Kevin Durant Unfiltered Interview: Injury, Owning A Team, #NBA Greats & More | Boardroom Cover Story

NBA powerhouse Kevin Durant sits down with his longtime partner Rich Kleiman for a candid discussion in this exclusive Boardroom Cover Story. From the Texas Longhorns to the Phoenix Suns, Rich and KD discuss the trajectory of their careers + friendship. The two delve into their origins at a Jay-Z concert catalyzed by Grammy-nominated rapper Wale, and remark on Durant’s aspirations of being part of a future Seattle Supersonics ownership team. They discuss the highs and lows of KD’s career. Reflecting on his journey from the Oklahoma City Thunder to his career-altering Achilles injury with the Golden State Warriors. Durant opens up about LeBron James’ longevity, his place in the NBA GOAT conversation, and his evolving perspective on teams like the New York Knicks. Lastly, the two discuss the upcoming Olympics in Paris, which players he’s looking forward to playing 1v1 against, and why he thinks players like Cooper Flagg and Anthony Edwards have big futures in the league. Tune in for an unfiltered glimpse into the mind of one of basketball’s greatest.

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00:00 – Intro
00:26 – Kevin Durant reflecting on meeting Rich Kleiman and Boardroom’s beginnings
03:24 – Kevin Durant realizing his fame and impact during the early stages of his career
04:40 – Kevin Durant reflecting on his impact with the Oklahoma City Thunder
11:49 – Seattle’s importance as an NBA market + what he can offer a franchise
15:16 – How being in the NBA affects those around KD
17:13 – Rich & KD on how their relationship has blossomed organically
19:12 – Kevin Durant on what he sees for himself post-playing career
21:07 – Kevin Durant on how his game has evolved over the years
22:25 – Kevin Durant on what drives him after all of the accolades, Pt. 1
23:40 – Kevin Durant challenges the GOAT Conversation
25:37 – The importance of storytelling around the NBA
29:21 – The effect of KD’s injuries on his career
38:46 – Kevin Durant on what drives him after all of the accolades, Pt. 2
42:47 – Kevin Durant on being overlooked as a leader
44:53 – How KD’s persona in the NBA shifted over time
48:57 – Kevin Durant responds to Stephen A. Smith’s commentary
50:21 – Kevin Durant analyzes the future stars of the NBA
53:26 – Kevin Durant on his respect for the greatness and longevity of LeBron James
58:34 – Kevin Durant on almost joining the New York Knicks
01:02:21 – Work ethic vs Natural athletic gifts
01:03:48 – Looking forward to the Olympic Games in 2024
01:08:25 – Conclusion

It was devastating. It was it was it was totally devastating to the point where it is just flat out tears Soon as they said that no one wanted to say shit He just couldn’t say nothing and I was just like this is it The boardroom cover story 35 at 35

Thanks for having me on the cover man. It’s only right of course is only right and it’s also been 10 months since you have Appeared on the boardroom platform your platform our platform. So we here it doesn’t seem that long man I feel like we

Just been non -stop though for last few years I look up in ten months as past No perfect timing, but to do it now for the cover. How do you feel when you see what we’ve started to build? I just get so excited about like you said the future It’s

Hard sometimes to stay in the present when you build in something like this because you see how fast it’s grown And you see where it can go it has our touch on it all the way through our impact our personality through everything so It’s been fun seeing Reception saying how many people

Really buy into what we’d like to do Seeing how we built this and curated this to fit our personality over time Like you said is our baby man. It’s feeling like that so in that 10 months though, did you feel the need to Have me on or did you just just

Had to head down to cat working? We have a good kind of push and pull where like there’s times where I Know the space you need and then I know when you want to like impact and then you know when I really need you to and I think that We don’t stop communicating

Clearly right, but I also just keep building and feel like it’s a challenge Like I want to impress you and show you because part of of the way I got here was your belief in me, right? Like I had done a lot of shit in my career,

But it wasn’t until you really gave me that like, no go bro and everybody needs that. You know what I’m saying? Yeah. And around that time, I mean a lot was happening with us and we were at different points in our careers but it was almost like a fork in the

Road for both of us. And like, where do we want to take this? Like we always tell that story of me, like not having traditional partners anymore. And so around that time, we were trying to transition into what we wanted to do as a duo, if you will say.

And so all that stuff kind of aligned with our journey and dates back to like, why we got into this and how we built it into narrow. It’s been crazy. Crazy. And do you feel like thinking back to when we first even like met, we met through Wale. Yeah.

And Waleigh, I trusted Waleigh so much, and I respected his grind so much that anybody that worked with him or was attached with him, I felt like I could trust him as well. So Waleigh was a huge factor in all of this.

And as crazy as it sounds, he played a huge part early on, and that’s even just meeting. He really did. But Waleigh knew that I love sports, so when he was like, yo, go meet KD at the JZ concert, I’m like, what? And I didn’t know y ‘all were such big sports fans.

And media wasn’t that big around that time, so I wasn’t aware of who I was. You know what I’m saying? That always amazed me. You really didn’t realize you were famous. I had just come off a nice rookie year. I was on TV all the time playing in the NBA.

Like my stardom, I guess, started to grow around that time, but I had no clue of knowing. Now that you can see and get the feedback from everything now, I had no clue around 08 of who I was or who knew me. So where y ‘all showed the level of ex…

I wouldn’t say y ‘all were excited, but you kind of like… I felt like I was just one of the guys when I walked in there. It was a weird feeling. It feels like, well, you were at Texas, right? And you knew that you made this mark at Texas,

But I remember you not even realizing that you were going pro for short. You were like, I may come back to college. And then you go to Seattle, which in a lot of ways is like a college town. They love their team, but you guys weren’t good. They were moving them.

And you probably didn’t realize like what impact you were starting to have. And then you go to Oklahoma City, but at that point the NBA started to become global. And Oklahoma City got pretty well -known and famous quick because of you and Russ and James.

And you know what’s crazy is because of the last, let’s say seven years, right? Three years in the Bay felt like an eternity, incredible, but it felt like a… an eternity. Four years in Brooklyn felt like if there’s a word for an eternity times like a billion. It’s in a day.

Yeah, it’s in a day. And now you’ve been in Phoenix a year and a half and it already feels like home and like, you know, you’re a Phoenix son, but you were in Oklahoma City for nine years and it now is

Starting to really like dawn on me when I see how good they are now. How do you feel when you see them like back to being like a team like does it make you think of you guys at all? No, I mean, I knew the leadership there was smart enough to figure out

How to continue to build the brand for one and then build the team. You know, when you have your first entry into the NBA is Sam Preston. You got great players like Russ James, myself, Sergey Barker. You got veterans like Perk, you know,

As a young GM sound was like 30 when he was a GM. I didn’t realize that. I mean, when I got 30 and I started. I was 19 at the time, but he was 30 years old as a GM in the NBA. That’s insane. So he was going through,

We all were going through this maturation process and just figuring out what it is to be in the NBA in these positions. And I kind of knew how smart Sam was that he’ll figure it out. You know what I’m saying? But the craziest part is like seeing the city itself.

