Paul Pierce | Ep 20 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Podcast | SHOWTIME Basketball

the hardest nickname name every boy. Before we get going, obviously in the midst of something, we were all very close to our brother Kobe Bryant. We want to shout out our man inc one for Kobe, to the mirror Man, incredible mirrors. Crazy, I still don't seem real, right, I mean, it means a lot to us to have him on our wall, just like he meant. It meant a lot to us when he was here. Um for us, you know, we were we were some guys that really appreciated him

while he was here, really admired him. Idle mind, so to have him on his wall, it's only right, bro, Yeah, without the doubt. Man, let's let's just start there. We'll go back, but let's start what what what you and Kobe were going at it for a long time and met up in the finals and and tell me and then, like I said, you being from hearing him representing l A so much in you, what was Kobe Bryant to

you when some of you guys matchups overall? I mean, like truthfully, um, Cole was like one of the few guys that are just like it wasn't kind of like all we all, yeah, like I played mad against everybody but him. We always had like a different type of relationship. I think it was more out of respect to Um.

Everybody else I pretty much couldn't care less about and see that way, I mean off the court and um, but you know, just to have the opportunity to match up with him, I know him on and off the court, UM was special. I mean it made me who I am pretty much. I mean I got my nickname after a Laker game matching up with Kobe, won the championship versus pretty much and kind of like submitted my legacy playing against him. You know, so he me, he meant so much to me in the basketball world, and just

to see him be gone like that. It was just it's like you almost lost a family member or you did, you know, Like I've lost family members, I've lost friends and stuff. But for some reason, this one like hit like one of the hardest hit hitting ones, and he was untouchable. That he's like them untouchable us like think happen. It can't happen, right, and so like it really like even today, man, I'm like just looking at the mirror,

like it's like it's hard. It's hard. Man. Rest in peace to our brother cole Man and g G and everyone else in the tragic accident January. But let's get to it, man. A lot of people don't know you from the Bay. Yeah. Yeah, a lot of people don't know I'm from Oakland with Paul, but you Oakland party begin with Yeah, So I was born in Oakland. You my my two oldest brothers. They played ball too. They went to Free Mint High School, but then we moved

out from Oakland. I really didn't get my basketball. I wasn't a basketball in Oakland. No basketball. I was football and baseball. So you weren't the nicest in the family. Yeah, of course I was. My brothers was good. A lot of people don't know. My brother got drafted by Major leagues San Francisco Giants. My brother, Stephen Holsey, my oldest brother, played Division one Wyomi and uh, you know, so I started then in Oakland, but I was like, I turned into a hooper when I got there l A. So

ten years old, you moved to Inglewood. Well, I moved to east side of l A like Normandy and Imperial for everybody people and that LT know that area is not good. So then I stayed a year over there with my relatives and then we moved to Inglewood when I was like eleven. A year later, we move to Inglewood, and then, you know, all my friends hooped. It was like on the weekend, you know, I want to play baseball or football tackle. You know, I used to playing

the streets tackle. Everybody hoops. So I was just like, shoot, I gotta fall in line, and so I started hooping. I really didn't like hoop like that, but I was taught than everybody, and I was like, let me, let me start hooping. So I was kind of like a late bloomer truthfully, as far as the hoop gang, A little chubby kid real out of shame. If y'all seen these pictures, y'all went Beloeve. So when did you kind of fall for Like when did you kind of figure

out like, Okay, I could do this ship. It took a while, man, I mean I was like I was I think I was skilled. H I remember I got I wasn't I first got on the first traveling team or you know y n C A team. Yeah, it was y n C as my first organized basketball andingle with y m C. A shout out to the ingle with y Baron Davis, Andre Miller, Pelosio, Jason Hart came out of Ingley, and I wasn't really getting no minutes, and I was just like, man, I don't know if

I like cooping. Man, I ain't getting no minutes. I'm over here in my feelings like tearing up after games. I'm in the sixth grade, not getting no minutes. And then that's like, shoot, I gotta work on my game. Pretty much. It was just like you know, my mom's was strong. She was like, well, you gotta practice, you gotta get better, which I think you're gonna be given

to you. But this is before trainers, and this is one we need to just go outside and play all day park with the older dudes like this before, Like that was my workout to the park, right, going to the park on the weekends outside indoor. We mostly play outdoor, you know, so you're gonna come home with scrapes on your knees, bloody knees. And that's where we got tough at man. That's where my DNA come from, playing in the parks, you know, playing against grown man gangsters who

don't know how to play. We're gonna file you all day. Yeah, so you know that's where that's where the DNA uh come from when you see how I play. So tell us a little bit about the scene in high school around here, because there was a lot of players that you played with coming up that made it. Yeah, you know, like the first pro I was ever around was Chris Mills, uh from Fairfax. Everybody respect Chris and uh was it

Sean Higgins? Uh? Yeah, but it was. It was Chris Mills and Sean Higgins and uh they would come up to the high school and who and this is my first look you know, out of pro like real life, coming up in the bends. You know, I'm looking at their cars, I'm looking at they swag I'm like, I'm like, you know, this is what it's like when you're in the league and they don't miss and I'm looking at them shoot and you know, I looked up to them, you know, cash like Tracy Murder. They was all coming

up before me and then my peers. You know, we got a lot of guys out of high school that was real good, freaky price. You know. I was just talking to Pool about this, um Toby Balley and all them cats. It was very competitive. You got cotton here and because that was the only was the only time we battle would be in the state championship. So it was that, you know, the down South crew and up North people. So did you did you beget? You lose? Olu? Jimmy Man, that was my guy. He was like the

next magic. We went to Drim High together. That's my guy, stays Bosman. Yeah, you know about all these cats, are you digg indeed? Oh man, that might have been one of the best high school teams I've ever seen. Morningside High Like, if y'all ever get a chance, they got a documentary, actually, uh you should check it out. It's um we're not looking up at Morningside High School. Class of ninety four documentary. You can look at us. It's like people don't even know about this, like it was.

This was the best basketball team I've ever seen. But they had a lot of trauma. You really got to see it. Were some of the greatest, Like I said, could you have seen them all out here? People that you that never made it? Man, one of them was Shakot. Dude, you played against Shane because you know you know about Shaky. But man, this once illustrated freshman high school. Yeah, unwill he was. He was in high school. I never he was one of the coldest young kids I've ever seen.

I was one year older than him. We would be in six seventh grade battle and this is what I was chasing for like years years And you know you turned around here in sixth grade looking like all that I never This was Lebron before le Bron question and left handed? Yeah, I tell his people about him all the time, man child, Yeah, says doctor shout out shak

Man he was. I remember I remember going playing um in l A Nike camp and then it came to l A and it was him, Baron Davis and the teen Cleaves and Ronnie Fields and they weren't and Courty Benjamin in the dunk contest. Bro I could not believe what I was saying. Now, Ronnie Fields wanted, I think if I'm not mistaken, but him and Shade was going back. But people don't know these high school casts, they all

had bounced. It was unbelievable. Corey Benjamin was taken off from free throw and we were all we were all hood babies too, and he was having a good time too. Bro Shay Cotton, who else? Of course, Baron Davis No, But I mean like that, that didn't make it. Didn't make it. Man. I say, like Ricky Price oh Man was like I thought he was the next Jordan's, Like he was the number one player out of California ninety four and I played on We played on the same team.

I was younger than him, and he was like MJ to me, like he was the first cat that I've seen that was like six six six seven with handle got jumper. Usually back then, when you was that tall, they made you play in the post place, you made you play down low. Because that's what I was playing. I was like, shoot, I gotta get my game together. Like I was mainly a post player. And when I was watching him, I was like, I gotta get my jumper right his pull up and he was dunking on handles.

I was like, shoot, if I want, I'm looking like Gilani Gardner guard oh Man. We had some talent come out of l A. I mean a lot of guys, A lot of guys didn't. I think maybe, you know, just sometimes when you get it too early, you get satisfied. And I don't know if that's the case with them. I don't want to speak about them like that, but you know, they always was real good. Since yeah, I was a lay Bloomer. I think that's what kept me hungry. You know, I didn't get invited to Camp util my

senior year. You know, a lot of cats was going to Nike and thetis since like ninth grade and you know, and I didn't even get an invite to Nike camp, by the way. So that's how later bloomer was like Adidas Camp and the rest is history. That's where I blew up. You played You played A You play you with KG. No One's got KG tw Inglewood where you ended up with Chicogo. We told you that. We end up talking to him about it on the show. Shout out terms. It's just terms, segments. Terms. In this segment,

no listen was getting love on this show. Sir, I term coming on the team. I was on Case Swiss, first term team, Case Swiss. We were a case. We said we were a Case Swiss. Our team was so broke. We were Case Swiss, like people didn't know they made basketball. I still I just found it out that saw I broke our tea. We was all neighborhood kids. Get came together and and just hooped and uh the one year so this our senior year going unto our see we uh we somehow gets get the KG. Shout out to that.

The coach saw KG at camp and was like, I got a kid on the West coast. You know, you need to come play with Vegas tournament. We would lose the Shaka in this tournament every year, second place, And so we brought KG and he stayed at my crib in the wood for the week. We practiced at the high school. You know, people heard of him. So we was having practice and it was open gym, so they'll let everybody come in and watch. Yeah, watch, we're looking.

I ain't never seen a cat this tall, seven feet out here, just like y'all seen KG in the league, right, dude, this was high school. I'm talking about every time he blocked your shot and stands he like, ah, like like I think he was worse young, Like that's how I was. Never it was I've never seen like y'all see this in the league. This didn't just happen in the league. Like the intensity was like that, and I've never seen

nothing like this. I was like, damn sweating everywhere. It was kind of saying, though he's seen Gilanni, he's seen Gilanni doing that. Yeah, they matched up in this tournament. Oh, he turned up on him and he so we played him in the championship. We gets he fling out, were playing this Vegas turn. We meet the championship. We get to the championship again, but this time we got KG. We got all the top players, shake Cotton alluding me man, Jason Hard, they all on one team and it's just

me KG turn, said Aaron. These other cats, if they watched this, shout out to you man. It was on the sud it was on the Saturn said. It was like a little Tony gall a little defense. He was garbaged though he was he was. He was because I said, but you remember that you told me how you turned about the game twenty one in high old competence. It couldn't have been nice, No, he was. He was just a little deep as a player our game like twenty

one and two minutes. You know, that's that's facts, that's facts. That but we wanted up winning the tournament. You know afterwards. KG lived in South Carolina, but we was in Vegas. You know, he a country kid. This is first like in the city, South Carolina. But while we're in Vegas, he tell you the story how we had them like jumping out of calves running. We was like we was, we take a calf, like all r y'all, we're gonna circuit cervice today. So we're about to pull a circus cerry.

