We’re back with Season 2, Episode 14 of Club 520 where Jeff Teague and the guys are joined by Ish Smith of the Charlotte Hornets, and longtime friend and college teammate of Jeff Teague at Wake Forest. Ish and Jeff talk about stories of playing together at Wake Forest from becoming the No. 1 team in the nation, to Jeff getting drafted, to Ish setting an NBA record for playing with the most teams in NBA history at 13. Ish names his Top 5 favorite cities he’s played in, Top 5 players he’s played with, and much more.
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 - Fastest players in NBA
06:20 - Playing with Steph Curry growing up
10:00 - Why Ish went to Wake Forest (point guard U)
15:45 - Jeff meeting Ish
22:45 - Losing to Cleveland State
29:00 - Ish getting to the NBA
36:30 - Top 5 NBA cities
46:00 - Jeff playing point when Ish got hurt
49:20 - Top 5 Players Ish played with
56:00 - CRAZY Wake Forest stories
1:02:00 - Chris Paul story
1:10:45 - Bigger adjustment NBA or college
#Volume #Club
Alright, we back at the episode of Club twenty Podcasts. I'm the host, my name is DJ Well special guest. To my left, were gonna introduce my man's last to my far left, usual suspect, my dog Bishop after prailes, my nigga be here.
How you what today? Man?
Cool?
And let's get to it.
They got they got it, tally man. They said, how many episodes you're gonna have the violent shoes on?
Man? That the white license?
Oh?
Season two?
Season two?
What's up? Inspiring Doe boys across the nations.
Start worrying about it? Fuck y'all.
To my right, a juicual, my dog young your team you up?
Man, bro got some weak heat on today. I don't know they was weak closing. It is kind of weak though, but the SB so no matter. Flex If you don't you know what I'm saying, that jar a little like today, We're gonna make sure that's accounting for Yeah, I oh, like twenty dollars eleven, Mike, you count it.
That's Hayten, that's Niche Lokey too.
But to my left man for guests, man, we got one of the fastest players to ever play fucking NBA record breaking the NBA and just finishes last year in the n b A coming off a championship.
Conference last season. We know where you're at now, point guard. Respect we're.
Uh, one of the coldest point guards I ever played against him, play with probably the fastest, one of the nicest dudes you ever met.
I'm surprised he hasn't won one.
Of the awards for the nicest dudes in the NBA, for sure, But my dog is Smith.
Hey, man, I appreciate you.
Yeah, man, appreciate you. Put up the five twenty man all right, now, you fastest? Obviously we know that who is the warm player you played against? Like, damn, he might be faster than.
Me him over there. Really Yeah, no, I'm not gassy, man.
I don't think people understand like we know Derrick Rose his that m v P year that he was on one and then uh Wall was fast. But just Westbrook, Westbrook was fast to Westbrooks fast. Yeah, Westbrook was fast.
No, but you remember when you and Todd Lawson went at it.
Let's before you get going there. I was talking to Marren Williams today, so we was talking. I was like, yo, remember that Carolina game. Many Jeff looked at the bitchy. I don't even want to go to this k gardy, I said, y'all, Jeff was on one matter of fact, I didn't even look at the rim that whole game. I was like, man, I'm throwing it the Jeff the whole game, and uh about me not? Cast need to know, like I'm looking at the camera, like I know, we get the podcast. We joke around you, you know what I mean. We have a good time. But cast need to know, like Jeff tige man, he was he was. He was you know what I mean, Like he was him, he really was.
But him and Ty Lawson in that game they went layup for lay. That ship was four points that game he had thirty four. He had thirty four. Man, listen when you and that's just the mark of a point guard.
Like my job to make sure he ate like he was rolling and so like I gave him the ball and he kept it going. But uh, those five dudes like Jeff thy lost was fast to myself, ship, John Wall, Derrick Rose, Russell West. But it was fast fast ship. That was yeah, it was fast.
Who else man, you call some deer fox smoke yet yo?
Yeah that's what yo.
He he when he first came in league. He up there too, the fox up there too. Uh think about dee Fox though, he ain't got me yet because as soon as he scored, Man, get the ball out quick. I'm running right like you better be doing like this so uh yeah, nah, he ain't. He ain't embarrassed me yet. He ain't, but he this year he might have my knees. I gotta want my knees up. Man, that's crazy.
It was crazy, bro already already ready, already looking at you when y'all be letting them trainers, get y'all ready for the game, I'm like.
The job, man, want this gu.
Athletic trainers as Wow, we just add them to the photography. Listening with the party promoters for sure. Sorry yeah yeah so nah but defox defoxes. I've seen the part we just talking about. Defose He he wanted them to.
Man, but damn, my career for show for real is Garland. Yeah, but yeah, we got started with the orders. Man.
You know you're from North Carolina. Man, when did you start off playing ball? And how did that start for you?
Man? I was a kid like my dad, I think he uh smith, yeah, my dad like he wanted to, like play basketball. Everybody used to joke around, like he used to play in a thirty five and over church league and so like for him, like that was his thing, Like he wanted to And I think he just you know, put all that into me at Paul's and uh wanted me to, like I gotta.
Anybody outside of the field.
Yeah, I got you, I got you. I gotta make sure I'm on the point.
So yeah, it started my dad, like and my sister she she hooped my brother Jeff no autumn like they played. They might didn't play at the highest level, but they That's what kind of started when I was a kid and started when it was a kid. I played church league when I was like five six years old, and then I kind of just ran with it from there.
Yeah that's when you realize you was fast on everybody else at five.
Yeah, you know what's crazy. I always been fast.
I can tell yeah, I always been fast.
Like and it ain't on on like if we got on the line and like ran suicide, I'm not that fast. As soon as we get a basketball, like and like I was out.
Literally the fastest the ball every sing man. When Jeff wanted to be fast. He wanted to, but but this is what I learned to cases full court crossing over run as fast. I used to work on that joint in the gym. White full speed crossovers.
Yeah, we used to. I used to work on it. I was on you and Eric that this kid, Yeah, I heard Eric go was problem.
Yeah. He probably one of the best hig School players to ever played basketball, y'all.
I was talking to Gordon hay Well. He was talking about all the boys that was in Indiana basketball during that time.
Nice run.
It was a probably y'all had it all man.
And what's crazy is Gore was cold, but like he was alway, he was my year. Jeff was our seven. So they had our sectional a lot. Imagine being as good as you are and still having to deal with another NBA player of your section.
That's crazy.
Any of the basketball, especially that time period, was different because everybody had a pro player at one point?
Was it like that where you was from?
Man? Honestly, we had Jamie Skiing. Jamie was good man. He went to vc U.
That was the final four run. Who was Steph was from?
You know? I grew up playing with Steph. Funny story, Yo, So Jeff, we're watching. Uh, Jeff came to We was at at what's a much joint? When you go in the back door, I don't even remember it. Wait, so you came to the room hung out. We was used to play the game at uh at a phase room video game.
So we was playing video.
Games and and Jeff like, this is Steph. The first year of Steph at Hoop. I was like, yeah, you know I used to play you waste that you didn't man, I said, yeah, you don't remember. I play like I played you in and whatever the case is. So they end up doing something I think, yeah, all American things. And Jeff was like, oh you did play.
I was like yeah, I was like this nigga.
Yeah it was a nigga too named Neil Mack that was so down.
That's the homie. So he worked, Uh he do training. So yeah, so he was getting me ready for the season. And then I ain't gonna lie to you like I was like, I ain't trying to play no more. Like I was really like chilling, and uh, that's still my guy. We talked all the time, being d back.
That nigga was at five start. Came with me bro a while back. He was the coast nigga in the gym.
You know, fire start crazy.
Yeah.
L D.
Smith was in from North Carolina to who will.
Yeah he was Jeff l D. One of the most athletics all Jose aside. No was that's our guy. Many shout out to him, crazy shout out. He worked with the G League now.
Uh j Yeah, he worked for Brooklyn. Yeah.
Man, Yeah, when I'm talking about athletic, can defend two time All defensive Uh, we got man, we got a super talented team. But l D was there.
Who else?
I don't know who else? Who else was it?
Donnelle Mack had a niggname, Sonny. I can't think of that name. We'll get back to it.
You tapped, Yeah, real North Carolina world wild took my job.
I was supposed to be scamming these little necks a long time ago.
Bro High School.
This is part of my cold niggas in North Carolina. I just know y'all don't really get spoken on.
Everybody always speaking on the high school basketball back then, we was like prominent big for sure.
But Pauls. But y'all d C North Carolina, New York, y'all have some motherfuckers too out there.
Brod is by the point when he's growing up. Yeah, you ain't know that na growing up?
Who else is?
Remember used to play a care Atlanta will Graves?
Oh yeah, William Graves had a clip Nigga. Yeah it was nice for sure, that's sixth class.
Yeah yeah, nigga really tapped in Nigga a tar Hill North Carolina.
I told you I really like Carolina Squad.
Who you grew up up? I ain't gonna lot to you. Man, my fault wait for hers? It was Carolina. How did you get to wait? Like? Why did you go to Wabody else?
Oh? Well, I ain't gonna lie to you. So when I was a kid, like Muggy Bowl is my favorite player, I knew I wan't gonna be tall. So I was like, man, Muggy you know he fast whatever the case is. So I knew he went to Wake Forest. Then Wake had this other buzz with Tim Duncan Randolph Childrens.
I'm like, oh bet, Carolina was like, I ain't gonna.
Lie to you. Like they had uh Antoine James and Vince Carter. They was loaded and colder like yeah they was, that's colder flop man. They was cold blooded, like from top to bottom and so like I was a fan of them, but I you know what I mean, I was thinking as I start getting older, like and they ain't recruit me like they recruit outside of the state of wherever they were going with, you know what I mean, and that Carolina. So I didn't get who they want. So then all of a sudden, Jay like we what happened?
They and then Chris Paul came, Josh Howard. Josh Howard.
And then way Fares always recruited off Carolina kids and they would use it to be like yo, Duke and Carolina ain't offer y'all, and so that.
We use that like to go play. Then when we were you know, different things like.
That, I don't know how we got J T.
Chris. Yeah, see that's what it was like. Chris had that buzz going.
We was like, yo, and you know, I didn't want to play no princess that offense, So I want to play fast.
But that's that's really be honest with you. Like I was like, Yo, this point guard.
You if you really think about wake Forest, like it's really point guard, you really think about.
It, like what the school as you thinking about though, I say.
I don't know nobody else. They let us play like the NBA game for real.
I start of Kentucky off.
I can't think of too many schools to just consistently put out guards at that level, especially league guards.
But who out of Like you got Kentucky, you got John Wall and Eric Blessing, they got Okay.
I don't even like the niggas.
But it's just like and then like the last ten years, Cole started like, yeah, got.
So you're trying to give yeah ship, You're trying to get a ship to wait for us for a point guard.
You though, after you start naming, once you start naming all them, we've done got rings we dot, we.
Got yeah, we got rings? Man, that was crazy, j you go ahead, man, don't mean nothing. How was it waiting for your first year?
How was your first year at wait?
First year? It wasn't good? Like, yeah, it wasn't good man. We was like fifteen and sixteen. It was like five and eleven. In the ACC, I tore a ligaman in my thumb. I had never been hurt before in my life, like tour ligamany in my thumb. Like the this was crazy about college man like, you know, God rest his soul. Skip process like I remember I tore my ligament. We were playing air force in my so my thumb like it's down here and skip like. Man, you know I recruited like tough guy. I'm like yeah, like I'm like dang, like all right, man, let me let me take you. Every time somebody hit, like I would get this rush to my all. So we finished the season whatever the case. But we knew we had like a really good recruiting class in James, Jeff and Gary. So we was like, Yo, we're gonna be striight. We're gonna be better next year. We're gonna be way better next year. And when they came in, man, we just got like my sophomore junior year, we was we got Yeah, we was turned man. We had wait, yeah, we turned we had wake like turned man, we had wake turned up. I'm talking about people used to come into the practice facility and like sitting there and watch us practice. I'm talking about I'm saying, play pick up. They're sitting in there like hey, Yo, you know, hey what time y'all playing pick up? Was like we're gonna be in there like four o'clock. They used to sit in there like be like locked in, be like fifty people in the gym just watching. I'm like, yo, this it was crazy because we had talent. I mean you think about the talented guy. We had four guys that played ten plus years in the league in fact, and I'm talking about like you know, legit, and that they weren't just on the team whatever the case is.
Yeah, so.
That's crazy. That don't usually happen. And wake ain't seen it since they definitely won't y'all. And I'm looking right here just to get right here. Yes, wait, get my boy in the Hall of Fame and this jersey retiring?
He do that?
No?
I mad dad seriously about wait for man.
Yeah, but but we talked about listen, were talking about on the court, though, talk about it is we're talking about on the court. You got to give him his respect. All American was second, which is crazy. He got second team All a c C.
But All America.
That's why I.
Compared Antonio Brown all the time.
Yah, they think about second team All a CC. Listen, we was the number one team in the country. That's only happened one other time. That's Chris Paul. You average twenty in college. You're not harder than the average twenty in college hard bro, bro, that's hard.
And then a champion All star come on, man like thing.
For sure, like talking about his off court activity.
That was my dude.
Like he was he was like I met though, Yeah, the first time we met, talk about that. It was always nice as hell. So when I met him, I'm like he was on the recruit visit.
Yeah, I met him. He was cool as hell my recruiting visits. But I was an asshole. Y'all know me. I'm an asshole.
He was just quiet. Want I don't talk. When I first met, I ain't say a word. But when I got to wait for its, it's like my dad, you know my dad.
He messed up.
Dude.
He like they already got a point guard. He let the acc and assists I did.
I'm like, damn, He's like, you probably gonna play, so you know me, I'm like, I'm on some like man, fuck that nigga.
That's how I'm coming in. But he knew how to get you.
Yeah, so I go, I come in. It's like, what's the baby. I'm like, man, what the fuck is shaking my head for the nigga know I about taking spot, Like That's what I'm here for.
He like, yeah, y'all need something to eat? You want to go somewhere, ye want to do it. I'm like, he keep talking to me.
So the whole time, I'm not trying to talk to this nigga, I'm telling Gear Geary like, nah, is cool as hell?
Bro.
I'm like nah, Gary like nah, Bro, you tripping. I'm like, nah, I ain't fucking with it.
So we go hoop.
I'm going straight at you and he going back at me, and I'm like, damn, he can hoop. I'm like, fuck it, I'm gonna keep going. So we start talking and Ship. I'm like, yeah, shoot, nigga. He like da da da da.
He going back.
He was like he looked at me. He was like, all right, bet the niggas started. When we start doing they start doing a pick a roll called waggle. I ain't never guard no screening row man.
Man. They killing us. All the football players and they're like, oh shit, oh Ship.
He was like, yeah, motherfucker's gonna have to learn something. I was like, I'm like, damn, so I leave.
It's Gary. We go in the room.
Gary like that nigga who came. I was like, man, nigga all right. I was like, I'm gonna take it spoter niggas like nah.
But you know what we did though, man, we uh one thing about me. Man, My mom and dad taught me this, like you respect everybody like they game what they can do. Like I learned this when I was I was young. So you know in your area, you're the coldest in your area. I went to the Nike Jamboree. I don't know if y'all remember that Nike jam. So I went to the Nike Jamboree. Man, I see there. I'm like, yo, Kevin Love. I'm like, oh, I ain't that good. But it taught me like yo, these like it's dudes all over this country that got game. So when Jeff came, I was just like, yo, he's just gonna make us better. Like and our games. We both needed the ball. But I was so like, I.
Was like, man, do you like I ain't tripping?
And so like his freshman year average fourteen and then his second year you average twenty. And he'll tell you like, man, the donkey had in Maryland.
Oh. I was like, man, I'm giving it to the homie like remember, yeah, Like what a different nigga I'm trying to say. I told you he's the nicest person every.
I'm also somebody I know.
Like so for Jay, like you just got Paul's like cracking shield Like.
That's why I said, Paul, That's what I said, Paul, I just got got up nigga, one of them ones.
Y'all.
Don't start that.
Don't start that.
No text message you have, but that's how Jay is trying to crack the ship. You turn D twelve, Yo, Oh my, tell the story show with Jay, like you know, he was like he tried to come off like, yo, I ain't talking to nobody like I'm locked in.
And this is the thing I did.
I did love about him, like he he knew what he wanted when he came into school, like he knew like y'a, I'm gonna be here for a little bit then I'm out, Like, yo, I'm not I ain't coming in here, Like I remember, yo, who would you work it out with? First day at workouts, he was shooting and somebody was like, hey, we could get your shooting. He was like, I ain't doing that, like yo, this is no. He was realized he was like, I ain't doing that. Like y'all recruited me average twenty something in high school with the same jump shot facts and I was like, dang, it was all gullible. They like this, do it like this, and I was man, all flicked and everything was like, nah, this is why I'm doing it, like y'all, I ain't changing. And I respected that. Like he was like he knew what he wanted to do. He'd be like, y'all is I ain't lifting no ways, I'm just.
Doing push up. That's what he's doing.
Man.
Niggas was man, they was. He was crazy.
Bro.
Man, y'all talking about a nigga arms. Bro. They had it was on steroids, bro, that's all they had us doing.
He was so strong. I was like, that's when I started lifting because I was like.
Now, but Jay used to just do push ups like push him, sit up. I come in the room when I come, hollered them him and G and do.
With this loose white you know. He was just getting it like.
G yeah for real and so uh. But like just stuff like that. He was already like, and this is why I give him a lot of them. He already knew what he wanted when he came into school, like y'all, you could see somebody like he was going like, y'all, I'm locked in and go I'm locked in. And so for me, it was a situation where I was like, dang, y'all. So I ain't never like, had no ill will to a nah. That was my guy, like he don't know this, like we took it, and then he'd be trying to fake on people.
So we had a what class. I'm abody to tell you. We had a class, so Jeff act like he.
I don't know what's going on we're doing. And we had a public speaking class, right damn. And so people be sitting in there like, yeah, man, Jeff, Yeah, you know it's you're so articulate, you know, I mean, I call him, you know what I mean? Like they you know what I mean, so articulately whatever. I'm like, y'all, I could just know how to switch it up.
I can be around y'all. And then I go there and like be cool.
So Jeff get up there, and when I say this negro I'm talking about, he gave the best speech.
People sitting there like this like Jeff did.
Now he killed it did I change his voice?
Wait for he did.
But but the thing I respected it though, Like I said, like when he came in, I knew he was called and I knew like if we was gonna get that, we wanted to get to like he had to be the best version of him. James had to be the best version of him for Rupe l d Chase, David, all those guys had to be the best version of him. And we weren't gonna win if he wasn't getting a dug. It was just the facts, like.
He No, that ain't true, because you you the reason we all got better because he was like you was motivated, like we always motivated differently, but you would like push everybody like we going to hoop, like some of.
Our teammates didn't want to go.
So he will say something like that's why we were sad last year and then they had come hoop Like he was like the leader.
It was nof segondate.
So his first his first year, we like you know what I mean, We were like we actually should have made it to the n I T that year. We should have.
Oh, I can't wait talk about tournaments since you're the leader.
Yeah, he was, I was, I got something your story luck. Yeah, let's talk about that second or whatever.
That second year. You should have lived that.
He was the leader, go ahead, hey, so much I think about Remember he was in the locker room when we.
Lost and we lost state, right.
Ja said, yeah, I'm going to the league.
Hey, hard man, I apologizeta tell this story. So Harve was sitting there crying like, hey, y'all got so much talent, and man, y'all sitting here, yeah hard. Everybody got their hands down and like hard crying. And I felt bad hard because it was the senior year. It was Jeff had the choice to come back and go. James had the choice to come back, and Gou had a choice, you know, I mean we all was like Harv was like the only singing him Micha Lapour and Bobby.
But Harv was like, man, your goal, this talent.
All of a sudden, this get quiet. James said, hey, man, shut that up, man, and then that I'm going to the league. Yeah, I said. This is the bad part about it is, you know how you get a woman, your mam will tell you like, hey, suck it up. That's what he was trying to like, was trying to like he was like, I'm like, oh man, most dudes like, hey man, this is my career.
Like I don't know Jamesohson, No, I don't know Jamesson. I don't know James. When they got in the pocket with James.
And I was I remember that, I was like, I don't give a fuck. Fuck you everybody you love niggas James said, say less.
The whole prank. I was just looking at that.
Yo.
They they were like best friends and then all of a sudden, like they had us like they had us pect. James and Jeff they were like best friends. Like they came in what was yourll three? What was yours? Yeah, fellow friend, fellow friends. So they came in.
I didn't know about this rap group. Yeah, I know, right.
They did everything together, and so Jeff was like ascending, James was descending. Like James was averaging like sixteen a game.
Jeff was averaged.
It was hooping, and you know, my job was to be like man, I gotta connect, like everybody together. And so all of a sudden, like I think like they both was going the same place, but they was like I don't know what it was. So they in practice they like just went off. We were like that, what's going on? All of a sudden he said, he said, say, let's we was looking like he ain't never said nothing.
I was like, ah, ship, like that was new. Yeah.
I was like, yeah, I talked too, but I'm thinking about Heim, Like, damn not this motherfucker.
I fight everybody, but not him.
Man, James, that nigga said, I'm a fuck you up niggas sounds like the term ship.
I was no wonder that niggart was like, don't worry, but I ain't gonna let yall fight. Yeah, please be there because he was like the piece bag please. It's funny. We had the free throw line.
You remember forgetting yo.
He had the free throw line, y'all. We're playing against dang Jeff. I think this might have been your first thirty point game. We was playing. Uh, this is why I knew he was gonna be nice. We went to Anahei. We had the free throw line. We're playing against who's a little short cold pepper you youtub So we man, we're going back and forth with them, and so we had the free throw line.
It's James, the dude from utap me.
Jeff on the other side of the cross from me, and then there was another utap playing and I think it might have been like chasing something down there off for Root and so James going back and forth with the dude. They talking crazy at each other, and James said, Hey, Jeff, y'all better tell him it's basketball stuff. That ag what I do.
This is what my ball.
Was like, that's what he and we was like, yo, bro, you might that is what he really do. Bro, it's a part time Yeah. And you know who Colepepper is, right, yeah, that's so we like, I'm I'm telling him like, bro, you gotta do Yeah. Yeah, I was like this, I'm like, bro, this what I'm like? He really be on that? Man. We had to tell him. Oh boys, like he was like, was like.
Yeah, this is what he did. I was like, he on hoop bro, he fighting man? He many I heard it here from smith Man. Let's get Jeff back to white Man. Let's get this. Oh you will come back. I go, yeah, when they do your Hall of Fame, I'm going back. Yeah.
When they doing it, I don't know what they're doing for really, it's supposed to be like coming up the right, Well.
What now I'm playing like I don't think I'll be able to do it, but but I do. And I'm not even joking, like they need to, like it should have been Jeff first, then James, and then they can put me in for Rook in there or for up before me, whatever the case is.
Because deserved though, Bro, all of us, James burn down.
I mean, we deserved.
You know what with us because James left right after we left Los Bro.
He was on a flight. Yeah, this sounds crazy for you. Yeah, it's waita.
Is that a Catholic school.
No, it's a Baptist school. Baptist yeah, yeah, But my thing is.
Like I had a couple of Baptist sneaks rolled around that It's crazy.
These dudes really like Jeff and James. Really, I'm telling you, man, they held it down for us. That's and I told him. I was like, it was funny my junior year when I came back from injuries and they was rolling, I was like, man, how I find my way? I was like, man, these dudes are about to be pulling me over. I gotta I gotta like, I gotta come in and hoop and uh. But they held it down, like they held it down for Shure, that's why they should be in the Hall of Fame.
That's and that's real, and that's far.
Like you said, everybody there end up being a league down pushing each other to the leg. For you, we're trying to make that transition from White's NBA. How was it for you, like the workout process and then going to get into the rockets. Yeah, so, man, my my four years was up and down far as like injuries and stuff like that.
But like I and I'm not just trying to gasp my dude because he's here, But like I knew jeff It made it to the leaves of nineteen pick at one time he was a lottery pick and one time he was a lot o. So I'm thinking to myself, like, yo, I'm playing against the best point guard in the in the in the country at the time, Like yo, I could like I can you know, I mean, I'll be straight. So when I went through the process, I remember who was it Memphis They was deciding between three guys. It was Jordan Crawford, my boy, Jordan Jordan. I played against jac Xavier. Jordan gave us like thirty something professional bucket man, he a bucket and I'll be trying to tell sid and I'll be trying to tell the young dudes like, yo, it's bigger than that, because there's some dudes that came through here. It's ten times as good as you and ain't all about like, oh man, I get a bucket. Nah man, Like it's not like Jordan Crawford, Marsha Brook. This is what I'm telling people like yo, y'all don't understand. Like Terrence Williams, I played with him, and what these dudes was cold. And so anyway, I get a call and they was like, man, they trying to make a decision between grievous Jordan Crawford or yeah, grievous my guy. So Jordan went twenty fifth and then they decided to go grievous. And then I can get a phone call from Oklahoma City and they was like, man, we got a forty second pick. You know, we'll take you, but we're gonna stash you over see. I said no, no, and I got on the street. That had to be the lord because for me, like I ain't know what I was doing all the time. I said, bro, I'm not no overseas, but I don't stash me oversea because I know you can get over there and get lost. So I said, nah, I go n drafted. I find my way. And so then like the fiftieth pick came and that's when Detroit and Houston was like, hey, Detroit actually offered me a Joe Dumars actually offered me a one year guaranteed deal. And I was like, nah, you know what, I just go to Houston And.
What made you do that? This nigga was y you talk about betting on yourself.
What made you do? You know me, man, I don't know whatever you thinking?
For one year guaranteed and then Houston offered a two year non guaranteed. Most years was young guaranteed. And I was just like, man, you know what. They played the pay They played fast. You know remember back in the day, Dero was like, I can't go to no system playing, So so I went Houston played fast. At the time, Rick Adaman was our coach. Y'all gonna cry laughing. It was y'all mean. On my team, Brandon not Brandon brad Miller playmate, No, just miss Tate the man.
Listen.
Another Kyle Lowry was on the team. I had Shane Battier, that was a nasty roster.
But that was when Kevin Martin. But that's when you came.
Jared Jefferies.
Oh that was a filter. That's why. God, man, Joe.
Crazy different now like yeah, we're gonna keep it like yeah, but like all joic, that was when you came in, like Jeff getting tested it like when you came in the league.
Like man, it was all head. Oh and you had to work your way up.
Like think about it, Jeff when it came out of college averaging twenty and he could just go somewherehere they be like, hey, man, get you a bucket.
Man what oh he would have been able to get like twenty five thirty.
Especially he knew how to get fouled like the league now like back in the days, Man, you try to get foul, they'll be like, man.
Do like that, yeah, get up now, that's crazy when you was a rookie. To you were a rookie and gett no costs now, like the dudes come in, let me get casts.
That's crazy.
He cold.
Yeah, yeah, I didn't know how cold he was. He got a game, so so yeah, that was my roster and like man, old head would like tell you different stuff. Shane Benny taught me how to like manage my money. Uh. Then I got traded from there with the Memphis. I got traded in Memphis. That's when I had z Bow.
Yeah. They was like z Bo was like, that's like my guy.
Like those guys like taught me how to like be tough, like fight through stuff, like push through stuff.
That was getting made it to the playoffs and we lost. Shout to Mike Conley.
Yeah MC man, y'all, so.
Y'all to what I tell you before he came. They the two nicest dudes I ever met in my life.
Bron They MC was my guy.
Man.
He a good dude.
Every time I see his dad, his dad, I was like, man, you know I saw you in college.
He was like, yeah, man, you guys all made it. That's nicest people in the world. Bro.
The he was on that that Memphis was the fire.
Yeah. We was good, man, We was good. But we remember that was when I knew, like it's bigger than like you got to figure out what role you gotta play. So like, I ain't playing the playoffs, but they wanted me to be Tony Parker, so I.
Had to scout team. So I had to be Tony Parker.
It was like, Yo, it's just do that fast though, and that's what like I was coming off like you remember tps to pass it.
And go all the way around.
Yeah, like, and so I had to be Tony Parker and so z Bo they had made a decision at the end. So when I got traded over there, I kind of knew, like, yo, this ain't my color, so like you know how I fit in whatever the case is. And so we're getting ready for the playoffs and uh lot, don't tell me Linel Hollins. He tells me like, yo, it's you're gonna You're gonna come up to you know, you ain't gonna play this serious. And I'm like, all right, bet cool, Like I'm not tripping, I won't expected to play. And so then that's what z Bo. That's why I knew, Like z Bo just had this weird way of like talking to you. So he pull you, Hey, little bro, come in, little bro, come in.
That's him.
So he put his all around in like, hey, look, bro, you're gonna help us win this series. And I'm like, I don't know how we just heard coaches. He said, I won't gonna play. He said, nah, a little problem telling you you gon'na help us win this series. And so that's what lott them tell me, Like, Yo, you're gonna play like TP the rest of the history. And then once we won.
The series, that's crazy.
That's when Zebo came to me. It was like, see what I tell you a little bro, Like, if you ain't played like that, we would have never got like a visual with TP kind of play left.
That's hard and that's crazy. That's a testament like what it takes a winning NBA.
Like everybody can be talking, everybody could be cold, but just having somebody your team who can mock somebody else makes your game preparation totally different.
They didn't have that for a mic at all.
Even more credit than you for taking on that road though, Bro, a lot of niggas ain't equipped for that.
Egos checks.
So that's some love to you, for real.
There's a lot of dudes thoughn't met you. I mean, we all got egos. Nobody said no, you.
Want to play, Bro, but I'm saying you, I'm talking about your sacrifice.
Yeah, that was the biggest thing. A lot It's been a lot of z BO pulling me to the side and telling me like, yeah, it probably took you along with yeah. Like like for me, I was like and like, like I said, I go back to Wake like I knew playing Wake with all these town the dudes like y'all, I can't come in and be like, oh no, this is how I'm gonna do it. Nah, I'm about to be like, all right, what's needed, you know for the game of night. Like if it's like I said that joking around the Carolina game, score four point, he got thirty four, we won, I'm cool, like yeah, like that's what matters because I know it's gonna be a game where Jay might be struggling and then I got to step up like it is what it like, you know what I mean, That's what that's what team is all about. Like so that's when he told me that. I was like, yo, cold, But it did mean a lot coming from ze Bo because ze Bo z Bo, you know.
Or any good word I guess at heart because when as fuck fact, man, if we know you said the record, know what I'm saying, teams play the NBA. Now we gotta ask you some tough questions. Top five cities you played in no particular order, Like, yeah, Phoenix.
Now you said that Phoenix, Phoenixes City.
I was twenty four years old.
Phoenix was.
You know whatiggas a? I wasnteen.
I was a motherfucking back nineteen nigga.
That was when I was twenty five back yere, I was Phoenix. Uh dang, you know why I rock with Detroit?
Man, I knew he was about to say that. I feel like that's where you knew it too. You was crazy. That was that was like the first time like I got a chance.
To like hoop.
They took care of you to like one thing about Detroit, like if you can hoop like my game may you asked Jay? Like my game ain't like I'm doing a lot of like zig zagg and like I'm getting them like I'm not like in certain cities like that might not be Like Jay's game was perfect for Atlanta, like they turning up he dunking on cats like that's but like you know what I mean, like even steps game steps game perfect and San Francis Like you know what I mean, Like that's the demographic and so for me, like my game was perfect for like Detroit, they respected it, you know what I mean? I was gonna give them, you know what I mean. I was gonna play hard every game and all that different type of stuff. So but that was the first opportunity I got a chance to hoop.
Like before then, like you, j J liked you on this team. Now yeah, man, I'm just trying to find my way. It's still still well. I was. I was undrafted, so I knew like my way was gonna be.
Like a different path. It wasn't gonna be like dang man, these people invested in me, nah, like, and then each team, like I tried to take a different little perspective. So like when I was in Orlando with Jamia Nelson, I was like, yo, Jamir at the time one of the best point guards cold, So I was like, man, if I play against him, I gotta get some confidence. When I was in Oklahoma City Russ, I'm like, yo, yeah, Like Russ almost came to wait. Yeah, yep, Rush almost came to wait. So the story behind that is Russ was getting recruited by he wanted to stay home. He was just waiting for UCLA, and so they had Jordan Farmore was trying to make a decision if they were Jordan Farmer was gonna stay and leave, and so he had two offers, big time offers that was like Wake Forest and and well UCLA had not offered yet, and some other like local schools. But he had took a gross spurt late and so he had came on a visit and UH, coach Prossec call me and said, hey, man, I had my court, my Green ninety three court.
I drove all the way down from UH.
I drove like forty five minutes when my mom stay and UH with Winston is like forty five minutes. So I drove up and Uh that's when Russ dunked on Trent Strickler. Dangn something nasty. But then all of a sudden he went back. Jordan Farmer left, he ended up, but me and Russ been cool since then, like since he was seventeenth. Yeah, so we would have had him, Jeff, that would have been crazy. I wouldn't come. Yeah, that's too man.
I still don't know how he got how we got him out of the state. Oh my fault.
Phoenix Detroit. Damn.
Well, let's start looking at him. Phoenix Detroit.
Charlotte was you know, I mean, Charlotte's to put them one Charlotte's Home.
I mean it's not in those particular order. Charlotte's Home. Uh, Phillis. I rock with Philly too.
I rock with Philly because they like again, I got a chance to just hope, like when you're just sitting on the bench like like yo, I'm telling you like, that's why I like No Jay, he lied like last year was and I gotta say Denver because we want to chick. But last year wanted easy, like you going in a situation where you're like, man, you know I just came up. Well no, no, no, it's d CEDD and uh Denver, I got DC.
You got hell of wizards highlights, especially against the pacers all yeah, So with them, I just uh, Indiana, it's I mean, I don't know.
I don't know why I said.
We're on the top of every highlight of word.
It's not just no, it's not that. When he was here, they was cooking.
I don't know why highlights to get Si Deana too.
He went to Blake days when he came here with the forty four.
The weekest go ahead, the week is yo.
Hey, he tried to go. So he tried to come to Wake and get forty, but it was like, no, man, you gotta get a low number.
Somebody said, oh d yeah, we.
They was like we've got it, and we wouldn't give it.
You keep that motherfucker awaed weekend.
So yeah, but like Jay ain't lying, Like it's hard man when you especially when you've been playing like I have been playing like six or seven years, like a consistently started.
Playing and so went up. Now I had to be like, all right, what road do I take?
You been on the bench. But if it wasn't for like you know, the team camaraderie, like been around the eyes and we just like enjoyed each other, it would have been a situation. I'm like, man, I would have been on like yeah, you know.
What I'm saying. So you start you start seeing it like yeah, I'm damning her.
Cool off.
Some damning are.
Done like I was done when you get to that year, like you year fourteen now, so you probably having a good time.
Though no, I know, I enjoyed it because it's helping the guys out. But I really had to talk to my wife like I'm like I want to stay home. But it was a situation where like my wife's like, yo, it's home, like you, Charlotte, It's not like they asked you to go to Houston, like you know what I mean.
Like, and then you got a good relationship obviously with the front office. So it's gonna be an easy way to Yeah, if he wants to keep doing with the NBA.
That's the hell.
That's a hell of a job. Though, you got brother.
Your team. We love to Charlotte Hornets.
He got a sunset park.
He bullshit.
They yeah, they straight up.
No cap.
A tough assignment, but they uh, bro show you want to stay home your hands one.
Man, tough off good dudes, man, they really are man.
But think about this though, like we all came in, like me and Jacob Lee, like it was like a pecking on. You started down here. You had to work your way up.
I think about it.
If you keep drafting dudes as nineteen, it's hard, man, thinking about it, it's hard. So you got the blind leading the blind. You know, I don't know y'all giving me this like mellow my dog. Like when we won the championship, he was the first one texting, like and then when he got his money, like I texted him like that's my god. He wrote, those guys remember scary man like, but they kind of get it. Yeah, you can tell they get it. Yeah they Brandon Miller may he got game, I believe. So they got talented guys. But you like, how you gonna know where to go if you ain't never been, like, nobody's there to tell you where to go. So like we had I had all his many they.
So we talked about this a couple of poles ago. Bro, I'm telling you, like, that's a lost art in the league.
Now, o G. Somebody who's season to come help the young guys at least show him the little stuff that you need.
You're not helping them out, and then you get mad with him, and then when you're done with him, you just like wash your hands with him and you're done with him.
Now they needed you. It's like how we was a way for us. We needed you.
If I didn't go to when I went to wait for us, if you wasn't like trying to like if you was like fuck you kept like trying to fuck with me, I wasn't trying Like if you didn't do that, I've been a wild boy because I was already quiet into myself.
But like I wouldn't.
I wouldn't a workout dude, and I would go to the gym with Geary because Gary was a workout dude, and you would be in there. But you my competition. So I'm like, oh, ship, like he in here shooting thousands of shots, got the music blasting, So I'm like, I gotta do that ship because I'm ever play I gotta play with. And then once he started telling me he was the first one, like I took it wrong, so y'all know me, I'm I'm my asshole.
He was like, Yo, I'm gonna be CP. You gonna be Jay Gray. I looked at that nigga like he look, nigga, you got me fucked up.
But you know what's funny though, all jose aside like and then it flipped like I got hurt and Jeff became because I honestly don't look people with no disrespect talent wise. I don't think it's been a talent more talented dude has ever walked into Wait. I'm just keep it a being somebody who can jump, shoot, drive past like he could do it all. Now, Chris, I love him, you know what I mean? He wasn't this tall like you know what I mean, he not dunking or you're not doing none of that. He knew how to run a team. Chris. Y'all people forget Chris is fast.
He forget the.
Ultimate point guard like he was elite like Chris is. We know Chris is up it, but talent wise walked into wake far as far as at the point guard position is not nobody better. So for me it flipped like because I got hurt and Jeff was cooking, so he on magazine he doing all that, so it flipped. He became Chris. Why I started telling him use some i' never tell him this. I said, look, no offense to this guy, love him. I was like, I ain't about be no to Ron Downy tcause you know the rule behind. You know what happened with TV so torn Downey. It just came off a year where he was hooping, and I love TD like this is my guy. But he came out a year he was hooping, and uh, he got like Mono or something like that, and we got.
Mono the hose. That's what happened.
By that mono for something like that, it's putting on your figure. That nigga about homes out there and filth.
Wait, go to that decap what's going little? Excuse me?
We see girls like walking without they have mud on their toes.
Issue hit something, no shoes on?
We get got him a barefoot.
Was cold.
I was.
Here. I was walking over stay for show. I'm like, you just can't run. Oh.
Me and Jim went to State. I said, you ain't nobody if my cousin with the State. So she's a call and be like, yo, Jeff, that was over here, y'all, amie ski.
The reason I went over there, I was like, man, I don't know how to do this that way for it's.
Like it's a black school right there was the way it's.
Like seven minutes.
Cutting down the schools are though for real, it was if you was I went over there, I was like, I gotta go to the room.
It was hanging on the door.
Yeah, like on some like there on the block or something up to what boy man? Yeahs y'all good. That's how it was for real. We went to the N Club one night and we.
Was is sharing that so we said envibing.
We was and uh, they'd be like hey, because Jeff always like to stay low and uh, it was like, hey, shout out to Jeff T Like.
What you mean.
It's like, trust, it's time to go. Let's get about of facts. Bro was funny.
Bro Deal would have enough back home like high school.
So sigasiggas slide.
It's time to get about.
It all right, man, we actually your top five cities. Now we got to push on the hook. Top five players you play with? He plays killers?
Yeah, uh no order of course? Yo?
Man? He up there man for sure? Yok.
He just made the game just look so easy.
I played. It's crazy because I play with a lot of guys. I didn't get a chance to play with Joel and B but he was on the team. Hm, So I don't know if I can count that. KTI obviously is up there.
Uh Still who else who you think make the game look easier? KD or yo? Yo?
And the reason why I say yo, it is because like when you watching the game, like I ain't give him his true respect that to I got there, like you know how it is like when we was coming out and he was coming up, like, man, I love you yo.
Put him yeah yeah, make him go yeah, like y'all beat him.
Remember that year y'all beat him like, and they always talk about like how that was, Like they're like, yeah, changing for him. So he was like, yo, when you watching the game, you like, bro, he got sixteen rebounds on the first hand, I don't know where this came from, seventeen sixteen and eight in the first Like, I was just sitting there watching, like, and he just he just run down the court. And the thing about him is he stayed at the same pace the whole game. So it's like the totters in the hair. So it's like we more like some guys are more athletic, but he just keep going the same pace, same pace where he can't stop it. You can't stop it. So he's him kd uh dang, Jeff, it was man, Russ. Yeah, Russ up there too for sure.
Animal Bro.
I don't know how many people be disrespecting him. I hate it, Bro, he is an animal.
I was there though when in this shout out to my guy man Russ.
I love Russ. That's like my brother. So I was at the I was playing for Oklahoma City and I told Russ. I was like, Russ, Yo, Jeff got game, man, because I know when he's locked in. Jeff was could have been easily one of the best point guards. When he would be like locked in, like it was scary. So he was sitting there and I seen Jeff like, I was like, saw him on the other end. I don't know if you remember this. We played against y'all in Atlanta, and Jeff was like, he just did like this. Usually we talked, he did like this.
I said, Oh, he locked in.
So I told Russ. I was like, Yo, Russ, he locked in. And that's when you got to still like it. So I remember that battle. He was going back and forth. But Russ is up there for sure because when he was in his uh that that MVP little stretch and triple double because I played with him in Washington, man, he was and he was still.
Killing in that Nigga is hell.
Bro. I don't know why people be disrespect because he played for Theakers.
Bro, That's what happens.
And the thing about Russ is he don't like he don't he just be keep driving it, driving it, driving the basketball. Yeah, like he just and you be like, yo, Russ, like calm down, yeah, like and he don't get tired like you be like yo, this dude, keep like eating that halftime because I'll be good the first have.
But when I got the halftime, all right, I'm look at my phone. Who going out tonight?
You see? That was my problem?
I half fifteen that half okay, Who's going out tonight? Russ come back out like he took an energy drink or something like.
What the hell is wrong with this nigga? Man, Like calm the fuck down.
You know you used to go in all the time that I used to be like, yo, he got something person with a Reggie.
Oh, because you know, why go at Regie jection when we play that wake.
I don't know if you remember he dumped okay, hedn't he like drops up and he dunk and he bumped Mek. He might have been a freshman. He like bumped me, and I was like what the fuck? Like you know what I mean, because I was like, nigga, this is Tyre's Rice team.
Even you ain't even him, Like why the fun you bumping me?
Like I was shiitty ever since I seen him, I'm I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna try.
You always known when he's trying to, Like that's how Jeff was, like, you always knew when he was trying to, like yeah. We played against Tony Douglas.
He'd be like, oh yeah, yeah, I was trying.
To Will too.
Yeah, Jarn Williams.
He used to go at his ass.
He was cold too. It was cold, bro, there's somebod who may handles this. They're like, y'all left me Will.
I was like, yeah, we definitely definite respective, but definitely him and John Wallas the only people I know can cross over going full speed.
I used to be in practice, like, how the fuck are you doing?
Like a nigga was niggasu be broo put you on that though, Bro, you know what we used to play, Uh, it's funny. We used to play saying like you know they called the saying love football. So like uh, I used to be like in the back. I was the receiver, so I would be like running, changing directions, changing directions, catching the ball. Yeah, so I'd be like, yo, hold on man, Like I was like seven eight years old, so my mindset was yo. Like like I saw Reggie buck Bush, he would change directions in football, like without like changing, So I.
Was like, yo, this is crazy.
Shady Leshaan McCoy, Shady mcurt they would like change the direction. So I'm like, yo, what if I can do this with a basketball? So I just tried it and like.
Type of people.
Just growing back, like I'm not about to catch this. I could wait to get on the other team.
That's the thing that like, this is what bothered me is we played together like doing the game, but like coach will always put.
On opposite side and practice.
And like when he did that.
If he scored, he knew.
If I scored, was gonna get the ball. Start playing with the one used to get mad. This is not gonna just be on one on one game, Like y'all got to share the ball.
I'm we're going at it, like do you remember the day with you know?
Custs me up. He went through the whole team. He told everybody what they do good and he got to me at the end. When was this We was like we was winning.
We was on the roll. He was like, Chris Paul was running this team. I think your foot might have been broke, you still would have been hurt.
He was like, well, Chris Paul was running this team, we would be the best team ever.
I looked at you.
I was so shitty, like I was like I could have punched him. I was like, I fucking hate this.
He's like, and you're on the second team.
I wouldn't practice. Yeah, he was killing l D. I was to like, LD you got him. He was kill.
I was killing this. Nick.
I know you was heart because I remember you was on the side. He was like, chill j He's gonna be all right you. He was good on worded about him, was like, fuck this. Yeah, he was killing I was trying. I'm telling you when he wanted to, like y'all seen it in high school, bro, when he wanted to, like y'all, I'm I'm gonna go get a bucket every time like.
He did.
You was like, yo, it was on some burger king type like having your weight from the three point line, finish it, dunk it like yo. I was like, I'm like, yo, this like, I mean he can get five. So we was I remember that. I do remember that, But I also remember when.
Yo. I remember that day that Joe was crazy.
But I mean you remember when.
I know because it was always the piece bager. He's a good We had some rebels on our team. You remember what I told everybody. I was like, yo, it's one girl. Nobody could talk to him. This I think he's gonna bring that up.
I was like, girl, we ain't dropping. So it was like yeah, yeah yeah, it's like okay, everybody we got that. Yeah yeah. So what.
He decided to Like, what was he thinking? Oh no, he decided to try me. I guess I was sure he believed me. I was like, I pulled up on him. I got active, called me.
Said j t Yo, what the heck? Man? What you doing?
Man said he tried me. I was like, he talked to I said he can't talk to damn because Jeff.
Battle to hit me. Coach Be hit me. It was like, go get go get Jeff. Y'all wonder why we don't we got all this talent and we can't win.
No games because Coach Be used to always hit me up. And I said, I'm like, all right, let me let me call him. So I called him. He was like, y'all they said he had him him jump on the wall.
Yeah, Yo had up on the wall.
But it's respect. The thing that blew me was like yep, pause, Like you can't say respect, Yo, he had him.
But they was like, yo, he already told me to yo, he already told you.
That was the like I used to be like, we're confidence.
First of the foremost, the only reason that person was there because yeah, I was tender for that Reason's keep it a bean, Let's keep it the bed. He told me. We had listen. The Lord utilizes so many people in so many different ways.
Freak, you gotta.
Let's this is the season. But keep it a bean, like my dog told me.
He was like, let he did, Like that's really I mean, like get mad.
You know you can't get and then leave. It's freaking.
And then this is the thing. She used to do a little certain things to try to trigger Jay, And I'm like, I don't need a trip, Like just do certain things about here.
Call me be like let's let's go to the gym.
Yeah, I don't need a trip.
Even after that incident, he was like, damn was yeah right there with me on the show. She walked with me. He like, yeah, yeah, hold on, I know you're doing that. That's that door. Let me hot you open that door. It was, oh, you know.
What I'm saying, don't kill. How you find out?
Talk to how I found out?
How you find out killer?
Remember how exactly I found that out? To the blackberries.
It might have been liked love and.
Facebook beef is crazy, which is crazy to me because now you got people's grandmas and.
Stuff Facebook you but now it's.
Like grandma's and city girls too, bro.
Man.
And then remember that year, yo, this was funny. Our first day backed my junior year. We're playing pick up, going back and forth and this is when that person was hooping. Yeah, the person was hooping, man.
Yo. He was like, so after.