Because when I first got there, it was like one skyscraper building, not many hotels. It wasn’t much going on downtown. It was it was just a raw city that hasn’t been exposed to like it feel like it was exposed to the rest of the country. And now you go there.

They got they have resort hotels. They got multiple skyscraper buildings, you know, and building towards eventually having an all -star game there, which does so much for a city. You know what I’m saying? So I look at my time at OKC from that perspective because

We help build a city more so than just build a fan base for basketball. I felt like we built up the core and the culture of what this town is going to be about, you know, and all of that stuff comes together.

And I realized what it’s like not having a team in your market as opposed to having one. You know, so for us to be expansion and do what we’re doing now and to see where they are now, I feel a part of it. That’s amazing. You know, and I, you know, the first,

I guess you and I have been working together since June of 2013. I was right when you guys lost to Memphis. Russ had got hurt. And I remember when I first came out there, like I went to me with Sam Presley and it’s crazy. You’re right. He was 30 years old.

It’s crazy to think about how young he was. It’s crazy. But I knew already he was that guy from the Spurs, right? Like you already knew that he was this whiz kid like the O .S. Spurs, you just know, you just think about championships. Yeah, stab greatness.

Just a stab you established in this league. Yep. So I go into this meeting with him and you would already, I think you had signed your extension. contract wasn’t up but I went into meet with him. Yeah. Like let me show this guy I’m really in basketball. And none of this had happened.

Like Rock was really the first to do that. Like now all of a sudden like these guys gave me the platform like this to be like, all right, cool. Rich, Katie’s agent. And now I’m in this room and it’s not like I’m keeping it.

Like I got the 11th guy on the bench and I’m starting to like get my feet wet. I got to go talk to Sam Preci about Kevin Durant. So I’m like, let me go in there and start like just dropping some jewels like talking about the bird rights and just saying shit.

He was like, yo, tell me about that dude Tony that plays in Jay’s band when he’s on stage. And I’m like, excuse me. He’s like, man, yeah, I’m a drummer on my part time or something like that. He’s like, I do Tony in Jay’s band. That’s the best drummer ever.

And I’m like, I’m gonna be all right at this job. Yeah. Remember you telling me that and it was interesting because Sam has a feel like he had a different approach. Like when you go into his office, he got stuff like that. like memorabilia from music, you know, from artists,

And he had books about football coaches and, and, you know, painters. Like, he’s one of those dudes that see the game and see, you know, team building in a different way. And I’m sure that made you comfortable when you walked in when he asked you that.

You know what my philosophy is on it? That organization allowed me to grow, right? Matt Tumblison took me in. Sam Presti took me in. Your whole coaching staff. And I swear to you, as a New York sports fan, and New York sport fans are the best. I always stand behind New York, obviously.

But I had never seen like a connection like fans and players had. Like I had seen in Oklahoma City where when I walked in, the people at the like concession or the people that were taking your ticket felt like they were your family, right?

But I feel like the thing was you did grow up with that city and that city grew up with you. And it felt like a family loss. And it was bigger than basketball. And the Warriors part of it was just like, all right, that’s that’ll add to the fire.

But it was really that this family had to separate. Yeah. And, and I understood that. And I didn’t underestimate people’s feelings about me not being a part of that family anymore. I took that in and gave it thought and understood what it meant and gave people their space and time and the process

And how they processed it. And then we’ll have a conversation later. But I respected how real those feelings were and how real that family we built were. And I think regardless of me having that jersey on, it’s going to still feel that way because, okay,

See now it’s done what how many years now 15, 16 years of his existence, they really are into the alumni now. And I can feel that when I go back, I can feel that talking to my former teammates and that made me feel proud because like we really started that organization.

And that just goes, that’s a testament to everybody there because they built that family. We all did, but it was encouraged every day that like, yo, this is who we is, and this is who we are in coming to Oklahoma City. Only sports, major sports town, sports franchise in this city,

Everybody’s riding around us in the whole state. It felt that way. And you know what, it’s gonna age really well. I think so too. And even though it was rough for me with the fan base and some of the people that worked in the organization for a year or two, it was rough.

But when I started to reflect on it, it was just like, it was special what we did, regardless of championships or not. I think that building a culture there so fast like we did and building a core fan base, not just in Oklahoma, around the world.

I see people still thunder fast from those days. That meant a lot. So clearly can’t compare to Oklahoma City. And speaking of Jersey, your Sonic Jersey is all over the world. But like Austin, Texas, your connection to Seattle is ill. I’m just gonna ask you straight up.

Do you want to be a part of the Seattle SuperSonics if it was available to you at some point in your life? Without a doubt. Without a doubt. I feel like that franchise, for one, is an iconic brand within the NBA. I feel like that market is a basketball market that needs…

The influence of the NBA team in that city. So to continue to inspire that city and produce more and more basketball players. Because I believe that. I believe if the city has the NBA team, you’ll get more and more kids inspired to want to become

NBA players as opposed to not having a team. And it’s a franchise I play for, so I have some pride for it. So, and I believe it will be back. I believe it will be a part of expansion in the league and to help run the team and help guide the team.

As they come back into the league, I would absolutely love that. You know, when I retire, obviously, I would… that’s a dream come true. That’s probably one of the only things that I would… really lock in like I was playing again. You know, it would feel close to that.

And I know that you could truly walk in to a franchise. And I bet you our good friend Bob Myers would attest because he’s had countless hours of conversations with you about basketball. I start… I mean, I always enjoy watching other players. Even in high school,

I always follow what I liked and players in my class and players that were coming out of high school after me always kept my eye on them. But I think once I got to OKC and me and Troy Weaver, who’s a GM of Detroit now, we started having these little conversations just about…

In high school, what he’s seen out of players. And we would have these conversations periodically. And I was just always interested in those. Every chance I get to bring him to the side and just talk about a game or a player, I would do it.

And that’s just started to build up my like eye for the game. You know, the different things I started to watch, the details that I started to fit, you know, watching throughout the game. And then each team I went to, I built that relationship with every GM,

Bob Myers with Sean Marz, with Josh Bottlestein, James Jones right now. Like we just talk ball. And I think having that conversation, those conversations over the last 15 years has helped shape my mind to understand what it takes to be a professional on top of my own experience as a professional.

So I feel like, yeah, I can add value to any franchise just based off of my, you know, just learning over time, my experience as an individual player in this league as well, and just having the will to do something, you know? So. It’s always been fun evaluating and seeing where the game

Is going. It’s just, I feel like we’ve got, when we both, I feel like I’ve been teach, I’ve been telling you what I see through my eyes too, from a basketball perspective, which helped you as well, understand the game at a different level from a different perspective. You knew the game,

But seeing it from a different perspective too. When I was around you and around your peers, right, I started to hear like a masterclass and I realized that have learned now a whole other way to communicate about the game. And it’s truly another language like it really is. Yeah.

It’s weird because the game is so simple, but it’s so many intricacies of the game that, the subtleties of the game that if you don’t watch it or play it consistently, that you can overlook, you know. And since you’ve been on the journey with me for so long,

Like I’m calling you after games, I’m calling you after a tough stretch. We talking through a good game. Like what was your thinking there? Like when I hit that shot and get Chicago’s like, yo, well, how did you double pump and see this? Like you see in the details throughout the game now,

Just for having those conversations. And I just feel like that’s what the NBA is. It’s just a big, it’s like Harvard for basketball, you know, where you get every from the business perspective from, you know, what it’s like to be a last man on the bench to the best player on the team.

