Maxey on the MicJoel Embiid Opens up about the Process, the Media, his Teammates, the MVP and Much More!
Tyrese sits down and gets controversial with the reigning MVP himself, Joel Embiid. Tyrese and Joel talk about the origins of "The Process" nickname, Coach Nurse, what inspires him, their on-court connection, playing for Team USA, dealing with Ben Simmons and James Harden, trolling fans, the importance of the MVP and fighting with the media.
Maxey on the Mic is a production of iHeartPodcasts Klutch Sports and the NBA
Scene, clean it up from outside tonight rattles into another triple Johns Maxine take it over here tonight.
You see behind the back and be casts up the back to back three point attempt to the left hand. What a move by Joel embiid.
What's up, y'all, it's Tarbi's heare back with Max on the mic. I think this is gonna be a very special episode. We're here in the hotel and DC got pretty much. I think everybody healthy ready to go on a little run here.
But that's we'll talk about that later on.
Today we have a six time All Star Cameraroon's Finest Joel Hand's raining MVP embiid Ah.
But yes, we do.
Have Joel on here today and only took a Media's day session of him calling me out, calling out Max on the mic podcast not happening tom on there uh six tries of getting him to actually get on the podcast.
But yes, it's gonna be great.
Telling me some great content for you guys, and uh stay tuned for the rest of the episode.
Y'all better have some good topics or you better have.
Some I got some doings for y'all, got some dealers for you.
Actually, all right, y'all, what's up? Back to Mexico?
On the mic, I did tell y'all recent episodes that I had a special guest for y'all. Finally it only took about eighteen weeks for him for me to get him in a room, but we finally have the MVP, reigning MVP.
Of the league.
How else did I say this? Joel Hans today? Right, Jabe Hans? And be can we give a silent Joe?
All right? Joe, listen, I got two icebreakers for you.
Okay, I don't know if you heard these ones before, right, you probably have it? Whatever the trust, the process, Okay, what did that?
Did you just?
Did you originate that or was that like something that you the GM told you the trust or did that come from you?
Man? It's a it's a long story.
Because then I, before I got drafted, I think the six is where that way about to go on this long rebuilding process, you know, and how giving up a bunch of good players, you.
Know, one of them was throughout the back, and uh a few of them you know before that.
So uh, you know, as I got drafted and kind of saw where the division was gone, you know, that's you know, that's what it was about. You know, I think that's how it started. And now the reason I don't think a lot of people know this, the reason why I really pushed forward was because when I did start, there was a lot of pushback from people, you know, in the organization because you know that didn't really like that, didn't really like the world and what it meant, what it meant. But to me, I always saw as like, you know, to me, the process is just you know, you can apply to every everything in life. You know, if you gotta trust the processing. You know, anything you do in life, it's all about trusting what you believe, and you know, trusting your process. And you know, I've always believed that it wasn't just about basketball, and you know, it's about you know, it just applies to everything in life.
And you know, going.
Back to what I was saying, you know, there was a lot of pushback in the organization about that. And that's when I you know, I wanted full full call Puss. I was like, you don't like it, you start trouble, So I'm gonna do it even more and I'm gonna push it even more.
What's crazy to me is that you trusted this process, but you are like the ultimate competitive, So how they go hand in hand? Because I just can't see you being okay.
With I wasn't okay with the losing because you.
Know that's what I'm saying. I just didn't understand I wasn't playing.
So like, you know, if you think about it, like we started winning, you know, when I stepped on the floor, you know, that first ship, that's when everything changed. Before that, it was a bunch of losing seasons, and so like, you know, as soon as I started playing, I was not gonna.
Be okay with it.
You know, the standard was going to change, and I was gonna make sure that we you know, try to win every single game. So you know that's why from there, you know, the whole man tality change. And you know, obviously we got a you know, all the good players around that. You know, I had a lot of help to you know, change the round. But yeah, you know me, I'm waiting to be okay with losing.
That was my thing.
Never okay, you know, we're losing.
That was my thing. I'm trying to figure out like how like now that I know you, how they get you to trust that because.
But you gotta think about this though, Like at the time, the process that I was really pushing.
Wasn't about basketball.
It was about everything, what you went through, everything that I was going through.
Think about it.
I'm I'm missing my foot, I'm missing my second year. Everybody is talking, all these stories are coming down. Joe is five hundred pounds. You know, you never played a game, a game of basketball in the NBA's career is over, you know, a bunch of stuff. And then we had a new GM man. You know, we are you know, we can't get into that later. But all this stuff I go, I going on so and then I'm lose. I lost my brother. So that at that point, I'm like, you know what everybody's just talking about.
Like, yo, Joe, I can't do this.
He came that it would never be with the player dealing with all this stuff. So I'm like, okay, Like this is what I believe in. This is my process, and I'm going to trust it. So if you think about it, I wasn't playing, so it wasn't really about basketball. And then it was also a way to communicate with the fans and stay engaged because you know, it was just a way to tell them that help is on the way. Give you some time, give it some time, Just hold on a little bit more. Just please give me a chance to get healthy. And once I do get healthy, I'll prove it to you. Why it would want it?
Do you feel like the process is over?
I would say, I would say it's over, but it's not completed. I think you know the you know, the right ending for it is, you know, winning a championship. So I think that was the whole goal. You know, when it comes to the basketball standpoint of it, the whole goal of it is to be competitive and win. You know, once you win the championship, I feel like that's when it's gonna be accomplished.
But I will set out this partly.
Over Okay, okay, that's icebreaking number one, icebreaking number two.
BEFO me get into the real stuff.
When did you like you always talk about soccer. I see you kicking the ball around, you like, do the little fake kick you know at me when you try to get real stuff done. When did you know, Okay, no, it's basketball, it's not soccer. Because I know you love soccer. You probably want after to play soccer. You say it all the time. So when did you know all right? Is it because I was seven foot or was it because you knew that you could be good?
