Mind the Game - Tyrese Haliburton on How He and the Pacers Changed the NBA

Episode Date: January 27, 2026

We have a very special episode of Mind the Game today with LeBron James and special guest co-host, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers! While Steve Nash was calling games in Europe, we reached out to Tyrese to help us with a couple episodes and the man delivered. They cover everything from how the Pacers became one of the most fast paced/random/principled offenses in the NBA, how Tyrese himself has grown his game within that offense and so much more. They also talked about Tyrese’s injury and the 2025 Pacers playoff run. Finally, LeBron and Tyrese talk share some amazing stories from the 2024 Olympics.We’ll be back NEXT WEEK for Part 2 of this conversation so be sure to subscribe and stay tuned for that. Cheers!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up on this episode of Mind the Game. We have a substitute teacher. Tyrese Halliburton, man. Welcome to the show. I'm excited to be a part of it, but I told them I'm only doing it if I get to ask one certain question of Bron. Obviously, you evolved as a player,

obviously, as overrated as you are, as everyone would like to put, which is ridiculous. It's so funny you bring up that in-season tournament game because if we win that game, do we ever trade for Pascal? I don't know. One of your greatest assets

that no one wants to coach it is the jump pass. I jump to make a read, but I feel like I always jump with a plan more times than not. You can't tell me that Yokic is not all NBA. Now all of a sudden because he's missed 30 games, you kind of tell me he's not a, you know, first team all NBA. I think it's something that will be adjusted.

I think a big reason for that is Wembe. I have a great story. I've never told them, I've never told I play this story for. So we're at the Olympics. I'm sitting there. I'm like, oh, no. Oh, my goodness. Here we go.

Mind the game is back, season three. And we have a substitute teacher host in the building today, you know, taking the place of Steve Nash that's in Europe covering a bunch of NBA games and things of that nature. And we can't get a hold of it. We can't find them. So, you know, to our favorite New York Nick fan, you know, your favorite player, we decided to bring on. You know, Tyrese Hallibur, man. Welcome to the show, bro. We're happy to have you host these two episodes with us, bro.

How you doing, man? I'm good, man. I'm good. I'm excited to be here. Obviously, I always tune in. You and Steve talking with hoop. I'm excited to be a part of it. I wanted to bring up just, bro, how you've been playing lately.

It's been ridiculous to see at your big age, you know, the way you've been hooping, averaging 23, 6 and 7. this year, 31 players in history have played after their 40th birthday, and only 10 have played over 1,000 minutes, but only 5 have averaged over 10. That is insane. You 24, 7 and 7 since you turned 40, Michael Jordan average 22, Carl Malone 13, are the real host, Steve Nash, eight games over 47 points in six assists per game. So I, you know, I just want to ask, like, how are you able to still play at this level at this age? Bro, it's very fascinating to me, and it's kind of, like, weird, too, at times. Like, you know, it's times where I wake up on game days and I be like, I don't got it, man. I don't have the energy, you know, I'm tired.

I don't know how I'm going to be able to work up, you know, just to, you know, the, you know, the, that you need to get through a 48-minute game or however long you're on the floor. So, you know, it's a time. took a lot out of me, obviously, getting ready for the season, obviously, as well documented, you know, my injury to start the season and missing the first, you know, missing the preseason, missing training camp, missing the first 14 games of the season and, you know, just trying to get my back and my body back, you know, according. So, you know, that was tough, you know, seeing if it was going to be able to respond. And I don't know, man, you know, to be playing

at the level I'm playing at just turned 41, you know, a couple weeks, you know, two weeks plus, you know, ago and going out there and playing and feeling good, you know, it's, you know, I played in two back-to-backs this past week, played five and seven nights, and I didn't know if I was going to be able to get through them. And I came out of, you know, five and seven, six and six and nine feeling really good. And it's, I don't know, man. I'm like, I don't even know how I'm doing it. So I'm just trying to, I'm trying to squeeze as much juice out of the lemon, out of the orange, out of whatever that's left as much as much as I can and just continue to go on and play the game that I love. No, it's crazy because even at, I mean, shit, I'm 25, I have days on those back-to-backs

where I'm just like, oh, my God, like, especially the travel back-to-backs. Like, we play, you have to fly, land, and then you have to, and then, like, no shoot around. You're just kind of like, I got to get through this day. So I can't imagine. I think about that all the time as I get older, how things are going to change. And I'm curious for you, like, as you've gotten older, like, when did that first kick in, where the back-to-backs, it was kind of like a drag, like the first time you noticed, like, man, like this is tough.

