Mm hmmm, mm hmmm. Welcome back All the Smoke, La Run Serve had a good day, but man, we get to sit down with man the newest member of the All the Smoke production team. Family God, welcome to the team and the show. Ray Johon Rondo Welcome, Man, I
mean already, family, we're here. We've been talking for a few months and we're really excited we were able to get this deal done with you, and it just excited to what you bring to this space as far as a lot of knowledge in the game, a lot of years in the game, a champion, a future Hall of Famer. What is your goal in its content space?
Mister kind of shared my knowlge of the game. You know, a lot of projects I want to get into eventually, but you know, first off, I want to say thank you to y'all taking a chance with me, and I feel like it's going to be a great fit. Obviously, our personality are similar off the court and how we play the game on the court as well, so there's a lot of synergy in this group and it's glad to be a partist.
Yeah, we're glad to have you.
Bro.
Last time we talked, you were fresh off a bubble championship in twenty twenty. What's new? What's going on? I know you're going back to school right now. I know you haven't officially retired. Like, what's going on in your day to day?
Day to day? Man, I'm actually I'm on spring break. So I'm out here on spring break.
Students in LA for spring break.
So I am in school, full time student.
Now money not to cut you off Monday through Friday online?
No got I got two in person and two online.
So actually back in Kentucky, back.
In the University of Kentucky.
Man, that's done.
I go twice a week. I take the drive down. But as fun loving this new adventure. They're definitely paying for it. The NBA is paying for it. Right to speak to that, because I don't think a lot of guys you and I talk. I don't think a lot of guys realize that the NBA will pay for you to go back and get your degree. I don't know if Jack has a chance because he never even started
his ship. But for those who already tiptoed in college, even not if you haven't tiptoted, I mean, the league still I think up to like maybe six years of retirement will pay for your education up to think twenty thousand dollars, So as long as you've maintaining a certain GPA, they'll pay for it. You get it done, So I commanded whoever everyone has ever done it or going back, but I encourage guys that aren't playing anymore or havn't played.
Helped them transition because a lot of guys don't necessarily do well with retirement or not have something to do. But school for me has been fun. I'm actually enjoying it more now than I did, you know, eighteen years ago, and was back at UK trying to just get to the league.
Right.
So what is it like being back on campus at thirty eight? I mean, we were just at UCLA the other day and we had to hurry up and get off campus because there's just a lot of shit going on too much. But what was I mean, what's it like? I mean, obviously our mindsets are way different from when we were eighteen, nineteen twenty walking on our respective campuses. Now you're a grown man with the family and the whole career behind you. What's it like on the day
to day? I mean pictures seeing old professors I mean, what's the day to day like on campus?
Day to day, you know how I'm moving. I'm pretty much in and out. I park right where I need to park, you know, campus to get the class. Like I said, my earliest semester classes, like last year there were longer walks, but these two in particularly, I go to this semester there right next door, I go to classroom. I don't give you time, but I go to class you on Tuesday and Thursdays, and you know it's no
big deal. I'm going to class one of my one of my classrooms about twelve kids, twelve young young men and women. And then the also other classes one hundred and thirty five. Yeah, it's been fun. I'm learning a lot, and I'm glad I'm doing it.
I'm thinking, so I'm throwing the idea out there already, making it come to fruition. So my twins want to go to UCLA, and I'm like a semester away from graduating. So if they go back to school, I'm going back to school. But I want to turn into a show, like I want to try, like a scripted dramedy about a washed up NBA player going back to school with like two up and coming five stars, right, So I think I might do that.
Man.
So we're going to see your son, your coach now, I get a chance to coach my kids. Jack coached in the past. But what is that experience like? He just went viral on ball his life, So what's that what's that journey like? It's a different way. I want to talk to you about that too, because you shook your head. What's it like being coaching your son and just seeing that, you know, him excelling something he loves so much.
It's a joy. It's definitely a joy to coach my son, and that he's at the stage now where he's listening. So eleven twelve, he's twelve twelve. He's twelve, and he's a sponge of the game. He wants to get better each time. And me, you know, explained him to understanding he has a target on his back. And as you
mentioned him just going viral. We just came back from a big term of down at Hoover and you know, all the cameras around the court now, so you're starting to get a lot of the notoriety and a lot of attention. But for me, I'm just try to keep him as humble as possible. He doesn't have social media, And then when my team is with me that particular weekend, I shut social media down because I think that's affecting these kids to when they don't give it. Damn if
you win. To Losese, like as soon as you get out out of the game, they on the ground who tagged me, who posted me, was like, that's that's that's fucking our young kids' heads up, and that's not what we allow on our program.
