Club Shay Shay - Karl-Anthony Towns Part 2

Episode Date: October 2, 2024

In Part 2, as he does on the court, KAT doesn’t shy away from discussing his heated rivalry with Joel Embiid and the scuffle they had, including how he felt when he went up against Embiid, Ben Simmons, and seemingly the entire city of Philadelphia. He elaborates on his mindset when facing off against top-tier NBA talent like Nikola Jokic and other elite players in the league, and discusses his friendly rivalry with Anthony Davis, reflecting on the similar paths their basketball careers have taken. Shannon and KAT go deeper into NBA history as KAT shares his Mount Rushmore of NBA big men, naming his picks for the best power forwards and centers of all time. He talks about the dominance of players like Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain and wonders if anyone will ever be able to match Wilt’s historic 100-point game. KAT also reflects on watching Steph Curry dominate during the Olympics and suggests he might be able to beat Curry in a three-point contest, but goes on to call Steph the best shooter who’s ever lived. On a personal note, Karl-Anthony opens up about his relationship with Jordyn Woods, sharing how they transitioned from friends to partners and the challenges they face as a high-profile couple in the public eye. KAT shares some of his personal turmoil as he discusses the loss of his mother and how that pain still affects him to this day. He expresses how crucial Jordyn has been in helping him navigate that grief and staying grounded. KAT also talks about his financial strategy, revealing that he takes business inspiration from notable figures like Magic Johnson, 50 Cent, Alex Rodriguez, and Floyd Mayweather. He reminisces about the first thing he splurged on after being drafted into the NBA and gives his Mount Rushmore of basketball players from New Jersey. Shannon asks KAT whether he grew up a Knicks fan or a Nets fan, and while he rooted for both teams for different reasons, he favored the Knicks more. KAT goes on to share stories about growing up tall, playing soccer as a kid, and improving his coordination through sports. The episode wraps up with KAT reflecting on his decision to go to Kentucky, why he chose the Wildcats over other schools like Rutgers and NC State, and his thoughts on the all-time best Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina teams. He also weighs in on the Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake beef and picks his all-time Kentucky starting five. Finally, KAT gives his thoughts on the upcoming NBA season, his goals, and his excitement about what lies ahead for him in the NBA. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm Renee Stubbs and I'm obsessed with sports, especially tennis. Tune into my podcast each week to hear me and my friends in the community break down the latest matches, including the US Open. Plus hear from some of the biggest names in the sport about what the future holds. It's about belief. And once you break through that, then you know you can win a Grand Slam. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast every Monday on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. What happens when a professional football player's career ends and the applause fades and the screaming fans move on? I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. For some former NFL players, a new faith provides answers. You mix homesteading with guns in church, voila, you got straight away. They tried to save everybody. Listen to Spiraled on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Maria Kondakova. And I'm Nate Silver. And our new podcast, Risky Business, is a show about making better decisions. We're both journalists who moonlight as poker players. And that's the lens we're going to use to approach this entire show. We're going to be discussing everything from high stakes poker to personal questions. Like whether I should call a plumber or fix my shower myself. And of course, we'll be talking about the election too. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. I mean, you and Ben got into a little situation. Me and Ben or me and Joelle? You know, you and Joelle. All of Philly. Yeah, all of Philly. All right.

Because you and Joelle was, I think you were on the floor and then Ben somehow ended up on top of you and y'all was going back and forth. And then you and Joelle, Joelle be trolling everybody. Joelle be going at everybody. So how did that start? How did you and Joelle end up, obviously y'all big, y'all battle each other on the court,

but how did it end up going to social media? Oh, just competition. I think that moment just happened with so much competition happening, two guys who feel they're the best and are proving against each other. I think that it's just competition. I don't think I need to, me and Joel talked about it.

It's kind of funny we just laugh about it at this point now. When you go into the game and you playing against Joel, or you playing against Anthony Davis, and you playing against Joel, or you playing against Anthony Davis, or you playing against Joker, or you playing against any of the bigs, let's just say they're five bigs, do you go in there like, I'm showing everybody tonight?

You know, you always, I would think anyone would be lying if they said they wasn't a little extra juice for that game, but I approach every game as if Joker, and B, Anthony Davis is out there. You know, I'm not gonna just take it light to me. Right, you don't take a night off. No, no, I can't do that. That's not how I work.

Cause they're in the NBA too. Cause anybody, and this is what I tell people about the NFL. Anybody, no matter what you think, anybody in the NFL can make anybody else in the NFL look bad. They're in the NFL. They get a check too. So a guy that just because he's not Joel Embiid, he'll hang 25 and 10 on you. And then like, well, man, Kat gave up 25 and 10 to a guy that... Exactly. So you have to be on your best behavior every single night. Every night. Every night.

And also just for the love of the game, love of competing. Yeah. Like if you love competing, you're not just going out there to competing only against the other best of the best right you know what i'm trying to say you go out there and you could be every single night so every time i step on that court i want to go you know not only get a win but show you know put on a show for the fans who may be a little kid this is his only time to be able to come watch the Timbulves game and this is only game NBA game he's ever watched or his first NBA game or whether it be you know funds are tight and this may be the only game you see all year in the next four years five years two years three years ten years whatever it is I want to just bring my best to the court so I could obviously

get us a win but also so I could be the best version for, you know, whoever may be there, also for my family as well who are watching. You gotta face, let's just say for the sake of argument, you gotta face Joker on a Monday. Okay. You got Joel on Tuesday, you got Joel on Wednesday, and you got Anthony Davis on Saturday. I'm playing all three games.

You playing all three, oh, okay. Yeah. Oh, you're gonna take... No, why? Why would I take a day off? What's your mindset? Because each guy poses a little different threat. Absolutely. You know, with Joellen B, you may have to worry about the fouls. You also worry about that mid-range pull-up from the Dallas action at the free throw line with AD. You're worrying about the old post-up, full court, put his hands up, does a spin, gets an alley-oop dunk,

or, you know, he hits you with that jab dunk, or he hits you with that jab step, or he hits you with the old Kentucky special, right mid-block, goes left, goes baseline, shoots the right-hand floater, and one. And also with Joker, you know, you worry about the passing. Just as much as you worry about him scoring, you worry about him affecting the game. So he gives me, not saying they're

the same player, but both highly respectable in their own regards, but like Marcus Saul. When I was younger, regarding Marcus Saul, everyone asked me who's the toughest and I felt Marcus Saul was because just so much how much he impacted winning for the team, his passing, his scoring, but just let alone the way that he facilitates the ball causes a lot of problems. Right. but just let alone the way that he facilitates the ball causes a lot of problems. So they all present different expertise and games in their craft. And it's fun.

That's the whole point. Being as a competitor, it's fun to be able to have a week like that where you're playing the best of the best and we get to go out there and play basketball at its highest level. I think that's the fun part. I don't know though, Cap,

but it seems like you'd be juiced up a little bit more when you play AD, because you'd be trying to, okay, you the number one pick, I'll the number one pick. Kentucky boys. Yeah, yeah, for sure. You add a little bit, you add a little extra season into it, Kat, I ain't lying, go to my. You do, you know it too.

Yeah, I just go out there and I try to win, man. Something, it don't matter, just anyone who steps on the court, you want to compete, play the best. And then of course, you know, there's history in Staples Center. You know, you want to play well at Staples Center. I know it's crypto now.

I can't even look at it the same. Yeah. I can't look at it as crypto. Yeah, people just, people still call it, a lot of people still call it. Maybe not publicly, but they still say privately, it's Staples. For sure.

Yeah. For sure. Best big in the game right now. If they say, okay, Kat, best big in the game right now. If they say okay, Kat Best big right now playing basketball We got so much good bigs now in the NBA it's a blessing. I mean you would probably have to say Joker No, I ain't gotta say I mean you play I don't play. I think they all I mean, I'm gonna put the forearm in the back and hold it right there.

You know what I mean? I ain't gonna, hey, they might spin the jump over you, but they ain't gonna back me down, they ain't gonna back me down. Nah, nah, nah, I feel that. Man, Joker is incredible. I think Joker, three time MVP, Joel Embiid is amazing in his own regard,

especially he's mastered the craft, I think, of scoring in a different way. Right. You know and AD too. AD's impactful with defender but also you know AD get going you know. Yeah. It could be a bad night. He can get you 40 and 20. Yeah quick quick too and he'll give you five blocks on the side too while he's at it. So public opinion I think I think public opinions, everyone's going to have their own opinion. I think to say the best, I think, I think these guys are really good. Right. It's really good. I respect them. It's funny when you get to watch them and you get

to play against them, but also when you watching them as a fan of the game of basketball, as the art. Right. When you get to watch them guys, but also when you're watching them as a fan of the game of basketball, as an art. When you get to watch them guys, those guys do what they do best, it's really cool. Just like Steph Curry. Ooh yeah. As a shooter, that was incredible to watch in the Olympics. If I put down, you beat Steph in a three point competition?

I'll give him my best shot for sure. I'll give him my best shot for sure. He's the best shooter that's ever lived, hands down. It's crazy. You watched these last two games against Serbia. Hey, I ain't never seen a man that made me get off my eyes on the couch and go shoot, start shooting basketballs now. That was crazy. I was like, you know, for me to have played against, I was telling my girl, I said to

watch Steph do what he did against France. It kind of like, I've played against what you say Prime, vintage Steph. Yes. And it was so much talent he had, but to watch what he did against France, that was like Vintage Steph at his most polished version, expert level. And it wasn't like he was just making shots by talent. It was making shots off of just calculated precision.

Yeah. Just, I'm gonna shoot the ball four different ways, four threes, I'm gonna give you four different types of shots, and I'm just gonna show you how well I shoot the ball four different ways, four threes. I'm going to give you four different types of shots. And I'm just going to show you how well I shoot the ball. I mean, the first one he gets pull up, boom. He little, little first one. But the first one was just more of like a straight shot. Right.

Straight through shot. Second one, he gives you kind of the pump fake, brings it here, gets in the pocket. You know what I'm trying to say, a little hit shot. Fuck it. Then he give you the third one. It's a huh, step to the left. And I'm gonna give you this set shot three, boom.

And the fourth one, he just freestyled. He freestyled, he freestyled on that one. That one was crazy. I mean, think about it. He hops steps to the right, aligns his shoulder, flicks it, fuck it. Like, that's special, man. Like, as a shooter,

just the absolute expertise he put on as a shooter was... If you hit something like that, or let's just say for the sake of argument, Cat, you hit something, you hit a couple of shots like that. You get one going, late in the shot clock Boom, you fit it go now you a they come you sidestep and let it go you hit one hit a couple of like Let's just say you hit three threes in the first, you know, you got it going on that night. I had 62

I had 62 when that was happening. So So you do can you get enough shot? Cuz now cuz now you like cuz I'm sure everybody's telling Kat, you got this many, go get 70, go get 80. I ain't gonna lie to you, I was just trying to put points. I was just trying, anytime I touched the ball, I felt so, the game felt so easy and relaxed to me. I was just trying to score, put us up a lot. I was hoping that, you know, we get up by a lot of points

and I would just be able to sub out the game. I. I was hoping I didn't even have to get 60 because we was winning by so much. Right. Now you got me thinking about Steph Curry again. I spent most of my day on that day when they played France. I think it was Saturday. Yeah. I spent the next four hours just doing the moves and shooting the ball like, I know I could shoot like this possibly. I know I could do it. He shot so well, he made me forget I could shoot.

That's how well he shot. I was like, yo, that's crazy. One day I was like, wait a minute, I can do this too. Hold on a second, let me go out there and work on this real quick. I mean, that was spectacular. Let me ask you this. Give me five bigs you would like to play against in any era.

Hakeem Olajuwon. OK. I got to go with someone I mimicked a lot of my game after, Sam Perkins. OK. Shout out to Sam Perkins. Kareem Aldoob-Jabbar. Okay.

I really wanted to play against two Wilt Chamberlain. Okay. You know, I just feel like you see Kareem play, but you don't really get too much footage of Wilt playing. No. You know, to see the myth, the legend playing and bracing would be really cool. I was talking to one of my friends about this.

I was really, when maybe the DeBusha. Dave DeBusha? Yeah. Okay. From the Knicks. I just, there's something that's so poetic about his game. I think that's really cool. I really would like have to been able to be in person and guard, you know, guard these people, be able to play and you know, iron sharpens iron just be able to see greatness

in front of me and be able to guard and show how great I am. And also at the end of the day, be able to watch that tape and learn from it is something that I think would be really cool. So those kinds of guys, I mean, Willis Reed, we could keep going down the list. There's a lot of people down in history that, if I was honored and blessed with the opportunity to play basketball against them, that I would be blessed. But one day we'll all meet up. We'll all meet up on the court up there

and we'll be able to hash it out. We'll settle it. Yeah, for sure. You see the scoring. I think the night that you scored 62, was it Luca or Joellen B scored? Joellen B got 70. Got 70.

And then Luca came back. And we talked about it after. He was like, I was in the halftime. score? Joel Embi got 70. Got 70. And then Luca came back. And we talked about it after he was like, I was in the halftime, they said, Carl right here. He said, damn, he gonna beat me today. And then I think a night or two later, Luca got 73. 73 or something like that. We all know the great, Will has the record of 100.

We know Kobe has 81 and there have been like, I think Will got 78 and a couple of people got 73, 75. Do you think we'll see somebody break that 100 point in your, while you're playing, will somebody get 100? I don't know, that's gonna be tough. I've seen a lot of people get 70. I've seen someone get 70 in the NBA and I seem like that's probably the highest we could do. Because Luka need another 27 people get 70. I seen someone get 70 in the NBA and I seem like that's probably the highest we could do.

That's because Luca need another 27 to get 27. Exactly, bro. And he was hitting everything. So it's 27 more points. I don't think there gonna be enough free throws out there and players to get these free throws done. So I don't know. I can tell you one thing though, Unc.

I'm gonna have a hell of a time watching it happen possibly. Right. You better hope it happened against you though. 100 points? 100 points? Oh, like my uncle Darrell Dawkins said, I'm gonna go foul someone before they do something like that.

Magic Johnson, business advice. Magic Johnson said he had lunch with all these Laker season ticket holders to pick their brains and to learn how they built their wealth. Have you done anything like that, Carl? Because obviously you made a boatload of money, you're making money, and obviously you hear everybody talk about building a brand,

but everybody wants to accumulate this, I don't know if whatever you want to be, I do, you want to own a franchise, be an NFL, NBA, whatever the case may be. What have you done to be, you want to own a franchise, be an NFL, NBA, whatever the case may be. What have you done to make sure that Carl Anthony Towns is maximizing his ability to not, he has this type of money and to maximize his earning potential off the court? listening, being able to, uh, utilize in the relationships and the friendships I've made and, and just learning their intellectual capital. Yes.

relationships and the friendships I've made and just learning their intellectual capital. Yes. And also saying the word no a ton. You know, I think that I think that's the hardest one too. Yeah. I think that, you know, when you're blessed with this opportunity to have this kind of financial security, you a lot of times want to take care of everybody you want to be able to be the person that takes people out of situations and stuff but you you can lead people to the pond you can't fish for them too right you know so just learning to say the word no I think is the biggest thing that I've definitely has helped me garner even more wealth. Shout out to the amazing people who've taught me so much

from Junior Bridgman to Magic Johnson, to people like that. You talked about franchising first. I mean, there's no one better than Junior Bridgman at it. So just saying the word no, though. There's a lot of bad investments to be made. And when you don't have the word no in your repertoire, you're going to continue to say yes and you're going to just keep throwing money at things that

may not make money back from the ones you lost. Well, you have to put limits on it, Kat. You have to put limits on what you give because takers will never put limits on what they take. That's fine. Is it hard to say- Support Dada, write that down so I can say that later. Is it hard, because a lot of times, Kat, people that have been around us, before Kat had this

financial security, when Kat was growing up, there were people around Kat that didn't know Kat was going to become this, and you're like, does it get hard to tell those, because it's easy to tell people know that just came in in the last 10 months, the last five or six years. It's easy to tell. Them knows. It's the ones that's been around Kat for 20 plus. I've been blessed to have a great support system.

I have amazing parents, obviously, and an amazing sister where I've been able to have a support system that supported me in the decisions I had to make. And some of them were tough, you know, to be able to have to say no to some people. So it's tough, you know, like I said, you're the first of your of your family's history to be able to do this kind of job and to be able to accumulate this amount of money, financial security, the blessing be to God, but

you know, if it comes a lot of responsibility, and I think we both understand that. Absolutely. So you want to help everyone, but you can't also live the life for them. Right. So You can help some, but you can't save everyone. No. You've had a relationship 50 Cent Liquor is the official sponsor of Spirits of the Timberwolves, A-Rod. We obviously know the baseball player, but he's a minority owner of the Timberwolves. And I think you went to Floyd Mayweather's gym. Yes. Three guys that have been very, very successful in their chosen profession, but then parlayed that into business. Yes. What did you learn from some of those guys being around them, talking to them, picking their brains?

I think it was the things I was talking about, like building relationships and utilizing these moments where we have a jersey on to be able to learn. Like I said, intellectual capital is something that has a tremendous amount of value. Where we come from, and you know this, like you only know what you know. Correct. But to hear people who are doing it at the highest level and they're teaching you, and it may be even something

as simple as just a different way of thinking about business. That business could change lives, and it could change your portfolio. It could change the way you look at business and also garner you a ton of money. So I just spent a lot of time just listening, listening to these super smart individuals who have it figured out in their crafts.

And like you said, and I think those three people have taken the moment where they were being the best at their profession and utilized it to build relationships and also garner knowledge for their next, the next career. And I think that they've, they've done an amazing job. I mean, to even hear 50 cent A-Rod two people, I was back my way East coast and New Jersey. I'm like going crazy for, I remember going out my way to go get some G unit shoes in Jersey and have the have the 4XL G-Unit sweatsuit type thing. And A-Rod, you know, doing whatever it took to get an A-Rod jersey in my collection.

I mean, it's crazy to be able to call these people business associates, but also friends. In the conversation that we were just having, he was talking about what you learned from Fiat D and A-Rod and Floyd Mayweather, four times, I don't know if you noticed, you used the word relationship. I don't think people realize that enough, is that business is about relationship. Yes, it is. It's a trust of each other to get the job done.

It's about, and sometimes it might not, the business that you could potentially do might not happen then. But he say, you know what man, you know that dude, Carol Anthony-Tiles? Man, I was talking to him about four years ago and he was interested in doing something. I think he would be great for this project.

Kindness goes a long way. It does. And you know, I always feel that good people always win in the end. So just being a good person, you know, being a man, a man that walks to faith and talks to faith, I think that is a, for me has worked tremendously in my career outside of basketball. And, you know, numbers say what they say about me playing basketball and I've been thanked by, you know, I can't thank God enough for this ability to have that kind of financial security in my job and from the contracts I've been able to garner for my talent that's been God-given. But for me to be able to translate that also

off the court and make a ton of money off the court, you know, with that kind of knowledge as, you know, I gotta to give all credit to my parents. They taught me how to shut up and listen. So shout out to them. What are some of the things, obviously, you have, you've made a lot of money. You're going to make a lot more money. We're turning up the heat on the newest episode

of All the Smoke. Vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris pulls up to the show to discuss her historic presidential run. Most people have ambition, they have aspirations, they have dreams, and they are willing to work hard. And if we give people the opportunity to actually meet those goals, they jump for it every time. Matt and Stack will be diving deep into the journey that brought her here, her vision for the future, and the real stories behind the headlines. Make sure you check out all the smoke

with Vice President Kamala Harris out now. Listen today on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It was December 2019 when the story blew up. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, former Packer star Kabir Bajabiamila caught up in a bizarre situation.

Hey, GB, explaining what he believes led to the arrest of his friends at a children's Christmas play. A family man, former NFL player, devout Christian, now cut off from his family and connected to a strange arrest. I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. I got swept up in Kabir's journey but this was only the beginning

in a story about faith and football, the search for meaning away from the gridiron and the consequences for everyone involved. You mix homesteading with guns and church and a little bit of the spice of conspiracy theories that we liked. Voila! You got straight away. I felt like I was living in North Korea, but worse, if that's possible. Listen to Spiraled on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, here we go.

It's Cam Jordan from New Orleans Saints, here to tell you it's going down. On season two of my podcast, Off the Edge with me, Cam Jordan. Can't stop it, you know what's gonna happen. Can't stop it. That's right, catching new episodes every Wednesday all season long. That's what you look for in year 14, to do more. No, Cam Jordan! And I'll have my friends who happen to be some of the NFL's biggest stars join me on the pod. We'll give you a player's perspective

of the biggest storylines, trends, and did that really just happen moments from around the league. And you know we'll have fun doing it. Ha! Yeah! Oh, and I'll have a special guest each month. Join me to mix it up a little bit. Who is it? None other than... Syke!

You have to tune in to find out. Ha-ha! Hoo-hoo! So tap in to Off the. Ha ha. Hoo hoo. Hee hee hee. So tap in to Off the Edge with Cam Jordan's podcast, your ultimate playbook for all things football and not football. Listen on the iHeart radio app,

Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. What are some of the things, what are some of the things that Cat likes to buy? What is, what is, what is a, like your first purchase, when you got your, when you signed, you're the number one draft picker, you know you're gonna get X amount of dollars. What was the first thing that came up?

I paid the mortgage off from my parents for itself. So now I got a place to stay no matter what happens. We good. We good. I can go back home and get my bid. Right, exactly. Other than just for myself, I kept it simple. I mean, I think the first thing, I love golf,

so I just bought myself a Scotty Cameron. Okay. I bought myself a Scotty Cameron and- That's a long ass Scotty Cameron. Right. Yeah. Man, you selfless. Hey, hey, I still use the same putter to this day.

Come on. I kid you not, kid you not, love that putter to this day. And I bought me that and I think it was an Xbox. An Xbox? I was coolin'. That's it. That was coolin'. I had that.

I, you know, I love watches. As we go through. Clearly you love watches. That's a very special, that's a vintage Paul Newman he has on, ladies and gentlemen. Man, you know, I love watches, but. Cars, you a car guy? I'm seven foot, what car am I getting in?

Yeah, you a... I told my friends, I said, it's crazy. I worked so hard in my life to get the finances that I have. And now when I got it, I can't get anything. Yeah, you got to get a SUV. Yeah, SUV, that's it. You can't get no sports car. No, nothing happened. I know Shaq pulled off the custom Lambo.

I ain't pulling that off, so. I'm gonna stick to my little SUV and I'm pulling. I'm good. Let me ask you this. Give me a New Jersey Mount Rushmore. You got Shaq, Kyrie, Dennis Rodman, JR Smith, Rick Barry, Mike Bimmy, you, bam, Jalen Brunson. Get four heads.

You even put Don Mitchell in there, too. OK, put him on there. All I know, that's an extra person that's going to get left off. Causing a problem, boy. Hey, um. I mean, for me personally speaking, I'm not going to put myself in there. Okay. Because I like to like people put me in that.

Yeah, that put speak for me. Like you said, Shaq, someone who's been such an integral part of my life, watching basketball, but also from Jersey, just motivating. Kyrie, I think Kyrie is the best I've ever seen in my life playing in Jersey like that. I have two more spots, about seven people left. Ain't no twins on Mount Rushmore either. Right.

Growing up for me, Kyrie was one of the best players I've ever seen, and then JR Smith was right there. So I used to go to the game. So for me, I'm going to have to go with J.R. Smith. Okay. And then... Honestly, like I said, this is my opinion. This is just for what my own two eyes have seen these people do. I'm going to give it to my old teammate, K.A. Kyle Anderson, when he was over there at St. Anthony's,

he never lost. Really? I've... He was one of the... I've never seen someone who could hit you with such a slow crossover. And you fall for it every time. Oh, slow motion, oh yeah. Oh my God.

I will give it to K.A. K.A. was one of the players. He never lost a game. Wow. So like I said, I'm going to go with my Mount Rushmore because I need to see with my own two eyes. Like General Patton said, I don't want you to tell me I need to see it.

So I just, my own two eyes seen these four people do something magical in Jersey that seemed impossible for us. Maybe New York had a different, you know, that a different field, but Jersey was something that kind of happened. I'm about to ask you that. So I feel like- Battle basketball state, Jersey or New York, NYC? What's he? Hey, Rucker Park is big time in New York. Jersey got a lot of skill.

We got a lot of dudes with skill. I just wanna know. I'm always gonna go with my city. I gotta go with my state Jersey. I got to. That's home cooking. That's home cooking. Like I said, with my own two eyes,

I seen people who may not be in NBA or we may not know cook a lot of people. And I seen also being in New York so much playing at the Gauchos gym and growing up with K and seeing what he was doing. Like, of course I'm gonna go with Jersey all day every day. When you were growing up, were you a Knicks fan or a Nets fan? Nets. Damn. And I love the Nets a Knicks fan or a Nets fan? Nicks. Damn.

And I love the Nets. I used to go to Nets. My mom's job, she worked at Rutgers at UMD&J and they used to give her some free tickets sometimes. And I used to go watch the Nets and I remember this was the Jersey Nets. New Jersey Nets. Vince Carter, Kenny Martin, Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson. People who've-

Old Kerry Kittles. Kerry Kittles. They even realized Kyle was the coach. I didn't even know that until I got older. Now I'm with him and I'm like, wow, I was seeing you on the sideline, but I'm seeing these NBA players that I'm just in awe of watching them. The art they're putting on for us. And I love the nuts.

Knicks was different because my mom, when she immigrated over from DR, she always went to the Knicks games. And when she had a chance and took my sister in, I just, I love my mom. So she told me that was her. And also the Knicks were one of the few teams that gave my dad a chance in NBA as well,

training camp with them. So you gave my dad a chance. My mom grew up talking so much about Madison Square Garden, the history that comes with them. So you gave my dad a chance. My mom grew up talking so much about Madison Square Garden, the history that comes with it. So I, of course, was impressionable. And then on top of that, and most impressionable stage of my career when it came to playing basketball, especially as just a kid, I'm seeing Lynn Sanity go crazy. Yeah, that way, Lynn Sanity was going crazy. And, and I don't know which was crazy or Lynn Linsanity or T-Bo. Linsanity for me was crazy because I actually

could watch it. Right. You know, back in the day, you only had a certain amount of ESPN maybe. You could watch some NBA games, national TV. Right. And MSG was free our way. Right.

So be able to watch the Knicks play on MSG and then watch the Nets will be on Yeso. Right. I went with, you know, I had two teams to pick from. And MSG was the easiest for me to watch for free. And Lensanity was the hottest thing at the time. So of course, I was watching and I was tuned in. When did you hit your growth spurt?

I was always tall. Really? I was always tall. So you was always the tallest kid in the class? Yeah. Since I was young, second grade I was already taller than my teacher. So were you awkward? So you could always, because you know sometimes kids are tall and they're gangly and you

know. Also don't know coordination and stuff. Right, right, right. I was, I just played so many sports growing up and I used to play a ton of soccer. Okay. So I was playing soccer all the time when I was in school and at recess I was.

Ain't no tall ass soccer players care. Right. And I was, hey, when you kids, everyone's good to go. So I was just playing all these sports and I was just naturally coordinated and also I was just getting even better at coordination, cause I was just playing all these sports and I was just naturally coordinated and also I was just getting even better at coordination, you know, because I was just playing all these sports that required different movements, different balance, different everything. So for me being so tall, it was perfect for me to be experimenting with so many different

sports. Right. What made you choose Kentucky? Obviously you had your pick. Kentucky, Duke, Carolina, Kansas, Michigan State, Rutgers. What made you choose Kentucky? You know, it came down to, I knew what I wanted to accomplish. They had such a great track record with doing that. And at the end of the day, it was just something told my mom that would be the school for me. And she just told me, you know, she was going to support me in any decision I made wherever I went.

But she had a good gut feeling about Kentucky. And she told me, whatever you go, pick. And she knew I was kind of choosing between Kentucky, Duke, Michigan State, I love NC State. I had a great visit over there. And Rutgers, I wanted to come home. She works at Rutgers. It was like a perfect thing to be home.

Especially when you're young, you always think going home is the best thing possible ever. You get older, you're like, hell nah. I just, I trusted my mom with my life. She gave me life. She had a good feeling about it. I took that into consideration and when it came down to the day, I just, I had a good feeling about on that day of picking the school that it was going to be Kentucky would be the best for my life and for my family.

And I think it did a pretty good decision. How about I do this? I'm going to take some Kentucky alums, some Duke alums, some North Carolina alums. So Anthony Davis, John Wall, Book, D-Fox, Shea Gill, just Boogie, Rondo, Murray, Antoine Walker, Julius Randall, Taishan Prince, Sean Kemp, you. Now we gonna go Duke, Kristen Leightner, Jason Tatum,

Kyrie Grant, Hill, Zion, Elton Brand, BI, JJ Reddick. Elton Brand, B.I., JJ Reddick. Elton Brand. North Carolina, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter, Jerry Stackhouse, Rashid Wallace. Hey, that whole team is just jumping. Just dunking everything. Antoine Jameson, Tyler Hansbrough.

If I take, we gonna play two out of three. And we gon' take everybody in there prime. Y'all be Jordan worthy. I'm picking Kentucky regardless. I don't think you understand, Big Blue Nation will run Bleach Blue, bro. I'm picking Kentucky, uh. Kentucky, uh.

You in head, you in AD? Uh, Kentucky, uh. Y'all heard enough- Kentucky, uh! You and Ed, and you and A.D.? Oh, Kentucky, uh! Okay. Y'all heard, that's- Hey! He picked Kentucky, A.D.? I'm going with Kentucky all day, every day. Wildcat for life, I don't care who you tell me.

I'm going with Kentucky. That's what's up. He repping Kentucky. Come on now. When you were there, Drake came by a lot. What was it, what, what, I mean, obviously the by a lot. What was it? I mean, obviously the campus started buzzing when he was on campus, but what was he like? I mean, he coming to issue with you guys?

Cool, man. Cool dude. Like super cool. I remember seeing Drake before that at March Madness in Villanova. Okay. I think they went later, just was coming out. And I could be wrong, but I saw him at Kentucky when I actually ended up going to Kentucky. I was already there. I was on campus with my first year. Super cool guy. I was more, I was surprised to see

how humble he was and like to see how, you know, to see how for us when we was, it's March Madness for us and we were so, we practiced in the morning, we just like, all right, we got to get this done, we got to do this. And to see how hyped and anxious he was, it made me be like, oh, so even people who are like the most famous artists in the world and people who have their sets and everything so figured out, you know, even they get kind of that anxious feeling and that like, so much energy so much, you know, adrenaline going so I was and we were all just so calm, like, you know, we just got to go out there to do this thing

played his game real quick. So it was cool to get to know him there. You know, years later, we still talking about how he the biggest artist in the world and doing things that breaking records that we thought never could be broken even by anybody, including when you have the name Michael Jackson attached to that record. So, man, it was really cool to be able to have that like, at such a young age, have that moment where you're like with someone who you the the music and their art you respect so much. Right. Who, uh, who won the rap battle? Drake or Kendrick? I think we just saw two people going out there and just showing lyricism at a

high level. I love Drake. I've always been a big Drake fan. I've been a Kendrick fan. I love, I respect what he does. I respect his music. I love what he does. I, I've been a Kendrick fan. I love, I respect what he does. I respect his music. I love what he does. I really. But you can't turn the radio on without hearing that song, Kat. Y'all gonna be, you know when y'all start winning the game, what's gonna be playing over the PA system? They not like us.

You know it's coming, Kat. I don't know. I don't know. But all I know is that for me, I have, I respect both tremendously. I'm obviously a big fan, friends with Drake. I think that more of my life has been a soundtrack of Drake's.

And that's no offense to nobody. I just think that I've done, I've had more moments in my life that revolved around Drake, including when we was in Kentucky. Right. If you, I would never forget being at a, being in Kentucky and then all of a sudden getting the group text message going around saying,

yo, you saw Drake drop. What you mean Drake drop? I felt like I was getting played though too. Cause when I pulled it up and said, if you're reading this, it's too late. I said, so am I late or my own time? Right. I don't know, but I just feel like for more of my life Drake's been the soundtrack to my life

more. Give me a Kentucky starting five or players, current players in the NBA. Current players in the NBA? Current players in the NBA. Or you can use any. Okay. I'll talk about this. I'm going to make it difficult. Give me your Kentucky starting five. John Wall, A.D., Antoine Walker.

