The volume. The Draymond Green Show presented by FanDuel Sports Book. No better place to beout the action than on FanDuel Sports Book during the football season. There's a lot of reasons. It's America's number one sports book. Incredibly easy to use, super safe, totally secure, super fast payouts in as quick as two hours. You're not gonna get that anywhere. Also, same game parlay bets, live betting. It's the best. There really is no competition. Hey, if you're new, just download the FanDuel Sports Book App. I did it in fifteen seconds. Get started now. Sign up. Please use the promo code Colin so they know we sent you. Please use the promo code Colins CEO l I N FanDuel sports Book App. Sign up. What's up, everybody? Welcome back to The Draymond Green Show. As you know, uh, we were off last week. Things definitely got a little hectic with read schedule, and so I was just trying to figure all of that stuff out here. I am We're back. I am excited after a week off. I feel rejuvenated. No, I'm just planning. This is actually always fun. You know, one thing about this podcast space that I've enjoyed this. In my interviews, sometimes I can get a get a bit long winded, and like on the podcast, you actually have time to tell your story and listen to other people's story, and I actually loved that, as I can get long wind and sometimes as y'all made no, but I am extremely excited about today because we, like I said, we missed last week, but we're coming back with a big ninth episode and we got a great guest, one of the greatest scores to ever live, Um, Kevin Durant before Kevin Durant, uh hall of Famer, none other than the great Tracy McGrady, and myself personally growing up being a fan of the NBA and watching t Mac get drafted to the Raptors and then go on to the Magic in Houston and so on and so forth. I am excited, and I hope everyone else is excited. And I got some some some drag them down, knock it out questions for t Mac. You know, no, but uh no, extremely excited just to have those conversations. I I have just as much fun having these conversations as I hope you do listening, and so um, yeah, that's that's gonna be this week. But as you know, we like to go around us the association a little bit before we get going with the interview with the Great T Matt. And of course I can't come on this week after missing last week and not talk about the injury. Um. I went out last Saturday. I played in practice after having missed the New Orleans game. Came back to practice and I was humming who I was humming and Coach Ker we had two four minute scrimmages just to get up and down. I needed to get a little run. Steph needs to get a little run as he had missed the New Orleans game as well, and obviously we know Clay Thompson was coming back, and so we practiced that Saturday. Everybody and I'm flying around and everybody's flying around. We're excited. I got. I had the opportunity because as you you you may have heard, all the guys gotta had the opportunity to scrimmage with Clay in denver Um for the Nuggets game. I was down with COVID when that happened, so I didn't get the opportunity. So that was my first chance to scrimmage with Clay. And just like old times, hit Clay with a couple of past as he knocked him down. Clay coming flying off a step a steph corner screen and hit Clay, knocked it down and we got a rolling and everybody on that um, that white team, I hope they hear this. We cracked them boys. And so after the first four minute scrimmage, coach Kirk came to me. He said, how you feel s I feel incredible? He said, you look incredible? You are you? You You're gonna go again. I was like, yeah, I'm cool. He's like, well, let's let's get JK in to get j K a little run. I was like, no problem, I feel great, I'm cool. That evening my calf tightened up. Um. I then went back to the facility that evening, sat in the sauna and like rolled out my calf with a lacrosse ball and with a phone roller just to get the muscle to loosen up. And then loosened up a little bit. So I'm like, all right, cool, I'll come in tomorrow for the game. I'll you know, get some uh some treatment on it. They'll get it loosing ready to go. I'll be ready to go. We got Clay coming back excited as hell, and I went to get you know, the calf worked on and it wasn't really letting go like I thought it would let go. So I'm like, this is weird. But I went and then my whole routine getting my glues activated, everything I activated before I got on the court. And when I went out on the court, I went to shoot some jump shots and I'm like, yep, this definitely doesn't feel right, and shot a couple of shots and then I left the court and right there they told me you're definitely not playing today. Um, there's no chance you're gonna play. And it brought me to tears. And the reason it brought me to tears is because after two and a half years of not playing, uh, having the opportunity to play with Steph and Clay Um and Andre guys who you know who we really especially Clay and stuff. Those two guys were here when I got drafted and they had just won twenty three games a year before. So built this thing up from the ground. And then Andre came in year two, and so you know, we've been with this thing up from the ground, and in doing that, you share a love and a compassion for one another, uh, and appreciation. And so just as I can't say that I was excited for claytownson return as as Clay Thompson was, because he went through the treatment, he went through the rehab, he went through the mental struggles, he went through all of those struggles. I didn't go through those struggles. So I can't say I was more excited than Clay, but I'm sure I was just about as excited or more excited than anyone else in this world about Clay's return. And so once I was given news that I couldn't play, it brought me to tears because I wanted to share that moment with him, and I wanted to be out there and you know, like old times right like we're you know, teams doing great right back at it, and and and to to have the opportunity snatched away, not that Rick or anyone from our snap stashing away. UH. They protected me, which I am very appreciative of, because I would have limped out there and played and shouldn't have been out there, and the worst things can happen you over compensate and all of those things. And so it brought me to tears, and I asked them like well, can I at least just start the game, like just to be out there with him and they and then I said, I said, no, I don't want to start the game because then if I start the game, and I filed, that takes away from clay moment, like and I don't want to take away from Clay's moment. And Rick said no, I actually think it asked to his moment. And that's all I needed to hear it was it asked to his moment. And and so you know, we were able to get it done to where I could start and then come out of the game. And the calf felt weird, so like it just didn't feel like something that, oh, I'll be back next game, so no big deal, I'll play with the next game. And I also didn't want the whole thing hanging over, well, well, when would Draymond get an opportunity to play a game with him and start? And like, yes, I still haven't got an opportunity to play with him, But our names were on the start in line up together and I played seven seconds and it scratched the bitch enough to where I can focus on getting healthy. But it's like I said, it just didn't feel like I would be back next game, and it just didn't feel normal. So I wanted to be out there for that. So to the people out there that were blowing my page up about me um messing their their fan duel points up for their drafting points up, or this betting website or that bett and webs whatever, um, I apologize, that wasn't my intention, and to be quite honest, that never even crossed my mind. Um. The only thing crossed my mind was I have an opportunity to share this moment with my brother, be on the court with him as he's coming back. Although I can't play, I have the opportunity to feel that energy with