The Ringer NBA Show - Chris Webber on Why He Never Worked for the Kings Organization, Producing for Nas, and More | Real Ones

Episode Date: March 1, 2021

Five-time NBA All-Star, top-shelf NBA commentator, and birthday boy Chris Webber joins Logan and Raja to talk about his new fund for minority-run cannabis businesses (9:00), being part of the Fab Five (21:00), the trade that brought him to Sacramento and why he never worked in the Kings organization after he retired (45:00), learning how to make beats in hotel rooms and working with Nas (48:30), and so much more.  Hosts: Logan Murdock and Raja Bell Guest: Chris Webber Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On R2C2, C-2, C-Sabathia and Ryan Rucco guide listeners through everything going on in the MLB, NBA, and NFL. They also talk to friends, athletes, and celebrities about the world of sports and much more. Check out R2C2 with C-Sabathia and Ryan Rucco on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, so we're back with the Mad Hooper. I'm here with five-time All-Star Chris Weber. He hit me the other day with talking about why he's mad. Webb, I don't get it. Why are you so mad?

I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, Draymond green is right. I mean, he's getting triple doubles. I mean, you know, he's winning things like that, right? But, but, but, but, but, but he played with Curry. I mean, I mean, who can't win a championship playing with Curry? I mean, I mean, he also played with, uh, uh, what's that man? I mean, just because he could play defense.

I mean, I don't mean he should be one of the greatest. Okay, he's a good leader. I get that. I mean, he got a lot of heart, but what does that really have to do with playing basketball? You know, that's my only question, you know what I mean? just because he's a winner, is he a winner? Is he a winner because he wins, or is he just a winner because y'all want to, you know?

I know he got Hardy from the glove. He's from Michigan. I mean, his mom's not. But besides that, I don't really know, I don't really know what all that, you know. Yeah, he's nice. He wins, you know? I don't know what else that is, man. That's all right.

Hey, hey, hey. Real ones up next. What's popping? Real ones. Logan Murdoch. here with Raja Bell. We had a great guest with Chris Weber. I can't wait for you guys to hear that.

It was a phenomenal. We even got some Mad Hooper, as you guys just heard. It was great. Raja, before we talk about that, I want to talk about just a little quick time. I just want to talk about something that's kind of near and dear. Steph Curry stuck his chest out last night after a crazy loss, a crazy loss. The Warriors got their ass kicked by the Lakers last night.

But he said that a lot of teams are coming after them and trying to kick their ass because after five years of them just beating them, teams are just really locked in on beating the Warriors and just showing them who is really the new guns in town. How do you feel about that? Do you feel like he's valid in saying that? And also, are teams like really just gunning for the Warriors in that way? I think there's some truth to what he said. Look, people have long memories when it comes to you running all over them. You know what I mean?

Like, you might not be the same team that you were three years ago because of injury and because of loss of talent. But that doesn't mean anything to everyone who you beat, you know, during that stretch. So, yeah, teams are looking to get some get back if they can. You know, I would just say to Steph and all the teams out there like that, you know, they're wounded right now. You know, like so it's not, you know, you get it while you could get it. I guess that's fair if your NBA teams. Like if you could catch them, you know, when they're not at full strength,

go ahead and catch them, bro, and go ahead and take what you could get because it's going to be interesting to see when Clay comes back. But I do think there's something to that. Like when you have, you know, LeBron's always going to get someone's A game. The Lakers is a franchise. Usually if they're at, if they're relevant at all, Logan, they're going to get your A game. There are teams and players that are going to get everyone's A game. And I think Golden State probably falls into that category.

I it's just interesting with with the warriors because I remember when I remember a time when they were like the darlings of the league and it's funny to see like how no no no no no no no no not darlings of the league to other people in the league only darlings of the league to the media oh okay okay okay okay all right they were darling okay but okay I get that but there was a point in time where they were they were that right and it's funny to just see like how it just dwindled right even from a media. perspective because the first year, you can make the argument, oh, my goodness, the Warriors won a championship. This is great. The Bay Area hasn't won a title in 40 years, right? And then you go from that and they win 73 games and everyone's like, oh my goodness, this is homegrown. It's just, do you see Steph, all this stuff? And then they get Kevin Durant, right? And then the media narrative is just like, oh, is this too, oh, man, is this too, are they too good? Are they, what's going on here, right? And then how it's just like, you see just, the whole evolution.

I just think it's interesting because I remember when watching tapes of, and I don't think this is a direct parallel, but I do remember tapes of a scene when the Bulls, when Jordan retired,

and then you see the Knicks and you see all these other teams kind of come up and just stick their chest out in a way. And then you see the Rockets, you know, win those two titles. And then the thing,

the difference between the Bulls and the Warriors right now is the Bulls came back and just started mashing again. You know what I mean? and I think it remains to be seen now if the Warriors have a second act. But it is interesting just to see, like, last year when I remember when the Clippers played the Warriors the first time to open up Chase, and Pat Bev made a point to look at a camera and was like, y'all ain't got KD now, y'all ain't doing all this stuff now.

And I just thought that was very interesting. The first game back when they're clearly wounded and they're clearly not, the Warriors aren't good, that other teams just took the opportunity just to be like, yeah, yeah, that's what we thought. And I just thought it was just interesting, Roger. Again, the media may have loved the Golden State Warriors, but I always felt like people who were in the league at the time hated the Golden State Warriors

and not just because they were, like, beating them all the time. There was an extra level of hate that was levied towards the Golden State Warriors, I felt because of the state warriors, I felt because of the style that they played, because of the perceived, like, cuteness of the style. Do you know what I mean? Like it was...

The shimmy. Yeah, right. That rubbed people the wrong way, or at least some players, the wrong way. And so I think you see the backlash of that even now. When teams get a chance to stomp on the Warriors, they want to stomp on the Warriors. I would just say... And as it pertains to like us or the media or people in general loving the Warriors,

we always like an underdog come out of nowhere story. And we like a winner to a certain point. But if you win a little bit too much, we need somebody else to win, right? We always like balance, bro. We don't want nobody to lose so much and we don't want nobody to win so much. Either way, they get, they getting hated on. Right. So once you go 73-

Everybody wants to be average, right? That's all getting for this. Once you get 73 and get Kevin Durant, like you've become too rich. The rich are now too rich. Like, this is not fair. And now we have to like, you're the villains now and we're going to knock you down a peg. So maybe just maybe this is the humanizing of the Golden State Warriors. Like, right?

Yeah. I just get the feel. I just, we saw this with the Miami Heat. And I feel like sometimes I just, this is why it makes it entertaining. But I just feel like people just be hating on greatness, man. When you talk about the Miami Heat and you talk about like all the hate that people just get, because they're too good, right? You know what I mean?

That just always is weird to be. You hated them because they was too good? It is a really weird thing. I live in the Miami area. I listen to the Miami sports talk radio all the time. I'm friends with a lot of these guys. So I hear the callers. They call into the stations.

