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0:52

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to The Draymond

0:54

Green Show. This is our sixteen episode,

0:56

and we got my little brother, my little spartan

0:59

dog brother, Miles Bridges

1:01

on the show. Today. We will talk

1:03

about his breakout season, him

1:05

thinking he can dunk on me, uh,

1:08

which is beyond me. We're also

1:10

going to talk about Michigan

1:13

High school basketball and as well

1:15

as the AUTH circuit and a lot

1:17

more. I've known Miles for a very

1:19

long time. I think I've known Miles since he was

1:21

maybe in the eighth grade, and

1:24

you know, just watching him grow his

1:27

entire journey becoming somebody

1:30

in the basketball world as

1:33

a kid from Flint, it's just not that

1:35

that easy. And I know that because I'm from Saginaw,

1:38

Michigan and they're one and the same.

1:40

And to watch him work, work and

1:42

become who he's become and being able

1:45

to provide for his family the way he provides

1:48

makes me extremely proud because I

1:51

know what it's like to to start with

1:53

that dream and not

1:55

have a clue on how it's going to work out,

1:57

and to see him living his dream

2:00

and flourishing it means the world

2:02

to me. But before we get into uh,

2:05

the Miles Bridges conversation, let's

2:08

take you around association as we

2:10

love to do. Number One. Lebron's

2:13

historic night, historical

2:15

night against my Warriors was brutal

2:18

to watch, number one, but

2:20

in the same token, was extremely

2:23

incredible. I mean, you're talking a guy

2:26

at thirty seven

2:30

still being able to produce

2:32

at that level. And yes,

2:35

you know, he had fifty six, which was

2:37

incredible. You know,

2:39

it's not as if this

2:42

is just surprising and Lebron had fifty

2:44

six and we're like, oh my god, like that

2:46

came out of nowhere. It didn't come out of

2:48

nowhere. It's insane that

2:51

Lebron is still able to produce at

2:53

the level that he's producing in his nineteen

2:56

season in the NBA. It's it's

2:58

funny because we were just we

3:00

were just in Cabo a couple of weeks

3:02

ago for All Star break. I walked into

3:04

Bronze crib and he's like, he's

3:07

using this stem like electrical

3:10

current type machine on

3:13

on his quad. And I said

3:15

to him right then, I said, dude, you you

3:17

just don't stop like like

3:21

and He's like, man, I gotta

3:23

do it, gotta gotta get the quality fire.

3:26

You know, I had to knee issue, so I need

3:28

to get this quad. And I'm just like you, you you just

3:30

never stopped like it's always

3:32

something with you in

3:35

regards to your body in the game, and

3:38

and I it's

3:40

it's mind blowing to me. Obviously I

3:43

was there. I was rehabbing, so you

3:45

know, I'm in the weight room every day, and

3:47

you know he comes down every day to get

3:49

this work in. I will say I was

3:51

up before him early

3:53

bird gets the worm. No, but obviously

3:56

my my work, I was away longer as I'm

3:58

rehabbing to come back from

4:00

injury, which by the way, I am

4:02

projecting our targeting

4:05

my return next Monday.

4:08

Um, next Monday

4:11

the fourteenth versus the Wizards. That

4:14

that is, that is the date that I am

4:16

targeting. I'm excited as hell.

4:18

I mean it's been two

4:21

and a half months, almost two and

4:23

a half, two months for sure,

4:25

almost two and a half by the time I play.

4:28

I've never missed that much

4:30

time during season

4:32

now. I have once

4:34

had an ankle injury that kept me out for

4:36

a very long time in high school, but

4:39

it was the off season. So this is

4:41

something different for me. So I'm extremely

4:43

excited to get back out there with

4:45

my guys, um to try

4:48

to help write this ship. You know, it's

4:50

it's been a little haywied these last few weeks,

4:53

and you know, but we'll figure it out.

4:55

I think this rough patch has been great for our

4:57

team. Uh. You know, people

4:59

always look at our team and they still think

5:01

like this is the Warriors that was winning championships,

5:04

and the reality is it's not. Um,

5:06

you know, Clay Thompson's

5:08

won championship championships,

5:12

Andre Dallas one championships, Steph

5:14

Curry's won championships, Cavan

5:16

Looney and myself that's

5:19

five of seventeen and

5:22

so this isn't the same

5:24

Warriors that won championships before,

5:26

which is why I'm happy we're going

5:28

through this patch because now

5:31

you really have to figure out what

5:33

it takes to win in this league. Now

5:35

you really have to dig deep. We're

5:38

in a rut, so you're gonna have to claw your way

5:40

out. You're gonna have to gut

5:42

a nasty one out. Probably, that's just

5:44

normally how it goes, and so

5:47

um as much as it sucks to

5:49

go through this, no one ever wants to go through

5:51

it, I'd much rather this be happening

5:54

now then get punched in the mouth

5:56

the first round of the playoffs and

5:59

scrambling trying to figure out how to respond

6:01

because so many guys in

6:03

our locker room have not witnessed

6:07

or have not played under that type of pressure,

6:09

have not played in that type of environment,

6:11

have not run up against

6:14

a tough period of tough stretch and

6:17

had to get through it. You know, this this season

6:19

for us, it's pretty much been rolling

6:21

through. And so like I said,

6:23

you you never feel good about it. You

6:26

never feel good about losing. You know,

6:28

we always say, like you much rather

6:30

get you much rather get

6:33

learn your lessons from winning.

6:36

That's that's just always the better way to learn

6:38

the lessons and saying that it just

6:40

doesn't normally doesn't go that

6:42

way. And that's kind of where we are now. So

6:45

um, you know, the team will keep

6:47

fighting and we'll get better and we'll figure

6:49

it out. I have no doubt in my mind that we'll figure

6:51

it out. But I am very happy to be

6:53

returning and um

6:57

and and able to help

7:00

right the ship. So that's

7:03

that's gonna be good for me. I have a

7:05

doctor's appointment today. I got

7:08

my final clearance, so I'm

7:10

ready to roll now, just you know, getting

7:12

a little more playing under my belt, a little more five

7:14

on five, four and four, just

7:16

kind of trying to get my legs back under me and

7:18

get my stammina back of my endurance back.

7:21

So it's going well,

7:23

and I am looking forward to that day next

7:25

week, the irony and

7:27

and Clay Clay

7:30

going or excuse me, Clay

7:32

returning the day

7:35

that my calf locks

7:37

up and and I'm dealing with the disc

7:40

injury. It's crazy

7:42

to me. I mean I've I've literally looked

7:45

forward to that day for two

7:47

years. Um, and you

7:49

know obviously thought it was nearing, you

7:52

know, November, and

7:56

and then obviously the

7:58

Achilles injury happens, and so or

8:01

or September. I'm sorry when we

8:03

were getting ready to kick off camp and then they killer

8:06

Killes injury happened, and

8:09

like I couldn't wrap my mind around

8:14

like all the anticipation.

8:17

I mean, if you were around the facility

8:19

at that time, like everything was about Clay

8:21

Day. You know Clay that Clay Day is Clay

8:23

Day, that Clay d is approaching. I

8:26

mean, I I even think back to, like

8:29

I'm out there doing my pregame warm

8:31

up sometime in December and

8:35

I maybe December

8:38

ish, and and I can

8:40

recall Clay he

8:42

he was shooting at the same time as me, are

8:44

shooting times overlap, and

8:47

he's walking off the court and

8:49

if I'm not mistaken, he's holding

8:51

up one three walking off the court, and

8:55

he had his countdown going. And

8:57

it was thirteen days until

9:00

he returned, and at that point they

9:03

hadn't released yet that he was targeting

9:05

into the January ninety date, And

9:07

so we were getting ready to head out

9:09

on the road trip. Um,

9:12

I think it was Dallas. No,

9:14

I'm sorry, it was Denver in Utah.

9:16

The Denver game end up being canceled which

9:19

was the game that just happened

9:21

this week in Denver that

9:24

no one played in or for US.