him and Steph to start that game. And then I subbed out to those that one on the under, Uh, you got a little lucky. You know, everybody sent me their numbers and I saw the under numbers world. Whatever, Uh you got a little lucky, And you're not welcome because I wasn't doing it on purpose, So I can't say you're welcome because I had Like again, my thought was never who's going to win their bad or lose their back. My only concern and thoughts were to play or start the game, and feel the energy with my brother after two and a half years, So that was kind of that. Um so yeah, congrats if you want um, because I'm a nice person, but definitely wasn't my intention to hurt or help anyone. I just really wanted to be out there with my brother. But moving on to the NFL around one of the playoffs, man, it's I love the NFL playoffs, and I mean we got Saturday, Sunday, we had Monday night. It was incredible and I can't do much right now due to the injury, so sitting around watching football is a perfect day for me. And boy was it a good day. The Niners got to win, which you know, I'm not a San Francisco for the Niner fan. I am a Pittsburgh Steller fan. My Stellers dropped the game. But congrats to Big Bin on a on an incredible, incredible career. One two super Bowls, which there are some organizations that don't have two super Bowls. So uh, you know that was all is a lot of talk of like, oh it's time for being to retire. Winning Pittsburgh gonna force him out, And I must say I have a ton of respect for Pittsburgh's ownership group, their front office group, coach Mike Tomlin for allowing to Ben to go out on his terms. You know, you have the argument people making an argument, Oh, he should have been retired three or four years ago. Maybe he should have, Maybe he shouldn't have. Who knows? Who cares? The thing? I have the utmost respect for he is. Again, he won two Super Bowls, for the for the organization, the organizations that don't have two Super Bowls like Dallas Mavericks did with Dirk and Whiskey, you allow that guy to unlike the New York Giants did with Eli Manning. You allow that guy to go out on their own terms. And so I have a ton of respect you. Maybe it costs you a year or two, but what was really the likelihood that you were going to win the championship in that year two? Probably slim the nun So have a ton of respect for the Pittsburgh brass I think what they did and allowing being to leave on his terms was great, and I'm sure if he wanted to come back next year, they have him back next year, and they should because bringing two Super Bowls to a franchise, it's it's rare you allow that guy to leave on his own term. So UM, kudos to Ben as a Stiller fan. Thank you for all that you've done. It's incredible, uh, to have been a great ride. And now you know, if this is official, we look forward to the next chapter. Other games. Let's talk about that. That that Raider game. You know. I've been in the Bay Area for ten years now, and Raider fans Brownie Blends whose brother of mine? Um, big time Raider fans. Raider fans are unlike any other fans. I mean, I'm sure no one listening to this podcast unless you're Raider a fan or anything about the Tuck rule. I've been out here for ten years. I've heard about the Tuck rule a million times. I still can't explain to you what the Tuck rule is. But if you listen to a Raider fan and let them tell it, they will tell you that the Tuck rule is the reason time Brady won six championships or whatever it is, whatever it was with the Patriots, that they started the Patriots dynasty because of the Tuck rule, and that the Patriots dynasty never would have happened had it not been for the tuck rule. Well, we had a similar instance, not quite. But the other day Joe burrows close to stepping out of bounds and he drops a dime to the back of the end zone. Now, if you're watching the game, you definitely heard the whistle, because I oncent heard the whistle. But when you when they slowed it down, the whistle seemed like it happened when the ball was almost crossing the end zone the the goal one and then the guy catches it and he's wide open. Did the whistle affect to catch it all? Absolutely not. I don't think if the whistle didn't blow, he was still catching that ball. So I saw one tweet from Brownie. Uh, that's y'all think this is gonna start the frenchise for the Cincinnati Bengals now and they're gonna go on to win Super Bowls. I couldn't believe it, but I guess that's what's going to be the same now, and saying that I thought the NFL was dead wrong and those officials were dead wrong for not replaying it down. Did it affect the catching. No, the ball still would have been caught. But the rule is in Averton whistle you have to replay it down, And I thought that was filed that they didn't replay it down. I although I also thought what was a little more fishy was we can't talk about that after the game, So like, what do you do? Do you put a call in and say, hey, don't discuss that until after the game til we can figure out what we're gonna say or what our statement is gonna be. I thought that was pathetic. I thought it was fishy. I didn't like it. I didn't appreciate it, and I know a lot of Raider fans didn't appreciate it. So that was a little fishy. And then although we stepped outside of a little outside of the association with the NFL and coming back to what's going on association, let's talk about joving Rent. What he's doing carrying an organization. He's carrying a team, obviously, but carrying an organization the ball that he's playing. UM. I was talking to someone yesterday that said, do you think John You're gonna get most improved? Said hell, no, John not getting most improved. Miles Bridges should get most improved. And the reason I don't think Josh should get most improved, it's because John this year didn't just become job like we knew last year Job was serious. We knew he going to be a force to be reckoned with. Now has he improved. Absolutely, Like I can tell he lives in the gym or worse on this game, he's on improved. And what I love most is those guys on that team follow him. They follow his demeanor. You know, he leaded. He leads that team in that organization, and that's what I appreciate most about John morn. But when I said, hell, know about the m I P UM conversation, job, in my opinion, job was already passed that. Let's talk about the m v P conversation. That's the category that I personally feel like John Morant needs to be mentioned more in UM. He is playing at an m VP level, all star starter, all of those things. He is at that level. I saw him say I'm him after one of his and ones, and I think it was against us, I'm him. I would have had something to a little bit to say about that if I was in that game. But nonetheless, I do think he's him. Uh. He is an incredible, incredible athlete, but even more so than being an incredible athlete. He's an incredible basketball player, and he's an extremely smart basketball player. You know, I like to think that I am one of the smartest guys in the NBA. That's what I like to think. And I feel like when I'm playing against John Moran a lot like Lebron James, a lot like Chris Paul. When you're playing against those guys, like every possession is like a chess match, and like you're making eye contact with that guy because he's trying to see where you are on the floor. He's trying to see what it is that you're doing, what you're getting your deep inns in two or your offense into. And so when you're playing against guys like that, it's like a chess match. No, I'm not saying John Moran is at the level mentally of Lebron James yet, or at the level of Chris Paul yet, as not only two of the greatest basketball minds in our game today, but two of the greatest basketball minds in our game in the history. I don't think he's at that level yet, because you know that comes with time and mistakes and experiences playoff series, and you know that that just comes with time, but he definitely has the potential to be at that level. And and he's