All-Star Special | Ep 73 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

of All the Smoke All Star. With the All Star Game right around the corner, we want to take a second to kind of reflect on our experience last year, Jack's experience in the Rookie game, this coming All Star UH selections and memorable moments through All Star games in the past. Jack, Let's start with your rookie game experience. Uh, you know it's no secret your journey was a wild one to get to where you're at and you finally land on your feet and you make the rookie team

your first year. What was it? Experience like it? What tell us a little bit about the journey and what you learned. It was a bit of sweet experience for me, Matt, because you know the journey I've been through with getting cut by set by at least sixteen NBA teams before I got into of the NBA, breaking both of my feet before I get to the NBA. All these things, and to finally make it where I started my first

rookie game. I make it to the Rookie All Star Game, and the experience was unbelievable because it was the All Star Game, and it may be one of the top five All Star games because I got a chance to see stephan Ai really take over Allstar Game and bring them and bring their team back in d C and uh to to beat the Western Conference. That was one of the best All Star games that I've ever seen. So to be able to play in that game with guys like Baron David, Steve Francis, Darius Miles, Quinn Rich

and and and then then again Matt. My team was the only team in the NBA that was starting two rookies at the time, and I was leading all rookies and scoring going into the All Star into All Star weekends. So it was a great experience. I never thought i'd be there. But coming back after All Star I didn't start no more, didn't play again the rest of the season, So I don't know if it making it made Making the All Star team was a bad thing for me.

You know, because it made my value go up. But it was a great experience and I'm glad to say I experienced at one time. That's dope. I mean, those rookie sophomare games are always so exciting because you get to see the you know, obviously the stars of tomorrow. We had an opportunity to do our first All Star game as the all the smoke, fucking dynamic deal we become, and I think the one thing that tripped me out

was all the love we got you know there. I mean, we're down there with Braun and Kauai and all these dudes, and all I kept hearing was people yell all the smoke and that ship kind of tripped me out because it was dope to see that we're resonating post career. You know. We were trying to move head down, keep it moving, saying what's up to people, But to me, it was crazy. All the fans that were screaming for us.

I thought that was pretty dope. You hit it on the nose, bro, Like when we walked in, you know, we were just trying to really just get in where we fit in, you know, so I make our presence felt. But I didn't expect the reception we got, Bro, Like you said, as soon as we walked in all the smoke, they called our names. My name was called more at the All Star Weekend for the show than never for basketball. So it was amazing what I was saying, Yeah, it

was amazing experience. And and to see so many of our fans, of course the basketball fans, but to see them appreciate the show that we that that we brought to him, and it meant a lot to us, absolutely. And then it's also where we started something that hopefully once this pandemic comes down, uh finishes up or or subsides or we get back to some sort of normalcy

starting live show. We have the opportunity to interview Kevin Garnett All Star Weekend and that was my first time getting a chance to really be around him and his energy off the court. And the ship was electric, Bro, from the time we're in the green room talking talking ship him telling the stories to the time we got on stage and he went to two or three towels sweating out like the great, the great Uh, John Thompson

rest in peace. It was just a great experience, you know, to hear you know, his MJ Stories to hear how he wanted to play with Code and Code didn't call him back, And I really think it opened the door to show that, you know, we don't have to do these just these isolated interviews from home or even in the studio. Hopefully, like I said, when the world comes back to some sort of normalcy, we can get out and put all the smoke on the road and get the fans what they really want. I think that was

the same experience for both of us. I played against KG a lot, you know, and I knew what he was as a player, but that was my first time to Matt being around him and feeling that energy off the court, to him forcing me to take a shot that I didn't want to take. Uh rang from the jump, bro, you know what I mean. But he's somebody that we looked up to. He's somebody that I admired, you know what I mean, And to be able to hear he's probably the best story tell I've ever I've ever made

a story from it. I love KG Man. I can't I can't wait till you tell for us to do more things in the Fusion with him and hopefully interview him again. Yeah, definitely shut out KG. He's actually he's got a new show coming. I don't know if it has a title yet, but he's redesigning man Cave. So he came over to the boys game room and and and and and met the twins and he's gonna redesign their game room. So they've been gassed ever since. So

I'm excited. Definitely shut out of the Homy KG. Great interview, great opportunity, and hopefully it will open doors back to some live shows once we can well, Jack, Let's take a look at the starters um for both sides. Let's start with Steph Curry from Golden State Wars making his

seventh All Star selection. Luca don Chech a controversial selection although he's great, A lot of people, including Luca, felt Dame should be the starting two guard, but nevertheless, Luca gets his second All Star nod King James number seventeen for him. Uh, just man salute. Not enough things could be said about his greatness. His motherfucker's been in his prime since he started, and no one ever has been

in the prime that long. Uh. Next up, Joki makes his third All Star selection from Denver, one of the best bigs in the game, if not the best big in the game. And to round out the starting five, Kawai Leonard making his fifth All Star selection. Jack. Before we jump to the Eastern Conference, anything about the Western Conference that stands out, you know, you want to touch on that Dame situation or anything else. I mean, I mean,

this is the usual, you know what I'm saying. I tell you that the league do Dame like they did Ai. You know, they they didn't want him to just to be that guy in that face because he don't fit there there ner ative, But Dame deserves to be in the start line up. Everybody that loves basketball, everybody that watches basketball, everybody that counts stats, everybody that cheers for their team, everybody that even seeing a basketball bounce, no Dame letter deserves to be a start on that team.