I would love to throw my brother book in there. You can? You can put you in there. I leave that for the people. Like I said, I'm always keep my name out. But they're going to leave Bam off. I sure hate you left Bam off. I really, Bam.

Well, we both are, so we both not on the list. I would say, as of right now, where we stand, like where they're in the career, I would say Book. I honestly think our best player that year was Willie Kali Stahn. Really? We all want him to win national player of the year more than anybody. Wow. So I'm going off of like that, like Kentucky, like he was playing in Kentucky. If we playing at Kentucky, I can't say book because he was on the bench. So it's like, if we look at book now, which we all knew on that team what he could do.

That's what, that was a show, different story. You leading to my next question. Did you know this devil book? Hell yeah. Really? Hell yeah. I knew he could do that before. He knew he could do that.

Then why the hell can't, why can't he, Cal didn't put his ass in and start it? I'll be doing that, man. Come on. I'm just saying. I ain't watching the game. I'm not doing it. If you know that, he the coach, shouldn't he know that?

I think we went with seniority. We had Aaron Andrew Harrison just won him last year. Last year got him through all those big shots. I think we did what we did was best. And we, as a team, we always said we were going to win together and we were going to lose together. So I think that what we see Book doing now, we all knew he could do.

But also even in NBA, he had to wait for his moment. And when he got his moment. That man done dropped 70, he done dropped 60s. Hey, it took him years before he was getting DMPs, his rookie year too. But y'all saw the talent, y'all saw that smooth silver. I mean, I think everyone saw the talent. We all got drafted.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. We all got drafted. Every time he went to those workouts, cause we all worked out, it was me, him, D-Lo, Willie Collie signed, Kiefer Sykes. We all was together when we was doing these workouts and we knowing what people are saying and people already knew what he could do.

And we all sacrificed too because remember, we did the platoon system. So, it wasn't like because I was a starter, I was playing the most minutes. You know, we was playing half or even less starters than the bench. So, some guys would get more minutes on the bench than the starter was.

That just shows you the sacrifice. That's why I keep saying like to have a team like that, you got nine draft picks and for everyone to come together and say, now we're going to do whatever it takes to win and forget what we thought we knew that we needed to do to take our families and be able to feed our families after Kentucky, we just locked into just being the best team we could be and winning. And at the end of the day, winning took care of everything. And we all got to take care of our families. Do you consider yourself a four or five?

I'm both. I think I could do four or five duties. Right. Okay, well good. Give me your top five fours in the history of the game. Top five? Top five. Dirk, KG, Tim Duncan.

Is he a four? What do you classify as a four? Tim Duncan, KG, Dirk, you got Karl Malone, you got Giannis, you got Charles, you got Paul Gassar. Is Giannis gonna be counted as a four? Yes. Really? I thought we were gonna count him as a three,

but you wanna count him as a four, or a four? You know, damn three. He could be the five for all we know at that point. Brooke Lopez just makes it seem like he really is the Pope. I would say Karl Malone. OK. It's going to be someone left off. You sure it is? I love Yannis too.

I can't tell. I can't tell. You can't tell. Stop. He bring a bam three times. I mean, you can put yourself on there too if you want to. Nah, like I said, I ain't put myself on there. I let people do that. But we got Tim, we got KG, we got Dirk, we got Carmelo.

So we only got one more left. So that's either Yannis, Charles, Chris Bosh, Dennis Rodman. You know what I was thinking in the beginning was Chris Bosh, but Charles Barkley was so special. He was. He was so good. People gotta take the time to go back

and watch Charles Barkley highlights. Like, don't let TNT fool you. He's the shortest man to ever win the Rebacca. Bro, don't not let what you see on TNT fool you, bro. That man was a beast. He was legit, he was. He was a beast. Like, what?

And he had a jumper. People don't even give him credit for the jumper he had. Yeah. Yeah, I'm gonna give it to Charles, man. I know he be talking, but I respect you, Charles. Okay, now your centers. You got Kareem. Kareem., Wilt, Shaq, Hakeem, Yocitches. Oh my God.

Shaq, Kareem, Wilt. Oh, and Moses Malone, if you want to put him on. He could come to me if you want to count him as a four. I mean a five. Shaq, Kareem, Wilt, Hakeem. Shout out to Yokoji, I love him, but I really gotta say him, because I think if not,

he's to me, he's one of the best players. I got his picture in my house. Bill Russell. I love Bill Russell. Winning is, you see what he did for our game, let alone before we even part that, but just the fact that he won as a player. We're turning up the heat on the newest episode

of All the Smoke. Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris pulls up to the show to discuss her historic presidential run. Most people have ambition. They have aspirations. They have dreams. And they are willing to work hard.

And if we give people the opportunity to actually meet those goals, they jump for to work hard. And if we give people the opportunity to actually meet those goals, they jump for it every time. Matinstack will be diving deep into the journey that brought her here, her vision for the future, and the real stories behind the headlines. Make sure you check out All the Smoke with Vice President Kamala Harris, out now.

Listen today on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It was December 2019 when the story blew up podcast network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It was December 2019 when the story blew up. In Green Bay, Wisconsin, former Packer star Kabir Vajabiamila caught up in a bizarre situation. Hey, GB, explaining what he believes led to the arrest of his friends at a children's Christmas play.

A family man, former NFL player, devout Christian, now cut off from his family and connected to a strange arrest. I am going to share my journey of how I went from Christianity to now a Hebrew Israelite. I got swept up in Kabir's journey, but this was only the beginning in a story about faith and football, the search for meaning away from the gridiron, and the consequences for everyone involved. You mix homesteading with guns and church and a little bit of the spice of conspiracy theories that we liked, voila, you got straight away. I felt like I was living in North Korea,

but worse, if that's possible. Listen to Spiral'd on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, here we go. It's Cam Jordan from New Orleans Saints here to tell you it's going down. On season two of my podcast, Off the Edge with me, Cam Jordan. Can't stop it. You know what's going to happen.

Can't stop it. That's right. Catching new episodes every Wednesday all season long. That's what you look for in year 14, to do more. No, that is wrong. And I'll have my friends who happen to be some of the NFL's biggest stars join me on the pod. We'll give you a player's perspective of the biggest

storylines, trends, and did that really just happen moments from around the league. And you know we'll have fun doing it. Ha! Yeah! Oh, and I'll have a special guest each month join me to mix it up a little bit. Who is it? None other than...

Syke! You have to tune in to find out. So tap in to Off the Edge with Cam Jordan's podcast, your ultimate playbook for all things football and not football. Listen on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So let me double back and be the coach too. Matter of fact, let me own the team damn near, be the coach and be the player and win again. Like we ain't ever going to see, I'm never going to see another man do this with rings. Whip rings on, just do this with extra rings. No, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't even think you can own a team now. You have to divest your interest.

And look what he did it too. That's crazy as shit. Shout out to Jokic though, for sure. Who's your goat? There's a lot of debate. They got Jordan. I mean, look, it don't have to just be Jordan and LeBron. If you want to put Kobe in that mix, have at it. But who's Carl Anthony Towns' goat?

Anthony Towns go. Like I said, I'm always going to speak what I see with my own two eyes. Okay. I can't speak for everything. I wouldn't be able to. But man, that man Braun different. That man Braun is something special. What makes him different? Why is he different? You played against, like I said,

you played against Jokic, you go against Yonis, you go against Jordan. I've been in the league for 10 years now. So I've seen Bron in so many different stages. Yeah. I feel Bron's the best player we've ever seen, talent-wise. I think he's the best player we've ever seen. Talent wise, I think he's the best player you could now if you want to get caught up in chips and rings and all that stuff that's that's up to people to debate. But when we just talk about pure talent and tangible size,

like to have the be the best basketball player, you got to have all these different things. And look how he's done it with the scrutiny, the criticism or anything. I mean, Ron's the best player. We've seen both hands. Now he's developed that three point shot really well, defended at a high level for all those years. Athleticism was, I don't think, I don't know, the best you got in the NFL, I don't know, could still jump as high as he was doing the test, the way he was doing it. Speed, all that, like, competitiveness, got the wins. Ron is the best basketball player we've ever seen, talent-wise. Just straight off the rip, he's the best player.

During this interview, you mentioned your girl a lot. Jordan Woods is your girlfriend, and you met her through a mutual friend. So you ain't got no problem. Were you nervous? Because sometimes friends are like, hey, check the cat. Nah, we was friends for a minute. We was friends for a minute.

So how did you make sure you didn't stay in the friend zone? Because you know, sometimes, oh, check the cat. I'm mad I got you. Nah, we was friends for a minute. We was friends for a minute. Okay, yeah. Well, how did you, so how did you make sure you didn't stay in the friend zone? Because you know, sometimes, oh, that's my friend. Yep, that's my friend. I'm not going to lie to you, honestly, we was really friends and I was really cool doing my other thing and just having her as like the homie. Really? I was really, I was cool and I...

Now, you were fooling her. You had to crush on her a long time, but you ain't wanted to know it. Nah. If I did, then obviously I did well. I just was, I don't know. I don't know if it was just the fact that I was, we had a good relationship. Everything was cool. It just, I was doing my own thing.

I was cool being where I was in life. It just, really everything changed in COVID, you know, and it became more of a deeper understanding of each other from a friend's spot. Right. She had went through something that I was going through and I, like I said, my parents taught me how to shut up and listen. So I'm okay talking to people saying I don't know. And I needed advice and I needed to learn and she had the knowledge that that would be the most valuable knowledge

and advice I could ever get at a time when I really, really needed it. And she brought me comfort as a friend into the next phase of my life. And that's something that's really tough to find in situations like that when there's extreme amount of discomfort. And ever since then, we was... Y'all seem like y'all live separable. Man, you know what? Because we was friends. So it don't feel like...

Don't feel like a relationship. It doesn't feel like, yeah. It just feel know what? Cause we was friends. So like, it don't feel like- Don't feel like a relationship. It doesn't feel like, yeah. It just feel like we just, we live in life together. You know what I'm trying to say? Yes, yes. And I get to do what I want to do. And she's very open to what everyone do

cause we already been accepted as friends. So it's like, we just kind of just, we move seamless. You know, and you know, people, when they say they move as one, it's hard to see it. And I think for us, it's just so seamless. We're not trying to be anything else than just, you know, each other's safety net. Right.

When you're a public figure, obviously she's in the public eye. Is it hard to date publicly? Because everything, oh, Kat, they were there Fashion Week, oh, they were over here. And then people start these rumors because there was a rumor that you were seeing somebody else. You're like, come on, bro. I got the baddest chick in the game. Why would I up that up? I'm cool with it. I'm good. Life is good for me.

But does that get hard? I mean, I think that we both have different, we both lived in the public eye. Right. You know, we both have different things, different rumors, I swear, that have been completely false. We understand people are going to go with whatever is the most entertaining. Right. You know, it doesn't have to be the truth.

It just needs to sound the best. And for us, we just, we know who we are to each other. We know where we stand with each other. We know the life we build in. So we're not worried about none of that. We just trying to enjoy this moments we got, you know, life is only so long. And it's, and to have this part where you get to live with each other with no aches and pains and you get to live, you know, life as fullest and enjoy each other's presence at its highest. You know, I think that's

what's making it special for us. We ain't worried about none of that. We just living through each other. We having fun with each other. We just getting the chance to explore the world together. Just came back from Japan. We just growing as individuals. That's the coolest part. We not just like brands cool,

but like us growing as individuals, as a man, as a woman, being better versions of ourselves every day through each other is pretty special. What about a little mini brand? Nah. Don't hit me with that. Don't hit me with that. Shout out JT though.

Shout out to the new one. I was just thinking about like a little mini brand. Just a mini brand? Yeah, and then a combination of two brands together. You know what that mean, cat? That means I gotta accept my Dominican roots. But we good, we in a good spot. Right.

Both of us happy and we both know what we want. Let me ask you a question. How would you have, I mean, Jason Tatum, the guy's an all NBA player. He's an all star. Champion. Champion, on the cover of 2K. And he had a big feature on him in Sports Illustrated.

Going to be in the new Netflix show with Anthony Edwards. Yes. In two games, how are you, first of all, are you surprised about how limited of a role and how limited minutes he played and how would Cat have handled that situation? I didn't know. I don't know truthfully what the situation is there, but I know one thing is that I feel

for him, he was supportive of his teammates, cheered him on, was willing to come into the game at any moment and try to be the best version of himself. So I feel like for him, he handled it as a professional. And I think that's what's respectable about him to have someone like you, but to take it as a humbling moment to take as a moment of motivation and a moment of, of appreciating what he's done. I think that he did a great job of just being there for his teammates and doing whatever it was needed by him to win a game and I win the game win a gold medal. I got nothing but respect

for him. I think he did so many things. Winning a championship garners a ton of amount of respect that he should be, you know, he's warranted and then going out there winning a gold medal and doing it. And I definitely think in the most difficult way for your ego, I think that gives him a lot more respect. I mean, he warrants a lot of respect. 2028. You interested in being playing for the land Olympics? I mean, he warrants a lot of respect. 2028, you interested in being playing for the Atlanta Olympics? I mean, you go, I mean, US or DR,

you could play for either- I'm loyal to the soil. I'm loyal to the soil. I promise I'll be with my mother's country. So that's been my goal. And it was my goal to get us to the Olympics this year. And we came one game short. Greece got in instead of us.

So I don't have anything in my mind telling me to change. So hopefully I'll be seeing everyone in LA home cooking with the BR. I would love that. That would be first, I think that would be the first Olympics we've ever made too as a basketball team. Wow. Kat, you, throughout this interview, you've touched on it.

You talk about a lot of the decisions that you made. Your mom was heavily invested in it. And you trust your mom to the umpteenth because you knew she genuinely, sincerely had your best interests and she would never, ever steer you wrong. When the tragic events happen, are you ever going to be the same?

No. I'll be a stronger version than I was that moment. You get stronger. I know time heals all wounds. Time also could just make scar tissue. So I just kind of have a scar there, but I became stronger because of that scar. And I know that my lessons was over. Teach me the game of life.

You know, she had taught me everything she needed to teach me. So I'm just taking those teachings and, you know, taking those teachings, giving it to the youth, giving it to the next generation, taking that love she taught me, the word love, I never knew what the word love truly meant. And she taught me that every single day in such different fashions. And I understand in love that I'm gonna be hurt. And I'm willing to show my courage and show my strength by allowing myself to possibly be hurt by showing love to others. And I think that comes with, that's a tremendous lesson she taught me to not stop ever showing love just because I've been

hurt once or twice or my love was not repaid. You know, you continue to do that because it's the right thing to do. You continue to do that because that's who I am at my core. I'm a person who is a servant leader and I'm here to spread the love she's given me throughout the years of my life and give that to someone else and maybe hopefully change their lives

the way she changed my life. There's a saying that says that when you care about somebody as much as you cared about your mom, as much as I cared about my grandmother, is that you never get over it. You just get better at dealing with it. If you could tell your mom something right now,

what would you tell her? I'd just tell her the main thing she want to know. Sister's good, niece and nephew is good. She got another one now. Queen is doing amazing. My father's holding up strong. She taught me all the lessons she taught me in being the matriarch of a family. I've took those teachings and I think I've done a pretty damn good job of keeping our family and the family she built together and I had a strong point and I think for me for me to her I've never allowed the love she gave me to diminish because she wasn't here. Wow. And I continue to show that quality of love

with an even better understanding and using a better, and I communicate it better than I ever have because of her. So I would tell her that the love she's given me is not lost, it's brighter than ever, and I'm able to communicate it at a better level because of her. So her last lesson she gave me before she at her funeral was a lesson that I've learned

and I could tell her that I've heard the lesson clear as day and I'm continuing to share it. You said that when your mom, I think this was in 2021 pandemic, that's when Jordan, your girlfriend, was there. Is that what you bond? Because when you were at your lowest, she was at her strongest. And that's what you needed in that moment. I did. I did. I never knew. I've lost people really close to me. But, you know, there's a connection

that comes with being a... You never hear of a mama's girl. You never hear of a daddy's boy. You always hear a mama's boy, daddy's girl. So, you... When you lose someone who is always going to be the... For me as a man, my mom was the first person that showed me love and it was the first person... And it's the longest relationship I've ever had.

Wow. So, imagine losing the longest relationship you've ever had. Very first person to tell you I love you. So imagine, you know, breakups, I think everyone who's watching this or behind the cameras and everything, you can understand that when you have a significant other losing your, you know, breaking up, going separate ways is a tough thing, regardless. So imagine now the longest relationship, the relationship you always knew was going to be solid, you never had to worry about that, all of a sudden is gone. You both go separate ways. And it's, it was tough, and I never had dealt with that. And

I was she was just helping me helping me throughout that whole time, because she had just lost her father, daddy's girl. And she just lost him tragically to cancer. To be able to... One, I just thank her for even giving me that time and advice, because that's a sensitive subject to have to bring up, and I need you to help me in the same way. For her to do that and then secondly just truly guide me through the process of losing her it was a was a help that she does she knows

I think now how important that was to me and I'll never forget she was I was talking to her and I remember talking to her on the last moments before us for her last moment so I she gave me a lot of strength and courage when I didn't know if I would have it right and She she did a lot for me more than I could speak on. She did a lot for me when I needed her the most. And I think for us, people who breadwinners, people who always fit the bill, oh, don't take the card I got, you know what I'm trying to say? For me to not have to even pay

and pay for any of this advice and then pay for this intellectual capital. I didn't pay for this counseling for her to give it just so freely with love. It was something that reminded me of her who I was visiting. So it kind of gave me that sense of like someone who my mom would really, really love. That's really what. What can we expect from Carl Anthony Towns in the Minnesota Timber Wolf 2024-2025 season? Just build off of what we did last year.

Special year, special season, all of Minnesota's hype they can't wait to see their Timberwolves back. We kept going with wolves back slogan. I don't know what we're gonna do now next year. I don't know we're gonna say wolves here or what's gonna go on but what I can say is you know stability is a hell of a thing. You know very rarely in my career Minnesota I've had I'm able to look at the same people next year or even midway through the year. Right. So to be able to come back next year all of us together another year of learning another year of experience God bless us with health and I think we could do something special just like we did last year

But I think we could take it up a notch we can do something more. So uh Like I said just bill I think we got some really good experience to Rudy playing in the Olympics and playing in the Olympics finding a way to win being around those guys learning experience wisdom yep I think we got a lot we got a lot of special things we got some special rookies Rob Dillonham Shannon we got a lot of things in order to do something special. And now all we gotta do is go out there and do it. Cat, one T, Carl Anthony Towns.

Thank you for stopping by, bro. Appreciate you, hun. Ah! But that was awesome. Yes. It was amazing. Appreciate it. Absolutely, thank you, hun.

Thank you Spotlight LA, the newest exclusive nightclub for allowing club Shae Shae to film here. Spotlight LA is a place for anything'm obsessed with sports, especially tennis. Tune into my podcast each week to hear me and my friends in the community break down the latest matches, including the US Open. Plus hear from some of the biggest names in the sport about what the future holds. It's about belief.

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