We had their recruiting class, then for Rook and the recruiting class come in. So now we got for roop Tony Woods, ty Walker. Who else was in that class? Yeah, it might have been it might have been them three. So they come in and now we got like an NBA team for real because we got seven footas on seven foots like them boys.
Is huge.
Short pause. So we're sitting there and we're playing and stepping out hitting.
Three because was there.
He said, I'll never forget because you was cooking CEP and he was like, let's start doing this pick and roll ship.
Because I was on C team.
Yeah, and I was like, and ty started hooping, I'll never forget, and how he was like he one.
Baby Tyson Chandler. Yeah, that nigga t would sit.
That nigga just read up to him. Whoa what because the nigga say he was baby Tyson Chandler.
The team was nuts.
Yeah, and I love he was the only saying Now we all had our awn little crazy.
After after that, I didn't get to see that wal Bro. We never seen it. He was he supposed to go to the NBA. Yeah he was.
He was.
He was as tall as hell. You deserved our career for the you had to deal with it now.
But you know what they don't understand, Like I was with him my guys.
Yeah, but he was the same one.
Like I mean, it was my dudes, like, man, we was crazy, I'm.
Thirty for thirty up, come out of retirement.
We needed thirty Philip like phil Yeah, he was like just like that's why they just like like he was such a like now y'all come on, nah and did He'll make you like come together.
Just did stuff together.
Because I'm over there, like you know, I gotta fucked up mind. I'm over there. When you hit him, like.
Ni, he ran downstairs. I'm like so remember we was like yo, that's it. We go downstairs.
We don't find him.
All of a sudden everybody phone blowing up, were like, yoh, like, who calls us coach battle? Like I said, oh, yeah, it's coach b It's.
What are you doing.
I'm like, man, what you mean? Like we was playing got a little whatever scuffle. He was like, Tya's mother just called me. It's saying y'all was laughing at him getting punched in the face.
I'm like, well, I mean it was me. What we all was like, oh, like so we was was like, yo, Tony jacked up, bro, you do that? Like Tony, why did you do that? Tony was like, Tony didn't give the explanation.
So we went downstairs. Whatever the case is. We couldn't find time after that. Man, I love time. Man shout out, that's my guy. But he just yeah, he could have been. Yeah, he really should have been. And he not telling you. The truth was it was another time we was hooping, playing five on five and CP again. We love you, bro, But me and Jeff when he used to come, we ain't wanted to play on his team. We was like, man, Jeff, we're on the same team. And so Chris used to come back all the time and bring uh, bring Jay Greg shout out to Jay Gray. He coaching Western Carolina. Now that's my guy, Eric Williams bringing back Eric Williams, Like he used to bring back all these guys and we used to be like, yo, y'all would not have to beat us, Like you don't know how much talent we got, Like nah, that's not y'all would have. Whatever the case is. So this is one's particular day. Jeff like, hey man, stop calling them picking rolls. Try to get by me, just one on one. And he like and Jeff when he wanted to like defend all, he like getting over screens.
He's like, hey man, I'm telling you I do this. And then he came back. You know, Jeff was the king of one on one. This is what I do.
Bang like I'm talking about what's hooping and then that's when some other stuff.
I'll tell you what my boy, No, I hit a reverse layup. Ye was like that.
Ship nasty, that's fucking nasty. He was like, shot up, nigga, you ain't do it, like what start going at it?
Yeah, was still hooping or still we were still hooping, but like kind of going back. He started chasing that nigga around the jail like running after not running, but he just was talking and then he was like y'all yeah, he was just like was like it took a minute for James because he really was off for a minute.
Like we couldn't get him to come around. I'm like, see peop about to go hoop. He was like, no, there, it's up.
He would have caught that nigga.
I think like the first couple of years to lead, like, yeah, he would mess with he was because Chris made here a good dude. But like he'll try to hit you like some little trigger to like get you mad.
Yeah, he like and he go like low.
He tried to go low, like like if he know you like lost your dead, like I lost your dog when you was like four years old something like that. He'll say something about that.
You'd be like, y'all want to kick your dog like something like that.
Or like I remember he was playing against I was wide open in the corner one time I was we was playing he was in Phoenix and so he was guarding me in the corner and Brad Joel and he stood there like to like force him kick it, and then he tried to play my games with Brad was like see you. You gotta play the right way.
You want to be playing the right way.
He ride open in the corner.
You got throwing the ball like.
Like this stuff like that.
You see, like why would you go that low? But I know, see so I don't be tripping. I'd be like, all right, see like it is, I wouldn't do with that. I like, yeah, Jeff, Jeff be like, no, I don't play that game. I be like, because you can go as lowd as you onto, I don't care.
Like I know I am yeah, I'm that. I'm that.
I'm not.
And what's the problem because this is when I knew you was gonna go to the NBA, like because.
Like I knew our team was the NBA. But I remember we had it was Pargo, Jared Jack, Rudy g k D. And I think they might have had like Brian McKnight or somebody. Yeah.
So we're playing on five on five and this is when we like we like, yeah, get ready. So Rudy gave him they chilling and is going at Jared Jack and c P. I'm like ship, I said, I said.
Oh yeah, Pargo, start guard me because see start your name was like cook. You't even like that after the game, Park was like, now this motherfucker is gonna be an NBA.
Yeah.
Yeah, we're hoping like this is gonna be in the NBA.
Man.
That's when I knew. Like I was like, yo, we we're gonna be called Yeah. I was like And then two days later I broke my foot.
I remember I was at the movies. They called me, was like come home. I'm like where then, I'm at the movie. You need to come and get serious about basketball. I'm like, what it's like, it's broken his foot. I ain't gonna lot my heart drop because I we had just started.
We started working out. Yeah, and I'm like, oh because the middle of his well, Jeff like the first ten games. But we knew it was gonna change. So then after that, Jeff went on this tear the whole we play started to gethering freshman.
Yeah, so we started rolling.
And then after that we started the year and they had us top twenty five. Yeah, like starting point guard is two guard jet like, so we had already played.
We was like, oh man, we're just about to be hooping.
And you guys think he put me in a mind to just like go get buckets. So when Nates called me like, you about to be the point guard? Mind you just got three make dollars. All Americans like we got j J. I'm a bucket getter. I'm like, hell no, Like you'all think I'm about to be passing this, but I told yeah, in trouble somewhere there, I wasn't, but I told what I told you.
I was like, man, don't be don't be me, be you man.
When I say we were playing at b YU, this is one I was like, Yo, Jeff is the real deal. So we go, we kill in Anaho and then we beat the crap out of Indiana? Are you he took that person? He beat beat the crap out of.
So now we're like eleven challenge yeah, ac channel yeap.
Then we won some more games and then we went out to b YU and that's what I was like, Yo, this is the real test. And it was Legiti white out white people, but like legit white out. So we sit there, bro, it was twenty three thousand.
Yo, all yelling, screaming, saying some wild stuff. Wow, warming up. I'm shout racism yeah because I use it run bro.
So we were in there and I'm like, we saw Danny Ainge at the game like it was a lot of scouts. Then of course all of a sudden like oh yeah, Danny Age went to be yeah, I forgot about Yeah. So we're sitting there, but there was some other scouts there and we're like, okay, Man, jem put on the show. Would you had thirty four that night?
Something like that, man put on a show?
Was I was going crazy? I was going now Jim had twenty three?
Yeah, yeah he was good. I just remember he made James touch Earth. Yeah he hit a crossover nigga James oh ship hit that three.
I said, because pack Because coach Kelsey came in and were sitting around and he's like, yo, this guy plays like Darren Wims.
We looked at each other. Let me get the fuck out.
What it was like, Man, stop Darren Wims.
Y'all didn't know nothing about him.
No, not like that.
We played in the year before and he ain't do nothing. He ain't doing nothing sophomore years. The sophomore he was another one. He had like he had the Jeryman run in college, Like he's another person. If he would have probably came out like three or four years later, he did probably had a different career.
He's top five white boys ever do it on the college.
I feel bad for because he just he's just in a different era. Think about shooting threes now, yeah five years ago, be like like one of the top shooters and figure it out for him out Like the same thing I said about Jo been like if you don went to the team, like how they do guys now? But man, just go get a bucket. Man, what but this.
Nigga just told you what he was doing at halftime.
That's because I had already figured out my role. Yeah, that's what young boy. Like. They was like I was came in out of score score score ye.
And then when I got to the NBA, they like, yeah, you ain't gonna be doing that, Like you're about to go to the corner and you're gonna pass this motherfucker to Joe and you're gonna wait, see if you want to pass it to you, and then you're gonna come out and you know that messed up with your head, Like yeah, I can score good as HM Like no, the hell you can't.
I'm like, no, I could score it, Like, na, that's a good thing you said before we got here.
Last question, what do you think the hardest adjustment they try to make your game, like change for s C A or for a B A.
You said change emotion. Not for me, It was the NBA for you. I wash.
It was privately college for me because when I was in when I went to the NBA, like I was you know, I was on teams for a little bit and then I would go, uh, once I got to the league, like I kind of figured out the game like it was pick and roll game, whatever the case is. And then like dude asked for the ball, like I throw him the ball, you know what I mean, Like it wasn't no problem. I just needed to find the right team. It kind of like fit you know how I was gonna play, Like I wasn't really tripping. But college was crazy because like they it wasn't even a bad thing. It was just like I was just like why did eye bushy tail?
Like what did you say? Coach?
Okay? Cool? And that's why I said I respected Jeff, Like Jeff was like, no, this is this is how I'm gonna do it. That's what I'm gonna get done. And guess what, when you do it right and you do it like he can guess what they do. They be like that we win it. I don't care what you say like that, that's that's the facts, and I'm not saying like it for sure helped me, but like it was just a situation.
For me when I was in college, like they would be like I.
Was in high school. I was like, man, I shot the ball like this, and it was like, nah, it's just we're gonna do like whatever the case is. So but when I got to the NBA, it was it was cool. It was a cool, litt adjustment because I had seen everything. I had been hurt twice, Like, I didn't play with talented dudes.
So for me, it was like all right, man, like no injury. I'm an see like on an art experience.
I don't play with great players, so I know how to like play off of them or play you know what I mean, play with.
Him like it was what it was.
So I like the adjustment in the NBA wasn't bad. But I know for Jay it was. I remember it was funny. We came in and saw me and G drove down from Winston come see G play. I mean, he's come to see JT player, And J was like, yo, is gh Like I was like yeah, because they was forcing him to play like you know what I mean, like when we first came in the league, like you had.
To play like a true point guard, like.
Like everything was like and I was so proud of him when he got his Uh I think it one year it was your second year and you know what I mean, Mike Bibby got hurt up and then that was his coming out party and then that's when they said, oh the next year he started like that was a jet that was him and d Rose going back and forth and uh that that was the time where I was like, yeah, that's that's the jetf I know, like he still had to like get everybody in, but it has just been like all right, go then you know you probably would have saw a different dude. But he he did it the right way.
Man.
Look, I ain't joking around. I'm so proud of him.
No, I'm proud of you because you did it the right way. Unbelievable, bro, Like.
You got a story bro fourteen years.
That's why I say, like, wait, they gotta they got so like you don't get an opportunity like Kentucky, like they get that stuff, Like I remember we played against him. And I always tell John this, like if I would have had my goons and we have played against that Kentucky Kentucky because when we played good teams, Bro, all right, well for Kentucky, but.
Hold on this Swiss his posture got hold on. They was gonna kick yourys. It was gonna kick your ass by yard, Bro. But they don't kick your ass.
When we played good teams, Bro, we always won.
We always want to play good team.
We had that brother, it's one of my favorite college players ever.
Bro.
But that UK team Bro, I'm telling you, Bro, they beat the sleeves off you.
We beat Carolina?
Did we beat Carolina?
They was the national champs Carolina.
He han' dup and then James that shout out to you.
No no, no, I'm just telling well keeping the team together, No no, no, no.
Wall blood, yes, okay, who was gonna guard the markets? We had five you know I feel about palls.
We had five seven footers.
Name was no good and then my guys like they got puss in his face. He would he wouldn't work a quarter.
Chase, That's my god.
The first chase.
The chase was good at college chase.
The reborn Shane Brown. Fuck him, y'all was toast.
I would have been a good game, all right, John John Wall, I'm picking my dog. Yes, y'all lost the fucking Cleveland good to get.
I wasn't trying to We've been having a good interview.
Hold on a little.
I lost my whole sam sclub. Check what you talking?
Leader?
Talk to me man, I was talking about.
The leader. He said, boys, Bro, when we get off this show, other stories lead that.
Had been a good game. I ain't gonna say y'all have dust them. I'm hating because just talking ship. But now for that had been a good game. I wasn't gonna smoke him.
No, no, we're not saying smoking. We would have went so we played good against there we go. We struggled when we used to play against like the Miamis.
You want to like trying to Patrick Patterson, what's my nigga from Ja Lexington? Okay, okay, there's Miller six all the.
People Carolina had, Bro they went off the Pine Bro.
They had a whip shout out to Yeah, they had a whib.
We beenished that year.
Look they had seven Think about that team though, No, I'm not saying Kentucky.
Not listen, I'm just saying we wanted.
Look, we lost themout real, they beat us back, but we got j T and James what look a little different?
Look j five, John Wall.
And the Marca's cousins. Was unfucking real.
Bro Ye, you wouldn't watching a lot.
I'm tapped. I knew you before you knew who you was.
We played good against the good things. But we beat Baylor. We be all the teams that was good. But when we play that John, we used to just be like sucky Duke.
Remember let me tell you know the Duke game on YouTube. Let me tell you what this jugger did. It was the fun I tell people this story all the time.
So we go to Duke. They beating up forty one to nineteen like they like, they beat it.
Jeff coming in a huddle and Youno drawn over play and I looked at Jim, I said, and man, he was like, don't eat trip. I got you. Man.
He came down to momb like two threes after that, let's go. I was like, man, we all know that's wrong.
Came. We should have won that game.
We came.
That was no swimming for cale singling man.
Cole Singer couldn't do nothing with.
James come with on. It was he couldn't do off Like I love James Johnson, I love James. We gotta get out of here. But he was doing Greg. I'll never forget, Bro, you had Greg Paul's legs. Bro.
We was cooking.
Remember, I was like, damn he did it? Like, let me tell you.
We would like we ain't run no place in the white point guards something real. We'd be like, hey, Jeff got out at you were playing kill him, come down, get to that pad and floater like he was just they back up shooting man.
We was like, hey, next, hey man, you got him kidding.
We used to like go and then Elliott Williams traveled all the way from No.
That was cheating coach Kate ripping off his jacket. I got.
I definitely got Elliot Williams was nasty. G P three was hard too.
Though we beat Carolina that year.
Greg Paul, I'm just saying you got.
No.
I'm not gonna say. Greg Hous was on y'all level. Bro.
He was a great. He was a great college player. He went to he he wants to end up. He ended up going to he was New York. He wanted to play quarterback. But I'm saying they had a good team.
Y'all.
Quit y'all gonna quit disrespecting these niggas. Y'all, was you was better than great posts. You got him dancing like a jab Walker. Yeah, that's cool. But I'm saying, like.
Jill Henderson was called Joe Henderson was three bigs.
Kobe he did, he was bro Number fifteen was nasty.
He was one of the best due players. He was. I kept trying to tell these niggas, Bro.
They used to compare him to Kobe, not saying he was like Kobe, but the similarities though.
He was.
He was Kobe in college for real.
Bro, say that before my nigga went, before my nigga had to go ball.
Joel with with the hety Fame nasty.
Against Carolina and Tyler Hansboro over there playing and like James like, yeah, yeah, look at this, what's wrong with this dude?
Man?
We know he talked to none. He did run, but man, it was a good old time. But we would have got that Kentucky. Yeah, facts, Bro, it was good man. I look, I played against them, but they we're gonna throw Polo. See how people feel about that.
They definitely they're gonna say Kentucky, especially in this region. Man.
Shout out to bless So Niggy.
Yeah, I appreciate.
Y'all, So proud of y'all. Man, I'm so proud of y'all man for real.
Like shouts to the Patrech Game. Shouts at the Volume Club five twenty
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