9:26

Uh and no, not no

9:28

one. Um, Steph

9:31

Wiggins, myself,

9:34

Clay auto

9:36

porter, Gary Payton a

9:38

second, like we were missing a lot of guys. Uh,

9:41

just this game. And Clay's

9:43

walking off holding up thirteen or

9:46

like one in the three and I'm looking

9:48

at him like he's so excited. And as

9:51

I'm watching him walk off holding

9:53

that up, I'm thinking to myself, like, these

9:55

people have no idea these

9:57

numbers he's holding up. But

10:00

actually if they knew it to countdown to

10:02

his return, like he's been counting down days

10:06

and he's been making sure every day

10:08

you walk in the facility, you know where his

10:10

countdown is. And so he's

10:12

walking off and holding that up. I'm just sitting

10:15

there laughing because I'm watching these

10:17

people go crazy, like our

10:20

fans are going nuts. He you know, he just finished

10:22

shooting. And I'm like, but they

10:24

really don't have a clue or why

10:26

he's holding up those numbers. And that was exciting

10:29

for me. And so the build up, the build

10:31

up, and you know, then we scrimmaged

10:33

the day before and like I told

10:35

you before, I was humming, like buzzing,

10:38

playing well. And the

10:41

reality is what I have not said

10:43

is leading

10:46

up to that. Maybe like with

10:49

a few games before, I

10:52

ended up sitting out the New Orleans game

10:55

and that Dallas game

10:57

when we played in Dallas, I think it was I

11:00

Ain't worry four for fifth somewhere around that

11:02

time. Um, I couldn't

11:04

move that game, like I'm just out there and

11:07

I couldn't move. I'm like, man, I'm

11:10

I'm just hurting. And so the

11:13

next day in New Orleans, I didn't play, and

11:16

which I was

11:18

projected to play, and then I did it, and

11:20

so come to find out I had already

11:22

been a few games before

11:25

that. I was in the tunnel rolling out

11:27

like my glue because my glue was tightening up,

11:29

like just randomly with tighten

11:32

up. And so before I go back in the game, I'm

11:34

like rolling on the lacrosse

11:36

ball because

11:38

it can get too deeper muscles than

11:40

a phone roller can. So I'm rolling on the cross

11:43

ball and then it loosen up

11:45

a little bit and I'd go back in the game. And

11:48

those end up being symptoms of the injury

11:51

that I had. But like

11:53

I think back to all

11:55

of that built up and like feeling bad those

11:58

couple of days, and then practicing the day before

12:00

Clay returned and feeling great and

12:03

like, oh man, it's time. Like and

12:05

then that even and I'm sitting at home and my calflock

12:08

up, and then the whole snowball effects

12:10

starts to happen. But I said

12:12

all of that to say, I

12:14

have been waiting for this moment

12:16

I get I have the opportunity to

12:19

get back out there and play with my

12:21

brothers again. And you

12:23

know, there were times where I was doubting whether

12:26

like I mean not doubting, but like

12:29

you know, we we we none

12:31

of us like to hear the surgery where it come

12:33

up, but that was

12:36

a possibility, and so and

12:38

you know, and Dr T has

12:40

been incredible. Dr

12:42

Walkers in l A, who I saw it consulted

12:45

with as well, like neither one

12:47

of them thought I need a surgery. So it's great to put

12:49

that the rest. But there was a

12:51

point where I mean, even three weeks

12:53

ago, like you, I still wasn't

12:55

short that I was out of the woods. You know, I'm feeling

12:57

better, symptoms are gone, but

13:00

you can just never be so sure. And

13:02

so now that it's it's

13:04

almost here. Man,

13:07

to how the opportunity, like I'm

13:10

excited to take the floor with all my guys,

13:12

all my brothers, but to how the opportunity

13:15

to go out there and take the floor again

13:17

with Steph and Clay,

13:19

guys who always say

13:22

and Andre as well. I'm not sure if when

13:25

Andrea will be back, but guys

13:29

who we always say like we started

13:31

to build this thing from the bottom, like

13:33

when the Warriors were to laughing stock of the NBA.

13:36

We started to build this thing from the bottom.

13:38

And now to be taking the floor with those guys

13:41

again, Man, I can't tell

13:43

you all how excited I am. And

13:46

you know I always say that this is my time of

13:48

year right now, like I I historically

13:50

have performed better in the playoffs, and

13:52

so fourteen,

13:55

I'll have fourteen games to get

13:57

my rhythm back and to get in

13:59

a swinger things and try to get my endurance

14:01

back in my and my stamina, which

14:04

at this point you

14:06

just go for what you know and regardless

14:09

of what it is, I'm gonna make it work. Like that's

14:11

the competitor, that's the fight in me. And

14:13

so man, it's

14:15

time and I cannot fucking

14:18

wait to take the floor with

14:20

my brothers again, I cannot wait.

14:23

And in speaking of returning from

14:25

injury, we also know Kevin Durant just

14:28

returned from injury, and boy

14:31

did they run up into a monster

14:34

the other day. My goodness, Jason

14:36

Tatum fifty four points the

14:38

one move where he threw it out between

14:40

Kyrie and somebody if I think maybe

14:43

Bruce Brown, it's like

14:45

and then split up. I don't even I

14:47

can't even um, I

14:49

can't even walk you through the move. How I

14:51

want to walk you through it because it was so

14:53

unorthodox and so incredible. So

14:55

if you have not seen that clip of

14:58

Jayson Tatum split in those

15:00

two guys, whatever the hell he did,

15:02

Uh, it was one of the most insane

15:05

moves. And you know, to see

15:07

Jayson Tatum um going up

15:09

against the Brooklyn Nets, up against Kevin Durant

15:12

and go for fifty four insane.

15:18

I already know and understand

15:20

how good Jayson Tatum is, and

15:23

saying that, uh, and spending a

15:25

ton of time with him in the Olympics, you

15:27

quickly realize how young he is

15:30

and he's I mean, he's been

15:32

playing at a very high level since he came into

15:35

the league. And so when you have guys

15:37

like that, you tend to forget how

15:40

young they are. And then you you spend

15:42

a ton of time around Jayson Tatum

15:44

and like some of the questions he asked, and you realize,

15:46

like, yo, I he's

15:48

still a baby. And you

15:52

know, we've started we were We've

15:54

built the relationship, which I am extremely

15:57

thankful for. I don't take any

15:59

relationship for granted. I am a

16:01

relationships person. I build relationships.

16:03

I cherish relationships. Uh They're

16:06

very important for me. So I am

16:08

very thankful for the relationship that we've built.

16:10

But to see him put the team on

16:12

his back after the way the Celtics were struggling

16:15

to start the season. You heard all the talks

16:18

about needing to break Jason

16:20

Tatum and Jaylen Brown up. And

16:23

and I commend Jason because

16:25

he came out right away and said, no, me,

16:28

me and Jason, I mean me and Jalen, we're

16:31

not a problem, Like we can play

16:33

well together and we're gonna figure it out. And

16:35

they are figuring it out. And it's been

16:37

beautiful to see, extremely

16:40

happy to see such a young

16:42

man take on this of a situation

16:45

and and

16:47

in doing that has

16:49

produced like no other. And his team

16:52

is now I think eleven games above five

16:54

hundred maybe in the fourth and fifth season in

16:56

the East and continuing the climb. So it's

16:58

a beautiful thing to see. That was an

17:01

incredible game. It was also great

17:03

to see Kevin back on the floor. I

17:05

mean this Kevin is. I

17:07

think everyone already know how incredible I

17:09

think Kevin is. But you

17:12

know, he used to be like a walk in twenty

17:15

five dude to walk in thirty piece now, I

17:17

mean he come out of injury. I think his

17:19

first game he had thirty one, second game thirty

17:21

seven. Um, I

17:23

mean, just just for a guy to miss

17:26

what seven weeks of time and then come back

17:28

out and doing that like it's nothing. It's

17:31

the most insane thing. Uh. The

17:33

Nets are having some problems at their own. They're

17:35

on some losing they've been in the midst

17:37

of a losing streak or a couple of different ones,

17:40

and so they need to write their ship as well.

