Episode two, all the smoke. Welcome back myself, Jack, Jack. Hope you guys enjoyed the episode zero and episode one. About a week and a half into the season, and I couldn't be more excited. Man, just getting started, Baby, just getting started. It's gonna be fun. Zion is about about six weeks out. We found out, you know, about a week and a half ago that, uh, meniscus. I'm not surprised at all. I wouldn't be either, Uh to me, I think it's it's it's overhyped. I think they're trying to paint a crazy picture early on that he's too big and he's to this and he's too that meniscus is an injury that can happen to anybody, like a sprained ankle. But I will say I I do think in the scheme of things, when he starts to kind of understand what the rigors of the NBA are about how many games, what the travels like, I think he will need to come down to probably about two sixty two sixty five. I think that zone will probably be the best zaleon for the league because of how long the season is and you know, the travel and how much they're gonna depend on him. His body. Everybody knew it was gonna be a problem or be an issue coming into the season. You mean an issue in in a negative way. Yeah, because it's the difference between looking like a grown man and playing with grown man. It's a totally big difference. You know, he was bigger than all the kids, but the wear and tear, the wrestling with those stronger guys. The court is way more open in the NBA, so he's gonna get easier dunks in the NBA, and he did in college because he's playing with better players and make better plays for him. So I knew his body. I knew it was. It was a plus that he was big like that, but I also knew it was a minus too because not having a muscle structure type body and being such an athlete. I knew somewhere down the line he was gonna have some problems before he lost that weight, you know what I'm saying. I knew he. I knew it was gonna be a point where it's got the force in a losing weight. I wish it wasn't y because I wanted to see him, but I knew it was gonna be something like that that was gonna happen for him to have to lose or force him to lose weight because he wasn't gonna do it on his own. Well take, but it's not like when when we say, like wait, it's not like he's fat or out of shape. He's just a big gass kid. But you know when you're getting basketball shaped like Lebron's huge, but he's lean. He's still got a lot of baby fat on. He got a lot of baby fat on. But I think that also comes to what were you doing in eating at nineteen? You gotta we we gotta remember he's still a teenager, you know what I mean. So I think him coming into the league and understanding what the league is about. I think that maturity and having more of an understanding. Like I said, I don't really like it could be some baby fat, but he's just a big kids in the South. I can imagine, you know, in pounds and crawfish pride, poach chops. I want some of them right now. Yeah, we go ahead, lick that ship real quick. Excited? Yeah all right? But like I said, I think what would experience maturity, you know, changing his diet and just having a better understanding of what the game is about. But I think this kid is gonna be fine, will be. I had a similar injury into thousand and ten with the Lakers, uh, you know, a meniscus where they had to take thirty percent out, and I think the biggest thing coming back is obviously trusting it. I think it's going to take him some time to kind of trust the knee, although I heard he's had two prior surgeries on his knees, so he's out now. I think it takes us to a deeper story to where I think kids are playing too much basketball at early age. You know, But it's a catch twenty two because if you don't work out and you don't play, you get behind the eight ball. You definitely see results. Um. You know, I'm coaching my kids and they're about to be eleven, and there's kids that work out four to five days a week, and obviously they're more skilled and talented. But to me, I want the twins to steadily improve and peak at the right time. To me, there's no point in being the best eleven and twelve year olds. Kids to be kids too exactly, and I think that's what's lost in the mixes today parents and and sometimes it's the kids want to do it too, but they're you know, they kind of get that tunnel vision and and you know they're forced. I don't want to say the word force. It might not be forced, but guided in to just locking in and almost making it a job. At the early age, it's kind of crazy that you try to put that work hard. You have to do this mentality to a kid that's from eight to fourteen years old. I think it really makes no cent at that point, since at that point you gotta let them be a kid. You gott let them understand how to be a teenage. You gotta let him go through puberty. You gotta let him, you know what I'm saying, go through Yeah, I got a lot of ships to do, I don't. I think when you get to the point where kids like gets to the eleven twelfth grade where they can understand what working is or to understand why why why he's putting in this work and the guys that he's competing with what they're doing, you know, they'll understand it then. But at that age from middle school to like tenth grade, it's it's hard for them to really comprehend. It's too much, too fast, too young, you know. I mean like when we were growing up, we played outside, we did other shops to dude, we you know, I mean, we have fun with your kids. Now, kids, if you allow them to be kids, they get behind the eight ball, you know what I mean. So I think it's a steady line of you know, slowly applying, you know, working out to them and understanding and discipline and with just let them be kids. Because you know, we're talking about this before the show started today. Like I didn't work out, and obviously, you know, I made my way, and you know, I understand what I was in the NBA, but I didn't work out for the NBA until I was in the NBA, right, you know. I mean I played football, baseball, basketball track in high school. Besides that, I was I was doing whatever I was doing. So it was never a time where I was like working out for a particular sport because I was always in another sport. You know. Now kids are working out, like I said, four or five six days a week at a young age, and I just think eventually these kids are gonna burn out. You know, I wasn't working out for the NBA to NBA had practice, I didn't do nothing to I walked into the NBA practice facility. What were you doing during the party in rock Starr And you know me, you've always been a NIMES banging a part time part time. You wouldn't all over the place the part time. No, But like I said, now, it's just a different time, you know what I mean. And and unfortunately leading to zai and not saying that the wear and tear this is the reason, but it could be, you know what I mean. Kids are playing fifty to sixty games. Sometimes some kids are playing on two or three AU teams during the summertime. A teenage kids, and not especially a kid in middle school should not have a trainer. I understand teaching them the fundamentals, you know what I mean, but they can't really comprehend what they're working for and what working means. When they can get older, like I said, eleven twelfth grade, then I understand around that time they can understand who they're, who they're who they're competing against, what they're working for, and what's they go As a teenagers in the middle school, you don't know what your goal is, you don't know where your life going. So a lot of that stuff be for other people, you know what I mean, And that's what not, that's that's not fair to the kid. You gotta let kids be kids, man. Parents, parents vicariously living through their kids to you know, push them into something to to make them be great. I think for a financial game, you're not saying some of them not even really thinking about the child. They're thinking about the four financial game. What I actually kill how they feel if they even want to do it. But if you think about it, I mean, like I said, we're talking about all these games and how talented kids are, because kids are real talented and you know, coming into the game this year, but I really feel like if they're fortunate enough to be those one percenters that make it to the NBA. You know, all these younger players in the last but maybe eight to ten years, you know, the top picks have had lower extremity injuries, too much basketball, you know what I mean. From Ben Simmons to Joel Embiide, Anthony Davis, Michael Porter Jr. Greg Odin, Lake, Blake Griffin, Um, Julius Randall, you know what I mean. And this is there that next generation there's where it wasn't as publicized, so to speak. But those kids started playing a lot of au you know what I mean. So once you get to the league, it's just like, okay, now we really got to play, you know what I mean. And although they're young and they can bounce back faster, I just really feel like there's a lot of wear and tear on these kids at an early age. And and and it's unfortunate. You know, it's a crazy system that, like I said, if you don't do it, you don't stay in the chance. But if you do do it, it's almost like it's gonna be a burn out. Is make sure everybody's doing it for the right reason. This is what the kid wants to do, Okay, Dad, I want I'm serious about this. Can you get me a trying to make you keep the kid involved, but don't think you know everything that's best for him, because the kid might not want to do it, but they have to do it exactly. And I think that's a good point, you know. I took the twins. I surprised the twins last year for their tenth birthday and took them out to Orange County and worked out and worked and Kobe worked him out for their birthday, and I was telling Code before we got up there. He's like, you know, we're the boys into how much they work out. And to me, like, I've never been one to make them do ship. Like if you want to work out, cool, you know what I mean. Like you have all the resources to be ten times better than me and and be and be successful and everything, because you know I've provided that. But if you want to run and playing your iPad, pay and your iPad. But your boy, your boy is different because they've seen a lot. They got a high basketball a que and they seen it bro on and off the court. They got championship ring. Yeah, they know what I'm saying. So you've seen a lot. They got a high b ball i Q and I think that's what's got them to this point. But as far as skill, they're not where some of their teammates are, some of the kids in their in their class. But to me, like I said, it goes back to my point. Until they were ready, I wasn't gonna force them, you know what I mean. And right when we walked to Jim, he's little motherfucker to playing on their iPads. And then and then they see Kobe and lose their mind because it was a surprise. And then he's you know what you guys been up to? And I'm just like playing on their iPads. And then he's like, well, were you guys going to college? And they both said u c l at the same time, said yeah, you guys to go to u c l A, but not to play basketball. And they looked at him like, huh. It's just like, you gotta work, crazy, you know what I mean, you gotta work. And now since then, it's been a steadily progression of you know, dad, you know, let's let's let's shoot, or let's go dribble in, let's do that. And I love it. You know, when they're when they're ready to do it, I'll work and I'll get them some outside help. But like you said, until they want to do it, making them do it five six days a week, making it the job at this age I think is the wrong thing. That he's crazy. I got a story to Kobe's farewell to a last game in Atlanta. I was at to bring my son, my third teen year old, and that changed his life. Kobe because all the people waiting on Kobe, he stood then talking to myself about fifteen minutes and you know how many people waiting on and it touched my son, you know what I mean, and let him know how much he had to work in that. That is the goal is touched. Was reached me now by talking to Kobe Bryant, So you know, shout out to Kobe for that. He did the same thing for my boy, you know, to speak to that. Like I said, I think what's got my boys bound is their i Q. And the best part of my career was the end of my career because the boys were old enough to understand the game. So they're in the locker room with Kobe and Pal and those teams when they're really little back. You can't buy that. And then they graduate and get a little older, and then I'm with CP and Blake and DeAndre and j J and all these guys in doc rivers, so they're soaking that up. And then my favorite part was my last season with Golden State where coach kurb was so cool. During the playoffs, He's on there on the team playing with us during the hotel. We're in the Western Conference Finals against against the Houston Rockets, and Isaiah and Carter having a shootout against KD. You know what I mean, like that kind of ship you can't pay for, you can't you know, teach. It's just that kind of experience, you know what I mean. And I think we didn't have that growing up. Hell nothing. So it's just like I said, we give them all the opportunity, but to me, making a process, let your kid excel and peek at the right time. They peeked too early with the point and let them have an input. Let them have an input on the six Wars. It's their life, I would say. So rookies, like I said, with the season just going, uh, you know, some impressive rookies. What was rookie life like for you? Because we had different paths, Like you say, we weren't the parade decorated draft picks and instant money, you know what I mean? What was your what was your rookie experience? Like? Well, after after bouncing around, breaking both of my feed overseas and all kind of stuff, when I got finally got to my rookie season, it was two thousands, two thousand and one, things new Jersey nets. I started my first game. But what was what was good for me was I was on the team with the number one draft pick, Kenyan Martin. We both were from Texas. We knew each other, so that was perfect for me. My first year I was with him. He had my back, and you know when you number one pick, you come in the league, you do everything you want. So my rookie year was real smooth. When I had stuff on my bury too, they really held me down. The sad part about my rookie year was at All Star Break, at the rookie season, I was leading all rookies and scoring It's like ten ten ten, almost eleven points all rookies and scoring. Make the Rookie All Star Game. Come back from the rookie my rookie also game, and don't play no more like Byron Scott just stopped playing me. Nobody knows why to this day, he just stopped playing. And that's how my rookie year ended. You never got to ask him. I don't think it won't go like, it won't go like this ship. I love Byron Scott, but if you tell me the wrong thing, you know, I clicked spret well I'm not gonna spret welling. I don't don't I'm not a choker. I got hand, you know. I mean, I'm not a choker, but now but now, I never understood it. I never asked Byron, you know, I've never seen him, but uh. And the reason why I never asked him because the next year I went to San Antonio ended up beating him in the finals. So it wasn't no Neme was good. It's a process, man, you know, coming into the game. People think once you get here, you know what you make it and and and it is what it is. But there's just such a learning curve in the game as a rookie to your second year to your third year. I kind of feel like people don't have to play basketball obviously, but you don't understand the NBA game and go into like your third year, right, And that's on and off the court. You know. My experience was some of the years bouncing around, you know, and then finally getting a chance with the Clippers in two thousand three, two thousand and four and just realizing like it's either me or them, so I'm gon have to do whatever it takes to stay, you know what I mean. I think we both we have the same attitude, right regardless. That's why I kind of like low key funk with you, you know what I mean. Like I said, it was either me or them, and it was it was a similar path, you know, we had to and we never really got to take a to exhale, Like it was always a grind for us and I always have something to prove. I mean, every game was an audition for your team in the rest of the league. You mean, so every night you've got to go out there and play like at your last but all right, was Zion down for about six more weeks? Um, you know, gives us a chance to touch on some of the talented rookies. Uh, you know, there's a handful of them, Like these kids are coming and ready to play more and more. And I think that's too because the league is younger. You know, there was always used to be a learning process and do you throw them throw them to the fire early. But I think that the But that's back when there was a lot of veteran year old guys, guys in their thirties. To hear the steps the oldest player on the wars that thirty is crazy, you know what I mean. But I think it's like that that that's a shift in the NBA and and it's it's allowing the league to be younger so that the incoming rookies are are are are more suitable to play because they're playing with against younger guys. So you know someone like John Morant, you know someone I really like, someone's very skilled, kind of came out of nowhere into the draft, but a real leader, super confident, love it, but but a crying confidence, you know what I mean. He just goes out I think, gets the job done. And he's someone to me, it seems like he can do whatever needs to be done for the team, whether it be score, whether it being assist He's all around. You know, his solid shoes on to a solid one too, the NBA one to ten more pounds, ten NBA pounds. He's all star. Who would you compare him to? And then b now, but people who don't know him, that's tough because he's I would say he he's super explosive, does a lot of things with the ball. I would pass. Yeah, I would say he reminds me of a thinner Russell west Brook. I was thinking Russ, But what to me? More advanced shooting than Russ had? Yes, you know what I mean, But but Miran is a monster, can attack the basket. But like you said, Russ was bigger and stronger, you know what I mean. Moran is little doing getting bigger. Yeah, you know what I mean. So you're not gonna be able to hit the ground too many times that at Morant side a game wise game us, he's gonna be scary. Um. You know, someone like r J Barrett who coming into the draft. You know, at the beginning of last college season, he was the you know, I think unanimous number one pick, you know what I mean, everyone thought r J was going to be the number one picks. I kind of stole that light during the season. But to me, he's NBA ready. Body can do a little bit of everything. Um. Kind of reminds me of a lamar Odom type. Obviously r J had has a better jumper than Lamar had it at at that point. But someone who's big, they can do everything. To me, he could be better than lamar Odom, and lamar Odom was a hell of a talent. Lamar was changed the game with it with the way he played and being six eleven out there being able to do absolutely everything on the court. Was so saying that, you know, people may not understand Lamar, but saying that he could be left bel lamar odom is as a hell of a goal. Yeah that's that's a great comparison. I mean, Lamar Lamarges did it all at six ten, six and eleven. You know, but they got the same type of lefty game, used a body well, you know, cause both good playmakers. Unfortunately he plays for the Knicks, So yeah, sorry r J. We wanna be talking about too much. He should have a great year, and y'all they're not gonna win. But lamarom is good comparison. Darius Garland Cavaliers shoot the light shot. Yeah, he's one. He's probably the best shooting the draft. The Lakers really wanted he's gonna he's gonna be good Cleveland. You know, you get to play against some experience. But I would have loved to see him with double teams on a D and Lebron and have him out the shoot. This kid can shoot the lights. Rich Part. Rich Part introduced me to him as a good kid. He's a shooter, so you got to compare him to a shooter, not down shooter. I would say he reminds me of let's see, he's not a clay. He's not a clay. He's more of c J. Mcculor type. He's one. Would you say c J is more of a bucket getter or a Shooter's a bucket getter. Yeah, he's more of a bucket getter than the shooter. You're right, You're right, he's more of a bucketgain But Darius Darius has those same things too, Like he I'm saying he's a shooter. But the kid can flat out play DeAndre Hunter the Atlanta Hawks, three or four, real talented, you know, high energy guy. He kind of reminded me of Geral Wallace. Yeah, he blockshots, rebound. Yeah, I got a lot of on the tournament. That's when I really found him was it wasn't the tournament. You could do a little bit of everything. So I was really impressed with him. Um, someone I really like is uh Tyler Hero, the kid out of Kentucky, the one and done shoot it, handle it plays at his pace. I was very impressed because I didn't really know. I heard about him coming out of high school and you know, the one year in college. But to be able to step on the up on this level and although it is the preseason, you could just tell the kid, knowing I like him, Butler too, Yeah, you know, he's gonna he gonna learn how to play, and he's gonna play more too, because you know they suspended theon Waiters, so he's gonna play more now too. So you know, if they could get all those guys together with the ways, they're gonna look good. Tyler, he's shown in preseason that he belongs in the NBA. Hems with Devin Booker. You think he's got that. They got the same type of game, come off screens, real moving, sweet like he reminded me of Devin book is one of the best, to me, the best peer scores in the game. He's gonna be like that for a long time. So it might not win ship, He's gonna be good. I've been saying he's got to get out of Phoenix with that bumass owner. They got over their server, just wasted his years. Shout out to they get my boy j J the job though. Shout out to j J. J J. Johnson. Yeah, yeah, James Jones gotta run the team now, good basketball. How many championships do he have? Just come along and play your role, perfect example, play your role, play your role, someone who didn't always get your role right, Like that's DC rivership. That's what I lived by. But whenever he was called upon, he was ready to play constant professionals. So it's good to see that. You know, they're making some some decent management decisions over there. Ain't enough considering who the owner is. Ain't enough like trash Kobe White, anytime you got the name Kobe, that's a lot of pressure. Playing in the North Carolina, he was a leader, you know, he's he's just he's just like Jamarette, confident, ready to go, can play one and two. You know. In Chicago, he's gonna play a lot of minute too. Yeah. I like his his mentality. He looks like a killer, you know, it looks like he's already. He belongs there, he's been there. I always like to see that of a rookie, little guy that just scores it. It reminds me of Jah Wall really fast. Yeah, he reminds me. He shoots better than Jah Wall, but he reminds me of Joah Wall. He reminds me John Wall, someone else that I really like and probably to me, is one of the most talented players we've seen in the last couple years. Michael Porter Jr. You know what I mean, he got a red shirt. You're in the NBA. Um. You know, hopefully he can stay healthy. But he's someone that I see is six nine, versatile, can handle the ball like a guard, shoot the ball, midrange, athletic, dumb athletic. But and and someone too has who has a pure jumper, you know what I mean. So I think he's a big X factor. Um if he could stay healthy. Um to you know for having Denver fight for that West Carson Edwards someone that impressed the hell out of me in the tournament. Man, this kid shot the ball, uh and really had his team over achieving a tournament. Someone who shot the lights out. He shows gonna be too many shots in Boston. There may be though, you know, I mean where the boy just got the extension. Yeah, he just got that hundo and some change, so he gonna be shooting the ball. Kimberdon showed up. He jacking for beats, got Tatum, he got to prove himself. He didn't he kind of went back was last year, so I don't know. And then you got Gordon. He's gonna beato many bullets in the gun for him, bro, you know, second shooting blanks, second unit. He's gonna get some looks. But like I said, someone who's small something they could do with all it's far scoring. It's tough for little guys to make a living. But now that it's more of a less of a physic physical game and more of a you know, spread open skill shooting game. You know he fits in the game. Although he's small, I don't know him. That small guy that I just that was just dropped dead cold to me. Earl Boy and Nate Robinson. That's the two small guys that would just get buckets on anybody. Yeah, both of them, both up them. Nate was a killer still is. Yeah, he's someone that should have definitely found a job. We gotta have him on the show because he's very entertaining. You know, Nathan character gotta find name. Shout out Nate, Shout out him and booze. They got a podcast to shout out the podcast. Yeah yeah, fuck Nate. Quick story with Nate is we was in New York together in my brief stints and uh, we all were just going back and forth and this motherfucker put some kind of itching ship in my in my tights, had me fucked No, No, that's the crossing be fucked up on the court, so that I mean he had a better prank. No, I mean I got him back. I pulled a bunch of salt all over his ice cream and he ate he But it's not even close to what he did to me. That's why fucking Nate straight up. Oh my goodness, that's my dog. That we played a little flag thing together last two years ago or something like that. But super talented, super talented. Don't contest that as a little three time champion super athlete, one of the best athletes we've seen. I called him a walking biceps like kids just walk one muscle, just walked them down the street. Ugly. It can be well midnight U Contentially, that's what we look like. Carson Edwards got afraid at the moment. Someone We had a really big preseason. Um, so I'm looking forward to him, you know, obviously soaking up game from from Kemba and someone who is a smaller guard like itself really learned at an early age. And I think that's something that's really important for rookies, is finding that veteran leadership or if it's not if it's a young team, just finding someone who has experienced and really, like I said, learning the game, because a lot of these kids are very talented, but it's it takes some time to learn what it learned, what it's supposed to be like to be a professional on and off the court. Experience is always the best teaching. And I think too, is where the game has changes. When we came in the game, there used to be the o g s, the vets that would put their arm around you and talk you through things. Um, who wasn't I Chris Webber Smith. Yeah, so you know, just two Detroit dudes, you know, the great dudes and kind of saw how they moved on and off the court. But I really feel like the game has lost that now. I feel like it's such a competitive atmos fear that if the older dude puts his arm around a younger dude, he doesn't because you know, they could be competing for minutes. And I think that kind of the o g s on the team and kind of like the mentors, that it's a dying breathe with this new generation because everyone is scrapping for minutes and and and it's more competitive, I think than it used to be, because, like I said, that, the league is shifting to a younger league. I remember getting getting a call to my room from Gregg Popovich in Seattle. I was coming off the bench. Steve Smith was starting, and that was my guy. Like I was at his house. His wife was cooking for me, like they he treating me like a little brother. Everything, taught me everything I know about preparing for the game and everything. And him and Tim was in the room and probably like you're starting to night. We're gonna start you tonight. And the whole time I'm thinking was how I'm gonna tell Steve Smith, Like, you know, I don't feel comfortable. I'm young, so I'm not knowing this is a job, you know what I'm saying. This is my second year in the league. Something I'm I care about. My relationship with Steve Smith. Wouldn't not care about starting, you know what I mean. But the good thing about it, we're talking about vets and what they do. I walked in the locker room my head down because I know Steve right there, and as I passed him, he grabbed me a Tim around like look, go out there and do it. It's not personal between me and you. You know, go out there, my little brother, go out there and do what you want to. Don't feel no type of web about it. That helped me go out there and play. That was I'm telling that was a life saving for me. But he didn't have to do that. But then, I'm just going to test what you're saying about the O G s. They don't do that. The more we needed that, they needed now to they definitely now they just don't have it. I remember early on, like I said, my thing was being a Laker fan, growing up big time Laker fans. Still a Laker fan, but I was living in Sacramento, Um, going to u C. L A. And this is when the Kings and and and Lakers had that you know, it was a rivalry. They were the top two teams in the Western who used to everyone that was gonna win the finals. Um. So just you know, being a huge fan. And this is probably you know, after my first season, after my first season the league. So I'm going er every summer being able to work out a sea web white chocolate. You know, paigea back in their Hey they Bobby Jackson. Um, so I'm supposed to sign go back and sign him. I think it was a two year deal with the Clippers. I end up you know, talking to Rick Adaman during the summer and he asked me what I had going on, and I, you know, really said nothing. I was super excited to try to play for the Kings. So I ended up signing to deal with the Kings. Um. And then that's when they traded Chris Webber to Philly. And I was just a throwing at the time, so I went with Chris. So it was my first time finding out on ESPN that I was traded. Uh. And then I was traded with Chris and with a big deal because he meant so much to that city. Uh. He ends up going to Philly. I go with him, and we were just, you know, miserable, and it was just something completely different than when we were accustomed to at least I was. And he that's when he really kind of took me under his arm and and taught me how to, you know, work hard even though I wasn't playing, and what I need to be doing and kind of kept my head in the game. Some of that I, like I said, I really leaned onto this day. Who who like I said. It was a big brother and and someone that really got me through some of the toughest times because I could have possibly been on my way out and he used always just you know, you got games, keep working on your game. He actually gave me his shooting coach. You know, that's when I started to work on my change my formula. It's still my form was still fucked up, but I learned how to make that funk up for him going to basket you know what I mean. So it was and it was off, but it's no. But I mean, like I said, vets, I mean back to the point. You know, vets are important, man, and I wish there was still that kind of veteran leadership in the league. Like I said, there's few and far between. Uh, what guys doing that this year? Every team needs at least one or two vets every team, and even if they don't play, you know what I mean, obviously it plays, it helps, but just to kind of give these younger guys just a little bit of an understanding of what to expect on what's going on. All right, So we're in the balls now. Just an intriguing family overall, and they've been in and out the headlines for the last you know, two or three or three or four years. You know, obviously there was something that we saw grow in front of our eyes on Instagram and the internet, and and that's the Ball family. Um, interesting family, interesting dynamic. I think, you know, first of all, shouts out to the LaVar for you know, raising and being a part. There's such a stigma and you got that. You're gonna have to unshout out him to it at the Indio Comperence. Yeah, there's no question, said, I like to put it on easy before I dig in shout. I'm definitely gonna have to dig in on them. But like I said, being there, you know, raising three men and and being an integral part of their life. But to start back on the on the brand as a whole, and it's kind of crumbled in front of our eyes of late, and it's it's been interesting to kind of sit back and watch. I thought they had a chance when when when the whole, When when uh Zoe was coming out of U c. L A. Going to the Lakers, LaMelo is doing his thing, Jello is doing his thing, and in high school they had a chance to really change the game. I think with the with the Triple B brand got up to the right start. But but but I think before it even got out, Yeah, it had the foundation because the boys are so talented, But I think when they came out with the ridiculous price points that I think from from that day when it hit. Although they got some sales, I think, to me, in my head, I'm just like, damn, they missed the boat. They had a real chance because to me, if you make a reasonably price shoe, you know, you gotta think at the time you could buy two pair of Lebrons for the cost of one zoe. You know, you could buy two pair of mics to barri kadies two five pair of stuffs. I'm playing shout out staff. You know, I like the boy, but you know, just like I said, but to have an unproven, somewhat player for the Lakers a lot of pressure. But but you missed the boat. You're charging four d five payer pair of shoes. You charge eighty dollars and have some reasonable slippers, and you've got two more boys coming down the pipeline. They could have changed the game. Dad was doing too much, I mean, and that that brings me to the unshout out part. Yeah, Dad, Dad was doing entirely too much, Like okay, we we went from man, uh, what's that name? Bar Man? We love LaVar to going to the barbershop. You here, man full man, I can't staying that motherfucker. I think like a month span wasn't even long. It wasn't even that long. But I think that he had everybody's support for a second question when it was genuine when he started opening his mouth saying dumb ship like he would beat Jordan's and saying they say something my magic is not a Hall of Famer and all kind of stuff he was saying that had nothing to do with his son's career, that funked up the whole operation, but at the same time putting a target on all his son's backs, you know what I mean, because they're good, quiet kids and just go about playing, and then that their dad is just that ship. It's out in the i e. It's deep, it's out that way. But to me, I I think the bigger thing is when the light hit LaVar. You mean, when he realized like what this new social media famous era was about, is when he kind of came about him. Yeah, And like I said, I think it's shifted from these are my boys to look at me, you know what I mean, I'm the star and it's really kind of gone downhill sent you know what I mean with whatever the brand is doing. Like I said, I think the price point was crazy, so the brand didn't do what it had the capabilities of doing. And then for then the sons came out and said the shoes was trash dog ship those studies, changing them every single quarter. I mean, and you know, because you were in protegyst some protege dog. You remember my whole bottom of the first game, you jab stepping on your soul came off. It was my first signature shoe too protege ed Walmart Stack the first jab step. I'm in the painting my soul at the three point line, I'm like, what the So I go get a new path, hit somebody with a nice move. My piggy toe sticking out like oh man, I had to call out like this ain't gonna I want to support the brand, bro, this ain't it. And that's what people don't understand. You know, you see, you know, you see LaVar talking about Zoe thinks he's not going to be with Big Black the shoe with some bullshit, you know what I mean. And and Zoe has already had some ankle problems. All the brand bullshit, that's what big beat you know brand To me, I understand of growing the brand and making family money, but you gotta think your feet. You only get one pair of feet, you know. And I had a situation where, you know, I had a funked up tope from football coming into college to so I will always have messed up feet. So I remember when I was with the Clippers brand black. I think that's what it's called. You know, we're talking to me and Jamal market and and I put the ships on, and you know when she was just a bullshit when you could like pull them hella tight and both sides come all the way together. That's what you do with the payless shoes used to do. You know, you used to get three pay less That's what them ships did. I was just like, man, my foot is already sucked up. To me, the money is not worth it. And I think that's where you know, Zoe, being someone who's been injury prone, laced the Nike's up, brof. If you could hear this, if you see this where the nikes. Fuck that trip will be because you have a career to worry about. And if you can hear this, I've seen you had on the undefeated Kobe's man I need. I'm I'm trying to find them, bro, let me get. Let me get some how, I let me. I need the undefeated package. You know you've seen this three pair. I need all of them on the stand. So I'm padm. I'm definitely on that level. Let okay, I play for That's why they called me Stack. That's why they call you this. It's not a game. They called me stack for a reason. Keep a stack on me now, y'all want to know why they called me stack, bro, because I keep a stacking on It's not no games telling everyone earlier, don't call you Stephen, don't call me stevens my look. My stepdaughter at home says Steve when she want to make me mad. My name. No one needs to call me Stephen. I'll say my Stephen, Jesse Jackson unless you the popo, and I don't plan on having a popo call my name no time soon. So Stack is my name? A right man? Focus? Focus? Are we back to Zoe and to me? Touching on Zoe. The best thing that could have happened to him, whether it was a trade or not, was getting out of l A. You know what I mean. I think here it's unfortunate to see and we don't know the inside, but from the outside looking in, it really looks like there's a conflict of you know, Zoe want to be his own man and LaVar trying to hold on, like you're gonna do this family brand thing. But like I said to me, because I was very talented, your dad cannot be speaking against your organization in the media. Brow How how how are you doing what's best for your son when you're done, when you're talking down on the organization he's playing for in the media, talking bad about the players. Everything you you You went from the father that everybody loves to the father everybody hates. Like shut the funk up. Yeah, Like, come, your son is talented. He got a great opportunity to play at home in l A for the Lakers, and you want to overshadow it by the thing that you want to say, Yeah, that's terrible, that's terrible. And I think they got one more come down the pipeline who could be possibly be the number one pick. Listen, I think as all Hoopers, we need to come together and hire security team to keep Laval away from the youngest son, because the youngest son is the one. Okay, he got game, he got everything. All the time he out the overseas working doing this thing. We cannot let LaVar mess up this kid career. This kid got it, he definitely got he got it. He got it, you know what I mean. And like I said, it's to me, it's being a father raising twins in this space. You have sons that are in this space. To me, the second you start making it about you and not about them is where you miss me. Because I'm more critical about father than anything. Like father is the best thing in the world to me, you know what I mean. So so, like I said, at first, I shouted in the mouth for being there and doing and raising. But to me, now that the light is on him and people are saying his name and he's doing too much, man, you got to sit down and play the back. And then the other other cat, what's his name? You don't want to lose your kids, man, you know. And then I just seen Alan Foster on I don't know what the fun's own but it was on Instagram talking about Zoe has torn ligaments and his ankles and it's not the shoes fault and he needs to get Man, sit your motherfucking ass down. Stole a bunch of he's allegedly stole like over a million dollars, whether it was him, and then some people are saying that had something to do with the dad. But you need to be looked at dad. You are to worrying by his dadd You need to be trying to find him and look at him, shake his ass down, turn him upside down and see where that money's at. Man. But you out here saying that the kid has torn ligaments and we'll see how the season goes. Man, sits your motherfucking as down. That's that's the perfect example. You can be up here. But as soon as somebody has their own agenda, as soon as you start doing stuff that's not best for the whole family, as soon as you start getting your personal games, everything go down here real fast. And unfortunately, I said, because they had a chance, we can't let that happen to the young one. I want to see the young one in the league for a long time. He got games, excited six. He keeps getting bigger too. That's a wrap man. Episode two, My guy, good working with you. Man again, enjoyed it. So we gotta do some of these micro because they sucking up our handshake. We don't look like we got no swag with our ship. Man come around, Yeah, man, man, should we got soul? Was your hand in your pocket or something? That's you're so sweaty man, I'm I got low moister Mayah Man baby, y'all all that look nice. They can't even tell you smoke black anyway. Shout out to four and I don't smoke black. Four smoke black anyway. Man. Episode to hope you enjoyed it. You can find us at Showtime Basketball, YouTube channel, Get That radio dot com, and all major podcast platforms. We everywhere find us, man, Yeah, what he said, You can find us there here, over there, everywhere. We find him in the trap yep. All the smoke we know. M h