Blocks w/ Neal Brennan - Blake Griffin

Episode Date: April 3, 2025

Neal Brennan interviews Blake Griffin (NBA Rookie of the Year, 5-time All-NBA, Amazon Prime announcer) about the things that make him feel lonely, isolated, and like something's wrong - and how he is persevering despite these blocks.  ---------------------------------------------------------- 00:00 Intro 1:45 Retirement  12:00 Mentoring 16:10 Clippers 19:50 Are NBA Players happy? 23:03 Sponsor: CookUnity 27:38 Coachability / arguing / Competitive 34:20 Clippers 47:40 Announcing  51:46 Survey 53:00 Sponsor: Huel 55:19 Luka's shape 1:05:40 Positive visualization 1:13:30 General racial ambiguity  ---------------------------------------------------------- Follow Neal Brennan: https://www.instagram.com/nealbrennan https://twitter.com/nealbrennan https://www.tiktok.com/@mrnealbrennan Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81728557 Watch Neal Brennan: Blocks on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81036234 Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle ([e-mail])  Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/neal and get on your way to being your best self. Go to https://www.cookunity.com/NEAL for 50% off your first week. Thanks to CookUnity for supporting the show! Take our audience survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/blockspodcast New customers visit Huel.com SLASH NEAL today and use my code NEAL to get 15% off your first order plus a Free Gift. Sponsor Blocks: https://public.liveread.io/media-kit/blocks ---------------------------------------------------------- #podcast #comedy #mentalhealth #standup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey, before you watch this thing, hit subscribe, would you? Hey everybody. It's a, it's Neil Brennan. It's a blocks podcast. Uh, we heal the earth, et cetera, et cetera. My guest today. I looked it up. I've known for 14 years.

Pretty good. Feels longer. Not no judgment. Um, 14 years when I met him, he was a merely the NBA rookie of the year. He's the first unanimous winner, yes he was the unanimous winner of the Rookie of the Year award in over 10 years. He went on to become All-NBA twice? Three times?

Five times. What? Let's start over guys. I got the wrong guy, apparently. I didn't know if this was a talking plot, like a talking intro or... You shut the fuck up, Intrilo. Five time for, well, all NBA,

and I believe he'll be in the Hall of Fame. He'll run his speech by me. I'll give him notes. He'll ignore them. And he's the new Red Lobster spokesman, which nobody saw coming. I make Red Lobster spokesman, which nobody saw coming. I make Red Lobster famous. And he's about to be on the Amazon pregame,

postgame team with Dirk Nowitzki, and he's basically a retired NBA player, and now he's a full-time announcer, and he's a buddy of mine, and his name is Blake Griffin, yay! we never did figure out how to introduce people. Thank you, I didn't know if I was supposed to be quiet. No, it's fun, it's fun when people intercede. All right, well here's a question I have.

Having spoken to you for a long time about just your life and being a NBA player, were you happy when your life changed from being full-time NBA player to being retired and having a lot more free time? And it seemed like you may have enjoyed the more anonymity. Yes, I consider myself, it's actually a question that I get all the time and people are,

they're always like a little bit weird about that question. They're like, oh yeah, like how are you enjoying your time? Well, it's like a death. Like, oh, your fame died. You see, because that was like not what it was for me. Yeah. I looked at it as like, this is awesome. This is like a whole new life that I have never experienced.

Like I've never. Because the truth is, yeah, you were, you're good at basketball, which is very valuable anywhere, let alone Oklahoma, where they got nothing going on. But you're good from eighth grade? Yeah, I mean, I played basketball my whole life. I don't know when I was like good, but like it became very, very serious for me.

Yeah, like eighth, ninth grade. But I'm saying you get a lot of status from it. Yeah, yeah, eighth grade, ninth grade, like started to get more. I always tell people like, you just like high school, you become sort of like a local city, like you name and then you become a state name

and then you go to college and people know you're in college and you just sort of keep growing in that. I didn't have an overnight thing. Maybe when it came to the NBA, you become more of a name globally. But it came in increments for me. There was never a moment where you're like,

okay, this is a little, that was a very big jump that was hard to deal with. They're not hard to deal with. I do remember my rookie year, we played against the Knicks and I had like two or three dunks that were, they kind of went like viral back when Twitter was young. And I remember that was kind of like a time where I was like, wow, it's like never really slowed down since then.

And it just went like to the, to the moon. But like I said, I was sort of prepared for it. Like I had like, wow, it's never really slowed down since then. It just went to the moon. But like I said, I was sort of prepared for it. Like I'd been prepared for it since my ninth grade year, when you start to get a little bit of that and you learn how to handle it at each level. So it's always interesting for me because I always think about people who just overnight, they become famous and it's just overwhelming. I don't really have that.

Right? What do you think most of it is? Gaging people's reactions. Meaning, I always find fame to be like, you're just trying to calm people down a little bit. Where you're like, hey, no, no, no, it's fine. Yeah. No, no, no, no, no, no.

Yeah, yeah. I'm regular. Sometimes I'll be like, shh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're in like a public, like a crowded place. Yeah. Oh my God. You're like, shh, shh, shh. Yeah. I'm regular. Sometimes I'll be like shh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're in like a public, like a crowded place and somebody's like, oh my God. You're like shh, shh, shh. Yeah.

I got you. I remember Chappelle saw Bill Murray, Chappelle wasn't famous, and he saw Bill Murray on the street in like 1992 or something and Chappelle was like, oh, and Bill Murray just goes. Yeah, yeah. And just like ducked in.

That's like one thing I was thinking about because I just loved basketball. Like, in the NBA, I was a massive college basketball fan. I grew up in Oklahoma. No NBA teams. There was no league pass back then. There was no social media. Like, I couldn't follow all these. But I knew Michael Jordan. You know all the biggest ones.

You just know the national TV games. So the NBA was never... Like, like of course I wanted to play in the NBA, but it was never like this thing where I was like, man, that's gotta be awesome. Like you get, people know, like I just wanted to play basketball and you know, like as time goes on, like you sort of adjust to that and you get used to like all these things, but that's why like when I retired,

it was just so, I'm so happy, so happy. And I played 14 years, I played two years in college. After 16 years of high level competitive basketball, it was time. And I remember seeing some of these young kids come in. I was sitting on- How old are you?

I'm 35. Yeah. And I was sitting on the bench one time and one of our young rookies when I was in Brooklyn, I was just like talking to him. I was like, when did you really fall in love with the game? Like it's like kind of a thing that happens. And he goes, man, honestly, it was when I was like nine or eight, I was watching you with the Clippers and I was like,

oh, he goes, man, I had you Jersey, I changed my number to your number. And I was like, oh, he goes, man I had my, I had your jersey, I changed my number to your number and I was like, oh, I am, I am old. Oh I have to retire. I am old. No wonder my knees hurt so badly.

It was just like a sobering moment for me. It was, I was like, oh man thank you, that means a lot but like in the back of my mind I was just like, oh my gosh, I'm like, and I watched these young kids play, and I'm like, I gotta get out of here. I overstayed my welcome. I can't keep up.

Yeah, so you don't, it doesn't feel like, I think I used to tell you that it's like, it's like a car, when you drive a car off the lot, its value goes down automatically. So it's like the minute you take a jersey off, from retired, from being on an active roster to now. But the truth is probably people, a lot of people don't even know you're retired.

