Gil's Arena - Gil's Arena Breaks Down Ben Simmons' Comeback | FT Lexie Brown

Episode Date: August 30, 2023

Lexie Brown Enters Gil's Arena To Talk WNBA as Gilbert Arenas reflects on her career season that was ended by injury and discusses the overall landscape of the growing WNBA. The crew also dives into Ben Simmons' training videos and discuss whether or not this will be the year the former all star returns to form before debating James Harden's trade rumors with the Los Angeles Clippers. Please Like and Subscribe!! Sign up for Underdog Fantasy HERE with promo code GILSARENA and get a $100 first deposit match: https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-gil's-arena Gil’s Arena premieres every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:30am PT / 2:30pm ET. Chapters SHOW START 0:00:00 INTRO 0:03:10 87-88 VS 12-13 FIRST TEAM ALL NBA 0:07:52 LEXIE BROWN TALKS WNBA 0:09:14 World Champ Debate 2.0 0:20:43 Ben Simmons Comeback 0:23:29 Gil's Confidence Struggles 0:31:55 How To Utilize Ben Simmons 0:41:52 Rondae Hollis Jefferson Cooks Like Kobe 0:47:15 NBA 1v1 Tournament 0:58:33 Difference Between Fiba and NBA 1:06:17 Rondo on Outplaying Coaches 1:13:04 Best Player Coach You've Seen 1:19:42 Kenyon Martin's Experience With George Karl 1:24:55 Does The Players Make The Coach? 1:29:58 NBA Coaching Mount Rushmore 1:45:41 Best Coach You Played For? 1:53:54 Coach You Wish You Played For? 1:55:27 MostlyFans 2:07:37 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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terms apply. Instacart. Groceries that over-deliver. Agent Zero changed the game put that respect on his name. Look with the honor called for greatness the chosen a few that carry the gift

of genius who do what they do Who possess Vanessa, bless with desire, it's true I'ma say it loud, none other than who? Some swear by Nikes, others love Adidas Rappers be rockin' crowds, I'd rather rock arenas You may have a nice shop, you're super set with a pill Who made the zero famous? It's Yield Homie fire, he wet, cold as the Pacific

Some dudes try to guard him, no need to be specific He dazzled up the crowd as a wizard for years Was 100% real, it's Yield Yield Gills! Gills! He started with a five. Welcome back to Gills arena presented by underdog fantasy Appreciate all the 54 hour being throwing up in support Blame my dad. It's not about my fault. I wanted but like you said I wanted good numbers, but I was a bigger kid Had to go had to go on the 55. 55. You already know.

55. Yes. They were pulling them shit. I was like, all right, that's the only one I'm going to fit in. So I got them like that. But back with the damn gear. What you got here? Look at you.

What is this, bro? Yeah. I don't know what this is, but it's cool. Show them the shoes. I like those. I got no socks on, but. I like the front. It's supposed to come with dog bones,

but I didn't know how to put them on. No, you shouldn't Not a nice dog We got Kenya Martin back with us What had and make it this your second time third time for second time. Okay, it's been a minute Lexi Appreciate you coming through. Thanks for having me back.

Always styling. What are those? These are Tiana Taylor's. They're Jordan's. I'm a sneaker free agent, everybody. Wait, she got her own shoe? Yeah. Aren't they cute?

Yeah, they are. They're really cute. They have little roses. It comes with this on the top. Yeah, I was admiring them. It's nice. Come on. I like these. When did you get them?

Not really. Jordan brought these. I'm gonna get my daughter a pair of them. I love these. We know you're Reebok. No, not anymore. Oh, really? I'm nobody. That's why she got on Nike. She couldn't have it on TV.

I know, but... She said she... Nope, I'm nobody. Oh, shit. I hope she wouldn't be reckless like that. Still in the cut, it's all about, hey, I got on these. Free agents. Free agents over here. I am also a shoe free agent, so, all about, hey, I got one of these. We all know. Free agents. Free agent over here.

I'm also a shoe free agent, so anybody who would like to bless me. Y'all see I wear Chucks every day. I'm poor. Hey, nothing wrong with Chucks. But they're the everyday, every man, common man shoe. But here's what we got cracking today. You're a gangbanger.

No blue or red, Gil. Only Caucasian color Chucks. Only Caucasian colored Chuck. Only Caucasian colored. Very neutral. And black every once in a while, too. But Ben Simmons says he's ready to dominate this season. Will his game cast a check? His mouth is writing. Rondé Hollis Jefferson

has been looking like a Kobe clone. Oh, he did go to Arizona. He looked like Kobe mixed with Tupac, but not Tupac, the dude who played Tupac in the Tupac movie. But looking like a Kobe clone for Jordan in the World Cup, but does he deserve another shot in the league? And Rondo said he was focused on trying to out-coach coaches, and it also leads to another conversation.

Does a player make the coach, or does a coach make the player? Before we get into all that, as always, this show is brought to you by Underdog Fantasy. Download the app, use promo code GILSARENA arena They will match your first deposit up to $100 and we got some breaking news Gil on Tuesday We were at two hundred ninety eight thousand subscribers You know not as good as 300, but we told everybody if we got to that 300 we give him a special treat We are currently I think at three hundred 1,000 subscribers. We did it. All Gil had to do was sweat his shirt out.

The tough crowd sweated, sweated our logo. I was like, I don't need to wear no undershirt. I got a sweater on. Always. But we're giving y'all a special gift for week one of the NFL season. Hold on. Use promo code GIL, and you get a free special pick-em for week one of the season. 0.5 yards.

Who can't do that? I could probably do that. Nah, I don't think so. I don't know. But you can't get 0.5? You can't. You big tight end or something.

Nah, I'm not. Get out here, post you up. Can you catch me? I got, yeah. Nah, I ain't gonna lie. That didn't sound too convincing.

Oh yeah, we're gone. And as always, we do mostly fans at the end of the show. Go ahead and drop your questions in. Include your underdog fantasy username, and you will get a $50 bonus. I'm going to get hit up on Twitter, Gil. People are actually getting their bread, so good to see Underdog following through with it. Very thankful for that 50 piece that they can use for pick'ems. Man, I don't care about if they want bread.

I offered them 5K yesterday, and they turned that down. You know what time it is. Turn it down. Yeah. So we got a good mostly fans question. We're going to start just quickly for y'all two. This comes from underdog user WittaFRM870. 8788, first team, versus the 2012-2013 first team.

Who wins? 87-88 was Barkley Bird, Hakeem, Jordan Magic. 2012-13 is LeBron, KD, Duncan, Kobe, CP3. Fuck, say this. We got Magic. Good Magic, right? Barkley Bird, Hakeem, Jordan magic for the 87-88 team the 2012-2013 team is LeBron KD Duncan Kobe CP3 Adam young Adam young dogs

Am I Lou 87-88 young dogs. I know I'm going No question Boy Jordan only like what 26 maybe average of 35 37. Yeah Oh my god, that's reckless Jordan's who does before get his ass what about yeah, that's before this is done got to Him yeah, that's before. Pistons done got to him. Yeah, that's him, yeah. That's prime magic. Ooh, Barclay. Yeah.

Hakeem. Oh, yeah, I don't think it's close. That's a woof. Not close. All right, $50 nonetheless. And we got a comment. This is from Monty Thompson. He said, Gil looking like he fresh off a Diddy video.

Hey, man, back in 90, but six cell, man. I like it, though. Yeah. I like it though. Yeah And as always you can't watch the show live with us Go ahead and listen to it on Spotify Apple music wherever you get your podcast from help us dominate both sides of the game You see us running it up on YouTube if we run it up on the podcast side, too We might be able to get a bag pay our bills. I can get some Gucci loafers instead of these chucks that I'm wearing But let's get into it so Lex we got you here on the couch I can get some Gucci loafers instead of these chucks that I'm wearing. But let's get into it.

So, Lex, we got you here on the couch. I was at the crib yesterday, minding my business, doing what I like to do, watching ESPN. Came across a ticker. Said it was announced that you'll be out for the rest of the season. Yeah. So you're having arguably one of your best seasons of your career. A lot of people saying you should have got that all-star love,

but missed some games. And now, you know, we're not trying to be all up in your business, but want to know how are you doing physically, emotionally, and mentally? Physically, I'm doing better every day. It's like a day-to-day thing. So I'll have a really good day, and then I might have a really horrible day the next day. But I'm getting there. Mentally, it's been a struggle. I just love being in the gym.

I love the game so I have kind of I've been completely shut down from all physical activity pretty much for the most of the summer so that's just kind of been a little bit hard to deal with but the team has been great my family's been great they've allowed me to like handle this privately the team has handled this really privately which I really appreciate and they just want me to be focused and healthy for next season and I've never had that in my career, someone being like, we locked in for next year. So I'm just really looking forward to getting back on the court. How hard is it for you, though, to watch the Spark Squad

and know you're not out there helping them? It's so hard. And, you know, we've dealt with any possible thing that you could have dealt with from a health standpoint on our team. We've dealt with one of our teammates. She tested positive for COVID yesterday. We have injuries. We had a flu bug that, like, annihilated the team at the beginning of the season.

Like, we've just been dealing with a lot. So just seeing them, you know, battle through all that, still be in playoff contention has been amazing. And I just want to shout out my girl Jordan Canada. And, you know, she's had a breakout. Go Bruins. Jordan Canada for most approved. And if they don't shout out my girl, Jordan Canada. And, you know, she's had a breakout season. Go Bruins! Jordan Canada for most approved. And if they don't give it to her, they're hating.

She's just made such a leap from last season to this season. So I'm just really proud of her. And I'm really excited for her to be my point guard for the future. I've seen her make a leap, too, on social media. Oh, you see, talking her shit. Talking her shit. She's doing what she needs to do. So, you know, that's what we do.

That's the Bruin way. But let's talk a little bit just about what's going on this season. You got, you know, a couple super teams in the Aces and the Liberty. Aces set the record for most wins by a team in the season with 30. I think they did in their 34th game. The Mercury previously had that record of 29, only played 34 games in the season. Now it's 40. But, yeah, we talk about Aces and Liberty.

I think the Liberty are 3-2 against the Aces the season. Now it's 40. But yeah, we talk about aces and liberty. I think the liberty are three and two against the aces this season. There's been some talk about this ace squad being, you know, arguably one of the greatest of all time. If they win the championship this season, will they be the best team in WNBA history? No. And they're really good, trust me. But they're not, I don't think they'll be the best team i think they have some really great pieces but if you look back at the the minnesota lynx dynasty that they had with maya and simone augustus and all them like they're not touching that team right now from like a position standpoint from what they had going on on the bench um and they won four championships so vegas has won one um you know i think when they if they do win this season you know they can be sprinkled into that conversation they can pull up um i think what the

liberty have shown is like there is a glaring piece of that team missing and i think that's where candace parker was at um i don't know if she's coming back this season but i don't think they were gonna they thought they were gonna miss her as much as they do i know i didn't think that they were gonna miss her as much as they do. I know I didn't think that they were going to miss her as much as they do, but they're definitely the most talented team. Well, they have the most talented starting five, but they're not unbeatable, clearly, and the Liberty just had their number this year, and they're clicking, they're going the right direction,

and they're just taking off. That happens. Some teams go like this when playoffs come, and happens. Some teams go like this when playoffs come and then some people start going like this when playoffs come. But I think it's going to be Vegas and the Liberty in the finals. I do still think that.

We're looking forward to it. So we got one of the best WNBA draft classes coming up in a lot of people's opinion. You got Angel Reese, Paige Beckers, Kaitlyn Clark, Cameron Brink coming. Whose game? What? What did you just say? What did I just say? You said, wait, Kaylin Clark, Cameron Brink coming. Who's game? What? What did you just say?

What did I just say? You said, wait, some of them, will you say them names again? So you got Angel Reeves. She can't come into the draft this year. Next year. This coming year. She's going to only be a what? A junior.

No, she's a senior right now. Ain't that how Angel Reeves was a junior? Senior. Okay, who else? Paige. She's only a sophomore right now. Ain't that how Angel Reese was a Jew? Senior. Okay, who else? Paige. She's only a sophomore this year. Senior. Paige Buckner?

Beckers. Beckers. From UConn? Yeah. What? Technically, she's a senior, but she got hurt, so. She missed the year. So she's done the four, right?

This will be the. I think this will be her third. She was just in high school. Time flies. Time is flying, dude. Time is really flying. She was just in high school. Time flies. Time is flying, dude. Time is really flying. She missed the year. 2021.

What? Yeah. If she wants to declare because of her age, she can, I'm pretty sure. But she doesn't have to. So it's like football. That's actually kind of like a lot of them right now, too. Yeah, Kaylin Clark. You can be a certain age.

No, no, no. Hold on. hold on. Last year, Kaylin Clark was a junior and Reese was a sophomore. No, she's a junior. Okay,

I'm tripping. No, they kind of like rolled with that but she played two full seasons at Maryland before she transferred.

It was that whole COVID shit though, right? Oh, that's what's fucking about. Yeah, she played two whole years

at Maryland before she transferred. You got college football players like 24, 25 right now. Like grown-ass men, kids and shit at the game. Kids on the team. Oh, yeah, because... Everyone got that COVID year. I think this is the last year of that.

So you can use it or not use it. I played at West Virginia in 26. Damn. That's insane. I mean, you talk about sports, but just being on a being on a college campus, like, at that age, you play. What are you doing? You're pedophile, man. You can't talk to nobody.

Like, there's no way you're having fun on a college campus. You're pedophile on a college campus, man. Like, what are you doing? You can't talk to nobody on a college campus. I'll lock you up. Straight to the gym. Yeah, you off-campus housing. Right.

To the gym. You might as well go be a pro at that point. Not at the fun gym. Like, hey. Atcampus housing to the gym, my bro. Might as well go be a pro at that point. Not at the fun gym. Like, hey. At least for men. Like, let's go. Unless they paying for your, unless you trying to be

this certain type of lawyer or doctor and they just continue to fund in your education that you just using them, I get it. But, dude, it's time to go, bro.

Yeah. So, of that crew, though, who do you think is game best translated to the WNBA? Probably Kaitlyn's. Kaitlyn Clark's, for sure. Yeah. So of that crew, though, who do you think's game best translates to the WNBA? Probably Kaitlyn's. Kaitlyn Clark's, for sure. Just from an IQ level, too.