Like? What was the what's the push? I think?
I mean my whole life, I've always been pretty tall, so like, you know, I never actually thought about how the chance to you know, play at that level, right, a high high.
Level when it comes to rural football. That's not soccer. That's not my bad.
That's football, rural football Americans we call it soccer.
I'm back, just don't know any Okay, you're right, I'm American, So I mean, I guess we don't.
Know where we get into that. We'll get into that too.
But yeah, I mean, growing up, always been tall, but you know, I played it for fun. And then right about when I was I would say, probably eleven or twelve, that's when I started playing volleyball, volleyball, you know, yeah, and then from there that's when I kind of figured out that volleyball was gonna be my sport until you know, when I turned you know, when I was sixteen, that's you know, when it turned around, and you know, we we got disapporchated to start with basketball.
WHOA So okay, you was playing volleyball. Do you know volleyball?
Like the positions like, was you outside?
I forgot a little bit outside outside hit Yeah, I forgot at men.
Men's volleyball in Cameroon or you're playing.
Over here men's came what in the world? Yeah? Wait, okay, And the fun and the.
Funny thing is that's how I fell in love without some basketball, because ball you play basically on the same courts as basketball, right, So there would always be hoops around then, So it's, you know, playing volleyball. I just think the volleyball and just start shooting some hoops and yeah, that's you know, that's how it started.
Wow, I just you never told me you play volleyball. You just get out here and start saying anything.
I was.
My sister plays baba balla ball hard though it's way harder I thought it would. I tried to. I had her, like Spiker, just set the ball for me so I can spike it. I hit the net like three times in the row.
You gotta be It's like those guys are extremely athletic.
Obviously, you gotta have some sort of bounce and you gotta be super super athletic.
Right right, Ple.
Okay, those guys right now, we'll talk about some little general stuff of the season. I want to start with coach Nurse. I'm gonna start with coach Ur. I want to start coach Nurse because we talked about the process a little bit. But this is coach what for you? What number four three? Brett Brown? Coach Nurse. So this is the third system that you have to learn, Like this is there. I don't know how many gyms you have to just two gyms?
Uh Sam, Henky Colangelo? You big.
Four gms like you?
Yeah?
So like what is what do you feel like Nick Nurse has brought that's been different? I think it's early still, of course, but we've been through training camp, mini camp, twenty games. I think what's different.
I think being a one the league. You know, I've learned a lot my first few years. You can tell allously I played in that sort of system with Coach Brown, Yeah, because it was all movement. But then again, I wasn't as good back then. Uh So, you know, I wasn't as good. I wasn't as good offensively, and I didn't see basketball and by way, I was still learning and I'm still learning. But you know, I was still to you in the game of basketball. And then where you know, when you know coach Doc, you know, it was a little different.
It was more you know, I saw and and all that.
But then again, usually coaches, you know, it all depends on the personnel.
Depends on what they happened, they go with it. So but you know I would coach yeah, I think you know, my first meeting.
That I had with him, I just basically told him. I was like, I just want to wait. Whatever you have it, man, I want to do it, and I'm okay with it. But this is what I you know, if you're okay with some suggestions, this is our you know, I see the game.
You know, I see the game.
As you know, I've been through a lot of things, you know, losing on the buzzer beater, you know, Game sevens.
So you know, the common thing that I find is that, you.
Know, if you're not unpredictable, you're easy to garden the playoffs, right, So you know that's the Ferston that they told me, like, I want you to be unpredictable, so you know, we're need the offense. We're gonna make sure that happens. And then I was just like I just want to bolve movement and I'm tired of like ISO basketball, ICEO basketball does not it doesn't work, Like we can't win that way, Like we need to have movement. We need to figure it out. And I mean that's the same way that it sees the game of basketball too. So I think it was pretty easy, but I mean it's changed a lot. Basketball is a lot more fun when everybody's touching the ball, the ball is moving, everybody is happy. And you can see with our team this year, you know, you know, the energy, the vibe is just different, right, you know, everybody's stashing in the balls. I was thinking, we're playing so fast, you're up and down basketball like it's fun.
Right, So having coach Nurse because I remember there's been times when we played Toronto and you get out there, like before the game, we're talking on the plane or we're talking and shoot around your life. They're gonna trap me everywhere, like they're just gonna run guys at me, like you know, sometimes in the past it may have frustrated you, but for me, I feel like it made you an even better player because I remember last year Toronto series and me because no, no, no, no, not last last year, the year before last in the first round, and it was like maybe the first two games, they trapped you everywhere, every singer, and I was kind of beneficiary of this, like I also catch a lot of your passes shooting threes, and I don't know if in the past or well would have not got fresh. You didn't get frustrated. You didn't care if you scored thirty, You didn't care if you scored eighteen. It was like, okay, they wouldn't trap me anywhere. I got some guys that can make some shots. And then again they falls off to the Breakday Series next year, and you know you murdered him, like okay, you're gonna track me every single time.
Cool, Here you go to here you go to bias, here you go.
And do you feel like coach Mars helped you basically with that, because he.
Helped me a lot, because if you think about it, and I've changed a lot too, it because you know the reason why he started doing that was because it used to frustrating me when I was younger.
It was like, you know, if I didn't touch the ball for a few.
Persessions, if I hadn't taken the shot, for like a few posessions, I get for strated and you know, the next thing I do and when I catch the ball, I would try to shoot.
It, and you know, sometimes it was over the double team, and you know I can make those shots, but I can also get easier shots.
And you know, and as I you know, my career just went along, I just figured out, you know, what's the best way, Like you know, that's what he wants me to do, and he told me to you know, like that's what he wants me to do, because you know, that's how used to.