And um, that's It's just it's just that simple. But you can't go against anybody, and that's starting five. All those guys belong in the All Star Game. All those guys can can be a starter on this on the Western Conference All Star team any year. So you can't really knock those guys. But you always got to throw your hat enough for Dame because if anybody deserves it,

he does. Yeah, I mean, we're definitely here to support Dame, but that destinerly doesn't lessen Luca's greatness and what he's been able to accomplish, and his spot on this team is definitely deserving as well. But you, like I said, I think, you know, Dame should have got that, not but hey, that's how the ship goes. But he should

definitely be voted in UM as a reserve. UM. Let's take a look at the Eastern Conference, starting with Janice fifth All Star selection in Milwaukee, Bradley Beale leading the league and scoring. You know, the team is starting to show a little bit of life. But happy for him, he's really starting to be recognized as a great player. Easy money. Kevin Durant coming back off and Achilles uh

is in the m v P category. This is his eleventh All Star game, which is a tremendous show of love for him because, like I said, he's come back from an achilles like he never had an achilles, And if you think about it, back in the day, Achilles was a career ender. So you know, really happy for our brother Kevin Durant. He was able to no pun intended land on his feet and really pick up where he left off. Joe l Embiid his fourth All Star selection is someone I'm really excited for. Doc's got this

guy playing great. You know when his his his only people, the only person that could stop him in this game is himself, and I think he's finally out of his head. Doc hasn't believe in itself and this man is incredible night in night out. He's been there for his team and I love to see it. And to round out your brother, uh. Kyrie Irving with his seventh All Star selection. I saw someone ask a question the other day, is Kyrie the most skilled player in the history of the NBA?

And I really had to stop and think for a second. They're not saying he's the best skilled player? Is he the most skilled player? And I would have I mean,

I would argue for that. He is one of, if not the most skilled player, definitely one of the top two, three, four maybe at to ever do this, from the visibility to dribble the ball, pass the ball, score the ball underneath the rim he got up and dunked, the way he hits clutch shots, There's not a hole in his offensive game, and his skill set is is something that

definitely needs to be praised. Yeah, his his godfather, Roder Strickland, was one of the best finishes and ever in the n b A and and he wants and and that that came from him. He said that Kyrie is the best finish at the NBA. Are the most skilled player the NBA has ever seen. And when you talk about skilled players, you you gotta talk about Kyrie. But we're not even get into that. But he is definitely the probably the most skilled in the game today. But we're

talking about the East. We're talking about the East All Star East All Stars. I got a problem, Matt, I got a problem with that. Five. I really think that the way that he's came to this new team, the way he's picked up on the role, embraced his role and still is the dominant player in the game and still is one of the best scores in the game. James Harden is a starter with regardless what conference he in. I think Joanna should be knocked off as high horts.

I really think they've been They've been giving him all these accolades. Yeah, he's a top ten player, but today Brooklyn should have three starters in the All Star Game and Joanna and James Harden should be a start in this game. No question, in my mind, he should be a starter, regardless what conference he in. James hard is a starter. I'm not even mad at that, and I

agree with you. You know what was funny was I think it was Isaiah, one of the twins, said, man, James Harden went to Brooklyn, took the fat suit off, and he's been killing It. Was crazy though, but but

there's no question. You know, we had a chance to talk about him on What's Burning, but you know the way he's kind of come into a team with two superstars, him being the third one coming late, but him doing the most adjusting and being able to feel every void they need uh from, you know, from the decision maker to the distributor to the big shot maker and like you even said earlier, stepping it up on defense because

defense is nothing but energy. So I definitely think James Harden is a starter, should be in the Eastern Conference. But hey, you know, he came over late. They're gonna make a bunch of excuses, but he'll definitely be named to the team. Next up. We're gonna take a trip down memory lane and talk about some of the most special moments in All Star Week in history. Some of the stuff we grew up watching his children. Some of

this stuff we got to be a part of as adults. Um, let's start with m J and Dominique's dunk contest in nineteen. It's unfortunate cause I think Dominique wilkins greatness as a dunker and as a player was overshadowed by MJ in the dunk contest and with MJ's career. But the Dominique was a motherfucking monster obviously player, but his dunk, the verocity he used to dunk with. It's scary. This dude was doing slam dunk contest dunks in games. Sum it

up the Human Highlight film. That was his nickname. He was a monster. Next up Larry Bird three point moment where he put his hand up because he knew he had won it, or he knew it was going in before it went in, legendary three point shoot. I would love to see Larry Bird shootout with like because I would love to see like a Larry Steph Reggie Clay, who would you put the fish shooter in there? Obviously, but you're not a fan of him. I like Ray Allen, but you might not want no. I wouldn't you know

who I put in there? You got Reggie? You got Reggie, you got Clay? Who else you got? Yeah, Larry, Um, I think I would go Dale Curry with Dell Curry, who put Pops in there? Huh like that? I think that would be a legendary shoot obviously a great shootout. Larry wanted the best to ever do it, next up d Brown when he brought imagination style antics to the

dunk Contest. But before he even did that, Jack remember he pumped up his motherfucking rebox and then had everyone going crazy three box at first, and then he went and did the little uh hand over the face dunk and kind of set the To me, that might have started like kind of the showmanship of the dunk Contest with antics, although it's got, it's gone to a whole nother level today. That was very creative because I think that's back in I think I was just turned down.

