Richard Hamilton | Ep 41 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | #StayHome with SHOWTIME Basketball

Welcome back to a special edition Quarantine edition. Man, we're still here, man, of all the smoke. Jack's good out there in Atlanta, My brethren, Man, what's up? My brother? Walls closing in. But hey, if it wasn't for this show, I would have been for all the hair that I have on me out You did what I'm saying. I'm good now, I'm good now, I'm good. I don't recommend that, bro You got a good leg right now with your hair and your like I said, we gotta make a

huge product for your beard. You gotta you gotta run that ship man. You know what, Spectac yell air man, I'm salting pebble devil. You know what bro. I was no, I was leaning towards cutting it. But boys gonna line him up and keep it rolling. Yeah, keep it moving. You you're attracting that more you hit that more sophisticated audience now, like you look like you got something to say right now. So I mean, I mean I can go to some of these parties you'd be going to

with you now all the sophistication. Yeah, ok, because you know, your teeth kind of jump out when you be talking and ships about the beer. The beer kind of calms in and brings it back in a little bit. I knew someone was coming. I knew something was coming. You've been giving me too many compliments on the last couple of weeks. I knew something was coming. I knew someone

was coming, you know what I mean? Man, Let let me get my my ship right Yes, sir, boy product placement you need to you can send you something you need it. I got some pretty boy miss already. I used mine already. Yeah, that's why your ship coming in. Nice shout out to you. Straight up, Hey man, we got a special guest today, uh fourteen year NBA vet, someone you and I had battled against for a long time.

NBA my classmate, my class mate, Yeah ninety six, Mickey D's all American, uh rip, Hamilton's welcome to the show, my man, my brother. I kept asking myself what took y'all so long? Stack? I was about to start calling you stat like Yo, when is my time to come on the show? I knew you was gonna say that too, was gonna say that. I hit him up in his DMS like, bro, we need you, man, we need we need you to lock in. So it was cool, man, We're glad you're able to join us. Yeah, no problem,

happy to be here, y'all. Y'all killing it right now, man, Just to let you know that much we appreciate it's guess like you, man, we appreciate it. Yeah. I bother you enough, trying to get that trying to get you on that dock stuff with the broad do like I'm gonna give my bar break for a minute before I go back ahead. And yeah, I got you though, you know I got you. I know I can get the l A. So you know, ain't nobody flying right now, but we see you real salt and peppered up right now.

Everything good over there, man, I'm going crazy like everybody else man, Like, you know, the thing is you can't let nobody touch your face. So Barbera calls me every every now and then and be like, hey, you want me come through to cut you and the kids. I'm like, Bro, like I can't right now, man, I can't take any

chances right now. I'm letting it grow all out and then you know, after you know we've done quarantine, I'm just going to ask face man high school day or I'm gonna go like Jack, Like I told you, man, just mustache, go go ask space before you go. Just mustache that Burt Riddles Reynolds right there. Yeah, but I'm going through it right now. Man. I had to wear a hat today, man, because you don't want to see the top. You know, I got to. I got to the top open the day. Man, So did you did

you did you go to did you get yours? By reality? Man? He did challenge me, Bro, but I was scared. I ain't even gonna. I was like, man, at one point in time, this this cool team thing gonna be over and a lot of people making memes about certain guys. So I was like, man, hold up on that one. Yeah, Yeah, that's tough, man, anyway, man, how are you and the family holding down right now? Obviously you said it's you know, it's you and in the house with the family. How's

everything going with that? Man? It's cool man, you know, you know are a lot of styles. Man. We've been on the road, you know, for so long since we've been eighteen years old. So really it's been a long time where you've been in the house, you know, for thirty straight days, where you ate everything that out of refrigerator for thirty three days. No restaurants, no going out, no nothing. But it's been cool, you know. I know my kids are sick of tired to hearing my voice

because you know, I'm playing dad. I'm playing you know, trainer who they don't even think I hoop, so, you know, anything about telling something in the basketball quarter just goes out the window. But helping out with school work, which is tough because sixth grade math ain't like the sixth grade man we grew up. I'm on fifth grade. I'm on fifth grade math tripping out. I was on third grade math tripping out, Like the math is just way

different now it's been years since we did it. Yeah, so they got me on tilt right now playing chef, you know, on the grill, cooking for them. But it's you know, it's a good time, spending time with the family. Just holding it down, man, just happy. I got a good situation at home. I saw that throwback real you post, he said, joined twenty years old with the ice chest underneath it. Facts. Only the real people that know how

to grill know what that grill is about. That thing is highly seasoned, right, there's just a smoke, look like a smoker built in and everything. That's good man. It's been through rain, snow, you know, sleep, you know a hundred degree whether I hear in Florida like it's been through everything. I seen that ship when you post that, SHI was like, oh that should just beat up. But I bet you it could cook some goodass food though, all purpose purpose everything. Absolutely this Hall of Fame two

thousand twenty class. Uh, some are saying the greatest class ever obviously with your brother co rest in peace, Tim Duncan KG. Guys that are in your age range, what are your thoughts on this class? I agree with you man, this is definitely, uh the best of all time in my opinion. I mean, three guys that you know all three of us competed against our whole entire career one trying to get through rest in peace, Kobe Bryan and Shaquille O'Neil man. I mean that was the greatest one

to punch that I ever played against. Man, And you know, uh and when you see him and Tim duncan you know you know the air that they had with my new Jenobli and Tony Parker. I mean you knew once you went to San Antonio and Jack Nos winning the championship there. Man, it was hard to win in San Antonio. Man, pop did it the right way. You know, they was gonna do everything possible to try to beat you up,

frustrate you, trip you, kick you. You know, Bruce Bond was doing all that crazy stuff backing the day man, Like you know, he was playing defense on offense during during that time. But you know, THEMB three guys kg exceptional career. And the one thing that I love about all three guys, man, they played hard on both ends. Man. They just wasn't great offensive players. You know, they was on the All Defensive team, They made All All Star team. Man,

them guys were animals. They were beasts, man. So you know, hats off to all them, man, you know, them three guys were well deserving. Absolutely. Let's stay with Kobe though. Um, you played in high school and coach Ville. Shout coach Ville. I remember me all your home watching Coach mcdondad's game. Shout out to all them, man. Uh, tell us tell us about that experience growing up in Coachville and plant

against cob in high school. He first, first of all, Man, you know the guys they you know, they still talk about you, Jack uh Matt. You know, when were playing the McDonald's All American game. We played in Pittsburgh, so they one too far from the crib, right, And this when I knew Stack was a real last dude, man, for real man, Like all my homeboys, you know, it was only an hour or so from from the crib.

They all drove up to the game, you know what I'm saying, And they all got their little rooms and stuff like that. And I remember coming to the room and and and Stack hit it off right with all of them from the door, right, you know. And they love Stack at the time. Right. So I come in the room and it's funky in there. And then when I say folky, I ain't talking about you know, sneakers or you know, it's loud in there. It's loud, right,

you know. And and at the time, I'm straight, I'm straight as an arrow, right, I ain't smoking, I ain't doing nothing that I'm you know, come from the neighborhood. And I'm like, bro, I'm I ain't giving myself no excuses why I ain't making I ain't gonna make it to the league. And I come in that room and stacking the fired up right, and I'm looking at and I'm looking at my homeboys. I'm like, yo, do y'all can't do that. We gotta We got a game on

national TV. And at the time, you know, back in the day, you know, young kids weren't playing on national TV. That was our first time to the limelight. It was before all the social media area and things like that. And and jacking there getting fired up. I'm like, yo, dude, ain't gonna be ready for the game tomorrow. And Matt, when I say this, dude came out to day. Bro, I think Stack got m VP of the game like like he was. He was. He was staring. I want to cut you out, but you Kobe, you and Kobe

said it. I am happy I didn't win it. Remember they gave it to Shaheen Holloway they did. Yep, I should have wanted. I should have won the Clearest Day, Bro. But but you said that, man, Kobe said it. I feel like I wanted. I got a trophy. I got a trophy over here and somebody made me. He says ninety it says ninety things. McDonald's all American game dog and I put it up on my trophy. Think for real, Yeah, I should have won the Thanks bro that man, That's

when I found out my brother was superhuman. I was like, man, dude, where you like, man, what should be eating? Like? Bro? Like, so definitely cheet those and bloods that's what he be eating. Oh man, he was a trans center on that. That was the first time I've seen someone came out, come out the next night and killed. But like you said, man, Cole was like a brother, you know, to to all

of us. Man. He meant so much to myself because at the time, you know, I was a young kid in Coachtville, Pennsylvanian, and I thought I was the best thing since since sliced bread in my area. And this, like I said. This was before the social media area. You know, I'm from a town. It's only eleven thousand people there. You know, we're right outside the coach field, so you know, you never get an opportunity to see

all the talent outside of that little town. I've never been on a plane, I've never been on the train. I grew up in my town. I never leave, right. So my coach one day he said to me, he was like, hey, man, you think you you're nice man, but there's a kid down the street that talented. I'm like, yeah, right, you gotta be kiding me. Hell no, he was like, Bro, he's six six, the same high as you. You know,

he probably weighed twenty more pounds than you. He's probably way more athletic than you, and probably can shoot, you know from you Yeah, I guess you know from you know, from a tough town, and you know nobody gets you props in that area. So I was like, damn, bro, like really there, break down my self esteem like that. He's like, nah, Bro, I'm telling you it's a kid down the street, and I'm not gonna tell you who

he is. But if if we do what we're supposed to, we can meet up against him in the in the in the playoffs. So I remember, you know, when we played against Lord Maryan looking down at the end of the court, just like the rest of the guys on my team was right. And you know, I had all kids on my team from the neighborhood. So you know, I'm with all the homes that I grew up with, and half of them dudes, I thought they were better than me, right and cold team you know, looked like

a private school team. Right. He didn't look like he grew up with, you know, the dudes that I grew up with. So I'm like, man, there ain't no way. But I'm looking at his game and I'm like, bro, like, damn, he down there doing three sixties. You know what I'm saying. He doing the inn out double crossover, step back, shooting three ft behind the point line. I'm scratched my head. I'm like, damn, this this dude real. Like you know

what I'm saying. I said, not repeat, you know, in my mind, I'm like, note, can't ain't better than me. Ain't no way in held na hell na man. Once that ball was thrown thrown up, man, bro, Look after that game, I went back home. I looked myself in the mirror and I said, hey, bro, you and you through yall went at it up. Y'all went at it. We went at it. We went at it. You know, don't don't don't, don't dimn your life to that. Y'all

went at We went at it. But that was the first time that I played against somebody at my position right that outscored me and won the game. You know, I think he ended the game with thirty something. I ended up with like twenty nine, you know, and he won the game. So that was a big thing to me, Like, you're not gonna come, you know, to my hometown, you know where. You know, I felt like I was the best ship since sliced bread and make and make me

look not like the best. And he came out and showcase his game, and you know, right right from there, that's when me and him start to to to really communicate and start to get a relationship. Y'all pay you together. Yeah, So it was a guy, you know in Philly. Because a weird thing happened. We tried out. I tried out for a team and it was called the Keystone Game, and uh, the coach already had, you know, his teams, you know, made up already, like a lot of times

these coaches have right before guys even try out. So a lot of the guys that worked out on my team that played with me in high school all got cut and he was trying to cut me, so they ended up firing the coach. Right, a new coach came in, a guy named Sam Ryan's Right. So say Ryan's came in and was like, hey, man, bro, I don't know where you're from. I don't know where you've been because, like I said, I never got out of my little town.

