Episode 8, Dwyane talks with his good friend, 3-time WNBA Champion, 2-Time WNBA MVP, 2-time NCAA Champion and 2-time AP Female Athlete of the Year, Candace Parker. They discuss why Candace loved Allen Iverson growing up and how it impacted her game, her relationship with her brothers and why she never learned to accept losing, what the legendary Coach Pat Summitt did to make Candace feel comfortable at Tennessee and the challenges that she faces as a black woman in the LGBTQ community.
What's up everybody. I am back. Sorry for taking two weeks off. Just got a little busy. But today I am back with someone who I have been friends with for a long time, someone I've admired for a very long time. Someone who's like a little sister sometimes like like a big sister. One of the greatest athletes and one of the greatest human beings that I've ever had the chance to watch and to meet.
Everybody. Welcome Canvas Parker. Why.
I'm so happy to do this with you.
Thank you. You know I can get BARACKA on the phone quick night.
I listen you international, traveling all around the world, waving people kissing babies, people kissing baby wild get the holes in one.
I'm just out here, you know. I was just waiting to get this opportunity to sit across from you and thank you for blessing my podcast.
I noticed something. I noticed your voice dropped significantly when you started the podcast. It was like, hey, says this is it's just two way coming at you with the why. That's how it was. Yeah, this is my life.
When I grew up, I used to listen to like late night radio, and this is kind of yeah, you're listening to like that's how it always but this is I feel I feel safe at this tone.
Listen, this is you. I feel real safe at this.
Tone right here.
You know it sounds good on the podcast. So I always like to start my podcast with the last time I've seen my guest. And the last time I seen it was All Star weekend in Indiana on Friday when we hung out. We had a great night at our party at the Gentlemen's.
Always always a good night, always a great time.
Everybody knows if if my name associated with a party, it's gonna be a good time. But the last time I seen you actually was on Saturday. For like three seconds at the Spades event. You were cutting your eyes at me as I was going off to win my first Spades championships.
Because I didn't enter, I was I was working that night and so I was going to be late and I didn't want to hold the whole thing up. So that's why, that's why it was. That's why I didn't enter the This is my first year not entering the Spades tournament. Yeah, so you're welcome. You won. Because I didn't enter it, I.
Felt I felt a little I felt a little way about that. You're welcome, Like I.
Mean, I listen, you got to add that you got the Hall of Fame, got three times champ, that's the great. Finally won your own events. Listen, that's everybody, like it's yours.
You should have wonted. No, it's Spades. It's just that, you know, my name was used to help put the event on. But you know what crazy about Spades? You know how much trash talk you get from like like Roland Martin hit me, Oh yeah, and was I'm talking about talking trash?
Lucky I went there next year is on I'm like, yo.
Well it's real. Like Paulo Boncaro's parents, we beat them last year at left going myself beat them last year. They were still talking about it this year. They were like, oh, you don't want to enter. You want to enter the tournament so that we could you know, run it back. Oh so you just take your ball when you get to the park after you one game? You guys, I just came in hot. Were you one of those you want those? Not after one game? Maybe after a couple, maybe after a couple, like if I went three or four, like I'm gonna take my ball and go home. Oh not if you lose, though if I lose, were still playing.
Because we had those people at the park that once they didn't get picked or they lost, they were taking a ball and they was getting out of there.
Yeah, I'm competitive, so I don't like so we go play till I win, and then I'm gonna be like, oh.
We go Okay, let's talk about the competitiveness. So you you competitive? You grew up in the house with two older brothers.
How's that?
How's growing up with two older brothers? I mean, I know they have they supposed to have this protection over you, but I'm sure being a competitive as you are, and they were hoopers as well, I'm sure that was.
It's it's crazy, D because I was so much younger than my brothers that I got to watch and still try to be competitive and and still try to compete even though I wasn't gonna win. So that's how it was. And everything they did I wanted. I mean I had the strength shoes. My brother was the size fourteen fifteen. I had this, Yes, I had the white, the white strength shoes and they were like four or five sizes too big, and I was trying to like put paper in the back to like run and train. Like my brother and my dad would get in the car and ride and my brother would run on the strength shoes down our street. And I remember just sitting there.
Like dreaming a family that had strip shoes.
Yeah, like it was real. I had some money, you were just getting We had one pair. We had one pair for three kids, and everybody shared and it was like the same size, so it didn't matter.
Yeah, oh my god.
But that's how I was with my brothers, Like I just idolized them. I wanted to be like I played with a video game unplugged, the controller unplugged for so long because I just wanted to be with them and hang out and do everything they did. And so I'm so lucky that like my heroes were in my house and they were great role models and just amazing brothers.
So they are the ones.
I mean, we get to your pops as well, but they're the ones who kind of got you to play basketball because watching them, who you want to get in there and do the same thing because of their competitiveness, And they brought you along and they won't.
Like they definitely brought me along. And I always say my brothers are the ones that prepared me to like be at T and T because I have a bunch of big brothers that just make fun of me all the time. Like last week, Shack was like, Yo, your ankle's ashy like on television, you know. And so it's like, if I didn't grow up in the household I grew up in, I would be like, you know, like you know, embarrassed about it. But I think my brothers tease me, they love me. They pushed me down, they picked me up, they did all the things that helped me want to play basketball, want to compete, And I think just like the work ethic, like watching them my brother and my middle brother is a doctor, just watching him study and stick to it and set goals, and the same thing with my oldest brother who played basketball, like watching him just yeah, continue to work at it. Yeah, it's crazy.
Everybody out there that theyn't know Kennics brother Anthony played in the NBA. I knew of Anthony because of Henry Thomas Hank Big Bang Hank, Big Bang Hank. I knew of Anthony. So you know, I came in already knowing about your brother, but you know, played against your brother a few times.
Oh you definitely listen. You are in a number of group chats because he loves seeing Anthony's crooked hand can test your jump shot, Like it's my favorite thing to turn on Sports Center and see like you doing your d way's spending you do and then just seeing like Anthony try to contest with this crookeed handy had.
He had like slow feet, you know what I mean, And so he was recovering a lot. Yeah, look be like I just see him at all start WEEKD and he wants you people go off and be like I've just seen him and he wants talking like that.
Anthony, listen shout out to Anthony. I don't want no smoke, but listen. Anthony is hilarious because he would always draw like you Kobe, Darren Williams like he would always like draw these, and so he would always say like d Wade, you don't know because he has the like you know, and he was like Darren Williams Herky Jersey was like, don't go for the first cross. I remember telling him and he would call me and be like, I went for the first cross.
It's so hard.
Yeah.
Dar used to come up and his cross was hard and you're.
Trying to get your feet. Yeah.
So like so Anthony, he was in that that size where he's about six seven, roughly six six, okay, about six and six, but long, you know, kind of longer.
Guy wasn't the top score on this team.
So he's defensive player, but you automatically got to go guard somebody.
Yeah he's not. He became one, right, but when he went over to Europe, like he wasn't he was a bucket getter. He was. I mean, he was a shooter. He's a shooter, splash from the corner, splash coming off screens. But but that's the NBA he had to develop. When he got, yeah, back to Toronto, he had to defend. And then again with Cleveland he had to defend.
A little bit.
So how was that for you?
Right, obviously you're on your journey in basketball, your brothers on his journey.
You think you know a lot about the game, and.
I'm sure he does. How was that like relationship? Was it like you reaching out saying and then you should do this, you should do that, or were you reaching out picking his brain more like you know how house guys work, and like what's.
Going on It's so interesting because he went overseas when I was in seventh eighth grade, so he missed my entire kind of rise to whatever start them, No, we're not gonna call it start him, but he missed my rise in the game of basketball.
Microphones, but we've been humble.
Okay, let's goss microphones. But I think he came back my junior year at college, so he missed that whole period of time where I kind of grew up. And so when he came back, I was not the little, tiny baby sister. I was his sister when he came back. So I think our relationship changed. Anthony I have always been close. We talk almost every day today to this day, I should say, but since then we've talked every day and we just kind of pick our brains. We share, We give advice. He's really good at figuring out what I need in terms of like do I need somebody that's going to tell me you know what I need to hear, or do I need somebody to just listen and then him tell me or ask questions. So I'm I'm proud of my brother.
You need to get relationship advice. If he if he had figured that out Any.
Is one of the best humans in the world because of the way that he I feel like he's such a great teammate even off the floor. I think that's why they love him. In Orlando. He's the general manager there. But he's great at like managing people in emotions and he never gets too high or too low. And he gives some amazing pregame speeches like easy and we lost game four going back to Many had to win on their home court, and he hit me with the do you remember the book chop Wood Carry Water? He hit me with that, said, you heard the book chop wood Carry Water? How you said a golf ball that hasn't been hit wasn't travel right, he said, but they noticed the ones that had the most dense and that were beat up actually traveled the best. And he's like, let's you know, you've been dinged up, you've been whatever you've been talked about in your career, Like now this is giving you the opportunity to travel the best and to travel accurate. And you know, so he hit the speech. I was like, all right, you see that wall, I got you. I'll meet you on the side. So there's that. Yeah, he's great.
At that.
So your your dad played at Iowa. Correct Iowa? Iowa?
Yeah, there you go.
You know, I don't like saying a lot of other colleges, you know what I mean. I'm a little but so Iowa is actually one of the schools I wanted to go to. And it's not for no reason that would make sense.
Okay, I want to hear why.
I like the colors.
Okay, black and Okay, I mean I had so.
I don't have many pictures of my childhood, but I have one when people when it comes out, I have Iowa basketball short. Yeah, black and gold, and I love black and go. My high school was black and Goal. It was too, I love gold, so like Michigan was blue and gold. So those are two schools.
When I was young, I wanted to go to Michigan or I wanted to go to Io.
Michigan was everybody, well yeah everybody.
We all jumped on the Michigan bandwagon.
Yeah, black Sox.
But Iowa I was like, okay, I could do I could do Iowa, like I.
Could do Purdue. Like in these schools.
I don't know.
It was the colors. Yeah, you're a kid. You're also in the Midwest. That's probably some of it too. It's like you didn't see like U C l A. Can you imagine if we were to seen out here definitely been out here. I was like, what was I thinking not taking a visit to USC?
Oh?
Well, I didn't have the.
Conversation just turned real quickly from a young goat USC, I had I U p U I about us? Those issues are different. Was your dad good at basketball?
Though?
Talk to me?
So, here's no problem. Here's the problem. So my parents met at Iowa. My mom went to i whim my dad went to Iowa. My dad was the first four year player started at Iowa. So they used to do where freshman couldn't play varsity, that's what it was called. He was the first year in seventy two that they allowed freshmen to play. Okay, you know yeah when he got there, he yeah. So I would say my dad was like super quick first step, more like a slasher, more like a finisher at the rim. I've only seen like a couple of grainy clips of him with his like first step.
Sit you down and make you watch none of his.
But there's not. I mean, it's like he didn't have a lot of film. You know what I mean, it's not like you like YouTube, you know, and even our YouTube clips from high school a little green Yeah, And my daughter was like, why does it look like that? Like because I'm old.
I remember Hank set me down on the plane one day and made me watch his old highlights.
Oh yeah, afro did he have.
Bro? You know? Shorts was like as big as this book, you know what I'm saying, and he's his little light skinned body and I had to sit and watch like just showed me that he was nice. So I'm just you know, that's how. That's how like my dad did that to me, Like let me.
Sure anything is when they show you and then they're like, oh, didn't quite look Okay, we're going fast forward right here. Let's watch the whole film. You talk about highlights now, no, let's watch the whole that's watch the whole film. Yeah.
So, as your dad, being pretty much probably your first coach, would you say, yeah, so I played soccer, you played soccer.
I played soccer growing up, and then right around I would say seventh grade is when I started playing basketball. So I played a sixth seventh grade is when I started playing like traveling basketball, and my dad was my coach.
Okay, And now that you know, like going back, did he was a good coach?
Did he know what he was saying?
Like listen. The crazy thing is my dad is the one that forced me to look at the game in a different way, breaking down the why and I think sometimes commercial break, but breaking down the why of things and not to get in my head of myself. But later on when I ask why, it's because of that. He was always big on you got to know why you're doing stuff. So when you're going to set a down screen, you got to know why. What's your intention so that I can get my shooter open? So that changes your butt angle, That changes how you headhunt, that changes the position of your screen. And I think later on in my basketball career when I would ask why coaches would take that personally that you don't trust what we're doing. No, I got to know why we're doing this so that then I can change and adjust and do things. And my dad was big on that. I mean, we were running a Princeton set offense in sixth seventh, eighth grade. I laugh because I look at the way that Kobe was teaching his team and the things that he was sitting down doing and you know, how to guard screens, how to guard shooters, how to lock and trail, how to force one way, and then we square up on our feet bigs being able to rebound start the break like that was all my dad doing that with our team. And I think the reason why I see the game the way I do is because of him. I mean watching WGN Old Bulls games and he would stop it. We'd always VHS tape the game and he pause it and be like, Okay, what did Pippin do here? Like all the defensive end, where are they trying to funnel the ball? And I would answer, this is sixth seventh, eighth grade. So the studying of the game came from him.
I think the details right, Like for me, I'm about when I watched the game, I don't it doesn't matter. I know people can score the basketball, it's the details of how they're scoring. And so when I do my camps to academies, I'm talking about those little details, like even like how you get open like kids, just as somebody denying you and you know you're trying to get the ball like a lot of people just release early, and these details of holding that holding your position and releasing once the ball released. Like all these small details, those are to me when when you have great coaches that really can focus on that, like your screen position of not going to screen at the side of a person, how about you go screen at this angle. It's like the shoulder and their hip and the butt or whatever. Right, these little small details is what takes good players to that different level, the IQ level. And so it sounds like your dad gave you a little bit of that.
Early on and passing, like making the right play. Yeah, and sometimes to a fault, you know, where maybe you should have been selfish and taken a shot, but it's like I can't help but see that, you know. And it all comes from instincts, but it also comes from like studying the game as well, where I'm going to manipulate this to get this player open. Yeah, So I think it was just being aware and always being open to listening to like what the new philosophy is, what the new thought process is.
I don't know how how did regiment it become your fair Like you say your favorita, right.
Like, so he's not my favorite all time play, No, it's just the case he's not my favorite all time player.
I just.
I loved people that came into Chicago and battled Mike. Like I love Michael Jordan, Don't get me wrong, He's the goat in my opinion because he's the blueprint and everybody was trying to model themselves after him, right, But the people that came in and battled him, the Reggie Millers, the Ron Harper's like people forget back in the day. Ron used to before me, before his knees. Ron Harper used to.
Give him so clipper I mean clipper with Detroit, I mean Detroit rnne Detroit.
Ron was really nice. But anytime you like, Chicago wanted you to come play for them, it was clearly because you know, we had seen what you have done in the past. So I don't know, I just always love those guys, I mean Isaiah Thomas the same thing, Like, yeah, I just love those guys that came into Chicago with like a chip on their shoulder and weren't like, oh, He's the greatest of all time, Like let me back down. Still has the chip on the shoulder, he is still there. But listen, I feel ze Man Zeke is one of the best guards to ever pick a basketball and needs to be recognized as such all the time.