17:42

And and you know, I'm looking forward

17:44

to seeing how they handle it.

17:47

Just says how how we're going to handle it, because

17:49

we're kind of in the same space. Maybe

17:51

not as far as like public

17:53

issues or whatnot, but as

17:55

far as records I mean, our record is better,

17:57

but as far as like currently what you're

18:00

doing right now, we're kind

18:02

of in the same space. So I'm I'm I'm

18:04

as a basketball fan, I'm

18:06

looking forward to seeing how

18:08

how they come out of it as well as I'm looking

18:11

forward to seeing how we come out of it. Man,

18:18

I am extremely honored and excited

18:20

to have his next guest, a guy who

18:23

I is a little brother, not who

18:25

I call is a little brother of mine. Um

18:27

who Man I've known since who

18:30

probably this eighth or ninth grade

18:32

year. Um. And obviously

18:35

I'm from Saginaw, Michigan. He's from

18:38

Flint, Michigan. You know, we we kind

18:40

of wanted the same that Flint Sagon all

18:42

connection, but we also the

18:44

routes run a little deeper. H Michigan

18:46

State. Spartan played two seasons at Michigan

18:49

State, was a Freshman of the

18:51

Year at Michigan State, was All American

18:54

his second year at Michigan State, and

18:59

more importly, was then moved

19:01

on to be the twelfth pick in the NBA Draft.

19:04

Was originally drafted by the Clippers,

19:07

but was traded um

19:09

on draft night to the Charlotte Hornets,

19:12

where he is now making a huge impact, having

19:14

an all Star worthy season. I

19:16

think should have been an all Star but you

19:19

know, only going to continue to get better

19:21

so that to happen. But I want to welcome

19:24

none other than the than the absolutely

19:27

incredible Miles Bridges. What's up, my

19:29

brother? Nothing

19:32

much, man, I thank you for coming on this. As

19:34

you know, this is exciting for me. Just I

19:37

enjoyed doing this, um, not only

19:40

to shirt this with the fans,

19:42

but I also get something out of these conversations,

19:44

and especially when I have opportunities

19:46

to chop it up with with guys who

19:49

I have personal relationships with and

19:51

obviously you know how that how that runs

19:54

deep for us. UM.

19:56

But uh and getting started,

19:58

UM, you know you're having a great season,

20:01

but we all know that you are

20:03

in a restricted free agent Uh, I

20:05

mean I'm sorry, a restricted free agent coming

20:08

up this year. How are you feeling about

20:10

that process? Are you excited about it? Are you

20:12

nervous about it? I

20:15

mean I'm excited. You know, it's definitely

20:18

always exciting for for somebody to go through that. I'm

20:20

especially the position that I don't put it in UM.

20:24

But for me right now, I'm really just worried about the season,

20:26

though, we can feel out of the top eight. So

20:29

I'm trying to get us to the playoffs and that's

20:31

the main goal right now. And

20:33

speaking of falling out of the top eight last year,

20:36

Uh, you guys were in the play in game as well,

20:38

and you you ultimately lost to Indiana.

20:40

We were in the playing game as well and lost. UM.

20:43

How did you feel about the whole playing scenario?

20:46

Did you think it was great for the league? Did you not

20:48

like it? How do you feel about it? I

20:50

mean for for us, I mean

20:52

it's good because we have a chance to

20:54

get in if we're not in. UM,

20:57

But I feel like if if I was in the top six,

21:01

I don't know, the top seven times, don't

21:03

you like it? It's funny?

21:06

Go ahead, go ahead. Yeah, for

21:08

fire position is good, but for for the ones

21:10

that made it to the seven and eight un

21:13

like that. It's funny because

21:15

we were actually a victim of that last year where

21:17

I think we were the eight.

21:20

No, we were the seventh seed, and

21:22

we were the seventh seed. We lost

21:25

that first game to Memphis

21:28

and then we lost the second one to the Lakers.

21:31

UM, and I feel

21:33

like I got I got the seating off a little bit

21:35

because then we played at the Lakers, so

21:37

maybe we were we were the eight, the

21:39

Lakers were seven. We lost

21:41

to Memphis, and then we lost to the Lakers

21:44

in the l A And I think for

21:46

me, Um,

21:49

I can't lie. I actually enjoyed the plan

21:51

in the game, in part

21:54

due to you know, I had missed the

21:56

playoffs for a year and

21:58

so then having our tunity

22:00

to kind of feel that intensity

22:03

a little bit. I enjoyed the actual

22:05

game, but in saying that, where we were

22:07

sitting in the a C. It was

22:10

kind of a bit frustrating because

22:12

we lost the Memphis, who we had just beat three

22:15

days before that. Man, yeah,

22:18

I understand that. That's why I said she if I

22:20

was in the seventh or hey, I'll be bad. Sure?

22:24

Absolutely. But Um,

22:26

last year LaMelo Ball joined

22:29

you guys team, and I think we all know

22:31

how incredible of a player that

22:33

he is. Um, what's been

22:35

most exciting for you about playing with LaMelo?

22:39

Uh? Just the excitement

22:41

that he brings to the game and you never know what he's gonna

22:43

do. You know, you might think you're

22:45

growing up for a regular lobby go between the legs

22:47

and throw it up, or Um,

22:50

just him getting hot at any moment. He's very

22:52

very stricty. If he he sees one though

22:55

go in. He's excited. He's exciting

22:57

the whole game. So like, I love

22:59

playing with him, a great pass and great facilitated,

23:01

great teammate. Um, I love being around

23:04

him as a person. So I'm happy that we

23:06

get that, we get little absolutely

23:08

And I think when from what I

23:10

see his energy seems to be contagious,

23:13

like you guys go out there, it

23:15

reminds me a lot of uh,

23:18

a lot of stuff in a different way,

23:20

like Mellows more flashy and

23:22

in life overall, not just on the basketball

23:25

court, but he's more flashy, he's

23:28

you know, he's just kind of more culturally

23:31

into different things that stuff weren't. But

23:35

when I say remind me of Steph, I

23:37

mean the looseness. Like Steph is

23:39

super loose, super chill, super casual,

23:42

and he played a game of basketball that way, and

23:45

in turn, our entire organization

23:47

en up following that, Like you come around and

23:49

it's loose, you know, you walk into a

23:51

practice guy storing basketball all

23:53

over the place, and I think

23:56

I see some of that from you guys.

23:58

Do you feel that way or my awful little

24:00

bit. Oh yeah, I mean right on

24:02

the Monday. You know, as soon as he got here, the culture change.

24:05

Um. He's always had a lot of fans

24:07

until was like with thirteen fourteen,

24:11

So he's he's always had

24:13

that swag to him and all that, and he brought that

24:15

to us. UM. You know that's how we've been

24:17

playing. UM. Our practice has been different.

24:19

Our our energy within the crowd

24:21

during the games is different. You could tell whenever he

24:23

steps on the court that they just love him. UM,

24:26

and he feeds off that. So I

24:28

feel like that helps us out too. He does

24:30

a great job of keeping everybody

24:32

energy. Like you said, hiss his energies tags.

24:35

Um. Yeah, he's been a great distance

24:38

that you guys have a

24:40

You guys have a lot of a young talent

24:43

Um and yourself, Kelly,

24:45

who I had the opportunity to be a teammate

24:48

with last year that I really enjoyed,

24:51

Uh, Terry Rocher. But then you also have a couple

24:53

of veteran guys UM and Gordon

24:56

and my Mason. I'm sorry, how

24:58

is how is that? X? I know, coming

25:01

into this season like we had, we were kind

25:03

of in that same position where we have a mixture of

25:05

some experienced guys and then

25:08

also a bunch of young guys as well. And I

25:10

wasn't sure, and you can check

25:12

my interviews from the beginning of the season. I wasn't

25:14

sure how that will work because

25:16

and I said it in my interview, I said, historically,

25:19

we've never seen that work or where you try to

25:21

mix a group of young guys with

25:24

some old guys who who timeline are

25:26

different. And it's it's been working for us,

25:28

and and it's worked for y'all to some

25:30

degree. To um, how do you feel

25:33

about that mix and how it makes

25:35

the magic of your team happen? Oh,

25:38

I mean it's great for me. You know,

25:40

Like my first season, I was

25:42

in there with the straight veits. You know, we

25:44

had Kimba Walker, Nick Betune, Jeremy

25:47

Lamb, Marvin Williams, all those guys,

25:50

um, and we were good. But

25:52

you know, it's just it's hard just being a

25:55

young guy coming in. Um.

