Club 520 Podcast - Club 520 - Damian Lillard on playing w/ Giannis, Russell Westbrook battles, Steph Curry, NBA Top 75

Episode Date: August 19, 2024

We’re back with Season 2, Episode 93 of Club 520 where the squad interviews Damian Lillard of the Milwaukee Bucks. Dame talks about hitting “the shot” against Paul George in the NBA Playoff, playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, going against Russell Westbrook in the postseason, facing Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, and making the NBA Top 75 All-Time list. The guys then get into Dame’s rap career, and discuss getting Lil Wayne to jump in on a song, and much more! #Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. The Volume. All right, we back. Another episode of Club 520 Podcast. We on the road for a special guest. We got me in a special place, man. We pulled up to Phoenix one time for the camp. Long away the episode, man.

They been asking about it. I'm happy we could deliver, but to my far left, we got my dog dog Bishop B. He in out the pearlies How you doing, Nasty? Cool, Nasty Let's get to it, baby Damn, I gotta tell you, man

He got a uniform So you to get him out of uniform In your shoes That's a big deal Nah, I fuck with the dealers You know what I mean? Three stripes forever You had to make sure

He was straight Yeah, man He got the lace He changed the laces in there Oh, yeah, I freaked him out I made him meet For sure That's your flavor on it For sure To my right My dog, Young Nacho Young T He changed the laces in there. Oh, yeah. I freaked him out. I made him me, for sure.

That's your flavor on it. For sure. To my right, my dog, Young Nacho, Young Teague. How you doing, man? Chilling, man. I'm hyped. We got one of the special players in the building, top 75. Person I'm a huge fan of.

I'm really shitty. I ain't get that color wave, but I make it work. You know what I'm saying? You're a big three player. This league. You can shit on me. Hey, I was going to say, man, we talk about it. It's good to see you back in the three stripes, man. I mean, I got to work something out with JR.

I'm about to go on my little rant like Bassey. Shout out to the guy. I was going to say, JR needs to go to prison. Shout out to JR. Shout out to JR. We love you. We love you. We love you, guy.

But to my left, man, we got a special, special guest, man. One of the coders to touch a basketball, like my bro said, top 75. And he get busy off the court, you know what I'm saying? Music going crazy. And if you do too much, you know what I'm saying, the hands is legit, too. We got one of the coders to ever do it. Dame, Dollar, Damien, Lily, appreciate you sliding on this big dog. For sure, bro.

Appreciate y'all having me. For sure. Long time coming, man. People been asking for this episode, you know what I'm saying? We trying to make it happen All star But you know The weather was too fucking crazy Yeah But we got straight to it man

But listen We got to start with the origins With you man Because your history Your career is so crazy Being here We got to talk about The high school days

You know what I'm saying Yeah man I wanted to tap in with you Let's go back all the way To AAU Was you rocking with the guys Or did you just You know

Link up with some guys That was already nice in the city With the Rebels Nah Shit that was like my Childhood neighborhood type program Yeah okay Like I started with them in

Elementary school And shit them was like my first Real friends Outside of my cousins and my family So Shit it was once I start getting nice then like the soldiers and all those other you know NorCal elite we had a couple other like programs that was sponsored and they was getting all

the shoes yeah but then I was like like these my people that's hard bro I stay with the team we was in the lower level tournaments. Then we got older. We started getting into the other ones because we was, like, way better. Okay. That was it. I stayed with the local program. Nah, yeah.

You and him got a similar story. He rocked with his guys, too. That's why I wanted to ask you about that. I did that, but, yeah, I switched my senior year. I couldn't rock out with the guys like that, bro. I wouldn't get no offers, because I was like, I figured this out. Nah, we had the same team. We just went to one of them sponsor teams.

That's how it was. Yeah, I ain't have. I ain't get no offers until the very last summer. That's me. That's how it was. During the senior year, the last jump down. Who was your first one? Weber State.

Oh, okay. That was my first offer I remember we had We played against this dude I was from Texas, I don't even remember his name But it was a 9am game We get there, it was empty There was literally our team, their team There was another game next to us

And there was one coach there, that was a coach from Weber But he was there to see me and the other dude. Oh, damn. Okay. And after that game, they just offered me right after the game. Killed, buddy. Yeah. Didn't remember to take his spot.

That was the story right there. It was over fast, too. I seen one coach. That was the first time a coach ever came to our game, too. So I was like. That's crazy. Damn. See, I was just playing in front of aunties and uncles.

Not even that, for real. Nobody, if we was in Oakland, everybody came, but on the road, we was, it was just us. Damn, that's tough. Damn, that's crazy. So for you to go to that and also head into your senior year, it should start going crazy for you. Obviously, you already made that decision. You was rocking with Weber State because they showed interest in you early. How was it going to your, like, getting to college after that crazy high school career? I mean, when I got there, it was,

it was cool. Like, everybody was cool. They was just telling me, like, man, you got to earn your spot. And I remember thinking, like, man, like, I'm the best player they done had come here

in a minute. And they like, you know, you miss class, we sending you home. It was just hella, they just ran a tight ship. You know what I'm saying? It was, first day I got there in the summer, it was conditioning. We send you home. It was just hella. Damn. They just ran a tight ship. I'm saying it was first day I got there in the summer. It was conditioning. We run in stadiums, all this crazy shit. And I remember thinking to myself, like, shit, I don't think I'm really cut for this.

It's crazy. Like I remember dying after conditioning and thinking, like, I really don't know if this shit is going to work out. Because this crazy, if this would it take. So I got through the first day we start playing pickup. I couldn't score like everybody was stronger, faster. I couldn't get nothing done. So that was kind of when the transition for me started. I was like, all right, I got to I got to answer the call like this shit harder than I thought it was going to be. And then from there, there, that was it. You know what I'm saying? I came off the bench the first four or five games.

Then I got to the starting lineup. They had me at the two. Then the guy who was starting at the one, he actually here at camp, he was like five, six, five, seven, but he was just a straight scorer. Then they switched us. They made me the point guard and him the two because I was more like a playmaker, a scorer, and he was just getting buckets. And when they switched us, that's when shit changed.

That's crazy. It's not like you. You're talking about getting recruited. You know what I'm saying? They tell you, hey, you the best. We can't wait until you get here. And you get there and be like, hey, you ain't really shit. You got it on your spot.

Nah, for real. Yeah, nah, for real. Me and him got a very similar story because that's how I was at Wake Forest. I didn't start my first five, six games. We had Ish Smith. So Ish was starting at the point, and then I came in playing the two. And like you said, it kind of switched. Even though Ish was – I was more of a scorer than Ish,

but he broke his foot. That's how I got a chance to play point. But I was just thinking, I'm I'm like shit you was a pass first shit I know you for buckets because the first time I seen you when you was at Weber State it was my guy Lou I'll never forget I think it might have been your junior year because my brother was a senior in high school I think and he was like it's this dude at Weber State that's nasty and I was like he nasty he's like man he reminded me of like stephaniel madate uh davidson i'm like ah this nigga gassing now like i ain't i ain't going for all that then he was like no

you gotta watch him so he the game came on y'all came on late as hell we watched it and you were shooting fadeaways i'm like buddy got the green he wilding like he wilding yeah you and then but you have bounced i'm like he was like bro he gonna'm like, he was like, bro, he going to go top five. I was like, wait a minute. He's like, yeah. I was like, they ain't playing nobody. He was like, T, you tripping, bro. Watch what he doing.

And then the next year, my brother was in the draft. And I never forgot. I was like, hey, you got to go against this dude named Dame. You got to get a workout with him. That nigga looked at me and said, I ain't about to work out against him. I said, why? He was like, man, he called. He going top five.