We ain't got no money. We're jumping in a cab. So we're like, all right, look we're gonna meet over here. So we're gonna dip the cab. Boom, we jump out. We run at KG don't know what's going on, looking at what we're doing, and we start breaking and then we get inside circus Sexus. We all meet up. He was all heart racing fact, he was like, man, what is we doing? You know? He a country cat, like, no, this is what we're doing, you know, turv he said,

we're like we jumping out the cab. Everything this is in Vegas. This is that. But everything was walking back and so he don't know this. It's too much. It's too many lights. And then to go from South Carolina Vegas. Oh man, he was like, man, y'all too wild out here. Because I tried to get him. So he was moving South Carolina and I was talking to him after the tournament. He was gonna come play with me in Inglewood. He was like, man, I want to move. I'm leaving South

Carolina did to get out. He had his trouble out there. So it's between Chicago and l A. But I just think he was a little bit too much for him. But little did he know going to the Chicago was the same thing. And so we was this close to be a high school teammates. So growing up in l A. Obviously you're you're a Laker fan, right, that was a must. I wore a Lakers sweater. I'll show your pictures. I got a Lakers sweater, used to wear every day to school. You know it was a hoodie that I got. I mean,

who could not be a Laker fan from me? I grew up right down the street from the form right there in Inglewood watching magic. I hated the Celtics. It was just like you're from l a let alone Inglewood, where the forum is what's k and you know, how can you not be? I mean, so that's what making real ironic when I get drafted to the Celtics and I didn't even work out for the culthing. So then when I look back at my career, man, it's like, damn,

some ship that's meant to be. It's crazy. I heard you speak on it before, like you stay an extra year in college because you want to come out and possibly the you know, the number one pick at that time, it could have possibly been the Clippers, right, Yeah, So I had Clippers was the number one pick, and I was like, oh, I want to go home and play. So I worked out for him, and then I asked him for a second workout, Like I was projected to go number two to the Vancouver Grizzlies, and so the

Clippers wanted the big man. They picked a little candy and then I was like, all right, I'm locked in. I'm gonna go to Vancouver play with Shrief. I'll do it right here, me and him. Damn the draft come, I just slip. I'm all American, I'm a top five player in college. I'm a for National Player of the Year. So I'm wondering, why is it I'm slipping. I'm slipping in the draft, Like, all right, I'm gonna want no worse than top five. Golden State passed. I can tell

you the same order. Clippers, Denver, Uh, No, Clippers Vancouver, Denver, Golden State five, No, Toronto was four, going to stay five, and then you got Milwaukee, Sacramento was six, Milwaukee, Dallas, Boston. And that's why I went to the gym after that, when I got picked Tip, I went to the gym and I was shooting him. Clippers, Denver, Uh, that Couver, all the teams that passed me, yelling out to coach who the coaches boa, Larry Brown. Uh, you know what

I'm saying. I'm like, this is all this was my motivation. You're coming out with Benin's, then I'm coming out because I'm competitive. I was competitive. I want to be the number one pick. I want to if that worst two. So now all these eight nine teams that passed on me, y'all gonna feel this one. But before they can't, you went to answers, how how was that like ding joining that tradition in your time to Curly Top Paul, That was Curly Top Farm. Dude, I'm gonna tell you. Going

from Inglewood to Kansas was an ultimate culture shot. Like straight up, like, I never seen farms. I've never been. I lived around all minorities, Black Mexican, that's all I ever grew up around. Like, and then you're going, You're seeing all these nationality white, Indian, like like cattle. I'm like, man, but I needed to get out of l A. You know. I was kind of like it wasn't really a great student. Um it's almost didn't make it because of my grades.

Luckily that scholarship. But I was like, I couldn't went to USC you know, all the West coast because you said, you said, actually just won a national championships, so I was supposed to be the next in line to help him win it again as a top player. So I was just like I knew myself and I was like, dude, I was getting in trouble. I was out on the streets. It was just you know, it's me and my mom,

and I'm doing pretty much whatever I want. She working two jobs, you know, night shifts and not getting home till late. So you do whatever. And it's like, you know, my older brothers is at the house. But also I need to get out of here. I need to get the Kansas. Like you see in the ministers siety with the kids. I feel like I'm that reading the Kansas. We said you need to go reading them to kids. We are reading them the kids, and I went out the kids. It's like, this is where I need to go.

I need to get away from everything. Man, focus on school and just hoop and I just and I stayed there in the summer. I was like, I'm not coming home. You know, I have friends that killed too, because you remember, I think about it, people always trying to get home in the summer, especially going something like that. Yeah, I mean, but I have friends that lost state life and how school. I just I was seeing this in front. I'm seeing this at a young age. I'm like, you know, I

need to get away. You know, something can happen to me. I live in a volatile area, and so I need to get away. Man, you gotta be mature. You gotta know when you see the stuff you see as a kid, you like, no kids should be able to like grow up around come shots firing every other night, you putting your hands over your ears, losing friends at a young age. And when you see that, it is you grow up fast. Man. You try to make tough decisions. And I decided to

get out. College basketball was real back then, because that's kind of really before people started jumping straight to the pros. I mean, all the best players were in college for two, three, four or three or four years about that A little bit man college was scene. You had Kentucky, Antoine Walker, Allen Iverson, Ray, Islan Carrey, Kindles, Marcus Camp, you had. I mean it was so many Tim Duncan, Keith and Horn all this this is my college are like I'm

talking about. Everybody was staying to the junior year, that was leaving early, that was leaving until you know, KG was the first one out of high school. People didn't know you can go out of high school. He went out ninety five. But everybody was leaving their junior year. Man, we Mike Bibbie oh Man, they put us out. He put us out. He put me out the tournament two times, like my freshman year. Was supposed to go there and win the national championship. They they beat us to go

to final four. He was the favorite that year. They came in him and who was on your team though, just just for people who don't know, I played with Jacque Bond who made pros. Uh, Scott Potter playing in the pros, rateful friends pres in the Pros. Then we had a scrappy guard, Jared Hass who was coach at Stanford right now. It was tough. Yeah. We had Billy Thomas was a shoot off the Benchi and he would play some years in the Pro two. Uh So there was some of We had a pro squad. We was

supposed to win it. We was supposed to win. Roy Williams alan Field house Man. You don't even know. When I stepped on that campus growing up in there, like going ut to us l A games and they was the champs that year. But when I stepped on and I saw a Kansas game, it was like nothing. I just knew I had to go there. The crowd, I mean, y'all see it on TV. Man, it was just like

something I had to play for. People don't understand, like I mean, obviously when to U c l A. But when you cut U c l A. See, no matter what there's it's l A. So there's always so much other ship going on, Clippers, the Dodgers, whatever, whatever when you go to one of these small like basketball is absolute. Life at Kansas was the Carolina right, that's the only

show in town. So the environment is suited for you guys. Yeah, I was signing autographs like every day, like we was like the pros, Like We're going places, getting free at the restaurants. I'm like I felt like a pro already, and it was just like damn, U feel like I already made it. You'd be surprised, man, this, I don't know,

Like it's just different. It's different people spending night. People put wheels on their tickets like serious, they put them down, and I'm here, I'm seeing this like damn, this is my first real like feeling like crazy basketball culture. You know, I've never seen nothing like this, And like you said, up until that point, you hadn't been around nothing. That's pretty much all white people out there. Yeah, for sure, and loving you. I went. I went to junior college

and Butler and Butler Kansas. Yeah, like I know, my brother. I couldn't do the leading a lion down that selling week. Didn't do it. I got three weeks, but I couldn't take it. But talking about the culture shot, I could not take it. I had to get I had to get up out of there quick. But knowing that after you going through that and you grew up in l a lacal fan your whole life and end up at Celtic, I know what was that? You know, like that was real?

Like when I got drafted, when I was like, man going over there, you never had that I was, you know what the thing was that? It was just like I was happy to be a pro like we all did, you know. I mean at the end of the day, I'm in now, like I don't even think it really matter where I went. But when you when I got picked,

because it was shocking. I wasn't I supposed to go on the top five, ended up number ten to a team I didn't even work out for and so but then it was a Celtics and I'm hearing all these stories about Rick Pattino. I was scared. I was like, shoot, I'm like, oh, man, I got I gotta go play for Rick Patino. I heard his practices. It's crazy. Like if I thought my practice at Kansas was hard, That's the only thing going through my mind. But I was like, man, I'm man now, I don't care. I don't care about

for the Celtics, even though I hated I'm growing up. Man, you know what I'm saying. I mean, I think that's what it was all about, all of us. We didn't care where we went, shook the commissioner and we in tell me with ationships. I mean, once you're in this historical franchise, right about Bill Russell? You know the great how did that? How was that? Man? These guys that understand the tradition of the franchise. Yeah, I had a chance.

When I first got there, I met Red r. Back and he had a golf, a charity golf thing he would do every year. And this is my first time meeting him. So I'm sitting on the couch and he comes sitting down next to me and I'm like, how are you doing? Mr? All Back? He was like, you know, he got a cigar that that was real. He always had a cigar. He was like, yeah, I watched you at Kansas. I didn't even think he knew who I was at the time, you know what I'm saying. He

was like, yeah, Pearce, I watched you at Kansas. You need to do this for you. The first thing, we just started talking basketball. And then but now it's like, damn, this red are back talking to me. So now it's like, damn, look at this culture. Bill Russell's around, John Happen Check, these just got legends just coming around. Like now part

of this culture. I go from one tradition at Kansas to another basketball tradition where it's like legends everywhere and they support they at the games, they they off the court with you. I had a chance at dinner, would bid Russell times cent a corn Brad Maxwell. That's my boy, that's my man, corn bread. Tommy Heinson just to just hear the stories, you know, you just like soak up all the stories. You sit there, talk to Russell, you sit there, talk to Heinson like how was you know?