Like, I just love the way she thinks the game. And she makes the pass to the next pass. I mean, usually she's making the pass. But I think it's going to be interesting watching her this season, though, because she did lose some teammates. So I don't think Iowa as a whole is going to be as talented as they were last season so i'm like really interested to see how she like steps up i don't know how much more she can step it up but i'm like really looking forward to it for sure

and then yesterday we talked about yeah go ahead gil i'm just he's still confused he's still confused about the years no because that's i we're, we have discussions, you know, with our team, like, about the draft, but, like, we don't know who's coming out and who's going to stay. So, you know, tank, you don't tank, but, like, you look at, like, the Phoenix Mercury right now. Did you see the possession of one of their last

games? Was it Phoenix? No, it was Seattle, when they just stopped. Them and Chicago? Did you see when they just stopped playing? I've never seen them. They, like, they they were down five there was 12 seconds left and both teams just stopped playing and Seattle had a ball they were down I've never seen that before but I'm like, how can you make a decision for the draft? We don't even know because if the girls are coming out yet who can actually stay in All of them so all okay. okay, okay. I knew I was on. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I wasn't tripping. You're not. They all can stay in. They all can stay in, okay. That Rona year, girl. That Rona red shirt. The Rona red shirt. Well, then they're not coming into the draft, then.

I wouldn't. They can't. Some have the potential to. No, no, no, no. Yeah, I wouldn't. They make too much money in college. Some of them. For some.

No, those are the ones we just named. Yes, those three, Caitlin, Angel, who's the other one? Cameron. I wouldn't be shocked. Paige. Paige. I would be shocked if they stayed for money. You think they'll go to the league? This year? No. Oh, when they're done? I mean, yeah. Where else would they go? Stay in college? You can't stay in college forever. For that bag. They got one more year. I would take it. I would stay in college for one more year.

Take the bag. Take that money, pal. What? I mean, they're making like what? They're going to make more? One was making what? 400, 500,000? Yeah. Crazy.

Angel Reese can't even go to class anymore. She's too famous. Yeah, shit. That's crazy. Paige Buckner bought her whole team Rolexes. I wasn't famous, and I wasn't going to class either. I couldn't do it either. He was in the league, wasn't doing that.

Oh, yeah. I mean, people are weird now. Like, the world is different now, so I kind of get it. But I'm like, I went to Duke. I was in class with all them. Really? Yes. I had class with all of them.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're trying to entertain you. People are just weird now. And Duke also is a smaller university and people have sense. They went to class. No, no, no. They went, yeah. They was in class.

I'm just fucking with you. I'm just fucking with you. They was in class. No, I know they went to class because they wasn't that good as pros, so they had to get that degree back. When did you come out? Like 2000 what? 18.

Ooh. They had to get that When you come would you come out like two thousand what 18 ooh That's like what's I on them right that was right before they got there Okay, so like I've probably left college like right before like the world got like super weird. Okay, super weird Marvin Bagley Marvin was there my last year. Yeah. Yeah, that was the last group, I think. Yeah. So we talked about this yesterday from an NBA perspective, but it's different on the W side because a lot of players go overseas

and play with a lot of those teams internationally. But can the WNBA champion call themselves the world champion? Oh, gosh. I mean, we do, but we don't, like, walk around saying, we're the world champs. We're the WNBA champions. So I don't think, like, the debate that's going on is so strange to me because we don't walk around saying we're world champs.

We still say we're WNBA champs, we're NBA champs. If they took the world championship banner down and put up just NBA, I don't think anybody would be upset about that. I don't know. But I think Vegas has the best team in the world. But the overseas teams, I don't know. But I think, yeah, I think Vegas has the best team in the world. But the overseas teams, I mean, they're solid too, but they also have WNBA players.

Yeah, yeah, that's if you take the WNBA players off. I'm trying to think. The EuroLeague team that just won, I think their whole starting five was WNBA players. But is that EuroLeague team saying, no, y'all whole R25 is EuroLeague player who gets the bigger bag no I'm still going

with like the WNBA okay well then WNBA so you'll say so this year so last year right yeah last year's Vegas team

versus the Euro team without the WNBA players no with the WNBA with the WNBA players I mean then it's two WNBA teams playing. It's different. If you think about it. Yeah, it's different.

Because, and it is crazy, like that year, I can't remember what team it was. Was it Gala or Fenner? I can't remember. One of those teams, they obviously had enough money to pay all five of them to be on that team together. We can't do that here. I mean, the Aces have built their team through draft picks and stuff, which is great to watch.

So the Euro team, they probably could beat a WNBA team. If they kept their W players? Oh, for sure, because they are a WNBA team. Yeah, they're made up of WNBA players. And then a lot of them are. Like, they have passports. They're foreign-born some, so they can just put them all on the same team Hmm. Yeah

Yes That won't happen in the NBA Everyone was trying It's just such a weird weird weird's a weird thing that he started. No, I mean, he was, he's, I mean, from the technical terms, he's not wrong. But why? When you think about it, like, we've then already established that these are the best teams. Like, when you say Denver Nuggets, so when is the NBA, when is the last game, July?

NBA? June. Yeah, mid-June. So mid-June. Mid-June. So mid- so mid June so three days and then you play whoever won a Euro Cup right well I mean unfortunately that team actually doesn't have any NBA players on it right it's gonna be European players if there is an NBA player he's been retired from the NBA and he went back to play for a

local team or he's played over there his whole career. Yeah. I'm saying something. You know, so he's going to be like our NBA player that's over there. The motherfucker's 38. Yeah. Right? So it's an AAU team. Right?

You know, you get beat by 100. Like, people don't realize when we sign a Euro player, he does not actually go back to that team anymore. Right. He don't go back in the summer and play that. The only time he goes is to play for his country. So when we play the best team in Spain, it's not going to have Gasol's fucking Rubio. It's not going to have them. It's going to have Juan Valera.

Then whose rules are you playing by? It don't matter who rules. It's Julio and Raimondo. But just imagine you go to NBA guys and you got all these athletic dudes. Julio, Raimondo. And ball on the rim. Just constantly knocking the ball off the rim. Fucking scoring 75 points.

Like, come on, man. Stop, y'all. Julio, Raimondo. Julio, Raimondo was the start. Like Luka. Luka was the best player on his team at 16 right when he won a championship if He had to play against the NBA team. He's the best player at 16. He's playing against Kevin Durant and Steph Curry's Golden State team Come on Most points that by a thousand. Come on. What are we talking about here?

Most points ever scored in a basketball game. Because of AAU, that's literally AAUC, man. Running clock. The whole second half. That shouldn't have been fair. Refs would have just been like, just keep it going. That shouldn't have been fair. So let's talk a little bit about Ben Simmons.

Three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defense, one All-NBA selection. But the past few seasons have been disappointing, to say the least. Simmons was the subject of ridicule for his performance in the 2021 playoffs. Mixed the next season with a back injury and holed out with the Sixers before getting traded to the Nets. Last season, he only played about half the season before more back problems. But Simmons thinks it's just a minor setback for a major comeback. He did an interview with Mark J. Spears at Anscape and said he's getting ready to get his NBA

career back on track saying the following, for me to come back and dominate people will be great. I don't intend to come back the same player I was last season because that's not even close to where I am. I get excited because I'm like, damn I would expletive on that player I was last year. I don't know if he was shit on or what the expletive was.

Shit. Shit. Sounds about right. Poop, whatever. But I know where I was that last year, so it's easy to say that. But it's just fun to go and do the thing you love when you're out there. That's really it for me. I don't really ask for too much.

So let's talk about it, Gil. You've had some opinions about Ben Simmons. I feel like we've talked about this shit literally our tire Duration working together, but what has been Simmons need to do to get back to an all-star level just play Did the question literally get on the court? The question is this he received his money, right? He won he won that uh He get all the bread. Yeah. Yeah, so he won that lawsuit against Philly. So he's back. He's back 100.

Oh. Yeah, the whole back is good. Everything's whole. Soon as he got that check, oh shit, 100. We didn't consider that as an option, right? If they're fining him, he says he has a back injury. He gets traded to Nets. They're holding his money.

If he plays, then his back doesn't hurt. So he forfeits the 19, 20-something million. So he has to play the long game. You got to play the game. Yeah, oh, I must have to say, he has to play the long game. Case over. Yeah, case over. Shit.

This thing loose. I can get into a defensive squad again. So you say it's been disappointing. Like, no, it's been nonexistent the last couple years. Yeah, nonexistent. And to Gil's point, like, no, he's just got to get on the floor, man. Like, when he on the floor, he can help any team because he's got a certain skill set that you can't teach.

You know what I'm saying? Like, he defend, he pass the ball well, he fast, athletic. Like, all that stuff translate. Like, damn if you're not the best shooter. Like just get in the gym, try. Like if you listen, get in the gym, shoot the bitch. And if you get in the game, shoot the bitch. If you miss it, you fucking miss it.

Just, hey, get back, get a stop. Like, oh well, man. You ever seen him work out? Not in person, but I've seen. I've seen him work out probably 10, 12 times. And I'm trying to figure out, yo, why you don't shoot... Like, when he's shooting three, perfect form, everything. Right?

And I'm sitting here like... Yeah, that's weird. This is really... Just don't shoot. It might be perception. Yeah. When he gets on an NBA court, the court is bigger than that practice court, right?

You can see the wall. You can see how far it is. I think when he gets into the NBA game and it's... His depth perception is... His depth perception is... I think it's... How much does that depth perception mess with you? Obviously, the bigger the arena, the harder it is, but...

There's... I mean, listen. If you go to a practice and you go around every single practice, there's a Michael Jordan, there's a Kobe Bryant in practice. Yeah, there's that guy in practice. He just can't turn it on in a game. Something happens when them lights come on.

Popcorn. It's different. The environment's different. The lights are brighter. There's people around. Some people get anxiety. It's all kind of stuff. But it looks like Ben's kind of conquered this mental block that he had or he claimed that he had.

And I think that's good. Like, he doesn't really do interviews. He hasn't really done any interviews. For him to come out and say that about himself, like, that's a good sign. That's exciting. Like, he's, like, not been on the court. He's been radio silent. Like, interview-wise, on his socials, he don't really be doing anything.

I'm happy for him because I know that that mental part of the game and sports is always missed. It's so important. For him to be able to conquer that, that took a lot of work. I hope that he can play a whole season. People question if he liked the game or not. That's what it became. He talked about that as well. He questioned if he wanted to play.

We all did. You know what I'm saying? He got all these athletic attributes and people see it and like, yeah. Especially guys that's played. You know what I'm saying? It's hard for us to sit back and be like, like, you don't want to play? Are you hurt for real or you just don't like the game?

You know what I'm saying? But if he is hurt, he hurt. That 20 million I'm trying trying to get my back hurt I says my back is awful. I got hit by Okay, I got hit by a truck. Mm-hmm I mean, I'm sure all of y'all have seen or had teammates that just didn't love the game for whatever reason Like how hard is that for you as a teammate to see that and being a locker with that person supposed to go out to? battle with them

It doesn't I mean it hurts, it hurts but you've already came to that conclusion, right, that I'm just not going. We just don't fuck with him, right. What hurts is when the news, right, and TNT and they say, oh, he don't want to pass the ball. You want to pass the ball to him? Work with him. Work with that dude, man.

Right. If you work with him, you'll see it. Yeah, they're not with him every day. Like, that's the funniest thing. Like, y'all don't know what goes on in practice or the locker room or the things that come out of this person's mouth. Like, and you want us to just feed this person that we all know hates being here and doesn't want to be here and doesn't want to put everything out there for them.

And it's like frustrating, but you can't get into a back and forth with the media. It's pointless. You'll lose every time. Every time. But how frustrating is that to see the media perception of whatever this player is versus the reality? This is it. Media fans, like you...

Just like anything in life, right? If someone is averaging 36, 37 in a team sport, don't say ball hog. Ask why, why there must be a reason that he's averaging this much with a team because it's already been established that this is not... Just give me the ball, all right? Just give me the ball, get the fuck out of the way. We've already done established this shit already. Motherfuckers, you on a fast break layup. Here, there you go. Yeah, because there are times like the ball, you have to receive the ball.

You don't have the ball every single time, so it's funny. And then there's moments like if they score under 35, means one game. There's going like 60 or 50 like Just dumb like this thing Use your brain just use your brain, please and that's players How do you deal with confidence issues and keeping your mental right? It's a long season long career Sure, there's a lot of peaks and valleys. So how do you handle that mental side of the game? My confidence ain't never wavers There's a lot of peaks and valleys. So how do you handle that mental side of the game? My confidence ain't never wavering.

So I don't know. That's just not worth it. I never fucking understood that. I've never understood that, bro. I can miss. I can go, hey, man, listen. I wasn't the best free throw shooter at all, jump shooting at times, brother.

My confidence ain't going to waver at all. I'm going out there to hoop. It ain't doing that. I'm going to go do this. This't doing that I'm gonna do this this and I'm gonna go I am NOT it doesn't never register with me. So I don't that yeah I'm not fortunate. I can say that I thought I was I was the cockiest motherfucker ever When I got back on the court after the gun situation has nothing to do with this Thinking what people's thinking had me thinking, right, for the first time. And from there, it's like, I'm at the free throw line.

What are they talking about? Like, it just, all of a sudden, I know, all of a sudden, I let the world inside. When, before, I'd never seen a fan in the ring. I can say I'd never actually seen fans. I let the world inside. Before, I'd never seen a fan in the room. I can say I'd never actually seen fans. I'm tunnel vision. I can only see the court. Didn't see who's in the stand.

Kids waving to me. I'm looking past. They're like, oh, see you little motherfuckers. Right? When I got back, I can see everyone. Oh, there's a lot of people here. Yeah, right It's just right. What are they saying? What are they whispering? What are they doing this and it I started shooting free throws It's horrible taking I'm taking two three hundred a day. I'm shooting 60%

Shoot now. I don't want to shoot no more. I Don't want to miss I don't want them to say so long. They boo the gun thing to but I Lost it. Yeah Fucking lost it Why I never gained it. Listen, I've never gained it back. I Retired didn't want to watch basketball no more until like 2016-17 yeah damn Fucking just a gun thing, dog. Not bad. And usually it doesn't have a lot to do with basketball.

Even for me, I didn't start overthinking as much until I became a pro, where this is the first time I'm not playing really at all. So the few minutes I do get, you're like, I can't mess up. I had never been in a situation like that before. And then I had a coach that kind of tried to tag this uncoachable trait on me. Like, oh, she got a bad attitude. Her body language sucks. So, like, then I was like, okay, if I miss this shot and I don't react exactly how they want me to react, now everyone's still going to think that I have body language problems.

I'm a bad teammate. I'm not a good person. And that's kind of what got me the beginning of my career. Now I've matured through that. I actually did work on that because I am really hard on myself. But in college, I never thought about anything. One, because I was in the gym all the time. We had 24-7 access.

I was just always in the gym. And I always feel best about my game when I'm working on my craft constantly constantly constantly when you get in the W you don't have 24 7 access to your practice facility and um some teams do not not our team so it's like little things like that I had to start to adjust because I know how I am like I need to be in the gym all the time and feel my best and that's why I started my season so well because I found a place to be able to go to the gym all the time and feel my best. And that's why I started my season so well, because I found a place to be able to go to the gym all the time and work out. So like now in my career, like I don't care as much as I used to and it's great, but it took a lot of work. And like going back with the

Ben Simmons thing, like I think he has to work on that. And I guess we're just going to see if it happened. I know, bro. When I was in Orlando, bro, every morning I threw up. Listen, it was so bad, bro. It was so bad. I tinted car, limo tint. I limo tinted house windows. So people didn't know I lived there. So I go from the car right into the garage, boom.

So no one actually seen. Like I was self-conscious for the first time in my life. That's the guy with the guns. That's the guy with the guns. That shit was fucking with me. I guess I ain't never gave a fuck what people think that much. Like nobody, like I really did. Like I really didn't. Like I had some horrible times in Denver where I'm shooting air balls and shit just because I wasn't working on my shit the way I should have been. But I didn't... Motherfucker come to me, I tell mother, I don't read what you write. I don't care what you got to say. Man, listen, meet me in the parking lot.

That's what I said. You know what I'm saying? Hey man, meet me in the parking lot. That's what I said. You can't just try. You know what I'm saying? Hey man, meet me in the parking lot. But I just... I pull guns on teammates as a rookie. None of that shit, I ain't gonna fuck about none of that. That's what I said, it's like something that just came out of nowhere. Just woke up one day, like even when I got in trouble and I'm in the halfway house, I'm cocky

in the halfway house, right? Go to Chicago, I'm y'all horrible. That season start, the questions they's asking, all this, and going into the game and second guessing what

got to Orlando Orlando then I got like I got a I can't be who I am anymore because of the gun thing so they already prejudging me then the baby mama done said I done left her and the kids for homeless and the snow and shit like that right so all that's all that's

good I got served on the court so I got yeah come halftime on TV got a package. Oh, hey, thank you. You've been served like Ticket to get in to do that. Yeah, I'm walking down the same tunnel Boom you've been served Wow So so you can see how just everything's compiling. I didn't Yet I oughta went to jail at halftime I'll grab the silver serving and I'll do it the jail because he's just doing his job

I'll grab motherfucker you sure right? Why can't slagging the fan around this motherfucker ain't no fan But that's why I didn't go to, I tried out for the Lakers. So I tried out for the Lakers after the lockout. Tried out for the Lakers. We're in Steven Jackson's, not the NBA player, the rich one. Not the rich one, but the billionaire. They both rich, but the rich one of the two.

I know that's a rich dude living in Beverly Hills. So I'm with Mitch Kupchak and all them, right if I took if I took 300 shots I might have missed 10 and I had them I wanted to prove what my distance look so I'm shooting right in front of the half court I went 18 from 20 Right, so I'm on The interview starts are you, you were talking after. Like, how long you...

And I talked myself out of this job. Damn. He said, yeah, so can you come here now? And all I thought was, L.A. media, the gun stuff. Like, oh, hell no. Oh, nah. They're not just going to every day write

Gilbert Arenas, the dude with the guns in the locker room. They're not going to write that. Not in L.A. No, no, no. So I'm like, oh, yeah, you know, it's going to take me about a, like I'm here to run in line drills. They already know I'm in shape. Yeah, it's going to take me about two months to get in game shape because it's March. Everybody gets these, right?

So I'm sitting here talking myself out of the L.A. job because I was scared of the media. And am I the same person Kobe thinks he's getting? I don't want to deal with that. I go to Memphis Left there said I don't think I'm really ready to play this year go back home go try out for Memphis Try to talk myself out of that job. Oh, yeah. Yeah my son birthday. I want to go back home It's like man. I know we got a check right here for you Self sabotage I saidage. Jesus Christ. Trust me, it took about 2000, 2016, man.

That's crazy. But do you look back, think that's the back, because to your point, coming to the Lakers and what that media spotlight would have been on. With me? Versus going to the Grizzlies where you got to deal with less of that shit. That's what I said, mentally, bro, trust me, I was not him. Damn.

Yeah, I was a cabbage patch kid. I was soft, charming soft. So, I'm sure, I mean, I know, right? You looking at Gil different now? No, no, no, not at all. He's still an assassin, but I'm just trying to figure, like... You didn't tell no one, like, you didn't try to like you ever try to like talk you just do you just do it was like the first time I felt like you're looking at me like you know all my moves I don't know it's like the brook I made a comment

about Tiger Woods once right it was it was a the year when all the stuff happened which I'm the one who took him out of the media with my gun stuff. That took the women away. And he's playing. And I said, he's not going to win because when he's sitting there, when it's quiet, he's for the first time listening. So that drama that's around him. Oh His Superman quote is gone. The confidence is gone because everybody has something on him now. So I said he's not gonna win Anymore until he until he gets back his super cloak and he realized he's the shit

And that's when he started losing losing losing then eventually he's back Yeah, that golf shit is different too because they were right up on you and they were literally following you. It's supposed to be quiet. And be quiet, but so, but you know, so now you,

you listening. Now it's like, yeah. What are they saying? What are they saying? And now you ain't concentrating on what you're supposed to concentrate on.

Damn. Because they can get close though and even if they're not talking, you hear that breathing, that staring and they will literally follow you from hole to hole to hole.

Like that shit is wild. And then while you're walking to the hole, they will literally follow you from hole to hole to hole like that shit is wild And then while you walk into the hole a little a saying Lord knows what now you really listening Yeah, we in the shots you get to the next shot like these motherfuckers just see it Now you get to the next hole and this thing that is oh wow I brought that's what said I went from like 234 to like 206 I'm throwing up every day soon as I got to the ring, blah, I'm just. Shit. Don't know.

I don't know what was going on, man. I was done. How could that lock out? Lock me out. See, this crib. I didn't go nowhere in Orlando. Ask the teammates. You know how at the end of the game they go up to the club?

No. There's people up there. Yeah. Shit, ain't no people in my house you want straight yeah that's crazy bro sorry you had to go through that money it happens man because I would follow the side yeah cuz like I'm the type of team a life I see something out like I'm like thank you yeah you teammates reach out like not even know you know I'm gonna come in I'm a see all the stuff you know but you know cuz it but they

don't know me so they don't know my natural personality. It's just the personality I get there. Like Stan Van Gunney talking this shit, I'm just sitting in here. Knowing damn well if you don't sit your motherfucking ass down, man, what the fuck is wrong with you? Yeah, dog. That's what, man. Yeah. Last question for y'all.

If you were coaching Ben Simmons, how would you utilize him to get the most out of this guy? I personally would tell him, keep driving until someone actually stops you. Until someone makes you change directions. I need your foot in the paint on every fast break. You taking the ball to the paint every, you're, come on, you're 6'11", athletic,

we don't even know if you're right-handed or left-handed. Most likely you're right-handed but play basketball left-handed. You can pass, right? So it's like, yo, just let someone stop you. I need you two feet in the paint. And then from there, if he's going to the paint every single time, then he's going to realize how close he is. Give me 30. Give me 30.

Go watch number 34 for the Bucs play. Go watch him play. I need you to do that. Do the same thing. Do that. Nobody else say do that. What is the difference? Nothing. What's up?

Giannis' confidence ain't never wavered. He motherfucking like, I'm going to shoot this bitch. He can shoot an air ball three and come down and bury next possession. Pull up three. That shit never happened, dog. Like that. Go to the, and keep going to the line.

He didn't miss 12 free throws. He do the same. And drive the very next possession to get fouled. Who? Come on, man. I'm serious. Ben, him, watch. What you need from me, coach?

Him. Him? Yep. Don't do nothing. Him. Come on, man. So, Ben, since it's rookie season 2017-18, only Westbrook, Joker, Luka, LeBron, and Harden

have more triple doubles. Now, listen. What he does on the floor is never going to... I think sometimes when we see a player, right, we try to maximize what their capabilities are, right? Like, okay, you can be... You can average 30. You can average...

He can actually average a triple-double. Absolutely. Right? Absolutely. All he has to be is actually aggressive. Yeah. The more aggressive he is, the easier the assist becomes. So we try to put these tags on him, 25, 30, 12, and 10.

And he's one of the guys who just, I just want to play. But my thing is like, yo, you're doing us a disjustice if you're not playing the game to a certain level. If you're not being aggressive. Like defensively, I know he's going to take the challenge. We're not questioning his defense. We're questioning, are you going to just tap into who you really are? Yeah, and he's shown the world and the league what he can do.

There ain't no slouch by any stretch of imagination what people might try to portray it as. But, no, you just got to be on the floor, man, be available. Fuck the naysayers, man. Go out and hoop. Like, go out and hoop, man. Like, if you love the game of basketball like you claiming now, you're going to bust people's ass and you're going to show me

because I like what you was doing. Like, I like your skill set. I like your makeup. Like, damn if people say you can't shoot the ball that well. Like, it ain't the only aspect of the game, man. I'm saying? Thanks. I think people want him to do well, too.

People like watching him play. I mean, yeah, I feel like there's still a crew of people that are rolling with him. Yeah. But just these past couple seasons, what's happened, a lot of people have probably turned their back on him. I mean, the boy can average 10, 11, 12 points, man, and be dominant. And then shut down. And be dominant because he can average the same amount of rebounds,

the same amount of points, and be that monster on defense and dominate the game. So what will he have to do for, like, people to think he's back? Does he have to, like, average? Like, what if he, like, averages crazy numbers but they don't win? What if he comes back? He does. But what if he still is playing well, but he's not like averaging these monsters numbers,

but they're winning? Like where do you think, like what do you think they're going to put the more value? Like he's not playing bad in either situation. Even what's so funny is even if, because all the shit that went against him, right? His team was number one. All defensive team, right? So his team was number one, and he was all team defense. And when you look at that, he didn't play well offensively,

nor did Trey Young because that's who he was guarding, right? Nobody took in what he was doing defensively on the other team. Yeah, he wasn't shooting the ball, but he's like, he ain't going to score either then. If I ain't going to score, he ain't going to score. He was doing his job,

but number one, it's one of those things is he's going, this one is just personally for him. We're going to judge him off what he's doing personally. Fuck the team success. Yeah.

He go out there and average 25 because that's going to be a career high for him. He go out there and average anywhere from 18 up, 7 rebounds, 7 assists. Oh, Ben's back. Yeah, I agree. I agree. His scoring numbers is low enough for him to go above him for people to be like, oh, yeah, he good. Yeah.

And he on a team that really, really can't say shit. Not at all. They ain't no KD, they ain't no KD. It's you. It's you, sir. That's real. I always keep this thing moving. So, talk a little bit about this World Cup.

Team USA has been out there cooking in the Philippines, but we also got to show some love to Rondé Hollis-Jefferson, who's become one of the biggest stories of the World Cup. Former NBA first-round pick, now a naturalized citizen for Jordan, but his game has been drawn in comparison to Kobe. He's been cooking in the group stage. His team is ass, though. I watched the game last night.

It was bad? He dropped 20. He fucked his ankle up in the first half. He had, like, 16 in the first half. Damn. Second half, he only his ankle up in the first half, but he had like 16 in the first half. Damn. Second half he only had four points, but his team, you could see Bladely not giving him the rock.

I don't know what the dynamic is, but it was just taking terrible shots, brick and shit. You say you don't know the dynamic? Well, I was about to say, what the hell you mean? I'm just saying, playing in Jordan with that squad, they looking at him like, yo, we're not really rocking with you. They looking at him like yeah, we're not really rocking with you They looking at him like who are you? You are Ringer dog you was already don't even go here You are really you drop 39 he never been a joy

But if I'm him I'm looking at y'all like, look. He met them at the World Cup. None of y'all were ever playing in the league. So let me live through y'all, all right? Now you can say you played with me. You go up to UCLA practice, walk over, like, put me in coach. Come on, yeah, that's exactly. That's what makes it all funny, man.

But yeah, 39 overtime loss to New Zealand. Like I said, he dropped the 20 piece on Team USA. He was going 105 out there for the most part. But fucked his ankle up. You're so good. You don't got to interrupt. When was the last time he was in the league? Let me pull it up.

Oh, man. Some years. Some years, right? Some years, right? Put me in, coach. I just want you. Huh? 2021.

Oh, not that many years. And what was he scoring? What was he doing? All right. We're here to uplift. No, no, I get it. We're here to tell truth and facts. It was a value uplift.

All you want. We played 11 games with the Blazers in 2020, 2021. Started one. In 10 minutes. He was averaging I'm around up say three points a game. Okay, so two rebounds. Okay, so I just want this 2.5 You gotta go up. I listen. I don't mean to just keep doing this, but I'm just gonna keep doing right so he ain't been an NBA since 2021 when he was in the NBA, he played 11 games. He played 11 games, right?

So we can say he wasn't... But his career, 9 and 6. Okay, 9 and 6. In 22 minutes. Right. And he's the best player on his national team. It's Jordan. This is going back. Are we going to circle

back to this every time? The country together, he's the best? The national win. The country together. He's the best player in the country. Not from there. He's not from there. Oh. Ah, y'all. Y'all keep thinking this world shit is that.

Okay. All right. You're disrespecting the nation of Jordan? I'm just saying. I'm just saying. He's the he's the best He's the best in the country And y'all think that you I

Okay, okay, keep trying it Y'all try to globalize the game, but y'all got to be realistic All things aside does R Rondé Hollis Jefferson deserve another chance in the league? I think so. Why not? Somebody answer shit. Why not?

Listen, man, listen. I think he's making a very good case for the Jordan. Whatever league is there, whatever pro league is there, he's going to be the best player. He's going to be MVP. Every year. What are we talking about? Right, like if he wants to be the Kobe clone,

that's not going to happen in the NBA. No. So if he's okay with that, then great. But if he wants to be the Kobe clone, he's going to stay. In Jordan. In Jordan. Yeah, in Jordan. So it's really more up to him, I think.

Because I feel like if he wanted... He can go to somebody's training camp, right? Yeah, but... I'm saying, yeah, opportunity. So that's really more up to him I think cuz I feel like it's like he knows about a training camp, right? Yeah, but That's all opportunity More than like this the way it goes. Yeah, he's been playing overseas for the last couple years He can get invited somebody's training camp. Yeah, cool Is that the opportunity they speak over somebody the actual signing this opportunity? So I'm gonna train the camp Yeah, you know somebody's training camp. Okay Okay, all right, I'm with you.

Try and see if he can make a comeback to the league. Okay, I'm with you. Because he's played in the league before, he has a chance shot because he knows what NBA life is like and all of that. I get it, but... He did go to Arizona, though, so there's definitely some questions about academics

and his basketball IQ. No, I'm just fucking around. No, I'm fucking around. But, uh... Oh, I'm with you. Yeah, y'all niggas didn't go to class. I would love that smoke, too, when we was in school, though. Y'all was that gentle. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Y'all would, uh... Y'all would scare the shit out of us. Not gonna lie. But, uh, so we talk about Ronnie Hollis Jefferson became a naturalized citizen of Jordan. Brings on a nest another question. What are your thoughts on American players becoming naturalized citizens of other countries? Oh, we got Kyle Anderson in China UCLA Bruin legend you were I almost became Serbian. Okay, very close but they wanted me to miss my

Pretty much the whole first half of my second season in the league. So I had to choose. And I had just gotten traded. And I knew I was going to play, finally. So I told them no. How does one become Serbian? You got to take a test? You got to hang out with Joker all day?

I don't know how much I can... Because I don't know if what we were doing was exactly legal. But I was playing in Hungary at the time. And if you have a passport you can make more money overseas you can go on better teams because you're not counted as one of the foreign players um so i was just flying to serbia like a few times a month meeting and like the government buildings i was getting an address i was meeting with the team, the coach. I was just hanging out in Serbia. So, yeah, it's like that's what they do.

It was, I don't know if it was legal, but it was a long process. And then we got to the end. I'm like, all right, we need you here from this date to this date. And it was like half the WNBA season. What did they need you out there doing, just hanging out? Training camp. Because the Serbian coach, she had left the serbian national team and they had been losing so they brought her back so like this was like the like a big deal for them

to like re-emerge as like a powerhouse in euro cup or whatever they were playing in and she wanted me there the whole time and i was like no way was the bag sufficient i mean like was there any way they could have convinced you to stay out there um Um they could have but like I that was like what I made the decision like I wasn't trying to be like a career overseas player like at that moment was when I was like I am interested in other doing other things and WNBA is my priority and that's what I chose and you know now I'm doing stuff like this I wouldn't be able to do stuff like this if I was hanginganging out in Serbia for a do the Serbian version of gills They would hate me

Whatever it is How do you know hey? Cuz I know he's not Chinese right Kyle Anderson. Yeah Some Chinese somewhere up. Yeah, I mean, I'm pretty sure someone grandparent. Is he the best player on that team? No, I'm just saying, right? A guy who's ranked probably 200, 250. League higher. Like 250, 300 in our NBA is the best player

for the country. I mean, it just says a lot that all these teams are bringing American players to play on their national teams to compete with the United States essentially that's funny as a date if they actually do a world game right now right and take the best foreigners right Kyle Anderson right you make the teeth right that Jordan kid right Holl? Hollis Jordan.

Yeah, he would make it. That's fucking invasive. This damn But he said that as if the Olympics don't exist and the U.S. team doesn't win gold in the Olympics. I'm just like...

But I'm saying, like, our worst players, not our worst, yeah it's not to be no i'm just saying our 300s our 250s can go that's not any nice and go you're going to the room the 300 seats you're still watching the game you are going to go into these countries and be the best player of the day. By a long shot. Come on. What are we arguing about? It's perception. The perception is, do your roles as taking over the league? No, no, no.

When you make them play by themselves and say, stand on your own, then it becomes hard. What's happening is, you have general managers that are basketball savants now. So you have Calvin Booth, right, who says, okay, I'm going to take this Euro player, and then I'm going to build him.

I'm going to build a team around him. Okay, he can pass. He can do this. He can do that. All right, let me put this type of athlete with him. Let me put this guard with him. Let me put this. So it's no confliction on how it plays. So those guys are being surrounded by better talent that fits their

game so they can be dominant versus us. We just want names. Come on over here. Like Jimmy Butler, right? If he was a Euro player, he would be considered one of the best players because of the talent around him. They built it for him. Versus someone that's sitting there and he just got a whole bunch of athletes and like, yo, this is not what I need. Does American style have anything to do with that? What? In terms of, are your players more fundamentally sound and understanding

of the game and playing the fundamental side of it versus... No, they're the old white. That's what they teach you early. That's what they start at. You got to think what we doing at the gym when you was 12. What was you doing at the gym at 12? What was you working on? Nothing.

Nothing that they, no skill shit. You know what I'm saying? That's what they hit a certain age, then it's that. You know what I'm saying? Two foot jump, stop, pivot, thumbs in. Like, come on. I mean, there's been talk about AAU, and people have their criticism. AAU's still solid.

We're still producing the best players in the world. But does it need to shift to more? That's the thing. You've got somebody like Luca who's going to that academy style, 14, 15 years old, playing against grown-ass men. Like, I lived in Italy when I was a kid, even as, like, a 7-, 8-year-old. We were playing in systems that were like the pro team. That's fine early. teach kids how to play the game the right way. I'm all I'm all for them I'm all for that. Yeah teach them how to play the game fundamentally the right way. Yes

but It's not gonna Translate to you you going out there and you playing against a job around like it's just like you can jump-start and do all this fundamental shit You won't he gonna be right by you at the rim dunking on you Like it's just I'm saying like you can do all the fundamental shit the right the right way that you've been told and you run up against Him and it's like what they told me ain't Not good enough

What was gonna end up happening is there's gonna be a surge where the perception of Euros is taking over and then America's going to say, all right, this is what we're going to do now. Right? We have the Jalen Greens and the John Marant. We have the genetics. They don't. So all we're going to do is

we're going to put in all these establishments that can just give them fundamentals early. So now you have John Moran with Kobe's fundamentals Yeah, now you got a whole motherfucking problem because they can't jump the same way. They can't do the same like even Greek, right? Greek is from over there, but he's an athletic player. He plays like he's American Right versus someone like Joker who don't have the athleticism, right? So he has to learn the nuances and the spacing, the flooring, the angles and all that.

So if you take our kids young before the athleticism kicks in and you say, all right, we're going to teach you the game itself. Now you're going to have a whole bunch of kids that have all the jumping ability and all that stuff with the mindset of how to play fundamental basketball. Then there's no overseas. Because all overseas has is they're playing the right way. Yeah. You know, they're playing the right way.

Yeah, they do. They do, yeah. Like, if I had to build a team right now, and they say, all right, you have the first pick. Pick one player. Now I have to think about team aspect. I'm going to say, all right, give me Joker. Absolutely.

Give me Joker first. But how come when, like, an American player, he plays the right way, it's kind of looked at like he's not that good? Yeah. How come when they're just because they're European or white, that's what it is? They're white. It's white.

Unfortunately, that's what it is. They got to find their bird. Yeah. They got to find their bird. They got to find their bird. They play the right way, but you have a ton of guys and even girls that play the right... I mean, that's kind of what I kind of struggled with was I was always playing the right way. And when I got to the league and stuff, it's like I was shooting... I'm a shooter, but it's like, oh, she's putting herself in a box because she's just shooting. But then I look at all the other shooters in the league who are white.

They're just elite. They're just the elite shooters. But there was never a conversation of putting themselves in a box. So I had to kind of expand my game a little bit to get out of this box that they were trying to put me in. I was just doing what I was good at. I knew I was better at everybody else at shooting threes. So that's what I did. Isn't that a point? That's how you keep your job.

Absolutely. It was like, yeah, but those conversations are funny when playing the right way, how it's perceived based on what you're talking about. They're like Lonzo Ball, right? He's an American, but he plays like he's damn near European. He's going to make every right decision. He's's not gonna try anything outside of what he can do He's gonna keep the ball movies and make sure everyone's involved and Malcolm Brogdon. Yeah He'd be all-star and they don't get nobody he fundamentally sound don't make no mistakes the right thing every I'm like, yeah Yes

Yeah, trash man. Let man tell them play one on one see what happens to a European we gotta get the ones into the Olympics there should be a one on one event in all star games how come there isn't who is the best one on one player

in the world you think dudes are gonna wanna do we talked about Spencer Dinwiddie about that a little bit but you think guys are gonna wanna jeopardize getting clowned playing one-on-one and losing? So you're telling me that there's a prize. This is how cocky America is. If you tell me put 50 grand, because if you say open invite the one-on-one, you got damn near half the league, right? Half the league think they can win one-on-one. If you tell us, all right, put 50 grand in,

the NBA a double at for the prize pool, or shit, everyone put 50 grand in, right, to enter, and the winner takes all, you are half 50-something players. Jimmy Butler going to be in that motherfucker like, yeah, this mine. This is mine, right? He's never lost

one-on-one. Kevin Durant, Booker, you're talking about dudes who that's what they do. That's what makes them great in the playoffs. That's what makes them great at the end of the games, but they can't, there's nothing that lets them tap into that ability. Would it be make it, take it? Hell yeah.

Fuck you get the ball for. How many dribbles? Stop. Three dribbles? Three dribbles. Three dribbles, make it, take it? The yeah. Hell yeah. Fuck you get the ball for. How many dribbles? Stop. Three dribbles? Three dribbles. Three dribbles, make it, take it? The fuck you get the ball for? Earn this.

Yeah, I saw Paul George's gym the other day. Dude was guarding but not really trying to. Guarding hard but Paul a pro. Dude wasn't a pro. Paul done dribbled the ball

one time. Nine. Like nine for nine. Listen, dog. Not one dribble man. Like dude all of his shit. He just get Right. Oh, I'm like, you know, I don't want you think it's more about the shot making versus stopping somebody one-on-one Yeah, one-on-one. It's it's it's mindset get into a spot, first step, somebody who can create space, who can generate... You won't get points for stops. Yeah, who can generate offense out of nothing, right? So when you talk about someone like Luka, he looks like he's a one-on-one player because

he's playing five-on-five player because he's playing five on five He isolates the guys and he's in his wearable out of five He has his see if he has the ball you say check up three dribbles And he can't do the move that he gets to do right that dribble stop right cross Yeah, step back right we can see that come we can see that combo now right you get it you dribble Two and then step back, three. That shit works in an NBA game against a five man. That shit don't work one-on-one.

I'm going to jam you. You got fucking Kawhi Leonard out of this motherfucker's goddamn mitts. Yeah, try that shit. Try that shit you want. And he's not fast enough, so he's going to use all three dribbles. Every time. Right? You're talking about somebody like John Morant.

He's thinking one or two dribbles that he's going to be sitting at the rim the whole time, right? Then you have someone like Kyra. You have Booker. I'm going to go here. I can fit. Like this.

I would like to see a one-on-one in all of Europe. It ain't no European thing. That's because they wasn't taught how to play one-on-one. They was taught how to play team basketball. So you open it up.

I guarantee you none none of them, the only person who's cocky enough to enter that would probably be Embiid and Greek. Greek would be like, oh, three dribbles. That's too, too many.

He'll do some shit like bouncing and trying to year roll. I don't need no moves here. Every time. Stronger than y'all. Bigger than y'all. More athletic than y'all.

What's so funny is if you look at King of the Hill, if you look at any King of the Hill, it's never a skilled player. It's someone just playing bully basketball, bro. Just. Like. You remember. Yeah. But just. Like, go good. If you Google it, it'd be the... I mean, they had that once basketball league,

and the thing is, those dudes get tired, right? It's like a boxing match, right? So after a few back and forths, them dudes just burnt the fuck out. I'm just saying, then it... You ain't do it so efficient, man. Yeah, you got to just give me three, just give me two, three dribbles,

and then there'd be someone that's skilled at, like, nah, just two dribbles. Like, somebody like Paul George. I don't need three. I'm going to jab the fuck out of these hoses. What? You got to respect it. Back you up, yeah.

Put this shoulder in your chest, create this space. I'm 6'9", 6'10". Can't get to it. So let's talk a little bit about this Brandon Ingram, but more just FIBA in general. Steve Kerr replaced Brandon Ingram with Josh Hart in the Team USA starting lineup. Ingram's been frustrated with his role with the team, so Ken, you played in the World Cup.

I want to know, how's playing in FIBA different than playing in the NBA? I played on three USA teams, college and two when I was in the league. It's an adjustment. You're used to getting certain looks, certain touches, certain minutes, certain rotations, all that. And if you

not understanding your position in this, then it's always going to be difficult. You know what I'm saying? And you're going to check that ego at the door. It's going to be real difficult. Or you can come into it the other way not expect it much and and become the best player there Mm-hmm, I'm saying but when you have an expectation of Touches playing time all this stuff. You're gonna hate it. You're gonna hate it

1000% Like that's why all the mother dudes that's played before the Kobe Colbys, D-Wade, Mel, all them, they had to buy into a certain thing with that. I'm not going to get 25 shots here. I'm going to make the best of these 11. If that. I'm saying, I'm going to make the best of these 10, 11 shots I get, and I'm going to play deep and I'm going to play hard.

When that's not your mentality, and to your point, you're going to struggle. Yeah, and you're in a foreign country. Like, you're somewhere you don't know. But I've never seen this much dialogue about, like, how a team is, like, interacting with each other for, like, a World Cup. Like, usually everyone's like, yay, World Cup! Like, go USA!

Like, they're, like, making it, like, kind of weird. Because it's four non-starters on the team. The Villanova team. Yeah, it's like. The Villanova team. There's three of them on the starting line now. You know what I'm saying? Like, come on, man.

But it's weird. Like, the dialogue they're creating. Like, World Cup is supposed to be like, like you said like you said like it's fun You're representing the United States. You got to buy into this Team concept, but that's why not everybody goes and does it because one he's the best player. He's the One of the best players compared to everyone else. So you're like wait I'm all-star He played 25 games last year and started only one and he comes off the bench and you want me to come off the bench to him yeah right maybe

that's where it becomes ego because you just like Ant-Man when you look at the roster you know what are you drunk like who am I who you want me to come off the bench to you want me to play by but but be when I was there and I played, there's actually a skill. As a one, two, and three, right? You have to be able to shoot. You have to be able to slash and cut because it's more of college basketball style than it is NBA style. So someone like Melo. Melo is going to be the most efficient motherfucker in USA basketball because he can shoot the

ball and he can take one dribble, pull up. If you have Rip Hamilton, there you go. Those type of players. Klay Thompson. Klay Thompson, just dribble, shoot. I don't have to, there's no thought process, get into the gap. Because I can zone, you can zone the group up So if you're used to

Isolating right playing a one-on-one style The USA basketball in for you. That's why it was weird for like someone like Trey young like huh? That's that's his style Right come out the pick shoot hit a gap shoot like he's a quick shooter, which that's what you need for that style. You don't need one-on-one players. It's a horrible mixture. So, like, somebody like Brandon Ingram, who needs to get to the post and get...

Mmm... Nah, sorry, brother, that ain't... Even someone like Brunson. Mmm... Like, the bully basketball style, that's just gonna zone you up. But he's crafty enough to really understand what he's doing. Because you played four years in college.

College, yeah, yeah. So he's crafty enough. But, you know, it's one of those things where you need more catch-and-shoot guys, probably need some speed. Like I would put Fox on the team, someone who can just change the pace because he can just get somewhere fast as hell. So it kind of really, it'll throw a zone off. Yeah.

Now you need guys who can just cut, slash, quick shoot and... Then you start questioning guys' IQ and all that kind of shit. It's just a rabbit hole, man. It's a rabbit hole. You know what I'm saying? Once things said, then, oh, then, dude, you got it. USA basketball, shit tricky. And that's why. Because all NBA coaches, and that shit tricky, bro. All NBA coaches judging you. They got to mark you out there.

Because you're stuck in your style. Yeah. You're stuck in your style and how your team plays, and that's all you know. So when you go into a system, even though it has plays, other than than that if you don't know how to play basketball it hurts you the only thing that helps you in usa basketball is if you have a great iq of just playing basketball itself absolutely knowing no matter how these plays are running okay i can cut here slash here let me i don't supposed to flash but he's not flashing let me flash throw it this way understanding this guy's gonna help i can bounce it this way like Like, you have to have an IQ to actually play USA basketball.

That's why someone like Kyle Anderson can go over and be the best player. Because he's smart. Right? He plays for pop. He understands how to play the game of basketball. I mean, the only expectation for Team USA is to win a gold medal. Yeah. Like, no one's going, like, it's not like a Rondé situation

where you, like, potentially trying to earn a training camp invite or a contract. Like, these guys win a gold medal. Yeah. And if one of y'all are averaging 30 and y'all come home with a bronze, no one's going to care about that. You got to come back with a gold medal.

Yeah, like, the team I made when I was in college, the World University team, like, I thought they was bringing me as a filler. You know, they bring everybody in, and they start making cuts. Because at the time, like, guys had bigger names than I did, but ain't nobody been around me. But they don't know how I approached the game, my IQ, how I'm... So, made the first cut. Like, ain't bad.

Made the second cut. Then I go to Europe, and we go to Spain, and I lead that team in scoring and rebounding. Everybody like, hold on, man. Like, you actually can play and know how to, like, it was that. You know what I'm saying? So, no, you got to be able to lock in and whatever the situation requires, be able to do it.

Let's keep this thing moving. Let's talk a little bit about Rondo. So, during his career, Rajon Rondo was well respected for for his high basketball cue being an extension of the head coach on the court but during a recent interview with jj reddick uh rondo broke down how he focuses on coaches more so than players my mindset is thinking how can i beat the coach how can i out coach the coach i feel like i have the power and i'm involved in the game so i have more of an influence and impact that i can make versus a coach yelling from the sidelines trying to communicate to his players what they need to do.

But me as a player on the court, I'm able to make those adjustments and be ahead of the curve. I'm never going against the players. I'm looking at the coach and what he's saying. Because everything, obviously, he's saying that you guys are going to do it in advance of what he wants to do in practice. So if I can get ahead of those answers to the test earlier,

I'll ace the test. And this crazy thing, we were in a bubble of those those answers to the test earlier i'll ace the test and this crazy thing we were in a bubble let's go back to the bubble me and brown were in the bubble watching the game i think it was it was miami and boston again and we were sitting in the room watching the game and like i said it went down to the wire so brown's like if we if we get miami i got spo and if we get boston you got brad so that was kind of our mindset it's like it wasn't like oh we're going to beat the heat or we're going to beat the Celtics. It was more so if we can out-coach or outplay the coaches on that staff in particular, which two guys we felt that we knew pretty good, we were going to win.

So when you hear that, what are your thoughts on Rondo saying, focusing on out-coaching the coach versus? No, I mean, that's correct. You're trying to figure out because the coach has... A coach is... Most coaches is coaching from a blue sheet, right? So, you know, if you understand their sub-pattern, you know, what leashes they have on certain guys

who has more of a green light versus someone that's... You're probably scared of because he has no limit. There's guys like Jordan Poole that have, you can't, you don't know how to guard this. The coach guards them. You got to try to get the coach to sub him out and put somebody else in.

It is a thing. Trying to be smarter than the coach's playbook. He coached he.. Oh, yeah. He coached you. He fucking. Oh, yeah. He, yeah, he.

He outcoached you. And we've talked about this before. I'm with him. I'm with your mad scientists out there, bitch, man. I just, I lock in, man. I'm locked in to plays, tendencies. I'm called a good, you know what I'm saying? Like, we played, and they had to change their whole scheme when they playing us. I know what they about to do. And I'm, hey, you know what I'm saying? We played and they had to change their whole scheme when they playing us.

Playing, I know what they about to do. And I'm telling, hey, deny that pass. Don't let the ball go here. Drop there. Bump him. I'm always that, you know what I'm saying? So I give a run to those things. But I never, for me it was like more of game plan.

Oh, well, shit, the coach put a game plan together. So I guess it is that as well for me. And the way I guarded certain things to not let you run your set. So yeah, I'm with it. Was that just a fancy way of him talking about knowing the scouting report or just doing the extra homework? How many of those types of players do you need on a team for it to be a good thing, and then you have too many of those types of players do you need on a team for it to be a good thing and then you have too many of those types of players on a team? When does that become like now?

The funny thing is that was just a fortunate thing where you had two players that did the same thing. Right. Right? Because usually there's only one. Right? If you're fortunate to have two, you have a really good team. Okay, so let a really good team.

Like, okay, so let's say Doc Rivers. Me and J.K. Yeah, yeah, you and J.K. So let's say like Doc Rivers, right? The way he had the lineup is if you know if you get out to a 10-0 run, like we're going to jump on them early, right? This is a solid team. Jump on them early, make them put in Lou Williams and Trez, right? So they can feel like they need more offense, which now if you put them two in,

PG and Kawhi have trouble getting the ball because these two are friends, right? These two are still trying to figure each other out. So look, try to get on them really early, really early so he can make the sub early. So I'm waiting to the six minute mark. We're gonna make them try to sub in at the nine minute mark. Absolutely. Put that whole four in really, really really early which hurts the rest of the quarter So, you know you have guys that right are we're gonna foul if I found him doc

Is gonna foul our big man, right? So we're gonna keep following their big man get up get so doc can get us into the penalty that I'm gonna play So I'm gonna play one for flat basketball cuz they don't have a one-four flat guy. Right now, I can get their drive and get into the free throw line. So there's things you're... There's players that's watching coaches trying to figure out... Yeah, it's like a chess match, essentially. Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Sure. But coaches usually try to out-coach the coach, but there's players that can see beyond that, and I'm just trying to figure out how to manipulate to put certain players in. Like, talk shit to the coach. Like, he can't do nothing. Like, I hear a coach say, yo, we have a foul to give, right? Hey, ref, they have a foul to give.

He's going to try to foul me at the three-second mark mark or three seconds left if I'm shooting a three and All right, understand that ref. All right for three and I'm going because the coach just yelled out some dumb shit that he's supposed to Yeah, oh, they don't yell that every time. Yeah, you're stupid. You're not every time Fucking time same time with like with somebody like Stan Van Gunney, right? You're down. They're down, they're up two. I know him, he's a freakazoid. First thing he's going to yell out is, no threes!

I'm going to pump fake. Come, step back at the three. Knowing he just told him, no threes. I'm crazy. Pump fake, because he's going to be so antsy not to give me the three, he's going to jump and foul me and get three free throws. Absolutely. Right, so you got to know the coach too.

Like know what type of coach you're coaching against. How long does it take to get that? I mean is it film work? Is it just being familiar with these coaches now? Because a lot of times you see coaches change teams but they'll still bring their same system to that new team so if you've seen it enough. It's watching games man, watching film. You gotta watch games man.

You can watch as much film as you want, but if you ain't watching games. Yeah, you got to watch it in real time. You got to watch it in real time. You got to watch it in real time in order to get the feel for it, know what guys are. Okay, they top-locked that play. What did he do? Okay, they guarded this.

Okay, how did he react? Now, I know the next game we're playing, I'm going, okay, I'm not going to guard it that way. I'm going to guard it this way. I'm going to do this. I'm going to put my hand on him, I'm going to force him into it. It's all that little chess match, man. If you're not doing it, everybody's not doing it. We try.

Everybody's not doing it. It gives you nothing but an advantage. There's no downside to doing that. You might overthink sometimes, but watching so much film and watching as many games as possible, the only thing it can do is give you an advantage over your opponent. So we talked about players being an extension of the coach on the court. Who's the best player coach that you've seen? Best player?

Best player that was out there on the court. Probably J-Kid, Steve Nash. I mean, it's going to be more of the point guard. Yeah. That who's, I mean, you're going to have LeBron, Chris Paul, right? Yeah, he... Yeah, you're going to have LeRondo. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, that's what I was going to say. It's going to be nice with it. Yeah, I'm saying, yeah. You know, John Stotts. I just thought you were going to have guys. Like Chauncey is... Yeah, Chauncey, big shot. Like, I'm saying, yeah. You know, John's like, like this is what you're going to have, guys. Like Chauncey is. Yeah, Chauncey, big shot. Like Chauncey like that.

Like Chauncey, game planning, time, like the whole feel for it. Like big shot, no one is his head coach. I'm saying, J.K., no one is his head coach. I'm saying, so eventually CP, probably if he wants to take that route because that's just the way they wired and Yeah, and you see that with former players becoming head coaches and we've seen the good and the bad of that

Absolutely, but it goes so much more into and what makes a good coach We're gonna talk a lot about more than a second, but now Just dealing with you know Guys in the locker room understanding the managerial side of it and everything else that comes with being a coach. It's not just X's and O's, obviously. Yeah, and it's your personality as well. You know what I'm saying?

This is how you're never played with Steve Nash, never played with him, but just from afar. Just being on opposite sides of it. Never heard him chastise a teammate. Never heard him get into somebody's ass by not running back on D. Never heard him, and you're supposed to drop right, never heard it. You know what I'm saying?

Ever. We played a lot of basketball games against him. Never heard it. Now he becomes a head coach. It's not in you. Yeah. Either you have that or you don't. So, but take Big Shot, on the other hand.

Me, came out, you didn't fucking drop, dog. That's your fucking rotation. Mm-hmm. All right, I got you. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold me accountable. Me. account of me i'm saying so i gotta respect that now your head coach same thing jk getting somebody same thing i was supposed

to drop he gonna say it but so now it's that it ain't just because you were a great point guard or player you got to have that internally as well in order to relay that message over the way you're trying to get guys to play. You have to be able to relay that and get the best out of guys. If not, they're going to run over you. Yup. I mean, he's saying it in a way, you're saying to somebody like J.K. who you respect, he's not doing it in a condescending way.

He's telling you it in a way, and obviously nobody's going to talk to you. No, you're holding me accountable. Yeah. No, you can talk, you're holding me accountable. You know what I'm saying? And if I know I didn't drop or I was supposed to do this or do that I didn't wrote whatever how can I

for less I'm Nuts and this narcissism. I'm gonna accept that I'm saying I'm not bigger than being told that I've missed my rotation or I missed the open man or I didn't Do I'm saying I file when we wouldn't have no files again I'm not above report. I'm not something I'm not Yeah, so I'm not above criticism in that moment. I'm saying it's like in no moment No matter who I am and if you think you are and you Think I'm saying I remember I was at um Eric Musselman, right so Eric Musselman came to me before practice once and said hey

I'm gonna get on you today for no reason Right, like I'm a really ride you the whole day. So don't react Right. I know this is just you know, just understand Cool I whatever so practice, you know make a shot Well, you got a pass the ball you didn't see your teammate open this and this and this Like I was getting ready to snap but I had thought about what he said. And then after practice, he was like, you're hearing teammates saying, why you just let the second year player do this and do that.

So I got to pretend that I'm riding you to keep them in check. And it was just trying to understand that he has to play the role with everyone to get everyone to play a certain style. Because in practice, motherfuckers start smiling. Yeah, motherfucker, finally somebody's saying something to the little sorry mother. You know what I mean? And as a coach, you have to be able to understand everybody's personality, to understand how to talk to someone because you can you can talk to your toughest player and

What ends up happening is if you? Embarrass him to the point where he has to defend himself That could be a good site so the situation with George and Denver, right? People think I just started out disliking this man. Like, no. You came to me, same situation. Because you couldn't talk to Mello. Was afraid to or whatever. So I'm a vicarious dude. At first, I was cool with it at first.

Like, all right, cool. You can do it for a little while. All right, cool. Yeah, all right, cool. Enough, motherfucker. Pre somebody else, guy. No, no, go talk to him. No, no, enough of this, man. Go talk to him.

Mm-hmm. Superstar. He's shooting all the balls, shooting all... No, go talk to him. I'm done. Yeah, yeah. I told him, I'm done being a scapegoat. Mm-hmm. Told him straight up, I'm done.

So from that moment on, I guess he didn't understand I was done. Yeah. I guess he didn't understand the fact that I said I was done being a scapegoat. I'm done, bruh. Go talk to that person. Mm-hmm. You can't talk to that person. You can't talk to that person.

You can't talk to that person. You can't talk to that person. You was done being scapegoat done bro go talk to that person hmm you can't talk to him don't know what the fuck to tell you man that was the start of I got to talk to him so I got him to talk to you yeah so that's my question you about Jay kid is he talking to everybody the same on the team, or does he not? Yes, absolutely. Okay. Because I'm saying, you know, Kenya can take it. No.

I can't talk to this dude the same way because he's not mentally strong as Kenya. But he's coming to everybody the same way. And get down or lay down. I saw him cussing on his side when I was with Milwaukee. Hey, bro, listen. He was obviously our best player young, but he was supposed to be this. Mm-hmm. And talk to this man, I was, ooh. Next supposed to be this mm-hmm talk to this man Oh next word ooh mm-hmm I had them boy right now okay eggshells

what's up it's the best player I mean you know it's just like anything you you you have to be able to have that relationship with the best player because everyone falls in line after that so if the best player feels like he don't need to practice he's lazy it just trickles down. Yeah, we're just gonna keep because they've been them one of the most successful franchise We know as of late like the San Antonio Spurs. Mm-hmm There's a game with us in Denver and I'm pretty sure the first thing on the scouting report is don't let him run fast break All right. Mm-hmm First two points of the game, fast break led

us. This man called timeout. Took all five out. Damn. All five. Y'all can talk crazy to him as they walking off the floor. Each one of them. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. He had a point to prove. Like Tim wasn't above him toning the hole.

He got three Hall of Famers on this team. And you treat them all the same. So that's what it is. In order to become that, you whole, he got three Hall of Famers on this team. Mm-hmm. That you treat them all the same. So that's what it is. In order to become that, you gotta, to your point you said earlier, understanding God's personality, understanding what's making them tick, understand how they doing today, understanding this. Like, ask, well, what's wrong with coming through, ask God, how your family doing today? Everything good?

Mm-hmm. Been all right? Kids good? You ain't got no issue? It don't take much. Really? To know you guys and know what ticks and all that but when you have that Guys will do whatever for you Guys will play hard for you And when you don't then you get the other side of that the guys give you the ass to kiss

Absolutely No after that's that that sub got them five came out, I guarantee you Timmy was hot. Motherfucker. That's where the self-check comes in now. All Coach had to do was pull him out. Tim's sitting there like, hey, I'm not going to be sitting on here all month.

They get this shit together. Hey, Coach, we ready. Yes. And then he said that and he put that right back in. Yeah, we ready, Coach. We got it. We good. He made an example.

You better get your guys together. Probably what he told you. You better get your guys together. Listen. Amen. Does Joe automatically, you know, we always talk about coaches that play in the league that had experience, but let's go to the other side. Coach, you didn't play at a high level.

Did you automatically discredit them, or what did they have to do to gain your trust and respect work you know what they know the game like I just yeah I have one I have just a prime example to go on to your questions this is Lawrence Frank when I was with the Nets Lawrence ain't never played in NBA Lawrence ain't never played in the NBA. Lawrence ain't never played in high-level college basketball. Lawrence worked his ass off. You know this shit. Worked college. You know what I'm saying? Mm-hmm.

Like, showed there, late, early, always there. Game plan ready. He know guys' tendencies, what they can, can't do, what the team about to run, sets, defensively, offense. He know the whole gamut. So we was never not prepared. So somebody like that, who you showing you that they can do the work that they put the time in Can't help but respect I'm saying like I don't think necessary that you have to play an NBA in order to be good at this So let's get into that. So Rashad Phillips better known as Yoda dropped an interesting question on a timeline recently

he said Scott Phillips, better known as y'all, dropped an interesting question on the timeline recently. He said, beside every great coach, there's a great player. Beside every great player, there's a chance the coach isn't great. So we're dynamic. Does the player make the coach, or does the coach make the player? He dropped an example.

Was Phil Jackson a great coach, or did he have great players? So we got three high level players on here, curious to hear your thoughts. Does the player make make the coach or does the coach make the player? Me The player makes the coach the coach adjusts to put the player in better positions to score, right? Like score be successful. Yeah, so like if you you know If if you're a coach that you're trying to grab players and put them into your system,

then you're not a great coach because you obviously- Because you can't adjust. Yeah, you can't adjust to the players you have. So it's one of those things that's let me see what you do. All right, okay, now I can draw these players up for you, put you in this position. Okay, can you like... Like you have to... It's a little bit of both. It's allowing the great coaches,

allowing the player to show you what he can do and then adjust from that. It's how I always looked at it. But, you know, there's always, you know, someone like Phil who can, you know, run the same offense with two type of prospects, right? That's two different. I think, yeah, I think that's a hard question.

But I do think it's the coach because I've seen coaches like destroy a player's confidence or how they play because they can't adjust how to, this is a really talented player and the coach can't adjust to make this player successful. And then sometimes you're also losing on top of it. So why can't the coach adjust for this really talented player? But then on the other side, if you are brought into a system that doesn't necessarily fit your style, the player got to adjust sometimes. Like Gil said, it's like a two-way street.

It's easier to get rid of one coach than a whole bunch of players so there's that too which we've seen a lot recently just giving some really good coaches the boot because they got some really great players that obviously it wasn't like working yeah and i just i think it's both ways man i think it's both ways, man. I think it's both. You can have great talent and have a mediocre coach that talent teaches him what he has to become, you know what I'm saying? Or you have a situation. I just go, this is my experiences. If I were to play for anybody else in college,

I probably wouldn't have became who I was so I like Bob Huggins made me who I am I had certain attributes but me playing for him allowed me to be me if I would play for somebody else I couldn't have been who I was at all like they would have kicked my ass out of school. Mm-hmm Yeah, you know I'm saying so that's just what I Different yeah, I think it goes both ways. I'm saying I think you can Benefit from having great players and you certain coach and you can benefit from having a certain coach of you a certain kind of player. I just think it goes both ways This is a story

Kobe right Was it a year he had Rudy T right here was what 37 All right, I'm stupid some stupid, right? killing He used to argue That he didn't get the ball in the positions that feel happening But he didn't want to what the trike. Yeah, right. So there was this this argument. I don't know if anybody members to golden is They were playing Golden State

right, they're playing go to, Jason Richardson and them, right? And he got Kobe bringing the ball up, right? Bringing the ball up. And Kobe's argument, did Mike have to bring the ball up? Mike had to come down, get in the spot. He was like, shit, I'm just trying to get you the ball early. Right? So it was just a funny, it was just a funny that his best year, he didn't like the coach. He thought the coach wasn't coaching him and just let him do whatever, which was funny.

I mean, Michael Jordan didn't have to trip the ball up when he got it. He just went into his position, gave him the ball, fed him the ball. It was like, so you want to run a triangle? No, I don't want to run a triangle. So it all depends, man. It's just one of those things like when you're judging coaches, it's positions they put you in, timeouts, right? It all depends man you is this one of those things like when you're judging coaches this Positions they put you in timeouts, right? Do they know what they're talking about, right?

If you like to go left, but you're right-handed I expect you to know that right So if I challenge you into something you better have that right answer I don't say some shit. Oh, yeah, you know we're going to go wonder because he don't do this. And you're sitting there like, don't listen. Do not listen to what he said, man. We're going to trap this dude. We're going to trap this dude. He obviously ain't. Absolutely.

Yeah, yeah. You know, we've done it. You know, we haven't done that before. Man, come out of timeout, man. Listen, he said some shit over here. I come right out of timeout, man. We ain't doing none of that shit. But as soon as he come off this pick and roll, we're going to fucking trap him.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. As long as everybody on the same page, what are they going to do? And if it works, they can't this pick and roll, we're going to fucking trap him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. As long as everybody on the same page, what are they going to do? And if it works, they can't say nothing. Yeah, you know, just to him,

we came out of time at Kobe, I said, man, Kobe touching, I'm running at him. Yep. Like, what you mean? Get ready to rotate.

I'm running at him. As long as everybody on the same page. I said, I'm tired of watching this boy play one-on-one, man. I'm going to run at him. Y'all get ready to rotate. I'm going far corners.

Y'all... I'm going far corners. him. Y'all get ready to rotate. I'm going far corners. I'm going far corners. I like that. Where did you come up with that? After the timeout, which you didn't say nothing about him keep torching us. I know we're talking about NBA, but you're talking about Bob Huggins

and him being the ideal coach for you. You had Lute. Lute obviously wasn't a hard-ass, seemed like more of an embracing and loving dude, but just from afar, watching his coaching style was a guy you could really get behind an older dude, but just seemed like he was...

Listen, he adjusted to how I played. We had two guards back. We had two guards back. If you don't go back, sir, I never went back. Right? So I told, you know, Jason Gardner, look, I'm going for an offensive rebound every time. That's what I do.

I did it in high school. That's what I'm doing. Right? All I'm going to do is just go pick your man up. So I'll hit it, and then I'll just pick up the point guard. What the fuck? Right? How hard is that?

Right? You want me to get back, and then you're going to yell, pick up the ball. Well, I can't pick the ball up until everybody gets back in their position. I can't get back into Lauren Woods and Michael Wright are back there protecting. So you want me to get back and then go pick up the ball. And then go pick up the ball. No. I hate that. That's just stupid thinking.

So hey, just get back, I'll pick up the ball, you find the two, and if we can switch back, we'll switch back Simple right and Ludo's like yeah But is that a sign of a good coaster to be able to that's when you get the coach You know like we've all played for coaches that you got to just do shit my way Oh, yeah, or you could have had a code or Luke could have been like now? Fuck that get back get back or sit on the bench. It only be one of the two But after just a college a lot freshman, I don't know nothing ain't been here he's won championships, right? So he don't have to do shit that I'm trying to do but when he's watching it in real time

He's realizing, okay, my two guards have something going on. Why am I going to intervene? They obviously didn't talk about it, right? Then you have Luke Walton. When he comes in, we had our own fucking playbook, right? So when Luke came in,

they're going to high throw it, and then whatever happens fucking Wasn't part of our like I didn't I didn't even have plays like that. I just knew and you get the ball I'm going back door. I'm a curl. I'm a flash. That's it. My man do my man do one of these I'm gone. Yeah So if you actually look at my highlights in college, it's all backdoor cut slashes and shit like that Oh, can this be good? I didn't need to my highlights in college, it's all backdoor cut slashes and shit like that. Can this nigga dribble? I didn't need to. And this is Gil's Arena, so not to correct you, but that Rudy T year, Kobe only averaged

27.6. I say only. Rudy last 43 games, citing mental and physical exhaustion. Oh, yeah. That was the year. So it was after Golden State, since they want to correct some shit. I'm just making it because the internet likes to everything is up. Who's the coach in? Was it was Yeah, 35 35 more the Rudy T. They was after the Golden State they had film Right and Rudy T is like emotional like I don't know what to do Don't know how to give you the ball this and this and this like really point his heart out in film.

And they said, Kobe walked down, put his hand on him and said, it's all right, we're going to let you go. All right, everybody, you know, go on the court. Karan, you play, you know, you beat me. We're going to run the offense and boom, boom, boom. But Phil, I mean, he was like, but Rudy, yeah, you know, we're going to still pay you, though, but we're gonna run the offense and boom boom boom, but feel I mean He was like about Rudy. Yeah, you know we don't still pay you though, but we don't have to let you go We're gonna go in a different direction

It was like who came down he came down Rudy's he was crying and stuff and Kobe just walked down fired that man It was like oh shit. Oh Yeah, we're gonna say yeah personally she's gonna spend some some time with your family and shit, so that's funny reading that shit. Mental and physical exhaustion. He got PTSD. After 43 games. But related to his past bout with bladder cancer, so. Yeah, that's what I'm saying, but fuck Kobe, he said he walked out, I said, yeah, man,

we're gonna have to let you go. Just say it, man. When we talk about Phil Jackson, Phil Jackson most chips in NBA history for a head coach, but he won those chips with some of the best players But is it harder to get a team full of stars? To buy into a coaching philosophy and all those different egos you got to deal with on the squad One ego to deal with when he got Chicago He had two egos to deal with when he got the motherfucking Lakers not a whole team ego

Got one main guy and then two guys easy to talk to them separately Was so funny it did the beyond MJ Romney. I'm just saying you know In coaching coach got one guy One guy that's my point, though. One. Go to Vegas. No, what I'm saying is do what the fuck you want to do. Show up tomorrow. But the problem is if you look at it, if you look at the last dance and stuff, are you

coaching Michael? Or is his work ethic doing all this? You're not really... He's first in everything. He has that, I want to be better than everyone else. So it's not like you actually are... You don't got to coach him up. Yeah, you're not coaching him up for nothing. And he is the asshole on the team that's challenging everybody. You just sitting back, putting everybody in position. Because obviously,

when Michael was there, him and Scotty had a bumping so I didn't want to roll Who gonna get the last shot? No, we not like it was It was one of those same thing when you have Kobe are you coaching Kobe coaching Shaq? Cuz with Kobe you're just saying you want to be better than Michael Jordan. Well, this is Michael did oh shit I fuck you. All right, let me How many hours like yeah? So I don't you know So I don't know. I would have to be there.

You have to be there in a situation. See what type of superstar. Because there's nothing worse than a superstar that you've got to pull energy out of, make them want to be there. Those are the hard egos and hard superstars to deal with. Not the ones that want to be the best on the court, in the gym, at all times.

I feel like those are the easiest ones to coach up so we talked about Phil Jackson sorry about Phil Jackson disciple Steve Kerr with that warrior squad guilty your point you got Steph Curry good dude but winning drills we had Iggy on the show talking about just the the intensity the effort the energy that Steph pulls in so do we do we credit Steve Kerr for being a great coach or do we credit that team for having great players okay we're right here. Was Frank coaching you and Jason Kidd in practice? No.

See? You know what I mean? It's like, and this goes out to, like, all hoopers out there. As a coach, you want your best player to be your hardest worker. Right. Because if my best player is my hardest worker, everyone has to fall in line. I don't have to do shit. I don't have to force everyone to run line. If my best player is trying to be first, I don't have to. My job comes when my best player is sitting there,

like, yo, come on, man, like, come on. Like, they're following you. They're following your lead. But my best player is like this. And that automatically puts everybody in check. Oh, this is the shit he own? Oh, all right, man. All right, let's get on the line, y'all.