I was just about to turn eleven, and d Brown was before his time. He was the first person to dab in the air Man he jumped in the air and damn like to me go he and dug it. He was the first person to do that. He before his time. They have almost twenty years before the dad. One thing I really remember vividly because this guy was my favorite player, was Magic Johnson's return to the All Star Game UM in ninety two. Um, you know, after having retired early from HIV. I think the game was

in Orlando. He came in, got one m v P of the All Star Game, and to me, I remember that moment clear his day. I think I was in sixth grade, but I was just so happy to see Magic back out there playing again. Um. I thought that was great for the game. Man. It felt good for every kid that grew up watching basketball, age that looked up to Magic, that knows what he means to the game of basketball. To see him back out there, to see that smile, to see him in Isaiah greet each

other how they normally to do, it meant everything. It was one of the best moments of All Star weekend. Next up, uh Kobe's first All Star Game, youngest All Star in the history. If I mistaken against m J on the biggest stage in the world, Madison Square Guard. Anything you remember about that game, I just knew that Kobe was going to shadow MJ and just try to go at him. I didn't know what to expect, but

I knew Kobe was gonna take a real series. And just to see m J and his clone on the court looking so similar, just split an image of Jordan on the court. Man, it was good to see. But me knowing Kobe, it was I've seen the joy on Kobe face and uh it was. It was. It was refreshing to see. Well, I thought, what was dope was we got a behind the scenes I don't know if it was from MJ's dock this past year that happened.

But they knew Kobe was coming. They knew Kobe wasn't gonna play like this as a tradition All Star game. They said, they knew the young boy was coming. He was gonna take it hard, play hard the whole time. And that's exactly what he did. And that's why I love Kobe, because I even tell you another story. I remember he treated every basketball situation like it was a real game, whether it was an All Star Game or not. But I remember he invited me up to his camp

in Santa Barbara. He used to hold the camp when Mike stopped doing his camp, Kobe was doing his camp up in Santa Barbara and I I was just coming off a knee surgery that season. I came back at the end of the playoffs. We got swept by Dallas, but my knee was still a little funked up. So I'm thinking, I'm just going up there. They're talking to hang out. We're out there playing I think two on

two with like some teenage kids and Bro. When I tell you, Kobe was playing harder than Ship block and shot Duncan made one kid fall and I'm like, I'm like, damn Kobe and sucking kids. He's like so like Ship, So it doesn't it doesn't surprise me. It doesn't surprise me that, you know what I'm saying. He took that nine eight All Star Game his first game like it was Game seven of the finals. That's what you know. Obviously we know and love about cod rest in Peace,

Starr brother. But he didn't give a ship who was in front of him. If a basketball was throwing up, it was going down. Next up. Vince Carter in the two thousand Slam Dunk Contest um to me change dunking forever um. You know, with all due respect everyone that came in the past. You think about the dunks back in the day when m J and then were doing it. Those are such basic dunks now but still hard but

basic dunks. And Vince did something which most people can't, which is think outside the box to be super creative. And some of the dunks he came with, and that two thousand All Star Game, we're incredible. With a loaded field. You gotta think they had a young Tea Mac, They had Jason Richardson and Steve Francis. A lot of boys are out there jumping, but Vince was obviously the most memorable dunk contest possibly in the history of of All Star Games. I couldn't do the dunks that Jordan and

them was doing back in the day. Let alone do the ship Vince was doing. Vince really set the standard for what the dunk contest is supposed to be. Like the dunks he was doing, the way he did him, the way he took over the crowd. Uh, the hi ho hi he jumped. He just everything that you needed to win the dunk contest and to be probably the best contested ever. Vince did it. You know, what I'm saying. He had the class, he had the CAREERSMA, he had

the showmanship, he had everything. Bro. He set the standard for what the dunk contest should be. Uh. Last, but not least, MJ's memorable Bowl last All Star Game fade away, which should have won them the game. There's a bullshit called by the ref surprise surprise, and they end up losing. But uh, thoughts on MJ's last game. I want to say, you guys won a championship that year in San Antonio. So what are your memories of that two thousand three Uh, MJ All Star run? Oh there it is the big ring,

the big boy. You were ready for this. You must have read the notes before beforehand. Yeah, Bro, two thousand and three was special for me. Man winning the championship was a great year. Uh. Seeing m J, you know, play against our era and still be dominant and make those plays in the All Star Game. I think that that year was one of one of my best years of being at the NBA AD A lot of things.

I got a chance to see him J play, you know, we played against him, and like I said, winning the championship, seeing him in All Star Game, a lot of Uh, David Robinsons last year, you know, getting him a championship on this way out. Um, So a lot of things about that year with Special Man, but definitely seeing MJ do his thing in All Star Game before he went out with Special Well. I hope you guys enjoyed that.

Look back, um on All Star Weekend from the past to the press, is it and take a look now at some of the better moments of all the smoke and All Star memories from our guests. Yeah, g people was kind of my example of what I wanted to But I give Gary shout the GP man. We was in the everybody's talking about the twenty anniversary events winning the Dunk Contest in Oakland. Right. What y'all don't know is that Kobe Bryant rest in peace to my dog.

