The VC Show is presented for the people by Caesar Sportsbook, the greatest sports betting app of all times. Downloaded, but you must be twenty one or older. The B Speed Show. Let's go doing the part with Rod. We got the sports on Dick for all the youngs, whether it's big news, hot topics, updated, straight facts, storytelling, breakdown, so special guest BC Show, Let's go, It's time to turn it down. B Shows. Let's go. All right, all right, party people, party people, you know what. Welcome to the VC Show, presented by Caesar Sportsbook of Omaha Audio. You know s Vince Cardi here, Roz is doing what Roz does. She's busy, she's out doing whatever. So for those who aren't Carolina fans, you may log off now and if you are welcome, we're gonna start to show that way. But the reason I say that because I bring in an old friend, and I mean old friend. I'm talking about somebody that has what you doing, Carol. Let me see National Player of the Year, scored a lot of buckets against Duke. Yeah, all of those good things. Man, As one James is in the building, Let's go, what's up man, how you doing? Thank you? Know, there's always a pleasure. Thank you, thank you thinking we can reminisce and talk about the good old days and so forth. So we're definitely glad to be here. Man, awesome, man, Man, how you been? Man? Like, what's up? We're gonna get this out the way and then we're gonna get right down to the nitty gritty what's the golf game looking like? I know you working, and I know all that stuff, but it's been a while. I got the opportunity to play about so ago. But after April night, give me like a couple of weeks and then I'll be able to get back in reform and we can go back to normally wagers that we have there on the golf course, having a good time and so forth. So yeah, I want to get right into it. Uh it's it's tournament time, you know, great memories of tournament time. But you know, before I get too far deep in there, you know, I want to kind of dedicate this show to our Guyla Colajah, you know, near obviously near and dear to us, and you know it's, uh, it gives me chills just thinking about him, but I wanted to kind of I can't have you on and us not start there because for all of the Carolina fans who know who knows Auta Mola and you know, can all tell a story of what he means to them. And we know you went out there, you know, to to to the funeral and everything and got a chance to kind of you know, see him go to a better place. But every time I talk about or think about Auta Mola, you know, I think about one night that makes me smile as soon as I say I always think back to one of the nights in in the Dean Dome, late night going into right to bring you in the new year, us playing one on one on one, and Autam Mola beat us going into the new year. You remember that, and and just kind of just as small on his face and just you know, out of only being Alam Molla bringing joy to it, it's like not happy. I mean we I'm talking about getting it in like it was like no mercy basketball. It's always been that way with the three of us. We were labeled the three Musketeers because that's just kind of we kind of just hung out. We came in together. I remember coming into school early and you guys are there we kind of just got to know each other. I already knew obviously you a little before that, but like, man, who's the man? Like it's watching Adam Olive go from you know, a German basketball player to learning the American way to being a great dude. Man. But do you remember that night? I do remember that night, and that's the play I remember because you know, and we know Automotive Automo, it's always underneath the radar, always humble, but probably the fierstest comparitor. I think that you and I have ever you know, competed against, and you always hear these stories about these players that you would love to have on your team in Automotive, zimplify that. But I remember that night and it was funny because he was just going off all American. I don't care, I just pop your butt twenty five points a game. I just yeah, man, what And I just remember the passion and the energy that he had, And that's exactly who he was on the court and off the court. That's who he was as a brother. Somebody was to you. It was an incident when somebody would call on my phone and he was ready to go. And I mean, that's that's the definition of He didn't ask any questions. I mean, he was always there. And it's fun events if you talk to people wherever you saw Antoine, you saw Vince, you saw the mode where advancing. I mean, we was like that our entire time at Carolina. And like I said, to come from Germany into a surrounding that he wasn't comfortable with and just to blend in with the likes of yourself and me, you know, the Mactars and and you know you gonna get this. But when I say a dear friend, somebody who we would to the day we died, always carrying our hearts and just know that the love he not only had for our friendship, but for the University of North Carolina, I mean it was it was tough. And uh, knowing that he's in a great place now, but I mean, you know it, just like I know it. When that happened, I think a piece of both of us kind of like, I mean, we lost a lot because you know, we talk about family, we talk about brothers, but Adam mother was truly our brother from another mother. And uh it's still because I still can't you know, fandom that he's not here or not get that call and like, I don't know, slow down, what did you say? Yeah? What did you say? You know the Knights and grey Hole, you know him trying to dance, and I mean just you know, so many fun memories. But I mean truly God said and like I said, I mean words came the five what he has meant knowing for my life or for yours as well. But I know we know he's in a better place. It's tough, yeah, And I mean I remember two other things that stick out. This is after our days of Carolina now adults in heaven, our own families and with father figures to our kids. And yeah, I'm almost always reaching out, hey I'm in the States, I'm coming. Where are you? You know? And I remember the last time we the three of us got together was did we did that on one of the other shows that I did at the house? And yeah, it was just a good time, you know. Just you know, I look at that picture sometimes and I remember posting that picture when he passed and just looking at him and just like he just lights up the room. And for those who don't know Adama like that and like who is this guy? Man? Just look him up? Man, just when you see his picture alone, it's gonna make you smile and just feel good just because of the person that he is and just he was just I mean, he did that, He did that, He did that to people. We were walking in the malls, remember that. I think the thing that you know, I think it makes people love that show is because this is the first time you and I both all the way from our parents, a mom, my, dad, a household, and we took that journey together. You know, we all had to dream of of playing in the NBA and just the things that we accomplished, it was all of us. And I think, like you said, a lot of people don't the name don't stick out because he didn't play twenty some years or fifteen years in the NBA. But to the Carolina fans, they knew exactly what he has emplified and uh and what he meant to us. I mean, he's just like I said, you came replaced the love that we had for one another and the things that we went through and his brother, his mom. It's just you know, it's I don't know, it's it's tough though, but Vince, but like I said, it's just it was a great guy. I mean, it's not one person to say anything negative about Automola and what he has meant to anybody. But uh, definitely going too soon. And like I said, he would definitely be carried forever in my heart, your heart for everybody hearts, especially at Carolina too. So for sure. Shout out to his brother the Cola and his kids. Shout out to those young men and now we love you, we support you. The VC showed Lets go Caesar sportsbook. It's not just an it's a whole empire icon of casinos, hotels, world class restaurant. It's all yours with Caesar's Rewards because every bet you place, win or lose, earns reward credits, which you can redeem for hotel stays at fifty destinations, meals, tickets, merch bonuses and more. Get started today. Create an account with promo code Omaha full Omaha fu LL.