Yeah, I mean, I get that question all the time. You still playing? Who you play for? I'm like, oh, I'm retired, I'm done. But I just don't look at it that way. I don't know. I mean, I also had things to step into to keep me busy, I got two kids, you know what I mean?

Like, there was just so much more to life that I was always very excited about. And I did my time and I don't know, I'm just in a good place and I'm happy with that and I hope that more guys experience this than they do. wide because he's really retired. I mean, this is not a guy who's yeah I mean, that's look at those loafers They're both boat shoes. Wow like a fancy UPS

Yeah, yeah the fancy is like that whatever like they deliver very fancy packages Yeah, like white gloves like sure. Do you want insurance on this? Yes. It's very So, okay, so that's good so you don't feel in any way Reduced which is great. You maybe even feel because you still get to keep all the money and You maybe even feel because you still get to keep all the money and And you have you're basically committed to a girl and you're in a committed relationship and you got kids so there's no like There's no there's no You're not on the prowl in any way anymore. No, you know I have like you know I have some some stuff coming up and and I

Just I feel I feel really good about where I'm at the fame thing and I don't know, I feel really good about where I'm at. The fame thing, that didn't faze me in the least bit. The one thing that I do miss is I'll be watching a game and for two minutes left and it's a close game and it's a great atmosphere, I'm like, oh man, that's fun. But I also wasn't able to play at the level

that I was used to playing at or that I wanted to play at the last like Two three years of my career. So like how do you deal with that? That's another question I have which is like knowing you Enough to know that that must have driven you fucking crazy. Yeah bananas and Fucking off the wall can't sleep for days What did you tell yourself?

Because I also found that you were you were your your inner monologue was always very positive At least from as you presented it to me. Yeah, how was it? How would it be did it stay positive or did you feel delusional or did you have to lie to yourself? No, I think you're just like I mean I think maybe maybe one of my greatest strengths as a player or maybe a person is self-awareness. Like, I knew that I wasn't, like I knew that I could be out there,

but like, especially Boston my last year, I was like, I got to sit on the bench at the end of games, it was like, I'm looking at like two perennial all-stars and like, we had a great team. I wasn't like, oh, I should be out there. Do I think I could help? Yes, but. Is that a pick here or there?

I'll hustle. I'll dive on the floor. What do you need from me? Get the crowd. You'll fall and throw the ball off the guy, that kind of thing. Really helpful stuff. Heady place.

Yes, the intangibles. So like sitting on the bench like that, it wasn't really like a dark, or it wasn't like a super sad, at times maybe frustrating, but I just knew that I wasn't at that same level. So my role became different. I became like a locker room guy.

I tried to be a mentor to young guys. I tried to have conversations with coaches. Lemonade stands. Yeah. Girls got cookies. Peanuts, popcorn, hot dogs. a locker room guy, tried to be a mentor to young guys. I tried to have conversations with coaches. Lemonade stands. Yeah. Pina's, popcorn, hot dogs. He helped. I would do whatever, man. You know what I mean? I was in there closing up the arena.

Because that's just what a rock player does. And where's my... Danny, whichever you want. Not that one. Okay, sorry. Did you, what is the arc of realizing you don't, your body's not the same? No, you just feel it. I mean.

And you go, you wake, whether you wake up or you go to gym or whatever, you're like, I can't, can I jump higher? Couldn't I get more lift? And then you go, it'll come back, and then it just never does? Yeah, and also some days, when you got older, some days I felt great.

Right. And I could, but it was like that recovery was so slow. Like, right? Where it was like you felt good one out every five days, where when I first started playing, it was every day. Every second, every hour, every minute, I felt great. And then you don't feel as good as often. And I just kind of switched into this mode of like,

all right, then I'm just gonna reinvent myself. Like I sort of did that throughout my career. I started shooting more, I started shooting threes. And then I became a hustle guy. I became like a locker room guy, mentor. And like, it was all fun. And I enjoyed it, all of it. Like all the different facets of it.

Like of course, I wanna go play 38 minutes, yeah. But I knew like in my last year, like if I played 38 minutes, like there's a chance you don't see me for a couple days. I might be stuck in bed. You gotta get a rehab check and a rehab. The team got me life alert. Did you, when you talk about mentoring,

is it about playing or is it about the whole thing? Cause that was the thing, seeing your evolution from your rookie year to elder statesman mentor, were there things you wish you knew and are those things even teachable? I remember telling you keep a journal when like maybe your third year on the Clippers

cause I could see how interesting it was and you were probably just like, oh, old man, shut the fuck up. But, what's a journal? So, yeah. So what are you, like what could you, what does mentorship in that capacity look like? And then what do you wish you knew?

It's sort of all encompassing. I wish I knew so much more. It is one of those things where even if you tell guys, like I had some guys, I had some older guys really pass down some great wisdom. I had some not so wise older guys also pass down some. What's some not so great wisdom, I had some not so wise older guys also pass down some not so. What's some not so great wisdom? Not me attributing to anybody, but like a thing that sticks out is like, man, that's

stupid. Just like I had a teammate one time tell me like, hey, you know, you go on the road, you have a girl come over, whatever it is, you know, just make sure you like, you know, either buy him a handbag or give him some cash or something. I'm like, well, that doesn't seem, that doesn't seem, it actually seems counterintuitive. Yeah. I don't think that's, I remember that. Get him hooked on money early.

Yeah, that was like early on. I remember somebody told me that and I was like, no, I'm not doing that. Yeah. The good stuff though. Gift cards, you were a gift card guy. Yeah, you want to go to Red Lobster, you were a gift card guy. Yeah, I don't think so. You can wanna go to Red Lobster.

You wanna get a couple cheddar biscuits. Have at it. Pack yourself out, little lady. Come on, come on, I'm not a monster. What happened happened. Hey, look in that mini bar. Anything you want. Well, I'm not that.

I'm not that. Save the table room. That's for me, That's actually for me. Some of the stuff I think though, you kind of have to just experience it. Somebody can tell you over and over, hey, think about this, do this, you gotta do this. I would tell guys off the court,

I'd be like, start thinking about things you want to do after. It's hard, but just start doing it. I'm so glad that I did that, because like I said, it helped my transition to retirement. And at the end of the, like, we will all retire. It's such a short lifespan as a professional athlete, and setting it up beforehand, because like you said,

it is so much easier to, if you're interested in photography, it's so easy to send a DM or get it to your agent to reach out to somebody, and it's so much easier when it's, hey, so-and-so, NBA player wants to do this. I think I told you that. Like, take advantage of it. Everybody will take a meeting.

And when you retire, it's a little different. Like I said, I started these relationships early on, so that's like an example of something I tried to pass down to guys. And then other stuff is on the court too. And sometimes it's just being somebody who, a guy comes out of the game, he's frustrated. Sit down next to him, let him vent.

And then you just give him maybe a different perspective. Or you get to know guys. Over the course of my career, I think what I really learned about being a leader is, you have to first, especially when you first get to a team or you get a new teammate, you have to invest in time to get to know how they operate, what makes them laugh. Maybe one of my strengths was knowing guys' sense of humor.

So if a guy's frustrated or something, I'm gonna let them vent and then I'm gonna figure out, okay, I can say this or I can say this. Just to break the tension. And that's part of being a leader, okay, I can say this, or I can say this, just to break the tension. That's part of being a leader, investing time in guys, not just being like that guy. When did you start doing it? I started doing, I really started doing it more

when I left the Clippers, or maybe when our team, with the Clippers broke up in their separate ways. That's when I took more of a leadership role because there was a period where I felt like I was a leader but like we were, it was like, it was the same team for the most part. It was Chris, Paul, JJ Red, Deandre Jordan, Matt Barnes, you know, Jamal Crawford.

