Gordon Hayward Gets Real About Workouts With Kobe, Celtics Years and Final Years In The NBA

Gordon Hayward, the All-Star Forward of the Charlotte Hornets, joins Podcast P to discuss various topics, including his experiences playing against and training with Kobe Bryant, how he dealt with a seemingly catastrophic injury, his difficulty in Boston, and more. #gordonhayward
#paulgeorge #charlottehornets #lameloball #bostonceltics

0:00 Intro
4:00 Gordon Hayward Dunking On PG
10:19 Rookie Season With The Jazz
15:28 Jerry Sloan – Deron Williams Controversy
25:20 Playing In Kobe’s Final Game
30:20 Working Out With Kobe
41:16 2017 Free Agency Meetings
47:16 Dealing With A Major Leg Injury
54:27 Why It Didn’t Work In Boston?
59:42 Recognizing Tatum and Brown’s Talent Early
1:08:00 Relationship With Brandon Miller
1:09:45 LaMelo Ball’s Development
1:14:10 Interactions With Michael Jordan
1:19:10 Starting 5: 2010 NBA Draft
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Welcome back to another episode of podcast P presented to you by prize pix a wave sports and entertainment original hope everyone had an amazing holiday season and look forward to the new beginnings in 2024 make sure y’all like subscribe and rate the episodes and our shows today we have another Banger we

Got one of two of the last 2010 Mohicans myself being one Gordon Hayward being the other welcome to the show my guy thank you thanks for having me love that work bro I love that work one of two man one of Two it’s it’s awesome to share that with you I mean we we got to get into all of the likes we know you’re a big time gamer yeah you know like I said me and you share that that draft class together I didn’t know you’re a big time chess

Player big time might be overstated okay but I do like I loveer you go yeah I’m not that good but I do like playing chess a lot I’ve kind of I feel like as the years have gone by like my I’m matured a little bit and somehow it’s

Less video games more chess you can get games in quicker yeah that’s a different gamer right there yeah that’s a different transition do you have a rating cuz don’t don’t chess players have certain like are you tracking it and everything I’m right around 1,200 so that’s good from generally they say like

0 to 1200 you’re like novice uh 1,200 to 17,800 is like intermediate and then anything over that you’re like Master Level so I I’m like right on the border of novice and intermediate I’d say how many games you think you logged actually I just saw that today they did this uh

Like chess your chess in a year thing on chess.com and I think I played 385 games Dam so a couple games a day but it’s it’s five minute increments so you can get games like really quick couple games a day you look forward to like okay yes

This was a easy one or is it like you want the tough ones any of my teammates are um have you played against uh Yogi Yogi phoh I have not does he play chess he’s a big time like so he was with us what two three years ago and he would

Travel on the plane with the chess board and we would play sometimes on the plane like real like over theboard chess yeah over the board like you know you know how the the the the planes are like we’ll sit side by side we’ll set the de

Or the the chess board right in the middle and and we would play uh he’s pretty good he’s he’s pretty good I I play chess a little bit I’m not I would never say I’m I’m even decent at it but I had a background as a kid of playing

Chess and then so I I have some history there but it’s fun to play cuz it’s it’s me versus you and if you want to learn you can really learn after each game and analyze it and figure out okay how do I get better and that part’s really cool

Especially as an athlete and competitor you know what I mean like how do I get better look the NFL season is getting closer to playoff time and priz picks has got you covered when it comes to helping you make some money that’s right with the season here prize pi p is

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Is so funny enough I talked about this moment in season one uh you came back our our rookie year you came back to Indiana and uh you had a fast break I I know what you’re talking about yeah Dante Jones had you from my point of view I

Thought Don Dante Jones was going to level level you off and was going to set me up to be a easy block at The Rim Yeah he let me go he let you go and you’re flying down the court and as soon as I

Jumped I just knew it was it was this is this was stupid you punched the [ __ ] on me with the left hand you you remember the moment I remember the exact moment um because for one like those were my only two points the whole game um cuz I wasn’t really playing that

Much back then and I also remember cuz when I checked in I got a standing ovation from the crowd like we had just made our big run to national title game and so everyone in Indianapolis still fired up about Butler and um you know me being drafted and so that was that was

Definitely a moment I’ll never forget I mean one of my favorite moments of my career no nothing personal on you but uh it was more being back home I mean the first game you get to play when you’re back home I mean it was it was so

Special get a poster of it look what he did yeah so you could do the same thing I could yeah I could I could it it just cuz the crowd went crazy like oh they went nut from Indiana and so he punches it on me and like the crowd just goes

Crazy what quarter was it in it was second half it was second half cuz you it wasn’t like a big time bucket though like yeah like a meaningful bucket type thing okay okay a game deciding yeah luckily I think you guys won that game too if I

Remember I think so but I no one that was at the game cared about that they just cared about me dunking did you give him any like looks after or anything like that any nothing I don’t think so I was happy to be on the court to be honest

And like you know when you’re a rookie you’re just out there trying to make it yeah at least I was yeah dunk on PE so we I think if you’re in this league long enough you’re going to get dunk on it’s bound to happen somebody’s going to

Catch you right um so 2010 you’re drafted 9th to Utah I’m drafted 10th to Indiana uh we always talk about this on the show about how many workouts you had leading up to to the draft I had 18 which is a lot and and it’s been I think

One person beat me I forget how many workouts you had I was so it was either 14 or 16 I mean I had a bunch too cuz I think we are both you know our careers have been so intertwined throughout the years we both started with the same

Agency and obviously you went to Indiana 910 I’m from Indiana we both get HT all the I mean we’re the only ones left we had out in Chicago right we did the combine in Chicago and I remember we went out to eat in Chicago um pretty

Sure you blacked my shot in one of the live sections they surpris me um but yeah I mean I think I had 14 or 16 cuz it was I was projected to go anywhere from like fifth to like 28th um and so there was I was working out for

Everybody yeah and didn’t really know until I think we got the phone call because we I was there in New York were you there in New York too I got the phone call sitting at the table and Mark’s like Utah’s going to take you right here and that was like it wasn’t

Like I knew where I was going to go yeah you worked out with Utah I did work out with Utah that was that was the best workout I had as far as the the guys it was like eight players I think six of us were drafted in the first round okay

First or second round was a bunch of wings you had a good one yeah and I don’t remember like I I don’t think I was killing by any means but I had a good workout yeah but it was just a loaded loaded workout did you want to

Get drafted by Indie like did you want to come there was a there was a part of me that did but I think it was I was also it would have been really nerve-wracking to get drafted by Indy a lot of pressure um you know I left after

Two years and like I said Butler was still everyone was still so excited about the run and and they went back again the next year they were still really good but you have all these distractions friends family you know buler 20 minutes from where I grew up I

Mean so my Indie would have been I mean that’s it’s home um so it would have been hard to play exct man you know family members everybody and it’s hard to I mean it’s especially at that stage of my career I think it was good that I didn’t get drafted by Indiana I

Mean I’m sure my friends and family would have love to have me there but I think it was good to be able to go away andh cuz in hindsight obviously uh Clippers was was the eighth pick and I would have loved to been drafted by uh

Clippers and stayed home but it was just something about going away and then going to Indiana Indiana is a a basketball culture there like and so I think the young me really benefited off of being just hunkered down to playing basketball like that’s like I feel like

That’s what you do like you know there’s there’s no distractions there’s you know you literally lock in into the gym and and Indiana’s all about basketball so I think it worked out perfect that I went there first yeah um a little smaller Market too you’re not getting as much

Into trouble exact not as much to do just helps you get going I think professionally which was similar for with me in Salt Lake I mean Salt Lake is similar to indd sizewise and there’s really just from your apartment to the arena to the airport and back I mean

That’s all really that I did that first year yeah same to say did you have a chance to work out with Miami at all I’m not sure if I did work out with Miami yeah how was that workout because everyone that comes on the show he swears it was like the most

