The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Draymond Green Show - Paul Pierce

Episode Date: March 7, 2024

Paul Pierce joins The Draymond Green Show to discuss the famous "they don't love you like that" moment between the two during a Warriors-Clippers game, Kevin Garnett's famous trash talking, growing up in Inglewood, the Boston Celtics starting the Big 3 era by adding KG and Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo fitting into that group, Doc Rivers coaching the Bucks, getting stabbed 11 times, LeBron James being in the GOAT conversation with Michael Jordan, and much more. 0:00 Start1:00 Paul vs. Dray11:00 Growing up in LA22:00 Celtics Big 333:00 Ray Allen Leaving41:00 Stabbing Stories49:00 LeBron James Produced by: Jackson Safon #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The volume. Get in on the action with the Draft King Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. New customers who deposit $5 or more can get a no-sweat bet up to $1,000 back in bonus bets. How cool of a deal is that? All you have to do is download the Draft King Sportsbook app now. It takes 90 seconds and use the code, Colin.

C-O-L-I-N. This is the best deal. you're going to find. New customers. It's a no-swet bet up to $1,000 if your first bet loses. How cool is that? Only at Draft King's Sportsbook code is Colin, the crown is yours. Gambling problem, call 1-800 gambler or visit www. www.1-800 gambler.net in New York, call 8778-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-3-6-6-9 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-78-9-77 or visit ccppg.org.

Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort, KS, licensee partner, Golden Nugget Lake Charles, 21-plus age varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. See sportsbook.draftkings.com slash basketball terms for eligibility and deposit restrictions. terms and responsible gaming resources. What's up, everybody?

Welcome back to this Draymond Green Show. We got another legend basketball royalty here today. Another one of the grace. 10th pick in 98 NBA draft, 2008 NBA champion and finals MVP, 10-time All-Star, one-time all-NBA second team, three-time all-NBA third team, a member of the NBA-75th anniversary team, his number 34. is retired by, we don't really want to talk about this team because they just beat us really bad,

but they retired by none other than the Boston Celtics. A man with the nickname, the truth, Paul Pierce, welcome to the Dreyman Green show. What's up, what's up, Drey? Hey, hold on, before we get started, I got to address your viral shit talking, first off, because you just said your side of it, and I ain't had a chance to say my side of it yet.

And so I'm going to start off with that, first of all, the shit where you was like, you don't want no farewell tour, you thought you was Colby. All right, so let me go to my side of the story. Yes, sir. Now, the Golden State Warriors were starting to begin of the height of their superpowers,

and Trayvon had the height of his superpowers was one of the more intimidating players and top defensive guy in the league. And I'm on the Clippers. You know, I feel like I'm on a team that got a chance to maybe challenge y'all. So I just feel like It just looked like

Kippers was kind of intimidated by you Steph and all of that And so I wanted to bring a little edge to the table And I wasn't really playing much big So it was hard So we go into the game And I'm just seeing how you guard Blake And I'm like damn he'd be a hell of physical

And he pushing on and I'm like You know what the fuck going on man? Hold on Blake What's his ass man? Hell no You can't need to do that because Everybody knows you're the head of the snake And if you go at the head of the snake, you got a shot. And I didn't want y'all to think we was intimidated.

So I'm yelling. I'm whooping at you. We had the free throw line, I think. I forget who at the free throw line. And I'm whoopping at you. Like, no, fuck that, man. Fuck him. Go at him.

Blake, you better than him. Whatever. And so I'm like, all right, I'm shooting. I want everybody to know this is what we own this year. You know, damn, come on. This is the class of the league right now. And you said what you said, right? And everybody had a camera on me.

so when I, and to be honest, I didn't hear what you said. People don't know this, but the microphone underneath the basket pick up everything. And so when you're in the arena, it's hard to hear. I'm on the sideline. I'm on the bench. And it's hard to hear, so it make it look like you shot something to me. But honestly, I didn't even hear what you said. And so after the game, I'm looking at my Twitter like, oh, damn, you know, he went back at me because I couldn't really see him on a bitch.

You're on the other side. but I do love your banner and I will tell you this. I love the fact that you say true to who you are because even before you won, you was like that. Because I remember we came in there at Boston when you was talking shit to KG and I'm like,

who was this dude right here? Like really looking at him, y'all ain't won yet, but you was sorry to you, you had that. You remember that? We cared to go to say you were talking to shit to KG. I'm like, who was this little nigga about you? He was, I was like, damn.

And so it all makes sense now. Like you always been like that. You know, some people, they start winning or they get some money and they turn into something else. You know what I'm talking about. But you came in true to yourself and I appreciate that, man. And, you know, I love what you've been doing to the game. And I just want everybody to know between me and you, it ain't never been no beef. Good banner.

I respect your game and what you brought to the game, man. No, I appreciate that. I definitely remember that because I remember coming in. You know how KG, KG. KG will stand next to you. I've actually told the story before. KG will stand next to you and he will call you every B in the book.

He will call you every 304 in the book. He's going to call you soft, all of that. And he's just going to stand at the free throw line next to you and say all of these things about you. And I'm standing there and I'm like, first I'm like, this thing is crazy. I'm just standing there listening to. I'm like, who is he talking to, man?

Like, he going to be going to go back down to court. And talking to you, though. And you know he's talking to you. And I'm like, all right, we go back down the court. Another file having we had the free throw line. He's like, yeah, this little Nick can't fuck with me. A little soft-ass. And I'm just sitting there like, hey, yo, I ain't going to be no more.

I ain't going to be too many more. You ain't going to keep talking to me like that. And he's like, yeah, whatever, little Nick. getting into that with you today. I'm like, you know, are you going to get into it with me today? You keep talking to me like that. Remember that. But like that's just, you know, it's funny because I've just always been taught by, by my mom, by my neighborhood. Like, the foot that you start off on. Yeah. That's where it's going. You know, so like, Coachizo, when I first got to campus, and I won't say, I won't say to what he called me publicly,

but when I first got to campus, my first taxed to Coachizzo, he called me a very specific name. and I went crazy. And I'm like, now, mind you, I'm a fat pudgy freshman. Like, when I say fat pudgy, I was real fat and pudgy.

And I'm not, like, the highest recruit. Like, we got two recruits of my three-person class. I'm the lowest recruit. And he caught, and I lost it.

And I start, like, cussing them out. Like, don't ever call me that. And he never called me that again. But, it was but he only never called me that again

because I stopped it then you still know what I'm saying? Right absolutely And so that's just kind of how I always been so when that happened with KG you know for me you're growing up you know and especially for me

I'm growing up and watching KG in particular with his emotion you know what I'm saying and how he wears emotions on his sleeve and he loud and he communicate so I felt like I could relate to that you know what I'm saying like I play with my emotions on my sleeve like I'm going to talk to the next guy.

I'm going to scream on you when I do something to you, you know? And like watching KG do that, I'm like, oh, man, that's dope. But then you come into the league and now it's like I can't really be that fan. You know what I'm saying? Like I got to come in here and stand on business

or they're going to treat you like that fan. And so when I came in and I noticed him doing, I'm like, hold on, man. Like, this is KG, but you can't just sit and talk to me like that, bro. Right. But even getting into the moment that you just got into,

I had no idea the microphone picked that up either. Like I got to my phone and I was so upset. I was so upset because, you know, at that time, and you had just came into the rival, right? Like you went. You know, it's us, the Clippers, who's the next young team out? You know what I'm saying?

