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D Rose and some of our funniest moments, which sord and Jeff t.

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Let's get it.

J let the beat, whoa, I get it out the mud put me let's gonna feel me first, see me beg gonna do you worse, gonna get you hurt.

That's been fixing all my vast still might pull up either church.

I go up and down, feel like hurt.

Better, I go out like a thud.

Bet I'll put something in a dirty I came up from the mud.

And this a down non shirt shirt.

Break the bell, make go worstright.

Yeah okay, yeah we didn't got it, cub Cuz looked at you like you was crazy when you said you you then average thirty twenty twenty.

Fact I kind of took your side on that two killer because I'm like, okay, if you got a little more opportunity, a little more time, say if I'm the second option you I met you a little before your mark.

I say, Bell nineteen, I listen to that tape.

Yea bro was.

Averaging fifteen on twenty six minutes.

Now.

His argument was, you being the focal scouting put Exactly, if I'm coming off the bench averaging fifteen on twenty six forty from three, forty five from two off the bench, you're giving me.

I already got value.

You're giving me more plays and more time to score more.

And my efficiency is already here points per minute, Bro, already, because I know how to play analytically, come off the bench in fifteen in game.

You gotta know how to get that every night off the bench.

So if I'm hooping in a starting line up, my whole strategy of getting three buckets a quarter is gonna guarantee me twenty four points easy.

That's no threes, there's no free throws.

I say.

Three, two, four, six, six quarter.

You gotta come out eighteen five sixty buckets.

If I know how to get three buckets a quarter, fast break, Oh oh, foul, that's two.

That's four points.

I hit a wide open shot in the corner.

We still got six minutes to go.

In the first I got my six early.

Fuck that sug me out.

Bring me back in a top of the second.

Fast break.

First thing, I get a fast break layup, I get an offensive rebound foot back up.

You class got four.

I need.

On the line because I know when I want to get to the line, I'm gonna get to the line.

I could just make you foul me right boom at six.

That's twelve before half half.

I got twelve.

Have no trees.

I didn't say nothing about my forty percent from three.

Cause you ain't took I haven't took a three yet.

So I got twelve.

I got twelve at half.

So I got a whole nother quarter.

No, I got a whole another half where I'm actually playing eight minutes between the next two quarters to get twelve more points.

It's pop.

So if we're playing fast, we're playing fast.

We're a fast break team.

We got a shot.

Block it down there.

This beach shit that we can run.

Man.

You telling me I can't get easy.

You pass it to me.

I passed me.

I just get this easy a little too.

From the fast break.

Three on one, I throw the baseline.

You just dumping off easy one Zebra.

I thaw it to him again, so you throw it to him.

You throw it to Zbra on this side, I cut cross the lane.

He threw it to me.

Think of two points, Kevin Martin.

Shit, he averaged twenty four.

Bro lrd average day off that little shit.

Nothing no plays, no no ioles, no real shit that I really got.

I ain't posting niggas up none of that.

We ain't called one play.

Bro.

I know this game to the t, and I studied with the great nigga.

So he told me how to be the great nigga without having to say a fucking word.

Nigga, get these numbers every quarter, no threes, no free throws.

You guarantee these points.

Now, then you put that in.

You say, I can get eighty one if I if I factor the sin factor, the sin I just had.

I got fifteen in the first.

That was easy.

Wasn't doing nothing was easy?

I was just what eighty one?

He was talking about Kobe's eighty one?

Boy, it's out the mug.

We got Rash mccount.

We appreciate.

The bu sat right, man.

You know what I wanted to ask you to, Bro?

What was it?

Because I know my first time I got traded, I was shitty.

I just seen at Jermount?

What was so first?

Did you know it was coming?

Tell me your reaction to how you felt when you first got traded from Golden State.

Man, I was pissed, and not only not only that, because like I said, it was a lot of it was a lot of behind the door stuff that was going on with you know, I ain't gonna even get this.

This team made up no type of you know, recognition or whatnot.

But he was going back doing throwing rocks and hid.

In his hand.

And when he was doing that.

I was like, it's time for it's time for me to go because you know he was he was, he was different.

And so through that whole process, through the summer, I'm asking them I want to get out because I can't play with this this dude.

And that's when they hied Mark Jackson and he Bongo, Mike Malone and all that, and they came down and met me and myth for three hours.

We sat down and they talked me out of you know, asking for the trade or whatever.

They told me they'll take care of him.

They ain't got to worry about it because they know we had Stephan all them coming, so they were like, we'll wear it with him.

You ain't got to worry about that.

And so like I said, I love the bearer.

I ain't want to go nowhere, you know what I mean.

But it's certain things I could deal with, certain things I can't deal with.

And throwing rocks and high your hand, that's one thing that.

I can't deal with.

And so.

When we talking, we was on a little run.

We had like two games out of the a seed.

We were jeling.

We was working, and I was in Sacramento and trade that line.

So I'm in up in the hotel because I'm in the like dam, I don't know what what it happened.

So we get on the phone.

They were like, we ain't trading you.

He was like, we got like two games out of a seed.

I think I don't know how many games we had, like twenty someth or whatever.

And they were like, we're just gonna ride it out.

So I'm like cool, Like we're jeeling right now, so I ain't.

Even tripping, Like I ain't going nowhere, man.

Yeah, I'm like cool, I ain't want to go nowhere anyway going nowhere.

But she from the time I got from off the phone call and hung up for them, she had going down to the bus and ride to the They didn't traded me already.

So the crazy thing that ain't so hold on, hold on, Bro, that ain't told me nor my agent.

Man.

I get into and what's the name Dambini MacGuire?

He said, Bro, they just traded you.

I said, no, Bro, they ain't trade me.

I said.

We was getting to.

The I was getting into the the to the I was left from the hotel to go into the game.

We got, oh, you're on the bus.

Yeah, I'm going on to the bus to the way.

I just left about the hotel getting onto I just on the phone over them leave.

It out of the hotel room, closing to go.

To the game.

Right.

So by the time I closed that door, got on the bus, headed to the game.

They have traded me.

They told me so, Like.

Bro, they trade I said, Bro, Now, I ain't trade me, said Brad just came on ESPN.

He said, look turned around, Bro came at the bottom of the screen.

Then Mark Jackson want to come in that time I talked to you, said, man, you ain't got nothing to say to me.

Man, I can see it right here.

Wait a minute, damn, that's how I got traded at Golden State.

That was that was That's that's that's that that messed me up.

Though I gave that city.

I gave that city everything throughout, even the bull crap, even with my leg and all that.

For me the baby to to put my body through the things that I put my boy through to get myself back right, and for that that oner to come in and do it like that.

That was that was weak.

I was sold about that for and it went.

So I got the Dallas until I really got back to playing basketball.

No, I mean, that's definitely understandable.

That's how I first got traded.

You won't want the month for you there for a period of time to get that love.

You don't want that, man.

Nah.

So they did it like that.

But it is what it is, is what it is.

Like I felt like, you know, going through with my past and my upbringing and having these deficiencies, that felt like I found the home.

I found people that really loved me and appreciate me, and it made me want to do more right.

So I was so you know, so into the community and you know, doing things and it was like, Okay, this is my family, Like they really rocking with me, right, and then you know, you go you move forward after that you know that sixty I think sixty four win season.

You know, we were coming back into the season.

I get the team to come in early.

We said, okay, well we lost in the conference finals.

Wasn't really wasn't really together.

We had some Ron had some issue, you know whatever.

It was the game that Reggie got blocked.

Remember back then, he used to be like a two or three day span when we had to switch, you know, from one home to the next.

We hadn't seen Ron since that game.

We saw Ron.

It was.

At shoot around in the conference finals, right, and so it was on those things where I didn't know how to handle, but I need to handle and then he didn't know how to handle it because he was fighting his own detnings, right, and so obviously we're going to lose that game.

We talked we get Jack, and we felt like Jack was the peace that will will, you know, get us over the top.

We had we look were about to run through the league.

This is what we're gonna do.

And at the time we go to go to Detroit, we felt like we need to set a set the tone.

Yeah heah, And you know, obviously they didn't like us, We didn't like them.

I got some homies on the team.

Right, we're good.

We were good, you know, beyond the court.

But when we on the court, che I don't like you.

I don't like you.

You know, we've been boys since.

It's a build up to this ship anyway, it's a real people don't realize.

To man, crazy enough.

They used to call the hotels they be outside the hotel.

It was.

It was one of those rivalries.

Yeah, they call it the frank called it's called it bro And so you know, obviously, you know, we get to the joint and.