He took another level of being a defensive standpoint because Gary Payton at the practice after after practice All Star practice, poured us to the side because Code asked him something. They pulled both of us to the side, So let me tell y'all something. Look when you're playing defense. And then he went through a thirty minute joint with both of us with defense and keeping us between the landing and reaching and how to reach and when you reach

up and just low tricks of the trade. That next time I saw cold after the break, he was using came first team that yet the first time I've seen, I said, he used that. Sorry, sorry saw it, y'all saw so I caught that. Ain't think I saw it, but I knew that only the three of us was part of that. So I was like, you got the way you saw? I thought it wasn't call that ship wow, because GP taught us when you ripped somebody to go

through that chest versus usually your hand. You see this right, He told to take a step and come through your chest and come and then round out. It's no way you can protect the ball. You can't cross it back once you get that once I mean your cab, you can't cross it up. You we didn't have to turn your back. Oh man, I saw Coke take that first night after the break. I saw it. You know, we want no texting and none of that back then. But when I first saw him, I shot there was stated

right here. When I saw him, I knew exactly what I was talking about. For that, you know, seeing that we're here at all star, what is what is your favorite All Star moment? Favorite All Star moment vents sitting on the floor, Believe it or not, I got that footage to y'all know night, I got yeah, no, no, come see me. Motherfucker's think y'all getting this ship for free? Y'all kiss my ass right, it's going that ink hollo right.

But I got that. That was probably one of my favorite because all my friends was probably two couple rolls. You we got to see that, and it was the first time the world got to really see events like we knew Vince in high school, grew up with dart YadA and for him to like put that on display like that and just give us an unbelievable A lot of people don't know. Um Tracy and Steve to Stacy and Stevens and that too. You know what I'm saying. That was one of the better before Zack and uh Gordon. Uh.

That was probably my favorite. That was probably my favorite, uh dunk I test some time. But out of all the stuff men, I've I've always been able to pull something out of each All Star game. UM. One of my favorites was coming out I was getting ready to UM, I was leaving the All Star Game and I had a bag of stuff and I was coming out and Craig Sager needed an interview for his clothes and didn't want to do it, and I was trying to, you know, we didn't hit back. Look like you know, like you

know how you play shadow. He's trying to get by somebody. I'm like, track what you're doing. I got kissed my plane. Get the funk out here? Yeah, yeah, that's my sister. Shout to Bill, I call him shitty s the bag and said, yo, should he take this to the planet. And I'm trying to get out. He said, Yo, just give me two seconds. I needed out, said get the funk out of my way. And I kind of pushed him, you know, I kind of gave him some whatever. He was like, man, and I saw how he lost it.

Come on, man, fun it come on and he and and I was, I'm just gonna say whatever I want to say. So okay, just give me this. I just need thirty seconds to get out of here. Okay, okay, okay, and go. And then I saw he had on. I looked and I said, hold on, hold on, hold on. So look, you know, I never tried to go at you right, like what the funk? Like, really, what the

funk is this dog? Like really you came to the game like this dog, and he was trying to get it in it like now funk all that low, no burn, all this ship, everything the green thrown to, all this and all of it and kind of gave him a little sound value and see it what up? Tore it. But then he got out of that and I turned around. I was like, thanks yo, two thousand to me arguments, uh argua, believe you changed the dunk contest forever. Now we can talk about Mike's dunk from the free throw

line and all the dunks in the history. But you came in and did some ship we had never seen. I remember, I've been fucking study hall at U c l A and the dunk contest is coming on. So somehow I got the lady to bring a TV and study hall and we watched you in Oracle Arena. Changed the dunk contest forever. How did you? I mean, you did dunks we never seen? Did you prap? How did you know what you were gonna do? Talk to us

about that. So leading up to it, first of all, first of all, it took the Act of Congress to get Mac to do it because he didn't want to do it. People don't know that, Like he put on the hell of a show himself and he did not want to do it. Who else you did that dunk contest? People? I was a good dunk contest Ricky Davis, see Frankie yeah, Stackhouse, I'm forgetting. That's That's all the way I could think of right now. That's it was crazy and t Mac

yeah yeah, yeah, so it was. It was crazy. But I was just like, bro, we could go here and put to run on the map, and you know, we could show what we could do because like we fooled around, Like we were fooling around with different stuff. I remember in San Antonio at a practice one day was we were just going crazy, throwing the ball all over the gym off one bounce and just doing crazy stuff just from trying to figure stuff out. So we had an

awful trip there. Our car didn't pick us up one time, so we missed our practice leading up to the contest, so we never got the practice. Our practice was the layoup line or whatever, the warmup line right before this contest started, so we never got the practice and my routine that I was gonna do. I saw all these people man, and sitting around you see all the stars and everything, and that was all of us. Just bro, I was like this, this routine is not good enough.

So I scrapped all of that. In the layoup it's I was so high. It took me everything not to do my dunk routine in the layout line back. I was just so hype, like I've been looking for just fly, just fly, that's it. I'm ready to show everybody what I could do. Like and I take for all my high school in middle school, I didn't care about watching Sunday at the All Star Game. I just wanted to take and watch the dunk contests on on Saturday. And I'm like, bro, I'm finally here. I ain't about to

blow this, but I'm about to go ham. So when I got out there, I saw all these people, man, and my my energy uh, and my my drilling was on ten thousand ro so uh, I scrapped it. And so I was just trying to figure out what to do. So that's first dunk, the reverse three sixty. I had tried to god. So I tried that dunk and barely made it when I was practicing, So I originally I

had scrapped that already. But when I got out there, I saw all these people and I saw Twine there and I was like, watch this year, what you about to do? I was like, you walked into that motherfucker perfect too, just walked into that mother hey. But I was just so I was so hyped. So that's why. So if you notice, remember when I ducked the ball, boom and go through, and then I was so hype my second bounce, I probably could have did a windmill, you know, like I was just so high because I'd

