Club 520 Podcast - Club 520 - Jeremiah Fears on NBA Draft, HOOPING with Pelicans being a STAR at Oklahoma

Episode Date: February 14, 2026

Jeff Teague, DJ Wells, and B Hen are joined by rookie point guard for the New Orleans Pelicans, Jeremiah Fears. Fears talks about becoming a superstar in his lone season at Oklahoma, and turning that into being selected with the 7th overall pick in the NBA Draft. Fears talks about the adjustment to the league, and how being a team's starting point guard is the hardest position in basketball.Timeline:1:53 - Episode Start5:00 - Basketball in the family7:00 - Transition to the league10:00 - One-and-done at Oklahoma14:00 - NBA workouts16:30 - Getting drafted to the league19:00 - First NBA paycheck & getting into scuffles20:45 - PG is the hardest position in hoops22:00 - Vets showing him the ropesAll lines provided by ‪Hard Rock Bet#VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Terms do apply. All right, man, we back. Another episode of Club 520 podcast. I'm your host. My name is DJ Wells. Brought to you by Boost Mobile. You know the vibes get you or your loved one. That new iPhone 17.

They'll pull up to your crib and handle the rest. Shout to Hard Rock Bet. Be here. Now, Jay, listen, my boy, be here. crafting these parolets up, you know what I'm saying? He'd been too crazy. Have you had any, you know what I'm saying? Fans run down on you yet?

People in your DM's talking about you sold on me yet? For sure. I had a couple in person, too. At the game, they'd be saying course, side. I'm like, man, let me get five more points. I'm like, man, I try to fuck. I don't get me in trouble. Hey, man, shout out of hard rock bet.

Do not get on athletes' nerves, man. They ain't got nothing to do with them. Bet on your own discretion. But be here in the lays, man. We got to put a discretion. Tell the people lead the fans alone and the players, Oh, yeah, man, especially my young gun, man, let him cook, man. He ain't got enough going on after.

He don't need to be here, man. We got to live talk about, man, but shout out to Adidas family. We tapped in live all our weekend out here in L.A. Got my dogs with me to my far left. Bishop Bhead out the Perlis. Are you what? Cool and nasty. I ain't got these.

Oh, purple nasties? Yeah, you know, I'm a real Adidas athlete up here, baby. First look at the Purple was had next. respect. Did J.R. C.R. C. R. C. R. don't fool with us. You know. We're a nice team.

John. John said, no. All right, my dog. Not show you a team. How are you what? Still matter, J.R. Still mad at him. No, that's all love.

They're just family showing love. We got one of my indie yet, you know, Indie Heat along. Yeah. Family, really. Baby crash, all what I call him. Now, listen, if you tapped in the 520 in the morning last year, I think, you know what I said? We was early on the train.

Yeah, fact. Told y'all by one of them once in the Midwest, man. Chicago's finest, Illinois's finest, Indiana. Indy Heat alumni. We want to only miss Jeremiah Fierre's Big Dog. We appreciate you sliding on us, bro. Yes, sir.

Appreciate y'all. Yes, sir. Indy He family, man. Team alumni. Man, the first time I seen him play him and Jalen Harrelson. We went to the game. We was like, man, he played like Westbrook. He got nothing but energy.

He's flying around the court. Why are you number zero, too? Uh, well, Indie. I was 11. I was trying to get zero. but they didn't have it. He was flying around the court. We was like, man.

Your voter was crazy, bro. Because we was coming to see Jaylon. I had never even heard of you. I was like, okay. Yeah, Jaylon, let's get our new favorite player. Yeah, we love it. We love it back to the dog, but we're too. I was happy because my guy coach Avery, you know what I'm saying, my boy.

He was like, hey, I got somebody on my roster. You need to check out. And he'll never be wrong. And he didn't sure what's wrong this time. Boy, you've been getting to it for a long time, man. Thanks. How you joined that thing? Man.

I wasn't trying to play with me, and Trees in McEarver. Then I was trying to go out of state and I just came from Brad Bill. And then he had reached out and then me and my dad had did like some research. Yeah. We seen they had some dudes the previous year.

So he was like, we were rock with it. And then my older brother played with him the year before. So end up switching it up a little bit. Oh, sure, man. Shout to the family, like you said, man. Bar is real in the family. What's that like, man, growing up, whoop with the siblings?

Man, it's crazy. I think that's where I kind of get the motor and the hunger from playing against my older brother. He was always bigger than me and strong than me, so he wouldn't never taking it easy. Especially we played the one-on-one. He would be just trying to bang me and post me up the old time. I'm like, bro, I chow.

Once I finally start getting bigger and stronger, I always had the confidence. I was like, I got bigger and stronger. I just took it and ran with it, basically. Every time I step on the core, I'm trying to kill my opponent. Have you beat him in the one-on-on-one? Always, I beat him now for sure. Oh, I'm not to talk.

We just wronged bro until I'm going. Yeah, bro ain't going like that. I guess they'd say you don't say it has a big brother, you know what I'm saying? You never lose to your little brother, bro. No, they win at first. Like, when you're young and you small and stuff, they win. But once you get around that 16, 17,

what was it? Yeah, it's over. He's supposed to out playing you. Yeah, that's what he should have did. But, you never did that. Oh, man, like you said, crazy high school career, man. What was it like hooping in high school and then transition into college? Because you had a hell of a junior senior senior.

You went early. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it felt really good. I had the confidence, obviously, from playing up all my life. So once I got to college, it was basically the same thing. That was a little bit older. Yeah.

It was like 26, 25. But I think that I still had to. the confidence and go out there and do what I'm capable of doing. And then I feel like I'm pick the right school for me. Don't let me go out there and showcase what I was capable of. Like I said, end up going to Oklahoma for sure. What was that process? Like, I know you had had a couple schools issues, you know what I'm saying, tapped

in with, but obviously ended up in Oklahoma. All worked out, but I know you used a little bit of pressure going with through that. Yeah, it was tough. That was probably one of the hard decisions I had to make picking a college because you go to the wrong situation. Yeah. Coach might not be rocking with you. You might not be able to show everybody what you capable of.

and you end up getting stuck in college. But definitely picking the right school was big for me. Just narrowing down my options was coaching staff, the roster and the conference. I think the SEC was the best fit for my game, my play style. Yeah, no, you always talk about this, TIG. It's a little bit different when you get to college, but you said that summer is really weird.

It's different when you play gets all that level. What was the like for you stepping into that spring summer ball? It was crazy. At first, them dudes were strong. I'm like, Godly. But then I started hitting that weight room. I started getting stronger, and I was like, all right, I'm good. But like that first week, I get switched on the big.

He tried to pose me up. I'm like, man, it's strong. I was in that. I was good after that, though. That was your first time touching the weights? The real wage, yeah, I was doing push-ups and little dumbbells and stuff. I got to college. I started hitting them 65s and 80s.

And then I took my push-ups to another level. I started doing even more. pull-ups and my body started getting defined. I started getting a lot stronger. Protein shakes, smoothies. How much weight did you pick up that summer? Like 10, 12 pounds. Okay.

I was trying, though. But it was a goal I had for myself, too, getting stronger and getting bigger. So I was willing to do anything to pick up that weight and pick up that muscle. Yeah, the summer you came back, it wasn't even that long boy. That college program different.

How much weight did you phone when you came back to that? I gained 30 pounds. They got him some juice, though. Myr-old said I ate to 12. I went from 155 to 185. Yeah, and then they got you eating four, five times a day, especially if you small. They got you eating six.

Damn. They ain't watching you. They're like, yeah, you got to eat this. You're like, man, nah. Booth some of the meals. Everything steak, rice, yeah. Eggs in the morning.

I probably should have took a visit. That's law? They didn't readbizer. Everything. They was giving us to everything you think of. That's hard, though. What was dope? Like you said, Oklahoma, proffal school, hell alumni.

You put it on, but, like, to support you was getting, like, as gradually. Obviously, you had a name, you was good, but, like, gradually as the season progressed, everybody was like, no, y'all have to watch him. What was that like, especially with your teammates buying into the system? And it seemed like they let you cook, and then it all worked out. It was great. Having them older dudes, sometimes it would be tough. They could be hating, but I forget. but I feel like I was in a fortunate situation.

My teammates, they was happy for me. Oh, man. He was out there doing it together. I mean, I was still out there kind of playing really good and doing what I could do, but my teammates were still getting off as well. Yeah. And it was more so, like, not everybody looking at it,

like, Jeremiah doing this, he doing that. But also, your teammates play a big part because they got to be with the buy-in. Yeah. I got to be happy for you. If they're not happy for you, then it's going to be a tough situation. Like, man, you know, freshman.

man, we're not from passing the ball, and we're not going to be happy if you have a good game. So my teammates definitely played a huge part in that, and they was happy for me, whether it was a good game, bad game, and they was talking to me as well. If I did have a bad game, like, you're good, bro, you're going to shake back. So I think that went a long way for me, and just seeing them have that confidence in me.

Yeah. See, you talk about this now with the portal and everything, the business of basketball is different. Yeah, so they don't even be quote-unquote hate at time. It's just like, shoot, I'm trying to get paid, too. Yeah. So now it's like, yeah, it ain't the competition more than a locker in, before you even get on the court.

Yeah, that's a fact. Yeah. I was, I was one to ask you because we watched a bunch of your games when you was in school, and we were huge fans. Like, he was like, man, he created with the ball, he gets to the basket. He can do so much with the basketball. Like, when did you know you was like, you know, I'm about to leave? Like, did you know you was leaving, like, I went to school early,

but did you know you was like, I'm one and done? Yeah. Once I got there, I think I still got the text. I text, I text my dad, like the second week. I was like, man, I'm going top five. He was like, you think so? I said, I know so. But just the work I put in, and then I was seeing

and translate in practice, I was doing my thing in practice, and then in the scrimmages, we played like two of the top five teams, top five teams in the country preseason. And I did my thing, and I'm like, yeah, I'm going to five. Shout to Boost Mobile, official sponsor of Club 520, and they back again to let y'all know that you don't have to overpay for great wireless service. Unlock the new savings account with $25 for the unlimited wireless.

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Gambling problem. Call 1-800 gambler in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey. Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. What's that feeling like? Knowing you're about to get it like, I'm going to be a top pick, right? Man, it was crazy. You still got to go out there and compete,

but you got that, you got that chip on your shoulder. You got to know every time you step on the court, they're going to come at you. For sure. I was definitely getting ready every single game. I'm gearing up.

My headphones, lift before the game, stretching and stuff like that because I knew. Here's a month I step on the court, especially with the new mock draft and stuff they got going on here. Everybody would be like,

He did see he about to be top pick, so they was coming at you every night. Double teaming, blitzing, denying you the ball. Got to do what you got to do, though. It was good, though. What's like playing in a robbery game? Because I know Oklahoma, you know what I'm saying? Like you said, it's lit. Yeah, it was crazy.

They was talking crazy. It was exciting, though. Because it's like in high school, you don't get that no more for real in the NBA. The student sections. Yeah. You got posters. They've been creative. They might got your mama on the poster.

friend, you're like, man, watch how old. But at the end of the day, it was super exciting. It was outing that fuel to the fire. Yeah. You're like, yeah, so-and-so. You might have a bad game. They got, yeah, you had two points versus so-and-so. You're like, all right, but at the end of the game, you could go over there, you could talk stuff a little bit to the student section.

And then they ain't got no choice but to respect you if you do your thing. Yeah, you get to win. I always ask you this. You play, obviously in the ACC. Tough game, especially on the road. What's the environment like, man, going to the robbery of the places or going to those big schools? upset people. No, that's the fun

as part of the game. Me, but like you said, they will be talking about your mama. Anybody in the stands kind of crazy. But you go in there and you show them up,

that's the most fun for sure. Any memorable matchups from a college as you can remember? Somebody that tried you. Kentucky. Kentucky, in Georgia.

We played Georgia the first time. I could have to shot and then they ended up beating us And they was talking bad. The players was talking wild. The player was talking wild. They was like, yeah, you're supposed to be NBA. You did this.

I'm like, all right, we're going to see y'all again. And then we end up seeing them in the SEC tournament. And I destroyed them. I mean, we beat them and put them out. I was talking a little crazy to them after the game. Who was going on you? A little guard from Yukon. He there now.

He got the dress. He was guarding me. He got tourists. He was guarding me. He made a transfer. That you put it before, though. It was crazy. It was crazy.

And then Kentucky, we end up having one of the players from Oklahoma transfer over there. He ended up making the game win on us. He was talking out of his body, too. Wow. Played him again. He ended up hitting another game winner.

Oh, he climbed all the second time with Snoop, you know. No, that's hate. That's right. That's right. It's fluke. He ran full court and just threw it up with the left. He was off-bounds of everything. He was like, no way.

He made that. And then it wasn't enough time to get a shot up. It was like 0.7. He was like, no way. He just gained us like that. Oh, I got to have. You get two game winners against the school you left? Yeah.

No, that's hard. He got to get back. Yeah, that was crazy. Nah, respect to Hill. Yeah. All right, obviously, killed in college. What was your draft process like that summer going into being a professional? It was crazy.

Probably, I probably end up getting in the best shape I've ever been there. They had me working out and running so much that when I worked out of the NBA teams, I was in, I was in crazy. shape. And then majority of my workouts was solos. So it was me and then not the video. Like the assistant coaches, some teams bring back players as been in the NBA. So you might be planning as a former point guard or former wing and stuff like that, playing

3B3s. But it was good for sure. I had some couple of matchups. They were trying to get underneath my skin because they seen I was talking a little bit of pilots. They had some of the people that got you going again. talking and man the worst is probably Utah. What's what to do out there?

Man, the air out there already different. And then they got you the three-minute run. I'm like, that's different. But people who aren't tapped in, please explain what a three-minute run is. You got to run full speed to one end to the other end for three minutes. And they're trying to see how much you can get basically a conditioning test. And I mean, you're trying to get. on the team, you want them to pick you, so you're going hard.

They ain't no jogging. You're going super hard. By the time you get to like 20, her legs and body body, but I ready to give out. As soon as you get done, you just land them for like, ah, it's over. Is that the end of the workout? Because I'm not about to go with basketball after that. Yeah, end of the workout. And then you got you doing beforehand, full court, one-on-ones, one-on-tos,

and you just going to go. And you just going for about two hours, just you by yourself. They're trying to break you. Yeah, facts. They were trying to see what you was going to do. do how he was going to react, but it was super fun. How many teams you work out for? I only worked out for four, team.

He told me I was going to five. I only worked out for four. Privileged. So it wasn't, yeah, it wasn't as much as everybody else that's got, but it was fun. I feel like he threw a shot at me. How many things you work out 14? It don't matter. Respect.

The whole 30. Bricky. God, man. Are you laughing too hard? You laugh too hard. All right, so draft night, man. What's that feeling like, man? Dreams come true.

It was flawed, too. Yeah. Appreciate it. It was flawed. Came for him for sure. What's that moment like for you and the fam, man? Man, it was crazy. It was a little bit like,

you still know you're going to be a topic, but it was like, your heart was racing. You ain't know who was going to take you. You just sitting at that table. But it's a little, like, for the people that, you know, disrespect, that ain't been drafted or that didn't have an opportunity, like, you kind of know when it's about to be your turn

because they got all the cameras running to your table. So once I seen all the camera, I was like, oh, and then I just put my head now, like, I'm about to get drafted. So once I walked up there, put the hat on, so you got them silver hand. It was like a dream come true. Yeah. And then my heart kind of, I start relaxing a little bit.

I'm like, all right, you did. But at the end of the day, I knew I had more work to be. the Summer League was coming up. And then I had a chip of my shoulder, too, from all the people that went in front of me. So every time I played them, I had it marked down for sure. You know, so yeah, I know you worked out for a couple teams. Pelican, will those teams work out for?

Yeah, they were. Okay. Yeah. That's one of the four. No, it'd be some weird situations where you don't work out for a team that drive. You'd be like, I ain't even tap in early. Now you're here.

That's crazy. That's how he was in Atlanta. Offer up? I don't work out for Atlanta. You know none of coaches, no, none of the assistance, you know, the front office. I mean, you probably know him a little bit from the combine. You got to meet with a bunch of different teams and talk to them,

but, like, you never seen them in person. One thing y'all talking about was college and getting ready for the drive, but you don't know nothing else about them. What's been the adjustment, the biggest adjustment, from going to the pro? Definitely the speed of the game. Once the game starts slowing down for you, it's going to become a lot more easier.

So I feel like that was the biggest adjustment, but I think it's starting to slow down a lot for me, and I'm starting to understand everything, all the coverages, reads, scound reports, everybody, my matchup, my assignments, and what I got to do to help my team win. All right, man, and obviously you're a rookie, but what was that moment?

Like, you got that first check, that first direct deposit. Man, that joined the count. I was, where was I? Yeah, I was sitting there. bed. I didn't count.

I got up and just started dance. I was talking like, dang. And then everybody was acting

they're like, why are you dancing? I'm like, bro, don't worry about it. It was cool. What you buy? Man,

I went shopping. Oh, okay. Yeah, I went shopping. I started buying clothes, shoes, uh, some jewelry,

a little bit of jewelry. Okay. And then I start saving the saving. Yeah, you got a trick on your a little bit. It was a good time, though.

Seeing that junior, I was like, dang. That first director, posse, woo. Thanks. Hey, man, listen, rookie year, progressing so far. Hey, man, you've been making noise all over here, man. On the court? What's going on, man? Everything okay at home?

Yeah, man. You just family, you're a little door locking up. Hey, you're out here, don't say it's making a name for yourself, man. Love to see it. Yes, sir. He's crazy, bro. It's crazy. Crash up.

You got to talk a little bit. Yeah. If you're just too quiet, I'm like, man, we can just keep testing, keep punking them. But being able to talk a little bit, but you can't just be talking, you ain't doing nothing. So we got to back it up a little bit. I'm sure everybody keeps showing everybody what you're capable of. Don't be afraid of matchups. You've got them air night.

So you better be ready for it. Yeah, I was going to get out of here. I was going to ask that point guard position, the NBA is one of the most dangerous places. Westlight night in night out. You know what I'm saying? You got to go out there and prove yourself, go against some Hall of Famers or some. That's probably the hardest position. I mean, the wings and the threes and fours can argue.

The big is not for real. But the threes and fours, they can argue a little bit, but that point guard position ain't no joke. Man. They're going to get on the street. They're about to scurry the shit out of the evening, man. Of course. Man, that. They definitely knew it, by the time.

That point guard is different. Every night you got some, we got curry. Like you know, you got Maxie, he'd been hooping. Yeah, and you're in the West, too? Back. You got an man, you got Shane. What was that matchup that you got? Like, you know, everybody had that first rookie.

Not starstruck, because we're not really starstruck. But you had that moment, you're like, damn, I'm about to play against, bro. Katie, I played him in preseason, but he wasn't really trying. He still was cooking us. Once the season came, you played great defense. He might come off a pin down. He's like, all right, I can push him. He's skinny, but he'd catch that dream, take that one dribble and rise up.

Used to test, steal, bottom of the name. He don't even see you. Yeah, you just got to run down like, hey, that was good defense. What vet then brought you in and kind of gave you the game? DeAndre Jordan. Chau, DJ. DJ, I thought you were going to say Freaky Z. Shout to my four of me.

Love games. Z, Z been. He's been talking with me a lot. Bejante Murray. John Tatee, yeah. Loon. You been hanging out with Trey? Yeah, Trey too.

That's my God. That's our guy. They all be just all appealing in, chiming in here and there talking to us. Just trying to get the best piece of advice they can. Yeah. Some of them don't play our position, but they still know what they're talking about. Yeah. And even just talking about everything.

Learning the refs, understand the rest you could talk to which ones you can't, understand the league, the system, the situation you in, stuff like that. So definitely learned a lot so far. So we've got a couple more games to go after break. Yeah, yeah. Listen, man. Let's go to work it out. Hell of a rookie campaign, man.

Y'all got some young kills. We all rock with on the team, man. You, big queen gang, Tray Z. Listen, we tapped in, man, the Pelicans. Y' got some talent, man. We're going to see what y'all do, man. Yes, sir. Proud of you, man.

We tap in over here at 520. We got a follow up, man. You know what I'm saying? Let you go play some more basketball. We got a lot to talk about, man. But keep doing your thing, man. We get out of here. We get out of here.

Shop 12520.com, baby. One more time for the good people at Adidas, man, holding us down all-star weekend at L.A. We tapped in with the family, you know what I'm saying? Adidas family, head to toe. You tapped in, man, you know the vibes. Boost Mobile, we tapped in, family. Last and certain out least, man, hard rock bet.

Like we said, lead the players long, man, tap in, do your proleys and don't bother them. We appreciate y'all. We'll catch y'all next time, Club 520. What sure. The volume. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

Thank you.