Yeah, it's I mean, we're we'll take a whole turn on this spot talking about that, but it definitely is. It's as we watch so many of our greats that don't get the recognition that we all know they deserve.
Who is your Who did you grow up idolizing? Well, I mean, okay, other than it's like MJ and then m J, Scotty and the Bulls.
Let me say that outside of those guys, because I was really like Chicago w G and that's all I really watched. But as I got older and I was able to kind of, you know, get out of my MJ love face once he stopped they then I.
Opened it up a little bit. But before.
Okay, okay, no, right, Like I enjoy guys.
That I looked at as someone that possibly my size, that have a similar game. If your game wasn't in my style of play. I really wasn't like Patrick Ewing. I wasn't really watching Patrick Ewan. That wasn't gonna be my game, So you know, Plus I didn't like New York neither Standing Nicks. Mm hmm standinis I digress. So who did you immolate, like what what player would you look at and say? Growing up, I emulated that the style of play.
I hate fitting in like a lane. That is my biggest like it is fitting in like one lane. So I think I took pieces from a lot of different people. I grew up loving Iverson. That's part of the reason why I'm wearing number three Iverson. I had the finger bands. My brother got drafted to Philly, so he was on the team bands. I had the fingers number three bands like from him. Yes, he gave them to me when I was in high school. I was in junior high and I wore them. I wore them in high school. Like, you don't understand my love for Iverson. I was doing the Jada Kiss commercials or whatever the yeah, the Jadakiss rights commercials. I could do that whole commercial that they did with the white ball and the white I had all the rebox shoes, the answers, the questions, I had every the air Bo bubbles used to pop. I used to could get some more. But I loved Iverson, so he was the one that I kind of wanted to dribble and learn the Was.
This his dribbling or was it just his whole.
I was just saying, it's hard. Yeah, Like he didn't care what people told him he couldn't do. He was going to do it. And I love the fact that he was him, not in the sense of today him, but like him, like he was him all the time, do rag walking into games on the podium as a dad off the court. He was Irison and so hate him or love him, like he wasn't going to change based off of his environment. And I love that. So I did have the little zig zag braids. I'm not gonna lie, you had to set it off. I went through that. I looked back at pictures. I'm like, mom, can we not keep these in the photo album?
That's why that's that's why I had iverson.
That's the want to, you know, walk me and introduce me into the Hall of Fame because exactly what you said. And that's why I tried to like say those things up there, because for kids, the young kids growing up, I mean, you know, we adalyzed the fact that he did challenge the conventional norms, that he wasn't like everyone else. Like we love Mike and the suits and how he showed up. But when ivously came, he was like, oh, man, like you.
Can be like that too, you know, still be cold.
Because there was a certain that you thought you had to be and the iris and shows you know you don't in a sense. And so yeah, that's why I wanted to give him with flowers, you know, speaking of given flowers like you do on Tuesday show, like when we work together is I wanted to make sure I gave iverson as flowers on stage because of exactly what.
Always he changed an entire culture mentality, like I think the NBA as a whole changed as a result of fashion taking up. But like he took a bullet in a lot of funds, so that yeah, and it's like you you do take a bullet being the first, and sometimes people look at you like you're different. And then now you see all these kids out that are able to be themselves and able to you know, play the game they love, but also can not be I think the thing for me is it's not they're not taking away the who you are based off like tattoos and what you look like. Before it would be like you automatically had to check against you.
Oh, if you had a floor a head band, it was that was a little much. You have braids like it. I mean, we lived through that. And now I told one of the players recently that I was like, Yo, y'all, y'all got it, like everything.
That we all want it.
This is the time right now where y'all got all the things, y'all can do, all the things, y'all getting all the things like this is the moment, right and for for the NBA where they have this is the hype for me with all the players before them have work, they butt off and want it, and they have it.
Okay, I know you know some about the NBA because I'm looking at the dose now, like freaking Papa John's before games. They couldn't feed us or anything like imagine how much y'a would have dropped if I wouldn't have Papa John's before games. No fen shack. But like game like come on, man, he was getting like that good that get them good meals and then you like splurge and get the little cinnamon whatever sticks that they had for dessert. Like all right, this year, you know this week mo money came in. So yeah, no, you weren't doing that, No, not at all.
Yeah, they got it.
And but That's that's why you know, you work so hard right for the game to continue to keep on, you know, but they got it, that's all. Let them all like, y'all got it. No jealosy over here. But I won't let you know y'all got it. Y'all get what we want it.
Oh my gosh.
So speaking of just you know, obviously, as I go down and I think about you, all I think about is an athlete is winning?
Right?
Like your name is associated with winning at every level. I'm sure you want at the junior seventh eighth grade level two, but high school multiple championships, college multiple championships, obviously, the NBA multiple championships. So when I think of candas Parker, I associate candas Parker athlete. It's just a winner and I as been winner. How bad of a loser are you?
My mom, myself, my daughter, my wife, we were all playing Domino's yesterday, so he just went somewhere, You just went dark. Yeah, And my mom was sitting behind my wife, so she's like throwing like she's like acting like John Stockton, throwing her lobs the whole game. She's just scoring, like twenty twenty five. I was At one point, I was just like enough, like we can't, we can't keep throwing her lobs. So then of course on wins, and my mom and my daughter are like, it's no fun playing with you, and I was like, it's only when she's losing, Like she doesn't have fun when she's losing. And I would say, that's that's me. I don't have a good attitude when I lose. I didn't grow up having to have a good attitude. Now will I give respect and reflect? But at the time, I'm not a good loser. I don't know. I just am like, why would anybody want to be good?
I don't know.
I know this dan and age, Like parenting has changed from my daughter's fourteen and my son is too, and the mentality even in that amount of time, I'm sure it was sired. Yeah it's changed. Yeah, but like, why would you teach your kid to be a good loser?
Now?
Can I can handle myself and conduct myself and be cool whatever? But I'm gonna be mad? Why would you be happy losing? I'm just asking anybody that lose, like I did my best. Yes, I'm relinquishing results, I'm cool whatever, But losing is not cool.
Okay, So okay, understand that. So after you lose, which you're gonna lose playing sports, you're gonna lose in life. After you have a loss, how how quickly do you come back from that loss?
And now?
Yeah, well even growing up like you was your your high school champian, you a college champian, growing up in this process when you would lose, so you would have those bad games, how quickly did you turn around for yourself?
Oh? Bad games? It was like, after we lose, you don't have to worry about it, Like the next game, it's going to be better, I would say. More so I worried about myself after wins, like you don't want to relax, Like losses were never It was never difficult training in the off season after a loss. It was never difficult getting up the next day and watching film or whatever to try to get better for the next game. It was only difficult if you didn't have control, like if there wasn't another game, if there wasn't another opportunity. But yeah, I've never liked losing. And I think you talk about this generation being able to talk shit, say what they feel, show emotion, Like I didn't grow up with that ability, especially in the women's game. I was a smart ass. I was an asshole. I was like all these things on the court that now I decide, I just wanted you to be truthful. I was considered that I still am. But it is accepted. Okay, okay, it is accepted. It is accepted. Like how many weeks afterwards that y'all beat us in spades? Was I still texting some type of way. It was awful. Listen, they won off of like like they threw out a jack. It was the last hand and it was like, whoever wins this? Nobody knew what anybody had. We threw it out. It was like a jack of clubs they want off of. I was like, this is wild.