The VC Show is presented for the people by Caesar Sportsbook, the greatest sports betting app of all times. Downloaded, but you must be twenty one or older. The B Speed Show. Let's go doing the part with Rod. We got the sports on Dick for all the youngs, whether it's big news, hot topics, updated, straight facts, storytelling, breakdown, so special guest BC Show, Let's go, It's time to turn it down. B Shows. Let's go. All right, all right, party people, party people, you know what. Welcome to the VC Show, presented by Caesar Sportsbook of Omaha Audio. You know s Vince Cardi here, Roz is doing what Roz does. She's busy, she's out doing whatever. So for those who aren't Carolina fans, you may log off now and if you are welcome, we're gonna start to show that way. But the reason I say that because I bring in an old friend, and I mean old friend. I'm talking about somebody that has what you doing, Carol. Let me see National Player of the Year, scored a lot of buckets against Duke. Yeah, all of those good things. Man, As one James is in the building, Let's go, what's up man, how you doing? Thank you? Know, there's always a pleasure. Thank you, thank you thinking we can reminisce and talk about the good old days and so forth. So we're definitely glad to be here. Man, awesome, man, Man, how you been? Man? Like, what's up? We're gonna get this out the way and then we're gonna get right down to the nitty gritty what's the golf game looking like? I know you working, and I know all that stuff, but it's been a while. I got the opportunity to play about so ago. But after April night, give me like a couple of weeks and then I'll be able to get back in reform and we can go back to normally wagers that we have there on the golf course, having a good time and so forth. So yeah, I want to get right into it. Uh it's it's tournament time, you know, great memories of tournament time. But you know, before I get too far deep in there, you know, I want to kind of dedicate this show to our Guyla Colajah, you know, near obviously near and dear to us, and you know it's, uh, it gives me chills just thinking about him, but I wanted to kind of I can't have you on and us not start there because for all of the Carolina fans who know who knows Auta Mola and you know, can all tell a story of what he means to them. And we know you went out there, you know, to to to the funeral and everything and got a chance to kind of you know, see him go to a better place. But every time I talk about or think about Auta Mola, you know, I think about one night that makes me smile as soon as I say I always think back to one of the nights in in the Dean Dome, late night going into right to bring you in the new year, us playing one on one on one, and Autam Mola beat us going into the new year. You remember that, and and just kind of just as small on his face and just you know, out of only being Alam Molla bringing joy to it, it's like not happy. I mean we I'm talking about getting it in like it was like no mercy basketball. It's always been that way with the three of us. We were labeled the three Musketeers because that's just kind of we kind of just hung out. We came in together. I remember coming into school early and you guys are there we kind of just got to know each other. I already knew obviously you a little before that, but like, man, who's the man? Like it's watching Adam Olive go from you know, a German basketball player to learning the American way to being a great dude. Man. But do you remember that night? I do remember that night, and that's the play I remember because you know, and we know Automotive Automo, it's always underneath the radar, always humble, but probably the fierstest comparitor. I think that you and I have ever you know, competed against, and you always hear these stories about these players that you would love to have on your team in Automotive, zimplify that. But I remember that night and it was funny because he was just going off all American. I don't care, I just pop your butt twenty five points a game. I just yeah, man, what And I just remember the passion and the energy that he had, And that's exactly who he was on the court and off the court. That's who he was as a brother. Somebody was to you. It was an incident when somebody would call on my phone and he was ready to go. And I mean, that's that's the definition of He didn't ask any questions. I mean, he was always there. And it's fun events if you talk to people wherever you saw Antoine, you saw Vince, you saw the mode where advancing. I mean, we was like that our entire time at Carolina. And like I said, to come from Germany into a surrounding that he wasn't comfortable with and just to blend in with the likes of yourself and me, you know, the Mactars and and you know you gonna get this. But when I say a dear friend, somebody who we would to the day we died, always carrying our hearts and just know that the love he not only had for our friendship, but for the University of North Carolina, I mean it was it was tough. And uh, knowing that he's in a great place now, but I mean, you know it, just like I know it. When that happened, I think a piece of both of us kind of like, I mean, we lost a lot because you know, we talk about family, we talk about brothers, but Adam mother was truly our brother from another mother. And uh it's still because I still can't you know, fandom that he's not here or not get that call and like, I don't know, slow down, what did you say? Yeah? What did you say? You know the Knights and grey Hole, you know him trying to dance, and I mean just you know, so many fun memories. But I mean truly God said and like I said, I mean words came the five what he has meant knowing for my life or for yours as well. But I know we know he's in a better place. It's tough, yeah, And I mean I remember two other things that stick out. This is after our days of Carolina now adults in heaven, our own families and with father figures to our kids. And yeah, I'm almost always reaching out, hey I'm in the States, I'm coming. Where are you? You know? And I remember the last time we the three of us got together was did we did that on one of the other shows that I did at the house? And yeah, it was just a good time, you know. Just you know, I look at that picture sometimes and I remember posting that picture when he passed and just looking at him and just like he just lights up the room. And for those who don't know Adama like that and like who is this guy? Man? Just look him up? Man, just when you see his picture alone, it's gonna make you smile and just feel good just because of the person that he is and just he was just I mean, he did that, He did that, He did that to people. We were walking in the malls, remember that. I think the thing that you know, I think it makes people love that show is because this is the first time you and I both all the way from our parents, a mom, my, dad, a household, and we took that journey together. You know, we all had to dream of of playing in the NBA and just the things that we accomplished, it was all of us. And I think, like you said, a lot of people don't the name don't stick out because he didn't play twenty some years or fifteen years in the NBA. But to the Carolina fans, they knew exactly what he has emplified and uh and what he meant to us. I mean, he's just like I said, you came replaced the love that we had for one another and the things that we went through and his brother, his mom. It's just you know, it's I don't know, it's it's tough though, but Vince, but like I said, it's just it was a great guy. I mean, it's not one person to say anything negative about Automola and what he has meant to anybody. But uh, definitely going too soon. And like I said, he would definitely be carried forever in my heart, your heart for everybody hearts, especially at Carolina too. So for sure. Shout out to his brother the Cola and his kids. Shout out to those young men and now we love you, we support you. The VC showed Lets go Caesar sportsbook. It's not just an it's a whole empire icon of casinos, hotels, world class restaurant. It's all yours with Caesar's Rewards because every bet you place, win or lose, earns reward credits, which you can redeem for hotel stays at fifty destinations, meals, tickets, merch bonuses and more. Get started today. Create an account with promo code Omaha full Omaha fu LL.

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Tell me about your recruit mix up for I don't even I don't. I'm not sure a lot of people know you. You you committed to Carolina earlier. But when I say early, you committed when I committed going into my junior year of high school to your junior year. Correct. So my saw right here outline what was it? I had took my biggest thing for me. I never asked you that, did you take any visits other visits now because I don't if I don't remember being from Charlotte, cause we had just moved from Louisiana to Charlotte, and Okay, of course I wanted to play college basketball and I just got to acquaint to what ACC basketball was all about. And I knew I wanted to stay close to home. So I had took an unofficial visit to South Carolina, unofficial visit to in C state, and I took an unofficial visit to Duke. So up until then, I'm like, hey, man, now this is when was this. Now this was that sophomore junior, that summer summer. So I took those visits and I was just like, you know, Grant Hill showed me around Tonya Lan, Tonya Lane and those guys. I was like, man, this might not be bad. But once I walked on the campus of Carolina and Coach Ford and you know, coach Gus and Dave Henders who recruited you. Coach Ford, did I remember it came to uh one of my AU games, and you know, charismatic as he is always you know, shooting the shooting the breeze and cracking Joe. And I was like, you know, I you know, I can vibe with that. And it wasn't until you know, my parents and I took the visit to Carolina. It was just something about Carolina just I said, this is this is me, this is this is why I want to play college basketball. And I remember going until my junior year. I already knew I was going. At my senior year, it was on the thought. And I remember our senior year at the Beachball Classic. Yeah, and my high school coach was like, you know, that's Vince Carter. They talked about he might be going to Carolina. So I was like, go go speak to him, and I remember you you and your mom was there, and I'm just trying to vibe you know, you know how you doing going to Carolina? Man, hopefully we're going to be tea and your mom just like, so what is it about Carolina? You're like, you know, what what was about Coach Smith? I mean, she's sitting there like if anybody know you know, yes, yeah, but you know, because we were getting I was taking the I took a visit right after beach ball, so I was leaving straight there for I didn't know that, Yeah, I was going. That's why she was asking that I took. I took an unofficial since I was already out that way, so me and coach Break, my high school coach and the assistant coach I think as well, we took a visit to Carolina right after unofficial, so that's why she was asking. That is funny because I remember the first time we met, and it's almost like we've known each other for like more than the time that we knew each other. Because people. You gotta remember at that time, social media wasn't the thing. So she was like, it wasn't no YouTube you can go and see all of this. I just I saw yeah, and I'm like it was just like it was like, oh you said you know, I said, oh you. It was like I feel like every introduction that you played in different aau outside of having to play someone in your area, you meet him from a new it was kind of like that, oh you to do that, I'll be hearing about Like it was so kind of like that. So, I mean, I remember that like it was yesterday, and it was that instant connection, like it wasn't forced. It wasn't like it was just just asking questions you. I mean, he was listening and just so far we were just bouncing off each other. I'm like, seem like, you know, pretty good guy, you know, not too bad. You know, we can win some games together. I think we can make it happen. It was funny because it was like, you know, that's the guy that talking about might be going to Carolina, he might be your team, and I'm like, so to go over here and run to him and stuff like that. So that was funny. It was the first time that we met, and then I remember, uh, fast forward, Uh, we played the McDonald's game together, and that's what that's what I knew who Vince Carter was because I think I didn't see you at the Beach Ball Classic. I think yall had. I just I saw you at the beginning. So we played like different yeah, played different times. And then I just remember I saw the slam dunk contests in Saint Louis. I was just like and then like just the practices, think about eventual we had, man, we had Kevin going that ny Be called ron ursa god sham god. I mean, we had Paul, we had It was like, I remember that was practice.

