Club Shay Shay - Club 520 - John Lucas III on Derrick Rose Bulls era, LeBron James DUNKING on him, Kobe Bryant story

Episode Date: January 6, 2025

We’re back with Season 3, Episode 22 of Club 520, where Jeff Teague and the guys are joined by John Lucas III. John tells stories about playing alongside Derrick Rose in the NBA, LeBron James dunking OVER him in a game between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, meeting Kobe Bryant when he was in high school and building a close bond with Kobe. He also talks about his journey from college basketball to the D League, and his NBA career. #Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The volume. All right, man, we back. Another wonderful episode of Club 520 podcast. I'm the host. My name is DJ Wills. We in Chicago with it. Special guest in the building, man. We've been waiting for this episode, man. He ain't even the guest.

It's like family. We got lots to talk about, man. We're going to introduce my man's last one to my far left. I got my dog, Bishop E. He in out the pearly. How you doing, Nasty? Cool, Nasty and a shy. Let's get to it, baby.

For sure we in the shot one time. Najay, look, listen, we know your foot game always been proper, but you know, this man known for it, have you ever seen the Black Forces with the white laces before? Nah, I ain't never seen that. I'll get you a pearly, what you about not?

Nah, I would've said that would be dope. Damn! No, I'm just kidding. You take somebody's feet, dog. Damn! No, you take somebody's feelings by my side, I need to let you know. He ain't right. Nah, I'ma take care of Luke, don't worry about it, I got it. Got the black Nasty's on to my right, my dog, young Nacho, young T, how you what?

Chillin' bruh, we got family in the building for real, bruh. We in Chicago with it, you know, supporting some of our other brothers, supporting D-Royal, our guy, but we got my brother in the building for real, bro. We in Chicago with it, you know, supporting some of our other brothers, supporting D-Rose, our guy, but we got my brother in the building, bro. I'ma let you do the honors, but I'm geek for this episode. For sure, man, we've been waiting for this episode, man.

Come on, man, DK Plus professional, man. The best walk-on ever to do in the NCAA, man. We got a lot to talk about. We got a lot to talk about today, man. JL3, John Lucas III, Coach Luke. Appreciate you sliding on this big dog. Oh, man, thank y'all for having me. Appreciate it. For sure, man. We've been waiting talk about today, man. JL3, John Luke is the third coach Luke. Appreciate you sliding on this big dog. Thank y'all for having me. Appreciate it.

We've been waiting for this episode, man. Ever since the Minnesota stories came out. This is the highest requested guest, man. Listen, we got lots to talk about. But first, I want to talk about how y'all first met, man. Let's go to y'all origin story first. Well, you know, I met him by bussing, you know, killing, Paul's almost sitting going crazy.

But I met him by killing. When I was a rookie, the Hawks, we didn't have summer league, we had mini camps, right? So we had a mini camp and they had some veterans come. He was a veteran in the league, you know, and he was trying to work his way on a team. What make the Hawks team a roster, whatever it was, was mini camp.

And it was my rookie year. I'd never been in the NBA, nothing. And me and him got in a battle. So we get to playing, me and him going back and forth. He giving me the blues. I'm doing my thing. At the end of the day, I end up getting the best of him a little bit, right? But in the middle of the game, this nigga start coaching me.

This is what I do. He's gonna be my guy and he's gonna be a coach. I'm going to work, I'm doing my thing. I'm calling Pick and Rose. He like, hey, young fella, when you go on that Pickett Road and you go in it, don't turn your head, because I'm just going to blow by you.

I'm looking at this nigga like, man, what? Like, we playing against each other. They're going to coach me. I'm like, who is this nigga talking to? So I go to Randolph Morris, right? I'm like, who is this nigga? He was like, no, he can play, man. This nigga, nah. Then the rest of the day, this nigga just kept talking to me. That's how I met this nigga? He was like, no, he can play, man, this nigga. Nah, then the rest of the day,

this nigga just kept talking to me. That's how I met this nigga. He was killing though, I ain't gonna hate on him. He was killing. I had about 50 though. That's a fact. Okay. You know, you get drafted,

you get to take every shot you want. That's a fact. You know what I mean? You get to take every shot you want to take. So I just, like I remember, cause I was like, you know, we all had to pull up in the little van or the bus they pick us up at the hotel.

You know, he a rookie. It's like maybe, I think I'm like, well maybe five, going through my sixth year. And he pulled up and he got, he brought himself a brand new Dodge Challenger. He called it a dope boy car. I was like. Dope boy 95, FNX. I said, man, look at this.

I said, all right. I used to always try to find something. If I had to go against somebody, like if I didn't know him or something, I had to find something I didn't like about him. For me to like just like, what I don't like about him, which is gonna make me like, when we step on that court, I'm gonna turn up.

So I just like, off me, I was like, when we step on that court, I'm gonna turn up. So I just like, off me, I was like, oh, his swag is too high. I was just like, his swag, like he walking out, you know, he had little speakers in the trunk. I'm like, that's cute. You know, we been doing that. You know what I'm saying?

He doing this and doing that. He walked out, he acting like, he don't acknowledge acknowledge the old him. He didn't say what's up, son? I don't know. And we had some hitters in there though. The guys who solidified, who was probably on the edge. I was just like six years in, like I said,

but we had guys that was at like 10, 12 years that still trying to fight, still could play, but everybody know when you lead, the older you get, the more you kind of get weeded out. You know? Right, right, right. So once I started seeing that, I just started playing the game. I was like, all right, cool. Like, I know I probably ain't going to make the Miami,

you know, make the Atlanta Hawks team. You know, they drafted T, with point guards. They had Mike Beebe still. Who else was on? You had nothing. Jamal came. Jamal. You know what I'm saying?

So it was just like, okay, it's a mini camp. Let me just do what I gotta do, whatever, and just get up out of here. So once I seen Woody, he was like, let him take every kind of shot. I'm like, like, damn. Like, if he wanted to like turn backwards from the three and throw it like this, he wasn't gonna say nothing.

I'm like, oh, they really gonna try to build this team around this young boy. So I'm like, all right, let me figure it out. And my dad always taught me change lives. You know, pay it forward. And I was like, he fast, stupid af lady. Got a crazy right, like crazy, like he kept hitting me with this one simple move

I could never stop, I always bid on the crossover, and it was a step back to the three. That's a little jumper too. But his pick and roll game was trash. He didn't know the game. He didn't know the game, he was a one on one player. So in the pick and roll, I just started, we icing it, he turning the ball over.

And I was like, yeah, I'm just gonna start talking. Oh, it's always like, turn him up, turn him up. Cause I was like, I'm, basketball to me is 8% mental, 20% physical. So I was trying, ew, rookie ain't never been in no situation, so I'm getting his ass. We're like, yo, we icing him. He ain't got it.

Low man pull over. He turn him, we turn it over left and right. Damn. And so then I was like, I felt kind of bad because I'm getting frustrated. I mean, I had 50. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You had 50 off of like 25 free,

they started calling Tiki-Tak stuff. He took about 25 free throws. And then the other 25 was legit. They couldn't burn me. The other 25 was legit. I will tell you what started happening. They had, y'all had that big slow dude on y'all. Yeah, I was in a no win situation. Big man hit me.

In a no win situation. In and out, by him. I figured it out. I was like, oh, they icing. I'm just gonna keep the ball in the middle of the floor. Yeah. Can't ice me here. Can't I?

But what I noticed was I was like, for him to have like longevity, and you could see it. Like you can see like Mike Bibby was on his way out. Little bit older, you know what I'm saying? And I'm like, it would be selfish of me not to like pay it forward. Help somebody else along the way.

Cause that's what Nick Van Axel did for me. That's what Damon Stoddumar did for me. That's what Bubba Chuck did for me. Westside Tennis Club, Houston Texas. Everybody used to come to Houston to train in the summertime. So as a high schooler, that was who I'm playing against. And they did the same thing to me. And I just was like, I gotta pay it forward.

So I did it with Tyus Jones. I did it with T. I. I did it with T. I tried to do it with Chris Dunn. You know what I'm saying? So it's just like for me, I was like, I know. I know I can go to bed at night and lay my head down on the pillow and be like, yo, did I get, did I, was I better today?

Did I get somebody else better as well? And that was just, that was just my way of like, because I want no superstar in the league, you know what I mean? But my whole thing was like, I want to play 10 years in, so I got to be that locker room guy. I got to be that guy that's always ready.

So when the opportunity presented itself, I was ready and that's, I took full advantage of it here, playing for Chicago Bulls. Those two and a half years I was here was probably the best years I had in the NBA besides the Pistons. The Pistons year I came in.

And I just stayed ready. We gotta talk about the NBA career. Let's talk to the origins of it. Cause you gave us an interesting tid before recording. You never played AAU basketball. Yeah, I already played one tournament in AAU's, the eight, what is it? out in Vegas or the Ditas. Big time.

And I didn't play. I played for this team called the Houston Superstars. John Urie, they had TJ Ford, Daniel Yuen. They ain't got no time for you. They want no room. They're back court crazy. I played tennis in the summer. So I was top 15 in the country in tennis. So every weekend I was playing in a tennis tournament,

like everybody else was playing basketball. But this year I was just like, I told my dad, I was like, man, I want to play. I'll do both. He didn't want me to quit tennis. My dad didn't really want me playing basketball. He wanted me to play tennis. Like, yo, you little motherfucker, you only five, it's going to be so't want me to quit tennis. My dad didn't really want me playing basketball. He wanted me to play tennis. He was like, yo, you little motherfucker,

you only five, it's gonna be so hard for you to make it. And I was just like, yeah, but this is what I love. So I quit tennis one day. I was like, this is why I'm going down. Think about how you would have been in tennis though. I know you was nice. I go back, I go. You would have been.

Man, you know what's crazy? There ain't too many black dudes play tennis. That's what, like I said. And that's who train my pops. So my people don't realize my pops play professional tennis. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he won the NCAA tournament and the NCAA doubles and he won the singles. So he a national championship in tennis.

While he was at the University of Maryland. And a number one pick. So for me, my dad loves tennis. championship in tennis while he was at the University of Maryland. And a number one pick. And a number one pick. That's fire. So for me, my dad loves tennis. So when I picked up tennis, it was for, because I was living in Philadelphia at the time, I was a kid that never wanted to be in the house. Like if they was outside playing street hockey, I learned how to ride skates and play hockey, play lacrosse.

I never wanted to be in the house. I just wanted to be active. So when my dad found out I was going to go out for the tennis team, bro, he turned into a monster. Like the way that kids train now for basketball, we was like that for tennis. Like Serena daddy. Worse. Damn.

That guy knows his pops, man. Yeah, like I'm saying, like imagine playing tennis with a 40 pound weight vest on. Damn. And he knows pops, man. Yeah, like I'm saying, like, imagine playing tennis with a 40 pound weight vest on. Damn. And he knew I loved basketball, so when he was like, it all going transition. Like he knew, it's all gonna make sense. Trust the process, that's all he used to say.

So now, lateral movement, angles. All basketball is geometry. Yeah, facts. All can I redo is just geometry, just angles on the glass. We doing that in tennis. Topspin in slice. If I hit, if I overhead and it goes to the right,

just know the whole left hand side of the court gonna be open. I got my backhand going cross court, I got my forehand running around. Nigga, we don't play tennis. You know what I'm saying? But. I played it on a video game, I'm not a, I'm tennis player.

You know what I'm saying? You're not a weight tennis player. Yeah, but it all. It all translate, it all translate, it all translate over the basketball though. It all translate over the basketball. So then the game of the, the basketball game starts slowing down to me. And I was like, oh, you know what?

If I'm having a bad, a bad match in tennis, now I got to tap into my psychic. I got to wheel my way into like, whatever I got going on in tennis, now I gotta tap into my psyche. I gotta will my way into like, whatever I got going on in tennis, I gotta, cause I don't have 400 players to depend on to get me out of this hole. But now in basketball, if I'm having a bad game, I can lean on somebody.

So tennis helped me with my mental game to where I could will my way to be like, let's check the boxes. Oh, I'm missing a couple shots. Is my elbow tucked in? Do I got a pancake goose neck? Like I just's check the boxes. Oh, I'm missing a couple shots. Is my elbow tucked in? Do I got a pancake goose neck? Like I just start checking the boxes and then I would correct whatever mistakes I'm making.

Now your mental is crazy. I'm gonna say that because even when you helped me my rookie year, but then when I see you throughout the league and then when I got with you in Minnesota, like I know I'm skipping ahead. We want to talk about your journey. But when I got to Minnesota, you know, I was, I was turned. And you like, yo, let's get some extra shots.

I'm like, nigga, no. No, I didn't come here for extra shots. I came here to pass the ball to Jimmy and Wig and Kat. But you used to, I was like, come on, bro, you gotta lock in on what we're going to be good is if you do this. And then that first year I was doing that shit with you. And we had a good season. I mean, Jimmy got hurt, but we was having a successful season.

And then you was like, you're a tool, you gotta keep going. And like, you would push me. And then D-Rose, I seen you doing it with D-Rose. And like, your mental always just been different. I'm like, I'm gonna show love to that. Cause obviously tennis has helped you a lot. So maybe I should start putting people

in tennis on my team. Nah, it just, for me is more more like, for me it's like. Oh shit, we need some built up toughness. Nah, for me, I think I saw something in you that you didn't really see in yourself. I think you was already kind of planning your exit. And I was- In Minnesota, you right? In Minnesota, I'm like, bro,

you got about four, five years left in you. And I would be like, nah. I was like, don't let these people discourage you. Right. And have you be in a role that ain't in you. And I would be like, nah. I was like, don't let these people discourage you. Right. And have you be in a role that ain't really you. Like, yeah, you gotta play the game. But I said, yo, this shit don't move without you. You are starting PG.

The point guard control everything. That's a fuck. And he, I'm like, yo, why we like, you don't realize you can get another big deal. Yeah. I said- He used to say that, I used to be like, nigga, I'm cool.

I said, bro, you can sign another 80 ball. And his goofy self, he used to be like, I'm cool. I said, bro, you can sign another 80 ball. And his goofy self, he used to be like, man, I'm cool. I'm straight. And I'm like, I'm like, what's wrong with you? I don't know, bro. I was just straight. They giving money out. I ain't see it too.

He got too comfortable. Not to say it was too late. But when we started, like, when it started happening, I started caring, like, we doing these workouts. I'm gonna come off the bench. You remember, I'm gonna come off the bench. I'm gonna get another bag, be the sixth man. I was hooping.

Then I get hurt. I said, what the fuck? And he was like, see, when you play with the game, the basketball guys. I'm big on that. I'm big on that. That's all this nigga's saying now, it's basketball guys.

I'm big on that, but I never disrespected the game. And I was disrespecting it, then when I tried to get serious and he like, yeah, we locked in, I get hurt. It's like, damn. But we got back right. Yeah, we got back right. We got back right, but I was a,

see, my pops raised me and my whole, me and my brother and my sister, that he raised us on principles. And he was like, you never want to disrespect the game house. So like when my teammates in high school, they all wanted to wear high socks. I never wore high socks before. I always wore like, you know, ankle socks or little crew.

So I was like, all right, I'm gonna wear high socks because the whole team wearing it. I want to be a team player. One thing my mom, my pa, he crazy. Like, he crazy. So we warming up, he see I got high socks on, he crazy. Like he crazy, like so we warming up, he say I got high socks on, he walk in the middle of the court.

I was like, what you doing? Go put your socks on. Damn. I'm a junior in high school, I'm like a junior senior in high school. And nobody gonna say shoot the pops, not a damn soul. Nobody say, and I was like, all right, bet.

He was like, That's not- Don't be no follower. Don't be no follower, but I was like, all right, bet. He was like. That's not. Don't be no follower. Don't be no follower, but he was also saying, that's not you. So now mentally, you not even ready to play because you so worried about how you look and making sure you fit in with everybody else

that you ain't even ready to go seek and destroy. That was his whole thing. His whole thing was like, my thing was, his thing was protect my last name. Every game used to tell me that. Yeah. Yeah, that's a hell of a lineage though. Every game used to tell me that

because I didn't play AU like I said, so I'll go back so when I played high school, I only played basketball for four and a half months. When'd you get cold? I've always been cold. Let him tell it. Hey, cold. Let him tell it. Hey, no. Let him tell it.

Look, look, look. I just- Talk to me now. Steve. Hey, I'm telling you. I thought you was doing good. No, I always been cold. Listen, listen, I understand that, bruh.

I'm just saying, when did you be like, damn, I can do this? You feel me? You was Arthur-ass. The day I came out with my mama. That's when I knew I was cold. I came out like this. That's my daddy. I came out with my hand formed do this. You feel me? You was Arthur-ass. The day I came out, my mama. The day, yeah. That's what I knew I was called. I came out like this. That's my daddy.

I came out with my hand formed like this. They got pictures. All right, what you call that when you hit a jumper? Make that dog sneeze. In my neighborhood, you say make that dog sneeze and then step up. That's the 50 pack. You know that make that,

you ever heard a dog sneeze before? No. It go up. So every time I shoot, that's the 50 pack. You know that make that, you ever heard a dog sneeze before? Nah. It go. So every time I shoot, that's the next. Respect, child. I'm a country boy. I understand. I was just saying, when did you have to feel like,

damn, I can do this for real? Like at a high-ho. My whole life, I'm telling you. But you gotta tell how you grew up. You gotta tell how you grew up, cause he grew up differently than us. My whole, like, Kepho, what people don't realize, I led the whole state in schoolin'.

What year? I got a, what year? Every year, I played. He went to Bel Air, like, real life. I was a fresh prince of Bel Air before Will Smith. He was one of them bullshit schools. No, it's a public school. See, people always thought I grew up in a private school.

My pops went for that. Okay. We published, I'm a public school guy. I mean, thought I grew up in a private school. My pops were on for that. Okay. We published, I'm a public school guy. I mean, Bel Air, Will Smith, that school was trans. So, Will, so Bel Air is like- The class was the same though. Yeah, the Bel Air is like the Bel Air you would think of. I grew up nice.

I grew up next to the Enron people. Okay. I grew up next to the Chevron people. No, bro. Exxon people, yeah, we was good. What year did you play with Mecca? My all through high school, we graduated all one together. Okay, what was that?

He zoned to my school. We had Mecca. I had Lawrence Roberts, I don't know if you remember Lawrence Roberts, he was like, we ended up going to Baylor. We all was zoned to the same school. See, my school was a public school, but like Bel Air, people think I'm from the suburbs. I'm from the center of the city.

But we our own city inside of Houston. But when you go over here, every school we played was in the hood. Madison, where Vince Young went, that's Herm Clark. We had Sterling, Worthing, Little Flip went to Worthing. That's sunny side. So all of our schools was in our district, was all hood schools.

We only had one other school that's kind of like us. That was Lamar High School. Who went there? Lawrence Roberts ends up transferring our freshman year and he went to our rival school. But they had a guy out there named Corey Smith who ended up playing at Vanderbilt in the SEC. He was nice too.

So we had a lot of hoopers. How was that playing with him, Mecha Doe? Like was he always good? Since birth like you? Nah, he was trash. Right. He was trash. He was trash. That's like the greatest big ever for a new guy. He was trash.

He wasn't trash, but he was uncoordinated. Okay. But he wanted to be a doctor. He's smart as fuck, though. He's smart. He graduated our junior year in high school. He already graduated. So our senior year, he was taking courses

for college already. So Mecca was smart. He didn't think about even playing in the NBA. He didn't think that he was like, I'm just going to use basketball and get into medical school, like get into that. So my dad one day, cause I always did player development.

My dad trained me my whole life. He was in my life though. You know, it don't matter if he had a job in Denver. I used to, we would fly for the weekends to Denver and I'm practicing with the team. I'm practicing with Nate Van Eyck, like I'm working out. So, Ameca ended up going from being like 6'4 in freshman year to 6'7 our sophomore year. Then he kept going. My dad one day come home, he was like, Ameca, you a pro. He was like, you got a chance to make 80 million.

That's how his dad talks. He said, you got a chance to make 80 million. And Ameca goes, oh. And then even Ameca's dad didn't see. He was like, no, he need to focus on his books. He gonna be an engineer, a doctor. So that's what they think. Man, we get to our junior year. He started playing with the Houston Hoops, a doctor, you know, so that's what they think. Man, we get to our junior year,

he started playing with the Houston Hoops, having success, summertime, every day we in the gym, 6 a.m., I used to go pick him up from his place. Pops had us, it was, the workouts was crazy because it would be me, Ameka, Lawrence, Daniel Ewan, TJ Ford, Carlos Hurd, Phil Williams, guys you don't know of like that.

And Ian Houston. And it was like, my papa's like, yeah they better than you. And I used to be like, man they ain't better than me. But they ain't you, they don't want better than you? No, they were cold. Uh huh. Yeah.

But at the time, my mental game was like, I'm the best thing on the court. But I didn't realize what my pops was doing. I earned Shopper's Iron. So we was all getting each other better. But at the same time, we was all kind of dissecting each one of our games. So we was going to all play against each other

at one point. That's an interesting point. You say with that, you talk about, both of y'all obviously are coaching, you see it now, like a lot of kids now duck that competition. Back then y'all had to embrace it. How do you kind of translate that now for kids? It's just like, at some point you have to show up

and play against the top. Man, you know what? Kids scared of competition now. Kids are so worried about if they're gonna get posted on social media. Kids are scared of being embarrassed. I grew up to where if you ain't been dunked on, crossed over, or embarrassed, you ain't playing at a high level. That's real.

So, all my best friends are from the neighborhood I'm from. All my best friends are from the other side of the tracks. Yeah. That's where the best ball is at. So when I used to leave high school, I'm in Sunnyside. I'm in third ward. I'm in fifth ward. That's where the ball is at. It didn't matter.

I wasn't worried about going over there. I wasn't worried about it. It's basketball. It's a universal language. Now I knew how to conduct myself when I was over there. So where I can, you know, I can come back, you know, get back to the crib. But at the end of the day, like,

I wasn't going to get better playing against my neighbors or staying in my neighborhood while I'm playing against Billy and Tommy and John. I had to go play against Tyreek, Ray Carruth, or somebody like that at the- At the- At the- At the- At the-

But I'm just using like- At the- Hell with 101 game, boy. But I'm just saying- Hold on, wait, wait, wait. You played against Ray Carruth? No, no, I'm just using that name as an example. I'm saying I had to go play against like a Kareem

or somebody like that because- We better ask that. No, no, not Ray Carruth like that, that, but I'm just saying I had to go, I had to go, what the kids call trenches now, I had to go get that so I can get better at basketball. I don't know, it just came up. I don't know.

Hey, you know me, I'm just gonna say whatever comes up tomorrow, man. Damn, I swear, I said, we're gonna fire too, because we not gonna let that pass. You know me, Jeff, I'm gonna speak. That's the name that popped up in my head. So I just said it. But that's why I got better at it though. Is he out yet?

I don't know. That's why, the crazy part, I wasn't even thinking about the football player when I said it. I was just saying the name. That's the person that popped up in your head. For sure. I was just saying the name, but that's why I got better at it.

And you know. You and Daniel the same class though? We all, old one, class old one. We probably had the best class coming out of the United States that year. Daniel, you and his one of the legends. Old one. It's not better than old seven.

Oh, I'm just saying that year, Texas as a state. Oh, you're saying Texas. No, old seven had the college class, my little, oh yeah. Yeah, little bro McDonald's all American. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we can talk it. You know what I'm saying? That's the first thing, that's the first thing he go, you know your little brother should not make McDonald's.

I said how, bro? Look what he was doing. Yeah, nigga, I played him. Look what he was doing. But he had a like, you know, pause coming out party. So, I mean that, that played into it too. It did. Shout out to Jay, he's doing great things.

He's doing, you know what? He's the only Lucas that can brag about being a McDonald's All-American. My pops wasn't a McDonald's All-American, I wasn't. He the only one. Nah, that's a suck. And he doing his thing, I'm proud of him. He's doing his thing.

We talked about opening the show, you know what I'm saying, you the best walk on ever. Let's walk through this. Obviously you went crazy in college, I mean, in high school. You make a college decision in your first school? Baylor University. Worst decision I ever made in my life. Man.

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The worst? The worst. If it wasn't Badly, who was it going to be? If it wasn't about the who's it gonna be? I really wanted to go to Texas A&M. Okay. And I remember I verbally committed to Coach Watkins at Texas A&M. I said, but I don't want to sign early because I want to make sure my guys that I came in as a freshman, they all get scholarships as well. But if me and a mecca Ogre for sign early, ain't no more schools gonna come to our game.

So my pops, my pops set us down. So we talk a Mecca, cause he was supposed to go to Georgia Tech. Oh, okay. Originally. I can see that though. So he was supposed to go to Georgia Tech originally. So every time I see Coach Hugh out in LA,

cause you know, he's part of the Ontario Cuppers, he get mad at me because he was like, I had a Mecca Ogre for it to you. And your daddy taught him not to sign it. So that's when UConn came in. But my dad was like, bro, y'all came in, like everybody got to eat. Everybody need to.

So he was like, if y'all don't sign early, y'all gonna have all the colleges still come in. And after that, I took a visit to FAMU. Cause if I would have wanted to FAMU, now if I took a visit to FAM, because if I would have wanted to Fam U, if I took a visit to Fam U, they was going to get one of my teammates a scholarship, just for me coming on camera. And by far, that was the best visit I ever took in my life.

Almost never shot to Fam U. Fam U was a- That's been you some time. I've been to Tallahassee. Right, Tallahassee, Florida State, right across the street. But my pops was all about, you bring somebody along with you, you never- And that's just how we grew up as a family.

So we talked to Mecca, so I really wanna go to A&M because I wanted to play for a black coach. And I gave him my word and he was, okay, we got you. We, you know, we're gonna wait on you. Seven days later, they signed a point guard at the Juke Cup. All right. Yeah, so. So then now-

You're not going to Texas A&M? Yeah, I'm back at square one. So I had Baylor, I had Rutgers. I had, everybody really recruited me for basketball, but I had more offers in tennis. Oh, okay. So, and everybody who was recruiting me wanted to reassure me because I didn't lift weights.

I was only 140 pounds my senior year. Damn. But I was just like, all we did was push-ups, dips, and pull-ups, we didn't touch the weights. Because my dad was like, you touch the weights, it's going to mess with your shot. Hard to argue with. 140 at 18 is crazy.

Yeah. I was 155. A D1 athlete, but you came back, they put you on that shot. You came back and it's over. Yeah, yeah. I was 155. A D1 athlete, but you came back, they put you on that shot. You came back in the zone. Yeah, when I went to college, I was only, I was like 150, and then they made me like, you had to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

like every four hours, and I would gain like three pounds, and then- You would run it off. I'd run it off, and I'm right back, and I just was like, and I had to run anyway, cause they tried to make me lift weights in college and I was fighting against not lifting weights in college. So the knockoff was,

well, you're going to have to run for punishment because you don't want to lift weights. I said, me, I'm just, I'm not mental again. I was like, all right, I'm just going to be, I can outrun everybody. And I still got my burner. Because I used to say, if I lift weights and I miss my first three shots, I will always everybody. Yeah. And I still got my burner. Cause I used to say, if I lift weights and I miss my first three shots,

I will always blame the weights. Cause I'm stiff, I'm sore. Now I'm shooting like a running back in a football player. You see the football players play the rec center. In a real game. Yeah, you know, it looked like T-Rex, Kevin Whitman. Yeah. You know what I mean?

But for me, I had to be... Nah, I was nothing. I was 150, I came back 185, 190. No, that's crazy. That could be. No, you came back home and you was like, all right. It was in three months. Yeah.

I gained 30 something pounds. You look like a grown man coming back to the city. No, man. Baylor was, like I said, the worst because it was too close to home. And I had. You went back home a lot? Every day.

Damn. I used to take that two hour drive, like it was like 45 minutes away. Damn. God damn. You had a lady or something? Nah, I just- You were just home.

I was home, I had the whole house to myself cause my pops took the coaching job in Cleveland. Yeah. Yeah. I was up. It was up. It was so interesting. Two hours, boy.

That's like us going to Louisville every day. When you're not having fun somewhere. Sleep. When you're not having fun somewhere. Sleep. When you're not having fun somewhere. Yeah. And me and the coach started end up having problems and issues. Coach Dave Bliss, you know,

I was just trying to find comfort, trying to be around love, really. And all my boys back home, cousins, best friends, that I grew up with with all back in Houston, and I would rather be there than that bailer, like miserable, I mean, Waco, Texas, nothing to do there, first of all. And-

I watch a show based out of Waco, Texas. They be selling homes and rebuilding. Oh, the white dude is white. Yeah, yeah. The antiques, yeah. I think they split up. I actually think they bail our alums. Oh, yeah. I think they split up. I actually think they bail or lumps. Oh yeah.

I think they bail or lumps. He said they split up and got back together. I don't know why he knows that fact. No they did, cause I really tapped in. Nah, they do some good work, but I just hated bail. I just hated, like my freshman year was cool. I led my team in scoring and assists. As a freshman. Damn, that's crazy. Big 12. You led my team in scoring and assists. As a freshman. As a freshman.

Damn, that's crazy. Big 12. You know, TJ obviously did his thing. For sure. So it was just like, and then my sophomore year, it just got tricky. It got weird. All of a sudden, it's like everything shift.

It's like I come back as a starter, still leading the team in scoring, assists. We playing and I think we got like 10 games left for the season, all of a sudden coach is like, just own me all day in practice, own me all day in practice. And we had a point guard back, his name was Matt Samy.

And I was like, in practice, if it was born to me, like I told Jeff I had to find something bad about something. So I just started talking trash the whole practice. Like you can't hold me, like hold that. And that's when Genie came out. So every time I shot he was like, G G G G. Like y'all used to do like that.

And so coach pulled me, coach was like cursing me out. And he was talking about, you think you so and so woody woo woo. It was like, you grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth. I was like, wait, what? A silver spoon? I said, man, my spoon was platinum.

I said, man, my spoon was platinum. First spurt. Kick me out of practice. Like kick me out of practice. He come in the locker room, we get into this full blown argument. And I don't play for the next eight games. I'm one of them starting, not playing,

they playing, I walk on, they playing, everybody here, people like asking questions like, why this, why that? Nobody could give the answer. So then, now I'm like, damn, what I do? You know what I mean? I say, it can't be that bad for me, just you trying to be this to me.

I'm like, it's not silver, it's platinum, because platinum, that's the best. Yeah, it was popping then. That shit was popping too. Big Thomas had, yeah, that shit was popping. Nah, I was like, nah, it was better than what you think. Right, because I just felt like you could talk to me another way if you trying to just say,

yo, instead of trying to put me down in front of everybody because of my background, where I come from. Yeah. I was like, okay. And me being who I am, I can be an asshole a little bit. I was just like, nah, it's platinum. And I was ready to hoop again, but he just took it to the hole in the other leg,

kicked me out of practice. So he just went downhill from there. And I just was like calling back home because my pops was living in Cleveland, they was in Cleveland coaching at the time. And I was telling him how I was being treated and this, and he was like, be professional. My dad was all about don't disrespect the game,

keep coming to practice, stuff like that. So I did and you know, one day I had a next-tail phone, because I had two phones in college. So I had a next-tail to charge. Yes, I see. And you could record. And I was like, yo, dad, I'm telling you, he be talking crazy to me. I'm going to snap on him one day.

Like he just talking crazy. And I just record and I let my dad hear it. My dad still, then my dad eventually got fired from Cleveland. So he started coming to the games, being around me more, making sure my mental, making sure everything was straight. And when he first got there, he sat behind the bench. And we was doing so bad that the Waco newspaper,

people don't know this, Waco newspaper, like, yo, when did it be a trip if Coach Lucas ends up becoming the head coach of the Bears? Bears. Yeah. Cause he already had, cause he's already training all of us in the summertime. He was-

He was already locked in. Man, the next game, next home game we had, they had my mom and pops in the summertime. And he was like, man, the next game, next home game we had, they had my mom and pops in the nose. They had my mom and pops in the nose. My dad be who he is. He grabbed my mom and said, man, come on, we going back down. He sat right down.

Right back to his normal seat. But they had our ticket. My ticket was all the way in the nosebleed. That's crazy. That's crazy. Now they hated your ass. Yeah. This nigga the fuck out here. And then all of a sudden, you know,

unfortunately what happened, what happened, you know, R.P. to my teammate Pat Denny, all that stuff started happening in the summer. And obviously, you know, we went through, you know, what we went through. Right, right, right, right, right. You know, it's, that was a crazy time. Yeah.

That was a real, a real dark time. Yeah. Like, I can ask the question, like when that time happened, like to go through that or whatever with your teammate, it's a tough, I can't even imagine what that feels like to even go through that. Like, where would you think, what you thinking like, yo, I'm getting out of Baylor, like I gotta leave this place.

Like it ain't for me. Or would you like, damn, let's, Well, before all that happened, I was already checked out. Okay. like I gotta leave this place, like it ain't for me. But what you like, damn, let's. What would you do with it? Before all that happened, I was already checked out. Okay. Yeah. And I was like, man, I'm transferring. He was like, you ain't transferring,

I'm holding your paper, you stuck here for two years. That type of vibe. Damn. So I was like, I'm transferring. I don't know what's gonna happen. You know what I'm saying? But I know I ain't playing here no more. And then that situation happened.

And it was crazy because like everybody was in Houston training with us that day. And then we get the phone call asking if we seen Pat. And I was like, nah, he not down here. Left it like that. Then we ain't think nothing of it. We just thought, okay. So we still going in now, weeks go by.

Now all of a sudden you see on CNN, you see the FBI involved, you see all that's going on. And my teammate, RT Gwynn, started recording all the conversations. And one of the conversations popped up, I'll never forget this, when my name got cleared from everything, from like, you know, if I accepted any money or anything like that, is they got on tape saying, well, we can know, if I accepted any money or anything like that. Is they got on tape saying, well, we can't go to Lucas,

cause he ain't gonna lie for us. Damn. Wow. Boy, like that was a bit like, seeing my dad chest poked out. Yeah. Cause of all the teaching and the principles and stuff he taught me and my brother and sister. You ain't fucked with him at this point either.

So it's like, yeah. And I ain't talking, I'm just this. I'm like, I just wanted a hoop, bro. Yeah. So it's like, yeah. And I ain't talking, I'm just this. I'm like, I just wanted a hoop. Yeah. And it was like, when that came out, I remember getting that phone call saying, you clear. Like, you enjoy the rest of your college career. You don't have to worry because they started like,

how did he get his car? Like, I had my car, my sophomore year in high school. Yeah. How he get his rims? Steve Francis brought my rims. How he get- How you gonna Steve Francis brought my rims. How he get- How you gonna get to your life?

You like- How you get your sister in your car? Coutinho Mowman. You know what I'm saying? Like those are my big brothers. So they saw me doing good and they like, I'm training every day with them. I'm in it.

So they like, man, like- It's like different. That's different. You know what I mean? It's not a regular nigga, bro. It's different. It was just like, I grew up different. And it's like, it's normal.

We gotta get back to that. Like, cause we didn't even get to the good shit when he grew up in Philly. Oh. Let's talk about it. We here now, let's see. When I grew up in Philly? Real fresh.

How old were you when you moved to Philly? Sixth grade, middle school. I went to Ballard-Kingwood Middle School. There's only two NBA players that ever come out of Ballard-Kingwood Middle School. And they are? Who is that? The GOAT, first of all.

So Jordan was- Nah, Kofi Pene. Oh, okay. Look at that, fuck you looking at me. Look, child culture. And you know what I'm just saying? Yeah, it was only two that came out of Ballot Kingwood Middle School,

Kofi Pene, Brian John Lucas, the third. Oh, J3 since the womb. Yeah. I'm telling you, it's crazy because we just literally moved to Philadelphia. My dad was the president and the general manager president and head coach of the 76ers when he was there. What, hold on, this is just me.

Like, what is that like? Like, I grew up, my mom and dad worked down the street and shit, like, you know what I mean? I'll be here for real. No, yeah, I get you. You know, you my man. Yeah, I get you. You my nigga.

But like, what is that like to know, like your dad is like an NBA coach? Your dad played in the league, but like, he the guy. What's that like? Normal, I ain't think, that was just normal every day to me. That shit was. I mean, bro, when I was like five years old,

I remember going to the barbershop with Michael Jordan and my dad. Michael Jordan picked us up in the Corvette and I'm sitting in my dad's lap. We driving on the South Side of Chicago while they go get haircuts. Doing the Eastern Conference playoffs with my pops playing in Milwaukee. That's fire. Like I got every Michael Jordan shoe he ever played in signed. I know. I know. Like, no, I'm talking about the shoes he played in, sign. Like the shoes he got crossed up in against Allen,

I got it in my garage, sign. I know. I was a ball boy. I'm just speaking for the people who don't. Yeah, yeah. Who don't know. So I was- I know, I know you're linear.

Yeah, I know. I'm just saying, for the, our fans, people that are watching. Yeah, the culture. Yeah, I was, I've been a ball boy my whole life. That shit is crazy. So I've been around, I've been around, like my dad, I was like, you know every kid who just wanna be around. So when my dad went to the gym, it didn't matter.

I was a ball boy, so I used to mop the floor, like free throws, I was that kid mopping the floor. I was that kid, you know, doing everything. I learned how to talk to girls by going into the stands, get numbers. And I used to, and the players, you'd give me like $50, go get a number. And they'd give me a hundred dollars, go get a hot dog

and pretzels and be like, I'd be like, here's your change, but nah, Luke, you got it. Keep the change. My change is $85. I'm walking home, three, four hundred, like six years old, seven years old as a ball boy. And getting paid on top of that as a ball boy. All right, that was hard.

What was it like first seeing Kobe hooped up? What was your first glance at Kobe Bryant? Amazing. See, he the biggest Kobe fan in the world. He can't say nothing. Like I love Kobe too, not as much as I love Jordan, but you, I'ma let him go. You got that over with, but you can't say nothing.

He's not Kobe to him. Amazing, bro. Amazing. Give me that time, we want another time. Story time with J3. All right, my mom is the one who discovered Kobe. Not like overall, but she the one who, it's newspapers and everything,

so I can give y'all all of this, all facts. I never lie, it's all facts. My mom comes home one day, I just got back from tennis practice with my dad. She come home one day and tell my pops, I think I seen a better high school player than you. My dad like, what? You gotta know it's dad, so this is funny.

Like he low key about to bring a drug test out to test my mama, make sure she's straight. So my dad was like, all right, next time they play, we going to the game. And my mom come in, it's, next time they play, we going to the game. My mom come in, it's a kid named Kobe. It's a kid named Kobe. Go to Lord Marion High School. My sister graduated from the Lord Marion.

And so my dad, I never forget, it was on Friday. So we go to Lord Marion High School. They got a home game. So my dad packed me and my little brother up in the car. We just got done working out. So we go all the way to the game and he see Jelly in there as Pops. My dad was like, Jelly, what you doing here?

Like, oh, he was like, oh man, I'm here to see my son play. He was like, yeah, man, my wife come home, talking about, there's a kid up here named Kobe that's supposed to be better than me in high school. Like she, he the next best great thing ever to play the game. And he was like, oh man, that's my son. Right?

So we, so he was like, for real? Like, you know how my dad is? So we sitting there watching, and then the game starts. Kobe starts off at the five. Where he went in the jump ball to. They throw the ball ahead, he outrun. First play of the game, he win me. Damn.

Damn. And that day I was locked in. Cause I never, you know, you don't see it. So he was like 11? Nah, 12. 12. Yeah, sixth grade. I think like 11, 12, about to turn 12.

I got a late birthday, so I probably wasn't that about to turn 12. Okay. But yeah, and then we start going to every high school here, my dad, and then my dad started having him come practice with the Sixers. Because they didn't have a practice facility at the time. They used to, St. Joseph University was their practice facility.

That's why I say basketball is a full circle for me. Right? So I live right down the street from St. Joseph's. Used to go hoop every day in St. Joseph's. You don't get there cause I still hate you. So now we, you know, my dad got him practicing. And what my dad used to do is he big on competition. So he used to match Kobe up against all of the draft workouts. So Jerry Stackhouse, all those guys who got drafted, right?

Kobe beat them all one-on-one. And they was like, man, what school he went to? Like what high school? Like what college he went? My dad was like, man, he a junior in high school. This is junior year. And Jerry Stackhouse, if y'all accept it was phenomenal. Amazing.

So like y'all have my OG on here, Vernon Maxwell. I got stories about him for days, but we ain't gonna get into the whole. But Vern, what he said about Cole, ready to fight. He was ready to fight. Cole didn't back down from that. I was there. I was at that party. Cole was ready to get his, like Vernon crazy, bro.

Oh, we know. Like- Vernon got the record for it. Motherfuckers on here. Yeah, Vernon- He said motherfuckers. He said the first five minutes. He said 37 motherfuckers in the first five minutes.

Yeah, Vernon crazy. 47, motherfucker. So Vernon was ready to fight Cope. He like, Cope was really going at him. And he was what, 17? 17, he ain't back down. Damn. And I was just like, ooh.

And then I started, like, then I started, he started picking me up from school. He was picking me up from my house. So your life different. I remember, I'll never forget when he got his car. He got a forest green Toyota Land Cruiser. This nigga life different. I remember he picked me up cause we was going to work out in the city. I was like, Ooh, that's cold. And he had like two trash bags in the trunk of his car.

I was like, man, what you got in the trash bag? He was like, young bull, you know, in Philly, they say young bull. It was like, young bull, there's a game everywhere in Philly. I ain't got time to go back home and get my gear and then come back and the game might be over. I gotta be ready right now. Damn.

Boy, when I got my Dodge Durango my sophomore year, I ain't put no trash bags in my bag. I had like Nike, Duffel bags, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, cause shit plump. It was plastic, bro. Yeah, it was plastic. It was plastic, bro. Just be there living like I was.

Hey, that's first thing I did. What the fuck is up with my Dodge Durango? In the trunk of my car, I put four pair of Hooping shoes and a bag of just hoop gear. But this is a fact, cause when I went to Minnesota, this nigga was retired from the league. That nigga still had a bag of shoes in the back of his car. Did you wear your hoop shorts under your pants?

Absolutely. Yeah. If you were a girl nigga, you'd do that. We used to get busy at lunchtime. Like you didn't have time, like you had your shorts on. I was living in Philly at the time, so we always wore Tim. So you'd be hooping in Tim's. But you know, it was just different.

But yeah, you had shorts on underneath. That was normal. That's just kids. I just like bring it up for the nostalgia of the show. But like kids, our kids don't understand that shit, bro. Yeah, we always wore shorts. I went to parties with my shorts. Like, nigga, I'm not about to go hoop.

I'm really about to try to go get something, but. Yeah. Like, I can't find my hoop shorts. Real hoop shorts. Real shorts. Definitely under my jeans. Yeah. You were supposed to pull your pants down a little bit

at the parties. Man, you know what's crazy? I couldn't say it. The Gauchos to hoop shorts combo is crazy. I couldn't say it. I'm actually with you. Stop. I'm supposed to be crazy. The real thing. Sorry, J is crazy. I couldn't say it. That's wicked. Stop, the Gauchos crazy. The real one's actually.

Sorry J.Lo, this is what we do. I couldn't say it, Pops wasn't playing that. Yeah, Pops wasn't playing so I was always like. We wasn't saying it, we was saying it at that party though. No, I used to be scared my pops would come in the part. Wherever I was, I used to be scared. Your pops is different. I'd get caught.

And so I was always like on alert. So he'd be like, ah, no sagging. I boy used to have, you know, the little belts that is like one size fit all, the little. Man, they come in the motherfucking cargoes. Yeah, I had all that. I had all that. They had that motherfucking one too plated.

Yeah, yeah. Hey, you know what's crazy? Hey, you know what's crazy? That belt's weak as hell. Hey, hey, you know what I love though? That's the best Winkers ain't look. Hey, hey, you know what I love though? Oh my God. You know what I love though? You gotta have some argument team if you ever.

Nah, you know what I love? That was a gentleman's look. You wanna think about it, right? We, all of our clothes came from Gap or Target. We didn't wear like how, like how now NBA kids wear like the Gucci and all. But Luke, take that belt out of them pants. We can wear like how now NBA kids wear like the Gucci and all that. But Luke, take that belt out of them pants.

Nah, we used to go shopping at Wieners. We used to go shopping at all these different, like my mom used to be like, yo, we going shopping, you good boy? I'm all right. I know, but you gonna take that belt out of them pants. No, I mean it work. I need someone to hold my pants up.

So it work. As long as I get- That's about as bad as a shoestring. That's all right. She's ringing a pants string. But I'm keeping it up, I just gonna leave it here. So at the end of the day, I mean, that joke never. So when we used to get hooped,

I didn't have to worry about leaving my pants up to go by nobody. They won't move it. They won't move it. They won't move it. They won't move it. They won't move it. That's great, you get schooled't move it. That's great.

You get schooled by Kobe Brown like that's great. Yeah, so it was just like for me, I just was like a sponge soaking up all the game. Is that the best high school basketball player you ever seen? Yes. Cause you saw LeBron too. Yep.

You saw him do, can you speak on that when you see LeBron in high school with his workouts with the pros? That was a better showing. Kobe's showing with the- Well, you gotta think about it. Kobe had an impact on me as an individual. So I saw a different work ethic.

I saw what it took to be a pro. Yeah. So the impact was a little bit different than what, like now that could be my little brother story about LeBron. Okay. You know what I'm saying? But for me, I was in college when I first about LeBron. You know what I'm saying? But for me, I was in college when I first saw LeBron. And my pops was coaching in Cleveland

and I never, I remember coming, I just got done with my second year when I was going through everything and my pops was still in Cleveland. So I used to fly back on like holidays or the summers and was in Cleveland. And I trained with the guys and stuff like that. And my dad was like, man, it's a kid up here, better than Kobe.

And I was like, man, whatever. Like that. He was like, yo, take your little brother. So my little brother's playing on LeBron's high school coach, Drew's Joy. He had an AU team called Akron Superstars. My little brother played on that team. And they practiced at the University of Akron. So I took my little brother to a practice one day and they were hooping in the back gym. Come to find out a lot of these guys, the local Akron was hooping in the back gym.

While my brother was practicing, I was also hooping too. So that's when I first saw LeBron. And when I first saw him, it was just, you know, it was some mild sauce. No. No. Chicago mild sauce. That's just my opinion.

It wasn't like, but then my dad started inviting him like he did with Kobe, because he was like, man, you know, I'm just going to get him a game and let him just come work out. I don't think he's helping. I ain't trying, I don't want nothing from this kid. Just, you know, let's get some good bump in. So we had a little mini camp and my dad used to fly in guys from Ohio State, Kansas, you know, guys,

and we have a mini camp and we'll play against the, you know, the rookies who was already there getting ready for summer league. It's a little scrimmage, a little mini camp. And Bron came and like nobody was passing Bron the ball because everybody knew he was in high school. And we was all like, not passing the ball. My dad like, stop practicing.

It's like, hey, hey, hey. Y'all little motherfuckers back, give him the ball. He the best one on the court. Like not talking about his players, but he was just talking about guys on our team. And we like, man, whatever. So I had the ball, I'm a point guard, so I can control everything.

So I was just like disgusted. I was just like, man, here, like through the ball, something like, like he ain't going to do nothing with it. So we'll get it right back. Hey bro. We, he on the right side, right hand side of the court, he's being guarded by Ricky Davis. He make a move, beep, beep.

Just do something, go baseline. So now you got Chris Mim, Sagana D, Carlos Bullo. The whole cab scene, by the way. They all help side D. So they all come down. He jumps from outside the paint. Like jumps. And like Sagana, Chris Mim, they go up the track and fly. And this man go underneath the rim, reversing, close it in without looking at the rim. Close the ball, and then he lands on his feet, he goes, you know, he runs like this. And just keep going.

Man, he got to ball every possession after that. Cause it was unbelievable. He's like, what else can he not, what else can you? Yeah. He unbelievable though. He, no, he the, I got to coach him. And they still chose to hang on that. Like, you know what I'm saying? So I'm seeing that and I'm like, No, he the, I got to coach him. They still chose to hang on that. Like, you know what I'm saying?

So I'm seeing that and I'm like, yo, he like, and then all the time you get to see, and then I'm around Maverick, I'm around Rich. Like, before Rich became Clutch, Rich sold everybody the throwback jerseys out the trunk. Every throwback I got, I brought from Rich. That's crazy. Like every throwback Mitchell and I got, I brought from Rich. Like every throwback Mitchell in that jerseys, I brought from Rich in Cleveland.

He had a van, he used to sell out the van. That's where I got my jerseys from. He overcharged me too, but you know, we had to get them. The real Stock X. Yeah, real Stock X. But yeah, so Martin, then all of a sudden, you know, my pops get fined 200,000,

cause all the other teams start complaining, saying he at, you know, my pops get fined 200,000 because all the other teams start complaining saying he at, you know, cause he was going to be no one pick. And then, you know, he got fired, you know? And then, you know, Ron, end up getting drafted by Colleen. But what do Moments do for you? Cause I know you lead Baylor and you go to okay state.

And this is where we, like I felt, I like fell in love with your game and found out who you was because at Okay State, y'all had a squad. And you was hooping, you was killing, but I love St. Joe's and we gonna get to that game. Jameer Nelson, Dallant, I wore T-shirts under my jersey. I hooped them Barclays, Bronzes and all that shit

because of Jameer Nelson. And go ahead, because you fucked up my momentum because them niggas was cold and they was undefeated. They was doing they thing. They were cold. They like my gene. So when I, male was a black, like God had my back bro. That's all I can say.

Cause I literally- You walk on everywhere, you right. I was literally going to Memphis. Well you gotta talk about your, how you left. Yeah, like I had Memphis, Rutgers, and Georgia. And I was already like, I'm going to Memphis, Coach Calipari, I've been out there some of the times. You know, like now that I coach, you know,

you do go to different places and pick each other's brains. So my pops was doing that, like in between like jobs. He'd be like, I gotta go to Memphis, and we'll go to Memphis. He in there talking to Coach Calipari, they talking exes and ohs, and now I'm practicing with the team, shooting, getting my work out.

So everywhere we went, I've always worked out. You know what I'm saying? So I was like, man, Memphis, you know, that'd be a great look, Coach Cal. It was gonna be, Deris Washington was coming in, he'll be coming in my senior year. But then, Victor Williams was, he went to Oklahoma State point guard. He was the man at Old State too. But then Victor Williams was,

he went to Oklahoma State point guard. He was the man at old state too. Victor Williams was a point guard and he did his draft workout with my pops. And he kept telling like, yo, you should go to old state. You should go to old state. By the time like I was wild and I had braids. I used to wear a grill. Like I was-

I remember them braids. I remember them braids. I was Houston. So Paul Wall, one of my really good friends, so when that song, Let Me See Your Grills came out, he made me six at the bottom, all diamond out. Man. You're like different, man. And I was in a rap song.

See, people don't even realize, Paul Wall and Chameleon, they had this group called Color Changing Clips. Come on, bro. Still in love with my money. And yeah. And Paul Wall said, he said, I swerved down to Baylor to watch John Lucas score

and Jordan came back to the game because the game was bored. It was on the mixtape. Respect. So that was like my man, right? Don't forget the bars. Hey, you know, you don't forget stuff like that, right? I like that, right? I see C go base smile.

You niggas don't never forget too far. Y'all can fuck who said it. You don't forget it because at the end there, I wasn't even inspecting it. Because the mixtapes used to come out every Friday. So I'm up here driving back to Baylor and I just brought the mixtape that Coler J and the Clippers made. And I hear it, I said, hold on, what did he say? I rewind it. And I was like, I said, hold on, what'd he say? I rewind it. And I was like, ooh, so I walked on campus now.

Everybody got the mixtape, so everybody like, oh shit, like Paul Wild shot at you. I'm like, yeah, you know, I'm playing it cool. I'm low key hyped because he done put me on like, you know, I'm at Baylor, we trash. We like, maybe 10th in the B12 at the time. We was, but we had a great squad, we just was running flex. So we had horses, we should have been running,

but no, that's here and there. So Vic DeWin was like, man, you should take a visit to Oklahoma State. It'd be a perfect fit for you. They don't got a point guard, boom, boom. But at the time, the NCAA said we couldn't transfer. When they said all this, we couldn't transfer in the conference.

So I could go anywhere and not sit out. But if I went like, and then like two weeks later, they said, y'all can transfer in the conference and you won't be penalized. So originally- Before the transfer portal.

Before the transfer. So originally I wanted to go to Texas. TJ had that on lock. No, TJ left. He just got drafted. TJ was in there with, Booby was on their way in there. Booby would be in my senior year. So Rick Barnes kept it a buck with me.

I'm like trying to like yell Rick Barnes, like I'm going to come to Texas. You already know what I can do. Well, my other teammate, Kenny Taylor, who was a shooter, he ended up going to Texas. And Rick Barnes kept it a buck with us like, yo, we committed to Daniel Gibson. And we don't want to bring you in cause we're not going to bring you in. We're not going to Texas. And Rick Barnes kept it a buck, he was like, yo, we committed to Daniel Gibson.

And we don't want to bring you in because we might de-commit, right? But he wouldn't come in until my senior year. So then I had to respect it. So then I was like, cool. So then the legendary Eddie Sutton called me one day because of Victor Williams. And I go up there, I had a, I'll never forget,

I went up there, I had my braids, just my mom used to braid my hair, so I had fresh braids. I had an Iceman San Antonio throwback jersey on. He fresh. He like, you know what I'm saying? He put us in the air for us, he. And I go visit the campus, right? I'm like, man, this is the middle of nowhere.

But I'm a city boy. Like, now I'm eight hours away from Houston. I ain't not, I'm not getting on no highway driving eight hours. You know what I'm like, man, it's the middle of nowhere. But I'm a city boy. Like now I'm eight hours away from Houston. I ain't not, I'm not getting on no highway driving eight hours. You know what I'm saying? And then the next best city is Oklahoma City. Come on now. Now it's before K.D. and them pulled up. Exactly.

They didn't even have a team out there then. So I went out there and they didn't tell me I had to cut my hair. Damn. Like my dad been wanting me to cut my hair because that's when the NBA was changing over to like appearances. And they didn't tell me I had to cut my hair. Yeah, damn. Like my dad been wanting me to cut my hair because that's when the NBA was changing over to like appearances and you know, it's a business and stuff.

But I was fighting, I was fighting. I was like, I ain't cutting my hair. I'm gonna wear my bra, AI was like, I'm watching. You know what I'm saying? And then TJ cut his hair, like right before the draft. And then TJ, my dad had TJ call me. They like kind of taught me income out. I mean, I ain't come out.

Y'all go on, spread it out. So I went to Oklahoma State, fresh braids and everything. I'm like, man, all right. You know, I'm looking at the team. I don't know who Tony Allen is. I mean, I know playing against him, I ain't know the Grams, cause they was coming off a red shirt year,

cause they transferred. I didn't know who Daniel Bobby was. I didn't know who a couple. But something in my spirit was like, this is where you need to be. Okay. Straight up. So when I was like, commit, they never said nothing about cutting my hair.

So now I was like, man, you know what, coach? I want to come here. Boom. So he was like, oh, you know, I got a couple of rules. I was like, okay. I'm thinking like, you know. He was like, one rule, you can't have braids. You can't have facial hair.

Then you go back and look at our team, nobody has a facial hair. And he was a drum line. What the fuck a major pain. And my dad was like, awful. Yeah, he probably was. So I went back home, I was like, well, let me think about that.

So I flew back to Houston and I was near my barber market. I walked in there, I just freshly picked it up. And you know, you had braids for a long time, you still got the lines in your hair. Yeah, I had the braids. I was like, chop it up. And you know, you had braids for a long time, you still got the lines in here. Yeah, I had the braids. I was like, chop it off. He was like, what? My mama was mad, cause she was like,

that's somebody, that's another man trying to control you. Like she barely, she very militant. Yeah, that's right up. And my dad was all forward. So I ended up cutting my hair and I committed at Oklahoma State and they didn't have no scholarships. So I didn't even care.

I was like, you're gonna pay for school. So I ended up my junior year, the year I won the big 12 player of the year, John Naismith Award, first team All-American, I'm just giving you a little bit of accolades. I'm just talking. But. But.

But I was a walk-on. Yeah, respect. Greatest walk-on ever. Greatest walk-on ever. And people didn't know I was a walk-on. Yeah, respect. Greatest walk-on ever. Greatest walk-on ever. And people didn't know I was a walk-on. I paid my junior, go do it. They already came out with the facts. They already did it.

They- They put the argument back. They put the argument back. Like, where's my grandfather fall? He's in Liposome. So, shout out to the WAC on Texas paper. So, I ended up paying my junior year. So the year we went to the Final Four and stuff like that,

I was a walk-on, I wasn't even on scholarship. I didn't go on scholarship until my senior year. Until my senior year I went on scholarship. I was gonna say Boots was out of pocket, they should have made that happen. Did you, Scottie Pippen was a walk-on? Walk-on. He's a great walk-on.

Yeah, I gotta give it to him, I gotta give it to him. You know, I got, but you, hey, I gotta give it to him. He in Chicago, so yeah, Scottie might be the best walker on ever. Scotty ain't taking that shot to get him to the Final Four though. No, Shaz and J look that Elite A game was big though. Yeah, let's talk about that. Say it, Jones, about the paint, baby.

Say it, Jones, my favorite thing, we was talking before the podcast, Jameer Nelson was definitely fresher than you in college when it came to the shoes. Respect. You had a good game that game. I put you on the start offer. Let's have a play with Jermaine Nelson.

He top five. Top five, thanks. Hey, you know what? Shout out to J. Jermaine, every time he see me, he curse me out. But his shoe game wasn't bad. Nah, you crazy. I mean, you could just-

You had a Nike deal. I didn't have you could just. You had a Nike deal. I didn't have a Nike deal. You had a Jordan deal. I didn't have a Jordan deal. Cause I was, you know, it wasn't no NIL at the time. So Pops had that. Pops had a Nike deal. So I just took advantage of what Pops had.

The lineas. That's that platinum shit. That's that platinum shit. And so at the time, like now you can go on Nike elite and order cause you get a little, back then they used to bring you a magazine and you had to go in there and order a magazine. And then you get to pick your food.

Yeah, oh, I'm 42. So it's like, you know, I'm seeing the transition. So I used to make a point that when I first got to Oakland, I was going to wear a different pair of shoe every game. Yeah. But then if I would have cooked, like you go to my locker, I had over 30 pairs of shoes in my locker at school. But if I cooked in a shoe, I would stay with that shoe.

I was superstitious, so I would wear the same socks and then I end up putting the socks on the same way. So if I ever put my right sock on first, it would always be my right sock first, then my left sock, and then I go hoot, and I score another 20 ball. I do the same thing. So them 2K4s is why we saw them so much.

The 2K4s, you know, it's something about my step back in them 2K4s, I got so much separation. I can only go right though. No, right would be a fade away, two foot fade away. My left would be- The gather step. The gather step. And then my left would be a step back.

Like I- It ain't matter however you want it. But it was going to be a step back. But I wasn't that type player. I wasn't a one-on-one player. Like the ISO, my ISO game was trash. You didn't have no sham got or nothing? No, I didn't have nothing.

I just put you in a pick and roll. I used to hit my hip and I had Ivan McFarlane, Joey Graham come to a pick and roll. And I'd bump you, put you on my hip, read, read, read, and then I'd see the low man, he might put it off. And that's what you was teaching Youngstrow. I was trying to, he didn't want to listen to me. He wanted to be Jamal Crawford.

Yeah, he wanted to be Jamal Crawford. I had 50. But I just learned, like, I didn't have that one-on-one guy. And now you should see this nigga now. You have to in the picket bra, you have to go here, put him on your fucking hip. I'm not gonna say it again. Get him on your hip.

Where the fuck is John? It's on my car joint on FaceTime. Yeah, yeah. I'm serious, bro. Like, I just used to put. Hey, man, just used to put... He right though, but he right though. But the things that I was trying to tell him back then,

it's like, bro, that's the game. And I said, I just used to try to make the game as easy as possible for me. Yeah. That's all you try to do. Like if I can out there, cause my dad was like, you got 0.5 decision making, easy to catch you to go. He was like, ain't no coach

gonna give you five, six dribble to get your shit off. Yeah. So my catch here, if I was wide open for three, it was going up. If I saw you close out, I was going back. If I was going right, it was gonna be a gather, fade away to my right, because I wasn't going all the way to pink,

because I probably got it blocked. If I go left, it was a step back. And I made sure I had the right angle, just in case you showed me any kind of contest, I was going off the glass. So it was like, I knew my spots. I want to move to your overseas run. How was that?

Like, did you feel like you had a transition to your game when you went overseas for a little bit? Um, yes. Yes. So you do all this at Oklahoma State. You killing. I went undrafted. Undrafted.

Every 17, crazy. 17 and five. Imagine coming out right now every 17. I'm lottery. Problem. No, fucks. Yeah, damn right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

100%. I mean, people in the lottery getting drafted is with six points coming out. Eight points. Yeah. That potential of motherfuckers. Yeah. So it's like, I was like, and my dad told me,

like I was like watching, I was like, I know I'm getting drafted. The workout I put in. My dad told me, you ain't getting drafted. Yeah. Like he was like, shut up. He was like, you not getting drafted? I ain't even gonna watch the draft.

He went to the casino. Him and my mom went to the casino. That shut up. He was like, you not even drafted? I ain't even gonna watch the draft. He went to the casino. Him and my mom went to the casino. That's crazy. He knew. That's about worse. My situation is a little worse than yours. Your dad had an inside scoop. Yeah, I think he already knew I wasn't gonna get drafted.

So I'm up here sitting in front of the TV like this, waiting, like this. I'm like, oh yeah, the Rockets, 25th pick, they took Luther head. And shout out Luther head. But I'm like, huh? Like, I worked out for like every team. And my agent at the time was David Falk, who was MJ's agent.

But my dad was David Falk's first client ever. So it was like, that was family, so I went with him off top. So it was just like, okay. And then like David was like, oh, back in the day they used to pair you with whoever the super, he had everybody. So just imagine like Jeff T is the man, right? And I'm a rookie, but he a rookie,

like he a free agent, but he the highest agent. So back in the day the agents used to be like, oh, if you want Jeff, you gonna have to take here and here. So package deals. So that's what it was like when I came out. It was packages. It's not like that anymore.

But it was like package deals. So I was like, oh, David Faux got KG. He got everybody. So I didn't get drafted. So then I went to go, what happened, I went, I played in three different summer leagues. I played in Vegas, they had one in Minnesota at the time, they had New York, Minnesota.

They had Orlando yet? New York, uh uh. They had Boston, Boston was the other one. And they had Long Beach. So it was New York, in Minnesota it was Cleveland, New York, Indiana, Minnesota, just a 14 summer league at the Target Center. That was my rookie year.

And then I left there and I ended up playing with Cleveland Cavaliers in Vegas for their summer league. But I ended up signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves as a rookie. So my rookie year, they drafted Bracey Wright. And they drafted Rashad McKenzie. Those are they two picks. And then I was the third rookie, but I was undrafted.

You know, I signed a camp deal. And so we had Marco Yarich, we had Lionel Charmers, who played Xavier, who was a dog, and we had Troy Husson. Troy Husson with the break. With the break, and then KG was there, Wally Zerbiak, Fred was there, we had, you know, Mad Dog was there, so I'm a rookie, ooh, so I'm there all summer.

Dwayne Casey's the head coach, he just got the coaching job. So I'm there all summer, I'm training, boom, we go training, I'm actually doing, I'm like averaging like seven, eight points. When I'm getting my times only in the fourth quarter, I'm very efficient. So I ended up making the team. And then I went to bed that night. And matter of fact, you're not going to believe this, but Floyd Mayweather, somebody had a fight and I was

staying at the Radisson Hotel. You know the Radisson Hotel right there. And that's where they had all of the rookies staying at. So one day KG was like, yo, come to my house. We're going to watch the fight. You know, I'm his teammate. I'm like, all right, cool. So at the time, his wife, Brandi, picked me up and she was like, yo, where your stuff at? I'm like, huh? I thought I'm just going to watch the fight. He's like, nah, KG said you moving with him. Rob Markman No, you told me it's a full time job. KB1 Yeah, I know you know. So I'm like, huh? So I go

upstairs, pack my bags real quick. So KG house unbelievable. So I had the whole guest house to myself. His best friend is like T. Lou and Chaunchy Billups. So the guest house was called the Billups estate. Cause I guess when his family come there, that's where they would stay. So I stayed in the guest house. So I didn't have my car at the time. He just brought this brand new CLS. Cherry Beans for his wife. She hated the color.

So he threw me the key. He threw me the key. It's like, yo, this your car, young fella. Paper place and everything. I'm an only person in Minnesota, rookie with the CLS, 22 inch rim. Drive in, I'm like, I'm an only person in Minnesota, rookie, with the CLS, 22 inch rim. Drive in, I'm like, I'm not on Comtrap. You know what I'm saying?

You know what I'm saying? I'm living, so we playing it, I'm doing my thing. And so I make the team. I go to bed that night, I'm like, man, I'm praying, like thank you God. Like, ooh, I go to bed, I wake up next morning, they made a trade. They made a trade, so I'm walking into the facility, getting ready for the first day of official practice.

They make a trade for Ronald Dupree from the Piston. So, Kevin McKell pulled me to the office, and they had to cut me. KG calls a fit. Like, that was like the fall of like KG like leaving Minnesota. So KG was like, you ain't going nowhere, Lord. Lord, you ain't going nowhere. Like then so he got me staying in Minnesota.

He got me staying in Minnesota for two weeks. They trying to figure it out. Damn. And my dad come and he's like, man, we don't bring your ass home. Like, you know what I'm saying? Our kids, you know what I'm saying? So I go home to Houston, right?

And we get back to training now. I'm in the, my name automatically goes into the, it's the D-League at the time. But I didn't even go through the draft because my name was so big in Oklahoma. They allocated me to go to Tulsa with the 66ers. And so I ended up playing like the first two months of the season in Tulsa, and I'm averaging like 18, 20.

I get my first call up. So I get a call up to my hometown team, Houston Rockets. Yes, sir. Played against the Warriors, I'll never forget it. Played against the Warriors. That's when they had stack five. They had Baron Davis there. That's what we believe, Warriors for Soul.

You know what I'm saying? So I check in at the game, like last two minutes of the game, it was like, I'm like running out there with a, like my head cut off, like a chicken with his head cut off. And I got a rebound, I done stole the ball. Like I'm just moving so fast. You're going crazy.

I'm going crazy. And we ended up losing that game. So then I ended up going, and this wasn't the 10 day. I just got called up because 10 days haven't started yet. So we ended up, my next game is in DC. A lot of people don't know I was born in DC. So I got family in DC. My pops were playing for the Bullets at the time. So me and my sister were born in DC originally.

But I don't associate myself with DC because we moved when I was like two years old in Houston. So I'm from Houston. I scored my first NBA bucket against Chuckie Atkins. We just talked about Chuckie Atkins. That was my first NBA bucket against Chuckie Atkins. Y'all mean come set the side peeking role for me coming to my right hand.

And I hit a floater. And my aunt, my dad's sister at the time, she was in the stand, so I had a family member in the stand. So that was my first NBA bucket, was a floater at the arena. But yeah. And then I got cut the next, then we got cut the next day.

I got cut the next day because- That nigga journey's crazy. No, but I got cut the next day because they had nigga journey's crazy. No, but I got cut the next day because they had to let me go so they wouldn't pay extra in taxes. So I ended up flying back with the team to Houston. I had to miss one day of practice and then 10 days started. So then me and Chuck Hayes both signed 10 day contracts.

And then I signed another 10 day after that. And then they had to make a decision of whether they gonna keep me for the rest of the year or they was gonna let me go. So they ended up letting me go. They kept Chuck Hayes. So I ended up going back to Tulsa, finished up that year. And then that's when I went to Europe.

Then a team in Italy called me to go play in the playoffs. And that's when I played with Poo Allen. You know, Poo Allen University. He coached me in Boston. Correct. So Poo was, I replaced, I didn't replace him, he was injured. So I was kind of like coming in on his spot.

And I've never been overseas a day in my life. And so I was like, oh no, I was ready to check out. I mean, they put me in a hotel, you know, you in the NBA, you's a, and they put me in a hole in the wall, then I was like, I'm claustrophobic a little bit, so I wanted to go raise a window. No light coming in,

because I had a metal sheet over the window. I'm like, aw, but they got me in jail. Like, that's why, like, but I didn't know that was their blinds, was a metal sheet to keep the, you know, so if I were the one like this, then the metal sheet goes up. I didn't know that, like,

and the bed was small, I was like, and my dad, I called my dad. I was like, man, I'm about to swipe the card. Just know I'm about to swipe the card. And I'm coming home. They can keep this bread. Like, I'm just going to get ready for some league. My dad was like, just go to the first practice. He was like, just go to,

because he know when I get around ball, I'm in my comfort zone. I'm straight. So I went to my first practice and I was like, okay, let me, I can do one more day. And then I just kept letting. And then that was my first time playing in Europe. And I played, only played playoffs.

I got 35,000 for seven games. That was more than my G League content. My D League content, because at the time- That was a year in G League, right? No less. G League was what they said. My biggest contract in the D-League was, so this one I feel like they should bring it to the NIL,

because this shit came out of him. I was just speaking about this, in the D-League at the time he had three contracts. You had an A contract, you had a B contract, and you have a C contract. That is the game. You had two top dogs, you had the A contract, and the A contract was $25,000. Oh, that was the A? That is the game. You had two top dogs, you got the A contract, and the A contract was $25,000.

Oh, that was the A? That was the A. The B contract was 18.5. The C contract was around 15 something. And how many games y'all play a week in the G? Three, we play three. And so me and Bernard King was on the A contract. Bernard King and what, Texas A&L.

What? I thought that was how OG's talk was. No and L. What? I was just gonna say, that's a wicked G. I was about to say, nigga, where was your board? And then we had Will Conroy, who's doing his thing at USC. He was watching the Bernardys at USC. He was a teammate of mine.

Okay. Right? And he was a point guard. So Will and I used to bump heads all the time cause he thought he should be playing more than me. But he just made each other better, you know what I'm saying? And when I get called up, he will start. But when I come back, I get my spot back. And it will always call friction

because he'll be hooping, you know what I'm saying? But I coach at the time, Coach Myers, when it be like, oh, we going to ease you back in. I was like, no, you can't, you coming back, you just get your spot right back. So it called like, I only made 25,000 my first year as a professional athlete, as a professional player, then I went to Italy and made the 35.

So my math, I'm looking at it, I made like 70,000, little bit of some change my first year as a professional athlete. And so I was like, man, I'm not going back overseas. Whatever it is, but I'm just saying, why make other money besides that? We have bonuses though. I have bonuses in my thing.

So yeah, I have bonuses and stuff. Like if I scored a certain amount of points, I got like this, because Europe is different, you get bonuses. So I told my partner, man, I ain't going back overseas. What was your, I mean, what was the difference though? What you mean? Lifestyle.

Lifestyle, and I was home, I couldn't understand nothing nobody was saying in Italy. Oh yeah, me either. What's the game though like? Huh? What's the game like? The game is very strategic. I want you to give them the game on that.

The game is very strategic. They want to be a playmaker. Like they really want me to be a point guard. But I'm a points guard. I got points. And I used to get frustrated because we'll be losing. They put me in the game and I score a quick 15, then they take me out of the game.

I'm like, yo, I'm on five. Why you taking me out of the game? They'll go back and Pablo Pugioni was my teammate. So I would be like, yo, I'm on five, why you taking me out of the game? They'll go back and Pablo Pugioni was my teammate. Pablo. Pablo. Crazy. So I would be like, hey, I'm cooking him everything, you know what I'm saying? Like, why he playing?

Like, over me. So I never, I didn't fit Europe, but I played Euroleague, like we lost in the Final Four in Europe. I played on some good teams, but I was like, bro, like y'all put me in the game when we down, and then when we, when I get us back in the game,

y'all take me out. Yeah. Who was the then when I get us back in the game, y'all take me out. Yeah. Who was the coldest you saw over there when you was across the water? Bellinelli. Marco Bellinelli. I think it was the first thing. Yeah, he played for Rome.

He was the first thing. And then the other one was, the other one was- Marco Bellinelli gave you work. He was playing in New Orleans. He ran off about 10 screens. What's the one that, and the big man who got drafted by Toronto first round?

Bellinelli. I mean, Bariani. Bariani was the other one. I played him in Italy. Bariani. Bariani was the other one. Bariani was nice. But in Spain, in Spain,

my teammate was Tiago Splitter. Damn. Tiago, I played with him with the Linos. So that was the year I won, so people don't even realize, I won a D-League championship with the Colorado 14ers. I left them. That's a motherfucking name.

14ers? That was a name, that was a name. So the first and last year it is. So it was me, it was our Colorado 14ers. We need to pull a jersey. They got it, they should have did better with that. That was like the Negro League. I had Sonny Williams on my team.

Shout out to Sonny Williams. So we had an NBA team. Like Vernon Hamilton was on that team. You probably played against Vernon D. Ham. So we all was team. We ran through, we ended up beating our Salt Lake City Stars in the championship. Two days later, I'm in Spain

playing for the Euroleague championship. And then we ended up losing in the Final Four. And then we end up losing to Barcelona in the ACB Championship. So I could have tried to win three championships in one year. That's fire. But back to like my first year, after I came back from Italy, I said, I'm not going back to Europe. So I ended up playing Summer League with the Rockets.

I should have got MVP of Summer League. But technically I wasn't got MVP of summer league. But technically I wasn't a rookie, because I played. So Randy Foy that year is when Nate went crazy in that. And then Randy Foy was a rookie that year with Minnesota. I averaged 28, eight and eight in summer league. With the Houston Rockets, guess who my coach was?

Your dad? No. Guess who my coach was? Fuck dad? No. Guess who my coach was? Fuck with your coach. Tom Tippado. Tips, my nigga! Tips wrecked every play for me. That's, if you know Tips, if he like you, you gon' get every play caught.

Every play? What he caught for it? I had angles. I had side peeking role. Everything was me coming off the pit, getting to all my sweet spots. And he said, if you see the rim, you let it go. Yeah, Tibbs, bro.

I had Pat Carroll, who played for St. Joe's. Burn him, burn him. He was on my team, so I got a lot of assists from him. And then I- But tell them if you look, like people, you've been with Tibbs. Yeah, Tibbs my favorite coach. I love coaches like Tibbs.

My favorite, my best careers in the NBA was coaches that fell underneath the same umbrella. So Tills, Van Gundy, and Stan Van Gundy. They all the same. They all the same. They one and the same. You played for Jeff? Played for Jeff and his aunt.

Houston, Jeff was my coach. And then Tills was my workout guy. So every day I worked out with Tills. They were one and the same. Every day until y'all me steps on court and then I had to move to the side and then it was time for y'all me and his work. But.

Was T-Mac there then too? Yeah. It's right for Austin. It's my load. They one and the same. So Teals ended up coaching Summer League, I averaged 28, 88. I signed my contract in the bathroom.

I signed a three year contract for 1.9 million Nigga and that and that's bread Nigga try to get back home That's no bread Cause it's three years for 1.9 you just tryna get back home That's no bread, it's bread, but it's no bread Yeah But at the time you know I'm like

You trying not to go back home No I should have went to New Orleans instead. I should have been Chris Paul back up What they want in New Orleans is gonna be Well I should have just left the city of Houston. When I was in Houston. You probably got three for three. It was too much. You was in love.

You was in love with being at home. How would they be now? I'm home. That was a great time in Houston. If you don't know. It was a great time. Houston was flourishing. And I'm the prince of the city.

Like, you know what I'm saying, I'm out every night. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In the prince of the city. I'm not taking the prince of the city. No, I'm out every night. Yeah, yeah. In the prison of the city. I'm not taking the prison of the city. No, I'm being super, like, just imagine, like, hey. I'm a real, I'm a real. I don't know about Jadon Little 3. He's got to have a battle with the club.

Hey, bro, I don't go to clubs no more, but I, I, I. No, I was, I was doing shit. I was him. I was him before everybody started saying I was saying he was him. You got a picture of your joe, your motherfucker weak in the bitch on that, what, Denver team? The Denver, the 14? You had some Kobe's though, you had a Kobe.

You know, just some heat. You know, just some heat. I keep trying to tell you. The 14ers was weak in the bitch. The 14ers was a crazy team. It was crazy team, we had a good team though. What color were they? Which one, the Kobe's?

Check your phone. No, not the Kobe's. You could be sick of it. It was blue, it was like the dip. It was blue, blue gold, it was like the different nuggets. It was like the different nuggets. It was like the different nuggets, y'all. You know what, I can tell you exactly.

This is cool, damn. Let me show you something. Step back was coming on that one. I see it, I see it. You see it coming, right? The step back coming on that one. You see it coming right? The step back coming on that cause I was going left. I see the feet. I was going left.

The jerseys ain't bad. Shout out to the 14ers. No, I had a nice little hairline then it just disappeared one day. It disappeared one day. So you go from Houston and now you gotta make your way in the NBA. You know, you signed your three year deal.

You back at the city. What's that journey like? In Houston? I mean, you get to Houston, you got your three year deal. Man, I stayed at my parents' house. You ain't the only one. No, like my dad was like, you ain't gonna get no spot. I was like looking for places.

He was like, no, you gonna stay right here. You gonna stay right here. What's that like? You gonna stack your money up. I had to try to sneak girls in my mom and daddy's house when I moved back to India. No, I just, you know, hotel room, I went about 200, you know what I'm saying?

Yeah, we had that. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I finally got a little paper in my pocket. Y'all going two houses doing 40s. Woo! 40 in the NBA? He going to a trap house. That's why I had to say that.

Yeah, but we had that bug though. I got them cleared up. But my dad was, but the thing is, my dad, I didn't realize, he was like, bro, you ain't really making money like that because taxes and everything come in. He was like, you just stay at the house, your mama cook every night. We ain't gonna bother you.

I don't give a damn when you come home. It don't matter if you come home or not, you grown. But he was like, you stack your bread. So what I used to do with my first check, I used to keep a check and then I send a check to my financial people. I keep a check, send the next check to my financial people. So it was just like, I was just thinking,

but my habit was I was by jury. Yeah, I know that about you. Like my thing was like, I was like, okay, I'm gonna get a new chain. So my dad was like, he'll let me make those mistakes. Like he'd be like, oh, you got a new chain? I know, oh'm gonna get a new chain. So my dad was like, he'll let me make those mistakes. He was like, oh, you got a new chain? I know, oh, you got a new watch? And he got a new bracelet?

Like he just kept, it was okay. Like he'll just let me, you know, cause he was like, he gon', everybody gotta go through them. But he, I was like, it was a teaching lesson, but I'm thinking like I'm doing good, saving. But then when you go to Jew or you see a new chain, you wanna, you try to trade in your chain. And it's the same chain you just bought from him

like two weeks ago, but he trying to knock off 3000 of the prices. You can pay for it. So it was like the value difference. So you just learn as you go. My pops just like, everything my pops did for me was a learning lesson. I call him the blueprint.

No, your pops is a blueprint. I call him the blueprint. But yeah, I is a blueprint. I called him the blueprint. But yeah, I stayed home and, yeah. How long did you stay home though? You stayed home for all three years? Well, I stayed two years and then they fired Jeff. They brought in Rick Odomen. And we brought back Steve Francis.

Franchise. We brought back Mike James, old school Mike James. Yeah, Mike James was cooking too., then we just drafted Aaron Brooks. We had myself, we had Rayford Alston. Ain't that crazy that you coached that thing? Shout out to AB, wherever you are in the world, I'll fuck with you. So we had seven point guards all under guaranteed contracts.

That's crazy. So I tried to get cut. I was like, I'm gonna go play for another team, but they owed me like 700. But they wanted me to give money back and my daddy always told me, you don't get no money back. So I just went into training camp and I just played my heart out.

Like I was about to change their minds. They just brought back Steve Francis for four million, gave Mike James four million, and they trying to trade Rachel Austin. They drafted Aaron Brooks, you know what I'm saying? So it was like, I went in there, and then I had a hell of a preseason, and then they kept me all the way to the end,

and Rick Adaman was trying to figure out a way to keep me on, because I actually was playing good ball. And I just got frustrated. And when they cut me, I was still getting paid, and I was just like, you know what? I'm going to enjoy the holidays. So I enjoyed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. And then I was itching to play. And then that's when I called my agent and said,

okay, I'm ready to go play. And so I did my second stint in Europe with a Euroleague team called Benetton. It's not there anymore, but it was in Treviso. And Reece Gaines was a teammate of mine, Mario Austin. And then Lionel Chalmers was a teammate of mine who I went against in Minnesota.

Yeah, so it was just like that. And then we ain't gonna talk about that situation, but I ended up leaving that situation. I got picked up by the Seattle Supersonics, but the way I left in Italy, they held my release papers. So I took my physical in Ericsson to play the last year with the Seattle Supersonics, which was Jeff Green and KD Brickier. And yeah, I'm about to run out on the court.

And Sam Pressley pulled me to his side and said, they won't give us your release paper. So they ended up signing the boy from y'all hometown, Eddie Gill. A little point. Oh, he talking about, he worked with the patients. He worked with the patients. And Eddie Gill got them last 30 days

when I was supposed to get it. That cost me like, I'm big on like, cost me at least 275, 300. So then OKC, then Seattle ended up moving to OKC and I ended up playing on OKC team. Yeah, so listen, man, we had a couple great songs. We gotta ask you a couple before we get out of here. Let's talk about the bull situation.

We in Chicago, obviously great weekend honoring D-Rose. I wasn't playing in the city of Chicago, man. Best city ever. It ain't the best city ever, but it's a really nice city. For basketball wise, it's the best city. Indianapolis is. Don't let them shit on your store. Actually, it's nothing like walking on the same hallway,

Jordan and Pippen and all them walking every night in and out. And then it's sold out every night. You saying the NBA. Yeah, I'm saying,en and all them walking every night. And then it sold out. You saying the NBA. Yeah, I'm saying. And it sold out every game. It did sold out. And we was the number one team in the NBA. Y'all was lit.

I killed y'all though, but y'all was lit. We still won the battle. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Our whole thing- Y'all won the war. We won everything about it. They won the battle and the war.

We won everything about it. Like we the battle anymore. We want everything about it. Like we, they almost had us in the playoffs. They almost had us in the playoffs. Shout out to Smooth. We used to love when Smooth made his first shot because we was like, oh, he gonna take away Jeff's shots. He gonna take away Joe Johnson's shot because he gonna think he own.

And that's what happened in the playoffs. We ended up beating y'all game six. And when he hit that first shot in Atlanta, in that game six, we was all on the bench like, oh yes, like we got him, we got him. Hold on, wait, first of all. We're not doing that to number five. But smooth by man, but I'm just saying,

he would be owned, so you know, as any scorer would be, you see the ball going, you're gonna think you own. But now you're taking shots, cause Jeff and Joe, Jeff and Joe was cooking us that series. It was playing great basketball, but we just had, we had Poo Deanie. And Poo would do some um, but you know, that's MVP here. He did some unbelievable stuff.

That was crazy, that was different. What's that like? You know, you know, that's MVP here. He did some unbelievable stuff. That was crazy, that was different. What's that like? You know, you've been a part about some, you've been around Kobe, you've been around some great players. When, before, damn, D-Rose got hurt, before he got hurt, like, where did you rank him? Like, what did you see?

Cause niggas was scared of him. Oh bro, we used to have this thing called the Rose Flu. People was ducking him. Oh God. Some of the Rose Flu. People was ducking him. Some of y'all favorite players was ducking him. I'm gonna say that in the camp. Some of y'all favorite players now was ducking him. And we seen it. I ain't gonna say no names

because these are all colleagues of my brother's brother. But we used to mess with the other point guards on the team because sometimes he'd be playing, sometimes we'd be like, oh, he playing today. Oh, he playing today. We just warm up saying that. And all of a sudden, like we get the report before the game start, so-and-so out with an ankle injury.

But we just saw him work out. A full workout before the game. I know this is a lot of work. I kid you not, nobody wanted to have smoke with that man. I ain't gonna lie. The kids today not even gonna realize how much of an impact with how good D-Rose was. Nah, he was unbelievable.

He was unbelievable. And he practiced hard. Do you think Jiburin is comparable? No. He was unbelievable, bro. Jiburin is special. Jiburin is special, they're two different, I see the similarities in certain things.

I'm just asking you to compare. But I don't think you can compare anybody to him at that time. He was an animal. Yeah. I'm night in, night out, practice every day, seeing it. You know, you just. And at that time, no disrespect to the point guards now,

it was just like a elite level of point guards. Yeah, D Will. Everybody was, every point guard was Coroando, CP, Steve Nash, D Will, like he said, every team point guard was just nasty. Nasty. It was like, you had young Kim, but Brandon Jennings was still doing this thing. He separated himself just from everybody.

He was just, Steph was in the league. Steph was in the league, but you had Monte Ellis. Monte Ellis, all them was in the league. You know, you just, it was just, he was different. Drew Holiday was still like, prom. He was different and you could tell how this, you know what's crazy, how the city showing him love for what we're out here for.

Just imagine him, he brought that energy they're giving him now. He brought that every night because he wasn't going to let the city down. Yeah. He did it more than just for him and his family. He did it for the shot. Playing against him at that time,

like I had guarded like all the fire point guards at this time. And like him, it was just like, nah, this nigga just got a different gear. Like I wasn't scared of nobody. Playing basketball, I was like, I wasn't scared of him. I basketball, I was like, funny, I wasn't scared of him. Like I played him in high school. And then you get every, they used to run this forehead play.

They run it every time down. You like, what the fuck? And he just never stopped. Like you, he had missed two shots. You're like, yeah, motherfucker, he can't shoot. The next four possessions, he's attacking you. Like he never quit. Like he like, yo, that's why I tell y'all

I didn't guard Steph, I didn't guard Kyrie, I didn't guard, you name him. D Will, CP, D Rose was the most, like he was crazy, bro. I'm like, yeah, this nigga different. Who next in line though? He guarded some hitters. So you got D Rose, who you got next in line?

Like who I just couldn't stand to guard because they was just, like Steph is annoying because he not even like a point guard. He like throw the ball and then all of a sudden he started running. Kyrie, Kyrie. Kyrie is like guarding a two guard, like guarding Kobe Bryant.

He gonna post you up, he gonna do all that stuff. But like I'd rather guard Kyrie because I know where he gonna post you up, he gonna do all that stuff. But like, I'd rather guard Kyrie, cause I know where he gonna catch the ball. Like D-Rose, he bringing the ball up, he getting a pick and roll, he might call a pick and roll off, he might I-so you, you know, like you didn't know, and it was all like attacking.

Like Kyrie might jab you, jab you three. And if he hit three, you contest, you just gotta live with it. D-Rose won't shoot no threes. He was getting to that bug. He was straight at you. North to south. You either going and getting a foul

or you getting scored on. North to south. And then Westbrook was kinda like similar. Only thing that held Westbrook back is like, he had KD and James at this time. Yeah. And it's like, not holding back, but you knew like, He had the knew like, at some point in time,

these two guys touched the rock. Rosen had it. Luau was gonna cut. He was fighting all them. Nobody had no set plays. It was just really D-Raw was gonna make the plays for everybody else. But he was for all shit, bro.

He was, and you know, it made us so good. We had great players, but everybody knew they wrong. Yeah, they accepted that role. We all accepted that role. I knew I wasn't gonna play if CJ and D-Rose was healthy. But I had to stay ready, because Tills was always, because of my shooting ability,

he would throw me in at the two guard to spread the cord out. Now my guy would go help D-Rose, because he's drawing some more attention, kick out at me. So you always had to, even though I knew like, okay, they healthy, I might not play today. So, but I would just, I was just,

I always wanted to be one of the 1%. I was- What happened when LeBron jumped over you? I don't know how I got to that place. I was just thinking of Chicago. I was going to slide. You were 15, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause that's all I had seen. That's the day, Chicago Draft. I was going to slide. You were 15, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Because that's all I have seen in the camera. That's the day. I was going to slide to my nigga transitioning from basketball to coaching, but we're here. We're here. I mean, shit. I mean, what? Hold on, you woke up and everybody was,

that shit was everywhere. Bro, I- That's on LeBron like- Yeah, I'm going to be in the Hall of Fame. Yeah, no, every time, every time- I'm going to be in the Hall of Fame. Yeah, now every time, every time. I'ma be in the Hall of Fame, bro. Every time the playoffs start. And I'm cool with it.

JL3 is. Hey, what was you thinking though, when he just threw you out? I wasn't thinking, I ain't see it happen until we called time out and they put it on the Jumbo Trio. Why didn't you electric slide to the left? Cause of Rip Hamlitar, I can't wait for him to get here. Yeah, because it was Rip Guy.

Yeah. He was supposed to drop back. I called the pick out, he was supposed to drop back. He was what I'm saying? Yeah, because it was Rip Guy. He was supposed to drop back. I called the pick out, he was supposed to drop back, he was supposed to be the low man, but you know, we so defensively minded with Timbs. Okay, you got caught up on the screen, so let me, I gotta take your spot. And that goofy ass player, they still running to this day. Mario, who is one of my really good friends,

when he did that, I didn't talk to him for like two days. I didn't talk to him. Bro, he jumped. And when I looked, I was like, damn, who he throwing that to? And then, but that is my mindset. I'm like, yo, who he throwing that to? And when I looked up and you see me like this,

all I see is feet. And I'm like, he done it. And then he had a nerve to look back at me. Right? So my mind was like, yo, Harry up, take the ball. I'm going to run down and go get a bucket. But Tim's called a timeout. So now when Tim's called a timeout, we said now Tim's in the middle with Andy and all them. And now they got it going over the jumble trying to everybody like, in Miami, you know,

they were all white at the game. So you looking up and it's over to Jumbotron, everybody like, in Miami, you know, they wear all white at the game. So you looking up and it's all white and they like, oh, they going crazy. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like, and then he sucked me out. Damn, I didn't know that. I was playing and he was like,

what the hell was that? If he watched the timer, I'm about to get back in the game. He put poo back in the game and I'm still, I don't know. So I ain't really get my lick back until two weeks later. Until they came here. But what saved me was like two days later, that's when, cause I was number one for like, a lot until Blake Griffin dunked on Kendrick Perkins

and threw the ball in without touching the ground. And then he became number one and I slid to number three. You know? You know? Yeah. But that's what saved me. You on deck for the show, bro. Yeah, but then when that happened, bro, I couldn't like,

and now you like, people are like, ooh, you know you got Dumb Dumb all up, bro. And I'm like, it's you, it's Jason Terry. It's a lot of y'all in that. Yeah, but they ain't- This is iconic, though. Jason Terry is more- Jason Terry is more.

So that's by the way. We ain't doing that cause J. Louis. He cleared them bro. He did, but he boomed on motherfucker J.S. players. He failed. It got to a point in that game, I thought he was picking on me bro. First he jumped over me, right?

And then I'm picking up full court. He set a screen on me, I thought it was illegal. I tried to fight him. I got up and tried to fight him. You gotta wild out. Look, I got a clip of, you feel like I feel about bra. I wild out. I just said, fuck it, I can't fight him. I got up and tried to fight him. He got a wild out. I look, I got a clip of, you feel like I feel about bruh. I wild out.

I just said, fuck it, I can't beat him. Yeah, it's like. I'm taking him out. I just ran into him. He went to the stands, popcorn all over the place. But see, that's what happened when niggas get embarrassed on the court. They try to play extra hard there.

No, I was just- Niggas was playing AAUG games, in the NBA game. Nah, bro, I kid you not. He said a pick on me, it was a legal screen, like once you go back and watch it. But I was just like, oh, he picked, I got little man syndrome, bro.

Like, I feel like, like, I ain't never gonna let nobody tall to get the best of me. That's a six eighth. Like, he's been around me, so he's seen, he's seen a different side of me. So, I'm like, oh, he gotta see me now. So, it's like, I'm trying to get, he gotta see me now. So it's like, I'm trying to get up,

but it's wet on the court. So I'm slipping and sliding, trying to get to him. And when I pushed him, he didn't move and I went back. And so now I'm like, ooh, I hope he, all I said was like, ooh, let it be an NBA fight. Like, let everybody, like, let everybody come in the middle and break it up and then I'ma turn up like, oh, you all move in.

Like that, and that's what happened because Taz Gibson ran over there real quick. And like, Mario Chalmers, the whole man, I was like, get off me. Like, you know what I'm saying? I'm like, man, I got that fine check. I was hot. But I was just like, oh yeah.

And then two weeks later they came back and for like a whole two weeks I was just kept seeing her. And like, Poo was one of my best, like one of my really good friends. Like he know how me and Poo are. So Poo was really supposed to come back that game when we played Miami here. And I knew if he came back, I was gonna be like,

I called him on the phone. I said, yo, G, you gotta sit out this game. And he was like, what? Because he was itching to get back. You know, he missed like five of his games. I think he had a turf toe or it was something. One of the injuries that I say, bro, just this game, sit out. I gotta get my lick back.

Like you don't realize what it been like for these two weeks for me. You know what I'm saying? My dad called me talking about, we about to get put in protective custody. All right, like he called me talking about, damn, you done made the name famous than ever. Like he mess with me.

And so I'm like, I gotta get my lick back, right? Man. It was everywhere. I was everywhere. So I'm driving, I gotta get my lick back. Right? Man. I was everywhere. So I'm driving down the highway right here cause I lived out north. Cause we practice out there, I'm driving down. Ooh, it was IG. If you, if I sit out, you better kill.

I said, copy. Like no more. Man, I had like three red bulls. I was turnt. Man, I check in the game. It was go time. I ain't missing that one shot. I mean, the only shot I missed was a wide open corner three. That was the only shot I missed that game.

I had 24 points, national televised game. And then I already had it in my mind. If he, cause I was going to cook Mario and I was going to cook Norris Coe. Cause I just, they're my guys. But I had one person in mind that I had to get my league back, but those are the guys that was guarding me. But I knew if I cook, Spoh was gonna switch off.

So fourth quarter, Bron switched off on me and Kib's calling to play for Lua. That play went through everyone. All I saw in like that summer, cause it was lockout year, that summer I was playing in New York, so I was like really working on my game. So that summer I had 50 in Nike program in New York.

I heard about that. I had 60. The night KD had 61, I played in that game at Rutgers. I had 21. The next night we played him, I had 60, he had 49, but he won. So, you know, but I made my name 49, but he won, so, you know.

But I made my name in New York as well, by going to play. What was your nickname? Cool Hand Luke. Cool Hand Luke? Cool Hand Luke, the gunslinger. Oh. But he was Sugar McGavin.

So when we came back, I started working on a double step back. So I was like, I gotta, it's almost like you, you know, like a boxer, you gotta get your jab. So to me, a step back is like, you kind of get your separation. But because of his length and my size, I knew I had to- What? Throw. I can't let that ride. I'm gonna keep a gangster with you.

A nigga with crazy length and a small nigga is crazy. I'm gonna keep a gangster with you. That's Damon and Cat Williams in Friday. I don't give a damn about niggas. I don't give a damn about niggas. Oh! All right, your back's gonna get a double step back. Hey, yo!

Your double step back is gonna be just a dumb jump. Yo, we been p party for a minute. What you say? I am a boy! Oh my God. So anyway, all right, so anyway, had to go through a double step back

because his arm length, right? That ain't no lie, your arm length been a DJ face all day. So his arm length, right? So his arm length, so his arm length DJ, I had, cause I had to see the rim. So when I hit him with the double, I saw, and then I hit him with, and so then I got my shout out. And so when I hit the shout out, I knew what the cameras were.

What you do? I said, he can't hold me either. Oh, this is a n***a. I ran, it's all facts. Yeah. Oh, do? I said, he can't hold me either. Oh, this is nigga wild. It's all facts. Yeah. Oh, Luis gon' find it, can't wait. I said, he can't motherfucking hold me either.

I looked dead in the camera and said that. He was wild. And my dad called me and said, you had an out of body experience. He was like, let's, let's. Pop's always humble, nigga. He always humbles you. So he was like, let's keep it a buck.

You had an out of body experience. You know what I'm saying? Like, come back there, I'm gonna go after you, kill like, damn, man. Yo, that's how my problems was. Man, he kept it a buck with me. So that was- I had 30 my first game against,

in high school, my senior year, against Eric Gordon. And my dad was like, I mean, somebody had to shoot. I coached him too. Yeah, you did. It's crazy, cause now I coach you, and now I'm coaching against guys I played against. That's what I wanna get into. And I play against teammates, coach my teammates,

play against, you know, just, I always wanted to coach at the back, after I got done playing. I wanna show love to you, cause like we talked about it earlier, but what you did for D-Rose, people don't know. I know. I know, I know, cause I was there. And you brought, we like not to shit on D-Rose or nothing,

cause you know, we love him. Like that's my bro, that's my nigga. But when he came to Minnesota, his confidence was gone. He was done. He was telling us he was done with basketball. But he was like, I'm done, I'm a retired, Tim's doing me a favor kind of thing. And you like, I watched y'all work and put in so much work

to where he got back and to the point where I was like, nigga, I need to come off the bench. Like this nigga need to be started. You know what I'm saying? But I watched you and him and his family, like his wife. Y'all are all in the gym. I'm coming late night after drinking, doing whatever I'm doing.

And y'all like, come in here. You like to eat, come in here. Pool here, shoot. I'm like, yeah, all right. I'm gonna fuck. And I come in there, I just see y'all putting in work. And my thing is I wanted him to write his own story and don't let nobody else write it for him.

Facts. Yeah. And he had a lot left in him. And when you go through what he's gone through, your mental game, and that's one thing tennis, go back to tennis helped me with, but also it also goes back to recovery. My dad's a recovering drug and alcoholic. So he used to scare me because,

he used to scare me, I used to go to A.A. meetings with him. He used to make me stand up like, hi, my name is John Lucas III. And everybody be like, hi, John Lucas III. He be like, I wasn't, I was etiquette and thing, but he was just showing me the mind of mental and stuff like that. So I'm looking at Poole, I'm like, bro, you still,

Coe, like, you know who you are? Like, I had like kind of reassured. I'm like, you know, with somebody's confidence and stuff, because you, like now I can only imagine playing in today's era with social media, people always commenting about heavy and everything. Like, you gotta learn how to block out the noise. So I'm telling him like, bro, you got about five more years.

Like, you can get another big deal. Like, I know you made, I was with Pooh when he signed at 89. Then the next day he signed 329 with Adidas. Like, I know you got, I was with Poole when he signed at 89, then the next day he signed 329 with Adidas. Like I know you got the bread, stupid bread. It was like, but bro, you got so much more to give to this game. Oh, they say you can't shoot? Fuck that, we shooting 1,500 shots.

That's a fact. And we gon', my goal was for him to shoot over 40 some percent from the three. And he did it. And he did it, man, so, but every night, we put that work in. If you ever know it's in Minnesota, he start wearing an elbow pin.

Yeah, that's how much. We shot so much. And I'm like, so when he hit that 50 ball, he was crying, he came and gave me a hug. I was like, the ultimate thank you. Cause I'm like, forget what Stephen A. Smith and all, them saying, they ain't ran up and down this court. Like we ran up and down this court.

They don't know. Yeah, that's a fact. You know what I'm saying? And it's like, no, knock on them. But I'm like, they just talking. Yeah. But you got a chance to prove everybody wrong, which he did. And he went on and played, what, six more years after that.

Yeah, I watched it. And I'm trying to talk to him. I'm talking to him the same way he ready to hang it up too. That ain't D-Rose. That's Jalen Rose. But what y'all don't realize. He was giving us the same speech, but I was playing it.

He won't listen. He ain't listening, bro. But it was different, because I'm like, D-Rose, like to me, you know, 07 class, D-Rose MVP, when he giving him this spill, I'm like the corner guy. Like he doing his thing and I'm like,

yeah, get that nigga ready, man. If he kill, we gonna be nice. He the hype man. No, not hype man, but in a good way. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Still competitive, but he was like, yo, I rock with him. Yeah, like I'm a man.

Like I got his back. It was like, he was like, I wanna come off the, he raises his hand, I'm looking at him like he crazy, so I wanna come off the bitch. I'm looking at him like, huh? Like I'm the, he raises him, looking at him like he crazy, so I want to come off the bench. I'm looking at him like, huh? Like I'm just not going to give him my job now. Like if I was playing, I'm like, nah. But he wanted to come off the bench

because he wanted to go against all the backup. I'm keeping a buck with you. He, like he can fool, he'll fool everybody else. He wanted to go against the backup. He ain't want to guard night in and night out. Guarding. I did that. I'm saying.

But it's smart though. It's smart because it's longevity. Like you figure it out. So it was just like for me, I wanted all, everybody I rock with, I wanted them all to succeed. That's a fact. And that was my biggest thing. I just wanted everybody to succeed. And that's my biggest, and I just wanted everybody to succeed.

And that's why I gravitate to you, because people that I know in my life, everybody similar to that, like all of us, we want everybody to win in here. And that's when I gravitate to you. Like you don't naturally gravitate to people that you don't rock with, right? We had coaches on that staff where, you know me,

I wouldn't even, nigga, you behind a bitch, I'm like, Luke, man, what the fuck we running? And he'll get me in trouble. You know what I'm saying? That's how I get fired. No, we'll talk, that's how I get fired. I'm for real, I would really come to the bench and be like, what do you see?

And I'll be like, Luke, what the fuck we need to run? And I get fired because now, like they're not looking at the main guys. And Luke will be like, shoot the fucking ball. He be wide open. I be like, Jimmy said run, he be like, fuck him. Shoot the ball. He be wide open.

And he was like, he'll defer. He'll defer and I'm like, this ain't that same kid I know that get out the challenger. You know what I'm saying? I'm still thinking like he him. Like with that mentality. And that's, like once you give me your first impression, that's who I think you are.

But I appreciate that though. Yeah. Man, we appreciate you Luke. For sure bro. Obviously man, we saw you at the Top 100 camp. We was just like, it makes purposes. Like having your knowledge to help these young youths, especially like you said with the middles

and the social media, playing basketball at the full parts. So to have somebody at UNTRA like that, we really happy to see. Before we get out of here, man, we had a great story in this podcast. We gotta reconfirm, you know, before we get out of here, man, we gotta talk about the Minnesota A's, man. Y'all pulled up to the club, shout out to the Somalis.

They said, y'all good in Minnesota, they good with club 520. But we gotta recap that story, man. We good, look. Man, we always good. Nah, I'm telling you, we real, y'all good in Minnesota, they good club 520, but we gotta recap that story. We good, look. We always good. Nah, I'm serious, we real good. What you talkin' about, we always good. Y'all always good.

They play, they show love. Minnesota, fuck with me. We always good. Y'all was good that night, D. J. Lou, always good, I step foot. Shout out to J.B. for steppin' in them Kirk Franklin's dick on that dog game. It's T-Core, I'm with A.

Oh, let's go. Hey bro, I don't even go out. You know, I'm married. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. You know what I'm saying, I don't go out. He just throw you under the bus. But you know, he had a bad game that day.

Yeah. He had a bad game, so we went out to eat. I always go out to eat with the players. I don't go out with the players, but we go eat. I ain't gonna pass up a meal. Exactly. You know what I'm saying? I'm on the coaching budget now.

Absolutely. Respect. So, we go out to eat, I ain't gonna pass up a meal. You know what I'm saying? I'm on the coaching budget now. Absolutely. Respect. So, so we go out to eat, I'm trying to talk to him because he ready to jump off the ledge, not literally, but he like mad because of the game he had. So he was like, you know, I just need, it almost reminded me of like that scene in Paid and Fooled, yo, I just need to be around love. Like, you know what I'm saying?

It was like one of them moments for him. So I was like, he was like, we're gonna go out too and so I was like, all right, cool, I'll come out for a little bit. So it's me, Jared Bangalus, who wore a suit all the time. It's no dress code no more. I'm not making this shit up. He wore a suit all the time, clean though, clean.

Right? And I ain't your normal coach. Like once I get out my coaching, I'm back how I dress now, Nike, I'm gonna be fly. So he goes out, so we go out. And so all of a sudden, we just in there chilling in the corner all of a sudden, like 30 people come walking towards me.

And they speaking to me in their language. I'm looking at them like, what? I guess they didn't like my reaction. So they start getting a little bit hostile with it's just me, him and Jerry, right? So, see at the bottle right there, I don't even know who bottle it was that I grabbed, but I don't just, I had a bubble cut on too.

So I was like, they doing all this talking, I just grabbed that joint, I'm like, we gonna get out of here, I gotta get home to my baby, you know what I'm saying? So, he doing all this, I'm whooping back at him, I'm like, bro, get out of here. I gotta get home to my baby. You know what I'm saying? So he doing all this, I'm woofing back at him. I'm like, bro, I ain't Somali. I'm from Houston, Texas. I ain't from here. And they like, no, you do da da da da da.

And I'm like, nah. So what saved us was a whole nother argument happened. A whole nother fight started. And they had to roll the curtain. And they turned around and turned. And all of a sudden before me and Jeff could turn to walk out the door, we walking. Yeah.

Cause I'm like part of my back, I'm like, you know, I ain't really scared of like, like whatever. We see Jared, Jared two blocks away from us. And me and Jeff is like, yo. And all you see is them states and Adams like, he sliding because it was black ice out there that day. So he running, he like sliding. And I was like, yo, that's crap.

I said, that's the last time I go out. Like if I go out, he can't come with me. Because that's my, and I see him. I love Jared. I see him all the time in Phoenix when I was coaching Phoenix. He the man, but that was a crazy night. But I wasn't supposed to be out.

I was like, it was his fault. I'll take the blame. It was his fault. But it is true. But they did think they, I don't make up the name, it's a fact. It's true, they thought. Now that Minnesota shit took a toll, bro.

And they be telling, they be like, be here, you good, them other niggas, they gotta check in. That's it, respect. Respect. Respect. Respect. Respect.

But he be messing with me all the time, cause we used to always play one-on-one. Yup. And he was coming back from injury one day. And I was getting the best of him. Only for five positions though. Yeah. Cause I ran out of gas. Right, I five possessions though. Because I ran out of gas. I'm out of shape when I ran out of gas.

Mentally I was like done hooping. And they had posted on Twitter at the time. And I think you was hurt, Pooh was hurt, Tize was hurt. So we had to bring a point guard in. So I'm trying to get him ready. I'm not even thinking, they was like, yo, we should bring Luke in for 10 days. Like that's what the fans,

cause it's like, look what he doing to JFT. He gonna tweet back and post another video. Keep watching. Like he couldn't let me just have my little five, five. Cause after that, boy, it was cook session. Bro, I was, it was cook session after that. I retweeted the post, somebody posted, like, yeah, okay, yeah, I'm telling my daughter,

like, yeah, this is how your daddy used to play. And then, boy, he posted, he was like, nah, y'all gotta keep watching the video. He somehow called out video coordinator, and the video, who was it, Brian Randolph at the time? He get the highlights of him cooking me 15 straight possessions. He wanted the left, he wanted the right of him cooking me 15 straight possessions. He wanted the left, he wanted the right.

I didn't even touch the ball in the middle of the court cause he went five in a row. And on the second. I just had a little bit of a fucking though cause in Minnesota they had me fucked up. But it's all good. That's my dog though. I mean, that's my man right there.

I appreciate you on the show bro. Nah yeah, we appreciate you. I appreciate y'all having me for real. Man, this is all coming, man. Man, this is like family, but we're gonna do another episode, man. Probably in Indy, you know, I know you got some big stuff coming up.

We're gonna let you announce that when you ready to announce it. But we excited for your whole journey. We need you to announce that before the All-Star game, though. We'll talk about that for another contract. Another contract. Man, man, man. We're gonna get a hot year before we get back in the house. Yo, I just want to tell y'all, man, y'all really holding down the culture though.

I appreciate it. Real talk. Y'all doing y'all thing, man. I watch all y'all episodes. So I'm happy I can be a part of it. Appreciate y'all. Listen, man, we're going to do this again another time. We appreciate y'all.

Like, share, subscribe. All that good stuff. We'll be back next time. Club 520.