People hate LeBron when he's not with the heat. And the heat are, you know, just the DeWade show. But as soon as the band comes together, right, people in Miami love and will protect LeBron and protect Bosch and protect all of these dudes only while they're in said uniform, right? And then the rest of the country hates

LeBron and Cleveland hates LeBron and so it's, look, man, you know what I think overall, and we talked about this before, Logan, fans don't love, they don't love their players having the type of say and the type of power and the type of movement options that they do right now

because they're fans of the team and it's usually, you know, unless you're the team on the receiving end of that, it's hurting your team's chances. It's so weird, man. It's so weird. It's like, I don't know, man, because they don't see,

I don't want to go down this rabble hole too much, but it doesn't seem like when we tap these discussions, it doesn't seem like they see these players. They see them as commodities. They don't see them as like people. So I think that's a good segue to the conversation that we had with Chris Weber. He was great, phenomenal,

talked about, NBA players in weed, talked about his time in Sacramento, talked about time in, time in the Bay Area. Gave a lot of Oakland town love. I loved it. It was great.

He was a phenomenal guest. Too many flowers for the Bay on this episode. Just be forwarded. You need to relax. Okay. Real ones. Up next. What's popping?

Real ones. Logan Murdoch here with Roger Bell. Raja, our next guest is a legend. Also, he's a legend because he's a five-time all-star. 94 rookie of the year, future Hall of Famer. But you know why he is a legend to me, Roger, right now in this very moment? Some shit about the Bay. I don't know.

I'm just guessing. He just shouted out my hometown. It said it's love. He shouted out Oakland in the pre-in-the-pre-pod meeting. Oakland to Detroit. We got Chris Weber in the building. What's popping, Chris? What's up, fellas?

How are you doing? What's going on, man? What's up, Roger? Just allow me to, like, allow me, right? Like Webb is a true professional. He's been in this game for a minute, meaning he did his research, right? And the best way to like, the best way to ingratiate yourself to a host is to shoot a little love at him. So I believe that to be disingenuous.

I don't believe that he loves DeBay. Wow. I don't believe that he loves Oakland like that. No, no disrespect. You know what I mean? Marraza, I know you the man. I know both of all the man. But I'm not really good on like social media.

Like I don't really know what's going on in the world. all that stuff. So that was just true, man. I mean, you know, any time you could, you know. Jesus Christ, they said, dread, still shake him. All right. You know, I'm going on, but I plan on growing some. Too.

Too. I'm going to do. What I was going to do. My bad. My bad. Yeah, yeah. My bad. This guy spent two weeks in Piedmont and thinks he wants to slander to bay.

You know what I mean? Is this for the day? I love you. Oh, my mom. Shout out there. Everybody. All right. So, yeah, we're glad to have you in the building, Chris.

And I know that you are, one thing I want to get to before we get into the real interview. I want to talk about something really important, and one of the reasons why you're here, you announced a partnership recently with Jason Wilde and JW Asset Management to launch a $100 million private equity cannabis fund that will invest in companies led by minority entrepreneurs. Why is that so important to you for people of color to get into this business? I think it's very important, but what made you get into this? Well, you know, my father grew up in the South, and in the South you grew up, you know, a lot of people had to pick cotton. I know no blacks are in the cotton industry.

If you look at transportation, all the people that migrated up north to work in these factories, There's no black people in transportation. You name to me, if you guys could tell me an industry, not where we participate, but where ownership is more than 4%. I'll say kudos. But I don't know of one. And right now in cannabis, over 20% of our community

has been targeted and affected by these unfair laws. And so I'm in the business. I'm just being quiet, you know, doing some successful things. And I see it's none of us there. It's no women. It's definitely sure no black women. It's no black and brown people. And my thing is, why not?

You know, we're the ones that were targeted, some smart people. I know some people with infrastructure and access to, you know, funds and things like that. Why don't we change it? And so that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to change the industry to have more people, have it look like America. And hopefully we can do that. How do you think the stigma around weed has changed? since when you were playing in the league versus right now in the stance that, I don't know,

during the bubble, you know, the NBA had, you know, taking the rule out of testing for marijuana. And it just seems like there's been an evolution. What have you seen as a former player who played in the 90s where marijuana was so stigmatized to now where it's kind of more accepted? I just see education. You know, a lot of times it was just stereotypes. You're lazy or it's just recreation. And then they throw you a pill right after surgery. your stomach's burning.

You can't go to sleep, you know. So, you know, you think about the life of an athlete. You finish your game in one town. You get on the flight of about 1 a.m. You get into that city, maybe 3 a.m. Maybe 4 a.m. Depending on where you come from. And then you're asked to go to sleep right away.

To eat, go to sleep, and then wake up for practice 11 a.m. You know, it's just so sleep management, mood management, inflammation, pain management, you know, all these things that we're just not starting to learn. And I think that the more science and research was behind it, the more of that got out. And the more of the culture or the more the government had to understand this is more beneficial and harmful. And with that, I think that's been the biggest change. Yeah, that's, that's, I talk about that a lot, Logan. That's really interesting.

I have a former college teammate right now on dialysis. He's on the national registry for a kidney donor because the amount of Advil and ibuprofen and whatnot that they pumped into him to try to keep him. you know, on the court just, you know, blew out kidneys, you know? Like, I wasn't really, like, when I would get to a city web, I couldn't sleep either. So my recipe to get knocked out was like a glass of scotch and a something PM, you know, because you've got to get to sleep. How many guys do you think, like, when you played, because, you know, it was around. How many, how many, what percentage of the league do you think was participating just because, you know,

you needed to, despite the rules that were in place? Yeah, you know what? That's a good question. I don't know because I wouldn't, I wouldn't, you know, partake or hang out with guys because I still looked at them as my competition and I didn't want to become too familiar. Right, right, right. So me, you know, I don't know. I know that I've shared a lot of THC oil after I had my surgery.

I know I gave it to a lot of teammates. And they didn't even, you know, kind of know how to put it or where it would be CBC and another bad box, anything. You know, Epson Salt. Just as we use Epsons Salt. putting those things in there with it. So I don't know. I don't know because of the stigma, you know, I kept it to myself and I really didn't want to include anyone.

I didn't think even think even they would get there. And I didn't even think they would understand. You know what I'm saying? So I really, that's a tough. I don't know what that would be. Did you recognize the hypocrisy when you were partaking? You know, the hypocrisy that you just brought up, right? Like you, you know, I hit the joint and I feel better.

And it's actually, it's not as, it's not as bad on my body as if I'm taking this pill post surgery or something like that or anything to relieve pain. Did you, did you see that hypocrisy when you were doing it back in whenever you were doing it? Like the hypocrisy like by myself. The hypocrisy of, yeah, like you, this is fine for me pain wise, this, this, this, uh, similar or whatever, but this other thing that is legal is, is, is less stigmatized and probably worse on my body. I always knew it was money. That's why I never cared. Like I didn't care what the stigma was. You know, I have wonderful parents. I never wanted the stigma to go back on them and church and family. But I really never cared because I knew it was a money grab.

I knew as soon as the government could figure out how to tax it, it'd be okay. You know what I mean? The culture is always ahead of the government. They act like. So, you know, if you look who's from the government the last eight years, some of the elected officials, the highest elected officials, and you see who has a cannabis company, you'd be surprised. So I did realize it was that, but I also, you know, like Roger said, like, you know, if I do take an ibuprofen and a drink, then my drink might lead to two, it might lead to three, and I might lead to me going out. You know what I mean? I'm not worried about, you know, going to the club or being out with other things trying to take care of your body. And with that, whether it was smoking,

whether it was, um, whether it was just oil, whether it was other things. It was just, for me, it really was just, man, I'm going to another city. I got to get some sleep tonight. I want to ask another one, uh, Webb, because my dad went to Morehouse, my mom went to Spell me, and I know you're doing like a Yeah, an activism course with Morehouse I read about. Like, talk to us about that. Yeah, so what was really great was that I started this activism course. So shout out to Wake Forest, Chris Paul Tim Duncan, because I was a professor of practice.

I was about four years ago. And I started this class there. My mentor is Dr. Harry Edwards and others have been doing this. So in no way am I creating a way of work. creating the will or anything. But, you know, there's conversations that we could have. Growing up, my parents, especially my mother, was very much into me understanding the narrative of things that are going on

and to be proud of history and to use people's stories as inspiration, especially those stories that you don't see how that person made it through. And so that's all I do. In this class, we talk about fair trade. We talk about fair trade, and that's because of Spencer Hayward. So if you're a sports fan, if there was no Spencer Hayward, it probably would have happened for later. But because of Spencer Haywood, you have Kobe Bryant, you have Kevin Garnett, you got players that left college early because he defeated what was called the four-year rule.

And so just that alone, people say, oh, you get to go to college early? No, it was a fair trade. You actually have to go to Supreme Court. Thirdwood Marshall was on that Supreme Court, gave him advice after. And that move alone, just the basketball account for $30 billion till today, the players going early, let alone football. So, you know, from doing that, we're talking about protests with Dr. John Carlos. And I know everyone loves and admire what Kaepernick's done. I love what LeBron has done.

But at the same time, I want to be that conduit to let younger kids know, listen. It was a Mr. John Carlos before Kaepernick and Liquid Kaepernick and LeBron have done with that when they passed off the mantle. But understand first it came from these guys and then this generation is doing a wonderful job. So hopefully it's a little bit of history, a little bit of context. And I'm definitely honoring those that are doing that thing. What was it like for you, you know, growing up, you know, with history, right? With learning a lot of different things because I remember I spent some time in SAC as a kid.

And I remember my mom taking me to the SAC Library to see your collection of African American art back in the day. Why was that so important to, you know, learn your history, at least for you at a very early age? And how was it to try to figure out life also while, you know, learning your history? Because it's one thing to learn the answers, but it's also to put it in practice. How was that for you growing up, even in Sack and like all these different – in Sack and Washington and even your year in Golden State where you're trying – it seems like you're trying to figure out life, but also you have this – you have this wealth of knowledge. What was that like for you early in your career? It was tough because the more knowledge you have, the more you realize life is really unfair.

you know, so as a high school kid, I get to go to a high school that the tuition was more than my parents' salary, right? So I'm going out here, you're going through puberty with different people, different social economic standards, where do you fit in? And it's why aren't my boys back at home that can't play basketball allowed to go to schools like this? And so for me, it was just a time to kind of understand, understand who I was, understand who I came from, understand the stories of other people I went to school with, And so it definitely, I didn't appreciate it when my mother empowered me with all the knowledge. And then I realized as I got the high school in Michigan, that that knowledge made me who I am. It gave me a confidence in a room with no matter who was there. It never let me ashamed of my narrative, my story, or where I came from.

You know, other things like that. And so hopefully, shout out to your parents for taking you to the museum. Hopefully it just inspired one kid. Because if it did, then job is done. I'm chilling. I'm finished, you know, because that kid can take it on. But it's just, it's a labor love. It's something that I love.

It would just be collective pieces that I have at the house. And some friends encouraged me to take it to museums and things like that. And so, you know, thank them for encouraging me to get it out and show people. That's pretty cool. And, like, so I didn't go to the museum and see the pieces, but I was inspired in another way by you and your Fab Five teammates there at Michigan, right? Like, there was a generation of Hoopers that were watching you guys unapologetically hit the scene. and do what you did, right? Like it gave us a sense of,

there were black folks scattered across the landscape of every sport at that time, right? But you guys kind of broke the mold in terms of like, look, we're doing this our way. This is how we're going to conduct ourselves and it was appreciated. Did you guys feel that at the time? Like, you had a responsibility in that regard?

Or were you just young kids just doing what you wanted to do? Or could you feel the sense of like, you know, we speak for a lot of people right now? We felt a sense. and our thing was fuck the world. You know, like our parents, Jane's mother, a strong woman. She's working in the factory, you know,

but you're going to be soft going home to her. You know what I mean? My parents, my father comes from here, my mother's there, all of them are friends, and they expected something of it. So I won't say, oh, we knew what we were doing.

No, no, no, I'm not saying that. But we had a battery in our back, Juan, where he came from, Ray, his parents, Jimmy, his parents, that we all were alike. And it wasn't like, oh, we're going to change the world. No, it was, we're playing for home with moms watching. And we're not, we don't want to be any of them.

We're us and we're going to do what we got to do. And I think sometimes that's the power you have, right? Just being you and not having fear. And so, yeah, you know, because at the time, it was, me, America just was so different, right? You know, we were called, you know, I was getting death threats at 18, man, come on for playing college or shaving my head ball. or, you know, having a swoop in my hair.

Oh, they look like thugs. It was just like, man, we're teenagers. On the basketball court, but everything else is just life. And so I really appreciate those brothers for making me, you know, stronger and having that group together allowed us to go with force and not doubt because we knew that, you know, we had each other. I remember seeing, you know, just in doing the research, like, you know, FAP-5 was before my time because I'm like 12,

but I remember just doing the research of your career, career and just seeing the fucking audacity you guys had in a positive way, right? Like when you got like when I remember, I want to get into this during the 92, you know, pre-Olympics, when you're playing against Mike and all these fucking Hall of Famers, what is your mindset before that game, before that scrimmage? And how do you have that mindset, right? Because everybody, the normal part is supposed to be in awe of a car Malone, a Charles Barclay, a Michael Jordan, and all these people.

And you had the sheer audacity be like, no, fuck. that I'm about to ball today. What was the, what was the mindset before that game, and then during the game and then after the, the game? It was a whirlwind of emotions.

I remember, so I get there, I get to the place and I, get to the airport, and it's a limo. I'd never been to a limo. Oh, I've been a limo like a crime or something. So I'm looking at the limo hanging out

that Larry Bird walks in. And I don't say nothing. I just keep my eyes forward. I know it's him. I don't know what to do. You know what do you do? You're a hero. And I hated Larry Bird because they would beat the pistons, but, you know,

and it's a quiet ride and we get out the car. And he, like, make sure he gets some sleep because I'm going to bust your ass tomorrow. And it was the best feeling ever, man. Because at this moment, because I'm a fan of yours, so if I'm a fan, I know everything about you, right? So I know you're going to disrespect me if I don't say nothing. Like, I know this.