Tell me about your recruit mix up for I don't even I don't. I'm not sure a lot of people know you. You you committed to Carolina earlier. But when I say early, you committed when I committed going into my junior year of high school to your junior year. Correct. So my saw right here outline what was it? I had took my biggest thing for me. I never asked you that, did you take any visits other visits now because I don't if I don't remember being from Charlotte, cause we had just moved from Louisiana to Charlotte, and Okay, of course I wanted to play college basketball and I just got to acquaint to what ACC basketball was all about. And I knew I wanted to stay close to home. So I had took an unofficial visit to South Carolina, unofficial visit to in C state, and I took an unofficial visit to Duke. So up until then, I'm like, hey, man, now this is when was this. Now this was that sophomore junior, that summer summer. So I took those visits and I was just like, you know, Grant Hill showed me around Tonya Lan, Tonya Lane and those guys. I was like, man, this might not be bad. But once I walked on the campus of Carolina and Coach Ford and you know, coach Gus and Dave Henders who recruited you. Coach Ford, did I remember it came to uh one of my AU games, and you know, charismatic as he is always you know, shooting the shooting the breeze and cracking Joe. And I was like, you know, I you know, I can vibe with that. And it wasn't until you know, my parents and I took the visit to Carolina. It was just something about Carolina just I said, this is this is me, this is this is why I want to play college basketball. And I remember going until my junior year. I already knew I was going. At my senior year, it was on the thought. And I remember our senior year at the Beachball Classic. Yeah, and my high school coach was like, you know, that's Vince Carter. They talked about he might be going to Carolina. So I was like, go go speak to him, and I remember you you and your mom was there, and I'm just trying to vibe you know, you know how you doing going to Carolina? Man, hopefully we're going to be tea and your mom just like, so what is it about Carolina? You're like, you know, what what was about Coach Smith? I mean, she's sitting there like if anybody know you know, yes, yeah, but you know, because we were getting I was taking the I took a visit right after beach ball, so I was leaving straight there for I didn't know that, Yeah, I was going. That's why she was asking that I took. I took an unofficial since I was already out that way, so me and coach Break, my high school coach and the assistant coach I think as well, we took a visit to Carolina right after unofficial, so that's why she was asking. That is funny because I remember the first time we met, and it's almost like we've known each other for like more than the time that we knew each other. Because people. You gotta remember at that time, social media wasn't the thing. So she was like, it wasn't no YouTube you can go and see all of this. I just I saw yeah, and I'm like it was just like it was like, oh you said you know, I said, oh you. It was like I feel like every introduction that you played in different aau outside of having to play someone in your area, you meet him from a new it was kind of like that, oh you to do that, I'll be hearing about Like it was so kind of like that. So, I mean, I remember that like it was yesterday, and it was that instant connection, like it wasn't forced. It wasn't like it was just just asking questions you. I mean, he was listening and just so far we were just bouncing off each other. I'm like, seem like, you know, pretty good guy, you know, not too bad. You know, we can win some games together. I think we can make it happen. It was funny because it was like, you know, that's the guy that talking about might be going to Carolina, he might be your team, and I'm like, so to go over here and run to him and stuff like that. So that was funny. It was the first time that we met, and then I remember, uh, fast forward, Uh, we played the McDonald's game together, and that's what that's what I knew who Vince Carter was because I think I didn't see you at the Beach Ball Classic. I think yall had. I just I saw you at the beginning. So we played like different yeah, played different times. And then I just remember I saw the slam dunk contests in Saint Louis. I was just like and then like just the practices, think about eventual we had, man, we had Kevin going that ny Be called ron ursa god sham god. I mean, we had Paul, we had It was like, I remember that was practice.

I was just like, I said, bro, this is what I gotta deal with, you know, for the next couple of years in college, because it was we was strade everybody, Yeah, and it was like it was supposed to be in practices like our practices were like just.

I was just like, I said, bro, this is what I gotta deal with, you know, for the next couple of years in college, because it was we was strade everybody, Yeah, and it was like it was supposed to be in practices like our practices were like just.

So it was just like, I was like, man, that class was crazy. And to think about the type of success that everybody from that class have had, whether it's coaching, playing the game of basketball. I mean they talk about the Lebron class and so far, which they deserve it should talk about. But we we had some heavy hitters in that class that went on the Do Exceptional Things Hall of Famers, yourself and so forth. And let's not talk about the draft class. I mean you had Dirt d Whisky up in there and Mike Bibby and those guys. Man, Mike viv good name man, my man, Yes, sir, And speaking of a memory that we probably want to put out of our mind. But let's let's just get this other quick subject out of the way. What happened to us this year? In your opinion? Uh, what do you think? I think the nil? Would you like me? I think I'm gonna give you my opinion on this too before you go any further. I just think we got comfortable in Cocky that we had our guys, our main core guys returning, and we just thought it was going to happen. When I went early in the season, I went for a preseason game and I was a little concerned because it was a preseason game that we should have blown where everyone I can't remember who it was, Jesse Smith, I remember that game, yeah, yes, and it was we should have blown them out of the water. And we didn't get it done. It's kind of like, Okay, it's preseason whatever. But I'm like, all the games were like that, and that was a concern for me because we felt like, oh, we just turn it off and it just kind of got out of the hand from that. So that's what I saw from there, which concerned me. But so think about this. Let's say after our sophomore year, when we lose to Arizona, we come back. Just think about, like I said, everybody went to both sessions of summer school. Everybody we played events. We played NonStop the whole summer. I mean three or four o'clock in the morning, we just getting up shots. So think about coming back the next following season. After you get done with practice, you gotta go and shoot a Duck and Donuts commercial. After I get done with practice, I'm going to shoot this car dealership commercial. And I get it, Like, I truly believe that players deserve to get paid for the name and likeness. I just think, he stop. Can you imagine aund your time? I just say, I don't think that we probably would have made it to the final for the next year because you get a dollars the opportunity. Yeah, I knew, and I knew, and you know how that Duke Carolina game. I remember the game at Duke and I remember the ball just rolling on the floor and I'm just like, nobody's diving for loose. That's a Duke Carolina game. And I love the guys. I think, you know, we just got to the point, we got complacent and we felt like it was going to be as easy as it was because we caught fire at the right point time of the season. So I think they thought that we could just carry that over. But as you know, other teams are like preseason number one. I mean, they going and we never we never counter acted. I talked to Human and he was like, boy, this is a different team, he said, this is this is a totally different team than what I had last year. He said, they gotta worry about other, you know, things outside of basketball. But think about it, Vince. For us, it was just we go to class, we do our work, and we was the one thing, especially in my profession, what I see now is the field for the game is not there. Imagine all the open runs that we had, Vins. I went there the first day they was able to practice or just just you know, go up this place pick up. So they played that day and I had the boys with me and I said, I see you guys tomorrow. Y'all gonna play again tomorrow, right? They were like, nah, we're scheduled to play next week. I was like, huh. So for us, we got a basketball scholarship to go to the University of North Carolina, of course, don't get me wrong, school, whatever other kind of things you got going on, but which we played every single day. And I think the problem that we're dealing with is these guys have these guys that can everybody can work out, everybody can do between the legs, everybody can do all this other stuff. But the feel for the game, the chemistry, the competitiveness is kind of like taking a step back. I think draft nights, Oh yeah, what do you What do you know about draft? I'm sitting there, me and my boy, the drafted again, having a good time your table. Next step, me and my mama sitting there. So my mom and dad here, my agent here, and my agent is like, look, it's gonna be a trade. Uh, you're not going to Toronto. So just letting you know, you know, they get the phone call before see see you already knew that. And me meanwhile, we sitting over here, don't know a thing. But obviously the deal was with you. And I'm gonna say right from that point. Now we're here like living it up, and like I