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back all the Smoke, New York and

1:13

why Jack has been a good run.

1:15

It's snowing out here. We

1:17

got. We got a good one. My

1:19

brother.

1:19

First of all, before we even shout him out, he's

1:22

got some water that he's partnering with drink

1:24

r X fire Water Man.

1:27

Welcome to the show, Tim Thomas, appreciate you t

1:30

ninety six in this motherfuckers six.

1:33

Yeah, nigga, that was just that? Is that? Is

1:36

that the double shot? I'm just yeah, it

1:38

kicked in instantly.

1:40

You mean.

1:43

Ninety six is bit.

1:45

Jack ninety six All jokes aside, ninety

1:47

six is arguably one of the best classes

1:50

you know, the league has seen. When did you first

1:53

hear about Tim Thomas and see him

1:55

in person?

1:55

Good question, man. I first heard

1:57

about Tim Thomas in the tenth grade.

2:02

I was just the first time.

2:03

You're in the tenth grader, second time, first this, first

2:05

time, the first time, first

2:09

time, you always

2:12

I love it the first time, and

2:15

I was doing a lot of Nike accounts, but I was getting

2:17

the chance. I got an opportunity to go play at the DDAs

2:20

and well to go, not even play, just to go. And

2:22

that's why I've seen all the players that was

2:24

ahead of me, you know what I'm saying. I seen, I knew

2:27

Jermaine, but I got Chancey, Tim, I got Chaancy,

2:29

Tracy, I got saying, see Kobe, I

2:31

got Chancy, all these people.

2:33

You know what I said before I actually played against him, and

2:36

I went home with my confidence shot. I

2:39

can't lie because you know they was sixteen

2:42

bringing the ball to court, windmill and crossing

2:44

over.

2:45

You know what I'm saying.

2:45

I'm working on my back and getting my handle together

2:47

at sixth eight, So you know they

2:50

was he was just he was just one of those guys

2:52

that him and Jermaine o'nill

2:54

and Kobe like those guys were

2:56

guaranteed to go to the NBA and they probably could

2:58

have went out the eleventh grade.

3:00

Wow.

3:02

Tim, obviously

3:04

your versatility, I feel like it was ahead of its time.

3:07

Your game was ahead of its time. But

3:10

before we even get to that, was you getting

3:12

nil before n I.

3:13

L Yeah,

3:18

I mean to be honest, if you look at you, it's

3:21

like all of us back then had

3:23

either some type of deal shoe

3:25

brands, right, So it was either I was Adidas

3:27

baby, so it was either Adidas

3:30

or Nike. Wherever you went camp and you killed

3:32

and stuff, you had some type of deal, you

3:34

know, with that brand. So for me, I was Adida's

3:37

baby. My high school was sponsored by Adidas,

3:39

So when you look at it in hindsight, it was

3:42

you know, but.

3:43

Outside of that was you because I mean, I know, obviously

3:45

going into college and now it's you know, it's

3:47

nil and it's tokay to pay players. But there

3:50

was money floating around back then. Where you getting

3:52

like money money or was it just product?

3:54

Nah?

3:55

So I went to a Nike school. Okay, So I

3:57

went to Novah. That's a Nike school. So I've

4:00

we all had that that was at that level,

4:02

had offers where we could have win places and got

4:04

you know, different bags of money, you

4:07

know, to go to that university. But that

4:09

was one of the reasons why I also chose Over. They allowed

4:11

me to play the three, and it was nothing

4:13

tricky about it, you know what I'm say, because I already knew I was

4:15

a pro. I was like, you know, and we had guys

4:18

before us that we had a chance to see the

4:20

Chris Webbers and stuff like that. When you get in trouble

4:22

at the university is gonna you know, cover

4:24

their own ass, you know. So it was the

4:26

last six eleven three guard six

4:29

eleven three guard two.

4:31

You're talking about small four maybe.

4:36

Yeah, Kevin, I'm trying to think

4:38

who whoever played three

4:40

now?

4:42

But back then? Who was mellow?

4:44

Mellow?

4:45

Mellow six?

4:48

That's my height.

4:49

That's normal to be the wing though, But you're normally

4:52

your height height is the four.

4:54

But your versatility right right right? Had you have the

4:56

two or three?

4:57

Right?

4:57

Right?

4:58

Where? Did I mean talk to us about your upbringing?

5:00

It about your game? And I know you

5:02

you grew fast.

5:04

Like you was a big motherfucker early talked

5:06

us about your upbringing in the whole game and just you know, as

5:08

you continue to grow, your game continue

5:11

to grow.

5:11

Yeah. So I grew up in Passed, some New Jersey. We

5:13

had guys like Roy Sparrow, DW.

5:16

White, Wilbur James Scott,

5:18

James Hargrough, bunch of guys before me

5:20

that you know, played you

5:23

know, big time high school basketball and then went on to

5:25

play college basketball, so Roy

5:27

Sparrow. So I had a chance

5:29

to watch them, right and then

5:32

any opportunity I got a chance to be around them. I

5:34

was trying to find those guys. They was at the wide,

5:36

they was playing in the projects. Whoever I

5:38

was going, you know to the point

5:41

where I kind of aggravated them. So we had to,

5:43

like, you know, get me in the mix.

5:45

How were you with this age? Like I was?

5:48

I was eleven twelve, and you

5:50

know, yeah I was.

5:54

I was a short. I had a growth spurt like seventh

5:56

eighth grade.

5:56

So you went from what to what?

5:58

I went from probably like probably

6:01

about five nine to like six

6:03

two, and then I jumped

6:05

from like six two to like six seven.

6:08

And then at that point I started drinking coffee. I

6:11

started going to dunk the donors to get coffee

6:13

to stump my growth.

6:14

You don't want to so you didn't want to be telling.

6:16

Cause I had it. I had everything.

6:18

You want to say. That part typical, so.

6:21

To speak, really exactly,

6:23

I started going getting coffee,

6:26

and then it.

6:26

Was like this mother was trying not to be Yeah,

6:29

yeah, that's real. Ship.

6:31

I got a family full of people that drink coffee,

6:34

so they got different you know, pinions.

6:36

About it growing. Yeah yeah,

6:39

yeah, yeah.

6:39

So I started drinking coffee. Man, try to stop

6:42

my growth a little bit. I was

6:44

like, no, we're gonna keep going. I

6:46

just kept going and I kept the game.

6:49

With me, right yeah, right, speak to us

6:51

about Sunny Vicarro. Was that your Adida's guy.

6:53

Yeah, Sonny was Sonny. Sonny was that guy. So

6:56

I was part of that that crew of babies that

6:58

all went to Adidas. You know that

7:01

was you, mac Me, Matt Cole,

7:05

Uh, I'm gonna blak. Jermaine was

7:08

first there. It was a bunch of us

7:10

Man, Antoine Walker and so

7:12

many different guys.

7:13

Sonny's a great dude. I mean Sonny

7:16

early on, and then I saw the Air movie where he kind

7:18

of started with Nike and his vision to get

7:20

MJ and all that, but to speak to the

7:22

to the person, because I don't think he necessarily gets his flowers.

7:25

It's kind of a pillar for high school

7:27

basketball and what he does for guys. And then obviously

7:29

you know what he done in the Indushoe Ran Man. He's

7:32

like the godfather of it all. You know, if

7:35

he spoke about you, that meant

7:37

everything stamped.

7:38

Yeah.

7:39

So he can tell, you know, a college

7:41

coach, he could tell the NBA, you know, Scout

7:44

Yo two years, three years, you know, Steven

7:46

Jackson three years and it's

7:48

a done deal, you know. And then on the on

7:50

the flip side with the business stuff. Obviously he did

7:52

the Jordan stuff, the Nike stuff, so

7:55

he was way ahead of his curve with you know, finding

7:57

talent. But

8:00

you know, for me, man, that was that was everything.

8:02

Being able to go to you

8:04

know, a B C. D can't play against the top,

8:07

you know, guys, you know, get a chance

8:09

to see him, figure out what you gotta you

8:11

know, go develop on, you know,

8:14

develop the game with a little bit more

8:16

to kind of catch them or whatever the case may

8:18

be. But it was everything.

8:20

We had a relationship with all of us.

8:22

Like I'm gonna go tell

8:24

you how great crazy relationship was I

8:27

come out of We graduated ninety six. They

8:29

he go to college, some of us go to the league. But I bounced

8:31

around a little bit when I first get back to

8:33

the NBA. As soon as I get in the league,

8:36

I get a call from Sonny. We're

8:38

giving you a six year Adidas deal. You know

8:40

what I'm saying. I fell off the map for a minute,

8:42

you know what I'm saying. But he don't forget

8:44

his people. Now, Sonny, don't forget his

8:46

people. Have you guys had Sonny

8:49

up here? No, we gotta get him, Yeah, we

8:51

gotta get him. M Yes, sir, We

8:54

got to ask the question. Say we have a question that.

8:56

That's gonna be. Look

8:58

being a businessman, I am. I got to get in on that.

9:01

Yeah. But

9:03

listen, I know the people were wanting.

9:05

You know, they gotta hear a story.

9:06

Yeah, yeah, espefter seeing air

9:09

and then everyone everyone. I've always talked to

9:11

the hit Sonny Is put his hands on There's

9:13

always nothing but spoke well about son.

9:15

Son of a Carrol, not Sonny Hill. Whoa

9:20

nah? He the reason why I lost the All Star Championship.

9:23

Yeah, I remember McDonald's.

9:26

Philly.

9:26

Got to get to know o g is good. People

9:29

did wrong Philly. Philly is

9:31

like my second home. That was that

9:33

was big for me though I understand. Yeah, that

9:35

was big.

9:35

And he screwed. He took the m v P from Yeah,

9:38

he was his guy.

9:38

That is doll.

9:39

That's his baby that was in the house. Yeah, that's

9:41

his baby.

9:42

I can't be by his you know, SHOs you

9:44

know doing this thing. That's my brother in

9:46

Jersey. You know, have

9:48

a good game. You know what's funny? Was you know we talked

9:50

about it. Yeah, we asked.

9:51

We asked Cold Coke thought Jack on the

9:54

m v P.

9:54

He should have He should have.

9:56

Cold was second person. I was right and

9:58

and but that's the that's the

10:00

top two players in our class. That said that,

10:02

though not thirteen to fifteen,

10:05

it's the top two.

10:05

Players in my class. That is sad, y'all.

10:08

I mean, let me let me since we on that, let me let

10:10

me go to something that a lot

10:12

of people have been trying to ask me of late

10:14

about that game, right, So if

10:17

you remember the game, right, it was

10:19

it was you know, everything now is opinion based,

10:21

right, So it was like, yo, if you like Burger King,

10:23

I like, you know, chick for like whatever. So

10:26

when it comes to one and two with that opinion with me

10:28

and Cole, right, I obviously KG

10:31

just came out and said something about I

10:34

was the I was fit already

10:36

coming out of high school to be you know,

10:39

to go pro, right body and all

10:41

that kind of stuff. So that year,

10:44

obviously when I got hurt at ABCD Kobe,

10:46

you know, took over a number one rank, which

10:49

was well deserving of, right, but

10:52

I wanted to show that I was

10:54

just a tad bit at that point,

10:56

tad bit ahead of everybody's

10:59

going on, you know, just in general,

11:01

like it's me then down, you know what

11:04

I'm saying. Yeah, So if you

11:06

remember the first maybe

11:08

five six minutes of that game. You go back

11:10

and check it out. I just destroyed.

11:13

I just destroyed. You know what I

11:16

was playing on doing. I was playing on

11:18

announcing that I was gonna go pro. Right

11:21

if the scouts would have changed their mind within

11:23

that five six minute really, because

11:26

history would have been changed, because

11:28

I would have been I would have been right

11:31

that year the high school guys that was coming

11:33

out, me, Cole and Jermaine

11:35

O. Now, I was gonna be the first one

11:37

picked at thirteen, which would have been Charlotte.

11:40

Right.

11:40

I didn't go Cod went thirteen. Charlotte

11:43

made the trade laking

11:45

for life all. You know what I'm saying. So history would

11:47

have been wow, yeah, just

11:49

a little something.

11:50

So what so I mean, let's elaborate on

11:52

that further. So what you did your

11:54

thing obviously that first five six minutes?

11:56

What what made you go to Villanova? What made you

11:58

decide to let me take one more year under my beltfore

12:01

I make this jump.

12:01

But once I got the first sub in the game, my

12:04

my guy went over and asked

12:06

the scouts like, does that anything? Does

12:08

anything change or shift? And

12:11

it was like, you know, right now everyone's

12:13

saying thirteen.

12:14

So you wanted to be higher than that.

12:16

I wanted to be top ten. I wanted to be to

12:18

look, ah, that's what I was. That was my goal to be top ten.

12:21

I'm not top ten enough. I'm

12:23

gonna go to school for a year exactly. I want

12:25

to be top ten.

12:26

And I'm just gonna say this, just

12:29

my opinion. You were the best

12:31

person, best player in class in ninety six.

12:33

Kobe ended up being better than all of us

12:36

and have a better career, but in ninety six,

12:38

you were the best player in our class.

12:40

Dog by far j.

12:42

Always close because he could do a lot at seven foot,

12:45

you know what I'm saying.

12:46

But you were the best player in our class.

12:48

Dog.

12:48

It wasn't even close to me six guard. Yeah,

12:50

you can do everything we was doing.

12:52

Yep, yep, you got a curly

12:54

top two Na.

12:56

It was it was dry.

13:00

It was some pretty good.

13:02

It was dry. It looked

13:05

like that, but it was dry. It was I remember,

13:08

Brom, I'm from Pasting, New Jersey. You

13:10

don't have good hair like that, but it was.

13:14

Now, that was the thing. We always rocking and fro Man

13:16

back.

13:17

Then high school coach. Now, I

13:19

don't want to butcher the name.

13:20

How you say the school name, Paramus Catholic. Paramus

13:22

Catholic heard you are kind of kind of

13:24

going through it right now. But what what is that experience

13:27

like to give back and be a part

13:29

of encouraging and motivating this next

13:31

generation.

13:32

I've been doing it for twenty seven years, you program.

13:35

So I coached in a

13:37

small school in California for three years after

13:39

retiring. Where was that at

13:43

Faith Baptist right there, that's in

13:45

the valley. Yeah, you know, I used to living

13:47

in Heading Hills. I didn't know that I was hitting

13:49

Hills Quiet, that's hill.

13:51

Bro You never know what?

13:53

Yeah, I know,

13:55

I know you was at

13:57

Yeah, I was Jack, you know exactly

14:03

like Yo, can you come to dinner with Brot?

14:09

But yeah, So I coached

14:12

out there for three years, and obviously

14:14

with my AU program being around the teaching, when

14:17

I had the chance to, it

14:19

was just like second nature, you know, wanting to get

14:21

involved being back home,

14:25

so you know, I dove into that game as

14:27

far as you know, coaching high school ball. It's

14:29

been tough for us this year because my thing

14:31

is this, right, we come

14:34

from an era where we always trying to find

14:36

who the big dog in that room. I'm

14:38

gonna go after them. That's our error. Like

14:41

these kids now, it's like they

14:43

don't want to compete, you know, to

14:47

put a stamp on their own name, like they

14:50

wanted to be kind of giving. Right,

14:52

So you got all of the Camps au World

14:54

and all that kind of stuff. The elite is always going

14:56

to stand out, you know. But for me, with

14:59

the young group that I got, I put them in the

15:01

toughest situation possible, right,

15:03

So we we scheduled all the top

15:06

teams in the state of New Jersey and

15:08

New York, you know, and we even played

15:10

a tough team from Canada.

15:12

So they're going through that process

15:15

now of learning how to compete, you

15:18

know, learning how to just trust each

15:20

other, you know, and just jail

15:22

you know, how it is as a team, and get

15:25

to the point where it's like this is second

15:27

nature. We know this person likes

15:30

to do this, he likes to do this. This

15:32

is what's going to make us go, this is what's going

15:34

to hold us back, all of those kinds of things. So once

15:37

we get to that point, we got a young crew, you know,

15:39

a bunch of juniors. We got two

15:41

seniors on the team. So when

15:43

we get to that point, where they fully understand

15:45

it. Maybe another summer click, yeah,

15:47

we'll be We'll be good. We'll be right where we want to be in

15:50

the future. We're always waiting for the who's

15:52

next.

15:53

Yeah, Tim Thomas players, that's something

15:55

you've been you said twenty seven years in

15:57

counting. Why was it important for you to

16:00

or the AU program?

16:02

When I was coming up, I had a chance to, you know,

16:04

start traveling because of the game of basketball

16:06

at the age of like ten, you know,

16:08

just playing in different events, different camps,

16:10

all of those kinds of things. So

16:14

for me, once

16:17

once I you know, have some success with

16:19

the game, being able to you

16:22

know, give back was everything, and that was

16:24

part of it.

16:24

I had.

16:25

I had the Adidas deal and

16:28

then you know in the summers, they'll give you after

16:30

your season with any contract, they'll give you a certain

16:32

amount of merchandise that you got

16:34

to spend through your friends, family

16:36

or whatever. So I had like three hundred K

16:39

merchandise that had to spend each summer.

16:42

So I didn't know how to give it away fast

16:44

enough. So I was like, you know what, let's

16:46

just start, you know, a

16:48

program. And I started the program and it has been

16:50

successful.

16:51

So any pros come through there, twenty

16:54

eight.

16:54

Of them go on to Instagram,

16:57

Tim Thomas players, twenty eight pros,

17:00

twenty eight pros, twenty mc donald's all Americans,

17:02

and sent about fifteen thousand kids

17:05

off the college over again the game

17:07

in basketball.

17:07

I don't get discussing that. That's at all, bro

17:09

that's dope for.

17:11

That for sure, That's been blessed and blessed.

17:14

Every year, millions of people fill out a bracket for

17:16

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There's sixty seven games in the NCAA

17:54

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to crack open a course light when the mountains

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18:21

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19:17

This one thing that people don't know about the McDonald's

19:19

game. We had a

19:21

practice and saying you remember this, and

19:24

we all just happy to be there. But

19:27

this goes to Kobe. Brian just

19:29

goes to talk about Kobe. Bro We're

19:31

supposed to be going through a walkthrough, walk a

19:34

walk through, key walk

19:36

through. They passed Kobe the ball. He rips

19:39

through on Rib Hamilton Dog and we all

19:41

just really standing there.

19:42

And Boom was

19:45

under the basket. It's a walkthrough, Bro, I

19:47

was under I almost kind of took it. Person

19:50

I'm like, Bro, it's a walk through. I'm flying,

19:52

like, what are you doing?

19:53

It's a walk through, bro. He's like, now, we like to

19:55

read the game tomorrow.

19:57

He he was dead serious

20:00

out to the point where we end up scrimmaging.

20:03

It's supposed to be a walk through, we end up playing. But

20:05

I feel like that walked that that. That scrimmage

20:07

was probably more popular. Scrimmage was fire.

20:09

Yeah, it was.

20:11

Really take it personal in practice.

20:12

Well because it was him and Jail matched

20:14

up. It was Ripped and Uh and

20:16

Kobe, it was me and Jerl

20:19

Brown, it was Ed

20:22

Colder and Shaheen matched

20:25

up, and it was Jail and Voss.

20:27

I think, if I'm not mistaken by said Lauren

20:30

was one of them. Yes, yeah, so, but the scrimmage

20:32

is crazy, Yeah.

20:33

It was.

20:33

It was tough.

20:34

We knew we was gonna beat the West.

20:36

I'm sorry just going to say that.

20:39

Bro. We had the top three players on

20:41

our team. How could we

20:43

lose?

20:43

Yeah?

20:44

We had Kobe, Jermaine and Tim bro. It was no

20:46

way we was losing that game. We end up winning by twenty.

20:49

Clo wasn't even close. I let the game of scoring

20:51

because they was watching them three right

20:53

around team on the West.

20:56

He was hitting him with the in and out every

20:59

time. He Mike, Mike, don't want to talk about

21:01

that, but it's on film. He

21:04

came down every play in my line

21:06

and was the ship out

21:08

of Mic every play, every

21:11

play. And that's why it looked like he won every because

21:13

he was fucking Mic up.

21:15

Shot was difficult. Shot was difficult. I had

21:17

to play against him in high school, you know, where

21:19

he had just free reign. Like actually

21:21

we just played his high school last night. Lost to his

21:23

high school last night. Saint Pat shout out to them.

21:26

But he was vicious man. He

21:28

was a dog. And that's why all

21:30

of his his college teams played

21:32

just like him. They have that that personality,

21:35

and that's what I'm trying to you know, still in

21:37

two kids.

21:38

Yeah, absolutely was

21:41

what exactly is the greatest

21:43

team ever assembled, Tim Kobe

21:45

Vincent ripped a team a.

21:47

You oh yeah, by

21:49

far? I mean, listen, I

21:53

was, you know, just trying

21:55

to establish myself, right.

21:58

I had no chance. I had know, like real

22:00

thought that you know, Rip would

22:03

come up from Philly to play with me, a

22:06

guy from Florida and e Vince Carter will come

22:08

up to Jersey to play with me. A

22:10

guy by the name of Kobe Bryant would come to

22:13

Jersey and play.

22:13

With him and rivals.

22:15

Yeah, a guy by the name of Kevin

22:17

Freeman, you know, would come by, right,

22:23

you know and play with me. We had Edmund

22:25

Saunders. We had Anthony Perry that

22:27

went to he went to GEORGIAWN

22:29

but he went to he played at St. Anthony's.

22:32

So we had a we had a bunch of studs, right

22:35

and you know, there's a clip I got to send

22:37

it to you guys. But Kobe, you know, he mentioned it were

22:39

beating people bout fifty sixty points.

22:42

Weird. The reason why, like now, when

22:44

you go to like some of these AU events or

22:46

some of these high school events that they're playing in college

22:48

you know, gyms and stuff like that. We

22:50

won. We won back to back AU

22:53

national championships and we was

22:55

playing at you know, universities Florida,

22:57

so down. Yeah. Church

23:01

real was that there was nobody on the East

23:03

Coast that could do anything that was good. It was good,

23:05

don't they

23:07

was good. I'm not gonna say.

23:09

Those names right there.

23:11

You want to tell them what was on the church, the

23:17

him, But I'm just the

23:20

greatest team though. Yeah, but

23:22

that on the same time, same years. There's

23:24

the document, you.

23:25

Can look it up. It's still there. We're still on the list.

23:27

It's number one. There

23:29

was number one. But that Church team was scary

23:31

too.

23:31

That there was a lot of great teams like that

23:34

that you know, salute to all of them. But you

23:36

got just think of the times, like think

23:39

about what you've seen with Vince. Vince

23:41

was I was. I was witnessing Vince

23:43

doing that early. Yeah, the

23:46

world calling on later? Yeah, yeah

23:48

like that. We was like, how

23:51

when he came up to play with us?

23:52

How can you see the stuff you see

23:54

like all the little mixtapes that have now if there

23:56

was a social media era back when.

23:58

That team was together.

24:00

Crazy.

24:03

Yeah, No, I'm still seeing his old old

24:05

mixtapes, Like can you imagine this in high

24:07

school? Rount see nothing like this in high school right now?

24:10

No, I don't even see it like in college and barely

24:12

in the pros.

24:14

Parent told the story about Kobe wanted to kill

24:16

you doing a game when you were sixteen. You

24:18

know, we all know Kobe had to kill this and you

24:20

definitely was on there. Jay A was

24:22

on there, Rip was on there.

24:23

Did he ever talk to you about that now,

24:26

I mean, I know the game that

24:28

that Rip was talking about. So that

24:31

was our junior year. I

24:33

went back because baseball was my first

24:35

love before I started growing. So

24:38

my junior year I went back and played baseball.

24:40

I did the Michael Jordans went back and played

24:42

baseball cole that year.

24:45

Cob and Rip went back

24:47

to play with the Philly team. And

24:50

right, so obviously

24:52

you meet in all these different circuits. So I told

24:54

the guys, I said, we're both us in

24:56

in this, in this one circuit

24:58

together. So I said, listen, if you guys make

25:00

it to the championship game, I'll dry down

25:03

now and play. But I'm still in baseball

25:05

season. So they made it to

25:07

the championship game, and it's just so happened to be Cob

25:09

and Rip. And that's the game that Cod

25:11

I mean that Rip is talling about.

25:14

So the game was in Maryland at the University

25:16

of Maryland. I just told you we was playing at these

25:19

these colleges. The game was there, So I

25:21

drove from Jersey to Maryland. I got there the

25:23

end of the first Cob already had

25:25

like fifteen right, so

25:28

now I'm behind the eight ball with an assassthing

25:30

like that, what are you gonna do? Right?

25:33

So I'm already behind the eight ball, right so

25:35

I walk in like Sheppard, like, I'm

25:37

just right out the car, Like

25:42

I walk right in right from the car. Right

25:44

there, I'm right on the court. So I'm playing ketchup.

25:46

So Cole probably finished the game with forty

25:49

something. I probably finished the game with thirty something. Oh

25:51

yeah, yeah, yeah, that's how the game went. They won

25:53

the game. That's how it went.

25:54

You know.

25:55

So we don't play the same position, right,

25:58

so the matchups were probably never going to match up against

26:00

each other. And then our

26:02

senior year in high school, because we

26:04

was both number one, number two in the country, two

26:07

hours away from each other, everyone was trying to make

26:09

a game, you know, that high school game

26:11

and asg wanted it at the time, the Meadowlands

26:14

where you played, they wanted it. In

26:16

the university would have took it. You

26:18

know, we just couldn't make the game. You

26:20

know, Cole played, he

26:23

played Saint Anthony's in Jersey

26:25

more than he would. I never played against

26:28

him my high school, but he played Saint Anthony's I

26:30

think twice or three times,

26:32

you know, from.

26:34

And you see how these high school games being televised.

26:37

These they just had Thomas Kobe Bryant.

26:40

So you know, mellow, mellow and Lebron

26:42

was the first ones. I

26:44

would have been probably me and Cole ok Okill.

26:47

Yeah.

26:48

I had the same type of feeling when

26:50

I saw you and I saw you playing like he in high school,

26:52

the same age and he doing that. E

26:55

Jail even has said that when he saw you, who

26:58

was it anybody that when you first seen him being

27:00

most people being all when they see you at

27:02

your size, and have you ever seen somebody like

27:05

damn, I ain't like playing when you first got an NBA

27:07

Like, Damn, I ain't.

27:08

I thought I was tall first in the NBA.

27:10

Yeah, when she first got in the league.

27:11

Hey, listen, my my

27:14

my first game, my first preseason

27:17

game was against MJ

27:19

at at Carolina. So

27:22

that was like that was a thrill for

27:24

me, you know because Scotti

27:26

was my og so high school, Scottie

27:28

would they would come to town, Scotty, would

27:31

you know, send for me and stuff like that. So

27:33

I was around all of those Knicks Bulls rivalries,

27:36

you know that the

27:38

Bulls nets games, all of that kind

27:40

of stuff with Kenny A and Derreck Coleman and all

27:42

those guys. Yeah, so I was.

27:44

I was around that as a youngster, seeing all

27:46

of that, you know. So when I first

27:49

got to the league, it was like, obviously

27:51

you're around all your your your role models,

27:54

right, you know, guys you look up to, and now

27:56

you you you in it. So it's like, yo, I'm I

27:58

feel like I'm a part of this. I'm here. I've

28:00

been blessed with the talent, so you know, now

28:02

signed to you know, get after it, you know what I mean.

28:05

So yeah, I mean you was in all my first

28:07

game against those guys, you

28:10

know, seeing my idol on the court and

28:12

stuff like that, like with MJ and you know, obviously

28:14

playing against Pip that meant the world to me.

28:16

And then my second game was against my New York Knicks.

28:19

You know, I grew up a Knicks fan. So

28:21

now I'm in NASA all playing against

28:23

Pat Ewing and and

28:25

Alan Houston and Spree, you know

28:28

what I mean. So it's like, hey, I'm in

28:30

now.

28:30

New Jersey. Basketball has never been

28:32

anything to slop chat. Maybe overlooked at times,

28:34

but the greats of you know yourself shocked Kyrie

28:37

Irving, kat j R.

28:39

Smith talk about just the pedigree.

28:41

You mentioned the Ogs before you, but since

28:44

then, you know the talent that's come out in New Jersey.

28:46

Oh, let me get my two Earl Clark, Isaiah

28:49

Brisco. Yeah, I can't forget to

28:51

back to back champs. To go to Jersey

28:53

too, Jersey boy too.

28:55

Now yeah,

28:57

now, man, I mean we just listen, We're

29:00

we're top ten in the country

29:02

in states right that produced

29:05

the most NBA you

29:07

know, pro I would go put higher and yeah, right,

29:09

Texas up there, Cali is up there.

29:12

You know, we're right next to New York. So a

29:15

lot of times we don't get the proper respect.

29:18

You know that's due because obviously you know

29:20

your city. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.

29:22

It's the you know, the media,

29:25

you know, capital or whatever. So but

29:28

overall, man, we have some talent. Man, And

29:31

obviously I'm gonna be biased. I mean, I think Jersey

29:33

basketball players are better, right, shoot

29:35

the ball. Do you know some of the same things that

29:38

they can.

29:38

Do, but they shoot.

29:41

That's the difference. You have to shoot. That's

29:44

what all due respect.

29:46

But I mean it's just like,

29:48

listen, we we have to

29:50

get out of just do as Jersey

29:53

they can't keep just talking about New

29:55

York. We're right here, fifteen

29:57

minutes apart from each other, Show

29:59

Us Love not for real, Show

30:02

some.

30:02

Love Everybody one and done at Villanova.

30:06

The number seven pick, So you wanted

30:08

to be top ten, you got that. You're drafted to the

30:10

Sixers. That's a team with Stackhouse, a

30:12

young AI, Larry

30:14

Brown's first year coaching. What

30:17

was your welcome to the just the league? You

30:19

know, obviously being the top dog in high school

30:22

one? Did you think in college now you're playing

30:24

with the likes of Alan Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse who

30:26

was a dog, and then you know, a legendary coach and Larry

30:28

Brown.

30:29

Yeah, I mean I was playing for a real, real

30:32

old school coach, Yarry.

30:34

He just was on the rookies

30:37

all day, all night, you know. So it

30:40

was more of the mental part of it.

30:42

I had to get through with him. Talent

30:44

wise, obviously, I was blessed with that right,

30:47

So I wasn't really concerned with that. Playing

30:50

with Ai, obviously I was able to run

30:52

the floor and do those things. I was able to keep

30:55

up. Stack House was a monster as well.

30:58

I was comfortable because we

31:00

also have Derek Coleman on that team, who's the

31:02

power forward? But I was small

31:05

forward. Was guys that I figured I can I

31:07

can leat it out. Who was came

31:11

later? At that time you

31:13

had Horace

31:15

Grant, brother Harvey Grant. You

31:18

know, guys was a little older. So you felt

31:20

like, you know, at some point it's gonna be mine.

31:22

Yeah.

31:23

Yeah, So he was comfortable with being the power forward. Then

31:25

I was comfortable going in at the four and

31:28

and the and the three, you know, so

31:30

because of the skill set, right. So, but

31:34

the the the mental games was was

31:36

the stuff that you know when you play for an

31:38

old school coach that's basically trying to run

31:40

you through a wall, and you're not gonna

31:42

give up. You know, they just keep going

31:45

and going and going. So it was more the mental stuff.

31:47

Me and a I always talk about that every time we talk.

31:49

It's like, man, I hate what hell he did to you,

31:51

but you know you're coming from the city, You're

31:54

coming from the hood that that.

31:57

I mean, you spoke to the mental side, and I feel like once you

31:59

get to leave them mental side, is it period?

32:01

How long do you feel like you had a grasp Was

32:03

it through your first year, first two or three years?

32:05

Like when do you feel like you got a hold of the mental side

32:07

of the game.

32:10

I would say I would say probably like twenty

32:12

games into the season. Okay, so it came quick,

32:14

yeah, because for me,

32:17

obviously, what LB like I was, I

32:20

was working out forty minutes

32:22

before practice practice to

32:24

two and a half hours. That was back when real

32:26

practice. Yeah you know what I'm saying, I'm ready to

32:28

go. Yeah, you practice, you know too, two and a

32:30

half or whatever. And then when practice

32:33

over, guys are shooting around working on different

32:35

stuff they want to work on. They got

32:37

me still doing drills, you know. So

32:39

my days was like I was just draining

32:41

basketball. So once I got like

32:44

in tip top shape, you know what I mean,

32:46

which is really after your third

32:49

day, because we was going real two of days,

32:50

and so after that third day, it's like you

32:53

see vets like, yo, I'm taking it easy.

32:55

I'm not scrimminging today, blase bla, and

32:58

I'm just going through this scene cycle where

33:01

this guys trying to you know, run you through a wall.

33:03

I'm like, all right, you know, after

33:05

that that first taste

33:07

of you know, getting in the game and feeling you

33:10

know, how strong other guys are, how fast

33:12

they are you know their skill set because you're

33:14

still trying to, you know, figure all that stuff out, probably

33:17

twenty games in.

33:18

I was I was.

33:19

Cool trade

33:21

the Milwaukee in the middle of your second year. Your

33:23

initial reaction to the trade hated

33:25

it.

33:27

Thank you.

33:28

I'm not the only one that died and came

33:30

back to life when I left Milwaukee.

33:33

I'm not. I'm not staying about the city.

33:35

I mean, they love you out there. By the way, I was out

33:38

there. I gave him the name Trilwaukee.

33:40

It wasn't a city, it's the team that was Scott Scott.

33:42

It wasn't the city. The city is, but you Thatt was Scott Scot.

33:46

I dealt with him in Chicago. I understand

33:48

that. Yeah, I

33:50

understand that.

33:51

Definitely not tri Milwaukee.

33:53

Yeah, I understand that. Okay, okay, yeah,

33:56

But for me, I hated the trade

33:58

because I was I was seeing

34:00

my pairs and situations where they

34:03

was able to go establish themselves,

34:05

you know what I mean. So like I'm seeing Vince,

34:07

I'm seeing t Matt, I'm seeing Jamaine,

34:10

you know, come out of his situation. So

34:12

I'm like, you know, yes,

34:15

this is a good team. Everyone wants to win a Championship.

34:18

So when when you're young, you ain't

34:20

thinking of them, you ain't thinking like that, right. So I'm

34:22

like, man, I'm seeing these guys doing

34:24

they thing, and I'm like, I don't want to play

34:26

behind big Dog who's the All Star. I

34:30

don't want to play behind Ray Allen who's

34:32

trying to establish hisself. I

34:35

don't want to be with a two time NBA

34:37

champion in Sam causel you

34:40

know, not thinking you young. So

34:42

I actually I actually try to

34:44

get traded to Indiana

34:47

just during the same period, right, because you

34:49

know, they gave you that twenty four hours and you get traded

34:51

to get to the next city. I was actually trying

34:53

to get traded to Indiana,

34:56

but they loved our young boy, Alan

34:58

Hamilton. They was like, now we got Alan Jonathan

35:00

Mender, so we don't want to make the trade. But

35:03

I just looked at it as that like I was just being

35:05

young, you know, immature, and was like,

35:07

I want my own thing or be a part of something.

35:09

And I thought the Philly thing was perfect because

35:12

you got to remember they traded Stackhouse

35:15

mid season. So now

35:18

I'm looking at it like I'm a score

35:20

chuck the score. You know, we don't play the

35:22

same position, so we're not gonna clash, you know

35:24

what I mean. So the

35:27

Milwaukee thing, I was kind of set back a

35:29

little bit. But once I realized

35:31

like what George was trying

35:33

to do and the team that we had

35:35

and the possibility of winning, I was locked

35:38

in. At that point.

35:38

It said that you guys, you and Big Dog win

35:40

at it.

35:42

Yeah a few times. That's my guy. I love

35:44

Big Dog.

35:45

I know that matchup in practice.

35:47

Yeah yeah. So again,

35:50

me being young, I want my own

35:53

situation whatever whatever as a start or

35:55

whatever. Obviously, you know how

35:57

it goes in the league. The money guys is gonna play

35:59

before the talent, even if the talent is

36:01

you know better, whatever, whatever. I just

36:03

felt like that right, obviously

36:05

Big Dog was I got right. We had

36:07

to lean on him for twenty some points again

36:09

whatever he was averaging. But that

36:12

was just the youngin in me just bringing

36:14

it out, like, yo, I gotta show these guys

36:17

that I belong right. So everybody

36:20

had big threes and all that, Nah,

36:22

this ain't a Big three situation. It's Big

36:25

four. Who got clue to you got

36:28

he got it? He got a clue tt on this one.

36:30

Yeah, That's what it was. They respected

36:32

me and the

36:34

reason why we was clashing because we was competitive

36:37

the same position, competitive, you know, and I

36:39

wanted that time.

36:40

Yeah, so I.

36:42

Talk about that team though, I mean, again, that's a younger

36:44

Ray Allen. People forget who was cold

36:47

as the motherfucker, no matter what Jack says, a

36:49

young you a young

36:52

or no not a young, but big Dog who's obviously

36:54

the vet on that team. And then Sam, I am,

36:56

I mean, that's a hell of a team right there. And then George

36:58

Carl's braining around there a team you guys

37:01

obviously found your mark, hit your chemistry

37:03

and made it to the conference finals. And

37:06

Big Dog missed that shot at the buzzer.

37:07

It's okay to tell our audience I cooked a lot of

37:09

them niggas, definitely, okay.

37:12

I want you to tell them, like I'm passing myself

37:14

on the back all the time. Why won't you tell her, I'll

37:17

I bust a lot of your niggas.

37:19

That's okay, tell talk that ship, but

37:22

talk about that whack

37:25

old jacko some things.

37:27

Never since

37:29

forever, my dog.

37:33

That conference final is a no one though. You know, Big

37:35

Dog misses a shot at the buzzer, that's your guys opportunity

37:37

against Philly against

37:39

Chuck. How tough was that for you?

37:43

It was? It was tough because you

37:46

know, anytime you get traded from a team, and obviously

37:48

you want you go back. You want to showcase, you know,

37:51

your talent, and you know, it's

37:53

like breaking up with a girl. You want to show them what you got,

37:55

you know, what you had, what you're missing, all that kind of stuff.

37:57

Right, But

37:59

it was tough, man, because that's

38:03

when I obviously had Newchuk. I know it's

38:05

talent and everything, but that's when I really like had

38:08

an opportunity to like soak

38:10

it all in on how great

38:12

that dude was, you know what I mean, because.

38:15

That team wasn't very talented that he had.

38:17

It wasn't a talented team. It was

38:19

not a town. And with George

38:22

right, you know, when George was in Seattle, he

38:25

was a defensive minded coach. In

38:27

Milwaukee, we changed him into an offensive

38:30

mining coach.

38:31

Because the weapons.

38:32

Yeah, so what killed us was the fact

38:35

that we had an older

38:37

saying that couldn't keep up with Ai. We

38:40

had a bigger ray that you

38:42

know, it took a lot out of him

38:44

to play both ends right, you

38:46

know, so you want them to score. You can't have him

38:48

chasing, you know, big

38:51

dogs. Just wasn't quick enough, right, So

38:53

there's pictures that I was sending that guess

38:56

who had.

38:56

To go to AI six eleven, six

38:58

eleven.

38:59

Ten times?

39:01

Good luck with that, right, So

39:05

he came.

39:06

Down to that and then, like just to talk

39:08

about his greatness, it's like he was

39:10

scoring and you know, now they say all

39:12

three levels. He was scoring all three levels.

39:14

He was getting to the basket. He was shooting short, little faded

39:17

ways that was almost like post ups, like

39:19

he'll drive the one spot and just pull up, you

39:21

know what I mean. So that was almost like a post up, like a

39:23

Kobe fade or MJ fade right, and

39:26

then he was hitting the three ball right

39:28

and then and then the other thing was he was always

39:31

going to the basket, so he was getting to the flow line.

39:34

So a lot of people they talk about that series and

39:36

say, you guys should have won, but

39:38

the NBA cheated y'all because they got to the free throw

39:40

line as many times as they did. But

39:42

when you go back and look at it, it's like, Yo,

39:44

that guy was going wherever you wanted to go. And

39:47

get a shot off. You're gonna follo him what you're gonna

39:49

score.

39:50

I think there was a better matchup. That

39:52

was a better matchup for the finals foot Lakers too. Yes,

39:55

that year I would have gave him up his problems. Who

39:57

was your center? Yeah, girl, John's

40:01

e J right ever John Scott Williams.

40:03

Yeah, they were solid Bason, but

40:05

there was definitely that whisper that that that the

40:07

league wanted iverson first

40:10

shock and Kobe.

40:12

Yeah, I mean, you gotta think about it. That year a I

40:14

was m v P, Aaron

40:17

Mcki was six man a year, uh,

40:20

like Brown's Coach of the Year, and

40:22

but Tumbo was defensive.

40:24

A lot of accolades. So that

40:27

stage, it's already set,

40:29

and Milwaukee's.

40:30

A smaller media market. Yeah

40:32

it was, so it was like not

40:35

to take nothing away from Philly. But I definitely remember

40:37

that, and it's funny he even said it before I even asked

40:39

it.

40:39

So yeah, and then that year, to

40:41

go back to what you was saying, Jack, like that

40:44

year, we swept the Lakers. That year, really

40:46

we swept the Lakers. So

40:50

that that was because we George

40:53

knew how to double shot, so

40:56

we you know, most most people double on

40:58

the catch was double when

41:00

it was in there. Yeah, when it was in there,

41:02

go get them.

41:03

You might catch your elbow, but go Yeah.

41:05

But but then again, you gotta think though, when

41:07

they switching out of rotation. They got

41:09

a six nine and big dog a six

41:11

elevens bro, you know what I'm saying. They got big motherfuckers

41:14

rotated. That's what I'm saying. Young,

41:16

That's what I'm saying.

41:17

Yeah, And you know, playing you

41:19

know on the East coast in the city, you know

41:21

how to kind of close out because everybody's

41:23

attacking the basket. So that's like second nature

41:26

to you know, all of us up this way.

41:29

Nicks, the Knicks, can you dive into the fat

41:32

Joe visit fifty cent Beef? I know you, you know you

41:34

real cool with fifty I'm really cool. I'm really cool with Joe.

41:36

But men fifty and had men fifty

41:38

and had some conversations not bumping to one on the plane. He's

41:40

somebody me and Matt look up to, somebody we want

41:42

to have on the show because you got the contact on him too. Yeah,

41:45

but talk about talk about getting caught up in it.

41:47

Go ahead, was

41:49

I mean obviously again with you know alliances

41:52

amongst the team with the beef that's

41:55

in the streets of New York, Like, did that draw?

41:57

Did that divide the team or was there any kind

41:59

of.

41:59

Funk before you start though, and me and

42:01

you both know, this

42:04

was real beef. This

42:06

wasn't no beef for y'all get on songs to talk

42:08

about each other. Na these This was real

42:11

beef. Dog, This is real beef. Where you

42:13

was hoping that day didn't bump into each other? Yeah, me

42:16

let me take a swig first.

42:18

Yeah, let me get some of my some

42:20

of yourn drinks. Yeah,

42:24

let me get some of my vodka.

42:26

Our X go get it sometimes

42:29

on water or drink or X.

42:31

Yeah, drink or X. You know what I'm saying.

42:34

Yeah, So so that that

42:37

was that was real.

42:38

Man.

42:38

It was like for

42:41

me, right, I played for Fat Joe and

42:43

the Rutger squad, Right, Me and

42:45

stuff grew up together and all

42:47

of that. So I was I was already

42:50

had a relationship with most of everybody

42:52

from Terror squad, you know, because obviously

42:54

you see him in the park and stuff like that, right,

42:57

and shout out to everybody you know the

43:00

team. But you

43:02

know, back then, like fifth

43:04

was my guys. I was rocking with Fifth

43:06

So they had the office directly

43:09

across the street from the garden. Yeah,

43:11

so instead of some nights, instead of going

43:13

out to eat, I would just he would have food already

43:15

go over there and eat, you know, just chill out whatever whatever.

43:18

So those was my guys which just clicked

43:20

right. So not

43:23

knowing like you know, how the ship

43:25

you know, start and how you get.

43:27

Involved or whatever. Politics.

43:29

Yeah, so you know, in the rap world is

43:31

what it is, right, So when

43:34

it hit man, it was it was kind of weird

43:36

because you

43:39

don't really know the ins and outs of it all, but

43:41

you could just start feeling like different vibes

43:44

around people that you grew up with, like

43:46

me and Steph, like we you know, were cool and talking

43:49

of late, but we're on the team together

43:51

and I'm rocking with you in it and he's rocking with

43:54

Terrist Spots. So you know, it wasn't

43:56

things like me and him trying to like

43:59

get that each other on a daily basis.

44:01

It wasn't that the.

44:03

Energy was off, like these are two guys that

44:05

grew up, we went to five Star together, all these different

44:08

camps and stuff, like I know, as brothers, you

44:10

know all of that. I even played with Gauchos.

44:13

A lot of peoplen't even know that, Like me and Felipe

44:16

and Sham we all rocked out one

44:18

time, you know, in the circuit, so like

44:20

there's genuine love dick, you know

44:22

what I mean. So but on the court

44:24

it showed. You know, it'll be you know, low

44:27

passed, I'm six, low pass, late

44:29

past, you know, stuff like that, and

44:31

then you know what happens. Sometimes

44:34

you gotta take it on your answer. You'll get a rebound,

44:36

bring it up, go do your own things. So it showed

44:39

on the court. So it definitely showed on the

44:41

court with

44:43

them two with fifth and in fact Joe

44:45

going at it. I mean, it just

44:47

took you know, a spind here

44:50

in the city. It was just everyone

44:53

knew what.

44:54

It was you saying you had to pick a side.

44:56

Yeah, yeah, it took. It took a crazy spind

44:58

you know in the city, and it was like, you know,

45:01

you had certain rappers, you

45:03

know, trying to pick size with you know, with

45:05

people and stuff just so they can kind

45:07

of stay out of the clayer what they was doing at whatever

45:09

particular time whatever. So yeah,

45:12

it took the spind man definitely took a spind I.

45:14

Mean outside of that, what was it like to be you know,

45:16

although you're from Jersey, what was it like to be a Nick?

45:18

It was everything, man, two time Nick, that

45:21

was everything. Man. I remember,

45:23

like yesterday, shout out to my my brother Coatino

45:26

Mobi you know, Cat my

45:28

dog. So the first one,

45:31

the first trade I

45:34

was, I was we was with the Clippers and

45:37

we you know, we had a pretty decent team. I

45:39

had signed with them after playing with them with

45:42

the with the Phoenix. But

45:45

Cat came out with me

45:47

with that trade. So when we got to New York,

45:50

you know, you go through your your physical and

45:52

stuff, and they found out he had the heart murmer

45:54

and stuff. So he was his career was done. So

45:57

I'm excited on being home. We

46:00

get traded in and he's done. So

46:02

that was like, you know, that

46:04

was a dull moment right there. But

46:08

you know, once once you get to you know, suiting

46:11

it up and being in that locker room and playing

46:13

in the in in that garden, it's

46:15

not like it. Man, It's not like it, especially

46:17

for kid.

46:18

You know, in this area.

46:20

Landing with the signs in two in two thousand

46:22

and six. Give us some Steve Nash, Steve.

46:26

One of that that was both he want

46:28

VP those two years, right, you were there, Yes, I was

46:30

there.

46:31

I was there the second one.

46:32

Second year, he's the one. He's one post to win.

46:34

Well, opinion based? How

46:37

have you put it?

46:38

Kobe based?

46:39

Yeah, I'm saying opinion based.

46:41

Now you was on this team to hease stop it.

46:44

How you want to put it?

46:45

Man?

46:45

I love my brother Kobe. I'm just saying, how

46:47

do you want to put it?

46:48

Man?

46:48

It's opinion based?

46:49

Okay, okay, So just let

46:51

me ask you this. I mean to cut your question off.

46:53

So you think he deserved winning the back to back Kobe

46:57

had the better year. We know that, But

46:59

who's and me and you hell

47:01

do know at.

47:04

We ain't. We

47:06

ain't vote for.

47:07

But hey, it is what it is.

47:09

Man.

47:09

Some people like numbers, you know, his percentage

47:11

or whatever.

47:12

He was my vet.

47:14

I love Steve that he was my vet when I got drafted.

47:16

I think he did a lie for me as far as because

47:19

I was getting cut. They drafted me and told me I was getting

47:21

cut. But he made

47:23

me feel like I was a part of the team the little short time

47:26

I was there, and gave me a

47:28

lot of game. But talk give me some Steve Nash stories because

47:30

you had a chance to see him at his best.

47:33

One of the funniest stories with Steve. We

47:35

went back to Canada, you know, Steve from Canada, went back

47:37

to Canada, and I think we was there

47:40

like two days. Normally, you know, you in and out,

47:42

so we had to stay over whatever.

47:44

Was this still to this Vancouver Toronto.

47:47

This is Toronto, Toronto,

47:49

Toronto. So we

47:52

over there and Steve had like I think

47:54

it was his birthday or something, but

47:56

he had just non stop events or whatever. So

47:59

we're going from restaurants, restaurant, bar to bar,

48:01

club, the club, whatever, whatever. And in

48:03

the midst of us traveling, we get stuck in the elevator.

48:06

It's like half the team. We get stuck in the elevator

48:08

for like forty five minutes. So you know, start

48:11

getting high, guys start getting

48:13

you know, start feeling it. And Steve

48:16

was just cool as a fan, right, and then all

48:18

of a sudden, you know, it's cold, so everybody got

48:20

coats on and stuff, so all the stuff. He

48:22

just started coming out of all this stuff like and

48:25

everybody's like, what's going on. He said, Man, I can't take it.

48:27

I can't take it. So you know the hair you got right

48:29

there, crazy, So

48:32

that that was one of the funniest moments when because I always

48:34

seen him on the court just being cool, you know, all

48:36

the time. But nah,

48:38

Man such a such a competitor man he was.

48:41

You know, I played with some great guards, staff Ai

48:45

sam Be with

48:47

Steve Man. He was a guy

48:50

that you like, outside of the shock, you had

48:52

to double them. You had the double because

48:54

he was gonna make something happen or he was gonna knock it down.

48:57

So yeah, that's my

48:59

goya. He loved the past.

49:01

Super cool off the court though, if you had

49:03

a chance to hang with him off the court, you got a

49:05

whole different outlook.

49:07

He's a brother. Yeah, he

49:09

was a brother. That's my brother.

49:12

Brother down

49:14

three two in Games six visits Lakers, you had a clutch

49:17

three and yeah there winning the series walking

49:19

through that.

49:21

Man. That was

49:23

contract really well that series though it was

49:26

it was contract year. That

49:29

was my first and only time competing

49:32

again.

49:32

Show made some money too, motherfucker. He made

49:34

some bread boy, you

49:37

know, I like that.

49:42

But yeah, that was a contract year for me. And

49:45

then obviously playing

49:47

against my brother Cole, right so I never got a chance

49:50

to play against him in the playoffs, and I

49:52

just knew the mental warfare

49:54

that was gonna be there. Like Cole loved to play those

49:56

games with those he loved, you know, Yes, you

49:59

know they'll say of you or do something stupid

50:01

before the game, or not even speak to

50:03

you, you know, just to you know, let

50:05

you know what type of day it was gonna be. But uh,

50:09

that that was, that was that was a thrill to

50:11

be, you know, part of that series, the way

50:13

it was with us being down

50:16

and fighting back. But that that player

50:18

that you're talking about, it was scramble

50:20

Mold right. So our best shooter,

50:23

Steve missed the first three, right,

50:25

we was able to get that rebound.

50:28

Uh.

50:29

I think Boris d how you guys are just talking

50:31

about, had all that game. I think

50:33

he took the second three and

50:35

missed that one, and then Sean

50:37

Marryon got the rebound and kicked it to me. So you

50:41

know, we all know tendencies in the game. So

50:44

as the ball was coming towards me, I seen Kwame

50:47

Brown running towards me, so we know he's

50:49

going for every pump fake possible. So

50:51

and then I was knocking it down so well that series.

50:54

It was just a small pump. Fake was wide

50:56

open. You know, scramble mold. You gotta shoot

50:58

it, you know you can, and you know, try

51:01

to hold it and look for somebody else. Time's going

51:03

down, so you gotta let it go. So I just shot the ball

51:05

with confidence. Man, I was shooting. Well, that's itious.

51:07

What would he do in today's game? Him,

51:10

I'll be different, he can play one through five.

51:12

I just see myself when I watch today's game.

51:15

You know, it's just guys six

51:17

ten, whatever skill set.

51:20

You know, obviously a ton of expectations

51:22

coming to lead you have a you know, a great thirteen

51:24

year career. When you get a chance to kind of sit back

51:27

and look at the friendships, the games,

51:29

the money, the experience, the fun, what

51:31

do you what do you how do you bother your career

51:33

up?

51:33

What do you think about?

51:34

I think I had a great one, Man, I had a great

51:36

one. You know, first

51:40

of all, to be blessed to be in that situation, not to

51:42

me, of us that you know, get

51:44

a chance to make it to that, to that uh, that

51:46

situation and playing at the highest level. So

51:49

I was I was, you know, I was

51:51

blessed to be, you know, a part of it. I

51:55

had some great experiences with, you know, some great

51:57

group of guys. You know how

52:00

life is, man, You're flying all over the world,

52:03

flying in the worst weather, all that kind

52:05

of stuff. So you know, you have those experiences

52:07

of you know, being around different guys,

52:10

different teammates six months and all

52:12

that stuff, competing. You

52:14

know, I

52:17

wouldn't take it back.

52:18

You have a favorite stop or a favorite team that

52:20

you played on.

52:21

I probably would say, obviously, any

52:23

time you get a chance to play home, man, that's everything.

52:25

I do wish that the Phoenix thing

52:28

would have would have worked out. Thought you were great, Yeah,

52:31

I do wish that would have worked out. But

52:34

hey man, you know for us, man,

52:36

we played this game to you know,

52:38

get compensated well, and that

52:41

was the biggest check on the table the business.

52:43

How would that would look you going into

52:45

the nets? Well,

52:48

that's I mean, what was it like when they when you

52:50

came.

52:50

Out, that came out?

52:51

They had.

52:54

No Sam was there? Sam Pacell was

52:56

there, Sherman, Douglas

53:00

up, Kendall, Gill, Kerry

53:03

Kittle, Johnny Newman, They.

53:05

Always there, wasn't

53:07

there yet. He wasn't there yet. He wasn't there yet,

53:09

No, so I was.

53:13

Yeah, I was sick, but I really wanted to play for

53:15

the home team. I was excited about that drive.

53:18

Something you hope that that that young Hoopers

53:21

take from this. Obviously you had a ton of accolades

53:23

that the were earned because it was different back then. You

53:25

had to earn the ship. It wasn't given away on social media

53:28

and with highlight tapes like you earned that had

53:30

a very successful career. Uh, you

53:33

transitioned into a successful AU program

53:35

who sent a ton of kids to college, the

53:37

McDonald's game in the league, coaching

53:40

high school basketball. Now, what will you hope someone takes

53:43

from this interview?

53:44

I mean, just you know, obviously, if

53:46

you're a basketball player, follow your dreams, work

53:48

work hard towards your goals. Obviously,

53:52

you know, get those academics in order as well,

53:55

and just be you know, solid people overall.

53:58

Clean up your social media athletes

54:02

because they watching, trust me, they watching,

54:05

And get with the guys like us, you

54:08

know, or guys that's not like us that may have played

54:10

D one basketball, any collin college basketball,

54:13

and go ask those guys for some advice we share.

54:16

We share, you know, stop

54:18

running to the bad trainers, you

54:20

know, and all that kind of stuff because right

54:24

now we're behind the eight ball, you know, to

54:26

the international game absolutely. You

54:28

know, AU is a rapid thing. You

54:32

know, we got to practice and train more. Kobe

54:35

was trying to get at that a few years

54:37

back. But we do have to practice and

54:39

train more and play less games. That's what

54:41

they're doing overseas. That's

54:44

the way we got to get our kids better.

54:46

All right, salute everybody that's doing it

54:49

and keep doing it because our youth need

54:51

us.

54:52

Let me ask you one question, what would you tell because

54:54

you've been through this, what did you tell the player that went that's

54:56

going through injury and trying to get back as

54:58

you've been through that.

54:59

Yeah, hey, listen, injuries

55:02

is a part of sports. If

55:04

you don't if you don't want to get injured, don't play sports,

55:06

you know what I mean. So, I mean, it's just

55:08

what it is. So when it happens, hey, listen,

55:11

to setback happens for a reason.

55:14

You know, you work your way to come back and

55:16

get back into the groove and do your thing. And that's in

55:18

any sport, in any sport, because

55:21

it's going to happen, it's going to happen.

55:23

Before we hit quick hitters. Favorite Kobe

55:25

story. You've known them for a long time.

55:29

Man, It's crazy.

55:31

Uh.

55:33

You know, when I got in the league,

55:35

I bought a house in brnmar right, which is

55:37

five minutes from from

55:40

Villanova. So Lord Marion

55:42

is right there. I used to see his moms and stuff at the grocery

55:44

store and stuff like that. Obviously,

55:50

we you know, we played au basketball

55:52

together. We

55:55

had you know, our fun times

55:57

with that. Got a chance competing

56:00

against each other, you know, in the league, in

56:02

the playoff series, all of that. Obviously

56:07

I lived in Calabasas.

56:11

The accident happened, you know, right

56:13

there. So I just felt

56:15

like our

56:17

connection it's

56:19

always been there, you know what I mean, ninety

56:22

six class all of that. But

56:25

we had you know, in California,

56:28

it get

56:30

those spires all the time. So

56:32

it was one of those real bad ones. So

56:35

we go down to New Point Beach with the family,

56:37

you know, to get out of the house, might lose the house whatever.

56:41

That's cold neck of the was. So

56:43

we pull up first night, We're thinking about

56:45

our house. The whole shebang. Full up, go

56:48

to a restaurant, you know, get some dinner, Cob

56:51

knows the owner. He calls, take care of my guy,

56:54

Bill probably six D seven hundred dollars. I'm

56:57

getting ready to pull a card out. I was taking.

57:00

Yeah, who took care of it? Oh, mister Bryant. Mister

57:03

Bryant, like, ye, man, I

57:05

don't know, I'm here, how do you know what I mean? He was somewhere doing

57:07

something. And then the

57:09

rest of the time we had to be there, which is probably two

57:12

weeks or so, everywhere

57:14

I went to city and had to pay for nothing.

57:16

Really, he took everything.

57:19

It was.

57:19

It was.

57:19

It was so crazy to the point where like you

57:23

know, you got you got a bunch of homes and so he was

57:25

like, yo, just go stay at the My

57:28

wife wanted to stay at the beach. You know, we had

57:30

a beach front of it. So she's like, let's just stay

57:32

here, but he was like, just go to

57:34

the house. So yeah,

57:36

I mean, it's stuff like that.

57:39

We do.

57:42

You know, I remember that situation like crazy,

57:44

because it's like it's right there saying you try to

57:47

drive away there and go see what's going on. But it's

57:49

crazy. But yeah, man, it's as you can

57:52

see, it's tough for me. I

57:54

know, your relationship.

57:55

So quick

57:58

hitters. First thing to come to mind. Five

58:00

new Jersey Hoopers of all time? Put

58:03

you on the spot. Yeah, come

58:05

on, man, top five of all times.

58:10

You got so many, man, I

58:15

mean Shock Shack's not born

58:17

here.

58:17

So you, I mean you ain't even gotta be

58:19

in order. Just give me five of them.

58:21

I'm gonna go with. I'm

58:24

gonna go myself. You

58:27

get born in Texas. Mm hmm.

58:29

Shack was born in Texas.

58:31

Shack was born in Texas.

58:32

He grew up in Jersey.

58:33

He grew up in Jersey. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So

58:35

I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go myself. Uh d

58:38

J Wagner, I'm

58:42

gonna go. You

58:45

gotta put Kyrie in there. Mm

58:51

hmmm. Uh, I'm

58:56

gonna go.

58:56

J R.

58:58

It's gonna get that last oh

59:01

Man, spot Herring ting

59:03

Cat. There's some names out there still.

59:06

I ain't gonna get no calls. I'm

59:09

soprano in this state. I

59:11

didn't I didn't bring the road, but they

59:13

know I'm soprano in the state.

59:18

They know that.

59:19

Oh

59:22

man, I'm

59:25

gonna go. I'm gonna go. Isaiah Briscoll I'm gonna go.

59:26

I'm gonna say say the truth. I'm

59:29

trying to tell niggas. Ba I

59:31

did it. I know it. That's one

59:34

of them right there. Thanks,

59:36

thanks, appreciate you, earl. Earl,

59:38

you Arnor mentioned New Jersey childhood.

59:41

Crush, childhood

59:43

crush. Man.

59:48

I got in trouble for this too, because

59:52

my wife went to Georgetown and I had

59:55

got asked this while I was in high school and about

59:57

the prom, like who would I want to go to the prome with? Because was

1:00:00

going with friend? And I

1:00:02

said no,

1:00:04

I said, uh, I forget her

1:00:06

name. I don't want to mess her name up. From

1:00:11

from the Will Smith Show, from

1:00:13

Fresh Prince, from Fresh Prince, the

1:00:17

Sister.

1:00:19

Ali Tai.

1:00:21

Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah,

1:00:25

yeah yeah yeah

1:00:27

that was yeah. So I mean I

1:00:29

just I just said it because obviously

1:00:32

you know you're watching the sitcom shows. I'm like, she's

1:00:35

pretty.

1:00:35

I got in trouble for that, and you

1:00:37

got grounded for it.

1:00:38

Yeah.

1:00:39

Craziest thing ever offered you in high school?

1:00:43

Uh.

1:00:43

University offered me three

1:00:45

million dollars uh, a

1:00:48

two million dollar home, four different

1:00:50

vehicles, and they knew

1:00:52

I was only going to be there for six months, and

1:00:55

I said.

1:00:56

Couldn't do it. God damn can

1:00:58

you can you give it in my NBA deal? Could

1:01:02

you give us a school or the cost?

1:01:06

What coast was it on east coast? West coast?

1:01:08

It was on the east coasts.

1:01:10

It was on the east coast.

1:01:12

I'll give you this hand. I just told you I'm

1:01:15

soprying on New Jersey.

1:01:16

So okay, I'll leave it. Keep it

1:01:18

there. Dig that one

1:01:20

thing you wish you was better at.

1:01:23

One thing I wish I was better at, probably

1:01:27

being handy man. I'm not. I'm not handed.

1:01:29

I don't know what us not handy. My wife

1:01:31

get on me about.

1:01:32

That all the time. Had building ship like

1:01:35

Christmas.

1:01:35

Come, I'm like, I'm trying to run away from toys.

1:01:39

My wife gets on me about that.

1:01:41

Rick my handy man? H song

1:01:44

album or artist to play over your career

1:01:46

highlights?

1:01:52

Anything naughty by nature you know those my brother my

1:01:55

brother so anything anything

1:01:57

noughty by nature, anything Jersey you know, food

1:02:00

Giez, anything Jersey Base.

1:02:04

One guess on all the smoke. I

1:02:06

think you already answered it, but we're gonna ask you again

1:02:09

because he brought up someone else he was close with

1:02:11

you.

1:02:11

Yeah, real one guess

1:02:14

that you would like to see on all the Smoke, but you

1:02:17

have to help us get your answer on the show.

1:02:19

I got to got too, so I'm gonna

1:02:21

go. I'm gonna go fifty. Yeah. You gotta

1:02:24

get up here. Yeah,

1:02:26

and I'm gonna go Sonny Carol for

1:02:30

the basketball.

1:02:31

To male your calls, but for

1:02:33

your call, real Tim. We appreciate

1:02:36

you, man. We want to make sure you know that you were

1:02:38

always respected.

1:02:39

By your peers and we got a lot

1:02:41

of love for you.

1:02:42

And and it really hats off to your

1:02:44

AU program and what you've been able to

1:02:46

do and the blessing you've been for so many young men

1:02:48

out here, just to give them hope and to see

1:02:50

it.

1:02:51

Man. So continue to carry on. Make

1:02:53

sure you guys get your purified

1:02:56

business. Yeah, r X handing

1:02:58

your business and man, God blessed man.

1:03:00

Thank you brother, my real brother.

1:03:02

You can catch this on All the Smoke Productions

1:03:04

YouTube. We'll see y'all next week.

1:03:07

I