We take care of business and then the fight happened.

Yeah, man, you got to enlighten me on that, man, because I ain't.

I ain't gonna let my whole time playing bro fans ain't really never got disrespect from me like that.

But it had to have been something that transpride leading up to that.

You take us through that day, man, So we knew it was a natural televised game.

So we we wanted.

We were we were locked in, we were engaged.

We said, look, were about to go put some hands on these boys, and we did.

We understood.

I think it is it is a bound.

I think having by going into Detroit was amazing for a couple of reasons why the intensity and the hate was real.

So motivated?

Feel it, bro, you feel your hair standing up like you did.

They't have this announcer, I don't know you remember what's the what's the.

Black dude name?

Like, yeah, I'm familiar with that, bru.

The pre game when he's doing the starting lineup, bro, like you about to blow a vessel, like, oh okay, them niggas on this tonight, huh.

And so the game start, we get we get rocking.

Obviously we win.

People don't realize that the ref that was was fixing games.

Dory did that game.

He did that game.

So when you look at this process, bro, like when when Ben gets into it with Ron, it's like almost like a five minute almost a five minute times think about this, like you in the game, something happened, you know, they break it up.

Whatever, These refs stepped back.

So you know Ben had all these all these bands, we just started throwing them.

He started taking out throwing them, right, So the first one go, second one go boom, third now or now in the crowd like oh yeah, let me let me get into it.

So they getting hype.

And then so Ron actually does his job.

He goes and lay down on on the actual scoreboard and Ben still those the last band.

That's when the cup came right, right, And so we all thought that Ben ignited it.

That's just how we felt.

Ben thought that he was going to be suspended, right, And so one of those things where it was unfortunate because it was on national television, right, you had the refs that didn't even separate the teams.

Bro.

The teams are trying to separate each other, right, which is crazy to think.

Brother, that a five minute lapse real time.

Right, you got players going yelling back and for coming down and all this other.

That never happened.

Bro.

You know, they cleaned it up.

So so it's like it was like and you see the ref sentending over there and they're not really you know, not really trying to you know, engage, and so the thing that really once once everything really transpired, bro, Like it was so can you imagine and I you know, can you imagine being in an arena and you got on a jersey and it ain't a soul in the arena to protect you.

Yeah, your little island.

You're a little on the island, right, So so think about what you're gonna do, right, you see some cast run on, you're gonna do back against wall.

You know, you in the Terra Dome in Detroit, you know where.

You know they don't like us, We don't like them.

You know, we have some issues.

They have some issues with our fans in nd So it was like one of those relationships.

And I'm like, bro, like they said, I'm just kind of standing and I'm looking like, what in the hell is jumping across?

The bid was jumping across like seats rocking, the separating the seats.

They got the little dust pans running around.

Yeah, let me say this.

I respect to position the NBA was in.

I do small type, billion dollar business.

They're not about to mess that up.

I was disappointed, like everybody won't do process, Like everybody want an opportunity to show, Okay, this is right, this is like, this is what happened.

So they're reacting at that time.

The late Great David Stern obviously is a different type of commission than Adam Silver.

Right, it was like he runted with iron fist.

So he wasn't trying to hear nothing right, he was, he was playing.

He wasn't trying to hear nothing right, and so it's one of those things, bro where I was like, I was hurt because everybody Ron did what he did because he because whatever however he decided, Jack was in support, right, loyal.

People don't even realize bruh, and I have this, I have this, I have this, this thumb drop this big with everything.

That's how the Netflix stock got done.

So I'm there and I'm watching.

I'm stunned, and I'm looking around like I was really trying to get down here.

Yeah, it took me a second of digest it.

Next thing, you know, everybody's on the court and I'm looking around.

It ain't no security.

Next thing you know, you got a dude jump around my next seat.

Nobody never ever saw this right, and the film was available, guy jump around my neck.

I had a security guard that tore it with me everywhere.

He into it with a fan.

I'm at that point.

Now I'm out of shock.

Now I'm in retaliation.

Right boom, slamm the dude on the table.

And I looked to the left because again my security guys to the left.

And I looked to the left and I see Anthony Johnson down there.

See people think I just ran in and was just hitting.

That wasn't the case.

So I saw him.

He's on the ground, the guy the look guys on top of him, and there's people standing around him.

I see Anthony Johnson trying to get up, and I run over there and I slipped, but I hit him because now he's he's trying to bring harm to my my my homeboy.

Here's the thing that's that really that really bugged me out.

See, I went to federal court.

See people thought I was suspended and came back just so that did all my suspension.

I went to federal court and won.

I went to federal court in New York City, went through appeals process.

We went to all the and one and the judge said I had every right to get that ma off your back to do what I did.

Yeah, every right, me.

He ain't gonna talk about that.

Nobody said nothing right, and that was fine.

I understood the timing wasn't right.

I was like you, I think I was the eighteen picks, so I didn't play neither.

But it's just on the flow.

So back then too that flow wood boy asked me heard all the events on the bench.

That's when you shop the flow boy.

That was as flow boy.

It's different y'all had y'all had practice.

We ain't practice.

So my veteran team, yeah, it got better at practice.

We ain't do that.

It's all crazy.

We was.

I was playing Tyrone Hill one on one.

He was a me and T Hill played one on one.

T Hell like not on Hill play for the Yeah, it was.

It was that is how messed up the Hawks was at that time.

He was my workout guy.

I'm like, what I'm gonna learn from him?

He said screens for Irish, They like, yeah, you here your guy.

I'm like, man, what that's how He would just like, come on here, some shots to a man, get up out of here, and he ready to get the Magic City.

Oh god.

So me and him we just that's how we do.

We like coming at nine o'clock, bro, get some shots and you can get home.

He's like, you ain't gonna play.

You know what I mean, you ain't gonna play.

I wasn't even thinking like I need to get better.

I was more like shit, I heard it's the league.

I'm making some money though, and then like my second year, that's when things kind of change.

Who busted your ass?

Rookie when you did get some burned, like, like, what do you say?

Like, God, damn, I'm in the league.

I got.

I got in against Nate Robinson one time when he went off for like forty He ain't played for like twenty games in a row, and he got in the game.

He went for forty on us when I got like five or six of them points.

And then hold on, Bro, there's been a few interviews.

I heard you said you only share a few.

Bro, I'm gonna have to start looking at this film.

Real man, you only got six.

I only played two minutes.

You get cooked.

Preseason game Flip Murray made me fall.

Snatched back.

I went to the I went to the bleachers.

I looked at the bench, all the vests got their face covered up.

Josh Smith running down the sideline.

They used to just they mess with me every day, Bro about something.

Bro.

My rookie year, I was the only rookie and I had oh oh, I had Eric Dan Pierre, Joe Smith, I had to Thomas.

I had some old people on my sand and they used to make me do all type of stuff.

Bro made me dress up as a bumblebee on Halloween and get people food on the plane, like, hey, take your ass to the front, get some food that we're gonna popcorn your ship.

And you know I had my first car, I had that challenge with like, y'all poppcorn my on flat everything.

But nah, that was cool.

Though, When did you realize, okay, cool at this point, you know I need to be on the court.

You know you by that time, I'm pretty sure you're thinking about and mofucker's getting extended, getting it's bread out here.

When did you start taking the season know that you know you you got the extension time coming up too.

So my second year, Jordan Crawford, he ended up getting drafted to the team and me and him was like, that was my guy, still my guy to this day.

We did everything together, but we wasn't playing, so we was like we went the other way.

We was like, we don't play on the game.

We ain't gonna be the man on the court.

Our thing was gonna be the man in the streets.

So we went out every single day.

Noah, ain't every single day this.

So it gets everything got preached.

We went out every single day.

Everybody ain't you ain't everybody?

And then you ain't doing no practice out.

You know, time went out every day right there with him.

Shit, I don't know, I told you.

So we went out every single day.

And when they pulled us in the office one day and was like one of y'all gotta go, y'all gonna ruin each other lives, one of y'all gotta go.

And so we in the office.

We were best friends.

We arguing with each other, like, shit, I'm better than him.

He like, we don't want to leave Atlanta.

We both love Atlanta.

He like, I'm better than him.

Shit, I'm six five.

I can do what you do.

Like we arguing, So we called the court.

We basically won't play what O what is right?

So they end up trading Jordan and Damian.

Wilkins came to our team right and he kind of like, he was like, man, you walk around it.

He cuts me out one day.

I wasn't doing nothing.

I'm just chilling.

I come to the meeting.