25:57

You know, they got they got wives, they got all that

25:59

type of stuff. You know, you

26:01

don't really you don't really get to hang out with him like

26:03

that. My second year is more so all

26:06

young guys and then brit in experience, we're

26:08

getting we're getting blown out by twenty

26:10

every game with no bed to tell

26:12

us what's going on. So for us to have a mixture

26:14

now, um, I feel like it's

26:17

great for us. You know, we have Gordon.

26:19

We have Gordon. Whenever things get out of out

26:21

of hand, he has he calms us down.

26:24

Um. And then when it's time to

26:26

go up and down the floor, you can rely on young

26:29

guys. So I feel like it's good

26:31

for make sure in the locker room, um, and

26:34

outside the locker room. To me, and you know, when

26:38

I watch your team, to me, it feels

26:40

like you are the vocal leader and

26:42

it all, it feels like you've made a

26:45

concerted effort to step

26:47

your leadership up. And I think I see

26:49

guys following that. Where do

26:51

you feel you are in your leadership

26:54

UM skills and and just in your

26:56

leadership journey? And how

26:58

much further do you need to go? Uh?

27:02

I say, because I'm the

27:04

longest team morning right now. Um.

27:07

So I feel like last season I tried

27:09

to take initiative and become

27:11

like a vocal leader, helped the younger guys out.

27:13

I mean, I'm saying younger guys like I'm not in my

27:15

forefeit season but

27:18

like just helping the under guys out the rookies, UM,

27:21

and keeping everybody's head straight. You know, I

27:23

feel like everybody on the team likes

27:25

you, UM and they listened to me, So

27:28

you know, I kind of got it from you, what you what you

27:30

did with the Warriors, you know, just keeping everybody

27:33

straight, being that guy that that

27:35

that leads and not afraid to get

27:37

on anybody at any time. So I

27:39

feel like I tried to be like you with that type of stuff,

27:42

and I'm getting better at it too. I can also do a

27:44

better job. You know, Charris came in, He's done

27:46

a great job of that. UM.

27:49

But you know, I feel like I'm a leaders

27:51

team. That's That's that's great

27:53

to hear. How is it having um

27:56

the owner of the of the team that you played

27:59

for being Michael Jordan's Like, are you

28:01

guys able to lean on Mike

28:03

for advice for um,

28:06

just for different different questions

28:08

that you may have or is it

28:10

or is he not that connected with the team?

28:13

Oh no, he's connected. You know, I

28:15

got I got MJ's number. I text him

28:18

whenever, you know, we hit a rough patch

28:20

and see what he would do in a situation or

28:23

I text him by the game and he takes

28:25

right back, like like as soon as I take five

28:28

minutes, he takes right back. It's crazy. Um

28:31

yeah, I mean before all started, but he came in and

28:33

ripped our eyes by

28:36

Orlando, so he's very in

28:38

tune with us. And it's

28:41

just nice to having having the goat

28:43

just being there for you at all times,

28:46

being connected and just being able to

28:48

rely on him and have resources like

28:50

that. So I mean, it's

28:52

good for me. And

28:55

speaking of of All Star break, um,

28:58

I have I have a question that I need

29:00

to know for myself, especially

29:03

coming on the hills of you talking

29:05

about I'm the guy you're going to dunk

29:08

on, which I think is absolutely ridiculous.

29:11

But first of all, what

29:13

what was spark you to say that? Because now,

29:16

I mean not that I wasn't already expecting

29:18

you to try dunk on me because you've tried it

29:20

before, but like now, I'm I'm

29:22

too all my toes for now, Like, what was spark

29:25

you to say that? My house? Because every

29:27

time I try to dunk on you, you found me

29:29

or or something

29:33

that ship out of here. You've

29:36

never blocks always put the flower every time

29:39

time, so so so so with this

29:41

clip, We're gonna We're gonna

29:43

pull the clip of me blocking your shot,

29:46

and we're gonna post this when when we promote

29:48

this episode of the podcast, it's

29:50

going to be a clip of

29:53

me blocking your shot. Since you said

29:55

I've never blocked your shot to

29:57

no, no, no, we're talking about the block I ain't I see

30:00

because one thing I didn't say I never follow

30:02

you. I also didn't say I wouldn't follow

30:04

you to stop you from dunking on me. I said,

30:06

you not go on to dunk on me. So I really don't

30:08

care about the file house. So

30:11

i'mna catch you. I'm gonna catch you one day. Watch

30:13

you know what happened. But and

30:16

and speaking of that, which is not happening.

30:19

But in speaking of All Star Break, I

30:21

have a question, um, especially

30:24

coming off the hills of probably one

30:26

of the worst, if not the

30:28

worst dunk contest we've

30:31

ever seen in the NBA, why

30:33

why is it that you don't participate in the dunk contest?

30:36

I mean, I participated my

30:38

my rookie year, but you

30:41

didn't win it. I didn't win it at all,

30:43

so I didn't did terrible. I don't know. I

30:45

mean, it's just For me, I

30:48

don't know, all start break. For me, it is like

30:50

me getting the break away from basketball,

30:52

you know. And I this year, I played the most minutes

30:54

in the NBA UM, so I feel

30:56

like my legs definitely to break. You know. I

30:58

know the fans, they they want to see the best

31:01

ducktors in the league go at it like myself,

31:04

John Moran, Um, Zion Ampson

31:06

when he's healthy, UM, Anthony

31:09

Edwards. But they gotta look at it like

31:11

like it's an All Star break. You know, if

31:14

I woult to make the All Star Game, I'll probably

31:16

I probably would have did duck contest. But during

31:19

that time, I'm trying to rest my legs and get ready

31:21

for the second half season because it's it's a

31:23

huge run for us, trying to make the playoffs.

31:26

I think fans don't get that. But at the same

31:28

time, it's definitely entertainment. It's definitely

31:31

entertaining. So you know, I'm gonna think about

31:33

it. I'm gonna think about it. I think

31:36

you make a great point there that most people don't

31:38

realize even when you are an All Star

31:40

UM that weekend

31:43

or I mean, they've they've extended the

31:45

break now with kudos to commit

31:48

our commissioner Adam Silver uh

31:50

extending the break because I remember when I first came

31:52

in the league, right when you would

31:54

play your last game Thursday, you

31:57

then get on in the airplane after that Thursday

32:00

night game, fly to whatever city

32:02

you're going to and like have media

32:05

and if and and if you played

32:07

your last game on Wednesday, you had

32:09

to fly Wednesday night and be there Thursday

32:12

morning for media, and then you're there to a

32:14

Sunday night. And at that point games

32:16

you used to start back up on Tuesday. And

32:19

you see like now you had games starting back

32:21

up on Thursday and Friday, you had teams

32:24

finishing on like Wednesday,

32:26

and so I think that was, uh,

32:29

that's a huge improvement for us. But most

32:32

fans don't realize. And

32:35

in being an All Star or participating

32:37

in All Star Weekend, you you end up

32:39

not getting a break. And especially when you're

32:41

an All Star and you are the last

32:44

event, which is the All Star Game, you don't get out

32:46

of there like I didn't. I didn't leave Cleveland

32:49

this weekend and I didn't play. I didn't leave Cleveland til

32:51

three am with Monday

32:53

morning, and so it's

32:55

not much of a break, and

32:58

I think I think that's that a

33:00

very great thing that we have

33:03

now. And we always talk about like you younger

33:05

guys, as the younger the league gets,

33:07

the more spoiled you guys get. Y'all

33:09

gets this this long break now

33:11

that that we never got. Yeah,

33:14

but I didn't

33:17

get that break, you know, I didn't dunk contest.