definitely a very very very smart point guard, which I think is the driving force and who he's becoming. And so John Morant definitely an m VP candidate. Uh, he keeps playing at this level. Who knows what happens towards the end of the season, but he's playing really well. He's gaining respect. I mean, there was just someone one of their fans, if I'm not mistaken, told him a month ago he needs to go sit down somewhere. So it's beautiful to see and how he responded to adversity, uh, and playing the best basketball in his career. You love to see that. Man. Obviously, we all grow up UM hoping to reach the holy grail of sports of whatever that particular sport is that you're playing for me is basketball. For others, it may be baseball, It maybe hockey, football, whatever it is. But in all of those sports, uh, one thing that they offer shut having commedy, is they have a Hall of Fame. And I am honored today to welcome you the great Tracy McGrady, a guy who I grew up UM as a young kid watching come into the league, destroy the league, rizzle, dazzle the dunks to jump shots. We all know that the thirteen points in thirty three seconds, um. And the list goes on and on, but none of that stuff matters when it comes to the ultimate ultimate title, which is Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady T mac Man, thank you for coming on the show. I am honored to have you, my brother. That It's a pleasure. Bro. When I when I got the notification that you know you wanted to be on, it's no hesitation, man. I you know, I'm a fan, appreciate you know what you brought to the game, your passion, your love for it, and uh you know, I'm excited to be here. Thank you, right a fan of me. Oh yeah, every team needs a Draymond Bro. Every team appreciate you. The heartbeat. You there, the leader, you know, the voice of that team. And as you see, you're missed right now. I appreciate it. Healthy and get back out there because I actually I wanted this year and that's to play. We're definitely working on and now I appreciate it. As you know, like I said, as a young kid growing up and watching you play the game. Um, you know. For for me growing up, I called you know, I called some of some of Michael Jordan's um. You know, I was six seven and eight when he won his last three championships, so I remember that. But but growing up, like and I always wonder why it has to be this way? And and so I'm asking you this question as well. But growing up, it's like T Mac and Kobe. You know, like your T Mac it's Kobe and that's what you got, you know, the great shooting guards in our league, and you kind of have to pick a side, which I don't really like. But I'm asking you, why do you feel like it's that way not only in our sports, but in sports and in general, as like, oh man, I'm a Kobe fan or I'm a T. Mac fan, as if you can't love both and they're because they're both great players. Yeah, that's that's why. You know, I think the older I get, I don't get caught up in the goat conversation anymore because I think, you know, the guys that are in that conversation are goats of their errors, not just one guy. You know what I'm saying, If you want to crown a guy, that's fine, but I don't like to put guys, you know, up against each other because there it's their greatness in their own you know, lane of how they became great. You know what I'm saying. Um, I don't know. We we just love competition. We love to put you know, whether it's two figures, two teams, or individuals up against each other. That's what we do in our in our nation or in this world. No, absolutely, and I definitely understand that. But you know, taking this back to the beginning, we gotta we have a young kid growing up in Armordale, Florida. Um, and not many people know yeah who this young kid is. But you know, I've I've read the story and watch Charlie interviews throughout the way, and you said, at one point you went from rink one seventy five to number one in the country. Can you tell me about that journey and how that happened for you? Yeah? So, Um, I grew up in Central Florida. I mean, we just go through it. So I grew up in Central Florida, and you know, with my mom, my grandmother, and then I had an older cousin that really that got me involved in sports. So I don't know if you know this. And baseball is my first love. Dramon that, like basketball is actually my third sport. Yeah, it was a baseball started baseball at the age of five, and then I started football at the age of eight years old. I didn't play basketball, and so I was like nine ten years old, right, yeah, so that was my score. Every year it's baseball, football and then you know, I go out to the park and play my cousins because I have a big family and will play basketball. But um, that wasn't my thing. So I was just naturally gifted bro in in all sports. You know. I think God just dropped me off and was like, bro, I'm giving you all the talent, which every one you want to play, your your choice to pay. Just make sure your exhaust you know, the greatness out of that. Um. So, in high school in Florida average with twenty five and twelve in my area, a lot of people knew who I was. But outside of that, no recognition at all. It even across the state of Florida, a lot of people didn't know who I was. Um, this guy that has some some ties with Adidas came down. I was playing screen football at the time my junior year and he came and got me off the football fields, like, yo, I won't you be part of the family, you know, with the Didas. But he's like, you gotta stop playing football. We can, you know, hook you up with this gear. I want you to go to the Adda's camp. And I'm like, what you don't say? I'm excited. I get man, I stopped playing football, so get ready to go to this camp. And I'm hearing about Lamar oder Hell is this kid, Lamar Oldham. They're saying six ten, he's a point guard. That just blew me away that you know, there's a kid here that six ten and a a half points of our skills. I'm like, damn, I want to see him because I've never seen anything like this. This is the first that I'll be able to witness, you know, this type of talent. So when he was the first guy that I faced, and for me to even get in that camp though, it was like pulling streams. Sonny for Carroll got me in this camp and they gave me the jersey number one seventy five. I was the last one to enter this camp and it took a lot for me to get in there because nobody knew who I was. But yeah, man, I went through that camp. You know, Uh, it's just opportunity. Bro, It's like, what you're gonna do with it? And uh I ran with it and didn't stop. That's that's incredible. I think the kids are today they don't know about a b C D camp. No, it's crazy because I always wanted to get invited to a b C D camp and I never received the advice. So I'm still waiting to be one seventy five actually bringing it back to really yeah, yeah, I think that's great. That's great, and so you you then you go on from there and you consider going to Kentucky. Bro. Listen. So I went into a couple of business right and I think Kentucky was my last one that I took, and Derek Anderson was my host that that played in the league. I went up to Kentucky, man and saw how them kids, them duals was living. I was like, oh my god, the players lounge, they're driving fully loaded Eddie boy. You know, it's it's already basketball headed in Kentucky. So I'm like, man, but yeah, I was. I was initially going to Kentucky intil Adidas came to the table with that big that big deal. That's incredible. I you know what's funny about that is my junior or at high school. My high school coach played for Tubby Smith when Tubby was coaching at Tulsa back in the day. So my junior or high school Tubby was still at Kentucky. We went, we drove down for an unofficial visit and we went to the game. They were actually ironically, they were playing Florida. Um and this is Joe Kim Noratory and Green Cory Brewer like this Florida, Florida. When I tell we we walked into the arena and college game they was there. We