How was Bird? How was you know? How was Hondo? You know? How was having the check? You know? And then you get a chance like yeah, you know when you get a chance to soak that up and here about like, you know, how was they off the court? You know how did they He'll be shocked. Man, they back in the day, they used to smoke cigarettes in the locker room, have beers. Yeah, that was in the

locker room frigerator. They got pictures of that in Boston, somebody that's Look, they got pictures of guys on the self to smoking a cigarette after the game. It's still in their uniform. Like people don't even notice, Like it's a picture with the beer case right there in the locker room. Like people don't even know this stuff. Game over. So you get to see what do you twenty when you get to Boston? Yeah, just turned twenty one? Where

are you at? Just as a man, I mean, straight California kid throwing into Kansas, which is kind of a culture shock that ends up being great. Now you're throwing into Boston all this history. I mean, the thing is too Like as a young man, you just you hear Boston is a racist city. You know what I'm saying, Like, yeah, yeah, no doubt. And coming from l A and Kansas and going to Boston, it's like that's all you're thinking about It's like, man, I'm in a racist It's just know,

it's known. It's like no, you know, and I'm just like trying to find my way. I'm over here, got an apartment. I don't know, you know which way is left? Snow more snow and another culture shock again, re culture shock and and you know hearing these accents, you know, and yeah, all I'm thinking like, man, this city is racist. But you know what Boston has really like as far as sports, they pioneered a lot of the athletes, you know what I'm saying, first black coach, first team to

draft African American player. Um, and you know I learned about the history, but that still don't take away about how people are. But you know, I really didn't have a chance to really feel a lot of racism because I was a sports different ground. Yeah, bringing both sides together, no matter who, cause, what color, whatever situation is. Yeah. And so um, you know I didn't I didn't know that life would come full circle, that I'll be coming from l A to living in Boston all the years.

So you come out with a strong rookie campaign. You may come out the gates and strong talk about your first year in the league playing for the Celtics. Now, yeah, so I came in with a chip on my shoulder. I came in with it's a straight chip. I wasn't gonna like wait for nobody. I was just like, I'm here, I'm pissed that these other teams didn't draft me. I'm coming out. This is it. You only get one shot, and this was my shot. I need to make a

name for myself right now. That was just the fire hearing me, the competitiveness, and uh, I wasn't gonna take a back seat to nobody. I mean that was my mentality. I was just like, you either love me or hate me, straight up, this is who I am. This is all I'm gonna play every night. I could or don't. So coming from l A, like you said, you made a conscious decision, knowing what kind of ship she was running in the street, trip and running. You make a move

to Kansas to get out of California. You get to Boston September two. Never forget that day, stabbed eight times, nearly die. Talk to me about that. I mean, you know it all started. I was you know, I was young, you know, hanging out all the time, going to the clubs, you know. And so it was a night when I went in Buzz club and I called myself talking to some young ladies. You know, I'm single at the time.

Next thing, I know, one of the long ladies. I don't know if it's her, dude, I don't know what. Next thing, I know, a guy approached me like that's like, you know, you don't talk to her, and I'm like what she like, like, I don't really mess with dude. Next thing, you know, I'm in a tesso with him. I don't know. It happened so fast, man, it happened so fast. I don't even know how I got into it. It's just one dude right here. The next thing I know,

the story come out. I was fighting with three guys, you know. Once it was all over with and sober, I'm standing up. I know, I didn't even know I was being stabbed. And so I look up. I got to jacket on. I look up and my jacket is red blood everywhere. I'm a kind of leaking down my face. I can really keep my eyes open. And they're like, you stabbed. They need to go to the hospitals with Derek, Patti and Tony. But he was at the club that night, but we kind of like separated when you know, you're

walking around talking to females and stuff. Cool dude. Yeah, and uh and that night changed my life. And I remember being at the hospital, banging on the hospital door and you know, asking, am I gonna die? Am I gonna die? I'm have a shortness of breath, and you know, it really changed my life for me to get through that where you gotta stabbed that. I gotta stabbed three times in the stomach and five times in the back, but like two different knives and got hit upside the

head with my with a bottle. I got a scarms right side of my eye. I had to have plastic surgery all on this part because it was all scraped out. I didn't even know that when you were drilling this, you don't feel none of that, you know. I wasn't on the ground out of it, you know, up like and then it was over. I realized I was this was all happening, and it was like I had a big old scar. Yeah, so all this was happening, and

I'm like, damn, I gotta change or something. Man. I could have been I could have been I've seen how many people are affected. Come on, you know, like it was on the news. I mean, I'm getting important of letters and stuff. I'm just happy. And then you know what the crazy part about it, man, and how I respect life and I appreciate life so much, and help

me appreciate life. Um, I get home after two days in the hospital and I'm seeing the news and they showed a kid, a teenager got staffed twice and died. And I'm like, damn, you know what I'm saying, like, oh man, I'm I'm lucky. Man, I'm lucky. I can't I can't at my family, damn putting myself in these positions. I mean, you know, stuff happens. Though you know, I'm still a kid hanging out having fun. I mean, you don't know, you don't know. And it just it really

changed my life. I don't think I went out like people don't know this, but I actually carried a gun for two years right after that. I was so paranoid, like I kept it in the car, I had it on. I was so paranoid like after that, I was just like I couldn't be in crowds. I'm like, you know you something like that, happened to you. Man, it's traumatic, especially when you know when you're going out you ain't bothering nobody and I can tell you to do knew who you was, and a lot of times there's really

just some hating ship. But they expect you. They expected for you to take the disrespect and not defend yourself, you know what I'm saying. And it always turned the opposite for him and they end up getting their ads with But but but let's see what it is is you you end up carding situation and you look wrong, but you really just out enjoying yourself, you know what I'm saying. But that's that's the that's the ship that

attracts us is when you're successful. But you know what, but the thing to us as as athletes, we we people look at us and we're targets. I mean you see today you know how rappers they're getting killed. You know, certain things that's happened up to guys, especially African American's were targets when we get famous. And I don't know, I don't know other culture. You don't hear about this type of stuff. It's like we hate on each other

and it's a shame. You know what I'm saying. It's the same type of ship though, and it's a perfect example. I use a person that's not famous to make it out of your hometown and don't come back. Nobody don't care. Let Paul peers making it. Don't come back and give back here, sellout. He ain't ship. Both of you are successful, but that you more famous, you ain't ship. You know what I'm saying. But that's just how it is. Comes

with it. But I want to touch back to because this is so, this is two thousands, this is before mental health is talked about it all. And like you said, you touched on your paranoid and anxiety, the fear that touch on that. Because that this is before this was touched it's not manly to talk about this kind of ship back then. Yeah, man, And like I said, I didn't really I had. It was so bad that I couldn't even like sleep, like I wake up in the

middle of the night. People don't like this is a story. A lot of people don't know. I had to have a twenty four hour police surveillance in my house. That's how paranoid. I was. Sit outside and I did all I did was go to the gym at home for like a good two year stretch. Man. I was just like it changes you, dude, you don't know where to go, you don't know who to look at, you don't know you don't you on your toes, like really on your toes, Like man, I'll kill something, you know what I'm saying.

Like I'm just like that. I was like like that, man, And so I had to channel all that energy just to our basketball. It was just like, man, I'm I was like to the point of like losing it to All I want to do is go to the gym. So now hours in the gym, because you know, our basketball is for us. I saw our sanction that time we're in the gym. We don't think about nothing else.

You know that whatever shorp here we got right there, everything else going out the window, where girl problems, family problems, money problems, whatever. It's just that you just you know how that is, y'all know what I'm saying. Y'all know what I'm saying. Just like that one moment you got it that day. I turned that into like hours in the gym, though, like four or five hours in the gym. I didn't want to like stop hooping. I didn't want to go home because now that's I'm thinking, And it

paid off. You know the next year career highs. You played in two games, like that was the positive side from what you have went through and made you lock in. Yeah, I chantled all my energy now I played every single game. I did not want to not play games. And mother to us to play a two games we think made a lot to us. But like straight up, I did not want to not play a game like right now, like this low management. I'm like, I couldn't. You can't

tell me to sit down. But how many people can how many stars can actually say and it played eighty two games though even in our ever, ain't too many stars can say that a lot of guys would beat up y'all took a y'all took a beating back then to play any two games. That says a lot of you got. You got respect from all your peers. When when the mother said he played in two games, it's hard. It's hard because you people thinking you. It's not because

you're not edging you. You're playing through something. You're playing through something. You're gonna have it. I don't care if it's a jam toe sprang fingers. You're playing through something you ain't going through eighty two healthy. And people don't realize your incident was what like a month away from training camp, happened in septem It happened in septem right before the season. And then people also don't know is that season is when you dropped forty two or Code?

Ain't got your nickname was one of the coldest things about that. Well, I was like I said, I was John Player went to the Staples. You know, I come home and who you know, you gotta show out. I got all these tickets. I got all these tickets and got my homies, my family, and I'm like, oh man, I can't let them down. So I made it a point every time I came to the Staples, I gotta have a big game. So it was a game where I dropped like forty two, I believe, you know, while

matched up with Code and shot out. They're the champs. You know, they're the champs on their court. And then after game, it was just like I remember the reporter came up to me, his name Steve Bullpitt. He was like, you hear what Shock said about you? I was like, what he said, I don't take this quote and don't edit it. Paul Pierce is the motherfucking truth. So next from shock, after I dropped forty two, and so the next day in the paper it's like, Paul Pierce the truth.

And so now you know, people are starting to call me that. I'm like, okay, I like that. I'm feeling that. You know what I'm saying. Homies is calling what's up proof. I'm like, okay, I'm feeling that, all right. So that it just stuck, you know what I'm saying. I was like, all right, so I gotta live up to this now. So next night I think I dropped forty again. Like again, I think I'm about to drop back to back forties.