He was like, bro, but I'm gonna pair you up and I'm gonna get this kid down the road named Kobe Bryant. And I was like, oh man, I just played against that dude like like you know what you know,

like like he can rock out like cool. So he got me and Coben and gym together, right, And that was the first time I started to see someone that had you know, the mindset, you know, killer like like, I mean, I've been around a lot of great players, right, but I ain't never been around somebody like him that just had killed on his mind all day and all night, like it was basketball seven like like like like I remember one time we were playing in the tournament and

I was like a code like, uh you know last night, uh me and my cousins food. You know, there's a little bar around the corner that they thought we were twenty one years old, like they let us said right, and I'm like, yo, let's let's go there after the game. And he looked at me. He was like, no, I ripped. You know, I gotta get back to my room and ice my knees and watch tape. I'm like, what at sixteen years old when we don't even stretch like at

six seventeen, Jack, you gotta think about it. You're going the straight and U games and you ain't even a stretching you just like like we just we just he talking about ice and his knees down and watching philm I said, Bro, this dude is I looked at my cousin. I see you, Bro, this sport. This dude is different. You know what I mean from day one at like sixteen seventeen years old. But that told you his mindset of the game at a young age. That's why you know a lot of people start to you know, talk

to cob and be around cold once he was Kobe Bryant. Right. You know a lot of you know, and a lot of times guys say, oh you know what, uh, you know the big thing I alwayshould say. Guy start saying, hey, how many you go to NBA player? You say how many shots you shoot up a day? And guys like, oh, I I don't. I don't leave a gym time to make a thousand. And I'll be like, man, that's that's food's gold. Not everybody do that. You know, everybody do that?

Like like Cole, when Coke said he was doing something, Bro, he was actually out there doing it a rip. I used to tell people about the McDonald's game, like when he was there, he had a certain aura and a certain presents about him that we all knew he was gonna be great. Bro. Like I tell a story, like everybody has pictures with like group pictures together, but everybody was taking one on one pictures with Kobe at THECA

game because we all knew. Everybody knew, Bro, I don't I got picture with everybody, but Kobe is the only person like the one I want picture with in high school, Bro, we knew then that this dude was different, bro, Yo, he he was. He was for real, man, that stack he was. I mean, like we used to because we were roommates too, like so all the events we were

roommates and stuff like that. And I remember when he was talking about on your show, like he had to kill this, right, and it's and it's funny because you know, we were in roommates and it was many times at night that this dude, this didn't want to go to sleep, You just wanted to talk basketball, right, And we were about to play Tim Thomas uh and uh TEENick no and uh in the Trolley Webber Tournament in Maryland, and Tim Thomas was the number one player in the country

at the time, and Cole was just in the room all night, like one o'clock in the morning, just pacing around my bed like, yo, rep, you know tomorrow I'm gonna kill this dude. And I'm not like I'm like Tim Thomas. Like, first of all, we don't even play the same position as him, right, but but Tim played on the wing at that time too. Like he was so real at that time, right, because he was a six nine, can handle the ball, can play inside outside.

He was like, man, I'm gonna kill this dude. Man, he was like, after after the Morrow, it ain't gonna be no doubt in anybody's mind who the number one player in America is. Like they saying, I ain't the number one player. Watch watch after the Morrow night. I'm like, Bro, go to sleep, man. You played him early in the morning. Man, like, let's let's talk about this pre game, but like tonight, let's go to bed. So from a mentality, uh standpoint, man, dude,

dude was different man. He was definitely one of a kind. How did he do in the game. After the game, Bro, Matt, After that game, you can pull up every tabloid or every little scalone report, and every last one of them had Kobe Bryant as the number one. Number one after that, I remember, I remember that he came out he might have had close to fifty and we won and we were so no. Like Bro was like like he was was a killer man. He was. He was. He was

different man, he was, he was totally different. He remember he told us, uh stories about your pops. Always had the video camera, so he had a bunch of footage y'all back there, Uh playing together. I need that he got that McDonald's footage to tell you Pop to send me some footage. Man, I know you got all that footage.

I know you know my pop, you know, my Pops is o g man, like you know, like my Pops was the only guy that I know that snuck his camera, well, brought his camera and there's somebody to tell him no at the abc D camp right like like like like he didn't like, he didn't care and filmed everything. And he did the same thing at the McDonald's All American game. And you gotta know, if you know Kobe uh and Joe his father, Joe Bryant, you know they're very you know,

uh secretive family. They don't let a lot of people win. But you know they loved me and my pop and they allowed you know him to bring in the camera there. And we were just young kids, man, just you know, having fun, having a good time. And like you said, jack I got Jackie and I got Jermaine on there.

And that was the one thing with Cob, he always wanted the tapes right because by the time I got to the lead, I used to always mess around with like, yo, give me the jersey, man signed the jersey, you know, for me. But that was the one thing I always had one up on him because I had all the tape and and I'll be like, Yo, give me the jersey signing and give it to him here Like, nah, man, do you give me the tape. I ain't guying signing ship for you. I need every last one of them tapes.

I know that footage. Nah. So yeah, so he my my my pop got all the behind the scenes stuff where you know, at the end of the day, we were just kids because that's what we were. We were we were nobodies at the time. We were just trying to make a name for ourselves. You know. We wasn't from you know, we're from right outside the Philadelphia, you

know what I'm saying. So it's a big difference. Like, you know, we're from Pennsylvania and it's you know, it's probably similar to what it is in l A. Matt Like, you know, you've got people that's from l A, that lives in l A proper, and then you've got people from the valley and we're kids that's from outside the city of Philadelphia. You look at different. Yeah, people in the city don't really respect you, right, They're like, okay,

you know they just suburb kid. Nah, bro, Like we grew up the same way, but we just ain't from the city, so we had to go there and earn our respect each and every day. So it wasn't like something was just given to us. Man, thank you for sharing those stories. Man, we appreciate that. Obviously. Rest in peace to Code everyone else lost in that in that

unfortunate situation. Let's transition into college, because you were one of the great college players of all time and kind of like the like the changing of the guard that you know, you're you're the run of your career. Then, you know, maybe a handful of years after. I kind of felt like college basketball had lost his essence after that. Um, but you were nineteen national champion. You guys just had a twenty year reunion for that team. Correct talk to

us about that. Uh. It was a great experience for me because, like I said it, like we talked about Code. We used to always talk about college, but he was always talking about the NBA, and I was like, man, I'm ready for that, you know. So I end up choosing to go to Yukon And it was great for me because one that I got an opportunity to see

big bro Ray Allen before me. Right, So when when when I got to the University of Connecticut, you know, you know a lot of people see me, you know, coming off pin downs and coming off screens and stuff like that. But that wasn't my game in high school. That's that that wasn't who I was. And when I first got there, Calhoun used to always tell me like, hey man, you you're not a McDonald's all American. You're

just a coacht field all American. Until you learn how to use your teammates and understand where your teammates are on the floor and where you know, uh, the point guard is going to distribute the ball, how to use guys as coming off pen downs and things like that, you will be a very simple player. Right. So he forced me to go in there and watch Ray Allen and watch a whole lot of film on him, just understanding the concepts are coming off pin downs and things

like that. But during that time, the Big East was crazy. I mean it was ridiculous. I mean, like AI. You know, before I got to get AI and Georgetown, you had Carrie Kittles in Villanova, Yeah, you had Ray Allen, and Connecticut you had Town Wallace at Syracuse like like it was loaded. So at that time, it was like, in my opinion, the most physical conference, you know, in college basketball.

And you know, I always looked at the Big East playing, you know, playing on the biggest stage at Madison Square Guarden. So I looked at all that and I always told myself, I never if I never got an opportunity to play in the NBA playing at the University of Connecticut, will be playing like on the professional team. Because there was no professional teams in Connecticut. There was no professional you know, football teams or anything like that. So everything was all

about men's and women's basketball. So you know, the one thing that I did was, you know, trust the process, trust Calhoun, and trust you know what all the guys you know did before me, the Ray Allen's, the Dan Yelle Marshall's, you know, the Cliff Robinson's guys that did it before me. And trust that, you know, Calhoun would put me in the positions to get me to the next level. But you know, I had a great group

of guys. You know, I played with Collie Elaman, who was probably one of the one of my favorite you know, and basketball players of all time. You know, played with Ricky Moore, Kevin Freeman and Jake Vosco. But dumb guys. Man. Look, you know that's when you know money didn't really you know, it was no egos, right, you know, money wasn't involved. It was like we were just kids, man, were just like you know, we were just all about to grind, Like, hey, you know what we want. We didn't like to lose.

We we wanted to win. And that year was a very special year because the year before that we went to the Elite Eight and we lost to a really good team, uh at North Carolina who had Vince Carter, Antoine Jamison you know, and yeah they had a mob like and we played them in North Carolina. And I thought about leaving after my sophomore year, which I'm happy I did because I wasn't ready for that. But Calhoun

convinced me to come back. And the one thing that they all it's told me, it's like, hey, Rip, if you come back to school for your junior year, you have an opportunity to be the Michael Michael Jordan of college basketball. And I'm like, Michael Jordan's college basketball, Like what you mean? He was like, bro, like you know, you got an opportunity to come back and not If you leave your sophomore year, you'll be a top twenty pick. If you come back your junior year, you'll be a

lottery pick. You got a opportunity to win the national championship. You'll be fighting for for player to UH of the Year uh. And you got an opportunity to be one of the best scores that ever come through here. So after him stroking my ego for like thirty forty minutes, he for saying that though he said saying that, yeah, and all that ship and all that ship came true. Though all of it came true. Man, You know it was crazy because Calhoun was a tough ass coach man.