said, about to get drafted, you know, like I said, sitting next to us, and the weirdest thing to me is and obviously we we always talk about where we worked out and everything, and I worked out for Golden State and whatnot. And when you got drafted to Toronto and let me go back. I don't know if you know Toronto had already said if I was available at four, I might as well come work out for him because they were gonna draft. Yeah, okay, now draft Knight gets here. Number one an't care. They already knew it was already understand over number two, okay, then number three, ry for friends that ain't cool. Number four, I was like, okay, they said, I remember telling them a They said, they go to draft me. Okay, said Twary Jameson. I said, b wait what I said the same thing. My agent was right there, so he told me so, they said in twy jameson number fourth picture on the raptions, I'm getting up. I'm like, okay, I said, I don't know where I'm going, but from what I just heard, this is not gonna be it. You're not gonna end up here. So I'm getting up. Bro, I'm trying to huld my mom. My mom like, no, it's cold. We didn't say anything, but I said, mom, just give me ah, I'm not going here. Just they're like Toronto, like what so, But I didn't know what. I did not know because I thought I was either going to Golden State or Dallas. So come to find out, Golden State was trying to keep you from that from Dallas because Dalla was in talks were Toronto about moving up, so go to State Like look, cash will switch. You know, well, we don't want to lose that to one. So that's how it happened. And just like you know, Beachball Classic, I mean, this is the way we started our friendship. And I remember exactly first day on campus, like just the way we compete against one another events. We were paying ourselves for that moment. It was funny you didn't know we was getting traded. I kind of knew. I just didn't know where I was going. But to sit there I'm taking David Stern hands. He like, you know, don't keep that hat on too for too long. You're getting traded. So I knew what was going on. I just didn't know. I'm sitting back the interview with the fifth pick. I said, oh, you know what I'm saying. Okay, I get drafted with the fifth pick. The Golden State was I was like, oh, I ain't cool. I'm not going to Toronto. I'm going to Tola State. Cool a cool. So you know I'm getting me though. My family get me all putting on the hats and I'm sing I congratulations, hunking moms and box and all that and stuff like that, and it's like, man, that's crazy. But boys going four or five all right? Cool? And I remember putting the hat on, and I remember my family the getting their hat all right and stuff, and they told me this, but obviously I didn't see that part of it. But I remember put my hat on, and I remember walking up the steps, taking the first two steps, and I see you standing there to the right, and when you were standing there, you were trying to say something to me. But I was so excited and my heart beating, like it's about to happen. What So you were like, like you were saying, come to find out, you were saying, we're about to get traded. I was like, so by the time, I'm trying not to fall because the one thing I had in my mind was like, bro, all of this the camera gonna be follow you do not know, because that's that's that's all I cared about. We were walking up. I'm like, oh, it gotta be careful, but it was slippery. You had the brand new bottles all like. I was like, bro, do not sit and you're talking to me to I was like what, I was like, I mean, whatever, I take the picture. David starting saying, hey, h standing right here, it's about to be a trade. So I stood back and you were trying to tell me. I was like, bro, I don't know what you're saying. My heart beating in my ears or something. I can't hear you. I can't understand you. So he's like, so I remember saying, dang, somebody is about to get traded already and back then wait until eight or nine piggs later to address the peak. They knew right away, and it was like we were sitting there, we we said there taking the hand off when we take I got the picture right there down in the game, like, yeah, I said, it's crazy. I was like, hey, the business of basketball has been for we learn that my sweet my sweet mate is like my teammate and sweet mate because for y'all know, we lived in this like the we had sweets. Like I'm trying to go to bed at three o'clock in the morning, I'm trying to get I'm trying to listen. I had at fifteen two fifteen. But I was just like, oh, that's what he was saying. We getting traded for each other. Bro, Why did you say that? Yeah? And my parents were like they were fixed. They they said once they fixed the hand. They was like what they were just throwing go to state hands, go to your table. That hats coming out. It was like a crazy crazy And it's funny because I told you about like and by the way, our careers are going to be intertwined because of course we went to Carolina getting traded for one another. And I just remember that that that freshman that mean that rookie season. I'm just like and I always I respect it because I knew. I'm like, this is the stuff people like did you see the Dunky did on ESPN. I'm like you you should have been there practices at Carolina. The dunk thing he was doing. I told people Junk High it was crazy. I mean it was one time. I mean when we were doing the rebounding drill, it was like Serge with the mack tok me out of my we down there just and all of a sudden, this dude just cleansed and take it. I'm just like, that was in practice, so it was one thing to see the highlights. I'm like the dunk contest, I'm like, yeah, I've been seeing that for three years down the road and he he was touching the top of the back. Boy, I'm just like, yeah, there's nothing. One of the moments that I'll never forget was a proud moment for me of you is your back to back fifty balls And that was I mean it's a little different now. I mean there's some Kobe Bryant obviously putting them up like three four, But at that time, it was you ed Cole were the only ones that put up back to back balls. Like what how did that make you feel? How were you feeling? Like what type of zone were you in and when did you know, particularly the second fifty ball, that you were gonna do it again? Well, I think the thing for me because I told you, you know, my rookie year. To see the success that you was having Paul Pierce dirt like, I'm like, man, like I was CODs Player of the Year, might be all these cats and like it was tough. It was the furthest I've been away from my family. I'm on the West Coast when I'm getting out of practice, everybody's getting ready to go to bed. I didn't really have anybody. And I remember, like between you and Mad being able to like just let out my frustration with you too, yep, and you were like, bro, like I know what you can do, Like just take It's gonna take time. And for you to be able to like sympathize with me after all the success she was having dunking over people and because I was on the other side, just think about it. That's what I'm saying, your friends. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, versus crazy for me to not have the team's success, not have the individual success. It was the first time I ever doubted myself in life in basketball because you got to think about. In middle school, we was always the most athletic, the most talented high school all Americans would get to college and I got to the league, and it's just like I'm doubting myself. But then I remember I went home for like a month. I came back and I just I just dedicated myself to my craft, learning how to shoot. And I remember that year I was having some success. I was like, you know what, it's starting to become easy. I can get the shot off, mid range, shooting three a little bit. We played Gary Payton. What year was that for you? That was my my third year, and I remember we played up in Seattle, Gar Payton, those guys for Charlotte. Oh bro up, go ahead, Yeah, fifty one points. And I was just like I said, man, I didn't see that coming. And I just remember like the text message from you from everybody like, boy, I knew you could do it. Congrass some I'm like, okay, you know, I'm starting to play like how I knew I can. I can play the game of basketball on this level. And then it was like two days off before we played the Lakers. And this is when the Lakers. I think this might have been they either back to back or they were trying to three. P might have been on the back to back. Here Kobe shack everybody. And I just remember like just getting to that zone, like, Bro, you just hit fifty one. You got to make sure you you bring it. You know, this is you know, shocking Kobe. I want trying to hit fifty one anything like that. But I just remember, you hear about people talk about being in that zone. You've been there. The basket is so wide, man, no matter what you're going at the speed, that nobody is on your level. And this everything just became easy. I wasn't rushing, I was getting to my spots. I was just the little things and rebounds, the office and boards, like all that stuff was just coming to me. And I just remember down that stretch, it was me and Kobe going back and forth, and you know, Kobe to me was the second coming to Mic And I'm like and at that particular time, like we had more Laker fans at the arena because we played at Golden State than we did go to State fans. But just to know, like, you know, I remember after a game, like Kobe and shot both like you know, the game, like them like soln find like yeah, you know, you know you're making it. Bro, So this Sports Center sports spin up like Bro, like yeah we know cod but man, yeah, one that got. That's the thing. Kobe first fifty one fifty point game. He had never scored fifty one fifty points in the NBA game. It was his first fifty point game, and it was just I just remember like just like he coming down, you know, Larry