We all just kind of knew each other. We knew how to operate. We were a good team, never won a championship. We were a good team. And you and Chris always seem, you seem younger than them. You know what I mean? Well, me and Deandre were. Yeah. Like they're a championship. We were a good team. And you and Chris always seem, you seem younger than them. You know what I mean? Well, me and DeAndre were. Yeah.

Like they're all four or five years older than us. Yeah. So it seemed like, who were you gonna tell? Yeah, I mean those guys were all like, I mean, you know, look at Chris Paul, JJ Reddick, Jamal Crawford. Like those were like the guys I played with the most on that team.

Like they were all, we all just kind of had our thing. They were adults, yeah. Yeah, adults, families. Like they were already so like locked in that it wasn't really like, we'd have rookies and stuff, but it wasn't quite the same as when I got older. And then yeah, there's those guys around you can't really talk to rookies

because it's like, hey, go talk to J.J. He's old, he'll have some good wisdom for you. I don't know anything. I was like, hey, you know, you just got drafted, next year you're gonna play 38 minutes, and it's just not relatable at all. Yeah, you're probably rookie of the year. Yeah, that's what I always wonder about.

So when you're, so you think most of it is just empathy. Yeah, empathy, 100%. You're doing what every girlfriend I've ever had has wanted me to do. And probably you too, which is just listen. Just dude, we're just. The problems are so much more interesting when they're about basketball.

It's so much easier to listen to basketball problems than emotional problems from their job. 100%, I mean I said it to you a long time ago. I mean, we're like at the end of the day, like we're playing a game that was invented to pass the time in school for children. Yes. It's a PE game.

Yes. That blew up. Yeah. Like at the end of the day, that's what we're doing. So that's also another thing too, that I try to like, don't think you are just like, God's gift to this earth, and you're like, above this or you're above that.

At the end of the day, remember what we're doing. We're playing a game. But the amount of attention you get for it, it's hard to believe. It's hard to believe it's going to end. And it's hard to believe it's not very important. Yeah, and like, another thing too about coaching, like coaching in the NBA is mostly managing egos. Well, that's what you said one time

that you wouldn't wanna coach. Absolutely not, it sounds awful. I, the coach, guys who can go coach, I'm so impressed that they're able to like compartmentalize and be able to do all these things. Like, do I think I could go coach, maybe, I'm so impressed that they're able to compartmentalize and be able to do all these things. I think I could go coach, maybe, but I don't think I'd enjoy it.

And guys truly enjoy it. Why can JJ do it? He is, I think he's just, the way his brain works is. He's got grid brain. Yeah. I got grid brain, I can see it. He's very, very analytical. And he's also, I was playing golf with him a couple years,

I think, before he took this job. So maybe a year and a half ago now. And he was like, dude, I got that itch. Like I got that competitive itch. And I could tell he was gonna take a job sometime in the near future. Because at first I think he was putting it off and what's crazy is JJ said to me,

we were playing golf and he was like, you know what's crazy is this might sound a little crazy, but you might not ever really truly experience just full happiness until you retire. And I was like, wow, that was like, I agreed. Like I agreed to this day now having been retired. I was still playing at the time. And it's not that like we're unhappy by any means.

Well, that's what you saw Adam Silver said that most players are unhappy. Think it's a direct result of social media. A lot of players are unhappy. I'm an anxious person myself, he said, joking a little. That's interesting. I mean, it is so, it's such a roller coaster. Yeah.

Like, maybe I can see that. And the life, he was talking about like the isolation of it. Yeah, I mean, that's what people don't see a lot of, like, on the planes and the hotel rooms and the meetings, you know, like all that is like, can't complain at all. But like, it's a little bit more mundane and it's way less glamorous than you think it is. Because you also have to get your work in. And like I said, it's not because I wasn't happy, but like, man, for the first time in your life, in your life, especially as an adult,

I make my own schedule. I get to do things that I've never done. It was just like very intriguing to me. Do you still act, it feels like you still exercise. When I hugged you, it felt like a man who exercises. Is that true? I'm a man who exercises. I'll get in the weight room and toss some things around.

Do you still lift weights? I still do. For a year, I was pretty lazy. And I would just kind of randomly exercise. But recently, I've gotten back on. I'm just kind of randomly extra that. But recently I've gotten back on, I'm just better mentally when I do. And not for nearly as long, my body doesn't hurt anymore.

It's just to get a little movement in. No more steroids. Yeah, now I can. Now I can. Now I can. That was the same, I actually. You have any? I might start.

Yeah, fuck. Yeah, I don't know. It's a weird thing to say. I understand that it's probably like a hard thing to grasp, like you're not happy. Like, we are happy, but it's just like a whole new world that has just been opened up and it's like, it's been really exciting.

And yeah, to control your schedule is huge. So huge. So huge. And you don't have to exercise. You're not in breach of contract, kind of. Or if you don't exercise, you're not gonna get your ass whooped by someone in six weeks. Publicly. Well, maybe. Publicly.

Yeah, no, yeah, on television. In front of hundreds of thousands of people. Correct. You're just gonna get embarrassed because you didn't work out. I remember I had this thought, like I was maybe two months in, and I woke up and I was like, I'd still kind of been working

out and I woke up and I was like planning on working out and I was like, I just don't feel like working out to myself and I was like, oh, I don't have to. Like I can just go about my day. And like that too is just like a, there's moments like especially when you're an athlete, like you wake up and you don't want to work out, you don't feel like it, just like a, there's moments, especially when you're an athlete, you wake up and you don't wanna work out, you don't feel like it, just like everybody else.

And you just have to, you have to find a way to do it. The best ones are the ones that find ways to do it. And not only just do it, but push yourself and get better that day. Those are big days, right? Those are big mental days, where you finish a workout when you didn't want to, and you push yourself really hard,

and you walk away, and you're like, yeah. I just took a step. Zach Randolph is not gonna move me for no reason. He probably still will. Yeah, he probably will. Zach, come on out. You know everybody I've played against, I'm like, bro, I'm about to bust his ass straight up.

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You talked about coaching. Somebody I think one of the I think, somebody you played with was talking about toward the end of the Clippers, and there was some story about you gotta tell him, Doc, like, fuck that. And I was like, I don't know if this is a true story, or whatever, but like, were you, were there times where you weren't real coachable

that you wish you, like looking back, you're like, ah. Yeah, there's, yeah, there's definitely, I mean, there's, this is regrets like anybody has, ah. Yeah, there's definitely, I mean, this is regrets like anybody has, right? There's times where I probably maybe didn't, especially in the heat of the moment, maybe didn't react the right way or I said the wrong thing.

That story, I'm not even gonna touch on this story. Fine, I don't even know what it was, yeah, yeah. But yeah, for sure. Especially when I was younger, I sometimes though do wish that coaches, or some of the coaches maybe that I had, they just took the time to understand guys different ways they tick and the way they work.

That was sort of the disconnect for me sometimes. But then 100%, some of that was my fault. Just the way. What was your fault? The way I would react to something, like just my competitiveness would just like, wouldn't allow me to like concede something or just like, especially like.