walked into the arena and we're standing next to each other and in order to hear each other talk. This is just walking into the arena the games. This an hour before the game. It's so loud. We're yelling in each other ear like, yelling to the top, our loves in each other. I couldn't believe it. We watched the game, stayed overnight. I got a chance to see the Wildcat Lounge and all that stuff. I committed the next day. My mom had My mom had no idea I committed. Now, I knew absolutely, I knew I was doing something wrong because when I got home, you know, I just committed to Kentucky like that was a big deal. When I got home, I never said a word to my mom, like my committed to Kentucky. I didn't say a word. My mom is like before Instagram and all this stuff, my mom was as the person like on them blogs. That's just like subject after subject going crazy. And my mom saw on the blog that I had committed them to Kentucky. My mom didn't talk to me for a week and a half. Finally, after that week and a half, she went down to Kentucky herself and and she went to visit and she came back. She hadn't spoke to me, hadn't said a word to me. I mean, we were passing each other like the ships in the night, um in the house. And she came back and she said, don't ever do anything else like that again. I understand why you committed there. I understand. Listen, man, it was it was very impressive, you know, being on that campus and witnessing that as a seven teen year old kid, I was blown away and I was like, I can't see anything greater than this, you know what I'm saying. And I was like, this is where I'm going, This is where I'm going, and until this came to the table, like that's where I was going is but that's my adopted school. You know, I still suck in these days. UM watch him. But yeah, man, I missed out on that. Do do you have any regrets of not going to school as a as opposed to going straight to the league. You know, I used to get that question a lot when I was playing, Yeah, because all my my teammates would be especially during Martial Madness, they representing there there I'm a matt and uh. I think that's the really the only time that I felt it, you know what I'm saying, because I felt left out, Like damn, I don't really have no dog in this fight, you know. And I just see all the love and the trash talking that's going back and forth, especially when you've got two guys who saying at mata and they're playing in the tournament ship talk. You know what I'm saying that I miss out on that because I love that, um, but that's really the only time that I felt that Other than that, Nah, I mean this. See. You know I wasn't a school type dude anyway, sitting in classrooms and writing papers. Man, fun that man, you got twelve million dollars? Are you gonna sit here in these classrooms waking up early in the morning attended clad Nah, let me go get these twelve million and compete against the greatest in the world. I respect that. I always, um, always talk ship to Jermaine Nil Uh, you know absolutely who's one of my vets. I played with ja O my second year in the league. Took me under this wing a lot like Jared Jack my first year. Took me under this wing, showed me the way. We still tight like this to this day. But I used to always talk Junk to Jail around that time, like yeah, Jo, the Spartan dogs coming and he like, oh, this is Jo Funk that I went to. I went to University Cash. I came and got this money. I went to University Cash. I'm like, Joe, guess what we're all getting money now? And I got the chance to experience college. But speaking of speaking of Jail, Um, before we move into your career, Uh, y'all have started and an agency, Um, tell us more about that, because I think it's an incredible thing. And uh to obviously goats that's done their thing in this league and now leading away for these this younger talent. Yeah, man, I think you know, Um, when you you beat twenty four twenty five years in this game, Um, you learn a lot, You see a lot, and uh, you hear a lot of what's going on. Both of us have you know, a youth programs. So it's it's a lot of information that comes out of that. And during the pandemic really just gave us an opportunity to do something together that's very impactful for the culture. Um. You know, I was doing ESPN, so I was back and forth traveling from Houston to l A to do the jump with Rachel, and then when the pandemic hit, it just gave me an opportunity to just you know, sit down and kind of recalibrate my thinking on trying to venture off and do something else. And I was still in contact with j O, and it's like, man, we need to you know, uh, put together an agency and really save a lot of these guys out here of you know, the misinformation that they're getting. Um, And that's what we're doing. Man. We uh we started it, we're doing well. We got some kids on in our l deals that are in college. We're talking to some really really elite players, and it's it's about just really being you know. We got the mentorship between you know, j ol and I who we played the game at a high level, understanding business. And then we got some guys on our team, uh from your errors Silicon Valley, that are part of the ownership that you know is is is buysing us and and and the kids and the opportunities that can bring. So just collaborate together with those guys and and and what we're doing then would be very impactive for these kids coming out of college and getting their journey started in the NBA. That's beautiful. So yeah, I mean going from high school, college and none of your NBA career, uh nine pit in the nineteen seven draft, and I know for me, I got drafted to obviously go to state, and I had never left the state of Michigan. I spent the first twenty two years. I mean obviously you know, ay you and all of that stuff, but I spent the first twenty two years of my life in the state of Michigan. And when I came out here to California. I was homesick as hell. I felt like I was. You could have dropped me in Europe all I knew, Like I had no idea what was going on out here. I was homesick. Everybody I knew was still in Michigan, so they three hours ahead. By by eight pm, everybody sleep. I got nobody to talk to. So then I'm going to sleep at nine pm. My rookie year, and you got drafted to the Toronto Raptors, which is a totally different country, and basketball then wasn't what it is today in Toronto. Tell me about that journey and how was that getting drafted to Toronto as as an eighteen year old, You're now going to a totally different country to play basketball. Now, first of all, you left the cold whether to go to some nice weather Michigan there, you know, San Francisco. I left Florida to go to Toronto, so you can imagine it that Like I wasn't used to that word. Driving in the snow, sliding on like the slurt the slushy streets like bro I was out of territory. You know what I'm saying. And you know the legal age was nineteen years old. I still wasn't legal. Um it was. It was. It was a culture shop, you know what I'm saying from from all angles, like, um, it was a hockey town. Didn't really you know, get a lot of love basketball fans. Um you could do something spectacular. We played in the sky Dome, which was a baseball stadium whether Astro's played, so you got you know, forty some thousand you know seats in there and it's only probably seven thousand people in there, so you can you can only imagine, you know, you do something spectacler and it's like crickets, you know, like what the hell did we just see? We don't know what that is. We never see that, but you know, uh, it was. It was. It was tough, man. I had. I had an old school type mind coaching Darryl Walker, who was very challenging, and uh we really didn't really didn't click, you know what I'm saying. And um, he made it tough for me. Me to to be eighteen years old and get criticized from your head coach that you'll be out of the league in three years. You can only imagine, you know, how damaging that could be for a kid enter in this league, and you know, back then it was some grown men still in this league, right, you know, but you know I had some great vegan players that you know, really kept me level headed and and really helped me through that process. First year, I can said it was challenging, and I think Isaiah tom Us, you know, who was the president at that time, really saw how you know, damaged. I think I was the first half of the season, and he had to make a change. So we got rid of that coach and our assistant coach with Butch Carter took over, who gave me structure, right there was there was some structure that, kid, you gotta do this, you gotta do that if you want to get you know, playing time. And I understood that and that's what I worked towards. Before I didn't have any structure, it was like, okay, well, it's like, what what am I supposed to do? I don't know what to do, you know what I'm saying. It was left for me to figure out. But when I got structured and knew what my assignment was, then that's when you know that the turn happened. My second year, we drafted Vince Carter, which my cousin, and that helped with the transition. You know, him coming in right away had a phenomenal rookie year. So I was in that shadow, like, thank God, take a little bit of this pressure off me, you know what I'm saying coming out of high school. Take some of the pressure off me. So he had a phenomenal rookie season, was the rookie of the year I'm talking about. The ship that he was doing was just incredible. So it was it was there to sweet. I mean, I was taking a back seat to my cousins, but also I was learning along that process somebody that was you know, really going and started you know, I'm sending it and his first few years of the game. So when my opportunity came to be in that role, I knew how to handle it. But yeah, it's just it's good. It's always good to have real O g s around you. Dell Curry, you know, absolutely, and Tony O'Davis, Kevin Willis, Charles Oakley, Dee Brown, Muggsy Bowls, like we had effects that kept I ass in mine and showed us the wait, you know what I mean, And that was so impactful, uh for my career moving forward, and I can't leave this out. My boy Doug Christie and I used to play Doug Christie bro every day, one on one, every single day after practice, Bro, Let's get it one on one, one on one interest. Yeah yeah, And that's how you know, I really gain confidence and really perfected my one on one game and my skill set. That's interesting because for a lot of these kids around, uh, they don't know Doug Christie was a hell of a defender. Yeah yeah, So y'all brought Vincent by the way, I know, I know those after practices you evinced who was more athletic man? You were in fishing at that time. I'm not working with dam he was. He was incredible, you know, before we realized we were cousins. I played on the junior team Florida and he was on the big boys team Florida. So I used to play before him and I used to ship that. I used to see him doing high school like damn, he had touching the top of the backboard, looking down and dropping the ball in basket like it was incredible, incredible. A lot of people like Vincent high school. Bro. I think he broke his right his wrists in the state finals, he broke his wrists and dropped thirty five with the left hand. What yeah, man, this is basketball, bro. He's one of the most talented dudes ever. Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. I've always told people like and from just from what I can see from a fire like your Vince Carter has to be one of the most talented players that ever stepped footing in. Yeah, it's incredible. But um so, now you look at today's NBA, right, you're coming out six eight? Uh do you think today's NBA you you would have thrived even more? Because I think so. I think because you just look at the game right, like the way you played, all the hand checking, y'all have to see a lot of guys get mad. When when when when when when the guys from before us say, oh man, the least soft today or they could The reality is the league is off today. It is. I mean, it's called the spade of spade it is. It's the rules are a lot different, you know what I'm saying. And come on, man, you guys shooting three pointers or shooting shots now and you're laying on somebody for it's a flagrant file Like how you're handing you contest shots without you know what I'm saying like that, the rules make the game soft, not the players. It's the rules that's what we're I think people miss uh informed that you know we're talking we say the league is soft. We're talking about the players. It's the rule changes that we're talking about. Um. So, yes, without thrive, absolutely absolutely. I mean you gotta think in our error, brother, some of the scores of seventy five seventy six finals in the sixties, right, and I have thirty points. I have thirty five point of that. So man, I mean there's no question, bro, you can't impede my progress. And it's not like I was just a guy that you know, scored with the ball in my hands. I was catching, shooting, well, I did everything, you know what I mean? Yes, I will definitely thrive in today's game at a high level. I agree. One. Is there a player in today's game, uh that you see that remind yourself of you? I mean you got PG um Katie. Uh, those those two I can think of. Um that really reminds me of myself. Um Katie is just a different breed though. The way he shooting the freaking ball, man he's just he's it's just unbelievable talent. But but p G as well, you know those guys being able to score at multiple levels. Yeah, no, I I like PG game a lot now. I like that comparison. Just the way y'all both handled the ball, shoot the ball, get to the cup, athletic w put you in the room however you wanted. You're getting that. I definitely respect that. But just just going back, uh something, and you're playing career. So you had those years with the Raptors and then you move on to Orlando, and I love to hear your perspective, but from my perspective as a young kid watching I felt like, like you said, you went to the Raptors and then Vince came and you and you were in the shadow, and all of a sudden, to me, like it really took me to like really brush up on my history and like go back and actually to realize that, hey, T Mac is actually older, well not older, but you were older than Vince as far as but when Vince came in, it was like you was you was in the background and playing the shadow in Toronto. Because for me watching all of those years, I felt like your career really took off when you went to Orlando. Like that's when Tracy McGrady became Team Matt when you went to to Orlando. Can you walk me through that? Yeah? So it you know, it had nothing to really do with Vicks. You know, me being in Vintive shadow my third year and Toronto is really when I turned the corner and really showed that you know, all right, this kid is really really talented. Because I averaged like fifteen points for that season, was I was like the third or four options for that team. And then my first playoff game against the Knicks, I had like twenty six points, Like I bawled out. Um. Had a really good series against a tough New York Knicks team. But it was so much internal, you know, problems that was going on that people didn't know about. And then also, I mean Toronto was competing against Orlando, which you know I'm from that area, So it had nothing to do with Vince. This is just I want to go back home because I remember when I was a kid, I used to drive by the arena and I used to tell my mom, I'm gonna be playing there one day, right, So this is the opportunity had presented itself and g Hill was there in Orlando. I thought we was gonna get Tim Duncan. But even just myself and g Hill, you know, it's like, damn, we're gonna be all right. I got this this perfect move, um. And then we know what happened with g Hill. You know, he had to the ankle problems. That year before he joined you know, Orlando, in Detroit, he broke his ankle. So it was like, you're the keys, young felling. Let's see what you got private. We don't know, we don't know where we're going, but you got the keys. Are you about to drivers? Let's see what you got um? You know. And I put a lot of work in that that first year I was with Orlando offseason, like to to really uh push my push myself to exhaustion too, you know, and improve on every aspect of my game. And I surprised myself. Right, I'm not even gonna lie. I think I average probably twenty six that year. Like it was the biggest uh point differential from you know, one year to the next. And it was just incredible what I was able to do. And that was just a manifestation of the work that I put in that off season and then you know, the maturity and the confidence group to another level to where I just felt, you know, extra comfortable out on the basketball court. Yeah. And you want most most improved that year? Right? I most improved that year? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, Yeah. There was a lot of stuff thrown at me that year and I was And that's when you know, it's I don't know if there was a game or what it was that really had me like, Okay, I belonged, I belonged here, and this is what it's gonna be. But you know, I think competing against Kobe, you know, around that time and holding my own because Kobe is you know, and it's if it was my fourth year, he's in his fifth year and he's he's that dude. You know what I'm saying, that's that's the number eight with the throat he he was that he was that dude. So I'm like, damn fucking he's the bar. So if I'm competing against him every night, Okay, I belong here. This is what it is. Right. So it's just staying focused, sacrificing and and really understanding, um, you know that these these folks are really counting them in to back up, I think I'm the first guy to be a non starter to sign a max deal like I just started. I just yeah, I didn't even start when I was in Toronto, and then I went to signed a Max country, which is insane. Who who was the gym that gave you that deal for Arlay Dog? That was? Uh? That was gosh? Who was it was that gay? Yeah? Man, I don't mean to take you back like that, but he deserved a lot of credit, a lot a lot like um, I think, if I'm not mistaken, it was Darryl Murray that brought James Hard Houston. Well, yeah, Daryl bring me to Houston. No, no, no, brought James Harden into Houston. Remember James was coming off like for I'm just comparing those two signings where you got two guys that are like those dudes in the league coming off the bench on their team before, and you get those guys the deal that you got, and then fast forward to James getting that deal, like you you gotta get those gyms a lot of credit to see that because it's not like oh, we get this guy this dealing and and like it was pretty good, Like nah, you got this guy deal and they are franchise players. Well, the difference is and with James, you saw it with James, I'm saying you you saw it on display with James for years, and with me, you only saw it one year. You know what I'm saying. It was like only one year because my first two years I really wasn't playing that much. But that third year, that's when I started, you know, uh, playing a little bit more, but I still was coming off the bank. So you saw the potential with James. You absolututely knew that he had games. Yeah you knew for sure, Yeah, definitely. So then you you you you go on to Houston, You get traded to Houston, and your team up with y'all. And now at that point, it's like a lot of people don't realize back then you you had to have a good a good guard, a Greek guard and a big man and that was that's where you started building your championship team was with a guard and a big man and your team up and you team you go team up with y'all, young y'all, how was that experiencing? And you go in there with with with y'all and and going to Houston, So the first the first season was pretty challenging, right because you gotta think I'm coming off two scoring championships, right, Um, no big man at all, um, or at least we didn't play through a big man. So I get to Houston and the first thing, Jeff ben Gunn, he tells me, like, you know, you're not gonna leave the league in scoring, Like thanks for damage ship for Jeff, Like with damn, bro, like you know, we we gotta get the big fella involved. I'm cool with that. But it was it was an adjustment because the tempo was a little bit slower, you know what I'm saying. We got a seven five guy that we gotta play through get him involved, and it was just a different style of offense. Now that the paint is really uh, you know, clogged up, um, so I gotta find, you know, new ways of really getting my game off um and those opportunities. So it was the foundation was built, but we didn't have the pieces around us. So we got off to our slow start. Bro. We we wasn't good at all. I'm talking about like we was a below five team. Then we started adding this some pieces, you know, some shooting, John Barry and the David Wesley's guys that can you know, take the pressure off of myself and yeah, kind of open it up a little bit and then we started to get on the role and and look like a real team. Um, but it was and Jeff, Jeff and Dundee had to to really open up his his offense and and and expand his mind a little bit too on the offense man, Like he's a defensive minded guy. Like when you're talking about preparation, like it's nobody better, Like he is phenomenal in that area, having you prepared for games, playoff games, like for a season, he's phenomenal. And that very very precise and practice. Um, he's one of those guys that you have come in one day and don't touch the ball, lying you gass up on the wall. Here go from one to fifteen to tell you what your role is on the team. Like he was that type of dude. You can't get on the court unless you, um, you know, I have the right amount of body fat. Like that's that's what Oh yeah, yeah, that's what he was on. Yeah wow yeah, yeah, your body fat had to be at a certain level for you to even get on the court. I think I think it's one team like that now, maybe my mini Minu. But that's that's all the pedigree though, pat Riley, Jeff, you know what I'm saying. That's that's but that's what he was on man um. So it was I think once we put it together, it was fun playing with y'all. Just to see a guy at that size so skilled Raymond left hand, right hand, jump up, shoot left right shoulder, shooting eighty five from the freethroom line can hit the six teams haven't seen footer can pass. I was like ship. But what what really heard us though, is when that transition started happening with small ball Phoenix and you know, uh sat Um, you know, Steve Nash, Mary and Quinn Richards in them guys, and then Dallas started doing it and Utah started doing it. It was tough. It was tough. The league started getting ridden, especially West. It was really challenging. We went on game win Street, bro Wow, we went on a two game win street. I think y'all got hurt in like game number twelve and we ran off, you know, straight, but that put us maybe one or two games in first place. That's how challenging the Western Conference was Wow. Did you hear what I said? Bro? We won twenty two straight and it only put us up one are two games in first place? You're gonna lose at some point. I guess it was crazy, man, It was crazy. Well that's so deep. Bro was in New Orleans. He had the boys running, running, you know, crazy him and Tyson Chandler put the track shoes. That's insane, man. To think that that's where the lead, that's kind of where that change started to happen. Tell me this, tell me that do you your your business as you have the hat on and it looks like uh and Adidas? Yeah, your business? Do you think there was a huge benefit for your business, your Tracy McGrady apparel business and just your brand as a whole and playing with y'all and the influence that the Chinese have on the sneaker business, the NBA business, but just your brand as a whole. Did that grow a lot from playing with y'all and his influence in China? Yeah? It enhanced it. I would say, back back when I was in Orlando, I had the number one selling jersey in China. Yeah. This this is when I was in Orlando before I be teamed up with y'all, I had a number one selling jersey in China because I used to go over there every year since I think my first trip to China was like and from that point, I just kept going every year. So I saw the transformation even in in China, how to how how they related to the basketball fans, right, I just I saw the whole transformation. Um so, But when I got to y'all, of course, you know, being his teammate, being a part of the first China Games in two thousands, four of us to go over there with y'all, saw how he was just guy. Yeah, it my brand for sure. That's a that's insane. It's interesting because you know a lot of people didn't understand the impact that China has on the NBA, or whether it's a personal guys brand or whether it's an NBA hole. And obviously we saw the effect of that with the Darryl Morey tweet. I think what was it two years ago now, if I'm not mistaken, And now that was kind of the first that people I was the first time that the people outside of the NBA realize how important China is to our game. Yeah. Yeah, now they're they're they're really important. I mean you're talking about the TV TV money that they give to the n b A, you know, for streaming, and uh, just that relationship has has grown so much man over the years, and you know they're they're well well aware of you know, what's happening here in the States, and you just gotta be calling us of some of the comments that you made because it can be damaged to our our brand, everybody brand really, you know what I mean, some of those comments that we make or you know the Chinese people. Yeah, absolutely, and and ultimately, you don't want to disrespect anyone. And as as someone who is very outspoken, like I'll speak on anything that means something to me and that I have an understanding of you when you when you start dealing with world politics and world issues, you really have to understand everything that's going on because and the backstory, you know, the history, because if you don't, you could just be speaking on one instant, you know, one one thing that's going on and you don't quite know the whole story, and then it gets all screwed up and you and it makes you look foolish, you know what I'm saying. You gotta do your research and get you know, everything from both sides to really be able to speak on it and articulate yourself in those matter. And that's why I just leave it alone because it I don't want to. I don't want to say something that's gonna be damaged, damaged into my brand if I don't have, you know, the full story, spull backstory to it. Absolutely no, I definitely understand that. UM. A couple of weeks ago, A few weeks ago, I spoke about Chris Paul and and I said something about Chris Paul because you always hear people say, man, that guy didn't win a championship, as if that if as if that invalidates greatness. Love. I'm glad we're about have had this conversation, you know. And I said something about Chris Paul a few weeks ago, which was Chris Paul is a winner. I don't care how you slice it, I don't care what you say. And the first thing that people will say is Chris Paul is in the winner. He hasn't won a championship as someone who has. I understand number one, all of the things that has to go right in order. You're talking health you're talking every like clicking on like and it's not just like players clicking, it's the front office, with the coaching staff, everybody, right. And I was saying, like, Chris Paul is a winner, and people try to take that away because he hasn't won a championship a lot like yourself. And I was watching the podcast yesterday UM Carry Champion um Jalen Rowels went on Carry champions Show podcast Naked and she asked him a question along the lines of winning the championship and do he wish he had of it? Would that have validate him or something? And he had a great answer. But I want to hear your take on it, because you want your whole career, you won them everywhere you played, but you didn't win a championship, and people tried to lessen who you are as a basketball player, and I wanted to hear it from you. Dramond I could go and I could go to any country in the world, bro, and I'm recognized anywhere. I'm well respected in the street, in the corporate, corporate, a well respected bro. Um. But here's what I say about that, Like, like we were talking about, there's a lot of moving parts that has to come into play to win it, to win in championships. Absolutely, what what in my game and how I played? You don't think if I had the right pieces around me, I couldn't win a championship. You know, I'm trying like I wasn't. I wasn't sorry, And I was one bro. I was one of the top players in the league. I just didn't have the pieces around me. If you and and and it's it's crazy because people really forget, um, you know, in the certain areas and and and certain guys careers. If you look at how great KG was the first twelve seasons or his career, right what he had to do. He went to joint called Pears and ray to that championship, But before that he was phenomenal, phenomenal, right, you know, he didn't win no trip until he teamed up with those guys. What happened when when Shaq left and Kobe was was there for two years, they didn't make the playoffs of I'm not mistakable, right, So people people forget about that. Broad you need the pieces around you to win. I understand it, right right, so so now, but but you're a key part to that. But here's what I say to those people, I was all NBA. I led the league in scoring. You know, um at that time, I was considered one of the best players in the league. Right I had. I was Adida's top selling guy. I was one of the number one selling guys in China. Right I had multiple endorsement deals. If I had won a championship in my prime, dreamond the impact that that would have had on me. My life want to change, bro m my life want to change? You know what I'm saying. Because I had I was everything but that. But you look back when I got drafted, the impact that that had on me. Retiring my mom at thirty five, thirty six years old, retired my grandmother from being a constolian for thirty something years, retired my dad. You know what I'm saying, like changing the complexion of my family, that type of impact that that impacted me. I know it's it's a difference, But I'm just saying that I had won a championship, my life really wouldn't have changed. It wouldn't have changed, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, maybe I would have made the top seventy five. Thought that ship. Man, I'm a home I'm a famer, So like, let's let's let's let's have a room. I'm like, let's have a real conversation. People say, y'all looking at that championships, there's a lot of great people ain't win those champiships. You don't think Yols, Barkley or Patrick, you don't have the talent win the championship. That car alone ain't win the championship. What are y'all talking about? Man? Y'all, y're all so caught up and fucking I tried to win one. I worked my ass off and try to win a championship. It didn't happen for me, you know what I'm saying. But us talk about impact impact that personally wouldn't have. It wouldn't have impact me as much as me getting drafted and what that impact was for my career, if that makes sense. And and to your point, there's a lot of great players that haven't won, and there's a lot of bums that has ended up on a championship team. So it's not it's not I was the A was. It's definitely not the Yeah, man, listen, bro it's as hard as hell to in the championship, manly as hard as when one, you know, but absolutely, yeah, do I wish, I want want absolutely, But it's you know, I don't lose no sleep over that and feel like that's my validation when I have the great, late, the late great Kobe Bryant saying you know what he says about me, and when I have the impact that I have on some of these guys that are in the league. He's the younger generation. And I listened to these guys and they say who their favorite player was or impact that Jalen Brown's you know, the Seth Curies when they say that they I'm their favorite players, Like that's the ship that matters to me. That any hacked on on the next generation, that's most impactful to me. You know, I'm sure I always tell people along those same lines as for you as the next generation, but it's like, for for me personally, nothing gets me going more than the acceptance and approval of your peer because ultimately, like, yeah, we all got tough skin, and you know we all can have the fucking mentality right like, oh well then, but when you have the approval and acceptance of your peers, that goes way further than anything. I'll beyond of what you know, somebody outside of our game has you know what their opinion means that that doesn't carry any weight. But when you're here's you know, validate you so all you need use that dude. Man, he was tough as ship. He was the toughest guy. Like, come on, man, like that's not playing. I know I was safe, Bro, I was sucking vice. Like you ain't about to ship here and tell me because I ain't win no championship that I ain't validated. Man, funk out of here, bro, I don't hear that ship. Absolutely no reality is this there's only a select few of the guy right, Like you're the guy, like I've won the championships. I won three championships. I'm not the guy like Steph Curry's the guy, Clay Thompson is the guy. Kevin durrested guy. I do my part. I am very important to what we do. But those guys out the guy, they have to carry the scoring load. They have to do it. Like And the reality is, if you look at the NBA and you really understand the NBA, every decade, there's really one, two, maybe three guys that actually win championships. Two thousands is the Spurs and the Lakers two thousand tens is us and Lebron And then you're like, you know, Dirk got a championship, Why I got a championship? But most fars every decade the nineties is uh, you got a Kingdom, got a couple, but the bulls dominate. Like every decade, there's two maybe three of the I that actually wins championships. And there's and and there's thirty teams. Let's be let's be let's be real, there's stirty teams. All thirty teams ain't trying to win a championship. No, And I was trying to champship. As long as their their their bottom line is good, I get the championship. And that, you know is some of the star guys is the brunt of that you know that that plays for those type of franchises. They just don't care. Let's let's keep it above absolutely no. You know Joe Dumars, who's like a father figure to me. I always tell people, man, if if if I didn't meet Joe d uh through Jordan I was in high school, I'm not try to be while I was. I am today because they showed me that it was a life outside of saging on Michigan that was actually attainable and that actually existed, that I had no idea was attainable, and that I could be that and still having a close relationship with Joe d One thing he's told me along the way, he said, Draymond, always remember this. Every year in the NBA, there's three, maybe four teams if you're lucky, that's truly trying to win the championship. Three or four teams per year that are actually trying to win a championship. And spot on, Yeah, that's the spot on that talk. You got game early. I didn't catch it towards the end. Absolutely, he's stressing yourself out, like man. Meanwhile, everybody upstairs they they're not having that same stretch you having. They want to have a good team to keep going. And then you look at you, you're looking across that some of your boys, Like, damn, man, they're rolling over there. Bro, they got a well oiled machine over that motherfuler. Man. They landing. They're going deep in the playoffs. Yeah, I'm struggling trying to get into damn playoff. Now. I definitely understand, man, I definitely understand what team Matt, I appreciate you coming on, Um and having this conversation with me. Um. Obviously for coming onto the show is great, but just for me as a fan of yours, as someone who's come into this league behind everything that you did to carry this lead to where it is and the impact you know, I don't take for granted everything that you got yourself and guys who came before me did for this league because I I know, like, yeah, I've done my my my partner, like my career, but I know the money wouldn't be where it is today, the eyeballs wouldn't be there where they are today. My family doesn't live the life they live if it's not for guys like yourself, Um, who who really pushed this lead forward. So one thing I want to put in the air before before we get out of here is you know, I know, Um, you end up living living a dream of yours when when you play with Sugarland, Um Skeeters. If I'm not taking Sugarland Skeeters, yes, So one thing I'm putting out in the world. We got d Way and basketball ownership who and now soccer I think as well. D Way is doing a great job I'm looking forward to seeing you owning that baseball team. Man. I know we've been talking about everybody owning basketball teams and hearing that your first love is baseball, you know. And I know you've done well with your money and you continue to maintain the reputation that you had in the brand that you had. So I'm looking forward to you owning a baseball team, my brother. So I'm working my way up. I own a minor league team, so I'm working Hey now, yes, sir, and I have no doubt that you get there. Yeah, man, I know I appreciate you, Bro. Keep doing your thing. A lot of love on this side come from me. Bro, get healthy. I want to see you back on that basketball court man and keeping packing and inspiring to youth. Bro. Yes, sir, thank you. I appreciate your team, Matt for sure. I love Doug. Wow. Was that an incredible interview. I enjoyed every minute of it, as I as I said earlier, Uh not not every day do you get it? Get the opportunity to talk to Hall of famers and to hear their stories and hear their take on things. And here te Mac talk about championships. I mean that that was beautiful. I I felt the passions pewing out of him when I asked the question, and I hope y'all did too. UM. I mean, that was incredible, incredible just to hear that, because you know, like as you heard in weeks prior, winning the championship is not the only thing that makes you a winner. Uh. It's so hard to win a championship. So that's definitely not the only thing that makes you a winner. But as you know, a lot of people, they tend to save you didn't win a championship, and and they correlate that with not being a winner as someone who won three champion who's won three championships, I disagree. I know how hard it is to winning championship. It is extremely hard to do. Everything has to be going. I mean, let's just take two nineteen for example. You couldn't have told me, told me we weren't gonna win a championship. Everything that could have possibly went wrong went wrong. In the matter of forty eight hours, we lost Kevin Durant to what has been a career ending injury for people, uh through over the years, and then forty eight hours later we lost Clay Thompson to what had been a career in the injury for people throughout the years, and just like that, it's gone. So it's so hard to win a championship. That's definitely not the only thing that makes you a winner. And that was beautiful UM listening to T making him hearing him say that. But that's a rap on this week or the Draymond Green Show. I thank you all for listening to the ninth episode. We will be back with another great guest next week. I think that it'll it'll be a lot of fun and it may be something that we haven't done before, so we'll see. But make sure you subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts um and also go follow the Volumes YouTube channel. Uh you you could get an opportunity to see this beautiful face if you do. Draymond Green Show, ninth episode. It's been real until next week. Much love,