After that, my confidence was to the roof. If you got Diesel giving you a nickname, you go to them on Man's that's respect that year, Yeah, that's respect. Right there after Diesel giving it up for you, Deesel, don't just give it up for nobody, straight up, straight speaking of the staments and that you remember the game that we are playing with. I don't know if it was magic, but you and Baron was ma we at the charity game. Yeah you remember that. Yeah, he took over the Midsummer

Nights Midsummer Nights Magic. He knew he grew into this, he was. But I remember the game and we were on the sideline. We had all had tall cups of vodka dogs during the game. I know that was out there in his first possession and try to drill it and dribble off his foot and checks out during again, he just that was that summertime. That was that summertime, bring all the guys together summers. Yeah, it was like he brought all the cats in the summer to hang

out for a weekend. But you and really made that game that year. I wanted to give your probles on that. Yeah, we had a good, good run on that. So you get a taste of the playoffs two thousand to two thousand three. So back then it's it's Ai and in the sixers, Jake Kid with the nets. Uh you know, Reggie r Test jack Al, But Jackie before you this before you, before I came you. After that, you know, the team struggling, Danny Ainge takes over and it's a

whole new day. Yeah. Man, We went to the Eastern Conference Finals and then Danny ain't come in like the next year training antwine. I'm thinking we are on our way. People don't even know. People think Paul Pierce is just started playing in the playoffs. Like I had some big playoff games shown, but like that the social media I don't even know about. You know, I ended up licking a closeout game where I was had forty six and now one had some big games versus Indiana turns uh

series verse. Then yeah, I played. I played against you in the playoffs two years. I think you hit it on the head though, because it's pre social media. To me, you're like one of the top five greatest closer, clutch, motherfucking players of all like you embraced give me the ball at the end, and I'm gonna make this motherfucking shot while if it's the biggest game, I'm gonna drop for like that's what you were known for to people who really do who how many players got a play

that he had his own plate? Oh yeah, cut down the middle, No, no, no, from the side, no cut When I come from the side, starts on the other side, and he comes across the screen, you come to the other post and yeah, yeah, that was I know. No, you're talking about the live play over the top. Yeah yeah, that play, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah An Twine started that.

Though we had that, we didn't talk about Twine too, because people forget how cold Twine said the other day, if he played today, he'd be making three hundred million. And I don't doubt that. I do not doubt that at all. He was like one of the original stretch forward with handles problems. Was a problem employee number, he was a problem, was tough, Yeah, he was a problem dog. People get, we get you have some problems. Though. That was in the end when I came back from the

bra from your vacation. Yeah, I had next game vacation. You was one of the most underrated. I say, that's a position. I'm like, damn jockers all here. You know you know what I'm saying. He got jumper. I remember, I ain't gonna look Jack don't know this, but I'll never forget this game. Playing against Jack in San Antonio. I don't know how much you had that night, but I know you hit the clutch three over me. It

was like late and then them shots. I don't forget you hit a three and it was on the it was on if I'm facing you, he was on the left wing, which would be your right wing. I'll never forget this if you go back and look at the tape, I don't forget this. You hit a three that was so backbreaking. We was and I didn't want to San Antonio ever at this point. And this is the closest we come, like I lost ten straight years. We never we didn't went for ten straight years. And this was

a close game. We had it and he had a big three. You know, it's like damn, but he was smoothing as they get though. It was smoothing have battles. We all three that I would there. I wish I would have been there the year you was talking to all and drained and as you after you whispered like thirty sweet nothings to him. Look, I'm gonna go this way and I'm gonna pull up and we're gonna get up out and telling them what you're about to do. Man.

I see. That's when the league was real, like come on, man, like you don't see that no more? I don't see that. Why don't everybody helping each other up? Now? Our tests tried to switch out and out didn't let him. Oh man, I don't see that no more like the competition dog. Yeah right, oh man, that's I love that when you're seeing Ai talking ship to kobe Yea like they don't. We don't no more good to see James Joanna is talking to the paper like that. Yeah, I like that,

Like two guys. That's like that, Like I say, West Westbrook, nobody out there. I love it too. He ain't got no friends. He ain't got no friends. See that's the That's how I was. I don't have no week. Like as cool as we all knew each other, we didn't play it against we cool after right, it ain't personal, Jack, and that personal bad to me either, Like that ain't personally. We're gonna you're gonna vote me. I'm gonna vote you

after the game. Good family, all right? Because me playing against you was different because I actually studied you, like a lot of a lot of your game I put in my game, especially in the post like you had the best footwork ever as a guard, especially post up, like we all talked like we always talked about that. So I used to try to figure that out because it wasn't full file dribbles with you. It's one dribble and you had the basket. You know what I'm saying.

You took advantage of your steps. So like we gotta get your praise too, because you you are definitely the probably started the post game for us in our era, and all guards started posting up after that. Yeah, I just I just studied the game. Man. I always try to get better, you know what I'm saying. I knew I wasn't the most athletic out there, so I had to find ways. I knew how to jump or I could set up other things, and you know, just working, uh,

just constantly working on the craft. Man at your pace. To you was always at your pace. Didn't want nobody to heard me. You knew what I was strong, so I could give a shoulder. If I didn't get by you, I could just give you that shoulder to get space. And so I really like studied the game and just learned what my strips wasn't played within that after them still dunking on my too, because people didn't know I have. People didn't know a little bit. I got somebodies. I

got somebody. People don't know that I got somebody's Yeah, I had a chance to play for Doc. Great motivator, mental preparations, very big with him, tough to what what you felt like he brought to your team. Man, Doc was somebody we all respected because he played the game off to off the top. You know, before I didn't play with the coach that that play. So it's like, you know, Doc understood the players, and you respected Dot and he's gonna keep it real with you. We bumped heads, people.

We bumped heads though when we first got there, me and Doc got the same as that birthday heads I'm talking about. We're arguing, we had time outs, we ain't seeing eye to eye, so it took a It took a while for us to like we went from this to to really get to this, you know. And it wasn't always smooth. We we clashed a lot, but at the end it was it was worth it because Doc turned me into the player that I ended up being.

And um, you know I was defining that first want to do it my way, but he really taught me the game. I heard. He was someone who, like you said, you bump him, but he was someone who's really meant you. Like he said, he shaped you, but he mentally challenged you. As well, like talking about a little bit from that aspect, as far as like I said, being a former player but knowing how to get the best out of you. Yeah, I mean, Doctor knows a motivator. He definitely challenged you.

Day to day. Doctor fights you. I'm telling you. That's that's what I always tell people, Like I try to explain to him, like this is a difference why people respect certain coaches that play more than respect somebody's coaching that haven't played, because you know, any situation in the game, whether some bullshit or whether it's anything, they didn't been through it. So if you go to them, you're getting the honest opinion. Somebody that's been there and experience is

always the best teacher, without a doubt. I mean, Doc definitely we had our arguments, and uh that's what pushed my button though, because he was real with you. He'll let you know when you ain't you ain't playing to your potential and taking days off or who you posted like Pete, what do you You know? He taught me to be a real leader, you know, to do it every night and practice and starting practice. You know, they

carrying the game. And you know he was able to teach me that because I was frustrated at first, man, like playing on so many bad teams. Oh man, I saw. I was like, people don't know I was almost out of bos tell me about that. I'm telling you. I was having me. I was having meetings with the ownership, like, you know, the same working this a year before we got KG. You know this a year Kevin Durant wasn't cold. I was like, we losing. We lost eighteen in a row. Someone,

We're weak. You know I'm in my prime, right, but straight up we're weak. I'm like, I'm in my prime and then we're losing. We're not getting to the playoffs. You know. I was like, man, y'all should trade me traft Kevin Durrant, tank the year and build on out. So I thought I was I was really trying to get the Dallas So people don't even know I was trying to get the Dallas dirt because they just they got upset. Yeah, y'all popped up and I was like, damn,

I give him. I'll give him. Yeah, that team. I was like, I would have been a team to help him get over the top. That was a good reason for me to like, oh I can help that team. They need you. Yeah. I was like, if I could get there there, that's like they're gonna win forty games, they just need me over there. I felt like I had to talk with Cubans like I was trying to get that, but they was like, you know, we're gonna

stick with you. We're gonna we're gonna build this team out. Yeah, we didn't get the number, gonna pick and the rest history. We wind up getting the fifth pig train for Ray, then traded for KG. Now we aren't one of years how things can just turn around? So how many games did you guys win the year before? Man? I think we only won like games mans the next then win the championship the next ship. That's how quick change. Straight

up it changed overnight. Talked us about that and with that team dynamic and chemistry and how it all came together. You guys are really the first Big Three. Although it happened, it happened through trade. Happen you say a lot of people think we orchestrated this three. I mean, Danny Ainge got it through trade. You know, now everybody going to play with one another. Ours was done organic straight up? Uh. And so when that when we traded for Ray, I

was like, okay, we're not rebuilding no more. We're trying to do something. I heard we traded for tickets. We got tickets and thrown under the bus. Don't nobody under the bus but Joab Big three to me was you Rondo and Kg. I didn't put Ray in y'all Big three, go ahead already there. You gotta respect as much as as much as you know we had be for Ray. Weren't you got you're talking about personality, I mean the personality. You remember the personality of that team. It was just

like all Alpha's dog. It was just Rondo, KG, Me, Tony, y'allen, per Big Baby, Edny House Dog Leon motherfucker man uh man. Our team was dog. Yeah, Like people were scared of us. We was out there d n up too. I mean that I'll never get those moments because when you play so long and we have a chance to play on special teams, y'all all been on special teams. They don't

come around a lot. You could be one of the lucky few us to have a stretch, But you know, you just appreciate those times you could play with on those special teams and you can attest to this, and you can't. His family is building. Talk to me a little bit about because we were laughing about it on set at ESPN maybe a month ago about club Shi isn't it? Club isn't shout out the club ship, isn't it? That was a spot in my I had a basement

that was like a club. So, you know, days when we didn't have practice, next day, we're like, I'd be like, all right, fellers, we're gonna have a good time in my house. I'm gonna have a chef come through. We're gonna go out. We're gonna meet at my house at like two am. We're gonna go to about six am, do all the all the guys on the team, and you know, we have our girls over and we're going from two to six and be like this is this is club Shi, isn't it? You know what I'm saying.

We're gonna be here to to six. You know, we're gonna have a good time right here. We can't get no trouble. We're gonna be good right here. I'm gonna make sure that good and we're gonna go home. And the players loved that. Tony Man. Everybody was talking about it. Oh, it was a good time for the Feathers. But that's how we built our Camarado, you know what I'm saying. That's how we kicked it though. You know I was the vest so I'm gonna bringing all the young boys.

This is how we're gonna kick it. And that that brought chemistry. You know, when GP first got the club ships and that he was he got traded to Boston, he did not want to be a Boston but once he went the ships there so so in the midst of getting your first finals as an l A kid, you were newing the Boston Laker riving way. You and

Kobe is always going head to head. Now you're doing any man, that was that was incredible just to be a part of that, you know, just growing up watching it and then finally and then being part of it. It was just like, you know, this was what got me in the hoops, you know, being a Laker fan watching the Celtics. I hated the Celtics, and now I'm part of the rivalry again. Meeting in the finals and

to do it twice, that was I was special. You know, who have thought a kid from l A playing Boston play against the Lakers in the championship and win, and then play against them again. Like my only two finals was against the Lakers. Did you feel like you had to win as a Celtic you had to, like being one of the best players played, and about the seth uniform you had, like your career can't be writing. Then

you win one without a doubt, no question. I mean, like you gotta understand, Jack, you go to practice every day, this is hanging over your head. Damn right, sixteen banners, all the numbers. I'm like, dude, look at that pressure. I gotta if I want to be one of these cats, I gotta put one up here. I mean straight up, this is every day. You gotta see this Like oh showed white in the stands. I mean, like, I gotta

live if I to be one of them. I got to Yeah, that was enormous pressure, man, But I wanted that. I wanted that talk to us too, because I think, if I'm not mistaken, that's is that the game you went off in the game one, you went off in the wheelchair and came back with that wrong with it. I know where you can go off, get parted off pe and come back and draft buckets. I'm sorry up.

Look I turned it. It was a light spring. I go like it was a light spring, but you know, I ain't never heard of pop. It heard a pop, but it was a like spring. You automatically think the worst. I'm thinking the worst. It was like it was like heard and I was like like, I was like and then I was like, hold on, that would that wheelchair? Let me tell you something, how did that happen? Look, the doctor was like get the wheelchair. Like it wasn't

like I was like I couldn't walk. It was like, I know it looked back because it's way working back. They didn't even give me a chance to try to get up and put no weights. I'm getting carried out in the chair like no, I look at it to it. I'm like, this is super dramatic. I think you should have rolled that out there. Just hopped up. But they didn't even give me the chance to try to get up and put some weight on it. You know, usually

it was like just pick him up. And so they picked me up and I'm like, oh ship, I'm like, dude, it was like, get the wheelchair. So that wasn't all on me. So I was like hold on, hold on. When I get back on my hold on, man, let me see, let me see how I feel like. They put no weight on it yet. You know it's it's hurting. So I get up. I put some weight on it. So I feel like a little lights brain. So like, okay,

I'm good, I'm good. I was just panicking. You realize what's the stake too, Yeah, and I'm like, I can't go out and not I can't be out of the finals. Come on, man, not right now. I'll put some weight on it. I'm like, all right, I'm cool, I'm cool. I don't give me a knee brace. Gotta put the de brace. So they just like went back out there like man. I was like, all right, trailing dog. You know what I'm saying. This is the finals, it's the lakes. This is I was like, come on, not right now,

this is what my whole life I'm waiting for this moment. Man, I could. I had to get that said put the knee braces on one out there, and I was like, I'm about to bust the ass. You win in the championship and finals, t VP, tell me that and you get the final TV man. That was like a dream come true. Man, man, straight up, you know you know the hours were put in this gym. You know the sacrifice we put in into this game, you know. I mean, it's just to get to that point, like finally ten

years is in my career. Like people don't know the sacrifice to blood I spilled, the the swear and sweated, you know, the late hours, to not being around family members, missing so so much stuff is because of that. We dedicate our whole life to just this. I mean, when you retire you look back at it, it's like, Damn, I did that game. That's how much we loved it. Though it was just like a dream. Oh man. So like, I get the trophy, look check this out. Though. I fly to l A. We go to Vegas wee party.

Then I get to l A famous restaurant on sunset Katama. I go up there with all my boys. It's like about ten fifteen of us. You can't tell me nothing. I'm walking around all summer with a wife beater. Wrong, I got, I got my trophy in my hand and I sat. Then I went outside outside on the pattern and sat the trophy right there in front of everybody, right in the middle. L A boom, We're gonna kick back and eat drink. Man. I must tell you though, they hated that so bad. This was on social media.

I'm in the middle l a one of the hot restaurants where everybody kicking at and I put the trophy and put the trophy right there on the table and sit outside everybody looking. I got my crew and be like, yeah, like what swag was du the roof? Oh, you couldn't tell me nothing. You couldn't tell me nothing. Crazy because we we when we talked to Kobe that he said that was one of the hardest hits in his career, losing and that the finals deah. I mean the thing

about that he got it back. Oh that's the one. I'll never forget that one he got back from us in two thousand ten. Oh man, I know. He said that was the sweetest one too. He said I was the one the lost, y'all was the toughest, and the wind was the sweetest doing it shot yeah, yeah, doing it without shock. Oh man, that was he We had four all stars, do you know that? Yeah? For all he was the only human power. He had two had polka song, but he's tough and polka salt Man that

first finals we ran through Pola. I've seen Kobe obliterate Palaga sal the side, like, Bro, you can't let this happen. But just just he we're saying, but let me just he made you know how crazy if I had to like, yeah, it was that bad Pal's head. But like you said, he made him a lot tougher, he made him, He made him a Hall of Fame. Yeah, yeah, he made him a Hall of Famer. Kobe just another skilled I don't think you could teach dog, but Kobe put some of his dog in power. And it's funny that you

recognize that difference in this game. Second, whatever Poal needed it, Kobe with a cust him out in that. Like with Kobe didn't around when he came to Man, he did not around. Take me back though, because we jumped to both the rivalry, but people don't know like Bron couldn't get through you. Bron couldn't get through you in the Celtics talk about those battles. Battles we had some battles.

Bron bought the best out of me. Though, when you know you're playing against the best, he's gonna bring it out of you because if now you're gonna get in Paris. And you know, when I watched him today, I'm like, man, casts A scared of him totally, like he put the fair of God in everybody. I'm like, what is going on here? No, I wasn't having that. I wanted that. I wanted that, I wanted all of that. All right, I'm gonna guard him today. You're gonna guard me because

I'm guarding you today, and I'm gonna take it. I'm I'm, I'm, I'm. You're gonna have to hit me upside of my head all night and I'm gonna live with it. I mean, I know you Bron and all, but so I'm true and so man, he really he really elevated my playing. I mean I had my career high verse somewhere I scored fifty on we both scored. I had fifty. People don't know I had fifty on him. He had like forty six on me in one regular season game, and um, just those playoff battles. Man, he knew I was gonna

bring it. You know, I know, I know I never was at Lebron's level, but I know I can, for what one day, I can be at this level moment. Maybe not every day, but for that one day when we needed I could be there and that's what I was able to do. I mean that game seven in the conference and in the playoffs go down like one of my favorite games. Just how we competed it was.

It was. I didn't realize it because I remember it was like it happened so fast, like the game my driller was still going and like people calling me like did I just watched this? Like I'm like, what you know? But my drilling, I'm not like really how epic it was until like down the road and when I look at it now, it's like that was a game and that really helped solidified kind of like my career to put me at the at the next level. Losing losing two thousand and ten. You said it hurt, you're talking

about Kobe winning, But how did that? Thank you? Man? The two thousand and ten I'll still not have watched that game seven. We were up double figures in that game. I still haven't watched it to this day. Still to this day, I don't know if I could, like I'm like looking like what could have been a second championship like that, I don't think I'll ever watched that game. I don't even know if any of the other players

watch it, because it was in our hand too. It was in our hand and to beat the Lakers again again and the dude on the floor, and that would have been like ding I wanted at home. Now that's the game we run at the three. Royn was bawling. But you know that was my hat off the run man straight up, because I was matched up with him. He he, He came to play that game, but it was to take the lesser of two evil. Yeah, you know, I mean we all, do we let Ron shoot or

do we try to crowd Kobe? Yeah, everybody's got It's like, I'm gonna be helping off him because we're gonna try to stop him, and the hats off of him. He knocked down some big shots for them. I should have been in the fan programs to cloud Kobe. Everybody in the arena crowd. It's like, so as he grabbed the ball, my eyes is on him. I'm like, I don't care who this is. Scobe right here. So Bron goes to Miami because we sent them there, Yeah, we sent them there.

He couldn't get past the big three class. Yeah, go ahead, you're gonna have to find you got to invent your own VIG three. Now. So they go and do that. Talk to us about that because that was some battles too. Yeah, when they did that, I ain't gonna lie. That was like world breaking news. That was changing the landscape of the game. I think everybody said when they said Lebron, Wade and Bosh was on the one team. I was like, what that you talked about our big three was cool?

I was like, man, ain't nobody gonna beat them? Like I said that I said that. I was like when I saw them, I was like, they're doing something different. This is different. This is the next coming to like Jordan and Pipping or something. I was like, I couldn't believe that they did that. And I was like, I knew our run was over. I was that I was over guys bat on the playoffs that year though. Yeah, we battled, we battled, but we just knew we didn't have enough. Man, we thought we could get them. We

went to games. Uh one year we went to Game seven with the Miami He yeah, we we had them on the ropes. But then Lebron put up some legendary two point game, two point game with four minutes to go in the in Miami and it just fell apart. Bron took over. That was our last really run, right Yeah. We went up three too. We was up three too, and then went home for the close out game. Six best playoff games ever. I'm gonna say this, I think I think that was one of the most defining games

of Lebron's career. Absolutely, he turned the corner of that game. It was just like because people was like, is he clutch? Is he did as he saw for that? But after that game, here's no question, it was no more question. Yeah, that game right there, it was like he couldn't miss. He had everything, he was growing, dunk and everything, and they needed it because all the pressure because you thought, thinking about it, it was like shore one to three championships.

Rember that interview, he was like one, you know, it was like if he lose that game, oh man, it would have been a media nightmare for him. And so he put them on his shoulder and that that I think that turned him right there, That turned him into a base right there. So going, you guys lose to them, and then that's kind of the beginning of the end of your big three and then you lose a key component. And I've heard, you know, we hear from the outside looking in how it went down. And he did do this.

He did like what did and didn't happen when Ray Allen left And this is my whole thing with and the reason I had a problem with him. Um go one. He went to our arrival James Lebron. James was arrival of the Celtics, regardless of he was included for Miami, and that was were some of the heated matchups and it was just like, damn, they just beat us and

then you're gonna go over there. Two. I was like calling them, like you know, they was in the middle contract negotiating with them Celtics before he left, and he wouldn't answer nobody calling. I'm hearing that he's talking about going to so I'm calling him. He's not returning my call. I just feel like as a certain respect, as a teammate, as a brother, we could have this conversation like if you're not I want to hey with us no more. At least let us know something like like you know, bro,

it's a situation. I'm gonna go over here, but they just don't say nothing to us, don't talk to us, and then get up and go over there. To me, I felt that was like a slap in the face or disrespect from a brother, you know what I'm saying. So that was my whole beef with them, you know, and you know other guys felt the same way. You know, And since dand me and him, I've talked to um and you know, you get overthing els brothers. You know.

I don't have no problem with right uh today. I don't know the situation with Kevin and Ron don on everybody else, but I smooth things over with them. But I just thought, initially as a brother, somebody you've been through stuff with, you know, our families, our kids as all friends, our wives as all friends, and you just get up and don't say nothing, and then it's like you go to them. I just felt that was disrespectful. And that's why if people didn't the story, that's the

story right there, why me and him have beef. You talk about it with KG, y'all, y'all talk about it a lot. Yeah, man, man, we talked about it, and you know, some sometimes you know, people make up. Sometimes people don't. I don't. That's him. Um, how are you gonna deal with it? Different? And you know, I respected either way. I mean, you feel a certain way about it. Maybe your story is different than my, you know so,

but that's my story. I've always been someone just kind of in the midst of it because I just kind of feel like I wasn't supposed to be here to the beginning. So I've always been somewhat just a fan in taking everything in and respecting your game and respecting the great people I got a chance to play with and against. But I always thought you would be a Celtic for life. Yeah, so we get into and traded to Brooklyn with Boston is still to this day people

don't know benefit he off that trade. Yeah, but talk to me about how hard it was to just to finally leave Boston. That was a tough field to swallow. Leaving Boston, I thought for sure. I always said after I won the championship, be into too final, Like, Okay, I remember tired here. I've been here fifteen years. I'm like, I'm gonna lay it down another year too, and it here. So when you know, Danny talked about the possibility of trade, I was like, damn, really, you know what I'm saying.

We've been here all this time, and you know, but the fact that he had that talk and didn't that's why I respect Danny because it was not didn't wake up and I was like, gone, we had a conversation. He was just like, we're looking to rebuild. I could put you in a situation where you can have another

shot at it. And we talked about Brooklyn and it was just like it wasn't just send us off anywhere, because me and KG got traded together and we was like, all right, we came to like a little mutual agreement. I was like, all right, they're looking to rebuild here. They were looking at the trade, get some draft picks. You know, the run is over. I could sent y'all to Brooklyn, Darren Williams, Joe Johnson, y'all. I was like, okay,

I sound all right, don't give us a shot. I guess you know, at this age, I'm older, get to go to New York. You know, at least I got cab with me, and so, you know, as much as a stunt, and it was a tough pill to swallow, it was like, all right, we cancel mutual agreement, and I'm glad we can have this conversation. That's me and Danny, you know, that's all we ask. Yeah, it's so loyal to a franchise, so long conversation. I couldn't imagine a situation.

But I think, and you know, people get lost in the mixed while players leave and they're doing it's such a business. But when we do something on our side, it's it's fucked up. But all we asked this communication and let us know where we're staying. Yeah, exactly, exactly, that's all. And that's why I can forever respect him for that. And because it don't happen all the time. You look up now you look up on Twitter or Instagram and you trade it like when you even get

a call. Danny, Danny Angels, all of them. They didn't have no picks when he was with Phoenix that they traded for Steve Nash. They had one pick, the second to last pick in the staff set in the second round in the draft, and they picked me. Oh yeah, I didn't know. It ain't so I ever speak out. Yeah, So Brooklyn, you guys go there, like you said, with Joe Johnson still one of the most underrated players in

the game. But it's my ass in the Big Three Championship last year, shout out so Joe and then Darren Williams, you know, at one time was the best point guard in the game. So you're adding two solid hollet Foods. Youre fall of famer. Vets going to Brooklyn. Talk about your your brief time in Brooklyn. Yeah, I mean it started off rocky because we was we was garbage at first. We were we couldn't win. I remember, you know j Kid, this is his first time coach and he the coach man.

I'll never forget this story. On Christmas, we're playing the Bulls. They blow us out on national television. Man Jake Kid coming there, he yelling, he yelling at us, and I know KG caught up and guy and Jakid faced dog. I thought he was about the whoop ja kids. Straight up. I was like, I went up in his space. I ain't no who had his towel on, Like he had his towel on, like about to get in the shower in front of everybody, and then just walked off to

the shower. I swear from that point on it turned our season around. Like KT cares so much, dog. I mean, it wasn't just randomly getting them at Jkid and face J Kid. You know, KG have the point in his career like, don't yeah at me like this years Yeah, they they played Olympics together. They you know, here like that, all right, But I swear from that time, from that point it turned our season around too. kJ just let the fire under j under us and we just started

bawling after that. But he got I thought, he's I thought this was gonna be the trail speedwell apart two. I thought, like, straight up, straight up, I was scared. I was scared for I can't see that with J Kid personality, KG person I couldn't. I couldn't see them going to blows in the locker rooms. Lose it, Dog, you don't want to be around right Oh yeah, motherfucking the housing are from freek fighting. You gotta watch from across the road, man, take it ain't either, straight up area.

So ship. Now, so you face Miami in the playoffs again again, dude, and with Brooklyn. You know, the thing is crazy, thing is we beat them four times that year in the regular season. We beat him, so I'm thinking we we got a shot, you know, regular season and playoffs to That's what I'll be trying to temple for all this regular season that we're watching, don't matter. The playoffs come, taking lots of a whole different time. I thought we was gonna get him, but it was

too much for us. Lebron was in this prime. He was priming. He was priming. This is the best you know, he's still priming actually at talking. I mean, I've never seen somebody in the prime this. No, he started since his fourth year. He was prime, right, the ultimate. Yeah, and just couldn't get over once he moved to Amy, I couldn't get over to le Bron hump no more. And so that was that was tough. So then you moved to Washington, and I heard you talk about this before.

This is kind of like you said, you know, this is your You're heading towards the ends, and now you're mentoring some really young talented players but still having your moments, I mean, knocking down big shots, calling game. Washington was one of the funniest. That was years stretch I ever had just now put into a road to where I'm gee, I got two young stars, you know, yeah, I can just like kind of mom them get their mind right, you know, see them develop every day, show them how

to do it. You know, I ain't come over there like I went over there, like, look, man, John Brad, this is y'all team. I'm over here just to help. This is y'all team. I had my day where I was this is y'all ship, and I want you all to know that I'm not coming over here for that. I'm here to help y'all. Yeah, they need to hear that need, especially from the Hall of Fame. Yeah, they need to hear that. That's like one of the first conversations I had when I'm just here to help. I'm

gonna work every day. I'm gonna give y'all my experience and mentor y'all. This is how y'all need to work. Maybe days they come in like, no, y'all need to get on the court, you know, like come on, like dude, y'all need to go a little harder. Y'all. The leaders, y'all ain't going hard enough. And like when people heard me say that to them, like coaches and other teammates, it was like nobody had ever went at them a

lot of time. You can't. It's a crazy world, like you got to be the way you talk to stars so for you to be able to come in there, and they needed to hear it too. Yeah, but they probably shocked a lot of people. I don't think they've just been around a lot of guys they really respected, And I knew I got the respect because of how I came to approached every day. They're like, damn the o G. He comeing to practice every day, he ain't taking no days off. He here early, he gets shots up,

he lifted, and so they're starting to see that. Now they're starting to do it. And that's what I wanted to bring. But that that that year was so much fun, especially in the playoffs. Oh man, you know, I wasn't gonna put up big numbers no more. It was them days was over, so you know, yeah, so I was that guy that could help him down the stretch. Did you call Glass? You know? I called game? Oh man, I want to say a little bit more after that, and I just walked off from the interview. Was like

that was classic. I was like, but like, how are you going? Like this's my thing? How are you gonna trying to take my bones? Like? Did I called Glass? Like the game? Game? Come on talking about all right, straight from the head, I had to think of something like that. It was just a little stink this almost low key real quick yeah yeah, motherfuck nerve, Like yeah, that's that's exactly what I'm thinking, Like, you know, you

know all it was missing. I called game, but I was I was like when I said, I was kind of mad at it, like called gang really like and I'm like, and I'm off this interview. Talk to us about where that Where did that clutch DNA come from? I think it comes from just not caring about feeling, you know, Like I was like, if I'm gonna make the play or not, I'm gonna hold my hair hot right through the next one. Like so I get the

next one, fellas. But I had to install that in my teammates too, because like if you're in them situations and you let your teammates down and then you you kind of like corr up and they they're not lost them, you lose them. So like when I was in these moments, because there's a lot of moments I didn't come through, but I'll be like, I'm sorry, I'm the next one. I got the next one I had that I had

don't worry. I'm gonna get the next one. You gotta keep them gassed, like, Okay, we believe in p We're gonna we're gonna go to him. And then when I'm at that time, I come this way, come this way. You gotta show your team confidence in them situations. Whether you fail or you succeed, you gotta still show that later. Yeah, I'm gonna go down and I'm gonna take it from the media after like all right, yeah, okay, next time, don't worry, it's gonna come. You know what I'm saying.

But if I'll be like, man, I'll let everybody down, ain't nobody following that right talk. So you're heading home now, final year, come back and play with the team you possibly thought you could have been the number one pick two? Yeah, and what was it your seventeen for you? Year seventeen? Year yeah, year eighteen. I come into the Clippers. So that was like just a a move, like all right, I'm coming home my rooms, doctors. Here's make the easy

transition into retirement. I know I'm gonna live in Los Angeles, That's where you know, I'm from my family, And so I was like I decided to make the move. You know, at that point, I don't know. I didn't have much left in the tank, so you know, I was just pretty much. I just was pretty much at the Country Club. Man. Truthfully, I come there and help the young guys. I'll go home be a mentor. You know. I didn't really play a live but I was ready. My mentor was ready

for retirement. And towards the end, I was like, how my how can I just helped doctor, you know, play sparingly. But that had a real magical moment though at the Garden, your last time at the Garden. Talk to us about that, man, the way I could. I was watching the game and to see you come in and hit these motherfuckering shots, I'm just like that. Yeah, my last game at the Boston Garden. That was special. It was like, damn, you know, when you retirement and I see it coming, I'm like,

this is it. You know, this is the last time I'm gonna step on this garden floor. You know, it's like, damn, it's really it. You know, this is really it. You know, I played all these years and I'm like, damn. So I had a chance to come in the last second, and man, when I look at my career, I'd be like, somehow, how did this keep having it? Like? You know, damn, you know. I hear my last shot at the end of the game in Boston Garden just then just wave

him off. It was like, damn, it was supposed to happen. Cow, I'm supposed to happen. Let me come in and knock one last shot. That's pressure. I was sitting the whole game and I come in like the last minute and it just stiff his head on. Stiff is held entire game, so you ain't touched the ball on. Yeah, I'm stiff as ill. But just you know, sometimes moments happen for

a reason. I was putting the special moments where I could have knocked down one last shot in the guard Who was the owner when you got drafted for when you wanted to get We're supposed to get drafted to the Clippers. Who was on the Clippers then Donald Sterling. So it's good it didn't happen. It's good it didn't happen. Right, I got just high post jobs. I just thought about that.

You don't want to go to anyway, Funny. I care from California man Inglewood to to to be exact, and then to go into a city of Boston for so much history, but then the history of racism, and you're here and you're kind of just like, but you're here now. And then when it's all said and done, you got your number up in the rafts the birds. Yeah, and so are back. Talk to me about that. You know, I never could have dreamed that one. You know, the dream was like hard, I don't want to grow, I

want to play for the makers. I want to win the championship on I never would to drink that one. The Celtics. Yeah, you know that one was like the fathers of my dream, Like, I'm gonna be a Boston Celtics when the championship. Get my number retired in the Boston Guard from a care from l A. Who would have thought that? And I remember at my um and my retirement speech today the night and went up. I just remember saying like, man, it's so much history in this building and for me to be a part of it.

I was like, if I never make the Hall of Fame, for me to get my number retired in Boston, Yes, that's all I that's all I ever need to be up there with them legend. You know that that's crazy. When did you finally just kind of sit back and look because I don't I don't know. I didn't never do it until now, Like, when did you finally kind of sit back like god damn and just look at

your soon to be all the fame career. Now I still do it, right, three years in the retirement, I still look back and like, man, I played nineteen years like it weren't. Man, I still look back like this is like, I guess you're right, because when youre in the middle of it, you're just in the middle of it the moment. So now, you know, sometimes I catch myself like, you know, let me look at some YouTube and me let me see if I could have played in this era. And I'll be like, oh, yeah, yeah, okay,

you know, you catch yourself watch some of the old highlights. Yeah, I'll be like, you're someone And I said, I think Mellow gets this treatment to like, but I think more you because there was really no social media when you were when the truth started, like you get overlooked and disrespected as as someone who was one of the greatest small forwards in the history of the game, hands down, and people don't understand that and how does how do how does that make you feel? Does it? You know?

It real hoopers like today? You know, yeah, perception is reality now. And you know because when a lot of people think of my career, they only think of the Big Three. They don't think they didn't. They don't see the pre they don't see that part of my career. They only know the Big Three error with the reason why Braun had Yeah, and so like when it's always been like that for me. So it goes back to

draft night. I got drafted number ten, looked I got when I was supposed to go number This is nothing new for me. That's what Paul Pierce is. He's gonna be overlooked, probably under ratied sometime. But I'm fine with that, you know what. Real Like you said, real, hope, real, No real, real, no real, And that's I'm cool with that. I'm cool with that. That's all that matters. We all been through a lot. Is there anything that you that you would go and change that you wish you can

go back and change um on your career? You know what? I think we all go through things and all go through struggles for a re and you know, even from me being stabbed in the nightclub. Um, So I don't know if that. I don't think there's anything I would change my story because I think it kind of mode you to who you make you know, through the good through the bad. Um, it just emoes you, man. And you know, now I can go back and tell my kids good stuff, the bad stuff, tell them who their dad,

you know, was, And I'm proud of it. Man. So you know, I'm proud that certain things happened in my life that I was able to get through and and shape you. You know, it just tells you who you're gonna be your character, you know. So I'm happy. I'm happy with it all. Talk to me with real quick, what do you think would have happened if you would have got Ray and KG three or four years before? We talked about that, man, Me and Kevin Dude, we talked about that. Man. I remember he was in Minnesota.

We at the end of the year, we're competing against each other like it's some playoffs. This is like the in the last games of the year wasn't very good and he wasn't going to playoffs Minnesota. I wasn't going to playoffs. So we're talking ship to each other, and I remember looking it was two thousand and five, I believe two thousand and six. I remember we're talking and our with our owners sitting on the baseline. I'm at the free throw like this, KG is at the free

throw line. I looked right at him and I was like, if we get him, we're gonna win the championship. During the game. This in the middle of the game. This, I'm at the free throw line. You know about the box out owners sitting right there. This is how closer is on the baseline. K the freest said we get him, we're gonna win the championship. That was three years before we got him. Yelled it out. Everybody heard it. So everybody heard that what's up and didn't wind up happening.

I wish it could have happened sooner, right right, imagine that three four championships, possibly because you end up playing with him in high school and winning the championship with him that it was as all meant to be talking about him, But we had him. We were lucky enough to have him on the show, and that's the first time I really got a chance to feel his energy off the court. Oh man, and it's it's it's it's similar. Yeah, but the energy, like you just feel his energy all

day long. People gravitate towards Kevin. So like we play on playing rights. This is Kevin first getting on the team. So I remember we've been on playing rides and uh, you know, I had my little headphones on. I'm sitting and you know, flying and then I look over he at the table, you know, how to plant the flights we had they had some of them had card tables.

We played cards. So I look over Kg's sitting there and I'm looking at like five six of the young guys sitting around him like a campfire, just like they gravitated toward them like that's and he just telling them stories and stuff and stories. Yeah, And I'm like, damn, so, you know, after playing with him for like three fot five years, I'm hearing the same stories over over the side, the stories cats, and I'm like, he put a little more gas on it this time. But that's why people

just gravitated to it. I was like, many he told me the story. He didn't do that the last time. Oh man, it was it was those But that's just showing his energy. How people just gravitated towards them. I mean we're sit in the locker room next thing, I know, after practice, we're here for like two hours just listening the cabin, chopping it up, like you don't even realize the time going by. Those are the moments you missed

though when you're done. Like I don't miss basketball, I mean I haven't missed it, but you missed those times when you're just fucking with your people. Yeah, I mean that's just what it is, just a good the thing about it too. And yeah, off the course, yeah, bus ride, playing ride, and then we all go through the same stuff. We understand you've got some of that sitting we all brought us like just like before we outside, we're talking about all the same stuff we go through off the court.

You know what I'm saying, Very similar, very similar. So you're transitioning into media and we'll get to the ESPN and what you're doing. But you got in the beef with way and this kind of goes to the social media era of people are not understanding who you are. And then you know Dwayne being uh you know, and all his greatness. But talk to us a little bit about how that kind of got going what happened? You know, I think that was like really a big misunderstanding because

like I respect Wave the way we knew that. Yeah, but like for me as a competitor, you know, I think it was taken out of contest. Now, two questions was asked, were you better than Wade? Or do you have a better career? What you're supposed to say? You know, I was like, I think I'm better. You know, clearly if you look at his accolades career wise, Yes, he won three championships. Yes, he's one of the greatest two guards. Uh all Star MVP finals, MVP, you want the greatest

finals ever. But I'm looking at it, like, do I think I'm a better player the way I said? Yes, I think I thought I had. I think I have more skill, I think I'm taller, I think I could do everything he can do. On both fans. Now, that's what I was referring to. Now, whether you agree with it or you don't, that's who Even if you say that that's not but like it doesn't disrespect him, doesn't.

And that's what I hate. How the media wants to spend ship and make it like a war when it's just when you really in depth, get to explain just where you're coming from. I don't have to demean him to be confident in myself and exactly, it wasn't me putting him down, like I respect way, I spect everything he's done for the game of basketball. This is not me putting him down. This is just like how I

felt when we won the championship. I went to a camp in Spain and it was like, um, how does it feel to Plague to beat the best player in the world. And I was like, wait, I'm the best player in the world, like this is what I said. And they made a big deal of it, and I was like, well, you know, I just coming off the championship. I'm just coming off the finals MVP. I feel like I'm the best player in the world. And they blew that out of context. But why can I not feel

like right, you know what I'm saying. Why can't I feel like that I got the chip and the trophy and the m v P. I'm not supposed to feel like that right now? Right, and so whatever, People don't take Paul Peers out of context that just whatever did you see yourself doing what you're doing now? Did you see yourself getting paid good money to to do it. No, man,

I really didn't, but he see it. But like I had a chance to work the Finals while I was still playing, and I was like Las Last Girl and I was with the Clippers, and I was just like, should I do this every day? Like you know, you'd be in the locker room talking hoops Like I could easily talk hoops. I mean, this is my life. This

is what I do every day. And so like I was like, I could I could do this shoot if I could just go on the studio talk some hoops, tell them where I feel about this, what I feel about that. I feel like I know the game so I can speak on it. Uh. And so it was just like kind of like it's kind of like broad to me. And I was like, you know, I couldn't see myself doing this, you know, And uh, it's worked out. Man. I enjoyed, Like y'all, y'all still we still talk the game.

He's still sit around watch it, like the talking straight up and now I get paid for it. What's it? What's your thoughts on the current climate of the Celtics. Man, Truthfully, before the season, I was like, Okay, they're gonna be all right. But now the way Jason Tam was playing, I feel like they can go to the Vinyl. I mean, he has tooking the next step a superstardom. And I was like before it's like maybe, like you know, you gotta have that star to win, and he's turning into

that right before our eyes. Like I mean, this run is that he's on. I don't see it slowing down anytime. When it was like when I was just at the I went and watched them play and I was like, yeah, it's only a third year, and I was like, this is his third year. It feels like he's been in the league for a minute, right, Like I forget he was just a rookie playing against Lebron finals and I forget that and I forget I felt like I felt like it was his fourth or fifth year, but the

third year to him doing what he's doing. I feel like the Celtist can get to the finals. I really do. And I'm always honest about them, Like I didn't think it last year. I said, No, I didn't think of the year you know before reform. No, No, I like them to play, but I'm like, but like, actually, I really think they can get to the finals. I mean, Milwaukee they're good, but do we like really believe in them like that? For us, I mean, yeah, they don't

get the respect, but it comes in the playoffs. Yeah, I mean we're you gotta earn that. Like the ain't never won nothing like said the regular season and the Warriors have the greatest regular season, didn't win that year, almost kind of like waters a Day, Like, you gotta get it in the playoffs to get that respect. Absolutely so Now after Milwaukee, it's like who else you see any comparisons with you entitle in his game? I see a lot of them. Man, he's smooth stuff. The people

don't know you you've been doing that. This side step three, you don't know you've been doing See if we didn't have the social media, Yeah, the flash for all y'all, I don't know this new side staff that you'll see these trainers teaching these players. I'll been doing that. He's been doing that. That was the shot I took on our exactly exact shout out. You know a lot of bro Bro Bro Marcus Smart. I know you're a big fan of him. How well would fit man? Marcus is

a throwback. He could play in any error in the n b A. I mean he fitting the mode, I mean tough. I think you need guys like him, and you know y'all fit that mode too. You need them guys like Stack like you, like Marcus, everybody who loves playing with those guys like Poesy. Like you can ask any all star, m VP superstar, They're like, who your favorite is gonna be that cat right there that's gonna get in the trenches and do championship type plays like

diving on the floor. I mean he want to guard whoever. Like, you need them guys to win, Pop and Steve Crazy said all the time, it's like an to winn the championship, you need a guy like Steve and Jackson need a guy like growing our test, need a guy like Tony. You gotta have a guy like that because that's gonna be the glue guy, you know what I mean. He's gonna sacrifice sometimes more than anybody else willing to sacrifice

on the team to win. Again, they need to have a special on this, like straight up huge position that this like that's that story. I don't think it's been told and you don't get the outside respect to love. But like you said, you understanding respect and love you players like you understand and respect players like us, and we were the games. They don't understand it. Yeah, that story definitely gotta get told because I'm the showtime to

tell them with us. Yeah, but when guys like us we hear from you, when we hear from Kobe, that means that means a lot to us that we know, we under We know we didn't get our props and some ship we did that we didn't get it. But at the same time we know we could play the game. We know we played it. Yeah. Yeah, like like like I said, for us, was posy, Posy was the glue. Like man, some people like who's James? Yeah, and they like who is that? Y'all better look it up? Like

Blue Guys man that that that story needs to be told. Man, I would love to watch that because there's a lot of names that people need to recognize on on that. What's some of your favorite non Celtic teams? My favorite non Celtics team players to watch, players to watch today Westbrook for show who not like he's just like he

don't get no respect. This dude got three straight years average in the triple dup, Like, he's not like how you don't get in the m v P people get it Already's ever gonna do this again with a dubbed though, Nobody's ever? That's this is That's almost equivalent to saying to Will's hundred, like, I don't think we'll see that, right, I don't think that will ever. Nobody average a triple double three straight years with thirty. That's what I'm saying. It's not a little it's not hard to probably the

most disrespected superstars we haven't again without a doubt. I mean then they Hall of famers already and they are they disrespected, man, I mean that's what you're want to watch out for them straight up. Yeah. Thoughts on the Battle of l A I love where the NBA is right now, especially in l a um bron Y a d PG doc. Oh, man, I gotta give that. I gotta get an edge two Clippers me too. I Mean, I just think they're tougher when it comes down to it.

They got more tough guys. I'll give them that, but all that don't win the game for you all the time. But the King's got to be the can, all right, So tell me this, Jack, who's the glue guy that you need on the Lakers. Who's the glue guy right now? I think he got it. He just got inserted. But I think he can come into that guy. Morris. Yeah, that Mars can be. They don't have him now. I mean, they don't don't have that glue guy now, but I

think Marris can insert Today. They got three four of the men for the Clippers, and they added his twin brother to the other. How many guys are they gonna be able to throw with Lebron in the playoffs? It's gonna be a lot of my opinion, is the best

player in the game. In my opinion, I mean, there's nobody that can go out and give you thirty and lock you up, really lock you up really like yeah, And I just look at it like if anybody had to imagine athletic Tim Duncan with Lebron James, you're seeing it right now, Anthony. Yeah, I've never seen Lebron with the player like that. So that's why my sil I mean, I know that's gonna be scary. You have the Clippers coming out of the West. You feel like I think

the Clippers come out of the West. I feel like they've got the best player, and he's the most clutch player in the league. He definitely cla definitely clutch. Yeah, I got the Clippers out the East. I think it's a toss up, man, man. After earlier the year I said I'm Milwaukee and I was sticking to it. But like now, I think the Celtics would come out there East.

I'm telling you, Jason Tatum is different right now. I had a chance to watch it firsthand when when he played against the Lakers and then he just recently and then he just played against Houston. No fear. He different. Now, I'm telling y'all, he's different. He can match up. He can he can match what Jannice is doing right now. I agree. What music do you grow up on? Like, what'd you list to? I already know because we grew up. I know some of the same ship. But what you

what you ja? What you're jam growing up growing up West coach yea the West Coast. So but it started early. It was like early, like forty two or because I was born Spice. You know, I grew up on the mall. All man, you're bringing it back, you know, you know you know. And then you know, when I moved to l A, it was all about Snoop Dre Park. Yeah. I never tried a chance to me. I saw a pop though. Okay, I saw him. I was in college and I went down to Freak Nick. I don't know

if you know Atlanta. It was like a holiday spring break Atlanta. You know, everybody go out there. And so I went out there in college and he was atlanticx Mall and so I just saw him walk by and I just saw a crowd of people around him. It was like just seeing his aura. It was like, man, I never met him, but I had a chance to like see him like and see him move. It's like they're gonna pipe, like they're gonna pop from one artist

to another. You pen something and you're a big fan of Prince and name just yeah, Prince is a legend, man. I mean, you know rest in Peace. That was no. No, that's a dark skinning version of people. You know what's so funny people guys is dressing like prints. Now, man, they killing and they know they're killing me. They dressed like friends on one Prince and he was doing this thirty years ago. That's crazy. Shout out the pressure. That was his wag though he wasn't you know what I'm saying.

That was just that was just his way. Oh you want to do that again? Top five artists all time? You know you see we got our top five artists, your top five four order, top five all time. Well, I got two of them. That's on this wall of course for show, Biggie and Tupac. And I'm gonna throw jay Z in there. Uh man, it's hard not to. Just everybody gets stuck after those jay Z. Everybody gets stuck right there. All right, I'm gonna go off what I used to what I who? I used to just

always bump all the time. Oh damn, that's that's the spine snoop snoop snoop for show. And then that last one. Oh man, I'm gonna have to go some throwback. I'm gonna say Eric D and Teacher. I used to bump him that day was hard Rock Cam. I'm gonna say Rock Cam. That's nice. We're in a nice space right now. I was fortunate enough to battle a little bit with

Stephen A. Smith on first Take about cannabis and sports. Yeah. Yeah, just someone that's in the business in the States, what are your thoughts over all the business of cannabis and then athletes the cannabis. I mean, I think the more and more people get the knowledge, you know, they're starting

more accepted because like that's growing up. You look at it as a people always look at cannabis as a gateway druy to other things, which is not gateway to snacks, gateway to that's all right, And I think it's been widely accepted. And I'm in the cannabis business, you know, I do a wholesale um distributional Western Green Mamba and so um. Yeah, so I'm in the I'm in the space and uh, you know, I feel like it's there's a place for it, and not only in sports, but

in just life, you know. I mean, the more and more you learn about it and learn to help, I can help you. Um. You know, right now we're in the middle of an opioids crisis and where people are like getting addicted and dying. If you have an alternate um ways of medications such as cannabis, um, why is there a big deal surrounding it? You know, we we don't look at alcohol the same way like that when we look at really stuff that's really killing you. We

don't frown upon, but were frowning upon. Cannabis actually helped sorts, You got me. You know, hard alcohol sponsors are sponsoring professional professional team you know, like you said, mother fucking Celtis are smoking cigarettes in the locker room. How many people those take down it? You know what I mean, like the real problems they don't look at. But I think because cannabis has been stereotyped as a black drug for such a long time that it's really starting to

people realize that it's not it's no no color. Everybody, you know, everybody partakes. And like you said, I think the key is the education. Yeah, you gotts educated on and then figure it out, you know, snow, big deal at all Quick hitters, favorite road crowd to silence New York Knicks. Oh man, that was classic. That was classic. Maybe more excited than you. I was my mom and I was in mom moment, like you know, I hit the game winner up and everywhere that picture, that picture

I got, that's the funniest picture ever. And they jumping up and falling on his neck but still jump right back up. All time clutch five, all time clutch. Who I think is clutch to top five for sure, Jordan's for sure, Kobe Um, Larry Bird a bird, I'm gonna say, Jordan's Bird Magic, gotta throw magic in there. I mean,

I remember that. You know we still play that hook shot he hit in the garden um and last one I'm gonna say, I'm gonna give it up the d way Man, Yeah for sure, Yeah, I'm gonna give it up. He up there like that toughest matchup in your career, toughest matchup. You know what I didn't say different people of a different time, because think about this, I have

to play again, Vance, Carter, Mellow, Brown, Kobe t Mac Anyway. Yeah, it's just thinking key on so many different ways, and I think at some point all of them have giving me forty. I've seen a picture allus on there and it's a smile of Kobe, and we all remember that they had jay La Rose with two mouths because he had I mean, but I consistently go back because all

them guys are hard to guard. But like for me, I'm gonna say Mellow because Mellow made you feel it, but like how he made you feel him feel his points And what I mean by that is like he gonna like use some shoulders all night in your chest. He's gonna like he's gonna be physical, more physical than all the rest of him with his forty and similar.

I didn't appreciate that. That's what used to do, but like for somebody to do that to you, like to appreciate that, you're like, damn like and it's his physicality the way he did it, you know, the rest of them was more finessed with it for his physicality and giving it to you. Oh yeah, I hated that. I like hated that, and so I'm gonna give it up the mellow on that shout out. Oh man, that's a wrap. We want to thank our guess, Paul Pierce. Man, it's good to be here. Appreciate for my fan man just

coming about. I love what you're doing out here. Man, straight up, don't we appreciate this begging segment? Yeah, bad man, Paul. Have always that Jack begs our guests for something. Jack, what you're making for today? Well, since the conversation is going on, you got some grass, what kind whatever? Whatever your grass it has the highest level of turkeys or the taste the best submits some of that. We was talking outside. He got a sick collection of Air Force ones.

You need some wear, so do we. I got you, I got your I got you. I got a box coming your way. That's a wrap. We'd like to thank our guests Paul Pierce for coming through. You can catch us on Showtime Basketball YouTube channel or all platforms streaming podcasts. All Up. Mo Monroe is wanted for the financial terrorist attack Black Monday. Black Monday was my idea. It's me. It was a Wall Street himself. Mo Is back, baby,