Difficult workout full court once um mean defensive slides the whole deal yeah that was a tough workout I remember I I was telling him like yeah see full one1 I had to do this [ __ ] against all point guards so like I had defensive point guards like I had Avery Bradley in

It I think Dominique Jones I had a couple workouts with him um and and there uh a dog on the ball tooo like I had like and we’re playing oneon-one full court and I’m telling him like the whole time I’m like Magic Johnson like backing these [ __ ] down full

Court cuz they just in my [ __ ] oh yeah yeah when you arrived to Utah you have a great coach uh in Jerry Sloan and your team was just stacked uh with Darren Williams Al Jefferson Paul milaf Andre kolinko coming in as rookie what was it like being in that locker room

Environment with that team yeah I mean so we were supposed to be good and like I kind of mentioned earlier my thing was I wasn’t very highly recruited coming out of high school like I was never I wasn’t McDonald’s All America anything like that so I mean it was my dream to

Play in the NBA but I never really thought I would get there so the fact that I was drafted in the first round to a team to any team um I was just trying whatever I could to make it so I was you know trying to be a sponge so up

Everything I could I could learn um just trying to do all the little things that I could to be out on the court and like I mentioned I didn’t really play um in the very first part of the Season it’ be very sparingly um but I had some some

Great vets um D will Al AKA I mean you think about all the vets that we’ve had over the years and like you look back and it’s it’s seems like it was just yesterday even though it’s been 14 years um but you know for whatever reason we

Didn’t they we they didn’t I think they made it to the second round the year before I got there and then we kind of disbanded the team that first season but um I can remember actually the very first I got to Utah and uh actually I I

Drove my very first purchase as an NBA player was a Honda Accord 20110 Honda Accord I blacked out the windows love it the rims I thought I was I’d never had a car before so I thought I was you know Big Time baller and oh yeah and I drove

With my dad dad cuz he he went out with me till Thanksgiving which was which was actually good to helped me get going in the right direction and so we drove from Indie to to Utah which was 24-hour Drive Jesus I haven’t driven like that ever again I ship everything

Now you had that h i did Miles on you still go I was that was I was hyped and I get there and we’re doing workouts with uh just like the preseason type workouts and uh D will was there and I had to guard him cuz there was no other

There was a bunch of other big so I was the only one guarding him this is dwell in his prime like Allstar D well like this dude is and I’m sucking wind cuz it’s the higher altitude all right I’ve been training in India the whole time and he’s like what’s the problem Rook

Why are you so tired Rook I don’t get tired rook and I’m thinking like this is supposed to be my teammate and he’s giving me such a hard time but just I think just checking me out as a player seeing who I was going to be yeah um but

Yeah I mean that first year was I learned a lot for sure did they give you a hard time about the Honda at all they did they definitely did um but I think it was I always told him like I don’t know how long I’m going to last so yeah

Who was your like your your vet like who was your vet I would probably say rajab Bell okay um I had to get Einstein Bagels two dozen assorted Bagels before every shoot around why are you laughing man it’s funny as the stuff that they make you go get before every shoot

Around I had to go get those and my you remember Jeremy Evans y um so he was like we were we were boys he had to go get two dozen banberry Cross Donuts everybody ate the donuts so I’m sitting there bringing these Bagels that nobody eats nobody touching and I’m like

Why am I still getting these stupid Bagels man nobody’s eating them and Roger’s like it doesn’t matter Rook you bring the damn Bagels every single time it’s funny he still remember what the other dude had to get oh yeah banberry cross those were fire everybody ate the donuts I’ve never even heard of

That what kind of doughnut is that local bakery in Utah oh but yeah I had to get Dunkin Donuts every time you know the dun the the one that was connected to what was it Banker’s Life back then or cono I don’t know what was the first one

But I had to always go and get the Dunkin’ Donuts bring them down then we would get the Einstein Bagels as well um which now everyone’s got a nutritionist exactly exactly you don’t even need that now well there’s a chef or kitchen there now that’s it leagues came a long ways

For sure did you guys have Chef in like a kitchen and L your first year yeah the league came we didn’t have food after games exactly yeah and I remember saying till till you got to the plane cuz it was like you always ate your meals on

The plane and I remember telling Quinn like Quinn this was this was was was my third year so I had a little more upstanding on the team I’m like Quinn our moms would pack sack lunches after games in high school like for the road like come on man we get something we are

An NBA team right right we get an orange something God we need some something for Recovery if I recall during that rookie season the Jazz went through a big old controversy with your boy D will yeah and Coach Sloan where what coach got replaced by Ty Corbin and and your boy

Got traded yeah so what was the biggest takeaway from that situation man uh that the NBA is a business I mean I learned that year that was wild actually we were do you want me to tell the story of how it happened yeah so we were playing Chicago at home

And something happened in the first half and I don’t remember what exactly happened in the first half but it set off coach Sloan and and so we we’re losing at halftime and we come in during during halftime and he just normally he comes in and he like says something a

Little bit to the team before meeting with the coaches and coming back and he just stormed right right through the locker room and uh then D will came storming through the locker room right after him and followed him around the corner and then the owner came through

Oh [ __ ] and it was everyone’s looking around like yo something’s going down and they went around the corner but you could still hear like the yelling them back and forth and uh then Coach Sloan came came out and walked straight back onto the court didn’t say a single word

The rest of the game like during timeouts during anything he just sit there um I don’t remember if we won or loss surely we would have lost that game um and then after that didn’t uh say anything to the team after the game next day we got a text message like practice

No practice tomorrow and it was like coach coach loan resigned and then that was that was it and then Ty took over and a week later D will was traded yeah wow and it was like the two going into that season there were two people I thought would never would still be like

Coach lone been there for 27 years D will was our All-Star point guard face of the franchise both gone within a week yeah so with with that said how did you feel from going from not playing your boy getting up out of here and now you

Starting oh I was loving it loving it loving it yeah I mean it could have been better for me yeah he like I love you for you I went from not playing at all to now I’m actually in the rotation a little bit and um I mean it’s I think I

Always tell people the hardest part about and I don’t know how you feel but the hardest part when you go from playing in college to being the NBA for I would say 98% of people is you’re not playing at all and you got to sit there

And there’s no there’s really no a lot of times there’s not even an explanation of why you’re not playing it’s just I’m not going with you because you’re a rookie you don’t have the experience I mean coach loan said to me one time I I

Think he threw me in and I didn’t play the whole first half didn’t play the whole third third quarter and then he threw me in the game it was against Minnesota in uh the fourth quarter just threw me in the game and I went in there

And played really well I think I had 10 points we won the game and the next day at practice he was like you know you played really well yesterday I’m not going to play you moving forward here you just don’t have the experience and I’m thinking in my to my head like well

I can’t get experience unless I play you play right and so that that’s the hardest part when you come into the NBA is just having to wait your turn I would say for like I said 98% of people always like everybody goes through it and that

Was the hardest part for me as a rookie that year and something that I just you know like you said you learn it’s a business they got you know ultimatums and agendas the people that are running things and you’re along for the ride sometimes yeah I went the went through

The exact same thing in Indiana right so Jim O’Brien was the head coach my rookie year halfway through the season they fire him Frank vogle takes over you know I wasn’t playing at all dmps after dmps then after the the the he fire they fired Jim O’Brien I start starting right

So it was a big transition but like I remember I would get cussed out in games that like I wasn’t even suited up for like no no [ __ ] like we’ll be watching film and it’ll be a game that like I’m wearing a suit and he’s killing

Me in film like as if I was making the fuckups like he killing you like look at Paul looking stupid over there look at him in his suit sitting on the bench no he would be like like we’ll be watching film and like he’ll just be cussing me out like see skinny prick

That’s this is like he would say he was like no he would say [ __ ] like this in film like skinny prick this is why we are doing this and this is why like uh you know we can’t seem to getting like he would just cuss me out like I would

Do good in practice and I would steal the ball from like Danny Granger right and he’d be like come on Danny like don’t let the skinny prick like he would and I just like damn like he was really hammering home the skinny thing he would hit he would hit he would

Hit home on this every time he trying to hint you get some weight get your weight up or something but it it it it it was like I was and and I think he lost the team like that was the reason we fired him he lost the team the way he was just

Talking to us it was just crazy but I say that to say both went through the same uh Evolution from not playing to starting to play going in a year two um you started 17 to finish off your rookie year then go to 58 games I was on the

Same uh wave of starting 19 and then uh second year starting 66 uh talk to me about the biggest adjustment from those two seasons where you’re not not quite sure when your minutes is going to be used to now we need you and you’re a part of this team

Yeah I mean it’s almost a different game when you’re when you’re the the the player on the end of the bench that you don’t know whether or not you’re playing at all and then you get thrown in there um and you’re really just out there

Playing not to mess up which is a really tough way to play basketball and I don’t think a lot of people understand that um when they you know fans are young at the player that comes in that never plays and then airballs or something like it’s

That’s not who they are are you know what I mean like they just they don’t have the opportunities to then the when you when you are starting and you are you do have responsibilities um you know it’s a little less in my opinion it was it’s

Less pressure I feel like I can mess up and still be out on the court and I know that I’m going to play each game and I think that gives you confidence too and um the more you play the more confidence you get uh the more experien that you

Have and so I I remember actually talking with one of my with one of my buddies about that and how um you know me and you both at the same time were starting to to play more and it was like the best thing for us because it you you’re not going to

You’re not going to learn things unless you just get out there and experience them and so being able to be to do that and mess up and um at the time after we traded uh D will and then you know I think the next couple years we still had

Paul and Al but then we traded them and then it was full like rebuild mode and and there was almost just like zero pressure on the team to win and that was like the best thing for my development because you’re just you’re able to go

Out there and Hoop N I can just be me and then just yeah and you’re going to mess up you’re going to make mistakes but um the team wasn’t necessarily worried about it and so you can just grow as a player yeah I I agree with

That like that was that was the best for me my my second year you know I had someone to look up to in Danny Granger um so from afar I would just watch how like I always knew and had the confidence that like all some point like

I’m going to be one of the best players in this league but I’ve always also been that person to be like I know I have to wait my time like so let me just learn as much as I can and like I said I had someone ahead of me that kind of showed

Me the ropes and watching Danny on a night night to night basis like the game just seemed so easy for him sometimes like he could score shoot the [ __ ] out of it he was strong as [ __ ] he could post up uh um so it was it was like a

Easy cheat code uh to be like okay like you learn from him yeah at some point like all right I see how you did that I I see how you’re reading the game like so uh but I I’ve always admired your game I always felt like like this dude

Plays like me like we have a similar play style he can score from three levels he defends he can playmake push the ball in transition um and so like I was like whenever you guys played I was always checking to see like oh let me see what

How how Gordon do tonight yeah for sure I think that’s something that I it’s I always I ain’t going to lie you pushed me yeah well I think it goes back to what I was saying about us having our careers just intertwined I mean I think it’s I think especially too because I’m

From India and you were drafted Indiana and we were drafted so close and same similar positions like I was always checking on you as well and as long as as the other guys in our class too you’re rooting for them a little bit seeing how they’re doing um but I think

It’s it’s it’s it is pretty amazing where the last two left it’s crazy I don’t know if we just old or like we’re definitely old yeah I can tell you firsthand being on the team that I’m on right now got a lot of young guys we’re old

Bro yeah who the oldest on y’all team pick one you guys got to be one of the oldest te League I think we’re top three who else is older than you guys no PJ 38 PJ’s 38 dang PJ 38 who’s the youngest Brandon Austin Primo Josh Primo

He’s 21 just turned 21 and we know probably who who’s the oldest on you probably you huh is actually oh we picked up is he’s 35 I think 35 cuz he’s our draft class but I think he played four years yeah okay and then the youngest of course is Brandon would I

Would say Brandon Miller right yeah he’s yeah he’s got to be the youngest he’s got to be the youngest right yeah so Gordon you were involved in a game with Kobe Bryan and as a Kobe fan I think there’s a lot of different memories that most Kobe fans you know do have and

Obviously that last game uh that he played his final game of his career uh against Utah he scores 60 can you walk us through that night because as a fan like it was just so amazing to watch did you find yourself like struggling to compete because you were just in such

Awe of like was it a movie out there for you or like walk us through that okay so this I don’t want to like like I’m a big Kobe fan as well so I don’t want to like put that g last game down or for you but we learned right before game time

That the game didn’t matter cuz it was the game would have mattered for us making the playoffs but we we learned right before that the game didn’t matter somebody else had won so we the game didn’t matter at all we weren’t getting in um and then I mean before the game it

Certainly was a movie all the celebrities that were there um just the buzz that was in the air I mean you could feel it it was it was Unreal unlike any game I’ll ever playing again but I will say we were up pretty handily most of the game he probably air balled

Like six or seven times I mean he shot 50 shots yeah that’s awesome wait how many times you said air he probably airball like six or seven times I mean he was I wouldn’t I don’t think he was that good throughout most of the game now the last 3 minutes he

Was special the last three minutes was Unreal it was vintage Kobe right ended up winning the game for him but I mean I’ve the other thing that I I mean I’ve never I’ll never be a part of is I mean there were people on his team that were

Passing up wide open shots like if they got the ball where’s Kobe where’s Kobe let me give Kobe the ball like how can I screen for Kobe I mean the legal screens that were set the the refs had to be on on too cuz the legal screens that were

Set were wild yeah but I mean it was how can I get Kobe a shot the fans were booing when we stole the ball from them I mean like it was like K’s night like it was which it was it ended up being his night I mean like I

Said the last three minutes were a movie I mean the last three minutes the shots he was hitting you’re just like all right I mean it’s he’s feeling it now yeah I remember that I remember that day cuz I we it was the last game for us and we were in playoffs

Already um so I stayed home we went to Milwaukee they let us stay home some of the starters uh stay home so we didn’t travel um and after we watched our game I cut that game on and like you said like Kobe was stinking it like oh it was

Bad I’m like damn he’s going out sad like y’all were like y’all y’all had the game handed like I’m like okay this one’s over like and then yeah like later in the game like all right he’s like he’s starting to get a rhythm like game goes on goes on go

When you shoot that many times you’re bound to get you’re bound to catch fire at some point right like if you know you got that many shots coming you’re going to catch Rhythm so and that was similar to our last matchup that year he he when

He came to Indiana he shot poorly like shot poorly all the way up until like the last two three minutes it just everything was going for him and the crowd was going crazy now like every time he touched the ball the crowd standing up it was just like damn we’re

Like is this a home game for the Lakers here like that’s how it was every time the Lakers came to Utah it was a home game for it was a home game right I’m sure it was like that Lakers Miami Chicago Boston yeah they travel they definitely travel he was I I do

Have a picture of the captain’s meeting with me and him like shaking hands like framed like that’s pretty cool did you get anything like signed from him after that game or uh no but I’m pretty sure we all got like I don’t remember but I think there was like like we all got

Like Kobe’s last game shoes or something like that okay there was something that we all got for being a part of the game I think it was shoes yeah you got to have those still yeah yeah don’t the shoes well you know we got we just said you you acquire a

Lot of stuff it’s somewhere at the house yeah yeah fast forward uh for the 1617 season right one of one of your biggest years you guys win 51 games you’re an allar your points per game uh is your highest clip but you guys go against the Warriors that dynasty team yeah when you

Look back on that season what can you attribute to the most that elevated you to to make that jump so right before that season I worked out with Kobe actually to stay on the Kobe track and uh I hit him up and I think I was one of

The first to to work out with them post retirement and um worked out with him for 3 days and which was awesome but then from then on you know he was he was kind of like in my corner and he taught me more than anything and just the

