KJ Live – Jelani McCoy

named to the team over a showtime Basketball. I'm gonna talk to him today about his transition into the world of digital media, content creation, and filmmaking. Retired NBA player Gelottie McCoy is in the building. What's up, big Line. Yeah, we're live again, back on kJ Live. We live, Yeah, I live right, We live anyway, whether it's live or not, we live anyway. We're always live. Line. You know this. You were You've been with me since the inception of

kJ Live several months ago. One of my very first interviews. You're very much responsible for helping getting me comfortable and on the ones and twos and in front of this thing right here. My man and I always appreciate you, and I always love your introspection and the thoughtfulness and mindfulness of the way that you go about your business and thought process. But I wanted to talk to you, my brother, because man, you're doing some real nice stuff,

stuff that I didn't even see coming. I was just with you a couple of weeks ago for a dog conference in San Diego. You didn't even tell me you get me, No yet you get you did not let the cat out the bag. But talk a little bit about the new position you were recently named with Showtime Basketball. Oh man, I can't you know I always keep your cat in the back. You know, I'm I'm likely you know I'd like to move around in the Star Wars

secrecy and just do things. But um, after like a year long walking interview and you know what I mean, some sacrificing and some you know, some long nights, I was able to agree to take a deal with Showtime as a concurrent content creator excuse me, producer across all the Smoke and all Showtime Basketball. So I mean, it's been a long time in the making. I've always been a fan of Showtime since soft porn when I was in in my my parents house. So you said soft porn,

sopho wow wow, wow was known for softporn. I mean, but they've been doing a good job. They've been doing a good job on I'm telling athletes stories. You know, the uh, the the Alan Iverson doc, the Kobe doc, the DeMarcus Cousins doc. Um, there's so many other ones outside the basketball that you know they do a good job on. So Um, opportunity came upon my desk, and you know, uh, thanks to Matt and Stephen for trust in me and for pushing me to be a part

of the team. We was able to make it come true. And what do you think it takes for a guy like yourself and retired NBA player that necessarily might have had the mind and the thirst and the one didn't necessarily have the experience in this industry? What did it take for you to get up to speed and to be and to excel in this field? Um? Vulnerability, you know what I mean? And and and just surrendering into the moment and realizing that I'm not an authority, you

know what I mean? Just like when we used to hoop when we was kid. You know, I just threw myself in it. You know what I mean. I just study everything. I've watched things. I know, the things that I liked, the style that I like. I started getting locked in the room and editors, learning about you know, transitions and you know what I mean, all the all the filmmaking. You know what I mean, words that you're gonna need to you know, I succeeded and I just

started learning. And I've only ever cared about doing this ever since I made it decaision to do this instead of coaching. So every day, every day since then, it's been something advocated to making myself better and and you know, as a producer, as a filmmaker, as being in front of the camera, you know what I mean, helping you out, helping the fan out. We all got these outstanding voices that I feel like need to be heard, and now

is a good time. So I've just been arming myself up and you know, being able to help you, help Mad, help Steven because we do a lot of stuff with the AI Classic. Um. So I've just been able to help people, and I think that's the most thing I get off of. I've armed myself and learned so much that I'm able to help my friends and be being able to be of value. So you know the people that look like us and my friends that I want to want to be in this industry. No, absolutely, but

touching on helping and mentoring. Um, I remember when I first tried to get into the kind of the TV game, and you know I had I did a bunch of stuff back in the day. But when I first broke in, I got an internship sort of an apprenticeship with a producer over NBC Universe guy back named Dan Hicks. He kind of showed me the ropes. He got me comfortable in front of the camera doing stand ups, sitting in the studio. I mean he literally really just walked me through.

We did a whole pilot that we pitched the USA Network. It was a whole situation that what was going on. But I can't thank him enough for the information and the knowledge he had parted upon me. I guess I want to know from you, did you have a mentor in this game? Is there somebody that that helped you show the ropes? Did you crowdsource this this knowledge that you that you get. I wanted a particular niece vibe, so I kind of a good good word too. Luck

so I think I did crowdsource. You know Josh Secuma, our humble are, our honey, who we've worked a lot with, you know what I mean, filmmaker, music video directors, mini doc you know Josh can't do anything, you know what I mean. So I've been able to lean on Josh, Eric Newman at Shell Time, Brian Daly at shell Time, and ship even Matt Barnes at at the point, now we gotta start giving Matt Barnes a flower and start

with um recognizing him as a producer. He's not just a talent because he really works behind the scenes on his podcast, from segments to what he wants to look like across socials. So I learned from Matt, you know what I mean, yourself, you know what I mean. And a handful of people that I know trust, Um, rob On just Rob Archie, you know what I mean. On just being you know, myself and being comfortable being myself

and I want my voice to be heard. So just a handful of people that I really cared about and that I trusted. So I probably crowdsourceded as as opposed to the other way. When you look at this NBA Hall of Fame class that just got inducted. There's a lot of guys do from our error. Man, Um, do you feel old at all that these guys we competed against in the Hall of Fame or or do you view them as you know, contemporaries that made it. I

don't feel old, man, I feel proud. I feel used to feel salty, and that's you know what I mean. I used to feel salty because you know, I didn't fee of my career based on the talent that I knew I had in my heart. You know, went went as it should have. But I wouldn't trade it for the world because it's brought me to the place that I am now. But I'm so proud man of people. You know, people in our class around our area to go to the Hall of Fame or you know even

have been able to provide themselves. You know, their families with a ton of money and you know what me change their whole family experience. So I moved from you know what I mean salty to uh to you know what I mean, like the you know, admiring contemporaries, just being so proud I think as in our community as a Black community and in the small group of we as black athletes, Africana, Marian the athletes, whichever one you want to use. We don't give each other our flowers.