Five minutes for the meeting.

We got practice.

I show up when Joe show up, I'm lit.

I'm out.

Every night he pulled me to the side.

He was like, nigga, you think you good, don't you.

I'm like, yeah, they don't play me.

He's like, dude, nigga, won't play your last season?

Where you at?

He was like, if you ain't here at nine o'clock every morning, train with me, Bro, I'm gonna find you.

Every time I looked at the nigga he just got to the team, I'm like, boy, nigg don't know me, all right, I ain't come he put he put a pink slip on my desk with one hundred dollars.

I'm like, ripped it up next day, another one hundred dollars, ripped it up, next day, another hundred dollars.

So he went to the GM Rick Sun and was like, yo, Young Young boiled me like five hundred dollars.

Just take it out his check and they did it.

So I'm what the fuck and go to him.

He was like, bro, you're gonna show up.

I ain't gonna let you die, like you're gonna die, Like yo, your career is gonna be out.

So then I started showing up working out with him, and he would tell me every day like, Yo, time gonna come.

Bro, you gotta be ready.

Something gonna happen.

Your time gonna come.

You know you're doing this shit everybody every day for months, and then my time just happened to come.

In the playoffs, kerr Heiner pulled his handstring and I had to start against the Road.

They was like, you're gonna play.

We're gonna start you too, ship, I ain't played all year, gonna start against d ROW.

I was like, damn.

But I was ready though.

I was ready to hook that.

I had been training for two three months.

I was ready to hook.

And I went out there and I had a moment.

My first game we win, I had like like twelve and five, so that's selling, but I knew.

I was like, I ain't even play for real.

That's how I was in my head.

I was like I was being conservative.

I was like Game two, I'm shooting.

I was like they double team and Joe and Jamon Keith Bogus guarding me.

But now I just started doing my thing.

And then it just kind of took off from there.

Leaving Oklahoma, yeah, I know a lot of emotions was fled up.

We heard the rooms with you and Westbrook.

You know, the city was let down.

Yeah, pretty sure.

A lot of people just wasn't happy talk to us about that experience.

Yeah, people enjoyed having me around was that.

You know what I'm saying.

They love having me around OKC, So me just leaving just like that when we were close to getting to the finals.

Yeah, I understood why people was pissed off, but I couldn't make a decision based off of what other people wanted to do.

I felt like around that time I had It's not one reason why you make a big decision like that.

I feel like it's a lot of different factors into why I wanted to leave OKAC, and majority of it is I wanted a new experience.

I wanted to play a different way, a different style.

I wanted to live in a different city, experience a different life in a different citys all I knew was okay, See, I wanted to play for a different management, you know, I just wanted to experience life was like with a different organization.

On top of having an opportunity to play with some of the best players that knew how to play that match my skills set, so everything in line.

I felt like, you've seen that and the results that we had when we stepped on the court.

It wasn't we didn't play basketball, It's just that the Warriors we didn't play balls like we were just flat out bigger, better, bigger, stronger faster than you.

We played together, we actually played real team basketball for us to win.

We made shots, you know what I'm saying.

We could shoot the ball efficiently, So it was it worked out perfect.

You know.

I think it was just a perfect move in order for me to expand my game, you know, kind of wide my lands on what this whole thing is about, you know what I mean.

So I'm grateful I was able to get that chance.

And when we played y'all, when he was with the Warriors, I was like that, we don't got a snowball.

I was like, Yo, this is crazy.

These guys running the Princeton offense.

With Kevin Durant at the wings, It's like, man, Steph at the point, you got Draymond de four and it just got so many attributes with you know, the other guys.

And I was just like, damn man.

Every time we came to the Warriors arena oorcle, I was like, man, you got to give my rest.

I gotta give my rest.

But we lost the y'all one game, did y'all my first year there.

I think I think we might have lost y'all.

I think we like tricked, we was up late and y'all stole the layer.

I think I think both of y'all, yeah you're still there.

Yeah, we lost y'all that one time.

We're gonna have to look that.

Look that up and see my highlights and that.

I think it's twenty seventeen, twenty sixteen seventeen season.

I think we might have lost.

And we had one of the moment, one of the like film moments after that game, Like this is because I think late in the game I tried to like go one on one against the whole team.

Oh is this the one whe when Drake mom was yeah, yeah, yeah, extra and I had you on the island, bro, yeah I have.

I yeah yeah, And I shot some bullshot.

I think I think I shot a deep three over you and so it was terrible shot band and I'm like, man, it brought me back to okay, see this, I'm like, man, funk I about have Man, I'm about to try to gain these dudes.

I don't really like.

I trying to bring that roperrate up to the war and that did not work out.

D was like, no, we don't know, we don't do that here right now.

We just moved the ball.

We've been moving the ball all game winning You do this ship?

Now, yeah, I was it ain't work out an't work out that way.

That's interesting, man, And just ship you played with the Steve Kurt winning your first one, like I know that felt like No.

That shit was sweet man, that shi it was.

That was because you played against bron Kyrie k Love like that was.

That was some killers on the other side.

You know what I'm saying.

You had to be on point to play against them, like Kyrie and Bron together, it was just, man, that's the show.

That's the show right there, so them dude can get fifty a piece, you know what I mean.

So like you got to be on point against them, and I think that was the peak of basketball at the in the league, at that time, you had all that talent on one court and at the highest stage in the finals, that sh it was fun.

And so to win it there at home too, we've clinched at home, that shit was crazy.

Brog champions well deserved, man for sure.

With the NBA Finals coming to an end, y'all already know who we rocking with.

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So you say you were focused all the way through the whole flick.

And yeah, so it don't take us by surprise that you know what I'm saying.

You finished that year strong, you know, getting Rookie out of Year, you know, bringing that trophy on to the hometown.

Talk about that feeling I was win it rookie year.

The other year.

You don't win it Rookie out of year.

That comes from my brother Greedy always like telling me during that time.

He was telling me I could win it, like shorty, you cold, that's how you used to man, you could win that shit.

And I kind of like fed off that where I never told him this either, but hearing him tell me like how good I am because he never expressed itself like his feelings like towards me at all.

So here love all Toughnessiga, but all toughness though.

So yeah, he did the nigga that report card fucked up.

He cursing me out doing all that type of ship, call me dumb doing all that type of shit.

So he uh when.

Whenever I heard him talk about me, Now, have I heard him talk about me to like other.

People and like a.

And like a crazy or just brag about me.

It makes me feel good because I never heard him say that to me, like like when we were like by ourselves.

So he'll be like, man, my brother, that would be my first time hearing it.

So I'm like, Damn, I never knew that you thought I was that cold, like you expressed like you knew that, Alcahoo, But hearing you say or go to a whole other level as far as like being verbose about it, it showed me like or it gave me some type of power or like that I needed with me, like going through the confidence shit that I was going through at the time, or even figuring out who I was as a rookie.

Like Damn, my brother said, I'm cold, I could really like I really can't win that shit, Greedy.

You see, I'm close to winning that ship.

Bro, I won that motherfucker.

Some ship like that.

Shout out the g man, he damn, So put the battery in your back.

That's the fuck, bro, that's a fuck.

Let's talk about the Boston series.

Talk to me about your first playoff in Boston.

First playoff.

You talking about the game of just a series of series, one of the best series, if not the best series that I played in, Uh, just off the strength of me wanting to prove myself to everybody that I could hoop, like because all you hear coming in is it's kind of like the quarterback shit.

Oh it's a playoff game and he's a rookie point guard and he's not going to be able to lead him or organize the game, all that type of shit.

And little do they know, I'm a pure point at heart.

I've been a pure point my whole life.

The first time I had to score like that, I scored in AAU because my brother let me go.

But when I first got to the Bulls, I was kind of letting BG do his thing, and I was I was kind of like not being aggressive, and they told me, like, man, we need you to score, all right, that's what y'all want.

All I bet I'm gonna score the motherfucking ball then, And that kind of like forced me to score, try to find ways to score.

But I was I'm a pure point at heart, so seeing the or knowing the position, I will say it helped me with like when tough times, when Rondo was pressuring the ship out of me and like you got three Hall of Famers telling him everybody being on the same accord, and they just being they trying to scare you with their voice.

Hey we over here, tend them over here, just talking.

But it was that rook that can intimidate you.

You feel what I'm saying.

But for me, I'm laughing at it.

I want you to see I'm laughing at it, so that.

You see it.

You know.

I was on board.

I said, yeah, like that in shaking me, bro, it's not shaking.

Try something else.

You're really gonna have to fiul me.

