Club 520 - CJ McCollum on Damian Lillard trade, Steph Curry & Warriors WCF battles, beating Duke

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See either we're gonna make Christmas break Christmas Man, we're
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Yeah.
We don't want to put on that.
Figure out respect especially guests in the build. You're gonna
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we got my dog Bishop be hearing out the PRAI
les how you would nasty.
Cool and nasty. It's cold out here, Glad. That's how
you know, bro really fuck with us? You pulled up?
Is this a desert storm outside?
Twenty people already left the hotel for for sure?
You pulling up? Listen?
Man.
Shout to Nitdy and the other Fire creators who made
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we start this episode. Our producer said, you know what
I'm saying. Shout to the Grimlins. You know the box
Man shouts to Wayne. He said that this is a
Christmas movie. What's one of your favorite Christmas movies?
Oh Man? Yeah, home alone?
Go h what is it? True Christmas story? The Christmas
Store Christmas He's never seen.
Never seen story.
No, it's insane, bro, Yeah it's not the vibes.
Man, that's a good one. I'm gonna give. I'm out
of pocket still to my right, my dog, young natcho,
young tig.
How you what?
Oh man, I'm chilling. Man.
I almost made this a little later because my mom birthday.
Shout out to Mama. I'm excited. Man, we got it
better ultimate score in the building. Yeah, man, one of
the coldest.
Man.
I got a good story. I remember one day. I'll
tell you when the story when we started. Got the
Height Store about to cook today, Man, listen away for
this episode. Man, one of our favorite two guards out
here NBA event man getting money on the court, off
the court. You see the one here, man, the one
Miss c J mcclellon, Big dog. Appreciate you sliding on this, man,
I appreciate it. Showed me man, thank you.
Hey, this is real love because this cold is funk outside.
I'm actually surprised to see you.
I ain't gonna lie now, y'all hit me.
I've been watching the podcast at the Homies. He being
y'all be in the group chat a.
Lot, appreciate it's big jokes.
But I was like, I gotta pull up on you all,
mount I told you energy. I was like, I'm gonna
be back. I want to Seekaitlyn Clark played. I gotta
bring my son into the Indy five hundred year work out.
I'm back for guy to pull up to man shouts
and that.
Who me. Yeah, of course, Bro. I tapped in with
the other side. I got two sides on my failing
you know what. I hang out shout to the other sky.
Shame hundred up. We always and I went. We went
to the trap. But the rice is different.
That's different now. But I went to when they let
him drive or do whatever.
The car the car on to in the trucks and
cars and trains and stuff. So at some time I'm
gonna bring them. He gonna love it big to bring
helping experience.
Bro, don't listen, don't You've never been right Bro, Please
do I take your son on Saturday?
Oh no, during the day, don't go to car day.
Now pull up.
Now you see that youre so he got some time?
Ah yeah, because I'm saying you can get you a
car service, bro, and let them take you inside. Because
if y'all just walking through them parking like and he
got to walk through, get wicked. Yeah you know, you
know it's like it's like a day party for the
other side. Yeah you might.
It was hello fun that day.
I just wanting to my guys just tap in with us,
you know, for a reminder.
It's like Marty. We don't want son to see too
much without Marty.
Just my son had been in three Monty Bro. Wow,
better version. He got mad beads. I'll show you the
picture with men the Hello beads.
Oh yeah, yeah, let's get straight what man can Ohio?
You had a high school seam with a lot of
pros on there. That is crazy.
Also, you have the famous picture of you playing basketball
when he looked like he was like eight years old,
which he was a teenager.
Varsi When did you start playing Varsiti basketball? Bro?
So actually I played my freshman year. So my brother
was the starting point guard. He was a senior, and
obviously I wasn't gonna take big bro spot. Like big
brother was nice. He's still playing to this days in
Galatasaray in Turkey.
This is like year sixteen.
I think for him Goshen legend, you know, Gosh and
Goshen College legend, but purple.
And white, purple and white. He he was the starting
point guard. So I played three quarters JV, two quarters varsity.
So in Ohio you had the five five quarter rule.
So I averaged about twenty and three quarters on JV
and then I played some games, some games I wouldn't
play on varsity.
But it was just a really cool experience playing with
my big bro.
Obviously, Coof was on the team COEs to Kufas and
still our good friend to this day, friends with his family,
and good dude, worked hard, obviously had a great career.
I was really fortunate Bro.
I was only like five too, so I had the handles,
had to jumper, had that stuff, but I was just
too small, and eventually God gave me a little bit
of height and some gracing. I tried to run with it.
When'd you hit that spurt? So I was I was
five to my freshman year. I was five seven my
sophomore year, and then I grew to five eleven. When
I committed to Lehigh, I was actually five eleven. Then
I played my senior year out of six to two.
Then I got to like six three and a half.
Damn we did that natural no shot.
Still skinny nose shot. And I prayed. I pray before
I go to sleep every night. Still do I stretch
before I go to sleeping. And God looked at my
dad graduated high school with five seven. He's six three now,
So I was just like, God, please don't let me
graduate high school with five seven.
My prayers must have been going to voicemail.
Too, Because I was five eleven eighth grade. I thought
I was gonna be like six five. Rudough Bro wants
to six.
But he was athletic early though.
Yeah, yeah, but I was with like five nine and
seventh grade, five eleven eighth grade, six foot freshman year.
Yeah, and then it was oh, when I hut your
first boom in the game.
My senior year high school, got my first done a
little light one hand joint barely, you know, barely go there.
Package seventh was athletic earlier. I wish I.
Would have started a little later that ship. These needs
are shot. You got a hell of a store. You've
been well, you believed in yourself.
Five tooloys still got a scholarship to a nice school.
Like crazy, bro, what you said at five eleven? I
committed verbal to le High.
I was five eleven, and then when I got there,
they was looking like and I was like, I crew
a little bit.
And I was six two. Then I was six three
when the season started.
Let me ask you this, if you were six to
your senior year, going to your senior year, you think
you would have want to Lee High. No, I love
I love High. It's the best thing to ever happened
to me. I met my wife there, Like everything was
how it was suppose was to organically, it was a
great decision.
But Penn State was recruiting me. Notre Dame was recruiting me.
I was getting recruited by some I call them football
schools right like good like good school, maybe not the
top of the conference.
At the time, I was how State those schools were better.
Notre Dame was recruiting me, and I wanted to go
to a school that played against good teams.
But like I had a chance to like you tick,
and if I was a little.
Bit tall, a little bit stronger earlier, they probably would
have offered me. I always joked Tim Fraser, shout of
my guy, Tim. He stole my scholarship in State Bill Edwards.
It worked out I wassed to if I was taller earlier,
Like I think, things probably would have been different, But
my story might have ended differently too, Like my development
going to Lehigh allowed me to do everything right, Like
I had to read the past, I had the guard
I had to I had to really take advantage of
every day because you're only gonna play a couple of
big schools a year and you be judged on that.
So it really helped my development.
The school was obviously it was hard, Like academic was tough,
like you can only you only miss three classes for
the year, they dropped from the class, so like damn, yeah,
it was really strict.
We had like real rules.
I was taking exams in the road, I had I
had exam proctor during the NCAA tournament, like it was real,
like academics first, sports a second. So that kind of
trained me like mentally to kind of be more on
the business side of understanding life beyond basketball.
So your professor saw what you did in the conference Heurney,
and decided that she was still gonna have.
A paper due or a test. Dude.
Yeah, I mean we beat Duke and I think I
had exam proctor like the date the next day.
You know that's crazy. We were supposed to make it
broke place.
Walk to house right now because I want to talk
about this. This is one of my favorite basketball highlights
of all time because I am a prime Duke hater,
so I appreciate the works you put on them front.
You mean to tell me that you did this?
You're always want to play this because this Stone Sports
is my god, it's the regular broadcast. But yeah, mad work,
you did this the Duke. I had to go take
a test. That's crazy. Oh yeah, push that they didn't care.
That's crazy.
I didn't get a standing u standing ovation of applause
in every classroom after that though.
That was dope. Not that's hard lay tough bag work.
How much you went right there?
But one of my favorite crossover that's when I was like, yeah,
I remember this game. I was like, whoever that dude is,
he is out of here. Crazy, like this is one
of my favorite basketball is all bad work.
Yeah, this put me on the map right here. This
gave me a chance to play on the big stage.
And I always hated Duke. They never recruited me. I
wanted to go to North Carolina anyway, so I wouldn't
have went there. But my boy, a lot of respect
for coach Cato in the organization and just how they
do things. I never liked du So this was really
personal for me.
I ain't gonna lie. That makes me like love this
even more. You didn't like them and gave them the
work out that and system to fuck home.
I love that when we talk about you all the time, bro,
Like that's why this is organic because he always said,
like go where you get an opportunity, because you never
know what can happen. You know what I mean? You
catch from mom like this fun around really changed your
life forever for real.
It's like this is the most nervous I've ever been
for a game in my life because I knew so
much was at stake now, Like you obviously playing games
and you you know butterflies to jitters, but like for this,
I was like they gonna judge me on this Like
if I hoop, well, they're gonna be like he's a gamer.
If I don't, they gonna say he don't show up
in big moments. So you knew, like the pressure was amplified.
I was like I might not get back.
I got back my freshman year we played Kansas, and
I was like I might not make it back. And
sure enough I got hurt my senior year, so I
didn't make it back.
Wow, that was That's a big moment. Bro.
Yah, he killed that moment.
And that's when I started saying, like, dang, I think
guys they go to smaller schools, they become better players
because they got to do more. So like like you, Steph, Dang,
Like when I watch y'all play basketball, y'all can make
the toughest shots because y'all got seen two defenders all
the time, and now when y'all get to the NBA,
it's one on one. You'll staying a chance. So I
used to tell myself, like, no wonder I can't create
like these foods because I was like, I could score,
but like these fools is signed stuff shoot over, I'm
likely putting a lot of work. They had to do
that for their team to be successful. So always come
in people who went to smaller schools and putting more work, y'all.
Y'all, y'all deserved it.
Look we appreciated it, like a lot of times we
just weren't good in it. Like I was good halfway
through my freshman year. I belonged and I deserved it.
But a lot of y'all developed faster, y'all, more athletic,
y'all quicker. You got the exposure, ob so you guys
are better faster, So we're chasing that. And I think
for a lot of small school guys, it's like you
envious of the big schools because of the resources.
Yeah, we didn't have, Like I didn't have.
Gym access all the time, like food clothes at seven
or eight, you know what I mean, Like food clothes,
sneaking in the gym, Like it's all those things. And
you see them playing on TV all the shoes, like
everything is like, yeah, you want that life. So when
you get a chance to play against a big school,
it's like it's personal because you don't know what I
went through.
You'll know what I'm going through on the day to day.
Like y'all out here y'all got your own chefs, y'all
this I got your own houses, dorms, cars like you
have all this stuff, and we out here like really
fighting for our lives.
It's like a little better version of y'all because we
ain't have You could go to the gym, but you
had to share with the girls, but we ain't have
our stuff closed A seven too, and you know it's
a but yeah, I mean what state across street? I was,
it's some food over there, that's what right now you
get your six pieces.
And over there for sure.
For sure, I used to barbecue because that you feel
me the rise and gravy over there.
I mean, it's a great experience.
But like in terms of like is in a different
place now at that point in time, you know, it's ice,
bass and trash cans, it's all of that stuff.
But I think it just teaches you a greater appreciation.
That is really going through the major guys, the stories
you hear like it's it's real. And when you get
a chance to play against these schools and obviously you
know has changed the game completely, but like it's personal
on so many levels. You see the rankings, you envious
of the team, the situation they play on TV every
night like you get in CBS college sports, they on CBS.
You know what I'm saying, It's just like so many
little things that piss you off. Or he's like, this
is I gotta I gotta really show him.
I got to show him.
I was with shelving every day. Bro Butler, he going
through the same the ice tub and the bad I mean,
trash can that's a little big joint, that's that's a
little Yeah. I don't know, I was doing that, but
it was bad, you know, on the small campus the
resources was and then once they made it, Bro Butler
looked like a whole new place.
Yeah, I was on campus. Tuition went up so much
money them two years. I went to national championship back
to back. It was a totally different place. But I
mean that's a successful but I mean obviously, like you said,
after you get on TV and smack Dukap Lee get
a little bit more funny.
And funding was never an issue. That just was it
was going to wrestling, and damn you know like wrestling.
I'll give it.
Our wrestled is rank in the country. Every we had,
like the Zachary we had like the best wrestlers.
I'm gonna press up everybody. It's twenty thousand.
It's twenty thirty thousand that they they little nationally matches
like it's real life.
It's twenty thousand of the wrestle of the match.
They're cold blooded like them boys is calar flower? All
of that? They clowning?
Wow?
Respect respect to them.
Respect, Like we didn't just say he's a wrestler.
He was a wrestler. We have him his record, what
was your record? A lot of losses they used to
make him do it?
Well, yeah, beats on the crazy. Yeah wow, we was
Barbie work today.
Man.
Okay, in the New Year, we should have had a
glass of that we get
that could have definitely had a.
Glass with that.
All what we got today bart c J on the logo.
Okay, another tropical drink so we can act like we're
not in the code.
Oh my goodness, I feel like I'm on vacation. Okay,
you put it down if it's too much.
Yeah, you know, we got a game them all, Well,
got nothing to do, but I ain't gonna drink all
of it.
But then put hair on your chest.
Oh yeah, speaking you got your own wine man, How
did that come about?
Yeah, my wife introduced me to wine in college and
shout out to my wife at Lehigh University. But obviously
getting drafted to Portland trub Blazers just kind of changed
my outlook on things, right, like seeing what was out there,
obviously seeing wine country, the mountains, the water, all those
things that you don't have in Canton, Ohio. It just
kind of opened my eyes to something else. But for us,
it's about legacy. Was about you know, establishing roots and
a place that we'll probably call home forever. It's like
the home away from home forever and gives us a foundation,
a place to raise our kids because it's something to
pass down and this is a space that it's not
like people that look like us in this space, and
it wasn't historically.
It's a hard, hard barrier of entry.
And for us to have our own land, our own
water rights, believe to grow our own fruit. We obviously
sell fruit as well and still buy fruit from our
partners I'll Shine and some other friends in the business.
It just gave us another lane and something that you know,
we're proud of that we could pass down to our kids.
But I actually enjoy wine, and I had to put
the liquor down just because of the in season, like
the trial, like how the inflammation, all those things it
does to the body. Obviously, when I was younger, it
was easy. Me and he could go out and drink
and he could go get fifty. But now it's that
the hangover is different. So for wine, it's just it's easier,
it's easily digestible for me, something that is more acceptable,
socially acceptable. You can drink wine with the GM the president,
the coaches, whereas you know, growing up early on in
your career was frowned upon. Now it's like we got
we got drink sponsors in the NBA now, so it's
like a different lane for us. But I just love celebrations.
I love being with people breaking bread. Always say you
might have had bad wine, but you never had a
bad time can wine, right, So those are just like
cool elements and things that we just try to bring
out the people in.
We just got distribution.
I think we're in like nine states now, so distributing
in you know, East Coast, not here yet. Indiana's a
little tricky tough with liquor laws, but definitely you know
something that we're proud.
Of that which one of them is sweet?
That's the rose?
You like the rose? I think you would like it.
That's a lot of guys in the league like it.
Obviously it's cold here right now, but you can drink
rose year for sure.
What I was saying, what's the name up again? Mccum harrison,
So what's my last name? Yeah, hair ninety one.
For those that actually want to buy it, mcaum Harris
naety one dot com. Tap in.
We'll put that up under the things so we can.
Person's almost here. Yeah, we'll have a lit stock and stuffer.
We'll have some some Christmas deals for everybody, and you know,
we'll do some some creative shipping things for those that
are really interested and.
Want to get sure tap in Copy three probably a
couple of them too.
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Our instruction one was different.
Yeah, but you had wide I roll. Yeah, that's a
that's a soft red. Yeah, soft red, easy on the palette,
like digestible. I don't know.
That's how did you feel?
That's dependable on the body. Okay, well I got little
calic over here, so I was there.
One wide in front of the store was like just
the one to get here. He said it was too fifty.
Then we had Carlos ROSSI yeah, yeah, pre game legendary,
you know.
So now you got the that's a steakhouse one. Yeah.
Yeah, we're Stus boutique restaurants, boutique. We're in four seasons
in d C. That's this is enjoying. I was on
the nouveau, but we all like I was at I
was at Lee High. I don't drink beer, so I
was playing beer ponll with liquor like you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I knew. But eventially you gotta transition
and you got to grow up at some point. If
I didn't hoop, like I still like my calenar, I
still drink whiskey. And Kognak, But like when I got
a game, it's just a different It's a different animal.
These young boys, you know, they more athletic, the faster, quicker.
It's more space.
You know.
When we first got into the league, you play with
traditional forces and lives where you can kind of rest,
like throw the get your a little dig and get
out of the way. Your guard in the point guard, he
just gonna cut through. You're like cool, chilling now it's yeah.
Yeah yeah.
So how was that draft process though for you? Though?
Was it different? Like how many teams did you try
out for? How was that?
So?
I was projected lottery pick. I ended up breaking my
foot my senior year. So I go back to school
for my senior year. I'm playing really well. I was
preseason first team All American. I did all that stuff,
Lebron skills everything. So it's like this is the first
time where like you go from the hunter to the hunted,
Like I was a hunter in my whole life, right,
and then I was like, damn, my preseason All American
Like this is crazy. One of the magazines like yeah,
I came out and I was killing. Then I broke
my foot against VCU and I missed the rest of
my senior year, so pre draft for me was like
a chance to show that I was healthy. I broke
my foot, so I was coming up a foot fracture,
so I had to show I was healthy, show I
could still create score Like the biggest thing was like
can he score on this level?
Like will he be able to still have shot creation?
He's sure not fast, he's not super athletic, he's not
a point guard. He can't create for others. Does he
play defense, can't defend outside of his position. So those
are the things that it was like hard to showing workouts.
But it was like I can get a bucket, so
it doesn't matter. Like I told him, I work out
against second round picks. I work out against guys that's
not get drafted. Bring the D two guys, line them up,
like I don't really care. So I wasn't running form people.
Some people wouldn't work out against me during pre draft.
They would kind of avoid the workouts and stuff like that,
but I did. I did, like twelve workouts I worked
out for Orlando had number two, and there's there's a
Lee High Lee High alumn that's high up there. So
it just made sense. Phoenix. I worked out for them.
I worked out for Sacramento twice. I worked out for
Portland Trailblazers, I worked out for the Sixers. I worked
out for Detroit, Minnesota, and Utah. So basically, like around
the lottery, Sacramento promised me. I actually thought I was
going to Sacramento at seven. Been mcklamore Felia at draft.
The draft got kind of mixed up. I think they
were splitting. They took Bim McLamore, Joe Joe D was
with Detroit. I thought they was gonna take me. They
took KCP because Joe D was the major guy. I
was like, take me, Nope. Blazer's basically said if I
was there at ten, they would take me. I almost
went to Philly at eleven. That was Michael Carter Williams
was eleven to Philly mc dub Oh, this is Marcus draft.
I think Marcus went the year before me. Oh you're
talking about yeah, he's at thirteen. Nah, he was like.
He was one night.
Yeah, I'm saying like he was in twenty thirteen draft.
I don't remember. I mean it's that you're with Casey Fres,
Anthony Davids number one. No, that's Dames draft. So your
brother was, Yeah, he was in that draft.
He was a year raft.
Yeah, thirteen, Anthony been in correct, Anthony been at one.
Jannie is in that draft. Steven Adams, Kalia, lynok Uh Clinic,
Trey Burke trade from Columbus.
You should have won number one?
Yeah you Yeah, and scandalous as I was acting honest. Yeah,
he wasn't never going number one. We had him in
the basement. Nobody's seen that.
My brother played against Joannis and they said he was
whooping in the forces with the grass cutter forces.
The loss No, like the O g strap joints in.
Yeah, I gotta gave him some more respect.
I didn't know, you know who knew he was gonna
be that good though. Kenny Akinson looks crazy. He showed
me filming this kid, Jannis, and was like, he's the
next superstar, said him. He like he can pass the
magic Johnson lebron I was like, hey, O, no, the
story you guys to see how long his arms are.
We're drafting, we're getting this bro. I didn't see. My
brother was like, he's not ready. He's a Project's gonna
take him some time. But but the transformation he made. Yeah,
come on, like he was mount nourished obviously. For sure,
he was ugly.
Bro was running and running the games. Here Bro spent
send all his money home. I seen he sent all
his money home. He had no car. He was running
the game and somebody stopped and picked him up. Yeah, Bro,
he everything.
He getting cut us out Chick fil A and became
one of the best players in his position of all time.
That is crazy shots, honest, man, fifty getting fifty piece
you drop fifty is still.
Literendary to be And he made all his free throws.
That was big.
Come on crazy, uh shouts my cousin Christmas. He always
he was early on you as a fair. He always
said he was like the prototype for like two guards.
He was just like if you're a guard as skill
to basketball, maybe not the most athletic, but everything you
can do on a basketball court translate. And it's like
your bag is so crazy, Like we just had a highlights,
Like where did you learn how to hoop? Like that
is that big Bro? Is that the fam or is
that just a product of being in the gym? That's
big Bro, for sure, it's the gym. It's creativity.
It's like I have a unique ability to be able
to watch stuff and pick it up and emulate it
right away. So I think that helps. Like I be
on YouTube stealing stuff. I still I watch a lot
of Kyrie. I watch a lot of old school stuff.
I watched Green Hill, I watched Team AC. I watch
a lot of footwork. So I watch it Hamilton. I
watch a lot of stuff and then I try to
emulate it, Like how do I create space? How do
I get separation? How do I get floats off? Left hand,
right hand? How do I get step backs? I stole
damn step back right, Like if I see it, I
like it, I'm taking it. Oh me, I shave got
a lot of you know that that that left foot
front stops to the step back, taking it like you
see something that you like. And it's like, how can
I get an advantage on the on the defense? How
do I add more? How do I get to the
free throw line more? It's the pump fakes. I've been
pumpaking lot late. Think got shot nine free throws last game,
but I was six and nine, so I gotta do
better than that. But it's like, how do you continue
to get better?
And the mister Chaos.
And as you age, right, yeah, as you age, you
got to be more efficient with everything. Sleep matters, hydration matters,
how you work when you work, do I work out
on it? Like today was a light day, but I
just you know, one hundred free throws, touch shots around
the basket. It's just like programming the mind and the
body to understand that, Like you don't have to always
do something hard. Sometimes it's thinking through, like how I
want this came to go tomorrow? With type of shots
am I going to get? I got young team, They fast,
they athletic. How do I fit into that? How do
I score in the half court when it's a bumping,
grind type of game. But I think it's my brother.
He taught me how to train. He taught me how
to think, He taught me how to prepare. He taught
me the importance of like every every aspect of basketball,
and it all stems around preparation.
And it was like this separator is to work and
the discipline. Everybody's not gonna work and everybody's not gonna
be disciplined. You can maintain that for the longer, longer
periods of time, You'll make as much money as you want,
for sure. Listen, I got a question for you. I
also thirty. Please get your food order. It is wicked
outside of that. Get your food in complete. They got
you out the gate. You talked about Chick fil A
being your cheap meal for today. Gang shit, you know
what I'm saying. That was the usual.
Like after heard him talking about situestion.
Nah, just hear him talk about preparation and all that.
Like I told you I was playing around the NBA.
But just nice.
Though I appreciate that you was nice, But like from that,
like I ain't have my big brother hoop. But my
big brother he played at Central State, but he ain't
played professional ball. He went to the workfield after basketball.
My dad played at Missouri.
He could hoop.
He played, but we didn't prepare like that my dad
like go hoop thing. But like to hear you be
like I got good sleep. I did that and I
lived in Atlanta. He wasn't sleeping in Atlanta. Nah.
I just showed up to the game.
Cause that's crazy.
Y'all know me though as well.
That was just me And like to hear him being
like that, like it made me feel bad all over here.
Like I hope my kids, I'm the school team. You
watch it.
Hear thisuse No, it's it's different tiers though. Look he
said he had a Luckily he had his brother to
give me the game.
I would have been left, like I would.
I would think that I was going to go left,
but he was there, Like God, God knew I needed that.
Like I have the discipline I had to work, I think,
but I needed somebody to push me. I need somebody
to show me the way and kind of teach me,
like this is what you have to do to be successful.
And he gave me the blueprint, like he kind of
whatever he did wrong, he was like, Okay, I did
these things wrong.
I did these things right.
I'm gonna teach you what I did right, and I'm
gonna stay away from what I did wrong. And he's like,
you got more time to me because you get to
watch me live this life first, so we got to
take advantage, like I'm gonna make the mistakes for us,
and then you got to learn from him. So it
was like if I fail this, because because I just failed,
he gave me everything I needed to succeed. I just
had to go do the work and have the mental
fortitude to push forward, but also circumstance matter, Situation matters,
Like I hit a Gros sperad at the right time,
I go to the right school, Like everything kind of
fell into place with hard work and prayer and just luck.
But I say all this to say that, like I
made a lot of mistakes, but my circumstances dictating my life.
Like I get drafted to Portland, it's nothing to do there. Yeah,
like you're good at your job. It's like Ohio growing
up in certain places, Like you're gonna be really good
at what you do if you lock in because there's
nothing to do, there's no real distraction. If iud got
drafted in Miami, I always joked like I might have been.
I might have made it to ten years, Like you
never know the circumstances of your situation. But like I was,
I was locked in immature because I had a mature brother,
and if he was immature, I would have been immature too.
But like he shaped, he shaped the work, and then
I seen his success. Then I was like, oh shit,
like this shit works.
You mean, tell me if I get up five hundred shots,
If I get five hundred makes I'm hit eight threes
and that's how I was that way forwards. It wasn't
nothing to do, so I lived in the gym. But
when I got to Atlanta, Atlanta different clearly I went
to the gym, but like, yeah, it wasn't the same.
You know, I wasn't when I wasn't playing, I went
to a lot, but when I started playing, I ain't
do the same work.
But you can still turn up. Like there's a balance,
Like I live a good life, Like I still like,
you gotta do what you gotta do, but there's a
balance in understanding of like success comes from consistency. Yeah,
you can go out here there like I eat well,
but like when I was younger, I eat. I eat
like I do now. Like everything I do now is better,
It's more amplified because I know so much now. I
understand exactly what I need to do to be ready
by seven pm. Tomorrow's a three pm game. I know
exactly what I needed to do to be ready by
three pm. I know what I need to eat.
I know the times. I know what time I should nap.
I know the time I FaceTime the kids.
I know the time I'm texting my wife, Like I
know exactly what I'm going to do throughout the day
because I had trial and error, but there was nights.
I mean I had some hitting knights, like tequila knights.
Like we did all of that and I still could
go get buckets. But now it's just like I know
better and I already did it, so it's like nah,
I can just drink some wine and go to sleep,
or like it is what it is, but we didn't
did it all.
Like we've done it all and experience it all.
But it's like, yeah, it's like I always say that
comes comes a time where you got to put away
childish things to kind of like pick a lane. And
now like I'm I'm the second oldest on the team,
so it's like I remember when I was the youngest. Yeah,
now I'm the oldest, and I don't want to I
don't want to phase out because of like a discipline.
If I phase out, it because I either chose to
leave or it just wasn't the right situation for me,
Like I don't want the league to just be done
with me.
I want to be done with the league, and I
got to do.
Everything right to my body in my mind, so that
peak performances I can go and go over ten tomorrow.
But I did everything I was supposed to do, so
like it should have worked out, and Lolla Average says
it will work out long term, but like you're gonna
have those games where you miss shots and ship, but
it's not gonna be for lack of preparation.
Now, that's why I wanted to ask, you had your
brother off the court? Of course, who was that vet
that or anybody when you got to Portland that took
you under that way?
Yeah, I had some. I had some real o g's
Like my rookie year.
I had Mo Williams, Steve Blake, squabble, shout out to
my god d Right. I had Chris Kyman, Earl Watson
and then like mid tier vets I called him like
the mid twenties. Back in the day, mid twenties was
like older for the league now, like and you got
twenty four twenty five year old rookies.
But I had Westy Matthews.
Uh, I had Lopez, I had.
Obviously me and Dame.
I had Will Barton, shot to my guy Wheel, Thrill, Thrill,
Thomas Robinson, Myers, Leonardo.
We had it was cold.
I had a great blend of young guys, mid tier
and vets.
Yeah, and our Vets was like like Moe used to
make me sit in his room. Uh he drank his
whiskey and make me sit in his room and just
tell me stories.
Uh.
Ded Wright was like, you know, we're gonna go out,
young fella, We're gonna do this. We're gonna go out
to eat. Like that's my guy to this day. But
like wed like a really good group of guys. Chris
came in. We own restaurants together, We own a bunch
of covers in Michigan together, like just a good scholid dude.
Pat Content shot that my guy Pat, he was a
young bull. Now he's got a.
Real estate Empires part time.
Pat and I got a lot of properties and stuff
together too. But it's like we talked about shout to
my guy at Davis, my guy at David's steamroom, Mafia.
We you know, yeah, a lot so a lot of
real ones who came from like different circumstances, different walks
of life. But like we go out to eat together,
we talk about business, talk about kids, life, and then
we go get it in. That's what i'stand so it
was like a perfect blend where you know, we land
in Miami. The sprinter beat there like it is what
it is, but like I got to see like every
aspect of life as a twenty year old to where
like now I'm in my thirties.
And it's just like like damn, like this is coming
full circle.
Like when I was youngest, now I almost the oldest,
is like I got to enjoy it before it's over.
Yeah see they got the sprinter from Miami. We had
a sprinter in Memphis. Salt like Salt liked it was
probably astro man. Our team was different. That's like when
he's saying his teammates like I was the youngest.
I was a rookie sprinter in Mendos. Is nasty work?
Are you going? Child smithhis love bro'spove Memphis. That's how.
But my rookie year it was like I don't know
if it's alrighty there no more. My rookie year it
was all right, but I ain't had nobody my age
on my team. So like everybody on my team had
either been like a Max player at one point in
their career guy or they was on their way to
being the guy. Like I was on this way of
being the guy Josh just got paid. I was just
a young buck, so wasn't nobody like you could really, Hey,
teach me the game. They like, I get on the
outside what you're talking about. So I used to be like, hey,
I want to go to the gym. And my workout
guy was Tyrone Hill. I'm a point guard specialist. Tyrone
Hill was my workout guy.
That's crazy. They tell you here that's so cool.
I mean they feeled you with so what.
They you in some ways, But think about what you
was able to do with that, Like you probably got
into a good career.
I didn't do nothing trying to clean up because I'm
like that.
Tomorrow my freshman, my rookie year, I got hurt though,
so I broke my foot again training camp.
I was league.
I didn't play a lot. Second year, I broke my
index finger, didn't play a lot. I was third string
shooting guard, third string point guard Wesley towards achilles are
and the follow towards shoulder.
So then I had to I had to play. You
had to play me.
And then I always say, you don't you don't blow.
You don't blow an opportunity by not playing your blood,
by not being ready, and I was ready.
You're a good dude, though, Bro, I shot the guy.
You've been hot. If you rolled the ball out and
it was Tyrone Lou, that's my guy, Tyrone. Heill go.
You gotta make it. Do what you do. But I
did you know what we did to t jumpers that
five spot they get to it. We do that.
It's key is with our frieze in the n b A.
It wasn't a real development playing place.
No, you're luckily Nick vann X came quick, quick came,
and then that's when my career kind of changed.
He like took me up. There's but then your game
of off because you had a real But my rookie
year the n b A was like ground bro, and
he was going out in Memphis.
So you was.
So younger, you know how just like now it's like
it's it's lead weigh and like now like we don't
make our rookies do anything. They got the backpacks, but
they don't really do real activities. When you was younger,
it was like mandated, like you gotta go.
It was like you.
Gotta do this, you gotta do that, Like it's not
a it's not a question it's like Rookie downstairs at
this time, rook I need my loop at this time,
brook I need the griddle with the with the hash
browns and the orange juice. And it was just like
I know they're gonna know, they're gonna break me off
some bread, so I'm gonna do it. First, you pushed back,
and then it gets worse, so he like, let me
just fall in line, like I don't want to more problems.
And then it gets easier and they start giving you
eight hundred dollars to go get McDonald's. He's like, yeah,
I don't know how much MiG died in l A.
I know how much McDonald's cost me.
At the gate. Did you have to learn or did
you know what I'm saying? You feel alarned? I had
to learn. Neil called me into the office. He was like,
c J, I need him.
To like you.
Man right now, I don't like you.
You were saying no everything I was wilding out.
That was I went to school four years like I'm
an adult. Like man, it's like, you know, like you're
not talk to me like that. And it was like,
yeah we are. Yeah, I'm talking crazy. After I score
them and everything I'll.
Never forget I on the switch.
L A.
You know l is a man.
Shout to my guy, l A, shout market, I kind
of want switch and he said something to me.
I said pop and he said off. I said offer
your ass said you was so bullshit. But I ain't
no like I'm out.
Here trying to eat like I'm like I've been starving
my whole life. No, I'm in the league and I
ain't playing. Somebody gotta pay. Every practice matters.
They got to pay.
They got to pay, and they ain't like they ain't
taking practice. Seriously, this is my game. I'm talking crazy.
It set me back a little bit, but I'm made
up for it. On your car anything, Nah, I didn't
get to that point. I fell in line fast donuts.
What kind of donuts? Chris cre like wait to the
light of song, like I got you. You fell in
line like.
It took me like two weeks, but I think if
I had another week, it was over you felling line quick.
It took me like three months. Hey, shout out to
chime man making money moves here Club five.
It high like somebody is getting to it on it
off the court man and there's no better person to
choose this episode than our guy, c J.
Max Man.
Listen, we didn't want to jinx the episode, make sure
he got bucket when he pull up in town.
But now that the game is over, we can talk
about it. Getting to this year. How y'all feeling about.
C J Man eighteen points on the year he came
into the city and dropped eighteen on us. So my
boy been on a tier fifteen year vet. Keep killing
my boy?
Yeah, well said now Tea.
You always talk about how CJ had always been consistent
with his buckets eighteen this year, always been around twenty.
Man, what's the kiddy sinsistency for so many years in
the league. I think it's preparation.
I think he talked about it on an episode, how
much he prepared for the games and what you do
to get ready for, you know, to be a star
player like he is, average of eighteen this year, one
of the veterans on that group, and to come to
Indianapolis and get a win, that's definitely was a money move.
Well said Man.
Listened CJBI club for a long time off the court
an episode, you here more about his avestans he's made
and the long Jevy will be there man.
One time for child over Here Club five to twenty.
I got my car apart point the popcorns. Yeah, I
picked Bibio a full court in practice one day. He said,
what the fuck are you doing? So they told me
to pick you.
Up full court?
Yeah, but what you try to give a motherfucker a
donna that was four months old, so he was bad
to get your ship off.
You're picking up bbfore court is grace. He said, what
are you doing? I was like, he told me to
pick you up. He said, you sure about that?
The car was popped off the pick.
Job.
I thought you did something wrong. You don't ever try
to embarrass me. I was like, I thought, you didn't
do what you are to do this.
When did you get your opportunity?
So my my rookie year I was I was G
League Shorty for like like a week, and then I
transitioned back into d MP Shorty for a while and
then I was like the tenth man. But you got
a eight man rotation. Yeah, so you just to stay ready. Guy,
you're playing. You know your game is like three pm.
This is pre uber, pre postmate, So like you got
to get to the arena on your own house card whatever,
work out, run the stairs, Me and will play one
on one Me and t Rob will Myers Earl. We
played two and two. That's the game. Game starts. Take
your shower. You know you ain't playing, said, I was
like rookie year, second year. I played a little bit,
broke my finger back to the MP shorty. And then
it got to like February, like end of February, March,
mid March, right right before you get to that April push.
We like second in the West were killing West is
having a great year. Everybody's playing well, like we like
a well oiled machine. We got like a good five,
and like a good five, it comes in like everybody nice.
Like I'm like, oh shit, we got actually like we
got to we got a real chance to like make
a run. And Wesley Terrace's achilles, I'm like, oh shit,
I'm I'm back up now, I'm actually I forget tape
like a take before the games again. And then n
I follow Terrors's shoulder, so I go from third string
to like they gotta play me, even if they don't
start me, they gotta play me. From there, finished the
regular season and then my first round is against the
Memphis Grizzlies. Twenty locked my shit up and he locked
me up Game one, Game two, I kind of figured
it out. Game three, I had like thirty twenty seven,
twenty six season ends. I sit in the front office
and like, yeah, Westley's gonna sign with Dallas. Wesley gets
seventy million off the Achilles Aaron I followers with my agent.
He was like, I'm not coming back, young fella. Is
yours like I'm leaving And I was like, cool, Paul's
on that. That's crazy. Yeah, he was cooking this is
your journey.
I'm respect that. It's crazy. Wow, that's crazy.
But bro, long story short, they say, Yo, you're gonna
start at shooting guard. You're gonna play back on point guard.
I'm like, fucking ad the minutes. I'm like, minutes is that.
I'm like, fucking m I start at the shooting guard.
That's like twenty five Let's say Dame sits for like
seven seven to twelve minutes.
I'm like, shit, that's like thirty six minutes.
Gay, I said, I'm about to go crazy. I'm about
to cook crazy on like a dog off the leash.
Tell my brother, I said, I'm about to kill. He was like,
what you been waiting for? And now we'll know how
how hard you work. Now we'll see what the work
is all about.
And I was like, that was it. Yeah, I went my.
Maveraging six to twenty. You hear a crazy story.
So I remember he was telling a story you might
be on your podcast or somebody. And he was like, yeah.
My agent was like, we can sign the four year
thirty two like Jeff t. He was like, or we
can wait and play it out and I'm gonna go
get some money. And I remember I came to him
in the game. I was like, man, why are you
saying about my money? Man? He was like no, I
wasn't saying it like in a bad thing. I mean,
you got paid, but I know I could get more.
I walk around he pressing me.
I was like that's hard.
I was like, damn, I just walked away. I was like,
that's kind of funny. But no, I was like, I
did I remember what I said.
I used to look at us to call hoops hype
and look at deals and like look at stats. I
did this my whole life. Like before I went to Lehigh,
I knew Georgia Hill's stats. I knew Steve Nash, I
knew every like Steph Curry, every borderline like mid major
that goes to the league, like first round.
I looked at it.
I looked at East Snow obviously went to Michigan State,
but Keith macleode went to the Bowling Green Antonio Daniels,
so like I knew Daniels Tonio dani Ohio legend. So
I knew, like, all right, I got to average this,
I got to be this efficient. I gotta get to
the tournament.
So I knew. So when it came to the contracts
and we did the same thing.
I looked at your trajectory, size points, obviously statistics, how
good is the team? And I was like, okay, he's
getting like eight. Okay, this guy's getting like twelve. What
do I have to do And how much team success
do we have to have for me to get paid,
Because it's all blended together. You can kill a bad
team and it's like no one cares. So it's like
blended success. You need to be good individually, good numbers.
Shoot well from three. I got the creativity off the bounce.
I can play one of the two. I could score
three level score right at the floats whatever, But like,
is your team winning? So I was like, yeah, we're
winning games, right. We weren't supposed to make the playoffs.
Making the playoffs, I averaged a dub shoot forty forty
one from three. So it's like I got they got
to pay me at least like seventeen to twenty because
I'm twenty two years old. So it's like I just
kind of new like age statistics team success. So like
I was like, they got to pay me more than
that because I'm younger. I'm younger than Jeff West when
he got paid. That's what I meant, no disrespect.
He went district. I just like, how clean you can't be?
Like I mean they I said what I said.
Respect, I was just I wouldn't even I was. I
was you know me. Yeah, So I was just like,
why you say that?
Bro?
He was like, no, I could get more. I just
looked like ship.
Who Especially how he broke it down he already had
in the bag. That's how I always like, you left
that THI of Terry Bowe.
I gotta ask you, well, you know what I'm saying.
That bad came through obviously, he said, turnoil the first
couple of years and you hooped out.
They was to get paid. What was that feel like
the best thing in the world.
Man.
My agent, My agent hit me and it was like,
I think we're at like like ninety seven. I was
like ninety seven, what like ninety seven million?
I said, take you sitting there?
No, no, no, it's early early. I said early. I
don't want to be late. My guy was good.
He was like, trust me, CJ, We're good. I was
supposed to fly this. My brother was in TVT at
the million Dollar Tournament, so I was in Vegas. I
was supposed to fly to Philly to watch his championship.
He was like, don't go to these coast. We got
to sign this deal, like stay on the West coast.
So my now wife, my girlfriend at the time, we're
in Vegas and I'm like, we're going out tonight, young
young Young, you say young Seed was outside and it
was a great night. And then the next day I
flew to Portland. It was four years and four years,
one hundred and six million, and I was like, I
couldn't out sign was shaking when I was Oh my god,
every think I prayed for more. Shout out to the
goat Sam going for that always joke, I claim to famous.
I got more than honest in my first extension, I'm
talking Yanni.
Yeah, that's hard.
Brow, that's fine. I was like, dang, when I seen
the signs that he got a hundred ship.
That's when you said, let's go get the micros for this.
Don't get.
Whose house is this?
What?
What was the first thing you called through?
No, I mean I was.
I went to Lee High Man, so was just like
understanding your finance and I just had this this this
fear going broke.
My whole life is just like I was afraid, like
y'all want to go broke.
So by my mom, my mom a car, by myself
a car, eventually about my dad a car. And then
my brother, you know, he get into the chicken too,
so we went half She's on a lot of stuff,
you know what I'm saying, like half home, mom's crib,
half home, my brother's crib.
That's all that crib.
So it's like I didn't really buy nothing, crazy man.
I did buy this iced out cross.
You know, I still got I don't really wear it anymore,
but I bought this iced out cross, and that was
really it man, I wanted to get the portionline eleven,
but I was afraid, so I didn't do it. But
then when I signed that, when I got to I
got to Ashton Martin dB eleven, that was like twenty
twenty seven, twenty eighteen, so I still got her. She's
in storage right now, waiting on waiting on me.
No for sure, man, I ain't gonna lie.
Boy, I'll see a hundred plus everything for salf me
a couple of posters, but then I'd be at the lead.
He did the right way, did the great wife for sure?
Now not to get my first day David gave me
a hundred men, boy.
I wouldn't be married. I love my wife to death.
I love you boy. I would been I would have
been Star.
Beach Team.
I would have put your star.
Next to him. I wouldn't be a boy.
Thought watch Real Estate down there and y'all crazy man,
carry I thought.
I watched me and my wife watched the shot that documentary.
It's one of the hop cooin and everything.
Everybody everybody watching, one of the craziest documentaries of all time. Incredible,
bro the fact that he really made them walk for
that cheesecake. It's still my boy for me being in
New York and see how.
Far that is. I sez, that's that's probably the emailest
thing he did, that little journey. I probably would have
signed up for that.
Yeah, compared to other things that all bad interviews is
out of pocket. Yeah, well you got that many people
waiting to talk about what you did to them.
Bro, that's crazy.
I'm not even taking up for nothing he did. I
just don't like to me, I feel like, if we're
all criminals, let's just go down together. That's why I
can't FOCU with too many people, see Jay, because I'm like, bro,
if we all did this ship out with me, Bro,
don't get on here saying man, I watched the Nigga.
I just didn't say nothing though. No, no, you guilty too.
Yeah, they don't do that. There was a lot of
complicit people in there. He did a lot, They did
a lot collectively. But that was crazy. Yeah.
I think that in the crazy part is is like
his own footage. Yeah, yeah, that's crazy.
I'm just saying, let's all go down together. But I
just don't like with one person that came down, we
all do a crown. We're all supposed to go to bro,
you ain't supposed to get out before me.
If you you commit the crime. But we watched it.
He wanted to go to jail you Yeah, bro, sit,
that's crazy.
Jail ain't doing it.
Yes you did.
Did you talk somebody out?
No, that's different if they say you got to go
to jail for life or tell you tell him for him?
Yeah, I'm good. I'm good as to remixed the group chair,
but we take it.
Auditions for Fox the same. Some money in his books.
It's crazy. Yeah, bro, no I put twenty thousand. I'm saying,
we did a crime, and we all in the car.
We all need to go down. Bro, if we all
are part of it, that's it. That's all I'm saying.
I respect that ship he did. I'm not even I'm
just saying I don't like when everybody just turning on
him when ship get dark.
Yeah, some of the people that was can plussing in there,
y'all was out of pocket.
Yeah, that's respect.
I got to ask this question obviously in Washington now,
But what was that moment, like knowing that she was
leaving Portland?
Yeah, that was tough man like that. That's still home
to this day and you know, it was. I always
say there's bad divorces and good divorces.
It was. It was. It was a good split. It
was amicable.
We had some great conversations about the process where I
was going to go teams that we kind of talked through,
and Joe did a great job of kind of orchestrating
that trade in the midst of you know, some chaotic
times right his post COVID is a lot going on,
and I had a saying where I was going.
So I can't complain about that departure. It was a
great time.
And one day I'll go back and you know, make
you do what to do again, or my jersey being raptors,
and we'll just enjoy those times.
But I think we handled it well. So I have
I have no ill will. I loved them.
I still watch a lot of their games on lead
Pass and I go to Oregon every summer, so I'm
still there. I got a business there, obviously, we got
the nursery, got the farm, so it's just a place
that's always going to be close to home. But it
was hard to leave, right Like it's it's tough you
spend your you know, the beginning of your adulthood. There
you learn, you grow, you develop a lot of my
first memories in the NBA are there, and you'll never
forget those. You know, the first house you buy, the
first like everything is there, the first basket you score
that's meaningful, the first playoff game, the first game winner.
So it's like it's a place that will always been
near and dear to me. But like now think for
them in a position where I can always go back
and I have roots there.
Literally, yeah, because I know, like I probably speak with
all of us, we're big fans of that.
Those Portland teams.
Obviously I was going neck and that would go stay
at the time period, so then you see it happen,
It's like, okay, maybe they might move on.
Then obviously we see you move on.
Did you ever think there was me a time period
they would have traded they mean litward, I didn't.
I think that shocked everybody.
I think.
The team was in a different space and I think
they had to make a decision on like is it
a rebuild?
Is it do we kind of play with parody?
And Dame was obviously trying to win a championship that
I think he's gonna traded to Milwaukee in the middle
of the night. No, hell no, I didn't foresee that happening.
But in this business you just kind of never know.
And there's not a lot of lifers. Johannis could be
a lifer, but like, who knows what's gonna happen with
that situation, right, Like, there's not a lot of lifers
in this league.
No matter how good you are.
It's hard to be on a team, you know, dark
Nowinsky style, like when you do twenty years or whatever,
like I.
Thought Luca would be, you know, a life but like
you just never know in this business. So it's unfortunate.
But he made his way back and my guy Id
is happy. He's progressing well. But he was moving well
back with his kids, so he's in a good spot.
And you know, mentally, I think he's in a much
better position. And it's hard going from being right like
his family is in working like everybody is there. You
go from that to being in Milwaukee where it's like
negative tens on the other side of.
The world, Like it's a difficult transition.
Yeah, o buck pleasure over here he was talking about
that definitely legend, you know what I'm saying, talk about
it without you since, Bro, But you said early on
and people's criticizing for it.
He's like, dam should go back to.
Yeah, I said it. I knew where his heart was.
I knew where he wanted to be. To me, you
can tell me everything you want to. But when you're
the guy of an organization and they say the letter
oh when he come out, they don't even say number zero,
they said the letter old.
Yeah, I mean wrong forever. Yeah.
In fact, I mean she's everybody spit there. I get it,
Like I feel the love. And I wasn't him, you
know what I'm saying. Like they loved me. That wasn't that,
you know what I'm saying. So it's like you was, bro. Bro,
I don't like say that. Y'all had some especially I
can hoop, but likes.
Bro dynamic. Bro, it was it was clay and stuff.
Then it was you and Dan a thousand percent, bro,
like the best bad course in the league. That's what
it was.
Bro.
I was trying to ship too. Bro.
Yeah, y'all wasn't ask to be fair. That go say
team was stupid, Like, come on, Bro, that was was
it was without them, like we might have had a
chance at the hip for sure, they sued it up.
I wish I would have had l A a little longer,
would have stayed bro.
Y'all would have had might have got one.
That post presence is dropping bro your forty ball. Yeah,
top is him.
That's the best big you play, will.
Keep it real?
Yeah, I mean who else I played with hold On?
He played with freaks the legend.
Let you, I love l A give me.
Like L I was, Yeah, because you're.
Just trans dynamicicing, explosive and athletic. But he's a different
type of big l. It's like a for sure I
was that was like a post traditional big pick pops.
He is forward, ducky and he bringing up, bringing a
bitch up like he's doing all of that.
It's like a different variable. But I also never got
to see Z play in the playoffs, so it's different.
I see L go give Dwight forty and twenty he's
so it's like fact he has the potentially do that,
but I haven't able to see it yet.
So like it's hard to judge regular season.
No, I got you now, I'm gonna take LA all day.
It's not even close.
When show up, though, comparison is a deep of joy,
but like in regular season when he plays, he's he's
doing nothing. He's box office for sure, but it's like
it's comparing them. It's it's just not fair. But like
if we would have had l and it's funny like
if you know then what if you know then what
you know now? Like I would have tried to get
him to stay like we would all like, but I
didn't know like he was going till it's too late.
Yeah.
I used to just hate how they used to just
try to break y'all up because they said y'all were
too small to win.
It's like something winning forty seven and fifty two games
like a problem.
Yeah, I just I never understood that.
Even in the wild Wild West too literally hated that crew.
Yeah, but he was. He used to tell me, like
this man in they position while they're saying this, because
ship you're getting six eighty six nine two guards. Now
that they're not killing, it's just that's what they're seeing.
These kids is creating these monsters.
I used to run that that flair action I thom My.
I used to be like you. I used to pick
my poys. I used to come up like I got
dang fuck that I got c J. I'm like, funk
that I got ce J. Guard CEJ? Either I guard Nico.
You won't that well, right, I'm like all right, stay
with that about the Yeah, for sure I could guard
that which I was dying. Nia was still contributed to league. Man,
he's a good player. Though he's still contributed Bro too.
Like here about about seventeen and somewhere, Bro nigga forty Bro.
Before we get before we get out of here, I
just wanted to ask you, like, Okay, you was in
New Orleans and that was a new situation, and it
was you know, it was a different situation. But now
that being Washington and be the oldest guy on the team,
the second oldest Chris Chris older than Chris Wilson, guy
Chris non cash middles, but to be one of the
older guys on the team, like the VET and guys
looking up to you asking you questions, is there any
guy that like really sticks out to you from this
young group to be like, I think he's going to
be special in five years when we talk about this
a little later, Yeah, I think I'm gonna talk about
him all specific like individually, or maybe three.
Of them, big fellas. Sorry, ask a lot of questions.
Obviously he's you know he's a footer, yeah, super skilled.
Obviously he's making a jump. Yeah, he's progressing back from
an injury now. But like you can just see the tools,
the footwork. Yeah he got the turn fake like not
l a right, but like the way he plays and moves,
the fluidity, like the touch. You try to see like
the levels of could be a two way guy, right,
rent protector, can guard, can switch out one through five,
can plain the drop and play at the level, go
touch around the basket, can shoot the three still like
a baby, like still young Keisha, Like I think this
guy's the limit for him.
Nice Damnar six' ten point like he can play the.
Point he can we played Against.
Dallas he guard to ad like he has like, range
you know through five he can play every position, offensively
large level score, mid he's getting better learning how to
stop and just. Raise can shoot the, three shooting like low.
Forties he was at forty five from three last. Week
so it's like great. Scale bubb is always in the
gym WHENEVER i go into late, night LIKE i see
him in.
There he.
Works, yeah six threes last, game Like baltimore.
Guy you, know he's, tough he can, Guard he's, tall
he's got. Size who else the law super, tall, Athletic
LIKE i think they're going after like the right types of.
Players great character you talked, about like what it was
like for you to be a rookie when we Landed.
CITIES i get.
Treatment they go work out like they are big on,
development big on the, work big on. Progressing aj is
always in the. GYM i think he was In. Milwaukee
loves the. Game the kids that they, Drafted will is
always in the. GYM i, Mean i'm probably Forgetting.
Johnson gonna be a dog like loves the game.
Obviously the jumper is what it, is, Right, like it's,
smooth is, quick he, loves he loves the, game lives the,
game doesn't have no.
Hobbies he finally started doing like he started doing.
Bar so like he's progressing into like a young, man,
Right he's going from like a kid to like a young,
man like.
Maturity watch his game is. Mature BUT i think like
they're hand picking the right guys Like Ken whitmore, right
like super, explosive super athletic game, Changer like the talent is,
unquestioned you, know so like you see the little glimpses
of like damn, electrician you, know Big, felt the big
brought to like can shoot. It he's, like, damn they're
like a. Footer his dad was A european. Legend like
they have all these guys with, intangibles with skill, sets
with ability to grow and evolve and. Develop it's just like,
opportunity meeting, time meeting when you're, ready meeting like that twenty.
Two so it's like there's so many, things but, LIKE
i think this guy's the limit once they kind of
like you, know really settle.
Into being like, men like mentally and. Physically like this
guy's delimit like in the next three.
Years and boys can be like that's real, dogs real,
Dogs like when they're twenty, four twenty.
Five oh my, god that's the scary port because you
know they're all. Talented, yeah but somebody can't stay yeah oh.
Yeah but right now it's the vetting, process, right like
they're like you got you got all of these. Guys
it's the vetting, process even Like malkey is From, ohio,
right my SAMET v, Guy like you have all of
these guys and now it's just like seeing how the
pieces fit on the. Puzzle how do they fit on the?
Puzzle how does the puzzle continue to? Evolve who continues
to kind of show more growth than the? Others like
bags can really hoop, Right like guy's a lottery.
Pick the guy has real. Talent he has sixteen and
sixteen last, Night like he can really get to. It
it's just.
Opportunity it's timing Gets are you not hurt at the right?
Time?
Yeah are you playing on the right team at the right?
Time do you get drafted into a great situation or
a fuck up? Situation like there's so many things that
factor in THE dna of who you become as a
basketball player and how the world perceives and judges you
That like you can't get caught up into like what
you see on the surface level because you don't know
what kind of created. That it could be, environment it
could be, confidence it could be he, nice but he
don't have work. Ethic all he needs to Be all
he needs is to be told LIKE i need to do,
this and he'll go do. It but nobody ever told.
Him like it's so many little games that determines your.
Success AND i think a lot of people don't see.
THAT i was gonna ask you this, question do you
think they have the same type of patience going, forward
like for someone like, you like you, said organization early
on a boutle some, injuries but you got your.
Sign it was like.
That nowadays it seemed like they give up going draft
picks a little bit sooner than they used. To is
that just a new age thing or just situation about?
TEAM i IMAGINE i think it's, Both but it's rep.
FLAX i WAS i was, injured but like there was
LIKE i was on, TIME i show, UP i work
on my. Craft it's just WHAT i. WASN'T i wasn't
able to play because of. Injury if you got the injury,
problems but then you also got can't do the little,
things you can't master the big, things and you fucking
up the little, things there's no room for you.
Here AND i think that's the. Difference in this new.
Age they get paid, earlier so the titlement there's. Confidence
that's Like i've been getting money SINCE i was. Sixteen
like it used to be like a dream to make
it to THE. Nba like watches the, car like these
guys got to watch and stuff in their cars and they's, sixteen.
So it's like it's almost.
Counterintuitive and my my senior thesis was on why colsh
athletes should be paid back in twenty, thirteen so LIKE
i understand the intricacies of it and like how important it,
is but like without education and, guidance it's detrimental to
the development of. Basketball AND i think you get these
entitled players who don't do the little. Things good at
the big, things but can't do the little, things and
that's when you just like fucking let them. Go it's
LIKE i don't want to. DEAL i rather have the
guy that's not as, good but he gonna do the
shit right and he would be a. Guy it's like that's.
IMPORTANT i try to tell, him like y'all can have
all the talent in the. WORLD i want to be
the guy that lasts so. Long they're, like how this
nigga's there? Here you know What i'm, Saying like you
you you wanted to, Be like you almost, Overstayed you're, welcome,
Right like you you so good in the, beginning you're,
underpaid and then you get to the point where you,
see like there's a couple of guys on every ROSTER i,
said go talk to that. Guy ask him how he
got how he gets seven millions to not? Play ask
him how he gets twelve million to not. Play, yeah
because that's that's where you want to get.
To right. Now you're. Good you got to.
Upside you got all these things you want to be
so valuable where like you don't even have to play
and they need.
You come on by was looking at the video earlier
with The rappers and stuff other team gear a temple,
legend uh kemp a Job american.
Legends one of the best Humans i've ever met and
one of the best Humans i've ever met owe.
Me so it's like those things. Matter like now you
take your talent with doing the little shit, right this
guy's the. Limit you bring in the pain for. Sure,
yeah and you walk away and you do whatever you
want for sixty. Years well said. Listen we go a
couple of things before we get out of. Here we
have Some for one of my favorite tweets of all, time,
bro you know what we're going. Here Jennifer williams asked
you can you win a playoff game and then? Talk
you told Her i'm trying. To that's one of my favorite.
Respondes she thought you were just in there abortion like
you playing?
Basketball. SERIOUSLY i think that was one of my favorite
tweets of ball talk Bro.
No LIKE i used to be On, twitter O d
like oh, Yeah so like seeing THAT i just funked.
IT i was like, Like, Yo i'm fucking, trying you,
know like here losing a purpose. Understaying i'm, Like, yo
what do you? Expect like do you understand how hard
it is like to play at this level consistently under
this microscope against pit bulls and savages with the most elite, Talent, Like,
yo you think.
We trying to lose some? Purpose?
Show this is.
FUNNY i have to read the eighteen. Screens Guard Steph,
ford you asked me to try. Water you think we
want him a? SHIPPY i think we want to see the.
Shippy oh, god you want to See clay want to see.
That so it's like it was like just a genuine
like in the, moment it's like, yo Like i'm, trying LIKE.
I see where we're going with these? Things, NO, dj
he's a DO i know Where we're? Going? To?
Ask?
Question is it crazier?
Now with the fair, interaction especially with like you have
a lot of things like not traditional. Media it's like
podcasts LIKE us and morning shows like that when we
sit there and talk about all this stuff that you
probably don't want to talk. About is it different like
microscope playing? Now but so many people have in.
OPINIONS i think it's, Cool LIKE i know how to
like tune out the, distraction so it's LIKE i can
just lock in and. FOCUS i think for the younger,
guys like they care about everything somebody, says and it's, like,
yo they hate it On Jesus bro like.
Relax they arguing about how Good lebron is and it's, like,
yo this is.
Literally nothing to.
Talk steph can go ahead just like he shoots to be.
Three So i'm, like, yo this is the greatest. SHOOT
i never touched the. Basketball so there's a bunch of
idiots out there to have. Microphones that's the. Difference so
it's like you got to, understand like KY, p like
know your personal, fact like if it's if it's, valid
like it's, valid it's your. Truth LIKE i got to
get better at these things AND i know. It BUT
i don't like Like joe on his, couch he can't
tell me how to hoop, Better Like, joe you can't
like it is like my, boy you can't play and correctly.
Because i'll be talking. Ship I'm joe now.
Lit' se j we gotta we got pop wards coming.
Up i've been seeing the podcast out there getting in
shape three on.
Three, uh we won't. Smoke we said this, already lit it.
Up if you've got, TIME i will fly out To.
PORTLAND i just need some gym work off.
Season What i'm saying in A, Buddies.
I'll let you know What i'm out organ to for,
real for y'all come, out we do, TASTE i take
out some much will pull. Up that's what we can't
wait to, go pull up like the. Three all the,
Smoke i'm not going. To i'm cool with that. Measure
i'm not going.
To we're going to get all this was going to
get the.
Pivot we got, pivot the.
Pivot i'm, nothing, no, no, no all the. Smoke i'm very
comfortable to.
Pivot i'm not fucking with mad. Now Bro i'm gonna
tell you that right. Now in the gym every, day
bro stacking them in the gym Every i'm not.
GOING i can't guard Stand brota six Eight, yeah he's still,
yeah and we. Can't we can Play joe and them
and like, BOWLING i can't Guard joe as we get.
Trouble we're good. Against we're good at gainst LIKE.
Ca you, know so were trouble with athletic though he's
not gonna make a lep okay, Cool i'm.
Sleep i've seen that's all D. J that's.
All that's no, Please BUT i can still get thirty
work out some.
Space, MAN i play talk against any change the.
First team all, brother all, right, man before we get
out of. HERE i don't know if we can play this,
video but this is one of my favorite.
Moments you are one of the most. Roles i'm a wild. Boy. Man, Hey,
bro y'all doing?
That that's WHAT i, Said jason GOT i got a
text for.
That they were not, happy But i'm just being. Me
oh ship was, cracked Like, bro.
You did Not.
Bro that's like you can tails look at the.
CHEEKS i am right THE covid body that was.
A class for. Sure what you mean y'all are?
Fried man Shout freaky Mall man one of my favorite
pgs in. League man freaking moth freaking shout their.
First team for, sure for, sure for.
Sure troubles pretty easy. Legend also real, ships AND i
ain't trying to be. Missing it's nothing, crazy it's nothing real.
Ship have you ever seen her in real?
Life that's.
All we gotta have some, alright, cool all, right that's.
ALL i don't want.
To go and stand.
Going to THAT cj got we.
Knowing That i've never seen her, BEFORE i do that.
Person we looked her up afterwards on shout.
Man to see the group chat with crazy when it's.
Happening shout out to the, guys, man shout, god oh,
man let's get here for getting more.
Trouble me here telling people that grab some merchant.
Shop club five twenty dot com C, j drop them
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Rating these are like ninety, rating ninety, three ninety, two
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And sure come on with my tapping man holiday season
Man George. Wine, man, listen big. Dog we appreciate you.
Man best luck the rest of the. Season, man keep killing.
It appreciate.
It you know we're fans over. Here one more time
Of harbord bet be. Here got the layers man For?
Christmas make it or break, it don't matter either, way
tap in either. Way shout to Boot, smoke you know the.
Vibes man gets you a new iph on. Seventeen they'll
pups your crib and handle the. Rest and shout To Chime,
man be smart this financial, season be Smartest christmas. Season
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Com Slash club five. Twenty there we, go, last turning
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Man we're gonna see what's going on in that. Factory,
man we GOTTA i just bought a coat off STOCK. X, Man,
okay turn me. Off. Man hope we hear About. Christmas the.
Schemes the schemes by any means, necessary volume