So I think it's about time that, you know, we get off you know, the older generation and start concentrating on building ourselves up because a lot of some of us still have a still have a lot to offer to the newer generation. They're searching, you know what I mean, for newer ways or newer voices and different you know,

different ways to explain things. So I think that's why that's what we hold in common, Christine Johnson and Gelani McCoy and I just want to just move into a arrangement where we can help each other, you know what I mean, and to continue to voice our parents and these younger generations opinions. But why do you think there's such a big disconnect at times between the older generation and the younger generation. And I'm not just talking about

you know, hoop and all that. It's it's across the board, it's fast, it's the way people dress, it's the way people talk, it's this is that, it's this is that. Why do you think there's such a big disconnect? I mean, we've seen some of the older guys like Alan Iverson who really embraced the younger generation in basketball, and the younger generation has embraced him back. Why do you think though, that there's this you know, this gap between the two generations.

This ship got boogie somehow, you know what I mean? After Ai and Chuck and Kevin Gardner set the blueprint of hard work, and you know what comes from the hard work. This generation, you know, and some of the even some of the old middle in between whatever this generation was, we forgot about what the hard work was and we just went with the goods and glamor from social media and the cap you know what I mean. We lost everything in between the start and the finish.

So you know, it's fake it till you make it times a hundred right now, and we just lost you know, the story is in the in the journey, and you know what I mean, the things that you go through. So nobody interested interested in the journey. If you're watching movies and ship right now, everything is instanted, instantly evacuation if it's a bunch of noise on top of one. So right now we just lost a part of the

story being in the hard work. We talk about Mamba mentality and all that good ship, but we're really not listening to what cove he was talking about because to me, those stories and the journey and the transference and the climb happens in the in the work, and we're just ignoring the work now and using memes and quotes and ship from other people that are busy doing work at

the end of the day. So I feel once we can bridge that gap of the cap and the quote, get back to action, you know what I mean, less ego and more so, I think we'll all be better off bridge that gap of the cap and the quotes. Les did man, you sound like Gil Scott heron around this piece. Hey, the revolution will not be televised. But but lin Um I recently had the opportunity to interview uh w NBA legend a lot of beard. She's heading up.

She's heading up the group right. She's partnered with the African American Sports and Entertainment group based out of Oakland, and they're trying to bring a w NBA franchise to

the city of Falkland. Now, you are a lot of people don't know this, but you were born in open correct Yeah, you were born in open so as somebody who was born in that city, what are your thoughts on a w NBA franchise, the prospects of a black owned mind you owned w n B tries in the city, you think the city would get behind something like that. I mean, they better. It's such a townish thing to do, in my opinion, right, you know what I mean, just

too because there's a need for it. Now, what better way than a w NBA player, you know what I mean, and assist, sorry, you know what I mean, to come back in there and represent the town and start bringing some vitality to the town because they're trying to start the life out of the town right now. You know, the AI's are in this situation, the Raiders getting out

of there, the Warriors jump ship to San Francisco. So I know she's in touch with a lot of people in that tech space, in that take area that can make a dream like this happening. I think Oakland and everybody else should support her and do what they can do to bring that franchise to Oakland because I think it's a good marriage. I think it's something that Oakland can get behind. And uh and I think everybody wins

across the board because they can't. Something like that couldn't happen in a better situation, situation on her city than Oakland, California. And my opinion, so I'm proud of her. Prats off to that team, and I hope everything yields and that the team. The group has some pretty ambition ambitious aspirations. They want to own a black owned NFL team, a new stadium and convention center. They want to do Black Wall Street Part two, the w NBA franchise. Then they want to put up a Hall of Fame and an

academic center all in the city. So they have big dreams and aspirations and uh and I think they have the means to achieve all these dreams, man. So I'm excited to see what happens with that. That's it's one of the most exciting pieces of news that I've heard in a long time, especially for the African American community. UM, I have to agree with you. The Oaktown all comes down the capital though, you know what I mean what

you said, Yeah, you know what I mean. She knows what she knows what she had to do the probably before she even stepped to the table. So I'm pretty sure she did her homework. I appreciate you send to me the article and uh and and the link on you know what I mean, on her, on her being a guest, on yourself, because I feel like she came to the table knowing that capital was gonna be a big part component and bringing this project. And she sounds like she had her isch together when she stepped to

the table in the first place. So my hat goes off to her, and we need to figure out whatever we can do, you know, to help her out if she needs it. It It don't sound like she needs us, but if she do, you know, we can help her. Yeah, I said the same I said the same thing at the end of the call yesterday. I said anything I could do. I don't know if there's anything I could do, but whatever I could do, whatever, Yeah, absolutely, please let

me know. The Vice mayor is a really big proponent of the City of Open She's a she's a big proponent of this entire project. I heard her speak in depth about it. So it's a really exciting thing that's coming along. Absolutely, And we just did some stuff with Barbara Lee out there. Uh, you know what her documentary was came out on Stars a couple of months, so Ray was out there doing a bunch of film work and helping with the premier. So um, I saw that. You know, Yeah, the town is always gonna be in

our heart, you know what I mean. I'm a big a san I'm a forty Er fan, but I'm an Ace fan, like I spent a lot of time up in Oakland, So it's always gonna be near and dear to my heart. So we're always gonna represent the town for shelf Show. Jumping back to the Allen Iverson documentary. You you're a producer on that. Talk about a little bit about that project, what it was like working with Alan Bubba Chuck, and what should we expect to see in this mini Dot Man, this mini Dots, you know

what I mean. We left a lot of blood, sweat and tears, you know what I mean, and in the in the cutting room and in there in the process bringing us together because it was the only All American

game during the pandemic. McDonald's and everything else was shut down, so you know, they had chat Home Graham, Polo Banchetto, Peyton Watson, Raven Johnson, the first female to play in All American Game was present um coached by Stephen Jackson, Rashid Waller's Bonzi Will So Darius Miles was a part of the project along with AIS Team, Jian Mindzette, them Bobby Beats. So um it was it was just an opportunity to go and do something for Chuck, you know what I mean. Chuck is a part of what I

like to call the Showtime Universe. It's kind of like a Marvel universe where you'll see documentaries and many documentaries and podcasts and other episodic things for different players on the Showtime platform. So it was just an opportunity. And I met Chuck in ninety three at the McDonald the Nike All American Camp, so we obviously hit it off. Then I played from played with him at Denver and against him for a couple of years in the NBA.

