Coat Check | Touching Base With Rayjon Tucker

I'm Matt Murphy. Thanks for tuning in as always, and all of our interviews from the G League Bubble available on the seventy Sixers podcast Network, so be sure to subscribe there if you're not already subscribed. Tuesday's interviews from the Delaware Blue Coats straight from Florida, and we've got a loaded episode today featuring seventy six Ers two way contract player ray Jon Tucker as well as our Bubble

correspondent from the basketball operations side. Blue Coats assistant coach Xavier Silas checks in and we talk about the hot start to the Delaware Blue Coats season. Entering the Wednesday night matchup on the twenty fourth against the Raptors nine five, the Blue Coats tied for the best record in the G League at seven and one. The last team to lose a game, the Delaware Blue Coats after a seven

and oh start. Paul Reid was the first NBA G League Player of the Week for the twenty twenty one season. He's dominating double double in the first seven games, averaging about twenty one and twelve. So let's get to it. Rayjon Tucker of the Philadelphia seventy Sixers and Delaware Blue Coats up first, followed by Bubble correspondent Xavier Silas pleased to be joined by seventy six Ers two way contract player Rayjon Tucker here in the G League bubble with

the Delaware Blue Coats. In terms of your career before this season, you excelled in the G League with the Wisconsin Heard. You received an NBA call up, which is always a huge deal last season with the Utah Jazz. What was that experience like when you got called up and then you were in the NBA. You know, it was great. You know, it happened right before Christmas, I want to say, like Christmas eve, so it was probably the best Christmas present I ever got. So this faris

was great. You know, just being around a lot of pro guys who you know how the same goals and aspirations that you did growing up, and you know Mike Conley watching him growing up. So it was definitely a great experience for me, just you know, be able to do what I love at the level. Pretty clean uniforms as well, right, I saw some of your Instagram posts with the jazz clean unis. Oh man, Yeah, the uniforms

are tough, especially like the throwback purple Mountain ones. Um. Then uh, we had the city addition uniforms that was kind of like from the orange to the to like the red to the black light though. Yeah, they definitely have some and you were in the bubble with Utah. Now you're in the bubble with the Delaware Bluecoats G League Edition. So how has it been going so far? Your second experience at a single site for a season.

I feel I feel like a vetting here, so I kind of know how to kind of operate, keep myself dizzy, just you know, mentally and physically, especially with how everything went last year with the you know, the game's back to back to back, just you know, making sure your body is right and then on the same time, you know you don't have those same you know, outlets to you know, clear your mental when you can get away

from basketball when you're on the outside. But then here you gotta gotta find the ways, you know to kind of you know, sit back, relax, you know, taking mind off basketball. As far as like other people that are around, it's it's got that au atmosphere where you're seeing other players, other coaches. Who are some of the people that you knew coming in that you've seen around and talked to in here. Uh, it's been a it's been quite a

few people. Cameronals who played with me when I heard last year, Jeremiah Martin who I know from just playing him in college. Man, I could go on and on with the name Jones, Jesfin Robinson, who's on the team, Like if b Sampho's on the team, U to a lot of guys, you know, basketball world is kind of small. Once you know one person can kind of get familiar

with a lot of people more on the way. But first, Christianna Care as doctors, nurses, and caregivers, and as neighbors and friends, Christianna Care is a partner in everyone's journey to greater health and well being. Why do they do it? For the love of health. Visit Christianacare dot org. As far as your upbringing, you're a Charlotte, North Carolina native, and I've seen you do interviews where you talk about kind of being there. Do you have one brother or

multiple siblings? Oh? Yeah, I have multiple siblings. My dad has some on his side, but I grew up with with one younger brother. So what was that like. I know you've said you would be in the house kind of watching, watching over your siblings when you were growing up. Yeah, so my mom worked like two or three jobs while I was younger with my yeah, first left. So, um, you know, the normal kid life for me wasn't the

normal kid life. I was really inside making sure my little brother was straight while my mom was gone taking care of the house, making sure he had food to eat. Um. On top of me, you know, just staying true to you know, doing my school work, you know, athletics because at the time playing football. Um, so it was really more so me, you know, growing up faster than most kids did, just because I had to take on a