You're gonna really have to like physically do something to me.

But in order me to stop going.

But the first game kind of paved the way for me because I played it like a regular game, Like I had no expectations on myself.

I just said, I'm gonna go out here and just play if it's just if it's just a regular season game.

And I did that, m and that's why I think it.

I played the way I played.

Yeah, no, you killed for sure.

That was That was an impressive series for a rookie.

Like I said, I ain't play that much or if none, that's but yeah, I got a good seat seeing excitements plays and electrifying you know dunks and you know the ship you was doing.

Man, you definitely get your flowers for me, and I showed which I have came some of them.

Damn semon, game, I was riding in that old bends back in the day.

Boy, I'm missing the whole little lord on that, but damn I got my money.

Right when you came to boss.

Show Man.

What was that Reggie Miller hazing story?

Bro, you gotta tell you about that, the Hazen story with Reggie.

Because they used to throw the rookies what they used to do us in Portland, they all.

The sheet and.

All of them Ruby, they pick you up and throw you in the cold tub.

That's their rookie hayes.

Okay.

So so for them, reg Reg Reg was just uh, He's like, I ain't like me, you know what I'm saying.

It was just like everything was just like like any move I make, I make my cross like.

Oh that I was nasty, like.

Like that's how I ain't gonna lie.

Bro.

Listen.

Red used to be like, hey, bo, I think I'm in my bag, in my bag.

He's like, oh no, I was in my bag.

I was not in my bag with Reggie.

So that's what he used to do.

Mostly like he's just make fun of me, Bro, And like you know, during our during our time, it was like we had to carry like backpacks, you know what I'm saying.

So I had like a Door to Explorer backpack and it had everything, and it had like all kind of stuff like baby all that was kind of but you know, I had all kind of crazy ship in the bag, you know what I'm saying.

So they made me do that.

They used to make me.

I had to have like Krispy Kreme donuts warm with orange juice every morning.

Uh.

And then just I had to carry like you know, And I think y'all might have had to do this too.

Remember when we land, you have to take the bags off?

Yeah, I had you have to drop off the bags, you know what I'm saying.

But reg but one day, man, one day and practice that it's funny bring that up.

It was like he was just picking on me, Bro.

And I remember, Man, I went home and my mom was made up.

I was like, they must be testing me to see if I can like fight.

Us up with the ship here.

I'm like got to be just seeing like I want to see the nigga can fight.

So I was like, Orae, New Jersey.

I'm like, all right, they want to see if I can fight.

I figured it out, that's what it is, so I come.

So I was staying with Antonio Davis.

He let me live with him my rookie year because it was a short season.

He's like, don't waste no money getting a spot, just stay with me.

So he had his big ass house in Indie or whatever.

So I'm sitting in the kitchen and he could just see he can see it in my face.

So he walking and he like, what's wrong.

What's wrong with you?

What's wrong reok And I'm like, mamn, chilling man.

He was like, no, what's wrong with you?

I was like, man, I'm just tired of this ship.

Man.

I'm just like every day bro, like every day Reggie Mark.

I can't do nothing right.

This niggas always.

I'm like, fuck it, we're gonna fight tomorrow.

Man, like funk that.

I'm just gonna fight.

So as soon as he says something he said, I wouldn't do that, young fella.

He was like, I would not do that.

He's like, that's how you get your ass out to lead, right, So he Toald me out of it.

I was just like, I just gotta deal with it.

This advice he could have gave me, that was the That was the worst thing I could have was going in there wanting to fight the next day.

But uh but dead ass bro like after that man, like after my after my rookie year, Reggie took me under his wing, like nine to eleven.

When nine to eleven happened, I was with him at his cribon Malleble.

You know what I'm saying.

We jumped up, saw the ship.

I wake him up, show it on.

We go to the We go to the gas station, fill up the car with gas, get water, and ship had no idea he was going were malleable, like where the hell we going?

You know what I'm saying?

And uh, I know, forget Like when I first bought my first cribb, he want me this big ass arcade game, shooting game or whatever.

So Radje obviously like you know what I'm saying, that's Indiana legend legend, Yes.

Sir, yes, sir.

So he was annoying though noticed after mud so you know, and we all have been through our fast share troubles.

Can you can you elaborate on you know the gun incident situation.

Oh man, listen, that situation right there, that situation there really.

Made me a man.

That situation really made me change, you know, the way I did things, the way I moved, and really showed me who who was my homies and who wasn't you know what I'm saying that that that really showed me a lot too.

Who was rocking with me for me and who was rocking with me for the ride?

You know what I'm saying, Who's rocking me just to be around it?

The atmosphere being around me for the you know, going to the clubs and pop bottles and all that.

Who's around me for that?

So but that situation was, man, it was just a situation.

Was Unfortunately I was going through divorce, you know, and to this day, I would never talk bad about this young lady, you know what I'm saying, because you know, I have my wrongdoing any situation, you know.

But at the same time, what she did I didn't deserve.

And she she apologized about it, you know, after the fact, but it.

Was too late.

I'm already dealing with the gun charge now.

So so the apology really didn't mean nothing.

You know what I'm saying because I still got to fight this battle of not going to jail, and you know, I lost lost a great deal of money, some millions, you know, just fighting it, trying to get out of it, and luckily, with the grace of God.

Really that's the only person who got me out of that was God's right.

You know what I'm saying, because I'm really the only person who haven't gone to jail who had a pistol charge in New York, New York joint.

And the last call I got, bro, the crazy thing is the last call I got.

They told me I was going for They got to give me at least six months.

That's the last call I got before the next morning when my lawyer called me and said, look, we got a deal.

You ain't got to do no time.

You got to give up all your guns, though, you gotta pay this fine, but you're not gonna go to jail.

You're gonna be able to play basketball still.

And I was like, oh my God, just like like I don't even know what I felt in that moment.

Man, I just got on my knees man told God, thank you, you know what I'm saying, And just that it was just just a situation where they try to extort me.

You know what I'm saying.

Just give you a little brief summing of the story.

They tried my my ex wife and her lawyer try to extort me with the gun at first, you know what I'm saying.

And it was just one of those situations where my lawyer was like, what gun, What are you talking about?

We don't know about no gun, you know what I'm saying.

So then I go play in the game.

They were trying to lock me up at halftime, but they wouldn't let him, you know what I'm saying.

The security in there, the guys in there was like, no, Raymond is a good dude.

We're not gonna embarrass him like that.

We'll make sure he turned himself in after the game.

So I get after the game, they called me.

I'm in my car.

They call me and they said, look, there's a warrant for your arrest, and I'm like for what They was like, it's dealing with a gun situation.

So once that once they said that, I knew exactly what it was, but I didn't know what she said.

She told them people that I was gonna kill myself.

She was scared that I was gonna kill myself and I was gonna kill her.

I'm like, kill myself.

Nobody worth that, Like, ain't killing myself about nobody else.

So she had to come back to the courts because they weren't even gonna let me out.

I was locked up for about eighteen hours, like, and I was only supposed to be there for a few hours, and the next morning I was gonna be the first person they were supposed to see.

I end up being there throughout the whole day to that night.

She had to come back to the courthouse because my lawyer he called me, No, he didn't call me.

He came to where I was locked up in and he was like, did you ever pulled a gun out of her?

That never in my life.

So I never touched her trying to put my hands on her.

That he had take a pistol to put in her face, and he was like, are you sure, I said, I take it to the grave.

Yes, I never did, so he said, all right, So he went back.

They brought her in.

She had to tell the judge, no, he's never done that.

So they weren't gonna let me out.

They was gonna take me straight to jail because they said, that's an automatic feeling for pulling the gun out on somebody in New York.

So I was just one of those things where it was just a lot of lies told.

And she turned the gun in and they never found it on me.

They never, They never caught it on me.

No, you know, all this time, I'm thinking, you riding with this motherfucker.

No, I kept it in the crib bro.

I never took it in my car because I knew what the rules were, but I never wanted to get caught with it, So I never had it in there with with me driving around the city.

Never.

Never, But it was in the house.

Of course.

She the only one who knew that.

My homies didn't know, My parents didn't even know.

She the only you who knew.

So she she she went with a move trying to set me up because we had a prenup and she couldn't get no money because we won't married long enough, so she couldn't get no bread.

So she was trying to find a way to get a million bucks out of me, you know what I'm saying.

So but I still end up having to give her something just because the divorce lawyer told me, I remember this to this day.

We was in the back in the chambers.