I don't, you know, obviously, you know, throughout your career, like you just said, you know, depending on the schedule, depending on if you're flying from one, you know, time zone to the next time zone, depending on what time you get back home or get to the next city, we'll have some factors on how you feel that next morning. But, you know, I will say probably like over the last like three years, you know, three, four years. It's just like it didn't matter if I was coming home. It didn't matter. We was going to a different city. It didn't matter the time zone. Just, you know, the back to backs they wear on you, just because of the travel, you know, all the minutes I've played, all the cities I've continued to

go to, you know, each and every year. And I think one thing that doesn't get talked about a lot as well, too, is like all the different like beds that we have to sleep in, you know, trying to be, you know, that's the worst thing. Yeah, you know, that's kind of, that's hard on your body, you know, different pillows, different beds, different, you know, that is, you know, that is, you know, taxing on your body too. So, you know, just trying to find some type of, some type of pattern, some type of comfort, you know, when you're going from different cities, different time zones, you know, coming back to your own bed, you know, so, you know, I would say over like the last three, you know, three years, Reese, man, just, you know, trying to figure it out, trying to, how can I

get my body acclimated? How can I get my body recovered? How can I get my body as fully to, it's not going to get to a hundred. You're not going to get like a full gas tank, you know, on those back-to-backs, but you could try to get as close to 100 as possible to go out there and perform. And you hope that, you know, you hope that on that back-to-back, maybe some shit-talk and get started early in the game that it gets you going to go into. Yeah, I need something to give you going for sure. Yeah, I need something to give you going.

Maybe one of the ref, maybe the ref look at me crazy. Maybe it's a fan in the stands, you know, say something crazy to you. That'll also get you going to. Yeah, no doubt. No doubt. I'm still in that same boat. I think, like, in that same breath, what I always wonder for you. you and especially for like I always think about for myself as I get older, how is my game

going to adjust once I start to slow down because obviously we play so fast. I'm a guy who gets the ball. I want to run and I think back to like my early days watching basketball, like you in Cleveland and Miami and the pace that you're playing at to where now like there's obviously been an adjustment for you. How have you went about that as you've gotten older adjusting your play style to be less predicated on that speed? and more methodical and using your physicality and stuff like that. Yeah, I think for me it's just about like having like growth mindset, you know, understanding like the game of basketball evolves and the game of basketball changes.

And you have to be able to see the table turn and you have to be able to evolve with it if you want to continue to stay, you know, stay abreast to what's going on with the game. So, you know, like you said, you know, my first seven years in Cleveland, you know, them first few years, the game was, you know, methodical, it was slow. It was slower pace. You know, there was a lot of, you know, bigs, two bigs, you know, sitting in the paint. You know, so it would be four total sitting in the paint out of the 10 guys on the court. You know, and then as the 2000s kind of got more to like the 2008, nine,

then you kind of had like the Phoenix Suns. You had the Spurs who started to open up the game. And then, you know, we started to open up the game in Cleveland, you know, our back court in the way we used to run and pick up the pace. And then I moved to Miami as well. And then we started to pick up the pace. we started to play more of a widespread offense where we had Chris Bosch, you know,

play a lot of Defive with Shane Battier and myself and DeWade and Chalmers or Ray Allen or whatever, you know. So, you know, and now you know, obviously, you know, you playing in Indiana and seeing how the pace itself today has completely changed, you know. You know, there's, you have to be able to kind of adjust with the time while you're getting older, you know,