So I'm putting the corner. You're like, okay, I love you. And, oh, shoot, okay. And by the way, I ain't never had my ass busted. You'll see them all with your old ass. That's all I said and left, you know? And in my head, I go to my room like, dad, yeah, man. I just cussed Larry Bird, man, best thing ever.

You know, so I just remember being in the huddle with tears in my eyes. Because I knew Grant Hill since we were kids. I know Eric Montrose forever. Penny Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn. Like, these are my boys. And so I'm in the tunnel with just tears in my eyes Like this is our moment Like today we make the league

Like that's your old dream You know we didn't have Instagram all this other stuff So this was the moment And that first day man We really All I ever want to do is dunk on Barclay Or dunk on like Ewing or something

And in practice that we were getting it And in practice you saw Grant Hill Like going to Jordan his mentor Or the fact of Bobby Hurley was so quick Penny Hardware is killing. And it was the best feeling that I got the best sleep in the world. But the next day, we didn't score one point in a 12-minute scrimmage. I've never seen that before.

Wait, wait, when did you, when did you, okay, to give me the first game, how you were like, when you were feeling like, damn, we're kicking their ass right now. We are killing you. How was that feeling versus the next feeling where you're like, damn, they kicking our ass right now? What was the, tell me the first day versus the second day? You got to remember. So each one of these guys, I knew everything about them.

I had Patrick Ewan conductors. That was the Adidas at the time. I just to walk like Jordan and try to talk like factors. That's how Jordan says, you know, everything is a challenge, you know. Or Larry Bird, the fact he had pump legs, like everything I tried to do against me. So I'm talking shit, you know, like in little ways. I'm not crazy. But, you know, like, tap it's over.

Like, yeah, that's how we do. Yeah, young guns, you know, shit like that as I'm walking by and magic. And those guys kind of know me. And so I'm on top of the world because really I don't even care what happened after. This is the story. I'm going to tell my kids, it's over, it's true. We won. I had to have some of the tapes of it.

And so I'm going to clown nine. We're getting to practice. We're feeling good the next day. And it was no joke and there was no talking. And they were just denying us. I remember thinking, like, I've never been denied the ball. Like, we couldn't touch the ball. You know what I mean?

Like, they really, it's a big difference between college and that. And that first day, it was just great because we woke them up. to let them know all your fans are coming after you, y'all better be right. But the next day, it was just demoralizing. It was what it should have been. You know what I mean? It was like, we're going to put y'all back in your place, young boy, good job,

pat on the head now. Don't sit down because we're going to shut your out. So they destroy this. They destroy this the next day. Oh, so how was that, how was the early part of your career in that way? Because it feels like in research and that it feels like you at least felt very misunderstood, right? because you're one of the first guys, in my opinion,

your first year in Golden State, you know, do the player empowerment thing. If something doesn't feel right, it seems like, and I would love to get your opinion on this, because I'm doing research, and I would love to get your opinion on this. What was at least that first year like for you where you're kicking ass,

and it doesn't seem to work out and you leave? Because that doesn't happen normally for a rookie. What was that like from your vantage point? Yeah, it was welcome to the business. You know, I was traded on that. draft night, so Golden State one of me. If you look at Don Nelson's kind of career now,

you see how that fit in place. You want to be a big guy that could do a lot of things. I didn't know how fortunate I was in that part, very honestly, but I knew I was fortunate to be there in Golden State, have the teammates that I have. I didn't even play one day with Tim Hardaway, and all I kept thinking was, wait until I played with him

next year. He hurt his knee, the first practice I had ever gone to. So, but you know, Don Nelson, I think everybody understands the problems that he's had with teams and players from New York and other things. So I feel vindicated about all that, but it wasn't in beef. It was simply because I had a contract, a very large contract. And I came in and I was, we were defiant.

We didn't listen to the league on it. I signed a one 15-year deal that was the largest contract ever. It was 15 for 75, I think. And at that time, $5 million today. I mean, anything is a lot of money. but I had it out after my first year. So I went a rookie in a year. I'm taking the out.

And let's talk this money. And at the time, at the time the narrative was, you can't empower these kids too much. They're trying to change the game and ask them for too much money. What are they going to ask for next? So, you know, shout out to Bill Strickland and Fowlerh, Irwin, who thought of that at that time.

But I was heard about not playing there, but I knew it was going to be a smear campaign. I didn't care about that. I knew it was going to be other things, and I always in my mind try to compartmentalize the truth. And I knew the truth was I had a hell of a contract. They didn't want to do anything with it and figure it out. And that's really a simple word of it was.

What's the stress level of when you're, you know, you know these things on your end of the contract, right? But, like, you know, fans don't know the intricacies of a contract and things like that. And you're having to go through that and getting the smear campaign that you know about to come and you get traded and all these things happen. What is that from the inside

where you know the truth and you know the whole truth from your vantage point and you have to hear all this stuff coming your way. What did you feel during that when you did get traded to Washington and when you were going through that

back and forth and not coming to training camp but things like that, you know your side and everybody else doesn't, they know another story. What was that stress level like for you? Well, I think for me,

what it does is it just makes me stay around people and understand me to trust me. and that's pretty much it. So, you know, it's only about faith then, man. It's going to be lonely, you know. But that's what it's about being a man or a woman. You know, you got to walk along sometimes.

So for me, it was, you know, let me get back focused on that, this emotional anger, emotion or anger, draw you into other areas and prove people right, get focused, get in shape, let's keep going. You know, it was those type of thoughts. I mean, even so much so, I mean, I think I did one of the dumbest things,

I did the smartest thing, but, you know, I wanted to go play with Joanne. So at any time that year, I could have gone with any team. And I go to the Washington Wizards who were one of the worst because I knew Juan, I knew he would hold me down. I would hold him down. And I believe we could do anything. I believe we could win. I really honestly believe that if it gave us enough time, we could have won.

And so that's what it was. It was lonely. You know, the world's bashing you. No one wants to hear it. You're a bad guy. And all you do is just put it back there. you know, keep it in your mind. And so therefore, when you have little successes,

you know, you can, you know, keep using that as fuel. But it's just really a time where I just trust God and keep it moving, man. That's really all you can do. I want to get back to your career, but I want to take a little segue real quick because you talked about kind of putting in the back of your mind, and you're on the other side of the mic now. Like, I always felt like before social media and these platforms to create our own narratives, like that was, that's what you're talking about, right?

not being able to get your narrative out there, only one side of it being covered from a media standpoint. And you've got this story to tell and it can't be told, right? Like that was the position a lot of players were in. How do you feel, like, what's the responsibility you feel sitting on this side of the mic at times web to make sure that at least at minimum, both sides of the story you're getting out? And does that, you know, factor into some of the interviews and the way you cover things at this point and at this stage in your new career? Man, Roger, that's a lot to unload. You get, um, I think my responsibility is to big up the game, not to big up myself or anyone else.