Okay, sorry, no, no, you can talk about me when it all day.
But I don't. I don't. I don't like losing and it doesn't matter whatever. It is. Like, there's certain things I cannot play with people. I will not play spades with my wife for the next couple of weeks because she kept cutting my king and it kept driving me crazy. So like I have non negotiables. We cannot play too on to volleyball because I feel like we don't like, she doesn't die. She'll just be like I couldn't get that ball, And I'm like, but how did you.
Know she was cutting you as your partner.
She was cutting me with a king she had. She didn't have that suit, and she cut me with like a low spade. And I kept trying to nicely explain this to her so that she would still be invited to cookout, and she didn't want to listen. So I was like, I'm not playing spades with you for a while. She's gonna kill me after she hears it.
No, but listen, it.
Was hard to play spades in relationships. Kept cutting my king, and I nicely explained.
To her clarification.
I was like, listen, it's not you, it's me. I can't handle this.
Bob plays with his wife, yes, you play which urs I play with mine. Hence why we haven't won in the tournament, because you get to that point where you'd be like, you cutting my king. What do I do right now? Do I want to go home later and just have a good or do I want to go to do I want to go off?
You know?
But your energy is very strong and so is mine, So I don't do well with hiding the fact that my king, like I'm my facial expression is looking at you like you cut my king, and I'm like you cut my mother. Cute? Yeah, exactly, so competitive, Yeah, I am.
Go ahead, It's just a coach.
Nah.
So I'm going to go back to that space because I feel you on that completely. But I wanted to talk about the two of you guys from Chicago, and how Chicago kind of made you finally respecting other players, like what you had to do, because I hear about Chicago tough and and those kinds of things. You have great Chicago players, Like when you look at each other and you look at the players that come from Chicago, what is that?
What does that mean for somebody who's not from Chicago.
For both of you from Illinois, Illinois, Illinois have you said?
But I think that there are players that go to Chicago because I always went to Chicago to measure my game, Like I played pick up at DePaul, played pick up at Hoops Gym. We would get there early before my team practice and watch Michael Jordan work out at Hoops, Like there were some amazing runs and amazing tournaments. And I feel like a lot of people came through Chicago to figure out.
They had like stacked themselves up, Like where my game at right now? Let me go down to Chicago for the summer and see where it is.
I think KG would have been a legend regardless, but him playing his last year in Chicago, Like I remember that people climbing over the gate to try to see KG play, and it was even Ronnie Field's team, Like it wasn't even it wasn't even CAG It was climbing over to go see Kevin Garnett. I just think it's a different mentality, and it's also a different level of support. Like I felt in love with you because we came from the same place, and I always felt like we always connected on that level because we always take care of each other. There's like a mentality of that. I think obviously we're hoopers and but there's like a different mentality. Yeah, I agree.
I mean it's a I don't know, I want it's a certain kind of dog that's in it that we all have in each other, like we have inside of us that we all can recognize. Like I can look at Canvas Hoop one time and I can recognize the dog in her and I think we all have that, Like I know it in q Rich, like I know it in all my your car and organ Isaiah, And so I think it's a respect from just how we approach the game, you know what I mean, Like the game means something to us, Like we ain't out there trying to be cute. We out there hoop, We out there to get it, And so it's a respect in that.
And I agree with you.
I think I've felt a lot of probably coming from Cargo, even though I come from a small suburbs and people.
Like, well you didn't.
You ain't go to Whitney Young, you ain't go to Simeon.
But as one of the Chicago guys, I feel like everybody from Isaiah Thomas and Mark McGuire, like all these legends that we have, everyone is show love to We've all showed love to each other, right, we all have respect for each other what everyone has done, We've all showed loved throughout and so that makes all of us. When you hear somebody from Chicago, you want to bring them in because you were brought in and you were respected in a sense. And so I love saying I'm from the sha you know, and Illinois or whatever people want to call, like I have sent I'm from Chicago because of what I feel like we represent is obviously athletes.
Everyone's got to know, so, don't you think Also it's from growing up watching the Bulls there was this expectation to win. Yeah, so there's this level of comfort in those situations. Yeah, Like, without a shout of a doubt, I knew MJ was going to hit that shot in our eyes every time, every single time, because we saw it. We saw the fist pump, we saw the crossover, with the little nudge, with the jump shot, hold the follow through, like you knew you were gonna make those plays. And because you've seen it so much in those moments, I feel like Chicago ballers are comfortable. Like we're comfortable in those moments. We're comfortable with that with the lights on. Like who would have thought d Wade go down to Miami be the first in the class to win a championship in that, you know what I mean? Like, because I feel like you were comfortable in the moment, look at you rise to the occasion of NCAA tournament.
Marquette, he's seen it what you see, you know, Yeah, watched We watched you watch that.
Yeah, we've watched that guy.
So it's a great way that you said that, because it's it is. It's something that it's a confidence that comes with that because you've seen it over and over again. Like we had confidence as fans that once the game got down, MJ about to do a sting and we knew it, and so that just became like when you got your time, you're like, game going down, let me get that.
And do what MJ did? You know what I mean.
It's that confidence of knowing, like we could do this, this is what we do.
That makes sense.
Yeah I never thought of it that way, but that makes it. That makes a lot of it makes a lot of sense. Let's go to college. I know high school is high school, but let's go to college because that's when I personally got a chance to really watch you become this superstar. And what I loved about you in college is one, you were number three, let me throw that out there, but I love the way that you played the entire game. And when I say that, like, no matter which block you were on, you can score left hand, right hand, no matter if it was getting the rebound off going coast to coast. Nobody was getting the rebound getting up to your teammates, no matter if it was, you know, they thrown it back to you, knock it down the mid range, knock it down the trade ball, like you did everything on the floor. And I believe at that time we didn't see that in a women's game a lot. I know it's other players who had those capabilities. I'm not saying that, but it was not nothing we've seen and.
Not that full package together.
And so I fell in love with the versatility of Canvas Parker before I got a chance to know the person.
Where did that come from? Was that?
Did that come from just from your upbringing of your dad and everything you're told, or was that your coach is along the way telling you, hey, you have to be so multi diverse in how you play.
You don't want to just be one way.
My dad, my grandma is My one grandma's five to ten, my other grandma's like five to five. So he's like, maybe you I'm at I'm five nine, five ten. At the time, he's like, this might be it, right, you know, And if you're going to be five ten, you can't be a post player. So This is from the time I'm little, he put the ball in my hand. And again, I think it was a combination of coaching and then also just me wanting to be like Iverson seeing the and one mixtape come out and try to do all those moves and soccer. I think those were kind of the three levels of why I wanted to do all those other things. But also like my mind, I can't just do a right hook now looking back, looking at the game today, where you just can do one thing and do it really well and just have a counter move to that one thing. Sometimes you don't even need a counter move exactly, you don't even need you just there are people that I'm like, he's going left, he's going left, he's going left, but he's he can't stop it. So looking back, maybe I would have done that. But the way my mind works is like I gotta do the right hook, and then I gotta throw in a little shimmy. Then I gotta do the right hook, and I gotta throw in the kit or I gotta do the right hook, and then I got to like, I gotta I gotta do that. I don't know the way that my mind works, it gets boring. If I like, I can't just do one turno around, which is a problem because sometimes you just gotta do one turnaround, you know, in a game. But I've always wanted to do that. And then my left hand just I just loved you. I just loved using my left hand. I loved and I learned that from Europe because in Europe you go left a lot because you have to cross step, which you learned in eight when you're at Olympic team was being called for travels. Remember that, and then we would look at me and I'd be like, yeah, that was a travel way. Would be like, that's not a Trump travel It was the funniest thing ever. Kobe, Yes, that's a travel La. You can't do that over here? Yeah, Broad Brown would open stuff. Can't do that, Chris do that little rip through baseline, can't do that. Probably go the other way.
Candice just says something very important, and I think it's important for obviously athletes, but for parents as well.
To understand.
She said that she couldn't do a basic right hand hook or a basic move. She got bored and so to you got to have great coaches to to understand the player. And I'm sure you know, I obviously hat is one of the greatest coaches ever to walk the sideline. And to be a great coach like that, to be a culture great player, you have to recognize, Okay, she's not trying to be you know, put on for the crowd that she actually she gets bored and in the mistican board, I have to allow her to freelance a little bit and do her things a.
Little bit a little bit. And Pat taught me that a little bit, a little bit, because there's a time for a right hook. There's a time to just put somebody in the basket and not be cute about it. Yeah, And I think it's learning, you know, it's learning that.
And it's having leaders talk about the leader. And I know you speak about Pat of all that she's been and is to your life, but talk about the leader that she was because obviously you came in very highly you know, talented and talented, but to have that leader to be able to, you know, kind of set that talent where should go and where it need to go.
What was her leadership style.
It's crazy because I feel like my dad and Pat set me up for failure. They did because I had such a close emotional relationship with them, that they knew what I was thinking before I was even thinking it. They knew the buttons to push, they knew when to back off, they knew when to question. Because if you question whether I can do something, almost stay up all night all day trying to prove to you that I can. And they knew that. So they knew the buttons to push. And I say that because Coach and my dad were two of the best listeners I've ever been a party to them. Or Yeah, they wanted to know the why, they wanted to know what I was thinking, and because they gave me that opportunity to express myself ask questions. When they said shut up, we got to get this done, I shut up. But when it's constantly like you're not allowed to, like there's a you know, when someone one of your kids is showing promise in something, right, you want them to like be curious. That's what we always say as parents, Like the best thing that you can give your kid or have your kid be, is to be curious because then you're gonna want to do. But a lot of that curiosity is killed in kids because they're told to sit down, shut up, be quiet, don't do this. That's not how we behave, that's not how we act. That's the generation we came from, especially, And so then when you get older and you have this curious talent, and you shut off all of the questions and the curiosity and the excitement, and it becomes this like now all the time, can my daughter tell me what color socks she want to wear? It? No? But why am I saying no? You know, it's a good question. So I think Pat and my dad, those two coaches would say, we're hedging on the screen because she's killing us on the dribble bat and then she's waiting and where she's hitting threes. That's why we're hedging on the screen. Okay, I didn't see it that way. I thought we were hedging on the screen because we want to get the bought her hands. But she turns the ball over. So in my head, that's what I'm thinking. So there's always a reason why I'm asking the question. And I think Coach Summit and my dad always understood that that. My brain was always like going. And then I got to the WNBA and it was like it was like attacking, Like if I asked a question, it was like, Oh, you don't think I know this. No, that's not why I'm asking that question. So I think Coach Summit's leadership style was she listened, she empowered her players, and she didn't treat every player the same. She treated us with the same respect and things like that. But the challenges that she had to throw at me, she couldn't throw at this player, or the challenges or the conversation she was having with this player she couldn't have with me. Like she knew that and that's what made her great.
What was thinking about a moment and it could be obviously we go to championships, but what's your favorite pet moment?
What's her favorite moment with her in you? Oh my goodness, it stays with you. The moment that I think will stay with me forever is yes, probably hmm. There's so many moments. When I got there my freshman year, I couldn't play. I had a red shirt because my knee. So I just had like serious knee surgery. So at that point we were contenders for a national championship. I couldn't play, and she like took the time to like I was struggling. My parents were getting divorced all that, and she just left her door open and was like, hey, I want you to come eat lunch in my room in my office every Wednesday. You don't have to say anything and just sit there, just eat lunch. And then slowly but surely I started talking and opening up and yeah, you know, she provided a safe space with Yeah, and I And at the time, you know, now, I think we talk about therapy, we talk about you know, getting help, we talk about talking through your issues or whatever. I was the kid that just everything's going to be fun, you know. And so to be able to have that space with somebody like coach Summit, who didn't have to do that. There were counselors on staff, they were I could have gone, she could have put me with a sports psychologist or whatever. But like her doing that really opened the doors to our relationship. Yeah, and so that's kind of where I saw her as like, yeah, she's a fantastic coach, but she's a great human.
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, especially at that time in your life, right while you were in college, obviously away from your family as you as you knew it growing up, that leader, that coach, that figure in your life becomes very important. Tom Creane for me was very important as I was my family was going through there, you know, I trials and tribulations right my mom was going down her journey, my dad and to have someone that even though like he would get on me, he didn't treat me. No, he got on me more than anybody, but it was a safe space that he always provided for me. And whether that safe space was me coming crying on the shoulder when I just needed to cry, be that expressive, be that vulnerable.
It's important for you know, you to.
Have people in your life, especially you know, your coaches, because they're going to get even more out of you, for one if they take the time to you know, to put those things into you, to put that love into you, and to create that space. So for all the coaches out there, just understand how important, you know, your role is not just to get wins, you know what I mean, Like this is a win that you allow a kid who was going through something and was dealing with something. You allow that safe space for them to you know, to come to you and to be you know, just be and so love that.
But I think there's so many times where coaches coach the player and they don't coach the entire person. And in order to get the best out of the player, you have to coach the entire person. You're not showing up to practice just as a player, you're showing up as a dad, as a husband, as a son, as all these things. And you're carrying like all those who's with you and you're supposed to perform in your what But nobody wants to take time to understand the who? Right, No, But like you know what I mean? And I think the coaches that really understand that, and we're getting it now because it's forced. Social media has forced coaches to actually behave in a way that because you never know what's being recorded, what's being text, what's being whatever. So I feel like coaches now are held to this bar where but you can tell the ones that have the intention to do it. There's that like intangible thing that you have a connection with a person or with whatever. You can tell that there's like an intention behind it. And so I think through coach and my dad and those coaches, I've learned to like look for that intention, do you know what I mean? With the person? They may not be perfect right now, but you can look for the intention. Yeah, and that will I don't know that will help with everything, because I know that's why I connected with you. Was your intention? Like, yeah, you know, definitely. There's so many times that we need to have conversations about that.
Yeah, all the time.
Speaking of like around that time in attention, we talked about Candice and I spoke about this before and even to the point where we're like, was that a violation? But we're gonna we're gonna move on from it.
Well, we talked about this before when Candas was in college.
It's definitely a la if I get the national championship taken back, because there's why podcast we're gonna fight.
We're like, but but we like family. So it's cool.
Like Reggie Bush trying out here.
Because of Anthony, because of I got Hank. I remember Hank telling me we're at the s PIS and what are you up there for? What College Player of the Year? What were you up there for?
Women's college college athlete failiar?
And I remember Hank telling me, you know, obviously you were going to be out there, and he was like, take care of my girl, you know, make sure you take care of her. Any party she want to get it, like make sure you got it right. And so, you know, ever since that moment, I've always tried to be you know, whatever it is. Candice and I've always had a great relationship and it's built from that conversation Hank with me, like take care of my girl, take care of canvas.
But I did take care of it.
That week.
We had a It was a cool moment. And I know that it's a picture out there. Oh no, we have it, but someone has it. Where we were at this party and Candace wanted to meet some legends in our community, right, some black actresses that are legends.
We grew up with.
Brother markets with me too.
Brother was with him, and candas like she ain't care about nothing that was going on to the party.
She want to party. Shen't want none that.
She was like, I want to meet Nia Long, I want to meet Gab, I want to meet with And was it one more or was.
Just some three?
It's just those three, just those three.
And that was as a big brother. That was my it was my time. It was my time to be like, oh you want.
To be like our our entire life, that's royalty. That's royalty. And still I'm going to send you that picture. I still have it. Listen, we make a family cant under every year. My brother's picture with them was on the family calendar, so you made his life and hours by yeah, introducing me with your orange juice. I remember to all of them.
Yeah, because I didn't drink anything.
He had orange juice. I remember being like, what, I didn't drink anything.
But I mean that was the first time that you and I kind of like connected, but been connected ever since. And you know, I say that to say because I've always loved to give my guy hang love. But that's how we rolled. You didn't even talk about Chicago, Like it's just it's that right. It's somebody saying, hey, this person you're like locked in, got it, and it's a it's a lifetime thing. And so in the midst of this run and me you becoming like one of my favorite players, actually got a chance to spend some time with him.
Then be like, oh cool.
I thought she was about the sidekick I was about to talk about. And then okay, because I was like listen and then we're gonna talk about this.
I wound up setting it. You know, I have my sidekick out around that time, it was.
A two thousand It was a d Wade sidekick with the basketball like he had like a basketball texture on the back of the sidekick.
Yeah.
Yeah, it was coming off. It was coming off the two thousand and six championship. So it was a white and goals, you know kind of es. And I had like a few and we can all we argue about this internally because some people don't think they got one. But I had a few people I could set them out to. You know, you only get about ten, right, And I actually said in the canvas.
Yo, I rode that thing until the wheels fell off. Literally the screen was coming off with the basketball on the back. You could not tell me nothing. I remember I pulled up the class and I had it, and I just sat it on my desk like everybody was walking past like this mean yeah, like that's a big deal, trust me, Like it was. Yeah, it was a big deal. So I I just it was always so cool to like see all the things that you go through, to see the things that you've accomplished, but to know you kind of from the beginning ish you know, into like see that. I remember the first time we were like both in our thirties, we're like, oh we've grown. Now, look at us. We grew so grown, look at us right out here. It's true. So I've always just been so proud of you, man, like, so proud of who you are. And obviously we connect on you know, parenthood a lot.
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
So it's just been it's been the little cis looking but also a little big cis like just proud of you.
Yeah.
I mean, it's so many different levels.
And then like I said, then it's the fan level, like I'm I'm a I love hoop and so you know, I go out and I talk about the game and I talk about my favorite players in basketball, and Kansas is one of my favorite players. And a lot of it is not just accomplishments, right, Like we could talk about them, because she has all of them, but it's the way that she's done it. And when I know people who has overcome injuries like she just says she was coming off knee surgeon in high school going into college, she still won five more championships after that total, right, And so to know that is to know a person can overcome these moments, and these are not easy moments to overcome. And so I've been a fan of so many different things, but I'm a fan of the person I know who's overcome so much. You know, I mean to continue to be all the things that she is. And so I say that to say, watching you go to the NBA from college and watching you just take over right away, like that was special. You know, I think what it was you got rook of the Year at MVP your first year.
How how and how is that? Like MVP and Rookie of the Year.
I just came in and was just playing free and I had a situation where I was able to do that. Michael Cooper is like, we're gonna play you at point, We're gonna play you at three, We're gonna play you at you know. The post player obviously, you know he comes from that past Riley showtime. Yeah, he comes from the Showtime, but he also comes from the running seventeens if you lose in practice.
And best edition, hardest working.
And to be honest with you, I think it's undervalue that I played alongside one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Yeah.
So I played with Lisa. Yeah, so depending on the night, she might have the best post defender on her. Yeah, I might have the best post defender on me. They try to guard me with a three, we'd go on the post, you know. So it was a lot of fun to be able to play on that team. Run and gun, get up and down and kind of show my entire skill set.
What year was Lisa and when you came to the.
Sport Man she was year? I mean she retired the next year, so she was like fourteen fifteen something like that.
I saw a stat recently, and I don't know how true it is.
I saw a stat that said Lisa scored like one hundred and one points in sixteen minutes. Yeah, sixteen minutes, I mean soon, that's crazy.
Wow, I don't know about sixteen minutes, but I know the one hundred and one points. But even in like what it's eight minute quarters, thirty two minutes, that's still ridiculous. Think about it, they play eight minute quarters, still ridiculous. Regardless of it's ridiculous.
First of all, it's ridiculous right now because we've got people saying that wil Dionn's score hundred, and we had this conversation, I don't want to we don't don't wait what this new generation of kids are now saying that Will because they can't see the footage, that Will didn'score hundred.
I just posed the question because.
Oh I felt like that was well.
We had a conversation about it on Is It Real, because some people say that, you know, there's literally no footage and they did not play at home.
They played in the in Indiana and it was New York.
No, they didn't they playing They're not playing footage.
I don't know if there's no footage. It was never It was not playing in Philly.
It was Philly. It was on the East coast Jersey, Jersey. Listen to that podcast.
It was a random place they played at.
Too much guessing they played at a random place like at the La Fitness.
Don't see that's the thing, you know, what my bad?
You know, because I believe it not they're.
Going to say that Lisa or Sheryl didn't score one hundred because both of them on record.
I'm sure the sweat is of it though.
You think about today though, because everybody keeps saying that Lebron's record is not going to be broken, but then they also say that there's going to be two hundred points scored in a regular season game. Like scoring is increasing, defense is decreasing, So why wouldn't we think that somebody's going to break the record the record if scoring keeps going the way that it goes because of the loan, Jeff. But if you're averaging in your career thirty points for fourteen seasons or fifteen seasons, I mean, you know what, Jef, you a person happened having Tom in agreement with you. I'm just simply posing the question that if scoring is going the way that it is, yeah, three point shooting is going the way that it is. I mean, we look at what Anthony Edwards is, how many points behind Lebron in the same amount of time, do you know what I mean? Like whereas the same amount of or before his whatever birthday. It's like him, Luca, I don't know who the other one is. Yeah, I mean Anthony Edwards scored the most amount of threes.
Like be able to score that much. The longevity, it's the longevity scoring them like to do that for twenty plus years. Yeah, I mean this, first of all, shout out to bron No ridiculous, obviously shout out to Bron, but Kareem did it in the post, and I had to It took me some time to kind of put that in my mind and say, so he.
Had to get the ball.
He wasn't shooting threes, say he was shooting a lot of free throws because he was hooking it fading away. He was hooking them, not going into contact. So I'm like, how did he score so many buckets?
Dominant?
He was so and and but do he get do we get credited? No one gets some credit, right, No one says he's a good point.
Yeah off of two Yeah, off two foot.
He didn't have the rock though, he had to get the rock. You know, time off the clock is dead back then when they walk the ball up the floor.
It's a great point.
That's what I'm saying. The changing of the game. I think we look at it in such a way that it's not possible. And I think by not possible, you all mean for a very very very long time. But I'm just looking at the way that the game is being played now and like some of the scores that I'm just like, wait, what that are scoring now?
Yeah?
That makes me think that it is going to be possible for Shay Gilg just Alexander to average thirty this year, the next year, the next year, like with the style of the game, if that makes sense.
Yeah, I think it's a lot of things that just go into play. Like you know in the league, right, they're going to at some point, those guys are going to be you gotta win the championship.
So now you're gonna have to sacrifice. You're gonna have to and.
So now it's going to change the average thirty game. So it's so many things like and for Brown to be able to go through the way that he's went through it all and play on these teams and do all this and still how to health and be able to reach forty, it's just we're not going to see that.
Probably.
I'm not denying that this dude is crazy. I'm not denying it. I think what he's doing night in and night out, I mean you talk about changing of the guard, of changing his game and adjusting his game, shooting almost forty from three this year, Yeah, it's crazy. And the amount of time and energy and effort he puts into his body is crazy. I'm just simply saying from like a basketball Yeah.
You know it's possible.
How much is the three point game. You know what.
I'm glad you said that because it's a question I was going to ask you. First of all, do you think that you have respect of the men's players to speak on the game?
Do I think I have this? Do you think you have like? Do you? I?
Yeah?
So you think about it.
It ain't a lot of in your seat, you have a very That seat on TNT you have is a very special seat because it's not a lot of women who has that role to speak on the game like that. And I was going to ask you personally, I know how I feel, but do you feel like you have the respect of the man's game to say, Yeah, what she's saying about our gain, what she's saying about us is right?
I hope so I think so. And here's the thing with respect, I think your opinion or you agree with what I see may not always be aligned, but the respect is what you seek. Because I want to come with facts. Now. Do we live in a time where it's like everything's black and white? No, there's gray area as well. But I hope when I come with the black and white facts that I'm coming with, Tate, I'm coming with reasons. I'm coming with facts, And that's the way I always try to approach it, where I might see something, but I need something else to back it up with what I feel and what I see. But yeah, it's do you.
Feel like you have to do that to get it?
Like Shaq don't have to do that, Shaq just come in and call a G fourteen classification.
And yes, but Shaq is an anomaly because we would be on set with him and just argue that you can't just throw somebody to the ball and say score like Shaq was the him and Kaream probably were. And I won't even put cream because cream ain't putting people in the basket like Shaq was the only one that was just like barbecue, chicket, throw it to me on the block, you score. We would be on set like, no, that's not how it works for normal people. So I feel like Shaq is in a class of his own of just he he says stuff and sees the game in a way that's like, but you were the only one that could do that right, And he sees it that way, he sees it that way where I'm just I'll be looking at him like you think that you're just supposed to just put him in the basket. Yeah, like that doesn't No, You're gonna have to figure out how to put them in the basket. Yeah, Shack doesn't see it that way.
Of course you don't, you know, I just I just look at it. I always thought that you just have a special I mean, like, it's eight chairs on T and T and you have one of them, and you know, not only have you taken it from the in studio, but you've taken now sideline, and I love your perspective of the game, but I want to know that have you felt that your perspective has been you know, maybe like, oh, well, she don't know because she's not a man. She hasn't played this game. But you said if you come with facts, you leave with facts. You all those things, so that may not be there. I just want to know, because I don't think no one ever acts like how do how do how do people?
If you can just viewing the game, being that she's.
One of the only women voices that are speaking on the game the way that she is, you know, she's not reporting on the game. You're sitting there right away giving your analysis of the game basketball, which you know the game better than anybody.
But you know the world we live in too.
I know the world we live in from a fans perspective. Fans aren't going to agree with what you say until either you accomplish it or they win a parlay those two things.
Okay.
You know, And anytime I turn on the TV and they're questioning Patrick Mahomes or anytime I turn on the TV and they're questioning Lebron James work ethic, then I'm like, people are stupid? Right? So am I paying attention to the stupid people? Or am I right? Am I paying attention to the stupid people? Or am I coming with facts? Coming with In my opinion, I do feel I have the respect of my peers and the players, which is super important to me. I hope I have the respect of the fans because I do come with facts. Now when I am wrong, I think that's when there's a difference I'm big on within the women's game of bast I don't think that there's enough scrutiny about our play. Hear me out, Okay, so as a woman, because the game has been attacked so much by people sitting in their basement that can't dunk a donut let alone a basketball. They're the ones that have driven the narrative that nobody watches women's sports. Women's basketball is terrible. They say all these terrible things as an egg on X and write so so so many people have become protective of the game of basketball that they cannot take criticism, that nobody's allowed to criticize the game. But guess what I want to criticize on the first Morning show is d Way gonna Is he gonna get to the basket? Is he gonna get to the Freetham line? Or is he gonna settle for the catch and shoot? Which is what the Spurs want y'all to do, right, But you can't do that in the women's game. But there's also a line where if a woman makes a mistake, then they're like, go make a sandwich in the kitchen. Go do this. I'm cool if you attack my words in my play and my facts, but when you start attacking what I should be doing of making sandwiches and being in the kitchen, to be is like that is crazy. And then just being completely honest when I go to it and I see that it's a black man that's doing this, But then The next tweet that they're making is about how black people need to be seen in this light and not be told to go back and shut up and dribble. That's the thing that pisses me off the most because you want to see it when you're in the minority, but you don't want to see it when you're actually the one that can promote change and actually be a voice of attacking what I say. Do you know what I mean? So attack that the fact that I was wrong about Cleveland and Cleveland actually is number two or number three in the East, and Dada, don't attack that. I need to go back to my nine to five of making a Deli sandwich, like you know. So that is where I I know I got off topic, but that's where I feel is the biggest difference. Like steven A can sit up there and they're never gonna attack him being black because that's off topic. But me, they'll attack me being a woman and go back to playing your role even though steven A has never dribbled the battle lady too. That's lazy, yes, but it's allowed. It's allowed because it's it's like the woman topic. I think, especially now with the way sports are going and how the that's gonna be something that in fifteen twenty years people are gonna get canceled for when you look back and because think about how many people were canceled because of race in twenty twenty, twenty twenty one. There are so many podcasts and x and that say stuff that are so it's so just negative against women and sexist, but it's not looked at in that light, and it's not it's that's not carried into our culture today because it's like you can do that. And I feel like now we're at a point, I hope with this generation that it's like no, like we're not gonna We're not going to be allowed to do that.
You know.
I think it's one topic that I mean, you just said something that kind of took my mind to what I've said a lot about the black community, about the African American community, is you know, we are a community who feel like we haven't had a voice, and we haven't been accepted, and we all the all the things. And in the midst of that, when I look out and most of the hate that that our foundly received for supporting our daughter Zion, it coming from the same community right, the same community that you know wants to be seen, wants to be heard, wants to have opportunities, won't want all these things.
We're looking at another community and were.
Looking down on that community, and we're the loudest ones that you know is trying to, you know, talk about the LGBT community, and it's like, but we're but we're fighting to be we want to be seen, we want to be accepted.
This community is doing the same thing.
But we'd allowed as ones to say, you know, it's not like pushing them back, like nah, don't get in front.
Of us, you know. And I hate that.
I hate the fact that on one side, you know, we we will protest and we will say all these things, and then on the other side, we're gonna talk about another community and we gonna, you know what I mean, We're gonna try to hush another community.
But it's like, bro, like we know what that feels like.
We know that we haven't been able to constantly grow the way we want to because of those things, but we're going to do the same thing.
It doesn't it doesn't make sense to me.
It doesn't make sense. And it's interesting when it's the oppressed and the oppressor. But then in some communities you have the opportunity to be both in different situations. And as black men you can be the oppressed and the oppressor, and as white women you can be the oppressed and the oppressor. I don't really have that choice, and I always tell everybody, like, I check pretty much a lot of boxes, as do does your family right? And you're right? I think that there is a way where people stand up and say these things, but don't understand how powerful and hurtful. Like attack my opinions, attack what I say. Don't attack my character or who I am, or who I choose to go home to, or the kids I'm raising, like, don't attack that. And I think you're right. There are certain communities that want to play both sides when it's convenient.
How much does that affect you when people are attacking I mean, as someone who's you know, you live, you have a public life, even though you have a private life, it's still public and people can comment on your life public.
How much does that affect you and or your family?
Not anymore? I think initially it did a lot. Yeah, it did a lot. It really did, because you are trying to be okay with yourself and what you're choosing in your life choices, and then you add on top of that other people's opinions of you. But also d Wade, like, let's not steer around this. We get into the why I didn't want to fit into the box of what a WNBA player was, right, Like a lot of times you get you you're brought up and it's like the WBA, the entire WBA is gay, Like that's just what they are, like da da da, and it's like, okay, but are we understanding that individuals and the people and that there's other things outside of that. I didn't want to fit into that box for a very long time, and so I think that part of that reasoning was because of what the world would do. You know, We've had numerous conversations about this, and at the end of the day, I choose to not let that impact my decisions and who I am and who I go home to and how much I genuinely enjoy being around my family and the people I love, and so yeah, well I chuckle at a comment or whatever and just be like, man, that person is really you know, I feel bad for that person, yes, But then you know you you say a little too much, I'm gonna have to Chicago exactly.
Was that okay, So you've grown to that point now, like the growth is beautiful, but I'm sure early on right in earlier in you and Ann's relationship, was that a part of the thought process was I'm falling in love with this woman and it's.
A perception already out there about us.
I don't was it a party, like, No, I don't want to I don't want to love this person because of the.
I mean, she's we check every box not to be together. Think about it like she's Russian, we in America like black, white, I mean all of the above, both women, like we check every single box. So there were so many times where it was like is this worth it? You know? And every single time we'd ask ourselves that, we would always say yes. And I can't tell my daughter to follow her heart and her love and do what makes her happy if I'm not doing that. Yeah, And I know We've had so many conversations. But also I think as a little sister, I've been so proud of the example that you've set for black men, because it's important to set those examples, because you don't know who is You don't know who is looking at you for advice, who is looking at you as an example and not just your unbelievable basketball player Hall of Fame, So proud of that. But it's also changing the mentality and the perceptions of relationships that are important. And for me, I think it is a little bit of a Okay, we didn't expect Candice to be like this. Okay. There's so many moms that have come up to me and had conversations about their daughters. There was a couple that came up to me in Indy and was asking me about like, you know, we we want to come out, but we don't know if it's the right time. Like, there's so many people that are battling secret battles that you don't know how much you're really impacting that. And so I think just for me looking at you and you as NBA player, that's a lot. That's I mean, that in itself has its perceptions of what you're masculine, Like you're supposed to be masculine, You're supposed to be all these things, You're supposed to handle yourself this way? Why?
Right? Why?
And that's what I had to ask myself, like why am I doing this? I'm doing this to please all these other people. So we've grown into that, for.
Sure, you've grown into that. I mean obviously we all have right like we come from a war world, do we come from communities and things that we heard that, Yeah, it doesn't make us want to just go out and do it. But ultimately, you know, when you love someone, when you love something, you're going to give you all to it because that's who you are. You're all in type person when you when it gets to love. And so I love it, you know, I love you know. Obviously I felt like I was one of the ones that got a chance to see you and Ann's love before the world was exposed to it, which was beautiful, you know, to see because it was just for you guys. And I don't think people understand in the light that we live in, you don't have a lot of moments where you can really be kind of things in your life that are off the grid and away from everyone's you know, you know, comments, et cetera. And so when you were able to have that moment, I'm a little jealous that you had that time where it was just about you guys, and it was just about your family. And it was great for Layla, you know what I mean that you guys had that before the world had the chance to now jump in on.
Whatever tell and express their opinions. And you know, I guess my question to you is because people always ask me like, do you see yourself as an example? Did you start off seeing yourself as an example or an opportunity or was it just this is how I have to love my children.
Yeah, it was that. Yeah, it was really it's all about, you know, my kids. And I always tell people all the time, I'm so in love with my kids. They all got the best versions of me, the ones I'm still searching for. But it had nothing to do with nothing, but you know, just being there and being what you are. You're protector, your provider, you're you know, you all these things to your kids. And so we live in this public world where you know, publicly you have to protect, you know. At the same time, and so mine was I wanted my child to not have to, you know, go through life. And what if I wanted my child to go through life and just want and just to feel that she can do anything in this world, you know, we talked to our kids about, you know, having no boundaries, and as parents, we put boundaries on them because of the boundaries that was put on us, and so I didn't want to put any I worked hard to kind of erase boundaries to allow them to go out and create the life they won't. Why would I put that boundary on you? Because it's something I don't understand, right, And so for me, the quick the first thing was like, okay, outside of all this can is I got to get to understand because obviously I don't right. And now I got to get to the point where my daughter's so comfortable with me that she can help me understand at the same time. And so it was so much work that needs to be done as a parent that I had to do forget the world. I had to do so much work when it came to like how I showed up. I thought I was doing I thought I was doing a good parenting job. But I realized I didn't know enough about my child or my child to feel comfortable enough for me to know a lot about it. And I'm a thing, I'm a present father, and so you know. But now, yes, we go around the world and we meet so many kids. We meet so many families that are appreciative of the moments when we speak out and we stand up and you know, we celebrate our daughter in our community.
I love that because sometimes when you support, you think you're supporting in a way that is going to benefit your daughter. But to know and to learn and to try to grow to be better for them, I think that that's what is super special, you know. I just remember feeling so much support from my family, and even though it wasn't considered a big thing in the world, like right, like people are they they're in same sexual relationships all the time. But it was a big deal for me because then for so long I felt like I was letting myself down, my family down. And why would you want to feel like that when this is one of the best moments of your life, Like I love somebody, right, you know? And yeah, I think it's just honestly my daughter as well, who made me see that, like this is normal, this is her normal. We focused so much on like what's normal, but it's like what about our normal? Right, Like we can make this our normal. And that's the biggest thing. I learned so much from her, So similar to how you're learning from your daughter.
I learned that everything don't look like the sitcoms.
It does, it doesn't, it doesn't have to. But I love my life. I'm grateful for my life. I'm grateful for my wife and my kids. And yeah, I just got to a point where it was like this is yeah, I'm okay in this space.
Yeah, And I mean, you know, we can talk for hours and we don't do it on the Part two and another time and part three, but at this point, you know, knowing all that, obviously, you know, we touched on sports just to give some of the fans a little a little background of Cannas Parker, but you guys can google all that.
I think we know.
This interview is about getting to the person, you know, into how you think about things, and how I want to end it is how I always ended, is you know what's your white Candice. You know all the things you've accomplished, all the things that you've set out to accomplish, You've done a lot of them, I'm sure.
So as you sit here.
Now and you're you know, having more years you want to play in the game of basketball. The business woman you are, the things you do in the community, shout out to the three strike for the things that they you guys do together.
What is your why at this point and going forward?
Ah, I had like a whole thing, and then now I'm like, that's not my why.
I can't.
I think my why is any environment or any situation I go into, I want to leave better, and that has always been my purpose. My why is my people and my passions. I love my people hard and I love chasing my passions, and I think because of that, like that's don't know, that's my why. So through those two things, I think in any situation after basketball, whatever it is, you know, I hope to leave it better. So that's my wife.
Yeah, sure why.
Well I go on record to say this to my people all the time, but my goat campus Parker, thank you for taking the time and just sitting and having a conversation.
I love you, man, you know that.
I appreciate everybody my goat can.
I love d Way.
You're the best. D Way man. Look at look at it, look at you all grown up, just all grown up.