and how can you, you know, still be effective, you know, with the game changing, you know, and so for me it was like, okay, how can I still be effective, you know, off the ball? You know, my, I don't, my usage rate is down a lot more now today than it was in the past as far as just handling the ball. So how can I still be effective on the court, you know, being able to slash from, you know, 45 or, you know, set and picking roles and trying to get behind the defense. And now I know what's really good with my game is once I get the four on three, you know, or, you know, I know how to make those plays if you put two on the ball if, you know, AR get doubled, you know,

if a pick and roll or if Luca gets doubled off of pick and roll, I know how to master the game that way. You know, started to define my low post game, you know, understand I'm a threat there. I'm closer to the basket, so how can I draw the double team? So I think the most important reach, man, as you get to continue to get older, you know, and your body, you know, you listen to your body. How can you still be effective on the court?

But also just having a growth mindset to know that, listen, it's 2026 right now, which sounds crazy to me. You know, I came in in 03. You know, but the game in, you know, in 20209 could look different than right now. So you have to have that type of growth mindset. And, you know, it's funny. It's a great segue to, you know, your question of, you know, how you guys play an indie, you know. And from the time that you got the indie when you came from SAC to the time, you know, it is now, how did it change?

How did you guys get to that, like, random, but. not random chaos but not chaos structured offense to, you know, it's kind of hard for you guys to guard you guys. Yeah. You know, it's so funny because I rarely ever even think about where, how we started. Like it feels like so long ago. But, you know, like when I got traded with buddy and Tristan, we were going somewhere that had no identity, right? They were restarting by making that trade and trading is a bonus for me. We were restarting everything. And I remember when I got there, we played Cleveland the first game and Rondo was like good luck you know talking about playing with RC he goes good luck you know and I'm like what he talking about and the thing was we I didn't

me and buddy we didn't know any of the plays so like we had played like a day at a day or two after we got traded we played Cleveland we like broke the Pacers record for scoring in a quarter the first quarter we played for in a Pacer's uniform and really what it was was honestly thinking about it We played a lot of Buddy ball. You know what I mean? Like me and Buddy were just, come set the blur screen. I'm going to come off.

I'm going to throw it to you. If you don't got a shot, throw it back, and then blur again, and we're just going to play off this. And it was like, we didn't really, we didn't know the other guys.

Like, we were really young at the time. And like, a lot of those guys were really establishing their self as well. So we kind of just, I remember we were playing Minnesota, like one of my first games in Indiana. And me and Buddy are just passing the ball to each other the whole game.

And Tori and Prince on the sidelines like, hey man, y'all know there's other. players on the team. I'm like, yeah, I guess that's a good point. I didn't realize that we are just throwing the ball to each other. But I felt like establishing that when we weren't good, you know, allowed us to go into that following year and RC to pull me aside and just be like,

hey, man, I don't want to call plays. I want you to dictate what we do more. I want to play more random. It's harder to scout that way. And so we just kind of ran with that. And I feel like Buddy was a big part of that. And early in my career in Sack, my rookie year, I hated it because I was like, but he's always in the way.

And you know what it is. When a dude wants to run towards the ball, they just want the ball. And that annoyed me. But then I realized, oh, this is a real weapon, especially in the half court as my one-on-one game has really grown from where I was earlier in my career. But I needed that blur screen to give me openings

to really attack and learn from that. So I felt like that, him doing that, RC really adjusted to what we were doing. And then we just had to add pieces that really complemented what we did in a correct way that has allowed us to now build, you know, what we have offensively. Yeah, and I think we give a, you know, we should give a lot of praise to RC on recognizing what he saw

with that chemistry between you and Buddy when y'all first got there and realized, wow, this could be a weapon that could be sustainable. So now let's get the pieces around Tyrese. Let's get the pieces around, you know, what I'm thinking, and I know Tyrese can execute that, you know. And, you know, I think back to like our end-season tournament championship game. Like, you guys played a totally different game, you know, then you guys played now. Yeah.

You know, and you guys were still playing fast. Like, you were still getting the ball. Obviously, you was on the heater, you know, the game before, what you did to Milwaukee was, you know, one of the best performances you had. And you guys were rolling. But I feel like you guys are even evolved from that moment from when we played you guys in end-season tournament championship a few years ago. And do we think it is like, obviously you evolved as a player, obviously, you know, as old. overrated as you are. As overrated as you are as everyone would like to put, which is ridiculous.

Do you think it also complimented too, just like, you know, R.C. and the front office is like, okay, getting the right pieces around you too to be able to, you know, you guys play 12 guys at time, you know, and, you know, when TJ comes in, shit, you know, the pace comes, you know, keep the pace going. You know, you guys are the paces for reason, you know, you guys keep that pace going. Do you think, obviously, that had a lot to do with it too? Yeah, no doubt, man. It's so funny you bring up that in-season tournament game because I think about that game often

because we were playing so well up until that point. If we win that game, do we ever trade for Pascal? I don't know. You know, because... I forgot all about that. I didn't play well. You guys were... You came out, you blitzed.

I still remember like it was yesterday, man. Like, I came off the ball screen. I hadn't turned the ball over in three games. I was rolling. I came off. You were the mig. I'm like, oh, I'm going to hit this podcast. And you ran through and stole it.

And that was before the take file. So I just grabbed you. And you looked at me and I looked at you. And I was like, oh, shit. Like, we had trouble. This is going to be a long night. Because I was like, it's hard. Like, I'm coming off a blitz.

And it's, I think, like, Cam Reddish might have started on me or Vando. And then I had A.D. in a blitz with you as the mig. It's almost impossible for me to make that pass. Yeah. And with me, I struggled that night. And we didn't have anybody else who really. you know, got us going that night. And so I think that was eye-opening to our front office in that moment to be like,

we need to get another guy. And I feel like that game is the catalyst for getting a guy like Pascal. So it's funny you think about that. Like, I would have loved to win that game. But I think losing that allowed us to build what we have. Yeah, yeah, for sure. Yeah. And I think adding like, adding Pascal, like Andrew Nemhardt coming into his own,

we traded for Aaron Neesmith, we traded for Obie. We got all these pieces that go alongside the way that we want to play. And I feel like that is really, they've done a great job of constructing our roster. And I feel like it's allowed us to have a lot of success. And now over to our director Jason for a word from our partner, Draft Kings. Thanks to Draft Kings for sponsoring the show. The NBA never stops delivering. 40 point quarters that rewrite the narrative of the game,

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Like one of your greatest assets that, it's kind of like no one wants to coach it is the jump pass. When I was a kid, all my coaches say, do not leave your feet to make a pass. Do not leave your feet.

It's either going to be a turnover or whatever it is and that, da, that, that you get in trouble for it. Get on the line. If you jumping past the ball, like, how did you perfect that to the point where, you know, like your jump pass,

I see you make it. I mean, obviously I play with Luca. Luca jumps, hold, hold. see who's the mig like you see is he gonna stay is he gonna stay no you know or i could go skip it to the corner if he doesn't stay with the big then i can hit the big like how did you kind of change the misconception of like that past being so dynamic and like is that something that you've always kind of done yeah no honestly i i blame people like you like for why it's that way like growing up i watched

a lot of NBA basketball that's like the main thing i watched you know so i would see guys like you and my dad loved like magic so we'd always watch old magic highlights and stuff and i'd see them do that and I understood, oh, this is a way for me to pass the ball. And as I got, and I was always a taller kid. So as guys got taller as well, it was just a way for me to always be seen over the defense. Like I felt comfortable making that read in the air. And I know coaches say they don't want to teach it. And it was like kind of like taboo in a sense. But for me, it was just a way for me to hold the ball longer to make reads like you're talking about with Luca in the mig. And I feel like as I got older, and I think back to like my sophomore year of college where I really feel like

when it came to the pick and roll, not that I had perfected it, but that I was really an elite pick and roll operator was coming off the pick and roll. I've never been comfortable as a guy playing on my heels. I don't like backing up and kind of like picking the ball up and stepping through to make that read. That just feels so like, I feel old doing that. Like I'm athletic enough to make that read in the air. And I think that's a good point. what you're making, like, I never understood, like, Migs and, and, and, and all these different reads, just reading in the air was always my, how I wanted to do it. I don't, I don't jump to, I jump to make a read, but I feel like I always jump with a plan more times than not. When I'm in the

air, I'm thinking, what are my outlets? One and two. And then if you take one and two away, fuck it. I got to find a third one. I got to figure it out. But when I jump, I feel like I always have a plan. I feel like that's the thing that coaches and, people when they teach it, if you're going to jump, have a plan. If you don't have a plan, then don't jump. Yeah. And I also think, too, like, your game has a jump rhythm to it. Like, even when you're on the ground, you're skipping.

You're skipping. You're skipping. You side skip dribble. You cross and skipping. Like, it has a jump element to it, even when you're on the ground. So a jump pass for you is just in rhythm, you know. I would be remorse if I didn't ask. Obviously, we're talking about, you know, you playing and, you know, we talk about the end-season tournament or whatever case.

be, but, you know, I want to kind of get an update on, you know, the rehab process. You know, obviously the last time we've seen you on the floor was game seven at the NBA finals. You know, you come into the game, boom, three straight threes. You know, I'm a big time fan of yours. So I was going crazy. You're talking shit, popping your shit. And I know how you feel, you know, doing that, like, you know, from that moment, obviously to today and everything in between, like, how have you done with the rehab? How have you done with the processing of rehabbing? You know, watching the games, you know, from the sidelines. Have you learned some things?

Have you, like, you know, kind of take us through the process? Yeah, well, I'm approaching week 31 here, so almost going on eight months. Man, I feel really good. My body feels really good. I just started playing, like, three on three and four and four full court. That's been good to, like, be with the interns and stuff. It's been funny because as I've started to play with the interns and, you know, Gennaro Pargo being one of our player development guys, I'm playing with these guys,

and I feel so nice. I'm like, oh, I can play an NBA game right now. And then the other day, we had like the low minute guys come and play with us. So we had like our two-A's, Ethan Thompson, Cam Jones, Benedict Mathrin still. He's getting back from injury size. I'm guarding Ben. First play he comes down, he seesie, shoots a three. And they're like, go at him.

And he's like, ah, his leg. And I'm like, hey, brother, like, I'm fine. Like, attack me like normal. I got to see where I'm at. He hesied me one time. He was at the rim. I was still at three-point line. I'm like, oh.

I still got some time. You know, like I still, there's still, I got to give myself some grace. I understand it's going to take some time. Yeah, for sure. But I think the, the biggest thing is like, I really am glad for where I am. I'm thankful for it. The process has sucked, man. Like, you know, there's been, there's been good days, bad days.

There's days where I sit there and I just keep asking, like, why is this happening to me? It's hard for me to understand in this moment. But I understand that it's allowing me to grow in different ways, to grow in my faith, to grow in all these different ways that have been good for me. I think seeing the game of basketball, I'm watching it in a different light. Like, I think it's different when you're getting ready to play like a team like Boston, for example.

And they're like, okay, we got to Peyton Pritchard. I'm like, okay, he's nice. But all I'm focused on is how can I get to stop. I'm not thinking about how he making his reeds and stuff. And I was watching him the other day and just the way that he gets to guys' bodies at the rim, that's really something that I'm trying to focus on through my rehab, through my time to get back.

is just being more physical. Like, bro, I'm up right now today. I was 180 pounds on game seven day. I'm 2.10 right now. Like, I'm up 30 pounds, bro. And obviously, as I start to run, I'm going to get that off. Some of it's not, like, good because, you know, I've been drowning my sorrows and cookies of ice cream and stuff.

But I think I see that. And it's just a way for me to be more physical at the rim to get more free throws. I think that's important versus just slowing the game down. Peyton's one of the guys I watch. I see the way he can get to. A guy's chest at the rim, I think AR is like the perfect example. The way that he is so physical and can get to the free throw line, I remember when we were at the World Cup together,

I used to always be like, bro, I don't understand how you shoot all these free throws. Like, I'm a point guard. I play 40 minutes a game. I play way more than you. I can't even touch the free throw line. He's like, Tyrese, I don't think you're doing a good job of getting the guy's bodies. Like, he was real honest with me, and I didn't understand it at the time. But as I've watched you guys play more,

or watch him play more. I'm seeing the way that he just does such a great job of getting the chest, tangling arms, like making all these like perfect reads to get to the free to throw on. It's just something that I'm really trying to focus on adding through rehab and just as I watch the game. No, that's great. And I think our fans are going to definitely be excited to hear your update and hear where

you are and know that, you know, like you said, that's growth mindset right there. Just like, you know, watching other guys seeing ways you can implement your game or implement what they've doing until your game when you come back. But obviously the game miss you. And we look forward to whenever, you know, whenever that time come back, when you put that uniform back on. And that's a great segue to kind of our next conversation reaches, like the 65 game minimum, you know.

And, you know, our game is different. You know, obviously, you know, they wanted to implement that rule in because of, you know, low management, I guess, you know, late season, guys not playing or, you know, back-to-backs. A lot of the big guys wasn't playing. But, you know, sometimes guys are not able to play. The guys are literally not able to play. It's not like we're, like, shitting on, you know, national televised games or, you know, whatever the case may be.

But, I mean, I'm looking at this list right now. We got, we got one of our biggest names, Nicola Yokic. You know, we got Janus. We got Wimbabh. You know, we got, you know, Steph did miss games. Kaui to miss games. Sangoon. Obviously, AR, my teammate.

You know, Jalen Williams is out again. J-Dub is out again. you know, how do you think that's going to, like, impact, you know, going into the, you know, the future, you know, guys are going to miss all NBA, nah, it's because of that. When you, you can't tell me that Yokic is not all NBA. Now, all of a sudden, because he's missed, you know, 30 games, you kind of tell me he's not, you know, first team all NBA. Those guys are averaging 29, 13, and 14 or some shit like that. So, like, how long do we go with this and how was it going to affect, you know, not only today's conversation, but also, like, individual. individual guys' legacies, like, you know, it's a topic of conversation.

Yeah, I think that's the biggest thing, bro, is the legacy talk. I think that's the most important. And I think when this was first implemented, I get the idea. We want more guys to play. And I was known as one of the first guys to say I hated it because the year the 65 game rule was implemented was my contract year. I had to play 65 games to make all NBA to be eligible for the Supermax. and I said that I didn't like it at the time, and I still feel that way.

I definitely don't like it. Yeah, I've talked with Commissioner Silver, and we talked about how, from a financial standpoint, it can only hurt so many people in that year, guys who are like me at that time. It was me and in Lamello at that time that were trying to get that Supermax. But I think that's the biggest point, is legacy talk, because what I think about is in 20, 30 years when I'm not playing, and I'm hearing my kids argue about, you know, they want to compare arrows or something, and they're going over the list of accolades. And they're telling me right now that, you know, this guy might have played only made all NBA so many times, but he was ineligible.

And they don't know that. And that could skew it in that way, which I don't necessarily appreciate in any way. But I think it's something that will be adjusted. I think a big reason for that is Wembe. Like, I think for him to not be in the conversation for defensive player of the year when he could, there's a very good chance that he could win multiple over the course of his career. If like, you know, knock on wood, I hope that, you know, his injury, you know, future is not consistent with what it's been. But, you know, it's not under his control at all times.

It's not under us as players, our control. So I feel like to take that away from him or other guys because of health, I feel like is incorrect because I feel like you're saying, like we're saying, NBA players, we want to play. We don't want to sit down. We want to play. So I feel like there has to be a conversation for sure. Yeah, I mean, you said the best. I can't even say it any better than what you just said recent.

We just, you know, it's just weird. It's going to be, it will be so weird to see the all NBA teams come out, first team, second team, third team, and Yokic is not on there. Or Janus is not on there. Or if, you know, if my teammate, if Luca happened to miss some time and he's, you know, not able to be eligible because he didn't play 65 games to make all NBA. Or, you know, like you said, even more important,

we're not just talking about legacies for guys of conversation, but also legacies for their families. Like, you know, if you have an opportunity to be in a contract year where you can get the Supermax or you can get, you know, you're eligible for an extra year, and you're playing exceptional basketball, you having a career year, and you play 64 games, that could be, like, catastrophic.