Mentality I mean everyone’s talked about it before but I think that’s what really took me to the next level was was that mentality um just a confidence just a um you know we were really trying to do something in Utah that year and it had been probably three years of us kind of

Like a core group together um and so it all kind of just came together but I would honestly I would say um because the prior Seasons I think I was right around still right around like 20 points a game like still doing well but I think

The just having him I mean he would send me text messages after games and we would chop up film and so I think just having that mentality is kind of what took me to what was what was the initial conversation there like hey Co I’m I’m

Trying to get better like I’m I know that so honestly this is what happened is I I was I was at my boy’s wedding in Newport and Kobe had just retired and we were just sitting there talking like me and the Fellas and and it was mentioned that he lived around that area

And I was like man like how would it like wouldn’t it be dope like if I could work out with Kobe and we’re just talking about like yeah bro you should hit him up you should hit him up and now I’m getting like nervous like I’m texting a girl or something you know

What I mean got what do you think about this what do you think this is this good but real talk I got his number um and sent him a text message that was like Hey man like I would love to get in the gym with you and work for two or three

Days I can come to you for however much time any time that you could give me like I just I want to get better and I want to learn from you mhm and uh again it was like that the situation where you’re like looking at your phone like

Waiting like waiting to see who’s texting me and I remember my mom texted me like God damn it Mom all excited I’m waiting for your text Mage do you still got them text messages I have I don’t have the text messages but I have the emails so anyway so then he hit back

Like yeah bro I would love to Let’s Do It um I’m in town X days whatever and we ended up setting it up and when I was done with the three days with them I had him send me all of his workouts that he would do in the Summers like his weight

Workouts his track workouts his shooting workouts and he wrote the whole thing down in an email and sent it and I think at the end he said uh I know it’s a lot of [ __ ] but if you’re not trying to be the best then what the [ __ ] are you

Playing for M wow and that was the way he ended it and I need that email cuz I’m trying out next year that I definitely still have that email dope that’s dope which is really cool I love the favorite the ending part was my favorite I he what he said all

The other stuff was it the the crazy 3:00 a.m. 4:00 a.m. workout oh there was it was uh 3day workouts for sure and if you weren’t up at 3:00 a.m. there’s no way you’re doing them I mean I was I was like I was hyped obviously after those 3

Days and so I went back to India actually uh I was visiting family before going back home and um I did the morning workout of one of the days and it was all his workouts were are all like makes like it’s like one dribble one two left

Right jump shot make you’re making 15 of them and then going to the right doing the same thing and then two dribbles so like it was not complicated at all it was just a lot of makes MH and I was I was probably 90% hitting on these shots

And it still probably took Me 2 and 1 half hours in the gym to do this morning workout I’m exhausted I’m drenching wet yeah like just and it was supposed to be then go back eat something go to the track do Sprints go back then go do

Weights then come back at night and do another workout like that and I’m like there is no way you can possibly do this I mean I was hitting shots if I wasn’t hitting shots I would have been there for like four hours at least what like so did you

Guys go through this during that three-day workout no no the the workouts that we did during those were more just uh well actually like so the first day the first day that we’re there you don’t mind me telling the story exactly what happened I’m trying

To get better [ __ ] you need that email P we all need that email the first day that we get there I’m there with my assistant coach Johnny Bryant he said to meet meet us at the gym at 7 o00 um gave us the address and so I don’t know

What’s what’s about to happen but I know that Kobe’s crazy and I’m thinking this he could have me running around this gym I got to be well fueled we’re up at 5:30 me and my assistant we’re eating a good ass breakfast okay and then we’re getting to the gym and we’re there at

6:15 like early yeah you know I mean cuz I don’t want him to be there you heard everyone’s heard the stories so so but it was we showed up it’s this elementary school and it’s like no one there and we’re walking around like this is not a

Good look us walking around this early a.m. this Elementary School no one’s there we look we go into the gym gym is locked and we’re walking around like trying to find a way in again it doesn’t look good yeah and a janitor opens up the gym or or comes to the door like

What are you guys doing here and we’re like we’re here to see Kobe and he’s like yeah okay we’re like no for real like he said to meet us here at 700 and thankfully I’m tall or else there’s no way he would have believed us but he’s like you know

If Kobe if I would believe but if if it was really Kobe he would already been here so but I you know what I’ll I’ll open up the gym for you so open up the gym the gym was being redone there’s no lines on the court it’s just like the

Hoop and like the wood and the wood the floor and so then we’re in there we’re shooting around I’m stretching out real good and everything and 6:45 no Kobe 7:00 no Kobe 7:15 no Kobe and I’m thinking like okay should I text him like what should I I call him yeah 7:30

No Kobe so we’re like all right just hit him up see so I text him like hey man just wanted to make sure this is the right address been I’m at the spot he’s like oh you’re there like text it back immediately oh you’re there word I’ll be

There in five minutes five minutes later he walks in throws his keys off to the bleachers doesn’t say any like my bad I’m late or yo what’s up man how you doing he’s like ball and I threw him the ball and we worked for like 2 hours on all like mid-range

Footwork and soon as he was done with that after about 2 hours he’s like all right same time or no he is all right 545 tomorrow I’ll send you the address and he dips he had a different address every time well I’m looking at my assistant cuz he literally I’m telling you he

Literally like went over to the thing grabbed his keys and left wasn’t like good work wasn’t like yo that was really good like did great no he’s like 5:45 tomorrow I’ll give you the time and the address so I’m thinking like he wasn’t

Here at 7 how is he gonna get at 5:45 I want to know I want to know why he was late right and then so the next day we showed up at the at the spot 5:45 Kobe was there before us um opened up the door like we go in there did another

Workout he stayed after for 30 minutes we watched film I think he the whole and it was like that the next two days yeah and I think the whole thing was him just like testing me like who is this is he going to is he does he want to work yeah

Is he going to be bullshitting like what’s his deal like cuz I’m not going to put in the effort if he’s not going to type thing right sure like he’s he probably went back in the car like laughing like I his ass I wonder how many people

Got them like them stories of they scared to hit Kobe up every everybody I bet you everybody got a story like that I wonder why they so scared to hear anym for advice cuz he’s like he’s like your idol you know like he’s somebody you grow up watching and I’m sure like did

You have any moments your rookie year cuz when I was a rookie you know what we’re there at 4 I’m there at 4:30 before the games like but every place that every there’s a bunch of players where it’s like a grw up fans so when you see them for the first time you’re

Like you’re geeked you know and he Kobe was another one where it was like Kobe walked by us and was like Hey Rooks what’s up first time we played him in preseason and me and my boy are like just what’s up yeah I tell the story like all the

Time like so like T-Mac and coob obviously was my idols and uh I remember the first time playing both of those guys but when we played T-Mac I’m guarding him he’s in Atlanta at the time um and this is like you know this is not

The same T-Mac that we grew up liking um but like as I’m checking them I’m like damn like I don’t I don’t want to I don’t even want to pressure him like I’m not trying to steal from him like I I was just in such an awe like this man

Was glowing in front of me right it it it is it’s no no [ __ ] like I lit was like Hey you know me like I’m I want I like playing defense like I’m guarding him I’m like damn like I don’t want to pressure put my yeah yeah like all let

Me just token defense like um and he was just like so casually like just dribbling the ball up the court like it it it was a cool moment what was like what was the first like CU I know my I told the story the first time I guarded

Co and he like elbowed me and like I pump I go for one of his pump fakes he elbows me and like goes talks to the the to our bench B Shaw is one of our assistants at the time he’s like yo check the young fella for feathers and I’m

Like what kind of like what like that’s a different level of like [ __ ] talking right did you have like a a like a Kobe moment your first match up with him so I would say at the end once I started playing at the end of my rookie year we

Match we played the Lakers towards the very end and I think I had just had a career high in Sacramento like 19 and I was feeling good and then we played them the next night and like I kind of went toe to- Toe with him and I think I had

Like 23 set another career high and then got a stop on him to win the game at the end of the game that was like definitely like my like I think I made it in the NBA type moment where I don’t know if it was me getting a stop or him just not

Hitting the shot but you know it was something that I always remember yeah he got a chance to see him four times a year too that’s oh we got a more than that cuz this was remember we had eight preseason games remember that oh yeah we were in La for like a

Week like you were those I can’t believe we played eight preseason games yeah cuz what do we do three or four now and it’s like it even add it’s like d he’s is long like I know moving forward you know after 2017 it’s your first All-Star selection

And you decide to leave the Utah Jazz and sign with the Boston Celtics but before you did sign with Boston you had a couple meetings Boston the heat you probably talked with Utah as well can you take us back to those meetings and what in your heart made you

Feel like going to Boston was was the right move for your career oh man that was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make uh I think it was so I ended up determin the whole summer I was talking with my agent about teams that I could potentially go to and

Or wanted to go to and we narrowed it down to those three and uh on those days I took uh flights to go I I went to Miami first and visited their whole thing and I I called my agent after that and said I’m ready to sign in Miami um

Done deal done deal done done yeah and he’s like well just hold on a second just go to these other ones and then you know I was took a trip to Boston and Boston was really cool as well I mean I have Brad Stevens who’s my assistant

Coach and Michael Shrewsberry who was uh or not my assistant my head coach and uh michah Shrewsberry who was my assistant at Butler like he was my guy he’s they they picked me up from the airport like it was like nothing had changed you know

What I mean it had been seven years but it was like we were like they were recruiting me back at Butler so I felt just right back at home um and that trip went really well and then I flew at the time I had a place in San Diego and flew

Back to San Diego and you know the Jazz were there at my house um and you know obviously I had great run with them and and so I I really it was such a hard decision for me to to choose uh ultimately I think I went with Boston

Because I felt like at the time it was the best chance for us to win a title they had a lot of great things going on and more than anything I would say Brad I mean me and like Brad recruited me when I was Brad was actually the one

That recruited me he was an assistant when I was in high school first so he recruited me he was like one of the first ones like I said I wasn’t very highly recruited so he was one of the first coaches that recruited me and uh then he ended up getting the head

Coaching job at Butler and you know he was the first one to tell me he thought I had a chance to play in the NBA so we just had a great relationship and I felt like that was the place for me to be that’s awesome with that said talking

About Brad because this rarely happened to NBA players where they get to get coached by their coaching college and in the NBA M so I want to ask you what qualities does he he POS possessed on that makes him so good at both levels

You think oh man Brad is uh he’s one of the best if not the best ex’s and those guys I’ve ever been around so like his out of bounds plays that he would draw up I mean we would be in practice in college and I always took the ball out

Of bounds and at the end of practice we would always uh run some plays that I think he was just testing out in his mind and so he would draw him up and he would tell me he’d go through the play and then he would tell me after

Everyone’s out on the court he’d be like Gordon here’s the look they’re going to this person’s going to you think this person’s going to be open they’re not they’re going to switch this one and you’re going to get this guy on the backside it’s going to be a wide open

Layup and sure enough that would exactly what would happen out on the court um and he was one of the ones guarding us uh but say his name Point him out Emerson camping over there he was he got buckets on him um but so he just it was

Like he was just masterful at that type of stuff and I think the thing that made him also really good was he was so prepared like he had a he had a plan for everything like he had plan a and if that didn’t work plan B and if that

Didn’t work plan C and he was never there was nothing that would surprise him out on the court like it seemed like he was always one or two steps ahead so I think that part easily translated from college to the NBA you still communicate with him to this day yeah me and Brad

Still talk from time to time I mean he’s he’s obviously doing his thing with with Boston they’re doing really well and um but yeah I mean Brad will always be in my corner I’ll always be in Brad’s Corner no matter what another thing we have in common is we both had lower

Extremity injuries right start a 2017 season your first game there opening night I remember this this moment man watching it and just being like damn this this team is stacked you’re there Kyrie’s there Jaylen Brown’s second season you guys just drafted Jason Tatum Al Horford’s there like a loaded

Roster and you playing Cleveland in Cleveland and then the injury happened um just before we get into the injury part of it just talk about like what was that expectation like like you you said it yourself you felt you could have win there and and and uh you guys had

Something going there but what was those internal conversations like leading up to the start of that 2017 season yeah I mean that part was all brand new to me I’d never been on a team that was expected to compete for a title and or

Win a title um well I think that was one of the reasons why I wanted to go there MH um because I knew that they had that if I went there we would have something special and um you know our training camp was I felt like we were trying to

Get adjusted to each other we weren’t I wouldn’t say we were firing on all cylinders cuz you there’s a lot of new pieces that we brought and not only myself but Kyrie was brand new as well and um you know JT and JB everyone’s trying to fit together but I think you could

See it the flashes that in training camp you could just see that we were special and so leading up to that yeah I mean it was something that I hadn’t been a part of mhm walk me through the the difficulties of that process after being injured the rehab process cuz uh I heard

That you said it wasn’t necessarily the physical part of it it was more the mental and just being away from the game that that kind of lost a little bit Yeah I think and you could probably relate but it’s obviously just it’s it gets lonely um you are and and to be honest

That was the first time that I had been significantly injured I i’ luckily had never throughout my whole career had any type of injury like that I mean you have little ones but um nothing that big where you’re not playing for the whole year and all you’re doing is marble

Drills and um trying to make competitions on balances and just just trying to make any sort of thing fun and competitive just to get those juices flowing um but certainly it’s it’s uh draining mentally and exhausting MH um I would say I would say it was even more it was even harder

The next year uh when I’m coming back because then you’re you’re not all the way physically where you were but you’re able to still play right and uh you know we and on top of that that’s where I think the mental side of it got really

Hard cuz then you start you start you you like you start doubting yourself that you don’t have the same confidence you did cuz you you’re not playing at the same level cuz you’re not moving and physically feeling the same and and once I think doubt Creeps in at all at this

Level it’s it’s really hard for you um because confidence is such a huge thing the game is so mental in my opinion and it can turn you as a player so that was the harder part part for me that second season when when I’m coming back not

Necess I mean the the initial injury part is good but you can kind of lock in to like all right I’m trying to just get back I’m trying to get back I’m trying to but you know once you are quote unquote back on the court then it takes

A whole another level of like Get Back To Where I Was MH you know what I mean did you ever like cuz I know for me uh after that injury I never felt I was the same like regardless people I hear comments like oh you got better you

You know you know you became more of a complete player after the injury but knowing what I was capable of doing and knowing how well I moved um I never was quite able to like you know get back what I lost um I I did think I lost the

Step do you feel like after that injury up until this point like you feel like you’re moving back normal did you feel like or how long did it take for you to like I mean mentally like oh okay I’m I’m I’m back no I I mean it’s definitely

You’re not the same player when you go through an injury like that your body is never going to be the same I mean you have metal put in you then metal taken out of you your your body tries to adapt and figure out different ways to to make

It work because you’ve made it work this whole time um so no matter what you’re a different player now I think to your point being out you can find other ways to improve and it’s not always all about uh how fast you’re moving versus change of pace all that other stuff but

Certainly yeah um you know it was like I said that second year for sure was was difficult and getting back and um I think I think I mean obviously we’re both getting a little older now so I wouldn’t necessarily say that we’re in our Prime physically um but at this point in time

I don’t feel my left ankle at all and so I feel good from as far as that’s concerned um I think it did probably take me two and a half three years though to get back get to that level feel where I was like okay I can fully

Explode off this and and and all that type of stuff yeah yeah it is it it is a a a mental like mind F going through situations like that cuz like people don’t understand like you know is our livelihood like this is what like when you get on the court like this

That’s your comfort zone right like you know what you’re capable of you know how well you can move you know what you could do and then the slightest like it could be you know a little soreness in your knee and like now like damn I don’t

