Digital Social Hour - How We Built the UFC of 1v1 Basketball | D'Vontay Friga DSH #1361

Episode Date: May 3, 2025

🏀 Welcome to the revolutionary world of 1v1 basketball! In this episode, we explore how the idea of creating the "UFC of 1v1 Basketball" became a reality. From epic park runs to high-stakes games w...ith NBA stars like Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson, this conversation is packed with insights, passion, and innovation that are reshaping the basketball scene. 🌟Join Sean Kelly and special guest D'Vontay Friga as they dive into the journey of building the next big platform for 1v1 basketball. Discover how viral ideas, NBA collabs, and innovative storytelling are setting new standards in the sports content world. From sneaking NBA players into park runs to organizing $100,000 pay-per-view matchups, this episode is a slam dunk of creativity and ambition! 🚀Whether you're a basketball fan, a creator looking for inspiration, or just love a good underdog story, this is a must-watch! Don't miss out on exclusive insights into the future of basketball entertainment. Tune in now and be part of the movement! 💡📺 Watch now and subscribe for more insider secrets and exciting updates on the Digital Social Hour with Sean Kelly! 🎙️ Hit that subscribe button and never miss another game-changing story. 🙌CHAPTERS:00:00 - Sneaking into the NBA All-Star Game04:58 - Therasage Products05:45 - TheraO3 Benefits06:30 - TheraH2Go Overview07:05 - Sneaking People into the Park09:58 - Yay Nuts Review13:44 - GOAT of 1v1 Basketball17:11 - Understanding PPV Events19:30 - MrBeast’s $300,000 Basketball Game21:55 - Playing Pro Basketball After College25:25 - NIL Deals Explained27:25 - Basketball Viewing Habits29:05 - Mikey vs WNBA All-Star Matchup30:21 - Pat Bev vs Brandon Jennings Analysis32:18 - 1v1 Basketball Tournament Highlights34:47 - Best Hoopers by City36:40 - Performance Under Pressure41:54 - Reality of P1 Rivalries44:12 - Earnings in Basketball45:30 - Closing Remarks APPLY TO BE ON THE PODCAST: https://www.digitalsocialhour.com/application BUSINESS INQUIRIES/SPONSORS: jenna@digitalsocialhour.com GUEST: D'Vontay Friga https://www.instagram.com/dfriga98/ SPONSORS: THERASAGE: https://therasage.com/ YAY NUTS: https://yaynuts.com/ LISTEN ON: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-social-hour/id1676846015 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5Jn7LXarRlI8Hc0GtTn759 Sean Kelly Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmikekelly/ The views and opinions expressed by guests on Digital Social Hour are solely those of the individuals appearing on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the host, Sean Kelly, or the Digital Social Hour team. While we encourage open and honest conversations, Sean Kelly is not legally responsible for any statements, claims, or opinions made by guests during the show. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and consult professionals for advice where appropriate. Content on this podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only and should not be considered legal, medical, financial, or professional advice.#houseofhighlights #nba #nasircore #creatorleague #dukedennis

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Back in it's up them so back in I was like, ah, this is like I wouldn't say it was awkward It was just like I got a you know I really want to make sure everyone gets in cuz yeah, we got people over here that have 125 million subscribers Mark robers over here. I'm like the fan their fans are gonna want to see them get in the game So I was definitely a little stressed out, but we won the game. So that's all that matters, right? So that's all that matters, right? Alright guys, Devontae Frigga here out in Vegas. He's got a run here tonight. Welcome to town, man. Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here. Yeah, I see you in and out hooping and dipping right away whenever you're here.
Starting point is 00:00:37 Yeah, last time we did the same thing. I mean, when it comes to Vegas, there's a straight through flight just because it's Vegas. Yeah. So it's easy for us to just fly in in the morning shoot We need to shoot and fly right out at night. Absolutely. Yeah last time you hooked with Dwight Howard out here, right? Yeah, it was Dwight and then the the very last time that I was here. We were with Donovan Hawkins who's a Phenomenal dunker. He's like one of the best dunkers in the world and we did a video out here Flew in flew out and now tonight's DeMarcus cousins
Starting point is 00:01:05 That's gonna be pretty fun. It's gonna be huge and he's actually still playing like professionally and he's in shape He's overseas and whatnot so I'm uh I'm eager to see this one amongst all of the NBA Collabs that I've done just because a lot of the guys and a lot of the former NBA players that we are hooping with lately They're not necessarily all the time or or professionally. I. Yeah. Who's performed the best out of all the sneaking players? It's tough because there's been different settings so like Lou and Dwight and Mario have been at the park. Ty Lawson was at a Men's
Starting point is 00:01:40 League. Brandon Jennings was kind of like an indoor setting. So, uh, I would say Ty Lawson actually performed the best. He'd had 45 in this men's league, but I think if I gave it, if of all five or six people that we've worked with, um, all had that men's league shot, then I feel like everybody would have had 40, 50. Yeah. Joe Johnson played really well at the park. Yeah. Cause men's league, they're calling all Because fouls are painful. Joe Johnson played really well at the park team. Yeah. Because men's league, they're calling all the fouls. You're just racking up free throws, right?
Starting point is 00:02:09 Yeah. I mean, Ty actually didn't shoot one free throw, but he made like nine threes. So it was just, he played well. He's in shape, though. And a lot of these guys, their whole life, all they know is just being in shape. When he retired, there was a moment
Starting point is 00:02:23 where I knew he, he wasn't necessarily working out, but he's working out a lot more. What's the most you've dropped in a men's league game? A hundred actually. Holy. Yeah. But it was a video that was, um, can I score a hundred points in one game? And it was literally, I just had a team of people that were just only passing me
Starting point is 00:02:43 the ball the whole time just to see like was it possible and It's funny cuz there was like 10 seconds left and I had 97 points Yeah, and I just chucked up a three and got fouled and one missed the free throw Still got to 100. That's insane. How many shot attempts was it? Oh, man. I don't know. It is in the video. Yeah Okay, it's in the video. I gotta bring you out to lifetime Okay, I'm in the lifetime league. Yeah, you were telling me about yeah, you might have to set the record in the video yeah it's in the video I gotta bring you out to lifetime okay I'm in the lifetime league yeah you were telling me about it yeah you might have to set the record in the lifetime lifetime is actually a decent because they have national tournament have you ever played in the lifetime league no I have not
Starting point is 00:03:14 really haven't I've actually heard about it I've seen some stuff from it but I didn't know it was national like that yeah like every city has a team and school they all compete in Vegas every year. Oh damn. Dude, it's pretty nuts. Yeah, that'd be a cool video. But you're like doing much different content these days, right? Like you're not the center anymore. I mean, the idea, right?
Starting point is 00:03:35 I mean, I feel like it changes a bunch, you know, because like, you have to like be super innovative with your content or else it's going to just like dry out. So we like to like do a bunch of things and one thing hits hard. We just like to do it a couple of times and then we'll probably put it on hold for a little bit. But I think, uh, I don't know, man, like, you know, the online world changes so much and like what's good on YouTube last year might not work as well this year. And you just gotta like keep up with the algorithm and keep up with the people
Starting point is 00:04:04 that talk about the ins and outs of the YouTube game and actually like study it. Yeah. Um, but you know, we've got a really good team and I feel like everybody's on point with what we do. So, but yeah, recently we've been doing a lot of these NBA collabs. Um, I know you mentioned like not being the face of it rather, but I feel like we got to a point where we were like let's try and come up with ideas where we know the title is really good we know the thumbnail is really good and we know it has a really good storyline and it kind of just got to the point where it was more so about other people with
Starting point is 00:04:38 the sneaking the NBA players into a park run it's just like all of those things the title the thumbnail storyline they all hit that was so creative you were the first to do that type of stuff right um honestly i don't want to sit here and say like oh yeah that's me i have no idea but i do know that it worked i like how we did it um it actually started i went to the tri-light from therisage is no joke medical grade red and near infrared light with three frequencies per light, deep healing, real results and totally portable. It's legit. Photo-bio modulation tech in a flexible on-body panel. This is the Tri-Lite from Therisage and it's next level red light therapy. It's got 118
Starting point is 00:05:18 high-powered polychromatic lights, each delivering three healing frequencies, red and near infrared from 580 to 980 nanometers. Optimal penetration, enhanced energy, skin rejuvenation, pain relief, better performance, quicker recovery, and so much more. Therasage has been leading the game for over 25 years and this panel is FDA listed and USB powered. Ultra soft and flexible and ultra portable. On-body red light therapy I use daily and I take it everywhere I travel. This is the TheraO3 Ozone module from Therasage. It's a portable ozone and negative ion therapy in one. It boosts oxygen, clears and sanitizes the air
Starting point is 00:05:56 and even helps your mood. It's a total game changer at home or on the go. This little device is the TheraO3 Ozone module by Therasage and it's one of my favorite wellness tools. In the sauna it boosts ozone absorption through your skin up to 10 times, oxygenating your blood and supporting deep detox. Outside the sauna it purifies the air, killing germs, bacteria, viruses and mold and it improves mood and sleep with negative ion therapy. It's compact, rechargeable, and perfect for travel,
Starting point is 00:06:26 cleans, offices, hotel rooms, you name it. It's like carrying clean energy wherever you go. This is the Thera H2 Go from Therasage. The only bottle with molecular hydrogen structured water and red light in one. It hydrates, energizes, and detoxes water upgraded. The Thera H2 Go from Therasage isn't just a water bottle. It's next level hydration.
Starting point is 00:06:47 It infuses your water with molecular hydrogen, one of the most powerful antioxidants out there. That means less oxidative stress, more energy and faster recovery. But here's what makes it stand out. It's the only bottle that also structures your water and adds red light to supercharge it. It's sleek, portable and honestly,
Starting point is 00:07:04 I don't go anywhere without it. To a small town called Dyersburg, Tennessee. One of my friends was going to college there, Scar. And I was hosting a park run there, and I was like, yo, you should bring the team out. And we just, I had no idea what the title of the video, and so I was like sneaking a college team into a park run. Because I had hosted this pickup event at this park in Dyersburg.
Starting point is 00:07:26 And I was like, just going to go out there by myself. And then the team ended up showing up and that video did really well. So just kind of going back over a few months later, we wanted to come up with a viral idea and we did another sneaking video. I can't remember what it was. And then last year we went to Paris with the professor and we did Sneaking the Professor
Starting point is 00:07:47 into a Parkour. That one blew up. That one was crazy and that's kind of like what sparked the idea of just trying to get okay like well what if we can get like some big name people, bring them to the park, you know, and try and sneak them in with nobody noticing them. So that's how the idea kind of came up and I don't know how many we have left until people are like, all right, which person's here today? But I guess we'll see.
Starting point is 00:08:09 You've also crushed the one-on-one stuff. And now the NBA is even talking about incorporating one-on-one in their All-Star games. Yeah, I mean, the one-on-one scene is very interesting to me. So like what I do on my channel is a little different than what we focus on with The Next Chapter, which is the other platform. And the next chapter was founded by Scotty Weaver and he's just, he's a genius.
Starting point is 00:08:32 Like he's a, he's a wizard. He's got so many ideas. I think you've talked to Scotty before. Yeah. You'll definitely have to have him on, but you know, he could really only do so much cause he's got the vision, but he didn't necessarily have the team with him. But he noticed what we were doing for years, and we have obviously a team and all that stuff,
Starting point is 00:08:52 so we were just in contact for months. And nothing really worked out, and it got to a point where it made sense. And we merged what we were doing with what Scotty was doing at early time, and turn the next chapter into really what it is over the course of the last two years now. And we really are. I always say this. I'm sure if people have seen some stuff, it might sound like a broken record in a way, but we really want to try and turn it into like the UFC of 1v1 basketball. And I'm sure being out here, you know a bunch about the UFC.
Starting point is 00:09:30 Just like the impact it's had on combat fighting really, and that whole world, I should say. But just what the UFC did with the combat sports world in the last 25 years is just insane, like popularizing it in their own way with the storylines and narrative control, the social media era, just taking advantage of all that, the press conferences, the face offs. But then you make these two people fight and it's like that's the only thing that matters after months. Shout out to Yay Nuts, today's sponsor.
Starting point is 00:10:01 If you're looking for a snack that's bold, crunchy, and packed with flavor, say yay to yay nuts. The deliciously addictive nuts that bring the party to your taste buds. From almonds to cashews, every bite is a flavor adventure. No junk, no fillers, just straight up awesome. The next time you're craving a snack, don't just go nuts, yay nuts. Available now in stores at yaynuts.com. So this promotion, so why can't it work in the basketball world? And yeah, so we're definitely exploring that, exploring the best way to do it. People are like, you can't compete with the NBA. And what do you mean the UFC?
Starting point is 00:10:34 The UFC. But it's like the NBA has been around for 80 something years now. I have no idea. Long time. 85 years. The UFC has been around for 25 years. We're only in near like two and a half, with just the next chapter. Obviously we've been on social media for seven, eight years now, but we just need time and we need to continually
Starting point is 00:10:53 do these events and each one will get better. I mean, our second live stream ever is Michael Beasley versus Lance Stevenson. So it's for $100,000. So it's like, for that to be our second one, it really shows the potential. And then not to mention Kyrie is going to be commentating it too. So there's a lot of heads that are turning that I feel like people are interested in the idea of this whole one V one space.
Starting point is 00:11:19 I just think it has to be done right. So yeah, excited to see where we take it. You're doing great with the storytelling for that, Michael Beasley versus Lance. There's a lot of videos going up before. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, I mean, that's the team, bro. That's everybody that's involved, though, for sure. We've had Michael Beasley and Lance Stevenson draft their teams on the next chapter, the YouTube channel.
Starting point is 00:11:46 And basically it's 24 episodes, 20 of them are gameplay and four of them are reality, which is just like kind of like we get to see more of what's happening in between the days of the actual games. But Lance and B's, they got to draft their own team, 12 people each. And then those 12 people, they play against each other in 1v1s, 3v3s, different concept of games and obviously like the record matters and we're only past the first day now. So obviously there's a bunch there's a bunch more episodes coming.
Starting point is 00:12:16 I don't know when this podcast comes out so I don't want to say too much but super interesting concept where obviously every episode will promote pay-per-view which is the finale which is Michael Beasley versus Lance Stevenson One-on-one for a hundred thousand dollars and there will be four under cards Eli Carter versus Moon and two really good names there and then Cam versus Latin and Obviously like if you guys are watching and listening and you're not familiar with those players, like you either got to go get tapped in or wait for the pay-per-view, you know, see it. But, and then there's going to be two fan voted from the episodical stuff that we're releasing.
Starting point is 00:12:55 Nice. Yeah, it'll be cool. So the fans get a chance to vote in the other two games for the pay-per-view card, which obviously like the people that are on Lance and Beez's team right now in the episodes that we're releasing will get a chance to earn that spot really. That's awesome Lance came to my run a few weeks ago. Oh yeah. He's looking like he's in shape man. Yeah he is bro. I'm excited I'm excited I know a lot of people heard Michael Beasley and I know he's this myth 1v1 player but gotta watch out for Lance Stevenson and I mean that like like
Starting point is 00:13:25 I don't even know what the word I'm looking for here is I mean that uh as in detail as I could get like Lance is definitely in shape he's hungry he feels like he knows he's the underdog and he just wants to take Beasley's head off I love him though. Can't wait to watch that. Who do you have as the GOAT of one on one basketball? Oh man. That's a tough one. People say Carmelo. I know people say Carmelo. Carmelo is a phone booth player where he can really just jab you like he doesn't even need to dribble to beat you. Like I pick when somebody asked me this question, I always picture like, man, who would I genuinely just, ah, I really don't want to play him.
Starting point is 00:14:08 Which obviously there's a lot of people, but I think of people like Michael Beasley or like Kobe or Kyrie. Um, but, uh, I'm just going to go with Kyrie. I feel like Kyrie's a safe answer and Hopefully we get to see it one day. Yeah, is that a biased answer because he's part of the company I don't think so because like there's so much out there There's so much out there on like Him being the greatest isolation score. Yeah time. He's Got everything that comes with it. Like I like you said, it could be by so Mike
Starting point is 00:14:46 I said Michael Beasley and Kyrie. So I mean, I mean that's like where I mean, they're both myth the myth So yeah, Joe Johnson as well. Hmm phenomenal isolation player through Kobe in there to All good answers I would throw Durant in there too. Yeah, like I said you can't go wrong with like a bunch of people. Yeah, I mean just Duran because you can't block a shot even if you're right in front of them. Right. When you play guys that are seven feet you know. Who's the toughest you've personally played against one on one? Oh I just got my ass kicked by a guy named Nazir Khor. Oh I know him. You know Naz. Yeah I've
Starting point is 00:15:23 seen him play. Yeah Naz is very good like and I give all the credit to him like we did what we needed to do to promote the event and I said what I said but honestly bro like you learn a lot about people when you play against them and I just felt his energy like he's just a dog bro when I watched him play in the season that we filmed he played in this three-on-three and he was going harder than everybody out there and he had already had the main event game lined up, but it was just cool to see like, you could just tell that's, you could just, you can tell a lot about a person by the way they play basketball and he's got heart, like he's
Starting point is 00:16:02 got that dog in him for sure. I've seen comments on YouTube when you play in these tournaments and the prize pool is like 10 grand. And people are like, oh, Freeky doesn't care. It's not enough money for him anymore. Do you see those comments? No, I really don't. Like, what do you mean? With the Jesser 1v1? No, it might have been like, is it House of Highlights that has those creator games? The Creator League? Yeah. And they'll have like a prize pool? Yeah, I mean, I don't know. It's usually not 10 K.
Starting point is 00:16:27 I think the one V one stuff we did was maybe for 50 50 is no joke for sure. Yeah. I did this one V one tournament with Jesser. Do you know Jesser? Yeah. He's a, he's a, he's popping or he's, he's killing it right now. He's another one that's innovative very well. Like you. Yeah. He's, I love everything they're doing. The production is spot on. He's got it right now. He's another one that's innovative very well like you. Yeah, he's I Love everything they're doing the production is spot-on. He's got a huge team He's just got the right people in place and like being at his warehouse and just seeing how they do things was awesome Yeah, but no, I mean you're playing for any amount of money. You want to line it up like if I was playing for free I'm still gonna go hard. I like that's like the basketball and the competitor in me that
Starting point is 00:17:04 still gonna go hard. I feel like that's like the basketball and the competitor in me that whatever comments you're seeing they're definitely not true. That's what I thought. People were like he's not trying as hard but didn't make sense. We reinvest a lot of our money like we are I'm not gonna say like I'll take anything I can get but I'm saying like like in in order to get where we really want this space to get, we have to put everything back in. That's why we're going the pay per view route. Not the only reason, but a big reason in putting things behind a paywall is because YouTube doesn't necessarily sustain
Starting point is 00:17:34 what we're doing right now. And we have to innovate. The businesses that don't innovate die. And this is a massive jump, high risk, high reward situation. But I think doing it this way, we get a lot more people involved, we get bigger names involved, we get more money on the line, but it's also the best of both worlds.
Starting point is 00:17:53 Like we're still gonna release free content. It's gonna lead up into something behind a paywall, but it's like games that you feel like you should pay to watch. Is that strategy of reinvesting everything something you learned from Mr. Beast? That's actually funny. Like, I feel like it's always been like,
Starting point is 00:18:13 reinvest in yourself, reinvest in yourself. Because for a while it was like, oh, I want to save up a bunch of money and reinvest in assets and all that stuff, which obviously is, you know, still a primary. But first things first, you gotta reinvest in yourself. So that's always just been the thing,
Starting point is 00:18:32 but I do know MrBeast has preached that on YouTube for years. Yeah. And you were just with him. Yeah, we were just with MrBeast out there. Oh, that was insane. That looked fun. USA versus Mexico, right?
Starting point is 00:18:45 It was the biggest English speaking creators versus the biggest Spanish speaking creators. And they had creators from Mexico, creators from Argentina, creators from Spain. They all spoke Spanish, but it wasn't just like Mexico versus USA. It was English speaking versus Spanish speaking. And that was really cool. Just to see what they've built just from YouTube like obviously a lot of their profit margins are probably from the products that they've gotten into now with you know, the feastables and The the lunch Lee and the apparel Outside of just their ad sense. I'm sure like if they relied solely on that
Starting point is 00:19:24 They wouldn't be nearly as close to everything they wouldn't even have what they have. Yeah But super motivating though, like just to see how many different studios he has on 125 acres out there yeah, and The team the the production gear just everything behind us is really yeah I bet it was surreal for you. You're surrounded by the biggest content creators in the world. Yeah, you know I was in so he personally invited you out right? Yeah. Well actually I got the invite because of Chandler Okay, one of his boys Chandler so shot at the Chandler When mr. Beast dropped the promo for it
Starting point is 00:20:02 I commented on it and then I ended up DMing him and just like trying to get involved because it was talking about content and basketball. I know he wanted like the largest creators. And I was actually supposed to be Kevin Garnett's assistant coach. And Kevin Garnett I think dropped out maybe a day or two before. Wow. And so I got the head coach. Holy crap.
Starting point is 00:20:24 I was like, I'll take it. Was that your first time coaching a game? I coached AAU like when I was in college my freshman year. I coached an AAU team, but that was probably last time I coached. You didn't like it? I was like, I actually felt a lot of pressure in the coaching position just because like, I don't really know a lot of these creators personally that I was with. So this being the first impression is just like, I don't want to make anybody mad. You don't want to sub them in, whatever. And it's like, you can't sub out Mr. Beast in his own events. I got to work with four people.
Starting point is 00:20:58 And then some people like Marlon Streamer was there and he was like our biggest player and he was playing really well and he didn't, you know, he couldn't come out because these guys, they still wanted to win. So I felt like I was really working with like seven, three or four people. When Jimmy, when Mr. Beast came out of the game, he kind of like subbed himself out and then he came over, he took a drink and then he's like, all right, I'm ready to go back in and subbed himself back in. I was like, ah, this is like, I wouldn't say it was awkward. It was just like, I got to, a you know I really want to make sure
Starting point is 00:21:25 everyone gets in cuz yeah we got people over here that have 125 million subscribers mark Mark robers over here I'm like the fan their fans are gonna want to see them get in the game so I was definitely a little stressed out but we won the game so yeah that's all that matters right Jimmy's got a bit of a jumper too I saw yes I don't think he made one for me. I was like telling him like dude make a three like shoot it. He passed up a lot of open threes. He did. I mean he passed them up for better shots so it's like can't be too mad about it.
Starting point is 00:21:53 But I just know like people want to see him make a three. Now I know you played D3. Did you want to keep playing pro after that or what was your mindset then? Um, yeah, I mean, I talked to a few people, like a few agents and whatnot, about like really wanting the chance to play. And I just I wouldn't say I never got my chance. I just feel like I put most of my focus and my time and energy towards the YouTube side,
Starting point is 00:22:19 because when I started my YouTube channel in college, it took me a few years to like really kind of find that niche of D3 Hooper, blah, blah, blah. And then I grew it from zero to 100k with my boys. When I graduated college, I had maybe like 115,000 subscribers and all that stuff. and all that stuff. So there was like this weird period where I was like, man, do I want to keep going hard on the YouTube side or do I want to like do the whole pro thing? And honestly, I wanted to do both
Starting point is 00:22:51 because what I was doing in college was just documenting my life as a D3 basketball player and I wanted to just go overseas, document my life as a pro hooper. And I don't know, like looking back at it, I feel like anything in life that I truly wanted to go after, I just was like, I'm going to go do it. And that wasn't something that I was just blinded by where I was like, I got to play pro, I got to do this.
Starting point is 00:23:16 The YouTube side though, I was like, I have to do this. Like that stuff just motivated me so much more. And it just happened that we filmed a random video of me miked up at a park when we were going through that weird period of not really knowing what kind of content to post when I graduated. And the video went viral. It did like 2.5 million on YouTube in four or five days.
Starting point is 00:23:38 And it was former D3 Hooper miked up at the park versus ex D1 recruits or something like that. And we gained like a hundred thousand subscribers in a couple of days off of that. The video did super well. It made a bunch of money. We put the money back into just going all across the U S to different, uh, different cities, doing park events then. And that's when the first tour happened, when like all those videos were first
Starting point is 00:24:02 going viral and these like park runs were coming back and stuff and and I just said I felt like we had found something that I wanted to continue to explore. Yeah other than trying to Play overseas and play professionally. I still feel like I could play but now I'm getting into even more where I'm like I Just don't think it's gonna happen. Yeah, I also think you will make more going to content out anyways. Yeah, for sure. If it's, if it's about the money side, yeah. You know, if it's about like, uh, saying like I still played professional then,
Starting point is 00:24:35 you know, but I just feel like I'm past that part now. I feel like it's no, it's no longer like wanting to play pro play in a pro league and like, let's start our own pro league. But yeah, I feel like you are a big part of the park run culture changing too. Now, if you pull up to any park run, there's someone filming. It's inevitable now. Yeah, that's crazy. I remember 10 years ago you would pull up.
Starting point is 00:24:59 No, no one was filming. Yeah. I'm like, I don't know how to feel about it. Like it's cool, but some people are like, ah, it takes away from, you know, just going up to the park and hooping, which I think you can still do, but you know, it's just the culture. It's the culture. It's the way that people, it's just the way it is now. It is. Yeah. But now you got a lot of isoball people looking for high light.
Starting point is 00:25:22 Yeah, that's true. That's, that's true. Hey you was cooked Yeah, it's interesting man, but these NIL bags are looking nice too I was they are, you know, I've got guys playing d1 making six figures a year It's pretty easy. Seven. Yeah, some people seven flag. I made seven. Oh, yeah for sure I just saw something come out the other day and it was like It was like star player Off the bench player and it was like, it was like star player, off the bench player, and then just like bench. And it showed like how much people are still making from not even getting in the game.
Starting point is 00:25:54 Like just, they don't really have a ton of influence necessarily, like I wouldn't say they don't have any, but I would say they wouldn't. Maybe somebody at the end of the Duke bench doesn't have as much influence as Cooper flag Obviously, but they're still getting a bag for something, you know, yeah, so it's just cool to see I feel like a little indifferent on it though. I think because it's like a Lot of these people they make it to the collegiate level
Starting point is 00:26:19 to then fight to get to the pros to make their bag. And I don't know if maybe, I feel like maybe for some people, it's like could possibly take that motivation away from them early. Cause like, you know, if you get paid six, seven figures and you never had money before, that's a lot. One, it's going to be life-changing for sure. It's definitely a lot for sure.
Starting point is 00:26:39 And then you're just not really going to be, not really going to know necessarily what to do with it. Or maybe how you feel, or maybe like you made it. Maybe the whole thing was like, I need to do this so I can make money. And then you finally do without making it to that pro level. And you're like, you know, I made it. To each their own though. I mean, some people, maybe they get the money and they're like,
Starting point is 00:26:58 maybe this isn't what I want to do. I want to take this money and invest it and do something else. But I mean, statistics show that's not the case. Your brain is still developing until 26. Like if you make a million at 18, the odds of you keeping all that are very slim. Unless you got the right guidance around you, which, you know, I think a lot of teams are taking, taking that part serious these days. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:27:20 Cause you see a lot of pro athletes go broke after, you know, do you watch college more than NBA or? Oh, no. You watch NBA more? Dude, I really don't watch that much basketball. Damn. It's like, I know people might be like, oh really? But I mean, I don't know't know man I'm more so just like I keep up with the like who won what game or like what the stats looked like or like if I was in like a prize picks or whatever yeah I put some put some money on something and I like to see like what they did or that's like maybe when I watch the game just whatever but yeah I'm not really I don't really watch basketball that much. You're just so busy now.
Starting point is 00:28:07 Yeah, unless like it's, and I know this is like bias, but like I'm from, I'll watch the next chapter episodes and stuff because I'm like interested in what, what obviously we're doing next and how we can make things better and whatnot. But yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say I'm too busy. I guess I'm just not, I haven't really watched it too much. I think that's becoming more and more common. I think people are getting their highlights on social media now. I watch YouTube highlights of the games, the playoff games.
Starting point is 00:28:33 I don't watch the full game. I downloaded the full game highlights before I was on the plane. And then I'll see Shaq and Shaq talking and that's the extent of basketball I'm watching. Cause a full game is like a three hour block. You got a block out of your calendar, man. Yeah, no joke. I mean, unless it's like... See, the playoffs are different. Playoffs like when it's 3-0 or 3-1 or 2-2 or you know what I mean? Like you're a game away from it.
Starting point is 00:28:57 Like you want to have people over or whatever the case may be, then you might be interested in the game. But for me, I'm just kind of like I'm not there right now Yeah, how do you think you would do against a WNBA all-star have you played against any WNBA players? In a 1v1? One-on-one I mean That's Line me up for a good question there
Starting point is 00:29:17 I've played against a couple WNBA players like just like in the gym training and it's always been like a shootout really, you know, cuz Bro, I don't know there's like the WNBA players they can shoot Yeah, it's crazy women can really shoot the ball But I just think like physically It's just a little bit tougher for sure. I think I'm gonna take myself over a lot of people, but I think I would do fine. I think I would win that game for sure. Okay. Yeah, I agree. I think the the speed and the physicality is what kind of separates it too. But if it's a shootout, it's for sure, bro. I mean like somebody like
Starting point is 00:29:57 Like just if I did a three-point contest against some of the best shooters. Kaelan Clark. WNBA, bro. They're gonna torch me. Yeah, you know, but if we're playing one on one, then I like my chances. Yeah. Cause then you know, they're just going to try to shoot. Yeah. Play some good defense on them, you know? Yeah. They're going to be commenting on this club, man.
Starting point is 00:30:15 They're going to be calling you out. That's all right, bro. That's all right. I feel like I gave credit there. Yeah. No fair game. So have you seen the Brandon Jennings? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:30:23 The Brandon Jennings Pat Bev beef? They won. I have, I have. I have you seen the Brandon Jennings? Yeah, the Brandon Jennings, Pat Bevbeef. They won. I have. I would love to set that game up, honestly. I feel like on an unbiased platform, because I know Pat wants to set it up and all that stuff. But I feel like we're the platform to do it. Like you said earlier, I could be biased.
Starting point is 00:30:38 But I also feel like from an outside perspective, it makes sense to do it on next chapter. I feel like we've, with the Michael Beasley, Lance Stevenson game, Kyrie commentating 100K on the line. I feel like we've given it that. That credit, you know, the credibility and the validity of being a real game. Like you can go to the gym, you can check up, you know, behind closed doors, no camera, settle the beef, but it's like, you've already done all the talking online.
Starting point is 00:31:06 You might as well do it in the one place online that genuinely makes sense. And, uh, yeah, I don't know, man. Pat Bev versus Brandon Jennings though. There's so many guys that are talking that 09 draft class. Like, everybody just started chirping, man. Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson, uh, Brandon Jennings and Pat, like you mentioned, they keep bringing up Drew Holliday's name in there, but he's still playing for a championship right now.
Starting point is 00:31:34 So, yeah. Uh, I don't know who I got winning that cause people don't know Pat Bev averaged 40 in high school. Yeah. He's known for defense, but he could score. It was his, he, he is somebody that like, you pay me to do a job, I'm going to get that job done. And he proved that he was capable of doing that. And that job may have not been going to score 40, but he had superstars alongside of him and he went out and did his job.
Starting point is 00:31:58 So I think that that game would not only sell, but I think it would be a good game just because of the myth idea of not knowing how Pat Bev would do in a 1v1 situation. I think he would prove a lot of people wrong for sure. I'd love to see it. That's one of my favorite. We probably will. Oh yeah? Yeah, we probably will. Jennings was talking about a 1 on 1 tournament. I don't know if you saw that. I did. I saw it. I just feel like I have mixed feelings about a tournament as
Starting point is 00:32:30 opposed to just like mono-e-mono. Well, I feel like the way that we're trying to do it when I keep mentioning the UFC of 1v1 basketball, you don't just hear something on a Friday and they fight on a Saturday or Sunday. So like the promotional aspect alone, I think they've done a good job promoting it. I don't want to say that, but I do think that making it like a Michael Beasley
Starting point is 00:32:55 versus Lance Stevenson and that's it. And then you get to have the promotion for three or four months leading up into it. And it just makes sense. Like the tournament might be days long. or four months leading up into it. And it just makes sense. Like. The tournament might be days long. Like. This is just one day that we're promoting for over the course of a couple months.
Starting point is 00:33:17 And you're going to stop everything that you're doing that day to figure out who's going to win this game. And also, I just feel like it really solidifies the win a lot more because you if if Brandon and Pat end up playing each other in the finals, but Pat beat Ty Lawson in the first round, who's to say Ty couldn't, you know, go and beat Pat or whatever, whatever the case may be. I'm just throwing things out. It's all about matchups. That's exactly because like If if you and I play one-on-one and I beat you, but then you go beat somebody that I lost to it's like Now I got to play that person you got to play this person that I beat and I just feel like that Solidifies who you are as a 1v1 player more than just like being crowned through this tournament because you didn't play everybody that makes so That's how I feel. So I feel like I than just like being crowned through this tournament. Cause you didn't play everybody. That makes sense. That's how I feel.
Starting point is 00:34:11 So I feel like I just like that mono, E mono plus human nature has been attracted to it for so long. I always say since the Coliseum days, like they're fighting, putting people in the ring, like people sit down just to watch this me versus you. And I just feel like the formula is there and in the basketball world, like this is the way to do it. Yeah, I hope they make it happen. I really do. Yeah. I think it would do very well.
Starting point is 00:34:29 Shout out to Gilbert Arenas and his podcast. Yeah. That shit's hilarious. I love watching that show. Bro, their characters. For sure. Rashad McCann. I see all the clips. I love when they take it outside and play 2v2 or something like that. Yeah. Yeah, those guys are all cool, man. Shout out to them. For sure. Um,
Starting point is 00:34:47 so you've played all over the country in a lot of cities. Any cities stand out to you as having some of the top talented hoopers? Bro, I get this question more than any question. I bet. Which, and it makes sense, but the reason I say that is because I never have an honest answer because But the reason I say that is because I never have an honest answer because there's been so many places that there's good hoopers. And there's different things that I go to cities for. Like I'll go to a city and do a park run. But usually the people that are good at the park run are maybe not popping out to do a
Starting point is 00:35:20 next chapter one on one event because like the talent levels just a little bit different. So in terms of the park situation, North Carolina, like Charlotte has always given good competition. Who else? In terms of next chapter, like Virginia, Virginia is like curve ball, just random, throwing it out. Richmond, Virginia, that's where we went. They were really good out there for sure. You could just tell like the city was just they were just different. Energy was different. It kind of felt like a.
Starting point is 00:35:57 Like a breakthrough for that city, because nobody really goes out there to do much. Yeah, when we went out there, it was like the city came out, the energy was good. It was gritty. Like we actually had to shut down the event before the last game because like it was getting serious. Like it was getting dangerous.
Starting point is 00:36:15 Shit. But it was real like- In Virginia? Yeah, Richmond, Virginia. I know it sounds crazy. I never would have thought. I know it sounds crazy, but Richmond, bro. Yeah, it's like that in Richmond, Virginia for sure.
Starting point is 00:36:28 Sheesh. Man, that question is so difficult. It's tough. I need a really solidifying answer. No, it's tough on the spot. I get asked like, who's your favorite guest? And I have 1500 episodes. Like, can't come up.
Starting point is 00:36:39 Yeah, you do have a lot of episodes, bro. You do. So I know how you feel. Does, do your runs get shut down often like that though, when it gets out of hand? No, no, it's, it's only happened like a few times. Like there's been times where like people have like guns out of the park or something like that. I hate that it gets to that in basketball.
Starting point is 00:37:02 Yeah, it sucks for sure. Like I'm all about shit talking, but once it gets to that, it's like, yeah, it's bro. Honestly, like. It is, it is a little sad, but I think partially is like the cameras and stuff like we don't want to be disrespected on camera. There's like a fine line, but I think like, like I said, that has happened, not even a handful of times, like a couple of times.
Starting point is 00:37:26 That's good. We've only had to like shut down maybe three events ever for park in the next chapter in all of, well I've been on YouTube for seven or eight years, but since we've been doing like the tour stuff maybe four or five years, that's only happened three times. Which I think is good because it's like we always try to make sure that it's Family-friendly atmosphere like bring the kids out to the park like let's just have a good time pick up runs But you know Every person I'll say this I'm not as good as basketball as you obviously but I pulled up with cameras once to lifetime
Starting point is 00:38:00 Yeah, people just act different. Yeah, like they guard you way more physically. They start talking way more shit. Guys I've been playing with for years, they'll just act completely different. Yeah. I don't know if you experienced that. Definitely bro. Definitely know people don't want to. It's the cameras man. People don't want to get embarrassed. Yeah. Yeah. I get it. Yeah. Like I was getting double teamed. Like I'm not even like that. You know, like what the fuck? Why are you doubling me? Yeah. People are trying to yam on me. Yeah. I get it. Yeah, that's how it gets It's it's an ego thing. I guess you're good. I like drawing that line though Like when you're talking you never let it get out of hand. I noticed
Starting point is 00:38:32 Yeah, I mean, I don't know bro. It's like I know that we're there. We're filming a video and stuff like sometimes the shit talk gets out of out of line like from me personally just because like as a basketball player and somebody that's super competitive like sometimes I black out and I just say things because we're competing we're going. But I got to remember like you got the cameras I got a mic on people are going to see this like it's going to be controlled a certain way so you just got to like kind of take the eye road, take the backseat sometimes when things might get carried away or even if you do something or like if I do something and it's like possibly viral and the person gets pissed and they say the wrong thing or do some pushing and shoving like you got to just you know you got to just I got to understand like I'm the one that pulled up with the cameras
Starting point is 00:39:21 and promoted this and I'm going to be the one putting it out to a large audience and people are going gonna see it. So you kind of just gotta Take the bag go with the flow. Yeah, has someone ever hit you up after like yo take the video down like oh, yeah I didn't like how I looked for sure, but it doesn't happen a lot like One time and we were in Florida and we did this video I Don't know may have been like four years ago now, and I told somebody, like, just on the mic,
Starting point is 00:39:50 like, thanks for giving me my title and thumbnail, blah, blah, blah, and then hit the three pointer, ended it, talked a bunch of shit, and then just left, and then they were DMing me like, like, take the clip down, don't post this, if this gets on ESPN, I'm gonna find your address like damn I don't know how serious it was because like then they were like we need rematches blah blah blah But they people have definitely said it before
Starting point is 00:40:13 Actually took it down. No Geez I mean hats off to you. I would have been a little nervous. No, I don't think it's that serious Yeah, I never let it get off court personally. Yeah, I'm definitely trying not to. I try and like, I remember talking to him a little bit in the DMs and stuff and just like, you know, trying to calm the situation down a little bit. Yeah. I had an incident where he like, he clenched up
Starting point is 00:40:36 and I was like, oh shit, like, no, this is where it ends. Like. I actually don't think I've ended up like squaring up with anybody. Oh really? Yeah. That's surprising, cause you play a lot of runs. Yeah, for sure. Well done. Keep my distance from people. I actually don't think I've ended up like squaring up with anybody. Oh really? That's surprising because you play a lot of runs.
Starting point is 00:40:45 Well done. Keep my distance from people. Can't say the same with certain other content creators. Sometimes they provoke it though. It's like it does well. People like, people are into the violence and like the major trash talk, the pushing the shove and the fighting. There was a period of time where like that made sense for YouTube basketball, like who could post
Starting point is 00:41:05 the most toxic videos. But now like honestly for me, it's just how good of a title thumbnail storyline can we have? Like what type of guests can we get out there and all that stuff. But there was a period of time where it was like, man, like we gotta get some toxic shit to happen. I remember those days.
Starting point is 00:41:21 Yeah, we both know who we're thinking of I think. Bro, but they were killing it though. It was entertaining. Although, and we're talking about Nick, right? Nick and them, Nick Briz, the Savage Squad. Like people can say what they want about it, but people were watching that. They were smart. They were pulling a million a video easy. Bro, in a day or two. And I was on his YouTube yesterday. He hasn't posted in five months. So shout out to him. I gotta, I gotta hit him up. See how he's doing. We always like had an interesting relationship. But now obviously we're cool for sure. But definitely make sure he's good.
Starting point is 00:41:53 Yeah. Hopefully he can bounce back. So you've had some beefs and rivalries in the... Oh my goodness. Yeah. I definitely have. I never know if that shit's actually real or it's just to sell stuff. I think it's just competitive. Like it's definitely real. A lot of the stuff that we say online back and forth like Nobody's like friends like nobody really sees each other every day like when me and Nas were promoting the pay-per-view obviously we knew we were promoting it to try and like Get it to get it to more eyes and whatnot
Starting point is 00:42:21 But the things we were saying were definitely for real like I was trying to promote it, but I meant what I said because I was trying to compete and I'd probably never been in the same room as him more than maybe two or three times before that Yeah so it's definitely real same with Nick Briz like when we were going back and forth a while ago like the beef was definitely real because We were just saying some crazy shit about each other. But we settled it as men behind closed doors, not online and all that stuff. And then with Dev, like Dev in the lab, I had some beefs with him.
Starting point is 00:42:53 We settled it in a 1v1. Oh, it was a while ago. We were setting up another pay-per-view 1v1 a while ago, three, four years ago. And we were just going back and forth online. But again, we knew what we were doing to promote it, but also the things things we were saying like we definitely meant it, but I don't think it was like Hatred beef it was just like competitive nature like I'm gonna beat you I could see that I wasn't talking about his family or his kids or anybody. Yeah, once it gets personal. Yeah, it's it's not personal Yeah, what about has he got it you cool with him? Yeah. Yeah, I mean has you're cool for sure
Starting point is 00:43:23 Yeah, she gets a lot of hate man I had him on the show and I was like dude like you might get the most Yeah, yeah, I mean, has he are cool for sure. He gets a lot of hate, man. I had him on the show and I was like, dude, like you might get the most hate out of anyone I've seen in the basketball space. Oh, Julian Newman gets the most hate for sure, in my opinion, but has he definitely in this space, like, cause Julian's not necessarily, like it's different
Starting point is 00:43:38 because Julian's getting into the social media creator basketball world, but has he definitely gets a lot of hate. I just think it's his style of play. Like. He's always going for a clip in a way. And some people are with it. Some people aren't like it's. He talks his shit.
Starting point is 00:43:55 Like I like has he, I like watching has he play. So I could see why you can't make everybody, you know, can't please ever. I could see why people would hate him. Yeah. Like the, the push off is like the the biggest comment it's just like disrespectful you know stuff I guess so yeah I get it but no I don't hate him yeah I mean you're doing well man last year I saw you made a video best year your life two and a million dollars in revenue yeah that's insane man yeah man we we did some cool
Starting point is 00:44:23 stuff last year I can't wait to make this year's year. And I was just talking to you about this. I was like, man, like the difference in last year's year interview video and this year's is going to be insane. Bro, you might hit 10 M's this year. It's possible. I can see it with your growth. I mean, you're really grown right now.
Starting point is 00:44:41 And with the next chapter taken off. Yeah. Yeah. And you'll be close. Yeah, bro. I don't know. I got a, that's crazy to think about, right? Eight figures.
Starting point is 00:44:50 Yeah. I've only done it once. Yeah. Yeah. I've been stuck at seven for a bit, but eight figures is different. You in a different league, eight figures. That's yeah, it's different. But you know, people are going to hear this and be like, oh my God, like, you
Starting point is 00:45:02 know, but they don't know like to get to that, you've really got to like reinvest it. It's definitely a lot of money, like we can definitely make a lot of money. Yeah. But it's like, to get this to where we really want it to be, you got to turn around and put all eight of them figures back in. Oh yeah. You know? Yeah, people hear seven, eight figures and they assume you're making millions, but you're not. Yeah. I remember making, like doing that in revenue, but making like a 100k. Of course. Like, people hear 7a figures and they assume you're making millions. Yeah, you're not yeah I remember making like doing that in revenue, but making like a hundred K Of course, like people don't realize you got to reinvest it all have to I love that mindset man Well, anything else you want to close off with here, bro? How long has it been? I mean it's been 42 minutes
Starting point is 00:45:38 What do you think bad? Do you usually keep them like pretty usually 45? Okay. No, man, just I Super grateful to come on to the show. I know we've been trying to do this for years now yeah you were one of the first people I had up to come on man okay I've been watching you for like five years really since you ran in Florida wow yeah I mean no definitely super grateful I'm excited about this I wish I wanted to bring it up one more time, the Michael Beasley-Lance Stevenson game, live on pay-per-view June 6th on tncleague.com. It's gonna be insane.
Starting point is 00:46:13 They're playing for $100,000. We got Kyrie Irving commentating it. There's gonna be a bunch of celebs, a VIP booth, a bunch of like really cool names out there. It's gonna be open to the public. We haven't announced that yet, just because like it's gonna be massive when we do it. I believe it might be in Miami. Miami, Florida. Yeah, man. Thanks for coming on. That was fun.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.