That's why I always try to mention older players. Baseball still talks about Babe Ruth like he could play today. In basketball, we say Bill Russell couldn't play today. I don't get all that. So my first thing is to big up the game, big up the players. To hold the players accountable, but I don't get into that funny stuff of talking about somebody's character. or, you know, if you shoot an airball, we're going to make fun of it.

We're going to keep it all on the court. Other things, I don't have no opinion because I'm, you know, other people don't realize this kid shouldn't do an interview because he's only going to get two minutes and he has no editing control. I was smacking if he came on here talking about what just happened. You know what I mean? And for me personally, you know,

I think that was the whole thing with the Fab Five. Wasn't that I didn't want to talk about it. I go speak about the timeout 500 times a summer. I hold kids accountable. Like, what's the timeout in your life? You know what I mean? That was a blessing. I called it time out.

My mom comes in the house. I'm crying. I'm down low. I'm broken. You know, all that. My mother comes up the license plate. Like, I'm putting this on my car. The brand-new car I just bought about it.

And she's like, I'm not ashamed of it. And what the devil meant for bad guy meant for good. And we're going to start this foundation. You know, go out here, and this is what we're going to do. I mean, I've seen, you know, I have the letters from kids and what that time And don't give me one of the toughest. But it was funny to come out years later and somebody tell me what my narrative was.

So he's scared to talk about it. And I'm like, if you just go Google it, you can find 50 million interviews with it. But at the same time, too, it just made me realize, like, you know, if we have enough time to talk, let's sit, let's talk and chat. But if you don't, and you just want, you know, a couple soundbites and websites,

the fad, five, like, you're not getting that. I mean, if we have enough time to talk, we can talk forever about it. But, you know, so, yeah, the narrative, Roger, you know, it's so important. And I just hope, you know, I have a lot of fun. And hopefully the family is the only reason. And I probably won't, this prize my last year doing,

commentating. The real reason it's been because college, I really want the college families and the kids to have as much fun. You know, Bill Walton said, you know, we look like thugs. Or it would be things like, that's so athletic. No, we were smart as hell because we knew that if we stole the ball, then we could be as flashy as we wanted. But the hard work starts to understand.

or no other team was in better shape and us. You know, so all those type of narratives, hopefully I'll be able to help express for other teams to their fans. How tough was the 90s for you, right? Because you go through, obviously, the timeout and things like that, you go through the thing in Golden State. DC doesn't work out and then you're going to Sacramento, right? Like in some place that initially, like, you were like, what's going on? Like, what was the 90s like for you from the time where you go to the, you know, the Warriors to through D.C.

and then you find yourself in Sacramento. What was that like for you as you're playing well, but everything else is just, is not working in that way. What was that like for you? I mean, it still was the best thing ever because I was still in the midst of a dream, you know? So my thing was, you know,

have ups and downs. And for me, I think that's what made, my career was fighting through it, always having to prove something and always getting, you know, wanting to get better. So for me, it was, you know, it was,

you know, being the number one player in college was something awesome, you know, in high school or something awesome. So, you know, you realize you're not going to win

all the time, you realize you're going to have ups and downs. But for me, to be a rookie of the year or to call the timeout to be number one pick at home, that's the best thing in the way. I wouldn't change.

If I had to show my son in one game that I ever played, I'd show them the timeout game. Because, I mean, I broke records. I had, you know, 28 this, that, We were down.

I called a timeout when we were down. The reason why I show him that game is because any other game after that, he knew that he was the man. For me to get up after that game, any other thing that I accomplished after is love me. Most people have killed themselves. You know, how I look at it.

And so, and my thing is always the grace of God, man. He didn't have to let me be on a great team like the fast five. I mean, let me have to be a player that called the timeout. He didn't have to be the number one pick after that. He didn't let me have to go to Golden State after that. He didn't let me have to go to Sack thinking it's more, you know, you know what I mean? God's good, man. So I never got, I couldn't get, man, my father's from Tunica, Mississippi, man.

You know what I mean? Like where he came from, if you knew, where he came from, if you knew what my family has been through, you know, it would be blasphemous for me to be ungrateful. You know what I mean? So I've definitely had moments of depression, getting down, all that kind of stuff. But I didn't look at any of that as bad. I was playing against Jordan, playing against Sprottling,

who was the first guy to give me a job in high school. So I'm still looking like, dang, I'm playing against my hero, playing against Derek Coleman, who used to try to beat me up when I was 14 and 19, because I'm coming at him. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's all the process.

And I'm still amazed. I'm in the process and part of it. So meet my heroes every day. So it was physically tough, you know, mentally tough. But I was living a dream, bro. Hey, I always, well, that's really refreshing, bro, because, like, people ask me, like, about your, about my career, right? Not nearly what yours was, but, like, ups and downs.

And I always tell them, like, to steal the big-eism because we're big on big on the show. Like, it was all a dream, man. Come on, man. It was, like, it was what it, it was a dream. We were living that every day. How could it be bad at the end of the day? It was, it was love. I do want to ask you, though, because I was a fan, like, in college and then in your early years, right?

I wasn't in the league. I hadn't cracked into it yet. And my first real interaction with you when I was on the court was that 03 Mavericks team. We played you guys in a seven-game series, right? And the year before that, you had beat the Mazz, right? And so there's a span of time where, man, you guys are, you guys are like the show in terms of what you were doing and the way the ball was being moved and the way you played. What was the year for you all that you thought, man, that was ours?

we should have had that. Like, it should have popped that year. Yeah, I think it's the year, you know, against the Lakers. I don't know if that was 2002 or three. It was the year we got season in the series. Oh, two. Yeah, it was the year we got cheated. I think game six, a year, Rob Dory hit a crazy shot.

It was that year. It was that year, you know. Me and Colby, we should talk about it all the time. Even Shackamount to this day, I felt, you know, that was a team. I felt, you know, we won that championship. we should have won that championship, and we didn't because we didn't follow through after being disappointed in game six.

So the Mabs, we used to love playing. And for me, Dirk was a new challenge because up until Dirk, I didn't have to go out and guard anybody as talented as he was. You know, before Dirk, you had some guys that could shoot three space the floor, but not with his game with Nash, with all y'all, doing that phrase and stuff.

And so very honestly, I was looking at something for the book, and I think the year we played each other, the playoffs, we had the number one pace and you guys had the number two. And then the next year it was we had number two. You guys had number one. And so I just love those games. And we felt like, you know, I remember getting hurt. And I knew my career was over pretty much when I went for Alleyoop.

And we were up against Dallas in the playoffs. And I remember, you know, walking off thinking like, damn, Dallas got it next because we really have the same style and similar, you know, teams in that way. But those were some good series, man. Those are some good games, Roger. I didn't get to play in all of them, but man, they were fun to be there in the building for. You know, you got some people of stop. You know, I remember, and Roger gives me shit for this every podcast, but I grew up a Lager fan.