You know, every role I feel like I’ve seen a study just from my travels throughout the league that, you know, I understand what it takes to become a solid basketball player and help build a solid brand on the court. I tell people all the time is like,

I people that that’s in the grind with me, that’s answering the phone after every game that’s traveling on the road to Indiana’s and the back to backs with me, who’s all, you know, up till two or three AM, you know, going through this whole grind with me,

Feeling the same way I feel after wins and losses. You’re in the NBA too. But regardless of you soon up and getting sweaty. You understand mentally what it’s like to go through a grind of NBA season. And agents don’t get that respect. They’re not getting sweaty or dirty,

But they in the grind just as much as the players and they truly understand what it’s like, what life is like being an NBA player. I agree. Looking back now, me and you’ve been working together 11 years. Seven, eight years ago we went on our own.

You took such a leap of faith because where I was at in my life, I was lost. Like in terms of like from here and here, right? So I had a lot of passion. I knew I had the intelligence, but these things were disconnected completely and I wasn’t feeling good about myself.

But like that’s what I think our partnership is about. It’s like an honor to the fact that you gave me that chance. And like you said, you hit it well. I didn’t truly know what she was going through until we started. Talking about it after the fact,

But I just seen your passion for wanting to get better and wanting to master what she was doing. The grace in which you did it with a lot of, you know, frankly, a lot of bullshit being thrown your way. You jumping into an industry you didn’t know much about.

I see how you handled it and I’m just like, well, this and then I just and then our relationship built pretty fast. Like I felt comfortable telling you everything that was going on in my life and you understood it so quickly and easily. And so all of that coming together.

I’m just like, yeah, I feel like I don’t mind taking this leap of faith and saying what his goals because I feel like this somebody I could just trust. And it just started from there and we didn’t have a plan or like, yo,

We’re going to build the boardroom when you get with me or we’re going to invest in this. When you get with me, it was just like, yo, let’s just let’s just see what his goals and just having that thought process of wanting to just build and not worry

About what can come down the line. It made me way more easy. And we’re like, yo, this is actually the guy I’ve been looking for. You know, I’m saying as a professional, somebody who’s trying to build a brand and build who you are in this space.

That’s what I was looking for the whole time. Somebody I can really just not have that player agent relationship, but somebody I can really call my brother that we can work together. And that’s a hard thing to find. You know, you know that too. Mixing that personal with the business and working.

At 35 years old, like we started talking about, like we just said, the Seattle Super Sonics and obviously boardroom, something we’ve built to, you know, build as far as we can build it. But there’s a lot of things that you and I have talked about that you could do, would do,

Have the opportunity to do. Have you started even thinking about that? Or do you still feel like, you know, you’re you’re young KD that’s just playing ball? Yeah, I still feel like I’m that that kid that’s still hoping. But it’s almost impossible not to think about it. And I could feel.

Of my mind drifting towards there when I see somebody my age going to transition out of the game and start doing something that I wouldn’t mind doing when I’m done playing. Like be at GM or do a Grand Hills during the run team USA

Or become owners of a franchise or just run the board room when I’m done. So I get inspired by seeing people do those things all the time. But it’s also a part of me that kind of slaps out of it and say, yo, I’m still in the grind with the youngsters still playing

The game. But it’s a matter of point at being 35 and hearing it every day from my peers and from people around the game being 17 years in. It’s hard not to think about it. But I feel like being in the league and understanding and

Being this player that I am at this point in the league is preparing me mentally to be ready to take on different roles. And I think that’s just the core of the game was being disciplined. You know, being consistent every single day, working well with others, working towards a common goal,

And I think those traits can transfer over, you know, to anything if I put my mind into it. Do you, at 35 years old, feel like your game has changed at all? No, because I still feel myself doing the same moves I was doing since I was 8 or 9 years old.

My mentality and my approach has changed for sure. And just understanding what it takes to win an NBA basketball game at different parts of the season. Understanding what it’s like playing in the back -to -back, in the playoffs, in the play -in, pre -season. Like, what a shooter on this, like,

I think I’ve gained understanding of that, and now that my approach to all of those different scenarios have changed, so I can be any different player any given night based on where we are in the season. You know what I’m saying? I think that takes a lot of, you know,

It takes up a lot of work to truly think on that level of each game may be different, so you’ve got to be prepared and ready for anything, you know, that’s like, I had to release a lot of other thoughts so I could just focus on that, and sometimes me doing, me retiring,

And what may happen when I retire gets lost in that shuffle of trying to focus on, alright, my role may change tonight on court, you know? So it’s, I think that’s how my game has changed more so than my, you know, my skill set and what I’m doing out there.

Do you have more perspective for how incredible it is that, forget who you are, just that you really are doing what you love? Like, because I know I’ve gained perspective in my 40s, I wish I had more of it in my 30s, but it feels like you have. Yeah, yeah, I’ve gained perspective,

Especially after you know, winning championships and being at the highest level, I gained a lot of perspective on like, what am I truly doing this for? because when you reached the mount top and all we covered is the NBA championship and when you finally get there you

Start to realize like this is not it. It’s not the only thing you want to do is like you want to continue to keep going after that then you do it for a second time. It’s just like damn how about I accomplished everything.

What’s really pushing me to continue to wake up every day and do this and it went back down to just like I truly just love the crowd and that’s what’s keeping me up every day regardless of what happens around that and the results from that.

I just enjoy the craft and that’s something that’s that I’ve learned from winning and losing and just being in the league over time that is simply about perfecting what I’m doing every day. I feel like that’s why it’s so hard for people to believe

That when you talk about the gold conversation for instance right that you’re talking about it in that sense and I think it’s hard for people to believe it at all. It’s like I actually think that people don’t think you know that everyone has an asterisk next to your championships.

Yeah, and I almost say that stuff to challenge people’s thinking on why do you either put, why do you even have a goat list for one and what does it actually mean in the grass game with this? And to also highlight that it’s such a subjective thing

That I can ask 20 people that you may not ever know or talk to who they go and they may save me. They may say Trace and McRadial, Paul, George, but what does it matter? Like at the end of the day, what truly matters in this thing? You know what I’m saying?

And so like, yeah, I’ve heard people come up to me and passionately tell me I’m the greatest they ever seen. And I feel like I’ve accomplished things on a court and been in situations that the greatest have seen. So I feel like I can have a conversation about basketball

With the Michael Jordan or Colby Bryant or LeBron James, not about bragging about how much we’ve done, but like what did you see out there and did I see the same things? I feel like I can have those conversations with the greatest that ever played.

And they would feel comfortable knowing that I understand what they’re coming from and their perspective on the game of basketball because I’m well traveled and I’m truly a student of the game. On top of me experiencing the same things they did. So when I say this goatee, it’s more so like,

Can I have a real basketball conversations with some of the best that’s ever played basketball or walk those sidelines? And I believe so. Do you care about the asterisk shit? Honestly, do you care when you hear people say it? No, not as much as I care about the the storytelling around the game.