33:20

Um, I probably had like wood two days,

33:22

two days and you got right back to it. So yeah,

33:25

it was tough. I think, Um,

33:27

I think the NBA can do a better

33:29

job in making the dunk contests

33:31

enticing. Like I'm not sure exactly

33:34

what the what the bonus is currently,

33:37

it's maybe fifty or a hundred thousand

33:40

dollars or somewhere in between.

33:42

That I think if the NBA made

33:45

made it more enticing, Um,

33:47

you get more guys in it, like all the guys

33:50

that you just name. Uh, if it's a two

33:52

hundred and fifty thousand dollar bonus

33:54

or I remember when Blake

33:57

Blake Griffin jumped over the key and then

33:59

he had that key a sponsorship

34:01

for the next six years. I think

34:04

if the league can incorporate something

34:06

where where they um

34:09

where they maybe use one of their partners

34:12

that they already have a deal with, like hey,

34:14

you're you're you're gonna have a Kia

34:16

deal or you're gonna have this deal or that deal,

34:19

um, Mercedes deal, whoever

34:22

the league our partners with, if they can include

34:24

in that an endorsement deal for

34:27

the guy who wins, a much

34:29

bigger bonus for the guy who wins, would

34:31

that be more enticing for you as someone

34:33

who should be in the dunk contest or

34:35

could be and shouldn't could win

34:37

ith Yeah, jumping

34:41

over Mercedes for Mercedes deal.

34:44

Yes, I would definitely do that or for any

34:46

type of endorsements, but really

34:48

we're just doing it for what you said, a hundred thousand dollars.

34:51

Yeah, but

34:55

this is more stuff like that though, like endorsements,

34:57

um uh. That guy's definitely get into it.

35:00

And I think they need to change the format back to like

35:03

being timed on the dunks. You know they had because

35:07

on it you can hear Man

35:09

just watching guys and miss dunks over and over and

35:11

over again. So it's

35:13

good. I think the NBA is gonna fix it, especially

35:17

this year was kind of a wake up call for them on

35:19

the dunk contest. Um. But it

35:21

will get fixed. Michael

35:23

Levine, you heard it here. First, you

35:25

need to bump your bonus up, my man, you

35:28

need to get these guys an endorsement

35:30

deal for winning the dunk contest.

35:33

We gotta do something, Michael, because what I

35:35

do know is I don't

35:38

think the answer is to get rid of the dunk contest.

35:40

Like you were so many people saying get rid

35:42

of the dunk contest. I don't think that's the answer. No,

35:44

that's that's that's definitely not it. That's definitely

35:47

not it. A little

35:49

more interesting, that's all. Absolutely.

35:51

Speaking of awards, um, there's

35:54

a lot of guys for most Simpool

35:56

Player, yourself being one of Jordan

35:58

Pool is a guy who mentioned

36:00

a lot of my teammate John Moran, Darius

36:03

Garland, uh Dejont Murray,

36:05

which are also too uh

36:08

so that there's there's three of the top five

36:10

clush clients. By the way, but where

36:13

do you feel like you you rank as

36:15

far as as those guys

36:17

go. And let me just throw this out here.

36:20

I don't think John Moran is in the in the most

36:22

Improved player category as

36:24

yes, huh, I think

36:27

he's an MDP conversation. That's

36:29

it, Like that's the only conversation he's in.

36:31

He's not in the most improved player of conversation

36:34

like last year Gyris

36:37

points a game. Now, yes, he's up to twenty eight

36:39

points a game. Yes, that is a huge improvement,

36:42

but if you know anything about basketball,

36:44

you're not shocked by that by that improvement.

36:47

And so I I personally don't

36:50

think he he should be in that conversation.

36:52

But nonetheless, where

36:54

do you feel like you rank amongst those guys

36:56

as far as most improved player goes. I

36:59

mean, at the beginning of the season, for sure, I thought

37:02

it was first. Um my numbers

37:04

went down a little bit, um so

37:07

and and plus Darius and made

37:09

the All Star Game. So I probably say I'm

37:11

third right now. Um, we

37:13

forgot to mention the guy Anthony Anthony signs

37:15

too. He's been having a great season. Um.

37:19

But yeah, for me to be honest, I'm probably like

37:21

like third right now. We've still

37:23

got twenty more games. I'm gonna staying

37:25

kill mode. Um, continue

37:27

to try to win. I feel like the

37:30

more the more that I win, Um,

37:33

the more I have a chance to it to to win m P

37:35

doesn't That's really not my goal. My goal as

37:37

the playoffs, but I think the m I P

37:40

P race is going to be very tight. You know, there's a lot

37:42

of guys that improved their game during

37:44

the summer. UM, so

37:47

we'll see no

37:49

no doubt. And I think, um, well,

37:53

I'll ask you this question. Do

37:56

you think with twenty games

37:58

left that there are still something you can

38:00

do to change that? Or

38:02

do you think coming down to stretch in the NBA

38:05

with twenty games left, most races are already

38:07

decided. Mm hmmm, You're

38:11

right about that. Most most races are decided. Um,

38:14

But like I said, safety going like crazy

38:16

wind Street getting to the playoffs.

38:19

Um, I'm still killing in that

38:22

situation. Yeah, sure now,

38:25

and I agree with you. I think most

38:27

of the times when you get when you get

38:29

to the point of the season where

38:31

we are now, most of those awards

38:33

kind of be already decided. I actually

38:36

think this year all

38:38

of them are actually still off. For graphs like, I don't

38:40

think um anyone

38:43

has solidified themselves

38:45

as the m v P. I think we know

38:47

the front runners for m v P and

38:50

for me and no particular artist,

38:52

that's John Damar and

38:54

Joel for me. UM,

38:58

I think Joker also has to be in

39:00

that conversation as well. That's

39:03

for me personally, but I think amongst

39:05

those guys, they're still a race. I think

39:07

if you look at Defensive Player of the Year, obviously,

39:10

if I didn't get hurt, I was running away with that. And

39:13

you know, I was running away with it because no

39:15

one still has solidified themselves and

39:18

I had solidified myself at game thirty,

39:20

and so I feel like I

39:22

was running away with that. Even every

39:27

dog has his day, sun shines

39:30

on the dog ass every now and then, you can't

39:32

do nothing about that, you know. So you

39:35

did. And it's crazy too about that,

39:37

because I was actually piste off about

39:39

that Game winner because I got you to go to

39:41

the shop at the exact shot I

39:44

wanted you to go to. You drive middal And

39:48

and the angle that I had you on. Obviously,

39:51

I know you like to get back to your right hand,

39:53

but the angle I had you on, if the

39:55

rim is here, you almost shot it from like

39:57

here. So I was a little

40:00

frustrated about that. But I'll tell y'all

40:02

what funny story mouse

40:06

myself, Jared Brent

40:08

Forbes, Denzel Valentine, Travis

40:10

Walden, Aaron Henry um

40:13

Am I missing anyone cash

40:17

is we're all in a group chat

40:19

from our Spartan Dog Sparting ground

40:21

week group chat, and uh, the

40:25

moment Myles gave me, I went to the group

40:27

chat like, hey, y'all, Moles just gave me because

40:29

I already one

40:32

thing, listen, the

40:34

one thing I didn't want to happen. Two things I

40:36

didn't want to happen. I didn't want one of

40:38

those guys to come post in the show like, oh

40:41

man, Myles games, Myles game

40:43

Draymond. And then I also,

40:45

and more importantly, I didn't want Miles

40:47

to come in the chat like, yeah, I just gained Draymond.