Like you know, I had to I don't know if you want to call it the luxury, but you know I had a luxury of being around some tough ass head coaches. Dudes that didn't that didn't you know, allow you to take days off, you know what I'm saying, Like you had to come in, you had to be

about about the grind. They would tell you fuck you to your face and like you ain't shipped to your face like you know, I mean, what no kiss asked like I didn't have kids ass coaches like I had coaches that was like, hey, bro, like, I'm gonna believe in you more than you believe in yourself, but I'm gonna push you to get you to where you want to get to. And you know, I'm happy I listened to him because we won a national championship and I got the opportunity to play in the NBA. That's that

old school love, that old school tough love. You and Kalid l Am I played with him in and we both was rookie at the same time. We played in the Rookie All Star Game together and that was my guy too. I really loved playing with him. I used to call him. I used to call him with the five two point guard, knowing he was he wasn't really five too. Though he wasn't really five two. I used to always called I always always say it was five

to call him five too. But tell me about your relationship with I can't even say his name, Kylie Elmin. Tell me about your relationship. He was no. Kylie was a tough cookie man. I mean shouts out to Kylie in man. People forget Collid was Mr Basketball and in Minnesota. I mean, he was probably the number one point guard

in his class coming out that year. But when he came to Connecticut, man, he gave us a sense of confidence and a sense of cockiness all in the same sentence, right because Calhoun had you know, he was you know, pretty much blinders on, you know, straightforward, you know, very structured, very serious at all time. And Collie it was collid. He was silly, he was fun Like when coach said, hey, you know what this picture day to day everybody got

to wear suits and ties. Colleague came in with a button up T shirt, I mean a button up shirt with no t you know. So he you know, he was he was the guy that came on the bus, you know. And Yale this screaming was like hey, coach, call when you're ready or what you know, when coach was very like, hey man, everybody on the bus gotta be quiet because you know, you gotta stay focused. But he was probably one of, you know, the toughest point guards UH ever played with, and his confidence level was

was crazy. Colleague can go one for fifteen, but he's in the last three minutes of the game. He still wonted the rock and you know, you never looked at him in his eyes. Very similar to a guy that I played with, Chauncey Billups that regard inside. Chauncey shot the ball when he came to the last couple of minutes of the game, he's still he's you can you you can count on him. And College always loved the

the the big the big moments. Uh, you know, we felt like we were the best badcourt in college basketball. Like we walked with that, like you know, it wasn't something that we we shied away from, Like you know, you put the camera in front of us, We're gonna tell you, you know, because we were always underdogs, like nobody really believed in us. Nobody believed that, you know,

we're gon we can win a national championship. When Duke had Shane Battyer Elton Brand, Corey mcgetty, you know, Trajan langdon you know, they had four or five guys you know in the first round, so you know, in our mind it was against all odds, you know what I'm saying. But but College was definitely one of the most confident players that I ever played with. Like I loved him

on and off the court. You know what I'm saying, I think he you know, he's on his off the course situation sometimes didn't help his on the course situation. You know, that's my guy. Got a crazy story. We're in the Rookie All Star Game. Uh in two thousand, two thousand and one. We're in the Rookie All Star Game, right, So we all on the same floor. They got all

the rookies on the same floor. So it's and I think I think that the sophomores was on the same floor too, So it's just it's my room is college room. Were next door to each other, l o is across from us and next door to llo is um Darius Miles. We didn't get we didn't popped, all out doors open, were passing blunts through the hallway to each other when our doors open, and we all had no plans on even thinking about what we were doing. Bro. We was at All Star. We were all happy to be there.

We're all damn never you know, to find all kinds of odds. Bro. And I remember I remember me and him being right next door, and I remember walking next door. We passed and blessed each other at All Star in the All Star NBA Hotel. But I'm like, man, that was one of the best times in my life. Bro. College if you know he is what it is like, Like Jack, I can tell you a funny story, man, after we won the national championship and this is before the social media era that you know, nobody really knew

or talked about. But we just won the national championship, right, So we're going to uh So we're on campus and college comes up to me. It's like, a rip, Let's go to Hartford right to get some gear because that's where all the hip hop you know, you get all your hip hop clothes and get fresh. He was like, Yo, my man, got a store there, you know, Let's go down there and get some clothes. I'm like, all right, cool, you know, so we go to the store and get

some gear whatever whatever. Right, So we get back in the car. Now we on our way back to campus. So College like, oh man, you know what, man, rip, let's ride through the hood. You know what I'm saying from from the people, right. So I'm like I'm like, hey, let's just get back. Let's get back to the camp. He's like, no, let's just ride through real quick. I'm like, a cool, let's do it. So we're riding through the neighborhood.

You know what I'm saying, You know, everybody in the neighborhood giving us love whatever, whatever, high fi and whatever whatever. So we stopped by this little project, you know what I'm saying over there, right in a couple of homies you know in the neighborhood, you know, New k and they was like, yo, what's up man, congratulations, No, just

give him love, right, shaking hands, snapping up whatever whatever. Right, So we're in the car and one dude comes over and he says a k uh huh man, you know what I'm saying, and and reaches in the car and acts like he given him that. But then he pulls his hand back right, and then the homie was like, hey, you know what, just give it to him. Man, him dudes one of the national championship And I don't know what the hell is that, you know what I'm saying, like,

just give it to him whatever whatever. Right. So then Ka was like, no, I'm cool whatever whatever. Homies like, no, give it to him. Boom, game of high five, you know what I'm saying. And it was two dimebags of weed, right, Kate. He takes it right, K take it right, put it in his pocket. Boom right. So now we're in the car, right, So we sped off. I mean we're going thirty miles an hour. As soon as we hit the corner, bro,

the sirens go off. Police police come out on foot sprinting stop down, they ran, they ran stop sign and they've been speeding or whatever that. I'm like, bro, we ain't even speed, Like what the hell going on? Like you know what I'm saying. Once I see police, I'm shook, right. So then K like, oh man, like damn, like you know what I mean, I got this on me Like like you know what I mean. We we got college kids at this time. You know, marijuana was a big

thing back then. Like like so the cop come out right, so he like he's put his one cop come take me and put me in the cop car. They take him and put him in the cop car. I'm like, yo, what what the hell is going on? So the cop car I'm in, the police is like man, rip, like why why are y'all here? And I'm like, bro, we just came here to get some clothes, like you know what I'm saying, Like you know, we just had a

cruise around. Never He's like, bro, you know, we've been having a sting operation on this project for the last four months. I'm like, so then I'm like, damn. He's like, y'all shouldn't be out here. Y'all shouldn't be out here. So now I'm looking through the police police uh. And I'm in the back seat. I'm looking through the police window. So they pulled kindle it out the cart first, but they separated, and I know what pocket he put the diamond bags in, and I'm like, bro, like, please don't

go in the pocket right first thing they did. So they had some mean ass cameras. Man, I don't know where the where the hell they got this camera. The first place they checked was inside his sweatsup pocket. He going to sweatsup pocket, bomb pulls it out. I don't see what was being saying because I just see a whole lot of hands because I'm in there. They put him in the car. They pulled me out. It was like, what the hell you got in your pocket? I'm like, bro,

I ain't got nothing. They packed me down whatever, whatever, they check, they check the car, whatever, whatever, and then they take him right to the police station. So I'm like, yo, like, what's what's going on? You know, because I'm acting dumb. I'm like, yo, what's going on? He was like, oh, man, he had marijuana on him. He's going to jail. So I'm like, well, well, like yo, like like what about me? They was like, oh, were you off? Like but he's

going to jail. And I'm like, bro, like like where we just want a national championship, like like like y'all, y'all can't let us off like and he like he like hell nah, like in a police I mean, everybody in the neighborhood out like, yo, let them kids go. Let them kids go. So you know, I'm an hour from campus, man, and I'm like, yo, all right, man, can you just give me the keys so I can drive back to the to to to the campus. They're like, hell no, but we can give you a ride to

the police station. I said, you know what, I walked back to campus man, And I walked. I walked out of mind when somebody came and getting picked up, you know, just before the cell phone here somebody get ride back to the campus. So that was It's a crazy situation because Kyle school his sophomore year. That was the same year that I left, you know what I'm saying, But he was going to leave that year, but he ended up coming back for his junior year. Damn because of

that situation. So nineteen nine, you're the seventh pick of the Washington Wizards. Talked to us about that experience. That was the hell of a draft class man that was. But that was Elton Brand, Baron Davis, Steve Francis, l O Genoble was a second round pick, j Ron Ron Yes, Sean Marion Genoble. Yeah, it was big. Carolinko. Man, listen

that that draft year was busy. I mean it was crazy, and you know I can remember especially, uh the night before the draft and my man b D b D He came in my room and he was like, yo, man, you're going to to to to the Wizards. I'm like, how you know He's like everything? Yeah, man, he was like he was like, man, I know where you know, I'm going to Charlotte. Steve frances Is gonna get, you know, drafted by Vancouver. Like like, I'm like, bro, how do you know? He's like my agent told me. I said, man,

you you gotta be kidding. I started looking at my agent wrong crazy because after the draft I end up firing my agent because of the information that bear that Bear Day has had in my and my agent. At the time, I was thinking, like, man, why don't you know this man? Like how someone how's he coming to tell tell tell me that that that class was mean? Man.

I mean if you look at the guys that we had in there, you talk about elm Brand who has who had a great career, Steve Francis, who was like all world at the time, took the world by storm, frances to the league by storm problem and that and that's the guy that we don't talk about a lot.

Steve frances was. Nobody wanted to guard him. Nobody wanted to nobody, you know they you know they had that one thing called one shake to shape three shake in Houston, yea with him and contin Coatino and uh Mouchie Norris like you didn't want to get caught on that blender.

But d D and you know l O and you know we had you know Ron Ron and uh, I mean you got to think about Genobley was the second round pick, like second round pick, like which was crazy, but you know, we we we had one of the best class in my in my opinion, But were some of your events with the Wizards that year? Oh man, my man, you know my vet was Rod Strickler Man. Yeah, Strict, Strict was my dude man like. He he took me underneath his wing man like like an O g should

man like. You know, he gave me and Laurn profit was the Rooks at the time, and he made sure we were straight. You know, he gives us his car. You know what I'm saying. If you know we go out. Everything was on him until one day Laurn Prophet put diesel fuel in his Mercedes bad and Strict was piste off be And you know we're kids from the neighborhood. We didn't know what type of gas and a Mercedes so proper diesel few so so so Strict Strick was

piste off at him. But Strict was my guy. Because the thing about it and you and both of you guys noticed, once you first come to league, especially when you come on a veteran team, you know, they expect you to just fall in line when you get there, right, They don't expect you to be alpha in the locker room. You can't go into a veteran locker room and saying, all right, you know what, I'm going out there and play my game, the same game that I was playing

in college. Like like no, like like they didn't give a guy, Damn I won the national championship. There was like that national championship ship. That ship don't mean over here, you know what I'm saying. So it was guys on the team that would be like, hey, man, you know, rip you out there, you know, shooting the ball too much.