So I'm a big Allen Iverson fan. You know that we were to Allen Iverson's during the Dude Game the first at the first Aies from Reebox. So anytime I could help one of the former players, a Hall of Famer that I played with, that I played against, that I was a teammate up, I'm all on board, and I take my job very seriously, so I'm trying to paint there our our our heroes and the best light, you know what i mean, always with love and light,

not a lot of negative. I'm very protective of their transparency and it was just an opportunity to go down there. Have took my business partner and U c l A alumni Read Young down there and helped produce. Uh. It turned out really well, so you should expect to see bondsy Wales and Rashi received Wallace in a different light. And I'm really proud of the way Steven Jackson is

standing on his own on this one. You know, a lot of people know him as the co host on All the Smoke, but again Stack has another universe under the Showtime Basketball that's also going to highlight his talent. So it was awesome. It was a learning experience, and it was during the pandemic, so it was a lot of you know, pandemics going on and stuff you have to work. But but it came out and I'm glad

it worked up well well. If you could pinpoint during that that that process of filming something that happened that was just crazy or that you know, it was a little bit off kilter. That threw you off a little bit. They you have an expenses like that, or didn't go pretty smooth the entire way. Man. You know, we're trained

for everything. Luck, we've seen everything. We've been pretty busy for the fast five years, you know what I mean, for maybe up to you know, three minutes before a live show happens, and we scrapped, still scrambled and trying to get assets ready for a live stream or a live show up in San Francisco. So we pretty much expect everything. I explained it expected alien to pop out of somebody's head and like keep it cool, you know what I mean. So I've just trained. That's why I

keep myself in shape, you know what I mean. I try to, you know, get a good diet, try to get a couple of good nights sleep, because I just tried to be prepared for anything. But I think the dopest thing that happened was when we were shooting. This was in the Jack Stephen with Jackson was in the middle of Ramadon or his first fast, you know what I mean. Ever, he never fastted his life, and he had to. You know, I'm producing and working on cameras

and working with cameraman and whatnot. And he was the coach and he asked me to coach for him while he put while he prayed. So in the middle of the All American Game, I had to go from producers slash director, slash, security, slash you know what I mean, cameraman, slash whatever it is, to coach. And it was and on the bench with some heaters. You know what I mean, Dude is going to Gonzaga, you know what I mean. You know where chatting Polo going. You know what I mean.

This is a big time. They're They're high on the NBA radar Top one, top one, Yeah, six. Couple of these guys are six to eight months removed from going

to the league. So just being in that full circle again while I was, you know, transition on the other side of my life, you know what I mean, just reaching back in that moment to just understand that, you know, basketball is always gonna be a conduit as to you know what I mean, grace for me and that that was one of my prouder moments and for him to trust me and for him to trust me like that, because during that weekend, a couple of days is when me and Jack formed a bond, you know what I mean.

That led to me probably getting this relationship so super proud of it. Dope, that's dope. Yeah. I had similar, well not similar experiences, but I experienced the prayer during the game thing when I played in Quitar If we had a game, right and then coincided with the time that they called it Sunday, I believe, and then so we stopped the game. Chris go over to the bench. We have to pray. The whole everybody has a Muslim. They pointed towards Mecca, and then they would get down

on the floor during the game and start praying. And at first I was kind of tripped out, but then I was like, well, I got used to it, and then I was respect I started to respect the process. I think I dribbled a ball one time and everybody looked at me. I was like, oh, shoot, this is not the business. Hey, I did the same thing and um in the Milwaukee books practice one time, dude with Nellie and I dribbled the ball. He looked it was there in the middle of the thing. He looked over,

he glared at me. Pick up that ball. He said. I was like, I'm like ten years old, bro getting yo that by Nellie Bro. I was like, lessing, we just went off the rails. But no, but that that's that sounds like that sounds like a really fun thing. Man. You So you're it's an amazing it wasn't interesting too. And this is a kind of an in the weeds

type of question for you line. So that weekend right, I was in Classic You're you're behind the camera, so you're looking at the kids doing different lens right, because you're setting up shots and you're you know, storylines, et cetera. Now when you were called into coaching, now you have to put on another you gotta take that lens off and put on the Hooper lends. You're a baller, I'm coach. I look at you for your your strength deficiencies. How

we gonna get you off in basketball? Standpoint? How? How? How did that Was that an easy transition to do? Did you or did you feel like you had an advantage because you were so like you have been basically studying these guys, they were subjects of film. I went, I went weirdo. You know, I just right over in the weirdo because I was looking at them through viewfinders

and look at them through such a particular lens. Yeah, you know what I mean, And they seen me like I wasn't there just you know, holding or you know, a point to I was clapping and ship you know what I mean. I was. I was in it. You know, we get we get in the gym, and it's the energy in there is palpable. So I was gonna do yeah, yeah, yeah, you know what I mean, geeking them up on dunks, you know what I mean. Jumped in and out of a couple of drills. So it was kind of easy.

And I don't I don't think I ever want to lose that feeling of being able to just instantly jump into a coach or you know what I mean, instant hooper situation and you hit it right on the head. I think because I was so hyper focused on their making them look like heroes, you know what I mean that you know what I mean, that just carried over instantly when I had to coach for that couple of minutes. Now,

that's pretty dope. That's the first thing that sort of came in my mind was how you you operated with them. It took me back to when we coached together with the Double Pump Organism back in two thousand and fifteen, which was, you know, one of the fun the most enjoyable summers that I've had me you Ryan Forehand, Kelly who was currently assistant for the Brooklyn Nets. We were

holding it down. I don't know if you remember that, but Line, I don't know if you remember this in Vegas, but the day when we played that Dan Lillard Adida's team, we were up twelve. They came back and beat us. Do you remember Mitchell Robinson, the big, tall, wide showder. Mitchell Robinson who plays for the Knicks. He was playing

before them. So when we walked in, because you know, we got to the game earlier, so when we walked in, we saw that, we saw this big footer and we were just like, who is this big why show dog? I don't know if you remember, but that was Mitchell Robinson. Bro Line, when you think back to that, when you think back to that summer, Man, and we we went head up with some big time programs. Man, what was the what what stood out the most of two thousand

and fifteen and our only coaching experience together. What you think my favorite MoMA is when the when the dad had his fingers to the fence. I forgot where it was American American Sports Center, the nets, the net, yes, they got the nets behind us. The dad has got got his fingers through the nets. You know what I mean? O Ship, Oh my god, we let that one go, you know what I mean? You know what I mean?