40:50

So I went right away soon as I got through

40:52

my locker, like, man, y'all, never believe Miles

40:55

just games. I

40:58

wouldn't. I was gonna let you do it. I wanted

41:00

to do it. I was not gonna do it. You're

41:03

smart, because then I would have put them blocks in the group

41:06

chats. But

41:10

but I

41:12

want to ask you some a couple of questions,

41:14

just going back to high school. You

41:16

played your freshman

41:18

year at Flint Southwestern, and

41:21

then after that you transferred and

41:23

you went to Huntington Prep. What

41:26

what was your reasoning for for leaving

41:28

FLYNT and going to hunting To Prep. Uh,

41:31

there's a lot of distractions. You know, most

41:34

of most of my friends in the streets at the time, and

41:36

I was still trying to play basketball. Um,

41:38

so just me getting away from

41:41

distraction is getting away from the city. UM

41:44

and just focused on having my main focus

41:46

on basketball and going

41:48

to Huntington, West Virginia. It wasn't nothing

41:51

else, literally nothing else out there but to focus

41:53

on but basketball. So m

41:56

I mean, my mom was crazy because my mom,

41:58

she didn't want me at all. Really,

42:01

yes, she did it. She didn't want to go. She wanted to

42:03

stay off four years because I'm a baby.

42:06

Yeah, I'm a younger child. She didn't

42:08

want me to go, But I kind of made the decision.

42:11

UM and Jeff Gray, he

42:13

helped me make that decision to um,

42:15

just to just to get away. Um and I

42:17

was probably the best decision I've ever made. And

42:20

see where I'm at, I don't. Yeah, you

42:22

know, that's that's one thing that I am marked

42:25

I admire about you. Um

42:27

since coming up, you seemed

42:30

to me, I mean even when they came to not

42:33

going in the NBA, driving, going back to school.

42:35

Then once it came to going in the NBA

42:38

Draft, then once it was time to pick an Asian,

42:40

you to me, um it

42:43

it feels like you're a young man

42:45

that always has made your own decisions,

42:48

and that's not that's not always

42:50

comment for young

42:52

men, young African American men, especially

42:55

not young African American athletes.

42:57

You know, you have the AU coach

43:00

I was just putting on my Instagram earlier

43:02

about kJ who you know, um, just

43:05

the AU coaches, you have, leeches, you

43:07

have all of these people who get involved

43:09

in the decision making process. And

43:12

that's something that I've always admired

43:14

about you and I wanted to share that

43:17

with you. Um. But

43:19

just going back to to Michigan

43:21

High school basketball, I think

43:23

the m h s a A is a fucking

43:26

joke. Terrible. I hate

43:28

it. And that's why everybody's when you see the top

43:30

of cruise leaving, it's terrible. It's

43:34

and they still haven't figured that out. And for

43:36

those of you that don't know, I'll share a little

43:38

bit of history with you. UM. If

43:40

you are Miles Bridges, who's

43:43

a who's a top fifteen,

43:45

top ten player in the country, who

43:47

go who gets invited to Nike

43:50

Camp, who gets invited to all of these

43:52

different things. UM. It used

43:54

to be the Elite twenty four. When you came out, it

43:56

was a Nike game in the Bahamas, UM

43:59

that you into. But you have all

44:01

of these things that you know, you have the sneaker

44:03

companies with the grassroots programs,

44:07

and they have all of these things for for the

44:09

top players. And if you're if

44:11

you're a player in the state of

44:14

Michigan, you you can't

44:16

go to most of those things. You

44:19

UM, if you're if you're out of camp

44:21

and you make the All Star Game, you're not allowed

44:24

to play in the state of Michigan.

44:26

UM. In the state of Michigan, you're

44:28

not allowed to travel I think seventy

44:31

five miles seventy five and ninety

44:33

miles outside

44:35

of where you play. So for instance,

44:37

for me and Sagging all, the firstest

44:40

we could travel to play was Toledo, Ohio.

44:43

And you have all of these tournaments

44:45

where you where where the world was first

44:47

introduced to Miles Bridges. Was him playing

44:49

in the Dicks Sporting Good Classic?

44:52

Was him playing in you know, all

44:54

of these big time games on national television.

44:57

In the state of Michigan, you're not allowed to go to

44:59

any of those or your or you forfeit

45:02

your season. And I and I

45:05

think it's so ridiculous.

45:07

So now you start going down the list

45:10

and all of the top players

45:13

leave the state of Michigan. I

45:16

can't believe that the rule

45:18

hasn't been changed. And and I

45:20

also think coaches, oh um

45:24

and the coaches at

45:26

the other schools down the way need to

45:28

push more for that because the reality

45:30

is, and I think you can probably attest

45:32

to this is do you don't you think it ultimately

45:36

cost them recruits when you end up letting a

45:38

guy lead to state and go somewhere else to high

45:40

school? Do you think that ultimately end up

45:42

causing them recruits? Yeah, I mean that's

45:44

almost went to Kentucky. Um, when

45:47

I went to West Virginia because um,

45:50

it was like what two hours away to ours a

45:52

way, so they were coming to literally every practice,

45:54

every game. UM, and

45:58

Michigan State they're coming, they're coming, but they couldn't

46:00

come as much as it is Kentucky. But

46:03

uh, but yeah, I

46:06

don't know, I don't know. I don't

46:08

know why they haven't changed the rule yet. You still

46:10

don't have a shot clock. It's ridiculous,

46:14

Like I said, the national, the national the national

46:16

schedule is what is what put me on. You

46:18

know, I was playing against the top players every every

46:20

game, Jason Tatums, Josh Jackson's

46:23

at the time, the Harry Giles, those

46:25

guys. I was playing against those guys and Michigan

46:27

Wood I was playing against I

46:30

don't know who getting thirty

46:32

easy. Absolutely, they

46:34

definitely need to change that, especially

46:36

with the All Star games because I I didn't

46:39

even know about the Allstar Game. You couldn't playing that. Yeah,

46:42

well, in part do you left

46:45

the state so early that by the

46:48

time you were making them All Star games you could

46:50

play in them. Yeah. So,

46:53

like I said, like you said that, they're

46:56

losing the cruise because of that, um. Michigan

46:58

State, the other school um.

47:02

And they just gotta fix that because they're not giving

47:04

kids out of Michigan a chance to to showcase

47:07

their talent um and stayed in

47:09

the public school or a private school there and

47:12

put off for the State of Michigan. Like like you used

47:14

to be, like you had it, you had uma,

47:17

you had second, all it. Second, what's

47:20

your school called you? Trojans

47:22

Man, I ain't going to know damn r to here, all

47:28

right? And you went to Northwestern. Cool,

47:31

no big deal. I want to bet against

47:33

them. I'm gonna beat against him. So I'm good.

47:36

Northwestern was still a school when you was in high

47:38

school. Yeah it was. It was

47:40

for sure. That's crazy, that's

47:43

funny. But and

47:45

a couple more questions and I'll let you go. But

47:50

when it comes to a U basketball do you do

47:53

you want an AU basketball team?

47:55

Would you rather just support the family? What? What's

47:57

your view on AU basketball? In the way

47:59

this day? Uh? I

48:02

mean right now, I feel like he was mess

48:04

me. You know, the kids, they

48:07

really it's different nowadays.

48:09

It's a it's a different generation. You know, kids play

48:11

for the highlights. Um. They

48:13

don't play the win and play the game the right way. So

48:16

I so bought me UM separate.

48:18

You can. You can find some good basketball in the Yale

48:22

UM. But I honestly

48:24

I'm trying to I'm in the works of starting my own

48:27

program, putting in the E. Y B. L. Myles

48:29

Bridges Elague UM soon UM

48:33

for for the State of Michigan. The

48:35

first of the first person to hear about this. So but

48:40

but when I get that team, I definitely want to teach them

48:42

how to play the game. The right way. Um, go back

48:44

to oh Au style. When you're playing

48:46

to win. You know, if you win,

48:48

you get offers, get you get all the highlights,

48:51

you know, ball his life and all that that they're gonna be there.

48:53

Um. So yeah, hopefully,

48:56

hopefully I can change change the game when I when I

48:58

get in there, right out for

49:00

a kind of mess about how

49:02

far out is that? Like when when should we expect

49:05

Miles Bridges elite to hit the hit the

49:07

scene? Um, if

49:10

not? If not, this a season and next

49:13

I'm gonna start off with the fi TU first, okay,

49:16

and then then go from there. One

49:20

thing I will say to you is make sure

49:22

you have the right people running

49:25

the program. I tried to get into

49:27

that that Au business,

49:30

and I was in it for a year, and it's

49:33

it's like, if if you don't have the right people

49:35

running your program, it's

49:37

done before it even gets started. So

49:40

just make sure you have the right people

49:43

running the program, doing it for the

49:45

right reason and not to take advantage of these

49:47

kids like guys tried to do myself,

49:49

like guys tried to do you, because

49:52

that what it ends up turning

49:55

into is something something

49:57

that you did from the contents of your heart,

49:59

and something that you did because you simply

50:01

wanted to help, it ends up turning

50:03

into a negative, you know, And so I

50:06

would say, make sure you have

50:09

um the right people running a program. A

50:11

funny story about this, Actually,

50:14

uh Mouse is getting ready to come

50:16

out in the NBA Drive obviously

50:19

Michigan State Spartan. I

50:22

flew we were. We were playing in Oklahoma

50:25

City. Miles last game was

50:27

in Tulsa against Kansas.

50:29

I'll never forget it against Kansas, Josh

50:32

Jackson, those guys. And I

50:34

told Miles after the game, I said, man,

50:37

great year, you had great two years.

50:40

I'll see you next year in our league. And

50:43

He's like, uh, I don't know, Yeah, man,

50:45

I really like school, but uh whatever.

50:48

And so I'm like, yeah, whatever, I'll

50:50

see you in our league next year. Fast

50:53

forward about within

50:56

the next week, I get a call.

50:59

I get a X from Miss Cynthia

51:01

Bridges and she

51:04

said to me, Hey, Draymond, Hey,

51:07

Draymond. I am so thankful

51:10

for everything, all the guidance

51:13

that you've given Miles and being there for him

51:16

when it comes to his decision of whether

51:18

he's going to the NBA or not. You

51:20

can stay out of it and

51:23

I said, huh.

51:26

I said, well, with all due respect, miss

51:28

Bridges, I told Miles

51:30

I'll see him in the league with me next year. So

51:33

whoever is contacting you and telling

51:36

you that I'm telling Miles to go

51:38

back to school, they're lying

51:40

to you. She then proceeded to say,

51:43

well, they told me you telling Miles

51:46

to go back to school and get a cut so you can

51:48

get a cut. I said, well,

51:50

Miss Bridges, well

51:53

there's there's a couple of things wrong with that statement.

51:55

Number one is I

51:58

would have to be telling Miles to leave Eve

52:00

in order to get a cut from anything,

52:03

but you're actually telling me I told him to stay.

52:07

Also, Miss Bridges, I'm actually

52:09

pretty rich. Like I'm gonna pretty

52:11

well for myself. I don't really

52:14

need to cut from from Miles

52:16

and like what Miles gonna do. But just

52:18

so you know, the cut would actually

52:21

come from getting Miles to sign with an Asia.

52:24

And I don't know, do you do you recall

52:26

what I said to you when you asked me about my

52:28

agent and who I was with. Do you do you recall

52:31

what I said to you? Uh?

52:34

No, But I know for sure

52:36

that you that you told me that to go to

52:39

leave told me that for sure.

52:42

I told Miles, I said, I'm

52:45

I'm with b J Armstrong and b J

52:47

has been He's been good for me. We

52:50

have a great relationship. But if I

52:52

wasn't with b J, I'd

52:55

be with Rich Paul, who you ultimately

52:58

ended up signing with. Which leads me

53:00

to what different

53:03

or what have you gotten from

53:05

Clutch that has helped propel you in

53:07

this league? Because I know there are a lot

53:09

of agents in the business. I think there are other

53:11

great agents in the business. I'm not saying it's not, but

53:14

I know Clutch has given me something

53:17

that I never got from someone else. What is

53:19

it that they've given you that you you

53:21

don't think it is normal or it's

53:24

common in our league? Um,

53:28

you know, being being being

53:30

a teenager, being a twenty year old being thrown

53:32

into into this lifestyle. Um,

53:36

it's tough. It's tough for everybody. And I feel like Rich

53:38

has a great job of just making

53:40

sure that you're

53:42

you're on your PS and Q seven

53:45

like basketball,

53:48

um, with girls, with the

53:50

party and all that type of stuff. Like he always tried

53:52

to give you some type of advice, UM, to make

53:54

sure that you that you're that you're doing the right things. And

53:56

I feel like other agencies don't reach out to the guys

53:58

like like Richard, Richard Brandon or

54:00

Fair or all those people will

54:02

do UM, but but Clutch

54:04

does a great job of doing that and and

54:07

it's like a brotherhood, and it kind of reminds me of Michigan

54:10

State UM just

54:12

like the events they we haven't UM

54:16

putting guys in group chats and making sure you're

54:18

talking to the main guys. As soon as I got in the Clutch,

54:20

me and Brown protecting

54:23

is giving me advice about anything, so nobody's

54:26

off limits and Clutch like it's no

54:28

bigger and they treat everybody the same. So I

54:31

feel like that's what it is about Clutch for me. But

54:34

what about you? You know, I think all I

54:37

agree with all of those things. I think also one

54:39

of the one of the most beautiful things UM

54:42

to me is how they

54:44

teach you and try to prepare you for life,

54:47

how they try, how how rich

54:49

Uh and Fair and the entire

54:52

team, how they're trying to give you things

54:54

that most people don't give

54:56

to young African American men. UM

55:00

know. When when I was looking to buy a house,

55:02

rich walked several homes with me, Like,

55:05

I mean, at one house that I thought we were gonna

55:07

buy, I call Rich Hayes.

55:10

When I had walked the house and I call Rich and I was

55:12

so excited, and I'm like, man, I

55:14

found the house is the one And

55:17

Rich walked in the house. And when he walked

55:19

in, he's like and

55:21

he just literally walking through the house pointing

55:24

stuff like m M. And

55:28

then we walked all the way back through

55:30

the house and everything he pointed to and said,

55:32

uh. He told me why. He was

55:34

saying, like, look, this stone doesn't

55:37

match. Uh. You go in the backyard,

55:39

there's four different stones back here.

55:42

It's just like they pieced this together. He's

55:44

like, um, he said, he

55:47

said, they're going to get a sucker about his house.

55:49

And I'm not gonna let you be that sucker, you

55:51

know. And and and it's things it's

55:54

things like that. It's it's him

55:57

teaching young African American men

55:59

about the art business, because

56:03

you buy a twenty uh

56:05

piece of art and in three years

56:08

that piece of art can be worth a million

56:10

dollars like it could be. And so

56:13

I one of the things that I really

56:15

appreciate about Clutch is

56:17

are those things and and just helping

56:20

guys adjust to life.

56:22

You know, we get thrown into this

56:24

fire, into this world that

56:27

none of us has ever been privy to because

56:29

we're all poor black kids from the inner city,

56:32

and you're just expected to figure it

56:34

out. And most agents don't

56:36

take that, like most agents don't give a damn

56:38

will house you buy like most most

56:41

agents don't care whether you go buy a chain

56:43

or you go buy art, like most

56:45

agents won't do that. And so that's what what

56:48

I'm very appreciative of about clutching

56:50

and something that I think separates

56:52

them from the bunch. Yeah, I

56:55

definitely agree with that. But

56:57

but last question before we get out of here,

56:59

man, very simple one. I just

57:01

want to hear how your children are doing. How

57:04

old are they or like I?

57:07

And and secondly, how

57:09

did it becoming a father change

57:12

you as a basketball player and

57:14

as a young man. Uh

57:18

well I have to you already know, but I have

57:20

two children, you know. A A Smiles

57:22

bridges um Ela Marie Bridges

57:25

um Asis as three birthday

57:28

October twenty six. Ala, she's she's

57:30

too. She just turned to she turned

57:32

to February. Um

57:35

And I feel like they changed my gang. Don't

57:37

bang you heard you

57:39

got me a vice. But

57:43

but yeah, I had my son. Um,

57:46

what a month a month before the season

57:49

started or no, it was a month after

57:51

the season started. It was a month after the

57:53

season started in October. Um.

57:56

It just changed my life for the better. You know. Before

57:58

I came into the NBA, I really not anything

58:01

to play for. You know, it's my mom my

58:03

mom, but she was good. I got her house and

58:05

all that, but I really didn't have nothing to play

58:07

for it. Um, and

58:10

I feel like my kids were

58:12

born, I had something to play for it and

58:14

it's definitely a good responsibility.

58:17

Gives me a good motivation, um to go

58:19

out there and do what I do. And the

58:21

best thing about my kids is I

58:23

never changed to them. You know, I got the worst

58:26

game in the world. Come back, I'm

58:28

still dad. You know. That's

58:30

the best feeling every man. Just just coming

58:32

back to my kids being loved

58:34

by them, um and and

58:37

me giving them love. It's there's no it's it's unconditional

58:39

love. And you can't explain it really. So

58:43

I'm happy to be a dad. I'm a dad

58:45

first always. UM. So

58:47

yeah, absolutely, man,

58:49

I think the one thing it gives you, it

58:52

just puts everything into a perspective. You know, before

58:55

kids, you have a bad game, you go home, you think

58:57

about that game until you play another game. You

59:00

have kids, you go home back gag

59:04

daddy, what's up? What's going on? Like

59:07

it's like nothing ever happened. So I definitely understand

59:09

it. Man. I am extremely

59:12

proud of the father that you have

59:14

become, that you're growing into and and and

59:17

and more importantly, I think we all can get better,

59:19

uh that you will continue to grow into. I think

59:21

it's a beautiful thing man. And and

59:24

I also obviously having

59:26

kids young, I also

59:28

have an appreciation for them being able to

59:31

see your career. You know, like and you

59:33

know your kids, your kids are going to

59:35

come into money that

59:38

that they will never they would have never

59:40

understood how the money was made as you

59:42

act had kids older. And so I

59:44

think it's incredible. Man. As

59:46

a big brother, I'm super proud of you. Keep

59:49

going. I appreciate you coming on

59:51

the show. My brother and will link

59:53

soon and we're definitely doing Sparking Ground week again.

59:56

But I actually have one more

59:58

question before I let you go, a lit that I'm sorry

1:00:00

about that, but recently Darius

1:00:03

basically just came out and

1:00:05

said he's the best rapper in the n

1:00:08

B A. I've never heard a

1:00:10

dB song, so I can't

1:00:12

say he's not. But I

1:00:15

do know two rappers in the NBA

1:00:18

that I absolutely respect, and that's Damian

1:00:21

Lillard and you and

1:00:24

I. And where do you

1:00:26

rate yourself? Y'all My too, y'all

1:00:28

man too. Maybe you know someone else who's

1:00:30

better. I don't know, But where do you rate

1:00:33

yourself or ranky yourself?

1:00:36

As as far as rappers in the NBA,

1:00:39

I mean, of course, I'm I'm writing myself number one.

1:00:42

Um, you know, I

1:00:44

don't one day to try to getting the rap beef me.

1:00:49

He don't want to smoke dollars. I

1:00:51

want that smoke dollars. He saw

1:00:53

what you did this shot. He don't want to smoke. But

1:00:56

but I definitely think I'm number

1:00:58

one. You know, damn gotta great songs, very

1:01:01

lyrical. I heard

1:01:03

debates of debates. I'm messing with me, your dame,

1:01:07

you know. And it's the great thing is you heard

1:01:09

my first, my first ever rap song I ever

1:01:11

made when I was in Michigan, when

1:01:13

I took my official Michigan state I played I played

1:01:16

it for you because I don't start this over

1:01:18

started over here. I was good at

1:01:21

the time, so it's crazy. But yeah,

1:01:23

I say myself, dang debates.

1:01:27

He all right, but Anthony Everards

1:01:29

he's pretty good too, rap.

1:01:32

Yeah, I gotta get him to him. He's

1:01:34

pretty good. Okay, yeah,

1:01:36

okay, all right, I'll

1:01:39

tell you what. I'll let you go.

1:01:42

Since I feel like you've

1:01:44

changed your whole rap style since

1:01:47

I last heard that song like it's

1:01:50

I think you're rap style now it's

1:01:52

more like the it's

1:01:55

like the Detroit like

1:01:58

UM, like there's

1:02:02

a sound and everyone there.

1:02:04

There's a sound to it, and I think if

1:02:07

people hear it and they know that

1:02:09

type of music, they'll understand it. But nonetheless,

1:02:11

brother, I appreciate you, man. Thank

1:02:14

you for coming on the Draymond Greeny Show. Bro. I

1:02:16

appreciate getting the playoffs,

1:02:19

man, because that's gonna make that bad bigger.

1:02:21

Believe that. I appreciate

1:02:23

you. I love you too, Bro,

1:02:26

Thank you man.

1:02:31

That was incredible, Um being

1:02:35

able to share with you

1:02:37

guys some of my story and his journey

1:02:39

and you know, the growth

1:02:42

that he's had to have over the course

1:02:45

of his career. I was also excited

1:02:47

to hear like no I talked to m j and like I

1:02:49

can text him all the time, Like that's a big deal.

1:02:52

I don't care who you are, what you say.

1:02:54

When you can just text Michael Jordan's that's

1:02:56

not like some small thing. That's

1:02:59

a very big deal. And just to

1:03:01

know that Mike is is that hands on with

1:03:03

the team and and those guys,

1:03:06

like you know, we all have someone

1:03:08

in basketball that we can turn to. When you can turn

1:03:10

to Michael Jordan's right, that's

1:03:13

incredible and intimidating, extremely

1:03:17

intimidating. But you

1:03:19

know, I think it's amazing for

1:03:22

them to be able to call them Mike, and I'm

1:03:24

looking forward to continuing to see their

1:03:26

team grow. Obviously very young.

1:03:29

Miles is still very young, LaMelo

1:03:32

is very young, and they're building around those guys.

1:03:34

So it's beautiful to see. Um. I

1:03:36

hope you all got to know Miles a little

1:03:38

bit better than you knew him before. Extremely

1:03:41

hard worker, really push the time

1:03:43

in and I think most another

1:03:46

thing that was important for me to hear is just about

1:03:49

Miles as a father. I've seen it,

1:03:52

and you know when when

1:03:54

you have children, it just it

1:03:56

stimulates a different type of growth

1:03:59

and and also at a different

1:04:01

different speed and and and so it's

1:04:04

beautiful to see him taking on that responsibility

1:04:06

and really raising his children the right way. I

1:04:10

know, for me, that is the most important

1:04:12

thing in my life is raising my children

1:04:15

and doing that with love and compassion.

1:04:17

And so a young

1:04:19

guy like that to have, for him to have two

1:04:21

kids, still thriving in his career,

1:04:24

thriving as a father, as a as

1:04:26

a young African American man from

1:04:29

the inner city. Uh, you

1:04:32

know, I cherish that and appreciate

1:04:34

that way more than the high flying

1:04:37

dunk and and the Harness crazy

1:04:40

absolutely insane announcer.

1:04:43

I mean, he brings the most insane

1:04:45

energy. I absolutely love it. But I

1:04:48

take that way more to the heart

1:04:50

as far as him as a father than the

1:04:52

high flying dunks. That will always mean more to

1:04:55

me. So kudos to Miles, appreciate

1:04:57

them coming on the show. I hope you all enjoyed.

1:05:00

Until next week, it's a rout Draymond greenshow

1:05:02

piece,