No more more.
I like the Jamal Crawford made a post a few weeks ago about parents and outside noise, and obviously we came up in a different time. You were a little bit younger us, but in the same same kind of age group and wave all this. You know again, kids can loot me three and done or two and done, but you'll see a highlight tape up, you know, the
next second. So what is like your your focus and how successful you obviously touched out, how successful hasn't been on understanding with the big picture in but also enjoying the ride, allowing the kids to enjoy the ride.
Yeah, for me, that's what it's about. Like I said, I'm pretty strip on the road. Obviously, I'm a lot of kids made. You know, a lot of parents may send their kids with with just me and the coaches. So obviously where they're extended, dad's on the road. And for me it's it's a great experience because I teach them discipline. We go to bed at a certain time, I take the phones. I said, always say, we don't have social media, and it's a business trip kind of
how we approach it in our game. I try to treat them the same level or how we're doing an NBA. It's like I said, we come here, we ain't getting swimming pools. We ain't doing this in the third We're gonna probably go to movies and sit and relax if we get a good time or other than that, we're there for business. We watch film more than any probably
the NBA team combined. I mean we at each game because at that age a game, you're learning the game, so each and for me, instead of arguing with my kids back and forth, I just pop the tape in and then you know, there's nothing to argue about. I have the whole team vote was this a travel?
Was this a foul?
And they get to coach themselves, and not only you know, just hear me thinking I'm just crazy and talking the sound all the time. It's like, here's the proof. See And then when they know where they get to film and they changed their mindset within the game, they know, okay, shit, I'm have to get up the screen now because last
time in film we talked about this. So it's easy for me to teach the kids and I don't have to go back and forth with them a lot because right after the game we jumped right in the van. We watch it.
I love it, So talk to us about I mean, we all grew up playing on the blacktops and playing pickup games and there was a little bit of training. Now it's so much one on one training and then just games, and I feel like kids don't really know how to play the whole game of basketball. Everyone needs the ball in their hands to be effective these days.
So talk to us about kind of just the new form of frames, because I feel like kids are very skilled, and even the younger players in the league super super skilled, but I feel like they lack just an overall understanding of the game and sometimes lack a little bit of IQ as well.
I think the big reason is that because now scoring is glorified. The game is pushed so much so if you can score, you can play it. You can score, you can get to the league. It's like I think the game is, it's a lost art of actual leaders on the court, like myself. You know who can actually if a coach got eject that can run the entire game, you know who to get the ball to. Nowadays, again, when you're training, you're working out and working out against
the cone. You know these cones and the games move, and then it doesn't translate into the game to where you're just focused on individual play and don't know how to make your teammates better or doing intangibles with things that don't show up on ESPN. All the little things that make a team click come together. And for me, like I said, the main thing is just being a leader.
You can't teach the game from just playing or just drilling with a trainer four days a week, go back and work for us, we hooped, yeah, I mean it was we hoot more than training. I mean this is how it was so uh, these guys don't have the opportunity obviously, It's it's not as safe, you know, with all the parks and shit clothes, especially back in my neighborhoods.
You can't just go pick get a pickup game, you know, so it does have to be always a school ball game or something that particular nature because of the safety. But kids still don't play enough, you know, they don't play the game enough. They rather train than't play, because again, training it taught you how to make any game adjustments quicker than when you actually get on a game where it counts to pick up ball. You can't. You can't relate, you can't.
I feel like there needs a little be a little bit more mix up too, because I feel like one of the issues is they play a lot of games, but they're just games, so they're not structured or control. So I think there needs to be more practice time. But that's hard if you have a team that has kids from different states and in different cities. But I feel like, you know, they're either training or they're playing
actual games. I think there needs to be a little bit more control so you can control and help make the you know, help correct the mistakes in the games before they come habits. So I mean, we got kids in it, We're gonna see how it goes. But I mean, I think our kids have an upper hand because they had dads that have been to the top of the mountain and understand what it takes to get there.
But go back to what you said about what Jamal posted and I actually reposted. It is the parents that are killed in the game.