never accomplished that dunk like that before. But that was all adrenaline. That was so every in between every dunk, I was just over, just like just trying to figure out what next, what next? What next? So I did the one step, one eighty windmill. What I wanted to show everybody, Like, you know, honestly, you didn't see many people jumping the other way and right. So I had taught myself how to jump, to do the reverse three sixty, and just practice the practice, practice until I got it

to this day. Like if you asked me to do a dunk, I would do a reverse three sixty before I do the regular one. Cannot I can't go the other way anymore, like I can't. I can't. I can't. Just makes no sense of me. It's so you go crazy, you get lost in your old age, get lost, absolutely, but I can't do it, like I'll barely make it. So that's why I wanted to show just obviously going against the grain, obviously a full extended wind mill blah blah blah whatever, and I didn't know if I was

gonna get that high, but whatever. So with the one any dunk, I wanted to show that I could take one step out of the baseline, sort to the front of the rim while doing the extended wind bill and boom, throw it through. So I didn't get it. I didn't get a tent from Kenny Smith, you know, which kind of bothered me. So yeah, but he was like, oh, you set the bar too high. Well walking on the port.

That's the last thing. That's the last thing I said to myself before my first dunk, I said, show up a show out, And that used to be our terminology in the band before. You know, obviously in the South the band is huge, so we weren We're gonna show up and show out. So I was like, you know, this is my chance to show the world my imagination and what I'd be thinking about my head when it comes to duncan now you to to talk about that dunk contest and then to think it was twenty years ago?

How does that make you feel? That ship was exactly exactly And I still get chilled. I still get chills, and I'm still like, man, what was I thinking? When? When? When? When? No, that's crazy. Some of his teammates weren't even born That bro teammates weren't even born yet. Think about that. Yeah, you know what I mean? Like that ship is insane. So it's just funny to kind of here and and see it and to just to think of all what

transpired and and think. Once Kenny gave me that nine, I was like, Okay, all right, I gotta step this up a little bit. Huh, Okay, I gotta get it Tim. I didn't want the competition to be close. I but that's why I wanted team back in there, because I knew he would push me to do it because he he had like his dunk His dunks were crazy, stupid bounce, and that's what that's what pushed me to the next level did seeing what Steve Frances did, Like we forget

about what Steve Friss was doing. He killing. Hey, do y'all remember anything that Ricky Davis did. Didn't didn't go into the legs and crazy back, but nobody remembers that. But that's what I'm saying. Seeing that, I was like, Okay, I gotta step it up. So the arm in the rim came like this. I played in Gary Payton game

and I was in the layup line. I was jumping over the rim and I did it in the warm ups too, but I was jumping over the rim and I was just dropping the ball in and I was like, Okay, cool, I'm gonna do that, but I gotta add something to it. So I'm just trying to hang. I've never done it, but I didn't know how to do it. I ain't gonna buy something all. He's right, you know how to do it. Just dunk my fuck Let me dunk my

fucking arm real quick, right. So the last thing, the last thing I remember leaving my coach, Butch Carter said, don't go out there and break your damn arm. In your legs. That's what you said to me. So when I'm standing up the rim before I about the jump there, like bro, please don't fall off this room. I was buying time, like I didn't know what what to do, how to do it, so when I walked it off, but I wanted to show. So what I wanted to

show you is that how high I could jump. I want to show that I could get my arm a butter rim and then you know, the rest is history. I wanted to kind of hang up there and I want you to say. I want you to be like, what the fuck? What I what? And I want you to realize what happened when you looked at that that jumper Trump sick because they've never seen it. It didn't get the initial because people are like, what what did he just do? And that's what I wanted. That's what

that ship reminded me of. What was the movie? What's the movie with uh? The Tropic Thunder? What's the movie semi pro When they when they first when they first threw the alley, you and Mothercker's didn't know how to read like that was like what did he just do? Like yeah, he's like that's when He's like, that's a foul. Two points. Yeah, it was that. It was that kind of awe though, like people like, did he just stick his fucking dunk his arm and hang out? That's what

I want. So if you notice when I walk away, I had my eyes closed, just making sure it was quiet in the arena, and I just started laughing. Yeah, because after that's what I'm like, they're gonna be like, oh so that was the that dunk and then in between the legs dunks or the two that made up that night was the one though when it was over. We so So that's the crazy thing about every time, every time I look at that dunk, like I look

at the first four dunks. Oh so yeah, between the legs, so I said it was over because like I'm trying dunks for the first time making up tonight, and I'm making these on the first try. It's over. It's over. That's what that limp out. Now I'm trying to push the envelope a little bit. I saw that in between the legs in East Bay Magazine picture for the Jump Souls. Remember the jump Souls, you know, when I was in the East Bay Magazine Because it comes from the East

Bay Gangster. Yeah. I saw that picture, right. I saw that picture. So I was like, I'm gonna try that. But they said you got to use a teammate. So I was like, all right, uh t Max, you gotta drop bounce the ball off the bounce. Yeah, And we never practiced. He was like, cause, what're you about to do? I said, just bounced the ball, get held out of the way. He bounced. He's like, what's he bounced it the first time? He bounced it too high because I

didn't know where to bounce it. How high need I said, just bounce it waist hight. That seemed logical to me. Waist high so I can just catch it and then put it between the last said bounced the ball and walk out the way. And if you look at you see him bounced the ball and he looked back like what is he doing? And that's how I came up with it. I never tried in my life, so I didn't know if I was gonna make it or not. And that's where the point came when I did that,

because I'm like, that's what That's what it was. I was like, brother, Gods is on my side. The dunk God it's over. So so I I did you same boat steal that from you. That's all I'm saying. I did in two he alright, that's his ship now I don't know if it did it first. Yeah, that's cool. You can have it because it's over. I take the credit for this over. Yeah, two thousand three, you're the leading vote getter in the league. Uh, MJ's last year. You decided to give MJ your starting spot. Talk to

us about that. Basically, Yeah, I decided, But it was it was it was encouraged by the league that it was a good idea, you know, but by the powers that be it was probably a good idea that MJ starts in his last, his last All Star game. I ain't no food, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, I ain't no food. First of all, like we all look up the MJ and and he's a hero, and like, bro that that's that's a memory that nobody else can can talk about, Like the can't be that can't be duplicated.

But I got a story, Like I could tell this story forever, Like you'd be like, oh man, nobody else can say that, Like and MJ wouldn't take the spot bro, like when they it's probably good. I was like, Bro, I was giving this is m J last year, Bro, and you're not starting. Bro, I I got I got a chance to kind of do this again. This is you, this is your time, m J. So and so I pulled him aside, but it was all day in the morning,

practice or whatever you want to call it. I was like, MJ bro, take no, no, no, you earned this with it, alright, cool right about argue. So we get down there right before we run it out, and said, m J bro take the spot. You're gonna start, Bro. I said, if you don't take the spot, I'm gonna stay in the back and I ain't gonna come out right what I said. I said, I'm not getting blackballed from the league because you you're talking about just you know you earned it? Yeah, okay, cool,

I earned it. We know that, but you're starting. Before right before they called him for the starting lineup, he still wouldn't go. You see it. The last minute is where he took his if you see it, the last minute he taking shirt and he go out there, but he would not go. I was like, bro, please please just go because I'm gonna walk to the back and

it ain't happened. So he takes it, and it was like I was like, man, thank god, Bron, because that's steal though, because you got so yeah, yeah, yeah, it's it's it's all good. But like I'm thinking there to say, I gave m his last start and then what happened that fade away? Bro? He hit the ye perfect. I think the NBA messed up. Bro, I think the NBA messed up. They're trying to be all technical and stuff.

So m J y'all might remember, Yeah, y'all definitely remb me up in around MJ hit the fade away and they called the time out. We're trying to get the game stopped right there. Yeah, we're The game should have been stopped right there. Forget the one point two seconds or two however many seconds left, forget all that. The game over. The greatest of all times just capped off his most famous shot never in the in the All Star Game. It should be over. Now another great player

goes and and and does what he does. Kobe breen By Kobe Bean Bryant goes up to hit the the game winner, but it should have been stopped regardless. Point Like, that's how that's how you do that? And I think they dropped the ball on that one the two greatest back to back shots long time. You spoke on your experience being a rookie with grown ass man kind of thrown in the fire. You got a chance to play

with Vince Carter for one year there. Uh, you know, I remember first seeing him there and he was just he took the world by storm, you know when Vince sanity, half man, half amazing, you know, kind of hit hit Toronto and put them on the map. How was it your one year playing with VC? It was tough. It was tough, but he did an awesome job, you know, looking back on it, he was only like twenty five years old, you know. And he took me under his wing. He um, you know, he take me out to on

the road. He even came over, you know with dinner with me and my parents, you know, my parents and stuff, and um, you know, he showed me, um, you know things. He took me under his wing, you know. And uh, I don't I'm not sure if people knew my capability coming into the league. You know, I had supreme confidence in myself, so I knew I could help a team

right away. I knew that he wanted to win UM and so did I. So I wanted I always wanted to be that rookie that showed up in the game, you know what I mean, because it was so much pressure and he was so good. I mean a lot of people don't know how much talent he possessed. God physically gifted and skilled people I've ever seen in my

whole entire life. Yeah, he was incredible. So just just to be able to see that and just I mean, just to see the insanity factor to be at all start with this dude and just watch him just walking people reacting to whom and it was it was amazing, you know, even you know, a couple of parties, even couple of parties, just a couple, just a couple. We didn't have a game the next day, you know what I'm saying. But he took me, did a great job, and just just like really just being around him, man,

he was he was awesome. Do he one thing that I used to love bro to me. I was just like, Yo, this dude is crazy, but I respected it was when you used to do like your pitch to become an NBA All Star. I mean all done. Now you're in the loving time All Star. But you really used to do your little pictures and act. And where did that ship come from? Because that ship used to have me roll? You know what it was, bro, not boredom. I don't want to say boredom, but to be honest, the only

reason I had that idea. Times weren't like they are now. Um. The voting system for All Star was just a little different. So if you played, which is still the same now, but if you played in a certain area, you're more likely to get votes, right, um. And I always at the time, I thought that Toronto was gonna be able. I thought everybody was given Toronto a tough time, you know.