That's one of his blocks by the way, competitiveness. He's too competitive, sue him. What are you gonna do guys? It worked for a long time, now he doesn't need, well now he's gonna be competitive with Dirk Nowitzki at Talking. On Amazon Prime. Ding, I don't even know what their thing is.

So, well they'll figure out a ding. No way. We'll add that in, you'll get it. I'm gonna need you to add that in. A lot of text. Contractually I'm gonna need you to put that in. Red Lobster. But so you see it as like the worst of your,

like, ah, shit, I wish I hadn't, I wish I'd been more understanding or more. Yeah, for sure. And I don't, it's not something I really like dwell on. I'm not like, God, I ruined everything. I just wish, you know, there's, I'm sure every single person can look towards a situation and be like, I could have handled that better.

Yeah. You know? Like, that's what it is. Is there such a thing as being too competitive as a player in a game? Yeah. I think you can sort of get into this, like, competitive matchup with your matchup, you know?

Where you're just like, I got to beat this guy. And sometimes that's to the detriment of the team. Yeah. Like, you always have to keep the team or the main goal, which is obviously winning in mind. And sometimes I would get into that, you know? And you just sort of get lost in it. It's not like this, you're not like consciously

making this decision, like screw this win. I'm trying to go. You're just like, it's a thing. And especially when somebody starts talking shit to you, you're like, oh, I gotta go at him. I gotta go at him. I gotta, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta be tough. And that can be obviously detrimental.

The competitiveness like being, yeah, your downfall sometimes is just like doing too much, trying to do too much, trying to take on too much by yourself can obviously be detrimental. So competitiveness is like a very important thing, but it also needs to be finely tuned. Right, but how?

Other than just like. Being better, making more shots. Well no, that's what I mean. Like I'm sure that spirit made you score 40 in a game. That, do you know what I mean? Like, or would you consider those, your best performances free of that? Yeah, because my best performances

were always just flowing. Like, you know, they talk about getting to that, that, that like state, right? Like that's, that's how it feels. If it truly feels like you're just like, it's slow motion, you're just doing like, you're- Yeah. You're going through all these things

that you've worked on thousands and thousands of hours. And when you think too much, I always found it was because I was like, I wanted this so badly. Like I wanted to do this, I wanted to score this, I wanted to accomplish whatever thing, that goal I had set out for. And when I just let the game come to me,

which is a very hard thing to do, to just relax. And over time, as I got older, it was much easier. But early on, you're always pressing, for sure. And it almost never works. It can work just because we're all so, this is our job. Everybody's very skilled at this sport, so it can work, but it would be easier,

and it would go a lot further if you just let games come to you. And it's hard, it's easy for me to say, as somebody at that point in my career who's playing 38 minutes a game and I got to shoot whenever I want, it's hard for guys who are coming off the bench and they have four minute span to really show

that they're contributing to this game or helping or being an asset and it's hard for those guys. I felt that towards the end of my career when I would come off the bench, like, all right, I gotta get in here and I gotta do well in these first five minutes or there's a chance I don't play again. But I also kind of loved that challenge too. It was kind of, it was like, it was a game within the game.

Was it a mind shift, mindset shift? A little bit. Or is it just do the thing you used to do over 40 minutes, but do it in four Yes, yes Well, no, I guess not. Which is it? Okay, you're never gonna make it on Amazon Yeah, no I I can assume that it would be like, that would be a fun challenge, but also like it's a bit like you have one scene.

You can tell one guy's in one scene that try to like, they are in a totally different tone than the person they're in a scene with. And it's like, you gotta chill out, man. We're all doing a different tone. But I guess if you gotta do it, you gotta do it. Or you change your identity of like, to be scrappy. Yeah, and that's kinda like what I did

towards the end of my career, especially with Boston. It was just like, hey, like go in and rebound, you know, hustle, dive on the floor, set a screen, you know, hit an open shot. But like I wasn't going like down the court and like, all right, step back, you know, it was just like not, just not the same. That's not what the folks in Boston wanted. I actually took a survey. And what do you make of the relationships you had that you were like, that were like, you, you and Chris were a little testy and looking back, is it like, that were, like you and Chris were a little testy and looking back is it like, fuck, I wish I could,

are there relationships like that where you wish you could approach it differently knowing what you know or if there was a different approach? And I don't even, even calling a little testy may be wrong. Yeah, I mean, I truly think, I think you would say the same thing. Like if you, I think people outside tried to make that

much, much more of a thing. Yeah. But even them making it a thing kind of makes it a thing. Yeah. Cause you don't know who leaked what. Yeah. And it's all outside shit or. But like.

We did some great sketches together. Me, me, Bud and Chris, we legit legit did. BGCP3TVNHD. ZGCP3TVNHD. Me, me, Bud and Chris. We legit legit chit. BGCP3GTVNHD. Uh, I can't even talk about it. You think it's fun being friends with Mellow? Mellow is short for Corn Mellow! You guys really know Mellow? I mean, he's older than me, so we've never really played on the same team, so, like, he seems like nice. AHHHHH!

Yeah, it's like you did get along. Yeah. He seems like nice. Ah, yeah, it's like you did get along Yeah, so it was always it was when I'd hear that you'd mark it along was kind of I didn't understand it Yeah, I honestly didn't understand how like Continually like how that became sort of a thing. Yeah, I think and we like some of the guys that have been on the team like we talk about all the time like our team was like under like a Crazy microscope. It was like it was it was a high stress What does this mean for Blake Griffin who's also a free agent?

Blake Griffin is prepared to give up 45 million dollars of guaranteed money Hi, you're gonna add to the stress? What's that? That, cause it was, it was like top tier team level of coverage. And then there was something a little extra to the Clipper coverage. And that was hard, it was like more Hollywood,

I don't know what the energy was. I think we were just like not a team that was like easy to root for, you know? Oh yeah, a lot of team attacks. I would complain to rest. CP, like we had a bunch of guys who were just like, you know, we're just like, Mouthy. We don't know that we're like, also, JJ like coming from Duke, he's like a Duke guy. People just automatically for some reason hate Duke guys.

Like, we just like, and some of it was on us, like we put that on ourselves, but I wouldn't even put JJ in that category of like not easy to root for. It was just like, I brought that a lot of that on myself and I truly think like a lot of that on myself and I truly think a lot of that, sometimes my arguments with refs was out of just frustration and competitiveness and something else combined. Where I was just like.

You didn't even know what was. No, no, no, I knew what I was doing obviously. But it was just like, I was just like, what? Like, what? And then sometimes after the game I was like, oof, that was bad, I wasn't even close, he was right. You know? It was just like the heat of the moment,

like it's hard not to. For me, it was hard. In the NBA, can you see the ref in the next game and be like, hey, I was fucking dead. Oh, for sure. Yeah, yeah. Oh, and they, okay. Oh, for sure.

And I would try to make it a point to do that, like if I was ever like clearly wrong, or like the next game's the next game. And I think like the refs are so good about like, or most of them are so good about, hey, we're all good, we're good. You know, you go up to them the next game, hey, what's up man, joke with them for a second,

da da da, you move on. And, but yeah, there's just like anything else. Like I said earlier, I mean, there's times where I was like, oh, probably should have left the ref alone on that one. I should have said that. And you think it was just the stress of like, we have a lot of nationally televised games.