Hughes going and Bobby Shirt and I'm just like and I'm coming down like Horrace Gray. I remember Phil Jackson like, and I remember sating like over there and stop this man. He kills us. But I'll tell you one thing. It's funny because after I hit fifty one points back to back, the next game we played was against the Lakers. Viz. When I said I never worked hard for a bucket my life, I just scored point that game. I went from fifty one back to back to nothing. When I say they had shack Kobe, Dad Fish, yeah look at that. Oh you'll get you're getting that. What is this? Let's feel Jason gener on the side like I don't get him. They came back and and for me, it was like this is my third year in the league. I never experienced being mentally prepared for like that type of like triple ta, Oh no, he ain't getting fifty to night. So I was like, and I just remember, like I remember after the game Covid them coming out laughing like not the Knight hung felt. But to me, it was just like I felt like, Okay, I'm on the same level as Vince. Now I'm on the same level as Paul and their guys in my class that I put on his pedestal because y'all had so much success the first early in your careers and now it's like, you know, like that's when I knew, like, you know what, this won't be doing until I can't do it anymore. And you mentioned Covid, I know you you ended up obviously you had that battle. You ended up playing with Cold. What what you know? We hear stories about Cod from other guys. For you, what was it like playing with Cold at that time? It was it was it was so easy. Our lockers was next to each other. You know me, I'm like one of the greatest type players. I'm just like a sponge. And he was so receptive. The thing about Cole if you dedicate yourself to the game of basketball and you want to win. He was the best teammates ever, him and Shack Beef because what Shaq was giving it not one hundred percent. Had other stuff. That year the White was on the team. The White, you know, always joke in and stuff like that. But if you came and practiced hard and then you did everything the coaches like he was, I love playing with it. I mean, one time, it's funny story. We're on a plane. You know. He always did that that system like a like a snake. See. I mean, he be doing that and he said, Jamo that way. He called me like come here, and I'm like Kobe never called me on the player. I said, what's going on? He watched a film, Vince, I mean just watching filmly like look, he said, I see you as open. He said, I didn't see you. He said, next time, next game, you know, just just hey, pass ball. I'm open. I'm looking at the film. Vince. He got four guys and I'm like, how you doing do I'm open? You got four guys right there on you. But he was like, he said, I got blinders on. I just see the basket. He said, next time, just let me know, Showley. But sure that next game we played, I think it might have been I forgot Phoenix or somebody. It was the most thirty two points that game I had. You know, they double team and I'm yelling Colby, I mean just lay up after the layup, and like that's the type of player he was. He was the ultimate competitor. I mean he won to win. You remember the time when Mike came and we did our our game, our run at Chapel Hill and this is we were like, it's Michael Jordan, he just came out of a championship and we're playing pick up game with Mike. Just the intensity that we played with. We said pigs, we diving on the floor for loose balls. But that's the type of that's the type of you know, attention that he demanded. And Cold was the same way. Like to me, I love playing with Cold. I could have played with Cold my whole career because we all wanted the same things. Like my work ethic was compared to none. I remember my first day of training camp, I knowing me the first one in the gym. You know, we had practice around eleven o'clock. I get to jail like eight o'clock, I'm getting shot up. I walk in. Kobe comes off the court just swim. I'm like, well, he just got just getting out the shower, like na, he been hits is five o'clock in the morning and this is what we was doing tour days. But that's just the type of person he was. He He never let anybody or wanted to think anybody was outworking him. And as a teammate, it was the same way. As long as you coming in, you competing every day, you're giving everything to your craft and to the team. He was the best teammate ever Lebron. Yeah, you also played with Lebron and your time with him, I mean what Lebron has accomplished, and you got the opportunity to see Lebron in his early stages and obviously you're seeing what he's done now and what he's accomplished. You know, it's about like, Lebron James is the all time leading scorer in NBA history, and you got that opportunity to play with him. You got to see him every day. What are your thoughts on him as a young guy to where he is now. Yes, I got traded midway through the season, and you knew he was. He was getting ready for greatness. To say, I'm shock a surprised that he's the all time leading scorer in the NBA history. I'm not just like Cole the work ethic, the attention to detail, the amount of money he's spent on his body, to make sure he's you know, prepared for the rigors of like eighty two plus deep into the playoffs, I knew it. I think at that particular time, Bron needed to go into a situation like he did with Miami. He needed because at that particular like Cleveland was still kind of like trying to figure things out and you like learning how to win and learn how to win and learn how to the difference between Bron and Kobe. Kobe was more like Mike, uh just the mentality. Brown was more like heavy gold luck, you know, just still having a good time. They all hear six they was doing. So I think Bron needed to go that pat Riley and learn about the mentality that Mike and Magic and those guys d Wade already had it. So I think by those couple of years, by him being down there in Miami and it took him to the next level because he he was arguing he could have won the MVV every year. That's type of talent that he was. But I think he needed to go down there and experience, like, you know what, I've been kind of doing this all wrong. And from what I heard after he got back from Miami, from the people with the organization, you can tell he came back different. He came back well little you know what, this is how we got to do things. And he was it's his basketball mind. I never seen anything like it. I remember like Mike Brown trying to draw players and Brown he's a coach. I mean, you think about you know, Kobe I played with Shaq with Cleveland, but like Brown was like his mind just it would like I never seen it before as a player. And then he had the opportunity because you hear, most great coaches were not great players. But Broun had the opportunity to practice what he preaches, what he saw. And of course, I mean this man came out of high school built like a mad truck fast like I don't never seen it before. I Q like his basketball, i Q is people don't give enough credit for his basketball at i Q. And the thing I love about it and I think the difference between the players when our generation and Broun Bron loves the game of basketball. KD loves the game of basketball. If they weren't playing, they'd be out there on the black top. I mean, this is this is this is the mentality, and that was the difference between I think Kobe and Broun. Broun had to go down there and figure it out. And I think Kobe already came in, you know, he strogged a little bit, coach study studied. Yeah, you know, every his his every move like I remember. And then Kobe went to one to an organization that it's championship or bus and Brown went to a situation in Cleveland like you know, we never had just to say, you know, just just bring people to come see to the stands. And then he went now to Miami like, hold on, no, we're just not down here to party and have a good time. We here to win championship. And I think once she got to that point, like now you know, this is what is requiet. It's not just make it to the finals every other year like pat Riot, like Bro, we here to win championship. And lastly, I just want to clear the air, get this out there, and then we're gonna get out of here. Get out of your hair. Ladies and gentlemen. You already mentioned a little bit, and I want to double back on this MJ story. When MJ came to tell to play pick up. Yeah, it was a story that came out about this MJ situation and how it all unfolded. And we've had conversations about it. And this is not have anything to do with anybody, not to Mark Spears, not to anybody, but we actually lived this story as well, and we've had just recently, we've had a conversation about it. But some of the things that came out, if you would, we're not really now now knowing the person who heard the story and he said about he wasn't his favorite. Now I know him now. If he said that, I didn't hear it, and it wasn't surprised me if he did say. I can only talk about what I experienced, what I saw. And I remember they said, you guys got to be downstairs and Dean Smith right, play pick up at a certain time. Yeah, I'm like, all right, we'll be there. No, you got to be here at a certain time. I'm like, I remember that, what's the big deal? But yeah, we're always there. Were always had three o'clock, you know, And I just remember like nobody was in the gym but us. Normally you have like the managers. You might have so people walk in the concourse or whatever, but it was just a team and there. I'm like, so we're sending up stretching and stuff. And I'm like, man, okay, so let's get started. They're like, hold up, wait, not, We're gonna get started a little bit. I'm like, what's going on? And coming out of tunnel, you know, everybody knows the walk and I'm like, I said, they're about to go the coming over the US and what's he doing? I said, guys call on his shots on and you know the little walk coming on and I'm like.