And we had just won, but, you know, it's still kind of right there. Like, Doc had just said that you're like, oh, they only won because such and such was hurt and this person was hurt. And so it's still kind of right, fresh, in those moments. And I'm like, you know, at that time, Blake was, Blake, LaMarcus Aldrich.

Like, there was the dogs at the Zbo. There was the dogs at the four spot. You know what I'm saying? Zipo, my big bro, Spartan dog. And so for me, when I see these dudes, I just want to kill them. Like, y'all are saying, these is the dudes at the four. I want to kill these dudes. And so you had just came in.

Me and Blake had already had our thing for a few years leading up to this. And you like, cook him. And Blake, he too little. And that trigger for me. I hate when people say he too little because the reality is I probably really am too little. And so it's kind of one of those pet peeves are like, like, don't fucking tell me on too little. And so you're yelling, he too little, he too little, man. Cook him, Blake.

And because you're yelling that, I jump on a Blake Griffin pump fake. And I'm like, what are you doing, bro? Like, why are you jumping on a Blake Griffin pump fake? Like if Blake Griffin want to shoot a 19-footer, by all means you let Blake Griffin shoot it. I didn't jump on the pump fake. I filed and you just over there talking. So now I'm even more mad. Like this dude just made me jump at a Blake Griffin pump fakes.

He talking. He don't know how much I really don't like Blake in this instance because he in my way. Like I'm trying to be, I want to be an all-star. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like, he's in my way. And then I got back to the phone and I'm like, my phone, I got a memory. I got a million text messages. Right.

And I'm like, why the hell I got all these text messages? I didn't, nothing crazy. Like, right, right, right. And I see that. I'm like, oh, they picked that up. Right, right. Oh. And that, and that, that was a crazy moment.

I still get that on my Twitter feed every single day. So, like, I'm like, damn. So I just want to address that. But like, I always enjoy, you know, a little banner here and there. If I had heard that, I probably wouldn't snap something back. But, you know, it's all good. It's always loved. You know, you're a competitive person just like myself.

I wish we could have saw each other when I was in my prime, but, you know, you're doing your thing, though. And I appreciate that because in a passion, you could have played in any air because I feel like today, the passionate the same. You know, I think, you know, a lot of guys too complacent with their brands, the money they're making, and it just feels like I don't see that passion no more.

Yeah, you're playing hard, but coming playing hard. You see it only a certain few people. You're like, I named this before. It's like you, Janice, Westbrook, Pat Beverly, and, you know, maybe a few more. But just like that, just you let it out. You don't hold it in. And I appreciate, you know, still seeing that while it's still in the game. Absolutely.

No, I appreciate it. And we're going to talk more about that. But before we get into all that, I want to, like, take me back. You're born in Oakland and then moved to England. with California. Take, take me back to that journey. It's very interesting to me.

Obviously, I became who I've become. And Oakland is near and dear to my heart. And so I'm very interested in just hearing that story. And then I live in, I live in L.A. now. Yeah, yeah. Both of those places mean a lot to me.

Yeah, so I grew up in Oakland. I got two older brothers who played Division I. a single parent live with my mom never knew my dad but you know my mom moved around for Chicago but once my brothers got old enough to college about nine years old I moved to L.A.

To the east side of L.A., right? We just went from one hood to the Vex. You know, mom was a survivor. She was a nurse just trying to get food on the table, man. Shout out to my mom. I lost my mom last year but I, man, she taught somebody life lessons and she did

everything she could. She left everything that man. And so I'm saying that. So we moved to L.A. Stayed a year in L.A. then moved to Englewood. And you're like, damn, you know, we're moving a lot. We haven't really got no stable place.

What people don't know when I was in a 7 or 8th grade, my brother got drafted to play a major league baseball. He got drafted 10th pick to play with San Francisco Giants, Steve Hosey. You know, he never really stuck in the big leagues, but he made like a sign of bonus. I think he made like 50,000. at the time or 75,000.

And that was enough to get us out in apartments and got us a cool house in Englewood to where there's a little safer environment. But I think, you know, moving to Engwood really molded me, you know, growing up around gangs and drugs and prostitution and, you know, going to an inner-city school is not easy when you got to catch the bus

and it kind of shaped me. You know, you know, when your environment shapes you who you are, you can make a decision. Do you want to go one way or the other? And so that's why people have seen me on the basketball, court and off the court. There's two different people, and I'm sure you can relate to this.

It's like, we carry so many different personalities. Like, this is who I am right here, you know, and because of my upbringing. So people think I was unapproachable or always was mad and all of that. But in reality, I love my family. I love people. I'm nice. I'm social and all of that.

But it's definitely a journey, you know, to get to where we want to go. And you can see it as certain players, they come from something that was difficult. And you can see it in they play. And I see that in you. You know, Alan Iverson. You see it in KG.

You see it when these guys, you know, playing with that type of emotion. Yeah, no, 100%. Because I always say, like, I am the way I am. I play the way I play because that's how I grew up playing at Saginaw. That's how I had to be. Like, if you were going to get on the court,

you had to be that way. If you weren't that way, you was getting ran out of the court. Quit. No doubt. No doubt. Same way. Same way, man.

Growing up in the parks, you better stand on your file or you're going to get beat up or ran out of the park. And don't come back. And don't come back. So you always got to stand on that. But talk to me,

talk to me about, like, moving around L.A. Because that's a little dangerous. You know, like, L.A. is very, like, this side, this, this, it can get to streets. Like, that street is this game. This street is. It's that game. You go over, you know, a little bit over the way.

It's now Bloods. You go a little bit that way as Crips. Like, talk to me about navigating that, you know, being new to L.A. and then Inglewood and kind of having to navigate that. Yeah, that's a good question. So check this out. You know Oakland, you've been out in Oakland all these years, but, you know, the talking Oakland is a little different.

Like, they say blood. Like, what's up, blood in Oakland, right? Yeah. So I grew up saying, you know, and blood was like, like, you know, what's up, my boy? So I moved to LA and I'm moving in a Crip neighborhood. So my first thing is my friends. I'm like, yeah, blood, yeah, blood.

They're like, hey, you can't say that over here. You know what I'm saying? As a matter of that, and I had like some red shoe strings. I was like, you can't wear that over there. And I was just batching my shoes. So basketball culture and game culture, especially when you start becoming good, it kind of go hand-in-hand. and well when you live in these type of neighborhoods.

And so I had to learn that when I first got the LA. Then I moved to Englewood. So now I know what's up. You know, Engwood is mostly predominantly blood. But that's a good thing you ask, Dre. And what the people of the story ain't told enough is how gang culture and basketball culture kind of go hand in hand, especially in the hood. So when you start becoming good, you know, you grow up in certain neighborhoods.

They look out for you now, you know? They look out for you now. So now, like, when you see guys in the NBA do certain signs, they might not be gangbangers, but they might be tied to them because they grew up around. And so that's how it was for me. You know, they get you some shoes. They make sure you go to the park.