You know.
I see so many parents now and just got their cameras in the stands. But it's for a highy tape versus you know, if you're going to record recorders to teach your kids not to make a highlight tape. And then when he has to go against some smoke or he fa, he faces challenges. He doesn't know how to handle those things. So for me, it is the parents.
The parents.
Even on some of my programs, I got four teams now, you know, don't like the way I may do things. I'm thinking myself like, well, you came to my program for a reason, so let's wish you the best luck to you to get out of here with that type of mind. So because again everything I'm giving the kids and we're taking our time. Obviously we spend a lot of money as well paid for it either at all, So we're taking the time and teaching your kids. You know, it's either you get out of the program or you
gotta get out, you know. So it's the parents that are kind of watering it down and not being authentic with their kids.
Last up, Don Breed.
Two of the top five assists leaders in the league right now is Saendlers. How do you feel about, you know, you being one of the point guards, one of the real point guards. How do you feel about it not being no point guards like, you know, like it's erased all the point guards. That's true point guards, you Chris Paul, it's no more guards like that in the league, very few.
Rather, I mean it's sad. I believe, you know, you know, basketball guys appreciate, you know, myself and Chris the way we play the game. I believe the right way. You know, it wasn't not that every guard is scoring down is selfish. But at the same time, the point guard is the leader of the floor. He's a extended extension of the coach on the floor. And like I said earlier about it, if a lot of these coaches got thrown out the game,
point guard wouldnt know how to handle the situation. They wouldn't know what plays to call down the stretch of the games. They would know who would get the ball to a certain time. It's different matchup, so you know this, it's sad the game is gone this way. But again, uh, the league wanted scoring and they watched you know, one hundred and sixty point games. Like you know, there's no DEFENSI isn't being you know, cherished, and there's a defensive
man of war, but nobody really talks about it. It's not like that guy's actual defensive player that can stop and play both sides. So I know he was talking earlier about how Ae and Edwards plays both sides at all.
But guys aren't valued as much. I believe it's like they'll say a three and D guy, but the stars aren't playing defense, right, the stars aren't the matchups and not seeing the tape the other day with him checking PG, yeah, locking it up and man like he wanted that smoke and he said that since us say that he pleas the guy that plays both sides. So to see him actually do this at a young age, uh, you know, kudos to him. But the point guard is.
Gone and we respect that that.
Now it may come back, but the end of the day.
I don't know.
Obviously they're going they're going to European style. They're now trying to get to Africa. I mean, they're they're pushing the game differently, and I don't think the game is being taught or valued as it should be. But you know that's the the waivers with.
Teams like Phoenix abandoning the point guard completely. How you feel about that, I mean, I think it's gonna be hard to win that way.
I think it does. You know, everyone wants to be different. Again, I don't still see them having a leader on the floor because again, you got three great first Battle.
Hall of famers know how to get their shot first.
Get that's what that's who they are, and that's okay. But for me, like I said, that was easy for me to manage in the sense, you know, I was talked by Doc, great leadership from Sam Caunsell, my Vets, PJ. Brown, But that was my mindset. You know, I was always a selfish player. I wanted to make my teammates around
me their job easier. No matter how many grates I played with, I wanted to make them Okay, if you average twenty six, let me get you to twenty seven shooting, you know, ten more or six more percentags higher than the fields, you know what I mean. So it was like, I want to make the game easier, and that's how I study their game and study my game to make sure it mix. It went well.
P was already a thirty point score, but then you getting them six to eighties. Was a game that was a quick, easy party on us.
It's okay, let me go to pe right now. Now I get Now he gets two free throws. Now he's in the rhythm. So it's like this will be able to manipulate the game that way. I'm pretty sure nobody really thinks that in that way.
Now, walk me through the first you know, football scripted, the first you know, first two drives are scripted. Walk me through the first three or four minutes of the game. When you have yourself, Ray, Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins on the floor. What are you looking for and how are you looking to start the game. I'm looking and dominating the paint. Get Ray wide up and look early as possible. It depends on the matchups, you know, I mean.