There's a lot of people that are counting on us right now. It was that, it was also competitiveness. It was also just like- Adam Devine has season tickets. Do you not see Billy Crystal? He's right there. Some of it was just immaturity too on my part. Like I just didn't know how to like navigate

talking to a ref yet. What's the right way to do it? Is there a right way to do it? Yeah, you give him a break on little things and then you maybe wait to the- Compliment sandwich on? Yeah, maybe wait till the next play's over, dead ball, whatever,

go up to them, hey, just do me a favor, just watch that. Or you go up and they made a call that you thought was wrong, like, there's no way. Or just have that one-on-one conversation. They don't want to be yelled at in front of them. Just like, we don't want to be yelled at. Nobody wants to be yelled at. And that's what I got better at as I got older.

But still, there's moments where even when I was older, I'd be like, what are you doing? Now Blake says, hey, he grabbed me. He interlocked with me. And he goes to the official JTR, and he has a troop on a little iPad there. And some of that is showmanship, and some of that is like,

you're trying to kind of like jockey a little bit through position, and you're trying to, but I definitely took it overboard sometimes. So, all the refs out there. Very sorry. Okay, so you feel like some of it was just like, unavoidable immaturity, because you are 20 something.

Yeah, for like the height of our Clippers days, I was, you know, 21 to 27. Yeah, it's not very old. No, yeah. That was like the Clippers team. And then I was in Detroit at like 28. Yeah, still not old. And then, you know, like by the time I was in Detroit at like 28. Yeah. You know, like that's when I.

Still not old. Yeah, and then, you know, like by the time I was 32, I was like the elder statesman. Yeah. I was just like so old. And do you look at guy, and yeah, I guess the guy, if a guy says, I looked up to you when I was nine. I mean, my rookie year was 20, right?

So. Yeah. I played 14 years, so 14 years later, my last season, when I was playing my rookie year, a rookie who was 19 was five years old. Yeah. You know? Like, it's like, it's hard to, like, think about, like, when you're in the moment, but then, like, some conversation, like I said,

like, hits you, and you're just like, oh, wow, this is crazy. So, but for the most part, you're like, you think you handled the whole, oh wow. Yeah. This is crazy. But for the most part you're like, you think you handled the whole thing. Was there anything physically you could have done differently? I mean, I think like as treatment and sports physio advances, like yeah, sure now.

But back then I was doing everything that I, like the leading research, I was doing everything that I, the leading research, I was doing everything that I possibly could physically to keep going and to take care of my body. I mean, I've had nine surgeries. And to me, I'm like, I had nine surgeries and I played 14 years. It was pretty good.

He'll just bring that up sometimes, apropos of nothing. He'll be like, they'll go, can I get your order? I'll go, I've had nine surgeries. I'll take the number nine and also funny about the number nine. Anyhow. Look at it, an old tape, lift his shirt up at a restaurant. No, no, no, no, get in here.

Look at this. Yeah, it's like, it's off-putting. I got scoffs. Physical and emotional. Well, okay, and how did you find, so it's a high stress job. Would you say it's a high stress job? Yeah, I mean.

Yes, with the caveats of like, it's not life or death. There's real high stress jobs. Like I said, it's a game. But yeah, it is stressful to like, if you have a bad game, to hear everybody talk about it for a long, long time. Well, it's funny, does it inflate your ego in a way that makes it easier to pop?

Do you know what I mean? Like the more praise you get, the more praise you're used to getting, and then any sort of, there was, I remember Malcolm Gladwell did a study, and I think I told you about it, where all the guys that were getting technicals were max players.

It was all, it's all based on like, off the court, these guys get no, they don't get any fouls called on them. Like, interpersonally, on the street, nothing, so when you get called a foul, it's like more, it's. What? Me? I'm sorry, do you know who you're talking to?

Basically. Yeah, I mean, it's a great point. I think the more inflated and the easier it is to inflate that ego, the easier it is where one small thing can be like, what? Yeah, total humiliation. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, I honestly have never thought about it like that. But yeah, 100%. I think that's 100% right. And did it, your parents were always, your parents are super regular They're very regular painfully regular. I'm just like guys. What can I just get kind? We like my mom drives a Nissan Path I don't know what kind of yard is but they're just like and I love them

You don't even keep up with the Nissan's anymore. You're so out of it. Ah, listen, they went Kia, and then after Kia, and then after that, just like, you have a guy who takes care of it. You just, it's like, is that a bit friendly or something? Are people still driving? Are people still driving? Interesting. Huh, huh.

They're buying them, like, they grip the wheel and do all that. Huh. Turning signals. Oh, it was just green screen that whole time. Wow. Yeah, like, your parents'' day is your brother's regular? My brother was like the person that always kind of like,

you know, if I really like did some, did some where I messed up like in a game or whatever, if I got that call from my brother and he's like, no, that wasn't it. Like that one hurt the most out of any, like that conversation always hurt. Would you argue your case? No.

Well, no, no. You just knew. No, I was like, ah. Would you argue your case? No. Well, no, no. You just knew. By the way, most of the time, I usually already knew that I was wrong. Like, immediately after a game, you know, if I like got a crucial tech or I did this or did that, like, you know right away.

Yeah. Like, I wasn't like walking away being like, eh, can you believe that? Yeah. I told him to F off. You know, I was like wasn't, I wasn't like walking away and being like, can you believe that? Yeah. I told him to F off. You know, I was like that, yeah, I probably should have. But again, in the heat of the moment, I was like two very different people on the court and off.

Very different people. Like it was so like, so intense on the court and so like competitive and off the court, I'm much, much more laid back. What do you think the worst thing someone could say about you as a player and they'd be right about? Wow. Not even talking about like style of play.

Oh, like style of play? Well, just like he's got no, whatever, not the scouting report, just of like Blake's an asshole. That might be true. I don't care about that. That doesn't bother me at all. You assume you kind of want to think you're an asshole? Back then, I'm not saying now, but.

In a way, I wasn't out. I never was out to be friendly with guys on the other team. Not really. If there was somebody I knew, great, we're friends, but during the game, fuck you. Doesn't matter. Ex-teammate, person I've known for 10, 12 years, it doesn't matter.

You're on the other team, you're on the other team. Clearly I'm not going out to hurt anybody. But we're not cool during this game. Then after the game we can be cool, but during this game we're not cool. How about timeouts? Halftime, I'll meet you in the lot I'll meet you in the hallway. You want to split a popcorn? Kids good and everything? That's the horn?

Fuck you dude. You don't fuck your kid. That's interesting that's I've never heard you express it that's fun. It is fun. What about like the what about those like were you when they're a fight, what was that famous story of like, is there anything you haven't talked about? And when they're a thing where like, Houston was outside the locker room or there was Chris was involved or?

Actually outside of their team bus, there is a police presence. Two guys who would relish guys coming in here, locker room. Come on man. Are laughing at the fact that Chris Paul is coming to get Blake. It was more so two other people, one of my teammates and somebody else on the other team, and then I guess one of them, I had gotten kicked out of the game.

Now we've got some Paul and Griffin words. We're back there with an elbow there at the end of that play there from Blake. I don't know, I only got kicked out like two or three times. This was one of them. And then somebody, I wasn't on the court, it was at the end of the game and somebody said something to somebody else and then that guy tried to come into our locker room which was like, it was the most classic NBA like scuffle

where it was just like a bunch of guys on this side and a bunch of guys on this side and everybody was like, what? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, you're so, so, you know, no one's doing anything. Yeah. And it was funny because I was just like,

we were just kind of like, I was kind of in the back, like just kind of like looking the whole time. And then like, of course, like the media got ahold of it. And then somebody's like, the police were called and the TNT guys were like, acting like I was the one to call the police. So then people thought I actually called the police when it was like nothing.