And then I remember looking, I'm trying to be an All Star of that year, and I'm looking at the numbers, and I mean, KG and Brian there, their voting numbers are just it's another level of superstartup, you know what I'm saying. And all I only did that just to kind of bring the votes up and make it a little closer because it was embarrassing being way and third way and third Bro. But like I always, like, I always messed with the camera, always did videos and stuff,

and you know, just my brother and my friends. We'd always make each other laugh and do do not crazy crazy stuff, but you know, funny ship and you know,

really just to have a good time man. And and really, I mean another huge influence on me was like me and my dad and my brother, we would watch and Living Color every Sunday night, were watching Living Color, and we watched the Star Trek the Next Generation and then the old School Start Track with with William Shatner, you know what I mean, and Richard Nimore and we would we would sit there and our favorite, of course, I was watching and Living Color and watching those dudes. I

mean that was kind of like the early influence. Yeah, and so I always love that stuff, you know, and that was pretty much just like my imitation of it, Slam Duck Chimp the East Bay funk is born. Talk to us about that, bro, I've been doing that Dunchin's like nith grade, you know what I mean. I was doing that Dunke grade. So it was just soft from from way back for me. Everybody was doing Dominique Jordan's, you know, doing their dunks. So you know, one day

I tried and got close. So I was like oh I'm gonna have that, and then I had it in like a week. So I was doing like people that know me go old school with me, that went to school with me. No, I've been doing that dunk. It's like fourteen fifteen, you know what I mean, the Boys Club dunk contest, Chris Mullan when you played for the Warrior Judge the dunk contest when I was a youngster at the Boys Club and I did that dunk. But with that being said, I just kept it going, brought

it to college. You know, I freaked in college and when the College Dunk contest and it was like, okay, you know what I mean. And then you know when I got to the NBA stage, obviously went to a tremendous level. Man, that's just old school. That's that neighborhood and stuff. You know what I mean. I mean, he was going to you was going between the legs and you know what I mean, Like you said in in high school and then in the pros, you did it.

What do you think about the creativity? So you know, to this point, because all these dunks have been done, you know what I mean, So you gotta come with some crazy ship now to make a way. But these kids are coming with that crazy ship and making away. What are your thoughts on to being a former slam dunk champ? So, I want a lot right since ninety three, right, people have been going between Let was cold Evince Brian, you know Brian never been but other dudes, you know,

it was going between the legs. And I was like, man, this is crazy j Rich and you know I just this us. I was like, are you kidding me right now? I mean, these dudes, we're doing some crazy stuff, man, and still doing crazy stuff. So to me, the evolution of the dunk. Like, So I didn't practice dunks, you know what I mean? I didn't. I didn't you know the first dunt dunk said the second. I didn't go out there. I don't have a routine. I don't know what else gonna do. I hadn't practice no dunks, you

know what I mean. Need coming up in high school, you know, everybody had to bouncing ones and we we dunked out, you know what I mean? Here On Minor used to go at it in high school and so we do. And we heard that name in a minute. Yeah, we hused to go out of high school. I mean Southern cow local. We we yeah, we had a roll and without getting said practice, we just went off the cuff.

So now dudes is taken behind the back, taking you know, practice and looking at pro dunkers, taking time, getting the time and getting advice from dudes, you know what I mean, and going in the lab and getting major dunks off, you know what I mean. So I just look at it like the evolution is incredible, man. I mean just to go from a simple baseline between the lads too.

At the end of my dunk contest, so I used to throw it up to and into my dunk contest, I'm talking to Sean Kemp like they wanted to doing more dunk. I'm like, man, I'm gonna throw it up, go off verse and throw it between legs and Antonio and David like, man, you're good that out said, Like all right, so I wouldn't did something else. With that being said, I look at it now, like, man, they're going behind the back, off the backward. It's incredible. Man, I'm at all you know what I mean When I

see these dudes, you know what I mean? With that being said, man, I think Aaron Goring went Aaron Gordon want the Dunk contest. It's been getting two times something, man, baby with two man, they ain't any stuff doing that to that kid. How you feel about that, that Dunk being named the jail riding Like every time I see somebody do it, I ain't somebody to talk about it between the legs like I'm gonna try to jail riding

like that. That that astual Dunk is basically named after you. Now, man, say, I'm glad you said that because I was starting to think otherwise because the NBA don't give me no prost. Man. You know, the real was no man, the real was no doubt. My goodness. Man. Look the bottom line, they're doing it way better than the original now, but they still home with the legs and win the Dunk contest in brond Isn't that you mean? That dunk has lasted a long thirty years? Man? You know what? And that's

me behind me. So with that being said, look, I feel I'm glad you see that because when I'm around people, I don't I don't. I don't hear that much. I just see him saying. So I'm around a lot of kids and we're getting over so they might they might just say that East Bad funked him and not even though I'm right there you you know what story, I want to shout you out and everyone involved. It was in the process of changing the All Star Game that

ship was amazing. Ship was amazing, the competition level, the excitement, um, the quality of play, Like, I really want to tip my hat to you, bro, especially because you brought life back because that that that game was all life support, real talk and you and whoever helped you come up with the idea. UM, definitely a shout out to you. But tell me how that came about, because I know you were very integral and that happening. That's crazy because

I'll be I'll be forgetting about that sometimes. It's funny that even even the whole thing adoring the draft, how you draft now? Right as far as the All Star Game, uh me, Michelle robertson Adam and their team, we actually came up with that idea too. And the reasoning behind that was, like, I've been blessed to playing all these All Star of games, but I felt like I was playing with the same guys year in a year out. Yeah, so I was, and I'm always looking at it from

a fan perspective. So the funniest thing is that I actually sort of came up with that idea, but I never made an All Star game to play an it since right, right, right, since coming up with that idea, I had made an All Star game to play in it. And so last year, the TVT tournament that comes on right during the summer, the championship games in Chicago. I'm a big fan, had a team in the tv T. I was at the game and it was crazy. It

was crazy or how your state won the championship. So after the game, I called Adam, Well, I think before the game, I called Adam and I was like, Adam, you should watch this game, watch the TVT. I think we should try to introduce it into the All Star Game.