Ain't nobody messing with you. You got a future. They look at now, you know what I'm saying? So that's the story in all itself. You know, just being around them and like, man, this is where I grew up around, you know, this is where I live. You know, and they like, look, you don't need to get involved with all this smoking and drinking on the corner,

doing what we do, but we're going to make sure any of us can make it out the hood, it's going to be used, so we're going to look out for you. So, you know, and I'm thankful for the guys that looked out for me growing up, knowing that I couldn't be in certain places telling me where not to go or making sure I didn't show up here. And that's

definitely a difficult thing to navigate. You know, and I always say you definitely got to surround stuff around the right people. And I didn't find myself hanging with them, but I lived in the neighborhood. And so I think it's important to really surround yourself about people going to have positive influence on you,

but also you got to keep a distance on what to do and what not to do. Because then we make it to the NBA, Dre, and you still have some of these ties, but you got to, like, grow up at some point. You know what I'm saying? And sometimes I may be referencing to guys that I play in the league with today, you know, maybe some things happen with Jop. I don't know a complete story with that.

But maybe that has something to do with, you know, your surroundings and the people you're around. So the one message I will say is just be able to navigate that. If you've got a bright future, if you think you can make yourself, get yourself out the hood and make a better life for yourself, and you need to do that. Yeah, and I always, you know, I agree with you 100% because, you know, guys in my neighborhood, if I, you know,

if I went the wrong way, they're like, nah, you know, or you come over there, you like, yo, I want to shoot dice. Or, you know what I'm saying? You come, you go, you reach for the J. They like, man, I slapped the shit out of you. You don't, like, you're not doing this. You got to be the, you got to make it. Like, you got to be the one to make it out of here.

You're not doing this. And the sense of, I won't even necessarily say protection, but just like them looking out, like the way guys in the hood looked out for you, it is actually total opposite of what people outside of the hood think. People outside of the hood think, you grow up in the hood and it's the guys in the hood pulling you in. Like, hey, man, we want to draw you in.

And it's actually the total opposite. The guys in the hood, like, yo, don't do this. Like, I'm already over here doing this. This ain't it, bro. Like, it may look cool. And, like, don't get me wrong. I got respect. Like, I got this.

I'm a little clout. But this ain't a cloud and respect you won't. Like, get away from over here. And so that's one thing I've always respected, like, from, you know, the OGs in the hood that I grew up in. The OGs from hoods you grew up in and different OGs you know around. Like, they like, Like, nah, bro, this ain't it.

Like, you go that way. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, that's a story that need to be told more. You know, and I think there's a story and all that. And I've been talking to people about that, though, straight up. Yeah, 100%. 100%. You then leave Englewood, you go to Kansas.

You win three big 12 players of the year. And, you know, in three years of playing at Kansas, which is unheard of. People don't do that. talk to me about why did you stay so long? Like you knew you were dominating, you big 12 player a year as a freshman, then you went against a sophomore. Why did you end up staying at Kansas for three years

as opposed to going to the NBA even earlier? Yeah, to be honest with that, I could have left my sophomore year. But that I wasn't ready. I told myself I wasn't ready, just mentally and physically, because I came in as a young freshman. I stepped on campus at 17.

And played three years, left at 20. but I wasn't ready, Drey, to be honest, because 95, KG left straight to the league. That's the first time that never happened. We left McDonald's. Everybody, like, with college you're going to, all the top players, KG was the only one

that didn't commit. He was like, I'm going to the league. So everybody was like, damn, you can do that. So I'm like, oh, okay, so then the next year I'm a freshman. Next thing you know, Stefan Marbury and Shreveh Rahin was one and out. So that was the first year of guys

going one and out in college. So KG started the high school, and then the one and done was started. So I think my class was responsible for a lot of that, you know, moving forward with the high school guys coming at because if it wasn't, we wouldn't have guys like Kobe, LeBron, T, Matt, and Dwight. You know, KG really kicked the door in for that. And then after that, but the norm, Dre, it was three years and out. That was the norm. In the 90s, 80s, you know, you mature, you played three years, and after your third year, that was leaving early. You know, until Steph and Sharif and KG did that.

You know, nobody was, that was like taking the league early. Until now everybody, freshman, freshmen, sophomores, high school players, until they cut that from the NBA. But that was the culture. Leaving early was the third year. You did three and then you left early. So that's why I stayed. Okay.

All right. Because I've looked at that a million times. Like, yo, he destroying everybody. Why did he stay here? Like I stayed four, I stayed four. I had to stay four years in school. Like I had no choice. Because they just, KG was the first year,

they started drafting up a potential. Before you got drafted on if you was ready or not. Because before that, the number one pick was coming in, damn near average in 18, 19 in the game. Damn near second, third year, you are all star from the number one pick because they were a little more mature than after that. KG come in, they started drafting on potential.

Okay. No, that's, that's, that's. So that's a little history lesson right there. I, I, I appreciate that because I was, I was tripping on that. But then you go to the Celtics, and you balling, but from a team standpoint, it don't start off great. I mean, y'all, we garbage. Celtics, Celtics tradition, excuse me, tradition, all the championships, the Burrs, Robert Parrish, Bill Russell, you know, the list goes. on and on.

How was it dealing with that? Because Boston, Boston ain't the nicest town. Like, these fans, they ain't just like, oh, we're cool. We're happy to how you here. They may expect the titles. Yeah, they might boo you, man. It was rough coming in there early. And I remember I got to draft it 10.

And I remember taking the ball out as a rookie. They're like, who is this? Y'all drop this motherfucker? Damn. It's like one of my first few games. Like, damn. You got to have big skin to play a lot. certain organizations or you'll get ran out by

a note of the fans or the media. But luckily, you know, I came in like, look, it'll be me. I don't really hear crowd noise. I'm going to make my mark right away. And I was able to establish a friendship with Twan. And it was rough at first. You know, because I came from Inglewell where we won.

I came with the Kansas we won a lot of games. And to get on a team to where it's like no playoffs, $500, $500 going home early. It was like culture shock. It was not only a culture shock moving from, LA to Boston, culture shock just basketball-wise. And then you understand,

you're looking at Bill Russell. You're like, red arback, you're putting your head down, but I know we're young and we got to learn and, you know,

you take your growing pains. But, you know, it's a part of the game. You know, some situations is different than others' minds. You know, we have our growing pains,

but I feel like it worked out in the long run. And there's another side of that that most people won't even think about, but going from L.A. to Boston. You grew up a liquor fan. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

That hatred. Yeah, I hate Boston. Everybody knows that well-documented. I think even today, Boston is one of the more hated franchise in all of the world. I mean, not maybe in America, because you got some brand that's good outside, but like in America. And they always, Boston's always been like one of them black hat teams. And I don't know why I hated them. And even when I played, we got, people hated me.

I mean, I got booed in a lot of arenas. and I don't know, it's just something about the black cat, the Boston Celtic franchise wears because when you're so good and a story franchise, maybe people looked at that. And, you know, when they compare with the Lakers, people are going to choose the Lakers over Boston any day. You know, because that's the comparable when you talk about great franchises.

So I learned to get comfortable being wearing a black hat. I learned to get comfortable. I learned to just understand like, look, if this is going to be what it is, then I'm going to accept that. But it's not going to move me or shake me either way. And it's something I have to live with. And that's been my identity.

And I'm fine with that. No doubt. I respect that. And during your time there, you then establish yourself as one of the better wings in the league, making all-in-a, all-stars over and over again, earning the nickname the truth. Then y'all reach a point where it's not going great.

Doc's essentially about to be on his way out. They're about to get fired. They was calling for him. Doc's about to be on his way out. And from what I've heard, you're possibly going to get out of there soon too, just for your own career. Yeah. y'all you then find out that y'all about to get ray allen you're all about to get kg um what was your thoughts

were you worried about sacrificing shots because for so long now you've been here you've been the man you you you do what you want to do or was that for you like this is my chance to win and become a boston seltis legend how did you accept that as as that starts to happen man it was just like Yeah, I wanted to say, all I ever want to do was win in Boston, man. And I was just like, all I ever wanted to Drey was just a shot. Just a shot. You know, I'm envious to all these other great wing players. I'm watching Cole win it all.

I'm watching guys like Manu Genoblee win it all. Guys in my position, you know, having success in the playoffs. And I just said, man, I'm looking at these other players play with other great players. I got a chance to play with Antoine Walker. we went to the Eastern Conference finals and we trade them. We list close. So I'm like, damn, we trade,

we running backwards. All I ever want is a shot. As a competitor, that's all you ever want. Just give me a shot with another great player and let me see if we can pull something off. And so when that happened, dog, Ray came and I was like, oh, okay, I'm not getting traded.

I'm in this for the long run. Then we get KG. That's all I asked for. And over here, during the good years, the bad year, just give me a shot. You know what I'm saying? You got D. Wade, get to play with Braun and Shaq and all these other great players get the team up

because you can't win by yourself in this league. You need other great players. We all know. I don't care how great you are, you need another great player. And that's all I asked for. So once I got them, even though we only won one title,

we was hurt the next year. And then the following year, we went back to the finals play. The Lakers again, 2010. We were 12 minutes away with the lead. I'm happy I got a shot. I could have won two. If KG don't get hurt, we was on pace to win 70 games the next year. And so I'm just thankful that I even got a shot later in my career because if we had to

get together when we was young, boy, we would have looked like y'all warriors, man. I'm telling you. Telling you, you'd look like y'all. We were together at 26, 27. It would have been a problem. Yes, sir. Let me ask you, no, do you feel like we started that big super team thing? For sure. For sure.

100%. So we was the influence on Ron and then KD and all of that, everybody coming together. Well, I think also a thing that it did was it allowed you to see that it was possible. So we had, like, before that, we didn't know this was possible. Like, all of a sudden, it's now you, Ray Allen, and KG. Like, this, no one ever even thought of these things before. Like, how is this even possible? And so I think that opened up the world of possibilities.

Now you're like, ah, okay, I can do this now. Yeah, like, oh, we can put this together now, you know? And so I think when that happened, everybody's just like, okay, now you can't put these pieces in the place because I've seen it happen. You know what I'm saying? And I think another thing, see, everybody always talk about you, Ray, and KG, which, by the way, should be talked about. But nobody ever talked about y'all had a great young point guard in Rondo.

Ooh, boy. Like, how important was Rondo to what y'all was doing? Man, Rondo was so big to everything because he was the youngest. And they wasn't sure at first if Rondo can be the point guard with us. Because he was only in like his second or third year. You know, he was in his second year. So it was a lot of talks about maybe training Rondo. We need an older point guard.

I was like, no, I saw his rookie year. I was like, this dude going to be nice. He showed me flash his rookie year. And I was like, all right. He actually the perfect guard for us because he's a past first guard. Yeah. So I was rocking with him. He was picking up full court.

He played deep and he always made the right decision. His IQ was like, off the charts. And see, that's the thing about Rondo. More than his skill is IQ, and you saw that. And just had that past first point guard who was mature for his age, that was the perfect storm for us. Yeah.

As far as demeanor, like, you're an alpha. KG's an alpha. I don't know Ray that well, but. He like, I would say he like more. a sniper. Yeah, like quiet, like I'll get you, but I'm gonna go under the radar with mine a little bit more.

Yeah, but he's a sniper. Yeah, but he's a sniper. But how did a young Rondo handle that? Because Rondo is like, don't tough as shit. He's an alpha. He's a 100% out. Mm-hmm. How did he adjust to that where he's an alpha

and he's the point guard running the show? But like, you got these OGs in here. Mm-hmm. Like, how was that adjustment for Rondo? though. You know, what Rondo did was probably the best thing he did. You know, as a young player,

when you come in, and I always say to see young players, you know, find a vet that you can come up under. You know, that can show you, get a good bet, though, that you come up under, listen to what he got to say,

and he's going to show you the way. First thing he did, he went to, he went to Ticket University. He checked in the Ticket University, got up under his wing, that's where he started development in that mentality. He went right to Tiki.

Ticket took him under his wing. every day in Rondo here, every day in the locker room, on the court. And that's why you see the, he had it in him, but it just started growing. It started growing.

And it was hard on him because as a score, as a guy who went the ball, you know, I'm on them. Like, you know, bring it this way. But he was so smart. And the point guard is the hardest position

where you've got to distribute to guys who need the ball. But he handled it a little good, though. He went on the ticket, the mentality. Even if it was nice, me and him might argue.

He stood on his business, and I was like, all right, I respect it. You saw something different. All right, cool. And we moved on from it.

And it was just the perfect for him to just be under that. And now as Rondo grew and you saw his mentality, he quiet too, but don't push his button. Don't push his button. You know,

so he, he, he are out for two, though. But we had a lot of them, though, Perk, Leon Pohl, Eddie House, Posey,

uh, big baby. I mean, if we got into a team fight, I'm not sure anybody wanted to see us. We had so many big dogs. Tony Allen, damn, I forgot about T.A. Damn. Yeah.

But, like, yeah, that was the funnest time. And we all kicked it. We all kicked it. We all went out together. We all ate together. We just did everything together, you know? So it made it fun. And, you know, I appreciate them dudes and Rondo and all of him.

No doubt. And speaking of. appreciation. Y'all, win the finals, hurt the next season, go back to the finals. Ray then joins the Miami Heat. I want to hear your side of that story. Talk to me about that. I need to hear your side to Ray doing that.

Man, so, you know, Ray came in as we are brotherhood. Our families hang out with each other. His kids, my kids. We go to his house for, you know, Halloween party. and Super Bowl and vice versa. So when it hit that, he was, we just lost the Miami, by the way. And I'm like, all right, you know, we just need to regroup,

get a couple more young dudes. And we're going to re-sign, we're going to stay aligned up our contracts and finish this thing out together. And by the way, I hope y'all bring Clayback. Y'all need to finish together. You know, I hope that's an example of how we went, and y'all don't do that.

You know, give him what he won't. you know, right? And I think, you know, I didn't know you had issues with the contract or starting. But the thing is, I wanted you to holler. Like, if you're going to leave us, like, give me a call. Like, look, Pee, and I working out. You know, they're not going to give me the contract I want.

They're not giving me the role I want. So I'm going to go this route. Okay, man, I respect that. You make a business decision for you and your family. Cool. But when you never get that call, you leave and go to the team, we pretty much, this is our rival. We just, we plan these cats to see who we're going to.

the finals the next few years. Like, come on, man. I just didn't feel like there was a respect thing there. And I don't run in the array after that until retirement. So I don't talk to him. And he don't talk to me. You know, even when we play each other, there's no words, really. And I felt a certain kind of way about that.

So I had a chance to, I was playing this exhibition game in China. In retirement, my first year retired. And I didn't even know Ray was going to be there. So, you know, he's like, oh, by the way. Hey, Ray is here in the locker room next to you. And I'm like, all right, you know, what? Let me go holler at him. So I went over there and like, look, I told him how I felt about the situation.

He was like, man, you know what? After I broke it down to him like that, he was like, you're right. I should have did it different. After that, I was like, it's all good. We spoke on it. We shook. And there's been love and it's been love since there. So why at the 75th did you and KG do?

that when Ray walked past because I didn't know it was love now. Wait, when? Y'all was like laughing. You were, at 75th anniversary, you and Casey was laughing when Ray walked through and I thought it was still some beef. No, hell, hell, no.

Okay, so y'all good now. Yeah, we're good now. Yeah, we got no beef by the time because the 75 was last year. We was good before that. Because remember if you noticed when Cage you got a jersey retired, we all hugged at Alport,

which was like a couple years ago. And so, yeah, he was like, shout out the Ray. Plus, tickets, I was good, but ticket wasn't good until his retirement. You don't even know, we didn't know Ray was coming to his retirement. That was the big thing surrounding KG retirement. When he was getting his jersey retired, we're like, it's Ray coming. You know, you think Ray don't show up. Nobody had the idea.

I didn't. So when he showed up, I think that was a sign like, you know what, it's time to squash that. KG, Rondo, let's bring it in. And I think from that point, we all squashed it. I already had squashed my brother. But at KG Jersey retirement, I think it was just like, all right, they spoke. It was cool. Now everybody good now.

I love that, man, because, you know, you go through these, like, and like you said, y'all won one, but it's hard winning a championship. Yeah, for sure. You know, people don't understand how hard it is, how many things have to go right. Yeah. You got to be really good. But you also have to be really lucky. Yep.

You got to be really lucky. Really lucky. You start talking about health. You don't win championships without luck. I'm sorry. Without luck at all. People don't know that part of that. Fact, you look at the amount of teams that you thought

was going to win a championship. They were unlucky. Yep. Yep. Absolutely. Absolutely. Like, Houston, they got y'all. They got y'all.

Chris Paul full of hamstring. Like, hey, I'm telling you, you need it in every championship. Toronto beat y'all because they got lucky KD got hurt. Exactly. I see it every year. Yeah, I see it every year, bro. You got to be lucky in all of this. And that's the part.

That's the part people don't get. No matter how good you got to be lucky. We're playing against Houston. They missed 27 threes in a row. This is what they do. They shoot threes. They've never done that. They missed 27 threes in a row.

You have to be a little. Right. It's just the reality. Just the reality. Yeah, that's crazy. That is crazy. But in saying that, and I mentioned it earlier, you know, Doc was kind of on his way out.

Then y'all, Ray come in, KG come in, y'all get it rolling. Y'all get Doc his first and only championship. Hasn't quite been able to get over the hump since. Now, as we all know, Doc is now with the Milwaukee Bucks, trying to number one salvage their season. But number two, go on to win the championship. They made the trade for Dame. They obviously got Yonnas, Chris Middleton, Jay Crowder,

Bobby Porter, Brooke Lopez, Pat Beardown. What do you think Doc brings to that team and can he help them get over the hump to win a championship this season or next? I will tell you one thing. Doc is a great motivator, man. I'm telling you. He knows each individual

and how to coach each individual. You know, he coaches them all different. You know, he's not going to coach Janice High coach Bobby Porter's. And all school coaches, they're going to coach one way. Is they way or the highway? And that's one thing that Doc has been great at because he's been a player.

He understands, you know, what they need and when they need it. And I think he's the right guy to help them get over the hop. actually. You know, your players got to respect your coach. I think they respect Doc.

You know, I'm not sure how much they respect that, Adrian Griffitt, or why don't they get him out of there. Doc is going to come with some respect. Yeah, he hasn't won as many as people probably thought he should, but he's been there.

And they're going to respect that. And so in saying that, I think he's going to bring some leadership in another voice. Because, like, when you look at Milwaukee, you're like, who's the, like, vocal leader. I really don't know.

I'm not in the locker room. Maybe it's Janice, maybe his name. But Doc is going to be another vocal leader in the locker room. And he's going to tell you like it is. And I respect that. Like whether you like it or not, he going to keep it true to you. So hopefully, you know, he can get them far,

but I don't think they're going to beat the Celtics in the East. You know, it's bad timing right now. But he got a championship. It's bad time. But I think he got a championship caliber team. and I think they're going to see the Celtics in the conference finals. I respect that.

I respect that. Man, it's the year of 2000 and you get stabbed 11 times. Number one, how do you still manage to play 82 games? It's beyond me. And I know you've talked about this story before, but like, what's something from that story that people don't know.

And like I said, I also know how did you manage to play 82 games? I don't know, right? I don't even know how I'm alive, truthfully, when I look back at it. You know, I think God, you know, I'm a true believer in God. You know, I think, you know,

he knows when your time is and it wasn't my time. And I think the only thing, let me tell you something, when people don't know, but I haven't spoke on, I talked about the incident and being in the club

and, you know, being stabbed by, like, multiple men and three different knives. And, well, people don't know I play because I played through pain. But that was the only thing that my being on the court was the only thing that gave me peace. You know what I'm saying? Because I'm traumatized. I'm in my house.

I'm scared. But at the same time, I'm paranoid. I'm like, I'm okay sleep. Like, I had to wear like a vest that this is people don't. don't know. I have to wear a best underweight, me, my uniform. So, like, a lot of times if I take a charge or I go into the paint, I felt that. It wasn't all the way healed. And I had to just mentally play through that because I know I wanted to be on the court because that's the only piece I got from not thinking about what happened for that three hours,

that three, four hours, that gave me peace. And, you know, when you go through a whole day, when you can't sleep at night and you're sitting around, not leaving the house, not going no where, you know, wondering if it's really somebody out here trying to kill you, you know, that's not a good, that's not a good mental to be in. You know, so, but for that three, four hours I'm in the gym, I'm going to be on the court. So I disobeyed doctors orders. I practiced before I was supposed to practice. I wore this like damn near bulletproof best or whatever kind of best thing got for me. And I just played through it until I healed.

And I really didn't heal until after the season. That's crazy. man, and how did you manage to stay in Boston another 10 years after that? Like, like, how long did it take you to start leaving again, to go out again, to live a normal life again in the city where you just got stabbed up by, with three, four dudes? Yeah. Like, how were you able to get back to some sense of normalcy in that city?

You know, it took a while, but I surrounded myself with some family and friends, because immediately I moved out two of my cousins who were the same age as me, two of my best friends who I grew up with, and I moved in the Boston with me. So I had family around me at all times. You know, people watching out for me. I kept it family and I kept it close.

But it took some years, man. It took some years. Even going to the restaurant, dude, I was just, I had security. I'm over here, like, seeing who knows my car? I got him standing outside, went inside. And it takes some years to me they really started getting back to normal because it got to the point I get

real anxious when I got in the crowd. You know, I couldn't do the season ticket as hold of stuff with the crowd of people, appearances I wasn't doing. But the thing that helped me the most was started when I started talking about it to other people. You know, because I held it in for a few years, but then I started talking to more people about it

and it helped me get comfortable with like just letting it free, letting it out, loosening it up. and that's the biggest thing to help me because at first I had a psychiatrist or psychologist, whoever you talk to after. And I had two sentences with him, and I was like, man, I don't want to talk about this no more.

And from that point in, I held it in. But I think talking to people and surrounding myself with love really helped me get through those times. And, you know, I appreciate the people I was close to and the people I was able to talk to about it. And, yeah, it was difficult. And I used to game of basketball

to rededicate myself. And I think, you know, for me to take that next step to where I got to, something like that, maybe had to happen. Maybe God was sending a message to where, like, look, you need to refocus, get back in the gym. And I really think from that point on, it elevated my game from that point in on. Yeah. I mean, some traumatic like that, it does one or two things to people. It's seeing you this way. Yeah, absolutely.

you that way. Absolutely. Like, you're very sure which way that guy went. Yeah. Because it's drastic difference. Hell yeah. Either way, man. But I was raised by some strong, my strong mom.

Tell me you're always to just be strong and you're going to get through whatever situation you're going to get through. And so that's just the cloth I was built on. And that's why I was able to get through it. No doubt, man. And switching gears a little bit, not really, but in the same light of you playing 82 games that year. You play 80 plus games seven times in your career. What is your perspective on this current debate? Load management, guys resting the 65 game award. You know, you got to play 65

games in order to be all NBA, MVP, all those things. What's your, how do you view that as someone who play 80 plus games seven times? I mean, I really don't see the science at the load management because they don't prevent injuries. I play 80 plus games. I play 80 plus games. I play. I play. 17 plus season, without any major injuries. I was lucky. But it's no science to like, if you rest, you're going to be less likely to get injured. And so I just say this.

If you love the game, ain't nobody telling me I can't play tonight. That's just me. And I see that with just only certain people in the league, you know, and I never seen Bron. Like, Brian don't sit down. Like, I don't see Brian coming to the guard. I'm talking about he rolled his ankle like this

and I'm looking like oh yeah he's a show done for the night two minutes later he'd come back out there catch a lot and I'm like damn that's crazy like today kids roll an ankle I get it sit out or

you know I play with a dislocated thumb but it's just different now I don't know what it is I think it has a lot to do with the people around in the organization the like the medical staff or these doctors here, they convince us. Like, no, this is the right thing to do.

And we created more jobs for these people to come into the NBA. And so they got a job to do. When you got all this big medical team, the medical team wasn't like that when I was in the league right. Now you got more physical therapists in the back room where it was only like one or two. You got one that can treat every player. And then you got one that's like, look, you know, long run,

you know, not only this year, but your career, but no science is proof. that you're not going to get hurt ever when we do this. So I'm not with it, but it's the way to NBA. And I like the 65 game rule, actually, you know, because if a guy plays 60 games, how is he better than this guy who plays 72 games and his team is doing well, you know,

give it to the guy who's been out there the whole time, you know, these awards. And so, I mean, I just think that's the way it should be, man. you know, hold these care players accountable. Yeah, if you pressing yourself to play 65 and you got an injury, that's on you. Don't be pressed to make all-NBA. Don't be pressed to do all this stuff. Get yourself right first and then play.

You know, if guys are playing hurt, that's on them. Yeah, no doubt. I respect that. Speaking of Brian, you've made a few comments about Brian. You said you made them join the Heat. You said that he wasn't a top five player in the NBA. A lot of people has called your takes on Brian as you hit it. Where do you stand?

Do you still think Brian ain't a top five player in NBA history? First of all, I'm going to clear that up. I've never, I did say that. But it was based on when they was playing the Portland Trailblazers in the bubble. And I think Portland went up 2-0, or they won the first one, or maybe they didn't even start the series. But I was like, all right, they got AD, they got this. And I was like, if they lose to the Blazers in the playoffs first round,

I don't want to hear about Brown being top five because I felt like they had a championship team, which they went on to win the championship in the bubble that year. And so do I think Brian is the top five players? Absolutely, man. Absolutely. I mean, I've went on record saying this. after they won that chip,

I said, LeBron has submitted itself as the number two to me player all time now. Little do I know he was going to go for 40,000, little bit of I know he's going to break all these other records. This is like four years ago. Bron is in that gold argument to where

you could just say he might be the goal. You know, his longevity, the records he's had. I mean, yeah, it's, who you like, whatever area you play in, whatever. But, Brian has a serious argument. And I will say this about Brian. I wouldn't be who I am today without Brown.

And I will say that. For the simple fact that I got to match up with him, for the simple fact that I get to have these epic games against him, I wouldn't be who I am without him. So I'm taking my hat up to him in retirement. Did I ever hate Brian? I never hated, bro. I always respected him.

it's just that me in the heat of the battle on the court, I'm no friends, bro. That's just who I was. Listen, you do with your team over there. I'm going to do with my team. And I ain't, no luck. And they always came like I was a brown hater. But no, I appreciate what he done to this game.

He's reset the bar, the standard now. And he's pushed the bar so high now that I don't know if in our lifetime, there's going to be anybody close to him. And I respect what he's done for the game, not only on the court but off the court, so I'm happy to come on your platform and let everybody know this. Yeah, I've said some things about, Braham,

but look, real, recognized, real at the end of the day, and he's just been unbelievable. And we appreciate that. No doubt, no doubt. No, I respect that. Another one that went crazy. And I asked this question more so, not even about that moment, but just kind of your take because, number one, like I said, to start, you don't get a nickname the truth without being one of them ones. Like that's no debate.

Like, big ticket, the truth, the glove, like, you, King Jane, like you look at, you don't get those nicknames if you're not one of them ones. And so I say, Flash, like, Shaq Diesel, you look at the nicknames guys got. Like, you got to be one of them dudes. And if you're not one of them dudes, you don't get nicknames. No, you know what? That's not true. Like, this era, where's the nickname? Joker?

Joker. I mean, like. Steph don't really have a nickname. He got a couple of things people trying to throw out there. Like, you know what I'm saying? Babyface assassin. We've heard. Steph nicknames.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That's true. I feel like this error don't, like, where the nicket is like, and they're going away, I think. That's true. But you had to be one of them once then to give one. Yeah, absolutely. And saying that, you, you, and I can agree,

you've spoken about being underrated in NBA history for what you've done, the things that you accomplished. You also said you were better than Duane. Wade, where should you be ranked as far as that NBA history go when you're talking about great two guards? Like, where would you put yourself in that? It's tough, man. And the thing about Wade, and I will say this,

Wade is one of the greatest players. I love watching them when I didn't play. But in all of this, I never brought Wade name up without it being brought to me. that's true I never like came out and be like oh you know that's when it's hate that's true

that's what I feel like when it ain't brought to you and you just bring it up I feel like that's hating but I was like but I'm gonna tell you this that's who made me who I am because I felt like

every time I step on the court I was the best player like whether it was cold bronze I felt for like one night I could be the best player that guy and for me having that mentality that's who made me who I am So I said it on national TV, and, yeah, I don't have the acculades way he had.

You know, he played on better teams, but I'm not trying to discredit Wade. Wade is an all-time grade. In my eyes, he's probably three, two, three, four best two guards at all time. And so, you know, some of the TV, but I feel like I'm right there. I'm right there. Like, it might be like, yeah, I'm right. Like some of these other guys like, yeah, call. Oh, bra.

I think, Wade, I'm right there. I respect that. I respect that. I have 100% respect that. And so, and saying that,

like, you're right there. Do you think, you know, like, I don't know the full story of you being let go at ESPN. I know what I've heard.

I know what I think. It wasn't heard. It was what you saw. Yeah, what I saw. But do you think those things, things like that thing, for instance, and then being let go from ESPN and so on and so

forth, do you think those things in retirement kind of hindered your name a little bit as a player, like the way people view you as a player, how great you were? Because one thing I do know is, and even my journey, when you give people one little thing to latch on, they try to latch on that and minimize everything else that you've done. Do you think those things hurt you in a sense of who you or how people speak about Paul Pierce, Paul Pierce, the basketball player, because they intertwine the, the poker thing, Instagram Live, and what some, a few things that you said when you were on ESPN. Do you think that hindered your name as a Hooper? I think it's hindered by name amongst the young generation, but real Hoopers know,

and people of my generation know. And so you're going to get little comments. to like he wasn't shit, he didn't play, but whatever. But that's not true. You go to YouTube. You can attack my character. You can attack me as a person. But don't tell me I wasn't shit on the basketball court. You know what I'm saying?

So I can live with that. And as a person who's always wore the black hat, I'm fine with that, Dre. I lived a great life. I've traveled the world because of basketball. I got four beautiful kids. And if I'm going to hang on to, what other people say about me and how they hinder my name,

oh, well, you know what, I'm still living my life. I'm still living the dream. And I can give a damn what these people say, I think, period. Yeah, I respect that, man, because I've kind of seen that in a different sense. Like, people attack my character as a man. Right. Because of how I play basketball, you know what I'm saying? Even with, like, the stuff that I just went through, you know,

a couple months ago or whatnot. Right. It's like, that was one of the things that kind of had me like, man, I don't really know if I wanted to do this no more. Like, y'all, y'all talking about, like, I got kids, you know what I'm saying? My kids will go on YouTube. My kids, you know, my kids go to school. They got friends who are a Warriors fan.

And y'all attacking my character as a man, my kids got to listen to that. You know what I'm saying? Like, because one thing I know is you can feel how you want to feel about me as a basketball player. You can say I suck. It's probably not true. but that's how you feel. Say what you want. You could say I rose Steph Coteel,

cool, say all of those things. Right. But when you start talking about the man that I am, you know, like, because of something I did in the lines of battle, like in between these lines, that to me kind of, like, that took me down a little bit, you know what I'm saying?

Like, hold on, man. Like, I'm not, I'm not, this guy y'all saying I am, That's, say that about the basketball player. Like you just said, I actually did a story with Howard Beck when we was just at the guard a few days ago. And you said earlier, you said, I'm not the same person. Like when I'm playing and meet a person, that's two different people.

Funny enough, I was doing this story with Howard Beck. And he was, you know, we're talking about the things that's happened, where I am today, how I'm playing, and blah, blah, mentioned some round our test stuff in there. And I was talking to him, and I kept, like, flipping back to these two people, like talking to him in the mind of, like, me in basketball, and then talking to him, like, in my normal mind. And I told him, literally as we're doing the interview, I said, Howard, I'm trusting you to not make me look as stupid as I sound right now.

Because I may sound like I'm totally out of my mind right now. I keep telling you like, well, this guy who's the basketball player thinks this. And this guy who's not the basketball player goes X, Y, and Z. And so I really, like, I can sympathize with that, you know, and understand that from a different point of view because I've gone through that. You know what I'm saying? And like, obviously, I still get the opportunity to play. And when you get the opportunity to play, I always say you get an opportunity to write the ship.

because winning Kier's all, playing well, cure is all, but when you're not playing, people don't kind of give you that same grace no more. You know, they want to, it's almost like,

it's almost like, okay, I couldn't shit on you when you were playing because you was the truth. But now here's my chance to shit on you because you're not playing no more. And now are you going to, like,

okay, so they're going to listen to your word? Well, then people look at it like, well, it's my word against yours, you know? Right, right. Let me ask you this, though. Like you, all right, we're going, I'm going off right here. How many years are you in right now? I mean, you're 12.

How many years you think you want to play? Two, three more. All right, and your last year, are you going to announce this is your last year? No. Oh, you don't want no farewell tour? I can't. Because somebody going to do me like I said. like I said to you, and then I'm fucked.

I'm coming to them games, and I'm going to yell the same thing you yelled to me. Please announce your last year. The only chance, the only chance my last year is announced that I'm having the last year. If that last year happens to Coat Inside with Steph's last year, Clay's last year and if that's my last year

that's the only chance that it gets announced because then I could ride Steph Cotele on his farewell tour and act like his mind. In my way, I never asked for a fairware tour and my fair world tour was in Boston

because I know that's the only place they appreciate me so that's why I gave it away that was my fair word tour. Everywhere else I got booed. That's funny. No, I get that. I get booed all the time, man. I get it.

Hey, but before we get out of here, two more things. Number one, I just want to let you know. I call a game. That's one of my favorite interviews of all time. Because you can tell in that moment, and you tell me if I'm lying. But in that moment, when I'm watching you talk, you like, I call a game, like, hey.

What you mean I call a bank? Like, I call a game. Like, in that moment right there, that just came off the top of the dome. Right, right off the top of the dome. Because there's my Chris Bessarad over here, like I hadn't hit no game winners before. Like, I looked at it. I was about to be like, big like, like, he'd lucky to come out my mouth. It's all just like, call gay.

And I walked off. That was the internet. I was like, he wanted to ask me another question. If you look at it, I walked. I'm like, man, get out of here. I want to hear that shit. I don't want to hear that. Come on, man.

That was epic. That's one of my favorite interviews. That was at the top. Two more questions. You and KG, y'all always, y'all talk about a shout out to y'all. Unplug, all the smoke productions.

Y'all love y'all doing y'all thing over there. Watch a lot of the stuff. Super dope what y'all got going. And I also think it's super dope to see you and KG. bond. Like, you know, even on times during that show, it looked like y'all looking out for each other, you know what I'm saying? And I think that's, like, that's super dope because we go through these runs and people don't understand, man, through these runs, you can sometimes

build resentment. You around each other every day. Like, you around each other every day. You see the good in people, you see the bad in people, you see their rough day, you see their great day, you see the drastic difference in between the two stuff come up and to see that bond. Yeah. You know, and what I've been able to build with Steph and Clay, like to see that bond still like that,

man, that's special, you know what I'm saying? So, number one. You're going to understand that because you won with this group. Now, a lot of groups have bonds and they split in these teams, they don't have a forever bond. When you won, you know that bond is forever. You know what I'm saying?

So not everybody gets to experience. that, you know, you be friends in the league, then the league is over with or y'all go to another team, you don't want to talk to nobody. You don't even talk to your teammate, but when you win, that shit is forever. But for the simple fact, we live by each other. Our kids is going to the same school.

So we always don't have that. No, that's special. But y'all talk a lot about the NBA and how different it is in the league. What's the biggest difference to you in the league? today than when y'all play. I mean, obviously, the obvious off the top is just the defense of physicality of the gang.

You know, they don't allow as much holding and bumping and stuff, and they allow a lot of player movement. That's why you see the scoring is up, not only individual-wise, but team-wise. I mean, you talk about, I think when I was in the league, the team that led the league and score was like 103, 104 points. Now you get teams average on average as 115, 120 to the league. there's just the physicality. It's like players can't play defense no more.

You can't use your hand as much, bump as much, and it's allowing the offensive player to always have an advantage. And for the fact that players are getting more skill. You know, players in all positions can handle the ball, can shoot the ball extremely well, more athletic. But that's just how the game evolves. It involves every decade, every general, It's good to see, man.

I'm actually, I actually enjoy it. I didn't like the All-Star game. You know, I wish it was a little more competitive. But on the overall, I think the game is in a good place. The European players are really stepping up showing they got what to take. But I think the game is in a good place. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another dynasty again. The way the player movement is, you know, before, you know,

you have so much loyalty to one franchise and you guys will probably be the last to stay with one franchise forever. But with the player movement, it'll be hard to see another dynasty, which is great. You know, I think it's great because you'll have

some newness to it every year. You ain't going to have a team just overly dominated. Maybe it's good. Maybe it's not. I like to see kind of like some dynasty. I like to enjoy your run. And, you know,

I think y'all still can have another run. still are dangerous in the playoffs. And so, you know, that's the biggest difference I see. Most definitely. You just mentioned the All-Star Game. I remember watching All-Star Games that you was in. How can we get that back? I lied to you.

I said too much. Look, I think it's sort of the top, Dre. I think you've got to come from LeBron and KD. Because I remember Bronn and Kobe, like, look, we got to get this in the huddle. And then you look over Kobe, he's picking a full court. You're like, oh, he's serious. So now everybody else, like, we can't be bullshit now.

Come on now. Oh, they're playing. Hey, yeah, let's go, man. Let's get this money. You know, I think it comes from the guys at the top. You know, and so if they come in there and you got Brian and step like a Katie and Janus, like, let's play. Let's go.

Maybe y'all, you know, for three quarters, we, but fourth quarter you knew it was going to be on. Absolutely. And I least want to see that. Absolutely. Absolutely. And last but not least, man, I can't. Help, but notice these retired numbers behind you and your number being on there.

And just being a part of, you get your jerseys retired with the Boston Celtics. That ain't, that ain't no small feet. That's not a small feat. No. Your number being retired up there amongst those other grace, man. Just talk to me about that feeling the day when it happened. but also, you know, every time you walk in that gym, those greats, being one of those greats. Just talk to me about that.

You know, I'm happy that all the hard work and the dedication I put to this game and the hours, the blood, sweat, the tears I was able to put in, that people didn't really get to see. They just saw the finished product on the court. That's what that is. You know, nights when I'm waking up at three, four in the morning and going for a run or going to the gym, that's what turned into that, you know, just. sacrifice from not being around friends and family on special days, Christmases, holidays and birthdays,

where you don't get to see people that you love, is because of my grind and being in the league. And that's the stuff that people don't see the sacrifices that we make as athletes and dealing with this person need money or your best friend, just got shot, or I just lost my close homie. They don't understand, like, it's more than what you see on the court, for you to still keep your mind in the same frame to really still keep going, whereas days you really want to stop,

but you keep going, and that's what that equal. You know, me able to walk into the garden, and my number be there forever, and I was able to leave my legacy and left my mark not only with the Celtics, but the game of basketball. And so, you know, being around having a check when he was there, when he was alive, rest of peace, Bill Russell, and just doing it in front of them, it was just, I wanted to be as great as I could and push myself to the limit. And, you know, that's a product of me getting my jersey retire, which I'm hell of being thankful for because I gave a game my life. And before that, I missed out on a lot of things in life.

So, Drake, when you retire, it's more to life than hoops, man. travel the world, enjoy your family, man, so much more for us to see, man. And I'm enjoying retirement. That's incredible to hear. That means a lot because it's the inevitable for all of us, right? Like, we all going to one day be out of this league.

And to hear, you know, we always hear the shit stories. You know what I'm saying? You always hear like, hey, man, it ain't. And great over here, like, enjoy that way. And, like, yeah, we want to enjoy it. but I actually am one, like I look forward to retire. You know what I'm saying? Like, I appreciate the NBA,

and the NBA has allowed me to live an incredible life to provide a great life for my family. But I'm excited for what's on the other side. You know what I'm not? You know what I'm saying? Like this, to your point, this job, like, if there's a wedding, you miss it. If there's a childbirth, you can possibly miss it.

If there's a birthday, you miss it. You know what I'm saying? If there's a school assembly, you miss it. If there's a fellow's trip in the month of March, you miss it. You know what I'm saying? If they're, like, you miss so much. You miss your kids' first steps. Like, you know what I'm saying?

Absolutely. It's like, damn. Absolutely. So I don't take it for granted, man. And I appreciate you hearing you say that. I appreciate you coming on the show. It means a lot. It says a lot about you.

I'm glad I got to share my side of the story finally. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I'm happy you let out with it. Before we go, Jackson, turn your video on. I just want you all to see Jackson fan out, you know, this Celtic shit they got going on over here. All our listeners know Jackson is a huge Celtics fan. So this is a moment for Jackson. And Jackson, how you a moment? Go ahead and fucking fan out. God damn Celtics. Hey, thanks, man. Thanks, D.G. Paul, I was, I was 12 when the Celtics. one in 2008.

So I was really, right when I was coming into my true basketball fandom and basketball obsession. So I just want to say, thank you for coming on the show. This is a really full circle moment for me. You were my favorite player back then. So thank you for coming on the show. And I appreciate everything you did for the Celtics. All right.

Hey, man, as Dr. Ma'am, was the game plan not the guard Jalen Brown the other day? It was. It was the game plan. It was in host day. He was going to shoot a bunch of shots, hijacked the offense. So that Jason Tech, and by the way, Jess was working. You looked at the score sheet at one point. He was three for seven.

JT had not taken the shot. Drew had not taken the shot. And then all of a sudden, we, on offense, we were awful, and we weren't moving the ball or passing. And they started getting out in transition. J.T. hit the three. Drew hit the three. And then it looked like the game plan made no sense.

But it actually made sense. And I think it could have worked. No, no. 52 points later, it didn't work. If y'all meeting the finals this year, y'all need to scrap that game playing. I don't think we're going to go with it in the finals. I don't think it's going to, I don't think it's going to go in the finals.

But I'll tell you what, for both of you two, Celtics, Celtics' legend, Celtics fan, I'll tell you what, walking in that other day, them booze ain't as loud as they was, fellas. They are not as loud as they were. They're not as loud no more. No, truth. I appreciate you, brother. Thank you for coming on the show, man.

All love, dog. All love for show. Yes, sir. Love, bro. No doubt.