Think I can get to a onew pullup right now or like I don’t think I can attack my guy off the bounce right now or it’s just like the small stuff like damn I used to be able to do this that’s where the doubt comes in like damn so now like

I’m limited like now I’m I I can’t really get to my [ __ ] right here um so I I I think people aren’t mindful of of like that level that we go through from mental standpoint well it’s just that you got we’re playing against the best of the

Best and if you don’t as good as of an a as good of athletes as we are and as you are if you don’t feel like you’re able to get to that one too like you said and now of a sudden maybe you don’t do that

And now you’re not attacking MH and then that now you’re hesitant and when you start being hesitant yeah now people like bro be aggressive it’s it’s over I’m trying like right I just I can’t right here like I can’t get to what I want to get to right and then you start

Pressing exactly and now you’re forcing then you take some bad ones those Ram out now of a sudden the easy ones you get you’re missing MH next thing you know you’re like one for eight in the first half and yeah it can go downhill quick I’ve never really heard you talk

About that peopleo but I’m curious like from outside looking in when you got injured like obviously to me the only thing that I was like okay he’s not like is the jumping like the takeoff you know cuz he was explosive he he could he could go in dunk on somebody a little

Explosive I mean clearly not that explosive if you know you were able to but like watching it like you also felt like even just like a defensive stance or a a hard jab step was was more difficult for you you’d say after that yeah yeah yeah I definitely felt like I

I just wasn’t like my push off wasn’t the same my slides weren’t the same um just the explosiveness like just getting off the floor like all of that wasn’t the same after the injury and like I like people still like oh you still like athletic like yeah like from a like

Outside looking in but like only I can really yeah I seen you some no more 360 windmills like yeah those days I think that’s just more just getting old you just tried recently though who that somebody blocked you when you just when you just recently some

I don’t know P like a Blocky Block Isaiah hard I tried to punch on him tried punch it liter you didn’t get it I didn’t get it did they call the foul no they never they never call the foul you didn’t see that it was just recently too

He got up I was like oh P going to do this it was set up perfect too like and that’s like that’s another not like damn even I like after that like damn am I getting old like I thought I was closer young P would have finished him I

Can’t oh what’s going on so Gordon you mentioned the The Following season that you had with the Celtics loaded with Talent you guys end up finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference and you get knocked out in the second round vers the Bucks Kyrie decides to leave the Celtics

Uh for the Nets but despite all that Talent it just seemed like you guys couldn’t get together whether there was chemistry issues I know the media was there was a ton of media surround in the whole Kyrie situation in your mind why weren’t wen’t you guys um as successful

As what you could have been in my eyes it was just we all had you know is too many agendas and the agenda to win the whole thing was was not the main one um and I not to blame anyone either cuz I think it was all human nature I mean I’m

Coming back from where the last season that I played I was an All-Star so I’m trying to prove that I’m still an All-Star Kyrie was hurt the year before too didn’t miss the playoffs so he’s trying to prove like this is still his team and then you’ve got JT and uh jayen

Who and Terry who are coming off where they’re all starting make it to the Eastern Conference Finals I think the year before um like they’re all trying to prove like like we’ve arrived and we’ve made it and I’m an Allstar and um you know then you had Marcus Smart

Trying to prove he’s should be starting and leading the team and we also had Marcus Morris who was really good like we had y we had probably eight players that could go that had career highs of like over 40 who were all like arguably in their Prime like it’s not like we

Were old and everyone used to like everyone was was still like that’s not a no like sorry sorry sorry like you know what I’m saying not messing with you bro I mean it even at this time like Al Horford still Al Horford he’s still yeah

Exactly so we had so many players and we just could and the other in my opinion the other problem is we were all there was too many of us in the exact same position um we all needed the ball we all rocked with the ball like we Kyrie

Isn’t necessarily a spot-up shooter like I’m not really a spot up shooter JT is not a like so none of like we all like to have the ball and do our thing and there’s only one basball it’s hard to make that work and and so I think that

Was that was our biggest issue was we were just trying to all prove stuff individually and never really came together as a team and even even so we still made it to the second round and and that was with all the difficulties that we had um but did y’all were y’all

Having those hard conversations of like hey we get it it’s one basketball like we got a we have like eight of them okay at least wait did you guys walk away from it like with with with a a level of comfort knowing that like all right we’re on the same page here got

Time I mean it was like one of those things where it’s like we’ve had five players only meetings and you know things were said that were the right things but I think it like I it’s just in one ear right out right the other like okay that sounds nice and we do

Need people to sacrifice and we need it but that person shouldn’t be me yeah like you know be to sacrifice and I’ll be the one that’s leading the team but everyone’s thinking that you know what I mean yeah so I mean we we I could give

You stories for days on that but tell them which be here for that’s not I can’t I’m not allowed to do that so that’s that that no we don’t we don’t want to we don’t want to open any votes that shouldn’t be open um but I just only asked that cuz similar situation

And what we had to go through here to start the year out you know adding James to this group and the conversations we had to have about sacrificing and what that looked like and I think it’s different from from where we’re at to where you guys were at we’re a older

Group everyone’s been paid everyone’s you know it’s it’s it’s not like we’re individually still trying to crack this code of who we are in the league um we all kind of know who we are and at this point only one of us has won and that’s

Kawai so it’s like whatever it is to do that we need to do individually to win like I’ll make that sacrifice so yeah that was the only reason I we asked yeah I mean I think that’s the that you hit that part hugely I mean it’s like you guys are

Clearly and I mean Emerson was saying yesterday he saw you he was watching the game and was just seeing the conversations that you guys were having during timeouts amongst each other like clearly they’re trying to win MH they could see that they’re trying to figure

It out and trying to put together a big time run here which I mean after playing you guys it should be definitely be possible yeah it’s going to be hard it’s going to be hard for somebody to beat you guys four times four times in a series yeah that’s how we’re looking at

It like you know we might have a game where we’re not connected like something’s not working but like come oners tough tough to do that four times against us on Clippers you know I’m Clipper fan gota do that now I want to ask you about two

Young Ballers M that you play with early in their NBA career and they go by the name of Jaylen Brown and Jason Taylor yeah yeah uh you funny B shut up I want to know how a parent was there a talent from day one and did you ever Envision them

Becoming the P the premier dual that they became their talent was definitely apparent day one the first open gym that I played in it was apparent uh with them JT has always been able ever since I’ve played with him he’s always been able to score at every level um I mean he was

Like his ISO game I remember in the open gym where I was like man this kid is 18 or 19 years old doing doing all of this um and JB was I can remember you know I I’ve had to like work out hard every summer to get to be like 2:30 where I’m

At now and I would say I’m decently strong not like but whatever he like it was like his second year and he’s 68 230 and it was like what in the world like jumping out the gym solid D you know and so it’s like man these two and actually

On my uh on my visit with the Celtics I was riding in the car with Brad and he said his vision was for us to like me and Kyrie and Al to kind of run the team for the first three four years and then have Jaylen and Jason take over after

That so he could see it um you know I don’t think anyone envisioned it happening as fast as it did and I think because I got injured because Kyrie got injured it just opened the door for them to get that experience that I was talking about at the very beginning of

This and that was the best thing for them um because they were able to hoop without like if I’m still there like they’re not getting the ball as much just the how it’s going to be um and if Kyrie’s not there they’re not having nearly as much responsibility in the

Playoffs you know I think they’re probably standing in the corner way more but now they’re handling and they’re doing all this stuff and there’s nobody else that’s going to sub in for them and so they just they’re able to hoop and do exactly what I said I think that sped up

Their process and obviously you know they’re both one of the best two of the best wings of the league they’re unbelievable so but certainly you could see it from day one no doubt mhm were they always connected like were they always cuz you know is it a level

Of them to just being competitive amongst each other or where they like you know I’m not going to step on your toes you’re not going to step on mine I’m going let you do you you let me do me I mean I cuz you got two young like

But from me from me just being around them yeah they were certainly competing with everything you could see it we were all competing with each other that goes back to what the conversation we just had like we were all that was instead of competing against the other team we’re

Competing against ourselves who’s going to score 20 think he’s better than you know what I mean like that was one of probably our biggest problems um but I think it’s like I said it’s human nature it’s it’s they’re trying to prove themselves and um it feels like they’re

At a good spot right now I would say looks like they’re in a good spot yeah they got the record don’t they Jason Tatum I mean they both look good but that last Boston game Jason Tatum just he was fun to watch just like he’s good

Like how do you guard him yeah he’s he’s unguardable he’s unguardable both of them he Little P little young p i call Jason Tatum young p i now I do think that I remember there was a play I I think I was hurt and they played you guys

And I think he like crossed you or something and a dagger yeah he dropped me yeah it was a that was like a that that might be his welcome to the NBA moment yeah I I remember uh and he did it like so humbly I remember like it

Happened and then people were like asking him like damn bro you’re not going to like post or like you’re not going to say something about what you did he was like nah like that’s like ultimately PG’s my guy like I’m not going to do that uh but yeah he he I

Think he stepped on my foot um that’s what they all me he sat me down he definitely sat me down with with a little I just remember when I was watching that like man this kid is special yeah no he’s and he’s strong too he’s gotten strong yeah that one thing I

Will say is he uh that’s another thing from day one no matter if it was in practice or in the games he was never afraid of the moment mhm he was he was always taking and making Big Shots whether that was end of shot clock or

End of game MH which is rare which I think that’s rare to people those moments exactly yeah a lot of people can score throughout the game but when you’re 19 and the ball’s in your hands to win the game like comfortable comfortable mhm mhm yo how much do you

Think you’re paying a month on subscriptions me about $500 is too much I’m going broke I’m thinking at least a couple hundred easily it’s got to be up there that’s what I thought most people think they’re paying $80 a month but they’re actually playing closer to like

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You’re in Charlotte you talked about this a little bit uh earlier into the show this being year 14 you were at one point the single uh leader in double digit years in the league now you guys just got uh ish Smith right what is it

Like being a veteran now to a a group of young guys man it’s they keep me young for sure some of these sayings that they talk about and I don’t even know what’s going on half the time me and ish kind of just hang out a lot yeah but it’s you know

It’s it’s it’s interesting how fast this thing goes in the NBA cuz like I was just saying it feels like just yesterday I’m walking in and I’m the young guy I’m 20 years old and we had somebody who was 34 Raja and I’m thinking man that dude

Is so old he’s got kids right right he’s got a family what is like and here I am I got four kids and I’m you know some of these I’m like I’m like in the locker room and I can see I see like my kids in some of my

Teammates like them trying to pull stuff like and be sneaky and different things I’m like I just told my daughter like like I might have been bornn a night it wasn’t last night I’m feeling like man um but no it’s been fun being in Charlotte I mean

It’s we have we’ve had some pretty unlucky injuries past three years um but I mean we got we uh we’re trying to figure ourselves out right now trying to figure out our identity and um you know melow being out uh is been pretty hurtful um that’s his favorite

Player keep talking I’m hurt yeah well it’s it’s it’s hard especially when your when it’s your point guard who’s out because he sets the table for everybody so but we’re we’re we’re trying to figure it out yeah well speaking of you being a vet your rookie and one of our

Podcast P family members Brandon Miller yeah well you know he been playing a good season so far this year I say he been balling I think as a vet what advice you gave him this season to work on this game yeah uh Brandon’s been great for us

So far and even the first time that I met him this Summer and worked out with him he was he was great ready to learn and super respectful and I think he’s somebody who um obviously a lot of people compare him to you in your game

And I think it’s because of how how smooth his movements are and how easy he makes the game look um you know he’s got to get a Little Bit Stronger too coach doesn’t say the skinny part like you’re old once he puts on once once Brandon

Puts on the weight which you can see he’s got the body that he’ll do that I think he’s going to be a real problem uh for people in this league um but one thing that I always just try to tell people or the younger players and something that I learned from from my

Vets like Earl Wattson Earl Earl was the one that always told me this like the NBA is a grind and there are going to be lots of games where you do not want to play the game for whatever reason your body’s not feeling it you got stuff

Going on at the house whatever it is and you got to be able to turn the professional switch on like it’s a job and you got to go to job and you got to perform whether or not you’re feeling like it or not and and so that’s what I

Try to tell the young guys is like turn that switch on man turn on the switch let’s go get it done MH well I want to keep it with the with your with my favorite player I want to talk about now man cuz we know your teammate but I want

To ask you um since you you’ve seen lamelo ball since his rookie season as well yeah and we of course know he’s out with this injury right now but I want to know what how how much has he developed since winning the Rookie of the Year

He’s gotten a lot better at um kind of like running the show for us I mean I think he’s still learning that part of the game lamelo is a Hooper lamelo just lamelo is instinctual like he just goes out there and just and just plays he just hoops and there’s another side of

The game uh the cerebral part of the game and I think that’s the part that he’s trying to learn and you can see he’s slowly starting to develop that part right right like Chris Paul I think is one of the most cerebral best players that we’ve had in a long time at doing

That controlling the game controlling every part of the game um and as a point guard I think that’s that’s really important in in winning and so I’ve seen that part of him grow since day one um and he still has some work to do in that

Area but that’s the part I’ve seen oh man I watch literally all Y games yeah literally I only time I don’t watch him is when he don’t play and I’m just being real because I I like watching that boy play man like I’ve been watching since

High school and to see a player like him with no fear like how he has at a young age like that like what he won rookie year in Lithuania won rookie year here and then it’s just like his confidence man it’s like you playing with all these grown-ups that’s you guys y’all you

Shooting over these guys with no fear like you go to the rack you doing passes that I know if I did that on the team coaches like get the hell and sit down like this dude came in doing that and it’s like it’s just impressive to watch

And you play with this dude so I know you see way more than what we get to see well he’s that is that what you just said is one of his best attributes if not his best I mean and that’s I think that attribute is really hard to find

That that like just don’t care at all could miss could airball four shots in a row and he’s still shooting the next one like he’s hot I mean like he’s there’s zero fear at all and that that is what makes him special there’s no doubt about

That mhm I love it in your 14 years of being in the NBA on a a talent scale how where would you rank lamelo is he one of the most talented or where would you put him yeah I mean it’s he’s up there for sure I mean I’ve been blessed to play

With some some super talented players players I mean I haven’t seen anybody I mean I guess it defends how you define the word talent but I haven’t seen anybody as talented as Kyrie just with the ball and you’re watching stuff that he does on the court like court side

Like how did he wait what did he just do I mean he’s and I would never really see him work on it either it just would just it just would happen and I’ve seen I mean his the famous clip of him dribbling through everybody at USA

Basketball like I was right there on the court too for that one so I mean I to me he’s definitely the most like I said depends how you Define talent but but the most talented skilled player yeah especially at his size I mean he’s not like the most athletic he’s not the

Quickest but he’s got it all he’s got it all I was telling people about that moment like crazy how that moment happened cuz we were struggling yeah against that USA team and then Here Comes Kai like just made that [ __ ] look so easy was full court right yeah that’s what it

Was so there’s been you know huge or wide stories of the infamous MJ coming down and playing one-on-one or playing in these practices um but this you know that was probably years closer to his 40s than him being in his his 50s uh were there any stories like or any practices that

He came down and kind of got wish I had something for you on this one I got nothing nothing I got so MJ there was no was is he at like the practices uh just games no he came to some games but like two or three when I

Since I’ve been there he’s probably been less than like five or less since I’ve been there okay what CU we would have a Melo yeah that’s interesting well so the first year I was there was Co okay so nobody was around so he showed up a couple times during that actually

But it was there was all these rules you know what I mean yeah um and then sometimes he’ll be at the games but he’ll be up in the suite so you don’t know if he’s there or not got it um but then he probably sat down there by the bench like on the