And I remember being on the other side of that. I remember I had folks in Oak Park in Sacramento. And I remember being on the other side. But in hindsight, like, you guys were a very, you guys. your offense was ahead of your time, right? Where you guys were all the back cuts. You had two bigs that were great passing bigs and you and Vladay. You had the crowd in Sacramento.

People don't realize that that crowd was something different being in there. What was it? Did you guys know in the moment that you guys were this futuristic Princeton playing team? What was that like to be that fun type of team? And no one really had ever seen it before up until that point. Yeah, man, it was something because. I didn't want to go to Sacramento. I was traded from Washington.

I thought it was, I thought my career was over. What did you think of Sacramento? What did you think of Sacramento, like flying in? What was that, what was that like going into SMF? Sacramento Airport? What was that like going into there?

Talk about that, yeah. So when I played and Golden State the year before, coach said, we got to go to Sacramento tomorrow. Y'all just get there whenever y'all want to drive yourselves. I'm like, what? He's like, yeah, because there's nothing up there. So that was the thing on set.

I mean, no one was staying there extra night. Everybody was leaving, you know, there was no restaurants after 9, 8 o'clock, things like that. It just wasn't, but the people were there. And so for me, when I, it's a funny story, I'm on the plane. I'm not going. My father's called me on my phone, like, you got to do it. I'm like, I'm not going.

It was a trade for the Lakers. That was, I thought I was going to be trading for Eddie Jones, Elvin Campbell and someone else. I can't remember, but I'm on the plane. I'm going in, and I'm just tears. That was going to pair you with Cobb and Shaq? I don't even know if Cobb was there. Yeah, Kobe might have been there,

or he may have grown a bit of a rookie, but yeah, this is, yeah, yeah, yeah, they was still in the four. This is Eldon. I don't know, maybe it was Nick Van Exel, too. I don't know who that third player was, but so in my mind, I think I'm going to be a Laker. And I can get on the phone,

Jerry West. Jeff Petrie. Jeff Petrie is not having it. He's the gym of Sack. And all he keeps saying is Chris, we believe we're going to change it here. And I was like, don't try to pump me up

because no one can change it here. I'm like, I remember thinking Jordan can't change it here and all this stuff. And so I'm on the plane. I'm going in and there's just tears come on my eyes. I'm laughing.

My boy's next to me. I'm just like, it's tears. I'm like, I can't. Dude, this is the worst thing we're about to go into. You look over all you see it, like farmland, you know what I mean?

And it was a bad situation that day. And then I got to meet the people. Then I got to get to practice. When I got to practice and it was Jay Will and there was Vladay and it was a young boy named Pager and it was, you know, all this other stuff for me. I knew right away.

Coach Carrillo said to me, Coach Carrillo said to me, hey, I'm on a, oh, dang. Coach Carrillo said to me. Hey, man, family, man. You see how it is, man? We already know. We all right.

We all right. Mead love. Mead love. So I'm on the plane, man, and I'm just crying, but I get there and I meet all the people, man. And Coach Carrillo from Princeton, he was like, you've been in places where people don't understand your talent. He was like, you're going to come here, and my goal is to make you get criticized for the first, you know, a couple months. I'm like, why? He's like, because you're not going to plan a post.

You're going to plan a hot post, and everybody's going to cry about it. And this is what we're going to do, and I need you to believe in it. And after some time, really spending time talking to him, you know, realize he's a great man, you know, it was awesome. So Sacramento was it was a blessing, you know, it was basketball, heaven there. You know, our first playoff series we're playing against, I think, Utah or somebody, we haven't made the playoffs in 11 years. Jay Will and I take pizzas out to all the fans that were camping out for games.

It was like, dude, like they were just camping out for tickets, you know what I mean? That's, that's Sacramento. That's why I love Sacramento, the people are. best, man. Sacramento, just on a note, Logan, because you could fire away. I could see, I could see your lips fixed to ask another question. So I'm going to let you go. I'm going to let you go. But in sitting in the locker room at halftime of a playoff game in Sacramento was an impossible thing. You could literally not hear your coach. Like Don Nelson would be at the whiteboard. We'd be, I don't know, 15 feet away sitting on our chairs. And because they were pounding their feet, you know,

the arena was constructed the way it was, you couldn't hear the man 15 feet away from you at half time. It was a, it was a whole scene, bro. That Arco was crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm right. I had interned in my first four or five years was interned in SAC.

I would drive from the Bay to go up to Sack and interned. It was like a lockout year on. So, you know, you would get that in burst. Like when the Lakers come to town, when LeBron comes to town, like you would get that a bit of that magic to, you would get a bit of that magic would come back. But what is your, what is your relationship with SAC Webb? Because like I said, I did intern out there. And I know that it's, it seems, it just seems kind of complicated, right?

Like you, I feel like you should be a lot more celebrating. I didn't get the job. I wanted the job aside. I interviewed for the job. Tell me what I'm asking. Tell me what I'm asking. Tell me what I'm asking. Because it's for context.

Tell me what I'm asking you. You're asking like why I'm not with the organization or a part of it. Let me tell you something. It has been nothing, nothing, nothing that I wanted to do more than running that team with SAC. Why do you think I signed back with SAC when I actually was a free agent? Yeah. You were lining it up. Listen.

I didn't know why you did that at the time. I was making a commitment to the city and to the organization. Like, who wants to win and Sack more to me or Vladi who's there? Definitely you got to give Blasier a job. This has nothing to do with me talking about. So who wants to win more? Who can recruit more? Who's being single there and had a relationship there?

I don't even want to start nothing, but what I said was the truth. I went there and interview. It was nothing more than I wanted. And I loved it. And I got things to do now. Obviously, that should be sale. But that was what I wanted more than anything in the world.

I would call magic. I would call Isaiah. I would call him about it. I talked to him about it. It just, yeah, that's, that's disappointing. That's one of the things that would be disappointed. Could it be repaired? I don't think it's anything, too.

Like, it's nothing bad. You know what I mean? I think they have great. Yeah, no, it's nothing bad. People there are still wonderful. So I'll be bringing some cannabis businesses there with Matt Barnes, and we'll be helping the community. You talk about Oak Park.

We do a lot of Oak Park. Shout out of Oak Park. As far as the community of Sac, I'm SAC. I'm part of Sack. Sack is allowed me. That's my home. to my people. So, yeah,

I'm, we're not good, man. Yeah, we're good. Okay, for show. I've just never shared that before,

and I think not sharing that, as many people think that maybe I didn't want that, uh, experience. But again, it was nothing more that I wanted to do post career and do that.

Yeah, for show. Okay, so we all, we, we rated before the show on Rogers' bald ass onics haircut that he always tries to wear for the show, right? And I know you were big in the hip hop,

uh, during your, time in the league, right? You were, you were big. I'm just like, oh, I want to do this. This is just something that's in, right? But you have real producer critics on Nas albums, bro. What was it like to, I don't want to say a double life because you just don't want to put yourself in a box, but what was it like to have these multiple interests and be at the top of your game? You produce blunt, blunt ashes with Nas. What was that experience like? What was that experience like to produce and then also to rap in the late 90s?

And don't forget surviving the times But now That's one of the greatest hits Shout out Okay, okay All right All right All right

Listen Let's go Get their resume Right No Man, it was awesome man It was in college

I got to meet Nardi about nature My sophomore year I became very close With KG Shout out to KG I mean KG's done everything

Jahim Jeanne Janay Man I don't know All type of his She's the man And so

He taught me gotta make beef. And we just talked about not being able to sleep after games, things like that. So I would take a studio with me and, you know, wherever we played or whatever, I'd have to know. What's a studio back then? Because I know there's the, I know there's the mobile studio now, but what was a studio, the mobile studio set up back then? Yeah, this was bad. It was like the six foot case that you see people packing the concerts. And back then it would have like an MTC, a SP, a DAT player, a keyboard, a large speaker, and a little mixing board maybe back then. That's what it was.

Today, you can take a computer and that's all you need, you know, or the new MPC, new NPC is nice. So I would just have those in the rooms and I would just, you know, make beats all night. It was just the way, man, to fall asleep or to, you know, to entertain yourself. It was either out of the video games or something. So shout out to him for that. And I just believe in trying to overcome all fears and trying to chase our passions.

And so the fact that Sean heard my beats and he even allowed him to be on this album, at my opinion, if not the greatest one of the greatest rappers of all the time. So for him to allow that, that's crazy. How did he hear the beat? How did he hear the beat? And how did he go from there to be like, yo, this is hot?

What was that? What was that like? What was that experience? Like, what happened? So, you know, we're good friends. And I would go to the studio. just to be there, you know, just to watch greatness, very honestly. I just wanted to be in the studio and chill and whatever, you know,

whatever he needed, you know, just being there. So shout out to Salon Remy from all type of greatness, but I was playing beats for him. And he was like, you should play that for Nas and I played it. And, you know, he has this whole process and he just got quiet and whatever. He came back and it was, he was like, yo, turn it on. let me do this song. And I'm thinking like, okay, shit, what we're about to hear?

And it's my beat, you know what I'm saying? So it was a surreal experience. Like, that's one of the best experiences in my life, you know, that playing basketball on certain levels. But that, you know, as much as I love music, as much as, you know, my mother's musician, and choir all this growing up to actually have the fact that, you know, one of the greatest put me on this beast.

It's just, it's dope. So that's just how it happened. He heard it and threw some friends and we all were together. And the second one he just heard and just, he just did it real quick. That's how he does it. That's crazy.

There was a stigma. There was a stigma around like late 90s basketball players rapping. You know what I mean? You talk about I ever seen you talk about even Kobe to a certain extent. Did you feel like there was, did you feel that stigma?

And how did you just be like, no, fuck that. I'm going to do what I want to do. Because you know, there's always a stigma about what I want to do. Hey, man, number one rule.

Number one rule is no one's going to like you anyway. If you get that in your head, you know what I mean? If you get that in your head, it has some brave. You know, we don't have a fear of fear, you know, the power and the mind. So for me, don't get me wrong, you're going places where you got to talk yourself out of, encourage yourself, be vulnerable. But I love music and it was just, you know, yeah.

And it's funny. It's okay now for people to do it. You see, Dame is the man. You know what I mean? Dame, dang to spit. You know, so I just think we were just ahead of our time. every rapper want to be a hooper, every hooper want to be a rapper that I know

and it's just the culture is just some of the same things and so at that time it wasn't crazy for us because I was spending time, you know, with hoopers all day and all that good stuff. So, you know, and rappers. And so it was just something we love, man. We're just young, like how this generation is doing their thing and I love watching it.

That's all we were, like, why not? All y'all old people ain't going to tell us what to do. Nobody even care what you think about. So, you know, yeah, I'm glad that, I'm glad we did our thing in the 90s. Webb, I played with Shaq and Grant Hill. Both of them are very artistic. Shack considers himself quite the beatmaster of his own, right?

Have you had a versus battle with either of one of them? If you have, who's won? And if you haven't, in your opinion, who's got the hottest shit? So, Grant, he hasn't really rap, but he could play. And, you know, I also can sing. You know, and his wife, and she's one of the best singers ever. Yeah, of course. I don't know if he wanted to let me put this Teddy P on my...

I got to have him that. You can sing, but, you know, I don't know. But G is my man, man. And he really can make some beats. He says he beats and he plays them. Now, Shaq, you know, I have this book coming out. So I'm telling Shaq, man, like, you know, let's have fun.

If I could go back in the vault, let's do a song together. So he's like, yeah, whatever, man. You know, I got bars and, you know, just win. So maybe we'll do that. Maybe we'll do that. Who is, man? I have a doubt back there. Yeah, I have a battle.

All right. Yo, I put this in my notes, Webb, and I want to circle back to this just now. You said something. Did you say Dennis Rodman gave you your first job? Yeah. Yeah, Logan, I mean, you part FBI or what? You got loads. You got kids.

Hey, man. Amen. We thought we were just rapping, right? We thought we were just having a friendly combo. We thought we were just having a friendly combo. We are. I saw a fun conversation. I thought Dennis Robben and giving me a job

would be a kind, it would be a fun experience to relive. I don't know. I'm just saying, I don't know. I just wanted, I just was, you know, I'm trying to be at the top of my game web, just like you was working to be at the top of your game. I'm trying to be the Black Barbara Walters here, okay?

Now, I was just trying to get, I was just trying to, you know what I mean? I just wanted to, you know, I'm trying to do my job. I feel it. I feel like conversations that we can get so much. It's a good story. So, the high school I went to, you could leave campus your sophomore year for lunch.

So it was a mall called Tail 12 mall. Tailed 12 mall literally maybe five minutes from the school. But you go to the mall, you know, for lunch, we're just playing video games. That's all. I would just play video games. And Robin, he'd be in there every day playing video games. So me and my boy, Kevin Yapo, we go up there to the arcade and we just be looking at a stack of quarters. And Rob me to have something like some, seriously,

some long Daisy Duke cut shorts, like tight, long shorts. But like, just, like, you can tell he just came from practice. He didn't care, you know? Yeah. And I remember just looking at his calves, man, because his calves was so defined. Like, I was just look at him.

Like, look at his back, his muscles and just, just try to understand what is an athlete? What is this? I'm not comparing them on this. And so one day, this probably had to be like day seven. one of his managers. I'm like, hey, kids, what's up, man? Because we never said now.

We just totally respect. We ain't even bother him. I didn't even want to talk to him. I just wanted to repeat game every day. He was like, what should I do? He was like, we go over to school over there. He was like, okay. He was like, you talk and play ball.

I'm like, yes, sir. You know, like, you want a job? I'm like, yeah. And you like, give my phone number to your man, to my man. I gave him my number and I worked to camp. He gave me $300. He showed up one day. And he taught me to stretch, or he didn't teach me to stretch.

I saw him stretch. and I took stretching serious from that day on because I'd never seen an athlete like that. And then he did a dunk contest. And I just remember watching because he never did the stuff in games. And that day I realized what, or that week, I realized what an NBA athlete was because I had never seen anything like Robin in my life.

And he allowed me to come to this camp, talk to kids, rebound, stuff like that. But, you know, it just gave me $300 like, here, kid, here you go. And I remember thinking like, damn, that's cool. I hope I could do that to some kids make them feel like that one day. Because I was on cloud now.

Did you have access as you got older and became the high school phenom that you were? Like, did you have access to those Pistons teams? Like, were you in gyms with them and getting to run with them and so on? Yeah. So in high school, I say Isaiah, Rick Mohorn, I got to play with those two. But St. Cecilia are some of the evening. That was crazy. So everybody in the world played in St.C.

And, of course, it started with Steve Smith, Derek Coleman, everybody that they would bring by. So that's where I would get to play against the Pistons, mainly Mark Aguoy, other guys like that. But that game is so much confidence, even just being able to talk to him, you know, on a daily basis. Like, Isaiah really was like a big brother at the end of high school fund. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. How has this new life been for you? Because we and Roger talk about, you know, being a, you know, commentator and doing this next life after basketball, but still being with the game. How do you feel like overall that's been for you and getting into the booth? How has that been like to still not be playing the game but still be a part of the game on a high level? Blessing. You know, it's only a couple commentating jobs.

It's awesome. It's a big work with the show that has the best halftime show, pregame show ever. I think I played with a couple guys still in the league. Maybe Lou Will. I can't think of anybody else that's still in the league. But I think, you know, I think in some ways, we've helped change the narrative of how games were called. And hopefully we ushered and did this new generation right

because that's some of the most talented players we've ever seen. But for me, it's been cool, man. Like I said, I wanted to, the reason why I wanted to commentate is because I wanted to be an executive in the NBA. I wanted to still chase the team, still chase a chance. championship for the team together. And it's allowed me to stay close, allowed me to get to practices, talk to coaches,

still still new plays and things like that. So, you know, I'm getting everything out of it. I'm close to still get the hang of my comrades. So it's cool, man. It's a blessing. What, let me, hey, I want to ask you just a pointed question.

We haven't had many of these because we're just talking. But starting to franchise GMC Webb, right? Like, who are you starting with today? Like, I know you're a fan of the game. You cover it. You're closer than I am. Like, if you had to start one today, who are you starting to whip? Any player or younger?

Like a young player, any player? Well, it could be, I mean, take an age into account, but you could have anybody you want. Okay. Well, I mean, if I just have a young rookie, and I think he's going to be really good in five years, I'm picking LeBron just so that he can soak up all the game from LeBron. I sincerely mean that. I think what's going to miss what's going to separate the next group of good players is IQ. And I don't mean, like, do you know the game?

I mean more so do you know yourself? You know that even though they're telling you to shoot seven threes, you're going to shoot three, but you're going to shoot yourself out of the league, or you can be this type of player. You know, so, man, okay, if I had to start it, started with someone today, and I'm going to go to last few classes, I would say, I look at like, if we started this about how you accept losing and the pace you set in the organization. So very honestly, bro, I go get a Chris Paul. Okay. Very honestly, because I love Devin Booker and I started with him, but, you know, I just need a Chris Paul because I don't believe that any rookie you signed today is going to help your team get to the championship today.

So I think it's about setting the tone for the organization. And I'd rather have an organization that's known for this than to have a player to support the leaders. Yeah. Wow. That's real. This is great. Before we get out of here, though, Webb, I do want to ask you because I feel like it's an utter travesty right now because I want to, because I want to, you, because I want to. watched you play, even though I was a Lager fan and I was like, ah, because when you were on a high post,

you hit that jumper, I'm like, damn, I'm like, yo, he's killing us right now. Damn. I ain't never seen nothing like this, man. But anyway, I know that you have a Hall of Fame career. And I know, what is that going to, what is it, it's damn travesty that you're not there right now? What has that been like for you? And what are you going to feel like when, if and when, no, when you get in. How do you, what are you going to feel when you get in? Well, I don't feel, you know, anyone just as old to Hall of Fame, but I do feel, I have felt like I was worthy of it. And in saying that, I just hope if it ever happens that everybody that I want to thank is alive and present, because that's really what I want to stunt for them. Like, remind them that they don't remember this story was, you did this for me at this point.

You did this for me. That helped me get here, you know what I mean? And I think that that's really what that speech is about. not dog or nobody. It's about, you know, letting Miss Polish know that I remember her giving me candy every week

because I was good and that helped me stay away from the kids across the street. You know, just to be able to say thank you. So it'll mean a lot if it ever comes. And, you know, I definitely would be honored, man. I definitely would be.

You want the opportunity just to give other people flowers. Yeah, man, because it's going to be fun. Because, yeah, yeah. Let them, you know what I'm saying? You some dude on a corner store, Detroit don't hear his name, you know, because he used to let me play in the back.

You know what I mean? Those are the people, yeah, man, because it's the angels, man. It's the angels that, it's the angels that we got to recognize. People that all they do is their thing without any asking for, you know, without asking for any recognition, you know. So, yeah, yeah, that would be fun. That's what's up, man. Well, man, Webb, I really appreciate you coming through to the real ones, man.

This was a really great interview, man. We had a blast. I hope you did too, man. This was, this was dope. Definitely, man. Anytime you need me back, man, just let me know. Shout out to the town.

Uh-oh. Uh-oh. I'm about to, a, a shot. New friend of the show. New friends of the show. Ripped this off.

I'm just going to put this on a loop. Oh, mamas. But yeah, thank you so much, Webb. Let me tell you what story. Let's go. Let's go.

Let's go. Let's go. I got to go to state, and Sprewell is different. free will is different. Like he's a, he's an auto mechanic. You know, you come out after the game, he literally might be under your car fix or something

because he saw a week. He's different. So him and Billy, you know, speeding me over this bridge. Speeding me, I'm like scared. Like, we're going over the bridge. We got to be doing 100. What's bridge?

Y'all going over to the Bay Bridge, right? I'm assuming. Yeah. At the time, it was the one where you, it was people going over you, too, in another way. Oh, I think so. I think, yeah, the bridge.

That seems like the Bay Bridge. Yeah. It seemed like the baby. And I'm like, what are we doing? What are we rushing for? And they're like, it's a party. All I know is that I don't remember much, but that night, the Rapid Forte signed,

I got a hat in my house. They he signed. Web is tapped in. And I'm scared to ask what happened that night because I was a rookie. I was in Oakland for the first time. Shout out to Oakland. Shout out to the lake.

Shout out to it. That's when I got to watch. I'm from the lake. I'm from the lake. I lived on the lake my last year and go to the state, man. Shout out to my family out there, man. Yeah, man. I saw it open hills for the first time.

Then you're on to see what's going on? That was the first time I saw. Seeing palm trees and things like that. So, yeah, it was special. Raj, I got to pump them up, man. I did my research. Hey, listen, this shit was going so well, bro. Oh, that note.

We will see you guys on Thursday. Realest. That's my channel soon.