You know, it makes it easier for a coach if the best player is actually the person that actually cares the most He's working the hardest He's he's he's making the law for everyone else and I can just sit back draw the plays up like Steve Kerr Mm-hmm. It's just Yeah, you're good you good you want to serve you tired timeout You want to serve you tight? Time out Bottle throwing this shit. I got time for this shit

So in that situation did the players make the coach and we look at Steve Kerr in this Warriors dynasty. Yeah good Come from good stock, you know, so I'm not gonna say that Yeah, I'm saying he come from good pedigree his coaching tree is playing career playing on the good coaches Angle said that cuz he picked he picked up some stuff along the way. And he inherited an organization that was striving for something. So he didn't come into a situation where they were stagnant. They had something in place. He had good background and good stock and it just worked. It was a good parent. It was a good marriage. To your point, playing with Pop, just being around some of the greatest coaches ever.

It's like when you hear, when you see the movie, okay, they're going to bring your daughter to marry your son We royalty we gonna put him together like it was that like it was It was hand-picked For what and now work like it though. I got an actual This could be a real topic if there Who is the best coaches in the NBA ever? Who's the top? Ever?

Yeah, when we say ever. Like, you know, Phil Pop, right? If you were to give me your NBA coach, Mount Rushmore, who would your NBA coach be? Pat, right? Right? The best players on those teams was the hardest worker. Now, if I say, who had the most talent in coaches?

Will Doc Rivers, when it comes to talent that he's coached, will he be top three of most talented coaches? To have the most talented players on his team? He would be probably fucking, probably one,

two or three. George Carl has some... Is he in that conversation? George Carl has some animals. I'm saying, is he in that conversation as the greatest coach ever? No. Okay, so... I don't think so.

You're just saying so. George, you put Spoh. That was going to be my next question for you. I'm just saying. Where would you put Spoh? That was going to be my next question for you. Most talented? I mean, as a good coach. I don't know if he's on Mount Rushmore. But let's break it down. Been in the NBA Finals six times the last 15 years.

Since 2008, the Heat have only missed the playoffs three times. Did it with the Heetles. Did it with the Skeetles. Whether he has mildew or barbecue his teams before I'm just like this the best players he had on his team actually Played hard. Yeah, and that's what I said. So when you say talent He's he ain't top five in the most talented players that has walked. Ooh, no cuz he didn't have the No, he didn't have the shack. he didn't have the Shaq, he didn't have that group, right, so his best players is LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh, Jimmy Butler, right?

That's really about it, right? But even talking about the team you say, suppose an assistant coach, you got Anthony Edwards just singing his praises but this is hard to When you got Pat Riley in the front office, hmm? It's a culture thing, you know what I'm saying So we gonna play hard no matter what fucking talent we have. Mm-hmm We're gonna compete at a high level no matter what talent we have over

We're gonna check this body fat no matter what talent we got over here We're gonna do these conditioning drills and tests no matter what talent we got over here We're gonna do this shit and this is what it is. And then when you get the talent to match that work that we're doing and to Gil's point, your best players are first in this, doing this, first one on the VersaClimb, the first one doing all these things. So it's like everybody else is like, yeah, I've got to do this even harder now. So we're going, and it just works.

And then you've got a guy like Udonis Haslam who's been a staple in all of this. He just reiterates this year in and year out. But how much credit does Spoh deserve for being able to keep that, I'm just saying, that whole time? Is there any point if they fall through? He deserves credit, absolutely. I'm not taking anything from him.

But when you got this guy over your shoulder, Rod, it's just hard not to. You know what I'm saying? And that's why I said when people talk about coaching, you have to really understand if this is what he's doing with this talent, they understand this. Now imagine if he had that Clipper team Doc had.

Throw that Clipper team in Miami. That's a whole fucking different team, because those boys are being lied. That's what I said. Sometimes we give certain coaches credit that really is underdeveloping and Underplaying what talent that they've had like absolutely doc had team act to Danny. Mm-hmm Team a KG Hey, Alan. Oh, yeah, all peers just got one for all the talent that he's had like great. He'll like

He's probably had the best talent as a coach ever Feel you got me you got Jordan you got Kobe you got LeBron you got Dennis Rodman Pippen Shy I'm as I change so you got about six Players other than that, it's... Robert Horry. Mm. Right? But you're talking about somebody who got...

Fucking messy, nigga. He's talking about the most... Clutch names. Top 75 players that ever play on the scene. Yeah. But just to be real, when you talk about Horry and those clutch shots that he was able... Gil, he changes the whole dynamic of that franchise without some of those shots that he did.

I get it. Okay. But you're going to say... He's going go pull up on it no no I'm saying but you don't put him in a category with the when we say best player I'm saying best but he was a glue he was a great glue player but in terms of playoff performances being clutch great good player right do you knock that I'm just saying no we're talking about I'm talking about let me go he He made the shots. Yes, he did. They put him in the situation. Is that really clutch? I'm just asking.

That's an honest question. He made... Is that... Or is clutch down the stretch, your team down 12? That's a fair question. And you score 14 in a row. Or is that...

We've had this... I don't know. I'm just asking. It's a form. Like, or is that... We've had this... I don't know. I don't know. I'm just asking. It's a form... Okay, so it's a form of being clutch, right? You still have to have the mental... No, he just took...

Capability of taking the shot. He had the confidence. The confidence. He had the confidence to take the shot. But it's no different than when Paxson took that... So, at the same time... If he misses it... If he misses, what the fuck...

Right. So, is he clutch because he took it? But we talk about clutches. Clutch is relegated to the fourth quarter. Like, is that something? Yeah. Yeah. Or if your team is down 15 in the second quarter and you do that, you rattle off 15, 17 straight.

You're a second quarter player. Okay, I'm just saying. But if you don't do that, then you're not going to win the game. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So which one is it? And it is a form, like, because you still got to, you know, like, we know some superstars that won't even win the game. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So which one is it? And it is a form. Because you still got to, you know, we know some superstars that won't even take the shot. Yeah.

Because they don't want to miss the shot. Yeah. Right? The fact that he made it year after year, series after series, you can put him in as a clutch shooter for who he was, for what he did. Like, Derek Fisher was a clutch shooter.

Okay. But it's not the same as, like, Michael Jordan with all the pressure because if he misses it All the blames on him if Horry missed a shot. No one's blaming They're blaming the dude who passed it to that's like LeBron, right you passed it to you don't know Marshall in the corner He misses it. What the fuck is wrong with you? Yeah, why the hell you throw him the ball? Absolutely, I get it. I get it. I'm just saying the ability with the confidence, be able to step up in those moments,

which are the highest pressure moments, not cutting time, as they say, and deliver. Just that ability to, year after year to do it, it's part of being a type of coach, yes. Yeah, I get it. But I'm just saying, like, but when we're talking about a coach having these greatness players,

like, Phil, you have five or six great players, then from there you had a team. You say, all right, Spoh, you had, what, four? Right? Pop, Sean Elliott, Debra Robinson,

Mano. Even though some of them were second round players. Says the UCLA guy that's always shouting out fucking Bruins. Yeah, yeah. Jordan Canada, Drake Bruins. But when you're talking about Doc, you're talking about... Yeah, that's wild to think about. You've technically as a coach had the best talent as a coach

You have the best talent ever as a coach got one and got one but you know you're talking about you've had Top 75 you had some of the greatest players on your team and you have won championships. So we should be there should be We should be looking at that. Like, are you a good coach? Nah. So you got Bede. I mean, shit, Embiid. Harden.

Fucking that shit. Embiid, Harden. Just this Embiid, Harden, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and KG, that's five right there. That's five, yeah. T-Max six, Grant Hill seven. Right there, that's seven. Then we won the Clippers. I don't mean to pick, but goddamn.

Yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot. It's a lot. And they firing motherfuckers who's ain't who's on the Rockets If I'm a Rockets coach, I'm like hold on man. Doc. Keep getting the goddamn job man. Look at this That anybody every time I'm trying to get you look but look what So when y'all look back on your career who's the best coach you play for at any level why whoever let me shoot the ball to those guys they'll just be honest with you whoever let me shoot the ball without any motherfucking penalties that's my best best coach i ever had my best coach was my my high school

coach my freshman year high school he was like the first coach that actually believed that i could be a pro and i was young 14 like he was was the first person outside of my family that was like, oh yeah, she can be a pro. She could be really good. And I only played for him for one year because then we moved from Florida to Atlanta, but that one season I had with him changed everything for me, for sure.

Bob. Bob. Easy? Yes. Who's the work now? Mine was my high school coach, too. Because he was the only one who said I'd be a pro. And then he put a schedule. Like, had to come in before school.

Nutrition. Had to run my ass over there and do stuff for nutrition. Lunchtime, I had to be in the gym working. After school, I mean, he taught me how to do a step back. The Jewish dude. He's like, I just watched it's like I just watched this play Just watch this play and it looked like a movie you can do so I'm sitting here with this little Jewish guys You're working on stepping and it's how you do a coach That looks about right like I

Don't know and then from there He's like giving me like all these tapes and stuff and have all this stuff recorded I'm just looking at the moves and going and working on them. Yeah. I know. Y'all had all that. Y'all was amazing.

Oh, yeah, and we had a shooting machine. Yeah, people tell y'all y'all was going to be a pro. Did we have a shooting machine? I didn't believe. He started five freshmen. We had a varsity team with five freshmen starting. I know that. Oh, the seniors were hot.

Monty. Woo! They bought in eventually. I'm like, we still got to practice against y'all, but I remember my freshman year, they called,

I think they called us a Fab Five or something. Five freshmen starting just running through everybody. Like, can't beat that. And then,

last thing for y'all, who's a coach that you wish you got to play for when you look back in the league? Who's a coach that you admire

just from the other side, how they handle their business? Pop. Easy? Dawn Staley. Ooh. I love Dawn.

Yeah. She would have, I would have been, I had an opportunity to potentially transfer to South Carolina, but just their style of play didn't really fit mine,

but just, that was a long time. I mean, that was, what, seven years ago, eight years ago? The way she has grown as a coach, like, has been so fun to watch. So I would have loved to, like, be a part of her little legacy that she got going on for sure. How about yourself? Whoever would have let you shoot the most? What?

What coach did you wish that you got the chance to play for? None. Coachless? None, because when I thought I didn't like my coach and we got another coach, I was like,

fuck him. Give me that guy. Yeah, just give me back my guy. Fuck this. He already started off the conversation on it. I think you should average

about 22 and shit. See, I don't even like this coach. I'm 22. Coach Tripp. Yeah, yeah. 22, who averages? I'm going to get booed, man. We letting you go, but don't even like this coach. I'm 22. Coach Tripp. Yeah, yeah. 22, who averages? I'm going to get booed, man.

We're letting you go, but don't worry. You're going to get all your money. I'm getting booed at 22. Shit. Oh, my Lord. What? Come on, you know what the baby goes to.

Yeah, I don't think he made it. Yeah, no, I think, yeah, I would have played for Pop, man. I could have, yeah. I guess me too, for some type of, like, probably back then, it was more like the discipline.

Because I didn't have no problem on the court. I didn't have no problem away from the arena. Like, you know, when I left the arena, me at home, like, I'm a hermit, so that wasn't the problem. Practicing the game wasn't a problem. It was that in-between. It was like I get there at like 8 o'clock, and then 10.30 when everybody there, that's the problem. 10.30 to 11, I needed coaching there.

That's when I'm paintball shooting, water balloon fighting. I already did my job. You just got here. Let's have some fun. I get to see my friends. Yeah. Yeah. We would have did something to you. Yeah, that's what I said. Not we.

That's what I said. If I think about when I was a rookie and I got all my ass whoopings by Chris Mills and all 10 30 11 Practice over with those 30 minutes ass whooping right is just every day like I got my ass up every day To the point where it started to hurt like the early holiday you weak Like they starting to lift weights to beat on me. Like, yeah, we going to do 10 sets of these.

Tie them up. Like, I had to go get the gun on them. We're not doing this no more. Back up. I should have been kicked out of the league, bro. Like, I don't even like, when I'm looking back at the shit I was doing, the locker room stuff I got in trouble for that is actually amateur compared to this the mouth rookie much Go save it for the book or the Netflix untold my book gonna get banned

Adam super but like no no no we good This is not a lot understand me like understand, man. I'm witch. Right? Yeah. I think about some shit that had out here. Not in the locker room, so to speak. My shit was outside the building. Outside the building?

Outside the building. All my shit was outside the building. But I could, yeah, man. Yeah, there's something in this shit I can only imagine, bro man, something, yeah, there's something this year I could only imagine, bro. But you, yeah, something's fucking wrong with you, dog. Yeah, I didn't, it was, man, like, come on, imagine, imagine going to the gym three times a day and it's just you, right? So I'm getting there eight o'clock, right, working all, working out by myself. Like I'm by myself 99.9 of my career i'm training by myself right so

when 10 30 come i'm already i'm practice i'm getting ready for our second practice right and then your boys is coming in what y'all been doing bro i've been here all damn day man and it becomes this fun thing for me not realizing you know, they're trying to prepare for their practice Right and it's like I'm fucking up they practice and their routine because I'm in play mode cuz I Get to see my friends for the first time It's goddamn boring kindergarten Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I got tortured. That was recess and playground. I got tortured coming into the NBA, so shit. And that was fun, too, because I wasn't playing,

so this is where I get to burn my energy. I used to say shit, yeah. He blocked the fuck out you. Like Chris Mills, like with him and the Bonzi thing. Oh, I got, listen. When he wanted to do the Bonzi, he just did that shit to me. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, how your throat? Yeah, Bonzi hit the fuck out of that throat, didn't he just did that shit to me oh yeah yeah yeah how your throat yeah Bonzi

hit the fuck out that throat didn't he get that ass I didn't I had all this energy and didn't have nothing to do with it going home miserable like this supposed to be the NBA where the friends where the people at because that turned serious yeah that's what I said yeah I got hit by a car or he hit me by a car yeah my hip was fucked up for a while. He ran you over? Yeah. What? Yeah.

Because I was... He played too much. Think about it. I got the toughest dude on the team, and he got hit, right? And he couldn't do nothing. Oh, that's a leverage. You know what type of leverage that is for me?