Like, there would be something that you'd be so pissed off about. like, you know, so, you know, at some point, like you said, it'll be a conversation that'd be brought up again and hopefully we can kind of figure it out and get to a better place about it because the game is different. Like I want people to understand and our fans to understand that playing 82 games in the 80s and 90s is not the same as playing 82 games in the 2020s. It's just not. The way we play, the level of pace, the level of the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the. the speed that we're playing at, it's a different game now. It's a totally different game. And, you know, it's a lot of soft tissue injuries that's happened now because of it.

I hope we can get a handle on that as well, you know, because that's big in our game. I think when I first came into the, you know, to the league, Reese, like some of the biggest concerns of injuries was like, you know, a high ankle sprain. You know, you was afraid to step on somebody's ankle because there was four or five guys sitting in the paint. So, you know, guys with athleticism, myself, Tracy McGrady, you know, Vince Carter, you know, to name a couple guys. Sometimes you're afraid to take off into the lane because it was four or five guys sitting in the pain. And if you land on somebody's ankle, you get a high ankle sprain, you out four to six weeks.

You know, now that's not really much of a, you don't really see that as much now because the game is so spread open. It's so much pace. But now you see the new high ankle sprain is the calf. Right. You know, so, you know, hopefully we could get a handle on that from a medical standpoint. But it's just the game, I just want the fans to understand that the game is a little different. And, you know, as NBA players, we're definitely, we definitely want to be out there as much as possible. As someone who's lived and played across the globe, I learn what makes a flight truly exceptional.

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I want to talk about one of the best experiences I've been on, having you there, having the rest of the crew there. Let's talk about the Olympics, man. You know, I want to get your take looking back on it. You know, how was it for you, your first Olympics, you know, being out there. You know, let's just, you know, let's tap back in to the days that people didn't see, you know, some of our practices,

some of our bus rides. And then just like the competition, like our practices was crazy. When we used to compete, we go out there. And then all the way to us just like bring it home gold. You know, I think our fans, they see a lot of it. Obviously, there was a documentary that came out about it,

whatever the case may be. That was super cool to see the insights and things of that nature. And one of my favorite quotes from that one, from the doc is when Katie said, but who's guarding his step? Help y'all guard staff? Yeah.

But is that going to help you all? guard Steph and then it's funny because Steph did what he did, you know, in those final two games. But like, you know, let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's let's take back into the Olympics a little bit. Yeah, man, what an experience like probably the greatest experience of my life, uh, to be able to to to have that happen being the second youngest guy in the team with aunt like us just being two of the younger dudes and just kind of soaking up all the knowledge that we could from you guys every day. Um, I had so much fun like the like you said the practice stories, like are somehow, I'll never forget, I'll never forget playing

five on five at the gym, the metro positive gym, whatever in France. And it's me, you, it was like me, you and Steph on the same team. And you caught the, you caught the long outlet and jumped up without looking. And I was like, what is he doing? But I saw you, I'm like, oh, I think he's seeing Steph set the back pick for the three. Like, I'm like, that was the coldest moment in my basketball history. Like to even be involved in that play. But I think there's just so many moments. and so many things that I learned. And obviously, I didn't get to, like, I didn't play a ton. And I have a great, I have a great story.

I've never told them, I've never told I played this story before. So we're at the Olympics, we're in the back doing film before the Olympics start. And before it starts, it's like, all, we're going to have the team meeting where we acknowledge that all 12 guys cannot play. And so Steve starts talking about how everybody can't play. And Braun is talking about how, you know, in the 04 Olympics, I didn't really play that much. You gotta put your pride aside. You know, it's about bigger than you.

And Katie's over there, like, at the end of the day, with 12 all-stars, everybody's good. You know, it's trying to win, right? And I'm sitting there and I'm listening, I'm like, yeah. And as we start film, I'm like, but who are they talking about? Like, who are these people? And I'm looking around, I'm like, oh, he ain't talking about him. He ain't talking about him. I'm like, oh, they're talking about me.

I'm sitting there, I'm like, oh, no, this is what it is. I was like, oh, I was sitting there. I'm watching Phil. I can't even pay attention to film. So I'm like, damn. He's over. It's over, man. I can get no PT out here.