Don’t dilute the storytelling around the game because your personal opinions and emotions and let’s just present the facts around down the game because that’s what’s going to push the game forward. If we continue to tell a history the right way, if we revised history based on how you personally feel,

Now you’re getting in the way of the story. And what makes you bigger than our story when you’re not even playing? That’s how I look at it. And so the asterisks don’t bother me more so than the people that’s just saying it for the simple fact that you’re upset or you’re emotional.

It’s just like, I know what I did. Obviously, this is in the record, which is black and white is stamped to me. Let’s have a real high level conversation about basketball sometimes. Don’t just bucket Kevin as one of the best scorers on the face of the earth. And then the go conversation.

But you can then acknowledge like for that conversation, they’re going to leave me out unless I do X, Y and Z. But in this conversation where Hoopers know and people that want to talk about basketball as a sport, I’ll be in any conversation. Yeah, you’re comfortable with that.

I don’t mind jumping in that conversation of people who say I need to prove something to them to do X, Y, and Z because I know my history, I know what I’ve done so I can have those conversations too. And then I can just talk basketball with people who don’t

Look at stuff like that. All I knew was storytelling around NBA as a kid. I wasn’t watching every game. I didn’t have the NBA package. I couldn’t, you know what I’m saying? It was one TV in the house and there’s five or six of us.

I couldn’t turn on what I wanted to turn on as a youngest. And so when they listen and hear about what’s going on with the game, I feel like it has, in order for that kid to truly get the best experience of what it’s like, the truth has to be told.

And what I’m saying is bigger than just me. It’s just the overall fact of what’s going on in the NBA and the story of telling around the NBA. It should be based on facts more so than whoever’s writing this personal bias of paying. Yeah. Well, sadly,

There’s space for both most networks lean towards one version of it. And pal for pal, the people that are talking about it really do know the game. A lot of them know the game. But we know what sells. And I think what’s unfortunate is that let’s look at your body of work.

Let’s not even look at the accolades that I accumulated. Just look at the seasons of the numbers. We’re going to get to that. You know what I’m saying? And how long are those seasons and those numbers, how consistent those numbers are? That to me is a career.

And no matter how many accolades you accumulate, like I have high level respect for Steph Almambra. And he has no accolades or no real stake in any of these conversations. But you look at it, you look at the nine or 10 seasons that he played. You know what I’m saying?

Well, but that’s the thing. So then when you talk about the go conversation, right? And I’m not here advocating for you to be in it or not being in it. I’m saying that. And me either. Right. No, I know you’re not. I’m just questioning this the whole conversation itself.

I hear you because what I was saying is if you do two championships, two finals, MVP and MVP four, scoring titles, three Olympic gold medals, so you’re not going to be in it. all -time Olympic score. Then you talk about 17 years in the league,

16 years playing because you missed an entire year for what? The craziest injury ever, which is never spoken about. I could say this. Yeah. And also another year of your season where you missed 50 games, 60 games with an injury that people didn’t realize. Well, I should have probably missed the whole season,

Really. You play like 12 games or 18 games. 27. But if I would have the last surgery we did, we did that first, then I would have missed the whole year. People don’t realize that your Jones Fracture surgery was three surgeries for one injury. Your foot is so fucking different that. Oh man,

They were and they were saying that’s a career threat in that injury. Yeah. Because of the blood flow that goes to the bone and it might not all the way. It was a bunch of you know how that shit is. That was scary, bro.

All of this shit was scary, even with the killies. And it was like, man, you may get blood clots if you don’t control certain. You were bugging from the blood clots. I was bugging them all of that, because I felt like it was affecting my whole body, just, you know, my killies.

Because it’s such a major ligament, you know what I’m saying? So then that’s what goes unnoticed when you talk about professional athletes and how we deal with injuries. You know what I’m saying? And what it takes to really come out of that. And you was in it with me every day.

Bro, went to all three surgeries with you, obviously. But the third one, I had back surgery three days before. Oh, yeah. I remember that. And you took a, you were on a flight, not even first class. No, first class, bro. This was middle seat, last row of the plane joint.

And you had, what was it? This surgery? The micro -despectomy or some shit. Yep. Then I remember you get to the bay and you remember the first year in the bay, you got hurt in DC. We go to get an MRI or an X -ray.

They look at it and they say that you’re probably out for the year. Oh my gosh. They told us that I was out for the year. And we were in this dinner 30, 45 minute wait period before they called us back. So man, that 30 to 45 minutes, we were in. Bro, tears.

Yes. Because you had just left to go from Oklahoma City to the bay. You were bumping. And if you got hurt and they kept playing and winning, like there was so much stress on you. There was so much bullshit that like, what? You’re out for the year?

Yeah, it was just, and it was devastating. It was totally devastating to the point where it was just flat out tears as soon as they said that. Because it’s just like, come on, it can’t play out this way. No. But then when we got the call.

Yeah, let’s tell you how bad DC traffic is. We still in a car 45 minutes later, get on the way to the hotel, and they called us and told us that there’s a six week injury, four or six week injury,

And just some bro and bros and a, and I was sober and Lee, and we almost celebrated. And I remember that next morning Zaza was sold, because Zaza the one that fell into my leg, he was so distraught. Like I felt so bad for him. It’s like six or seven in the morning.

He knocked on my door now. And he’s just so apologizing so much. I felt so bad, but he didn’t realize that like, yo, you didn’t get that news we got. No, he’s straight up. And then get the other news we got. So I was like, I was excited at that time.

So I was like, Zabh man, it’s all good. Good, I’ll see you in the playoffs. I see you, I hold it down for me. And that ease is mine too. And I love Zaza. That’s one of my favorite teammates ever. And I love that he came and did that, but I don’t know.

That just shows the motion rollercoaster, this league and being an NBA player and all that stuff matters, bro. And not just me. People around me feel that too. Oh my god. So you’re Achilles, right? Let’s just paint a picture for one second. You guys have won two championships in a row.

You know, you’re playing the Toronto Raptors. You’re missing the first few games. There’s a lot of buzz of whether you’re going to come back and you call me. I’m in New York. It’s right before game five. And you said to me, you know, get Mary Beth,

We need the massage therapist to me being Toronto. I said, oh, I was up. You’re like, I’m a play. And bro, it was like more heroic than I think people even realized to be to be fair. And I fly to Toronto and no one knew you were playing.

So I ended up being the only person there was like bad weather and I come into town and we’re having that. Like I felt like Don King and Mike Tyson. I remember I was talking to you. I was like, bro, this about to be that motherfucking moment. You taking this series back.

This is it. Then you was like coming to team bus with me, bro. I’m like, hell, yeah, I wore sweats because I was like, I got to be in the moment. Yeah. So I wore warrior sweats. I got on the bus.

I remember Dremon dat me up and I was this was a bucket list moment for me. And then the fucking arena buzzing Drake there. And what happened after that was honestly like a movie, a fucking movie. We’re in the back with four doctors, Bob.

The team’s not even back and no one can talk. And it’s in its obvious you tore your Achilles. Do you remember that moment still like it was yesterday? Do you block that shit out? No, I remember. I remember it’s a huge moment in my life, man. It’s just a life changing moment.