If you got you have to give me a team to where Okay, if who's the weakest link, you know, we're gonna attack this guy, particularly on defense. If it's a star player, we're playing against Vince Card, I might want Pe to go Advince the first lead. Again, we're gonna set the tone early. He's gonna pick up a foul and now now I'm going right back at him, or it just depends on how the game flow. If that superstar I got a first foul, Doc, don't you
have to talk to me. We're going right back to Whether I'm coming out of pick and roll and trying to, you know, bump into his leg to get the foul, or we're trying to post, you know, whatever the case may be, I'm trying to get him a second five out of the game earlier. That way, they have to make a quicker adjustment than we do when you go in the ticket. I mean, it just depends. If you obviously beat some man down the floor, I'm going to
him first. If we want to go inside, then obviously it's if we're going against a Rasheed or mcdce, I'm going to ticket. If I'm going against Kevin Love, I'm going to Kevin. Who else is back in the day playing and if I'm going against Tim Duncan, we're going to We're going a ticket, you know what I mean. So it's like whoever had that matchup the first play of the game. Hopefully we were trying to go at that person.
This is what I did not is though, because I played, y'all a lot. Y'all gave Perkins bone first player of the game a lot. Absolutely, the first player the game. We're gona give him his bone because he might not see no more unless you run the floor.
But if you if you give him that, now he's gonna run through a wall.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's likestanding who your personality is. Like I said, so it doesn't always have to be the Big three. I don't think I ever got a first play of game, but I was okay again, I wanted the first sister the game. But now it was like I said, it was. It was fun playing with that group of men, and how Doc got us to buy in so quickly we was able to get it done.
Someone who has a very high q IQ of the game. And really, when you say extension of the coach on the floor, like to every sense of the word, that's what you were No one can figure out Jokic. What would you do if you were coaching against him to try to slow him down?
First of all, you have to have the personnel. I think I think the last team to slow them down was us in the bubble with the white and I think we actually we had the white javel and we had a D so we had three seven footas that we can throw at him. So I think the closest team is Cat healthy. He's done for this time right now, he'll be back. Yeah, yeah, So I mean I think the team has the best shot, It would probably be the two footas that you know, Minnesotas can throw at him.
But again, if I was a West Coast team, my two big would probably be watching joking the entire year. You know, if I'm prepping that way, I'm studying all his tendency that I'm saying, you know, when he draws fouls, when he becomes dominant. I think last night he had like ten and ten or twelve, some low scoring game. But I'm watching this game seeing what happened, What do they do differently? Or I know Michael Porter Junior had it going, but it's like what game wereries games where
he would slow down. Let's figure out what we can do to you know, those try to bring out those tendencies versus the game. He said forty and those games. I'm watching those games as well.
Okay, what did he get? Great?
How many free those did you shoot? How many three attempts did you make you? I mean, so I'm breaking the game down with his game in particular the entire season.
If I got to go against him in the playoffs, it's very very few games what people were able to do this. But when you make him try to score over you, because he's real crafty.
He's not fast, but you know how to get around you.
But if you if you constantly make him try to score over you, he has trouble because he's not athletic.
He's That's why he crafted. That's why I feel like our bigs we were able to throw Dwight. He was able to, you know, put a body on physicality. This long athletic, you know, a student of the game, and you got eight that doesn't have to check him every possession. But now he has to go against eighty. So now we get an offense eighties attacking joke us. We have to do you want him to play both sides. Put him in pick a roll, put him in pin downs. If that big isn't a great you know, score to
put him in all of pin downs. Force him the switch. If not, attack them.
Love it. Paul recently said on Draymond's podcast, you went to ticket University. Early on, I did, what does that mean?
I did?
What did that mean? And what did you learn?
And I learned so much? You know, he was the one guy that when I did fuck up, you know, he always called me to be like yo, you he's a writer. You was wrong and he always kept it real with me. And I appreciate that from a from a vet standpoint, because a lot of people wouldn't tell me the truth, you know what I mean, They probably continue to kiss my ass or not hold me accountable to the level I need to be held accountble to
if I wanted to be great discipline. You know, he's a probably the most disciplined guy I've ever played with, you know, doing the ship every day, in the weight room, every day, being a professional, taking care of his body. You know, he might be in getting massage for two hours, then he might go to the kolto. Then he might get shot up.
So he was he does.
He did everything consistently every day, and I think that helped me become a better professional understanding I had. I had him every day. I had Raid that was showing up at four o'clock on game days getting shot up before the lights came on. And then I had part that would I would come in a midnight thinking I'm in the gym by myself. He'd be upsels on tripmill.