He drive, and I'm sitting there like, hey, when Bonzi hit you in the throat, did it hurt? Hey, how did that feel? If I did it right now to you, what you gonna like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

I didn't play that game. We did five game road trip. I'm on IR. Man, I gotta go home and sit there and look at TV. I got too much energy and there's nothing to do with it. I need some physical. I need to be TV. I got too much energy and there's nothing to do with it. I need some physical. I need to be handed.

I need attention, man. I was like a fine girl in a club and nobody looked at me. I'm going to do something. I'm going to do something. Y'all going to see me. I'm going to do something.

Yo, this boy, you hit him with a car. I'm gonna do some. Y'all gonna see me. I'm gonna do some. Yo, man. I'm gonna do some. Yo, this boy, hit him with a car. I hit him with a car, man. Like, I was gonna go behind, and I'm like, nah. I'm gonna go in front, because it's the garage, and then, cool, right into the garage, boom. Did it, the shit. Did it in the garage garage every day, man?

By my IR so it's not like I'm playing so what would it really are no idea how why I am Like like wow like like just what you can think of times We don't done it like times about 10 done did it done try like it's it's real unhinged behavior Oh, yeah. I can tell you. Yeah, absolutely. Like, some of the shit that, yeah, you think, like, what the fuck was you thinking? What was you... Like, that's your only thought that you could have in the moment when we tell you some shit.

It'd be like, what the fuck was you thinking? The money, like, all the money in the world, like, it's... It's dumb. Like, trust me, there's, like like there's shit that you just be like We come into a locker room and we're like you going to jail What you did like you jail, right? And I'm a witness you going to jail Hey the shit y'all did you three niggas right there y'all going to jail. Yes, sir Like the team he was on.

Like, okay, that was, yeah. Bunch of nutheads. Yes. Then you go to Washington. I can only imagine, bro. Deshaun. I can only fucking Nick. I can only imagine, bro.

Andre Blotch. I can only fucking imagine. That's the real story. No. Hey, man. I can only fucking imagine. That's the real story. No, hey man. I can only imagine though. Because the fun we was having, and you hear shit. Because the leagues, we all in different cities, but the league is fucking this big. Yep.

You know what I'm saying? Because everybody knows somebody on the team, and somebody, some of the shit you used to hear about, listen bro, I was like, yo, these niggas is crazy, man. The niggas is crazy over there. Crazy man I didn't imagine crazy over there No, I'm gonna shit, but the year before I got the Denver I Know wait up no fucking way man like you need smoking behind the team playing like The plane so playing with fuel you niggas behind the team playing with

Behind the plane man like nobody's seen them though. That's like that's stupid No thought like no if you thought if you thought the men are stupid Yes, give me a give you think you still give him some money give him some stupid the shit we do just you is just no thought you just be like You're dumb. Yeah, absolutely like you're you're an idiot Yeah Absolutely, then you ain't got nobody around. You tell, like, at times,

you ain't got nobody around. You tell them, like... That's not a good idea. No, that's not okay. Yeah. Like, that's... Don't fucking do that. What the fuck is wrong with you?

Like, why would you... You ain't got nobody... Because... Memphis. Yeah. Yeah. We look at that, that's like... That's prime example.

That's prime example. That's normal. That's prime... We was doing this shit. That's normal. That's prime. We was doing this shit with no camera phones. I'm saying, just imagine if there was social media and everybody had a phone back then with shit we was doing. But that's what I'm saying. Just look at the behavior, right?

The reason that we look at him like, eh. Because y'all was doing the same shit? I have it. You're recording. Now I want to touch it. Something in my brain says touch it now Like I'm serious like think about you in the club strip club money ever by yourself. Yes What's the one thing you don't want to touch right? I don't look like I need that for what's open?

Camera come on. I'm gonna do some stupid Camera come on. I'm about to do something dumb So we some idiot, but I'm just thinking about it fucking just watch this Did a whole bunch of that shit what watch this you ever hear? Were you on the team? where Ai was ai and Ray Allen was playing tag, uh-uh. You didn't hear?

Tag. Tag. Like chasing each other? Tag, you it. You ever heard that story? No. Playing tag, you it, USA basketball. They're playing tag, you it.

And Ray Allen got Iverson. Tag. Right? Ran in his room, locked the door. They said Iverson went in his room on his balcony and jumped down to the next balcony. Hung off. Only a man would do that. Never. I would never think to do that. I'm like, I'll get her tomorrow. Like, what?

Like, fucking 40. Just jump down, grab, tag him to leave. Allen Iverson. Nah, hell no. The MVP jeopardizing his life. Life. Tag. Tag. He ain't gonna tag me.

In the balcony, got you right now. Like, everybody's still weak. What? Hell nah. Not the first floor. Yeah, yeah. Definitely wasn't the first floor. We definitely know that.

That's what I'm saying. Unhinged. Now let's move on to some unhinged fans with our last segment of the day most event oh she's there by underdog fantasy download the app use promo code gills arena they will match your first deposit up to $100 apparently people have been listening when I say this shit Gil and they like the $50 that we're giving out oh shut up the underdog fantasy let's get that back. Alright, first question comes from Benny Benzino.

This question's for Lexi. Should the WNBA allow girls from high school or any year in college to be drafted into the WNBA? They asked me the same question last time I was here. Did they? And I said no. Honestly, I don't know.

It don't make sense now. They making all the money in college. Why would they skip college? All right, somebody getting cussed out in the back. Hold on. Literally the exact same conversation. Somebody got to sacrifice himself for the show. It's all right. Hey, they fucking up in the back.

Literally the exact same question. Oh, we get the soundboard for season two. This question they threw in a high school, which is super dumb. We all need a button with a phrase on it. Just hit it. We all need a button with a phrase. If there's one rule that you can change

for the betterment of the game, what would it be? A rule? I would take the third round of the draft out. I would just make the draft two rounds Yeah, oh y'all like the 80s Y'all like the seven like we only have what? Per round I think the third one is 12 picks per round. That's all we have so 36 first

Mm-hmm. Yes, I wanted to just make it to our make it pick the same amount of players Them third round picks. Yeah, you can pick the same amount of players. Just make it two rounds No, I would know less players. Oh, you just want 24 players, so you don't want them to Third round if more third round picks were making teams then I would get it But like it's every time a third round pick is waived It's like just all this outrage like the third round weren't getting, he wasn't making a team anyway. Wait, those first-rounders got waived too, right? Yeah, but most of the outrage this past year was about second and third-round picks.

So you don't want guaranteed contracts? We do have guaranteed contracts. For the first round? The sixth, no. But you get your option picked up now, your rookie contract, which is new. But, I mean, I feel like if you're picking someone the first round, you've got to give them at least one season. Yeah, I think it should be guaranteed.

Guaranteed? It should be. I wouldn't, I mean, I wouldn't guarantee it, like, officially, because then that, like, messes with your salary stuff. But you should be like... You should tell your rookie you're not cutting you in this camp. Like, no matter how bad you do, I feel like that should be something that...

The conversations that should be had with first-round picks. Yeah, I'm like, if you... If we had to... If the rookies wasn't guaranteed in our league... You have to wait until January 10th. What I'm saying is, like, 80% of our Hall of Famers wouldn't have... It would have been cut if they had to go off for their rookie performance.

I would say that or giving us one or two more roster spots. I think that would change everything. I think the roster spots would be a good move. More roster spots without the third round. The third round. Yeah. Two more roster spots, third round, get the fuck out of here. Got it. Makes round. Yeah. So two more roster spots, third round, get the fuck out of here. Got it.

Makes sense. Yeah. All right. Next question is from underdog user named Chinburger. Wow. I don't know if he's trying to take a shot at me, but it's all good. When watching or dissecting the NBA or any basketball game, what is it that you're looking at that the casual fan might not pick up on?

What am I looking at like like for the shooting guards I didn't run all the way to the corner like I it seemed like they don't even run through no more like back when we had to run under you know get out and go so it's like, you know, watch. You were right. I used to have to do that. Yeah. Get out and go. So it's like, you know, are the guards getting out and going? Are the bigs running down the lane? It's like, how fast are everyone running? Like, the spacing.

Are they playing through the offense or natural behavior? You know, I'm just watching. It's like, I don't watch the game to enjoy it. It's like I'm watching it from an editor point. Even with movies. People hate watching TV with me. I'm watching this 90 day thing and I'm looking at the watch, looking at the socks. I'm just looking.

I look at stupid shit when I'm playing. it's pointless for me um what do i watch i mean i watch more to learn so like i really tune in for and watch players that i feel like i've kind of played similar to so just seeing how they get open how they get to their spots where they're getting the ball things like that like if there's a game on and there's like i feel like there's nothing I can learn which is very rare then I probably won't watch that game but I'm always you know trying to be a sponge every time I'm watching basketball. Yeah me is watching the action like the average fan is they taught to watch the ball mm-hmm in sport, they watch the ball. I'm watching everything but the...

I see everything but the ball. You know what I'm saying? Like, I see everything. He cut here, he did this. Even though I watch football, I see, like, all the little things and people are like, how you see that?

Like, I'm watching NFL games with a former NFL linebacker. Like, and I'm calling out like, why are you blocking that way? What sport did you play again? Because I'm just watching action and I'm seeing it all. I'm programmed just to watch

the action. Even to this day, to your point, it's hard to watch a game with me. I watch a lot of basketball by myself. It's like, because I'm constantly, man, why the fuck you make that pass? I was talking the whole time. The entire time.

Like what? Dumbass. Dumbass foul. Backdoor. Why would you help off the corner? Well, that's why I can't do play by play. Yeah. Oh, they kick me off. Wait. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, why the corner? Well, that's why I can't do play-by-play. Oh, they kick me off.

How the fuck did you do that? So people ask me about, like, watching film, like with KJ. I'm like, no, after the game, I don't need to watch film. I didn't broke it down every play in my head. So after the game, I'm like, yo, why was this? How did it end? But, yeah, for me, I watch the action. Okay.

So we got two more questions for you. Hopefully we get through these quickly. We all got shit to do again. So tell us basically just shut the fuck the action. Okay. So we got two more questions for you. Hopefully we get through these quickly. We all got shit to do, Gil. And it's almost... So let's basically just shut the fuck up here. Yeah. Is that how you talk to me? No, I'm just saying that's what you're saying.

Hopefully we can get through these quickly. Gil, you ain't the only one with heat. You ain't the only one who can roll up with heat. Okay? And I know where you're safe at. And I know how much time it'll take you to get there. All right. Next question from Ballhead Lil Will. That's a good one.

That's one of my favorite underdog users. Which Kobe will beat the other, 8 or 24? Who? That's a very interesting question. I'm going with 8. Yeah, I was going to say question. I'm going with 8. Yeah, I was going to say that. I'm going with 8. Close?

8 busts, 24 of that? Or is it going to be a good matchup? 8 was like, he was ruthless. 8 was different. Yes. He was different. He was, he didn't, he was ruthless. 8 Kobe is different.

Okay. Yeah, he was a, yeah, he was an untrained mamba. Yeah, he was. He was an untrained. What, Venom? Yeah, what? He was just, he was a he was an untrained mamba he was untrained that's the best small one that just all the venom every time he bite yeah ain't no it was like yeah that one cuz that's the one that came up with Bamba right is it it's last question us from just balling smooth When Gil hits the blunt tomorrow who's gonna calm him down? This shit none of us you saw I see how you talk to me We're gonna let Gil fucking be a debauchee could show where like it's like a little shower calm him down

That's what I got See I'm self in to bena be Team Gil right now. Thank you. They didn't say how many times you had to hit it. They said you had to hit it, right? You had to smoke, right? This is not productive, okay? Oh, he gonna get high. It might take him, just hit him one time, Gil.

He ain't never smoked. I know, like, so what? So trust me, hey. Damn, but what do you So trust me. We live in the land of it. There's abundance of it here. He will have a toke of something

that's going to be sufficient. What if we send your life just on a downward spiral? I know, that's what I'm saying. The freeway underpass on Winneka. Popping it for another hit. I said, I hope I die. Just now everybody got to feel sorry 15,000 people y'all did y'all did this No, I started my kids

Hey, you can't Know man Sit there thinking I I stopped I was going by the weasels. Oh There's one right here tell me tell you tell my sent you they go find out a delivery right here over in turbo Not too far Wait, wait, can I just like we just go into like the sauna and then y'all smoking that I'm in there It's not that's not what's worse, right? That's not what you know. It's not the same thing What happened to the hotbox part of it? That's not what you want, right? That's not what you want? It's not the same thing. What happened to the hot box part of it?

That's not what you want. Oh, that's worse. Oh, that's worse? A car, a sauna ain't going to do nothing. It's just going to have your sauna smelling like dope. That's, that's not. Hot boxing in the car and not thinking that shit's not going to stink for three days. Yeah, no, we just, it'll be all right, dog.

It's temporary. See, the thing is that you got to know is it ain't going to last forever. Okay, how about, which one is the sleepy one? We're gonna bring your sativa So you won't Indica in the cab in the couch. Okay. I want that one. You told you wanna so you want to indica so you want something It's gonna help with you now like I told me Might make you paranoid

I'm a pretty it's a potential both of them could be if you have those crunch if you have a paranoid Personality already it just might enhance that You know You stay in the house the reason you're hermit, that's okay. You to leave. You don't got to go out. Think somebody's always chasing me. It'll be all right. It'll be all right. I'm going to come back a couple hours. Nah, you got guns. I'm going to come back a couple hours later.

And that's the problem. I'm going to be high. Y'all going to go. And I got to be here by myself. Now I got to deal with myself by myself. I ain't got with you for a couple hours. Come back in with the screen mask. Come back in with the screen mask.

I ain't got with you for a couple hours. If I come back all the glass broke, that means I was just running into this shit. Thought people was chasing me. Pow! Back up, nigga! Pow! Pow! I ain't got with you for a couple hours. If I come back all the glass broke That means I was just running into shit thought people Well ladies and gentlemen Lexi we appreciate you pulling up we will get you back so Can you appreciate you as always Gil appreciate you appreciate y'all. We got one more show this season We turn it up tomorrow. It's gonna be a function. Make you get there early don't meet us there beat us there. Appreciate you underdog fantasy gills arena We will see y'all tomorrow smoke down