he's. gonna talk trash. that's in him he's in his dna he can't. help that. but he's a good southern down-home. brother like watching the last dance. you can see his mom right that's the. thing that's really intriguing to me how. he was raised his mom would still say. mr jordan talking about his dad yeah. it's real respectful. you know what i mean he's just he's just. cool he's real real. cool but we played together for two. summers we never lost one game.

i never lost playing with him two. straight years four years old two. straight sermons we played against penny. played against ray allen. tim harper anton everybody was coming. through chicago we never law. so do you believe that in in today's in. do you believe anybody will ever surpass. him as far as his. what he's been able to do no i think.

what he accomplished shannon i saw a. stat yesterday. you know he never lost a championship i. don't mean with the bulls. olympics fever national championship. any championship game he's ever played. and he's never lost. so this dude was like out of this world. like i just don't think we'll ever see. that like his. his competitiveness his drive his work. ethic he was just going to find a way to. be michael jordan and he never let you. down he was michael jordan. every single night and that was the.

thing i think the thing is once one of. my greatest accomplishments that i. actually got an opportunity to see him. play. i didn't get an opportunity i i mean i. saw magic uh. the tail the last time when he can't. come come back uh but i didn't see magic. in his prime i never got a chance to see. byrd. but i got an opportunity to see jordan. and. i guess it's like if you like golf you. got an opportunity to see jack nicklaus. and tiger woods play. if you like tennis you got a chance to. see nadal and federer djokovic. serena williams play if you a sports.

enthusiast and you got an opportunity. to see that guy play you know you. witnessed something special. oh shannon think about it when we talk. about goats in other fields whether it. be tom brady or soccer or whatever it. might be. we say this guy is the michael jordan of. this. oh their sport they don't nobody. like he's inspired everybody like. at those runs jay-z and beyonce were. coming to watch pick-up. like he's inspired everybody from every. walk of life you know and that's what.

he's just. he's just i think god just put him here. and says you're going to be the one. he he's the one yeah jamal i appreciate. it bro thanks for stopping by. the club appreciate it thanks for. sharing some insight. best of luck um don't know how it's. going to turn out this journey but. hopefully uh you get an opportunity to. play. and you finish on your terms uh looks. like you want to play you. you want to be the uh the tom brady. of the nba you are hey you know what you. know me and him went to school together.

with the michigan at the same time so. i'm trying to keep up with him. oh don't let anybody do you don't let. anybody get back in there. thank you i appreciate it appreciate you. all have a go bro you too thank you. all my life been grinding all my life. sacrifice. hustle pay the price wanna slice got to. roll the dice that's why. all my life i've been grinding all my. life all my life. been running all my life sacrifice. hustle paid the price. wanna.

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