So it's like I had all these vets that it was like damn okay, like oh okay, and I was just a sponge write everything down possible to try to, you know, implement in my pot and be great.
You spoke to something that has gone from the game these days, is vets. How important do you feel like or how do you feel like the NBA is lacking by not having these? And we've said this before. When we came in the league, there could be guys that are thirty six, thirty seven, thirty eight, pushing forty some some some you know, some help on the court, but some just help in the locker room, on the flights bridge, the guests with the coaches. What is the NBA missing by not having Vets anymore.
They're missing a lot and I said, they're missing a lot of discipline off the court for the young guys, knowing how to move, knowing how to work, you know, and knowing how to be great teammates, you know what I mean, Like the game isn't always just about the game, you know. I think back in the day when Vets were around the team, you know, we had like a lot more events off the court, you know what I mean, Like it was more together and this more camaraderie off
the court as a team. And again it may not always have to like each other, but you show it for each other's events. And now it's kind of like it's about me, my brand, it's all, you know, it's nothing else about the team or outside of anything else but me versus you know, being a team. So you know,
the the NBA knew what they were doing. They wanted people that could control and you know, with the Vets in the locker room, you know, that's not as many yes men or people that are just say you know, you can say anything to them and not have any resistance. So they had to get the best out of in my and my my thinking. A lot of my boys went out at that particular age because I feel like they can't control them anymore.
And they taught us how to be professionals, right, I know.
That's one thing I give credit to Steve Smith and Kevin Willis and even Steve Carrlem they taught They taught me how to be a professional bro to deal with getting taken out the game and being mad at coaching, all those types of things. Not not having that in your career, that's.
Your career short.
No, That's definitely helped us. The Gap Celtics this year, I think right up there with odds on favorite to win it. Uh, do you think they are are real contenders? Uh? To bring home that first ring with this this Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown group.
I do.
I mean, obviously I'm biased, but being real as well. They they have a great group of young men, and I think they have enough guys that are hungry that's almost been there, and they have a champ and Drew
that has been there. And Uh, Sam Cassels on the sideline, Joe, I love, you know, working with him when I was out there just learning fromhim a couple of days in Boston, watching how he works and how he's able to get guys to buy in and when he speaks, everyone is, you know, all eyes up and paying attend to if he has he has the locker room, he's commanded their attention.
And they also mixed with the auhoor for the type of vet like guys that, like I said, haven't always made it to the top, but have been right there at that particular time. And now I feel like now they have the group in mind that that's done it. Like I said, they were so close last two years. Hopefully this is year they get it done.
Porzingis's health is going to be important. Definitely, gazingis is a problem, but you just got to stay healthy. What does the global game You've touched on this earlier, but what does the global game of the NBA look like in the next ten to fifteen years. I mean, they're already in Africa, they're trying to expand, you know, to these different continents. What is the game as a whole look like when our kids are old enough to play.
I mean, it's gonna be it's gonna be crazy. I mean I don't think there's gonna be many Americans in the NBA. Possibly in ten fifteen years. It's gonna be tough to say, you know, predict the future, but I think possibly a percentage of the NBA games would be in these different parts of the world, right you know, like I said, it may not be eighty two games.
That might be shortened by then sixty two, maybe twenty guys are touring over and you know, and you're turning over in Africa playing you know, two three weeks at a time and then coming back to the States. I think it'll be a rotation of that possibly, but I don't know what he's gonna do a lot too, That's
a lot. It can change really quickly, as it has since you know I've started, and now where the game is going now, so you know, it's all about the dollar and they're gonna do what it takes to continue to make it and get the pie bigger, which is why we're able to see these type of contracts in these deals.
Absolutely, you feel strong about Boston coming out of the East in the West, Denver, Clippers, anyone you think as a.
Man this, sir, uh top My top three right now would probably be Minnesota, Denver, and the Clippers. I can't I can't choose I think I feel like Minnesota has a Clippers number, particularly one player. When you go against some boys, Like I said, he he's gonna give me the best shot and he wants it. So I think they have a great chance of getting it done. But again I can't. I can't connut the champs. You know, Yokers is the man. Then, like I said, his sidekick Murray,
he's going crazy. Then you got Michael Porters getting more and more confidence. A g Yeah, I mean they got a whip. And then like I said, they they're will the well or the World machine. They've been there before. They are missing a big piece I believe in Bruce Bruce Brown Brown.
And they're trying to fill that boy with Peyton Watson and bron I Liken the from Kansas. Yeah, a little white boy's night Brown Brown.
I like it.
We'll see how it works out, because you know, I think the Sebjics do the same thing. And we thought we could reply Tony Allen.
You know what I mean.
It was like, yeah, we get back you. Obviously Kevin doesn't get hurt.
What if? What if?
But those type of guys, you know, you can't just replace and think there aren't is value I mean whether maybe you're on the courter off the court, those guys are key pieces to championships.
You're on campus with some superstars, Reed Shepherd, DJ Wagner, Rob Dillingham, you get a chance of running to them at all, And what do you think about this group of kids and you know they're talking about you know at least two or three of them, two of them are going to be lottery picks.
All right.
Funny thing is, uh, before my child was born, my baby girl six months ago, I had class with Dellingham and I think Bradshaw. So we had a journalist class. That was fun, and of course me and Rob kind of clicked right away. First day walking to school, we kind of looked up and I was like, I've been looking for you. Then obviously you wanted to holler me to as well. So that was fun, fun moment. Obviously, my baby girl came, I had to drop a class and now back down to twelve hours. But that was
a class I had with those guys. One of my good friends, John Welch coaching Kentucky. So I was in Sacramento with John and I go to this office from time to time, sit in and talk watch the game, watch him work out Read, you know, Dylan Ham every once in a while. So it's been great having those guys around, you know, like seeing their stardom grow and the way they play the game. You know, I've actually taken a couple of AU teams to see Kentucky play
and always tell them to watch Red. You know, everybody loves Rob and want to be you know, yeah, because Rob, you know, he got he has moved. I tell him watch Rob obviously for the one on one game, but I'm like, watch how Read controls the gainst the game, you know what I mean, Like, you know, he knows the game. He's always in the right spot. You know, he's not the most athletic, he's not the fastest, but it's IQ bingo his i Q is able to meet up at the game. And now he's talking about being
some Pixie's number one pick in the game. I mean was anyway, he shoots the basketball and I've seen him work. They got some stuff down at Kentucky and I can't wait to get my son up there against some working as well.
I love it. The women's game in college basketball has grown tremendously. Have you been able to catch any of these young female stars on the rise.
On the highlights, but not you know, specifically studied the game. And I'm a big fan of the women's game. But like I said, with my schedule, kids, school, new baby, new baby, gratulations by the way, playing the wedding in a couple of months, I mean, appreciate.
We gotta we got to send some mess to the wedding.
We got to be there.
It's in Italy, so.
You don't know, say what when you get back.
Congratulations on being inducted.
Appreciating.
Brother, yea, yeah, that mean a lot to me.
Tell me, you know, first of all, congratulations, but how does it feel to you to be you know, in the Okay Hall of Fame, best high school ever.
Best high school ever? You know, being there looking at that wall, all the names on that wall, it's it's definitely a humbling experience, and it's the honored to be on that you know, that ballot especial guys like yourself, all the greats that has such impact on the league as well. But being at that school, like I said, if you know, you know, and it's uh, it definitely changed my life one thousand percent.
Would you send your son there, But.
I said my son there. If my son was top ten in the country, maybe it just depends on what the talent that he was playing with at a particular time, you know. For me, like I said, Okill, I wasn't playing with the best talent where I'm from Little Kentucky. So mean, I'm playing with guys my big the biggest guy my team was six, you know, six y three. When I got to go to o'kill, I got Brian Johnson sixty ten, Josh Smith sixty eight, forty five in vertican me.
So it's like I got really crazy.
I got to really you know what I mean, like explore my game to where I just have to just go try to score sixty every time, Like I was able to now become a real true point guard, being able to get guy. I think that's pretty much where it started for me at Okill. So I was able to niplate the game and get guys open, keep guys happy, and then be an extension of Coach Smith on the court to where I need to do what I needed to do for him.
Put your out of all the players went to Okill that, you know, put make your own starting five, starting five, Yeah, out of all the players that it's been there, starting five.
I'll tell you mine because I had, I had, I had.
I tell you mynther Rod Strickland said he was a big fan of you.
Yeah. Yeah, let's go starting five.
Don't be bashful.
I'm not.
I mnna have to go with I can't remember. You can't use Katie because he didn't graduate from I can't use KD. He didn't graduate from Okill.
Say less, Okay, Jack bringing.
If you was a ok kill, that's how we go, that's how we got respect it.
Let's go with stack Jerry stack House.
He's I knew who he was talking about. I knew who he was talking about.
I gotta go with Josh Smith, Camello, Ryan Mercer.
Who's running the show. Who's running the show. It can't be me, Yeah, it can't be. So I said, don't be bashful, can you oh to me?
I'd love to play with it, but I mean it's not me. I might have to go with a bigger line up. I mean, you know, shout out the strict Jack Brandon Jennings. I mean, it's so much. It's a lot of Yeah, like.
If you ask Themboudy, if you ask somebody, it's gonna be different every time. Think I would go since we since you here, I would go you uh me at the two stack, at the three, mellow at the four, Josh Smith at the five.
That's this day.
That's yeah, fel right now, yeah.
Now dogs and Buckie Getters. Is it true you have a superstition about showering?
I do?
Is what is it to us?
I always showered forty five minutes on the clock right before you know. I depend on what time you did meetings. But you meeting was at thirty five. I was shower ten minutes before myself about seven minutes in the shower and then come out and I'll put my humble as the coach is talking. Some coaches liked it, something didn't. But for the most part I was able to put my vet move and get it done. But I showered on game days usually probably about five times, five times,
five times. Yeah, and what does this dude just kind of reset you? Last year it kind of refreshed me. Like obviously showering, you get up, come back home and shoot around, take a nap, get up, shower, and they go to arena showered, and after game shower. So it was you know, it's about right, that's about I would hope you take at least three yeah, yeah, three old game.
So now not playing anymore? Do you still have the superstition of having to get a certain amount of showers?
Now?
And I'm just focused on trying to work out every day.
Okay after that, but no, that's it.
Sixteen years, two time champ, four time All Star, four time All defensive, top fifteen all time and all assists along with John Stockton, Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, one of four players average eleven assists for four or more seasons and turn out hell of a hell of a resume is have we seen? Have we seen the last of Rajon Rondo in the NBA?
Absolutely, it's official.
You're done.
Yeah, I'm done. I can't. I can't now, I gotta spend time. I'd rather spend time with my kids. You enjoyed it that, you know, make me two hundred million dollars, and you know, telling them certain things, they're like a like, now I'm gonna go with.
My kids over here.
Yeah.
So yeah, when you sit back and look, because most of the time in the moment, we never get a chance to when we just read your accolades, and I'm sure there's a bunch of other shit we didn't list, but just the plane rides, the locker rooms, the bus rides. Like when you sit back and look out over it, what do you think?
What a time? You know what I mean? Like, it was definitely something I would never took for granted. You know, while I was in the game, I loved every minute of it, and I appreciate the brotherhood that I was able to share and bond and grow with over the years. You know, I mean, I learned so much in this game, and this made me the man who I am today, you know, I mean, all the all the ups and downs part of my life, but being able to for me,
it wasn't necessarily about the money. Was about When I first was introduced to this game, my mentors, Mike Bibbi Dereck Anderson, it was just that free time in the summertime. I was like, damn, y'all get that work out morning and y'all done the rest of the summer, you know what I mean, gott to get Like I would say, like it's like a school schedule. I can teach the schedule. You work all winter and then you work you had
fun in summertimes. So for me, that was what initially got me to start to motivate it to work and work and work and try to get to this goal. Because I tell people all the time like this wasn't a dream of mine. You know, it was a goal, and I was able to lock in, stay disciplined. I didn't party a lot in college where I just don't party because I now going back out on party off, so I just I skipped that. But again it was worth the sacrifice of me getting to where I wanted
to be in life. And I was under underdog my whole life, you know what I mean. I was always I feel like a guy to overachieved and was counted out. But you know I understood what it took to get there, and I was blessed and fortunate to have the write people around me to keep me going. You know, when towns weren't as good and the persevering understood that cream always rise to the top.
You was involved in the maybe the most historic pickup game in my hometown. I think whether it was you when y'all was down up for perks. You so my hometown and coach got coaches gonna release the footage, just gonna give it to us.
But it's Kat you, James, Me Perk and a couple of other pros. Uh.
That was on OKC team, but it was the wholes people from my hometown and this was the first time where we had a pickup game with this many pros.
That was the memorable moment in my hometown. Do you remember that? It was?
It was one of the best pickup games I've ever played in bro and like for my hometown like that, that was like a professional game played in Yeah. So we got footage of it too. I'm gonna see you to put it. It was unbelievable that game and it was all on the prime James kad him. They always in their prime too.
We did the same thing at Kentucky the lockout year with all the pros. We always had differenceies. We meet up and hoop like that was. That was a good old day.
The lockout was fun because there was a lot of legendary pickup games that we're put together and happened. We had one in the Baby with that we believe team versus the Current, So that was the Young Steph Jeremy Lynn, our old squad. It was that lockout time was fun, that that game with Mellow and Brown. Cobe had some games, it was a lot, had some actions. Yeah yeah for real? Who is ray Seon Rondo outside of basketball today?
Man?
Future husband?
Talk that ship?
Uh a college student you know, going back. I'm trying to actually what you said about your kids. My daughter is actually UK has been on her line a looking really so I told him I'm gonna try to get at her before you graduate or if I don't, you know that school together.
Man.
You know, dad, I'm a full time dad as much as I can be, you know what I mean. I'm pretty active and say I got a brand new daughter. So that's me man, Like I said, trying to be the best husband I can be. Uh, become closer to God. And it's can you be a better person this day?
I love it. Quick hitters. One piece of advice you would give a young Hooper right now.
Don't chase the money, man, chase getting better each day, you know, fall in love with getting better each day, taking one day at a time. Don't look at the rankings, don't look at the graham like I said, I was, I was ranked two thousand my senior in high school. You know, I went to ol kids. I was able to exposure. I worked every day. It came to Mickey D's, and then you know, the rest is history. But like
I said, I was always just a worker. Like I didn't give it you, I didn't give it about anything else. But just's getting better each.
Day, same same road. Okay, child crush.
Shout out the left eye.
Man.
No one said her that's a good call. I like that crazy, but God bless herself. One thing you wish you were better at.
A better communicator.
That's like, that's the number one answer. We all are. We all know we burnt. What's your guilty pleasure?
Fucking with people that be like are you? I'm like no or I get that a lot. I don't never really Just like I said, they mess with me. If they don't ask me to say who I am, I act like I don't. I get that a lot. Yeah, So seeing people fucking with them.
Most underrated player you played with or against in your tenure I.
Have to go with my probably my boy Josh Smith. I think he was uh that Atlanta Smith, I mean Atlanta Hawk team he played with. I think he had a big portion of where they were successful. He did everything, you know, he ran the floor of block shots, play defense. I mean he was he was an intangible guy. I
never made All Star game. Joe was the man obviously, but like I said, I think after that they had a lot of good pieces are from Mike Bibbe, but he was the guy that kind of did it all that some pretty crazy particularly rebounds everything.
Yeah, looked at it. Three point shot.
If you could see one guest on our show, who would it be? But you have to help us get your answer on the show.
Yeah, get my boy Joshmith for I can get that right there to fish you know what.
And he's just like Rondo involved coaching kids program.
We were just together, like I said, we uh yeah, that's some of my favorite I mean, getting a chance to see people we played against as were they're coaching our kids or as we're they're watching our kids. Like that's that to me, that was That's really underrated what I've enjoyed in this I've been in since seventeen since I retired. I've been coaching the boys and you know,
about to start up again. But getting a chance to run into each other at these tournaments and kind of catching up and smiling and smiling, and you know, just seeing our kids, you know, enjoy what they do and we enjoy getting back together.
Man.
That's definitely we got to get that.
We gotta get that tournament.
Oh yeah, get get the kids, and we got the doctor World way too. So again, man, welcome to the family. We appreciate your time. Man, definitely looking forward to working and building with you. Congratulations on a tremendous career, Congratulations on the new daughter, and best of luck with the wedding coming up soon.
Man.
You can find this man and all the Smoke Productions all day every day. I want to thank the Ziggy Hotel for the hospitality you guys opened up your doors a lot of us to do a photo shoot.
You shooting the.
Show burned down, good drink food. Thank you, We of you appreciate you. We'll definitely be back. But you can catch this on all the Smoke Productions YouTube and the Draft Kings Network. We'll see y'all next week.