She said, look, give her two hundred and forty thousand, finished paying Just go ahead, pay off her on because she was going through law school, going finished paying off for law school, and walk away from this because you got a bigger monster to deal with.

And that was the that was the gun charge.

So I'm going through divorce court and dealing with this pistol all at the same time.

So she just let told me to go ahead and just get this out of the way.

We're gonna be done with this.

Give her that money, and now you gotta go.

Deal with this.

Now doing all this, are you working out?

Are you trying to stay in shape?

And like, what's your mental part?

As far as.

Didn't give a damn about no basketball, it was okay.

I was mentally I always seeing it.

Man, I was so messed up because, I mean, all they was telling me the whole time is that you're going to do some time.

So I'm going to jail.

I'm losing.

I lost my under armored dorsement.

Well under armored stuck with me, and they still end up paying me after they found out the whole story.

But they took me off all the promo stuff, all the magazines.

I lost McDonald's deal, I lost a car deal.

I lost all kinds of deals, all kinds of money off a situation that was a lie.

Yeah, did I have the pistol, Yeah, but nobody would ever known.

She took it out of the house to the precinct and got me locked up.

But I lost so much money off there, bro.

But the biggest thing is my freedom that I could have lost.

I could have been in jail for nothing, for no reason, for something that I didn't even do.

So I think all of that kind of helped.

All that kind of played in with that.

And then, like I said, man, the grace of God, you know, for him and just for all the prayers for my mom and just just my family that I got out of that situation and didn't do no time back.

A great, humble, good, good guy, always being man.

He knew so, like I said, man, he knew what was going on.

He had you through it.

So that's probably was the most diversity that you've been through in your career.

Probably, Yeah, at that time, Yeah, because you know, you know, you think about it.

I'm thinking, like I'm gonna lose my contract.

Our headed lost him, lost them endorsement deals.

You know what I'm saying.

I was about to.

I was with under arm I was one of one of the top under armored athletes.

They was actually finna put my shoe out back home where I'm from and all the foot lockers they had already had my shoe out in New York, in Manhattan.

They was finna take it that summer to my hometown, bro, back where I'm from.

All that got messed up, bro, all that got messed up, and from that point on, I couldn't get no legitimate deal.

Everything was just like minimum league minimum for the last five five years that I played.

I played five more years after that, you know what I'm saying.

And I was to do that because you know, lucky, you know, you know how I go blackball.

You know what I'm saying.

Nobody don't want to sign you so but nobody would never really give me real money out outside of that once once that means I ain't gonna say real money, because you know, I mean, I was a million dollars, but just the contract that I felt like I played for and that.

I deserve, I could never get it like a lucrative deal.

Yeah, I can never get it again.

Bro.

It was always one year deal, two year deal.

It was always deals like that.

So but I gotta get your age and his props show because get back in the league.

After one of them gun childs, I look up, I say, damn.

He's back in the league.

We gotta get watch my back on the.

He came back.

Yeah, man, you came back.

Bro, you was you was on it, hungry, angry and just just a whole bunch of things making.

Like I said, man, I had a lot of a lot of like a lot of fake friends too.

Man that just thought I was gone and just kind of just let me get out the way from him, let me stay away from him.

And then once I got back there, all what up, my nigga, It's all good, you know.

I just I just gnad at them, you know what I'm saying.

But all that kicking it with be moving.

Nah, I can't.

I can't rock with you no more after that, you know what I'm saying.

You show your true colors.

You know what I'm saying.

If you can't rock with me when I'm down and out and when I'm going through something.

Don't try to rock with me when it's all glory and good.

I can't fuck with that.

That's when you see it.

When that there, you go real every.

Touch, Let's go twenty four my last game, staying ready.

Somebody had to get ready, man.

I played one on one with Jimmy Butler every day.

I ain't get paid for that.

I didn't have to do that, you know what I'm saying.

I played one on one with band like, just preparing myself, just making little deposits man, good deposits man, knowing I probably ain't gonna play the night.

But well, when I do get my chance, I would be ready.

I would be motherfucking ready, you know what I'm saying.

So for me, dog, I've always just continued to work and continue to put myself in a position so when my opportunities come, I can cash in on ambitious Because you don't know when they coming.

You don't get to pick and choose when they come.

You know what I'm saying, But you better be ready, bro.

He could have been he could have played the mythis.

Oh I could have, y'all.

I could have I definitely could have.

Boys.

I always have respect for y'all.

Boys, what y'all was able to do?

Man?

Like I said on TV the other day, Man, that's dog.

That dog.

You put a dog in the Kenner with other dogs.

He gonna make a pack, yeah, Kenner with some cats and gonna bark and bite motherfuckers.

Y'all go think he crazy?

He crazy, just being himself speaking of crazy, bro, I got it, I got it.

If I wouldn't be done, Cole ask this man.

You know I'm gonna come here.

You know we coming to Peach doing no violence.

We ain't doing nothing unstructured.

So why I want to come and say?

Man?

How do how do I play a part in squashing that he Celtics beef?

Man?

I heard, I heard a few comments you made about the guy to come.

I'm gonna tell you this.

I'm happy you brought that up.

NNA tell you this.

I ain't no my beef.

It's not with the current Celtics Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown, got nothing but love for them boys, and my beef even with certain people that play for Celtics.

And I'm gonna tell you right now, I can say this on TV.

My beefing even with KG and it's very because he said something the other day and I was like, you know what, man, KG cool, you know what I'm saying, real, Paul, We're gonna have to figure that out.

And that's why I'm here, so that I'm here.

So I'm here.

You understand I'm here.

I'm here, man, let's squash this be we're stronger together.

You're right, I agree, said, but I would say this, man, I just come from a place where you just can't say what you want to say to people.

That come consequences with that.

And they got to a point sometimes where he used to say things on the court to people I just didn't think you was okay.

Right now, I'm just leaving.

I mean, he's a battle man, you know you Yeah, okay.

And then where we're from, the trunk gonna get popping, the whole part, like keep it, let's keep it real.

You talk like that at the park, the trunk don't get popping and ship getting aired out.

Yeah, So like why just because we on this stage, it's okay, now, no same rules apply, be respectful.

It's competition, but the ain't gotta be no whole ass bitch ass niggas and all that.

We a you doing well, we're talking to because if you're talking to me Zo, you I don't know if Zebra remember this.

Do you remember when we was in Portland and Reuben Patterson said what he said?

You remember Zo came out of the locker room.

I was standing next to they locker room.

Zebo like, why you here?

I got to talk to this man because you don't tell no other man and stuff.

Well, I'm srong, that's what Z like like.

I was like, no, z Bo, and I told you what he said is Z was like, I'll see why you down here, Brom, finishtraighten this ship.

I listen.

I took the fastest shower elverum.

I ain't gettyhing, but hit my arm pits and I'm gone.

He was out there too, Bro wait waiting to wait.

You don't say no ship like that, No man, that's consequences to that man.

And I teach my kids that even today.

Man, you can't just say anything to anybody and think it's okay.

I tell my kids, Yeah, Bro, be respectful.

I don't give a if it's the janitor or the CEO.

Be respectful.

Dog.

I ain't never disrespecting nobody in the basketball court.

I'm gonna compete at the highest level, the highest I'm gonna work my ass off not to let Zbo catch the ball.

Have I ever disrespected you in any shape form of fact.

Have you ever heard me disrespect I don't, But in competition, Yeah, we're gonna go at it.

I'm not finna say no crazy shit to nobody.

Man.

So for me, that was just my only issue as a basketball player.

Man, I'm a fan of KG as a basketball player.

I'm a fan of Paul.

But on that other ship, I just can't go.

So we gat me and KG, ME and KG.

I could.

I could sit out with KG, man, and that's cool, and me and Paul we probably get to the place where we can sit down.

Man.

But saying that I ain't deserve my jersey and the Raptors, man, not that kind of you deserve it.

You deserve it.

We got the same, you know.

I know I had to come and do my due.

But I appreciate you doing that because that is something that has been on my mind.

I'm at the point in my life I'm man, Listen, if it ain't peaceful, wanted number of peace.

Bro.

Yeah, I don't been through enough, man, I don't lost enough.

I don't have enough battles.

I'm about winning now that that that that ship do need to get put in to sleep?

Yeah?

You feel me like, ain't nobody trying to carry that ship?

Yeah?

Get put to sleep?

Man, I can see this right now.

You know what I'm saying.

Men, kg we straight ain't no pressure.

Me and Paul will figure it out.

Yeah, dig that y'all have you Meanwhile, I got we had had something.

Yeah, I appreciate you all for doing that.

And then you went to the Jaints suit Dragons.

I did.

I did, man, that was that was the experienced I say it right, yeah.

Right, But I've been saying, Look, I ain't gonna lie.

And when I always told myself when I was young, I used to be like, yo, I want to experience that China, that China experience.

We look at players that went over there and had great career shoutouts my boy left the husband, shout out boy aw.

Berry sellinger over there right now, yep balling.

What was just my boy Sonny over there, Sonny Walliams.

Son Marshaw and Brooks over there, Seawan Brooks over there.

Get to it.

So I just want to know what, like why do players go over there and have so much success, and what was your experience, Like, well, for one, you are the foreigner, so when you go over there, they expect you to score forty thirty forty oh yeah, oh yeah, Like that's like I'm over there, and it's weird because when I was over there, like I'm a team guy, Like I'm over there getting the postcats and they triple team in me and I'm throwing it to my wide open guy that I know y'all brought him in at six a m to shoot threes all god damn day.

But then when I throw it to him, You're gonna yell at me, talk about no, we brought you here to score.

I'm like, god damn, I.

Can't get this on the triple team man.

But no.

But that's really that's the mindset over there.

They're like, no, we bring you here, we want you to score.

Like that's literally how they want the foreigners to do over there.

So for me, I was a different type of player, Like I played within the system, like I'm a big I counted on the Mike Collys of the world.

My point guard is to put me in great spots, and I'm a willing pass or you know.

Now I'm dunk the ball.

I'm gonna get rebounds.

Some black shots play defense.

You know, I'm gonna do everything you need me to do.

But I'm not the one that's gonna force up shots.

That's just not my game coming from Indiana, as you know.

So, but that experience was, it was amazing.

It was learning different cultures.

Like I said, by the end of it, I was smoking a pack of cigarettes today.

And putting that much stress on you.

Now, don't let me tell you about when they got them the day that they cut me.

So every month I was supposed to get two hundred green and I remember we lost January thirty first, and we was in the hotel, so we was officially out of playoff contention.

My ass in the hotel lobby, hiding behind a chair.

They can't find me.

I got my little I got my little one.

I'm just seeing the hotel lobby.

I know they knocking on my door, but look, Final eleven fifty two.

They want to see you.

I'm like, get the fuck out of here.

I'm trying to you know, I'm just trying to make it to twelve man.

They cut me Man eleven fifty two January thirty first, before I got another two hundred on February first.

Oh, so you was dunking the I when I found me, Bro, you too big.

I really shouldn't left the hotel.

Bro, you should have dipped.

Man.

That's interesting, man, because I ain't gonna lie.

I always wanted to, like see what that experience was like.

Man, they would love you over there.

I God, I can't do it.

I just never been that type of guy.

Man.

Then we got to go do a camp then, and they'll come and just love you to just do and show them how to score for cool.

We that man?

After Mud coming to China, Baby, bring me back.

I won't smoke the cigarets.

I swear to God.

What's good after Mud?

Family.

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I'm a big fan of Asia, so we're gonna go more on points off the bat.

We're also gonna take her more on rebounds.

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Gag.

Now, feast of Kyer has been getting busy, so we're going to go more on points and rebounds for her.

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Make sure you guys go with the price picks, download the app and use promo code.

Mud.

I got drafted to the worst team in the NBA.

You know what I'm saying.

We're the youngest team ever assemble.

That team won eighteen out of eighty two games.

The year before we got there, we won we won thirty one out of eighty two.

Then our second year, we was one game out of the playoffs.

So we was about to be like the shit and we would have made the playoffs.

Our second year, we would play the Lakers in the first round and it would have been crazy, that's what they was talking about.

But we was one game out the playoffs.

So next year we like we know it's going to be there.

So I got a chance to do a movie.

They asked me to do a movie called Perfect Score with Scollar, Johannes and then Chris Evans.

So I decided to do the movie.

I didn't want to do the movie at first.

My agent made me do the movie, so I decided to do the movie.

So I had to go to Vancouver for like a.

Month and a half to do this movie.

In Vancouver doing the.

Movie, out of everybody who thought they would got traded, everybody thought that I was the one that was untouchable, like on some lucashit, you know what I'm saying.

They thought I was the one that was untouchable.

So they called and my agent Collin, told me I got traded, so they had to come to Cleveland.

Had to come to Vancouver and take me through the physical for me to go to Cleveland.

So now I just got traded to the worst team in the NBA.

So when I get traded to the worst team in the NBA, shit, we won seventeen out of age two here, so it was like I was when I got traded.

I was sad because I'm leaving my homeboys.

You know what, I'm saying like I was in a perfect situation, you know what I'm saying.

I felt I was in you know what I'm saying.

But I didn't really realize what the NBA was really about until you get that first trade.

So I got traded after I was sad that, you know, I ain't gonna play with Q no moren'tna play with my guy.

I was excited, you know what I'm saying.

They did a whole article on me in the ESPN magazine because I'm like, yeah, shit, that's my turn.

Now I'm finna getting busy on it for It's definitely finna arry about twenty twenty five.

But when I got over there, the organization really was trying to lose to get Lebron the next year.

So we won like seventeen games, and shit, the next year we got Lebron.

What was all that hype?

Like before you know Lebron coming in, it was a lot of hype.

I used to be man.

I used to be a Lebron game bro.

I used to be in his game.

His game used to be jam pat like.

They used to have to start playing at the I think it was a junior college or something like that.

I don't know if it was an official card, but they used to have to start playing in the college because it was that many people coming to his games.

Like you're talking about how I used to call out.

I used to call back to the crib and I used to tell my homeboys.

I was like, Bro, it's this dude in high school.

Bro, he might be the best high school player ever.

Because I seen him throw it twin his legs in the game.

I'm like, shit, he might be the sick best high school player.

Them boys like, nah, folk.

Nah, it can't no, No, it can't.

No, it ain't.

He ain't better than you.

I'm like, bro, I'm watching this dude.

This dude is going through one and it's looking effortless east and I'm arguing with my homeboys about him being better than me, and I'm calling him about about him.

So, you know, shit, And he got there.

Shit, he was nice.

He was real, Like I was already hooping with him before he got there.

I had a relationship with him, like we was cool.

Family was cool, Like I knew Rich mav all On and shit, he was the real deal.

What do you say about the hype?

But not even the hype when people was enjoying the hype.

You know what I'm saying, him coming in him actually living up to the hype.

A lot of you know, we've seen no camera with guys saying like Carlos Booze.

You heard his comments in the media, Yeah, and a lot of people saying that, you know, they had guys better than him.

At the time.

It was, that's not a like they you know the media, bro, they'll take a statement from you and they'll make it out of something like the stuff that I said.

If they really broke down the whole interview and seeing every word that say it, I was actually taking up for him, okay, because they was putting all this pressure on him to trying to say this this kid from high school for to come and just completely turn this whole organization around.

Bro, we ain't seen Kobe, we ain't seen kg we ain't seen none of them just hop in and just instantly just change.

This shit around.

They gradually got good and got better and being the franchise player.

So I was defending him, but you know how the media is, they tried to spend in another way which I wasn't tripping.

I don't give a fuck.

With Boozer, like, yes, at the time when he got to the league, like Ricky was better than him, Like I was probably better than him.

Like you know what I'm saying, That's not no knocking him or not saying that he wasn't good.

He was a kid coming out.

Of high school.

He eventually, of course, he eventually got better than us.

But that wasn't Everybody took it like that was just a false statement or he was hating on them.

Boozer wasn't hating on Brian, like we never had a problem, but they was making this seem like guys was hating and had a problem.

His locker was put right next to mine exactly, Like they knew me and him was that tight and that cool.

That's the reason they put his locker right next to mine.

They knew we already had a relationship, you know what I'm saying.

So that media switch, but the media will take it and put.

It somewhere else.

And you know, we're from the hood.

The words that I might have used, yeah it might sound funny like that, but we don't got no media training.

That's the reason they don't have the camp.

They don't have the mics in our face all the time we're gonna say something, they don't it don't come out right, you know what I'm saying.

So but it's all up.

But my first time meeting Kobe was just you know, kind of automatic connection.

He knew I was coming to the team, and we kind of broke it down in ten seconds in Italian and that was like kind of breaking every barrier and uh the iceberg, and we started talking and then he didn't need much time.

He already had Yola, marrymum.

When we were in and Ala in San Diego, we were a training camp and you know, you know how I played you guys kt it like you probably hated me because I'm just all in.

You know, I was crazy, and Koby saw that.

Didn't carry.

I was like, I used to be like, who is this small fucking thing.

He's so tough coming from it, I was like, it was like this moll fucker.

He didn't start cursing you out and supplaining your language.

I'm like, amen, oh he did.

He tough what you was.

And I'm telling her every time, I always thought you had an attitude or something that was that chip on your shoulder always, I.

Always said, all my life, like I was.

Just when I got on a basketball court, I was a different person.

You know, I can, we can be cool and everything, but I just want to win.

I want to find the way.

And Kobe being my big brother and it still is.

You know, he's with us and Gigi also that's why every every you know, kind of basketball thing I do.

I make sure that exactly.

There with us.

Like you know, when you when you want to ask yourself a question and Kobe's with us, look at your phone and you see eight and twenty four, you know he's there, and then eighteen my number sometimes.

So anyhow, long story short, Kobe was like, I can, I can play with you, and we just kind of connected and he knew he could count on me, and that was his biggest thing.

You know, people nobody liked Kobe, Let's be honest, Like everybody was jealous, hated him because he was different, because he wanted to get to that level.

And once I had that, I knew that, you know, I had to stay.

And then meeting Jeanie for the first time.

Uh, you know, being in a family business, it's not always easy.

But when you know, I met everybody doctor Buzz, Then I met Genie.

I remember it was in the old El Segundo facility and it was just like, wow, I'm really here.

Like that made me like realize, like and she was always the nicest and people don't realize that, you know, being the only female sports owner in you know, in one of the best franchises.

She was my big sis.

So you know, I think we have the best franchise Boston might be on Bertillia.

I knew, I knew I'm opening, but that's the that's the beauty of it.

But you know, meeting her and people don't really realize how, you know, forty five years now, she's been there with Linda Rambis, who's you know, also very up time.

It's like if you guys watch Godfather, one of my favorite movies, you got to, you know, the Godfather in Constidary, that's who they are, uh, And Ginny was just since they won, they've welcomed me to the family and I'm grateful for that.

So it was It's not easy, you know, going through our ups and downs, especially breaking our hearts in two thousand and eight.

But I'm jumping ahead.

I just want to get over two thousand and eight because I know that it's going.

The marbs there being there trying to you know, hit a ring and you get there and they tray him bring Kawhi in everything cal what that was like?

I mean, I think once they trade for Kawhi right team that they were the win now mode and and they had the Uh Jonahs, Valentiunas and any Baka as centers, and they were trying to find a different type of player that fit in, you know, with what they're trying to do right because they felt like Jonahs and and Surge were similar players.

So you know the option of me going up there became available obviously because you know, the Grill has made it known that they were looking to trade me and Mike.

So once I get up there and I look at the roster, I'm like, there's nothing to be said.

There's nothing to be said.

You have you have a superstar, you have lead role players, you have a great bench with young guys that are hungry, you have a great coaching staff.

There's nothing nobody needed to tell me what I was doing there.

We all knew.

We all we all acted like it every day every game.

Everything was trying to build, you know that that trust and confidence and That's that's how we you know, that's how it went and when it was pretty simple and and and when you start fresh, you know, situation from Memphis that you or not, you have a you know a lot of emotions and a lot of uh invested uh in in the franchise like the Grizzlies.

Once you go to a different place, which was obviously new to me because I was I was in Memphis for eleven years.

Having a fresh start was also you know different and uh and you have no no feelings attached to anybody.

You know, you can be honest.

You can be you know whoever you know you need to say to a teammate, you can say because they know there's nothing to it like, there's no things from the past.

It's just straight honesty.

And and that was that was I liked it.

It was fun and obviously you know, trying to win it all that.

Was what you're a champion.

When you got your champion and you got your ring, I felt like I wanted which you were there.

You all were there a time.

I told you guys this last year.

At times like through the whole playoffs my first two series, I had to be the defensive stopper I was playing against Mick Buscevic was the leading scorer for UH for Orlando.

Then I played agains Joel Mbi, who was the leading obviously like one of the main guys in the league at that time.

So I had a big pa role on that right and the moment they would say, hey, Mark, you need to be more aggressive.

So I'm like, ship, what would Zebra think about this?

How would gebra attack it?

Like I would try to get my Zebra mode a.

Little bit right.

So in a way, y'all were there with me because like who I am as a player is it's probably all too because that's how you know, that's how we build it.

So like I said, you know, for me, like winning the ring, that's why I engraved inside.

G n G.

Crawd when I saw that.

But it's true, though, it's true, it's true true.

Thinking about us bro because you because you all know that that was our goal to try to bring in mofucker here and so for you to do that, man and go out there play a role though roll and all that.

You got a chance to play with Kawhi Leonard, who was arguably at the town one of the best players in the League Monsters, winning ship with your boy Kyle Larry who he he really wanted to be in Memphis probably won't say it, but you know he won't, but that's says y'all.

Rolled and he came back for a circle, man, and you put that gm G in there.

Man, it was big.

But talk to us about like the comparison, like and winning championships overseas and winning.

Won in the league.

Do you compare to you put one over the other world?

How you look at that?

Well, think about my championships in Spain with the national team like those cats, and we play every summer together like there's no changing, there's no things of that nature, right, Like it's not a franchise, it's the national team.

And you you brought up together for so many years the national team two thousand and six, My last game was twenty twenty one.

For fifteen years, pretty much played for the most part with the same group of guys, one of them being my brother Power played.

You know, he retired to in Tokyo twenty or twenty one.

So it's a different type of thing.

But it's it's very short, like you only played together for six weeks, so it's hard to not get along either, right, like because it's only six weeks, you know, we all together.

You play for like three four weeks and that's about it.

Where the NBA, it's a grind, it's a long season.

A lot of she can happen, you know, where things go the wrong way and you lose your chance of winning.

Because in the NBA you have a lot of excuses that you can make if you want to, Like, you know, my body hurts, my coaches don't play me, something happened at home that you know, get you off of your focus.

So a lot of she can happen where you know, it's very unstable the NBA life.

So I cherished every year that we played because we stuck together no matter what, Like at all times we could have mad excuses just to quit.

Never did that, never.

Never.

I want to know, though, Man, you played with that guy man obviously who I think is Michael Jordan and my you know, obviously big salute.

We watched Mike on WGN, your old life, but actually getting into the league that was the closest thing to it.

Yeah, and you got a change to obviously play with him.

Can you talk to me because a lot of people you know, they hear about the work ethic, they hear about them getting up in the morning and things of that nature.

Was that contagious in your work abage?

Of course?

Of course?

Like or that That's how I always been anyway.

But of course, like I mean, they used to have Craig Hodges and kareem updor Jabar passed on me have to shoot around like you know what I'm saying, like stuff like that, Like you know what I mean.

Like, but that's always been my my thing too.

With every time you've seen Kobe's like he doing something else get better at basketball, whether you watch the fil or whether he in the you know, training room getting his injuries worked on, whether he lifting ways, whether he getting up shot like every time you seen it was he was basketball for like he had he had something that he wanted to accomplished, you know what I mean.

And that's why the most you was you got a chance to get i mean, be front center with it.

And that's why I'm pretty sure it rubbed off where you you know, you come back to the gym, get shot up.

You want that nighttime for old cold man.

Did he instilling.

Just like any empowerment to you when you played, did he give you confidence?

He talked to us about playing alone save a lot of people think Kobe just was a loner.

A lot of people think like Kobe with nobody.

I mean, like I mean, just tell us about your experience and being.

With Oh no, just like again, it's just like he'll He'll just tell me demolish whoever it is that's in front of me, like you know what I mean, And that's just like that, That's all I could That's all I can say, Like you know, you ain't had to say, don't say let's don't say, you know what I mean?

Like that's like that's all I needed.

And I used to watch them, like I sit back, I'll watch.

I don't talk much.

I set back, I watch, and I learned, like you know what I'm saying, I like how you do that?

I implement that into my game, like you know what I'm saying, Like I'm that type.

So like just to see like how he was working and how he was doing his thing, you know what I mean.

I kind of had that, but it obviously it took it to another level because you know it's production, like you said, Michael Jordan, like I had to still stay in reality, like, oh, you know what I'm saying, but you know what I'm saying.

So it's it's like it's like you live in a dream, but at the same time, you still gotta go out there and produce, you know what I mean.

That's why I was happy.

I'm man for filled just to you know, like have that have that belief in me that put me out there in these games, you know what I'm saying, on the way to the championship and we're gonna We're gonna win, And like I appreciate that.

For speaking the field.

Speaking the field, you think that triangle offense can work into league today?

I feel like if you if you teach it right and you got the right players to play in it, it's definitely gonna work.

It's been proven eleven time.

God damn popping this shy.

Yeah he got rings, but no, I ain't gonna lie.

It'd be so funny, man.

It'd be times where when I be just sticking that offense.

I know y'all gonna come to that mid post.

If you're catching in the post, you ain't really looking for that mid like you ain't looking for no score unless you pile it's gonna be like a split action.

Don't get caught on the back go or don't get caught with their Christian coming around and get a three bro the Okay, they don't got that boom, They don't got none of that.

So now somebody's gonna run to the opposite elbow catch it, boon't let the big come off the handoff.

He about to run to the corner.

He about to run to the corner.

Set up the same train on the other side.

Yeah you could.

You couldn't take a thing away.

Hey, Hey, hey, s B I study.

Yeah, I know.

A lot of film work because it's like it's almost like a quick hitter option because because they got so many talented players.

But if Kobe catching in that post, or if he catched any any of them angles, Kobe catching that, he's gonna funk you up, scoring thread every time, scoring every.

Time to catch.

And I'm just y'all was well structured.

When everybody do the offense, y'all want changing, And man, it just sold me that y'all had just a lot of discipline it.

Man, I ain't gonna lie.

I always wanted to know this because I played Paul piers One on one then every time he wanted whenever he wanted it, I was, I was in shape, ready meal, weight room exercises, not doing so.

I just wanted to know that Kobe ever extend those office of one on one against.

But but I had to play against play against him every day in practice though, Like so it wasn't even know what.

He was like a dang, yeah, come out white slation every time.

So I got you, you know, yeah, I had to.

I had to handle my business.

So he was try and go it like that.

I was like, of course, I'm gonna stay humbover act.

I'm shooting, shooting, shooting, knocked that one for that.

That's the most discouraging ship he used to do to me.

But I ain't gonna even lie, bro what you when he.

Said shooting, Bro, I'll be wide open in the corner that man and just look and just turn around and wait for me.

To shoot it.

That ship is so discouraging though I don't even know so.

Man, listen, like just won't even attempt to come to it.

No, I ain't gonna say he knew I was.

He knew, yeah, work, he knew I was on that Like he want you know what I'm saying, but you know what I'm saying the next time down, you know what I mean.

I might don't, but we edit though, we edit, We we edit like all the time.

Stick him in the game, you ready to practice anyone gang he because he was so smart with the triangle.

He knew how to break off the play but still be in the right spot.

Yeah, you know what I'm saying.

If that makes sense, No, I understand all.

Like you know what I mean.

So he get the ball and just go, I got that works here for Yeah, they hit you one dribble shot fake to the line, Like you know what I'm saying.

So it just it just all depends on on on on what he what he wanted to do at the time.

But at the same he played within the offense, if that makes sense.

But then still forty like quick and somebody else, somebody else got a doug were next thing, you know, we up twenty five.

You know what I'm saying.

It was always that easy, but yeah, you know what I mean, Like that's that that's the beauty of the triangle.

That's why what you would have won that twelve We the one that let well that third one in the row Dallas swept, but they did us seeing they couldn't missed from the three.

Boy, I ain't gonna lie that's still hurt They got that the third.

Yeah, I still want that back.

It was a lot going on now, yeah, but I still still want that one back though, I ain't gonna lie that that one hurt out.

Three of them things, three in a row, re right, you know what I mean?

Like keeping history high posed to go?

How was it leaving the bulls?

Like was it a bitter sweet situation?

I think it was.

It was it was time.

It was time.

It was time.

You know.

I started doing a lot of like this violence prevention work, and I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of it kind of got to me.

It was just too much going on on the outside.

Like you know, you do all these things and you try to do right and you know in the community, and then you just you hear kids dying and kids that was around there not hear you see that, Like just the energy that some of these kids have to deal with in this city.

You know, this is not things that like I was accustomed to, Like this is not things that I grew up around.

And just to feel the pain of that some of the kids that I was working with had to deal with, Like it really hit, It really hit different, and I think it started affecting me even on the court, you know, because I felt like as a player, I was just getting more and more into it and it was just like I was, I couldn't I couldn't have that same energy on the court.

I was.

I was mentally drained.

And that was that was tough.

That was that was tough, and like.

Injuries lost my confidence mm hmm.

I remember Dirt coming over to the crew, my my family, like we cooked for Dirk.

I remember that night one of his homies got killed.

Who was we were breaking bread with?

It was just like so much ship was going on.

I'm in the United States to asking me all kinds of questions, like it was just like it was just time, man.

It was just.

You know, it was like it wasn't all just peaches and cream.

It's when it was time to leave here.

There was a lot of moving parts.

Who's who got who was who got traded?

Jimmy was hot, mm hmm.

It was it was time for Jimmy to take over, you know what I'm saying.

It was I think it was just time for me and Pood.

To move on.

He talked about balance prevention was I know you obviously, I'm working with you doing Commission Commission.

Meanwhile, talk about your introduction to that field of you know, man of prevention and how long you been doing it and what led you to that.

Well, I think that for me, it was like I had an opportunity to.

See how my father was moving his in the tennis and you know, seeing when you're an African, you know, social work is you expected to do that.

So I got to see my.

Dad do it at a high level what he was doing building tennis courts and in the neighborhoods all across France and Cameroon as well.

So I was just able to see his social work and I knew that that was something that I wanted to do.

When I came to you know, when I was able to have my own money and platform like the Chicago Bulls, I'm like, all right, let me let me do something.

Not knowing what violence prevention is, I just knew that violence was an issue in the city, not knowing where this is going to take me, And I remember watching a documentary called Interrupters.

And I'm like this shit moved me.

Bro.

I was like, Yo, this is what's going on in this city like this, this is not at all what I was accustomed to.

And I tweeted something like, Yo, you guys got to check out the interrupters.

This is a month if you're from Chicago.

This is a must watch.

I get a tweet back from got Kobe Williams, who was doing all the mediations in the documentary, and we kicked it the next day, you know, we had lunch and we talking and we chopping it up and it's like the next thing you know, it's like, Yo, this.

Is my brother, Like we're really close.

Man.

God is good man, because it could have been any knucklehead off the street.

But just seeing how he moved, how he moved, Like, Okay, you're from this background, but you're able to go to this background and a lot you can go to this neighborhood, Like how did that even happen?

How can you do that?

Like because everybody there is a lot of these kids are living in these like invisible sectors sections that I mean, sure, you guys, you know we can.

You guys had to live that, And that was things that I didn't even know, I didn't even know it was like that, but just to see the way that Kobe moved moved in it, I thought was was it was really inspiring to me.

We were able to bring kids from all different backgrounds.

Okay, now you guys are at the bull You guys like the Bulls, right, so you got we get twenty tickets at the Bulls games.

You guys are sitting with each other.

We can chop it up after the game.

So it just started off of hey, where do we find common ground with the guys who might be into it in the streets or whatever, But now you're at the game and you're sitting down and and then we're having a conversation after the game.

So I took the time.

You know, we'd go to Major Adams on the West Side.

We had a basketball league.

My mom would come with me.

She would do our therapy with them.

Like we were like it wasn't just give money and just bounce.

It was like, okay, we were really in it and doing the work ourselves.

Like you know, if we were doing a basketball league, I got a mic.

You know, I'm talking shit on the mic.

You know, put some flavor into it, and you know, now and then and then like we went to Saint Sabina's Saint Sabinas we did our basketball league, and you know it was gangs playing against each other, right, showing them that they can't.

And know, everybody thought we were crazy, right, who comes in the church?

You know, I'm in the church, like all the reporters are in the church.

The mayor comes like it was it was a thing.

It was a thing, the Nation of Islam doing the security.

And that that hit different.

I was like, man, we're in a church with the nation, everybody putting their their differences aside, but the good of the neighborhood like that was the most powerful shit ever.

So that's the origins of one city.

After that, I was like, okay, we're on or something.

And when I retired, I went to Springfield.

I went to go see the governor and I was like, look, I'm putting in a lot of time and a lot of money and resources in the community.

I need some state funding.

And you know, Pritzer gave me two million dollars to do my programs with with Kobe Williams.

And it was just like being able to get all the ogs to come and this is what we want to do.

We want to do a basketball leaguehere.

We bring the city together there and have the right the right conversation, some workshops and financial literacy and not just Obviously this is a lot bigger than just a basketball league.

So I'm really proud of what we built, and i really feel like it's just the beginning