This week we’re incredibly excited to welcome NBA legend Ray Allen to The Old Man and the Three! Ray and JJ discuss so much, including Ray’s thoughts about youth basketball and coaching and what they miss most about being NBA players. Ray drops gems about what his mindset was around being a professional, leader, and how he approached practicing his shooting, conditioning, and training, plus what he thinks makes greatness. JJ also shares with Ray some meaningful interactions that they had together as players, and what Ray told JJ during his career that helped him and gave him confidence. They of course discuss Ray’s time on the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat and the sacrifices he needed to make for team success. They also, of course, discuss pregame routines, shooting, and Ray’s legendary shot in Game 6. Then, Tim Legler joins JJ and Tommy for a draft of which players from the 90s would be great in today’s NBA. Needless to say, it’s a packed episode. Let’s go!
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0:00 Intro
3:52 Coach of the Year
11:33 Ray Allen interview
1:34:19 Draft with Tim Legler
Subscribe to The Old Man and The Three podcast w/ JJ Redick (ESPN / First Take) and Tommy Alter YouTube channel today for more NBA analysis, player interviews and highlights.
welcome to the old man of 3 with JJ
reick and Tommy alter brought to you by
342 Productions this is episode
222 Ray Allen and Tommy yes I am wearing
the exact same outfit as I did last week
because I’m recording it this week
there’s going to be three people in the
YouTube comments who notice it and say
something I’m wearing the same thing
guys I’m wearing the same thing just
address it uh my kids have spring break
next week uh so I will not be uh in
studio to record anything so we’re just
recording the intro and our draftking
sports book ahead of time Tommy I went
over to Ray’s place down in Miami uh
last week when I was calling the Heat
game first of all guys got a phenomenal
setup shout out to Ray man you you did
it right you got a phenomenal setup he
does it right I feel like he just like
he he makes good choices in life by the
way Ray Ray still looks like he could
play in the NBA I’m pretty sure he could
go out there and uh get a few buckets uh
we talk about a ton of stuff um you know
as always whenever we uh interview
anybody you you you kind of go with what
the guest wants to talk about and Rey is
very passionate about a bunch of things
and we had a really fun fun conversation
uh about the Celtics the heat specific
shots shooting in general uh youth
basketball um just a great conversation
with Rey just a super smart articulate
uh thoughtful guy and uh as I told him
and he knows this and you’ll see it 15
[ __ ] different times in the
interview I had my favorite players
grown up Tom
me obviously I started watching the NBA
I love Duke that all happened at the
same time and the Bulls were winning so
of course I loved Michael Jordan you
know Michael Jordan to me in the 90s was
the best player and he was on the best
team so of course I rooted for the Bulls
as Michael Jordan started to get older
and then he retired for the second time
uh became kind of obsessed with Ray
Allen this was as I was entering high
school and uh I I legitimately wanted to
be and play like Ray Allen he was like
the guy that I was like I want to model
my game after I remember there was like
uh a Scouting Report my junior senior
year um you know in in the rankings
nationally it was like you know there’s
the top five shooting guards in the
country and I don’t don’t even remember
what number I was R probably two or
three I think Rashad mccans was the
number one guy but uh they had a comp
for every player and I remember one of
those national rankings list was like
comp Ray Allen and I was like [ __ ] yes
doing it right now of course I didn’t
turn out to be Ray Allen but you you got
pretty close I was a poor man’s I was a
plumber’s approximation of r pretty
close the nice thing is at least when
people talk about Ray Allen you’re
generally in the conversation at some
you your name comes up you and Kyle like
your name comes up at some point around
yeah I I I I I approximated the uh the
Boston Celtics version of Ray Allen but
of course as we we get into it with Ry
guys got had so much game uh and and
sacrificed a little bit of that game to
make Boston uh work uh with with Paul
Pierce and kg um the other thing about
Ray and I just want to say this before
we do draing sports book segment the
other thing about
Ry Ry was so good to me he was so good
to me and I I tell the stories of what
that means uh with Ray but he was so
good to me he was aware of how I felt
about him and how I viewed him and he
was always so good to me I always
appreciate uh Ray Allen all right let’s
get to our draftking sports book segment
we’re going to talk about uh Coach of
the Year something we haven’t touched on
on DraftKings sports book right now Mark
dagnal is the odds on favorite to win
Coach of the Year Oklahoma City of
course has had a fantastic season he’s
at minus 310 as of today Chris Finch
second at plus 450 Joe Missoula plus 700
and my guy thank God he’s starting to
get some Buzz here in the conversation
Jamal Mosley who was an assistant coach
on Dallas when I was there and I only
knew Mo for a couple months uh I still
talked to him quite frequently an
awesome dude having a great uh year as a
coach you know the thing with coaching
and again this this goes back to uh the
job security with coaching and the
perception of coaching it’s a lot of it
is based on
expectations right a team that exceeds
expectations that is viewed as a good
coaching job I’m not saying that’s right
or wrong I’m just saying that’s the
general thought when we talk about Coach
the year I think that’s fair for sure
for sure with with with Mo in particular
uh saw the stat today last time Orlando
was 12 games above 500 was March 30th
2012 yeah I was there um you’re you know
it well uh Magic are fourth in defense
12th in net last year they were 18th in
defense 24th in net they’ve obviously
been playing great recently um geez just
thinking about it man that was the
lockout year and I want to say we had
like the third or fourth best record in
the NBA up to the point when Dwight
Howard left the
team and he we didn’t know he was
leaving the team he was literally at
shootaround we were getting ready to
play the Hawks he was at shootaround we
get to the arena and he’s not there and
we find out at some point either right
before the game or during the game that
he had flown out to LA to get back
surgery his back had been bothering him
we were like the third or fourth we had
the third or fourth best record no we
knew he had a back issue he had he had
like sat out a couple practices he had
tried playing through it he tried to
tough it out you can see it in practice
I remember
vividly like I was I was taking a rep
off or maybe my team wasn’t on or
something but he he tried to go up for a
dunk vertically and I want to say it was
against Malik Allen but he tried to go
up for a dunk vertically and you could
just see like he had no lift and I was
like oh yeah you know something wrong
with something something something wrong
with Dwight and then he he left went to
LA did the back surgery wasn’t with the
team the rest of the year and we just
[ __ ] cratered and then lost to the
Pacers in the first round thanks for
bringing up that oh I I’m glad to do it
it’s amazing that but it’s amazing that
stat that this team you’ve talked about
their Drafting and that you know since
then everything like that but it’s
amazing that my question about those
four you named I wanted to bring up one
other name after this
but with I mean dagn and mo in
particular like we knew what the Celtics
were going to be this is no shade to Joe
Missoula you know we’ve had Joe mou in
the show he’s been great but you knew
the Celtics were going to be really good
going into the season how much does that
matter for teams like this making the
jump versus when you talk about
expectations yeah you know it’s
interesting I I I think if the Celtics
were you know 47 and
20 uh Joe moula wouldn’t be getting any
Buzz the fact is the Celtics are
literally having one of the best regular
season I saw this point differential the
other the other day they’ve got like the
fifth best point differential in NBA
history uh for for the regular season so
they’re
having an all-time regular season uh
certainly not the 2016 Warriors I’m not
putting them in that category but
they’re having one of the better regular
seasons of any team in NBA history so I
think that’s why he’s he’s still got
Buzz there’s there’s still obviously the
expectation component to this I think
he’s done a fantastic job they’ve been
basically top three uh in defense and
offense All Season Super Creative uh
particularly with uh defensive matchups
and how he uses Drew holiday um he’s
really leaned
into uh you know the curveball as he
likes to call it where can we exploit
matchups how can we use porzingis the
best way possible that compliments our
other star players I got to give Joe
missou a lot of credit uh
dagal uh in particular I I think and
Mosley have like exceeded the
expectations Chris Finch to me deserves
a lot of credit and I’ll tell you why
because they make that trade for
goar and I think everybody thought last
year they were going to be awesome cat
misses a bunch of time they don’t really
ever find time to to meld together and
Mike connley comes in he kind of makes
the whole thing work Chris Finch is
probably facing a lot of pressure
internally yeah and externally coming
into this year and he’s built the best
defense in the NBA or a top two defense
in the
NBA Anthony Edwards has grown as a
player he’s figured out how to make the
cat and Rudy gobear thing work he’s
given he’s empow I would call it
empowered Nas Reed he’s gotten nil
Alexander Walker to buy in to his role
just a phenomenal job from Chris Finch
uh and then with Mo I I’ll say like this
is another example of exceeding
expectations that that team last year
was 5 and 20 they were basically a 500
team the rest of the year and they just
picked up where they left off there’s
sometimes these massive uh you know pops
and burst of growth this feels a like
just in incremental growth fron Vagner
Paulo obviously taking another step
forward um Jonathan Isaac has been
tremendous defensively when he’s been on
the court Jaylen Suggs Cole Anthony Bing
into his role and and and they’re 40 and
28 and Wendell Carter has missed a ton
of time with injury yeah uh so you know
all all four of these coaches have done
a fantastic job this season all
deserving can I throw in one more name
before we move on yes JB bicker staff
yeah deserves a ton of credit deserves a
ton of credit JB St currently sixth in
odds uh plus 9,000 uh but JB obviously
deserves a ton of credit injuries I mean
oh my God to be where they are they’re
one as of taping their one game back of
the bucks for the two seed with the
amount of time those guys have missed is
pretty crazy he he absolutely deserved a
ton of credit uh all right this has been
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new era uh let’s get to our conversation
with Ray
Allen you you weren’t a McDonald’s All
American
no but I think that that was probably
more of a blessing than a curse and you
know at even at the time it was
political uh because the the McDonald’s
team at the time was in Memphis uh if
I’m not mistaken it was in Memphis and
the coach of the team you know had
players that he liked that you know he
putting they were somewhere always
around my ranking in the in the class
that year you know whenever we played at
different camps it was always those few
guys that were always compared we were
compared to each other and then when the
when the ranking came out I was like 25A
or 25b you know it was always like I was
one guy off the roster but it was the
best thing in the world for me because
when you look back at uh McDonald’s
All-American teams a lot of names you
don’t remember you know because I think
it almost is it can be a curse for him
because those kids think that they
already made it you know and every year
this year for my team I wrote all the
guys down from last year and I showed
them who made it and who didn’t you know
uh what they did in their freshman years
in in college and and how just because
you scored this many points in high
school you going to college you got to
start all all over again and more
importantly I think I said
congratulations nobody here made it that
means you’re on your way I love that I
really do because I I think the whole
ecosystem around
rankings and Awards in high school
there’s something about the development
of a an adolescent’s mind where uh too
much too soon can be a curse and I think
you know Jamal Crawford talked about the
parents at aou games a tournaments
needing basically to look themselves in
the mirror like it it is a little bit on
the parents and it is a little bit on
the coaches because the kids are ill
equipped to handle things I I I talk
about this all the time the the best
players in the NBA like there’s LeBron
obviously chosen at a young age
whatever A lot of them were second round
picks a lot of them like Jimmy Butler
went the Joo route like it it doesn’t
have to be this like singular thing
where like you have to be a McDonald’s
All-American you have to be an
All-American in college like the journey
to get to a long NBA career is so
different for everybody think about uh
Reed Shepard right now yeah he was like
a fourstar recruit not a McDonald’s All
American I saw Kevin oconor for the
ringer had him in his latest mock draft
at number one as the number one pick if
the Spurs get it because of the pairing
with wanyama yeah and he he’s been
playing well he’s had a great year um
you know to to your point when when you
look at a lot of aou teams uh and a lot
has been said about the formula like
kids are coming from all over to play on
these different teams and they’re not
practicing during the week uh all these
kids are looking around and seeing what
gear they can get and a lot of kids
don’t actually want to practice you know
they want to go to the formula that they
can just show up and play games and the
parents are enabling it and the coaches
know that the parents are enabling it so
they’re trying to to entice every player
that they can and the one thing that I
know about you know being
successful no matter what you do where
you play and who you are like if you
have a passion for doing this it comes
like people if you go out in the court
and you just out there working hard
every day and you’re in the playground
and you nobody’s out there you keep
doing that for a couple of days to to a
week to some weeks people are going to
start showing up and playing because
they see you out there every day it’s
not about who’s not there it’s about you
showing up for yourself and and Reed
Shepard you know whatever the ranking
say you you got to now play all these
kids that are
reclassing you still got to play with
these same guys when you come to college
so if you want to cheat the high school
system and say I’m a freshman now but I
should be a junior okay you’re gonna
beat up on some kids that were younger
than you but you still got to go to
college if you go to college it’s going
to be some grown men waiting on you and
and you know looking at Reed Shepard’s
example and I got a you know interesting
story like I I was being recruited by
Kentucky at the time and I was trying to
make the the the difference between uh
Kentucky and and um Connecticut my first
visit was to
Alabama and then it was to Kentucky and
I had Wake Forest and NC State and all
these schools but it narrowed down to
just these three and then when I took my
visit during Midnight Madness to
Kentucky it was amazing and I was like
wow my head is kind of blown out the
waters and then I had committed to
Alabama and then I decommitted because I
was like I need to see my other visits
first and just have some comparison
Kentucky I’m walking away like wow this
place is amazing I was like I love this
place too and then I was learning at a
young age like just go through the
process and understand it get the
information and just try and figure this
thing out and then when I went to
Connecticut it the writing was on the
wall for me as to what place was better
for me and that that was Connecticut
after coming back and understanding the
environment and then in the same token
uh Reed Shepard’s dad Jeff Shepard uh
signed to go to Kentucky and I was like
oh well okay well that that definitely
you know and and I’ve seen Jeff and I
played against Jeff a lot throughout the
summer in camps and um you know it it
just the writing is on the walls
sometimes your path is laid out for you
and it’s not about where you get paid
it’s nowadays with nil or um you know
how close to home you can be or where
your girlfriend goes to school or you
know all these things are short-term
decisions they they get you for the next
year to get you comfortable but how does
that help your long-term success like
are you setting yourself up for8 to 20
years down the line because you went
somewhere with a great reputation that’s
going to work you to death and it’s
going to make you become your better
self right now we don’t know who we are
at this stage of our lives are we
setting ourselves up to be great later
on in life and it requires going
somewhere that they’re going to push you
and yes it’s going to be hard but you
got to get comfortable with doing
hard I’ve always appreciated your uh
perspective and your your mindset um
there’s a little bit of relatable OCD I
think between the two of us um did you
have that mindset when you were a
teenager and how much did your
upbringing sort of guide that
mindset well I grew up in the military
so you’re traveling you know we traveled
on average every 3 years where we got
orders to travel like we I was born in
uh Southern or Northern California and
then we moved to Germany and then from
Germany to uh to Oklahoma Oklahoma to
England England to Southern California
and then from Southern California to
South Carolina so I learned early that
people do so many different things such
one of the best lessons for me as a kid
to travel because I’m not stuck in a way
I always say the most ignorant people
and the ones that are more likely to be
racist and this is just my theory you um
so don’t hold me to it because you know
everybody’s always arguing you can say
the sky is blue and they like well
there’s some clouds over there and it’s
you know gray on this side uh but my my
theory is that people who live further
away from airports are more likely to be
uh racist to be xenophobic to be uh
segregated uh but when you think when
you move into a city you want to be
closer to uh information you want to be
closer to access to public
transformation Transportation uh to be
able to travel get in and out of town so
if you’re traveling more you’re around
more people that speak different
languages you know you’re eating
different foods and you’re doing all the
things so you understand the
globalization of the world where you’re
doing business in different time zones
and so that’s what I received when I was
a kid so now I’m seeing these people
that you know I was
probably 16 when it was Operation Desert
Shield so we’re we’re sing my mom was
she lived or she
worked uh where we were at Sher base she
worked on the flight line on the base so
what she would do she was a a she worked
in a kitchen where she you know she was
like you know uh like a short order cook
you know my dad was in the military and
he was a a uh a a welders technician so
he fixed planes and things anything that
need to be fixed my dad could put it
together she would see the pilots they’d
land and then they would come in have
lunch they eat they take off again so
when it was Operation Desert Shield they
land they would get ready to take off
and fly to the to the Middle East they
would eat in her in her Cafe and then
take off and land in the desert before
the Army got there and they had to
provide air support like that was
Operation Desert Shield I’m getting all
this information when I’m 15 16 years
old so I’m learning about all this and
how we’re protecting our interest in the
Middle East so I’m like understanding
foreign policy and you know how soldiers
move and I used to go to this Base gym
every Saturday and Sunday runs were at
10 o’clock you had to get there at 9:45
we’d be waiting outside you got to run
into the gym and put your name on the
list because if you come at
10:30 now the list is filled like you
know the slots to five so it’s filled
all the way down to you know 15 20 names
so if you you get in at 21 or 22 by the
time they get there the runs start
getting watered down so I’m playing with
a lot of grown men and that was part of
my experience but when Desert Shield
happened and then Desert Storm happened
when it went from Desert Shield to
Desert Storm all these men got shipped
out so now the Run started to be you
know nobody was in The Base gym because
everybody was
gone so that perspec itive help me
understand there’s there’s bigger causes
here at play you know life isn’t about
me nobody cares about my feelings there
are men that are pushing out into the
world and and and we’re not even talking
talking only about men going to the
Middle East they’re going to to uh Asia
you know they’re going to to Germany you
know bases all over the world because
we’re supporting those institutions all
around the world just to provide support
for whatever is going on in the Middle
East so my perspective was always always
so much different and greater because I
understood what it meant to be a part of
something so being a part of a team you
simulate so much easier because you move
in I have to do my job but in the same
token I have to be able
to understand what it means to take a a
back seat you know I got to do my job so
this person can be great and if he can
be great then he’s going to pull me up
with him and then vice versa you know
the push and pull of being on the team
is so important
parents have to understand this is they
what we’re teaching them as coaches
because I coach you know in high school
and then I help with
a what we’re teaching them the parents
can’t teach them what we’re teaching
them their teachers can’t teach them
they’re learning a different set of
skills with us extracurricular
activities and it’s hard it’s not it’s
not easy you know and and and you have
to be able to do the things that we’re
asking you to do when we’re not giving
them homework like teachers are but
we’re saying don’t don’t just only play
basketball when we practice get some
work in get a run in you know jog during
the street you get some extra
conditioning in because remember the
great players do the stuff that nobody
else is willing to do and they’re
working when nobody else wants to work a
lot there I want to touch on one thing
that you just said which is being part
of a team I’m curious what do you miss
the most about being a
player I don’t know there was just a
rhythm uh to one
physically you know your body you know
you’re what you’re working on you’re
paying attention I didn’t worry about my
weight ever because it stayed the same
but trying to figure out how you can get
an edge you know getting in the weight
room and knowing what your body
limitations are and you know it’s it’s
like that Sea Biscuit mentality like
we’re always measuring ourselves up
against um it’s one thing to do it
against the competition but your
teammates you know watching what they’re
doing well and trying to add something
to your game and after
practice I think I had this more when I
played in Seattle because I had younger
guys and it was like an experience where
I had to learn to be a leader but after
every practice it
was typically in Milwaukee I would go
and shoot and I always had Michael red
uh that was always there with me
shooting but in Seattle I had like four
or five to six guys because they were
younger and they wanted to learn so it
was always like a fun competition
shooting drills and everybody was trying
to beat me everybody wanted to be in
competition and you know we had a
younger team so we had players that were
coming from overseas we had uh players
that were trying to make the team and
you know sometimes you come from the CBA
at that time and so they were just
thirsty for you know any any information
that they could receive or learn a drill
or you know they wanted to to be like me
and and have a footing in the league and
so it was always something going on
where you were sharpening yourself
because even when I was pushing them
they were pushing me because they were
trying to beat me and I didn’t want to
be beat and
so being in Boston and being in Miami it
was the same thing where you know in
Boston everybody was typically they
would shoot and do their own thing and
Miami was interesting because LeBron
always wanted to smoke you know LeBron
was always like come on let’s go shoot
free throws and it was a competition it
was that back to that same all right we
doing today and that that camaraderie
and that competition is what I miss
because you’re always
like we just practiced for two hours to
three hours but now the the real dudes
step up the real dudes come over to the
side and say all right let’s let’s let’s
get this smoke in and and we’ll get a
couple shots up and move around the the
the horn and then the free throw
competition starts you know and you just
over here and you know if if I’m
shooting with LeBron if he won two or
three times throughout the
year he you know we’ve done the media’s
over there walk right over there with a
little Swag
like yeah you know I I just I just took
him down today you know he and those are
the times that he won but you know
probably 95% of the time he lost but
because it was always me that I would
love competing and sharpening my my my
skills against everybody and that’s what
made me always so focused and I’ll tell
you real quick one of my favorite
shooting uh competitors that I had that
got me off to such an incredible
start um when I was in
Milwaukee and he was a it was tough to
beat it was like swishes left to right I
couldn’t beat him and it’s um it’s a
name that people don’t know he played at
University of Wisconsin Green Bay but
Jeff
nordgard yes and you know you guys look
him up but Jeff came in I think he was a
second round pick and I don’t know how
long he lasted but every time we shot it
was like this guy was like money and I
was struggling to try to keep up with
him every time and so it it kind of set
me off onto the right Pathway to know
that yeah I can shoot but am I the best
shooter out there am I the best worker
am I the best preparer in situations not
in game situations to apply and and so I
took that with me for the rest of my
career so if I’m hearing correctly what
you what you miss the most is this uh
like Pursuit of getting better on the
margins it’s that constant pursuit of
getting better and then the the team
part is interesting to me because you
did mention I think camaraderie I think
for me that’s that’s probably the thing
I missed the
most it’s the it’s the little
competitions you have like I miss
competing I miss like that part of it
the wins the the losses the feelings you
get the highs I I some be honest with
you sometimes I miss the lows MH and cuz
then you know you got to get up the next
day and go back at it right but it’s
those little competitions it’s the
shooting competitions the cards on the
plane whatever it may be maybe you’re on
the road you go bowling cornhole now
whatever whatever it may be it’s
interesting I I had you on the ringer
podcast I don’t know this was probably 5
years ago we had a very short
conversation you had yeah I Wasing yeah
you had a million different media
obligations my book came out your book
came out uh and I mentioned to this this
to you then uh but it’s interesting
because you you bring up that Seattle
group and Rashard Lewis told me he’s
like I learned how to be a pro from Ray
Allen and I learned how to be a pro from
Rashard Lewis when he got to Orlando I I
vividly remember right after he signed
cuz I didn’t go anywhere in the
offseason when I played in Orlando I was
there year round so I would at the
training facility in the summer every
day it’s like the day he signed his deal
right he’s just signed the biggest
contract in NBA history he goes out and
he gets a lather for an hour and a half
on the court I’m watching him we come in
September after Labor Day whole team
comes in he’s the first guy in the court
doing his individual work we practice
for a little bit he goes back at it and
I saw that that whole first season I’m
like oh I get it now and he credits you
I credit him so some ways I learned how
to be a pro from you yeah and but that’s
the that’s the latter effect that it
creates because we have a responsibility
to grow the game in the league and you
know there something fascinating about
being a Pioneer in the game and I’m not
saying that I’m a Pioneer but just in
life because you think about skyscrapers
Bridges airplanes man has to be willing
to plant a tree who shade he’ll never
sit under you have to have that that
understanding this is you may not get
anything from this but you’re pushing
the agenda but what we see today is we
see a lot of people that get to
positions of power that then now try to
shut the gate so nobody else could come
through I don’t want to teach anybody
else I don’t want to show how I got here
I want to keep all this and hoard it to
what to myself and and people around me
no you have to push it out you know uh
Damon Wilkins is also another guy uh in
Seattle because I would be at the gym
and you know Rashard
he he he didn’t understand it when I
first got there and and I noticed it was
interesting because they all watched me
like they would watch me how I moved in
the training room they watched how I
talked uh you know then I would get to
the gym and then I would already be
shooting and they would say stuff like
you already
shot I was like yeah I’ve been done I
get off the court you know I’ve been
done for about 45 minutes I’m sitting in
the locker room ready to go I’m the the
highest paid player on the team and the
guy that came in for Gary Payton so
they’re like there’s something to this
you already shot and then they’re
watching me and then Rashard he started
coming in and he’s you know we had a
conversation with the bus one time and
he says man look I’m trying to I’m
trying to get paid how you get paid so
he would come in and he start watching
me go through my routine and then back
of the bus we would talk about it we
would talk about I told him why I do
what I do what I’m working on what I’m
trying to to improve on and what I’m
trying to stay consistent with and why I
do it when as I’m moving throughout the
court and and then sure sure enough I
would get there and then you would see
Rashard I would be in the locker room
getting dressed and I’d walk out and you
see Rashard come down the hallway so the
one thing he always did was he never
tried to step on my time because he
respected that that was time so he now
my consistency gave him consistency so
he knew now okay he’s here at this time
let me carve out the space for my time
so the thing about great teammates and
great players is you when you build
Rhythm and consistency to who you are
and this is life too like you if you
show up every day for 10 years doing a
job you don’t have to do everything at
this level you just do that same thing
simply every single day for 10 years and
now of a sudden you become the most
valued employee
Irreplaceable and somebody who is of the
utmost importance and value to what
you’re doing and that’s the guy that
ends up getting a raise and and being
the the the the starward of the business
and that’s what I say like anything that
I’ve done in my career I’ve just been
able to be available I’ve outlasted most
people so longevity is super important
but you gota you got to love doing it
you got to love the process of doing it
and that is ultimately why Rashard got
that contract and again back to the
original
point we we put it out there and I
welcomed everybody you know let’s give
shots up let’s work Antonio Daniels came
to the team and the knock on Antonio
Daniels was he couldn’t shoot he was the
fourth pick I think in 2000 or
98 and he they said he couldn’t shoot he
gets drafted and then you know my GM we
we talked about him and he said what do
you think I said he’ll be great for us
we need more athleticism we need you
know you know uh more of a uh he was at
the time we were still young but more of
a veteran presence I was like we’re
going to work with him he’s going to see
us in the gym as long as he has that
attitude and mentality to come in he’ll
be fine and sure enough he came in the
gym we’re shooting and then he’d ask
questions and then he started moving as
we moved and that became contagious and
then ultimately we we take San Antonio
to six games and I think it was 200 uh
five and we lose and they won the
championship that year but we we had a
really good team and that was all
because of how we built from within if
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bring up uh guys watching you work out I
mean after I remember after I left the
Clippers and those two years in Philly
and my two years in New
Orleans I felt that y yeah I was I was
older then I was older then I had a
bunch of young guys that I I was trying
to help and and there were certain guys
Landrew shamut nille Alexander Walker
Frank Jackson like I would grab them we
do our shooting together but they knew
like that my time was like my time and
they would just they would watch and I
always found that fascinating it was it
was cool you you are like famous for
getting to the gym on a game day super
early and I and I I kind of did the
opposite where my my routine was sacred
similar to yours I would shoot I would
get my body loose at 90 on the clock uh
I would start in the training TR
training room then I go to the weight
room do all my activations and I do my
ball handling and like I had a very
specific pregame shooter routine and I
like to finish if the meeting was at 35
in the locker room I’d like to finish at
like 35 minutes and 30 seconds and run
right in I didn’t like shooting and then
cooling down I wanted to like build up
why did you shoot so early what was the
reason behind that so when I started in
Milwaukee
um it it got it was a point where I
didn’t have a routine and I was just you
know they they they call two buses and
then the first Bus shows up and as a
rookie I had to be on the first bus
obviously had no routine whatsoever so I
go on the court everybody else on the
court and I’m over here just throwing
the ball up I don’t know what I’m doing
I’m shooting shots and bigs are down on
the post working with the coach throwing
hook shots and every time I shoot it you
know how it goes this this guy’s
knocking the ball out and I’m like God
this dude man and and after a while when
I’m working on on my stuff I you know
I’m goofy and you know looking up in the
stands and you’re out there with fans on
the floor you know yelling and trying to
get allog grass and I was like I have to
figure out something so Chris Ford you
know uh rest in peace he was my my coach
my uh rookie
year pulls me in he says
rook and he didn’t particularly like
younger players he was a veteran coach
he won championships in Boston he played
with Larry Bird coach Larry Bird Chris
Ford made the first three-point shot in
NBA history yes he did yeah and so but
he never like threes that’s the
interesting thing he used to always tell
me not to settle you know that’s why I
was like whenever I got to the point
where I was became the leader in threes
I was like I don’t know how that
happened cuz I that that is that is not
anything that I I you know set out to do
it just again you stay around long
enough they’re going to start dropping
bags of gold somewhere around you
because you’ve done some some pretty
significant things uh but he told me you
you have to have a routine you just are
aimless and you know he’s watching me
and I didn’t know other coaches are
watching me so
it started with Michael Curry and Elliot
Perry so we started you know when those
guys came to Milwaukee we started we had
like our our little crew where we would
we come out in this court we would shoot
our shots and then we we had a rebound
and we had a passer that was the days
when we didn’t have coaches that would
come out and work you out and you know
you know that they just there weren’t
nine Player Development coaches on yeah
no no no no definitely I see them now
there’s like so many uh we didn’t really
have weight rooms you know the the
weight the strength and condition that
we did our trainers did it so you were a
a trainer that taped ankles and he put
He had like a formula and then even
washing our clothes we had to put it in
this little laundry bag and and then if
the trainer didn’t do it you had to take
it home with you and wash your own so it
was so much that we didn’t do back then
and I know everybody’s like wow they did
that yeah I was like yeah we it we’ve
come a long way uh we even had to walk
through the airport in Milwaukee park in
the parking garage walk through the
airport go through security walk to your
gate and then the plane was our plane
but the year before it was commercial
like you flew with everybody else well
you you you didn’t go to the private
hanger is what you’re saying you went to
the commercial airport General Mitchell
or whatever it’s called General Mitchell
International we walked you parking and
parking that’s why you couldn’t were you
couldn’t like the luxury of just driving
up and then somebody takes your cars and
they park it for you there was none of
that you know when I first got into
league so you had to find a parking spot
so a lot of times if you put Milwaukee
you didn’t have to worry about traffic
but sometimes parking lot was packed and
you had to walk from way over there and
you know come through the security so
and and obviously 9/11 hadn’t happened
yet so you could it wasn’t as strenuous
coming through the airport but it was it
was a
a constraint that you had to deal with
and
so these these things and how we built
into who we become who we were at a at a
young age in our careers it helped us
have appreciation you know for
everything that we’ve come to know and
and and learn about the league and so as
I’m building who I am we used to so we
we would not take the first bus so Mike
myself we would get up in the morning
ghost bus the what you guys call it the
ghost bus we just
taxi oh we paid for it we rotate who
paid the taxi we we got from morning
have breakfast rotate who paid for
breakfast uh those guys were good
because you know our trainer used to
always put uh fruits in our room so they
would never use the mini bar so every
time Mike would come to the the bus or
the taxi you know for shoot around in
the morning he’d have he like man I
can’t mess with that you know mini bar
is too much money so it gave me a
perspective I was like don’t mess with a
mini bar mini bar is what’s going to get
you so I learned how to get a routine up
with those guys early get my shots up
and then move around and then they got
traded away and then for a while I was
by myself and I started creating my
routine without a rebounder because
coaches weren’t there early enough and
then after a while then we started
getting the coaching staff and they
started bringing these guys in and then
coaches made sure there was somebody out
there so not then I had a coach with me
so I would go through my routine you
know and I had a rebounder and and a lot
of times for most part I had such a a
rhythm that that coach would just
rebound and then and then he got so
consistent with what I was going to do
and then it was my
purpose and and this is a sidebar I’m
playing golf in Mexico with a couple of
friends and I’m standing over this wedge
shot I’m about I’ve heard this story
before it’s so good tell it please I’m
about 90 yards in and I’m sitting here
and there’s no water there’s nothing and
the flag is standing right in front of
me and I was like oh God I don’t even
know where this Ball’s going to go and
so I thought about that said wow this is
actually what I do in
basketball I don’t I used to go to the
range and hit my driver seven times I’m
ready to go let’s go and I realized I
don’t practice these shots I don’t
practice the different nuances of golf
to then expect to be good at it you know
I’m like just if I can find the ball
great then I could Advance it so I
started saying I need to start
practicing these wed shots so I can get
closer to the green and understand what
I need to do and I said that’s what I do
in basketball I’m I won’t come down the
floor and make a move where I don’t even
know what’s going to happen dribble
between the legs cross and go up in the
air and just kind of figure it out
figure it out as I’m up there and so I
said from that moment forward on the
golf course when I play basketball I’m
going to work every single contingency
with my game on every angle every Court
tired so I started running from the full
court all the way into my threes CU
that’s what happens in the game so you
you figure all these guys running the
transition they come in they shoot a
three and it’s like you’re actually
shooting a shot that you don’t practice
you know full court
running deep Sprint there’s s seconds on
the clock and you got to get to your
lift and you got to shoot that ball and
there’s a seven footer running out at
you what is your lift GNA look like you
got to practice that that right there if
I see somebody if I walk in the gym and
see somebody shooting like that I’m like
this kid right here he’s going to be
problems because he gets it but I I walk
in the gym a lot including kids I coach
and I watch them jump that high when
when we’re going through shooting drills
and then when the game starts and we do
practice you see them jump higher and I
said now you miss they shoot the ball
over the rim because now you’re shooting
at a different release point and so I
figured that out because I had some
pretty good coaches that watched me and
and spoke to me and then you know just
challenged me to stay consistent in my
jump and that’s why when I go to the gym
I jump the same way every time I don’t
stray from that because my percentages
have a chance of being higher than
the me saying you know I’ll figure it
out as I go because the switch turning
the switch on you’ll see a lot of great
players that can play at a high level
but they can’t keep it consistent I’m
always jealous I’ve told Luca this
there’s a Demar is the same way like I
watch them warm up and I’m like man I
wish I could warm up at that pace yeah
you know it’s just different dude it’s
just even like Demar when he does his
pregame he’s shooting like essentially
flat-footed mides and then he gets in
the game and he’s elevating over people
and it’s like and Luca has his own pace
to his workout and it’s just different
and I i’ never had that luxury I I’m
curious about your uh specifically like
Boston
Miami um I’m gonna get into a young Ray
Allen in a second because I love the uh
highlight montages that pop up on social
media uh two or three times a year of
you dunking on people but the the catch
and shoot version of Ray Allen there’s
just not a lot of guys that play that
way what was required to play that way
you brought up the the full court
Sprints going into a three what did a
workout let’s say in the off season look
like for you did you did you just run
did you do Sprints or were your
basketball workouts all Sprints you know
what I mean by that yeah um no because
it it was it was it was halfcourt stuff
like you starting off drills and have
little drills where you you uh
you know you run from underneath the
basket from the sideline and you you
kind of run across the Baseline you open
up Slow Down slow down and Sprint and
curl around the top and you you know
inside foot shot uh Elevate and then you
backpedal to the other side you come
back and do the other side you know and
and there’s a progression you do two of
those you do four of those and then once
you do two then you sprint down to the
other side and you come in the Baseline
you do the same thing so you get used to
working at a High Pace but in small
spaces you know so that’s what happens
in the games like train yourself how to
run and be locked in into the
conditioning of it but then you got to
slow down and then Sprint again so the
conditioning has to be there on the high
level that’s why I started cycling
that’s why I’ve always been a
CrossCountry Runner so I would run to
get cross training to put my body under
stress in different circumstances you
know so I can last you know so you know
it’s one thing quick Sprints but you
know I don’t go to the bench during the
timeout just panting you know trying to
catch my breath because I’ve already
pushed past what this game might may
present me and then can I get to that
speed and that lift without being tired
and cannot recover the whole I think the
whole point is is to to to be able to
recover quicker than everybody else out
on the floor so when you can recover
quicker now you can do more now you can
you can keep running off screens and you
can get to a spot and then you can pump
fake and you get to the hole you can
jump in the air and you can dunk on
somebody you can finish a layup because
now you have you don’t feel that
fatigue appear in your body because some
people can’t do it don’t have a second
jump you know some people get down to
the paint and I see it a lot in college
basketball uh men and women they get to
the paint they made a move and now
there’s nothing left you know they put a
layup in but they didn’t explode up
that’s just training that’s just pushing
your body to a level past your comfort
zone and past what your coaches might
present for you and so it does require
you know you figure working on your
quads that that’s what cycling you know
why cycling is good for you you can’t
you can’t substitute it so you got to
run on the streets because your legs
need to fill the the your muscles you
know accepting the the the
stabilization you know every time you
hit the ground um and then doing
longdistance runs where you could
sustain over a long period of time but
in the same token we used to do sprints
on the field you know before the season
started we would do ladders you know as
training just to work on Sprints and
sustain that for a long periods of time
I used I used to probably like with five
years to go in my career this around the
time I lived in New York so maybe last
four years and every offseason because I
had always done Sprints and then I did
Sprints within the workout in my
shooting drills right and then I started
doing uh like Baseline level runs so i’
try i’ I’d have a heart rate monitor on
and I’d try to get to like 125 to 135
for like 15 straight minutes just to
have like a baseline of V2 right and
then you mix in you know some treadmill
Sprints or whatever it may be all
monitored all right let’s try to get it
up to 180 it’s like mixing in that very
my favorite drill by the way I started
doing this right when I started playing
for the Clippers in the off season it
was 12 shots
and each shot was different and each
version of the drill was a little
different but to me it
simulated how I played and it was a
perfect training like tool for me so it
would look like this like I’d start a
right white right High quadrant I’d get
a swing
pass one dribble step up three immediate
Sprint to the right corner catch and
shoot three I kind of jog along the
Baseline to your point Sprint to the
corner speed side shot fake side step
three and then I’d have another screener
or cone Sprint off a wide pin down and
I’d either catch and shoot or i’ turn
the corner get to my float game there’s
four shots right and I’d go right back
to the right High quadrant do it again
and I had to make nine out of 12 right
and if I got N Out of if I got nine out
of it’s tough because it’s all different
shots like that’s the thing the practice
VAR variability for me was a huge thing
I didn’t take especially later on in my
like I stop shooting a lot of spot 3es
cuz I’m like I don’t shoot spot 3es no
you’re not very rarely I I’m always on
the move and so let’s say I I I got nine
out of 12 I got to switch sides if I
didn’t get nine out of 12 had to do that
[ __ ] again and that’s the and all of a
sudden you start going a couple rounds
eight for 12 by the end of it you’re
fatigue that’s how I built up yeah and
that’s the impos pressure you have to
put on yourself coaches can’t put it on
you yes you have to put on yourself but
to that point uh it was fascinating too
when you played in in in La you actually
played the way I played in Boston cuz
you had doc that was that was Doc’s free
agent pitch to me he’s like you’ve been
used the wrong way in Orlando mhm I want
you to play like Ray Allen and I was
like say no more I just want to be Ray
Allen yeah and that and that was because
I watched and I was like this is all the
stuff you you made the offense go yeah
you know because as much as you’re
moving you’re
moving in a way that the team shifts we
you know you and I more than any anybody
I think Kyle corver was a little had a
little bit of it um but we were we were
a this is this is you know not to
compare us to like Shaq when I played he
was such a demander of a double team and
sometimes a triple team and the defense
really shifted when we shot the ball we
on the floor we moved the defense
shifted yeah you know a lot of people
don’t understand that movement how how
much it had to shift because you’re
moving to help and then everybody else
has to shift into that help and when we
get open everybody’s open you know and
that right there was why the work for us
we did the heavy lifting you know we the
we’re the ones that just that little bit
of mve we get open there everybody’s
like
[ __ ] and then bam shot and then even we
don’t want to take a shot you swing it
real quick and then now the shift
happens they could beat that shift it’s
constant awareness like cuz I I mean I
had to guard you in two playoff series
it’s just an awareness and that takes
its toll on me right having to chase you
and it and it takes its toll on the
defense because it’s because to your
point it’s like you’re coming off a
stagger screen on the Baseline I’m
chasing and and big baby setting the
screen and kg setting the screen or perk
setting the screen and you’re already
behind his his man is now engaged the
guard as you as you came off the curl he
he’s engaged you got options now it’s
just that shifting defense I want go
back to the thing about the 9 for 12
because I I trained some guys uh this
summer uh couple couple NBA guys this
summer and I didn’t really i’ never paid
you well it was free it was free man I’m
not I’m not a Keem man free it was free
I’m just free game man no but I I it was
interesting because I I’m putting
through them through these workouts and
um I realized like it was all [ __ ] that
I did and I built it around you know
like Tai Jerome for instance he’s with
the Cavs like he’s more of an on ball
guy so I built his workout around his
skill set right but it was the same sort
of Concepts and same sort of pace um and
I realized that everything that I did as
a player in a workout had
consequences and it you you you brought
up like the the building in the pressure
right so like I’ve already simulated
that six days a
week all summer long for years which
leads me to something you said to me uh
it had incredible meaning first of all
there’s two things that you did for me
in my career that were incredible number
one I brought up the uh the 09 playoff
series Milwaukee um no the 09 When U
Celtics Orlando when we beat you guys
you guys didn’t have kg I’m fine
admitting that you guys didn’t have kg
but I basically you were coming off of a
Chicago Series where you averaged like
24 game you had a 51-point game in game
six you shot like like 47% from three
and so Stan going in that series was
like you have zero help responsibilities
so if you guys run a strong side picking
roll where you’re in the corner and
Rondo’s coming middle and perk is
rolling you have no help
responsibilities you do not you were
never required to tag so my job was just
to chase you and you didn’t shoot well
that
series and I remember we we win in the
garden in game
seven and it was an important moment for
me
you did two things you came over to me
and acknowledged that I guarded you well
and then you went to the press
conference you did something which not a
lot of guys will do and that’s you
acknowledge that I did a good job it
gave me such confidence it was like that
whole playoff run was the turning point
in my career and that moment for me was
massive I just want you to know that the
second thing was when I was in
Milwaukee and you were in Miami we
played you guys in the first round and I
know it happened in Milwaukee so it had
to have been game three or four and you
came up to me during a free throw or
coming out of a timeout and you said to
me you said something along the lines
of I see it on your face I see it in
your body language you’re not yourself
you talked about it a little bit ago you
said being the most valuable employee is
being the same guy consistently over and
over and in a way I had lost myself yeah
and I and I was like [ __ ] he’s right did
you ever lose Yourself by the way did
you ever feel that you know what I’m
talking about yeah yeah uh so I think
Skyles was your coach no he had gotten
fired or he had mutually parted ways in
January about a month before I got there
who was coaching that uh Jim boand okay
not the Chicago Bulls Jim boand the
older one that was with tou and in
Cleveland
so the thing is
is that there’s no point where you’re
like we’re competing against each other
like I can pay homage to Greatness you
know I see people working I see people
who love it those are the people who I
want to support you know even doing an
interview uh to have a conversation with
media this is not a scolding session
it’s not you know it’s just it’s it’s
accountability in a good way a lot of
times speaking to the media is therapy
so to be able to do that we have this
responsibility not only to share the
game to speak the game to to uh
communicate the game you know every time
a reporter asks us a question like oh
sometimes it may be a dumb question just
say can you please reward that question
I’m not understanding what you’re asking
me um but then even the the the
communication with each other like I
don’t have beef with another guy in the
league he’s getting paid just like I am
and he’s trying to win and do all these
things and I know there’s a struggle for
all of us but if you you pull back the
curtain there’s a little kid in there
that’s so excited about playing this
game and just remembers who who he loved
and and how he wanted to get to this
moment he’s at so I had to always
remember play for
him you could see that in each kid you
know slash player like who they were
when they first came especially if they
were younger when they came in the game
I was like I remembered you at Duke and
you know the energy and it’s like
that’s why I said that and I’ve seen
that because you you you wanted to win
and you were in such a tough situation
at the time and I had been there you
know I had been there in places where I
was the victim I was the villain I was
the the one that was being counted out
and I just wanted to remind you that
this is GNA pass but in this process
Don’t Lose Yourself because you still
have to you’re preparing yourself to be
something great for somebody down the
line and and I saw it firsthand because
as much as I lost in
Seattle and as much as I wanted to stay
there when I got traded to Boston in
2007 there was something greater in
store for me and it was because I didn’t
lose myself it was because I was sitting
there just waiting to be served up on a
platter to something great that I can
get take myself over top and that
happened to be you know playing in
Boston it was such the most amazing
situation and then going to Miami and
then being in even uh uh equally great
situation to be able to put ourselves in
chance to win and I was so happy for you
when you went to Philly because now
you’re in that position where now you’re
seeing success consistently regardless
of what happened at the end of the year
now you’re in a situation where you’re
you’re your prime time you know and
that’s the thing I think people forget
with success it’s like you can’t become
downtrodden or beat up by the media
remember where you are you know because
the guys that make it to the NBA have
such a they can have such a mentality of
woe is me you know my life is the worst
uh h i i i i need to do the and then you
make the All-Star
team and then everybody’s like oh well
I’m trying to do this and I you know I
need to work then you make the Olympic
team no matter what levels you ascend to
you know being drafted is the is is a
great sign of success but you still did
doesn’t mean you’ve you’ve made it but
you still have to continue to work to
get better and if you ever think that
you’re great that’s the minute you slide
and that was always for me somebody
asked me so when did you realize you
were great I said
never I was like never when you retired
yeah I you know I never sat back and
counted my chip because I was always
afraid that if I if I if I slid at some
point then somebody’s going to catch up
to me like is somebody going to and and
the thing is I’m telling everybody my
what I do working out you can see it
it’s
documented can you commit to it that’s
the thing that greatness supplies us all
is the ability to find what it is that
you can do well but can you commit to it
everybody in the beginning of the year
is going to win the NBA
championship everybody in the beginning
of the year wants to make the All-Star
team like everybody has these goals
until it gets hard and when it gets hard
oh coach don’t like me you know I want
to get traded you know this player you
know screw him that that’s what the bad
teams do and even the good teams when
they hit that stride of complacency
mediocrity like struggle they just talk
more you know you sit on the plane as
you mentioned earlier also some of the
times that I I missed the most because
my my Bank wde used to be like that
thick because you’re playing poker on
the uh on the plane itay for me it was
Bay too like we we had all these games
going and like you got to make sure you
come with some ammunition but those are
the times when we we got so good and we
became a unit because we communicated
with each other and we didn’t run off
the separate corners of the plane and
just said screw everybody no I was like
come on we lost let’s go get the car
game we talk about it and then all of a
sudden we have fun when we get off that
3 to 5 hour flight wherever we were
going we were square with each other and
we knew okay I’ll see you tomorrow we’re
going to get come in and get some shots
up so it was never animosity because we
got to do this it’s too long of a season
to be mad at
somebody you know that like you got to
be able to get that stuff off your chest
the the the thing you said to me in in
that 2013 playoff series I think it was
it was such a valuable lesson in a
different type of personal
accountability um because at at that
point in my career I had had some
[ __ ] punches to the face you know
particularly early in Orlando
and you know I never was GNA start for
Stan Van Gundy right he didn’t view me
as that he leaves Dwight gets traded
that year before I got traded to to
Milwaukee was like a fun year even
though we weren’t winning cuz it was
like the first time I got to be a leader
there was no expectations right and it
was like the first time jacqu Von was
like yeah go go move go play and it was
like so it was like in a way fun and
then you get tra so I had taken personal
accountability but it was a different
type because I get traded it’s a little
bit of a shock to the system I me year
seven first time getting traded it was
nothing against the city of Milwaukee
the Bucks organization it was just a
weird it was a weird team it was it was
a weird like Dynamic on the on the on
the roster interim coach nothing against
Jim boand it was just I kind of got
placed in this situation and I lost
myself for a couple months and I was
like that’s I’m still doing my work but
like I I lost that edge I lost that like
no [ __ ] it I’m not going to worry and
victim victimize myself here because of
the circumstances right can’t allow that
to happen again it was super valuable
you brought up going to Boston everybody
talks about and you guys have talked a
ton about the sacrifices you you guys
had to make and the stage of the your
career you at when you got there um what
what does this sacrifice mean Beyond
just how many shots per game you get or
your usage rate like what did what did
how did the sacrifice that the three of
you guys have to make how did that
manifest Beyond just shots I remember
because it’s it’s pretty interesting
because I’m doing this now as a coach uh
to my kids like whenever they know
they’re not going to
score they just kind of dribble like
nice and easy and they just kind of like
pass the ball and I’m like dude you got
to cut harder than that because that
actually happened to me my first
year I’m I’m just like there’s this play
that we had where you know I pop out
underneath a a a big that’s on the Block
I pop out catch it and I look in throw
it back and then I cut back back
in and then there’s a screen and but the
ball’s going to go opposite so when I
did it I just kind of lolly gag through
the cut meandered about yeah doc was
like you gotta cut harder than that and
it kind of like kind of pissed me off
because I had never been pushed in that
sense you know because offensively I was
always the the guy and he was always
centering around me but in this
situation the ball was going somewhere
else
and
so it it kind of kind of got into my my
soul a little bit because I was I was
mad that he kind of went at
me but he was right I had to be willing
to make the cut so somebody else can get
an opportunity because they needed to
believe that I was going to get the ball
and if I if I wasn’t capable of doing
that then our offense doesn’t work and
Doc used to always
say our offense has to work like uh
a football offensive line you know you
got guys that are pulling that are
blocking in certain directions and
they’re doing everything they can to get
the either the quarterback some time
create a hole for the running back or
the receiver has to block down field to
know this play is coming a direction
knowing they’re not going to touch the
ball that’s super important when you’re
playing on especially if you’re a guy
that scored well somewhere else and now
you’re coming
to a new team and you’re asked to be
take to you’re being asked to take less
it’s being able to win on that team’s
terms and not on your terms you know
because the phrase of my game is is
needs to be thrown out the the window
your game happens when you’re playing
pickup basketball you got to get it you
get to go out there every kid by the way
we’re losing kids playing 21 in the park
where you’re experimenting you know
where the hoop is you get so comfortable
you have to be able to understand my
game does not exist in team basketball
now you have to be so selfishly
unselfish which means do your job work
on your game work on your shot be a
great free throw shooter be a great
dribbler so now when the team is
assembled and you’re in a game situation
you can get plugged into into any of
these situations to be able to help a
coach be the general to put you in
places where he can help you be
effective in the team if I need you to
set a screen and then pop you’re going
to set a hard screen and you’re going to
pop because you can do that and then
when you catch it you may not shoot the
ball but you’re going to drive as hard
as you can if you have a shot great but
then this guy’s gonna be open all get
being able to put all these kids in
these situations because they’re
multifaceted with their skill set is the
most important
thing but are guys willing to make that
sacrifice that at the end of the game
I’m going to make make a play that this
other dude is going to get the shot that
is what in Seattle I had the ball in my
hands 90% of the time you know at the
end of games and whether I shot the ball
or not I understood who’s open and where
the ball should go but I was the score
it was coming down to me in
Boston I was somewhere around it you
know where I was create helping create
the action don’t be humble you hit some
clutch shots for Boston I did I did but
but that again it goes It goes to the
the point
of we actually had a system where I’m
running up to set a a screen on Paul
kg’s flaring me and now Paul drives and
he knows I’m wide open in the corner
because he’s now making those plays
because he also
understood like we want to win this
isn’t about you know Paul one of one of
my favorite uh gamewinners is in
Charlotte Charlotte had our number they
had
uh uh I think uh Jason Richard was on
team um uh what was the dunker uh Jared
Wallace Jared Wallace he gave us so many
fits because they use him as a stretch
four and for the most part kg was always
underneath the basket so when they
stretched him out on the perimeter he
was shooting from from the perimeter and
he was driving and dunking and so we I
mean every time we played them we had a
difficult time so we were down at this
point and you know by hooker by crook we
ended up coming back and I don’t
remember if we were down one or
two but uh they’re taking the ball out
uh Eddie House gets his hand on the ball
Paul gets on out of bounds play Paul
gets the ball and Paul doesn’t even
think to shoot it I’m at the top of the
Ken I just rotate and Paul just turns
and throws it and I get it off buzzer
goes off and then it goes in and then
you can see the Charlotte guys just lay
down like you know because they played
they played an amazing game but we just
knew how to win and that is the
difference in the great teams and the
average teams not only in the NBA but in
every sport and specifically basketball
you got to make your free throws you
can’t turn the ball over and you got
rebounds and those three points are the
points that allow team the good team to
know how to close game and end and we
just always knew how to do that but it
always it was born from the idea we knew
where everybody was going to be and we
stay there
like
just explicitly knowing that I’m going
to get Paul R operate but when the
minute they turn their head I’m cutting
layup bam and everybody knew it I think
the the phys it’s interesting when you
we first started on that the physical
act of being a
decoy is such a different experience and
I you know having played against you
guys the sacrifice I think for
[Music]
cuz I’ve been thinking a lot about this
lately and you brought up the my game
thing mhm and we’re talking about
sacrifice I think an overlooked
thing when we talk about the NBA and
certain players like when we talk about
guys individual Talent or you know his
skill set it’s like we we we lose what
makes a good basketball team
work if Rondo and you are out on a break
on a three on
two and the big doesn’t run to the
rim you’re not going to be open if he
doesn’t draw that low man in Rondo can’t
make that kick pass to you right why
don’t we highlight Rim runs that lead to
open shots every time Luca is in a pick
and roll and Derek Lively rolls to the
rim and Luca sprays out to Tim Hardaway
it’s a great pass from Luca it’s a open
three from Tim Hardaway we never
highlight the fact that Derek Lively
ruin the defense he has to dive we we
have tracking now where we can track
screen assists why don’t we put that in
a [ __ ] box score I’m serious no it’s
a it’s a lot this is basketball this is
basketball it’s not my game it’s all the
things like I always talk I always talk
about like an NBA team a basketball team
it’s like an organism right yeah and you
have to feed it certain things and all
the different parts of the organism have
to work properly for it to be a healthy
functioning organism yeah and it it’s so
much more than just my game and and I
think this where it comes down to
watching film and being able to be you
know we’re talking about guys that
really can coach and kind of break it
down like I I have kids uh that I coach
you know I had to teach them pick and
roll uh this year because a lot of our
sets were pick and roll stuff and I told
them all these a lot of these teams that
we play against they want to just run
Zone all day long and they don’t want to
teach their kids back bball I said this
is why these kids aren’t going to
college and so my kids they would they
started off they would run a pick and
roll and they would stop because they
would see the big hedge coach the big
was right there I can’t go I said I
would say stop do it again where’s the
big at show me and he show me he’s right
there I said so what should you do he
was like um I was like go around him I
want you to drive him draw him out let’s
see what this guard does if he can come
back so then what they started doing is
they see the big and they reject the
pick and roll and I had to explained to
him I
said offensively we’re trying to build a
rhythm to our offense I know that
individually you can reject his pick and
roll and you get to that mid-range and
you can shoot it but how does that help
our offense how does that destroy their
defense and make their defense stretch
you have to go off the pick and roll see
how if that big is gonna stay what if he
doesn’t stay with you and then the big
the guard gets caught up in the screen
and now you got downhill and then some
else comes out then bam you swing it and
now you got got a three over here I said
there’s so many things that happen in a
pick and roll situation that you have to
understand and being a point guard you
have to be able to lead the see I got a
kid too that you know I always tell him
play off two feet play off two feet
extends your opportunities because if
you commit the one you’re in the air and
if the guy’s bigger than you he can jump
high that [ __ ] is getting blocked or
you’re going to travel or you’re going
to take a really crazy shot but if you
play off two feet now you can pump fate
you get to the free throw line you can
see your shoes there’s nothing there
then you can swing it right back out
kids wanted to get it the first time I
always say that you know you guys want
to get it the first time you can’t get
it the first time you got to be patient
and see pump fake pump fake pump fake I
tell my son that all the time he
watching the game I said see how they
played off two feet and they spit back
and they swung it and then they got an
open shot um so it is it is coaching it
is teaching the game it is watching the
film it’s showing the the the kids what
set what we’re looking for the set like
I I’ll I’ll draw up a set I know it
works because I’ve seen it and I watch
college games and I steal stuff from
other coaches it’s all who knew who
knows how to run plays you know we take
stuff from other people and we try to
implement it you want you know most
coaches I tell kids you see K coaches
that are really good they might be great
out of timeouts you know they might you
know uh be a a flare setting team you
know they might be a great postup team
like you you’ll see the the you know how
they operate so you guys have to be able
to execute the game plan and and and
plays out of a timeout specifically
sideline out of bounds and Baseline out
of bounds you know we should be able to
score or get an opportunity to score
every time but you guys you can’t mix it
up you got to be in the right spots you
can’t half ass through the the cuts you
got to set screens like all those basic
fundamentals are ultimately what makes
teams really what really good you’re
able to score and it and it levels them
up to the next to get to the next step
because if you can’t do these things
then you can’t score then they say we
get beat by 1520 every night and that is
the first step to that kid retiring from
that
sport very interesting I want to talk
about
shooting you’re a pretty good shooter um
Steph Curry on hot one said that uh if
he was to teach someone how to shoot he
would teach Klay Thompson’s
form um I wanted to shoot like you like
not just like makes and misses but like
I legitimately wanted to shoot a jump
shot like you release point I even shot
a flatter shot because you shot a
flatter shot when you look at different
guys shooting the basketball curious how
you learned how to shoot that way why it
worked for you specifically but also how
would you teach and I know you you have
with your kids but how would you teach
and who would you emulate for shooting
the basketball well again I I think that
the there’s a a similar analogy uh to
golf like you take somebody who can’t
who’s never swung a golf club they want
golf lessons first thing I would say is
go play golf go to the range hit balls
for a couple a week or so and then come
back let me see what your body has
developed now you know what your body
can and cannot do and now we can work
from there cuz I don’t want to try and
force you in a position that you you
can’t get to you know tightness like
whatever athletic ability is sometimes a
guy will go to a golf instructor golf
instructor is trying to make them get to
a space that their body just can’t get
to so if I’m teaching I’m watching the
kid exactly what they can and cannot do
based on their physical limitations or
you know abilities right not everyone
can shoot a jump shot like you yeah
that’s a fact like Joel embiid has great
for but Joel embiid’s not going to
elevate no 28 30 inches off the ground
on the shot it’s just not not going to
happen for him but what I will do is
because I have the issue with my with my
sons so every kid at a young age you
know a lot of times what happens and I
found this
fascinating because my boys at a younger
age and even my 17-year-old now he he
doesn’t do it anymore but used to p push
from underneath his chin so he pushed
the ball up like that why because
they’re using their body powerwise
because they don’t understand shooting
and they think that’s what they need to
thrust the ball in the air so you know
we have a trampoline you know in in our
yard and the boys are bouncing up and
down on the trampoline and they got you
know the Hoops on on both sides so
they’re I mean they’re over here like
they their their games are always like
fascinating look out the window watch
them because they’ll do back flips
between the legs like my now 12y old
he’s had a dunk contest where he’s like
doing everything spins and dunking and
then he shoots it and I was watching him
one time shoot this basketball he’s got
the ball in his hands he’s
gone with rotation and everything and I
was
like so he can shoot like that with his
fingertips but when he gets a bigger
ball he’s
shooting because now that Ball’s too big
for him so now he’s hoisting now he’s
pushing from underneath his chin
now his form’s off he’s just trying to
get the ball in the air and thing is is
he’ll be proficient at still making the
shot because he can adjust he can
adapt so in many instances the kids in
young age definitely need smaller balls
so it doesn’t help them develop that
habit of
pushing and then when they get older now
he’s at the age where he’s still doing
the same things you you know you see a
lot where the kids end up doing like
this and everybody’s follow through was
right here and I always tell them don’t
don’t follow through with your guide
hand it’s always right here don’t do
that because that’s what they’re used to
doing from here so now they evolve to
get up here and they’re doing the same
thing so the first thing that I I tell
every kid when they shoot is I watch how
they hold the ball because a lot of
times they hold it in their Palm so
remember if I and I what I do is I’ll
throw the football have a football throw
it at them you never catch the football
down here you know and then I throw a
golf ball at them you don’t catch the
golf ball like that you catch it up here
I said so when I give you the basketball
don’t catch the basketball here so when
you shoot the last thing happens is it
rolls off your fingers so now if you’re
on the free throw line watch watch
college watch the pros you know Pros do
it because they’re skilled at it they’re
ad dep at it but some other guys are
really bad Shooters because they let the
ball start here and then it rolls all
the way here all the way to Here and Now
once it gets to here their motion is
already right here they have no touch
and they have to push Josh Hart yeah so
it gets here and it’s like it’s like
they’re pushing with their arm to get
the ball off their hands it’s not in
their wrist anymore it’s interesting if
we think about basketball shooting not
as a push but a throw if I was throwing
a baseball unless I was trying to throw
a [ __ ] up Pitch I would not throw with
my palm never even a football right yeah
it’s it’s the fingers that are releasing
it’s not the Palm there’s obviously some
Shooters uh Mike dun leevy Damen Lillard
that shoot on the but I watch all of
them some of them that shoot in the Palm
they got to do like this because they
got to really throw it they get really
Adept at being able to do that but
specifically kids because I always watch
it and I try to get them to see it and
and and I even pull up my own clips and
I don’t want everybody to have to shoot
it like me but I’ve had success because
I duplicated those same habits and we’re
talking about getting the ball off fast
you know you’re talking about moving
your feet getting ball quickly so if you
look at me on the free throw line the
one thing that you’ll see is the ball is
always served up so you you could put
your hand through my uh right here on my
palm and the ball’s sitting up here it’s
not sitting like that flat right what
happens is they’re holding the whole
ball because they it’s an insecurity
because most people say oh I’m not
filling the ball it’s not going to you
know I’m and then they up pushing like
this whole hand no we just need you
right here it’s it’s born from kids at a
young age that aren’t strong enough they
not working at you know their wrists and
shooting free throws that’s why I said
I’m whenever when whenever I competed in
Three-Point
Contest I didn’t shoot threes I went to
the free throw line it’s one thing to
get my lift but it’s another thing to
work on my release point and shooting
free throws is all releas and I’m
working on catching the ball and feel
comfortable with the ball in my hand
breathing and feeling this whole motion
now it’s a match can I match my lift
with my release that is the the the the
trick because once you get to a real
game if you can match that now you’re
cooking with hot grease it’s really
interesting when I would have bad
shooting workouts what when you would
have a bad shooting work I’m assuming
you did the same thing like if I felt
like man everything’s just not in
alignment right now my muscle memory is
off I just stop the drill and go right
to the free throw go right to the free
throw line let me figure this out the
release Point thing is huge the shot in
the corner over Tony Parker when we were
talking earlier about preparation and
routine one of the most famous shots in
NBA finals history one of the most
famous shots in NBA
history what went into that shot uh that
day you you you think about that series
that’s game six so I did that in just if
you just think about those six games I
did that at least 30 to 40 shots before
every game and then every shooting
routine you know before practice and
between uh it was just it was just a
um it was for me it was a a right that I
had to to be able
to push on a daily basis to be able to
move and shoot a shot where I can go
sideways and then ball comes up in the
air because now what happens is you see
kids they don’t understand it when I’m
yelling at them in practice saying
faster FAS F don’t you know and and you
know we’ll shoot spot shots just to get
them work on the release and then I’ll
put them through drills where they got
to run so I have a drill where you start
this basket and this basket full C court
so this team there’s three guys here
three here um maybe four here and four
here this side they’re on team so when
they shoot they got to run to this side
so each basket you got to make 15 shots
so if this basket finishes with 15 first
then they all can run down in there and
help this team you know shoot their 15
and whoever’s finished wins there’s
consequences you at the run but I told
them what makes this drill easier for
you it’s the opposite of what you think
because if you shoot and you lolly gag
down to the other end that means by the
time you get down there your rest is
less so now by the time you get down
there now you’re about to have to shoot
again and you’re always behind so when
you shoot hul ass down here to get more
rest now you got two or three people in
front of you now you can rest and you
can gather yourself and you can go right
into your shot so the Sprint is the
magic that’s why you do it run as hard
as you can to rest just that’s what
happens in games and then take your game
shot if you can if you can practice that
so you put yourself in situations that
you’re always used to being able to
catch the ball sideways go up in the air
because remember shooting is just that
little space that you have you can’t
come from way over there in one spot to
here like you’re always in a confined
space you know you watch the guy spacing
and if you’re on the Baseline you just
slide to the left or to the right a
little bit you slide to the right and
then you go up in the air and shoot so
you got chop chop chop chop up in the
air you don’t have chance to go chop
chop gather and then shoot yeah and so
think that’s what’s the most amazing
thing about that shot though is that it
was in such a confined space and and
truthfully a confined amount of time too
yeah like you know about
shooting you shot so many shots in your
routine you know where the basket is
like like I used to facial awareness the
court yeah yeah like I’m sitting in the
I’m sitting in the what I would do is I
would catch the ball with my back to the
basket and I would jump in the air and
shoot it literally like if the basket’s
there I would be facing that way in the
arena and then the guy would be right
there and he throw me the ball right
here and as he’s throwing it I would
jump and shoot in there you start to
understand where your your relationship
is to you and the basket and it’s a very
like Advanced way to think about
shooting because now you’re so
comfortable with turning left shoulder
turning right shoulder and I’ll tell you
another thing this super important cuz I
was telling my son this because we were
playing oneon-one the other day and I
was on a bad hit but I was just kind of
messing around with him
and every time he would go to shoot the
ball like he had to go from here to up
here and I said so now when you start to
get in Evolved shooting now you have to
know how to replace the ball because if
you got a good defender on you with the
ball in front of you can you bring the
ball over here and then get to here can
you bring the ball from here and then
get to here CU everybody’s comfort zone
is to come up from right here so now you
got to be able to catch the ball over
here and then go right to here real fast
on that shot if I remember
correctly did you bring it from your
left um no I brought it from right here
you brought it from love okay yeah
because it came he he got it to me like
right here and then I came down with it
okay you know
so it’s even like a blur to me cuz it
feels like it happened to slow motion
that played it yeah I mean I I watched
the ball even as I think about now I
watched the ball and it it just kind of
it was like a real movie it happened in
slow motion and I swear it didn’t feel
like I did anything with it it didn’t
feel like it was going to make it to the
rim um it just it just kind of as I
think about it just kind of floated
right there and then all a sudden it was
just
like and so you didn’t feel like when
you shot it cuz we know as Shooters we
know we know a perfect shot we know a
shot’s going in yeah no you didn’t feel
that nope I had no feeling whatsoever
and it it was just I can only equate it
to just the work that I put in my body
knew it was like it was like I was in a
position where my body just said I we
got this we got this we we’ve been here
we’ll we’ll we’ll we’ll take over from
here
and you know it it was like that one
shot like as many gamewinners as I’ve
hit over my
career it seemed like did you just set
up for that one shot and then that’s it
everything built for that moment but
it’s the it’s the worst anxiety you can
imagine uh because even even you know
when you’re it got to a point
where you know I’m shooting 90 plus
percent from the free throw line too so
now I’m in a position that whenever the
game is on the line it’s a two-point
game everybody’s like fing the ball
towards me so all this
anxiety around shooting making free
throws being able to come through in the
clutch I was like this you know I don’t
want to be and fortunate for for me and
you had a little more to me you know
social media there’s such a Crux of
pressure that kind of comes down on
players like when you don’t perform well
like people right on your timeline you
know right at you you know um and I
didn’t have to deal with that but you
always worried
about being able to perform in those
situations that’s why I was like I just
I can’t sit and rest thinking this is
going to solve itself like I got to be
able to push myself and and and be in
the situation that’s why it wasn’t about
success for me it wasn’t about somebody
saying that I was good it was about me
being able to come through in a moment
when most people don’t want that
smoke and you did Ray thank you
appreciate this time you’re the best man
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[Music]
Sofi all right let’s get to the new era
draft with Tim
legler before we begin we wanted to give
a shout out to New Era the official cap
of the NBA and now the official headwear
of old man of the three you can support
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om3 if you want to see Tommy and my
favorites Tommy of course is wearing a
beautiful New Era cap Jack and jacket to
toe and jacket I love it all right so
hold on I normally I let Tommy do the
draft but there’s I want to explain this
one okay so we are going to draft we are
going to draft players from the 90s that
would thrive in today’s NBA okay with
the
caveat you have to if you pick a player
that’s how they played in the 90s so for
for example you can pick Larry Bird cuz
he played in the ’90s but you’re not
getting Prime
84 to 86 you’re getting 92 bird the year
okay and that you’re trying to build a
starting five you’re trying to build a
legit fiveman basketball team even for a
guy like me who Larry Bird is my
favorite athlete of all time that’s a
reach for me to take Larry the 92
version of Larry Bird that’s going to be
hard okay all right I like that so you
start I go second JJ third we snake it
back all I’m just going to I’m going to
right off the bat I’m just going to take
it obviously give me Michael Jordan I’ll
I’ll go Jordan one is that okay okay can
we do that think he would be just F he
would he would think he would be just
fine there’s not going to I mean I
there’s no banter with that pick there’s
no ban say there’s nothing to say you
could by the way even if I went with
like Wizards Jordan it’s still pretty
good but I’m not I’m not I’m going with
the Jordan I played against okay that
Jordan all right perfect okay fair I’m
taking a Keem oh take it him I need him
wow man
man that threw me off that’s a great
pick what you what you what were you
thinking thought he was going to be
there there’s a good chance I was gonna
take him with my next second yeah okay
um all right I’m gonna go I’m gonna go
with Shaq I’m gonna go with
Shaq
and I feel like ah man feel like I can
get
enough in terms of guard play later
oh man so I’m gonna I’m gonna go with
Scotty going Scot you’re going Scotty
one Shack snake snake TR right three and
four then we go back was there a
specific was there a specific Shaq year
or just Shaq overall well obviously he
he got to the finals with Orlando was a
dominant with the Lakers and obviously
didn’t win a championship till 2000 but
in terms of uh uh the sort of athletic
anomaly that was Shaquille O’Neal that
was the 90s Shaquille O’Neal you next
yep I’m going Reggie man too yeah yeah I
think Reggie Reggie’s game he said he
said a couple years ago he said he’d
averaged 45 um inter he played which
maybe might be a little bit of a stretch
but I didn’t realize the most threes he
ever attempted with 6.6 per game yeah
his career Reggie interesting 45 a game
interesting it’s a take man this is hard
because I got some guys and like the way
they played I could utilize them
differently like different spots and
actually take more advantage of some of
their skills than they could even do it
in the 90s because of the way the the
floor spread so that’s why this is going
to be hard for me I am going to go Who
the hell’s gonna draft I guess you have
a Keem to counter
Shack but see there’s there’s other
centers that I could pick that have to
guard him the Golden Era of centers I
know but it’s like I don’t know like the
way the game is played now I don’t know
that they’d be as utilized offensively
right this is this is why so Shaq
obviously I’m I’m gonna draft I’m gonna
try to draft a team because I thought
you were gonna take Shaq I’m gonna try
to draft a team and this is why I picked
Scotty second I need mobile versatile
Defenders cuz Shaq’s GNA Shaq’s going to
play Drop coverage yep right I’m not
getting into a situation like go bear in
the playoffs where you’re you’re like
taking him out into space right I I need
guys who can cover ground I feel very
confident with my Scotty pick yeah I
think that makes a lot of sense all
right I am going to go I’m gonna put I’m
gonna put a hell of a defensive team out
there I’m gonna go with Grant Hill [ __ ]
I’m gonna go with gr Hill to counter
your Scotty pipp selection I had that
one so Grant plays a three yeah I would
I was hoping Grant was going to be my
next pick I was just going to play him a
point C 96 Grant so I got Grant at the
three Jordan at the two and now I get
another
pick I could go shooter or I could go
big all right I’m gonna go Penny
Hardway [ __ ] I got interesting [ __ ] I
got great versatility right now going
Penny gr Hill and
Jordan yeah I’m going need I’m going to
need a little bit more shooting though
are you all concerned about uh
durability like long-term dur durability
with this team with what team team that
I’m picking yeah of course okay based on
you know but you’re but you’re trying to
win a championship for one year I was
under the impression we were drafting a
team based on like at some point in the
90s like their peak level cuz we can
have that LEL and we’re talking about
getting through like one Series against
each other or like one game against each
other I’m not worried about this isn’t
my team forever going forward I just I’m
I’m wondering where your size is going
to come from I guess it’s coming it’s
coming all right I’m going um I’m going
GP for my third pick I need a point
guard
interesting very interesting um all
right I’m I’m gonna get a point guard
here too looks like we’re all getting
our point guards with a third pick I’m
this guy I actually think would kill in
today’s NBA game I really believe that
Tim Hardway he’s in here I got him I got
him Tim Hardway he was on my short list
Tim Hardaway handle yep space shooting
and I have finishing I have another
guard in that vein that I don’t think’s
going to get picked and I don’t want to
give it away to give you guys an idea so
I’ll tell you at the end that I think
you guys are both going to go what do
you think what do you think about now
would make him better space baby volume
shooting Space volume shooting oh yeah
what’s what’s his what was his career
high around 25 or I wouldn’t even say
that I would say probably I would maybe
maybe 25 I would I was thinking like 2 3
24 okay was where he would he capped out
yeah he he’s he’s he’s high 20s Mullen
was like 25 on those teams he’s he’s
high 20s to low 30s on this team yeah oh
yeah the way I’m building this team oh
yeah yeah that’s a good one yeah that’s
a good one because he could he could
like string together three-point shots
and now it would be something that would
be like he’d be seeking and then the way
the floor spread try keeping that guy 91
92 On The Run TMC he average 23.4 23
yeah 23.4
yeah I like this I like this um I want a
little more shooting I want a little
more shooting I need to I need shooting
I’m gonna go Mitch Richmond and I think
Mitch
Richmond in today’s
NBA if he grew up again with the
mentality around volume threo shooting
becomes it’s like a he becomes a
different tier three-point shooter all
time cuz that’s the thing that’s the
thing legs you speak to this man the
mentality around volume three-point
shooting was much different then oh
completely of course yeah yeah you
didn’t process what was you didn’t
process what was a um a good shot
analytically the way they do now which
is pretty much anything yeah any
daylight they were encouraging you to
take it you just didn’t even though I
never felt any coach put restrictions on
me to take any shot whenever I wanted
that’s not how we thought the game so to
to be that free of mind I I couldn’t
imagine what that would feel like so I’m
building my team I feel like the
opposite of legs I’m going 98 Tim Duncan
it’s rookie year yeah first team on
NBA that’s a good one I wasn’t even
thinking of Duncan okay because he
barely snuck in there so you’re going
You’re Going Duncan hakee yep Duncan
Hakeem Gary Reggie at this point I’m
just gonna say you’re you know Reggie
can shoot but you’re going to have some
shooting issues you’re going to have
some shooting issues I was wor I’m
worried about the shooting issues and
I’m a little dun’s an Aller I’m a little
worried about theun I’m a little wor
about the wing issues too in certain
matchups okay but all right I think that
I think I would also provide tough
matchups for somebody is it me wait can
I take my pib no no wait wait have you
ever seen that happen on draft I don’t
think I’ve ever seen that
happen take my pick back I don’t I have
this guy I have this guy in my top five
completely BL call that being part of
any draft ever in anything keep going
keep going all right
I’ve got torn here on I know I need a
big but do I want a do I want a
versatile
big okay or I just want you know your
standard big guy that can go bang with
Shaq I think I’d rather have someone
that I think I could play at
Center see it that’s freakishly athletic
God Tim’s
gon Sean
km wow sticking that one Sean Kemp wow
Andis Chris
Mullen 95 Kemp those are my two picked
yeah damn so now I got MJ Grand Hill
Penny Hardaway Sean Kemp Chris Mullen
yeah okay yeah JJ’s in my head cuz I had
a pick yeah yeah I know he is I had a
pick but I don’t I think that his note
is
valid
um I’m gonna go Glenn rice it’s my fif
pick yeah I I had him down I had him
down I’ll add another one but he can’t
shoot so I’m and Glenn’s going to close
it
out man that’s really disappointing I’m
trying to find I’m trying to find ages
here so I can who do you have so far I
also want to know who his picked that he
wanted to take back JJ who’s on your
team um yeah he’s just Jack Scotty
Hardaway Mitch Richmond don’t love
it don’t love that
collection it’s not g GM JJ is a little
shaky the
[ __ ] it I just I got off to I got off to
a good start I felt really confident
with my Tim Hardway selection I love
Mitch Richmond I would say this is the
first time in the history of this draft
he’s actually tried to pull that I don’t
think he’s ever tried to do that before
you get them on get them an undrafted
free agent can we you know what we’re
gonna do yeah you know what we’re gonna
do we’re gonna we’re gonna all get to
draft a six man okay okay okay that’s
fair and and for the purposes of staying
uh consistent I get I get to snake this
so I’m going to get three Pi here all
right or two picks rather all right I’m
going to go Kobe I know he’s young I
know it wasn’t the Kobe we all know but
I’m gonna go Kobe
um feel confident in that and then Kobe
come in 97 96 97 96 draft right so 96
I’m get year three Kobe okay yeah and
then I’m gonna pick Nick Van
XEL wow there’s the first just absolute
outlier pick just didn’t have didn’t
have that on my radar
that on my radar at all CH the format so
he could draft Nick Van x
man
yes so that’s the whole reason you
wanted a six-man because you wanted to
say Nick
van I loved him I played against Nick on
those Lakers teams man all right so I’m
my my freshman year the season ended and
uh a soon as the the as school when
school got out like April whatever 25th
or whatever it was I went out to
California uh one of my best friends a
Duke uh lived in Davis so we spent like
a week in Davis and I was getting ready
to fly back and my uncle lived in Dallas
and he’s like do you want to come to the
Mavs Kings game this was playoffs and I
was like yeah absolutely so I flew to
Dallas went to the game he happened to
like know some guy who had courtside
seats next next to Ross perau so I went
down there and this was when when Nick
was uh with the Mavs and he hooped that
game and I literally remember thinking
to myself [ __ ] I’m never gonna play the
like these guys are so F because of’s
performance I’ve never played the yeah
yeah that’s a rap that’s a
WAP an awesome six-man yeah that’s a
great one all right I’m closing
mine I gotta take Barkley oh my God I
need I mean that is a gross oversight he
needs to get picked like should have
been he should have been in the second
round easily with
playing yeah man like are you saying
play so we playing with the way the game
looks now is that the idea behind it all
that space for him I have I had him
written down but I just kept saying
like like undiz to play against these
other bigs that that these other teams
have like that’s that’s who you’d be
left with that maybe he’d be maybe he’s
going be got dun what the [ __ ] have
barley you got Str
Gary pton Duncan Glen Rice Barkley you
have a strange team so I don’t know if I
go with uh the last big I have written
down the last Wing or the last
point I think I got enough Wings covered
with gr Hill Penny Jordan I I got enough
Mullen I got I got enough Wings your
team’s long Sean Kemp’s even kind of
wing is yeah so give me a flat
out I can’t imagine how good this guard
is would be in today’s game the way the
the way the league is set up give me
Kevin Johnson
yeah he would be nasty in ball screen
offense he never had to score like huge
numbers but he was capable of it former
teammate by the way that’s a great pick
it’s a good pick it’s a good pick that
was my that was my backup if somebody
picked Jesus Mitch Richmond by the way I
mean I knew he had a high percentage for
his career in 96 and 97 those two
seasons he shot around 6 threes a game
and was at 437 and 428 guys I just got
way more confident in my team so who was
Kobe your person I I feel I got dude I
got was KOB who you wanted to you wanted
to tear the draft up to well what was
year three Kobe what were his numbers
cuz that’s as good as you’re going to
get buddy I know I know know that again
he want to take it back again by the way
by the way by the way listen it’s stops
December 31st
1999 yeah so even if he had a great
second half of that season none of that
is eligible for this I hope I hope those
guys are going to get along for this
game yeah exactly well okay so in the
lockout year Kobe a that’s right wait a
minute now Kobe averaged 20 a
game uh five rebounds three and a half
assists 3.8 assists 99 2000 so I’m
getting a little bit of that guy uh two
months of that guy yeah I’m getting I’m
getting 22 and a half six rebounds and
five assists a game I feel confident
that pick okay that’s great great value
for the fifth round Drexler was my other
one but he he couldn’t shoot I got two
guys I want to quick just mention their
names tell me how you think Dale Ellis
nope I thought about him yeah how about
Chris Weber yeah Dennis
Rodman Dennis Rodman think think about
what Rodman’s rebounding numbers would
look like like with like the way he
would run down like long rebounds with
all the perimeter shots pretty good
passer now nons scorer but guard mhm the
like the energy he would expend guarding
and and rebounding for those other four
because all the everybody we picked can
score can fill it up I thought about him
as well okay okay I’m confident in my
team Mark Price was another good one I
thought oh Mark Price that’s a good one
that’s a good one I think we got to do
this every decade yeah all right it’s
been great sweet man you got
it w
23 Comments
Unbelievably insightful. A ton of depth with everything he says. Thank you for bringing Ray on JJ!!! You are definitely the podcast MVP!
Great podcast, great interview. But I gotta say it. At no time was JJ Reddixk “close” to Ray Allen when Ray was on Seattle or Milwaukee. Ray was dropping 50 burgers on ppl. Respectfully
The monitisation on this podcast is crazy compared to others. It makes you stop watching sometimes
Man that was great
What an interesting guy I didn’t know anything about ray allen as a person, he’s awesome
Love this podcast. Btw Reed Shepard was a McDonalds All-American, just FYI.
Ray should get on an episode of Mind the Game in the future
What a fascinating person Ray is. Great storyteller.
Basically you have to be a OCD maniac to be great😂, “Ray Allen”
😂its a blur when youre in control.,yeah im diggin this convo
Thats why there was beef quote un quote Kg PAUL…U KNOW NOW WHY..RESPECT ALL IS PAID
Reed Shepard was a McDonald’s all American
this episode with Ray Allen is truly an eye opener to what life is.
Ok you cut him out like that
Very underrated interview
i legitimately don't understand how barkley lasted until tommy's last pick and how did none of them pick david robinson…?
It’s cool to see JJ fanboy out with Ray!
29:50 Tree
This is an all time pod. Two of the greatest shooters & minds the game has seen
1:50:55 was David Robeson just not good at basketball or something? He picked up Shawn kemp and talked abt randoms
I always figured the top 5 in MVP consideration would end up being named 1st team all NBA. Guess not.
Guys Garnetts versatility and length on Defense is perfect for this era.
What a great interview. Ray Allen is the best