We let that one go. We stayed coach, and then another one came another end, so they all stop had just talking and Ship with his fingers through the through the that My favorite moment was when we looked over there in Unison and told him to goat it was beautiful. Nobody no cue. There wasn't even a verbo. Cue is like literally, you know what I mean? One too? After the third one, it was like, it's all, it's all now,

you know what. I remember one of the pumps. I remember he was like, you're trying to stick up for yourself. And then one of the pumps came over there, and why you do the run? I felt it. I felt that he was already seem like what's going on? You know they were he would definitely weren't gonna let nothing happen. Oh no, I'm sorry, guy. That's our guys. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that But he was like, what's going on there? You know what I mean. We was like, are you still

going on? You know, we we were. It was just a funny situation, you know, as the language. But you know what I mean, that's what it was. That was my That and beating the balls and getting into it, but getting the stair down from Mama Ball post game West game, so I was gonna talk about that. So so I think it was a foul call. So we're playing against the Balls, the ball brothers. Uh, you know, LaVar. Everybody's their team, the rookie of the year, the rookie

of the year, the mellow. So we're playing against the ball Brothers. And you know, it's a big it's a great game. It's it's spirited. Everybody's watching our game. It's probably one of the most turned up basketball situations I've been. It was there on the side. It was sick. Yeah, it was sick, dude. It was sick. Everybody was in

the building watching this game. But but I think what stood out for me, I think I complained about a foul call or I said something to the effect of, you know, to the ref right, I'm talking to the ref man called the file man. What the hell? Yeah? I look over sort of towards LaVar and then Tina stands up. She has her hands on her hip. She she had been staring at me for like five minutes. She was looking at me, staring at it like it wasn't. She was like, they ain't. No God found could be.

And I tell you, and if you could see my face, I looked at I looked at LaVar. I looked. I looked at LaVar and I just started smiling. To put my hand down, I'm like, oh, like, I'm sorry because I have you know me, I have uproas respect for LaVar. But that showed me. That showed me something amazing, and that Mama Ball was willing to call would come at me like that. What are you talk about though, the Ball Brothers this year? I don't know, if you've got

a chance to check them out. The rebirth of a Lonzo and and Mellow have have reinvigorated both of those franchises. They're both looking like they're gonna make the playoffs. Just talk a little bit about the Ball Brothers. I mean, it's time, you know what, what I don't know if it's manifestation or whatever it is. But a Lonzo, uh, I mean, Pop's got to be looking like a genius right now, you know what I mean? All this stuff that,

I think it was a lot on their play. But one thing we always said is that they was good, you know what I mean. We didn't know if they was gonna burn out and it was gonna be too much. But you know, with the basketball, park was good. We wasn't worried about the jam shot and things that the pundits and the people talk about, how you got to get his shot pocket together. He was still busting everybody's ass on the n C double A level all throughout high school and he's continue to do it as a pro.

Now as a pro, obviously you're gonna refine your mechanics and it's gonna look even better Twitter. But I think we predicted this, you know what I mean. We knew a Lonzo was gonna be what he was, and we knew LaMelo was a basketball survived and then he put the you know, the gross fur on the top of it. And watching what Big Bro had to go through and the and the other one going through what he did at U C. L A and how he's trying to find his way. I think it's a perfect shield that

Ball family crest. I think it's amazing the cloth that Moms is cut from, even the cloth that Pops was cut from. Although it wasn't you know what I mean, the vehicle weren't necessarily want to see it was the one that worked. That ship is working, you know, I mean, he got his baby boys cracking, you know what I mean?

There is able to provide, you know, a good life for their family, to take care of their mom and dad and a big ball uh advocate as to where sometimes I used to be like, h you know what I mean, Pops is a lie and sometimes he was bussing, but he was able to cook get all up, you know what I mean. It really makes something special and I couldn't be it couldn't happen. And they're good kids. Yeah, they're cool. They're cool kids. Man. They're really just about

their hooping, their parents and their fans. So you know what I mean. The Pioneers Transsectors you work for the you know, the bbb UH group, you know what I mean. You can attest to where they're at with their business and how pioneering they were with their ways, and I could be more happy for him as a as a father, and as a guy who you know, has a sign, who's taking about playing basketball, the sports, you know what

I mean. It's just been amazing to watch. I'm happy for I think it's one of the most fascinating things that we've seen in the history of athletics. To be honest with you, because it's one thing to call your shot if you're the Babe Ruth or if you're you know, Joe Damith and this and that. But LaVar basically called his shot twice. He basically told you he was gonna have a top five draft pick. And I know he

said it about all three. But when you get two out of three that are five draft picks, my man, top three draft picks, Okay, two sons from Chino Hills, California, It's unbelievable. It's mind boggling. And because of how brazen he was. And I know people they have their thoughts and Lavars and acquired Tascy. I grew up around the balls and so I grew up in that era. So I'm used to all that stuff that y'all energy. Yeah, I'm not intimidate. That's that energy that people are intimidated by.

I get it. I'm rolling with it even to the point. And when I had the opportunity to coach on the j b A, which was the league that LaVar started for LaMelo in two thousand and eighteen. It was a barnstorm and tour. We had eight teams. We traveled the country coast to coast, cities Dallas, Solid accommodations man, solid travel arrangements, solid everything right. Facebook had a camera crew that was following us. Our games were telegrass on Facebook Live.

When you look back on that situation, it was like, Wow, and we're playing forty eight minute quarters LaMelo. Look, LaMelo is playing the whole game. We're playing back to backs. Look, we're doing stuff like we're being Texas play a game. They had to fly to Seattle play another game tomorrow the next night. I mean, so look and so it's but to see LaVar. LaVar is just the ultimate dad, like sports dad to do that. He created a league

for your son. And at the time when hey, at the time when he had launched it, you know, everybody it was maligned. Everybody was poop ping it. Everybody was talking crap about it. They're like, Chris, why are you even involved in something like that. I'm kind of like, well, I see the future. I'm not necessarily stuck in what you guys see because I've never really seen things like you guys did, so I'm kind of looking at this

as from a developmental standpoint. I know that LaMelo is gonna get some reps against older dudes for the next four That's what I said three or four. You're gonna play against older dudes. You play against older dudes that are better than you, that are stronger than youth, faster than you. And then the kid went to Lithuania and his journey is well documented, but that was one of the first little uh moments in his career where I said, man, this guy is built and wired differently. I mean I

saw him. I saw him go for fifty and twenty one assists in eighteen rebounds, Like I see these numbers, right, And people were like, oh, look who it's against. It's not against nobody. But I'm like, you guys don't understand basketball to be able to get fifty something points twenty something rebounds against guys that could have went to college or went to college. That's all I need to know that I've seen. I've seen the talent in the league line.

So you know, we know basketball players and we know when to respect a performance or a string of performances. Again, certain type of dudes. Absolutely, just because you these just because you never heard their name, or just because you don't know they resumeate it don't mean that you have the ability to discern whether or not they can play the game. I'm just letting y'all know. It's a different

it's that it's that I line. But but again, we can walk and we can walk into gym where the top fifty is playing, and we can look at the court and be just be be staring at the top fifty court and be like, well, who is that he need to be over here? He need? Yeah, I don't

know why he over there? And then this is going on because I can pick three off of this court right now that he should be over You know, like you said, we're real life basketball players and just spend a lot of time watching basketball, scouting, basketball preaching and you know what I mean, coaching and you know, to the younger generations and working on it and you come from a long a royal basketball bloodline. You know what I mean with your father at the end of the day,

so you know what I mean. It's always been a second hand to us. And you know what I mean, Like you said, it's about time that you know what I mean, people that know the game can actually speak on it and like identify what a great player is without looking at the top one hundred? Do you miss it at all? Aline? I saw you in a workout with your son the other day getting it here. You're still get the stance a little bit, you still have

some lateral movement. Do you do you do you ever sit back and say, do you ever just miss it at all? Where you're just like, dang man, I missed this game? Or are you at peace with where you are and the game? When the game of basketball? I'm not peace, But I do miss the psychotic competitive nets. Do miss the moments that will make you just want

to you know what I mean? You know what I mean with all the slow motion things where you see people tensed up, screaming and damn near slobbering or looking at the floor. I do miss those psychotic, uh competitive moments where you can scream and get those moments out because you know, I mean, those are your flowers in that instant because when you're when you when you're an athlete, you know you're onto the next game, the next moment.

When you see players have those moments that end up means and all this crazy ship we end up ingesting for the next decade, it's really that psychotic competitiveness and that release from your hard work paying off or you know, I mean going through adversity in the game to get an am one. I don't care if you're a shifty feet throw player you made two in a row and you want to do some ship to the crowd, or you know what, I mean, to do something to yourself.

I just missed those moments. But I'm definitely at peace because I know my generation of basketball was one of the greatest ever and for for me to be mentioned, and I've talked to a couple of players, my peers and some of the O g s for them to mention me and talk about my career and everything, it really puts me at peace. But like I think I talked about that before on the show, I didn't really get that piece till you know, like five or six years ago or maybe even and the time before that,

those dudes that helped me was KG. So I mean, I'm I'm at peace, but I do miss the psychotic competitiveness. Yeah, man, I missed the game. Man, I missed it a lot. I felt like I I, you know, my career ended too early. I had to retire because of the injury and throw out my back and Hinea with Jr playing on with j R. Henderson playing the same, he brought me over there and throw out my back. I was gonna play with him in Japan for a year. Man,

make about three to three hundred thousand bros. Like a nice little set up twelve months, six business class to and from l A a year. Dog. I was like,

look this is but through my back up. But I think the thing I missed the most line is God man, it's gonna sound crazy and cocky and arrogant, but just the feeling of when you bust somebody's ass, when you hit a three, when you hit a deep three on somebody after maybe through the leg, through the leg heavy, and then you just raise it and then that that moment right line when you're holding the funnel through you're holding you had a nice one you had, and he

he's contesting, and you're just sitting there like, hey, you ain't ain't nothing you could do. Those are the moments that I also missed, those pressurized moments when we need to be hey, when we need a bucket, or we need an offensive rebound on on the free throw. Hey, we need to offer as the rebounding the free throw. So we gotta come in early and hook somebody arm

and get underneath somebody and route them underneath it. So we got yeah, yeah, man, yeah, little things like when then and then somebody else got to make sure the other dude don't crash, you know, and stuff is a little Yeah, that's a good point. But those locked in moments when you know it's four seconds laughing, you know, Coachack or somebody like, we know it's the ship gonna work. We're just waiting for it to uh to go through. At the end of the day, those moments, man, and

like at the end of the day lull you. That's why you got those moments. You know, the game was taken away from me to and like a similar fashion, not through injury, but partly through injury. But I think those moments that ship don't happen to people at the end of the day and nobody locking in with their side hops trying to win a game with sixteen thousand, you know what I mean, eyes on them hoping they're gonna fail, and then some people expecting them to win.

Like that's not a real thing that happens in life. You know what I mean. That you go through with your company. You know that even if you go to college with somebody. I guess y'all can do that on the Calculus test for you know what I mean. You know that was a hell of a test. You know what you mean. YadA YadA, YadA, you know what I mean.

Or if you're a Sigma, can cheat and you go to the whatever dance that's the under the Enchantment under the Sea dance, and you know you can do that type of Earth angel you know what I mean, You're Earth angeling, you know what I mean. But nobody is inside a Polly pavilion, you know what I mean, with the expectations of winning for the national title contender every

year and going through that with lifelong friends. So I hope that sometimes when you down in those moments, you remember that ship playing the guitar and meeting people people, right, you know what I mean? Because that, uh, that eventually evolved you into the carriage that we're saying now and why you got a successful podcast on my heart brother. Yeah. Yeah, that's the whole part of this. And you really hit on something very very special and important because it is true.

It is those experiences that do keep you going. They reinvigorated me. Man. I was at a low point. Man, I was tripping out back, I was going through the pandemic, all kind of drama. But then I decided for to reach out and started to reconnect with folks again. Man started hollering at everybody. Hold on, Man. It was in

the middle of the pandemic. Man and I had been watching Fat Joe's podcast, and he had been He had a great episode on there one time where he brought in young lady by the name is Cheryl from s w V the group s w V Coco. But her name is Cheryl Life Coco. Right, So but I didn't I had no did I. Fat Joe and Sheryl grew up on the same block, the same hood they grew up in, like Bronx River, New York Line, and so

they had this whole relationship. So they were talking about how when when each one made it big, they would be like so proud, and if they you know, when they ran into each other over the years, how crazy it was two kids. So that kind of made me. It touched me, man. So I was like, Man, let me holler at my my folks. Man, it's been a minute.

I ain't seeing nobody. I didn't talk to nobody, And so I started reaching out all over the world, man, to all of y'all here, to my different networks of individuals that crossed my path over the course of my life. And I'm thankful for each and every one of you, man, and and and and like to your point, it does help you in the end, man, when you remember, you that your net work is your net worth, brother, and so you gotta always keep that type of stuff in mind.

And it's a net worth in your soul too, man, because when you get disconnected from the family, man, you start to lack and lose certain parts of your identity. Man, you're in there talking into you, in there talking into yourself, because into yourself that your bullshit is right. When you are three time, you be on bullshit and you know myself included, you know what I mean. You're intelligent, introspective people. Sometimes you know, we beat ourselves up, you know what

I mean. So you know, uh, at the end of the day, I think it's up for us to acknowledge that, you know what I mean, as we start to grow older and just like you know what I mean, not have those moments. And you know, remember the positive as well as a negative. It's a it's a beat us all up. The pandemic beat us all up, you know what I mean. But along with the pandemic came an endless amount of opportunities for a short amount of time. So that's one thing that I talked to you about,

you know what I mean. When you reached out, it's like, hey, it will never be a time like this now. So if you ever wanted to do something, do it now. And you see that, you know what I mean, you jumped on that opportunity that seemed like you said, that seems to be only the thing you needed to hear. And ever since then, you know what I mean, you've

been able to just progress and do the thing. This is what you're supposed to be doing, So you know what I mean, I'm glad that you were able to take bits and pieces from what everybody else was saying and make the decision on your own, because it's easy to listen to people but still be locked off in the room and isolated. And now, you know what I mean, it's still not doing nothing, but you made so you put some action to it, you know what I mean.

And I think during the pandemic, people who put some action behind some of their fears and anxieties and like effort, I'm gonna do it, scared. I think they're gonna reward it, you know what I mean, coming into the new year. And I think you are uh and and and a lot of other people in our group, they're truly genuine support each other, not the bullshit, not the Instagram likes and reposts, you know what I mean. People that make calls and support you. You know you called and say

congratulate solon solar. Wait, real quick, real quick. You think there's a difference in in the level of support between someone that made someone So two people are friends, right, you got two friends one A friend A friend B. Friend A calls you, friend B hits you on the internet, like gives you the hands up, shouts out, celebratory. They both have the same amount of emotion of happiness for you. Yeah, is there is there a difference now or do you

appreciate it more because you're sort of old school. That's a great That's one of your better kJ. This is one of the better kJ Live question. Um, and I would say the easiest way and be like, it's a hybrid, you know what I mean. That would be the easy way. It's the easy way. I think it's a mix above crash. But hey, nah, for real, we lost people, we lost code. I lost a friend and lost some people. So call me man. If it's truly about support and love, you

know what I mean. It could be a funny style text, you know what I mean. We can joke in and necessarily gotta be man, my brother, congratulations and all. Yo. It could be like oh, I see you know what I mean, or whatever it is, you know what I mean, Like hit somebody enough for the social media and the liking or the reposting, because you know what I mean, Like even that long story story, hit somebody, you know what I mean. We at the time and age and maybe I am older, you know what I mean. I

don't want to date myself or eggs myself. But we at a time right right now where I appreciate the people that actually hit me on my line and show me supporting love, because that's what I do, you know what I mean. I'll probably do both, you know what I mean? If you really, if I know your Instagram guy, and you really praise value on that, you know what I mean, in the in the marathon or with the raide real when you stop, Oh my god, you know I'm gonna trying to give you a Drake quote or

whatever that is because you praise value on that. But really, you know what I mean. Like you, I'm gonna pray, but you can hit me and be like about love. You could be like, hit me and post this for me dog, and I'm gonna post it for you, you you know what I mean, you know, and I'm gonna put something nice behind it, you know what I mean. But

I only do that to support you. I really could give a ship about Instagram, and you know what I mean, being you know what I mean, supporting in that way, I really just put up and eat some nachos, you know what I mean. And you ain't even really got to talk about congratulations. Really just about breaking bread and being around that energy. Absolutely, energy is what it's all about.

Is I've gotten older, start to realize, man, protecting your energy. Yeah, being understanding of energy suckers, the vampires that are out here that will jack you and your whole thing and your folk. I even protected some of my folks energy. If I know you're sensitive, or I know you said wear soft up under the belly, or just if I got a bunch of good people around and somebody else is bringing some negative ship, you know, I'll attack it.

You know, I'll make you leave. You know what I mean, I'll make you feel like you're not wanted so that you can leave. You know, so you you you actually you're that serious about your energy. You protect your energy all costs. So you will remove a person from your situation or attempt to or do what you can to remove them situation if they're energy is off. Now what defines bad energy? Though? You gotta be responsible for your energy. So sometimes it's things id right, you know what I mean.

Sometimes people are just a little anxious. You know. It's like I'm not that anxious, but I got a little bit more chills at me. I'm from Cali. You know what I mean. I ain't on all that ship, you know what I mean. And then you know what I mean, there's some people who are envious and they ask envious questions. You know, the people right close to you that are unhealthy to accept your success even though you're trying to bring them along with you. Yeah, it's complicated, you know

what I mean. These things is complicated around. So I just made it a point to poke the eye out of of of of all that type of energy. And if it means I gotta be nasty to protect the good people that I'm around, because I think I talked about that. I'm cocky about the people that I'm around because they're great people, not because of their success. It's because they're legitimately great fathers. They're legitimately great people, you know what I mean. They care about people. So I

don't want because I'm a bigger guy. We we've always been like this. We've always been on the bigger mouth side. We can go there, we can play nasty, going back and back and forth with somebody. Everybody ain't built like that. So I'm kind of aggressive. So I use that aggressiveness to protect people. I love and to protect the energy, you know what I mean. Other besides that, you probably ain't gonna ever hear from me. You might think something

wrong with me. Probably gonna be enjoyed or you know, some some brown water and some cannabis. I'm probably just gonna be in the cut blinking and staring and watching ship because that's what I like to do on my people watching and you know, that's just my vibe. But if it's a it's it's about bid energy and it's my family or my people around, then I'm probably gonna be an asshole. What's brown water whiskey? You know what

I mean? In my old fashioned I wanted to know you for somebody that that partakes not you know, you don't drink that much, but but you do drink. You do drink when it's the opportunity or the occasion. Yeah, it's proper to drink. How is it that you've managed to keep the weight off. You've got skinnier than from the muscle mass. Yeah you skinner. You look skinnier as a human being, uh now than you did when I

knew what I know you from back in the day. Bro. Yeah, Bro, I lost hell of muscle mass and I eat to my activity level. And I really don't drink unless I'm gonna see y'all were not do I'm gonna turn up, you know what I mean. But if you don't drink like that, yeah, yeah, but if it's with it was was fan, But I don't drink like that. And I just try to do something every day. I got the ship from you, you know what I mean, at the

end of the day. You always doing something on the body instead of when I noticed there's something I don't like about my body, you know what I mean, I just go work on it. Yeah, instantly. If I got time, it's like I ain't really feeling it, and I go around. I used that to go around or all going here on the peloton, you know what I mean, and take like an hour class and then do another stretching. So I just try to keep it moving whenever I start getting locked or I feel like stagnant or I don't

like something. You know, we we get older, you know, ships starting to sag. You know, are you looking at your ship? You know I didn't know that was there, you know, grays, whatever it is, I just attack it where I lean into it. I'm never gonna die anything. I love my grays. I can't wait till it all turns white, you know what I mean. And I'm just pretty much comfortable with my own skin. But as far as just fitness and keeping weight off, it's probably they're

not drinking and eating it to my activity. But yeah, yeah, because you're you know, I see you, I see you and Ray. You guys are walking around your lu lu lu lumn and all your little fancy expensive sweat pans. I gotta stand next to Ray, Hey, I gotta stand next to telling my nerves. Man. A couple of months ago,

he put me up against it. He had this and I looked at mine, and you know, my nipple was running towards towards my armpit a little bit, just a little bit, and I'm like, damn, man, Okay, I see I can't stand next to Ray. Up. Just how we're gonna play? So push ups every day on the ap like that, okay, only feeling that? Okay, let me let

me make it. Let me do two hunting push up from the sit ups every day on the app right, Ray, Ray puts us to shame, Man, what do you what did you get up at five in the morning, does yoga, he run, he's he looks for those. Let's get the description of this guy. How old is Ray thirty six thirty second yea forty years old. He looks like he's about twenty two. He's like a muscle muscle bound, just buff, light skinned, green eyed dude from the town, Your typical

classic town. He's been walking on his tippytoes and he's been about ten years old. His calfs are ridiculous dog, ridiculous calf like. He's known by the calf bro good. We love, we love Ray, We love when you get Ray shot. Also wanted to give him our guy, be Lloyd shout out. I was actually with Brandon down to the day. Goo uh. He's a loyal, dedicated listener of the show. Here. I know he's gonna really look forward to hearing this one and he's gonna be leave my room. Man. Yeah, man,

that's our guy. So I wanted to shout him out, man. But yeah, that's it all right. So let's get to the story about Brandon and the Jesus sand because look, when you bring up stuff like that, we have to talk about it. First of all, Brandon Lloyd's from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Okay, came out to l A on his recruiting trip. Right he comes to U C l A. I think me and yours. I forgot who hosted him, but it was my years, so I think it was on you. Was it on your visit? I remember? I don't know so.

But then, so what's the story. What's it on his notes? That's Carlos at the campus. No, that's Carlos Boozer. I'm thinking about the Buren Stocks, the Birkin Stocks on the physics the first first day the campus, when we was all together on the on the team and some non burking Stocks off brand sandals. The Jesus said, man, that was that was back when Lloyd had when Lloyd's toads wearing green. Oh, he said, Lloyd showed up looking a lot like Ray Young, but the white version. Don't sleep.

I'll be Lloyd used to looking like a little tail back. Yeah, Lloyd was Lloyd. Lloyd was one of the most obsessive people with his weight and his his body looked. I mean, he was obsessive. I'll never forget how cut he got. I think his junior year did he started wearing tight jeans and going to the Sentry Club with us. Yeah, he got exposed in he changed Lloyd. Shout out to Lloyd all this beautiful wife and his beautiful kids down and San Diego. Man. But it's always nice to remember

the times. Man. Are U c l A experienced line was one that was pretty legendary. Uh. We talked about numerous things about it before. But but one thing I wanted to bring up. I don't think we've talked about before. Um dry our our time, right, I wanted to know and just to be completely honest from a life skills perspective, Right, did you learn anything when you and I had to go through our little counts a link situation where we got in trouble? Did you learn anything from Dr Geen?

Did you take like for later in life? Because she could always tell us. Look, Magelanni had to see the same. I think she was a psychiatrists or a counselor type of lady. We got into that. We got in trouble at U c l A. You know, we got I think we failed a drug test smoking a little bit too much mirror or something like or something like that. We were early on the cannabis movement. We were advocating early we're ahead of the curve, and we got popped and we had we had to go through sort of

this you know, rehabilitation program. And we're gonna be upfront and honest about this because for me personally, my meetings with Dr Gene Lovely Lady was really frank, honest and upfront about everything. Didn't pull any punches right, would just tell you about yourself in a such a smart, intelligent way. You had no you had no choice but to listen.

And I think that my time with her and talking to her, those all those dates him twelve fourteen weeks, whatever it was, I think that was some life changing stuff for me. Yeah, loco, Yeah it was. You know what I mean. It shout out to Dr Jean Jeane wherever you are. You know what I mean, because only did when when when I got older, When I got older, not in my thirties, but just as I got away from U C. L A. I saw the work that she did for us, you know what I mean? Uh?

And And that's how it's a hats off to how great she was because we didn't know the blessing that she was giving us at the time because of what we were going through. But she did really do a good job preparing for us for what was next. And I don't know what happens if we have a different psychologist or whatever legl she as if if it's not very different, because the one of the big part of everything was showing up and going. And I know that if it was anyone else that I would not have

been motivated to go. I sort of developed not I won't. I call it a not an addiction, but I needed to see g but I needed to go see the ERG. I wanted to go talk to her because I loved our last conversation and she did that like fourteen times in a row. She was definitely someone that gave me some life coping skills, some you know, tools to deal with you know whatever issues that were at the at

the root of sort of my learning issue. But again, and that leads me into my last question man about mental health man, because we can talk about this all the timeline and we get deep into it. And when you see a guy like Delonte West who who fell and who fell off the wagon and you know, got a little bit of trouble, we're hoping the best for him, and you see other guys x NBA guys retired athletes that you know put themselves in interesting predicaments or situations.

What do you think you can do or NBA lumni can do to help support their other NBA bretern that have fallen on hard times. And man, get the bros out of the house. If you gotta if you gotta found ation and you got a game, you know what I mean, You got a golf game, you got anything

that you're doing. Find good ways to get the bros out of the house to attend the sporting event, a Rams game, a Panthers game that a lot like what we talked about it and get you out of your head and you know what I mean, help you reassess in a in a live situation better. Because if you just at the crib which your sorrow is buried underneath, you know your bs, you forget that life is moving

around outside and there's still opportunities. And if you've got some good friends, you know what I mean, they want to help you out. They might be waiting on you to hand you an opportunity or to see if you're healthy enough to accept the blessing. So if you if you're gonna keep yourself hidden a way, you know what I mean. It's a fifty fifty thing. You might be able to you know what I mean, get out of that rut. You might be able to not. But if we can just get each other out of the house,

you know what I mean. People got wives, you know, kids, you know, whatever it is, health retreats. We should all be going somewhere every quarter or whatever. We talked. We talked about doing that. Yeah, yeah, that we need to start that because it's a real thing, you know what I mean. Every people got stressful jobs, people in different

places in their life. And I think once we come together at that, you know what I mean, and build and then send each other back and then come back with information and oh this is great, you know what I mean, I appreciate and then you send each other back and we just keep coming back. And you know that's how you know, the black community and even what I'm just speak to the black community because a lot of us are black athletes, and you know they're going

through this something. That's what we did in the first place, arm arm each other up, sending back out, you know what I mean, bringing back Oh this is going on over here. They're doing it this way over here, and so and so said this. I found this guy who said that help us out, because that's what our uh they're not even rivals, that's what the other side is doing. And I mean I mean that in the most respectful type of way. You know what I mean. I mean

the other side. I mean the guys that didn't come from our neighborhoods and get scholarships or have an opportunity to for just paid in the NBA and do all this scrap ships. So I just think if we get each other out of the house, commune, break bread, send each other back out, you know what I mean, check off on each other, I think will be a lot better because, like you said, there's a lot of guys in the crib just in their head. I agreed. I've seen it work. I've seen it work in real time

with our unit, right, So it worked. It worked. It's a pretty dynamic, interesting unit. And we got NBA coaches, agents, CEOs, entrepreneurs, people in the media space. Long the egos, the egos in that room, and when I walk in the room with you guys, man, you guys egos are incorrect. All you NBA guys, Oh, man, I hate it. It sucks like I have to like fight to get word. I have to fight to get a word, to fight to

get a word with you, cocky poppas NBA dudes. Now LNS, you know what I mean, the LNS, the term I ain't gonna let it fly, y'all gotta do he gotta he gotta unbuild it. He desires out you with the Aproman stands for as it correlates to this particular situation. But yes, he has a whole line of products you know, with LNS on it correlates to these types of things. Yeah, I'm gonna have a Instagram shop pretty soon too. I'm

gonna get this thing going, my brother. Um. But at the end of the day, line, I'm excited for you. I'm proud of you, man, I'm excited for all these projects that you got coming up. Man, make sure that you know you keep us updated on the show about anything new that development. Would love to have you back, my brother. Uh, thank you so much for your time

to thank you. Want to give anybody any shot outs before we go, man, I'm gonna going to give a shout out to Joanna McCoy and my wife who has been holding it down, you know where, for you've known there since she was sixteen years old. So I don't never really give her a shout out of her flowers. I don't really give myself a shout out at to much. But she deserves a lot of credit for being able to put up with me and to be able to

do some of this stuff. And then shout out to brother Barnes and Stephen Jackson, you know what I mean for trusting me. You know what I mean with this opportunity, And shout out to you man, you know what I mean, Joe Siyah, Yes, Sir, y'r sir, appreciate you, my man. Joannie McCoy, I'm kJ Live