Chandler Parsons | Ep 125 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

Published Mar 3, 2022, 5:02 AM

Former NBA small forward Chandler Parsons sits down with the boys on ALL THE SMOKE for a must-see interview. Parson's open up about the car crash that ended his NBA career and relives some of the best moments he had in the league.

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Welcome to All the Smoke, a production of The Black Effect and our Heart Radio and partnership with Showtime. M H. Welcome back to All the Smoke. Jack, what's up, bro? Happy to be in l A. You're trying your game up today. I saw you packed a bunch of louise coming out here, but you really came like, where are you going after this is nowhere? I'm just I'm just saying, I'm just setting this down up for two on the show and that's all. So you got me looking like like like a soccer day right now up. No, I mean, you got this ship at your house. I'm just I'm just gonna force you to bring it out. I respect that. I respect that. I respect that. Man. We got a guest, a guy I've known for a while, a friend of mine. We've finally able to track him down. Man. Welcome Chaidler Parsons. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me. What what what to get his watch? We'll get time, get his watch. It gets watch. But the new father, let's talk about that. I mean, you were gleaming. We were just talking about this before the show. Man. You're a father of a three month old daughter. Tell us what that what that like want he wants more? Yeah, definitely, he's gonna have five girls. I'm definitely gonna be the guy that has all daughters for sure. But little uh, there's nothing like him. And you guys know, you know you think you love something, you have a child, and something just clicked. I was telling Matt, like something happened where you know, a couple of months ago, Mom couldn't get her to stop crying, right, and then I grabbed her and all of a sudden just stopped her. Now it's getting to the age where she's getting a personality and you're walking in the room and she's smiling, and it's it really is. There's absolutely nothing like him. I love it. He knows he's got it. He's got a bunch of daughters, yes, five and the bonus nine year NBA vets um. It's been a crazy past couple of years for you. Can you you mind walking us kind of through? I know you were in an accident, you were tired, talk to us about what's kind of me going on? You? I mean, it's been a crazy two years for everybody, right, Like no one could have predicted this happening, But yeah, man, it was nuts. I was just I was leaving practice one day, random day in Atlanta, two o'clock on a Wednesday, and I'm driving. I just see this car coming at me and just completely t bones me and and I had never been to crash before. I've never been been a finderband or nothing. And it's kind of a crazy story. It's funny story now. But like I'm going and I'm completely out right, like I'm knocked out, Man, I wake up, Where did the car hit you? So I'm going through an intersection in the car, I kind of see it coming this way and out of nowhere, it just kind of speeds up and just kind of gets me going through the interset on the drivers on your door on the driver's side. I was solo in the car, and so I get hit right and I wake up, and by the time I wake up, there's already sirens, and I just remember the windows were bashed in the air bags route I had to cut on my wrist where was bleeding, and I couldn't move my neck, and I'm like like shit, like this is this is serious. And I can see the guy who hit me and he's completely knocked out, blood everywhere, and I'm like wow, like this is this is scary. And so I'm looking at my car's all messed up. There's red everywhere, and I hear this voice and I'm not like a religious, spiritual kind of guy like that, but I hear this voice and it's like Chandler and Mr Parsons were coming to get You're gonna be okay. And at that moment, I'm like sitting there, I'm like funk, like I this this is what happened, Like I died, this is what happened. This is God, like, this is what happens. Right, Blood everywhere, and I snap out of it, bro, And it was the on star from my car telling me they were coming to get me. And I was bringing my girl home spaghetti. So half the red in my car everywhere was Marinara sauce. But at the moment I'm tripping, I'm like, oh ship. And then fast forward like the next day I go and that Land is like, hey, you need to lawyer up, like once they find out who you are, what you're driving, like this guy's gonna sue you. And I'm like I didn't do anything wrong, Like what do you mean? Turned out as to Due's third d U, I fifty six year old, just like completely his fault. And so I was in this lawsuit basically for two years where I was recovering from injuries like I messed my neck up, I tore my labor on my shoulder, super gnarly concussion, and so that kind of forced my hand to basically retire. Um, And I never thought I'd do that thirty one years old. You know, you want to go out in your own terms. Um, But it was scary, man. But then the whole world closed down with COVID, and uh, you know, I think everything kind of happened for a reason, but it was it was scary. How are you physically right now? Obviously I know the mentor is going to take a while to just process everything, but how are you physically feeling right? Yeah? Physically I'm I'm getting better. You know, I'm still like rehabbing, working out, still training. Um, the injuries or stuff like I can you know, they're they're permanent, but I can kind of maintain I'm not gonna play in the NBA anymore, So don't need to be doing that. But to live my life and do what I want to do, to be a father, travel things, like that, I'm I'm, I'm okay, and the lawsuits settled, so now I'm finally free and able to do cool ship like this. I live in Atlanta, so I remember that. Yeah, it was not it was crazy. It was it was crazy. It was crazy. How have you kind of car compartmentalized? Obviously the way you spoke on your daughter you turned instantly read. But kind of just again the last two years and now something I want to visit, just like the mental side of having your career cut short. You know, you were kind of you had bad luck with injuries towards the end, but then just to have it kind of taken away with that kind of situation, how have you kind of handled that? Yeah, that that takes a toll on you. I had five knee surgeries, so I was kind of missing time, missing games, um, kind of towards the end of my career. Anyway, five knee surgeries that it was terrible, two or three three and two meniscus. I had microfracture. I was my first one to which kind of set it off in spiral from there. But yeah, I mean it just sucks. It's things that you can't control that, you know, my dream as a kid was to play in the NBA and compute at the highest level. And um, the fact I did that for nine years, and obviously it was altered by injuries and stuff, but I never thought I'd retire on these terms. I never thought I'd retired from the game at thirty one years old. Um, and it takes his hone. You there some dark times there where you know, kind of why me, Why is this happening to me? And then the crash happens and I'm watching these guys play that you got me how you know, there's Jack's going at me off social media. I always wanted to because I'm like Champ, there's one of the coolest white boys I know on the plan of him and J J. Reddick Man, you know, and that's you know, what's that's funny he said that, But that's that's that's just part of it, right. And then obviously, when you know, I was on a big contract, right, and I had high expectations and I was making a lot of money and I wasn't playing, and so I understand that part, but yeah, I just never expected it to end this way and this quick. But you know, you know, I'm kind of excited for the next future. That's good. Counseled Berry, Florida. Talk about your upbringing. How was it growing up and how did you get into sports. Yeah, so I'm the youngest of four boys. Grew up in Castle Barry, Florida. Brother Chris is here. Yeah, so Chad, Chris Chase. Being the youngest, I just got this ship kicked out of me every single day, right, And I was always playing with older kids, which I think kind of got me prepared because by the time, you know, I'd go to my own eight and under a basketball game and I would dominate because my three older brothers were killing me before that. Right. So, yeah, I grew up with them family, huge Orlando Magic fan. Uh. You used to always, you know, go in the backyard and watch the games with Shack and Penny of them and turn the time out. I'd run in the backyard and act like them and do what I saw and then go back and watch the game. So that was always just I always wanted to do it right. And then uh yeah, with the brothers that you know, I couldn't have been here without them. They pushed me, They helped me so much, just kind of developed Castle Barry is close to Orlando. It's like a suburb that's not very nice inside Orlando. Yet, No, it's not very nice. You went to Winner Park High School, and I'm aforded for recruiting the nation. You committed to your home state team, the University of Florida two thousand six. What was that? I was the decision? So that was crazy. I went to winter Park Lake How High School, Winter Parks That's that's a that's kind of the rival school. Um, but no, it was cool, man Like when I was a junior and senior in high school, that's when Florida was popping, right, That's when they just won the two national championships. Joachim al Horford, those guys were there, and I loved the Gators. I would always go to camps growing up, and so being a fan having them on top of basketball, Billy Donovs or coach like, to me, it was a no brainer. And by the time I was a senior, I was a five star recruit. But this dude would not offer me a scholarship. And I'm going all these all American camps. I got all these offers, but for whatever reason, and my teammate and my high school teammate Nikolaitis. I don't know if you guys remember him. He was committed there since he was like a freshman, so I like, I wanted to go there so bad and just through the process, he finally offered and I had had my five official business plan. Florida was my first one and stick Joe King was my was my host. And let's just say I signed one. He canceled the other four visits. Yeah already. Yeah, I don't know him, but I feel like I would you would vie with him, like he's the best. I love competing against him, but I feel like just we would be burning it down. No, he's on your guys. Were your other four visits to my four visits from Texas, L s U Tennessee and Notre Dame. But it was a rap after that visits? Was there? So you're one of those rare as I was four year players? Uh when SEC player of the Year. What do you remember most about your Florida experience. I mean there's a lot of history on the basketball side. Football side is dope with Yeah went who who was on the football side? Wh when I was there? It was the years it was Thibow It was hand as Percy, Pouncy Twins, Joe Hayden. It was I mean that was arguably the best Cali Rivers with the volleyball player. We had Ryan Locke Toy the Olympic swimmer. When we're there, so like Florida, I was active. It was crazy. You're on campus every day and Sandals. I should have left, I could have. I could have been a higher draft pick my junior year, but I had to go back. Like I loved it, loved it. You're making it sound sweeter than U c l A. But I feel you like a blast. Yeah, so I get it. No, it was cool to like going there during those years. Um, like you said, with the football team was was so good. Um, you know our basketball team was very good. So it was just I was an hour and a half away from home. My parents, my family could go to all my games. Um, and like I said, it was just a blast. Man, Like I loved it. Did you guys kick go with the football team, we did? You know what they were? They were They all football players think they can hoop, right, So they would all go to the rec center and we would play against like we would kind of play and I remember Aaron Hanna's he had Actually he was nice. Yeah, we're with Julie Edelman last night. He was. He played, he had a scholarship. He played on Connecticut like the Husky au team or whatever with the coach's son. He was nice, but he could have easily went, do you one in basketball? Crazy? This dude just told us that ship last night than he could that. He was really good, so him, Brandon Spikes, like all these guys, they would go and they're athletic as funk, right, they could go, right, But yeah, he used to bust the grass I remember m damn Drew something, Drew Damn Gillani remember his name already, remember the name the quarterback from U c l A. He used to come in bare footed and go between his leg the white boy, Drew Bennett. He played, see, he was a court backup quarterback U. C. L A. Played like seven years as an NFL. He's a swap over there. He knows everything everything. But it's crazy because this dude. The football players have walked through Polly sometimes to go to meal after practice, and Drew would come in there with no shoes on and do East Bay funk and dunk them bite that's funny. I was like, yeah, the football players super ethic. I wanted soon because sometimes like a U c l A, Like some funk with us and some didn't. I mean like because sometimes basketball and football players don't really vibe everywhere. Yeah, there was no there was no beef like that like Kansas. There was like the fight on Yeah, like that someone really don't matter that Florida for whatever reason, I mean, to win them. They kicked and we lived in the same dorms. Like we go to their games, they'd come to our games. Everyone was winning, so everyone there was. There was no every school call is not like football basketballers kind of. But he was like, yeah, there's animosity like there was. Remember the Kansas like ten years ago there was like brawl on campus. Yeah, thats crazy. Coach Donovan went off you scholarship finally did like working with him for four years. He was great man. Honestly, going in there as a high recruit fresh off two chips from him, like we went in there with the wrong mindset. We were the number one recruiting class. Nick Kola, this John Lucas son, Jay Lucas, this kid Alex Taias and some other kid. But and so he got and it was it was cracking there right, like they were they were the best team in the country and we were trash. We went to we didn't make the tournament. We went to the n I t So like my first two years, we kind of went in there as arrogant little dick heads, and like he's this New Yorker Napoleon syndrome. Little man thinks he's tough and he would just you know, he's from the school or Patino. He would get yours. He looked like he in the mafia. He's cool as fun, but he's also he he gets angry quick. So my first two years I didn't get that. I didn't understand that I would want to transfer, I would want out. And then once you get older and you understand, like what he's trying to do and like instilling you something switch worse like this guy's and he was always a brilliant basketball mine. Right, you can see what he's doing now in Chicago, Like the guy's arguably the coach of the year, right, So I mean he's always been a great basketball mine. But then you just understand him more as you know your years go on. You were drafted thirty eight overall to the Rockets and to the lockout. He decided to go overseas and France for two months. What was your reason why that you just wanted to stay hope and stay busy. Yeah. So when I was drafted, there was the lockout, so there was no season, right and I was a second round pick, so my contract wasn't guaranteed. So my agent at the time basically got me a deal where I could go play in France and they gave me an out clause. And this was during the time with like de Will went to Turkey, like a lot of guys were doing it, and as a four year guy for whatever reason, like it's kind of shunned up, Like it's it's like a bad look to stay in college four year because it's like, why didn't he leave early? What's wrong? Like and you're and then you're older, like I got drafted twenty one years old, which I think is a good thing, right because you go through so much ship in college, Like I'm ready to help an NBA team right away. I see both sides with the potential of taking an eighteen year old kid too. But so for what I had, just I had something to prove still. So I wanted to keep going and I wanted to stay in shape. I wanted to play in games for the second round, non guaranteed contract. I wanted to when camp when the lockout ended, which it was gonna end. I wanted to be ready to go. So I went to play for two and a half months and it was dope. Yeah it was cool. I mean I lived in a place called Chole, France, which wasn't fun, Like it was like a little village. Yeah it's it's not it's not cool. It's played there for probably really three weeks. It came back home and I couldn't do it. No, I was eighteen, I mean nineteen, I couldn't do it. Yeah it was. I mean it was different. It's the crowd is different, the games different. It's like the Olympic style game where you get to call travel if you don't put the ball first, goaltending, no defensive three seconds. But I just wanted to who I just wanted to play, and I was making it. Gave me like twenty five grand a month, and I was like at the time, I was like, that's my first paycheck. I loved it. So I was like this is great. And then the lockout ended and I came back to Houston. I think it really helped me because by the time camp started, I was in crazy shape. I was ready to go, and that's how I kind of got my start, I think because I was so ready to play that by the time my sixth NBA came around, I was starting. Who who was on your team at that Who was on the So when I was drafted, coach Kevin McHale was a coach, and then it was like Kevin Martin's skull uh dallam bear, Marcus Canby was there, earl like Courtney Lee, and then it was a couple of young guy it was Kyle Lowry was there, Dragic, Pat Beverley. So when I was there, like we had a squad. I think we missed the playoffs by like one year, one game my rookie year. But yeah, they we started off like two and three or whatever. This is kind of like my like coming to the NBA moment, Like I wasn't playing at all and I just came from France. I'm sick, I'm a second round pick with with acne and like I like I was, I was not ready to go and so I'm playing and we started off like two and three and I played some garbage minutes. We got blown out a couple of times where he put me in and I just remember pulling up and we were playing okay see And it was when they had you know, Russ Kat and James and he had always read the starting lineups on the board and I walked in the locker room early as hell, like three o'clock, like first bus, and I just saw it said Parsons Dash Durant and I was saying, oh ship, like it was the first time. I was like, she just got like oh wow. Like I played garbage minutes against other second round picks and into the game like this was like mine, like, oh my god, like it's it's go time. I guess one of the best. Yeah, and it was. I mean, he busted my ask, but he was a little like he was I think he shot like poorly from the field and we won the game. And honestly, since then, I started all the way through, so it was kind of like that was like my moment where he gave me a chance and it just kind of worked out. Let me, let me ask the question. So with going to four years going to college and playing four years and having the injuries, you think staying all that time took some probably, you know. I think when you think about it, when you play playing AU, no one you could have went after your first or second year, you know what I mean. And then you look back. You played AU from twelve to fifteen, then you played four years of high school. Then I played four years of college. So it's like that's a lot of miles on your body and your knees by the time you get to the n b A. And like I said, my with the lockout my rookie year, we had back to back to back, so you guys remember that was free in a row and that that's when, like I was, I was the young guy, so I was playing right, I was playing all of the minutes. And they probably had you doing ship before practice, practicing there first after they last got to make all the anomics. So I was so yeah, I think that definitely had an impact. I think the longer you played, just the more grind, the more bumps and bruises you get. But you can't predict that though, exactly. You can't. That's one thing I've learned. Bro. It's like listen, I understand everything that comes with it, with the pressure of the expectation stuff, and as athletes, we want that, like like Jen Rex and the other day. It's like no one, no, no one can create a narrative to put more than us. Trust me, we want it more than you. So like the media that fans like, right and that I know really good. Yeah so he and yeah, but that was my thing where I was like like literally my first injury my foot got caught in David West shorts. I came down on my knee, chip cartilage in my knee, Like how the how am I supposed to predict that? And that was that turned into a micro That was my third That was my third year, and yeah, that was when I first had my microfracture where microfracture used to it not to catch you off, used in careers that I was Yeah, like I talked to like a Mari J kid. These guys that had it, they were never the same from it. The fact that I still I got that my third year and still was able to get to max contracts after that, But it hurt, like it was awful, Like it still bothers me. I have a quarter sized piece of cartilage missing in my right knee was off. So going into your second year, you guys make that blockbuster to deal for Harden. Yeah, who actually just got traded today. We'll talk about that a little bit. But what was that experience like? So that was that was nuts? Right? So I think we we had just gotten Dwight Howard uh before that, and we needed that extra piece, right And and by the way, the signing of Dwight Howard was nuts too. We can that was crazy, but so Dwight, we had the same agent, right, And I was the second round pick. I had a four year deal, but the fourth year was a team option. And at this point I'm starting, I'm averaging seventeen like I'm going and my agent said I couldn't. They couldn't. They're going to pick up the fourth year. Why wouldn't there You're owed nine grand or whatever, and just a huge bargain for them. I end up hiring Dan Fagan the only reason because r I p because he said I can get you out of that fourth year, and no and and no one else could write. And how we did it basically he used leverage. He went to the GM and he went to the owner and said, I'll get you Dwight Howard, but you're not picking up Channel Parson's contract. I gotta pay him. So instead of making nine, I got bumped to a MAX and we got Dwight Howard. It was the most gangster move I've ever seen. It was nuts. It was crazy, That's what we was. He got me paid. It's like they say, agents, get you paid. Dan Fagan got you overpaid. David. He definitely did. He definitely did. That's my guy man rest in peace, so too Harden. Now right, So then we get so then it's like all right, Jane, now now we're now we're rolling right now. We got two bona fide stars, great players that me. Terrence Jones was coming up. We get Pat Bev, Jeremy Lyns like fresh off his lensanity, like he's hooping, and that's just an exciting time, right, Like Houston was a dope place to live in. I love McHale, I love JB. Bickerstaff was our assistant man coach of the Year and so like now that that was just awesome. Honestly playing with those two guys at the time, Dwight was the best big James was just coming up into a like actual stardom. He made the game so easy to where that was my best year average like seventeen eighteen points because he would just lull the defender to sleep, kick it to me and I would either catch and shoot or do my little shot fake that used to jump on all the time, and then I would go. But he made it and then like you know, going forward, I you know, I wanted more and that's why I eventually end up leaving, Like I I I thought it would be you know, I thought I want that next step. Playing with James, he made it so easy where you know, it turned out to not be that easy when when I left, but like he playing with him, man, he still him. I got Dirk at the end of his career, but James, that's he's the best player I ever played with. He was so cold. What was Dwight? Because this is pre you got Dwight out of Orlando, right, we got Dwight out of out of here, out of l A. So he came like that one year had he had had back surgery yet don't know he had had the back surgery, but he was like he was fine, like he kind of had a on the year in l A. But like he was healthy, he was ready to go. Yeah, I mean them too in the pick and roll in their primes. That was tough. Yeah, I didn't know. I got to play with Orlando Dwight and there was I've never seen any people like, I never seen nothing. I mean I think now people kind of shoot on him because like this career, like they see it now, But it was the best big in the league for a decade. I think it's when he went to l A and wanted to rush back and play after that back sirt is what set him back. So his will to want to help a team fu not fun his career because he's still you know, definitely doing this thing, but he wasn't who he was. But people talking about when people talk about him, no, they can't really talk about this basketball because he's not automatic Hall of Fame gotta be something that you don't like about it the court. You should have been a top seventy five player, no doubt. It's just the personal ship that you maybe you just just like him watching them the whatever. But as far as basketball, he's the first ballot top seventy five, Like he got ripped. So your first Dwight you got Dwight, you got Jay Games, the squad you mentioned you guys battle, okay see with Russ and durn on this ship, what was that? Like, I mean, that was a crazy series. That was I mean, you know, James had just left there. We were going back in there, okay see, was one of the craziest cross to play in front of. Got the towels. They don't see the funk down all game long? Like it was nuts, James, James just left there. Okay, SE's fans are nuts. And then if you remember, that's when Russ was dribbling a half court to call the time out and Pat did the little move and towards Meniscus, So like it was, it was. That was a fun series, right. I think we end up losing in six, but like playing against those guys, playing against Kat for six games, Garden him, like that was just a grind. Like and you guys know playoffs is just it's just different, like you can say it, right, but like, I mean, every possession matters. This ship is crazy. What's the further you've been? Game six, Damian Lillard game winner in my face, No first round, first first one. Never got out of the first round. This is what you were about to ask him? Right here, this is your second and you bring that up. Yeah, I didn't even look at it, even look at it. Yeah, talk to us about the series that was. That was a hell of a thing. Yeah, that was unbelievable shot man, that was crazy. So I mean we have them. Yeah you saw that coming. That was another game six, right, we had just won two in a row. So we win this game, We're going back to Houston for game seven. We were the higher seed and that play was crazy. Still to this day, we have Patrick Beverley on the court. I don't know why the funk I'm guarding Damian Lillard right, like what but that was just like a crazy thing where he came off a screen and I mean the man hit a thirty man hit a thirty ft or right like, I mean going to his left, going to his left right and I'm like, like, I mean he's been doing this his whole career though, right, Like, that was a tough one. That was a crazy shot that That was my last game in Heston. That was that was it, like it was that was our chance. We had a we had a great team. A year we were building. We were we're going back to the crib for Game seven, and just like that, he had one of the craziest shots I've ever seen. So you say, you leave Houston because you want a bigger role, You're off the Dallas well, like, you know what that was again, that was I was on my rookie deal. Um, I was a restrictive free agent. So this was this was actually when we brought to White End and we did the and we did the deal where basically Cuban came in and he made a he gave me a crazy max deal with like a no trade clause player option in the last year. Like he to make like it in as a restricted free agent, you kind of have to do that right to get the team not to match. And yeah, so like that at the time, I love playing with James, I love playing with McHale and and Dwight, and I just thought, you know what, Dallas, Dirk's my favorite player of all time. They got Dirk, they got Monte Ellis, Like I could go over there and maybe a little even more rule. Dirk's on his way out. I can have a bigger role. Carl out. Everyone who plays with Carl Loud their crazy offense like pick and roll threes, like as a shooter, a guy who like picking rolls, Like I couldn't have think of a better offense than his. And so so yeah, accept the offer and Houston didn't match, and I think it, you know, it was awesome. Like I love Dallas. I love my time there. I'm still if I didn't live in l A. I live in Dallas. Like I really developed a great relationship with Cuban, talked to us about that. He seems like a real cool dude. He used to get along with him. He's he's the best man. Even you know, I only played there for two years, but like like he's coming to my wedding, like like he like he's my guy. Right, Like every investment deal I get, every I send it to three people, he's one of them. If he says no, I'm out, he says yes. I mean exactly, He's the O G Shark, right, there's no one better. So he's he's just he's such a he's such a player's owner, right, Like he's funny, he's cool. He'll go out with us, like um, the free agency with DeAndre, like he's so involved, right, like and and he's just cool. But like most owners aren't like that talk to us about Oh. I just want to say one thing about Mark cute. I want to give him his props. Uh. He just started this company where they're they're all to people that on medication, able to get medication for real, real cheap. I'm telling about expensive medication for real, real cheat. I want to shout out Mark Huban for that, because I know that's a that's helping a lot of people all across the world medicine. That's five hundred dollars. They're getting ten dollars, fifteen dollars. So shout out to Mark Cuban for we need you on the show. Um, the recruitment of DeAndre because you pulled a lot of strings and then the Clippers pulled some crazy ship. Yeah that was DeAndre Jordan by the way, for though, you know when we say DJ that was the biggest that was the biggest heartbreak I ever went through. I mean at the time, we had we had a great team in Dallas and we're recruiting free agency. Like I'm in the I'm in the draft room, I'm in the free agent meetings. Like Mark kind of gave me and Dirk like rains like all right, like this is who we want, Like, go get him. So I'm coming out to l A. He was also with Dan Fagins, were the same agent. So we're partying together, we're working out together. I'm basically his schedule is my schedule. I'm all over him, and I'm like, I'm getting this guy, and I get him, like he commits to us, like he's he's verbabally there. Cubans were here, We're going to dinner. Were at his house with his mom and his brothers, And I never forget the girl was dating at the time. She had a birthday party in Vegas, and I left and I tweeted an airplane emoji because I was going to Vegas. That's when the whole reports, you know, the woj bomb saying DeAndre Jordan having cold feet, and I'm like, there's no way, bro, I just left, like no chance. And that's when that whole Twitter emoji war started, remember that where everyone started tweeting like emojis. Chris Paul was tweeting like a banana boat or something. Blake tweeted the picture of the door like that they like locked him in the crib. Like there was a whole thing and that was all because and we had just signed Wes Matthews to come with DeAndre Jordan's It was like a whole thing, right. Um, but again, like you know, there's no hard feelings there if he did what he thought was best for his career. I think that year he was Defensive Player of the Year and for the Clippers he wasn't went to the Western Conference final. Was like, he's had a great career. But that was just like a crazy that's never happened before, Like we had it was committed, and then the Clippers flew who doc Paul Pierce CP blake Yeah, to his house, locked him in until he signed, and beat him down until he signed. Yeah, it was nuts. Didn't he end up going to Dallas anyway? He did end up going Dallas. I left it an he wins, right. It was crazy. So heading into free agency, Uh, you were looking to possibly stay in Dallas, I'm guessing yeah, what you wanted to do obviously, Yeah, and it didn't really work out that way. You end up going to Memphis on a nice another nice deal. Um, what was that experience like? So that was I signed a three year deal in Dallas, but I had a player option in the third year and talking with Mark, talked with my agent, they said, listen, you played. I played good that year. You know, we went to the playoffs. They said, you can get a big deal and there's a lot of interest in you. So I'm like, all right, great, I'll opt out of my player option and he damn thing was like, basically, you're going to get a max contract. And you know, when Dan says that, I'm fine, I believe you. But Cuban wanted me to opt into that third year because I had had just had a knee surgery, I had my second one, and I was still going into free agency, and so I didn't pick up my third year because Mark was like, look, just opt in and improve yourself that you can play and and then I'll sign I'll sign you to a five year max the next year. And I'm like looking at it. I'm like and it was like seventeen million, and I'm looking at him like he's telling me to opt in now for seven team. But dann Vegan, my agent, telling me I got guaranteed like ninety five. Like I'm like, Mark, if I was your son, like what would you what would you tell him? Like, would you tell me to do this and take this guaranteed deal. And they knew I had like they knew I had the knee surgeries, right, and so that was crazy. And that's another crazy story where I had to pitch meetings. And I remember it was Orlando and New York offered max deals but like two or three years, but the two big four ones where Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trailblazers and Paul Allen came, Dame came, Terry Stotts came, their front office came, and we had a great meeting in Portland. And to be honest with you, I was all in on Portland. I was like, we can cancel the Memphis like I'm going to Portland, like this is playing with Dame and CJ like this this is great. And I was like yeah. So I was like all right, like I'm in JB. Bickerstaff and Fizz who are on my family. They were he had just got the head coaching job at Memphis. I said, you know what, let's just take the meeting like I I love them, like let's see. And also they had Gasol, they had Connley, they Zebo t A like they had a squad too, so I'll never forget. We're in this meeting, right and it's at Dan Fagan's house and we're in the Memphis meeting and I see like we're stacks sitting. Fagin's getting like red and like kind of getting weird. And then like five minutes later he asked, He's like, hey, let's take a break, and like you know, let's uh, well, we'll meet back up in five. He's like, CP, come here. So I I go to his room with him and he's like, you're going to Memphis And I'm like, what do you mean? Like he goes, Portland's is going to give you a physical and because of like Greg Odin and Brandon Roy's injury history, you might not pass. So I'm like, what do you mean? Bro? He's like, trust me, Like you don't want to go down that. Like if you do that and they red flag you, Bro, you're taking a minimum deal and you're smoked at So I'm like, bro, like what Like in my head, I'm I'm on Zillo looking at houses in Portland, like I was going, like I love them. I go back in there, bro, and I Oscar performance goal back. Oscar. I go back in there listening, guys, I've never I've never been more sure of something in my life. Great and grind to the day I die. I'm like, I'm in. I'm gonna get that. I was like, we can just stop it here. I'm signing. Literally, I'm like Blake Griffin, I wouldn't let them leave until I signed the deal. I was like, I am going. So that was just another damn bag and crazy story where I was like, man, I've never told that story and so like that was nuts where I was like this man did it again. And after getting that contract, you get to Memphis and you get to roll by injuries again. Yeah, which I again, I had just during that free agency, I had just had my third knee surgery, right, So it's not like they didn't know I was and as an athlete, like, you know, I'm hopeful to be the player I was, and like when you get paid in the NBA, you're getting paid off what you did and what you could possibly do. So it's like they saw like a sixteen five and five guy and they were hoping I'd get that or better maybe I'd take a huge jump like some guys do fresh off three knee surgeries like after that four year guaranteed deal, Like, I mean like that. So, you know, the Memphis experience, it didn't really work out. Um, there's a little bad blood there, but like, you know, there's some nice people there. I I you know, I had a good time, but um, it just didn't work out. I couldn't I couldn't find ways to get healthy. Um, and a lot of the people they kind of put that on in the same day they gave Conny like two thirty so like that day they spent like a quarter of a billion. I'm like, I remember me and Mike were like boot the GM like, why are you booing us? You would do the thing like what do you mean? It was crazy? Boo him? So I mean, when it's all said and done, a crazy nine year run derailed by injury. What do you remember most about your experience in the n b A. I mean it was, like I said, it was just my dream as a kid to play in the NBA. Man, like, like, I never thought it would end this way. I never thought it would be cut short like this. You know, I had dreams of being an All Star and winning championships and doing all that. But the fact that I lived out my dream and can now support my family and like I know, if I go too, you can support a lot of family, you know. I mean, like I can. You know, I had a great I'm I'm met a lot of really dope people that I still have really good relationships now. Um, I still love the game. I still sitting on my couch Tuesday night, you're watching you know, shar Livers or Land, Like I still love it, right, Um, but you know what, it's just living out my dream was there's no words for it, and and it's sad that it's over. But again, I'm just excited for you know, the future of my girl and my wife and just kind of going from there doing different business things. Bro. I mean, you get to bounce business ideas off the fucking shark tank exactly right. Better than that, um advice looking back now you would give to a younger player. Honestly, the time flies, bro, like it's it's nine years went by like that, Like I remember Draft Day, I remember, you know, SEC Championship, Like it goes by so quick and you want to enjoy it. And I enjoyed it like I'd go out. I would. I was a little reckless early on in my career and you should. You know, you have a great life. You're making a lot of bread like you should. But just I would just say, just kind of cherished every day, man, like every practice, every film session. You think it's a drag, but when it's gone, like I missed that ship, like I missed the playing Bourey on the planes, I missed like the film sessions talking ship like I the stuff that I hated when I was playing is what I missed the most now being asking Yeah, well you think time goes fast as you're playing Watch Out Fast, it goes now that your father has ship. Bro. It's like it feels like half the types just just as fast chaff story of battles with him, so this way it started with being him. He's playing for the Rockets and he is busting my ass in the first half. So you know me, I never knew this story. So I do somebody bust man's what's the person thing I do? Fight? I try to start a fight, right, this is one made me remember him? Bro, this is a baby man. So after I'm talking all this ship so he ain't paying no tip to him, and I'm you're ready trying to start a fight and uh it's a time out and I see him walking to the side with his teammates and he looks at him like is he serious. He's like is he serious? And I bust off. I'm walking back to my heart. I'm not crying laughing. I was like, well, he just asked his teammate. You're on Milwaukee, right. I remember want bro there's you hear things about players, right, like Stephen Jackson was one of them. So now I'm real life in the game. I'm playing good against him, but now like he's tight and like he's talking to me. I remember asking Sam down Bear and the like. He said something to me like like anybody but him, and I was like I already started it, like yeah, you had my six, yeah, like the first quarter, like crying, I'm too late. Sam new karate though it was big long as He's like like what you know in my back and be like looked away. I'm like, god damn said and even no, right, traveling man, you get a chance. I know you're really close to Blake Griffin. I remember back when we had that Love City team, Me, Blake and DJ would go to like four countries every summer. Um, you love to travel some of your favorite countries. Yeah, beautiful this time of year. Absolutely, yeah, you said, um, yeah, you know what I loved, Like I went to the con Film Festival twice to the south of France. That part of the world I never imagined, like go on or see him. But it's super dope, really pretty great food. Um those Abisa Meeking. Those trips are awesomewhere. Yeah, those are fun because you can either go with your girl or you can go with your boys, and you can do everything everything there. Um our favorite spots, Cabo, it's two hours from here. I just gotta people. You gotta slay it. That just got spot. We need to borrow it. Yeah, nope, I'm not bullshit. It was a good Yeah. Yeah, we'll pay for everything. Me and Jack's birthday coming up. We wanted time trip with our girls. We got a rich friend, Chail. Thank you. You see a guy. I'm a foodie. Best food you've had. I just came from Montego Bay, Jamaican. That's number one of them. Crazy right now. It was dope. Food was crazy. Yeah. See, I mean, I mean Paris, the food is awesome. Living there. When if I'd have an off day, we would take like me and the other American our team, we would drive to and a half hours just to go and get like dinner and go out. She was such trash we would do that. Um, I mean it's about the Kabo bro. Like it's two hour flight and you're in a different world, different language. I love Mexican food, Like it's just the best. The culture is the best, They're so nice, the staff is unbelieving, fantastic golf and like I said, it's two hours away and you're there. I like that. Yeah, I appreciate you mentioned a little bit of business. What kind of stuff are you into? I mean you unfortunately have to, you know, retire at an early age. But you know, life is good, wife, daughter business. I'm sure it's booming. What kind of stuff are you into? Yeah, I think I'm being I've seeing a lot of startup companies and a lot of other companies, like I'm in on hyper ice or ring. I still don't know what the sports is, and but I'm in Phase clan, which is apparently is like you'll watch it East sports game. There's more viewings on the sports game than like Super Bowl Sunday. Like it's insane. What these kids are doing. It's ordering that check your blood pressure, chakes your blood pressure, your temperature, seeing that things like that. My brother I'm with in a couple of restaurants in Orlando. Um, my girl's gotta like a cosmetic line called treats um just a little bit of stuff like that. And now, honestly, now that the lawsuits settled, now I'll probably start getting into some commentating, broadcasting, doing a podcast with you. If you guys need a host, always don't say that now you know, I'm gonna get that. Brian Days and Welcome Chandler parts of you cannot say that on this show and Brian Daily and the whispering in the back wait till the trade deadlines over and I watched I probably before this season's app You're gonna be back here talking ship with us. Man. It's been a great interview so far. We're down to quick hitter, So first thing to come your mind. Let us know, build a dreams starting five affordable born players. Oh okay, Florida born. I would go Vince Carter. I love Vince. He's the best. Playing with him was cool. Um Darryl Dawkins, who would you back? And they used to bust my dad's ass. Pops played against him. Yeah, uh t Mac love t Mac. Right there. I'm going a Mari Stott a Meyer m h who I literally saw beat this ship out of due to my high school team camp like the manager on my team, he looked like he does now when he was sixteen, right, um, and now I need a point guard. You guys remember Darius Washington Edgewater High School play Memphis. He was. He was like the Sebastian Telfair year where they had to through the fire where they put Edgewater. He I know you remember. Look look, yes he missed the free throws in the tournament. He never really made to league, but he was the coldest best high school player I've ever seen in my life. I love that, you know that, the big diplomat. Yeah, five dinner, guest, dead are alive? Five dinner. Guess I'm gonna go with m J. Jordan and Jackson both. Okay, thank you for playing up save. I gotta have Tiger Woods in there. I gotta have Muhammad Ali in there, and then I need like I need. I mean, I'm going all athletes here. Somebody got to make you laugh at the table something. Yeah, give me Will Fare. I was just about, Yeah, we gotta get Will. That's gonna be a funny episode. He might come in here. He always in a bit. He's acting like a character all time. You know, he doesn't even have like lines half the time, like the funny ship you see on like Step Brothers. He's just winging it like that's just him, like vibing off visible like saying crazy ship. I believe it. I believe it. The toughest matchup in the league. I mean honestly, scoring wise, like Garden, k D's impossible. You mean you're five wing because we all were wing like five. K D's impossible, right, He's seven foot and he can handle crazy like he would like you can't stop him. You just hope he's having an off night, honest night, and be physical with him like Kobe was crazy. Um, I mean James Harden wasn't you know who I really had. I had the most trouble with Genobli just because he was so yeah, like he's always in my lip. He was so slippery. He would draw, he would found me. I had to get three fouls early on him, like he was he would get mark from going left. But once he got down here young Janelle, but used to dunk that he was you're dunking on your head. And even if he went right, he's coming back left somehow. He wasn't motherfucker, He's always not my love. You said that nobody was tough, and then I mean we switched a lot, right, So I remember a couple of times would get caught on steph and like moving without the ball. Really, it's not my gig, right, like I better like post defense or like fighting over a pick and roll. This dude doesn't stop, and so chasing him was probably just as hard as Guarden, like Katie on ice, so because he's just movement, right, who else would We had the the Wade crazy Carmelos a bucket. But then there was a guys like who are the guys that like ron artists like that that shouldn't but that would bust your ass like I had. Wilson Chandler used to always just get and Rudy Gay those two guys thirty no matter what, he's like your kryptonite. Yeah, you stuck me a couple of times. You you snuck me a couple of times. You can have the cop up favorite city to visit when you when you win the league. I would say New York is just growing up in Florida, I'd always go to Miami and I lived in l A in the off season, So New York was, I mean, that's the MSG is the mecca, right, Like going to playing there was dope, Dinner there after the game was dope, going out was dope. Like I just really, New York is just different from me, and I only like it for short stinch Yeah, exactly, Like so I would probably say in New York, I would say Miami had nothing to do with basketball. You I just feel like I was talking to someone's about this the other day, Like the energy when they opened that door and you can get off the plane, it's just yeah, you want to like take your shirt off like Michael Jackson chess. You mean, like so I would say Miami for with nothing to do with basketball. Well, it's funny because y'all answers on my basketball wise the garden, Yeah, Miami, you know it was sneaky? Was Miami. Scottsdale for like Phoenix was going out not to play like it's whatever, but as far as going out and nightlife, scotstal m h best Kobe memory on or off the court. Yeah, so I got a I got a good Kobe story. So my rookie year, we're playing here in Staples Center and McHale tells us before like, look, you're like, he pulls me aside, like you're gonna see crazy people. You're gonna see celebrities. They're like lock in and Kobe he's gonna try and bust your ass, like he's gonna be like offended. You're guarding him. I'm like, oh, like I love it. I'm flattered to guard him. So I go there. First of all, I'm just looking at the court side on my head's on a swivel. Just I've never seen this before, right, I'm like, God, damn, this is crazy there. And this checks there, I'm like wow. So I'm already distracted, and of course i'm starting on Kobe and Jordan Hill that year had got traded from Houston to l A, so I had known him as a little side note. And fourth quarter comes around and Kobe looks at me and he's like, are you guys staying the night tonight? And I'm like, I'm like looking at mcale, make sure he's not looking at before, And I'm like yeah, like what Like I'm like, oh, he's doing it like he's Mr yagam me right now he's doing I'm like, yeah, like what's what's up? We're staying. He goes, I'll set you up like I'll get your number from Ja Chow and like if you want to go out tonight. And I'm like stop, like you're like I know what you're doing, Like come on. Mcale's over there like grilling me, like stop talking to this motherfucker. So I go ends up. He ends up just going off. He's like forty that game. We lose. After the game, you know, like right there in l A Live, we go to like cat Suya and we're with all the O G s. Right, we're with like Candy down and they're all taking me out. I get a text and he goes, you're all set at supper club Dash Mamba and I'm like I'm like I'm like looking around, like all right, who's sucking with me? Like no, no way, And I'm like quarterly leaves my guy right, I'm like showing him like is this real? Like you guys number like and I write him back. I'm like okay, like like are you like I said something like are you comment. He's like, now, I can't make it, but my guy will hit you up. I got next text, Hey, you're set up. Let me know what you need, a supper club whatever. So at this point I'm telling the table, I'm like, guys, I got you. He's my guy. He set it up. Let's go j bicker staff is. They're like, I'm bringing coaches, I'm bringing trainers. This is I got it, and we have a blast. Right, we have the craziest night ever. Supper club was the was the club where the tables were beds. It was awesome, and I was like, it was nuts and two am rolls around and granted, I'm with these guys that made hundreds of millions dollars and this waitress b lines right to me with the check and I'm like, oh ship. And my dad's my financial advisor at the time. He would be on my ask if I like value sized my combo meal Chick fil A, and he's bringing me. She's bringing me this bill for god knows how much. And I'm like, oh man, I opened it and it's like and now at this point, I'm like I'm sick, Like I'm I'm physically like, no, no, Like, I can't do that because car's gonna bounce. I'll never forget this. Chick looks at me, hands me a pen and says signed from Mr Bryant, and I'm like what, I'm like a video the whole thing. I'm like, I'm like signing Kobe Brant. I saw Kobe Bryant on a club bill and everyone, by the way you say he's tough, he's gonna go at you. I'm like, this dude was cool as fuck. He was awesome. It was a crazy, crazy time. I got a picture of it. I still got his number. I'm I love the way the story went though, because I thought because Kobe wasn't asked too, he would have been knock you with the bill and from the weekend before, and I was like, he flinted on you. I like that. That's our god. I loved that. That's a dope, fast story, nothing but love for him. That's probably my favorite Kobe story. Yeah, that's a good one. Yeah, last question, bro, if you could have a guest on our show, who would it be? But you have to help us get your answer on the show, I talked my birth. I'll put that one tog UM, I mean, let's get Cuban on here. He's the he's the He's I still talk to my time and that's your guy. Yeah, I probably get that done, So tell him. Will be your cryptical coloratus and if you want to come to Dallas, will come to Dallas again. Yeah, we're passing out ten days. Yeah, I'm not talking about I'm not talking about absolutely not what I'm give me a job on his new company though, right, But Chandler Man, thank you, ye interview, thank you for your time before we go. Oh got something fun you my boy that we got Okay, Hey, smoke backpacking merch can get it at all the smoke out. You get your hat shirt, sweater. I'm gonna commercial right now, Matt, all the smoke that store. I feel like a proud father man. The way you're growing in this game. It's motherfucker all right now. Sandling Man, appreciate you. Thank you. You can catch you on Showtime Basketball, YouTube and the I Heart platform Black Effects. We'll see you all next week. This is all a Smoke, a production of The Black Effect and our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime

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All The Smoke

ALL THE SMOKE pairs two of the most outspoken and controversial players of their time. Known as fier 
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