And you know, I took a page out of my man Kobe Bryant because before I, you know, announced that I was going to leave me and we're talking to on and I said, hey, give me one piece of advice that helped you when you when you came to the NBA. He was like, when you come, you hit first. I don't give a fun on your team. He was like, man, you come in if your game is to score, you

go out there and score. You know what I'm saying, Like, because if you if you come in and you start trying to fall in line and you start just you know what I mean, just going out there and just being a regular role player, You're gonna be a role player your whole entire career sounds like. I was like, damn, all right. Cool. So my mentality was coming in like all right, you know what, ship, I've been a score of my whole entire life. I'm coming out there and

putting that ball up. So a couple of dudes would get piste off on the team, Man, why is he shooting? Don't you know you can't shoot the ball? Whatever? Whatever. So one time I was like, man, then I ain't gonna shoot this one game. So I come in the game. Strict passed me the ball and I passed the back to him. So after at halftime he came to me, like, shoot the fucking ball. I said, Strict, there's some dudes on the team that you know told me you know,

fall in line. You know what I'm saying, You can't shoot right. So he was like, look real, telling no motherfucker's you know, if they got a problem with you shooting, come hollier at me, say no more, bro, you know what I'm saying. I said to the team, I said, Yo, if anybody got a problem when me shooting the ball, talked to my big little homie back here, yea, bro, you know what I'm saying. I haven't had a problems, haven't had a problem since you know what I'm saying.

So that that's my dude right there. Strick always said, man, he was like, how the hell am I gonna get assist if you always passing the ball? You know? So that was my dude. That really took me under my wing and it really showed me the way. Tell me your rookie year. Who was the one matchup the guy that you were like in all and that actually busted your ass. Oh that busted that I was at all at first. Yeah, like damn, I'm finally playing so so

and they just went to work. Oh my goodness. Uh. I would have to say Alan Houston, man, forget how

co Alan Houston was, man, man lit this can be too. Hey, Alan Houston was a problem man, you know what I'm saying, And especially you know when he was in when he was in New York, when they had him and Freeway on the wing, because you know, you know, when you got both two, when you got two elite scores on the wing, you can't hide, like you can't you can't hide because you know at certain games you can go in and be like, all right, you know what I'm

going against you know, all right, Miami, and I gotta guard. You know, I'm gonna gainst the weight, but you know I can You know, Miami didn't have to elite scores, you know what I'm saying that that d Wade and then they had posed but Post was in there to guard the other team's best player, right, So so so you can take you can on on on the defense, and you can take plays off because you ain't gotta

worry about this dude just coming the time, you know. So, so when playing against the Knicks, you had Spree and you got Alan and they had oh they had a play where it was called turn to remember turn three. R were done, but put you on the block. So them dudes, man like that first year, either Alan Houston had fourteen points in the first quarter or I had two fouls in the first two minutes and I was

sitting for the rest of the quarter. So that dude right there, I couldn't guard him because I couldn't speed him up. And if anybody knows Alan Houston, he doesn't talk. You know what I'm saying. You can't speed him up. He's playing at his own pace. You can't talk trash and get him out of his game. And that dude used to murder me night in and night out every time. That's funny as hell. And you you, uh, you average nine points your rookie year, then you bounced from nine

to eighteen. You're your second year. What was that process? Like? It was cool? Man, It was fun because one first year was hard because you come from a winning situation and Yukon and you're playing all the minutes and in the offense is pretty much based around you. The second year I came in, I'm like, right, you know what, you know, we're still young. You know, I'm still playing. Uh.

I think at the time. I think Mitch Richmond was still there at the time because I was playing behind Mitch and Mr just signed a big deal, so I had to fall in line, you know, which is a Hall of Famer, Like, you know, ain't know, I can't beat you know, at that time, I wasn't gonna beat him out at that position. But that year, guys got hurt. And you know, one thing about playing on a bad team, right, if you're a young guy, you're gonna get a lot

of minutes in the second half of the season. Like you're gonna get You're gonna get a lot of minutes. So the second half of the season, even though we wasn't looking you know, one the team that wasn't going to make the playoffs, they were playing all the young guys, so Me, Laron profit Calvin Booth, they were starting to play us more. You know. I went from playing you know, only like ten eleven minutes of game to now playing

thirty minutes of game. And once you once you do that with me, I ain't never looking back, bro Like, like I ain't I ain't taking my foot off, foot off the gas. And I think in that second half of my second year, I probably I think I averaged like close to like thirty something points a game. So my scoring average just shot up, you know. And that's when I was like, yo, I'm here, man, I'm ready, Like I don't need to take no back seat to nobody, you know, I just need I just need. I just

need an opportunity. And and that was my opportunity there in Washington, especially going into my my after my first year. So you have a you know, obviously make your mark. You feel like even ribbed your second year, your third year, MJ comes back, tell me about him coming back first and foremost, and then the second part of the questions is do you feel like that's stunted where obviously your process and your growth at the time, Man, m J. Man,

that was awesome for my career. You know, I always used to hear a lot of people talk about, Okay, MJ coming back to a young, young uh, a young team, and it's gonna stund a lot of their guards, you know, growth because at the time, you know, it was me Lron prophet and was a guy Courtney Alexander who was man.

He was he was a problem too. He was a guy that played on the wing with me that you know, we both that during that second half of the year in Washington after my second year, we both average you know, close to thirty points of game, you know. But when m J came man, it was it was the goat man.

That's that's that's gold status man as a two guard coming up and Mike, you know, being your idol growing up, and now you got an opportunity to lock it up with him and and and learn and and and get as much information off of him as possible, because even my second year he used to come down and practice with us all the time, right, but he didn't you know, every now and they had come in and you know, work out what It's kind of similar what he did

with y'all when he was on the bodycat Jack. You know, he come down and work out with us and me and PROV used to play with him all the time. We used to talk trash to m J all the time, but it was only certain things that I would say and you know, profit with sometimes you know, say a little bit of extra stuff that I would I wouldn't

go there. And I remember one time we were playing in practice, right and Prof you know, might have hit a shot on m J. And he was like running down court, Yeah, you can't guard me with them old ass knees. And I'm like, oh, stop, time out, time out. I was like, oh nah, you don't. You don't. You don't say that to the goat. MJ was heated. I mean he was heated to the point that when I went to my exit meeting, uh, because you know he

was he was the president at the time. I went to my exit meeting, he was like, Okay, Rip, you know your man, your buddy, you know what I'm saying. Because he end up training prof that that that he was like, oh yeah, man, he was like, oh yeah, he ain't gonna he out of here, he said, but you wanna be there body. You're gonna be there body yourself, you know what I'm saying. And you ain't gonna have your buddy to to co sign and you know you're

gonna be on the island by yourself. Like Man, I was like, m I don't want no problems, bro, I don't want no problems at all. I'm your teammate, man, But I know that telling that trading my ass too right after we got this. You gotta be careful, you gotta be careful. But when m J came, man, I just thought it was a blessing and and uh for for me as a basketball player, you know, because I was able to learn so much off of him. Uh

you know it too. It took my game to a whole new other level, especially even playing with him, because you gotta remember, when you're playing with Michael Jordan's, all the focus is going to be on Michael Jordan's. I mean, traveling with MJ's like traveling with the Beatles back in

the day. Right, So when when playing with him, the one thing that I learned with playing with Mike was remember you know, back in the day, they used to call it floppy, right, you know when two guys come down and the two biggs come down and we run them off screens. So I was like, man, screw my bigs. I'm just gonna run off m J. Why because every time I run off m J, you know what I'm saying, my man gonna go to him and his man ain't

gonna be right. So I would get wide open every time, and m J would come to me after the game and be like, hey, Rip, I see what you're doing out there. I see what you're doing out there. I'm like, yeah, what am I? What am I? What am I supposed to do? Man? Like ship you the goat like you know. So he was he was very He was very helpful for for for my career when when I was in Washington. And another crazy story is that we just talked about

Alan Houston. Right, So Alan Houston was killing me, like like I said, he killed me in my first two years, right. So when m J came third year, now I feel like I'm growing up, you know, I Mean I grew some hair on my chest, like I've been through the war and the battle was a little bit so, you know, and I got Big Bro, like I got the bully in the room, right, so you know, I'm a little

bit more confident. So we're playing against New York. We're playing against New York and Washington, and first half I go out and I give Alan Houston thirty in the first half, right, So like like I'm geek. I'm like, Okay, for all the times this motherfucker's been killing me and get me in foul trouble, I'm in. I'm in his ass right now, right, you know what I mean. So we were in there at halftime, you know, we're talking, coach talks, does his speech. MJ come up to me.

He was like, hey, man, hey, young fella. You know you had you had a great half, you know, but Big Bro gonna take over the second half, so don't worry about it. I got over second half right at the end of the game, man, in that second half, I only had two shots. In the second I had thirty. I think I might have ended with like thirty two, you know what I'm saying. I was like I was at the end of the game. I was like, damn, man, this was my perfect opportunity to kill this dude. This

dude killed me my first two years. Like you know what I'm saying. Now, I got you on myself. He was like, a man, don't worry about it. Man, you'll get another opportunity at that. But as a young kid, you don't think that you're gonna get another opportunity. That was your time. But but Big Bro was like he tapped me on the should. I was like, hey man, you didn't know. I was like, in my mind, I

was like, hey nah. But he was like, you know that the second half he took over, might have scored twenty six and a second half and we end up winning the game. But that that all that story always sticks to me because that was my opportunity to go out and get fifty. That's funny, especially on someone has been lighting your gas lighting my ass up. Yes, two thousand and two year traded UH to Detroit for Stackhouse six player trade and that's some of They also signed

Chauncey Billups. So being able to be prepairing with chunce what's kind of the beginning of something specially they're talking to us about that. Shout out big shot oh Man yeah, shout out, big shot. You know what, when I was in Washington, me right when I got traded, Uh, you know,

I was real close with Tyler, right, Tyler was my guy. Right, So t Lou already had a relationship with Chauncey and he, you know, he prepped me before I went out to Detroit and he was like, hey, man, you're really gonna like Chauncey. And he's very similar to myself, really down to earth, real cool dude, you know, real thorough brother man,

no ego, you know what I mean. Ain't on the bullshit, you know what I mean, because you know, playing in this league, you know you got a lot of players that bullshit man like, like you know, they always you know, sneak this in hating everything else that comes with, you know, being a professional athlete. But he was like, now you gonna love him. He like he's the mayor, Like he the best dude. He really they come, Oh my goodness.

So I was like bad. So first when I got traded to Detroit, I was like, you know, the first thing I asked my age and I was like, who'd I get traded for? And he was like Jerry Stackhouse. I was like oh snap, like Stack like Ships that was just the NBA's league scored like like they like Detroit gave up on him, like like I mean like I'm still a young pup, still trying to figure it out, Like I'm still trying to figure out my game, still

trying to make a name for myself. So when they traded for it for Stack, I was like, damn, they must really want you rip, like, you know, go back to what Cold told me. And you know when I first got to the league, you know, come in hit first, man, like come in there and just be you. You know what I mean. Don't change change your don't change the way you play. And then I reached out to Chauncey me and him started talking you know what I'm saying, which was great. We got on on the same page

right from the jump. He was he was very similar to myself. And then Ben Wallace he already set the foundation right like like he already set the foundation on what we was about, hard nosed, grid grind, you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, we was gonna come to work each and every day, you know, And I was like, Damn, we got some real lass dudes, like real dudes, you know what I'm saying. On one team, you know that that that doesn't that that that don't

always happen. You know. You know, you might have one guy that you funk with or two guys you funk with on the team, but when the whole team is about that teams there was a special ones yes, so that getting getting an opportunity to go there. You know, you already had guys on that team that that was committed to winning, and it wasn't about them, you know

what I mean. It was about the team. Like, Okay, you know, I'm you know big, Our big thing was I I am my brother's keeper, like you know, like, uh, that's my bro. You know what I'm saying. I love you, you know what I'm saying. And I'm gonna have your back through thick and thin, and you're gonna have mine.

So you know, it was just it was it was something very special that uh Joe Dumars put together with that team, you know, and and then adding Rashid and once once, once, once Rashid came, it was game over. I mean it was it was nothing that you can do. I mean, like I didn't give a damn who you was because during that time, during that era, was like ship. Anytime you played against the Lakers, it was always like damn, man, I gotta go against you know, Shock's big gass in there.

And then Cob he going. Only thing he wanted to do is overplay everything and force you in there to ship because they got you know, that's a security blanket, so he can overplay you on everything to funnel you into the big fella and then were and then Shackul put you on your ass too if you start doing too well. Yes, yes, so that team was ridiculous. But once she came and I can remember throwing the ball to him in the post and I cut off of him and he passed me the ball and I laid

it up. And at the time, you know, in my opinion, I think she, you know, top three power forward in the game at that time, by far, by far, you know what I'm saying. And you had the best, You had the best power forward game, you know. Yet see Wheb you had me die, you know what I'm saying. You had dirt Navinski, you had like like come on, she was a killer inside out, inside out. Man, I'm

taking foxhole all day long. And I and I threw the ball to him because me and Challenge used to always say to Joe like, hey, you know what, we need somebody. You know, we got the permit on a lot, you know, I mean that was just our mentality at the time. You know what I'm saying, But we need a big that can force the double team. You know what I'm saying, because every time we're coming off the you know, chance is coming off the pick and roll

teams were blessing. When I come off a pen down team's gonna bless me coming off she you can't bless You can't track because if you do that, she's gonna make your ass pay. You know what I'm saying. But you know she was a guy that forced the double team for us, right, We needed somebody to force the double team. So when I threw the ball and to him, not cut off him. He gave me the ball back. I'm like, ship like, you can score on this dude, anytime.

Next player, I come down and throw it to him again. He said, Rip, do the same, ship Man, run off of me again. Boom it gets to him again. And right then and there and said I said to myself, oh bro, we're gonna win the championship because this guy right now can score on anybody, right and he's so unselfish that he's saying, all right, you know what, fuck my individual ship, you know what I'm saying, like, it's

all about the team. I'm gonna do with everything possible for us to get get this team over the hump, and bro, he's still to this day one of the most unselfish and one of my favorite teammates of all time. You got, you got. You gotta think about it. Though y'all had point guard. You had one of the best, one of the most clutched, solid point guards ever playing the NBA. Chance to buildings at two guards. You had

to guard one of the best two guards. Grab your motherfucking arms, scratching with his nails, come off, the motherfucking pinned down. Your motherfucker was so he was so for how skinny, he was so physical and like a little fucking fearious ass dog when you would touch him. And then you had on top that you had to chase his ass around, big ass picks, around Wallace, around Wallace, around Jason Max Siell like you had big gass screen setters too. It was a motherfucker the guard Rip man

El Campbell, all them big motherfucker's. Then you had Sheet at the four. You had you had the best power forwards ever you had. It was a six and three guard that can play all three positions, all four positions, can pack, you can do all. Then you finished with Ben Wadder's defensive player leg y'all had. Y'all had the perfect one, two, three, four or five in the league. Like, that's one of the best lineups as the starting five ever in the NBA. Bro Yo, man, I'm telling you

like that that that lineup was great, even Tayshawny. You know, there's a lot of sacrifices that that that tayshawn you know did from an offensive standpoint. We all know how greatly was defensively, but offensively, man, he couldn't get cold in this league if he wanted to know. But that's what that that that's not what our team you know needed.

Uh So me running around like crazy man, like I couldn't, you know, get into a physical grudge match with y'all dudes, Like some dudes would eat me up, Like you know what I'm saying. You know, Jack play against ryn artists. Mother elbow, you grab you and everything. So my air was like it's similar to you guys, was you had to hit first, like if you allowed it, if you allowed the defense to hit you first, then ship, they're gonna be able to throw me around like a puppet.

So I had to use my guy giving gift and that was my endurance and my speed. So I run off screens. I would grab the ship out of y'all. Like Matt said, I'll put I would put my nails in you. You know what I would. I wouldn't cut my nails on purpose, bron So just so just think about it. I got somebody like and all these dudes trying to beat me up from a full stand was to bully you. So if you're trying to bully me, right and I'm putting my nails in you, the first

thing you're gonna do and say, Man, this dude scratched me. Like, man, I'm not gonna get too close to him, you know what I'm saying. So right then and there, I felt like, oh, I got you. You know what I'm saying. Then I would come off the screen. Then I will bump You'll hit you with a chief shot. I get you. With the elbow here and there, and then by the time you try to give me back. You know, I tried

to play in space. I never tried to play in the crowd because if I played in the crowd, then you're able to grab you, able to hold you, able to hit you know what I'm saying. You able to get your little chief shots. But if I hit you, you know, and run and now you hit me in the crowd, were gonna call a foul every time. That's how bad. That's how you bade it. Rong. I got him in that playoffs sta I got yeah, because listen, during that series right there, that was a tough series, man.

You know what I'm saying. That year, man, y'all, y'all had a hoof Man, I don't even wanna talk. I don't even want to talk about y'all team. Your team was the ship. And going down the stretch of that game, I knew I was gonna bait him. I knew him. I just knew because I played against Ryn, you know what I mean. We had battles with him when he was at St. John's. You know what I'm saying. I knew how physical he was, and I knew that if I hit him with a chief shot, Ron getting way

with it. Yeah, he's gonna let you get away with it. He gonna get you back. So you know, I watched this documentary. He was like, yeah, nobody's seen when he got me. Yeah, I got I was trying. I was trying to do anything to win, you know, like like I'm doing whatever, I gotta do the win. And I remember when he hit me with that elbow. He didn't even hit me hard. I just felt, you know what I'm saying, And I just laid on the ground like I got shot. And I remember Germaine O'Neil was just

yelling and screaming like Ron, what are you doing? Blah blah blah, And he was trying to explain to y'all that he didn't really hit me that hard. But he

really didn't hit me that hard. But I just got I have a lot of people don't know, like, okay, people don't know how our relationship, how cool is But even even to go back like that that happened the year before I got there with you and Ron and I walked into the ribbing with y'all, and people don't understand, like those two teams was so talented and was so

at each each other. When all that happened to day of the bra bro as close as me and you are, all that went out the window for about five seconds. Facts you know what that square it up? Yeah, it up? And let me let me tell you bro the ship and she was so crazy that when I watched it, I'm like, god, damn, it was me a rip about the five men. That's my partner. No but but but but we was all in the morning. We was all right for our guys. But we ain't never talked about it.

But I was telling people how different basketball was then and now, Like if you was on the team and you was in that area where you was on the Pacers team on the Piston team, that robbery was deeper than basketball. Bro, oh man, it's like said that that that was crazy and me and Stack was like like this, you know what I'm saying, Like like like feel what I'm saying. And that Indiana Pacer team was ridiculous because

You'll had everything that was very similar to us. Dogs, you know what I'm saying, Like you you you need dogs in the fox and you need pit bulls. You know what I'm saying. During that era to winning that when the uh NBA Championship, and if you look at the match the matchups, like the matchups like like we we everywhere we matched up, well, it wasn't. It wasn't like okay, you know what, all right, at the power forward, Uh, we're gonna win that matchup or at the big or

at the goal or whatever whatever. Hell not. Jamal was a problem, you know what I mean, Stephen Jackson a problem. You know. Al Harrington ar tests like like Jaman O'Neil like bro like like we had Reggie still to Reggie too, like that was like bro, like how do you put that team together? And we knew though, like on our

squad we knew it. We knew it. And when Jack first got there, you know me and Jack's home, his first team to do is get on TV and talking about, oh, you know what, Detroit they were the beast in the East for the last couple of years. It's it's a new sheriff in town and stuff. Yeah, Okay, he was on he was he was on his He came on his I'm like, damn, he ain't even got here yet

and he already talked track. I'm like Okay, so the arrival right there, you know what I'm saying is starting to begin where now you know you're looking at two teams when we match up that we don't even like each other, you know what I'm saying, Like like we don't even like like even though like I said, like Jack said, we're homies, we're best friends, we love each other. You feel what I'm saying. Anything like we're off the court and we're in adult fight and Jack fighting. Were

all fighting, I'm saying. But during that time, it was so much built up into this because you got to understand, we want to get back to the promising. You know what, Indiana already feel like the group of guys that they had on their team right now, during that time, they felt like they were better than us, you know what I'm saying. So it was like a thing was like okay, it's all about you know who wanted more? You know what I more? Like like like like hey, like screw basketball,

you know what I mean? Like I know what you run, we know what you run, you know, like like like like who's gonna out will the other team? It was all about your will? You know? So that's what I love about that matchup and during that bro like I tell people, you know, I never told Jack, I never told Jack this, But y'all was kicking our hands that game, like like on our whole court, like like we our team main never been handled like that. We we were

the bully. That's how we felt, you know what. Any team that we went against, like it was times we get into the fourth quarter and be down fifteen and we look at each other and be like, all right, you're ready to turn on, turn it on. You already turned on the switch. And she'd be like, all right, let's do it, and we'll still win by ten. But playing against Indiana, man, no, hell no. I mean they

had dogs, many dogs. That was but that that was our biggest game, like we had beat everybody, and and that was our only game with like, hey we beat everybody, but this is the Eastern Carpet Champions Detroit. We ain't played them yet, and that was like our biggest game. We we had put so much into that game and the motion of them so high and you don't even know this real At the end of the game, we're shooting the free throw right, I'm shooting. I'm at the

free throw line. Jamal, I make the free throw, and I go back to give Jamal and run uh five for making a free throw. Jamal tells, Run, you can get your file back some some file that being put on run in the Eastern Conference file. Remember that I told you you don't forget nothing. I wasn't on the team yet, yes, And he told him to get his file back. If you remember, I was guarden being I let being laid up in. Ran came from out of nowhere and filed him. And that's how all that ship started.

Bro no doubt, no doubt, no doubt. And Ben and Ben even said, because it's crazy because on earth side, you know what I mean, Ben, want you to referee a couple of plays before that, and he said to the referee, is told the referee a man, little bro Ron out here being dirty hit me with his brother too. Yes, he was like, hit me, hit me with a chief shot. He said, if if he if he hits me again, you know what I'm saying. If you ain't gonna do

something about it, I'm gonna do something about it. And that's and that's when Ron came over there and hit him aginning. He was already, like I said, he was already on tilt and that's when the thing went crazy. Yo, man, I gotta I gotta say this last thing about that ripping. I want to see what you say. How hard did Ben pushed Ron in his face? Bro? Oh my goodness, listen, man, I listened. I know how, I know how. I see

him every day. You know what I'm saying that Ben is not the dude to be messing with, you know what I'm saying. But on another note, Ron or to be messing when you got these two. You know, I mean too, he's too rock with these two rock wallers. You know what I'm saying. But I know what, It

takes a lot to get being piste off. Yeah, man, and and Ben come from you know, you know his brothers like he one of the younger brothers like he he grew up and fights every every day, just you know, from the standpoint of mom putting food on the table, and you know, you're the little brother. Sometimes you don't get the big piece of chicken, you know what. I so so so Ben from that air. So when he run like that, I was like, oh snap, it's about to go down. I thought he almost broke his neck.

But that that just lets you know how strong Run Run is exactly. It was crazy, unbelievable. I love to see, like, you know, the core pieces of that Brawlson down and talk, maybe having on the show, but I think it would be dope to, you know, to get Sheet and ripped to talk about him more, and then and then Ben and then get you and and Run and Jo to just sit and talk. I guarantee there's never been you know, like RiPP just said, I just said something to Jack.

I never told him you said the same thing. There's so much unspoken ship in one of the biggest pivotal moments in NBA history. I mean, that was one of the biggest obviously the biggest brawl in NBA history. Fact, a lot of a lot of rules were made because of that for all, you know what I mean. So I think for everyone to sit out and talk. Rev got mazed. I don't even know Rev got mazed, man, dude.

It was it was a lot going on that time. Man, it was I thought I broke my wrist because you know, it was the time when when everybody was running to the crowd. My whole thing is defend my brother, you know what I mean, Because I don't know where. I like, I don't know where Ron is running to. You know what I'm saying, I don't. I don't know anything because there's so much going on at that time, you know

what I'm saying. Even Ben he thought, okay, Ron is coming around that way to come So at the time, I remember I was on the score table when I'm running to try to jump in there, and Elden Campbell come and grab me, brought my ankle and I just remember falling on that cement and I thought I broke my wrist. You know what I'm saying, falling off the score table at that time. But you know, it was.

It was a crazy time, man. You know, they, you know, the league definitely try to clean up the game after that. You know, it was. It was definitely something that you know, both of us wish we have never experienced, you know, in a lifetime, you know, but like I said, it was two teams. You know, there's things you do to try to win the World Championship, man. Like, like the game was, like Jack said, even though we were best friends during that moment, all best is off. We ain't talking,

We ain't having no conversation about it. I ain't. I ain't calling Jack and saying, Jack, what the hell was you thinking? Like like like like ship like you know, like we're trying to win a championship. We won't do anything possible to try to get the edge. That's crazy. Let's take backtrack a little bit though. Uh. You know, we obviously talked about your team. How you guys are

perfectly constructed. You guys run into a great Laker team where many teams didn't give you a shot, and you're playing against you know, one of your high school How many people can say they played like one of their best friends from high school in the I knows and then beat him, you know what I mean. Talked to us a little bit about that was because, like I said, I don't think many people gave you guys a chance because of Shaq and Kobe's dynamic. But you guys just

had a deeper, better team man. You know what it was, Like I said, it was, you know, we were built on against all odds, like my man of Tupac said, right, you know, we felt we felt like we were misfits. You know, we felt like teams gave up on us

too early. My situation in Washington Chauncey situation, him, you know, being on a few teams before he got there, Tayshawn being the number twenty second pick at that time when he felt like he should have been a top fifteen pick, Ben Wallace being moved all around, you know, him not being respected Rashid you know, uh, going through the stuff

that he went through in Portland. So we felt like we felt like man like to be honest, we were the better team, you know, but going against l A, like I said, going against Shaq and Cole probably the best one to punch of our error pretty much. And and Old from the from the standpoint of me knowing him as a kid, always been a killer, So I know that he's gonna come ready, right, So I can always remember like, uh going to to to Ben in Chauncey and Sheet and and Tay And I used to

tell him like, yo, man, this dude been. He beat me for a state championship in high school because that was our thing. Was always a back and forth thing, you know, who would get the upper hand. Uh he won there, he won, he got He won the state championship that year. So when I won the national championship in college, I called him and was like, yo, bro, you can have that high school championship. That ship don't mean none. I got a college. I got a college.

He was like, really, man, in two years, I'm gonna have two NBA championships. Right. He was like, trust me, two years, I'm gonna have two of them. So that you know me, that back and forth was was us since kids. So he was like, man, you know want I know? So when we got there on that stage and knowing the history of us going back can fourth and always competing against each other, I'm looking at chauncing and I'm like, bro, I can't let this dude beat

me again. Hell nah, Like like I funk that. You know what I'm saying, Like, I can't live with myself if he beats me on the highest stage, Like bro, y'all dudes have to have my back. And I can remember being saying to myself, Bro, what you're talking about ripping ship? I got shock like stuff I got and I gotta guard him head up, I said, Bro, I get it, I get it, but I can't leave this game, this series with with with allowing this dude to beat me.

So you know it was fun man, Uh, Like I said, confidence wise, we believe that we can beat them, you know, but we know it's gonna be uphill help hell battle, just knowing that the roster they had up, they had set up with Gary Payton and Carmelone on that team also, but we just felt it feels over our year. M HM,

talk to us a little bit. Carmelo Anthony recently spoke uh Instagram live a d Wade uh a few days ago talking about if if you oh three you guys would have drafted, if the Pistons would have drafted him. He felt like, you guys could have won two three championships, and on paper that sounds about right. But then you see a few days later Ben Wallace said he just doesn't know if that would have worked. Uh. You know, tay Shaun was there, he would have wanted to Mellow

would have wanted to play more sooner. What do you think would have happened if you guys would actually drafted mellow Man? First of all, I think that I would have played at least twenty years in the NBA if wed me, I do I don't. I don't know what Ben was talking about. I really don't. I love body to death, but I don't know what the hell he was talking about when he when he when he said that. But uh, if cart Mellow Anthony comes to Detroit, man, listen,

problem Mellow was at once in a generational type. I tell people, if Karmelo comes to us, me and Chauncey talked about it with the narrative been different with Lebron. James Man talked to him because he's winning, Chad, He's winning possibly more championships than than than been braught at the time, than the weight at the time, and that's been the only knock just had he had y'all team around him. Just think about it, Matt, I don't think that Cleveland team beats us with Karmel Anthony. N come

on like nobody beata. I think the narrative will been different on Carmelo Anthony. You know what I'm saying. The biggest I mean, like like the way we were structured when guys came to our team, like guys falls in line. Like when I when I came from Washington, I wasn't a defender, you know what I'm saying. I wasn't a

guy that really strapped up on the defensive end. You know, But when I out there and seeing big bro Ben Wallace doing the night in the night out and saying, this is the this is the foundation of what this team is built on. I gotta fall in line. Chauncey Bill has gotta fall in line. Chauncy woudn't look at us no defender before he got the Detroit like you know what I'm saying. So we all had to fall in line because of what Ben was beginning to build

in Detroit. So now you bring Carmelo to us, I think the narrative would have been totally different on his career because the thing we'll be talking about is, okay, all right, Carmelo Anthony now has three championships already, right uh now mellows thinking about you know what, can he

do this by himself? You know? So that would have been that that would have been a question mark then you know, going into that next that next UH negotiation for his UH for his contract, Like, Okay, I got three already, you know what, Now maybe I want to and you're out and see if I can do it on my own. That would have been a narrative on

Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo Anthony would have been a champion So man, if like I said, if he would have been playing on our team, me and would have played for twenty years and now you know, we wouldn't have to to to carry the load like I wouldn't have to, you know, play for the messy game. Now. You know, when we're thirty something years old, it's like hum melo, Carrious, don't take the ball, you know, Yeah, yeah you Carrious like me and Chance were gonna knock down wide open shots.

Tashawan gonna do what he do. She did a bit like we didn't care. We had no ego, you know what I mean. The only thing that mattered for us was to win basketball games. Yeah, that could have been special. Man. I don't think anybody, like I said, it'd been scared if you think about it, man, because like I said, you guys had all and this is no t was a very solid fifteen sixteen year pro. But like you said, Mellow is a generational talent throwing in there. And he's

a dog in himself. I mean, so he fit right into what the funk y'all was doing already. So if you had a thirty point of games score on that team, nobody could beat You'll, no, absolutely and tay Shan did everything for us. You know what I'm saying. And it's not the knock on Tean maybe Carmelo anything doesn't start like like you don't like maybe I don't start like like.

For us, we didn't care. It was all about us winning basketball games and we can win and we can put you know, uh something up in the rafters that said NBA Champions Like we didn't care who got the glory because at the end of the day, we felt like we were all gonna get paid and have our individual success if we win basketball games. If we don't win, none of that can happen for us. So you guys have a nice run, uh that that slowly comes to

an end. You start meeting up with d Wade and Chew teams and you know Lebronze teams that he was carrying through the Eastern Conference at the time. UM, talk to us a little bit that about the game that lebron took over against you guys in the playoffs and catapulted them to their first finals appearance. Oh man, that's a memory that I just I don't want to remin this at all, but uh, you know what it was. You know, Lebron was, you know, just about to take off. Man,

we all knew how great he was. You know. We used to always say, especially when Lebron got to Cleveland's first couple of years, and we said to herself, like, when this kid figures figures it out, it's gonna be a problem for us because he's too big, he's too strong, he's too athletic. He can do so many things on

the floor that you just can't stop. He can dominate the game without scoring the ball, like you know, like like, and we felt like if he beats us, he's the type of guy that you don't allow beat you one time because if he beat you one time, he think he's gonna do it every time. In that game and I can remember is you know he scored straight points against us, right and uh, Flip Saunders was the coach at the time, Rest in peace, Flip Saunders and flipped

and believe in trapping Lebron at the time. So we would icing every time. And you know, if you ice Lebron and let him come downhill on the big over and nothing, nothing that he can tell because he's just as big as he's just as strong as your Biggs and he can probably jump hard and you know most of your bigs and he scored well, when you're playing the game, you don't realize he scored twenty five straight points. Right. But when we had success with Lebron, we will always switch, right.

We would say, okay, you know we had defensive player of the Year Ben Wallace, you know, so when they're gonna pick a roll, why do you switch out on him? You know what I'm saying. And then everybody else just man up because we didn't believe in double team, you know, that was that was our thing. It was like, yo, you know, man up, you know, especially you know if you if you in a regular season, you know, we ain't gonna send a double team. So you you got

a man up with it. But once he scored them twenty five straight points, I remember coming to the locker room, man and who she was piste off. She she let let flip sounders at the time, right, And I'm trying to calm him down, you know, because I'm like, yo,

she the serious is not over, you know. But she was so piste off because he was like, man, we don't get you don't get opportunities like this, you know what I mean, like you don't get opportunities like it don't come every day that you get an opportunity to make it to the NBA finals, you know, like like like you know, late in your career, you try to get on teams to get that, you know, but when you it's it's very rare that you have that in your in your prime. So he was piste off at

that time. And and I and I can remember going into the next game, uh, game six, I think we played against them, and uh, in Cleveland, we we went in with the game plan the players, which was crazy when you think about it, right, because times we gotta make our owners. What I'm saying, that should be happening sometimes more than people realize that because some of these coaches be on the bullshit and we're out there and

we know better. We yes, yes. So you know Flip had uh uh he said the next day he said, hey, you know what, guys, meet meet at the plane. Right, So we were the type of dudes was like, meet at the plane. Now we gotta get this right, you know what I'm saying. The Flip was like, now meet meet at the plane. So we came together and said, hey, you know what all coaches go to the plane. We're gonna have our own practice. Yeah, that's dope. So we

we had our own practice. Like we went in there said, bro Lebron ain't gonna beat us, you know, like I'm a guardian for the first five minutes, Ta Sean, give you a break so you don't pick up two fouls early, you know. Then we're gonna bring Lindsey Hunter, and Lindsey you're gonna come in at the six minute mark, you know, yes, and then you're harass him in your guard him right then take Shan. You're gonna pick him up in the

second quarter. Which was a great game plan. The only thing was was that Gibson came out that in Game six and hit a career high like seven threes. He ended up scoring thirty. You know, but we took Lebron out the game, which was, in my opinion, the best strategy that you can have. But you know, you you can't do things like that, especially when you're trying to win the championship. Definitely, looking back on your nine years in Detroit, what are some things that stand out to

you about that. I think the biggest thing to stand out for me was you know, sharing that floor with some real ass dudes, man like, with some real brothers. Man like that time in Detroit, man like Matt, I like like it wasn't basketball, man Like, it was just bigger it was. It was just fun. It's just like hanging out with friends you grew up with, you know

what I mean. You know, everybody first thing they do is get when they get to the league, they bring all their homies with them, you know what I mean, because that's you know, that's what you're familiar with. Like I was playing with my homies. I was playing with

my brothers. Like through thick and through thin, I knew them dudes would have my back right or wrong, you know, like like because you know in certain situations like I might be wrong, you know what I mean, because I might you know, certain games, I would talk trash and run my mouth and whatever whatever. But I looked at being and be like, look, motherfucker, you better have my back. You know. You know what I'm saying, Like like if if something go down, you better go down with me.

You know what I'm saying. And that was the thing that we had. You know, we was joined by the hip, you know, So sharing that with my brothers and you know, having fun with it. You know, like we did everything together. We hooped together, we eight together, we hang we went to clubs together. Like we did everything together. So that was the thing that you know, I missed to this day. You know that the brotherhood that we had amongst amongst

each other. Yeah, we won games. Yeah we want to the Eastern Conference Finals, one NBA championship with that brotherhood that we had, getting four, getting four All Stars in the NBA All Star Games. Should have five with t Sean that year. But that stuff right there, man, I mean it's hard to come by. Man, It's hard to come by when you know the dude that you're playing with really loves you, like like really like really yes,

no doubt, special feeling we had. We had that, although it was short, we had that and go to State. So I know exactly what you're talking about, like that brotherhood where it's more than basketball's family and different ones like that. Get a chance to play with Derek Rose the year after coming off his MVP season, Um, you guys are in the playoffs. Mistake me if I'm wrong. Game in hand, Uh, tips keeps him in, he gets

hurt and never comes back the same. Tell to me about that experience as a veteran seeing that process happened to such a promising young talent. Oh man, it was tough because that's the reason why I went to Chicago, right. I've seen what was happening in Detroit and it was kind of breaking up that team. And I was like, all right, you know what, real, you know, maybe it's your time to go, right, So, like you start thinking, you start looking at all the different teams. I'm saying,

you know, what is the best fit? Right? I knew Chicago at the time needed the two guard, right uh and and I and I felt like, all right, you know what, I can be the missing piece to get them over the hunt because for Chicago at the time, they will always meet up against the Miami Heat with Lebron and d Wade, and they didn't have nobody to match up with d Wayne Wade. And me and d Wade had a lot of matchups, you know during my career. I mean that dudes great, Like that dude right there,

push me too too. I mean like it was tough night and night out trying to guard him, you know, and also trying to do something on the on the on the office end, but uh, he was probably one of the toughest guys that I had to had to guard. But then going to Chicago and playing against Derek Rose during that time, man, I was like, bro like, I played with a lot of great players Derek ros during that time. It was probably the most talented player I

ever played played with. I mean just starting at three yo. This dude was ridiculous. And I've seen what he was doing and practice night in the night out, and he had a great work work, work ethic and he's very similar to tou k D. Always say, Derek Rosen and UH and k D they're probably the most too humble superstars I've ever seen in my life, like to give you their shirt off their back like, and Derek was

that type of guy. So playing against the semi six or sixers during that time, and a lot of people say, hey, you know what, why was Derek in the game, And you know, I would ask the question to like me knowing I won before you know, in Detroit, I've been you know, on the bench at times where you know, we had an opportunity to go after that record of winning seventy games or whatever because we were killing during one year, and guys like Sheet and Ben was to

be like, man, get Chauncey off the floor, get Rip off the court, or they'll called time out and get us off the floor, because because we know that it's bigger than that game. So at that time, you know, you look back at it now now you can look back on it. We had that game right and you asked that question, why is he in the game? You know, because we already had that game in order for us

to win NBA Championship. So I was always looking at it like, Okay, you know what, once the game, you got the game in hand, especially in the playoffs, you gotta get your best player off the floor. You just have to because it's just so much, you know, especially you know when you're the focal point of our offense. It's so much he's gonna have to deal with, especially when you get later and later in the series. Just from a physicality standpoint, you know, the rest swallowed whistle

a little bit more. You know, they let you hold it, let you grab a little bit more. You know what I'm saying. They're not calling the tiki tech fouls that they might call in the regular season. So you you gotta know that. And I'm thinking to myself, like, come on, tips, i gotta get him out of the game, you know. So when that happens, I'm like, oh snap, I'm like, bro get up, like like get up. And then when he doesn't get up and he's walking off, man, it

it crushed me. Not because of my own individual you know, uh, you know, me coming there and wanting to win the championship,

but just knowing Derek is a good kid. Derek is a dude that you know, he got a great work ethic, you know what I'm saying, very humble, and this guy right here, man, you know, best point guard in the game, like like like couldn't nobody mess with the Rose during that time, you know, So to see him going down, I just felt like, like, you know, our chances of winning the championship is very rare to none, right, And like you said, it's more than just the basket because

he's a good dude. Yea. That ship would make it hurt you though, some dudes they said I used to ask and that he was Derek Rose. I don't know him personally. I just know him from watching and reading stories on him and hear about his up upbringing. He's a great dude to go along with a very talented player. Listen this little this dude, this dude said one time in the locker room, win the locker room. He just signed a two hundred and fifty million dollar deal with Adidas,

another hundred and fifty from the Bulls. She got four hundred million dollars at twenty what three years old? And I looked at him in the locker room. I said, Bro, do you know you just signed for four hundred million dollars? Right? And he like like like like what you mean? You know, like he didn't even know the impact of of that. And then I told his brother after, you know, Wrenchie after the game, like yo, congratulations. He was like, my

brother don't even know what just happened. He called me, asked me the other day, is it okay if he buys a Bentley? I said what I said, how many dude you know that that that just made four hundred million dollars that will call his big bro. I'm like, yo, was it cool for me to buy a Bentley? That just tells you what type of DUDEY is hype of dude not. I don't really like to do hypotheticals, But the trajectory you saw him on at twenty three barring injury,

where would he rank amongst the greats? If we were ship was fifteen years sixteen years in and d Rose was just being able to play through with no injury. Where does he rank in the history Because to me, he was he was a generational talent as well, but probably wanted to be most special at at his position. Yeah, at his position, man, dude, I mean, man, you talk

about the great ones. There's a lot of great ones out there, you know, talk about magic and you know John Stockton and all the ones that played before us. But in my opinion, Derrick Rose is definitely top ten easily, you know, could be top five. Man, this dude like like I'm telling you, like, I mean, there's a lot of great players in our game right now. When you're talking about the point guards position, Russell West Coast, you

know you talk about uh CP Kyrie. Listen, none of them dudes wanted no smoke with I'm telling you right now, none of them dudes wanting no smoke with de Rose during that time. To believe, yes, Steve ro it was a problem. Let's talk about on court accessories in the early two thousands because you had probably one of the most fashionable statements. You know what I mean. You broke your nose a few times. You get the mask and I had to try to play with the mask. Once

I couldn't handle that, took it off. I risked everything other guys couldn't play with. You made that, you know, like a household. You made that just as householders, you made your name. Talk to us about that process and why you decided to keep that mask on. Well what one? Uh I hated it too, Matt like like ship, I don't broke my nose three times, and uh you know, the one thing about it is when you break your

nose and you gotta go through the surgery. It was putting me out like six weeks, like you know, just on simple fact they had to readjust my septum and the first time I broke it in like fourteen different pieces. Uh So And from a team standpoint, Ben and always been used to always say, man, I can't afford to lose you when it really counts, right, So I really had to think about, you know, a long term if you know, if this happens in the playoffs, and I

won't be able to play. So, uh, once I started wearing it, I tell people it's like, you know, as a kid going tricker treating, and you know, nobody goes tricker treating with their mask on for the whole three hours. It's like you're running from house to house, right, but you only put your mask on and when you were the do you know. But I had to wear that thing for a whole entire game. It's getting fog, is

getting clogged up and everything else. But the thing that I loved about wearing it is, you know, as players, you know, we don't want to get hit in the face. So every time you you you you go into the basket, a lot of times guys tents up like, oh man, I don't want to get poked in the eye or you know, get my teeth knocked out or whatever whatever. So once I wore that mask, now and I kind of became invincible because now as I'm going to the basket, I don't give a damnf I get hit in the face.

You know, as long as I get two free throws. That that that was the thing. But once I started wearing it, wearing it, I started to feel like you know, all right, this is like my cake, like my Superman Kip, Like if when people come to watch basketball, you know this, wearing the mask kind of separates me from everybody else.

We got a lot of great talent in our game. Right, every night you can come watch NBA basketball and you'll see guys that are elite, that are great, you know what I'm saying, and have a great brand around him. And I was just like, you know what separates you from the rest of the NBA, the rest of the guys in the NBA wearing the mask. So once I started wearing it, I got used to it, and then it kind of became like my super Superman cape. And you know, never took it off ever since. That's dope.

I love that. That's That's that we That's one of the memorable looks like that. You in the mask fall in the category with Obson with the with the arts leeve, in the head band, Lebron with the black mask in Miami mask in Miami. It wouldn't let me wear the black mask. That was crazy because I thought about it, right,

I thought about it. I said, hey, you know what, when I first got my mask, then I said, I'm aware of black black mask in an All Star game, and they made a big deal about all you can't wear you're gonna get fine, and you know they won't let you play in the game with it. And then I turned on the TV and see Lebron James with a black mask on. Man, I was pissed off. I was like, what, like, what is going on here? Like

I started this ship? This is motherfucking yes. Yes. But come to find out I heard that he didn't he didn't let the team know what mask he was gonna wear, and he kind of just ward, you know, it, came to the game and just kind of surprised everybody by wearing the black mask. Two questions for you, even though the season is not going on, who did you who did you think was going to the finals? And who

what what young talent you like? And you watch the most Two questions, Oh, man, I think for for me, who was the team that I thought that was going to the finals? You might be mad at me, but I was going with the Clippers. Man. Matt was on board with me. Yeah, I was. I was going with the Clips, man. I mean, listen, yeah, you got a D and Lebron right, and I think with them having with with with with l A having a D. You know, the Clippers don't have nobody that can guard him. That's

the one mismatch that they do have, you know. But and it's hard to bet against Lebron James, Like, I'll never bet I played against this dude. That is something that I just won't absolutely not not even not even close. I won't do that, right, I won't go on the record say that. But the Clippers, man, what they have, uh, you know, they got a bunch of dogs on their team. And then you look at the bench with Lou Williams

and uh montre Is coming off the bench. They got guys that can fulfill Rose because in the playoffs, you need other guys to win you a game. Like you know, you can't depend on Brian and a D to win you all seven games, all four games. You can't. It's always another guy that going up that has to win the game for you. Like even when we have battles with with with y'all in in Indiana, Austin Crozier one y'all game one time, you know, like other guys to win one game for you. And I just think that

the Clippers they have too many pieces. I mean, they got a great coach with DC Rivers, like, you know, they got the infrastructure, you know, the thing that the ship that Kawhi Leonard did last year and taking that Toronto Toronto Raptors team all way to the finals and winning it and putting that team on his back. It's like, yo, man, like I'm not human. My new nickname should be Robot because that's what that's what it reminds me of, of

a robot like. But I would have to go with the Clippers, even though I don't want to bet against Lebron Lebron James. I. It's a toss up, man, It's a toss up. He's definitely coming out he had the Lakers. But yeah, that's what I found. I mean, I think the safe better to say is coming out of And that's no disrespect to the East, you know. I mean, I get the East is very talented, but you gotta you gotta do it. You know, you've got guys who

have done it on this West side. So it's definitely coming out of l a something to give you problems, Matt. Who's some of the young talent you enjoy watching these days? Oh Man, I'm a fan, man, So I love a lot of these young kids that's coming out coming out. I love John Morant right now. I mean he's everybody say him first. Yeah, man, he's he's a dog man.

He's a beast man like with him when he when he was going through it with uh, the whole Andre Cadollar thing, you know, and Steph said something and he was like, hey, man, I love you, but I'm coming at you like like like you love that because you know, you don't want to hear that all the time, especially you know, in this new era of basketball. You know. But but he's a guy that you know, I watched, you know all the time. Another that episode dropped to

cut you off now checking out. Another guy that I love that he that doesn't get a whole lot of credit is Devin Booker. I think Devin Booker is a problems. He's just on a bad team right now, you know what I'm saying. But he he's a dude that I respect that I love. He can make He can he can make plays on and off the ball. He can come off pin downs. You know, he can impact the game in different ways. You know, just hopefully that you know they can get their act together in Phoenix and

put him in winning situations. But he's another young young kid that you know, I love to watch. He's because he's Kobe s to me, He's got some code in him and he and he plays the right way. And the thing that I love about him is in the summertime, he looks for the guys that made All Star Game. He looks for the guys that are supposed to be the best guards in the NBA. And when you got guys like that, man, you I gotta rock out with him? Love it? President President Day player that you would love

to play with? Oh Man? For me? For me, I would have to say Steph Curry, nice, I do I mean? Because you know I love what they're doing. Golden statement, Matt, you can you can test this, uh that when you got a guy like Steph the way he impacts the game without having the ball in his hand right, can play on and off the ball. Now you gotta pick him up, you know as soon as he comes past

half court. You know, I would love to get an opportunity to play with another guy that moves off the ball similar to myself, because I when I that them them golden State teams that they had. Now you're playing against the team that have three guys that can move without the ball. Uh, you got Steph, you got Clay, and you got kd. Like, you can't guard that, you can't guard that, you can't trap that anybody on the floor. So I would have to say, Steph Curry, who should

be our next guest? On all the smoke? Who do you think should be our next guest? And before you answer, it's like Jack said, if you give us a guest, you gotta plug it. We need to plug. Okay, go if me in my opinion because it's it's who fits. This is my guy, Raschi Wallace, Yes, we got we gotta get shape. I just I just did him and Bonds podcast. I just did that podcast shout out the Buds and Sheet take podcast. But we definitely gotta get

sheet on it. And like Matt said too, I really think we should all get together and do that brawl sit down. I think that would be dope. No, that would be dope because now you you hear the back story on what guys were thinking during that time because we we all we all seen it and seen it

totally differently. You know what I'm saying like it was stuff that was going on over there on y'all bench that I didn't even know what was going on until I watched it on the highlights on film, or or when they brought us in that room, when they did that investigation and they brought out all them different cameras and they showed you, showed everything that was going on. That would be I definitely think we need to sit down. You need I think the hardest person to probably get

is gonna be Big Bid. So you were a big big We're gonna try to get jack side hell down. If you get big Big, we're gonna make that ship happen. I got you, I'll work on it. I might have to come in the headlock and I talked. I talked to being not too long ago, being man being down with You know, Bid is a one hundred brother dog man we are and we all come come together. He definitely down with it. After the quarantine, man, we gotta

make a show time. Bring all you guys out to l A. We sit out and definitely talk about that. That would be crazy. That would be crazy. That would be dope. Um artist a song you gotta repeat right now? Oh man, it's that. It's that Drake right now in that TUSI slide. Man, crazy, This is crib though. Man, that's crazy. God, you got the dance down. Man, Listen, I'm trying. I can't dues man. That's on my that's on my bucket list right now. I just I just

started to TikTok man. So I'm gonna get out there and try to get out there and try it a little bit twist be doing that ship. I'm like, I'm six, they get out of here trying to get me to do that ship. I'm gonna giving a shot to watch. I'm a little crazy though. That's what's up? Quarantine? Quarantine? What you bits watching? Oh man? For me? Uh a few shows Netflix? Man, that all American show of course. That's been watching that too. That's dope Ozark, yes, and

my and my other one is uh Narcos Mexico. Yeah, it's crazy. No, that's that's insane right now. Man, I watched all that in the first two days it came out. I've been watching that. So I got to drop on Norcos because I worked with someone in another business that does the merch for Norcos. So Norcos is gonna start going around the world and kind of making it almost a franchise for the next Norcos is gonna be. I can't say it's gonna be so dope, but like get

your mind that it's just Mexico. So they have it like Norcos or they want to like highlight just the biggest drug dealers in different parts of the world. The next one they got coming out is about to be cold. But hey, what a coincidence you have to drop on our codes I give us. I know trying, you're trying to be on set. I'm trying to see you see Quevo and them, got queto on them, got a spot And that's why I said, I said, definitely, bring me on. I definitely play a little role on I don't even

like to act, but bring me on nor too. Man, Hey, Jack telling you gotta get us on set. Yeah, we got got the Amazon there. Last thing, quarantine snack. I know you like to stay in shape, but what's your what's your bench snack right now? Oh my goodness, man, dude, trust me, yeah we all do right now. Chocolate cookies. Man, Oh my god, I made something other that listen, and they ought to be home made, homemade oh my good. Listen as soon as they get up, as soon as

soon as they get out the oven. Oh man, I might eat a whole trade of them quite just kept before they go in the oven. Before they go in the oven, I have because to mind, man, they always a one. Jack sent me something dog I can microwaves. I got you, boy, I'll put him to the test. Last segment right here before we let you go, as Jack has a begging segment. So Jack, what you want to ask Rip for? What you want to beg for? My guy? Man? Uh, you know, I really wasn't prepared

for begging segment today. I was just excided to talk to my brother, like I wanted to say again, you know, we had a man. Rip was real real close. Uh. Like I said, I be can't real close with a lot of his friends. Some of his friends with Coach Bill still be dm me from deming from time to time. But it was just good to actually get on get on the get on the on the show, Get you on the show, and they talked to you about the

McDonald's games and stuff. Conversation that I always wanted to have with you, but I can't really wait to have you. It's on set so we can really dig deep into some things that you know that we both got in comment from our lives. Dope, dope, I wish I wishot. It came to the office in l A with y'all. Man, you say we're gonna get it. I got you, man, Jack. That's family. Now your family too though all the way one hunted. Thank you man, well Man, that's a rap.

Special guest Rip Hamilton's on our episode today, Jack, hell of a show. We appreciate your time anytime, any time. Thank you. You can catch us a showtime, Basketball, YouTube are all platforms, streaming, podcasts, all of them. It's something about how this place form is a different kind of person. On my high school team, we have five guys make the NBA. We had the County Rock Act. You mentioned Prince Short's County. People know what it's about. It's the

meta of basketball. There are those who have come before us, upon whose shoulders we stand. We're here for this area. You have to have tough scarre The gym became a thank you eg County guys provide buckets for America. It's Prince Georgian tacks a lot of power about of character. It's nothing that you can do to stop that competitive and we're pushing the community and the culture forward. There's just in the water. This life was all I ever wanted. I'm not leaving, not yet. I was hoping. It's say

that you gotta hit the streets, make some money. Pable like us, let's destroy poble like him. Buckle up, get Showtime free at showtime dot com.