Bench like I said less than five yeah any cool interactions with with with MJ like um I mean he’ll let the refs have it now yeah that is one thing I don’t know if that helps us or hurts us but he’s going to get after the refs

Yeah um and he’ll like like I said he’s he would when he does sit and it’s right right there on the bench I mean he’s yelling I it is it’s definitely nerve-wracking with him sitting there yeah this is a goat he know what am I

Going to go out there and do that he’s not impressed like he right he’s done it all he seen it all yeah yeah that I don’t know how I would oh that’d be tough MJ just looks at you bro like it’s like being in high school and your coach

You don’t you looking at the coach every time you do a I mean we got Jerry West at the games and and even then I’m still like like yeah damn I know Jerry’s going to say some [ __ ] off this this move I just did or this turnover I threw like I

Know he’s going to have something for me I like the video of so he does say something to you oh AB all the time all the time which I appreciate like that’s cool I I like being coached and obviously hearing from from Jerry Who’s you know was Kobe’s Mentor um like

Everything he says to me is golden honestly like so I I appreciate the conversations with him but he he it’s he comes around a lot but like you know when he when like it is those moments he’s definitely going to let you hear like like hey like you you should

Have did this or yeah you know when you know this is how you know Kobe would have did or back back when I played like you know he have stories on stories of of [ __ ] I should have did want to finish up on on you know this part of the the

Conversation as you approach your final years uh in Charlotte um what does the future hold to you as you’re winding down the last couple of years of your career like how how like what do you want to accomplish going forward that’s a good question um you

Know what I think it’s it’s hard to look too far in the future um because I don’t know I think I think ever since I got injured it I like to just take it game by game cuz you just never know which game would be your last um and

So right now I’m loving playing in Charlotte um my my family loves living in Charlotte uh we got four four great kids um and so I’m just I’m just loving being where I’m at MH love that you’re you’re all girl all girl dad right no we

Got the my last one’s a boy the last one’s a boy we got the boy that’s right yeah that’s right that’s right that’s right I remember and then the last one was boy yeah yeah that’s right I remember my wife was telling me like the they’re expecting again and I’m and and

I’m I knew at the time you had three girls oh yeah so I’m like praying for my hope and I I just had my Bo like twins was whole career the same year the injuries on three teams right so you have so you’ve got three kids three kids

Two girls one boy okay what are the ages nine six and two oh yeah we are right there y [ __ ] twin dude 8 seven 4 and three so is there mean Christmas must have been hype for you yeah like the perfect ages yeah uh yeah but my oldest

Is is crazy my oldest is like not into like so quiet girl kid or kid [ __ ] anymore like she asked for her her big thing was like facial uh what did she want she wanted makeup and stuff she wanted the the fridge to keep was that

Wasn’t it a makeup fridge but it was a skin care like her biggest request was like skin care products and I’m like what got it though didn’t you you don’t want no no Barbies the Barbies is done we’re done with Barbies like what are we doing it goes by fast though it’s like

One day all into it next day come on d uh yeah that’s that’s dope man um so yeah I’m I’m right along with you man as as how I want my future to shape out as well like I’m right along with you like you don’t know when is your last game

You don’t know what to expect um you just try to put one foot forth and see how far you can take it you you think you got like I don’t know another three four years that’s a that’s another great question man yeah um we’ll have to see

What where where life takes me to be honest um if it’s three or four more years that’d be great if it’s not that’d be great too that’d be great too you’re right you’re good either way I’m good either way love it love that so Gordon

We always wrap up the show we do a PG starting five where the guest is going to pick a team against P team centered around a subject like best dunkers best Shooters okay and so for today’s PG starting five we’re going to be selecting players from the

2010 draft class so we’re going to go from the one two three four five and you get the first pick okay so John’s going to be my one I’mma go uh damn ET was my guy but I’mma go to Jordan Crawford Jordan Crawford my okay your two guard

Two guard I’m going with PG that’s my two hey got now he can’t pick him right I can’t pick him then right yeah he can pick you all right me and John doing a dougy right now then you know what I mean we doing our [ __ ] um at the two

I’mma go Lance I’m g go Lance at the two go Bor ready oh man good three guard three guard I’m going with myself at the three at the we got a good two three got a right now damn uh my three I’mma go this my guy I’mma go I’m

G go Wesley I’m g go Wesley Johnson that’s my guy I forgot I saw him yesterday he’s like what is is he an assistant uh so he’s like part of our Player Development yeah yeah and he still [ __ ] can go I bet still can go he

Was one of the one dudes I don’t know but did you ever work out against him no I didn’t he was the he was yeah him and ET were bothun they were like top three locked top four locked but I remember those were the I was trying to work out

Against them yeah I was praying I got into a workout with those guys improve your draft stock um okay power that was a a four now is this this is this is like we’re playing in today’s NBA or like CU in 2010 you had to have double big like you

Have Zack Randol and Marcus sa like B them and Pal Gasol we doing who do you want to put out on that floor all right I’m going uh alaro then at the four I’m going small you going small ball small ball Alfred get the four okay I’mma go

Damn who do I want as my four I’mma go just off of his college career uh and and who was a bucket I’m going go Luke hering go Luke her he was our draft class he was our draft class really yeah he was a bucket five man alfar GNA have a hard

Time blocking him out little little unorthodox pick there um okay at the five we’re going Demarcus the five damn yeah your team good one you got you won I won right drafted it so I appreciate y’all helping me out with that one I’m go I’m I’m going go Derrick favers I’m going go

Derek fa that’s a good one yeah I’m going go def got that’s the only chance might be the most L you you for sure won that one I think that was your yeah that was the most lopsided he he that team is going to beat your team yeah that team

That team’s going to beat us usually a little team going to beat us you did well thank you yeah well got to stop giving guest the first pics man like we got to read the rules snake drafted it though that guess you pick two I pick one yeah

Now that what we should start doing switching it up you get your first back to back snake draft that makes a little that gives me a little chance I’m glad that we didn’t do that well before we wrap it up everybody with our wonderful guest we got to congratulate somebody

Who just how can I say entered the the the 177,000 point club and I think he goes by the name of Paul George appr it thank you thank you I’m sorry that it it happened when he hit that dagger against y’all but you know he’s had lots of those points against us congratulations

My brother appreciate appreciate that acculate in your life man that’s a lot of points P it is I you know if I can if I can get to 20K that we just congratulated uh James right yeah H H just hit 25 right yeah damn you 17 20 or

25 25 I can’t remember what 25 right was it yeah that’s a scored 25 25 5,000 [ __ ] 17,000 is a lot 30 [ __ ] what is Braun 32 33 34 like 39 bro 40,000 it’s it’s something yes God that’s crazy he get that I can’t even imagine another that’s outrageous

Yeah that’s more than half of what I have y’all twins where you at I don’t know where I’m at okay cuz I know y’all twins are you tracking it is is no no y don’t care [ __ ] it how you feel remember how we was asking you about accolades

The other day if you had scored such and such points you got 17,000 how you feel I mean I feel good you know I feel good I don’t I don’t I mean like I I don’t go into it like I I had no clue I was even

In that area I knew I had just Eclipse 15 but like I don’t I don’t know where I’m at you know he’s so humble you don’t so humble it’s not like 2K where I know like all right I got 16,000 996 points right now like it’s not 2K

Like I don’t have that hovering over my head he just he just he got so many points three on this one Whatever but look G you pass it to me you was a wonderful I’m about to hit 177,000 hit me since you being a wonderful guest as

We always do in the new season we give our guest some merchandise and we want to give you some podcast P merch man we go we go connect man hey thank you for having me out this was F for coming man and telling us all your

Great stories just a few of them hey man we appreciate you we we we thankful to that we could take up a little bit of of your time uh you coming down and being a part of the Pod man we we definitely thank you for that uh shout out GH

Episode it’s a WAP guys happy Holidays happy New Year