lot of responsibilities at a young age. I think your mom has you covered here in the bubble with some care packages. What are some of the essentials. Some of the essentials. She gotta send Harrobot dummy bears, she gotta send those. Uh, she gotta send the Picho rings. Uh, you know, she gotta she gotta send what else she's saying,

the chocolates. She sent me some pictures. Uh, just you know, just snacks, you know, chips, um starburs, just a little bit of everything that she knows that I like to eat, oh when I'm just chilling in, not really doing anything. So you're a candy guy, Yeah, I am, but I'm not in a sense like I eat candy when I like really craved. But other than that, it was sit there for a long time. That's why she sent it

because you know it at last. Okay, before we get into a couple questions at the Buzzer, which are just about anything, and they're kind of just some of your favorites off the court, favorite things to do. I've got to ask about your high school dunk contest that's kind of viral on YouTube that you were a part of. For those who don't know, who did you compete against, Where was it, What were some of the details around that pretty famous high school dunk contest? Okay, yeah, it

was Me, Donovan, Mitchell, Dave Jones, Prince Alie. So it was us. It was the guy from Team Fly Brothers, Chuck. He kind of put it together. It was a Family and Assurance dunk contest, and I think that year they they had in Indianapolis, UM, so that was pretty fun. Darry Jones won Me and Darry Jones was the last two and he won for sure. I think I think he had jumped over like four people or something like that then. So that was the first I ever lost

a dunk contest. I highly encourage anyone to go check out the highlights from that on YouTube. All right, let's hit a couple questions at the buzzer. When you wake up in the morning, what's the first app that you open on your phone? The first app that I opened? The first app that opened is does a text question in an app? A count? Sure? When I wake Yeah, that's probably the first app I opened. UM, text my mom, text you know my brothers that you know I kind

of grew up with. Um. And why I say brothers, I mean like friends and family that I kind of grew up with. Text them see how they're doing. So that's probably the first app I really opened up. If we're not talking about the message and apps, definitely Instagram for sure. How about your favorite TV show or some of your favorite shows to watch? Uh, some of my favorite shows to watch. I kind of watched old shows, like I was watching Victorious the other day, Sweet Life,

Zach and Cody, Um, I watched anime. I watched a little bit of everything for It just depends on my mood and what I feel like watching at the time. You said Victorious as the first Victorious as the first shows only one on one all that. I like the old like the old stuff, Scooby Dude, Tom and Jay, like anything I can get my hands. I believe you're a bit of a video game guy. What's your favorite video game to play? It just depends, like if my cousin hits me, Like, my cousin is a big two

K guys, so we'll be on two keke. But then and my brother he's a big war zone probably duty guys. So it just depends on who texts me first talk about they want to play the game. That's that's what I get on last one. Pregame ritual or routine. What does your game day look like to get ready? For a basketball game. Uh so wake up, you know, listen to my music. Um, you know it got a variety of little dirt uh pm me jb uh taal league. Um, I want to say NBA young boy, j Cole g Herbo.

So I have my little flows going on to a little different vibes, and every now and then I gotta take my pre game nap. You gotta get the free game nap being so I'll be a little energized by time the game comes. And then for the most part, that's it. Like everything else, I just you know, clear my mind and get ready to do what I do. Awesome, great stuff. Appreciate you letting us in a little bit and allowing Sixers in Blue Coats fans to learn a

little bit more about you. That's Ray Jean Tucker, seventy six Ers two way contract player. A quick message from our friends at Nemours. Nomour's Sports Medicine believes that highly personalized one on one physical therapy for young athletes is paramount to a speedy and complete recovery. Learn more at Nemours dot org slash pt. Please to be rejoined by our Bluecoats Bubble Correspondent Assistant coach for the Bluecoats, Xavier Silas, and things are rolling to start for the Bluecoats since

you last heard from us. They're the team that everyone is looking at as we record this on top of the standings heading into a tough back to back on Sunday and Monday, but we're recording this prior to those games. So as of write this second, the Blue Coats six and zero and the only unbeaten team in the G League Bubble X. That sounds pretty good to keep saying over the last couple of days. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, to be able to show consistency is the biggest thing.

We've been able to show consistency on the offensive end and the defensive end, and we've kind of figured out our identity and I think that that's half the battle. Once you know who you are, you can start getting better at it. And it's really showing here in the Bubble, the G League Bubble at Disney World. If you haven't been paying attention, you should because the games have been fun to watch. The competition level is very high amongst

these teams. There's some very talented teams and there's some very talented teams coming up on the Bluecoat schedule as well, but individually, as part of this team effort that's finding their identity. Sixers fans have been locked in on the two way contract players Paul Reid and ray Jean Tucker, both averaging more than eighteen points per game if you factor in Tucker and Paul's over twenty points per game over twelve rebounds as well. So what have you seen

from the two way guys so far? Yeah, they've shown tremendous leadership. You know, they are doing a really good job again stand aggressive and kind of getting in the groove and and a lot of teams are doing that, but I think we're doing just a little bit better job of just kind of understanding our role and flourishing in our roles. And so that's what's changing the game for us, and we're going to continue to try to

do that. Those guys have been great, though. Yeah, I think Reid there's a case to be made that Paul Reid has been the standout player of the bubble so far. I think so, you know, with him being Player of the Week last week and he continued to do the pretty much the same thing this week. I mean, I don't know if they're going to try to spread that

award around, but it could go to him again. And he's just, you know, a big reason to why we win these games, you know, the things that he's been doing and on the boards and even getting better defensively, and and so he's a he's really fun to watch and Tuck as well. Tuck is doing a great job on being aggressive and being a leader with his voice, which is huge talking. You know, those intangible things are going to help him at the next level. Yeah, we'll see.

I mean his Paul Reid's stats are virtually the same as they were when he wanted and the team keeps winning, so he might have another chance at it to bring home Player of the Week. We will certainly see, And by the time this episode comes out, we'll probably already know. But I mentioned the Bubble. You're our co Bubble correspondent with me. Let's just quickly touch on a few things

before we wrap up for this week. Wearing bluecoat stuff around campus, I've had people kind of look at me and talk to me and say, hey, you guys are playing really well. So back to that AAU tournament feel. There is a vibe when you're the best team that people are looking at our group around here and saying, hey,

they're doing their thing. They're really the team to watch right now, right, Yeah, you know, you have a certain level of pride wearing some bluecoat stuff around here now all of a sudden, and and it goes both ways, you know, And and a lot of people are congratulating us and all that stuff. And so what we have to do as a team and as an organization is just stay consistent and stay humble and really focus on

the next game, which is easy to do here. So we play so many games, so we're always in pregame mode here. You kind of run into different people and your career as a player and now a coach, who have you run into the most here or some of the people that you have run into, or maybe someone that was just random that you didn't expect to see. Who are some of the people that you've had conversations with so far outside of the Blue Coats camp. Yeah, you know coach Ellis tie Ellis is here um and

and I played for him in Northern Arizona. You know, Josh Gray is here who backcourt mates in Northern Arizona as well, and we played a lot of games, and he gave me a lot of buckets and I gave him a lot of assists. And we played him in the first game the Blue Coats played. Josh Gray. He's with Fort Wayne this year. And I didn't realize until after the fact when you said hello to him a

few days later. You said, yeah, I was roommates with him on the road, and I was like, you were just scouting against him to kick off the G League season. Some weird stuff him, you know Kenyon Berry. We played against um uh that that I was. I was really close to when I played in Iowa. But the funniest thing is is this last game, Jeremiah Martin and Justin Robinson were both on my team when I coached in Portsmouth. So in Portsmouth I made it to the championship game

and it was with those two guards. So we were a pretty good team. And Jesse Jesse Govan was our big man. So and he's with G League. I knight right with G League. I knight Um. You know jackenan Ghant. It was also with the mad Ants. He was on that team. And so it's just a lot of like guys I played with, guys I coached you know, it's it's crazy here. Yeah. And my story is um so Norvell Pell, longtime Blue Coat fan favorite. He was with the Brooklyn Nets and then he's now back in the

G League. So once he cleared quarantine. I had my head down the other day and somebody just screamed Blue Coats at me, and I look up and it's Norvelle Pell. So that was that was a cool moment for me. And there's people all around and we're gonna see if the Blue Coats can keep this going. But they are certainly rolling right now. So all good vibes, that's the plan. Thanks again to Philadelphia's seventy six ers two way player Ray Jean Tucker and Blue Coats assistant coach Xavier Silas.

I'm Matt Murphy until next time, Take it or leave it at the coat check.