Be back then.
But I've gotten into a level where it's like I know, I understand. I know I'm gonna get my touches. So like, you know, you got a decision to make. Are you gonna trap me and leave everybody else open? And I'm gonna make the vie every single time while you're gonna let me play one on one because I know that at some point, if I play basketball the right way and I make the right players, He's gonna come back to me. Because I know that my teammates, you know, they're gonna make shots, and if they do, that helps me because now you put in a situation where it's like, well, if you're gonna trap him and they're.
Gonna score every single time, or they're gonna hit the three every single you gotta change it. Right.
If you want to go one on one, good luck with that possible, you are gonna get it for trouble. I'm gonna score every single possession. So but I do think he helped me a lot, and I mean, it's good. It's good to have him on my side.
Right, It's really good.
I appreciate having the massid like just said that he did line is crazy, like he just randomly in the game will change the defense. And you know, he asked at the year to be open minded, and I feel like he's gotten guys buy in.
You know what I'm saying.
You got guys you mad. You may have come in the other day. Why he was like, you know, the defensive So he was like only thirty percent of you know what he.
Has splitting in was what do you mean it feels like we've done seventeen I'm like.
What's the other seventy percent? Because we've done a lot, I'm like seventy what's the other seventy percent?
No, Yeah, he's I felt like nurse has been great, you know what, I and a lot of a lot of creak can go to him. But I do want to give you credit because I've been here four years now, my rookie year. I don't think he talked. I told people all time, I said, bro Joe, what I mean we talked like on the plane because you sat right I said, right in front of you, but like very very very very like limit his words came out of I was telling. I tell like I talked, told the story one time about how you brought a PlayStation for the like to giveaway. Somebody took my PlayStation. The next day, you brought me another one. Like you know what I'm saying, Like you made their leadership like then was really good, like for guys like me because you pushed me to be like really good. But like now, I just feel like what has your what I want you to talk about your mindset change now because the way you lead now is so different and it's I feel like it's even better because like you push guys like not even just me, but you push Paul Red, you push mode. You pushed like even in practice today you're pushing them to their limit because you know you need them, you know, like you're on tobias about when you want them shoot three. You know what I'm saying. I want you talk a little bit about that because I know you've grown in that ass.
I mean, I think I we didn't change one night found out I was gonna become a father, you know, calling off. My whole thing was always about, you know, following, you know, just looking.
At what my dad.
My dad did and what he was able to accomplish, and I wanted to do better than him. So I mean, he did pretty good for himself, so I wanted to make sure that I was at that level and also, you know, be better than him. So you know that's what I saw it, you know, having the key now. So I'm like, well, I hope my son also has the same mindset. You know that he thinks about the same. So I'm like, well, if I wanted to have the same mindset, I'm trying to. I'm gonna try to put the ball as how as as possible. So I gotta leave better. I gotta you know, accomplish a lot of things. And so he knows that, you know, it's.
Dad, you know, it was this, and I gotta be you know better than you know. I gotta do better than.
Want My dad accomplished. Now he doesn't have anything to do with sports, but it's all about anything in life. So you know, from that, I was like, that's when everything really changed. But I think a lot of credit goes to like you and you know a lot of guys because you know, the environment also matters.
Right twenty twenty, I was I wanted to I want to creay basketball.
I was, this is the Toronto. This is the Toronto where you had your point.
Yes when you were talking about us okay to Toronto year when I had zero points, think about us zero points in the NBA game.
I guess what after the game? I didn't care because I don't know. I was just that year. I was just I was not playing basketball. I was just there because it was my job.
But you know it was frustrated, you know, the year before you know, you can talk about you know, Jimmy and you know everybody that we brought in.
But like, as you know, like.
He's hard to win when you don't have comes munic and just put guys together and be like go win. It takes you know, months, it takes years. You know, you know, make it happen. So you know, when you know you have guys like Jimmy, you know, just for like half a year and you know they're gone, and you know the Jinger and you know that scene had a lot of potential if it would have been kept together. But then again, you like, I like I'm saying, like the product of your environment. We had gone through the GM Colangelo with the burner accounts and all that stuff like that was like you know, you got your GM just talking about you, you know, on social media, and you're like like this is crazy, like this is and then like this is what's going on in the organization. So when you think about it, there's never been any contribunity. Every single year it's like we gotta make changes. We got to make changes.
Then we just want a championship. Those guys have been together for like what.
Five at least Mary is going to leave for psychopology, you know, like and then from there they just added you know a bunch of pieces that were greatful them them We're a championship.
So like so like it takes you know, every single year, go back to after twenty nineteen or eighteen, we bring we bring him Jimmy for half a year to pass for half a year, and they're gone. We decided to change everything. We were out and you know, Jay Big and I think a bunch of other guys. And then after that we're like, you know, barbe Covid, like we haven't even seen anything.
We change it again.
And then twenty twenty one we have you know obviously what happened Atlanta, and you know from there, you know, stuff change again. Twenty twenty two, James comes in and this summer's changing again.
So like it is impossible.
You just can't win. You just it doesn't matter how many good players you have on the team. You just you need to have continuity. You need to play with guys and learn how to play with each other. And the same thing you mentioned the GMS earlier, like you know, like between the burner account and you know, guys just you know coming in there now, like you know, it's been I mean I've been you know a lot of people start you know, you should have watch your own book or document or something, but you know, we've been doing a lot and so like, you know, the only thing that got saying all that is like, you know, you just gotta be no patient, you know how, some contunity and no trusted Yeah.
And like I said, that's why I said, I give you credit to the leadership because, like you said, I've only been here four years, and I feel like a lot of going off is I've been here.
You know what I'm saying, Like, I just like, you haven't seen anything.
Yeah, that's what I'm saying in the ten win season exactly exactly, like you know, you haven't.
Seen the same man king you know the league stuff, bringing other people, yeah, you know, kicking people out.
Man, it's been it's been crazy.
No, like I can't. I'm sitting here thinking like it was it was somebody Tyler Lashb was telling me it was a year that y'all had like seventy players.
People were just coming in in and out, like every day we had a new tending guy. Oh whatever. We just kept with telling people like it was insane. It was. It was crazy.
But it's been like that every single year. Like he's not I'm not trying to have excuse season stuff. You just think he's like, you know, like I still believe in myself. I believe that I can't do it, but you know, it's not easy but nothing is easy.
That is right.
I want to I want to jump into actually on the court. I'm gonna talk a little bit about JJ Reddick, Seth Curry.
What this is? JJ Reddick.
I want you to talk about the differences though, because author to they you know, it's funny they were asking me like going like, uh, what to the ESPN or whatever. I had an interview that was like, but what's the difference between.
You and DJ Reddick?
And I'm like, I don't know. I just go out there and to play off like I play awful. But I was telling everybody else like the thing that gives me confidence to go out there and play off you is you telling me to like attack and we aggressive? Like it's like it's countless times that you're yelled at me when I don't shoot the ball. You know what I'm saying, Like, WoT you're talking a little bit about that? So what do you see different than those?
And those?
I think you are like the combination and plus more because you do way more than your combination of I mean, JJ was different.
Set was different, said JJ flying off the screens and shoot.
Shooting off bounds, threes and big waves and I mean the connection was just you know different man. You know, we we just started figuring ourselves and it wasn't We never really like talked about it. It was just not true because he was just coming like flying off the screen, come off and go up to shoot the ball. The Big steps up, drops it off and I got it easy done. The Big doesn't step up. I hold the screen and it's wild from doing it, which was cash every single time. So I mean that was like that was automatic, except it was more like I mean just playing the game with him, like you know, like it was more mid range. I mean, I wish you would have taken freaking fifteen threees ago, that's how good of a shooter he is. But you know, like the combination, you know, you know how I play look to like you know, we just knew that every single Like we run that in game five like freaking thirty times in the whatever. Literally, so like you know, we just played well love of each other and then me and you is like That's what I'm saying, Like you the combination of like that, like both of them plus more because you can shoot as well as them, You're way faster than them, and.
You can drive the ball and you can finish. I mean, I'm not saying that they couldn't finished because she's.
Just more athletic and you got more in your package, you know when it comes to finishing and you can get to the free throw up, which you know there were more jump shooters.
So yeah, I think there's a lot of similarities. But it's just fun.
I just you know, like we we we've been doing this so much time. You know, it's just about playing the game. Like you wind up when you're not throwing back, I'm throwing back to you between the legs and you don't have anything come back and get At some point, something is going to happen. And then it's not just about me helping you or you helping me, because at the end of this, the more we do that, our teams have to load.
Up and guess what other guys.
And that was my next point. I about to say, you're like you have opened that up. You know what I'm saying, because like statistically wise, you got like the way our points and assist happens because you average so being because you've become like like you said, you want to play this way and you have this willing pack you want to pass you want to be guys open, You're trying to you got to get me open. Then when I'm so concerned about that, now you you're faking the handout to me. Somebody's coming through. You hit somebody's fore corner. Three, you hit you know, Nickolas between four quarter three. Like I just feel like that is that aspect of your game again, kudos to you. You know, that's just hey, you know you, like I.
Said, it goes back, you know, nothing against what you know has been going on and who was being bombed. But it goes through the product of your environment. Like if you don't have like, you know, quick catching shooters, like we got a few now we got you know, nick Nico, you know you we got a few, right, can tell you that, Like, we have a few that can do that.
So it's easy to just, you know, play that way. So like I think, you know, I just think it's just more fun to play basketball like that. Man, Okay, I got I got a few more.
I want one more basketball than I Gonna talk about Caroon a little bit and then well we'll get you out here. So it's my last basketball question. Just talk about Drew Drew hand I don't know do you have any real trainers before Drew, like anybody worked you're at no, Maybe, I guess like some guys probably.
I used to just.
Walk with the guys from the team, like okay, yeah, my god, I love yeah, and obviously I got your love right great in the past, but I never actually I never liked Traders before.
Uh. You know. The way I started with Drew, I was actually stalking him watching the videos. You yeah, I was watching these videos.
And obviously I went to school with Wigs and Andrew Wiggins used to walk out with them time, like, watching their videos all the time.
I'm like, like, I like what he's doing, right, I like this food walk. I like what he's stitching it.
So after my first sh after my second year, you know, I was finally able to get on the floor. So, you know, I went to Vegas for Summer League, and then I kept looking at his instagram like is he doing be dead as he you know, like what is he doing?
And then I finally ended up catching him at the game.
Yeah.
I walked up to him.
I'm like, oh, like, if you can, I'm trying to walk out with you bet and then he was like done. He's like yeah, I'm going back to LA tomorrow. I'm like done, I'm coming to m there.
Yeah, I'll be dead. And then we just started walking up.
What do you think he's helped you the mouth? I'm gonna talk about what I think he helped me with most after you, because I worked out on this summer because of basically because of you telling me that that's why I need need to do it. What do you think is helped do with the most A lot?
I think mentality, Yeah, you know, and I'm still not there, but you know, like you know, just you know the way he pushes me about just being aggressive and you know it just freaking you know, not being a basketball the best basketball player on the floor for forty minutes, but for forty years minutes see possession, be aggressive, like hunting, like freaking you know anything. But you know it's more than that too, Like you know, he's always selling me stuff about you know, Engine, just mentally, not you know, just basketball, just you know, all these crazy stats and you know Engine, the way he was, the way he pushed himself at the stuff he was saying, like he really wants me to get to that level. And then he also he's also helping as far as, you know, just being a better leader as far as like pushing out the guys. But I'm always telling him, I'm like, dude, you know the people that are playing nowadays. If I see some of the stuff that jury and those guys used to stay back there, I don't know, man, I'm those guys might not talk to me.
I can't go and cuss my teammates side.
And you know, if I'm making shots and customer out like like do this, Like there's a way to say it, like you can say, you know, the you know, serious playful way, which I think I'm master.
But yeah, I think it's all about you know, mentality and you know, just pushing me in.
I mean, he does believe in me. He believes in you a lot more than I believe in myself. That's one thing I'll say. But you know, I'm still you know, still walking.
Probably percent better every day, and you get it.
I think, you know. And I'll say this because I you know, this is my first time working out with make the summertime, and uh, you know, I love like I worked out with Tim, worked out with Chris, loved those guys great, great for me, and it's funny like you you know, he was like, look, I want you, I want you work out with you, try it, and you know, I'm like, you know, I was told you. I was like, I don't know, I don't know. And then uh, I feel like this was like the perfect time enough for me to do it, you know what I mean. It's like, like you said, my mentality wise, like the things that he did for me was just like I was always like kind of reserved, like when I got to the NBA, because I just didn't know, like you know, my path was different than yours. So it's like me being twenty first coming into a team that y'all was trying to win championship. We got all these old guys bet you being Danny said Mike Scott, Like I'm like, okay, and then like where do I fit in with that? I just remember, like I tell people a time, like, man, Joe is probably one of the first people that actually believed in me, Like he wanted me to be aggressive. He want every time I got in the game, he told me to be aggressive. And then like the game that you know, I had the thirty whatever points and y'all set out. I just remember you telling me in the hallway, like, hey, can you get forty? Like I'm looking at how am I supposed to get forty the NBA game. I'm like, it's this man, Seriously, I ain't never started.
I ain't like, wait forty and the guys I'm playing, Yeah, as I'm playing, I'm like if Joelle thinking he scored forty every night, if he think I can score forty, maybe I can actually like if I can actually do it.
And it's like and that's just like the mentality that he preaches that I can say, like and you had ventie because that's you. You know, you're have a basketball player. But like he he preached the same thing, like, bro, go out there and be aggressive, extremely aggressive, and like me, being aggressive helps not you.
Me, Yeah, just you team, Yeah, everybody exactly. And it's like I do it. I appreciate you.
I appreciate him, I appreciate everybody that's like, Bro, Like I don't know if I could I would have been as aggressive as in this year last year, like whatever it is when I have the ball, if it wasn't for you, like you you get on me so much all the time, like and I just tell the testimony relationship, that stuff.
Basketball.
Let's talk about Cameron, Like, I know, my dad, my dad, you said, I want to you want to go? He's talking about camera. He's like, man, George asked you if I could have cared. I'm like, listen, I don't know how that works over there.
I've never been.
You gotta go over there with somebody, you know. You know what I'm saying, I don't know, but I want to talk about what's different. What's what's the main difference between Cameroon in the US?
Well, real, alah, you know that's why press. That's my country, That's where I'm from. So you know, it's always going to be all about came or know.
I'm not, you know, on this planet anymore. But I mean, you know, I just you know, growing.
Up obviously the way I was raised, you know, you know, always of our family. I felt like my parents did a pretty good job with me. So I'm happy about that.
But you know, most of the time, you know, it's all about the fool is just different like the people.
You know, that guy is this thing about you know, just an easy going life. I feel like over here everybody is always stressed all the time, you know, over there. It's just about you know, just live your life. And I mean we got a bunch of beautiful places like kem is also known as African miniature, meaning that everything that you founding the whole continent of Africa you get founded in you get fired.
Yeah, so you know, yeah, I take him myself. Point I might go back next summer.
He talks about it like it's like after.
The Olympics, I gotta you know, I'm gonna go back for us. And then I saw for I take it okay cause he man.
Now he's like, because he's been the same, you want to go to Africa before I got on the team, And of course I get drafted here and you like cam Roon and he's like.
Can you ask Jo? Well, like, can I go back?
Can I go by myself?
Can I know? I gotta go with somebody? When is he going back? Yeah, that's why I said.
You can't just go You don't know where, you know, you don't know how to speak the language, you don't know. You want somebody's gonna be able to show you around, show you to help you. Like, you can't go over there, eat anything. You don't know what you're doing, like and it's like then, you know, cam Roon will talk. You said that us. You had a great statement about author us. He grew up here, which makes sense. You know what I'm saying, I understand a hundred makes sense if.
You think about it and everything all about our family. Yeah, you know my wife, you.
Know author, you know that's you know, that's all I care about. So when I'm in a situation right that where you know, I've always had a.
Goal, you know my go growing up. You know, I watch sports my whole life.
I watch every single sport and I was a big fan of the Olympics, so growing up it didn't matter which sport I played. That's always been my dream to be part of the Olympics and Spain. So when I got down the opportunity.
I'm like, I, I you know, I really want to do it with you know, my.
Country from there. I want to represent, which I might still do. I will still do at some point, but you know it's also not a guarantee that you know, might you know that I'm I'm gonna make it. You know, we came home when that's my actual goal, and then when you start thinking about it, then you know, all I do is represent my son. And you know him being from here, being an American, which is I mean it isn't back in Brazilian.
Yeah, you got like five citizenships, so.
Like him being from here, I just felt like he was only white, right, And I mean I've grew, I've grown up, I've been here.
You moved here when you were sixteen sixteen? Yeah, you scared.
Yeah, of course I didn't know the language. I didn't know anybody yet I have I have been outside of camel if I was in. I went on a vacation to France.
But it was scared.
You think about it, right, Yeah, but think about it. You don't know the language. You're sixteen years old. You don't know Let's say you got to move to no friends, you don't know the language, like nothing, you don't know nobody.
And then to till you you gotta go to friends.
And they got to tell you playing basketball and your expectations.
Yeah that's a hard. But think about it.
You gotta like your whole goal is you got so much pressure too, because your whole goal is like, Okay, I gotta make something out of my life because when I came in, there's no way I could have thought I would have been in the NBA because my goal was I just had this opportunity to play basketball. I was like, I'm going to use that to go to school, get a good degree, study or whatever, and you know, found some good job and help my family, I go back home or something.
That was my goal.
Just use whatever scholarship I can get to use that and go to school, and you know, trying to figure it out. Like it's not until I got to I got to Kansas like that, you know. Then that's when they started talking about me being a number one pick. Even then, I stay didn't believe it. I was like, man, they're lying to me, like you know, course stuff coming up to me is like you're gonna mean number one pick in two years minting after my sophomore year, I'm like, man, they taught me coach. Coaches always lie, you know, you know then they don't tell the truth. So it's telling me that I don't believe. I thought I was only like a fifth year senior. I at some point crazy, so like that's what I believe it. So I'm like the whole time, you know, living camere and I'm like, my whole goal is just trying to get into school for free so my parents don't have to I don't even know whether that we're going to find out money with so trying to get a scholarship and study as hard as I can and get a degree out.
Of it and found a good job that's gonna, you know, help you know a lot of people. So I mean, I'm glad you got a good job.
You got a good job.
But that's that's great.
Man. Now, I got last thing I want to say. Do you have any thing you want to talk about? Any questions? And I got to questions that I always ended it. So I want to ask you first, do you have any questions if you want to talk about anything?
You got to say anything when you got the chance. No, no question for me. Yeah, I just I just I just don't like how we didn't talk about it. Man, we didn't. We want to controlsual you wanted to go. You want to know, is that where you want to? Don kept it easy to that? I don't know. Listen, listen, I went over.
The town that I told you.
That's why I'm like, that's why I cut it out.
That's why I'm like, I didn't want to get I know you do, but I was looking at the time. So I'm like, all right, okay, all right, that's fine, that's fine, Okay, I got well, I got I got two good controversies for you off the bat. Okay, I'm gonna start with the album and start with number one?
Number one?
Or do you think it was hard to play with Ben or James because it was difficult?
Did you have a hard time playing with them? Me? It was different from me. Wow.
One when Ben was here, I wasn't a part of offense really and no one really I didn't play with Ben that much. I was always coming in for him, you know what I'm saying. I played with Dawaight, so I never played with Ben. You know what I'm saying. James was different for me as well. I also had never had a like freedom to be on the bar as like I am now. So like I always played a role those two three years when you've always been you're the best player on the team, always that you You know what I'm saying, that you stepped footing there, So me I was playing you know what I'm saying. With James, k I'm just like a role guy, you know what I'm saying. I'm like, all right, look, I don't have no say so it's year two for me, Like I'm just happy to be Like, let's be honest, I'm just happy to be here, you know what I'm saying. It was different for sure because how he played, But hey, I want to play, you know what I mean, I want to play.
I don't think he was I don't think it was hard to play with any of them. I think the only thing that I'll say about you know, you know, I just think and I've always been one of, you know, those people that didn't believe that he didn't actually need a jumper, like talking about like, yeah, like he's he was so good, like just freaking he's just a master, Like just physically, like someone is freaking six eleven just running up and down the floor faster than whatever. Then almost as fast as you almost you're faster than it, but almost as bad.
Think about six eleven, fre.
Freaking jumping high just everybody. Yeah, god, it like one through five, like freaking master strong. So like I never believed that he actually needed the jumper. I just believe that, you know, if he could find a way to get his free those too, you know, seventy five eighty percent. That would changed everything because if you think about it, if he believed that he can make shots what we need to, he would keep attacking, attacking, tapping and never stopping.
Like because and then what would the defense how to do?
It was already such, you know, such a good play maker, making the guy the game easy for you know, everybody else because obviously with me, for me, you know, it's better if you know, we know.
That.
But I never believed that, you know, with both of us on the same thing, I never believed that he needed to do question.
Yeah, we talked about the leadership. Why do you feel like you couldn't get through him? That's my first question. And also I'm going to say this, I do think if Ben gave it some time, it came back and I played with him, it'd have been a different situation.
Oh my god, think about I always think about it. I think if that could have been figured out me, you and them, because like, if you.
Think about it, what he did and what he added to the game, obviously you don't need him to score, right, he was going to give you fifteen seventeen every single game just by being aggressive and attacking the world.
But if you add that combination of someone that can go one through five and a point guy, I.
Can just push it in transition and just attack, you know, anybody and beat anybody.
Off the dribble.
And you put that with a combination of your speak and me rolling short rolling and freaking you know, nominating. I think that's you know, you can talk about. You know, this could have happened, like you know, the mistake that the mistakes that have been made, you know during the draft or the mccount Bridgers and and all that stuff.
Like that's just one.
There's been a lot of mistakes that have been made. But like you know, I think that's the perfect match.
Right.
You got one guy that saw unselfish. I mean all of us we saw on selfish, but you got that one guy. All he wants to do is just get say guys going yeah.
And then you add that with your score.
On the building and my scoring the building and then defensively me and then we were always freaking tough every single year. It didn't matter who else was on the floor, tougher every single year. So like you add that type of guy that can I think that was that's the one that got away, and I just I just hate the fact that, you know, the way things happened, right, and I know, you know, business is business. People had to do what they had to do. You know, stuff had to be linked to the media the way they had to. And you know that pissed you know, me off, and I pissed some people off. And sometimes I felt the need of retalia because I just felt like, you know, if you got an.
Issue with someone, like, what do I have to do with it?
Just keep it over that? And my thing is, like, you know, if I was in that situation like that, like you're my guy, Like, I'm not going at you. I'm don't let you know what time is. I'm gonna make you know this uncomfortable. There's nothing personal. I'm gonna have that conversation with you and being like, yo, it's something you said, it's not it's not about you.
It's nothing personal.
But I'm telling you, like, if I'm trying to get out of here, I gotta make it you know, I'm comfortable. I got to make sure that you know hearing me so I can get what I want and I can get out of here.
And it's not about you.
It's just about my mental you know, space where I just don't feel comfortable being abanded.
But I do believe, like you know, like.
You said, like you know, that's you know, that's the team that was. That's that's why I wanted this to go because I'm like, but again, also, you just don't know, you know what I'm saying. He probably not. We don't know, you know, I never got to yea. Yeah, so it's like you don't.
You don't know, but I do feel just.
I thought about it that year, like when we started to see this, I'm like, hold on, like if you add in here, because I wasn't playing like i'm playing now, but I was playing okay, you know what I'm saying, shoot the ball pretty well. I was a little nervous.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it was like.
I'm not saying thinking about it, that's a crazy thing. That's another one. Another question controversial.
You like this, You're gonna like this?
Okay, everybody talks about this, right you yo, kicch whatever. I don't never hear you talk about it. So do y'all like is it a rivalry for y'all? Because it's to be honest, y'all. Top was the last four years, it's gonna be again. Let's just be honest. You know what I'm saying.
You know that we know that.
It's just you're we're gonna have a good team. You know we're gonna be high and seeing whatever they're gonna be the same. It's gonna come down to y'all two again. Like you know what I'm saying, Do y'all do you feel like because I know you and your competitive nature, one, you want to win the championship. That's we already know that. I think everybody in the world knows that. But does it, like really really deep down like does it do you feel some type of way about it or does it like and whatever? No, I think you don't talk about it.
I think you can be competitive and not be personal. I love him. I've watched all of his games, Like I watch every.
Game anyways, and if he's on TV, I'm watching the games because I love his game. I love the way he plays basketball. The passing is absurd freaking and he's up is scoring about it, like I mean, he has to do everything, like everything really on our friends, I mean, just like I do. But but you know, he's just he's just fun watching him the way he plays like he's just fun. You know, watching a seven foot center that's able to use dribble and passball and you know scoring. There's nothing you can do about it because I can relate to that because like it's just fun, Like imd just want actually know the good players, you know, dominant.
But then again it's.
Like, well, like you know me, you know, if you're telling me that you know this better than me, yeah, this person is better than me, or you know that's you know, that's my competition to try to win the championship. Guess what, I'm gonna freaking get going and you know, trying to play as hard as I can then every single game respectfully, respectfully, and I'm trying to, you know, go at anybody. Got anybody anyways, So like anybody that I play, it doesn't matter if I play the twenty nine ranking in the NBA, whoever is on that side, whatever big man or whoever is guarding.
Me, I'm going at them.
That's why I'm saying like he's not personally, it's not like I don't do it against other guys. And then that one game, I'm like, Okay, I'm coming in. I'm gonna dominate you and kick your gass and all that.
I just do it.
I just try to do it against anybody. So that's what I'm saying. Like it's not you know, personal, It's just me being competitive. And guess what I want it all. I want to win a championship. We can't talk about individual awards and you know, team awards.
I want to win a championship.
I want to win a lot of mvpas. I want to win a lot of Defensive Player of the Year. I want everything. So like I mean, at the end of the day, is out of my hands, you know, if you know, I get voted or not, But that's I can't control that. I can't control if I'm gonna win that. But guess what, I'm gonna do whatever.
Is necessary eything perhaps win.
But I think what people always forget is that, like I'm not focused on the stats of the awards. I'm focused on whatever, Like what do I gotta do to help the team win?
That means I.
Gotta score a lot, I gotta pass a lot, I gotta rebound, I gotta freaking be a master on defense.
So I gotta do it all.
So if you're asking me to do it all and I'm doing it and we're winning, and we got a high seat and with the number one seed and we got a high seed. Guess what I'm gonna be in a conversation in a conversation, So like, I think that's why a lot of people forget, Like, yeah, like if your stats are good enough and your team is.
Winning, so you don't even have to care about you know, want wanting to win the.
War, because you're gonna be in the conversation. Yeah, naturally, but at the end of the day, it's you know, not on you, and you know it's on everybody else. But then again, like that's why I kept because if I start focusing on it, like it becomes another thing. Now, it becomes on like you know, like, oh, Joe World War last year, but you know he didn't want a championship and so this year it shouldn't win it, Like, you know, it's all about the regular season. But I'm not focused on that because if I focus on that, now I'm like, Okay, I gotta do this, I gotta do that to accomplish that.
No, I don't. All I gotta do is about winning, and what do my team, what does my team need me to do the win, do everyverything.
Yes, and you keep you keep saying you've been telling like we talk off the record all the time because you know it'll be cool. But you always say, like you feel like the media is against you. Where does that come from the process? Does that come from you trolling? Does that come from I said?
I said, most most of the time, you just hide myself up. That's okay.
I'm just toiling and hyping myself up. No one is against me, and I don't care if you against me. Now, I actually like white people are against me because guess what, if you're telling me that I can't do something, I'm gonna go walk harder and prove it.
So I actually like when that say that. But when I do sing, when I do sing, you.
Know those stop and stuff, I'm just totally I'm like, you know, I like, I like when people get mad, and I like seeing reactions. Like you know, like most of the time people don't know this when I sayd twets or when I'm tweeting or whatever, something controversial or sometimes something that I know that it's gonna get a reaction. Literally, this is me in my house before I said the Twitt.
I just know.
I know I'm about to say something I really laughing crime, because I just know people are gonna react and they're gonna act crazy.
They're gonna say, jewel is this jewel? Is that? So like that's why I like, you know, when I always say the media is against me.
Like, no, I don't care if there might be some of them maybe, But at the end of the days, it's also about like happy myself because I'm like.
Are you telling me I can't do this or you want me to prove it? Okay, I'm gonna go ahead and do it.
You like the tweet from what I don't know, Nay, one of the me people, and like the whole Twitter was raving about it.
I was like, listen, that's what you mean by that, that's something like but yeah, like if I do.
On Twitch, sometimes it's about liking something. Yeah, if I like something, I know they're gonna find passage.
You want to like this and is it? Man? Is it? This? Is it that? And then I'm like, that's what I want. I want to reaction. I want you to be you know, crazy and dumb and make up stories.
But then again, if you think about it and I'm also being a good guy because I'm giving those guys a lot of AMMO.
I'm amo so that can go out there and buy stores. And they're making them money too. They are because if.
I'm saying controversial stuff and I'm always saying something that means you can write an article, and good for you. That means if you write an article, and that's how you earn your job, and that's how you make your money.
So you report us, you better thankful for.
Me, youll. I'm on the type of patrolling you trow Boston fans and you throw I feel like Toronto fans, which one do you hate?
Work like? Which one do you I don't hate? I love I love both, especially Toronto. Yeah, I said, I think Toronto that there fans.
You know, they're just nice people that they're great people like that, you know, that support their teams, that show up and you know, just just because like we play them so much over the years and you know, I've lost on the game, you know, Buzzy beating against so so anytime I beat them, I'm just I don't want to troll, but I actually like them, just like Boston, like freaking I freaking love Boston. Every time we go there, I'm like, amazing city, freaking amazing fans, you know, obviously creative arena. So like you, I just love It's fun. I love every team, but you know, troll me too. There's some teams where I'm just like because like fans.
You know, some fans are just too much into the game man that just overreact about anything. Our fans are like that. You know, you could go on a twiny win, you know, trick, and you lose one or two games, it's the end of the war.
Like I mean, I don't want to lose, but I also no one has ever gonna eat it cannot go, so you know you're gonna lose at some point, so it's not okay.
Well it's okay, yeah, yeah, part of it's part of okay. Last today, I do this thing, right, whoever comes on, I always ask them, I say, what are you thankful for? I want you to say, well, you thankful for? And I want you to tell everybody where do you plan on getting one percent better and the next upcoming week? So first, what are you thankful for?
Thankful for my family everybody including their parents, right, Uh, you know your family, Uh, everybody helps me around. Uh you know, people that makes me smile right all the time because I don't like to smile, and sometimes I'm kind of forced to.
Yeah, you're gonna smile.
You're gonna wake up a shot around, You're gonna smile. You see, I've changed a lot.
The next part is I want you to tell the people what what am I gonna get?
Better?
A better week, better person? Keep trying to be a better person. Every single day. You're trying to find way to be a better person. I think you know, it's just it's not all about basketball for me, right, you know, it's you know, it's about life.
You know, at the end of the day, you know, when I'm done playing.
Basketball, I don't want to look back and be like, wish I would have done this. I wish I would have done that. Like, I'm all focused on, you know, what can I do to be better as a person. You know how many people cannot help, you know, walk and I do so Uh yeah, that's probably you know.
What I'm always focused on, just trying to get as a person. There we go, all right, y'all? That is that was longer than what I thought i'd get from the process. I ain't gonna lie. That was great. That was really good man.
I want to say thank you Joel Holden be the process.
Yeah, that was great.
Thanks for tuning in to Max on the mic.
And uh, I'm gonna toss for breaking. I'll come back and finish it up with Charley.
We're gonna give another rideing applause for Joe.
Good day, you funny. I didn't want to I'm trying to get you out of there. You wanted to go into the controversy. I'm following with that. That was great with me. Wow, one episode.
Joe was great and she told a lot of stories, gave us a lot of info.
You know, we love Joel. Joe was amazing, great basketball player, even better person. You know, a lot of people don't see that side.
Joy because it's quiet, but when he actually gets to you know, when he actually opens up and talks, you just see how sincere is, how much he loves his family, how much he loves the game, and how much he wants to be the best person he could possibly be.
So we appreciate him.
I'll talk a little bit about what I'm thankful for, and I'll say this, I'm thankful for health. You know, the last week has been a pretty tough one, not just my teammates but myself as well. Missed the Boston game because of it. Couldn't like I was just sick man, couldn't breathe really well. Now I feel a lot better, a lot better. So I'm thankful for that. And then when I want to get one percent better a this upcoming week, I'm gonna say upcoming weeks, I'm gonna say, you know, our team record and.
You know we are trying to build something, not just the record, but our camaraderie.
We have a really good chance here to go out here and have everybody healthy and keep building, keep getting one percent better at just how we want to play, how we want to execute games, how we want our rotation, what guys need to do.
And I think it's a very important stretch for us coming up. And I think we're up for the challenge.
You know, We've had some good priceices days the last couple of days, and we're ready to go out here and play a game and Washington tomorrow. So I appreciate you guys tuning in.
This is a great episode, wonderful episode. Yeah, I just want to say thank y'all again. Man, this has been great.
You know that the pot has been doing great, getting so many great reviews. Everybody's asking for different guests. I promise you're going to keep the guests coming, getting there with.
The great schedule. We appreciate everybody, Love everybody.
I want to say this stuff, some good stuff coming up, So stay tuned, Life subscribe.
We appreciate y'all. Tyry's out.