And so that's how those things get blown so far out of proportion. Now that you're an announcer, I heard you say some about you'll try to be fair, but you're pro player overall? Yeah, I don't think it's my job to like go just bash players. Like if a player has a bad game, like, let's look at it.

Like was he playing the way he was supposed to play? Was he playing within himself? Was he just missing shots? Like I think most real fans who really know the game can watch a guy play and have a bad game and they're like, yeah, he's had a bad game. Missed some shots. Like that happens. Now if you're dogging it, you're not playing hard,

you're being detrimental to your team, like yeah, I think that's fair criticism, right? Like so I think some people, and I think a lot of times what guys are a little unhappy with is just like that Unfair criticism just to be just to be critical. Yeah, that's just it's just it's lazy from an analytic standpoint and It's incredibly dishonest too. Yeah, just like you know that this is part of a cycle Yeah, and that they'll score 31 the next game.

And yeah, so my goal is that, but also being like, giving analysis, like real analysis, like give insight into like. You know what's funny about analysis? The fact that like, all the smoke or even Stephen A or any of these guys, JJ and LeBron had a podcast Where was all X's and O's and it was kind of popular?

Meaning it wasn't like a runaway hit. It's great if you really love basketball Right, but people don't really love that. They just want to hear they want the drama. They yeah Yeah, yeah like so they as much as people say like, I love the sport, and I'm like, no you're not, because you literally didn't look at it. You don't care about most of the shit. Yeah, I do think that there's a place for some of that.

Sure. Like, I'm not saying like the whole halftime show should be like a breakdown where I'm like, the Miami Heat are switching pin downs. So when Tyler Hero comes off, if he's not shooting the gap, you gotta come over and you gotta switch from underneath and make sure that low man wrote it. Like I'm not, no one's understanding that, right?

Like that's a different language. They think they do in the NFL though, right? By the way, I have like buddies who like, they're like, they're really blocking the A-gap. They're in a nickel-dime front, 42-butt. And then you're like, dude, this is so far above our heads, like what these guys are talking about, and the game prep and all that,

it's so far above most people's heads. And I give some people credit, they really do know the sport. But when it really comes down to professional sports, guys are speaking different languages. Yeah, I watched the game with you once. We watched summer league for 15 seconds, and I had no idea what you're talking about.

Literally no, I'm like, I have no fucking idea what you're talking about. I have a buddy who's a, you know, several buddies who are, you know, ex-NFL players. Another thing he brags about. I got buddies, I've had seven surgeries, go ahead. Nine surgeries. Nine surgeries, sorry.

Nine surgeries, seven buddies. Played in the NFL for years, and I've asked questions because I want to hear them speak that language. No clue what they're talking about. Glaze over. No clue what they're talking about. All the different things that each position is thinking about and having to do and this and that,

you're also trying to think ahead. You're thinking about what they did prior. There's so many different things that go into it. And it's so funny because you see, especially like fantasy football owners are like, oh, come on! And there's so many more things happening. You're just kind of like,

you don't think that guy wanted to catch that touchdown pass? I'm not sure. He wanted to so much more than you. Than you could ever do. And it's like, there's certain times where, yeah, a guy makes a really dumb play and you can be like, oh, what was that? That was awful.

But then there's times where it's like, a guy misses a ball that was thrown 75 yards and he tried to get a hand on it and he couldn't. And it's just like, yeah, it's like, I don't know. Hey, Blox listeners, we've got a quick favor to ask. We often do ad reads on the show and wanna make sure we're recommending brands that you like

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Let's say all the stuff they said about him is true. Can a guy be in medium shape and have a 12-year first team All-NBA career? Absolutely, if you're talented enough. You think? So it really is just like, oh, if you're talented, you can, none of it matters. Are you saying like All-NBA like every year? Like, around as good as he's been.

Because like, he's so good. I don't think he's been. Cause like he's so good. I don't think he's in like, could he be in better shape? Yes. But like. But there's certain guys who are never gonna look like they're in good shape. Right.

That's what I mean. Like he's just not a guy who's just gonna be like ripped and like, this is not, it's not him. Yeah. It's also not his game either. He's so big and he uses his body so well that like, I don't know, I would be, if I was the GM or the coach or whatever of his team,

I would be like, you're just keeping him healthy. Just keeping him healthy. And I don't know the inner workings of what was happening in Dallas, but clearly there was some disconnect. But yes, like I wouldn't say, like when you say medium shape, like I don't know what I guess medium shape means. What would you call it?

What's Jokic, what kind of shape is Jokic in? For Jokic, like when Jokic came in to now, or like especially like championship season, like he's in good shape. But he doesn't have the kind of body that looks like he's in good shape. But you can tell have the kind of body that looks like he's in good shape. But you can tell as someone who's had to guard him or been guarded by him,

like one of these things where you're out of breath, you're like, he's in pretty good shape. Oh no, guys, you guys are actually all wrong. This guy's running circles around me. Yes, he's in good shape. He just doesn't have that body that's ever gonna look like he's in like. I think what we're saying is white.

I think we're just saying these guys are just white and that's terminal. Well, like Zach Randolph's a good example. Like he's like, he's so, he was so strong. Right. And he like was like a little bit bigger, but like you just have to get guys to like what they feel best at, like what weight or you just have to get them to be,

put themselves in the best position to be successful and like that looks different for everybody. Like it can't be like a one size fits all. So Luca, like when it comes to, I don't know that it was as much about him being like in shape, like looking like he's in shape. It wasn't really about that, I don't think. I think it was maybe, maybe it had to be

something more than that because who cares how a guy looks? The guy's unbelievable. He's 25 years old and he's averaging 27, 28, or whatever it is, I don't know exactly what it is. But I don't know, I would think it has to be something other than that. Would I have made that trade? Absolutely not. Well, if I was at L what it is, but like, I don't know. I would think it has to be something other than that. Would I have made that trade? Absolutely not.

Well, if I was the Lakers, absolutely, but, I don't know, I mean, yes, I think he's in, I think he's in okay shape. That's not really, I'm not trying to diss him at all. I think he's in the type of shape that he needs to be to play that way. That's how I would put it. And do you care about longevity?

Yeah, I mean, of course, if you're a team, you care about longevity, because if you're gonna sign them to a five-year deal, like you wanna, or anybody to a five-year deal, you want them to be able to play. Well, okay, let's say you're the GM. Let's say you're the Rob Polenko, which I know you love his jackets.

Oh, that's so cool. So his hair his jackets the tan Say to have a press conference biblical references. There was a time when the Israelites were wandering in the desert and all of a sudden Bread came down from heaven That's kind of what today feels like for us to have KCP join to have a wear a leather jacket Unzipped with the sleeves up and it's unzipped from the bottom for a huge press conference. What a bold statement. I always just think about like,

you know, you get a little sweaty and you gotta pull that jacket back down. It's just. What would you say to Luca about his physical shape? Do you know what I mean? Like as a guy who's a mentor now, What would you say to Luca about his physical shape? Do you know what I mean? Like as a guy who's a mentor now, you open with empathy, we all know that. You say, I love donuts and crullers as much as anybody.

Hey, where'd I go last night? Cold Stone Creamery. That's me. That's me, dude. We're not so different, you and I. But honestly, how would you manage something like that? If I was the GM? If you're the GM, like even JJ or whoever.

