De’Aaron Fox | Ep 67 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

you guys. Man, thanks for your time. Yes, supposed to do this. We're supposed to do this a while ago. Yeah, so, dear, and let's just get right to your richest funk now. Congratulations a five years, a hundred and sixty three million dollar extension. Man, congratulations on that. Um that happened fast. I mean you're what the third year, this yr, third year, and fourth year, fourth year? It's my fourth man, So congratulations man, How how how is that own, although we're

in a pandemic, kind of changed your life? I'm sure you've got a lot of people hitting you up and congratulating and asking for ship, like, how is your life changed since you signed to you know, man, enough money to take care of your family for the rest of your life. Actually, nah, I mean since I've been in the NBA, man, it's kind of been it's been easy. It's really been easy. Like you know, you hear the stories about people always having people out of get your number,

hit you up, ask for your stuff. But I never really had that problem. It's crazy as it sounds. I've never really had that problems. You know, California taking half of that ship. So that's what people don't understand. Like right from the jump, whatever number you see, slice that right down the middle and then they're still in California.

You're slicing more than half of that for real, understand So Chris as someone who's trained him and now you're his agent, I mean, there's got to be rewarding for you as well, for you know, for to to see you know, a good friend of yours, a client, a brother, signed a max contract only in this fortune. Man, it's a great feeling. But be honest, was almost like a side relief man because everything that could have happened last year, happy man. I mean, at the beginning of the year

he got hurt, were stretching over that. Then you know, then Corona hit. So we're like, man, the season gonna get complete in the bubble happened, then Bloody div I got fired to dude I've been talking to for the past two years, something like, Man, this is crazy. We had we had June circle on our calendar if I don't know how long, when it seemed like the day just kept getting pushed back further and further, further and back. Yeah. So man, when it happened, we was like, Man, we celebrated. Man,

we celebrated. It was you know, I got on my knees and thank God, and we celebrated absolutely. Darren, you also just uh proposed to your now fiance in September, so engaged. Man, uh father new contract. Life is good. It looks like outside of obviously the pandemic being crazy, but personally, how has everything been? Pandemic? Family? How have you been able to manage everything? Hold on, Hold on, hold on, hold on, Chris Matt he good because I'm gonna tell you. He he tell you, he tell But

I saw him at Turkey Ladhood. I seen him and wiping the big chuck pulling up going to Turkey lad cut over Thanksgiving over Thanksgiving, Howiday's mat So I just saw him. He doing real good for a lot of people and for the world. Was a lot of blessings for me. So Ship, I just I just keep calling my blessings. I wasn't hurting you said. I got engaged, I signed a contract. I played well in the bubble. We got to play in the bubble. Ship, That's a

blessing in itself. Was great for me and my family absolutely. Speaking of the bubble, what was that situation like going out there, having to be away from your family. Um, obviously safety first and foremost, basketball next, and then also carrying on a social justice message which I know you're prominent with because you were out of March that my

brother Dian Taylor throwing Sacramento. You and your your fiance now and I think you when your your your youngest, Um, how was it from a player's standpoint, hoping but then also having to do so much other stuff while you're isolated from the world. It's crazy, it is It was crazy. Obviously, you know a lot of guys have been doing stuff in their communities for forever now as far as professional

athletes go. But being able to do something like that that that really touched close because I'm pretty sure all of us, all of us black men, have had some type of running with with police before, rather as we try to avoid it. You didn't do much fucking speeding. You need to have a traffic tickets something. So just being able to do that was definitely a blessing. And um, I mean the stuff that's going to continue to happen.

I mean I helped my community before. Um, you know, outside of uh, you know, social justice, but this is stuff that I think obviously we like to when it. We rather wish we didn't have to do it, but we know that, you know, it's something that kind of comes with it. So for us just to be able to be in position to do that stuff, man, it's

it's a blessing. Um, this is stuff that I kind of like to not necessarily with that instance, they have fun with it, but you know, we enjoy kind of being out there and being able to help our community and people that look like us. So for me, man, it's it's cool just being able to do that type of stuff. Absolutely. Um, what was it like to actually

play in the bubble? You went out there, you know, you had an injury early on you went out there, you were able to play, you played well, and this is like the new norm now you know, you kind of have to be isolated. There's no fans. You know, they did what they could do in the bubble. Now you're, you know, back to reality with no fans. What has actually playing been like during this pandemic for you personally? The bubble man, the bubble is totally different from what

we're doing now. You know, you were planning a and it's it kind of felt like a theater, super dark outside of the board. Um, but they did a real good job with the ecstatics in the bubble, like that's that's one thing. But that experience was terrible. I never want to play. I never want to have to do anything like that again. But I'm glad I could tell my kids and my grandkids that, you know, I was able to play in the bubble. But I much rather never have to do that again. But now, I mean

it feels a little bit normal. Hell was just in Houston, so you know Texas said it's like Corona don't exist, Uh there in Atlanta. They're in Atlanta. You can't tell them, Motherfucker's nothing like nothing like you said like Stax said, Stack said, he saw us pull up the Turkey Legs ship, you would have thought it was normal. Was hell in Houston right now? But not hey, but just playing, man. So we played in Houston. They got a couple of fans they have I think that might like four thousand fans.

So that was the most normal that that it felt. But like Dames said, I mean, you're gonna see teams getting blown out, getting their heads beat in by teams that they probably shouldn't And it's different. Man. You gotta be able to play and no fans. It's no energy. You gotta create your own energy. It's basically like you used to play that back gym at eight o'clock in the morning. You gotta come ready to play. Nobody can Nobody can help you. Yeah, for real, for real. So Chris,

your your journey, let's talk about your story. Um, obviously started as a trainer, worked up with Jack a little bit. What was your journey from training people to actually transitioning into a sports agent now? Man, it was a crazy journey. Man. That's why I really wanted to come on this show, man, because Jack was, whether you know it or not, was a was a big part of my journey man. Uh. Like I said, he was one of the first pros NBA players that believed in me. Man. And I still

remember the first time I worked out Jack Man. You know, I'm a real big study here. I'm breakdown film, you know. So yeah, yeah, we're in the hood. We're in my hood. And Hern Clark, Houston, Texas. He came to Brentwood Church. He walked in, he got to pick in his mouth. You know, they got two kids of his mouth. Lucky, lucky it wasn't a blood. Yeah, two pick in his mouth, shoes, his shoes on laced. I'm like, you know, we're gonna start right here. We're gonna get stretched one. He like,

He's like, no, like what we're doing? Bro, Like, well, let's get right to it, you know what I'm saying. Like, And so working with a dude like that, you ain't got time to be stuttering and stop. You gotta know what you're doing because you know what to dude, he's a pro, And so he pushed me. Man. You know just uh, like I said, Jack, that dude he just gave out his heart. Man. Uh. He was a big part of my journey at one time, and He's probably stories. He don't remember. He had a camp at that you

still got the gym down there, statility. I just I just saw it. But I know Steven Jackson academy. Yeah, I just so he had a camp down there. He like, yas you just come run this camp. Man, about a hundred kids running around. Man with two coke. Man, we pulled up. I had the price for the three hundred Man. I was so broke. Man. The window was bust out. I had a trash bag and started and started at it started ranging. Jack was like, nah, bro we gotta

get your window fixed. He called somebody. They pulled up to the gym and got That's how I broke. I was, But he gave me an opportunity and never since then. You know, it's it's being you know all when I was, when I was on Christie un was the well off, the dope that was a dope boy car. You know, I got pulled over plenty of times. Right in the crisis. I'm like, I ain't got no money, you know what

I'm saying. So what was your transition from working guys out to actually having an opportunity to represent people in this space now? Well as I grew in the business, I started seeing like, man, you know, I know a lot about this off the court and you know, working out, it's only trainer's only hour off the day. You know, we be with Jack in San Antonio. We might train thirty minutes. The rest of the day we're kicking it.

So yeah, so I'm realized like, man, you know, hey, I'm seeing a lot of older white men who don't care about these kids, who just kind of looking at these kids as you know, it's a it's a p to meet or just a business I'm like, man, I'm actually with these guys seven, you know. And I was like, man, you know what I want to get on the business side. So I kind of started as a consultant manager. As we got deeper in the business, we're just dealing with

a dude that was just bad news. Man. Happy Walters was like, this is like, man, we can do this thing on the own. Yeah, Like, we can do this thing on the man and figure out. Hey. What I recognized about Chris though, what I recognized by them, what drew me to him was before I met him, I just seen you know, I always tell you, I always tell you man, I speak three languages Spanish, English and body language. And I can tell he cared about what he was doing, you know what I mean? And you

know what, you know it was Matt. Anytime we can help somebody, to pull somebody up, especially somebody who you know that's trying to help themselves, it was it was easy for me to get with him and then working out with him. I wasn't even thinking that I'm doing something for him. I'm just trying to get better because I see he really cared to people that care about something. Good things come out about the soul. So I had

the same love back, but the man. And I'm just happy to see real budges like like d A and uh at him come together. You know what I'm said, to build what they built. You know I'm saying a lot of times, especially young sinces black men, we go the other way because we think the other way is right, you know what I'm saying. But it's good to see them build something to get to the way they at now,

you know what I'm saying. I love to see it absolutely man And yeah, Math, I don't know if you can see the logo, if you recognize the local people can't see it but it's actually a fist. Family first, So it's a fist, you know for empowerment. You know, it's an if one, but it's a fist as well.

So we all were big about empowering, empowering each other, man like changing the way the industry looks, you know, absolutely, and I think more than ever before it was kind of just you were in a situation that had to be Now we're able to create our own situations. I think Lebron has been a perfect example not only of greatness on the court, but the ability to open doors

for people. He Fox with you know what I mean, you put them in position, and like Jack said, without me really knowing you, Chris, the fact that you're trying to get it on your own and not didn't just have your hand out. I know as a man, I'm always trying to help those kind of but they are really trying to get it, not just saying Yo, can I get this? Can I get that? But I'm trying to get it on my own. So definitely respect for that. I'm one of them, Matt, I'm one of the niggers.

You hip, Yeah, appreciate that, bro. You you know, you might you might you uh we'll keep it. Okay, I'll save that joke anyway. Man, at the first time the joke back, Hey, uh dear, And quick turnaround from the bubble to the season. Now, you guys started right before Christmas, seventy two games season high expectations for you guys. Now, you guys got a young, talented team. But you can only say young for so long. You guys are expected to make the playoffs. Now, so what kind of pressure

has that put on you as the leader of your team? Oh? For us? Man, this at least for me, I can only speak for myself, it's not a lot of pressure. I mean, at the end of the day, I know we're talented. We can go out there and play the way we're supposed to play and we can win basketball games. And I don't think what that comes pressure. So I think we shot people the first couple, first couple of games this year, but we kind of hit that. We hit a rock. Uh. But like I said, man, it's basketball,

you gotta turn it around. You could you could end up losing five games in a row, or you can lose two and then win five in a row. And it's all about just mentality. Man, It's You know, both of y'all have been on the on the on the on the right side of winning, and you you know how it can be if every if something goes wrong, that ship could be a snowball effect. You probably seen teams lose ten games in a row. So we just can't let that happen. You're going in your fourth year.

Who are some of the you guys really have a veteran driven team of some of the older voices of reason, um in your guys locker room outside of yourself right now, guys guys like Glenn Robinson, Harrison Barnes. You know these guys have been there. Um. You know, Harrison has a championship, has been to a few finals. Court Joseph has been to a few finals, has a championship too. So they've

they've been through it, They've they've done all that. I'll make fun of core Ap think Court, it's twenty nine and I'm talking to him like he owed because he was he was in San Antonio. He was in San Antonio when he won and then when they lost to Miami. So I can I can always ask those guys questions, man, all the time. You know I got obviously I got their number, UM see him every day and they're always open. They're always open to it. So I mean, they're closer

to my age and than I really think. But they've been in the league for ten years already. But yeah, super Man, it's crazy. It's crazy how much guys really want to help you in this league. What has travel been like for you? You guys have kind of set up a new schedule where you're playing, you know, the same team, maybe back to back, or you'll stay in one area and and do a couple of games. What

is that? You know? That was one of the things for me towards the end of my career that I hated, you know, and we're always on the road, and I just didn't like that ship. What has travel been like for you guys now that obviously the pandemic is hit and that's probably the worst part of how we're doing it right now, you know, seeing the same seeing the same team in the back to back or hell now in fucking Denver, you couldn't eat inside of buildings like

you got on the plane. You couldn't go inside of the plane because of the COVID stuff. And it's y'all couldn't eat on the plane either, No, bro like, because I mean, you know, some stages times more strict than others, worse. I'm thinking, motherfuck, I just practice with him, but I can't eat next to him right now. So we're not gonna get that. We're not gonna get into that. But yeah, it's it's I wouldn't say it's a ship show. You know,

the NBA is doing what they can with it. But that's probably that's the most difficult part about the traveling and everything this year. That's crazy. Um question. This is something that you know, Jack and I were big on um during our career. You know, we we were known for guys that you know, we wouldn't flaunt it, but we we use candas um. The NBA is getting to the point now where they're not testing for it. What are your thoughts on cannabis and sports and and and athletes.

You know, we all know, you know, some guys in all professional realms use it. What is the thought around the league now that they're starting to relax a little bit on the regulations. I mean, I don't think they even really care, you know what I mean, Like so many states, it's legal. Man. As we motherfucker's drink worse than that, I don't think none of times I te people really just don't care. And y'all know how the program in the league work, Man, do they really give

a funk like? They really don't give a fun like at all. It's just either don't get caught or you know what I mean. But a lot of people just use um. You know, you can use t a C and all this other stuff that it's actually healthy for you, it helps you. It's it won't come up on drugs tests because it's not it's not a drug. And I personally don't really care. You know, people don't smoke anyways at in this league. You ain't really getting suspended for

smoking fucking weed. Yeah, well that's new. That's new because you know, I mean, that was the one thing we pushed because you know, I've got in trouble. I think did we actually get in trouble together our first time in jack in Golden State and oh seven? Yeah, because you had me drinking that that the liquid ship and had me thinking it was gonna give me the pass and I failed because you smoke all. I mean, the

liquid could only do so much. You smoked the whole motherfucking pound thinking to drink is gonna plush your system. You can't blame that part on me. But no, this is you know, this is something you know, dearon for me. You know, we came Jack came to the league late nineties. I came in two thousand two. When when you first came to the league, it used to be just one preseason test and it wasn't talked about, it wasn't promoted. They didn't say, go smoke weed. They just didn't test

for it. And then around oh five oh six they started four random tests, and to me, it was always sucked up because just like you said, you got guys drinking, you guys got got guys popping pills and doing other ship that that that is obviously detrimental to their health. But then they wanted to pendalize us for smoking a joint or smoking a blunt, and it always tripped me out,

you know what I mean. So since we both retired, then our brother Alt Harrington shout out, viola, that's kind of been our mission, you know what I mean, to let people know it's not so much about the getting high effect of it, it's the benefits of it. In the education of it, the understanding of it. They're really you know, you want your athletes to have the best advantage,

And to me, cannabis was always there for me. So I dodged a lot of bullets quote unquote throughout my career because I knew that smoking was I wasn't someone who popped pills and I wasn't a big drinker, so smoking was it for me. Yeah, And you know, like CBD is huge, man, CBD is huge helping helping you for recovery and things like that. So I mean, I it's only positive that's come with it. I don't see a single negative in it. And you see the NFL ain't testing for it no more. Uh, the NBA isn't

testing for it at all this year. They never tested for it during the summer, So I don't know why it mattered during the season. So I think I think sooner or later, man, all sports are gonna stop testing for weed. I don't there's never bro they I'm gonna tell you how what happened. They was cool on everybody smoking until players start being unprofessional, getting pulled over with it in the car, getting cardon hotels with it, doing stuff like that, so they had to start testing it

because it was making the league look bad. It ain't buy. What you do is how you do it. And men men matter testaments that that we always did it the right way. We never glorified it, We never did it for people to see. It was always a recovery mechanism for us so we can play the next night because we always played harder in the next person. So a

lot of people don't understand that. But I'm glad the world and all of our sports league see it now and any of you just cause just because you're doing it now that it's legal, I mean, they're, like Jack said, there's a way to do it. So if you're on the road, smoke and either smoke on your balcony, go on your bathroom yourself and have some candles. Make sure you even tip for the maids because they're coming in there and cleaning up. There's always been ways of doing it,

you know what I mean. And lucky you know, doncan Wood, Jack and I were never you know, in trouble for it. I mean, like I said, I got find a couple of times and it was on the low. It was never a public thing. But like I said, we just moved a certain way with it, and and like Jack said, some guys were moving reckless with it. And anytime we're

moving to anything, you know, should we high Now. I mean you sit in the media where, especially in the NFL, with guys that get suspended for now, everybody making fun of them smoking weed, like yeah, it's it's like, come on now, it ain't even it's really not serious. It's not that serious. Yeah. Absolutely, shout out to my mom. And she offen right now to shout out to my mama. She back on one now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Judy Jude, Yeah, yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir.

So let's take it back to your roots. You know, came up in New Orleans with the high school in Texas we were was basketball always the goal? Did you play other sports? Talk us through growing up and finding your footing in basketball? So, man, I started with football. Football is my first sport. I can imagine a little atas back, he asked my I was nice, nice quarterback, QB, receiver, safety, corner, whatever, whatever, kickoff, return, pump, whatever you needed me to do, what takes it, he

will do for the Saints. That's that's my day. Yeah, that's motherfucker could throw the ball up to itself, go catch that ball. I did all that, but yeah, I started with football. Then um we got some middle school and I started thinking, man, and I was already Houston at the time, so I'm like, man, it's hot as ship outside. Say you know in middle school. Second day of school is tryalf so I actually had my cleats and everything, like, yam, I'll still play like this one.

This would be one of my last years. I go out there. Man, they were sorry as fuck, so I swear to you they were trash eight seventh grade. Eighth grade didn't win a game. So I'm like, yo, I'm not playing right. I'm gonna just stick to basketball and then ship from there. It's sky rocket hell Baylor. Baylor was in my gym, was in my middle school gym in eighth grade. So I'm like, maybe I picked the

I picked the right sport. But I'll say the reason I really quit playing football because it was hot as hell. It was too hot in the gym. We control the temperature, and in football, say fun that coaches be football such a ross sport. Coaches becaussing you out for no reason. They talked just to hear themselves talk. I'm like, y' I'm not doing this because I'm gonna end up saying something back. And that was it was it for me

in football. You gotta be from you gotta be from Texas, that that Gulf Coast area to know that heat he's talking about. You ain't talking about when you go outside. Oh y'all go with shorts today. No, this is the heat where you're taking two or three showers a day because every time you go outside, you damn did a car to heat stroke on car of heat stroke. I'm telling it's bad, hot bro that water coming out that he coming off that gulf is one of a kind, man.

And you know what you needed back then, Jack was the Manskape package with the ball Towner in the ball white because you wouldn't do it. And then as soon as you got side again and you're gonna start sweating again, you might have to use the ball. Wife's under your arm and ship too, like you're gonna need that pretty boy miss more than anything. Cool yea, yeah, yeah, man, you're gonna need that more than anything. It's just blowing that nasty ass heat right back on you. So it

wasn't so highly decorated in high school. Uh as far as basketball accolades, playing in every game one m vps. When it comes down to recruiting, who were your final four or five teams? And you really gave consideration to going to school for so my last my final was Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas, l s U, Arizon. So funny thing I knew her, And I feel like a lot of times kids just waste time, you know, saying we want to take visits to visit these campuses, do all this ship. So I

knew where I was going the whole time. So I'm like, I'm about to go, you know, spend the colleges money and it ain't on me and go have a good time. Take my parents say, whoever want to go on these official visits. But the whole time I knew I was going to Kentucky. So the whole month of October my senior year, I went, I went camp. I wanted to visit to h L s U. Kansas, went to US A little US A mini camp in October. Then I went to h Louisville, Kentucky, and I say, yeah, I'm

tired as fun like I'm tired all this traveling. This was weekend after weekend for five straight weekends. And then I had to go to Arizona and I canceled the visit. Already knew where I was going, so I canceled that and ended up committing to Kentucky and November. What was it about Kentucky that had your mind made up from the jump? Was it the one and done pipeline? Was that something you had told yourself you wanted to try

to do? That was definitely the main reason. Second reason, that was actually the only place I uh, that was the place I knew I was gonna play. So Louisville had just got in trouble for the stripper ship. So my mom was like, you ain't going there? Uhay there. If you knew about some stripper ship, I would have signed that, man, I would have signed that day. Oh y'all got the program damn hooping. Yeah. So my mom's

was like, you ain't going there? Uh tell you visit l s U. Because I wanted to go to Baton Rouge for a weekend. Um, I mean and in Kansas, you know, Bill self ain't playing old freshman over juniors and seniors because they had Davonte ram and uh and um Frank Mason at the time, who was about to be a senior. So I knew I wasn't gonna play there. So can tell you it was like Kentucky was the only real choice. I knew I was gonna play as

hard as as crazy as that sounds. When you tell kids to go where you know you're gonna play, Kentucky was the place that I knew I was gonna start. I knew I was gonna play. And that's that's what it was. Really. I took all the visits just to take them. Really kids do it. Although it was only one year, what was that Kentucky experience? I can playing for coach cow Man, it was great, y'all. Like I love Kyle. I still talked to col to this day. Um, and I mean he really just man. He lets you rock,

he go. That's why he wants guards like John and myself and and be night. Um. You know Tyler Euless, the way that he coaches is it's it's like absolute freedom. We go out there, we He'll put exits and those back. End of the day, everything is gonna end up in a pick and roll or isolation. That's that's what the NBA is too. So you know, when he's able to get those guys, I mean, you find success. Kyle couldn't give a damn about you know, winning college basketball games.

You know, if he if he's getting guys who he knows he could end up developing into the NBA players. You automatically gonna win thirty games a year just from that alone. So that's I mean, that's what I love. That's what I loved. He you came in, you earned everything. He made you work and ship. At the end of the day, I was a top five pick. Bam and Malik were a lot of your picks. And that's all you can ask. What we lost in the early eight Obviously we as mad as hell, but that wasn't gonna

make me say it. Actually, so we lost by a buzzer beater. Cayle brings us in about twenty minutes after he said all y'all are gone, he brought he brought us all in there. He said, Yo, y'all are done. Y'all not coming back. If y'all need us, y'all got our numbers, will help you all with whatever, but y'all not playing another college basketball game that was you, bam and who else? Who was the third leg? Month? Yeah, I said, Cal, you ain't gotta tell me twice and

I wasn't coming back anyways. So uh take it back real quick before you guys bounce, you guys SEC Tournament m v P. You obviously make a run to the Elite eight. You have a big matchup in the sweet sixteen against my alumni and Alonzo Ball who was you know it was you too at the time. As far as point guards go. You go out there and drop thirty nine? What was that? Oh my remember that game like yesterday? Man, man, oh my god, that was bad

for that. It's um real quick though, because U c l A came into Kentucky earlier that right, Yeah, so they beat us at home. We were number one. We're number one team in the country at the time. We were averaging the most points in the country at the time, and they came in and beat us. So and the fund up. Actually, the funked up thing about this too is yo, our role to get to the championship was so hard. You know, we played we played U c

l A, who was the number three seed. They were top ten team at nont on a fucking uh on a Friday night. And then we come back and played North Carolina at like two o'clock on Sunday, who was the number one team in the country at the time, so our ship was our And then we had Wichita State in the second round, who I think they were like a thirteen seed, shouldn't have been a thirteen seed. And we won that game by like two or three.

So our road was crazy and uh but yeah, now that game we just I mean I thought about them come into, you know, to our crib and beating us. That was the So that team and then North Carolina were the two teams we played twice in that year. And um, I mean just goes to show man, it's hard to be the team twice. It's really hard. But you you know, you was thinking, man, I've been I'm tired of hearing all this ball, this ball that man,

listen this Mino Imano. Let me go and show up right now because this is gonna help me give to what I need to be. He wasn't thinking that. I mean, of course that was so for me though. That was the only NBA guard that I played that year. Really, so like Alonzo played Marquel Uh, Dennis was playing guys I can do. Uh, he was a a CC so playing Dukee and Ship. I didn't even play another NBA guard the whole year, so that was the only matchup that they could really, I guess base it off of.

I guess if you go with U, you can say the Kansas game too, But I mean Alonso was the only starting point guard in the NBA that I played when I was in college. Yeah. Yeah, that was a big game. Everybody was watching that game. Yeah she was though. Yeah. Yeah. So fast forward, Uh, you and BAM end up signing

your extensions, same money, same time. What is it like getting it with one of your brothers, even though obviously you guys played for different teams, but going to school each for a year, coming out doing your thing, and then BAM max deals going into your fourth year. That's got to be special, man, to be real, all of us, Uh, Bam, Donovan, Jason. I've known Jason since, uh since I was in fourth grade. So for all of us to be able to do that, man,

it's crazy. Uh. First person to call me right after the news went out, Donovan Face Tommy. Then Um, Donovan, Jason and I we all have a group. We we had a group FaceTime, you know, everybody just kind of celebrating. You know, what's what's that check called richest fun? What's the what? What's that check out? I might change the name. I might need to change your name, that young money man. We got it, we got it, we got it. It's crazy.

It's really crazy just just seeing us all kind of kind of come up through middle school, high school together and they'd be able to do that. Man, it's one. It's a blessing for us to all get drafted the same draft, all lottery picks. Then we all, you know, signed signed this max extension, which ain't easy, you know what I'm saying. All it takes, it takes a lot to do that ship. We all know the work. They ain't done yet, but man, it's it was really a

blessing for us. And we talked to each other a lot, very frequently. In man, I love them dudes, and I'm happy for them just as much as you know they're happy for me. So two thousand pick overall by the Sacramento Kings. What was your draft night experience like? And did you think you were going somewhere else? No? So crazy thing is man, I kind of knew I was going file uh because the way it went, Philly was trading up to one to get killed. Uh, Alonzo was

going to no matter what. UM. I knew Boston didn't need a point guard. They had actually at Kyrie at the time, so they took Jason. Actually canceled my workout in Phoenix because they had b night bled uh Tyler Uless at the time, they had three point guards. I'm like, why if I would go to Phoenix, So I cancel that workout and then uh Sack was there. I'm like, man, you know what it would be like to turn around a franchise like that, That would be crazy. So I was.

I was excited to go there. I didn't work out for Orlando, who was after that, or Chicago. Those are the worked out for three teams and Lakers, which I probably shouldn't worked out for that was really wasted tom uh Phoenix and then and then it sacked and you knew there was there, So I was, you know, up from the Bay Area and then moved to Sack at nine. Was always a huge Laker fan, but once I got there and and understood how passionate those fans are about

their team because there ain't sh else out there. Like as you know now, there ain't much to do out there. Obviously in COVID there's nothing to do, but there's not much to do. But the one thing I will say is that fan base is special. And when you're a young player and leave it out out there on the court, they're gonna love you. So what has that been like? Obviously this year being different, but your first couple of years in the process of trying to turn the team around.

But what was that fan base and how supportive if they bene view ship? My first year we were bad. We were real bad. And you know we're selling out just about every home game every night though it you know what I'm saying, you anywhere you go, you're gonna have sack fans. You're on from Sacramento, man, I love the Kings. You know, everybody to bring up the obviously you know the Chris Webber and the Mike Bibbie days and you know, wishing to get back to that, and

I mean, that's what I'm trying to do. That's what I'm trying to bring back to this city. And um, I mean you really just hear the passion in these in these guys man, it's it's it's like it's it's a different type of love for this team. You know, obviously I think our our soccer team just went MLS. But it's it's Kings, man, It's it's Kings fans all over and there there yet really die hard. Mm hmmm.

So what's it like being only in your fourth theater but being somewhat of a vet now you know you've got a young player like Tyrese uh Hillaburton who's hurt right now, but having younger guys turned to you for advice when you're still a young guy. Hey, I'm be feeling oldest. I'm twenty three, I'll be feeling Oh yeah, I feel like i've been in the leaving come on, come on, come on, hey, but uh what was you

doing there? Jack? Okay, I can't even do it. I can't do it, man, I've been this, I got models. This ain't even the episode to say what I was doing at twenty three. Then this ain't even it. I've been. I mean i've been. I've been in there for a while. And then Tyrese was born and I think two thousands and thousand one, like that really makes me feel That made me feel a little bit old with him today. I'm like, Yo, you don't even remember the president before

Obama like he was. That's how young you were. That's insane. What if your thoughts been on him so far though? Who could possibly be the steel of the draft? Man, six five wing, multidimensional, could shoot the ball. What have your thoughts been on him so far? Hey, he's been great. Man, It's you would have thought he's he's in his second or third year, the way that he'd be out there, that he's out there playing, and for them, for these rookies to not get any summer league, a short training camp,

just come in, you got your team. You you found out who you was playing with a month before the season start. That's like, you know what I'm saying, that's a lot of adversity that you really gotta go that you really got to overcome. And Man, his first game in the league, he played in an overtime game in Denver, and you know, it's tough to play in Denver, and he was and he really he really showed that he's

I mean that he's built for this and he really can. Man, he he just he understands the game so well, he runs pick and roll extremely well, he's he's a good shooter, like you said, he does, he does everything extremely well for us, and UM, I mean we're missing him right now. Um, now follow me with this because I'm not I'm not trying to be messy, but I just want to get your thoughts. Obviously with recently the Marvin Bagley father situation and then and then and then your dad says something.

But Yo, when I read your response to what had been said that, I really couldn't stop laughing at like three straight you just said Jesus Christ with the ex like what the fuck you? We're in a new age obviously, where you know, I commend any fathers that have their kids back, and I understand the whole thing, but not I don't think dad's because they're new to the social media game, understanding the power they have at the palm

of their hands. So they're tweeting things that they may tell your mom or your family or not even your family, but other you know, Marcus, are Marvin's dad doing what he does? How does that? How do you guys keep that energy um out of the locker room and and keep you you guys on the same page because the parents think they're just speaking, but they're not realizing that what they're saying is going to go around the world and on every new station get all kinds of coverage. Yeah, man,

I told I saw it. Fifteen minutes after the tweet went up. Response, he just said, Jesus Christ. Next, what the He's like, what the fun iscause y'all I started getting I'm getting tagged and ship. I'm like, Yo, what's going on? So I see you on Twitter FaceTime. I was actually on FaceTime with my fiance at the time, and uh, I see that ship. I'm like, Bro, what the fuck? I'm like, Yeah, now I'm about to be

pulling in some ship that I didn't want to be involve. Man, you're not like, So I text my dad and then I text the group with my dad, mom, and brother and I'm like, y'all, like, I can't do this ship because regardless of regardless of anything y'all say, is not gonna ask y'all. They don't ask me about it. And I'm like, you're like, y'all gotta start thinking about me before y'all put anything on the internet exactly. And the thing is like I know my pops, you know Mississippi

a Mississippi born and raised. The second he probably saw that tweet, he let me, let me tweet this ship. I know he did. He ain't thinking twice about it, right, But for your question, like with the locker room, we we said something about it, but like nobody's really worried about it. To be honest, his parents, it ain't nobody. Nobody's thinking about that at all. Like and people think, you know, I'm trying to do like I'm just trying to,

you know, say it to the media. But like I told my people, like yo, no one fucking tweets Somebody give a funk about that ship. Like nobody thinks we go. We we had a practice, we had a game. Nobody's thinking about that ship. Obviously we gotta ask what yesterday, But we just gotta ask what. You know, what I'm saying, fucking Kelly ain't made it. And I thought and me

and Kelly played together. We played air You together, but Kelly A Kelly's was sucking one for forty and he hits four threes against us, you know, I mean it just it was their night and they played better than us. But as far as that tweet that the Twitter stuff goes man, nobody, nobody was worried about that. That's but if there's no room for none of that and the locker room though, yeah, there's there's no room for none

of that. And then then again, Matt, you know, I'm gonna say this, should if Marvin and throw hands been up with with Dame Ship, ain't nobody been not throw hands? Everything better be cool in the locker room? Well, I think it's also you know, like a teaching moment, you know,

for parents, you know what I mean. Well, he had to pull up on his mom, dad and brother, like you have to realize, you know, although you may feel this way, you know what I mean, it's me that you have to think about because your name won't be in the paper. They'll say, you know, obviously Dearran's dad, but it's dear and this in the spotlight, you know. And it's similar to criticism that that you know that the LaVar is taking because he's speaking on behalf of

his sons, and his sons are like, yo, what the funk? Now? People are thinking this is me, but it's not me. And so it's like you said, it's a new age, and I think this is gonna become the new norm. And I'm glad you guys were able to put the fire out because you know, you've got to be able to block the good and the bad out in that locker room. Only the motherfucker's I saw Luke won't and talk about I played with Luke, and I mean, I'm old school, so I know the deals. All the outside noise.

This nick is crazy, it's crazy. But that that didn't even more, that didn't even by, that didn't even bagle him motor like here, laid back cat, you know what I'm saying, Like that ain't even him, Like that's the that's the little homie, Like he ain't even know you know what I'm saying, conversation a guy like that, You know what I'm saying. So I knew, you know what

I'm saying. That it was all It was all gonna go away with just the fact that people on the outside, like y'all said they gotta pay attention and stuff like that, because it can't affect a locker room not knowing. Yeah, and for us, man, if we if if we would have won, that game should have been over. Nobody would have talked about it, no more, most likely, but right we got blown out and everybody think the chemistry sucked up and now it's just a whole another thing that

you gotta listen to. The only way to the only way to write that ship is to win. But what was it like catching uh steps on the motherfucking tear right now? People been talking crazy to him and your team was one of the teams that had to pay the consequences for it. Like playing, I mean you couldn't. You could be the fastest dude in the NBA from from in the end, but I played with Steph and playing against step his his they say he runs almost three miles of a game off just his movement alone.

What was it like having to chase his little ass around and him drop thirty on you guys? Guarding him is like hell? Because like yo, because they don't even really I mean, they run a few plays, but if Steph don't have the ball, the person who got the ball looking for Steph, if Steph don't have the ball, and niggas who don't have the ball looking the screen for Steff, he don't stop ever. Ever, if he starts walking, you know he's about to take off. You know what,

You're in trouble catching him right after sixty. Don't don't. Don't let that happen to us. But the clothes line this nig if he if he started, I step know how I feel. I was on the wards when Brandon Jennis game fifty five, so he know how I feel too. Yeah, But that fifty five was different from what he'd be doing.

Man was sick his movement always every game. He a threat to get every game, ye now more than ever because the rest of his weapons aren't really But I've seen one play that was funny, and I knew it was coming too, because you picked him up, maybe right at half court, and he threw the ball to Draymond on the blocking for one second you looked away and he cut back door and got you on the back door cut. And it just shows like he is always

live on everything. And that's the hardest thing is the team that he has right now still doesn't know how to play with them. So you've got a chance to play with them. You know, when they won a championship in seventeen and you had to chase him around with other stars on the court, And like you said, when you're not one of those main three scores, Clay, Katie or Steph. You're looking to always screen for those guys no matter what, and if you have the ball, you're

looking for them. Motherfucker. So to have to guard them as a nightmare, said I Man playing them two years ago when they had k and they had Katie. Hey, that's the worst feeling over. That was the worst ship ever because we uh so one of the years we lost to them because you know, we're playing four times, so we lost them four times by a total of ten.

Going into them games, man, it was like, yeah, these things just want a championship, you know, like like you're getting obviously you're getting, you're playing, you're trying to play your best. If you play your best against that team, they still have to play bad for you to really win that game, real bad. And the way the dudes were in the clutch, obviously having having played Stephen Katie, man, it was we're playing great and it's impo. It was like it felt like it was impossible to beat them.

It's crazy, especially trying to go a shot for shot with them because they had so many shot makers. As you can't do that. You gotta get steals and try to turn them over as a young player coming into the game, obviously everyone is a competitor now, But who were some of the older point guard you looked up to our possibly monitor your game after when you were first coming into the league. So when I first got the league, guys that I really wanted, just like Russ

Kai uh CP. Obviously, you know, they all played the game extremely different from each other, but they all had different ways of really affecting the game. You know, Russ with the way he's coming at you, you know what I mean, He's gonna come at you a thousand miles per hour for forty minutes. Every second that he out there, he going hard. Um CP just the way he really manipulated the game. You know, he's he's a king of

pick and roll, even at thirty five years old. And then Kai just the way that he could he can come at you with different ways with pull ups, puts, you drop, you get to the basket, the way he can finish under the rim. You know. So those are really three guys that I really I really tried to study when I first got in the league. Well, you came into a league that's driven by guards, Now, who

are some of the guys you look forward to? I mean obviously every night as someone new, but who are some of the guys like, okay, got like tonight, we got Dame tonight, we got step Who are some of the guys you're like, Okay, I gotta go tonight And and this league in a right now every game, yes, you gotta you ship. We play Chicago next and even a kid like Kobe White can get thirty, you know what I mean? After that, we got Toronto with Kyle.

It's every it'sn't every night thing trying to play this position. If you ain't ready, you get your head cracked open trying to trying to play higher. Well, that's how it was. That's how it was with us with Wings when me and Jack were coming in, it was a wing driven league. Your twos and threes where your go to. Guys. Now it's more point guards. But that's what I'm saying. Every night for us, it was k D. Mellow, d Wade, Kobe, Jenobli, Mac t Mac Jack, our test like you name it.

Every night you had Paul Pierce. Every night, you had your hand fulls. It was and that was as a defensive player. I loved it. So I know that with with it being such a heavy point guard driven league, every night is just it's time to go. And then for us man like you know, a lot of times you'll put your in up, your best defender. So a lot of times I get like long the long athletic wing guy garden me. So it's, uh, it's different because

you know, I'm actually guarding the guards. You know, I'm guarding the trades and dames and stuffs and Kyrie's and I'm staying on those guys. So it's it's it's a lot. It's it's a lot to do that and then still you know, pick up, picking up on offense while trying to stop these guys. It's should take a lot. Now, people that go both fends, you know that that's definitely an unsunk thing because some guys don't go both fends.

So to be able to guard someone on the other end and the average night that it ain't no easy feat. That's why you get the big bucks, slimp fella, That's why you get the big bucks. Uh, talk to us about Kobe Bryant. You wear shoes, went to a skill camp. What did Kobe mean to you man. Kobe was big m and crazy thing is we won one night um in Portland's I was able to sit with Code in

a library for three hours. It was meet him and maybe four other people, and I was able to sit with him for about three or four hours man, from like it was probably eleven pm to three am, just

sitting in there talking man. And that's that's one of the that's something that kind of I mean, it sat with me most obviously when he passed away, because this is something that literally a year and a half before it happened, I was able to have a sit down with Code that even I actually didn't even tell my brother about him, and he was he's a big Kobe fan.

But like, that's that's something that I'm extremely extremely grateful for, you know what i mean, everybody don't get that, you know, if some people might get a picture or autograph, one little conversation, just being able to be there after Code

was done. Um, it was going into my second year and man, that was that's something I always think about, you know, what if that didn't happen, you know then and now the obviously the Kobe thing hit me even even harder because I was able to actually have this personal interaction with him. I mean, he was big, you know what he what he did for the game, what he did while he was playing, you know, I mean, you know that motherfucker made tough shots and he got

the green light to shoot fifty of them. So it was it's a it's a different animal when somebody at a green like that light. He don't care if he missed forty nine in a row. He's still gonna shoot that. And that's that's the thing about a lot of guys now, like Steph. It's when when when somebody can shoot that many times and it don't matter, it's hard times harder to guard. Absolutely. But I remember, I remember seeing all the Christmas Day was showing all those holiday games. Man

nobody wanted problems with code. Man, nobody wanted problems with cold on the holiday game. Everybody was going home. The biggest, the bigger the stage, the better he was. He thrived on those. He thrived on those. I mean, it's but he was also someone that you said, you got you know three for our conversation. He was someone that it was weird like him and John Wooden and the handful of time I talked talked to Nipsey, it always seemed like, no matter what we were talking about, you were learning.

Did you give that feeling when you had that conversation with Code, whether you were talking about sports, a life for business, or family. I always felt like I was just sitting there soaking up game. Yeah, man, he I mean he was a teacher, you know what I mean, Like he he was a student first when he grew up, when he was coming up, and then he became the teacher.

And he's, like you said, like, man, when he had the camp, you know what I'm saying, that's that's from his own He just wants to teach guys that are in the NBA right now, and that's rare to think about, like a superstar that has this personal invite camp that wants to drop game to the next generation, Like that doesn't normally happen. Yeah, So that's why that's why I was big for for all the young guys that was there, And like I said, that's why Kobe has such an

impact on the game today. M hmm. Alright, man. Quick hitters were at the end of the conversation. So we're gonna give you a couple of quick hitters. First thing to come to mind. Let you know, let us know, so top five artists, you wouldn't mind being name dropped by top five artists? You gotta go all right, I'm from New Orleans, come on, you know that? So little Wayne, that's that's number one. Um, I'll go. I'll go Wayne, Nikki because the young money, uh Drake who wouldn't want

to be named John by Drake right now? Right we're talking about right now just in general whatever. Actually, I'll go Ja jay Z and uh the one more probably probably Geez I love you. I really that would be my father. There you go, Wayne, Wayne was easy. Wayne was the easiest one of them. Yeah. Wayne was easy. Yeah, that's easy one. That's easy one for me. Okay, I hear that you big on the game. We're on live stream of your game. I am too. I play C O D A lot. What other games are you playing?

You know what you're currently playing beside c L D Um, I'll be on two k be on the park gets toxic as fuck. Um. I played Spider Man for a little bit. Uh, I was gonna get into Assassin's Creed just little one little story mode games because the online Like I'm on either two kre or COD. That's what I played online. Everything else really just little uh little role playing games or g t A jack Jack thinks

he's nice to call a duty. Yeah, yeah, we well we we ended our first tournament, but two weeks ago and we won the first tournament, so we're on our way there a little gaming league or what? Yeah, it was it actually the Cold Tournament. Twenty teams. That's tough. War zone yeah, war zone. Hey, let me let me actually not the question though, if you had to, if you had to pick uh five players, five retired players for your two K team, what would they be? Can

you think it's played the game or not? Who would be on your team? Who retired players? Jordan Yes, Ai Magic nice. Oh my god, I'm going KG. That's my all time favorite player, and uh I go shock oh man hands a good squad. Yeah. I was gonna throw some shooters in there. But the way the game was ship, We're gonna punish people in the paint. We're gonna get that money. That's that's that's still how you win. You in the playoffs, you gotta punish people, straight sir, straight up.

Top five point guards in your opinion in the history of the game. Who's real subjective? But we're gonna go magic. You gotta throw Steph in there. I don't care what nobody say. You gotta throw stuff in there now. Yeah, so Magic Steph. See, a lot of people are gonna be left out. We'll go Isaiah CP, m hmm, and one more Isaiah CP and UM A lot of guys. Damn If i'mnna just throw one more, I'll go um top five man uh So I went Magic, Steph CP, Isaiah, Yeah,

and I'll go Um. I'll really go Chauncey I think in his in his prom and then the way he the way he defended, like I'm gonna throw, I'm gonna throw. I mean him and Isaiah. I'm gonna throw them defenders in there, even CP and he CP has been on multiple all defensive teams, ye, both sides of the ball and big shot. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go with those five who could who could possibly beat you baseline?

The baseline with the dribble, anybody with the dribble. I think you're still John Ai prim TP de Rose, Tony I hold on if you let Tony Parker put the ball his right hand ain't nobody be I'm sorry, I'm sorry if you got to go to the left, If you got to go to the left, are hes gonna knock everybody else down on the court. But if he could put it, if if you put in his right hand, can't nobody. He's the fastest thing on earth that. I definitely say that. I definitely say those four. I think

I said for mm hmmm, fast as a motherfucker. Uh. If you had to do an outside game, you plus four people, who are you take into the park with you for a pickup game? Hey, I'm taking Kai Katie. I'm side game. See if I could take cold, I'm taking Cold. These are just people who can hope anywhere. Yeah, right, I'm gonna say this. I'll take Will Barton, Philly guy buckets anywhere we'll get to. Uh, I'll take someone like uh,

someone like a d you know what I'm saying. At least at least have a little big out there to do something. But the first one is Kai Katie, Will Barton, Um them dude, you know that can hoop at the park. You know they don't get you. You know they're gonna get you. Buddies at the park. I love it. Five five dinner guests alive are deceased. Five dinner guests all UH athletes, all basketball players, know anybody, anybody, anybody you look up to, anybody, Who are you coming to your

dinner table? Ship I got I'll go Kevin Hart, nice funny, I gotta have lass. Shit, I'm gonna pick one of y'all. Which one of y'all trying to come? We can just count this one. Yeah, I'm gonna put up both of y'all. So that's one that's too the first time we've that's dope. Appreciate k oh Um. I would go somebody like either Malcolm X yes, h I would go like an artist like um, you know pop Hove, you know someone like that. So you got the comedian y'all to have comedians because

n is funny. Then you got I'll just I'll say Hove and then me. So that's fine. That's that's what's up, Jack Gold and finish this this your this is your questions ahead and finish it. Okay. Before you answer this question your answer, you have to help us with your answer. Did you get what I said? I gotta help you all with my answer? Yeah? Before I ask you this question. Whatever your answer is going to be, you have to help us with your answer. Do you make sense that

ask the question? I'm just I'm just her. She understand that before I asked the question. All right, this is the question. Who would you like to see on all the smoke? Okay, okay, um, I'm trying to get y'all. N that's really gonna that's gonna really lie. You know what I'm saying. Not sure, cold nothing. Uh who I want to see on all smoke? I'll say, Uh, either j T justin I mean Jason or Bam. J We

had j T. He blessed us too. Yeah, help us get BAM there and shout out to j T. To j T something his shirt that he wore to the playoffs with a picture of me and my clippers jersey with my with George Ford name on the back man, to show love to George. Yeah, he's something. I just got it last week, so I appreciate it. Bro word shout out man, Thank you dear for your time. Man. Good luck the rest of the way. Chris, we appreciate your time as well. You can catch this something Showtime

Basketball YouTube. The I Heart Black Effects Network will catch you next week. Peace This is All a Smoke, A production of The Black Effect and Our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime