Insight with Chris Van Vliet - If You Can’t Win the Medal, Win the Party with Richard Jefferson I Gold Medal Loser

Episode Date: March 26, 2022

Olympian and former NBA star, Richard Jefferson, talks about the last time he and LoLo surprisingly hung out together and you don’t want to miss Richard’s explanation on the prank he played on former teammate, LeBron James. Plus, Richard talks wine and why he (and others) became wine connoisseurs. Listen to more episodes of Gold Medal Loser here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're a valued customer, you deserve a simple gesture of appreciation from your credit card company. And that's why Discover matches all the cashback you've earned at the end of your first year. Discover, exceptionally common sense. Learn more at Discover.com slash match. Limitations apply. Richard Jefferson on the show today, Richard, thank you so much. I mean, the last time I saw you, I don't know if you remember. It's the last and first time I actually met you, but it was at the SB's pre-party at a pool party.

Do you remember this photo? Oh, wow. Yes, I do. Yes, I do. Me, Channing, we were having a damn, we were probably having too much fun. We were still on that championship high. And that was back when you used to be able to go to parties and stuff. It was a good time.

Oh, pre-COVID. I know. I was like wondering if you remembered since you guys literally were coming off the victory tour. or I don't know if there was alcohol involved. I was like, he probably doesn't even remember this day actually even happened or that he met me, that we've met before. That's true, because then we were all at the uninterrupted after party. Also, we were all there together.

So, no, 100%. Are you kidding me? Like, you remember, you know, having a good time. That's what you, that's what we're all storing right now. Hey, remember that time I had a good time three years ago? Yeah, that was awesome. That's the only thing you can do right now. For those that don't know, we have Richard Jefferson, and I just got to go over some of the things

about you. You're born in Los Angeles, California. You attended Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona, and you led the basketball team to a 4A state championship in 1998. Then you went on to play college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats under head coach Lou Olton. And in three years at the U of A, you average 11.2 points, 11.2 points, five rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and you were part of the that, wow, I didn't know this, that fell to Duke in the 2001 national championship? Yeah, so this is the thing, Lolo, when we talk about being a gold medal loser, like, like I understand you like to laugh and joke about this, but I have a lot of big losses, lots of them, you know, like.

Me too. Yeah, I know. I love it, you know, because you learn more about yourself sometimes and losing than you do and winning. And, boy, I've learned a lot about myself. Yeah, I lost in the national championship game. It's a respectable loss, though. It's a respectable loss.

Losing to Duke is not a respectful loss. We were cheated. I'll stand by that. Secondly, secondly, this is the thing that that sucks about that is that they won the national championship in 1997. And that was the reason why I went to the school. I was a kid in Phoenix. They won the national championship. It was Mike Bibby.

It was like Arizona versus Kentucky. I'm like, this is why I want to come here. I want to win a championship. So that was my whole goal. So to be that close to the reason why you went to the school to, like, be able to, like, be that first recruiting class to say, hey, we came here to win national championships and here we are. So to not get it done. Yeah, that one's done a little bit, you know. But look, it's not like I was going to lose in two straight NBA finals after that.

Oh, wait, I did. I mean, yeah, you talked about it. Like sometimes you learn more by losing. and then you, I mean, you have had an incredible career. I mean, let's talk about this. You're an Olympian. You were a member of the U.S. national team that won a bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics, so in Greece, which I'm beyond impressed by.

Then you went to play in the NBA from 2001 to 2018, 17, 17 seasons, which is so hard in the NBA. And then you retired. I don't know. I don't know if this is true, though. Did you retire in 2019? because you refuse to play for the Knicks. No, okay.

So, so this is the thing. It's not true, but boy, when I said it on air, I learned a valuable lesson. Like, when you say things on air sarcastically, people that don't like you will take it literally. Or people that don't know you will take it literally. But I did say that on air. I made a joke that because Jason, Kid, Kenyon Martin, two guys that I played with for the Nets, also played for the Knicks. And in that little Knicks Nets rivalry, there's like 50 players that have played for both.

And I made a joke like, yeah, that's what I knew it was time for me to retire. The minute I, people told me, or the minute the Knicks were the only team to offer me, that's when I knew it was time for me to retire. And that kind of, all of a sudden. It's hilarious. I love it. It's a funny, it's a funny fucking joke, right? It's funny.

And all of a sudden, you know, my, and I go, and like, when I do a joke, like, I go in, I'm like, oh, yeah, I said, I'd rather broadcast and play for the next. Just real digging in a night. And well, probably like, like I said, I'm just kidding. But like I said the joke for 10 minutes and said a just kidding at the end. My producer gets in my ear like 20 minutes. They were like, hey, is that story that you told on air true? I'm like, no.

And it's like, well, it's going viral right now. And you're trending on Twitter. And you're like, what, like, what are you talking about? If someone were to offer me, like, I just didn't get an offer and I didn't feel like waiting. It's like, if someone were to offer me $2.5 million, I'd be playing basketball right now. Like, what are you talking about? Yeah. You know, this sounds very familiar.

I don't know if you just heard about Rob Grancowski. He just went viral for saying he doesn't study playbooks or he doesn't watch video. He just relies on Tom Brady to tell him who's defensive. spending him and kind of like last minute, like, what should he do? And he said that he come out like a few days after. I was like, I was just joking, like basically the same. He went viral, though. People were like, what do you mean he doesn't watch video? What do you mean he doesn't study? It's impossible to win multiple Super Bowls if you don't know specifically because one thing that champions do know is one play, one mistake, all of these things like. Cost everything.

It's a wrap. So like, yeah. But see, again, my. Mind you, Gronk went to University of Arizona. So both of us are fluent in sarcasm. We're both fluent in sarcasm that a lot of people don't get. I'm fluent in it. And that's why I get in hot water too. That's the thing with athletes is like when they are talking to athletes, they want us to like be athlete mode.

And a lot of them don't expect us to have personalities or kind of think outside the bubble or like want to be humorous. But if you do really know an athlete, you know in the locker room, that's all that it is. It's just jokes. all it's like there you don't even know what is the truth anymore because all people speak is sarcasm oh the best is when people are like wait wait wait are you being sarcastic or are you being serious because i don't know and i'm like then that means that it's working it's working it's like no but seriously are you fucking with me or are you not and i'm like no i you and you have to clarify it but

it's like because a lot of times sarcasm as athletes are is one of the only self-defense mechanisms that you have whether you're sarcastic with your teammate whether you're sarcastic with your friends, family, your coach. Like, that's the only way to kind of really convey a little emotion, right? And so, yeah, I think more athletes are fluent in sarcasm as a way to just cope with all the bullshit. Yeah, but it burns us, though. I remember I did something like when I lost the Olympics and I did a presser.

You'd never be sarcastic with the press, but I did it. And I was just like, yeah, I think, like, they just raised my hurdle up a little bit. This is what I was talking about losing the Olympic gold medal. I was like, I think that they just. raised, they forgot and they raised my hurdle up the wrong amount and that's why I hit it. And people are like, Lolo claims that they sabotaged. I was like, no, I'm just, I'm just being an idiot. I'm trying to make up for the fact that I mess this up.

No, don't, no, don't see, look, see, now you're taking that on yourself. You're like, no, see, guys, no, fuck them. just because you guys don't understand a joke, right? It's like, look, like, while I understand, while I appreciate your outrage, I train every day And I just lost a thing that I worked for and worked my entire life for. So I apologize for any outrage that a joke might have cost you. And you're offended by that. So don't apologize, Melo.

I got your back on that. I love it. Okay, next time I'm going on Twitter, please chime into the trolls. Yeah, no, yeah, you don't fight Twitter trolls. There's no winning that. There's no way there. Just leave them alone.

No, but you can have a good jab every now and then. You got to find the ones that you can like have a good comeback. on. Some of them, some of them, you can like turn the wave. But yeah, some of most of them, you got to just leave alone. You do, you have to leave them alone. It depends. One guy, one guy, this coach, it was great. So somebody, I made a statement a couple of weeks ago that Vince Carter, me and Matt Barnes, who also played with Vince Carr said that Vince Car was the most talented athlete we'd ever seen, right? Not the best, not the most, not the best basketball player we'd ever seen just like the most like the most like gifted like I would see him shoot like left

handed three pointers from 40 feet just do all sorts of random things like he was so like obviously we know it by his athletic gifts and people like oh people Richard Jefferson say Vince Carter was baron lebron james and you're like no no that's not that's not what the fuck I said that's not that's not what I said like yes like brawn is six foot nine 260 pounds and Vince is six foot five you know 200 but you're talking about just a pure gifted athlete and like like just pure talent on a basketball floor that came with extreme ease. I never saw it. Anyway, some guy, some guy, some coach goes or some guy tweets like, hey, you know,

apparently we're just going to let Richard Jefferson say anything. And I was like, wait, is this? I was like, oh, so I feel like I either quoteied or put in comments like, hey, I love, like I know that I played against them and had to guard both of them. but I would love to hear from someone who watched them. Please tell me more. And let's just say that the trolls definitely decided to come out heavily. And I was like, see, this is why I don't do Twitter.

Because my sarcasm on Twitter either goes one way or the other. And so I just like to keep to myself on that. Got you. Speaking of breaking down athletes, let me ask you this. So I've had the opportunity over the course of my career. I always get this from athletes. I get it from non-athletes, but it's, It always intrigues me when I get NFL players or soccer or NBA players like, hey, I think I can beat you in a race.

I get this all the time, Richard. I don't know if people try to like compare your sports like, hey, I think I can, you know, maybe score on you. Yes. So my, recently I'm not going to name this NBA player because I don't want to shame them. But recently I had an NBA player wanting to race me. I've already raised NBA players. I raised Kevin Love at the Olympics. He lost in like the first step.

Slow's dirt. Sorry, Kevin. I don't know if you know him. How well you know your teammate. But, yeah, granted, we were both completely drunk, but I still beat him. A race. A win is a win is a win, no matter how you get that win. So I know a post is quite slow and that I have the potential to beat a post NBA. But this person was more of like a two, three wing and was like, I think I could beat you in a race. And I said, a better question for you is, do you think I could score two points on an NBA player, full court?

Not half court. Half court, I know I'd get, I'd get broken. But if I had the ability to sprint, press, do you think I could score two points? I think it would be easy. This person wasn't a starter. No. No. Let me just, let me stop you. Let me stop you. I will break their ankle. Let me say this. It is actually harder. to do it full court. It is harder to do it. Why? I would use my speed.

No, no, no, no. Once I use my speed to get around them. Yeah. But that's, again, because it's in sports, like it's like a defensive back. It's all about angles. So, and then the physicality of said angles. We're going to get too deep into the game. We don't give a shit.

Okay. Does it help that I played basketball in high school and almost got a scholarship? No. No. And with all due respect, I don't think that they could beat you in a race. I don't think that they could beat you in a race. No, they can. But you think that they would be able to disheardable to

destroy me half court. I just don't think, I don't think in that space, you know, that would be, I think you would do better in half court than full court. Really? I thought that would do better on full court. You get those guys like Patrick Beverly that'll pick you up, you know, you know, 94 feet and just work you, just make you twist. It's a slow three, a slow three though, not not a starter. He was probably most, just like, you know, maybe after the starters get tired, he'd tired. He would go in. Still not changing the scenario? You know, it'd be the, those first three steps. It would be those first three steps. You know, if you got your first three steps right, Lolo, I'm going, I'm betting on you. I'm betting on you. You could beat them. But not, but not,

no, no, not. What have I removed the ability to dribble the ball? And I just have to carry the ball like well, well, again, now we're playing a different sport. That's called football. That's a very different sport. Make, make no mistake now. That's a different sport. All right. I'm done with the scenario. I'm done with you trying to. I really had my confidence up that I thought I could beat this guy full, full court. Now, you know, at least you have more confidence than him. He, at least you said no. He actually, like, he looked a little bit, like, he kind of broke down a little bit. Like, I think I broke him mentally.

Oh, yeah. Well, that's got to be tough. But I will say this. Like, basketball athletes, we are the most arrogant of the athletes. Because our, our, our, we feel like our job takes the most overall athleticism to do. Right. Like, yes, baseball is. you know, you have to hit 100-bile and out.

Look, let's be real about baseball. Baseball is at the bottom on the totem pole. I just look, there's some good, I'm not going to disrespect. I'm just saying that. There's some good athletes. There are, but I feel like, look, you got soccer. I've gone on dates with baseball players. And they admit, they admit that they have the easier route.

They literally have told me. We have it. Yes. So they're not, they're not trying to be in this debate. So basketball players are more, basketball players are more arrogant the most because we feel like playing our sport. It takes hand-eye. It takes footwork.

There's physicality. Right? There's act like you don't ever have body to body contact in in in in baseball. You don't have body to body contact in in in other tennis and other sports. Point being, we have a rational confidence. So I'm not surprised that a slow three man thinks that he could beat you. But I'm not. I'm betting on you. Got you. Okay. Well, this is a great debate. So I'll have to take it back. Well, it was for a date. So now that date's probably going to be over. Oh. Oh. You're out here. I should. I should have just. I should have just. I just sold him. Yeah. No, that's the worst way.

That's the worst way to like, for a date. Because if I was him, I would just let you win. Wait, who won? If he wins, he gets a date, right? No, no, no. He was, he was just, it was just all conversational, but it was clearly not a good, like, I'm not like most girls are like, oh yeah, babe, you got it. I was just like, like, my athlete mode turned on. I was just like, what?

Did you just fit out of your mouth? But how would you feel if he did beat you? If like, holy shit, like, you guys went to a park. I want to know. Tell me about that. If you guys went to a park and you're like, fine. Just me and you. We'll go there.

Do a little warm up. I can take a, you know, I'm an athlete. I've lost before. I can take the L. But I would, but you better believe I'm going to be trying 100%. Like, it's not going to be like in loving basketball where it was all cute. And like, it was just like a rom-com. No, like a girl's probably going to warm up.

I'm going to be like, I might actually train before the competition. Yeah, yeah. Like, I expect you to be in your spite. I expect you to be in your tracks shoes. Like, there's no, there's, like, if I were to show up in that moment against you, I would have a number on my back. I would have my, I would have my track. You have a jersey.

I'd have my, I'd have my glasses on, like, everything to make me. I'd have be freshly shaven so I was fully aerodynamic. All of these things would go into it. Yeah. Well, I'll let you know if that happens and then I'll invite you out so you can break it down. This is definitely entertaining. So glad to have you on to break down. potential races.

What are some of the similarities and differences there are between being a professional athlete and your time as an Olympian and the difference between an athlete versus broadcaster? Oh, shit. Where do we get? You know what? The different, okay, basketball for me is different from, you know, being an Olympic athlete. Like, we talk about this. In basketball, your dreams are state championship.

national championship, NBA championship. That's like, you know, like when you're a kid, that's what you see. It's not necessarily Olympics. Like, that's not. Like, we, you know, the USA team is, is so far outside of a lot of basketball players' dreams. But to watch and be around the Olympic athletes and see how, you know, you guys would train for four years for like one moment. Like, that is, you know, like, truth be told, like, I lost out on a gold medal. And I was, and I'm devastated to this day, frustrated, whatever.

But I'm like, sometimes I look, I was like, yo, I do have an Olympic medal, though. Like, holy shit, I would have never got that. Like, I was fighting for an NBA championship. I played for 17 years to try and get one of those things. And so, you know, when you, but then when you, you know, flip it into broadcasting, that transition for me was a little bit harder because you're competitive. You are competitive. But it's hard to be competitive in 30-second soundbites.

It's hard to be competitive. It's more about like an internal, like, I want to be the best version of myself. That's where it is. Like I started hosting recently where I hosted the jump and it's reading prompter and it's going to break and it's learning your transitions. It's like you're learning a whole new language. And so that's been the fun thing about broadcasting is I've been able to channel some of my competitive energy towards that. That's nice. I just recently did some stuff for NBC and on her tour for the Summer Olympics.

And it was like my first time doing like a really pretty big gig where I'm co-hosting a show. It's first time co-hosting a show. And same thing you're talking about, their transitions, prompter cues. And like when I say I was sweating more that than like when I'm at a competition. Like my, I was like, you guys, I'm literally about to have pit stains all over the suit you guys have. People don't understand it. Blow up. People don't understand it.

I kid you not. So I was fortunate. I hosted the jump for a whole week, Monday through Friday. when I was done with it that Friday, it felt like I had played, you know, four games and five nights. Like I was like physically and emotionally because like you're on it. Like you make a little flub and like you can feel your palms getting sweaty because that's your body is normally reacting to these tense situations. Right. So like when you're training and when your body's tense like that, it's because you're about to race.

You're you're about to be a meat. This is like the same type of like energy, but you're sitting. down trying to talk. You're just like, that makes no sense. But yeah, I had the same thing. It's everything opposite of that being an athlete. So like when an athlete, when you're nervous, they're like, okay, go shake it off, go run it off. Like move your body.

When you're nervous as a broadcaster, you have to literally contain your body, not move, be very still. It's like everything you've learned as an athlete. Like, just forget it. Yeah, but the breathing techniques still work that when you have to slow yourself down. It's like slow yourself down. Because I would start breathing. Because people don't understand you, you start reading prompter. If there's a mistake, it's live TV, all of these things.

But that's the one thing that I found, hosting. Not just being an analyst giving like a 30 second sound bite or calling games saying really silly shit like I always do. But being a host where you have to be so locked in, you're directing traffic, you're asking questions, you got a producer in your ear telling you to rap. Then you've got to go and read a promo with him in your ear saying five, four, three. And you're like, so you're trying to read this prompt. and smile and act like you're having the fucking time of your life.

It's the worst. It's the worst. And now, a message from Discover about rewards. If you're a loyal credit card customer, you should be rewarded for your loyalty. Preferably with something that's useful, like cashback match, for instance. Discover matches all the cashback you've earned at the end of your first year. Finally, rewards that makes sense. Discover, exceptionally common sense.

Learn more at Discover.com slash match. Limitations apply. Speaking of Soundbites in 2018, I don't know. Did you really end your friendship with LeBron James over free agency? It was a joke, I know, but like, I don't know. Do you want me to read part of your, this is just a great. This is just a very well. Yeah, go ahead.

I'm absurd, but people sometimes when they first find out that I'm absurd, they don't realize that I've always been absurd. Yeah. So you go, it is with great remorse that I'm writing this after many years as a peer and many years as a friend and teammate, I have decided to end my friendship with LeBron James. I am saying this publicly so that the fans and media of members can please stop asking where he is going in free agency. I don't know. My family doesn't know and neither do my kids. Unfortunately, I live in Los Angeles, so the questions are unavoidable. But hopefully,

this helps to clear things up. Truth be told, I never liked the guy. He works too hard and and makes the rest of us look bad. He's my son's favorite player, and I view that as a complete betrayal of how hard I have worked to put a roof over his head. I'm sorry. I'm having to give this Drake response, but I feel like this is the best way

to address this issue that I am clearly losing also. I wish everyone the best of luck in free agency, teams and players, oh, and Channing Frye, also, just because. So, yeah, My brain goes a bit of a different place at times. I thought it was funny. I thought it was funny. I thought it was great.

Because it was like, it really was. So where I live, I live in Hermosa Beach, which is like it's probably 10 minutes from the Lakers practice facility. So there's guys that are around town, about town.

Yeah, you're like right there. Where the Lakers broadcast facility is 10 minutes from here. So you're just in like, you're kind of the pulse for a la la land over here. And it's everywhere. Where's the bar? wrong going. Whereas Brown's like, I don't know, nor do I care. Like, I'm really honest. I don't talk to the guy.

Don't even like the guy. And so I just thought I'd put that out. And sometimes I write these things just to be funny for like our group and like our boys. And then I don't realize that, oh, shit, people really pay attention to the things that I say. That, that's probably the thing that shocks me most. I never am doing stuff like, oh, people are going to go nuts over this. No, it's like, do you think people are going to be weird about this? And it's like, oh, yeah, they were. My bad. So, yeah, I've broken up with them. We have since rekindled our friendship, but we like to keep our, we like to keep our friendship private. Private. Okay. Well, speaking of your other teammate, Channing, do you guys like to, you guys like to drink wine together?

And did you start a wine war with LeBron and Kevin Love? It wasn't, first of all, LeBron, look, you don't, you know how they say Big Bank takes a little bank. You're not going to win a wine war. What we just decided to do. is start posting like really cheap, shitty bottles of wine. We were drinking every time they went to their, every time they went to their like oak cabinets filled with rare wines from Italy and the Middle East, we would go and have some like two buck chuck or some. Who's doing the cheap wine?

Who's doing the expensive wine? I don't necessarily drink wine. I think when we started the little wine jokes back and forth, it was me and Channing were drinking the cheap and Kevin and Kevin. and Bron were drinking the expenses stuff. They're like on the on the menu for tonight. If we're like like like they'd have like their chefs prepared dinner. Meanwhile, me and Channing have like, you know, we got Panda Express and some other bullshit that

we're eating. And so, you know, we let those guys stunt all their ones. But just like, just like anything, you got to make sure that your boys crack jokes at you, keep you in check. I totally need to check that. I need to know which ones the cheap bottles were good because that's all I roll with. That's all I roll with. That's all I roll with.

starts to get $20 starts to get pricey for me on wine. I don't know. It's like, you know, most of the time I'm like, what's the cheapest that hits? Yes, yes. And that's the thing. I'm like, I can spend $40 on a bottle of whiskey and that'll last me like a day or so. I like, you know, I'm just joking. I don't drink that much.

I was like. Definitely, definitely like a week. Yeah, it's true. A bottle of wine 40. Gone on a second. Like those guys, those guys drink too much. Does Channing have a vineyard? Like, what is he?

Is it cheap or expensive wine? No, first of all, Channing, and to his credit, I don't really, like, look, he's like my brother, but I think most of his ideas are stupid. But this is one of the ideas that was a very, very good idea. So, like, part of me is proud and part of me is annoyed. Like, oh, shit, he's going to think all of his ideas are good now. But he did start a wine company. It's called Chosen Family. Him and Kevin.

Kevin actually partnered with him after he started because Channing's doing it up in Oregon. Kevin Love is from. or again, their friendship, their connection to the state. And they've done actually a very, very good job. Well, they will take grapes from different vineyards and kind of put their own twist and really highlight the venues, the vineyard. I think the best way to really explain what they're doing is kind of like how like Supreme or Virgil will do collections with Louis Vuitton or do collections with, you know, a different,

you know, brand name. And so then it's kind of this person's spin on, on, on, another vineyards grapes. Don't quote me on that. I don't want to want to say it's more like T.J. Max. No, no. It's actually like the high end bow and stuff all together. Yeah, it's very good.

It's like, you know, 60, 80 bucks wine. And they do it in small batches. So it's like they'll get a, yeah, they'll do like a few barrels. And then all of a sudden it's sold out. I should be getting a fucking, I should be getting something soon. The dude. I see. Yeah, I buy it.

And he just never shows up. He's like, hey, do you guys want some of it? of our rosés like sure i buy it and i don't know if it doesn't show up to my house i have to check in on that uh well maybe that's because they've uh seen you doing some uh other things like some dancing moves with a ticotker i don't know maybe if that's what yeah they feel like you don't need the wine because you're already like free spirited enough to just go out there and i don't know graces with your athletic moves and dancing i am not first of all i can't dance I can't by the way

So what is it about this TikTok star And this video that's gone viral? Well you know You know, okay So I did recognize her So I would this is the full story is issued Like not that anyone gives a damn about my full story The week I was hosting the jump

I was like okay I want to get up I was in there You know you get in at like 930 for a 12 o'clock show So I'm writing the script not writing it But working through it putting it in my own words I'm like hey anybody want a coffee no I'm walking off. And I've seen this girl before on like Instagram,

not on TikTok, but just like her dancing videos with random people. So I was like, wait, I know that girl in that little green jumpsuit. So I go over, I say hello, her fiance's there like, oh,

we're about to do something with Benny the Bull. The Bull's mascot just happens to be in LA. So he comes around the court. He's a great mascot. Great mascot. So he comes around the corner. And I was like, you know what?

I was literally about to launch at TikTok next week. Do you guys want to do one? So I asked them. And they're like, sure. So she teaches me how to do the little dance. but she's got 1.5 million followers and people see my big dumbass out there

trying to do with TikTok dance. It's probably going to go viral, but she was super sweet. I watched it. It was a little off beat with you. So it goes back to how, you know how you were bragging early about basketball players are the most athletic?

We're the best, best, best, best, best. Well, that dance broke you off. Broke me all the way off. That dance literally made, no, I was like, no chance. Zero. Zero, there was no swag. There was no swag whatsoever. But look, this was the thing.

I was, again, it was more of like, it was that kinetic energy that you get. I'm about to host on Monday the first day I get up. I was like, let me go get a coffee. You're blaming it on nerves? I'm not blaming it. No, I'm blaming on nerves, but I'm saying like, and you've literally competed at the Olympic Games.

What I'm saying is getting that energy out. So you're saying in that moment, the nerves overtook you to make you a bad dancer. No, no, no, no. What I'm saying is that I was okay being a bad physical dancer because it got that energy out for me to go do my show, for me to go do the show. So I felt a lot more relaxed. I'll allow it. But yeah, you can't dance.

I can't dance. That's one thing that I don't try. That's not a strong point. But I will say this. I randomly took improv when I first retired to help with broadcasting. I did it all through, like I did like three courses of it for a few weeks. and you just learn that, you know, sometimes you guys say, fuck it, right? Like, who gets?

It's not about being good. It's not about being. It's just about kind of being in the moment. And it was fun. But I learned a lot and I am now a TikTok star. Not really, but I'm working on it. I'm working on it. Richard, I have to ask this question.

I want to know what your greatest success is and why and what your biggest failure was. Ooh, that's good. You know what? I want to say my, I want to say my kids are my greatest success, but I can't really tell quite yet because they're only four and six. So they could grow up to be assholes. They could grow up to be dicks. And so like at this point in time, they're good kids. But let's say up into this point, hopefully when I'm like 50 and they're 20 and they're like nice members of society, I can say that that's what it is.

But they're not there yet. So I'm still trying to raise guys and not to be a jerk. So I would say my biggest. success, ooh, that's tough. You know, the championship, yes, but I would still say, you know, making it and staying in the league for as long as I did. That's very, very difficult. And even if you don't win a championship, even if you don't, you know, there was, you know, there was some people that were, you know, criticizing a player, you know, and it was like, you know, one of the things that he said was, hey, look, like the minute you make it, the minute you help your family,

The minute you can change your situation, you are a success. Like, you come from nothing. I remember not having much as a kid, not having clothes that fit. I was growing too fast, not always having, like, you know, I'm six foot five at 13 years old, 14 years old. Like, I'm another grown man in the house eating like that. And there wasn't always stuff. So I think just the ability to make it and sustain it that long.

And when I was fortunate enough to retire, you know, I never had to work. My parents never had to work. My mom's house is paid. my mom and dad's house are paid for, I think to be able to change that. That's probably my greatest success. And my worst failure, worst failure. Well, obviously, being the one fucking Olympic team to not win a gold medal, I would put that up there.

I didn't want to say it. I would put that up pretty high up there. No, because that one was some bullshit, man, because like we weren't exactly set up for success by our own country, you know, and we still had the youngest team ever sent over, you know, we had no experience. And they actually changed the format. That's when they started the U.S. select team. And they started having training camps in Vegas every summer.

They started that because they realized that they put us in a bad position. When I'm meeting nine of the players for the first time before we go to the Olympics in two weeks. Like, that's not our fault. We didn't do that shit. Like, we just didn't know each other. And we're trying to figure it out. They're like, well, you guys are talented enough. You guys had LeBron.

He was 19. Like, he hadn't even played a playoff game yet. I don't think. Yeah. Maybe he had. But it was just, yeah, I think he might have been in his second year, or going along those lines. And you're like, this is not LeBron that went to 10 straight finals.

It's not the same guy that we were playing with in 2004. That's not that who we were playing with. And so I think we got put in a bad situation. But still, like, that's the one where, like, you look at it. you have a better understanding of it, and you're glad that your failure helped the future successes of USA basketball because they learned that they, if you're going to put the athletes in this type of tough spot, you have to make sure that you prepare them. And we weren't prepared and we learned that lesson in USA basketball and we've been better prepared ever since. I wish I

would have been a part of the better prepared group, but, you know, so weird. Well, I'm actually glad you broke that down because I was like when I was reading the stats and I was like, oh, he's an Olympian. And I just automatically assumed it was like gold medalist. And then when I read, I was like, ooh, bronze. I was like, what happened there? I was like, I don't. Oh, it was bad. Well, they lost the Olympics.

How about they lost the Olympics this past? It was like the first game of the Olympics they lost. That was the first time they had lost an Olympics since us. N-O-4, since us, like 16 years ago. I'm like, I can't even hate on your bronze, though. I don't have an Olympic medal at all. So I can't even hate that. That's what I'm saying.

And mine's like an accidental medal. Like, I was like, oh, yeah, by the way, fuck you. I have an Olympic medal. Yeah. I know exactly, but we all, all Olympians respect it, but I'm actually glad that you broke down kind of what happened and now how future generations have actually, because we take pride. And I know some, you know, I mean, I've heard different kind of sides of that for basketball. Like they care about the Olympics, but not really.

It's just like, but I know for the other Olympians like that are non-MBA players that don't make millions of dollars, I got to tell you, we get a lot of joy seeing you guys in the Olympic Village. We like, it's the highlight. When you make an Olympic team and you're in track and field or swimming or whatever, it is the highlight of your Olympic experience to get one pitcher with an NBA player. It's like, oh my gosh, I just got a picture with Chris Paul or LeBron or who that. You know, like, it's literally like that's your one bragging right that you have to take back, even if you don't meddle.

It's like everybody has their one pitcher with the basketball team. So whether you guys, you know, didn't get a gold medal, you guys going out there and fighting and representing Team USA and, you know, going after a long season or whatever the protocols are because we know you guys don't make any money for the Olympics because we don't make any money for the Olympics. So we're just honored that you guys do it and you actually make the lives of the other Olympians. Like, it's our moment at the Olympics. So we appreciate it.

Before I was fortunate enough to win a championship, the greatest sports experience of my life was what opening ceremonies at the Olympics. Like opening ceremonies. I'm in opening ceremonies at Athens, Greece, as a 24-year-old life. like, I'm not supposed to be here. What the fuck is going on? Holy shit. Like, what?

Like, and so it's like, to me, like, yes, like, representing it. And I was, you know me. I don't shut the fuck up. I talk to everybody. And so it was like, but there was tons of athletes from Arizona because I was 24 years old when I made the team. So like, there were, there were, we had swimmers from Arizona. They have a lot of swimmers.

A lot of softball players from Arizona. Jenny Finch. That was like her era. So we went, we were actually freshmen together at Arizona. Arizona and here she is as an you know the Olympic team starter wins the gold medal I was there when they won the gold medal to support you know all the women there so like there I understood how important it was and let me just say I had fun like if you're if you can't win the if you can't win the medal win the party and I definitely won the party let's just say you know what I've never

heard that quote before but I feel like now I want to print that out on a t-shirt and literally wear that at the next Olympics if you can't win the medal win the party I'm going to do it and I'm going to tag you in that picture. That is a great term. If you can't win the game, if you can't win the game, win the party. And some people can win both. Gronk wins both.

Grunk is the type. Grunk and Brady are the ones that win both. They win the part. They win the game and win the party. No, Brady doesn't win the party. Grong wins both. He gets the residual fun effect. Tom Brady's not winning both.

He literally, didn't he drop the trophy in the water when they were celebrating on the boats? Like, he doesn't win both. He literally dropped whatever. What's the trophy called? I don't think he didn't drop it. He didn't, they caught it.

Yeah. Or no, they caught it. But he like tossed over the water. Yeah. He looked not sober. I've been there, Tom.

Only once. I know you've been there seven times. I've been there once. And I understand. I completely understand. But I do respect the fact that you said you play like your greatest accomplishment is longevity in the NBA because that's how I feel like. I think I'm going on year 17 or 18 as a pro athlete.

They don't understand. It's whole. It's hard. It's hard. Like, I feel like every year, man, it's like 20, 30% harder to get out of bed to go training. Your body like hurts, man. My body hurts. Yes. People don't understand.

Like, the older you get, the more work that you do, but not to get better, but to slow the decline. That's it. You're just trying to slow your decline. You're not even trying to get better. You're like, I'm not going to be faster than I was at 25. But if I work just as hard as I did with 35, it'll decline very, very slowly. If you don't work, then you decline fast. It's so tough.

I literally, I just got PRP injections because I tore my adductor. But then I also had my Achilles herding. So the doctor's like, well, where do you want the PRP? I'm like, can we just put it literally everywhere? Like I have Achilles adductor, like low back. Can like, can you just cover my whole body in this treatment? Yes. Yes.

Just sleep in a plasma bath. Lastly, Richard, I want to ask you, what is the worst advice you've ever received and the best advice. Worst advice I ever received is just focus on basketball. And the best advice that I ever received is a little long one. But it was the worst thing that you can do for someone that you love are things that they could and should do for themselves. Right. I know that sounds like a mouthful. I know that's a lot. But the worst thing that you should do you could do for someone is the things that they should be doing for themselves. And when you get into this financial position, especially at 21 years old, you know, you want to help people, you want to elevate people around you. You want to help

your brothers, your cousins, your moms, your uncles, and all those sort of stuff. But it was like, wait, you ain't been able to pay your bills for, for 10 years. And I can help you, but why have you been in this position for 10 years, right? And so it's like understanding why you help people, understanding how you help people. And sometimes helping people is, going to always be the best. There were people that I decided to help and then I helped them for a decade and they were in no better of a situation than they were before I started helping them. And I'm realizing, like, I'm almost enabling these individuals to not do their responsibilities. And it's tough because 21-year-olds, you get put in that situation. You make $100 million,

you sign a $70 million contract in your 25. Your family will look at you different. You know, oh, little Richard, oh, up the street, you know, it's, you're a hundred million. is different. And the worst advice is the just focus on basketball because that's how, especially the older generation, my generation was taught just you focus on basketball, your business people focus on business, you do this, maybe you do a commercial, maybe you do this, and, and, you know, you start to learn. It's like, no, people don't teach you. You know how they teach you in high, in high school. They don't teach you how to balance a checkbook.

They don't teach you about credit in high school. They teach you about this other bullshit that you don't need. Well, sometimes business managers and agents and financials advisors, instead of teaching these people how to be financial literate, they're just say like, here, just come give it to me. I got it. I'll take care of it. Versus teaching someone financial literacy.

He's like, hey, Richard, this is why we do this. Hey, Richard, this is why you need to make sure that you have good credit. all of these things. So I think the worst advice I got was just focus on basketball and I realized that that was shitty advice and I focused on everything now. And then the best advice that I got was basically the ability to say no is one of the greatest abilities that you'll ever, ever really own, especially a person that's in this athletic financial position. So that's my tip for athletes out there. I love it. Actually, not even athletes. I think anybody can use that advice and apply it to their life. So I just want to thank you so much, Richard, for coming on. Lo Lo Lo, always a pleasure. And I'm

fucking offended that you would ask that. Don't you ask if I remember, if I remember that those magical times we spent at the Svys blacked out drunk. Yes, I'm offended. They at there, they're like, hey, do you want to do Lolo's podcast? Yeah, that's my girl. Tell her I said, what's up. That's how I said. I don't want to. I can't wait to see you at the next Svees. Non-COVID. Non-COVID regulations. I'm not going to any. I have the COVID regulations. But see you the next one.

We'll have the sequel to that party. Thank you so much. Thank you guys. Play podcast, an 80s flashback mockumentary. Back in the 80s, there were a thousand bands trying to make it in the world of rock. But there was one band that had it all. Hammer Alley. Whatever happened to Hammer Alley?

How did they go from top of the rock? I'm looking for a music video. They're a band from 1987. Hammer Alley. Ever heard of then? To Rock Bottom. Dude, I was born in 1987. I can't believe he's doing this. Hammer Alley.

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