I'm the one guy in the school project that didn't do nothing to go to A. I was sitting there. I'm like, oh, it's over. It's over for me. I'm not, you know, it's cooked. But, man, like, for me to even be, like, be able to be there. And I saw you talk about that Serbia game last night. Like, bro, when I talk about that game,

to people, I get chills thinking about it. Because like, I didn't, I mean, you were out there, y'all are out there. I'm, I'm on the bench and I'm sitting there like, damn, I really, like, we might lose. Like, this is- We might lose, bro. That was the first time, we never felt like we were going to lose a game. Bro, I'm starting to sweat now thinking about it, bro. Never in our whole Olympic run did we think we were going to lose a game. Like, even like, we had the really close South Sudan game and like, that was, you know, the exhibition or whatever.

I still like, we win. Yeah, in London, yep. We're not losing. And that game against Serbia, we was down whatever, going into the fourth. Going into the fourth. And Steve and Ty and Spoh over there, like talking about what we're going to do. And we all over there. And y'all just like, man, the way we just turned it up from there.

And like, I still think about, I get chills thinking about, like, them trying to go to the clear side post for Yokic. And you fighting them in the front. And then it happens the next position. Now KD's fighting them in the front, which y'all help on the backside. Like, well, we were, like, it was unbelievable. I get chills thinking about it. that game. It was unbelievable. I mean, you know, it's only, it's only 10 minute quarters, too, and them quarters go like that. Like, you know how to NBA, you know, you know, 12 minute quarters,

you know, you're like, okay, cool, all the way up until like the six, five minute mark, you're like, we still got a chance. Yeah. But, you know, in the Olympics, bro, like, it got, like, under seven, under six. And we like, if we don't make a push, bro, we're toast. Like, we're toast. And, you know, I forgot the, the lefty point guard's name, man. who came into the game shooting like 17, 18% from the three point line, bro, and was lighting our ass up. Right. I'm like, oh, my, you know, one of those, them are the games that you lose. You're like, when a guy is not, when a guy is shooting less than 20% from the three point line and he comes out and hit three or four to start.

You're like, oh, my God. Oh, my goodness. This is not how I'm supposed to play out. But that was like, like you said, I said that last night when they asked me about some of the greatest games ever, you know, that was one of the greatest games I ever played in. able to share that with y'all man and and then it's like a storybook finished the fact that we you know we we had some some truth that we may play canada right you know we we you know like you know they got all the you know they got all the NBA guys on their team and they was playing well to a certain extent and then you know France was able to knock them off and we like what's the odds

that we beat Serbia and the in the semis and then we played the host team in Paris for the gold medal, man. That was a storybook finish. And the way Steph just put everybody to bed at the end of that game was insane. I still, the image of him looking at you and Katie off to shoot the stage is still the craziest. And it was funny because, remember,

he wasn't shooting well, like the whole Olympics. No, no, he wasn't. I forgot somebody who was playing the Olympics didn't shoot too well from three. And we were in the locker room and I was reading. I said it and Steph was like, man, And I ain't far off. Like, I'm not going to shoot well either.

And we were like, it's just going to take one game. Like, Steph, you're Steph. That's coming. It's coming. And then that Serbia game, first quarter, oh my God. And then the France game, like, it just never, it never, it was like a flurry. But he was due. It's law of averages.

It's like, you're due for these moments. And it's so funny to look back and be like, my boy, Steph, man, he just got to France. Welcome to the Olympics. Like, I think just all the stories in, what I'm most. thankful for is now just the relationships that I have with all you guys. Like it's so much deeper than the NBA just like, you know, there's the NBA relationship where you see somebody, hey, what's up, fam, how's the fam? Everybody good? Like, you just keep it moving. Like, that's like the base level NBA relationship. I feel like it's gotten, I have a deep relationship with all you guys

and that's something I'm very thankful for to be, you know, one of the younger guys on the team. That's super dope. That's super dope. Thanks for watching Mind the Game. New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Remember like, subscribe, or follow wherever you're watching.