First of all, you have so many different, like he does his physical assessment with the training staff, every team has a sports scientist, they have streaming conditioning coaches, you do full assessment, you work on this, this and this. But also when you're a guy like Luca, he can just be like, I'm good. I'm not gonna talk to your assessment people.

I mean, he would talk to them, but he could just be like, no, I'm okay. From a distance. Yeah, I'm like, I'm okay. I don't wanna do, I've seen that happen, that happens all the time in NBA. Where guys just go, hey. I've had teammates who are like, I'm not lifting weights.

I'm just, I'm not lifting. Or maybe they'll compromise and do like two or three exercises that are pretty easy. And that just works for them. I had a teammate who like never touched weights and he played for a long, long time. And he's really, really good. And like some guys don't, some guys do.

And like the team has to kind of figure out how to like best work with the guys preferences or routines. When they're young, you know, rookies come in, you gotta do all this stuff. But as guys get older and they, if they're still in the NBA say after seven years, like they know what they're doing. They know their bodies, they know how to like,

you know, perform and they know how to be a pro. And you get a lot more lenience that way. And is there, is it, when guys have their own fitness team and their own, all that stuff, do you think that there, there is gonna be a natural tension between the team and him? Because there's this shit like Kawhi and all that stuff where it's like we want you to play, we want you to sit,

we're not ready, hurry up. Yeah, it can. I mean, a lot of it depends on your trainers with the team and it depends on your personal trainer. Like I had a personal trainer who was super close with like all the trainers on each team that I was on. He's just a good dude, he knows his stuff, he doesn't overstep his boundaries, he's respectful,

and he's not like, hey, it's this way or no. He's collaborative, right? I had a personal trainer because, it wasn't because the team wasn't good, I would use those guys, but then I would also want somebody at night when I'm watching games, like the night before a game or any time, he'd come over and he'd work on me,

we'd do some exercises, 45 minutes to an hour at night, and that gave me what I felt like was an edge. Like literally stretches and whatever? Yeah, body work stuff, making sure nothing's tight, making sure every joint is moving correctly. Excuse me, correctly. Or I have the right range of motion. Or if I have like a little nagging injury

to do extra exercises to like strengthen that or to help that. Like that's why I had a personal trainer. So kind of depends on the guy. Some guys have an all-encompassing personal trainer. They don't use the team guys. And as long as they're healthy, as long as they're good, and as long as they show up and perform,

I don't think teams truly care that much. I think maybe the training staff is kind of a little. What can you do if he's not performing though? Because that would be the, that's the. Then you have a talk, you know, like, we think you need to be, we need to have you do this, or you need to be in better shape, or you need to get more work in here, like that.

And so that's what I mean when you're a GM, you use all those services that teams provide. And if Luca comes to Lakers and they're like, all right, we'd like to get him at this body fat percentage, or we'd like to get him his cardio a little bit better. You know, they could try, but guys that are playing that many minutes, you can't work them that much in season. Like, you just can't. So, maybe in the off season they put together a program, maybe they send a guy out with them when he goes back home,

something like that, but in the season, guys playing 38 minutes a night, you want them to get extra cardio in in the off days? It's not realistic. And it's also, it's not really reasonable for his game as well. And so there are guys that are not in, they can't bench, they can't, they don't, they're not,

but it doesn't matter. As long as you can put that ball in the hoop or do exactly what your role is. Could someone play power forward and be like that? Were there times where you're like, now I gotta lift more? Were there times where you, where there were challenges where like a sequence where you're like, fuck that guy's so much stronger than me?

There was only a couple guys that I was like, and those guys were just freaks, like absolute freaks, like just strong. My issue was never like not lifting enough. I lifted, I did all that stuff. I just think as long as you are doing what you're supposed to be doing, like however you get to it.

Now a team, that absolutely does have an effect on like if a team's gonna give you a five year contract, right, if you don't take care of yourself the right way, or you don't eat right, you're just, you're kind of a mess. Like a team's not gonna like invest five years in you. So that's where it can hurt. But like if you're just like a guy who's getting two year deal, three year deal, whatever it is,

like I think teams are more willing to just be like, hey, you get there however you get there. We will have certain things that you need to do, but my lifts are gonna be different than somebody else's lifts, and each one is tailored to that player and what they prefer. You were the first person to tell me about,

or maybe I asked you about sports psychologists, and you told me about yours, and there was a book I read called, I think, Ten Minute Toughness, but you were very, you're very big on positive visualization. Tell people about that. Because even, I remember saying,

like you said, no, like anything I do on the court, I've already seen it in a split second before I do it. Yeah, and part of that is having done these things over and over again, but also part of that, like one of my pregame routines was I would sit and I would just like, I would go through like what I would call like a highlight reel of what I wanted to do that game.

And so I would start with the jump ball. I would literally just close my eyes and I would start with like a jump ball. I would see myself where- Were you in the jump ball? No, because I, but I was always the same. So you do visualizations about other people. I think it's called prayer.

Oh, I'm like, oh, good shot, dude. Wow, that was really nice. I'm on the bench the whole time. Man, this is cool. But I had my same spot during the jump ball every time. So I would start there and like, I see myself like getting down. I see going down for the first offensive possession.

I know what the first play is already because we walked through it and shoot around earlier. I know defensively like what my assignments are. So I'm walking through like how I'm going to guard a pick and roll, how I'm going to step out and give a little help on a pin away, I'm pulling over, I'm doing this stuff. On the offensive end, I'm catching and post,

I'm facing out, pump fake, oh right, pump fake shot. Are you imagining what it would feel like emotionally or you're picturing it third person? I'm picturing myself do it. From my perspective. From your first person. Got it, got it, got it. And is it about, are you keyed into how it'll feel

physically or keyed into like? I just want to see myself do it the way I want to do it. Like I see myself facing up, catching, jab step, pump fake, he goes for it, one dribble, get to the rim, two dribbles, hook shot, one dribble, kick to the rim, two dribbles, hook shot, one dribble, kick out to the corner, spin back, off the glass, you see all that. You know your game, I see a pick and pop,

I see a mid-range jumper, I see a nice path, I see, I try to go through all that stuff. And not every game was the same, and that's the beauty of visualization, is if we're on the road and that's the beauty of visualization is like, if we're on the road and we're playing in Phoenix, I can see the arena. There's certain things, so you're really putting yourself

in those situations. That's Google Maps right there. Thank you, Google Maps. Got it all right here. I'd go on Ticketmaster, really map out the arena. That's what I mean, how many take, would you picture FTC? It's like third level. By the way, it's also, when I would envision it,

it's also like a little bit blurry. Like everything out here is blurry. Boca, I believe it's called Boca. Is that what that is? Yeah, when the background's blurry. Oh, director. Director Hillbred. Animorphic, whatever you wanna talk about.

Sun flare, sorry. Yeah, yeah, not good. Lens flare. And cut. Lens flare, great. Lens flare, ah, shit. Did you ever not do it, and was there a difference, or was it just like a thing you started in high school, college, and then would it ever be

like spooky, like a deja vu, or like, that's exactly what I thought was gonna happen. Oh, yeah, sure. There were some times when it worked out exactly how I thought it was gonna happen. Oh yeah, sure. There were some times when it worked out exactly how I thought it was gonna happen. I think I started doing this in the NBA. I didn't do it in college. But you also, I have a pretty crazy imagination.

So when you're doing stuff, when you're working out or you're just going to the gym and you're shooting by yourself, I do that at night all the time, you're envisioning all these things, right? I would play through, just in your mind, you're not like, five, four. But you know what you're supposed to be doing

and you envision a defense, right? You have to get creative a little bit sometimes in order to keep progressing your game. And did you do it when you were like a bench guy? Yeah, it was like the whole game. It's like that visualization was tough. Like I'm gonna sit, I'm gonna be on my left butt cheek. Time out, he gets up, he goes and high fives everybody.

Standing behind the coach during time out, looking at the crowd. Look at the Jumbotron, are they running a kiss cam? Okay, that's fun, that's very entertaining. I got a big kick out of that. That was actually real nice. Yeah, you know what? Who goes to the in arena entertainment?

To ask questions about other guys on the team, that's real creative. Did you, but so you think it had a big effect on, on the outcomes? Cause I started doing it, I've stopped, I just forgot to do it, but like, no, I would actually write, I started just writing out my act, and if I do a TV appearance appearance I would write it out and

like try to imagine what it would be like in each beat of the thing and you can actually write new things in it. Like you would write out your script like what you were yeah yeah I mean a lot of it was just a bit I'd already done on stage but it was like it is a helpful way to to like to prep Like just any kind of prep is worthwhile. Just thinking about it. And the visualization, I don't want to make it sound like I'm sitting there for 45. It took two minutes.

I'm just seeing high level, 20 things that I want to do. You're done, easy. Aspirational. Yeah, aspirational. And it's, well, you know what's crazy? A couple times, I would see myself pick and pop, catch a three and shoot it, and it would miss. Like, I would, like, and I think that was just my mind,

like, being like, okay, like. Being funny? Yeah, like, I was just like, okay, gotta do that again. That's stupid. Like, I'm telling you, it was like a social weird thing that I would do sometimes if I kind of like lost focus. I could like see myself like miss and I would have to kind of go back and do it again.

It was fascinating. What about, would you do it in game? Meaning you get the ball, was it just instinct or was it like? No, in game, like I'm not like visualizing anything. I might be thinking to myself like, all right, I just got him. I just, I just caught the ball in the post,

faced up and shot and made one. So now I just know, and this is kind of like, just like in the back of your mind. Now I just know, like I'm going to catch and I'm going to turn same way and I'm going to do it a little bit quicker and I'm going to give a nice pump fake and he's probably going to catch and I'm gonna turn same way and I'm gonna do it a little bit quicker and I'm gonna give a nice pump fake

and he's probably gonna fly. But then you also know if he doesn't, now what do you do? And like, so those are all things that you work on like physically. Yeah. You know, so like, yeah, there's like a thinking component to it, but you're just playing like little, little,

not mind games, but you're just like, little, not mind games, but you're just like, you're- You're like gaming shit out. Yes. And if you, and is it just like, if I, like, there's no one on help, someone will probably come and help D. Yeah, a lot of times-

And then like I can, I'm fucking, I'm good, like I'm about to score. Or you're talking to your teammate and you're like, hey, somebody just threw it to me in the post and I just one, two dribble back down and like finished. Like now I know they're probably gonna send help or maybe I just scored two in a row in the post. They're gonna send help.

And you go to a teammate and you're like, hey, be ready. Like they're gonna double from, typically they double from the passer. They double from opposite block, whatever they do. And so now you know, you boom, and you sort of bait them, they come and then you make the play that you wanna make. It's not always about like scoring too,

you know what I mean? You have to like sort of like think about all that. But it's mostly about scoring. I mean, come on, let's forget it. I was never known for my passing. No one ever got posy off of assists. Am I right? John Stockton actually.

Actually, you know what? I'll see you real soon. A rare P word drop for me on the podcast. We like to keep it a little clean. Oh, we never talked about your general racial ambiguity. Although, is that, yeah, that's racial ambiguity. We never talked about that as a blog. The table's like, it's hard to write.

There's like, see, it's like. I thought you were gonna say it's your complexion. I wish. I mean, I'm all right. I mean, smoky walnut. Fuck. You imagine. This economy has a smoky walnut.

I wouldn't be here, I'll tell you that much. Did you, that's gotta be something that's pretty resolved at this point, right? Yeah, I'm totally fine with it now, but earlier on when I was younger, I was kinda always just like, where do I fit in? Like I'm not, I'm a little bit too, I'm definitely too white for like,

to feel like I was like, or like white looking presenting, to like feel like I was like, you know, a part of like. What was interesting, you said one time, players would say, play-er-nce in the NBA would say that too. Yeah, just like little like white boy like, sneaks just like, all right, okay. Or I don't know, it's kind of the same things. White people can't really say it.

They can't be like, all right, black boy. Yeah. It's different, but you just feel it from both sides. Yeah. And not now, and not as I got older, but when I was younger for sure, high school, it was definitely a thing. Middle school, I think it was maybe when I became

like a conscious thing. And then high school, like maybe some college, like a little bit. And then as I got into the NBA and I got older, like that stuff like never faced me. But early on, that was like a block for me for sure. Did you ever think that it like, did it, you think it probably had to help your marketability

Yeah, I mean honestly like a whitish looking guy jump like that Kind of it's like what I used to say to you and Kevin love if you can't get an announcing job when you retire You're fucking you have to be I used to say No, no, not anymore. Yeah, like, you can't get it, and sure enough, you got it, you landed it, buddy. But yeah, so yeah, that's gotta be, and that's another one of those things

that you think is gonna be a problem, and then like, it ends up being, it's not, yeah, it's like not a, it's not a problem at all. So it's not like this thing that I'm just like, oh, poor me, I did, it was just like a, it was a thing at all. So it's not like this thing that I'm just like, oh, poor me. What? It was just like a, it was a thing.

I thought about it. Yeah. You know, it was definitely a thing, but it wasn't like a thing that held me back by any means. And also sports is kind of the great equalizer. Yeah. If you can be good enough, like people don't care. Yep.

Well guys, that was, that's my buddy, Blake Griffin. He's extremely retired. And, uh. Maybe don't say it like that. No, there's no chance. And, uh. What time is it, five o'clock? Oh, I got dinner soon.

I got dinner coming up. Yeah, what's everybody doing? 545, I got a standing reservation. There's a really nice cafeteria down the street. Luby's Cafe, it's actually. Yeah, I told you, your life might actually be better retired than, you're one of the few guys that like life might improve.

And I don't know if it improved. Well, it's gonna be close. I mean, it seems just like all the benefits and almost no stress. Yeah, way less stress. Physically, physically way less stress. Mentally, like, yeah, yeah, less stress too. I mean, it is like a, yeah.

It is a thing where it's like, dude, you're expected to score 25, like, for every game you're like, I gotta go to work. Like, you gotta, you gotta, you have to go, you have to go produce. Yeah, like, you can't, there's no way to cheat. No, you can't just.

Scoring 25 points. Like, they're not gonna give it to you. You can have an off night, but not because, not for lack of effort. Yeah. You know, and by the way, it's not hard. You just have to give effort. But like, again, there's days where people wake up and they're like, I don't wanna do this.

And like, we have those as well. Yeah. I said those are like the most important days. Blake Griffiniven ladies Don't watch him on Amazon six months from now good guy friend of all podcasts and We and if he maybe he does stand up sometimes we don't know but a good guy. I'm out.