Work around against him. I was like, he going top five? He's like, yeah, he like that. He said, yeah, I seen you at Adidas Nations, I think. Bro, that's the funniest story, because when I, nobody knew who I was at Adidas Nations. Yeah, he was telling me that. But I seen all of them. Obviously, I knew who all them niggas was.

But when I got there, everybody was like just staring at me like who is like because they all knew each other. I was the only person nobody knew. So I remember one day I see them all like on the baseline, like in a group and they all talking and they just kind of like looking at me. So I'm just kind of staring back like, man, this is one of them moments I got to stand my ground Like they all friends Like I don't know if they think I'm a sucker or something Like So they all had a little talk or whatever

And then Will Barton walked over there Like hey like You D-Rose cousin? Like they thought I got in camp Because I was D-Rose cousin I'm like nah I go to Weber They like okay

I'm like so the whole time I'm thinking they talking shit or something They thinking I'm in camp Because I'm D-Rose's cousin. I'm like, nah, I go to Weber. They like, okay. I'm like, so the whole time I'm thinking they talking shit or something. They thinking I'm in camp because I'm D-Rose's cousin. Like, that's how they thought I got in camp. That's crazy. My brother told me that. He was like, bro, he was so cold. He was like, nah, he cold.

And then you went, nah, I played you my rookie. I'll never forget. Because now I always have this thing about rookies. I'm like, if I can kill him the first time, it's going to be in his head a little bit when we play him. And I seen you watch. You sit there, you and DV, y'all sit there before the game and watch people warm up. I'm like, why are you watching me?

Like, what are you on? I'm like, I'm about to get in his head. So I start warming up hard. Y'all know I'm going to warm up hard. Start warming up hard, shooting like, yeah. He wasn't paying me no mind. I was like like you know what I'm going at him

First place I'm telling people like Hey we gonna see if he can hoop I'm like damn this nigga cold He gave me with that Kyrie moment You remember when I called you About Kyrie I called my brother

I said hey the dude dang man He gonna be raw Book said duh What He about to be the one And after that It was over with I was like duh. He about to be the one. And after that, it was over with. I was like, yeah, it's over with.

He the one. Yeah, that's crazy, man. It's crazy for you to say that because I'm thinking the same thing against you. I remember like, shit, you, Darren Collison. It was people that they never was talking about like that. That I'm like, these the matchups that be the hard matchups. Like, fast, getting to the rim,

you got the ball. So it's like, it's crazy for me to hear you say that when we come into the game and they like, you know, Jeff Teague,

you know, he fast, he can shoot, he gonna be coming off in transition, you gotta stand. I'm like, damn. Like, it's gonna be a tough one.

Goran Dragic, it was the same thing. Like, you had them matchups where it was like, it's going to be a tough one. Going dry gets you. It was the same thing. Like, you had them matchups where it was like, them the ones people ain't talking about. They going to tell you about CP and Darren Williams. But it's them nights where you show up and it's like, bro, it's a tough matchup. I got a question, man.

Why the hell did you wear a zero? Oh, don't do that. I'm from Oakland Respect My college was in Ogden, Utah And then I got drafted in Oregon Oh, okay I can move on I was just making sure you didn't have no weird ass story like him

Nigga wants to be named after I mean, where his number? Because of Drew They had a mohawk this year together In the league. I was just asking. Your order from zero, Drew. Drew Gooden? Nah, it was Gilbert Reyes, bro.

Gilbert was my favorite player. Cat-faced nigga. Y'all can move on. But I used to play with Drew Gooden on March Madness. Hey, man. Y'all can move on, man. Y'all get an interview, man. I just had to ask that.

Let's go roll with him, man. Let's go listen to him, man. Drew Gooden, y'all. The Mohawk. That's crazy. They're going to put this side-by-side up for this shit. He's going to know this. Luis, if you do him, man. Drew getting y'all. That's crazy. They're going to put the side-by-side up for this shit.

He's going to go in this. Luis, if you do that, bro, I quit. Did you come into the league comfortable, though? Ready to go, or it took you a while? No, I came in,

I'd say I was comfortable, but I had like, I remember during the summer after I got drafted, I was like, my trainer was training tomorrow. He was at camp today.

He was over there. Shout out to Deebo. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw him. And he started taking me to L.A. with him. So I was playing. I was working out, playing ones with Corey Maggette, Matt Barnes, Deebo. Like, I was going against big wings.

And they was all athletic. And they was all younger at that time. So when I start going to L.A. playing against them and they was like backing up off me and I'm winning spots in ones because I'm just hitting jumpers. They let me shoot. Then they see I can shoot. They was pressing up into me. I was able to get around them. Like just those like couple of weeks that I was able to go out there and get with them. That was when I was like, all all right like I'm gonna be straight I got the summer league and summer league was kind of easy like it wasn't really a lot of dudes that's actually in the league out there and then my first preseason game was against Kobe Steve Nash all of them so like I got broke in quick yeah he was in the fire

early then okay yeah that's dope and that's crazy like you said even you know i'm saying what you had to go through a weaver being a number one option as you later that kind of prepares you to go and be ready for the like to be a franchise player a lot of times you go to schools you got shit a ball a lot then when you throw in that situation you gotta figure it out so you had already been thrown in the fire yeah and i can imagine playing pickup with uh cory mcgetty and matt barnes you would get no foul call no they was it was big and they was physical so it was like they wasn't calling no foul, you would get no foul call. Nah, they was big and they was physical. So it was like, they wasn't calling no fouls.

It really was no fouls. So it was, and I couldn't come in here calling fouls. They wasn't going to respect it. So it was, that shit was definitely, it was definitely good for me. Did Kobe play in that first game? Yeah, he did. How was that? Shit, the first five minutes, I was just staring at him like.

Oh, God. god like that's him that's a real person yeah like that's kobe but he he wasn't paying me no mind you know i'm saying so when i got on the court i'm thinking you know he's gonna be like welcome to the league you know something like that he ain't say shit just so that kind of like put me back into being a competitor because it was like you naturally gonna take it a little personal even if you feel like that's Kobe or that's Brian or whoever. I was like, damn, he ain't say nothing.

So I'm like, shit, it's either me waiting to be a fan or I gotta do what I gotta do. It flipped back to that after that couple minutes. I think it's dope that you got handed the ball as soon as you got in the league. Like I wanted to ask you, you know after that couple minutes i think it's dope that you got handed the ball as soon as you got in the league like i wanted to ask you no you know how it go so like if you didn't how you think your career would have went like you would have had to sit and think about it like that was the worst part of me i had played we about to interview bivy one of these days but i had to sit behind bivy and i used to just wait and wait and wait and you kind of lose your confidence a little bit

because you're like, it ain't no way I'm this sad. Yeah. But, I'm glad they didn't do that to you. I'm glad you got handed the ball because, like you said,

you're a top 75 player and one of the greatest to do it. what you, did you want that moment to learn or was you like being thrown in the fire? I mean,

I think, shit, a lot of people's career be depending on that. Like, it's a lot of dudes that if they come in and they get the ball right away they could have ain't no telling what they could have did that that changed people careers but when I got there it was like coming from a small school I was always telling myself like shit I might be in the g league I might be on the bench I ain't ain't no telling but I think once I got there and they was like

you know he can shoot he ain't scared he playing with you know Lamarcus Aldridge we was able to play off each other they was just like they let me go and I think just like how I was able to get along with vets so fast like I played with Jared Jeffries and Ronnie Price. So once I was able to earn their respect and I was able to be on the court with them, that's when our coach was just kind of like, you know, he just let me learn. He just let me go. And I think that was a big part of it is, like you said, being at Weber for four years, I was an extension of the coach, so I knew how to get my words off through the team. You know what I'm saying? I knew how to lead a team. I knew how to I knew how to like get my my words off through the team you know I'm saying I knew how to lead a team I knew how to do the right thing I knew what it took you know I'm

saying to like be the guy but also like not make it all about me where everybody feel like they part of it so coming in and playing with Batum and Wes Matthews and LA and Robin Lopez all them dudes it was like I knew how to be there and be the point guard they needed, but I knew how to not get in their way too and stop them from being able to L.A. get his 24 attempts. Batum handling the ball sometimes and Wes getting post-ups.

I was aware of that because of my experience and being in school for four years. Ain't no telling how it would have went, bro. I think I would have been straight regardless, but I think them giving me the ball right away to play is what kind of let me just jump out there and get on the track that I've been on. Yeah, facts.

How was it? You all ready? Nah, I was in Atlanta. I turned up too. I went to the perfect environment too. Like going to Portland, that shit was right by Oakland. Family could come. Like some of my family moved up there.

It was like quiet. It was a perfect environment. Did you get a mohawk when you got to the league? Or did you wait? He on that mohawk. Nah, but I wasn't playing with L.A., man. We high on L.A. One of the more underrated players.

Man, L.A. was like. Did that make the shit easier for you on the court? It made it way easier. Yeah. Because, I mean, teams was really paying attention to him. So, like, being in the pick and roll with him, like, he popping, he making every jumper. I'm throwing it to him on the block. They going to get him.

I'm standing there by myself, like, coming off pick and rolls. His man trying to get back to him. So, I'm getting – like, my rookie year, I started every game with an elbow pull-up jumper off a pick and roll. Like, I literally one, two, three dribbles to the elbow, pull up every time because they trying to get back to him. Then, shit, once they saw I could make it, I still was getting pull-up three off the pick and roll damn near every time.

So, like, playing with him, I was was like one thing i think about in my career is like if he would have never went to san antonio we would have won at least once already because he's not good because i would have came into my own but he was that good facts like he was that good it was facts and baton motherfucking on Batum. Batum was nice, bro. Bro, we just seen Nick Batum kill in the last postseason, bro. He just killed this last postseason. He was young. He was.

I hated playing him. They used to do this little flare, this little wheel. You know, we do it at Pike. I took y'all playing my high school team. Yeah, that's our offense. I used to hate guarding it so much. I was like, it's no way. You can't use it.

It's terrible. Y'all doing all these flares. And when you was guarding him, and especially when CJ started playing, well, it was super effective with Wes and Batum. But when CJ started playing, y'all had the hand doing stuff with it. I'm like, ah, they getting filthy out here now. Yeah, we was using it to get running pick and roll. We got to run it off that.

I was like, they getting filthy now. So that offense was crazy But playing them You knew you was about to get You played in Portland You was getting beat We knew From the East Coast team

We was like Yeah we gonna take a hell in Portland It's cool though It's hard to win there Especially when you travel I swear That crowd was crazy Yeah they be like

I heard y'all in Sacramento Got one of the Two of the toughest crowds In the NBA for sure That didn't used to be like that That just got like that over the last couple years. They was like that with Bibby and them. They didn't die down for a while.

And then the last, I'd say, two, three years, it got crazy again. Yeah. Speaking of that, I got to ask, what's the most hostile game you've been in, as far as environment, location-wise? Man, I'd say, because you've been in some battles i say either at golden state or at okc like when they was nice nice like at okc um but golden stage is tough because like playing them in the playoffs you like we played them i think my fifth year or maybe it was my fourth year it was my fourth year

we played them in the second round we beat the Clippers we played uh Golden State and we was up double digits every game and I'm like man we like we lost four to one but we could have beat them four to one but we'd be up nine and it'll be five minutes left in the third quarter we go into the fourth quarter down eight and it's like it happened fast too it's like they hit one three you hear the crowd you see everybody stand up and somebody taking the ball out you just looking around like damn it feel like we down 20 they come back hit one. It's like you could just see the game. That's the only crowd I played against at Oracle where

we could be winning and it felt like the game was slipping away. That's how crazy it was in there. Steph hit a three. Klay hit a three. Time out. That walk back to the bench was like... Devastating. Damn.

Devastating. You. Devastating. You think that's your toughest matchup, though? Golden State? With Steph. You and Steph, one-on-one. I mean, Steph, he just constantly moving. Yeah. You just can't lose track of Steph.

Like, he definitely one of the toughest. I think just one-on-one, I'd say Kyrie a tough matchup. For sure. Kyrie just a tough – because you can guard him perfect. He'll still make it. Yeah. Either hand, bumping him. He just – and he'll do it when it don't look like it's hard too.

Yeah. Somebody do it and they feel like they just did it smooth and it's all next, you'd be like, damn, like, that can turn into him making every shot. Nah,

for sure. He spoke on Kyrie early, rookie year. At one point in my career, I guarded Kyrie more than anybody in the NBA. Y'all played a lot. I get killed every time.

That's a real stat. Nah, it was, bro. That's a good one. When I was in Milwaukee by that year, they was like, was bro that's a real stat when I was in Milwaukee by that year they was like

hey when we was playing Brooklyn they was like you can guard him you guard him the most of anybody in his career I was like put that battery in

his back we got swept every year they was trying to get you to believe yeah they was trying to tell me nah I was already

done I was like I don't believe that shit Drew gonna stay on him he got hurt huh did he get hurt Kyrie yeah he twisted his ankle but I wasn't believe that shit Drew gonna stay on him Don't worry about that He got hurt huh Did he get hurt Kyrie Yeah he twisted his ankle

But I wasn't getting in anyway But I was gonna say You had battles For sure But my favorite battle Between you and the guards

I used to watch all y'all games But you and Westbrook Got together Yeah I was like Ah yeah This must see TV Yeah

Cause y'all Y'all both Tough minded guards Y'all both gonna. Y'all both tough minded guards. Y'all both going to talk. Y'all both pop your shit. You don't really talk like somebody say something to you. Then you'll go back. But him, he don't get it.

He started. He started every time. I remember one time he did that to me. I like, bro, I don't care. He was like, that's the problem. That's the problem. Made you think again. I was like, damn, that's the problem. That's a good one. That's the problem. Made you think again. I was like, damn, that is a problem.

Mother trippy. Nah, but what's those battles like? I mean, honestly, them was the most fun, like with Russ, because it was like my first five, six years, like he was the bully. Like, they was on TV all the time. And Russ, it didn't matter if it was, like, a big matchup. If somebody was hurting, he was playing against a backup.

He didn't care. He tried to do it to everybody. And I just remember when I was, like, rookie second year, it was like he used to try to give me 50 every time. Like, it was like he would be shooting on me so much that, like, KD would be getting mad, like, pass the ball. Like, he's shooting every time. And once I realized that it was like that,

that's when I started taking it personal. I'm like, I know he always on go against everybody, but he really trying to come get me. And that was when it became personal. So I start going back

and then I start having the ball more once we did our rebuild. I start having it more. And he noticed that I was having it more. So I was being more aggressive back at him and then that's when it turned into like talking you know he i've been busting your ass for years

and i'll be like yeah well like it's a new time like so when we started having that conversation it just turned into every game it was automatic like i came to the arena knowing like it's on tonight. Like, something happening. That's fire. Damn, I thought y'all had real, like, beef for real. Because it just seemed so tense to know it was just coming from him just on BS. Just trying to get it off on you.

Nah, he just played like that. He just played like that. He a cool dude. Russ is cool. Off the court, we cool. But on the court, it was just like he took that approach and ain't nobody punking me. I don't care who you is.

Did that help turn you up, though? It did, for sure. Yeah. You ain't see the playoffs? Yeah. I mean, I was just going to ask you. He got it back in blood, for sure. For sure.

Because Pat Baird said he was the bully of the NBA, so I didn't know. Oh, here you go. Oh, man. He always used to. It's always him. Stop. My man, continue. Oh, here you go. Oh, man. He always just do the crazy. It's always him. Stop. My man, continue.

Oh, my God, man. I'm for a game. I don't want to ruin it. Oh, man. Oh, shit. I'm weak. You fried, man. It's all rolling.

Man, I got to ask. I've always wanted to ask you this question. What's your favorite game winner between the one in Portland, you know what I'm saying, coming off the curl, knocking it down, or the bad shot, quote unquote? The bad shot one. That's my favorite one for sure.

I know that was a personal accomplishment for you, obviously winning the series, but do you know what you did to the internet with that shot, bro? You fucked everything up with that shot. That was probably one of the hardest edits. The father stretched my hand to that shot. It was one of the hardest basketball edits of all time, bro.

Yeah, that was a moment for sure. Yeah, and you definitely... When it happened, I didn't even think about it like that until, you know, after the game, you do media, all the shower, you do all that stuff,

and then, like, you finally get to your phone. Like, I look at my phone right after, but then when you go into that whole post-game process it's like a little minute in the playoffs for you get to your phone and i just remember after that i was in a sprinter i was on my way back home and i was just sitting there on my phone and i was like it was so much shit that happened that i ain't even remember it happening like I looked up into the camera I ain't even remember that moment crazy picture crazy crazy crazy it was just that whole shit was it was a blur until I saw it I was like damn you remember waving though yeah I remember that I remember you wave I don't know it was your brother or something that was my

brother he was sitting right there yeah he came I said oh they turd I don't know if it was your brother or somebody. That was my brother. He was sitting right there. Yeah, he came. I said, oh, they turnt. I said, ooh. But that's how you know when they be personal. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because you got a brother. So you know when, like, just like I know, like, what type of,

when I come into the game, I'm playing against Russ or whatever. Like, you see Russ' brother sitting courtside, too. Like, everybody who got a brother, you brother you know like when you go home or when you step away your brother is the one that's you know like man he got you he got you fucked up no ever you know i'm saying like it's that type of conversation so it's that type of investment so when it happened like that he was like shit he made the shot that's what it's like you knew you was gonna take that shot though i knew i knew, like, when the clock got, like, I remember I was about to call for a switch to get PG off me. I was calling for another defender.

But then he was a little bit, like, back a little bit. So I kind of waved him off. And right when I waved him off, I was like, I'm shooting this shit right here. Damn. You know how far you was? Bro, that's what I'm saying, bro bro you shot that bitch from yonders bro what's crazy is my trainer Phil the one that's running the camp he came to OKC like after uh I think it was like after game three he came to OKC we was in the arena shooting and that whole series we was shooting that night

and I was just shooting a bunch of deep threes. And he was like, you got to make these. You going to keep making these. And the whole series, I was just hitting deep three after deep three. So when it got to that end of the game, I just remember CJ was to my right, and I could just see his arm telling me, go. It's time to go. But I already knew in my head like he stay right there like i'm shooting this shit right here you go to for that 100 and it was a tie game so i'm like if i miss

we're going to overtime yeah fuck it yeah that's crazy and that shot got brought a risk again because we was watching stephanie livix and that shot that he hit and they go metal game was just like that was crazy that's just some different shit like y'all just get it like that and a lot of people talk about obviously we know stuff to go like you one of the best shooters of all time that don't get enough credit on that because you really go crazy like we was looking at the highlights but you have to talk about it they don't talk about enough bro no he's number two hey with him and clay hey battle for number two because i feel like i feel like you can shoot off the dribble better though Yeah I mean Clay I ain't gonna lie

Cause he's just 60 on us I got a different view like I got PTSD Yeah I got PTSD from Clay But The way you can shoot off The dribble though I put that in

Like you and Steph In a different realm With that shit It's a harder shot They more contested People guarding you harder You know what I'm saying Like it's It's a harder shot. They more contested. People guarding you harder. You know what I'm saying?

Like, it's different, bro. Hell yeah, bro. They definitely don't talk about it. They act like I don't be doing what I've been doing. Like, this is going to be my third team season. You've been going crazy for a long time. A long time. You've been cold. It's been a long time, bro.

That's what we want you to hear. Go crazy. It's been a long time, bro. That's what we want you to hear. Go crazy. It's been a long time, bro. I'm just saying. It's like my time in the league, when I think about how many people have been very good over that time, and then it's been more people very good, and more people very good for a couple years. It ain't been that many people that have been here the whole time since I've been in the league that just been doing it over and over and over. But I think people just get bored with consistency.

And I ain't loud, but should I have been doing it that long and winning? It ain't like I've been doing it and I'm playing 14 and I just never play in the playoffs. The season before last Bro averaged Almost 33 a game Oh no I know Yeah It's hard to average A dub in the league

For a decade bro It's crazy I've been over 25 For damn near 8, 9 years With another I don't gotta stop cussing But another person

A real corporate Yeah You know how I get there I'm not saying That motherfucker CJ McCollum. Because he did his shit too, but I'm saying that goes to you.

But I always told CJ, like, I could think of games where CJ come out hot. If he got 18 in the first quarter, I ain't trying to get my 22. Like, CJ,

I remember one game we was playing against Chicago. He had 50 and three quarters i think i just didn't shoot i just kept giving it to him like because i'm i want to see everybody do their thing like if i'm gonna have i'm gonna have a lot of moments i want to make sure that shit when it's somebody else moment i'm gonna let them have a moment because i won't i won't niggas to be happy for me when i have mine so i ain't gonna try to be hogging the moment all the time so it seemed like the media tried to break out for a long time bro try to separate y'all saying i was too small like

so that goes to show what type of person you are for sure to let him rock out like that and for sure even to see like how you embrace hey simon's like nah bro like i'll show you how to get to it you can see the direct reflection of that. Obviously, you can tell, bro. In that locker room, your presence is felt, bro. You show love. And that's like, even with you, like you said, when you got no starting position, all right, I'm straight.

I'm going to make sure my backup, he going to get his brain, too. Yeah, that was my goal. But what he does is not normal. Especially as a franchise. You're showing people love that essentially is supposed to take your spot. And that's not what you... when I was coming in the league, like, people weren't really doing that. Like, nobody was doing a camp where they invite guys to come work out with them

to show what you do to help them get better because they want your spot. Yeah. I mean, I know, bro, like, to me, I'm looking at the game and how, like, these dudes coming in behaving, and I'm looking at a game and how like these dudes coming in and behaving. And I'm looking at a lot of weird behavior, like how they handle success, like the shit that they doing and what they saying and how they act when they have some success.

And I'm just like, that ain't, that shit is not going to last. And then when it stopped working and it don't work and then they down bad and they broken up about it. Ain't nobody going to come up about it ain't nobody gonna come save you ain't nobody gonna care so i'm just trying to i'm trying to touch them and reach out and give them everything that i know because i know it's gonna give them a chance to sustain it

so like and all of them dudes that's behind me like i'm gonna give them everything because i'm not in competition with them like i know i'm a win I already been winning and it ain't because I've been hating on somebody or right holding out that's actually why I keep winning because I'm not hating and I'm sharing it and I'm putting the next player young player whatever in position to do what they gonna do because I'm what's for me is for me like I'm gonna be me all the time and it ain't it ain't gonna stop that's real everybody ain't like that bro i remember my guy et's just always telling me that about you man he used to be like dang the realest bro he wanted everybody to win and that's a fact like just even seeing that with my own eyes today i'm looking at all the young guys you're working with i'm like

man if i could have had something like this when I was a rookie because they asked me we were sitting up there watching like did you do this when you was rookie I'm like no what nobody taking me under their wing that showed me how to get better they thought I was going to come to take their spot yeah but it's I mean the thing about like the camp bros we got like speakers like men's like stuff that is gonna help them with stuff that ain't got nothing to do with basketball. Because they all going to have agents, especially now. They got agents. They got managers. They got family members.

You got all these people that's pulling them in all these different directions. And then when it don't work out, ain't nobody going to be there. And ain't none of them been in position to really give them no sound advice that's going to actually help they just think he about to make some money they think he better than everybody when they don't really know what's really going on like they don't really know who in this league who their competition is how the coaches look at them they just think this my family member he the one so it's like we're trying to share as much as we can with them on the court but off the court too so they don't come in here thinking that something is not. And they've been, you know, their whole life they've been working to be an NBA player,

and then they out the league in one year and don't know what to do. Now they're just somewhere, you know, doing anything. They ain't playing basketball no more. So that's really what our focus is because a lot of these dudes, you know, is two-way players second round picks first round picks some dudes on the you know they on the cusp like that third year you know you get your option picked up you guaranteed that third year but after that you might be overseas like it's spooky yeah they don't care what pick you was no more now

they looking at you like he wasn't what we thought he was another 19 year old that like they looking at like they used to look at you so you should you can go yeah yeah so it's like we trying to stop that from happening but they it's a lot that they got to understand on the court but also like what goes into it off the court too you know i'm saying like them drills we did today them wasn't euro steps and a bunch of sidestep is like bro these are conceptual drills you have to be able to do in the nba like the x is on the court for a reason brian gonna zip the ball to that x right there if you're not there it's gonna go out of bounds you're coming out he gonna put his hands in the air

and look at the coach and you're coming out for sure so it's like this, this the type of stuff they got to know or you can't make it. Especially for some of the positions that they in. Like, y'all not the number one pick of the draft. Nah, it's dope. Yeah. With your first year being out of Portland, how was that transition coming into a new team, a new city, and getting adjusted to playing with another great player like Giannis?

It was, like, I was excited about it. Like, going into it, just the opportunity to, like, really win. Like, every year I always thought, like, if you're a competitor, you're like, we can do it this year. You know what I'm saying? Like, you talking to the team, everybody excited it's a new year. But this was the first time where I went into it like we can win for real. And it was kind of it was kind of fucked up because I had a, you know, a bunch of family stuff going on, going into like that summer, going through a divorce and knowing I'm gonna get traded, but not knowing where I'm gonna get traded to.

So I couldn't get hurt. Got to be able to pass a physical. So I wasn't able to get up and down at all. Like I didn't play, pick up or nothing the whole summer. My first day getting up and down was the first day of training camp. That's tough. And I did, I got traded like two, three days before camp. So I got to Milwaukee.

I did my physicals. Moved my stuff into the apartment I was in for a little bit the next day I went to go shoot shit the next day was media day and the next day was practice and I remember like going up and down at practice and um we got to stop Giannis got the rebound and I'm like running up theeline. And he threw it ahead to me. And I jumped up and caught the ball. And I landed, like, if this the out-of-bounds line, I was this far out-of-bounds. Like, I caught the ball. I'm way out-of-bounds.

I'm like, oh, I'm off. Like, I ain't on point. Like, I ain't ever did that shit before. I'm, like, completely out-of-bounds. So, we keep playing. And just because I'm a scorer like I hit a couple threes like I got to the rim a few times but I could just feel like my body didn't feel good I'm like I'm thinking like I just had to pick my life up in two days and just go and like play you know I'm saying like

ain't nothing ain't nothing really settled so like I pretty much spent the whole year trying to like just get my mind to like be there and to lock in and be sharp um because I knew what type of opportunity I had you know I'm saying but it was a it was a harder transition than I thought for real like just like I said because of my life but then also like adjusting to playing with another great player and then also playing with Chris. Like, Chris is a great player too. Yeah. But he plays a certain way too. So I'm having to get used to playing with two players.

And I don't want to stop them from doing what they do, but I got to find how to be the best version of me within this too. So it was just a lot of moving parts. It was more difficult than I thought it would would be oh well damn i'm gonna need you to get that together yeah no i trust you over there at the pastures yeah he think they got smoke for y'all bro we did last year we didn't go something last year last year they uh like who gays yeah bro last year'all was hungry. Last year, it just was,

you know, they, I think the first time we played them, I don't think I played. I think we played them in Indy. I don't think I played

in that game. And I think the next time we played them was in the in-season tournament. And then they beat us in that game. And that was when Halliburton was like you

know it's my time whatever yeah so like when I seen that I respected it that's why I said after the game you showed love I respected like that's like if you know like how Russ used to do this and sometimes people used to do it back yeah he had to take it because I didn't did it to so many people. So I respected it. But, like, at the same time, you're like, we're going to address that. I respect it, but we're going to get back to that at some point. Yes, sir. So then, like, the next time we played them, I think we beat them in Milwaukee. And then I think, you know, they beat us, I think, four times.

We beat them that one time, but the time that we beat them was when the situation with the ball. They had like 50. Yeah, Giannis had 60. Yeah, 664 or something like that. Jesus Christ. So, like, yeah, he got that look back. Yeah, but he was just done in every play.

Like, there's nothing they could do that night so that happened and then you know the season went by so like we lose the last game of the season and i'm looking at the schedule i'm like we about to play indiana in the playoffs and that was when i was looking at it i was like i ain't it been like a little back and forth year been a lot you know i'm trying to figure this out, figure that out. But I was like, now we about to see in this, like, in this playoff. So, I mean, it's kind of fucked up. We was banged up a little bit.

That was hard, bro. That was hard. That was hard. No, but I felt like we still was going to win. I respect. I felt like we still was going to win. But, I mean. Chris Millicent believed that Banking 3 was going to overtime and shit respect. I felt like we still was going to win. But, I mean. Chris Millicent believed

that Banking 3 was going to overtime and shit. He damn sure believed. Yeah, he, I mean, I still felt like we was going to win, but, I mean, they,

sometimes teams have a run and they had a run. They end up getting to the conference finals and we, they beat us in six games. I mean, I still felt like

we had action. You know what I'm saying? I strained my Achilles again in game three, too. Man was hurt to be fair as a patient I'm so maybe you get out there you get beat youers shit I'm talking about I seen y'all cause I be watching so I seen the episode

where y'all was like you know the Pacers whatever I'm like nah I ain't say that

I remember you was like I remember you was talking about whatever I'm gonna check on

Milwaukee feel the deer we got a Boston hat in the set now we got a Boston hat whatever team. I'm on a chicken Milwaukee. Shoot a deer. He's with everybody. You got to see the new bosses here. We got a boss ahead of the set now. Ah, we got a boss ahead. Shout out to my dogs.

We're over here. That's funny. I hope y'all have a hell of a year this year though. They are. For sure. Nah, and Ace is going to be crazy this year. We just got to be healthy.

Yeah. Honestly, that's what's going to come down. I want to ask you, what's it like playing with Giannis? I had a chance to play with Giannis as a point guard. I ain't going to lie. I'm going to keep it a bean.

It's me. I love Giannis. He's a good dude. Super cool. But as a point guard, nah, hell nah. I had a chance to play with Giannis as a point guard. I ain't going to lie. I'm going to keep it a bean. It's me. I love Giannis. He's a good dude. Super cool. But as a point guard, nah, hell nah. I'm cool. I'm going to keep it real, bro. I'm cool. He cold. He cold. I'm cool.

I'm casual like D. Fish. Get to that corner, my boy. Nah, this is the thing about playing with Giannis is like when you've been great and you've won playing a certain way for sure like you you gotta respect that that's that's how you play that's that's how you know and then you put me into it i'm used to having the ball too but i came into the situation like, you know, like I got to be a great compliment to

Giannis. So I knew it wasn't going to be what it was in Portland. But I just think it was a it was just an adjustment for him. You know what I'm saying? Like it's different when you got some different type of help. You know what I'm saying? Like it don't take as much. You don't have to give as much. You know what I'm saying? Like we can do it a little different and i think it the best part about it is like we have a conversation about it yeah that's dope it ain't like he was just like i'm not changing he was just like damn sometimes like you gotta just tell me like pass the fucking ball yeah like you gotta tell me because like all i all i know is go like i'm gonna go like but don like, he'll tell you. Like, tell me.

And he. That's all I had to say. And he mean it, though. Like, he, I give him credit because he mean it. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's really how he think. Like, when I got there, I'm watching him work out. He working out against four people.

And they all fouling. Like, he like, no's like no like you gotta foul me harder than that you know like yeah so that's how he that's how he that's just how his mind is the one thing i do love about yannis though he do listen like he'll listen to anything you say like he'll take it in i don't know if he was listening to me but he was he was considering it i'm like i'm like look i'm fast too if you give it to me on a break i can get to the rim he look okay push the euros he took one drill euro step all right fuck it i'm gonna get out the way brother yeah he it's just an adjustment bro i think that was the biggest thing and like as the season went on we talked about it more and more the more that we got to know each other it

was like i felt more and more comfortable telling him like like, if my man is sitting right there in that gap and you can't get in there, just swing it to me. After I hit a couple, like, he going to get a little closer to me and you going to have more space. Like, we started to have more and more conversations like that. But I also would tell him, like, it's also going to let me know, like, when the ball is coming. Because he get in the paint so easy, you know, he'll get into the paint. And sometimes he'll just dunk on two people yeah and then sometimes you know a third person to come and you know just jump before he jump and then he'll throw it and I'm thinking he about to shoot so it was just like as the season went on we talked more and more and like we definitely had our stretches where it was

like that was it right there like I remember we went to LA we played the Lakers and I had like 35 and 11 and he had 35 and 12 and 8 and then we played the Clippers and I had like 34 and 10 and 6 and he had 37 12 and 9 and it was like those back-to-back games I remember like walking through the tunnel and we were just looking at each other like this how we gotta this how we gotta do it like it ain't gonna always look like this numbers wise but like when we on point on point it could look like this but we got to use each other and then both of those games down the stretch we playing two man games i'm coming off hit him in the pocket he don don't have nothing. He come back to me.

I'm shooting threes off the handoff. I come off the handoff. Get to the paint. His man come to me. I'm dumping it off. Dunk. It was just like. We was just.

We was clicking. You know what I'm saying? But I think when you having injuries. You know. I miss a game here. Then he miss a game. Yeah. And then Chris miss a stretch of games.

Like we was never able to just fully like click all at the same time you know then i think they both missed a stretch of games and we playing the clippers and then bobby have 28 and 15 i have 40 and we beat the clippers with everybody and then we beat phoenix with everybody like we just it was just a little it was a funky year bro like i mean that's why i had y'all winning the chip we talked about it out you know but all And then we beat Phoenix with everybody. Like, it was just a little – it was a funky year, bro. I mean, that's why I had y'all winning the chip. We talked about it. You know, but all them things combined, injuries and all that stuff. Yeah, it's hard.

You got to be healthy, bro. I had y'all winning the chip, but I got y'all winning – hold on, let me check. Uh-oh. It's going to be – Let me be real. I mean, do I got y'all winning the chip? The East is crazy this year, too. The East is top heavy.

100%. JT, he mad right now. He ain't getting no tick. It might be over. It's going to be over the rest of the year, bro. It's going to be tough, but I think, I mean, you know, from being in the league a long time, bro, there's a lot of shit that happened over the course of the NBA season.

A lot. There's a lot that happened. I fear the deer, man. I want to chill with the deer. Fear the deer, man. They don't fuck with no board But I still rock with them I was about to say I ain't see you in the building

At all this year man They be inviting people back They with a boobie There would be no 520 live show in Milwaukee We got to Damn You don't want President

Back there I'm going to a game this year Who y'all play open tonight I think we at Philly Oh that's tough We probably going like that I ain't going like that I ain't going like that

I ain't going like that I ain't going like that I ain't going like that I ain't going like that I ain't going like that I ain't going like that I think we at Philly I want's tough We probably gonna make that trip I need to look to that I think we at Philly I wanna hop into the The rap shit though bro When did you pick up the pen

When did you start like Did you start off freestyling With the guys On the AAU trips And then they turned in That's how it started For real Yeah so like

My AAU coach When we was in like Sixth grade Like we used to You know we would do the local tournaments. We'd go to Sacramento. We might go to Vegas. We'd go to L.A. But we used to have four people to a room like for our tournament.

So it was like two beds. We literally was back to back in the bed, back to in this bed four of us in one room but at some point he'd have us all in one room and we all just kind of be circled up in there and he had talked to us like hey you know i'm gonna talk to y'all like men like you could tell he was trying to mold us to be like certain type he'd tell us like you know i'm saying y'all from oakland yeah like we ain't scared we don't care care, you know, what their name is, who they are, what type of gear they got. They was trying to mold us like that, you know. And they started doing this thing where like he would start rapping. And then we pretty much had to pass it around to everybody.

And everybody had to rap. Like we had a couple white dudes on our team. Like they had to rap. I made them get in the booth. We sit in a circle like this. We just pass it around that's hard and everybody had to rap and i just remember like when i rap sometimes like they'd be like like that was hard you know like and i felt like every time i spit i had to keep coming with something clever like i and then like all my cousins i grew up around was doing music.

They was all rapping. And then, shit, by the time we got to high school, you come out for warm-ups. We was coming out to our own music. We would go record. Damn, that's fire. Let them play the music. We doing layup lines. We was playing our own music.

College, we started doing mixtapes. And then, shit, that was. Was you a West Coast rapper at first? Was you E-40? Tell me where to go. Jesus had dreads, so shake them. No. I'm weak.

Now, who was your special? Obviously, being from the West Coast, I like West Coast music. But my style of music was always more like East Coast. Because I like bars. I like people that could rap for real. And that was never the style on the West Coast like that. It was more bounce, like dance, steez. It was more like that um but i always prefer my style because i'm

i like you know lyricism and writing and bars and double entendres and stuff like that so i wrote like i'd write music like the kind of music that i listen to and then i try to find like that balance of like what's player and what sound good yeah boring and preachy and that's kind of like the lane that i do my music in when did you know you was nice though like all right i can really do this i can start putting the lp out of album i can start asking wayne jada for a feature like i did uh i think it was like probably like 2015 i started putting stuff out on soundcloud and um no it was before that i did what was that what was that all-star 2015 it was it was 2015 all-star in new york okay i was at that one

so all-star 2015 in new york i did sway in the morning because sway from oakland so he was like you know you do your media stuff out there he was like come on the show yeah so when i walked in he was like man like i don't want to put you on the spot but i know you'd be rapping like do you want to spit something i was like yeah so like i rapped on sway like during all All Star and like the video like that's my most viewed rap video on the internet like okay so like after that that's when it everybody was like you gotta start putting music out like this shit fire like it went viral and then after that I started putting shit out on SoundCloud and I was doing a bunch of SoundCloud stuff and And then people was like, you got to drop an album. And I remember like my 26th birthday,

that was probably the following year. For my birthday, I did my first show, but I performed all SoundCloud songs. Where you performing at? In Portland. I sold out a show in Portland on my birthday. Damn, damn. After I did that,

and then I started working on an album after that and then like all my partners adidas uh at jbl at the time like they started wanting to use my music for like all my stuff so that's really how it started oh that's hard bro i needed to own my music i needed to own like my publishing and the masters and all that to be able to use it for commercials and all of that stuff so that I could make money from it. And then from there, it just took off. Yeah, I heard you say you had somebody working with you, your agent or something. You had him really tap into the music industry.

So he actually worked for my agency. He's like one of my agents. But he always get on me because my very first game of my career like at a regular season was against the lakers too so we played them on halloween and uh we we actually beat them and i had 23 and 11 and i remember walking out the locker room the night before me and my cousins was just upstairs like freestyling writing bars yeah and um i came out the locker room and they was like man that was a great game like you just played against kobe you just had 23 and 11 only alan iverson so they telling me all these stats and shit like and i remember i was just i

let him finish and i was like bro i really can rap like yeah i was thinking about what i was writing in my notes i'm like bro, bro, I really can rap. And they all look like, man, not another fucking basketball player thinking like they can rap because they hadn't heard me rap. So then he started I start sending him stuff to his phone. Like after I record, I send it. So he really was like just, you know, an agent working for my agency doing basketball stuff. And now he basically is like you know everything about me he ain't my A&R but he do all the business side of everything with my music

because he didn't learn like he didn't learn everything yeah that's right bro yeah I remember the four bar Fridays going crazy yeah I started four bar Friday so what's that energy like having a sold out crowd listen to you, you know, rap? Like you get it in the NBA, you can play in front of thousands of people. Then you go, you up on stage. It's you. No, it's different. It's definitely different.

Like my first couple of times, I'm like, man, I wonder if they even gonna like fuck with the music like that. And like when I got up there and I did the first show for my birthday, I was doing this freestyle. And I think I posted a clip of it at the time on my Instagram. But I was rapping and I was like, like one of my bars, I was like, last time they count me out, what I do, game six. I said, last time they count me out, what I do, game six. Talking about when I had the three on the Rockets. And I said it at the show. I said, last time they count me out. What I do, game six. Talking about when I hit the three on the Rockets. And I said it at the show. I said, last time they count me out, what I do?

And the whole crowd said, game six. And there was a clip of it. And I was like, oh, they fuck with my shit. I'm really nice. After that, yeah. After that, that's when I was like, all right, bro. You about to crash out? I'm crashing out.

You put a jump off stage, I'm crashing out. Who been your favorite collab so far as a two-parter? And then, like, who you look forward to work in the future with? My favorite so far? That Wayne and Javis shit. You got a Wayne version. That's crazy. It's hard.

I got to say Wayne, because, like, The first time I got with Wayne It was actually Somebody reached out to me for Wayne Cause they was like You know he wanna do something with you Yeah Cause he You know he like how you don't try to rap like a rapper

He can tell you just rapping like you So we connected like that And shit Me and Wayne got so many songs together That ain't Ain't even released like because everything I send him he do it and just send it right back like he just he do that shit fast so it's a bunch of shit that we haven't that I haven't even put out but I say that one because

I actually been to the studio with him yeah and like being able to see it i was like damn like you know how crazy that is bro yeah he said it's all right i know i grew up on little wayne bro like me too like real wayne bro no it was crazy because when i he was like i was in la he was like yeah pull up come to the studio that's crazy and i remember i was like all right and then i was on my way there and i was thinking like damn like i'm finna pull up on Wayne at the studio. I'm thinking he's going to have 50 people there. There's going to be a whole situation. I got there.

It was him and the engineer. That was it. That's crazy. And he probably rapped through 35 different beats and just like play to be. He's standing up at the mic. He'll rap, rap, rap. They'll bring it back. he'll rap over some more. He wasn't writing it or nothing.

He just was kind of like rapping over each track, just kind of punching in. And then he played some shit for me that, you know, hadn't been released. I was like, bro, this dude really is, like, how you even think about half of this shit you're saying? Like, it was crazy. It was a crazy experience, bro.

And for him to'll be doing that to this day it's still crazy like he coming crazier like right now he's like he keep going yeah he in his bag right now what's that girl the hoop for lsu and that verse he gave her is he gave her a real verse fire verse crazy and it like as an athlete too like people get get They'll give you a throw away too They'll just do something Just like here You know what I mean Like where they want to do it

So he gave her a real verse And he always give me a real verse And he never gave me no Little No bullshit Yeah Who's somebody you look forward to though Or you want to

That you ain't collab with you Man You got something with Cole? Man I've been knowing Cole a long time. I've been on his ass for, I've been on his ass about a long time. About to hit a serve. I've been on his ass about a song.

That's how I want the interview. Like, bro, we got to get Dave, bro. We got to get Dave, bro. Nah, but I feel bad. That's why I kept hitting you. Like, bro, I'm trying to work it out, bro. I feel bad bro We could have posted this shit months ago

We appreciate you I've been trying to get one with Cole For a minute but I actually know him Like he hit me He randomly hit me One time and I'm thinking like okay I see his name pop up I'm like oh he finally Finished he probably sent something through I opened the message

Up and he hit me About like our roster to see see if we got a roster spot about somebody he knows trying to get back in the league. He playing GM. He was playing GM on me. I'm like, oh, my God, bro. I thought the track was coming through. I'll finish sending it right back. But, yeah, I say Cole. That's my boy, man.

But, shit, Drake. back but uh yeah i say cole that's my that's my boy man but shit drake it's i mean it's it's a crazy few names to say but i say cole drake and kendrick 100 i think them three i them three i gotta get at some point man when you just said i forgot that cole really wouldn't hoop in africa that's why i thought he's about to send me his highlight tape. I thought he was about to send me his highlight tape. Nah, but he really loves hoops. So, like, what I do send him sometimes is, like, when I see other rappers that's actually nice and hooped, I always send him a clip of him, like, hey, he might be able to get you. I know he'd be tight.

He'd probably be hot. Who do you think better, him or Chris Brown? Chris Brown. I think Chris Brown, like, he just, he athletic. tight he probably be hot who you think better him or chris brown uh chris brown i think chris brown like he just he athletic like he's acrobatic he just he can hoop for real like when i see his clips he look like a young player you know that's tough y'all damn cole i don't know no i'm taking i mean it's probably athletic He more athletic But Cole like Really love hoop though So that Cole been in the trenches

With them The best rap hooper Is Dave East though Going to hoop in Africa Is crazy Dave East hoop Dave East the best It's a dude named

It's this dude It's a rapper He ain't like super big His name Dax though He nice in hoop We got somebody From Indiana that rap For real that's nice

Yeah Dave East Is like that, though. Like, Dax, I'm telling you, look him up on Instagram. Look really nice. Look up Deebo from Indianapolis. Yeah, he really D1. Yeah, he with IU. He really like that. That's a Dave East.

Oh, you know Doomsday? You know Doomsday? Yeah, yeah. That was a crazy sickness. Yeah, yeah. He gagged over to me. That was crazy. Yeah, yeah. He gagged over to. That was crazy sick. He gagged on me.

Yeah, bro. Crazy. I'm trying to think of a rapper that's nice and hooped that I'm going to blank on. A rapper? Gilly? Gilly can. Gilly can hoop. Nah.

Gilly can't hoop. He can't hoop. Nah, Gilly can hoop. I ain't going to lie. He be hooping in his little. Gilly a big three MVP, bro. NLE Chopper can hoop, too. Yeah, you can tell.

He played AU for sure. Yeah, he can hoop, bro. There's a few. There's somebody I can't think of right now, bro. They're rap. Nobody we grew up on. He said, nah. Simba, I see you in the All-Star game too, bro.

Nah, that ain't your speed. You got bars, though. Who put that shit? But you one of my favorite. Hey, you got bars, bro. Y'all tripping Kim. Kim. Kim Cahoot.

You know, we ain't doing this on the show, but R. Kelly, Cahoot. Why? We was talking about musicians that can play basketball. You know what I mean? We ain't got to tap in. You always out of pocket all the time. Did you see that team uniform? I'm not in it.

Come on, get Dame out of here. Bet they got this campus shit to give back to. All wrapped this shit up. No, before we got out, we can't let you go, bro. You top 75, man. You had that moment to be there at that ceremony, man. What's that like, bro? Honestly, it was crazy, bro, because I didn't –

when they first announced it, I started seeing lists of like, this is my top 75, this is my top 75. So I thought it was just like a trend that people were saying who they thought their top 75 players were. And I remember driving to the gym one day and somebody called me like, you made it. that people were saying who they thought their top 75 players were. And I remember driving to the gym one day and somebody called me like, you made it. I'm like, what you talking about? And they sent me a picture of it.

You know, they had the little thing around your head. And they was like, you made it. I'm like, so they actually put like a committee together to like pick 75 players. And once I found out I made it, I'm like, well, shit, who didn't make it? So I look and see some of the people that didn't make it i'm like damn it's like it was the first time that i was like they really looked at people's like body of work yeah like the availability them winning like what they've been able to do consistently like this

ain't like no all-star voting it ain't popularity content it ain't none of that it's like what have you done so like that's why I that's why it meant so much for me because it was like I could think of bigger names and you know people that you if they had to say 75 players that they might just off the top of their head put them in front of me yeah but when you look at the body of work it's a lot of players in the league that like it's probably like james kd russ steph brian um demar but after that chris paul after that it ain't nobody that got more career points than me that's a fact and like they all been in the league for three or more years longer than me. And I ain't far behind. So it's like, like I said earlier, that been like with me being in the playoffs on a vet team and on a rebuilding team. We didn't we started rebuilding. We was right back in there, like right back in the playoffs, eight straight years.

So it's like that was the first time I was like, like, they made the right decision. Like, people ain't gonna see it right now, but when they look back at like, what actually took place, they gonna be like, he should be in there. And then,

you know, we got to, to Cleveland for the like, 75th anniversary event. And just being in a room and seeing, you know,

Kareem and Magic. That's crazy. Like, seeing all of these dudes, that was the first time I was like, like, should I even be in this motherfucker? Like, this crazy to be in here, and I'm like one of them. And being in a picture and taking a picture with, you know, the other Oakland Point guards. It was, you know, GP, J-Kid.

Like, being up there with them, It was like I'm amongst this group. But I say that like the craziest part. And I told this story, I think, on Q Rich and D Miles shots on Knuckleheads. On Knuckleheads, like everybody was there. But when when Jordan walked up, that's when I was like, this man is like not even a real, is he even a real person? Like it was probably 80 cameras surrounding like the other 74 players. When he walked up, it was probably his own set of 60 cameras. And he walked up and it was like, you could see right away.

He ain't like, we part of the top 75. Like he's the one one like he a part of his own group and that like that was when it was the most obvious to me like seeing him walk up even when you was in a building when they called his name out it was like we could all leave now like let him go up there by himself that's how how loud it was. It was like that shit wasn't real. It's crazy, bro. Top 75, bro. That's crazy, bro.

That's like, you know, coming from no-name AAU team in Weber State to get to top 75, bro. I don't know. I probably, could you dream that? No. I said it yesterday when I was talking to the campers, when I was just telling them, like, I was stressing to them, like, all of the people that's working camp, that's not like a NBA coach. Like even the counselors, the you know, a lot of the staff is like they coach me. I play with them. They played in college. Now they coach in college or they coach in the NBA like they got credentials but they also witnessed my my story and everything that I went through so they they know that none of the stuff that we doing it ain't just no oh I'm

a star now let's make sure let's you know act like he know everything he ain't have no you know he ain't do nothing wrong this shit was seamless like they've been there for the whole thing so they witnessed it and they can share the same message that I'm sharing and they've experienced it through me but they also know like the formula or formula zero is not me saying this is what you got to do I'm a product of the formula that all of these people make up and I'm sharing that with them and I was like the reason why it's important for y'all to like be invested in this and to embrace everything that's happening here is because I don't need nothing from y'all. But because of all of this stuff and like my ability, I've been able to accomplish way more than I ever would have thought. Like I would have never been like I'm about to be top 75. Even when they was talking about top 75, I wasn have never been like, I'm about to be top 75.

Like, even when they was talking about top 75, I wasn't thinking, oh, I'm in there for sure. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I never could have dreamed of it going like this. You know what I'm saying? I was just, when I came in the league, I was like, man, I might spend some time in the G League. Literally, I was literally thinking that.

I might spend some time in the G League. Shit, I might go to that. I might spend some time in the G League. Shit, I might, I might go to Miami and be playing with Ron and D-Wade and be just a shooting point guard. Like,

shit, I don't know, but I could have never dreamed of everything that's happened, happening. And that's why, especially with you being

top 25 and deserving of that, for sure. Like you said, you get overlooked a lot and then times change sure Like you said You get overlooked a lot And then times change Like you said It's always voter fatigue

And rooting for people But like You can talk about All the newer guys There's a lot of younger Point guards in the league But still You still hold your ground

You still do your thing You still set the standard With that Before we get out of here It ain't gotta be in no order Just know what I'm saying Who's some of your Top five players

They ain't even gotta be The best Or who's some of your Favorite players Right now Just period I say right now Cause if we say period any of them got to be the best? Or who are some of your favorite players? Right now? Just period. I'll say right now,

because if we say period, it's a lot of people I can't leave off the list. All right, you already know. Nick Zietawala. So right now, I'm going to go Anthony Edwards. I think everybody super high on him right now, but I like him because of his energy, his swag about him.

It's authentic. And he got the game to go with it. So I'm going to go Anthony Edwards. I'm going to go Ja Morant. Shout out to Ja. He got in some trouble, so I think people kind of turned off to him a little bit. But, I mean, I know what I'm looking at. Yeah. So, I mean,

I'm going to go Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Luka, I'm leaving somebody out, Joker, and Giannis. That's my five right now

that I'm like when I'm watching and they like my favorites I'm gonna I'm gonna go with them so far I've seen that backcourt trenchy

trench babies that's how long that's gonna be I'm like hell yeah what you picked was a lot of Oakland like I said he from Oakland

I mean I'm going with like obviously younger players but I mean, I'm going with, like, obviously younger players. But, I mean, that's what, you know, that's the group I go with. But they all, like, real, though. Like, when you watch them, you can tell, like, I hang out with him, bro. Yeah, 100%. You know what I mean? Like, John Morant, he come on 38 for me.

Yeah, for sure. Anthony Edwards is definitely. You take John on 38, he can go cloud nine with me for sure. Anthony Edwards is definitely One of us For sure 100% It was funny

Even seeing Joker He was like When the lip was up He was like Alright that's cool I'm about to kill all my niggas Drinking beer Watching horses for sure

I know Luke is smoking A square somewhere Hey don't forget Someone on Luke He's smoking on squares He's smoking Off the Newport Is that what Michael Philly

Took for him He smoked squares. Oh, that was a beer. Y'all wildin'. I'm gonna take a beer, dude. Wildin'. Nah, Dane, we appreciate you,

though, bro, for pulling up on the show, man. Thank you. I'm a zero cap, man. We appreciate you making this happen, man. Y'all know what it is.

Club 520. Like, share, subscribe. Be here and send out people that can grab some merch at shopclub520.com. For sure. We appreciate y'all. Catch y'all next time.

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