So it was just like, I was like, man, that class was crazy. And to think about the type of success that everybody from that class have had, whether it's coaching, playing the game of basketball. I mean they talk about the Lebron class and so far, which they deserve it should talk about. But we we had some heavy hitters in that class that went on the Do Exceptional Things Hall of Famers, yourself and so forth. And let's not talk about the draft class. I mean you had Dirt d Whisky up in there and Mike Bibby and those guys. Man, Mike viv good name man, my man, Yes, sir, And speaking of a memory that we probably want to put out of our mind. But let's let's just get this other quick subject out of the way. What happened to us this year? In your opinion? Uh, what do you think? I think the nil? Would you like me? I think I'm gonna give you my opinion on this too before you go any further. I just think we got comfortable in Cocky that we had our guys, our main core guys returning, and we just thought it was going to happen. When I went early in the season, I went for a preseason game and I was a little concerned because it was a preseason game that we should have blown where everyone I can't remember who it was, Jesse Smith, I remember that game, yeah, yes, and it was we should have blown them out of the water. And we didn't get it done. It's kind of like, Okay, it's preseason whatever. But I'm like, all the games were like that, and that was a concern for me because we felt like, oh, we just turn it off and it just kind of got out of the hand from that. So that's what I saw from there, which concerned me. But so think about this. Let's say after our sophomore year, when we lose to Arizona, we come back. Just think about, like I said, everybody went to both sessions of summer school. Everybody we played events. We played NonStop the whole summer. I mean three or four o'clock in the morning, we just getting up shots. So think about coming back the next following season. After you get done with practice, you gotta go and shoot a Duck and Donuts commercial. After I get done with practice, I'm going to shoot this car dealership commercial. And I get it, Like, I truly believe that players deserve to get paid for the name and likeness. I just think, he stop. Can you imagine aund your time? I just say, I don't think that we probably would have made it to the final for the next year because you get a dollars the opportunity. Yeah, I knew, and I knew, and you know how that Duke Carolina game. I remember the game at Duke and I remember the ball just rolling on the floor and I'm just like, nobody's diving for loose. That's a Duke Carolina game. And I love the guys. I think, you know, we just got to the point, we got complacent and we felt like it was going to be as easy as it was because we caught fire at the right point time of the season. So I think they thought that we could just carry that over. But as you know, other teams are like preseason number one. I mean, they going and we never we never counter acted. I talked to Human and he was like, boy, this is a different team, he said, this is this is a totally different team than what I had last year. He said, they gotta worry about other, you know, things outside of basketball. But think about it, Vince. For us, it was just we go to class, we do our work, and we was the one thing, especially in my profession, what I see now is the field for the game is not there. Imagine all the open runs that we had, Vins. I went there the first day they was able to practice or just just you know, go up this place pick up. So they played that day and I had the boys with me and I said, I see you guys tomorrow. Y'all gonna play again tomorrow, right? They were like, nah, we're scheduled to play next week. I was like, huh. So for us, we got a basketball scholarship to go to the University of North Carolina, of course, don't get me wrong, school, whatever other kind of things you got going on, but which we played every single day. And I think the problem that we're dealing with is these guys have these guys that can everybody can work out, everybody can do between the legs, everybody can do all this other stuff. But the feel for the game, the chemistry, the competitiveness is kind of like taking a step back. I think draft nights, Oh yeah, what do you What do you know about draft? I'm sitting there, me and my boy, the drafted again, having a good time your table. Next step, me and my mama sitting there. So my mom and dad here, my agent here, and my agent is like, look, it's gonna be a trade. Uh, you're not going to Toronto. So just letting you know, you know, they get the phone call before see see you already knew that. And me meanwhile, we sitting over here, don't know a thing. But obviously the deal was with you. And I'm gonna say right from that point. Now we're here like living it up, and like I said, about to get drafted, you know, like I said, sitting next to us, and the weirdest thing to me is and obviously we we always talk about where we worked out and everything, and I worked out for Golden State and whatnot. And when you got drafted to Toronto and let me go back. I don't know if you know Toronto had already said if I was available at four, I might as well come work out for him because they were gonna draft. Yeah, okay, now draft Knight gets here. Number one an't care. They already knew it was already understand over number two, okay, then number three, ry for friends that ain't cool. Number four, I was like, okay, they said, I remember telling them a They said, they go to draft me. Okay, said Twary Jameson. I said, b wait what I said the same thing. My agent was right there, so he told me so, they said in twy jameson number fourth picture on the raptions, I'm getting up. I'm like, okay, I said, I don't know where I'm going, but from what I just heard, this is not gonna be it. You're not gonna end up here. So I'm getting up. Bro, I'm trying to huld my mom. My mom like, no, it's cold. We didn't say anything, but I said, mom, just give me ah, I'm not going here. Just they're like Toronto, like what so, But I didn't know what. I did not know because I thought I was either going to Golden State or Dallas. So come to find out, Golden State was trying to keep you from that from Dallas because Dalla was in talks were Toronto about moving up, so go to State Like look, cash will switch. You know, well, we don't want to lose that to one. So that's how it happened. And just like you know, Beachball Classic, I mean, this is the way we started our friendship. And I remember exactly first day on campus, like just the way we compete against one another events. We were paying ourselves for that moment. It was funny you didn't know we was getting traded. I kind of knew. I just didn't know where I was going. But to sit there I'm taking David Stern hands. He like, you know, don't keep that hat on too for too long. You're getting traded. So I knew what was going on. I just didn't know. I'm sitting back the interview with the fifth pick. I said, oh, you know what I'm saying. Okay, I get drafted with the fifth pick. The Golden State was I was like, oh, I ain't cool. I'm not going to Toronto. I'm going to Tola State. Cool a cool. So you know I'm getting me though. My family get me all putting on the hats and I'm sing I congratulations, hunking moms and box and all that and stuff like that, and it's like, man, that's crazy. But boys going four or five all right? Cool? And I remember putting the hat on, and I remember my family the getting their hat all right and stuff, and they told me this, but obviously I didn't see that part of it. But I remember put my hat on, and I remember walking up the steps, taking the first two steps, and I see you standing there to the right, and when you were standing there, you were trying to say something to me. But I was so excited and my heart beating, like it's about to happen. What So you were like, like you were saying, come to find out, you were saying, we're about to get traded. I was like, so by the time, I'm trying not to fall because the one thing I had in my mind was like, bro, all of this the camera gonna be follow you do not know, because that's that's that's all I cared about. We were walking up. I'm like, oh, it gotta be careful, but it was slippery. You had the brand new bottles all like. I was like, bro, do not sit and you're talking to me to I was like what, I was like, I mean, whatever, I take the picture. David starting saying, hey, h standing right here, it's about to be a trade. So I stood back and you were trying to tell me. I was like, bro, I don't know what you're saying. My heart beating in my ears or something. I can't hear you. I can't understand you. So he's like, so I remember saying, dang, somebody is about to get traded already and back then wait until eight or nine piggs later to address the peak. They knew right away, and it was like we were sitting there, we we said there taking the hand off when we take I got the picture right there down in the game, like, yeah, I said, it's crazy. I was like, hey, the business of basketball has been for we learn that my sweet my sweet mate is like my teammate and sweet mate because for y'all know, we lived in this like the we had sweets. Like I'm trying to go to bed at three o'clock in the morning, I'm trying to get I'm trying to listen. I had at fifteen two fifteen. But I was just like, oh, that's what he was saying. We getting traded for each other. Bro, Why did you say that? Yeah? And my parents were like they were fixed. They they said once they fixed the hand. They was like what they were just throwing go to state hands, go to your table. That hats coming out. It was like a crazy crazy And it's funny because I told you about like and by the way, our careers are going to be intertwined because of course we went to Carolina getting traded for one another. And I just remember that that that freshman that mean that rookie season. I'm just like and I always I respect it because I knew. I'm like, this is the stuff people like did you see the Dunky did on ESPN. I'm like you you should have been there practices at Carolina. The dunk thing he was doing. I told people Junk High it was crazy. I mean it was one time. I mean when we were doing the rebounding drill, it was like Serge with the mack tok me out of my we down there just and all of a sudden, this dude just cleansed and take it. I'm just like, that was in practice, so it was one thing to see the highlights. I'm like the dunk contest, I'm like, yeah, I've been seeing that for three years down the road and he he was touching the top of the back. Boy, I'm just like, yeah, there's nothing. One of the moments that I'll never forget was a proud moment for me of you is your back to back fifty balls And that was I mean it's a little different now. I mean there's some Kobe Bryant obviously putting them up like three four, But at that time, it was you ed Cole were the only ones that put up back to back balls. Like what how did that make you feel? How were you feeling? Like what type of zone were you in and when did you know, particularly the second fifty ball, that you were gonna do it again? Well, I think the thing for me because I told you, you know, my rookie year. To see the success that you was having Paul Pierce dirt like, I'm like, man, like I was CODs Player of the Year, might be all these cats and like it was tough. It was the furthest I've been away from my family. I'm on the West Coast when I'm getting out of practice, everybody's getting ready to go to bed. I didn't really have anybody. And I remember, like between you and Mad being able to like just let out my frustration with you too, yep, and you were like, bro, like I know what you can do, Like just take It's gonna take time. And for you to be able to like sympathize with me after all the success she was having dunking over people and because I was on the other side, just think about it. That's what I'm saying, your friends. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, versus crazy for me to not have the team's success, not have the individual success. It was the first time I ever doubted myself in life in basketball because you got to think about. In middle school, we was always the most athletic, the most talented high school all Americans would get to college and I got to the league, and it's just like I'm doubting myself. But then I remember I went home for like a month. I came back and I just I just dedicated myself to my craft, learning how to shoot. And I remember that year I was having some success. I was like, you know what, it's starting to become easy. I can get the shot off, mid range, shooting three a little bit. We played Gary Payton. What year was that for you? That was my my third year, and I remember we played up in Seattle, Gar Payton, those guys for Charlotte. Oh bro up, go ahead, Yeah, fifty one points. And I was just like I said, man, I didn't see that coming. And I just remember like the text message from you from everybody like, boy, I knew you could do it. Congrass some I'm like, okay, you know, I'm starting to play like how I knew I can. I can play the game of basketball on this level. And then it was like two days off before we played the Lakers. And this is when the Lakers. I think this might have been they either back to back or they were trying to three. P might have been on the back to back. Here Kobe shack everybody. And I just remember like just getting to that zone, like, Bro, you just hit fifty one. You got to make sure you you bring it. You know, this is you know, shocking Kobe. I want trying to hit fifty one anything like that. But I just remember, you hear about people talk about being in that zone. You've been there. The basket is so wide, man, no matter what you're going at the speed, that nobody is on your level. And this everything just became easy. I wasn't rushing, I was getting to my spots. I was just the little things and rebounds, the office and boards, like all that stuff was just coming to me. And I just remember down that stretch, it was me and Kobe going back and forth, and you know, Kobe to me was the second coming to Mic And I'm like and at that particular time, like we had more Laker fans at the arena because we played at Golden State than we did go to State fans. But just to know, like, you know, I remember after a game, like Kobe and shot both like you know, the game, like them like soln find like yeah, you know, you know you're making it. Bro, So this Sports Center sports spin up like Bro, like yeah we know cod but man, yeah, one that got. That's the thing. Kobe first fifty one fifty point game. He had never scored fifty one fifty points in the NBA game. It was his first fifty point game, and it was just I just remember like just like he coming down, you know, Larry Hughes going and Bobby Shirt and I'm just like and I'm coming down like Horrace Gray. I remember Phil Jackson like, and I remember sating like over there and stop this man. He kills us. But I'll tell you one thing. It's funny because after I hit fifty one points back to back, the next game we played was against the Lakers. Viz. When I said I never worked hard for a bucket my life, I just scored point that game. I went from fifty one back to back to nothing. When I say they had shack Kobe, Dad Fish, yeah look at that. Oh you'll get you're getting that. What is this? Let's feel Jason gener on the side like I don't get him. They came back and and for me, it was like this is my third year in the league. I never experienced being mentally prepared for like that type of like triple ta, Oh no, he ain't getting fifty to night. So I was like, and I just remember, like I remember after the game Covid them coming out laughing like not the Knight hung felt. But to me, it was just like I felt like, Okay, I'm on the same level as Vince. Now I'm on the same level as Paul and their guys in my class that I put on his pedestal because y'all had so much success the first early in your careers and now it's like, you know, like that's when I knew, like, you know what, this won't be doing until I can't do it anymore. And you mentioned Covid, I know you you ended up obviously you had that battle. You ended up playing with Cold. What what you know? We hear stories about Cod from other guys. For you, what was it like playing with Cold at that time? It was it was it was so easy. Our lockers was next to each other. You know me, I'm like one of the greatest type players. I'm just like a sponge. And he was so receptive. The thing about Cole if you dedicate yourself to the game of basketball and you want to win. He was the best teammates ever, him and Shack Beef because what Shaq was giving it not one hundred percent. Had other stuff. That year the White was on the team. The White, you know, always joke in and stuff like that. But if you came and practiced hard and then you did everything the coaches like he was, I love playing with it. I mean, one time, it's funny story. We're on a plane. You know. He always did that that system like a like a snake. See. I mean, he be doing that and he said, Jamo that way. He called me like come here, and I'm like Kobe never called me on the player. I said, what's going on? He watched a film, Vince, I mean just watching filmly like look, he said, I see you as open. He said, I didn't see you. He said, next time, next game, you know, just just hey, pass ball. I'm open. I'm looking at the film. Vince. He got four guys and I'm like, how you doing do I'm open? You got four guys right there on you. But he was like, he said, I got blinders on. I just see the basket. He said, next time, just let me know, Showley. But sure that next game we played, I think it might have been I forgot Phoenix or somebody. It was the most thirty two points that game I had. You know, they double team and I'm yelling Colby, I mean just lay up after the layup, and like that's the type of player he was. He was the ultimate competitor. I mean he won to win. You remember the time when Mike came and we did our our game, our run at Chapel Hill and this is we were like, it's Michael Jordan, he just came out of a championship and we're playing pick up game with Mike. Just the intensity that we played with. We said pigs, we diving on the floor for loose balls. But that's the type of that's the type of you know, attention that he demanded. And Cold was the same way. Like to me, I love playing with Cold. I could have played with Cold my whole career because we all wanted the same things. Like my work ethic was compared to none. I remember my first day of training camp, I knowing me the first one in the gym. You know, we had practice around eleven o'clock. I get to jail like eight o'clock, I'm getting shot up. I walk in. Kobe comes off the court just swim. I'm like, well, he just got just getting out the shower, like na, he been hits is five o'clock in the morning and this is what we was doing tour days. But that's just the type of person he was. He He never let anybody or wanted to think anybody was outworking him. And as a teammate, it was the same way. As long as you coming in, you competing every day, you're giving everything to your craft and to the team. He was the best teammate ever Lebron. Yeah, you also played with Lebron and your time with him, I mean what Lebron has accomplished, and you got the opportunity to see Lebron in his early stages and obviously you're seeing what he's done now and what he's accomplished. You know, it's about like, Lebron James is the all time leading scorer in NBA history, and you got that opportunity to play with him. You got to see him every day. What are your thoughts on him as a young guy to where he is now. Yes, I got traded midway through the season, and you knew he was. He was getting ready for greatness. To say, I'm shock a surprised that he's the all time leading scorer in the NBA history. I'm not just like Cole the work ethic, the attention to detail, the amount of money he's spent on his body, to make sure he's you know, prepared for the rigors of like eighty two plus deep into the playoffs, I knew it. I think at that particular time, Bron needed to go into a situation like he did with Miami. He needed because at that particular like Cleveland was still kind of like trying to figure things out and you like learning how to win and learn how to win and learn how to the difference between Bron and Kobe. Kobe was more like Mike, uh just the mentality. Brown was more like heavy gold luck, you know, just still having a good time. They all hear six they was doing. So I think Bron needed to go that pat Riley and learn about the mentality that Mike and Magic and those guys d Wade already had it. So I think by those couple of years, by him being down there in Miami and it took him to the next level because he he was arguing he could have won the MVV every year. That's type of talent that he was. But I think he needed to go down there and experience, like, you know what, I've been kind of doing this all wrong. And from what I heard after he got back from Miami, from the people with the organization, you can tell he came back different. He came back well little you know what, this is how we got to do things. And he was it's his basketball mind. I never seen anything like it. I remember like Mike Brown trying to draw players and Brown he's a coach. I mean, you think about you know, Kobe I played with Shaq with Cleveland, but like Brown was like his mind just it would like I never seen it before as a player. And then he had the opportunity because you hear, most great coaches were not great players. But Broun had the opportunity to practice what he preaches, what he saw. And of course, I mean this man came out of high school built like a mad truck fast like I don't never seen it before. I Q like his basketball, i Q is people don't give enough credit for his basketball at i Q. And the thing I love about it and I think the difference between the players when our generation and Broun Bron loves the game of basketball. KD loves the game of basketball. If they weren't playing, they'd be out there on the black top. I mean, this is this is this is the mentality, and that was the difference between I think Kobe and Broun. Broun had to go down there and figure it out. And I think Kobe already came in, you know, he strogged a little bit, coach study studied. Yeah, you know, every his his every move like I remember. And then Kobe went to one to an organization that it's championship or bus and Brown went to a situation in Cleveland like you know, we never had just to say, you know, just just bring people to come see to the stands. And then he went now to Miami like, hold on, no, we're just not down here to party and have a good time. We here to win championship. And I think once she got to that point, like now you know, this is what is requiet. It's not just make it to the finals every other year like pat Riot, like Bro, we here to win championship. And lastly, I just want to clear the air, get this out there, and then we're gonna get out of here. Get out of your hair. Ladies and gentlemen. You already mentioned a little bit, and I want to double back on this MJ story. When MJ came to tell to play pick up. Yeah, it was a story that came out about this MJ situation and how it all unfolded. And we've had conversations about it. And this is not have anything to do with anybody, not to Mark Spears, not to anybody, but we actually lived this story as well, and we've had just recently, we've had a conversation about it. But some of the things that came out, if you would, we're not really now now knowing the person who heard the story and he said about he wasn't his favorite. Now I know him now. If he said that, I didn't hear it, and it wasn't surprised me if he did say. I can only talk about what I experienced, what I saw. And I remember they said, you guys got to be downstairs and Dean Smith right, play pick up at a certain time. Yeah, I'm like, all right, we'll be there. No, you got to be here at a certain time. I'm like, I remember that, what's the big deal? But yeah, we're always there. Were always had three o'clock, you know, And I just remember like nobody was in the gym but us. Normally you have like the managers. You might have so people walk in the concourse or whatever, but it was just a team and there. I'm like, so we're sending up stretching and stuff. And I'm like, man, okay, so let's get started. They're like, hold up, wait, not, We're gonna get started a little bit. I'm like, what's going on? And coming out of tunnel, you know, everybody knows the walk and I'm like, I said, they're about to go the coming over the US and what's he doing? I said, guys call on his shots on and you know the little walk coming on and I'm like.

This is our freshman year events. I'm like, bro, were about to play with myself? Oh crap, okay, all of a sudden, bo we start stretching. All of a sudden, we straight up on the layup line.

This is our freshman year events. I'm like, bro, were about to play with myself? Oh crap, okay, all of a sudden, bo we start stretching. All of a sudden, we straight up on the layup line.

And I remember I played with the one game and get some one game And when I say the tension of detail, I say, we was at there sending screen. We was that was the hardest I ever seen a pickup game being played in my life. But wait, who you remember he had like the walk Ons and he had like he was like, nah, no give me them. Yeah, And I remember and yeah, I got switched out on him. I said, somebody can help help because I mean he had that He's looking at them just and it's just like he started getting into that. That all I'm like, and I just remember, man, it was I mean, it was just like we just got through playing because think about it, with the Carolina just won a championship. This is like the reason why a lot of us or even playing the game of basketball be like Mike in the backyard doing this Chicago. So to sit there and like at the Smithson and the school that I'm going to to have Michael Jordan come in, I didn't say nothing. I'm sitting there just it's Michael Jordan's were sitting there saying was in that master class he was giving us out there called the screen your felt. I'm like, I mean, it's just like because we learned, like this is the intense for us. You know, we didn't know when this opportunity or even it was going to happen. This is what we gotta expect if we was to make it to the next level. And I just missed. I mean, we play hard. We diving Rember. I just remember the time on the break, the one fast break I got. It's like, you know, usually dunk it, but like, nah, I'm going ahead dump this with extra hard man is a real thing. Yeah. Yeah, one time, like he was calling his shots. Yeah, don't reach, don't reach that because you reached. I'm going in here for this fade away And I was like, what are you talking about? Like you said there it fade away like unbelievable, and I was like, I don't remember, Like this is what I was saying. I don't remember any trash talk. It wasn't. It wasn't no trash talking, not from me. Yeah, it wasn't. I don't recall any trash talking. So I just remember quiet church mouse go aham, do my job. Picked said scream. I played when the first game, said scream. The second game, that's when he had to walk home and he played against everybody and we I was like, yeah, I played against him. Oh did I play with I want to say I played with him once, but maybe not. So let me ask you this so knowing that the talk was this is the next coming of Michael Jordan's or this is the closest thing to Michael Jordan to ever come to Carolina that put a punch on you when you played him that day. You never came up that way. You just game. I didn't want to know. I've always said that, like I didn't want to be the next MJ. Because like, bro, that's as soon as you do that, you automatically put pressure on yourself. And I'm like, bro, like I might you might see some things, like you know, I love the fade away. That was my thing. You know, I hit you with the long fade away either way or whatnot, and you see some stuff, but like it was just like nah, I just wanted to see, Like I'm not gonna say like I say, like, let me see what this Michael Jordan thay was all about. But at the same time, like, bro, like it's the best to ever do it. So you know, you see where you are at night, well, seventeen eighteen years old and this man, the MJ, right girl, man like the man had grown man stream like he was just I'm talking about like trying to guard him back down, like he just he just his ability to get to his spots and he was prepared for everything that you could possibly do during live action, you know what I'm saying. So it was just like I said, I was a student in that master class that he was giving, and it was just like to be able to like you knew about the dunk and and stuff. But Vince too, I've seen you and you you his ability to get shot off from people who are athletics. But no, away, I'm not. I compare you. This one thing I will compare you guys to. And you could jump and I'm sitting there jumping with you. I'm jumping with you, I'm coming down and you're still elevating up and it's like you're in slow motion. Like That's the thing I will compare you guys to, because I remember the day I'm like, holdo, I'm jumping. I know I got a little bit of athletical ability, but I'm coming down. He's just still hanging and it's just like one of the time. That was one of the things that because of my ability, I learned and I took from his game is the ability to kind of get in the paint and just be athletic, and then sometimes it's just like all right, you done. Your athleticism has expired. Okay, let me go ahead and just wait and sometime, you know, you would see it with the one hand, sometime with the play away, just hold it up there, like those are the things like I was like, that's another dimension of my game. I use, like particularly when I got in the NBA more so than in college, but like now I can just get in the paint and just you know, cause we're talking about were dealing with back my Tumbo's and you know, Sean Bradley's and all those guys, so you know, just big athletic, strong dudes. It's like I just had to kind of wait, like pretty well started me and stuff. So I guess the guys I had to go out like KG was seven ft long, shot up here, the same way the fade away. But for you it was like I'm told them this and you would jump straight up and then all of a sudden you could talk your body face. I'm just like this dude still up and one thing to come into the rim. I was just like you know what, just he hanged but the fade away and the jump shot and be like, Oh, that's good. D On right there. I'm right there just like And that's the thing I remember when I played MJ for the first time. I'm like, this guy is literally just hanging in the air on his jump shot, same shot every time. The motion is just like those are the things that you don't You see it on TV, but you don't really appreciate it to you like literally like live competing against it. That's the one thing I will say that you had a lot of is that you can actually play good defense on Vince. This is before you learn how to like create off the drib and stuff like that. But you were just sitting and I'm just like, we come down, like what are you doing? It was just and you had the same motion every time. A lot of people don't understand your shot. It was just like the actually shoot the ball. But that freshman, ye, you was just so in your head. You was like my shooting now. Everything was just But then when you realize, nah, I'm taking this shot, I'm just like and then when you start off the drill, but I'm just like, it's a rap, so just get ready for it. So yeah, man, And that's why it prepared me. I think played against MJ then and then playing against m J when he came back with the Wizards. You know, I had a better understanding. It's one thing watching him J. It's one thing watching him J. You know, for everybody who sue claim like, oh no, it's another thing. You haven't to guard that man live. Like, hey, funny story. I remember because this is when I was at Golden State and he was with the Wizards. He came in this MJ. I mean, like I said, we played against played with him in college and me and Gilbert like cooking. I had like about thirty three thirty four. Man, he guarded me one time I hit the shot. I'm like, yeah, baby, yeah, tall here, calm down, my bad that's that's too don't give me a start out like my bad player, it's your game, I said, back his shots. I was like, let me just Steve. But that's that's the type of respect that he had. And like I said, I mean, you know, it's a debate between who's the greatest Bron or Mike. If you asked Broun, Broun played the game Coope. We can't forget Kobe. I'm just saying, man, Tim, I really appreciate it. Man. It's always a pleasure, you see, when we get to talk and we have stories on end. Like I'm hoping all our listeners out there really enjoy this conversation because I knew it was gonna be a good when I knew people were gonna hear some great stuff. Thank you once again, man, my brother. Love you to death. Man, It's always love when we get together. Man, VC Show. We signing off. Man, Let's go