Adam watched it. We talked about it, you know, for a while for a while for a while, and then, um, you know, when we unfortunately lost our brother Kobe or whatnot, me and Adam talked again about how to sort of switch it up a little bit to honor Kobe at the same time. And then what was even better was that I finally made the All Star Game, right, which I didn't know that was gonna happen. And you know me, Maddie,

I'm I'm crazy competitive. So yeah, time man listen and that that's That's one of the biggest things I miss about Cobe and not getting that opportunity to play with him when the trade stuff happen, is that I was there. They blocked that ship. I couldn't believe. Remember what I was talking to you, you were talking to me and Code. I'm like, bro, what You're gonna fucking love l A. There's nothing like being a Laker. Next day, I know they blocked David Stern blocks the trade. They said it's

over for that. That was crazy. That was crazy. But the crazy part about the All Star Games is that me and Cole used to always say we won't lose because I st that. Yeah, we used to beat the hell out of people. And the thing was, you know, fans would be like, oh, the game wasn't good, and we'd be like, well, we just gonna teach you all that gonna do. But told us, he told you, he said he would look over at you would be like, CP,

let's go every time man, listen. All Star Game two thousand nine in Phoenix, y'all should look back and see what the score was. We beat them so bad. We we want to so bad. And I never forget it because Phil Jackson was the coach right and I remember coming in the locker room for the All Star game. Usually All Star game locker room its chills, like Shock was on the team, Shock the wilder in the locker room. Man Phil Jackson coming there and he was like, Paul,

what does Irison like to do? I was like, Yeah, what's going on this All Star game? Phil Jackson, he coached that game. We went out there and we sort of play almost like it was man and man. But if somebody had the ball on the right wing, he was shipped like Kyl Gasol had to come over to the elbow, so it looked like his zone right. Somebody's researched figure out what the score was because Braun and d Waden was oh mad during the game. It was it was like I was gonna play his own We

water him up. That's what's something. No man shout out to Kobe, but no tell but tell us, just tell us about how it finally came about, like I said, and just how you guys felt his players out there, because like I said, you got that fourth quarter was unbelievable. Tell what's that was like? So um first and foremost your honest you know, he got that mentality too. And you know all Star games. This is what's tricky too.

You know all Star game when somebody drive down the lane to dunk, everybody usually do what move out the way right because don't nobodyn't want to get hurt. Don't nobody want to do nothing, So you're honest and smart. He just kept driving. Everybody moved out the way. So I told us in the huddle, I said, oh, hell no,

this that ain't gonna work. That ain't gonna work because he know he can just score every time if if everybody's gonna move and so I mean all game long, you know what I mean, Like Jay Kid then was over there and all that because it was our assistant coaches, and I was like, yeah that we we gotta go because the way it was set up too. If somebody gets a lead too big, then you in trouble in

the fourth quarter. Man and and the dopest part two and I shout out to coach Vogel for letting me play is that usually to end the game, the starters usually in the game, you had such a big effect to me. You were in definitely in the All Star the m v p uh conversation. You had a hell of a game. Man. But you know what I told Coach Vogo before the game, and he dun the mothercker got a dunk. Yeah, keep that low, stack, keep that low.

He looked up. This is what I told Coach Vogel for the for the game, but people probably don't even realize. I told him in the locker room. I said, listen, coach, I ain't wanted them dudes to be like, I don't want to play and save me for the second half of the season. I want to hoot. I told him that. I told him that. I said, don't be treating me like the old guy over here that just want to rest, even though you oldest, go ahead, Hey, you only as

old as a mentor that's met. Hey, Hey, listen, I told him that, and so I appreciate him for respecting that because not not losing out now, you guys brought it back and we appreciate it. We were there. What's the most memorable moment of your second year? Most memorable moment has to be All Star, All Star Weekend being in the All Star Game starting. I saw it. I saw it on your face. Bro, we was down. I saw it all on your face. Yeah, I was. I was excited, did it? Man? I ain't gonna lie. I don't.

I don't get nervous like I always get anxious for games, like I'm just ready to play, like I'm just ready for it to go. But I ain't know a lot. All Start night was the first night in a long time that I was like, all right, man, like, I'm kind of man like, this is, this is I'm starting to like. I think it's a difference than being just a just an All Start and the starter too, It's like, uh, it's a different feeling. So for me, I was just ready to go out there and put on the show

and have fun. And for me to be my second years, it's a it's a blessing the people that have been around for sure, No congrats man, like you said to to to get voted in to be a starter is a whole another level, especially in your second year with however, you know, there's so many talented guards now you mean, there's so many talented guards, So for you to be on the scene as your second year as a starter. Man. That's definitely hats off to all the hard work you

put in, man, what you've been able to accomplish. I appreciate that. If you can go back, maybe before you're born, maybe just before you got to the league and sit courtside to watch any two superstars go out, and what would that matchup be towards any two superstars? Um, good question. I wouldn't watch that All Star game when Jordan and Kobe played against each other. Was that Kobe's first second All Star game? That was his job showed out? Yeah,

that was his first one. They went out his first that would have been This is All a Smoke, a production of The Black Effect and Our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime