Welcome back. All the smoke coming to you from Sacramento. Sack down Sacramento Kings training camp as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Like them on that ass.
Oh yeah, I was doing a lot of beam lighting last year, even though I wasn't on Yeah, I wasn't on the court lightning being with him, but I was lightning the being. But uh, you know, today we got a one of my brothers, someone I got a chance to play with. Uh, someone I've just just just.
A good dude. You know.
It's when you find good people want to make sure you stay in contact with them. And our next guest is one of those fifteenth year or sixteenth year sixteen oh boy, yeah, yeah, sixteen and we'm talking about it. Welcome to the show man, JaVale McGee, Welcome man. Thanks, Let's let's get to Let's let's talk about some content before we get to basketball. You just dropped the documentary. What is that about?
So I just I just dropped the I just dropped the show on my YouTube. Everybody remembers my show in the bubble.
What's your YouTube had?
My YouTube? Javel McGee, Yeah, I had a show during when I was in the bubble. I was. I was vlogging and everybody loved it, so I was I definitely had to put my content up again. And now I got a show called Ranked already on my on my YouTube. It's ten episodes, it's become once a week. It's about a fifth grade the number one fifth grade team in Dallas, and it's just showing the real deal how to be the best in AAU. I don't feel like everybody's really
showing that. It's a lot of cookie cutter basketball out here, and we got cursing in it and everything like that, which everybody's like, oh, faux paul about. But one big thing that I'm really happy about it is all the boys have their fathers in their home. That's that's something different. Rare, Yeah, very rare. It's very rare in our community. But that was one thing that really really drew me to it. So yeah, the first episode came out today, so that's
gonna be pretty cool. So just log into that, you know, subscribe like all that good stuff.
Any other stuff coming down the pipeline. Obviously, the more years you get in the league, the more you kind of obviously keeping basketball first, but you start dabbling in the other spaces content or something your seriously, and I've been seeing you on Players TV with some kind of wig on and some other shit. Yeah, so what uh you know any other thing we could be looking out for.
Yeah, man, I mean I'm getting the acting, man, the acting. I've always been producing music and movies, so I mean I'm doing it all, man, especially when it comes to like the media and things like that. I've always loved it.
Man.
There's something that I've always been been passionate about, even in like college and shit. So yeah, so.
You're sixteen, three time NBA chant. When you hear that, like, you have to pinch yourself because you're still in the mist. So I don't I know you haven't sat back and kind of looked at it.
It really is like that, man, Sometimes you do have to wake up and be like because I remember. I remember, first of all, I wasn't one of those in high school, and I wasn't one of those like new I was going to the NBA. You know what I'm saying. It was all Paul McDonald's or all American or any of that. So when I was in the NBA, I made it to about six seventh year and I was in the average three to four. When you hear that rookie transition program,
you're like, well, shit, the average three to four. So if you make it pass forward, you did pretty well. So I got to around seven or eight, and I believe I got injured, and I remember calling people and like calling my girl, like shit, we're still gonna be together. This shit over, like for real, because like you don't know, especially, I had a real energy injury. I had a ride putting my shine because I had a stress fracture. So I was having pain for about two years after that,
so I was playing through the pain. I just didn't know if, like if I was ever gonna not be have pain. So the fact that I'm here at year sixteen crazy, blessing, Man, blessing.
I mean, it's a rarity now. I mean, you know, obviously to beat the odds, but you know, we played fifteen and fourteen years respectively. There's not too many bets in this game anymore.
It's a young man's game.
It's a young man's game. We was talking about that as we were watching you guys in practice, Like what kind of honor do you carry? Knowing that, man, I've been through fifteen of these training camps. This is your sixteen. I'm here with the new young team that has championship aspirations, won three titles myself. What kind of veteran leadership and not only the game, but just kind of the mental side, do you feel like you can help this Sacrament of Kings team with.
I mean, I definitely, I definitely bring that leadership on on been there, being a player that's been there, being a player that knows exactly what it took. Clearly I wasn't the superstar and the team the number one guy, but there's there's fifteen guys on the team, so it's thirteen, maybe twelve other guys that are in the same position, you know what I'm saying, And we don't win a game. We don't win a game off of just two people. So so I mean, coming into this role, I embraced it.
Mike call me, uh he was the first one to call me, and it was just a beautiful, beautiful conversation that we had and the role that he wanted me to come in here and play. I was. I was excited to play it, to come be a leader, to come show on the defensive end what we can do and hold down that paint. Yeah, I mean you want me to run the floor of block shots and dunk. Hey, you call the right guy, Darren.
Darren told me when I was talking to him today, he was like, they're they got you making plays and stuff now because they play through the big and I know you enjoy that. So how refreshing is that you because you know we even watched you play. So motherfucker tell you jabill go out there do your ship.
I know in the summertime, be playing point forward, bring mixing people.
Yeah for sure. I mean, and I'll be seeing like you people may be thinking we don't be seeing comments and like that, so we they'ld be like, yeah, he's not gonna do that in the regular season, so I'll be I'll be assuming that. Do the fans think if you were big that that just block shots, sits in the dunker and and plays defense on in the off season, you just gonna block shot sitting the dunky game my career. My career I would have only lasted a little bit
that if that was the case. But I love the game and uh that's not And mostly everybody in the league that what their role is now wasn't their role when they weren't when they were in college. Came in so they can get there, you know what I'm saying. So, I mean, I'm just passionate about the game, man, and being able to touch the ball as a big when when even if you're not scoring, the ball just it goes through you every time. You're not worried about it.
It's just being able to facilitate. And I'm a hell of facilitator that's never really got the opportunity to do it. So just being here and being able to have the ball in my hands and get my teammates open and I might average three assists this year, which is crazy on my side. So it's just it's fun though, man. Out of anything, man, just being here with these young guys and the passion that they have and the way that they run the floor. Man, it's beautiful pace.
Hell of a pace. Dearon Fox, you've played against them for a handful of years. Now you guys are on the same team, not so much as game because we all know how incredible this game is. What if you've seen from him as a leader?
Oh, man, hell of a leader man. Uh, He's a vocal leader. But he's more of a he gonna show you on the leader. And one thing, I was surprised that and I watched basketball, but I didn't really realize how good he is on defense. Oh my god, I'm trying to because I'm on the second team. So when the second team played the first team a practice, I'm trying to hand it off. I can barely hand it off to his to the man he guarded because he's shooting the gap and it doesn't even look like he's gonna.
Get to it.
But he's so fast and he has great hands. So yeah, it was really impressive just being here every day and being.
So Compare your first training camp in Washington with our brother Gilbert Arenas right to camp sixteen out here in Sacramento.
Man, this is this is a breeze.
It's a kwalk, right kwalk.
It's getting easier every year, and that's I mean, clearly that's good for older players. But if these younger players knew what we were doing sixteen.
Years ago, to days for like two weeks.
But real two days, you know, the second of the two days just shooting.
You've got two practices for like two weeks.
Yeah, straight, you exhausted, So it's totally different. So this is this is a breeze. It's fun.
If anything, anything standing out with you on that Washingt team with Gill, I mean we see him now kind of funding his niche in the in the media space and saying wild, outlandish but a lot of factual Ship. Anything you remember about playing with Gill.
Oh No, You've always been wild, man, Just say whatever the fuck you want. Man. You give a man that much money, god damn in power, he's gonna say whatever. That's just his personality. So yeah, he always been that way man. One thing about it though, he never, like they always were, would try certain players, certain young players. Motherfuckers.
Never tried me ever, I don't know. I had a real short temper when I was when I was really yeah, and it worked against me, but it worked for me sometimes too.
You gotta have the best.
There used to be that stereotype of light skin was sweet. But I don't know where that came from. I don't know where it came from. I don't know nothing about it. Uh, your observation kind of the state of the league. I mean, you came in Ship sixteen seeds ago, and like we just talked about training camp was night and day different.
What is the It's obviously a young man's game, as we spoke to it earlier, but what have you kind of seen, You've you've kind of played in almost three different eras of the NBA, so to speak.
When I first got in the league, man, it was it was the beginning. When I got there, it was what's your first five? Wait? Wait, wait, was my first year? Don't try to do that.
Yeah, I mean it didn't even add up on my head. I'm just trying to go away to add three years on it. Bad thing, but u but wait, oh wait, it was.
It was a big man's game to where like you had bigs and those bigs where you give it to the big and they gonna go to work in the post, blah blah. And then it started to wean away from that. If you weren't that big that was getting the ball, then it was it was a rebounding big and that type of it was still high low definitely, definitely so so now and then when I was in college, I shot threes and everything. But when I got to the league, that was like, we just want to run the floor,
block shots and rebounds. So I was like, all right, i'mna focus on that. And now it's it's spreading out. Now they want every big to shoot threes, they want every big to have the pop. You got to go back in your bag for sure, for sure, And it's a beautiful thing. If you love the game, then it's not a curse. It's a blessing. Like, Okay, finally they giving us some freedom. But it's just a blessing to be able to be through those three eras of basketball.
Because in the middle area, guys like Draymond and them, they was canceling all big men out. I was like, you gotta go sit on the bench. Yah, Draymond over here handing off to steph On all day so you can't even play. So it's definitely a beautiful thing to be here and just see the progression.
I me and Matt basically, you know, we both dealt with negativity in the media, especially before we got.
In the space while we were playing, and uh, you know.
I think we've always been guys that's big on that that's been able to deal with it and still shine, you know what I'm saying, Like, Diamonds, you're one of those people who I got so much respectful because so much been said from people on the outside looking at it, even our peers, But it never stopped you from being JaVale McGee talk about being able to deal with that and being mentally strong, because just because you're in the NBA don't mean you're mentally strong.
No, I don't. It don't at all. It's a lot of people who can't go through the ship and be successful at that. It's a lot of people who can't who can't perform and still go through stuff off the court, you know what I'm saying. But in the long run, I've always looked at it as a job, and I'm a professional, so I can't let it first, So I can't let the things outside effect what's going on inside. Because this is like like, and I'm sure y'all feel
this way too. When y'all got on that court, that was the only piece y'all had, y'all was like, well, shoot, all right, I'm on this court.
I'm finished in twenty four hours for sure. Other times we were fighting on the court that wasn't piece. But outside of the fights, yeah, but even the fights, you you you you.
Had fun andough was like it was like it's like a camaraderie to it. You like, Okay, I'm with that, and then you go home and then me, I go home. I go home to my girl and two girls. So it's all it's all calm and you know what I'm saying. Then I get to go back in the gym and I get the battle, you know what I'm saying. So it's just a beautiful thing to have the best of both worlds. But yeah, man, just locking in and being able to believe in myself. Man, for real, My mother
taught me at a young age. Man, can't nobody define who I am. I'm me from the jump. I mean when I get there, I mean me when I leave. So ain't nobody gonna, oh, you're not you this way. No, I've been this the way I've been this whole time, and you're not gonna change how I being. So everybody in the media, they're gonna say what they gotta say. But I'm always be me and come out on top of the end as she did. That's crazy.
You gotta add, you gotta.
Add who my mama is.
You know what I'm saying.
My mom was a beast man. She was, like we said, she was herd. My mom got to to two high school championships, two college championships with Cheryl Miller. She got she had Olympic gold medal. She was in the w She got drafted in the WNBA at like thirty four, Like she was like number two pick ors so at like thirty four. Like that's a crazy concept. So she got overseas championships. So my mother is a is really a goat. Her jersey's her. She's in the rafters at USC.
So when we was younger, I think like the last time she beat me though, was like fourteen fifteen when I started like dunking for real and shit like that. But she but yeah, my mom was a beast for sure, on and off the court too.
Well how did I mean your sister who too?
Right?
I mean how did having your mom? You know, normally you think, okay, my dad is gonna you had the mom, but your mom had was had more accolades than a lot of dads last year. So how did that help you become who you became, not only as a man but also as a player in this game? Oh?
Man, tremendously. Man, it was my mother. I wouldn't have played basketball you know what I'm saying. Like my mother saw from obviously. So when I was born, I was eleven pounds eleven ounces, so from the jump, my mother was like, oh, yeah, you're playing basketball. It's nothing like.
What is that? Right?
Yeah? So so she automatically and she's always put me in positions and I was always a good kid to where like I listened to my mother like you need to go there, you need to go there. All right, I'm gona go. My mama ain't ever sit me wrong nowhere else. So I'm just listening to what she says. She's always put me in positions. I used to be on AU teams where I didn't play, and she'dn't be like.
No, you're leaving.
Were going to a different a team where they're not as good, but you're gonna get your rock soft so you can get your confidence up. And like that. She's always put me in positions to be successful. And I've always listened to her and it works.
So the biggest thing that you haven't said, she's a winner.
She's a winner.
She can't just play basketball. She's a winner. She was a big, different, big winner.
You've been around a lot of greatness throughout your career. Uh, you know, we touched on Gil and those Washington teams, the Warrior Runner, you want two championships? What was it like? You know, I got a little bit of a taste of the experience in twenty seventeen with you guys, But to have KD, Steph, Dre Clay, Iggy, Steve's a rock star explain that environment and how much fun you had and what it felt like to get your first two rings.
Oh, it was amazing, man, it was amazing. One thing I really absorbed and picked up on is players running the team. You know what I'm saying. That was my
first dose of players running the team. Like it's not like it's not like they run the team to where they're coaching, Like Steve Kurt doesn't coach or anything, but they have a lot to say in the organization, all three of them, Clay, Steph, Draymond, Iggy like they have they listen to him and Okay, you want to implement this, Okay, even in plays or off the court stuff and things like that. I had never been a part of nothing
like that. It was always players, coaches and upper staff and then they we all separate it though we really don't have a we're not really conjoined. But the players really at Golden State, they really showed me how, how how this is a business and we're all business partners.
We we we had a chance to experience that because we had a lot to say something.
We played that in Golden State.
But I think that has a lot to do with the House, the training to because he listens to us.
He cared about where we want to stay, we want to he cared about all that.
So that's a big reason why the players have a lot of influence because of you know what I'm saying, And that's good.
I know they have way more influence than we had Stephan them.
But the House has a lot to do with that because he forces the organization to care about what the players are.
That's and that's rare, that's very rare. You got players, You got players on teams that literally have no say it don't matter, like you going to good cities like okay, we want to stay over tonight. We know we don't gotta we don't gotta practice the next day or a game the next day. Okay, we want to stay over in this city. Stuff like that. A lot of teams
don't have that, and organizations don't realize. Like when you get guys, when you give guys that leeway and they go out, if they go out into a city together, that helps on the court the next day. Like, man, we had fun last night, but all right, come on, let's go to work, you know what I'm saying. So that really helps in the organization. I don't think a lot of people understand that.
To get your first two rings, what does that mean everything?
Man, it was beautiful. Man, it was a beautiful thing. And I was going through that that that that stigma that was on me of of oh, he's he's a dumb player. He doesn't know the thing a lot of things. He's not a leader.
Can't be a dumb player. Playing in Golden State period at all.
I remember, I remember to cut you off. I remember when they when somebody was saying that. I remember Matt said, this is your exact words. But he might have the highest basketball I Q on the court. When they said that about him, that that was your reply, he might have the highest basketball.
That was a smart player. He may make some ship here and there, but bury a lot of a lot of actually a lot of here, you know, what I mean, and that's what I took from it.
A lot of people don't realize, like a lot of my mistakes that I've made on the court that people like to highlight have been just because I'm like ship, I'm I'm I'm a caged animal. They want me to do it just dribble, hand off and roll and let it out. I'm like, man, I want to take ball up, I want to shoot the three. I want the motherfucking jab step, you know what I'm saying. I want to That's a lot of things I want to do and and I've never been able to do that, like been
allowed to do that. So it's always been like all right, I'm just take this one player. You know what I'm saying, all right, let me get let me get this all. It ain't never been Okay, I'm gonna just continue to fuck some ship up like that. But they trying to make it like that for sure. You know what I'm saying, that's we control our own native you know what I'm saying.
COVID hits uh you with the Lakers, guys are playing really well.
Amazing. We're playing amazing, by the.
Way, Yeah, playing really well. You guys go inside that bubble. First, explain what that bubble experience was like.
Hated it, hated it, hated it with a passion. I'm a social person, man, I'm a real social person, and I'm not a person that likes Like on the road, I like hanging out with my teammates and they don't like to be confined. I don't like to be confined. But on the road, I like hanging out my teammates and going places and everything. But at home, I don't like hanging out with my seeing my teammates every day, Like after practice cool, I mean during practice cool, blah blah.
After that, I'm going to the crib, I'm going to the mall. I'm gonna go somewhere. I'm gonna just go have dinner with friends and things like that. But so when we're in the bubble, it's just like practice, practice, practice, go back to the hotel room, Practice, back to the hotel room. Game, back to the hotel and walk around. I see other NBA players. I'm like, why do I see players from Houston players from Milwaukee, Like, I don't know.
I don't want that.
I need my freedom. But I felt really confined in the bubble. And I didn't like that aspect of it. But I mean we were there for a goal, so and that goal was to win the NBA Championship. So that aspect of winning I love. I loved every part of that and it was fun on that aspect, but just the isolation thing I didn't like that.
Well, some people try to put an asterisk on that championship and for us as former players in the outside looking in, to me, there should be a star by that championship for every reason you just said, and the fact that players are such creatures that habit we get in our routine. We have our families. Like you said, you like to go home and chill, walk around the mall.
When you're confined to a small space with no the outside world is burning down while you literally while you guys are in the bubble plane, you're checking on family, you can't really see them. Like to me, that adds a lot more pressure and a lot more I guess glory once you guys finally do make it and do win it.
And we were coming from La, so you know, La is always something to do. Always right after the game, are we going to dinner? Dinner? Dinner? Spies, stay up until one or two we want in Oklahoma or something like that, you know what I'm saying. So that isolation was literally a day and night just okay, do whatever you want into nothing and lock in and focus on what we got going on. So it was definitely different. But I don't think it should be Astras like you said.
I think it should be a star for sure, because that's definitely harder than it would have been if we was playing regular season, it would have been smooth home crowds and home crowd We had bro one time when we were in the bubble. It was so funny. I'm on the bench and cheering, and then the crowd noise skips, like it stops, and then I realized, like, wait, that's they're dumping in crowd noise. We're really the only people here now, Like this is an open gym, right, it's
an official open gym. That's all this really is. Like it was so weird, and then it came back, and then the crowd noise came back, and I was like, Bro, this is like Truman show show.
I want you to speak to these two real quick. First of all, a bubble a D because Bubble a D was on some other ship. What did you see from Anthony Davis playing alongside of him and being.
He was like the man he was like in real like then getting a lot of shots up, really focused on him on what he had to do. But I feel like everybody was likeed in on the team. Tell the truth, like it was everybody and it's his time to shine, and he showed up for sure.
Lebron's greatness.
Oh man, it's it's It's not just on the court though. That's the craziest part, you know what I'm saying. It's just so meticulous. I don't know how his brain works, but it's so meticulous to where it's on the court, then it's talking on the court, then it's talking off the court, then it's talking Uh, it's it's it's it's group dinners. It's it's just so much that goes into it that he makes you feel like, Okay, we're all a part of this team and we're all going to
win this championship. You know what I'm saying. Even motherfuckers who wasn't even playing, they locked in like, yo, what's up what we need to do? So it's beautiful.
Man. Brief stint with the Nuggets, Jokic.
What are.
A beast? A beast? Beast? He got it all. He got it all, man, he got it all. And then his pace is so slow you think, like, where's this coming from? Like how is this? But he knows. I feel like I feel like he sees the game at a at a slower pace than the rest of us. They say this is a random fact. By the way, they say, cats see in like sixty sixty frames per second or something. So when y'all moving, the cat just
already know like where you're going. Come on, bro, Like, I feel like he sees like in a different frame per second or something. Yes, he'll he'll literally you're a step you in there just way while you're in the air, and then throw the floater, shake you, pump fay and just no facial expressions at the same time, you don't look tired or nothing. I'm just like, how's he doing this? And then after those games he'll get thirty and fifteen. He'll go lift after you lift after every game heavy too,
So I'm like, Okay, he locked in. Yeah, he deserves all the glory he's getting, for sure. Luca and Kyrie, Luca and Kyrie man Kyrie's handled Oh my god, his feel for the game, the way he can put people in position and then at the at the job of a dine decided to go get buckets is amazing. It's
truly amazing. Luca just the all around score. I don't think it's weird just being there and seeing it, and and truthfully, last year I don't think he was even in his best shape so and he averaged went thirty two. So I think I think if he had the team that bron had behind him, Luca could averaged forty two, like forty average forty two points like it's so he does it so easy, it's crazy.
Obviously a current member of the team, but you know, you've been in the league for a long time and Sacramento hasn't been a very good team. It's it's a whole new face now and a whole new energy. Shout out to management and Mike Brown who they brought in and then the players they brought in. What did when when the Kings were making their run last year, Like what did you think about them and how they kind of captured the NBA.
I mean, I was in preser, I was definitely impressed. Uh, for them not to have been in the playoffs for so long, and then for them to work so hard and get so far into playoffs at at at the at the pace that they were running was the number one offense.
In NBA history and the NBA history.
History and history seventy five seventy six years lead has been around. That's hard to do. But Mike did a great job when he came here. He put guys in the right position and were running the right plays to make sure that their pace was unmatched.
Hm, well, we appreciate your time. We got quick hitters right here. First thing to come to mind, let us know an album or song that's on repeat for you right now.
The new Drake album is on repeat right now. For sure?
You like it?
Yeah, I'm rocking with it for sure.
What's what's upending on the state of hip hop?
Uh?
Because I know your music, guy.
Man, I just wish we had more conscious rappers. Get the pedestal away that all the other rappers there's no substance at all, Like we need at least like two two conscious rappers who aren't talking about killing each other for sure, not even J Cole or like like like yeah, like like or even rappers that make love songs.
You don't love nobody like.
You can't be mad all the time you love somebody, you know what I'm saying. And the funny part, like I love rod Wave too. I love put Yeah. Rod Wave is hard because he actually like talking about emotions, you know what I'm saying, Especially as black men, bro, we don't talk about emotions or we just don't know who to talk to about him. So the fact that he's making music like that, I honored. Man. I just
got put on the right way too. I've known about him and I've heard his popular songs, but actually been listening to his albums. I'm like, Okay, he actually like a black man getting into his but a in a masculine way. It's an amazing thing.
Man. One of your funniest teammates in your and throughout your career, someone who stands out.
Nick Young, he burns.
Out in our head. Coach of the Big three team enemies they just want a championship. He's the coach now.
They just want a championship. Swag.
One player from King's history that you would have liked to play.
With, uh white Chocolate.
A person said that.
Best player in the world right now.
Uhhesh mm hmm. I'm gonna go y honest man, Yeah, who.
Would you like to see on All the smoke? You have to help us get your answer on the show?
Is it a uh get my as the show? Who doesn't matter if it's an athlete or now baby, we have everybody, so I don't know if you've been on here yet, but diplo Yeah, that's that's my homie man like that.
Yeah, yeah, we love to have Well.
We want to thank obviously you and the Sacramento Kings organization for having us here during training camp. Although you're new, this team has aspirations this year. That's your solo camera right there. What can the fans expect from you and this team coming this year?
Hey man, sit up?
Yeah, talk that ship.
I just feel like the fans gotta be ready to like that meme every motherfucking game. Man, Just lock in. Man, we're gonna we just need you'all behind us, and we're gonna we're gonna go far and hopefully win the NBA Championship this year.
Man, number four for you, right, big dog. Appreciate you man. Javel McGee, you can catch the show time Basketball you in the iHeart Platform Black Effects. Welcome back, all the smoke, coming to you from Sacramento, California, Sacramento Kings training camp, and it's an honor to be here. Sacramento coming off their first Playoff appearance in about sixteen years, and the person we're sitting next to had, you know, a lot to say about that. Welcome to the show, Kevin.
Herder, appreciate you guys having me man.
Thanks for coming Man year six. You're six. Thoughts preparation, this summer, expectations for the team, give us a little bit of all that.
It is like, it's crazy already, you're six. My fast, right fast. It feels like it was just a rookie. Honestly, your two in sack, so that's doesn't feel like you're six. Really kind of fears like you too. Just good year, you know, feeling a lot more comfortable here. Everything was moving really fast last year obviously after the trade. Getting here in the summer, working out with the team and
the start of the season can just be crazy. It is my first time going through it, so definite more comfortable. Obviously excited for the year ahead, but like I feel like I'm getting old, Like I got to go.
Right, still feel good though, still moving good. The nickname Red Velvet, Where did that come from? That's what I want to know.
That was so I tweeted this, I think like a year ago. It was on Twitter, like I was. I tweeted it because I actually didn't know myself, like where it came from. People just started saying it on social media like Instagram, and I tweeted like, where did it come from? I forgot what I said, and a bunch of people tagged this one lady just want to count.
So I guess at the time, like the Hawks social media, they put out something like we got to find this guy nickname, and a bunch of people started tweeting.
Out, how do you like it? Though?
And sometimes names are given that we don't really fuck with. How did you like it? At first?
I love it at first? I love it first. It was but it kind of came along and it stuck like that was kind of something people loved. So it was one of those things.
It's dope because you never heard nobody with that nickname so universe, you know in the NBA.
Yeah, right, I think it's dope.
Yeah, they had like they're calling me like red Mama stuff from college, but I feel like that was already so overused. It was just like you needed something that was a little bit unique.
That velvet was original, That was original.
So it's cool.
Last season career highing points and a three point for shooting percentage. Obviously coming over from Atlanta, Mike Brown brought this system over and you guys were the number one offense in the league. You really found your rhythm. One thing I found that I wasn't really aware of because I didn't get to see you play a ton in Atlanta. But you know, obviously a knockdown three point shooter, but your ability to make plays out of the pick and roll,
your ability to get downhill and finish. You think that's an underrated part of your game that people don't really talk too much about, because I was very impressed with just your all around offensive game because your your labels are just a shooter to me much more.
Yeah, I think it's definitely underrated, especially coming out of college. I think it's something I continuously always having to prove proven just more than a shooter guy. You can't just
run off the line and your job is done. But like you talked about, our system, like, I think that's a big part of it, just being really comfortable what the guys were playing with, the system we have, how unselfish we play, how fast we play, just like a system that you know, obviously I really want to be a part of, but really brings out the best of
my game. And felt really comfortable And it didn't take too long either, kind of got off to a really good start and just able to get to my shots being super efficient, and for how fast we play and how much we cut and move, it's you know, it can be it can be anybody's night, and which is fun to play.
So obviously you mentioned earlier obviously year two, coming into year two and sacrament you're feeling a little bit more comfortable. But what was year one like? You know, obviously the history of this team and the lack of success they had in the previous sixteen seasons. You were part of a team that kind of broke over the barrier got
to the playoffs. What was last year like? Can you sum up just last year as a whole, from the excitement from the city to you know, obviously you guys going seven games with Golden State, what was last season like to you? Personally it was.
To be honest, it was a big change. It was kind of a culture shot. You know, I was born in ninety eight, and.
So damn I graduated high school in ninety eight.
That's crazy.
So born in ninety eight. So I have, I think in my lifetime growing up playing two k NBA live like all those games, Like Kings were never good at those times, and you know, they were good very young days in my life. And so I grew up not watching or really following Kings basketball. Get draft in the NBA, you come out to Sacramento once a year. Usually it's you know, you're on your West Coast trip. You're going to Portland, Golden State, the LA's and you're in and
out of Sack. So I didn't know a lot about the city, and it just felt like I'm from New York, upstate New York. So it's complete opposite side of the country. And so for me, it was a big change. Going from a say Atlanta's the biggest market, but a bigger market team to a smaller market was also a change.
But right when I got here, the excitement around the team obviously, the support that they get from the fans right away it was super noticeable this, you know, the way that Domos coming in the year before finishing after the trade deadline. Half the year, I think Fox was hurt that year. I missed the second half of the year. So there was a lot of good momentum going into the year that was just kind of able to step into and take off running. And so City made it
really easy to come here. We talked about the way we play made it really easy to make that adjustment. But everything off the court, I think at first was a little bit of a shock, just moving to the West Coast for the first time, to a city and a team like I don't really.
Know much about again. Career numbers during the regular season, you struggled in the playoffs against Golden State at times. What did that learn Because you know, obviously Jack and I have been through the wars, both got opportunities to win championships, playing a lot of playoff games, those hurdles getting you know, when you go through a little bit of a struggle in the playoff, that shit weighs on
you really heavy. What did you learn from your experience in the playoff last year with a second win, now.
Yeah, just got to continue to get better. You give Golden State a lot of credit. You know, they have stuff were really good at. In our offense, they took away our first and second options, which as you guys both know that it's going to happen in the playoffs. And then you know, individually, I don't think playing as well as I know it can and efficiency shooting, making shots to make shots at the level I know it can, and so you know, just a lot of ways. Got
to continue to add things in my game. Teams are going to take certain things away. You got to be able to go to the second and third option, and uh, just continue to get better as a player.
Did you experience any Atlanta nightlife when he was in Atlanta? Did you experience the strip clubs.
A little bit? For I just wanted to make sure you got a little taste for you left.
Did you see his jersey hung up on any of the walls, because his jersey's entire Atlanta strip clubs.
They retired ship.
You know, we played with lou Williams, so Louis I was for a full year, so uh so he had the show surround. You know, I was still younger show, still young guy at the time.
Well, people don't know.
If you go in Magic City today, it's lou Will has its own section that's glass glassed off in the corner of Magic sty and is called lou Willville.
Wow, lou Will.
Has its own city on the map in Georgia where he lives and it's called lou Willville.
That's incredible. He's the gold. He's the gold.
Was the thing when it like every time you've every time that I've been there, you go with gone with Lewis. So that's like the only VIP experience.
Food is laid out. You got stuff named after him on the me and you.
I just wanted how much fun you got to drop to have a section named after you in a city named after you. Know, you gotta you gotta throw some bread out there.
We just say, lose a legenda's legend. Leave that yeah.
Speak on the environment last year in the playoffs here, I got a chance to experience thanks to Matt.
I came to one of the game with two of the games actually.
And the environment was crazy to be in the playoffs to get that playoff feel back here New Arena.
Talk about the environment in the field from the playoffs last year.
Incredible Game one when we ran out of the court, it literally just sunds chills down your spine, like the crowd standing up. Uh, you can just feel it, like you feel how long it'd been and how ready people were just to see playoff basketball, and like you felt that the second you walked on the court. And so I think I spent that whole warm ups. It's trying to breathe slowly, like like your adrenaline is running.
I get chills.
I didn't even play, and I get chills thinking about like the environment that Sacramento created for you know, that the fans created for you guys last year.
It was it was incredible. The uh, my third year in the league, you know, our first playoff series, we played at MSG, So that was a COVID year and at the time, that was like craziest environment played against or played in. You guys, your teams run out of eighteen twenty minutes on the clock and a lot of the times and during the regular season, like it takes a little bit for the crowd to wake up, maybe tip off a couple of minutes in the game, then
they're finally into it. And uh, we walked out, We ran out MSG, and it was you know, eighteen thousand people standing doing us already and right away it was like this is this is craziest playoff basketball is all and MSG is like legendary. You know, it's like everybody knows the crowd should be like that, and like I thought,
our crowd here like running around. I was like, this is the louder, like this is there's more energy like it was and where the home team, which obviously helps, but like it was, I'm getting the chills talking about it, Like it was an incredible feeling right on for the first.
Time, Like the being, yeah, gonna be a lot of that this year.
I liked the being indeed.
Talk about Guard and Steph Yeah, fifteen game seven, I mean, you know, that's what good. That's what that's what good. It's a great player, that's what go to do, you know what I mean. But it's being able to share the court with him and to compete. And that's what I tell people all the time. I got a chance to play against Mike, Kobe and Lebron, right, so just the honor and you know, just to be able to share the court with them mean a lot to me. You know, ninety percent of the world can't say they
had that experience. Sharing the court with him is such a big game.
It didn't.
It didn't go how y'all wanted it. But just talk about being on the court with such a great player, such a legend like stuff.
It is.
You know, I think at this point of my career, you played against these guys enough that, uh, that off fact of the shock and playing against is gone away. But you said, my rookie were playing against the d wayde lebron kd Staphs of the world. It was first time, Like, man, I'm on the court with these guys. But like in the playoffs series like that was you know, a lot of our game plan for that was keeping someone on it,
like pressuring him the full game. I think what any any team has tried to do against the Warriors and the playoffs is try to wear them down. Yeah, and the Warriors every single time they wear the other team down just with their fitness line when their offense goes like they flip it on you. And so we knew that going into it. And you say we were the younger team. You know, those guys have been doing it for a long time. We were a deep team all year.
We had a good bench, and so at least at the start of that series, we're like, all right, we're gonna try to throw bodies at him. Like the games were two or three days apart, which I think you'll help them a little bit. But those guys just don't get tired. And that I think was what was most impressive about me, is like their efficiency level just never dropped at any point in that series. We got up to zip and I remember we win game too. I believe it was close at the end. Steph either missed
a game winner in the first second. Yeah, And so Clay is like walking off the court kind of like look at our bench, like nodding, said like like all right, like we got a series. I remember like remembering that, like he knows it's not over. And we didn't locker room like we went in and it was all it was all business and we didn't get ahead of ourselves. But I remember like there was never any wavering from
their side, which was also equally as impressive. And so to start with Steph, you know, he took thirty eight shots in that game to have his damn and I had to be able to do that. And for how well he can shoot the ball like he's going to score fifty. You know, he'd have to have a historically bad shooting night for him to knock get at least forty. Yeah, and Clay in the same breath, Like Clay's been through obviously a couple of injuries so far, but like he
just felt like he never got tired. Wiggins was huge in that series, coming off he didn't play the second half of the year, came in with good rhythm momentum, and so just a great learning experience, I think for all of us coming away from that playing against the champ seeing what it takes to be at that level. We're close, obviously we had our chances to win that, yeah, but just great series for us.
Yeah, I mean, you guys had a few chances game three and four to win those games, and then obviously Game seven, you know, was what it was. But you know, I saw the growth during that series in you guys, you know what I mean, And those are the kind of experiences that you guys are going to lean on this season, you know what I mean. Going to seven games, Granted it was the first round you guys went up against, you know, a dynasty. Although they didn't win last year
that you know, there's still the dynasty. So I think there was so much learning to me. It wasn't really losses. You guys lost the series, but I think you guys learned so much as a team about yourself and where you feel like you need to be. Like you said, they're stamming a level. Their efficiency level it never wavered no matter what the series record was. So I think just kind of from the outside looking in and seeing you guys being that younger team that's kind of on
the climb like we are. Lop City teams used to be the older team that would beat those young Golden State teams right up, like we literally beat them the last time before they went on their run, And I remember talking to Dre and that how much it takes, say they learned from that. So I think it's really dope that you guys got to take to that and and really gonna be able to put that to work this season.
Hope that's what we definitely do. Just the physicality level play takes to one at that level for sure, a.
Lot of things gotta work.
Toughest guard at the two spot right now.
For you.
Probably go Devin Booker right now, Donovan Mitchell too, in the same breath. We play against uh, we play against book More. Yep, he's just I mean, he's a tough shot maker. He score score from anywhere, ultimate confidence. Just he's super aggressive all game. You know, he's he's another guy who knows he's going to get too spots, you can score from the mid range, score from deep. Plays a lot of minutes, plays every game you talking about
the guys. He I don't know how many games he played last year, but it was over seventy seventy five. Plays a lot of minutes. So he's good man. He just credible jump shooter, just gets to spots and makes a lot of tough shots.
Motherfucker by all.
Right, quick hitters, about to get you out of here. One album you've been listening to on repeat lately or a song lately?
I mean the new Drake album just came out. Been listening to that a little bit. Uh. You know a lot of these new a lot of the new albums that are coming out, I'm not a big fan of like, so I keep going back to like a little bit older old stuff like Future old Kanye O, Drake, Like I'm kind of recycling, a lot of the trying to find new music from albums that were a while ago, and like maybe I haven't discovered yet just because like a lot of the new hip hop now.
I can't get what it is.
I'm with you, So by yourself, who's most likely to be late for the team bus?
If I was on your team, it would definitely be me. But who would most likely to.
Be for the team bus? Honestly, Mike, Mike was like the amount of coach coach really for sure? Mike is this you guys saw Malik's energy and practice today. Malik's always talking some leagu's just great energy all the time. And uh so, as every team, you know, you have your fine schedule. You know if you're late, each team usually individually, Hey you're fine this much. And uh So Mike set the standard very very early on, like if
you're late, you're gonna get fine. Like there's really no hey, you give one or two in the bank before we start doing it. And uh Malik held Mike accountable for everything. He's like every time literally to the second, like before games to team meetings and course Mike, he's probably like a coaches meeting somewhere rushing from something. Actually he's actually late, but uh yeah, Mike, he said it to us. It was like twenty grand finds last year. You guys get
to shoot for the fine exactly. That's why we love it when guys are late. Like everybody, everybody celebrates.
Old day.
Uh one King's player from the past you would have liked to play with?
Uh probably Jay Will Yeah, in his highlight It's like.
And he is super cool, dude, too cool.
I haven't met him yet.
He's cool.
He's the type of guy he's probably still playing.
Like question, just the local, the local. Why what do you say you got a better chance of pissing in a hot so that bottom?
Best player in the world right now.
Best player in the world. You gotta go, yo, Ki you got I mean, I think you got to put winning first. You put Giannis in the same breath, you can put Staff probably Katy in the same breath. But right now, k he's.
At the top. I think for sure that's not Who would you like to see on our show? All the smoke? But you have to help us get your answer on the show.
Like to see Malik? I think you guys would you guys are ye been on the show.
Yeah, I was telling Malik as a wild card. I was telling when we were watching, like watching Malak, he's funny, he.
Is, here's a wild card. He's like, I don't know if he does he does a lot of podcasts, but he's just he's fine.
Man.
He's just like he's always got something to talk about, like his energy. He's always just bringing energy exactly. It's like every day you know you're gonna hear and see the leak, and so it just kind of picks you up for the day.
Shannon, you need to help us get in the leak. Shout out, Shannon. She's in here. She makes everything happens. Hey, Kevin, before we get you out of here, that's your solo camera right there speaking to Sacramento fans. What should they expect from you guys this year?
Man?
Hopefully you can build off your one really excited to uh get out there on the floor again. Hopefully you continue to build towards the championship here in sack well Man.
That's a rap. Kevin Herder, Red Velvet, Sacramento Kings. You can catch us on Showtime Basketball, YouTube and the iHeart platform. Black Effects