All The Smoke NBA Finals Rewind: 2017 Durant Warriors & 2003 Duncan Spurs

00:00:00
Speaker 1: Man, we are finally here.

00:00:01
Speaker 2: We've all been waiting for the NBA Finals and here make sure you check us out. Game one will be streaming live. Myself Stacked, Mad Max and a couple of the guests are going to pop through, so make sure you guys tap in with that. Today we have a very special edition of Unplugged with Larry O'Brien. Hope you guys enjoy that. But before we get to that, the.

00:00:19
Speaker 1: NBA Finals are officially here.

00:00:22
Speaker 2: No big market teams this year, and I wonder how that will affect viewership, although I still feel it's going to be a great finals. Two very deep teams. Ok see thunder Verse the Indiana Pacers, man number one seed, dominated all year long. My whole thing with OKAC this year was this can be the year that they get knocked early, or they've learned from their past and they're ready to make that run. I said that, you guys go back and check the files. Obviously this is the year they've learned from the past and I have them winning. But we'll talk about that and a little bit before we get to the finals. Let's quickly shout out the Nicks and the Wolves. Man shout out the Knicks. I know people get in patient and expect shit to just happen, but I mean, this is a very solid season. Eastern Conference Finals, Brunson was amazing. Cat was amazing throughout the year. Og, you know, their cast of stars. Questions are kind of surrounding this team about what's next. They got a little taste and it's not enough. Some people are saying I don't know who they are, but some people are saying Kat could be on the move.

00:01:24
Speaker 1: It'd be very interesting.

00:01:25
Speaker 2: Offensively, was very solid this year and in the playoffs played really well. But you're hearing rumbles from the locker room about his antics on defense and his lack of effort on defense, and you know, probably kind of explains why OG went off on them that one time the camera caught him going off because they say Cat be on his own shit on the defensive end, So ain't no Teller's a lot of big names out there that could possibly make a move to the Knicks. You know, Kevin Durant is one of them. I know he was close to going before and he chose Brooklyn. Obviously, Giannis I think it's a coin flip. Giannis can either stay in Milwaukee, or he could be on the move and he would be incredible. There one other person that could possibly be on the move and I think needs are fresh started and can be great, would be Zion be very interesting. I mean, say what you want about Zion. When he's on the court, he's a problem. Shoots very high efficiency, he rebounds the ball, he scores the ball. He just has to stay on the court. We'll see what this summer. I saw Sham said something last week, this can be a very explosive summer. He didn't use that words as my words, but I'm summarizing there's gonna be a lot of big movement this summer. So excited to see who lands where and what happens. I also want to shout out Minnesota Man. Although they weren't very impressive in the Western Conference finals, I think ant will learn a lot from this year and come back even better. I like to see the Julius Randall somewhat caught his rhythm in the playoffs. Didn't play that well in the Western Conference Finals, but I think they're a piece, possibly a piece away from really doing something crazy. But over the last two years, Thanny Edwards and his teams have taken down Jokic, They've taken down Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and then this year they took down Lebron James and Luca and they took down Steph Curry and the Warriors. So say what you want. Twenty three. Obviously a lot of room to grow for Ant. You know, we're taught we're throwing face of the league out there. Obviously, I still think he's got some growth, but I mean he's on a great trajectory for his age and what he's been able to bring to that city. So really exciting to see if they do anything this offseason. Anyway, let's get to the NBA Finals. That's why we're here, Oklahoma City Thunder versus Indiana Pacers. Some are calling it the Paul George Finals because he's moved through these franchises and from trading him and moving him around. All these teams have got got a lot of pieces and a lot of draft picks. But let's get too at the finals.

00:03:54
Speaker 1: Are they attractive?

00:03:55
Speaker 2: My question has always been the NBA has always kind of pushed for big brands, larger markets, and this is two smaller markets with two very talented teams. Its to be the eight season straight. Do we have a new champion? We haven't had a back to back winner since the Warriors in seventeen and eighteen. Let's start out by talking about the Indiana Pacers. Do they have a chance? The DraftKings has the thunder out of minus seven hundred favor which is a huge difference. The only four seed to ever win in the history of the game was the nineteen sixty nine Celtics. That's obviously where Indy six No. Five to seven or eighteen has ever won. The Rockets in ninety four were the only sixth seed.

00:04:36
Speaker 1: To ever win.

00:04:36
Speaker 2: Was Max on that team? Shout out Max, of course he was. Let's take a look at each starting lineup and see who gets the nod in my opinion, So first off, starting with the two stars, Sga is about thirty points six assists and Halliburton is at nineteen ten and six with under two turnovers the game, really taking care of the ball and running that team. I'm gonna give Shaye the nod. I mean, he's on a historical run for guards right now, and we'll tap into that a little bit later, but I'm gonna give Shaye the nod At the point guard, Lou Dort and nem Haart. Dort was absolutely incredible. Obviously it was a team effort, but Dort was incredible on Anthony Edwards his ability to slow him down. First Team All Defense, congratulation to him. And then nem Hart has been tough, scored the ball really well early on, scored the ball really well in the playoffs last year, didn't necessarily score it well in the Eastern Finals, but played great defense on Brunson, which I like to see, so look for him to hopefully be able to produce on the offensive end. Two, I'm gonna give.

00:05:41
Speaker 1: That's a tough one.

00:05:42
Speaker 2: I'm gonna come back to that one because I think obviously nem Hart can score the ball better than Dort, but Dortch's been incredible on defense. But dem Heart's been really solid on defense too, So let me come back to that one. Next up, Jalen Williams and Nie Smith. Remember the historical run he had in Game one in that fourth quarter to get Indie the victory. Solid defense, sprained ankle but didn't really slow him down. And then Jayalen Williams. Jalen Williams has been solid in these playoffs. I think he's this is where stars are born, and he's starting to look for, you know, his stardom. First time All Star, All Defensive Team. I'm going to give him the nod on this one. So Jayalen Williams has a nod at the three chet in Pascal. This is interesting. Chet is a do it all. He's scored well, he's played defense, he's rebounded the ball well. Pascal obviously the Eastern Conference Finals MVP shout out an agent Todd Ramazar and his trainer, my dog Rico Hines. They put a lot of working with this kid man. I've seen him grow over the years and really happy for all his success. I like Chet, but I'm gonna give Pascal the nod on this one. So Indiana gets their first check and then the center matchup. Hartenstein has done a great job in the playoffs. I think he needs to be a little bit more, not selfish on the offense because he's not a selfish player, but just look to he's you know, every time he touched the ball, he's looking to move it, and I think they can scout that. Miles Turner's played well a defensive wall on that backside, but also has been able to stretch the floor and take advantge of missmatches. So I'm gonna give Miles Turner the nod on that. So the final one comes down to Lou Dort and nim Hart.

00:07:22
Speaker 1: I'm gonna give.

00:07:22
Speaker 2: Dort the nod first team all defense, but I expect Nimhrt to be a big part. If the Pacers have a chance to steal a couple games in this series, nim Hart is gonna have to play.

00:07:31
Speaker 1: Well.

00:07:31
Speaker 2: Let's look at the bench Caruso and Wallace versus McConnell in top them. I'm gonna give okay See the nod from the bench, and it's not necessarily with points. I think McConnell in topping probably outscored the Caruso Wallace dual. But I just think the combination of defense and offense that okay See is giving you with those two is gonna be big. But McConnell's always been tough, proving vet. And then I like the way Tophim top Of was showing his ass against his former team, the Knicks. So this is gonna be a beautiful series. Again, odds bakers have this as his landslide, but I think it's gonna be a little closer.

00:08:09
Speaker 1: I think this is probably gonna be.

00:08:12
Speaker 3: What am I thinking?

00:08:13
Speaker 2: I'm thinking it's gonna be maybe a four to two ok C. Obviously clashes of style. OKC has had their defense. It's been beautiful, you know, as someone who is a big defensive guy and in the way defenses kind of got away from this league of late. The way this team plays first of all man de man defense. They have three or four guys that are locked down defenders. But this is obviously too the best defensive team as a whole life scene too. The way they're on the string, they make the second and third effort, they they're all on the line. They have been beautiful on the defensive end. And then Indy on the flip side. Indy's offense has been incredible. They lead in three point percentage, field goal percentage, and assists in these playoffs. Again, Tyresee is the head of that getting downhill and making his teammates better while hitting clutch shots at the same time. Is Tyrese Halliburton a superstar yet that's kind of been buzzing around. When you look at the numbers, obviously they're not crazy numbers nineteen ten and six but then and again taking care of the ball. But what he means to that team is so he's so instrumental to that team and his energy carries that team. His pops is in the crowd holding it down for him. That's a good question, I think. Obviously, if he does his shit in the finals, I think you start looking at Tyrese Halliburton as a superstar in this league. Again, we touched on Pascal Siakam has been incredible twenty one and six, shooting forty six percent from three, but just huge, huge, huge games, clutch baskets someone that's crazy. They don't run a ton of plays for this guy either. He just gets get gets to the money, gets downhill, knocks down shots, takes advantage of mismatches. Really smart player and really has just played well. And again shout out to his his circle. That's his circle is the UCLA family man. They've been working with this kid for a long time, so he's been incredible as well. Our brothers Akeen Barack over at Ring Champs recently had Terrence Budd Crawford on the episode. He talked about fighting Canelo in September and also meeting Alan Iverson for the first time.

00:10:21
Speaker 1: Check out this clip.

00:10:21
Speaker 4: I mean Irison years ago and he knew my whole story. I was just like, it's crazy.

00:10:28
Speaker 3: What's the first thing he said to you?

00:10:29
Speaker 5: He was like, but I was like Irish. I was over there like dog man. He was like, man, I'm a big fan. Man, dude, Like, like, how.

00:10:40
Speaker 3: Many years ago do you think?

00:10:41
Speaker 4: Man? I don't even know, Probably like six years ago.

00:10:44
Speaker 3: If you had to comparing yourself as a fighter to an NBA player, who would it be?

00:10:48
Speaker 1: Shit?

00:10:48
Speaker 3: Irish Irish And that's what That's what made me think of that for sure, fighting against the system.

00:10:54
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm not the biggest guy in the world, but plays with a big heart. Throw it down on you like six months two?

00:11:02
Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure. Does it hurt you that you can't really play basketball? No, that you saw a boxer?

00:11:09
Speaker 4: Okay, I beat you, but you couldn't beat me on your bedsday, you probably couldn't beat it.

00:11:14
Speaker 3: I'm past my I'm past my pass.

00:11:20
Speaker 4: Why would you even speak on basketball if you can't beat me?

00:11:22
Speaker 6: No?

00:11:22
Speaker 4: Because I think you think you never could be and you're not. I didn't beat a lot of people that think they can play want.

00:11:29
Speaker 2: To shout out BEAESLA in the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyer Association. I got award out there this past week. They had me out. Got meet a lot of great people, a ton of black young lawyers in this sports and entertainment space. It was a beautiful thing. So shout them out. And also, man, I've been on the move. I took my four sons to go see my ninety eight year old grandmother this weekend in Seattle.

00:11:51
Speaker 1: Man. She'll be ninety eight next.

00:11:53
Speaker 2: Month, still living by herself, doing her daily routine, has horses on a farm. Actually found out only am I obviously black from my dad's side. But I talked to my grandma. I'm German and Italian. I didn't know that. I only thought I was Italian, but found out this weekend that I have German in my blood. So I think it's time for me to dead ancestry shit. See what the hell's going on because I got a lot of shit going on, emmy. But man, love my nony ninety eight, Happy birthday soon. It was great to see her and great for her to meet the boys. So man, make sure you guys tap in OKC verse the pacers. It'll be a first time champion for one of these one of these clubs, and I'm really excited. We'll be live streaming Game one. Myself, Stack, mad Max, and a few other people will pop through the streams, so make sure you guys tapping with us enjoy the game. So we got a special episode today, I Lariy O'Bryant Trophy took a stop into All the Smoke studios and Stack and I sat down together and reminisced on the ups and downs of our runs. Hope you guys enjoy that. Welcome back all the Smoke. It's a little different this trip. We had to come out here for some some business. Uh So we don't have a guest today and it's been a long time past do overdue since me and my guy Steven Ulysses Jesse Jackson have just sat down the Third the third have chopped it up man.

00:13:23
Speaker 1: So that's what we're gonna do today.

00:13:24
Speaker 2: But before we do that, Jack, you always look out for me with the shoes, and it's always hard to find you shoes because you have pretty much everything. But I got you some custom boys today that I think you're gonna like. And it's crazy because you had just sent me some ship that you had me some shoes.

00:13:38
Speaker 1: So it's just like perfect.

00:13:39
Speaker 7: But but but last time, y'all got me some custom shoes.

00:13:46
Speaker 1: I don't know what we're doing. It's I'm on guard this time. What we're doing. Yeah, I know, I like ship. The cameras.

00:14:03
Speaker 7: Your shoe was the only way I showed you what shoes I got coming for you today.

00:14:08
Speaker 1: Now it's starting off hella well with the box. And it's heavy too. Then I don't have no protige.

00:14:14
Speaker 7: No, it's a hope. Oh it's kind of cold. It's a whole bunch of bacon in here? Is it bacon in here? It's cold? I think it's bacon. I knew it. I knew it.

00:14:29
Speaker 1: What's in there? I knew him too well, Bro, I knew it. It was cold at the bottom. He couldn't even give me no bee bacon port. I appreciate you, Bro. The bostle fool.

00:14:46
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:14:47
Speaker 1: And the weight. The weight, it's starting off real good. But the bottoms of cold, the bottom two cold. It's told. Yeah, it's told. It's totally I knew it. Oh man.

00:14:56
Speaker 2: Anytime I eat bacon, I'm at the grocery store, bacon beds, anything I take a screen show if you guys see me in Stat's conversation, like eighty five percent of it.

00:15:09
Speaker 1: One day, I actually told him look good.

00:15:12
Speaker 2: He said he almost gave in. Man, I promise you soon he gonna take a bit, sir. But Jack today, Man, we got a very special guest. Larry O'Brien is making his way around the country.

00:15:23
Speaker 1: Give it up for.

00:15:24
Speaker 2: Him, the one and only and Jack, we're blessed because we're the very first stop of seeing the trophy. Thanks chargirl Tina who brought it in with appreciation. But first stop is here on all the smoke.

00:15:38
Speaker 6: Man.

00:15:38
Speaker 7: Man, you know Larry is a real one. Yeah, so, I mean his first stop had to be to pull up on some real ones.

00:15:43
Speaker 1: Ye get it. It makes sense. It makes sense, Larry, you made the right choice.

00:15:48
Speaker 2: We're gonna talk about our journeys to get to our NBA championships. Very different, very similar in some ways, but we played different roles on teams that were able to say they want a championship, and I want.

00:16:03
Speaker 1: To start with yours.

00:16:04
Speaker 2: Obviously very talented, touted class of ninety six.

00:16:09
Speaker 1: The McDonald's game.

00:16:10
Speaker 2: You finally got Kobe the stamp rest in peace to our brother before that you, oh you weren't the MVPs shit made you feel so good that day when he said, oh you weren't the MVP stack.

00:16:19
Speaker 7: What makes me feel good is everybody from ninety six when we talk about it, they know they think I wanted to Yeah, everybody thought I did.

00:16:25
Speaker 1: Right that.

00:16:27
Speaker 2: From there, it's time to take your your, your, your act to college and it's documented your your your stories with Mike Baby.

00:16:36
Speaker 1: Actually, quick story.

00:16:37
Speaker 2: I'm leaving today after we're done to go fly with Mike and meeting with some money people up in Sack State. Congratsto boy Mike Baby for his new job. But that was your dog, ye there you go, Come on, pluck it.

00:16:47
Speaker 1: That's family.

00:16:48
Speaker 2: Tell us real quick about your SAT shit and how come it never ended up working out of Arizona.

00:16:51
Speaker 1: Well, well one, I want to skip over it because it's a good story.

00:16:56
Speaker 7: Yeah, well one, you know, I'll take the taps about sixty seven times before I actually got to Arizona, I took the test. It was just too early, matt six seven in the morning, and sometimes I didn't even go.

00:17:12
Speaker 1: And when I did show up, I.

00:17:15
Speaker 2: Go on the late night would stop you from the SAT yeah, you was living a crazy life because I.

00:17:21
Speaker 7: Was not living the athletes like. Okay, I was not living the athletes like. I'll show up to the test thirty minutes late and they let me in because I played basketball, and I write my name and fall asleep. Wake up, somebody will wake me up some kind of way, and I'll get to aba kadaba all the way through there. Next time I don't go. So finally, when I get to Arizona, they actually have me on. Let me come to campus for the first semester when I was supposed to go to school that with Mike, we had the number of the crew class.

00:17:49
Speaker 1: Who else was on that team? That's the either won the national championship.

00:17:51
Speaker 7: Right, Mike, Bibi, Jason Terry, Eugenie Egerson, Miles Simon, AJ Bramlett.

00:17:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, stuff, we had a good team.

00:18:00
Speaker 7: They set it up for me to take the tests on campus with somebody in the house.

00:18:06
Speaker 1: Someone was gonna help you. Well, I didn't know that time.

00:18:08
Speaker 7: There used to nobody, especially not nobody white at the time, helping me. So I'm used to nobody really helping me with no motherfucking test at all. Right, So I'm sitting there he put the test down there and he's like, Okay, it's time to start. So I'm you know, I'm just doing what I do. Aba kadaba baby. That's because I don't know this shit, so I'm not gonna waste my time actually trying to figure it out.

00:18:28
Speaker 1: I don't know it, none of it.

00:18:30
Speaker 7: It's for sure, for sure, it's one hundred percent sure that I'm gonna fail. I finished the test, I slide to him like, man, you know I even you know. I try to play it off. Then I tried to even give a tough side, like I've worked my brain.

00:18:45
Speaker 1: I'm surprised you didn't ask me no questions.

00:18:47
Speaker 7: So the whole time he was sitting there to help me with every question I needed help with, he didn't say nothing. Time I finished the test, So I could have been in college and got a NAVA championship.

00:18:55
Speaker 1: But I didn't know he was there to help me. I thought he was just a minister in the test.

00:18:58
Speaker 2: So your journey moves on. You don't get it chance to go to Arizona. Yeah, you're working out with dudes out there working out.

00:19:06
Speaker 7: I'm actually working out with Dane, my Bibi's brother, Dane. He taking me to the gym every day. Mike's at school, and uh, Dane. I'm working out with Dane every day and Dan ain't taking me up to the little gym, and I'm busting their ass up there. But Mike MoMA, I guess she was working for me the whole time. So what I didn't know too now I know now. My MoMA and Mike mom had a conversation right before I, like a like a week or two for that trial. I was. I was trying to go back home. My mom was like, he can't. It'll be over. You'll never hear about him again. And I think that's why Mike Mama made that panic move to reach out to the Suns and give me a trial. And so it happened like a week or two later after they had that conversation, and she take me up there. She wakes me up to me to get my stuff and we're gonna play basketball. So I think I'm just gonna work out with Dane. I'm not thinking nothing different until we get by the facility.

00:19:51
Speaker 1: Yeah, and she drives straight through. You know. I'm like, damn, okay, Oh, normally you.

00:19:56
Speaker 7: Gotta show ideal whatever, But she takes me to the back of the gym and she told me to go to the court.

00:20:01
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying, Danny, and just look at me like yeah, you know. And I played well. They had one pick that year.

00:20:06
Speaker 7: The forty second pick in the second round, and they had just made some trades so they had lost all their picks Steve Nash and George McLeod antony and mcdys and those guys. And they drafted me, but no roster spot guarantee me tow HUNDI fifty thousand.

00:20:21
Speaker 1: And that's when my journey started.

00:20:22
Speaker 2: So from there we have to take every stop. I'm going to name him, but Lacrosse. How you say that?

00:20:31
Speaker 1: Lacrosse, Wisconsin, that's the CBA before the D League. What was that like? Hell? Nasty work? Hell nasty work.

00:20:38
Speaker 7: Twelve guys in the eight passenger van driving eight hours to play a game and driving right back.

00:20:44
Speaker 1: It wasn't no hotels. It was the worst. And I got cut. Say the next name, Sidney Kings, Australia. I broke my foot my two weeks there, came back. Where'd you go? I came back home to put off the Texas, went back to Texas, so rehabbed yeah, next year where you at Venezuela Waitla.

00:21:01
Speaker 7: One of the best, some of the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my life.

00:21:06
Speaker 1: Mad know it's there already in there. Yeah, Venezuela had a good time out there.

00:21:10
Speaker 7: When I made thirty five thousand dollars, I came home with two thousands.

00:21:13
Speaker 1: Gave it all to the women. I would have gave him the two thousands, but I just had to have something to come.

00:21:17
Speaker 2: A Yeah, there could be some miss y'all. There could be some young Jesse's out there, could they?

00:21:22
Speaker 7: I miss y'all? They treated me so well. I heard Venezuela was something for the low too.

00:21:27
Speaker 1: It was. It was crazy stories too, but it was for the most part. I loved it.

00:21:29
Speaker 2: Could be Could there be any offspring out there?

00:21:32
Speaker 1: Maybe? I mean it's strong possibility. Next stop fort Wayne Fury? What league is that for? Wayne?

00:21:38
Speaker 7: Is CBA B A two for Wayne's CBA two. I got cut from there too because they weren't dealing with you. I was young, somber. I came out of high school, so I was young.

00:21:45
Speaker 2: So is it is it you don't know how to play in the team system? Are you tripping? Is it unfair, Like, what are these experiences and stops?

00:21:52
Speaker 7: I was nowhere close to being a professional professional Basketball is still a game to me. I wanted to be in the streets to play basketball at the same time.

00:21:59
Speaker 1: Couldn't do it.

00:22:00
Speaker 2: That doesn't work. Couldn't do it now than two thousand. Shout out to Pueblo on the Web and Dominican Republic. I won a championship there.

00:22:08
Speaker 7: Actually, we need to go back there because they are building the statue for me.

00:22:12
Speaker 1: They just wait for me to come back and take the show back there and have a good time.

00:22:15
Speaker 2: But that's where the kids might because isn't that where they carried you from the arena all the way back to your crib.

00:22:19
Speaker 7: So I was gonna say that, So talk to that, you know, charge to my head, not my hard Just reach out to them and I'll get you know, I'll give shit right. I might have a few out there for real. Now, Now that was different out there.

00:22:30
Speaker 1: They love they loved the brothers out there for sure, a great time.

00:22:33
Speaker 2: But explain how you won the championship and they carried you like a king all the way to your crib.

00:22:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, so.

00:22:39
Speaker 7: This the city is, it's all they have, bro it's this basketball team.

00:22:43
Speaker 1: I'm telling me, they die behind it.

00:22:45
Speaker 7: The games are so serious where if you're not sitting at VIP, you got to sit behind the gate. They got a gate because the people all the way up they getting drunk and they're ready to fight over the game every night, you know what I'm saying. So and that's how that's how they carried us. But it was big because they really appreciated winning that championship. The hosted like they carry us, BRO with my uniform for about ten blocks to my hotel.

00:23:04
Speaker 1: You know what I'm saying.

00:23:05
Speaker 7: They parted outside my hotel all night. But it's good because I get dms from these people all the time. You know, they still appreciate their championship, Bro, and the fact done the good stuff.

00:23:14
Speaker 1: You know now they still Let's find a date and find out when they're doing your statue. Let's go out.

00:23:19
Speaker 2: You mean you say we do it around like the playoff for championship out there could be a reunion. How many years ago was that? What year was that? Two thousand? Yep, twenty five years Bro? Every time, Yeah yeah, damn, your sons might be a little older, daughters might be a little older.

00:23:31
Speaker 6: They might be twenty twenty six.

00:23:34
Speaker 2: Anyways, So what is the how did you end up with the Nets?

00:23:40
Speaker 7: Okay, so after trying out for sixteen to seventeen NBA teams and not making it right before that I tried, I was trying out for the Bulls and it was last day cuts.

00:23:51
Speaker 2: Wait did you go back in the drafting? You were kind of just like a free agent. Now I was just free agent, but I'm in the system. That's why I just wanted to get drafted. I'm in the system.

00:23:58
Speaker 7: Okay, try out for the Bulls probably like eight months before I signed with them, and I break my other foot the day of. I went from wearing a penny to now I'm on the starting five.

00:24:10
Speaker 1: You know.

00:24:11
Speaker 2: Those are those stress fractures, right, Yeah, those were going around that time a lot. Remember like it was weird, how like it went in ways injury?

00:24:17
Speaker 1: Yeah? Like I met yeah, yeah too much. Yeah, And I ended up breaking my foot.

00:24:24
Speaker 2: So it was jam like a motherfucker the rank seventeens, but go ahead.

00:24:31
Speaker 1: My foot, I damn that gave up, you know.

00:24:33
Speaker 7: So my MoMA she had to really you know, put something in me to get myself back going. And that's when I ended up getting an opportunity to play summer league. I played some leage. I can't remember the team who I played something league with, but I had a good summer league. It might have been to the Vancouver with Grizzlies and I balled out or something like that. And last minute I got a call from New Jersey to come to camp. They had a full roster, all a whole bunch of bet so they was just using me as a body. I wasn't thinking that went there balling then I, you know, steps soon as I got there, the starting point guard Marlbarr, he embraced me.

00:25:04
Speaker 1: The number one pick was Keny Martin.

00:25:06
Speaker 7: That was already my boys, both being from Texas, so it was a nice fit. I had both of them embracing me, and I was playing well. I kept playing well. I kept playing well till Barron Scott, like you said on the show, he was like, who was this young kid? You know what I'm saying. I ended up getting invited to camp and making it, making a roster. Didn't know I was gonna stop my first game, but I was just happy to make the roster.

00:25:22
Speaker 1: So you end up and I forgive me. We've done so many interviews.

00:25:25
Speaker 2: I forgot because for a while there was some hostility because you didn't understand his point of view. He said it on the show, But repeat, what was the reason why you weren't playing after you play so well because you made the All Rookie to or you made the Rookie All Star Game, right.

00:25:37
Speaker 7: I was leading all rookies and scoring going into Ostar breaker after Osar Bak we come back. He don't play me, And like I said, I was still trying to line to be professional. I didn't know the business. He had to play the older guys. You know what I'm saying. At that time, me as a kid, I'm just thinking he's fucking over me. You know what I'm saying. But now after talking to him, I don't stand Now. Yeah, I understand now he had to play those sorry ass guys older than I was busting the ass at the time, but they they with my old g's. But uh, if I didn't have Steph Keen and even Sherman Douglass there, I probably would have lost it because my grandfather had died from my first year. As soon as I got that my grandfather died.

00:26:10
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, that's somebody we don't talk enough about that mental side of all the ship you're going through. I was still trying to Stephen Jesse Jackson. I'm named after my grandfather.

00:26:17
Speaker 1: Come on, man.

00:26:18
Speaker 2: So from that experience with the Nets, you're confident now you know you could play in this league.

00:26:24
Speaker 1: You laying with San Antonio? How does that happen? So while I'm not playing, were playing.

00:26:28
Speaker 7: We play Spurs in New Jersey and it's a time out, you know, it's halftime, and they warming up. Mike Mike Brown walks down to the Nets bench like, keep your head.

00:26:38
Speaker 1: We come and get you. You know what I'm saying.

00:26:40
Speaker 2: I'm like, out the blue, random tampering.

00:26:46
Speaker 1: Came up to, hey, we come and get you. Keep your head. You know what I'm saying.

00:26:49
Speaker 7: And I ended up going to play some league with them after that year, and that's why I end up signing with the Spurs.

00:26:53
Speaker 2: How long does it take you to start getting some real playing time on that team? Because that's that's the team that won the championship obviously, So who was on that team? Remind us who's on that team?

00:27:00
Speaker 1: What year?

00:27:00
Speaker 7: So this was uh two? So my first year that was two and I was was on Injure List. I didn't play that whole year.

00:27:07
Speaker 1: Oh really?

00:27:08
Speaker 7: Me and Spider Uh Spider uh Speedy, Charles Smith. Me and Charles Smith from New Mexico. He went to Mexico from Dallas too. We both was on the Angel List the whole season. They was playing him a little bit, but but I was on.

00:27:21
Speaker 2: So you were just working out and walking out. Were you grinding though? Were you on your bullshit? I was grinding because this like.

00:27:29
Speaker 7: I walked into a professional organization where it wasn't nobody to go hang out with and smoke, There wasn't nobody to hide with, you know what I'm saying. And then that year they had just got Steve Smith. Uh who else we had? We had got uh, Bruce Bowen, Uh, Danny Ferry, Steve Kerr, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Gerobley, Tony Malik Rose, Kevin Willis, you know what I'm saying.

00:27:52
Speaker 1: So we have yeah, Steve.

00:27:53
Speaker 7: So that and and that's I didn't start playing twins. I didn started playing to two thousand and two, two thousand and three the next year.

00:27:59
Speaker 2: So how did how did that? How did you get yourself in the rotation there?

00:28:02
Speaker 7: So the following y'all played Summer League again. He popped made me back, and this was Tony's first year. This is and I went crazy in Summer League, go crazy to when I when I when I come back, you know, I. Tim kind of started embracing me more. We started playing paintball. I started hanging out with him more, and I started I spent the whole summer.

00:28:20
Speaker 1: This is the first summer in my whole life where I spun it working out. I was working out the whole summer. Didn't leave San Antonio.

00:28:27
Speaker 7: That's not normally your hell. I no, I'm going to party, you know, do my thing. I didn't do none of that this summer to the point where I came in this I was came in the season. I was right. I was ready to go. And uh, about eighteen games into the season, I was averaging probably like fifteen off the bench, dope. And uh in Seattle, I woul tell I start about the Seattle when I was out with Shaul Lewis and something happened the night before and I'm thinking Pop calling me in the room the next day to get on me about it, to cut me Him and Tim center room and say.

00:28:52
Speaker 2: You free social media in trouble because some fists were thrown, but go ahead.

00:28:57
Speaker 7: He probably would't even call him up there. It probably just you know what I mean, But him and ten was in the room. When he called me in the room was to see out. It was like many been playing. Well, you know what I'm saying, We're gonna start you tonight. My whole attitude. I wasn't even thinking about starting because Steve Smith was my o G. That's who embraced me. You know what I'm saying. His wife used to cook for me and all that. They used to used to take me places. So walking in the locker room, I still was kind of uneasy. I wasn't too I was happy, but I couldn't you.

00:29:19
Speaker 1: Know what I'm saying.

00:29:20
Speaker 7: As soon as I walk by and I normally speak to him, I ain't say nothing to him. He grabbed me like, young fella, No, you supported me. I'm gonna support you. That ain't for me, and you you go out there and do your you know what I'm saying, And him and Pop beef the rest of the year. But I needed to hear that that was my ol G and he supported you though that that's that's different.

00:29:36
Speaker 1: I needed that. It's not a lot of that no more. It's a lot of sneak dish and the ship. Yeah, that was my o G. So uh. He made it easy for me to go out there and play after that. Two thousand and.

00:29:45
Speaker 7: Three, you're playing Kobe Lakers, who you last, your three time champs?

00:29:50
Speaker 1: Game five tied to two. What were you thinking when Robert y missed the shot? This shot? Probably best class.

00:30:00
Speaker 7: We always were always thinking with Tim Duncan, Tim Duncan face, Tim duncan face say at all.

00:30:05
Speaker 1: Mmmmm that face.

00:30:08
Speaker 2: Watch Tim Duncan face. That was in and out, big shot, Bob. Can we get some we get some sound on this ship.

00:30:20
Speaker 1: We can't celebrate. Nobody can't really celebrate that.

00:30:22
Speaker 7: Sposta been al Rob hit that ship ten out of nine out of ten times.

00:30:29
Speaker 1: I had a bad game in this game too. M m. That ship was in that changed the series right there. Did you want to be on that team? Were on that team and yours already gone?

00:30:47
Speaker 7: No, he wasn't on that team. They was on their way to four p.

00:30:57
Speaker 1: I want to put them up three two.

00:30:59
Speaker 7: Instead you go going back to LA and then you close it out.

00:31:02
Speaker 1: No, Tim closed it out.

00:31:03
Speaker 7: Yeah, when when Tim. When Tim do that, I don't know, but it was outrageous. He went to work. He went to work.

00:31:11
Speaker 1: Let's see what Tim's numbers were. Look at Game six for sure though, thirty seven, sixteen four in LA to send him home sixteen.

00:31:24
Speaker 6: TDA.

00:31:25
Speaker 7: He was crossing over, he was floaters, he was and guess who locked shack up? Low key Maro. Kevin Willis came in big time, diod He big time hashacks you, hooks, pushing him and ship.

00:31:40
Speaker 1: He used all six as files, but.

00:31:42
Speaker 2: He made it strong though short arms.

00:31:46
Speaker 1: Tim was cooking Shack. He was well too.

00:31:49
Speaker 8: After round one shot Round two through the finals, Duncan average twenty seven, fifteen five and three blocks.

00:31:57
Speaker 1: There was not even go around social media that Duncle was never the best player the league.

00:32:03
Speaker 2: Commercial wise, basketball player wise, he was so next round Dirk talked about it on the show. He gets injured.

00:32:13
Speaker 7: Thank you, Derek. I mean, I don't say thank you, but brou I appreciate you. It was a whole different series when he got.

00:32:18
Speaker 2: Game five, Game six, You're averaging twenty two points per game and shooting fifty percent from the three?

00:32:24
Speaker 7: What was your mindset during that time? I was hooping just happy to be out there. I know, I knew how Pop was. You know, he wanted he wanted me to play the way they wanted to play. You know what I'm saying, the Spur style, and you bought it and find me. But but at times, especially in the playoffs, I had to be me, you know what I'm saying, because the throwing it inside, the tim spacing that you know, the teams are scout to day on that and the swing swinging the threes ain't falling. You got to have somebody so pop star running plays for me. I was posting up, you know what I'm saying, and I can come down, you know, you know I like to walk up.

00:32:56
Speaker 1: Three.

00:32:57
Speaker 7: He started letting me play my game a little bit, and I think, you know, had a lot to do with Tim having a lot of conferences, you know, going to Pop telling me to give me more shots. But I had to, I had I had to step up because Tim, you know, he was in and out in that series. And Tony was definitely not having a good series because from Stephani Marlber for round one, who yeah, he had Derrek we wasn't He had a good series against the Lakers, But that series against Dallas.

00:33:20
Speaker 1: He was struggling. Who was who was the point guard there?

00:33:23
Speaker 7: And Nick Van Exell he was struggling. So if you look at it, speede Clachtson played the whole series.

00:33:29
Speaker 2: So here you're you're you're here with the finals versus your old team. How good was Jason kidds? I think people quickly forget how great Jason Kidd was on both sides of the ball.

00:33:39
Speaker 1: I mean, I've never got a chance to.

00:33:41
Speaker 7: I hear about Magic Johnson and his passes and the way he was on the court, But I actually played with j Kidd, actually seen it against him, like I've never seen nothing like it, the way that's the best passer, best actually the best passing point guard I've ever seen in my life, you know what I'm saying. Playing against him, and then later later in his career he became a score with that shit, you know what I'm saying. When we played against him the finals, though, he was frying Tony Downhill, it was just a and he was hitting jumpers and shit, his jumper ack came around, you know what I'm saying, And he was still fast, like definitely definitely top five point guard of all time in my mind. But I think that year him and Tim was neck and neck for MVP voting. That's what that type of year he was having because Tim was having an unbelievable year. So for a point guard to be right there with Tim, I let you know, j K was balling too, and they had just been to the finals.

00:34:31
Speaker 1: But back to back years.

00:34:32
Speaker 2: So you find yourself from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the CBA. Uh, year three in the NBA, You're in the NBA finals, VERUSU of your old team, Like, what's your mindset?

00:34:44
Speaker 7: Uh?

00:34:44
Speaker 1: One?

00:34:44
Speaker 7: I was just I was happy to be home. You know, I was five hours from the house, My family was there. Definitely was thinking about making big plays against my old old team. You know what I'm saying. I did everything want. I hit Kenyan with a nice in and out move, fucked over him. You know what I'm saying. I did it so bad they call carrying. You know what I'm saying. I got him. Uh told Richard Jefferson ass to pieces the whole series because they got rid of me for you know what I'm saying, to bring him in. You know what I'm saying saying, Barron Scott, you know, I didn't understand at the time, so I wanted to really wanted to fight him.

00:35:17
Speaker 1: He was on some other ship. Was you smoking? Then?

00:35:19
Speaker 2: This time we had one drug test then, of course owing it down, we had on two thousand, we don't have one drug test, and that was in training camp.

00:35:27
Speaker 1: Yes, sir, I was blowing a roof off. So let's take a look at this.

00:35:29
Speaker 2: What do we have here, Dylan whiskey lips.

00:35:33
Speaker 1: I'm okay, this is all the fourth quarter. You're down five at this point, down five with seven minutes left. Nice past wind, so positive.

00:35:47
Speaker 7: Positive. So before that, what was the scoring drought? We had a We had a long drought of scoring before Pop put me back.

00:35:54
Speaker 1: In the game.

00:35:55
Speaker 2: Okay, you know what I'm saying. So you just got back and just got back in the game first shot, So in your mind you're saying I should have been in here.

00:36:03
Speaker 1: I'm always feeling it's a nice penetrating kid. Mm hmm. That's one.

00:36:15
Speaker 7: That's one person that always made me feel mm hm. The defense who feel appreciated, Like I was really like that genoa Like he really made me feel like I was nice.

00:36:24
Speaker 1: Fuck with you. That was my boy.

00:36:25
Speaker 2: This is David Robinson's last year, last year, yep, last year.

00:36:29
Speaker 1: Was he giving y'all anything? He gave us enough?

00:36:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, I remember how we saw a highlight tape of him not too long ago.

00:36:35
Speaker 1: Oh my god.

00:36:38
Speaker 2: M h another step in, boy, So you're on a sixth nothing, run yourself right here.

00:36:44
Speaker 1: Yeah. I think Jay Kidd turned it over, so no king turn it over. Rebound.

00:36:55
Speaker 7: I'm looking for you know, I'm looking ready to know, I'm looking for it going opposite ten because I know they pro the double hold on, hold on, can just go back him with the ball. Look at you know this? How you know he my boy? Watch he look to see where I'm at to make sure I'm.

00:37:13
Speaker 1: In that slop.

00:37:13
Speaker 7: You see, he was in the slot he made He wanted to make sure I was in that slot because he knew I was hot. He didn't want He gave me the first pass. Watch you look so so he's pulling them over. He pulling them over, smart bro. His IQ was through the roof. Dog kid, you gotta get out that baby.

00:37:32
Speaker 6: M mmmm three straight.

00:37:42
Speaker 8: Williams called filing speedy mm hmmm, and Williams now h light skin up, hey, but put you know the announcer Bill Walton and another guy, Tom Tolbert remarker, if you listen to it, he said, and the miraculars come back from the Spurs and by Stephen Jackson who was cut by the New Jersey Nets.

00:38:07
Speaker 1: Really, Bill wall say that that's dope.

00:38:09
Speaker 7: On the same video, he's so dramatic up and walk who's cut by the two bands Contino Contino and Steve Francis they used to wear for all of them. That's where I got it from.

00:38:28
Speaker 2: This this so this is you guys, are able to come through and beat them, revenge against your old team.

00:38:34
Speaker 1: This is rest in peace.

00:38:36
Speaker 2: David Stern presenting this trophy right here to your team. Like, what's going through your mind right now when he's saying all this stuff knowing you had a big hand in the success.

00:38:46
Speaker 1: I don't know where. Can you see me anywhere up there?

00:38:50
Speaker 7: I'm probably either in the back when my brother and them running around, I'm trying to pull my people down.

00:38:57
Speaker 1: I'm somewhere running around. I wouldn't don't even think I was up there.

00:39:00
Speaker 7: I probably came up that late, but I was trying to get my people because you know, I was trying to get my people down to the court you know what I mean. I'm trying to get my brother, my mom and everybody to come down. And I don't even remember none of this. I probably got up the last minute, but I don't remember none of that.

00:39:15
Speaker 1: I know this summer, nobody could tell you shit this.

00:39:17
Speaker 7: I had my jersey on to the next morning, I believe it, whole uniform, went to the club with it all.

00:39:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, all that crack, yeah, oh crack, doped up.

00:39:25
Speaker 2: That's the first time I seen you this summer after you won this in Las Vegas at Girg's camp. Yes, and you had to throw back jersey on to your knees like motherfuckers. Really couldn't tell you nothing. I could tell by the way you was walking. I didn't really know you there, but I could just tell by your George Jefferson's step that there wasn't too much you could really say.

00:39:41
Speaker 1: Can tell how I walk.

00:39:44
Speaker 2: It was strugg that I could tell. You couldn't really tell stap shit, But I mean amazing.

00:39:50
Speaker 7: It felt good, bro, you know, to get that early in your career. Yeah, now just you know, now you gotta get the money. Now you got that out of the way, go chasing pivot to you bro twenty seventeen. You get a championship, you get a chance to build a relationship with o'ladd right here.

00:40:03
Speaker 1: Yeah, how did that come about?

00:40:05
Speaker 2: It's my last I just signed a contract with I left Memphis, like I played in Memphis. I was supposed to get what I was told by a person in charge. I was supposed to get a three year, thirty million dollar deal there and finished there.

00:40:20
Speaker 1: I was promised that, and man, I was told that. Yeah, and then who was that z bo on him?

00:40:27
Speaker 2: Yeah? Zbo t A. A couple of weeks later, I hear they've changed their mind. And then when they give Chandler Parsons that big, I think he got eighty or something or sixty or something. He got a nice deal over there, but he was hurt and couldn't play. So I'm like, that's what your motherfuckers get. Fuck with Chandler obviously, but that's what you get for backdoor me. So anyway, I'm off, and I'm thinking Sacramento just has a brand new arena built.

00:40:47
Speaker 1: It's fuck it.

00:40:48
Speaker 2: Let me just go finish my home, my career at home. So I signed a three year deal there and just figure, hey, I'm gonna finish up with my hometown. This would be dope as soon as I get there. Bro it's crazy and I've told this before, but like they were scared to talk to Boogie from the top to the coaches, and for some reason, I think they even wrote an article about this ship. They used to call me like the Boogie Whisper because everyone would bring me stuff they wanted to don't want me to tell Boogie.

00:41:14
Speaker 1: It was the weirdest shit.

00:41:15
Speaker 6: Like, no one wanted to tell book anything but extra.

00:41:20
Speaker 1: Come on, man, let me get a little bit more. But crazy.

00:41:22
Speaker 2: So they're telling me pretty much the whole year they're not going to trade him, to make sure he knows they're not trading them. We're not gonna trade them, not going to trade him all Star break. And by the way, I'm back in Sack. I'm popping. I got the crib on the river. It's cracking out there. I haven't been home in a long time. I've been in LA for so long, so I'm back home.

00:41:40
Speaker 1: It's Boogie using you as a bridge between the Bookie doesn't really give a fuck. Yeah, he didn't really give a fuck, you know.

00:41:46
Speaker 2: I just I think he said me and I think he said, Reggie Evans, there was there wasn't very many people like he looked up to when he respected, that would listen to.

00:41:54
Speaker 1: And I just happened to be one of them.

00:41:55
Speaker 2: So, you know, I was just kind of like like kind of big homie to him. But anyway, life is good. We're we're playing well. We're a couple of spots out of the playoffs. I think we're a couple spots out of maybe two games out of the playoff running. Going into All Star break, I'm chilling. Next thing, I know, Boogie gets traded during the All Star Game. Why he's on the like he's doing interviews and and someone comes and whispers in his ear during the shit that he had been traded. And I'm just like these motherfuckers literally said bro the whole entire time, Lottie and them, we're not trading them, We're not trading Long story short, he gets traded. So me and Lottie have a call just like you know, like this, you guys are about to start rebuilding, Like I'm thirty seve you know, I'm thirty six at the time, thirty seven. I'm I'm not gonna rebuild. It's just like this is what we'll do. Obviously, give you a whole contract, and and and where do you want to go? Is there where you want to go? Tell him a few teams. He's just like, we'll work on it. So I'm home maybe a week and a half, chilling, working out, staying in shape, back in LA and I get a call when I'm with the with the Twins at we have some little chicken wing spot and it was actually Steve Kerr. He's just like, hey, you know, Kevin Durant just went down in Washington. We're gonna be in Chicago. We want you to come play with us. I'm like, what the fuck? So took the boys back to their mom, packed a bag, and I was flying to Chicago the next day. Flew the whole day, got there before the game. In like first game, I played like twenty minutes like Steve Kurt th to me right in the mix. So it was dope because obviously this is a high level high Shape Yeah.

00:43:23
Speaker 1: I was ready, high.

00:43:24
Speaker 2: Level high IQ team. It was perfect for me. You know, I could play kind of that Swiss army knife where I can knock down shots. I could be the screen and roller and get that pocket pass and get it out to the shooters.

00:43:35
Speaker 1: It was perfect.

00:43:35
Speaker 2: They didn't really have to tell me shit, you know, because I'm already a very selfless player. But what was dope about that time stack was this is ten years from our rebelieve run. So from the second I get there, bro the locker room, the media, the fans, the city like.

00:43:50
Speaker 1: What was that team? Like? What was thatak? Like? What was Baron? Like?

00:43:53
Speaker 3: What was Monte like?

00:43:53
Speaker 1: What was it like during that time?

00:43:55
Speaker 2: And then obviously a ton of you know, we took it to a certain level, we believe, and then this that team came and kind of took it over the top and started winning championship. But I found it so crazy how fascinated they still were with that we believe team. So shit, we're running like it's maybe this is post All Star Break, twenty five games before the before the playoffs, star KD goes down. I don't know how many games out of All Star Break, maybe two or three out of All Star Breaks. So I'm in there playing in the mix again. I'm playing anywhere from like fifteen to twenty three, twenty five. No, I wasn't starting. I was actually I started. I might have started a few games. But yeah I started a few games, but out the second unit, but just getting good minutes, you know what I mean. Steve used to like, I just love I can throw you in there like a mittle relief pitcher.

00:44:38
Speaker 1: Yeah, super deep, Bro, but just smart.

00:44:39
Speaker 2: I mean, it's it's Iggy, it's David West, it's Sean Livingston.

00:44:44
Speaker 1: Like. It was a good team.

00:44:45
Speaker 2: And one thing I remember the most about that team was the work ethic. And luckily I got there before the drama kind of started happening. Because before the drama, Bro is the most unbelievable shit ever. Just the energy was so pure. Everybody fuck with each other.

00:45:00
Speaker 1: Days. The whole entire.

00:45:01
Speaker 2: Team is in there getting treatment, lifting weights, working out post practice. Man Stephen kd used to work on one side and Clay would be on the other side, and you would see them doing this one foot Steve nashit because Steve Nash was like a special assistant coach. Then he would pop in every once in a walk. But turn the playoffs he was there a lot. So they're doing all this spin around one foot balance and you see Steph at sixty three, and then you see Kevin Duranton almost motherfucking seven feet and they're just mirror images of doing this shit. But all the lefty shots one foot fade away off balance, like all that shit broke every single day without note. They worked on this shit. And then you see Clay on the other side of the court. Clay will go ninety seven.

00:45:39
Speaker 6: Four one hundred shooting jumpers like.

00:45:43
Speaker 1: Just like unbelievable.

00:45:44
Speaker 2: Then you see Igwadalar working on because I used to have to work, so I always wanted to obviously get my work in. But there was a pecan order here, like all the young guys work together on the court, the loonyes and the younger guys at the time, Loudi was a young cat, Iggy had a spot, Dre had a spot, Livingston had a spot. I did what was So it was just a beautiful thing to see Bro, just to see how hard they work. And then when I went back, you know, our ownership at the time was this ownership. It was top notch Bro. So they took care of absolutely everything. Man, they had the big old private plane for your family. They took care of the hotels, they fed them like the ship. Was all you had to do there was play basketball. So back to the basketball side, of it, maybe a week before the playoffs start. Jelan, You guys came out right after I sprained my ankle, right like a.

00:46:28
Speaker 1: Week before the playoff.

00:46:29
Speaker 2: Kd's first game back, Bro, I gets subbed in the game, and I want to say I hit my first one or two threes if I'm not mistaken, Like yeah, against the Pelicans. I was off to a good start, Bro, and then I came down on someone's foot, Bro, and it was the worst sprain of my life. I was devastating some KDS.

00:46:50
Speaker 1: God damn it.

00:46:52
Speaker 2: So mentally I'm like fuck, like not now, like not. Kd's finally back, like we're getting in the playoffs, and again I'm playing, playing, playing, playing like I'm playing good minutes. So I'm hurt and the season finishes out and this is fucked. My ankle's huge, but I never had an ankle sprain that bad. So I'm the lining them came up and kicked it, Gino. We're up in there and I'm we're fucking around having a good time smoke, but I'm icing that muffle constantly having it rubbed on a rap and I was trying to do everything I possibly could, and that shit just wouldn't.

00:47:22
Speaker 1: It took so long.

00:47:23
Speaker 2: So I think by the time I felt okay, they sweep through Portland. They who were playing the second round play Utah in the second round and swept through them too, right, Yeah, and then the spurs in the Western finds and that's when I'm finally like I can run and practice and I can kind of have anticipation cuts, so you know, you know, when you go through drills and you tell you to cut that you can brace yourself if you're hurt, but when you have to anticipate it. I finally started feeling good, but by that time, like I wasn't the rotation's already set, you know what I mean. So I'm from like a mental state like I'm an older player, Like I'm not gonna if I get in, I get in.

00:47:58
Speaker 1: I'm gonna try to stay ready.

00:48:00
Speaker 2: But this is I think now is my position to just continue to encourage these guys and kind of be the OG. So I had talks with Dre during that time, and I don't think he cares now because the world knows these mokes. But me and Kad used to burn it down in the bathroom after every you know, I mean, just talking about game, just talking about the game and breaking it down and what he's seeing out there and what they're doing to him. So we would always chop it up. So I was just kind of really on some older og or what you know. I'm talking dre Off the Ledge sometimes, so I kind of just took more of that og, probably the same thing that Iggy and David West were doing to him, but I had a kind of different kind of connection to those guys. I got thrown there a couple of times with Mike Brown. That's a whole another story. Mike Brown played me with the Lakers, and he played me in this situation because he was more of the head coach at this time because Steve Kurr fucked his back up. So I'm in there talking to Steve Kerr and we're talking about alternative medicines and him smoking and trying to do different kinds of things because remember he had that fucked up back for a while, so he'd even coach in some of these playoffs. I'm building a big relationship, a great relationship with Steve curR, and he's trying like, I can't wait till you get healthy next year. Man, this is going to be great. You're going to fit in perfect. You know, we got a chance. You know, we got a really good team here, and I'm excited to have you in the mix. So I'm thinking like, Okay, well fuck, I'm not gonna play this year, Like, just be ready for next year.

00:49:08
Speaker 1: I'm ana be ready and really earn it.

00:49:09
Speaker 2: So long story short, this is a series where Zaza put is somehow, some way Kawhi count of offa I did or not, I don't really you know what I mean.

00:49:17
Speaker 1: But Kawhi lands on his foot.

00:49:19
Speaker 2: He's he's working this playoffs too, Jack, And that was my thing, Like it was I've always got a chance and he's incredible. But even with my early Clipper days, like I was gardening Kawhi and made Kawhi work on both sides of the wall. I played really well against Kawhi in the playoffs. I'm thinking, man, I could have been one of them dudes out there guarding him. So it was really hard from a mental standpoint because I had worked so hard my career to kind of get to this championship point and then I land back at the crib basically with one of the greatest teams ever, and I'm hurt. So again, so it's just that And I've joked about obviously kind of this was like I was a passenger, you know, kind of getting to see firsthand how great this team was was because again I felt like everything in my career, like I grind it for like nothing, what injury? Yeah yeah, but again, but that's why it's so hard. So it's finally like damn, I'm here, I'm really here. Like with the Orlando we went to the Western Finals with the Lakers into the second round, like I'm finally here in the finals and like I have the worst sprain ankle of my life. So long story short, man, we shit, we beat them, We beat we beat San Antonium. We go to the finals and beat Cleveland, and it's great, like the team wins. But I was kind of like obviously thankful for the opportunity and enjoying the moment. But I think the thing I was thankful the most during that journey was just how gracious Steve Kerr was.

00:50:38
Speaker 1: And I talked to Steve.

00:50:39
Speaker 2: We talked about Steve when I interviewed him, like allowing the twins in the mix of twins are like seven or eight, bro, so they're fucking they're on the planes. Bro, They're in the Western Conference, you know, finals practice, having shootouts against KD and Steph at the end of practice, like it's just invaluable.

00:50:53
Speaker 1: Shit.

00:50:54
Speaker 2: They're in the locker room, Clay's teaching them how to roll paper planes and you know what I mean, It's just like dope. So I really appreciated the fact they came to the morning breakfast when coach Kurk was back talking and sitting with the guys and eating and going over game plan. So it was just something they never forgot and a tremendous experience. So again, thankful for the opportunity to win this thing, But it just like it didn't hit me as hard as it hit you because I wasn't actually out there going against Kawhi and Lebron and all these other dudes that I normally would have been out there in the mix with.

00:51:27
Speaker 1: So very thankful.

00:51:28
Speaker 2: And then I decided to step away after this season because business, a couple of things that I had doing business started going well, and I wasn't really seeing the twins that much, and I want, like, I was really missing them, you know how I am with them. So I was just like fucking man like championship team. You know, business is going good. I still have two years left of being paid, so I have to give myself a two year gap to see what else I want to do. Bro, So you know, I stepped away. I thought about going back. Me and Bob had some conversations, but he said the owners wanted to go younger, so they went out and was vouching for me.

00:52:00
Speaker 1: Even St. Steve Curve is vouching for me, the dudes.

00:52:03
Speaker 2: But they went out and got Caspy, So yeah, yeah, I ran him out of Sack low Key and then they got rid of him in Sacked. So anyway, they want to go with him, and then the ship it doesn't end up working, and I come back for Steph's birthday in March. I go back out to the Bay of for STEP's birthday and they're like, man, you should come back.

00:52:19
Speaker 1: So I actually thought for a second.

00:52:21
Speaker 2: They were talking and Mike Brown had called me and like are you serious and just and I was just like listen, I'm I'm cause by that time I was done hooping like me and this is ship when Ray almost died. This is when I'm every once in a while playing pick up basketball down at the ship in Oakland. But I'm I'm blowing and chilling like damn, I had a cool run. So I was like, man, I probably need like three to four weeks to get healthy. That'll be playoffs and then I already know how rotations work. It it's probably not gonna work. So it was a quick live like damn it. Wish it would have worked, but it didn't.

00:52:48
Speaker 1: And that was it. Bro, That was that was kind of the end of my journey. So Steve tried to give me another shot too.

00:52:55
Speaker 7: Remember when I was I was doing the jump and he called him when I was fishing.

00:53:00
Speaker 1: Bring in for camp. Oh really, what year was that?

00:53:02
Speaker 7: This was twenty fifteen, sixteen, okay, and I call I called Rach. I'm like Rachel telling her Rachel go to social media with it, and she had took it to Bob took it off the table because he was mad.

00:53:14
Speaker 1: Steve called me without talking to him. Yeah, No, that was rat. That was that was a he's a stupid thanks Rach.

00:53:21
Speaker 2: That was dope, though, I mean, I mean to be able to see the chemistry and how them dudes drop their egos and how fucking good that team was. Bro, that shit was a blessing just to just to be there, uh and a good way to end.

00:53:33
Speaker 7: So Larry just not here. We got we we know both a little bit of his well yeah you know what's real.

00:53:38
Speaker 1: Well, got a little bit of his guy.

00:53:40
Speaker 2: We want to thank Tina obviously for bringing this sue think the NBA, Thank the people they decided All the Smoke was going to be the first stop on the West coast.

00:53:49
Speaker 1: Man, it's a tremendous honor. Thanks to you.

00:53:51
Speaker 2: Thank you guys for sitting here and chopping it up with us. We'll catch you guys soon.

00:54:01
Speaker 7: Five