As I was walking back, I knew for a fact that it was it was done because when I was walking, it wasn’t. I didn’t feel like I had a normal foot. Like, it felt like my foot was hanging, but I was just walking on my heel and I couldn’t feel

Anything else but my heel. So I’m like, this is no way I can eat. even walk straight or try to walk straight right now. So I know it’s just not like no strain or nothing. And I felt, and I heard a pop, it’s 20 ,000 people in there, it’s the finals.

And I heard a pop, something like, oh my gosh. And my whole basketball career just flashed in front of my eyes, everything. Everything I did, everything that I thought about, all my favorite moments, all my bad moments, it flashed. And that’s why if you watch, I’m just sitting there gazing into the crowd.

Before somebody came over here and helped me up. Because I’m just like, this shit is over with. But I truly don’t know what I’m about to be. And that’s a nerve wreck and feeling when you don’t know who you are. That was scary shit. You know what I’m saying?

And as I was walking back, I seen all your body, and you know, Kyle Lierie was trying to settle the crowd down. I seen Drake over there, over there upset. Drake’s my, I love that dude so much, bruh. Like, he, you knew and he knew.

And because I tell him everything is it and I say how I say how mad he was about it. And then as I went back to the locker room, they gave you this test where I guess they squeeze on your cat to see if your foot a move.

And my foot will move and that’s when every every doctor knows that. And I remember the doctor did that and he was just looking around and just there saying that no one wanted to say shit. He just couldn’t say nothing. And I was just like, fuck, this is it.

And that’s when I knew I’m like, all right, I probably would never, I probably won’t go back to the Bay again. And this whole thing is just, this is the end of this whole thing. Yeah, it was just like, just the end of this whole thing. Like I didn’t even,

I had left to come on that road trip and I didn’t even go back to the Bay after that to get my clothes and nothing. Y ‘all all did that for me. Went straight to New York, got surgery. And was in New York and says that it was such a man.

It was such a defining moment in my career, bro. You people don’t realize the thoughts that I had as I was going through all of that shit because you it affects your human life at that point. You can’t walk. You can’t function like a regular human.

You got to learn how to walk again on top of you, trying to learn how to be an athlete again. You know what I’m saying? And it was just man, it was tough. Just because I didn’t know what the recovery is like, you just hear about it.

You know, it’s different when you go through it. So all I knew was just like, this is the toughest injury ever. It’s going to be hard to come back from as a seven, eight, as a year process. Every day is tedious. That’s all I kept hearing. So I’m just like,

And I knew I liked and I can grind out of rehab, but. I’m just like, would I even help? You know what I’m saying? I know I get back, but when I really be the one that I was before, and that was what was stressing me out because I didn’t,

I couldn’t know until I started. And then. My mind started to get at ease when I started playing pick up. When I started going against other players that were in the NBA, then I’m like, I could still drive past him. I could still shoot over this guy.

There’s certain stuff that I was missing out on my game that I had to build back up again. Like my range from deep, like stopping on the down, pulling up from deep. Like my fade away is going right off my leg, pushing off this right leg.

I feel like I had to build that stuff up and it was stressful, but I was like, I could still like, I still feel solid around the younger players in the league. So that’s when I started to test myself out. That’s when I got better.

And that’s when my mind became more at ease. And then I started to realize like, oh, I can do this again. And then it happened over time. Like my first preseason game, I was like, okay, my first six, seven games in the league. I was playing. All right. I was like, all right.

Then my first playoff series. This is the highest intensity of basketball playing against the Milwaukee Bucks, a champion. I’m like, all right, this is the highest level of ball. And I can play 48 minutes straight. All right. I’m back. That’s when I finally realized like, all right, I’m all right.

Well, it’s funny you say that because in some ways, I think it’s crazy that two of the most defining moments in your career and your career is not nearly done and you’ve accomplished so much is this Achilles injuries on the biggest stage ever. Yeah.

And having one of the most epic iconic games in New York City that came up a quarter of an inch short, right? And I’m not one of them people that’s like, man, the media is don’t treat you right. Like I get it. We get the asterix. We get it all.

We get it all. But what I’m talking about is that like, can’t we spend a little time on the fact that you are tenth all time is scoring. You missed two full seasons. Your fourth all time or third all time and scoring average. You’ve played 16 years in the NBA. Like you said,

One of those seasons you only played 27 games and every year you’re averaging 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, shooting over 50%. That conversation, whether you want to put it in the gold, you want to put it in the best hoop or ever that conversation is important.

It’s important for me to have out there and it’s one of the things I wanted to get across in this interview because when I was hearing you talk about it the other day, everyone went right to your decision like cool. Take the decision. Yeah, but also see this. See just see this.

Yeah. Do you feel like you have to accomplish more? Do you are you are you at all motivated by this by the story of the narrative? I wouldn’t say I’m motivated by the narrative. Like I hear it and I understand it, but I’ve never been motivated by that.

It’s always been about can I perfect the craft tonight? Can I be at my best tonight? And that’s always the challenge more so than anything. And once I started to understand that like this was my goal all of all along was to build my craft to the best that I

Can get it and fit into a team instead of like I just want to win championships and be had these accolades to myself. That’s when the game. started to become more fun to me and that’s what I lean on more than anything.

So once the game is once I don’t enjoy that part of it then that’s probably when I’ll think about when it’s time for me. But I’m so I enjoy so much of like even the cars I’m like man I fuck this is I hated this fucking game tonight this

Is a shitty game by us. I enjoy knowing that all I can go back to next game and and and eventually I would lose you know I’m saying I enjoy that part of the garage so you know it’s just for me like

The narratives are I hear them and I listen to them and it inspires me and fuses me but it’s not the reason I play you know I’m saying it’s just it’s just part of it’s just something I can’t avoid. And I would say there’s been times where the people closest

To you are like bro shoot more. Like I think of anything you know I see the scoring in the league right now and it’s insane right and I mean that the talent levels off the charts. But I feel like there’s games you could have went for 50 or

60 and you’ve just chosen to commit to playing the way you like to play game in and game out, no matter what. Yeah, yeah, it’s times where I would have had high number of points in the first quarter and it could easily turn into a big night.

But I was trying to do what it takes to win the basketball game. If it takes me a minute to go have to score big and shoot a lot of shots, then I’ll have to do it.

But sometimes when I had those high score games now, by the time I get back into the game, now we got to play more of a team game and I might not be able to get those big numbers. And I had to be cool with that early on knowing that,

All right, I play with great players that can do the same things too. So sometimes it may not be all about me. And that’s the beauty of playing on great teams and going to the Warriors and playing for the Nets and playing for the Suns. You play around great players and different perspectives

Around the game. You understand it’s bigger than you. And I learned that over time. And I think that’s a part of the growth of being more than just a score. Why do you think people in the media think you’re not a good leader or that you’re not a leader?

I’m not as charismatic as my peers. I don’t have a personality that’s like fit for TV like my peers. And a lot of those stories of what we talk about don’t get spoken about in the media. And that’s just really what it is.

It’s like, you got to sell what you’re doing as well. And I haven’t sold it enough. And I feel like, I don’t feel like I need to. I don’t feel like I want people to call me a leader, but I also don’t want people to say I’m not one either.

You know what I’m saying? Because they don’t see what goes on behind the scenes or what I talk about on my intentions. All the relationships that I’ve built with my teammates and support staff. But when guys like that say that I just got to chalk it up

To them just not being aware of what goes on instead of wanting to push a narrative for myself. So maybe in that narrative or tell the truth for myself, I expose the truthful, how great of a leader I am. I don’t feel like it’s necessary.

I’ll just chalk it up to those guys not being aware of who I am. But you know what else I think? You’re happy. People think like, they’re like, why Katie not happy? Why is Katie look so miserable? But it’s times where I become, it’s times where I’m unhappy. That’s just human nature.

We don’t play well as a team. I’m not happy. It may not last for a long time, but I’m not happy for a good four or five hours when I call you out through a bad game. You know what I’m saying? I’m not happy. And I think that’s just,

Once we accept that we have normal human emotions and reactions, of course my life is good. Of course I can’t complain about anything, but in the moment some shit happens, I’m not going to fake like I’m not upset about it because I’m living such a great life.

No, I want this to work out. So I’m going to figure out and go and sometimes you being upset helps you figure out a problem. Oh, you know what I’m saying? So sometimes me not liking what’s going on is going to help me get to a solution better.

You know, but that doesn’t mean my life overall is unhappy. But you like, do you miss at all or ever think like, man, maybe I should have stuck with this was that before you went to the Bay when we worked together and before that, I mean, you were the face of the league.

You had 12 commercials. You would the backpack on everyone was like, Katie’s Katie’s like, that’s who I want to bring home as my son. Right. That’s the kind of kid I want my daughter to marry. Then all of a sudden you turned into like, you know,

A villain and you played it up at times. It was fun and it was also just like, I think at times you’ve been boxed in because you’re not a villain. Like we keep saying in this real world, right? Like in the real world, everyone fucks with you. Fans vote you in.

People love you. We see it. The evidence is there. You’ve impacted people around the world. But in the movie script, you became the villain. Do you miss the other character? No, no, I kind of like being this right now. Not saying this.

Not saying what I was in my earlier years was fake because I really was. I really wanted to be a part of the NBA story. Like when you spoke about the NBA, I wanted people to speak about me too. You know, they don’t speak about the LeBron’s,

The D -Roses at the time, the Colby’s. I’m like, I’m playing well enough to like, when you talk about the league, you should speak about me too. And I wanted to be that. So like, I wanted to show people more of my personality, my funnier side,

My kitties side or what I enjoyed about being in the NBA. I cared about showing the fan bases and the people who followed the league. I cared about showing them that because I thought that’s what’s like Superstar players supposed to do. And over time. I just became exhausted. You know what I’m saying?

It’s not like I’m, it’s something against like, wanting to be that brand or wanting to be out in the public like that, but it’s just like, I like my own space and I like doing what I’m doing without having any obligations. I like that better. Like, you know what I’m saying?

I was just, that side was fun too. I had a good time and it built in and then there’s a foundation for a lot of what we’re doing now, but I enjoy just moving how I move right now. And I think it’s just all the evolution of like, you know,

Wearing all black, Lord, you know, doing one or two commercials every couple of years and not being as talkative as we were before, but just doing the work behind the scenes. I kind of like how we approach the stuff now. How y ‘all boys shooting today, man? How y ‘all, how y ‘all?

Hi, I’m Chad. Right here, man. Play the scramble. Play the scramble. Wolf scramble. Switch our teams every day. We’re going to be down. You know, that’s why I just take sheep. Let me know. Alright fellas. Alright, see y ‘all yo. How you doing? How you doing? Like those guys. The sun’s gone down.

We see your teammates coming back from the golf course already and we’re still here kicking it bro. Yeah man. Playing nicely to set up for two or three hours like oh shit I got something to do in a second. I feel like when Oprah interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan

Markle it just flow man. You don’t even have no time limit. Your perception of yourself. Maybe it’s a good thing that you don’t realize I think that you’re Kevin Durant sometimes. No I know that I am who I am. But I don’t truly believe people care as much as they portray.

That’s my thing. And I think sometimes maybe that’s why you’re a bit shocked by reactions. I wouldn’t say I’m shocked by the reaction but just how long you keep that reaction. Yeah like how long? Because the reaction can be emotional if it lingers it’s personal. Exactly. Yeah. And that’s when I’m shocked at.

At how long it’s filled. How long it’s lingered and how much it’s become personal. Because we usually want to diminish and revise history on some shit that I did and then when I correct you on it you say that I’m insecure about it. It’s just like hold on what kind of mind.

But the thing is it’s not personal. You know it’s funny about Steven A. This is my favorite and I love Steven A. You know it’s funny everyone that talks about Steven A says beforehand I love Steven A. Before you about to tell the truth. Because they scared his shit.

God forbid he’s last you one day. Because that’s how he said it. Because he go man I love this guy. I quit a score of all time but. Yeah. And that and like he shows up for us. He showed up for the show and he does love you.

Like I know he does but he’ll always qualify by like good brother. Great brother. Love his family. Love his family. Love his mom. Love his brothers. No those brothers. Really well. But that was the worst decision I’ve ever seen anyone ever making the history of the NBA.

Man, the Stephen A is a guy who has a big voice. And his opinion matters in this whole grass game with things. And he’s so entertaining. As much as he can get my perspective on how I’m feeling, I’m thinking that’s going to make your job better when you

Hear from somebody like me the truth. So a lot of these reactions were that for me. Like, yo, I want you to just be better at your job. I want you to, if the people want to subscribe to everything that is me, at least tell the story, right?

Who’s going to be the best player in the NBA in 10 years? That’s around now. Not that it’s on the league. 10 years. So that’s what, 23th Victor. Wimby. Wimby. Wimby. Is Anthony Edwards different the way I think he’s different, different, different? Yeah. Yeah. He’s a team builder.

Like his personality hits a demeanor at something you can build around and have people come into the gym and say, yo, be like that. That’s those are the ones. You walk in the gym machine working hard. You walk in him. He’d be in a great teammate and bring in everybody with him.

Those are culture builders. I think Victor, it’s a lot. I don’t want to name just a few names because there’s so many that I think that can be that for franchises, but off top and since your name and and those two for sure can be that.

Did you know Joel was going to be this good? Once he started playing, I did. When coming into the I didn’t know much about his game, but when I seen him on the floor because he missed his first year and a half, I think, or two years when we were injuries.

Once he started playing and I seen how easily he did everything, I was like, yeah, it’s probably a problem. Did you think Luca was this good? You know, Atlanta, I start planning against these dudes. It’s hard to say what a dude get drafted that he going to

Do with these dudes are doing right now. But when you play against them and you see the support they got behind them and just the style of play they play with, you can tell they’re going to do something. Store shit. What’s surprised you about books game that you didn’t know?

His mentality when it’s time to hunt and kill, he’s all about that. And he doesn’t let up either. And I’ve never seen somebody who I’ve seen it before, but playing on the team with somebody you look up in the first quarter,

You can easily get 25 or 30 points in the first quarter of shit quickly like that. But just his mentality to go score the ball is something I underestimated. I didn’t truly know it was this with the was at this level. Last player I’m gonna ask you about, young dude, Cooper Flagg. See,

Young dudes is hard to truly understand when you’re playing against a high school competition. You don’t know who’s the best of the best and all knows the best version of that competition. But the intangibles that he has, his measureables, his raw talent, I can see that through the TV.

This is when you say 10 and then come run up and down the floor like that and get the instincts with the basketball like that. The only one, if you work at it and if you care and if you put it, if you consistent with who you are, like I say,

It’s showing up every day. If you show up every day and be the best you can be, I think Cooper Flagg could be one of the top players in the league for 15 years. Is it not absolutely utterly staggering what LeBron has done for this long? Oh my gosh. It’s insane, bro.

It’s like when he was in his 14th, 15th year, I was just like… When he’s 17th, 18th year, it’s just like, damn, that’s actually is dope. When you’re 39 and you’re 20th year, and then like half your life is in a league, and then you played against like 40% of the players that’s

Ever played in a league, it’s just like… That longevity has to mean something. That has to be a standard. Like if you really, truly want to know what greatness is like, of course you’ve got to accumulate championships in a short amount of time, and accolades in a short amount of time.

You can have a nice quick, spur -de -moment, but like… I truly appreciate somebody who’s been in that shift for a long time. I got to tell you something, so this is Sac Religious. I grew up in the 90s. Michael Jordan broke the Nick’s heart.

He broke the Pacers heart when my man Mark Jackson was there. He created this basketball culture, Jordan Shoes’ $6, $7 billion business a year. But if we’re going to stick to the conversation that we talk about, accolades and body of work, LeBron’s body of work is second to none.

It is second to none. I mean, it is. It is. It is. This is his consistency is showing up, and that got to mean something. He’s the all -time leading scorer. He showed up, and that’s why I appreciate LeBron about LeBron, and that I overlooked and underestimated when it comes to him.

His enthusiasm and love for the game of basketball. And it’s that simple. It’s nothing more than that. I know LeBron and his brand is just so much built on top, but the foundation is that. And I think everything he does is a foundation from,

I just enjoy showing up and I enjoy being who I am in this space every day. And that’s something I could appreciate and learn from because it’s literally that simple for a lot of people that that’s been in there for a long time. I was watching a random ass, Vinny Tester Verde dock.

That’s right. And you know when I watch somebody, I just go in deep for like at least a day or two of like pause. Sorry, shout out, Cam and Mason. Pause that. I just, I go in deep dive of like who somebody is. Like I think Vinny played maybe 20 something years.

Well, that’s crazy. And he had an Achilles injury. And he had an Achilles injury. I think he played over 20 years. And played a long ass time. Vinny, right? He played a long time. Yeah. And it’s a lot of other quarterback and football players played 16, 17, 18 years. And it’s just like,

You truly don’t get it until you hit like 15, 16 years in a league. How hard it is to wake up every day knowing what you know and still come to work and still having to match with other people who were just experiencing this for the first time

Or don’t know as much as you know. And you still get up and want to work as hard as you can. Be the best teammate and work is that that’s greatness to me. And every day have to be LeBron James. Every day, whoever you run into and whatever fan sees you,

It’s the greatest day of their life. You have to show up. You grew up in an era where your voice was asked to be spoken and you showed up and you spoke. Yeah. You built a blueprint for a business. You went through shit and to do it for that long.

I think it’s been more mind blowing for me this year to watch it than ever before. And it goes back to that goat thing, right? Like how many people can relate to LeBron James or Earth? And sitting and having a conversation about what he’s going through on a day to day.

Who can have those conversations that truly know what he’s going through as LeBron James? How many people? So few. I’m like one hand. One hand. But who else? All right. Let me give you somebody. Michael Jor for sure. We don’t even have to talk about him. Michael Jor for sure. Tom Brady.

Serena Williams. I think in a very weird way, I mean, let me not shake up the direction of the combo, but someone like Drake. Easily. Tiger Woods. I mean, Tiger Woods has a different separate combo for himself because like he had, he was, he was good. But life comes into play.

You can’t account for life. And that’s why when you think about LeBron and what he’s been able to persevere through and, and avoid and it comes with it. All that is part of it. All that’s part of it. And that’s the part that like back to like, that’s the asterisk. That’s the asterisk.

The same asterisk combo. Same asterisk combo. Because look. Let’s say this, had you gone to the Knicks after the Bay, right? And you never won a championship ever. But you went to the conference FODOs, maybe went to the FODOs, went to the second round of playoffs.

I actually think you’d be in that combo quicker than because of what you did. And you know what’s funny and do me a favor, will you tell the camera and whatever Nick fans will watch this, that I wanted you to go to the Knicks, bro. You definitely did.

You definitely did more than anything. Like you’ve left me so, I’m in on an island in New York right now. Like I really like, because then all of a sudden I was all in Brooklyn. Like I left for you. I know that was so hard. Two years. It was so hard to do.

Of an obsession. And that’s why I love you so much because, and that’s probably the toughest thing about anything. That was tough. That was tough for us. It was. That was tough for us because. You thought I had blinders on you thought I had like whatever like rose colored like Nick blinders. Yeah.

Yeah, I Yeah, but at the same time I thought that you like You know I Was just like dog coming just come to the car You were if anybody was like my dad you like you love the next. Oh, yeah, your dad was with me have a lot of nicks Yeah Everybody I

Mean you always gonna you’re always going to do what you want and what you think is best for your profession and your game And I respected that and remember You know at multiple times in your career I’ve had people that can relate to me from different fields like one of my biggest

Inspirations Jimmy Ivey that always reminded me like Put the blinders on and you know come in with the with the with the guy that Introduced you to this world and that’s when all of a sudden I turned my attention to like yo I’m a

Brooklyn net and all of a sudden I was like you was you let it use that with us every day You cared about it. Just as much as you care about the next I Felt I was that franchise and now now I just go to st. John’s games because that’s like Yeah,

I’m not going to your New York or through New York or through and through as half you to Switch to lead alliances like that and then you just never gonna lead New York City Do me a favor clear up something you said for me five years ago.

It meant the nicks are cool Come on, bro. At that time they weren’t that man The nicks weren’t cool, but they are cool brand like when the nicks are like on like right now when they pop it right now They’re probably well last few years.

They were playing well But before that they was a plan well But you knew the brand was cool the brand was cool But at the time you know, I’m not looking at the cool brand outside of the game I was looking about looking at the team and the team was not cool

To play for the team was not cool to watch It wasn’t a good team to watch. I May have embellished of the little bit or a lot of them a little bit about like the I might like through the brand. There we go. You know it’s cool, bro.

But yeah, of course the next brand. Like New York is New York. Living in New York made me truly realize that it’s the greatest city in the world. It really is, brother. It really is. And there’s nothing. I don’t think there’s no other city that can compete. I mean, not compete.

There’s going to top it. There’s people that can, cities that can compete. Sorry. But to top New York, it could just be like, I rather, no. And that’s just a testament to you, how like, no matter how you feel, because you were happy there.

You go what’s best for you in the game and your relationship with the game. It feels like, oh yeah, for sure. For sure. That’s anywhere I go. And I might not be happy some days, but I’m happy going through those times of being a little off.

Do you think your work ethic is more responsible than your God -given skill? Most definitely. Because I mean I know I know six ten dudes around who know can’t move a lick can’t shoot We can’t do anything on the basketball court Who haven’t even made the lead who’s six

Nine six ten walking around earth that’s just That aspire to be basketball players, but just couldn’t I Actually had to show I had to work on it then show it improve it in order for me to be this It wasn’t just awful potential. Well, man, you six nine and you can shoot man.

You gonna be good man. Let’s just work with you No, I had to prove it. I had to work on it and show you improve it by my consistency every day So yeah, it’s about showing up working hard On top of you having to measure booze and the God given physical gifts,

But if you don’t Actually persistently work on it every day Find tune it every day. You’ll never get to being a great you can squeeze by and be solid and you know Stay around because of your size and your measure booze But it’s just another layer.

I think I’m always trying to break through even if I don’t know what the next layer is I’m always trying to figure out. I can I evolve from this and Get better from this and I think that’s the difference This summer is gonna be crazy You know,

God willing everything goes according to plan and you’re in Paris going for what will be your fourth Olympic gold medal You’re already the all -time leading scorer in Olympic men’s basketball history and Little -known fact to our audience you sit on the board of USA basketball. How excited are you?

What are your expectations? And are you ready to go there and like you’re not going there as like an older guy in the league you trying to bust ass No, I’m trying to yeah, I’m trying to play. I’m trying to play real minutes.

I’m trying to be responsible Have a real role Oh And though that’s what call from the work I put in practice on and all of that stuff, but I’m ready for that. And I’m excited about being around that USA bond, that brotherhood again, man. It’s like,

It’s unmatched when you got all stars in the NBA, playing on one team for not just a weekend, but for a whole summer. The funnest part of the season of the year is the summertime and you’re traveling around the world, so basically on tour with some of the best ever, ever.

So who do you, the 1V1s are famous, so let’s talk some shit. Who do you want to smoke with this summer so you can let it be known that you’re still the guy? I see, I don’t want to be, let it be known that.

I just want to see where I am, I guess. All right, so you ready to go, whoever’s coming this summer, you’re ready to go back at it. Oh yeah, one is in practice, after practice is the best, as long as you want to get you better. So obviously, Brian will want to play.

Kua, Fideer, Kari, Fideer, Steph, PG, the young dudes like at Edwards, Bumzy, Buck, Wands, Tatum, Tatum Wands like Joelle, I don’t know about Joelle Wands. What? He’s slow, I don’t know if I can go once with him, he’s just slow too. He might just hit me with the shoulder.

But just being around these dudes and seeing how they work every day, seeing what they routine is before gang, what they drinking and eating, how they stretching, I’ll be looking at all that little stuff because I’m just so interested to see how you work and what makes you you

Because this is all great, so I’m going to be here. So I’m excited about that. But to the accolade piece having four, I think I’ll be the only one. Yeah, should you have played, should you have made it an 0 -8?

If the climate of the league is how it is now when younger players like the young movement is starting to take over and people understand what younger players are, then for sure, you should have made it. But that was me, I had to pay my dues,

They wasn’t just going to let me on the team because I’m young and I’m KD and they see the future in me. I had to really truly work to show that I belong and I appreciate that. But after like now, I would have probably just been on the end of the bench,

15 man, just taking an experience, which I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed. You know what I’m saying? I wanted to play, maybe I want to waste my summer just sitting on the bench traveling in China and not being a part of. Because like, I don’t care man, I’m sorry.

If I play on a team and we win some shit and I don’t do anything, I’m like the 15 man never plays. I don’t truly feel a part of it. It was some veteran guys on a group that I wouldn’t have played over.

So if I’m on a team and I’m not contributing anything and we win something, I just don’t feel, I’m sorry. mature and be excited for y ‘all but I just don’t feel fulfilled. I don’t get that fulfillment like y ‘all do because I wasn’t in the action. I get it.

You know what I’m saying? It’s like my warrior rings. It’s different. It’s different. You know what I’m saying? Where you doing everything that the other players who sweated and blood sweat tears into the game, you didn’t even get to put that much work in with them.

So it’s hard to feel a part of something. So I figured there’d have been like that with Team USA. So I’m glad it went that way but if it’s in today’s climate, I’m sure they’re making it. But you’ll get your fourth. Just so they can be like, oh,

This guy’s going to be on the 2010 World Championship. Yeah, yeah, get him in the system. Just give him in the system, yeah. Well, it worked out perfectly. We’ll see what happens this summer. Let’s go get four. And it’s about when we go out there,

I just want to really make a statement about how dominant we are players are. Yeah, it’s time to go back there and dominate, right? Like, yeah, like 40 or 50 point win. I want to do that. Before we wrap this incredible. Cover story video up bro, and man, this was fun.

This was so much fun So much fun and I and I know you very well and we talk every day But I think this is good for people to understand too because this partnership and this relationship We’ve gone through some crazy ass shit over

The last 10 11 12 years and I’ve been blessed to You know to be a part of of your career and for us to build something special and you know This brand and you know how much this brand means to me You know gave me once again the

Support to go build this thing and you know and what you’re building back home like watching What you’re building with your family and and seeing how great your impact is right and what we’re what we’re doing It it feels still like we

Just starting I get to share it with My family I get to share with my wife and kids. It’s an incredible thing Do you do you have a place in your mind yet to think about that or as part of the the focus part of that?

Let me make decisions based on this mean that you might not be able to Integrate family to that regard till after you retire Thank you. I feel like as I get older, I can compartmentalize, I guess, mentally my priorities a little bit better. Two or three years ago, probably not. But now,

I feel like I have control over what I need to do in order to be a great basketball player every day and also be present in my outside life. So, yeah, I think it’s in the cards soon. Or not holding it off to our retire. It may happen when I retire,

But I’m not going to make that declaration right now. You haven’t separated it in any way. If it happens, it happens. If it happens, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But from being around so long, I know I feel like I could take the brunt of anything that

Comes into this life and I could understand it and make it work. Man, if you have a son and he wants to, he’s in for it with the work ethic. You’re gonna be like, bro. What do you mean you’re sleeping? My gosh. I was just like,

My nephew’s five and he just starts shooting around like a year ago. And I don’t think he understands. Deuce is gonna be a problem. My brother is a coach. Shout out Tony Durant, just won the championship on the AU circuit under on the circuit under 16 and under amazing coaches.

Only shout out to Hikey and team Durant as well. Yeah man, he gonna come over to team Durant, but with him being a coach and me being who I am as a player and just. Deuce gonna be a problem. And then we just got coaches and players all around my brother’s friends.

I know agents. All my friends, the hoop, they’ve been around the game. So the youngest that’s gonna be born around this time, it’s just gonna be filled with so much knowledge of the game, it’s gonna be fun. All right, well that’s a wrap. 35 years old, number 35, boardroom cover story.

I think we did it justice. I think I learned more about you, bro. I think we reflected on some incredible times we had on this run. And, you know, I appreciate catching up with you, man. I appreciate this time. Move across country, that’s what we gotta do.

We gotta meet up in Orlando to catch up these days. Exactly, man, I appreciate it. Boardroom cover story, another one.