Tournament time is here and there's nothing like basketball in March.
Tons of tournament games with high stakes and high drama, all competing to cut down the nets as national champs.
If thanks to our partners at DraftKings, it's about to get even bigger. All new customers who bet just five dollars will get a one hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets instantly.
Want to know what you can do with your one hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets. Stand on the action and use your bonus bets on DraftKings same game parlays for a shot at an even bigger payout.
You feel out your bracket, place your bets and see what rides to the top of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Download the Draft Kings Sportsbook app now.
Sign up using promo cod Smoke and bet just five dollars on any wager and get one hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets instant. That's Promo cod Smoke only a Draft Kings sportsbook. The Crown is yours, Welcome back all the Smoke, New York and why Jack has been a good run.
It's snowing out here. We got. We got a good one. My brother.
First of all, before we even shout him out, he's got some water that he's partnering with drink r X fire Water Man.
Welcome to the show, Tim Thomas, appreciate you t ninety six in this motherfuckers six. Yeah, nigga, that was just that? Is that? Is that the double shot? I'm just yeah, it kicked in instantly.
You mean.
Ninety six is bit.
Jack ninety six All jokes aside, ninety six is arguably one of the best classes you know, the league has seen. When did you first hear about Tim Thomas and see him in person?
Good question, man. I first heard about Tim Thomas in the tenth grade.
I was just the first time.
You're in the tenth grader, second time, first this, first time, the first time, first time, you always I love it the first time, and I was doing a lot of Nike accounts, but I was getting the chance. I got an opportunity to go play at the DDAs and well to go, not even play, just to go. And that's why I've seen all the players that was ahead of me,
you know what I'm saying. I seen, I knew Jermaine, but I got Chancey, Tim, I got Chaancy, Tracy, I got saying, see Kobe, I got Chancy, all these people.
You know what I said before I actually played against him, and I went home with my confidence shot. I can't lie because you know they was sixteen bringing the ball to court, windmill and crossing over.
You know what I'm saying.
I'm working on my back and getting my handle together at sixth eight, So you know they was he was just he was just one of those guys that him and Jermaine o'nill and Kobe like those guys were guaranteed to go to the NBA and they probably could have went out the eleventh grade.
Wow.
Tim, obviously your versatility, I feel like it was ahead of its time. Your game was ahead of its time. But before we even get to that, was you getting nil before n I.
L Yeah, I mean to be honest, if you look at you, it's like all of us back then had either some type of deal shoe brands, right, So it was either I was Adidas baby, so it was either Adidas or Nike. Wherever you went camp and you killed and stuff, you had some type of deal, you know, with that brand. So for me, I was Adida's baby. My high school was sponsored by Adidas, So when you look at it in hindsight, it was you know, but.
Outside of that was you because I mean, I know, obviously going into college and now it's you know, it's nil and it's tokay to pay players. But there was money floating around back then. Where you getting like money money or was it just product?
Nah?
So I went to a Nike school. Okay, So I went to Novah. That's a Nike school. So I've we all had that that was at that level, had offers where we could have win places and got you know, different bags of money, you know, to go to that university. But that was one of the reasons why I also chose Over. They allowed me to play the three, and it was nothing tricky about it, you know what I'm say,
because I already knew I was a pro. I was like, you know, and we had guys before us that we had a chance to see the Chris Webbers and stuff like that. When you get in trouble at the university is gonna you know, cover their own ass, you know. So it was the last six eleven three guard six eleven three guard two.
You're talking about small four maybe.
Yeah, Kevin, I'm trying to think who whoever played three now?
But back then? Who was mellow?
Mellow?
Mellow six? That's my height.
That's normal to be the wing though, But you're normally your height height is the four. But your versatility right right right? Had you have the two or three?
Right?
Right?
Where? Did I mean talk to us about your upbringing? It about your game? And I know you you grew fast.
Like you was a big motherfucker early talked us about your upbringing in the whole game and just you know, as you continue to grow, your game continue to grow.
Yeah. So I grew up in Passed, some New Jersey. We had guys like Roy Sparrow, DW. White, Wilbur James Scott, James Hargrough, bunch of guys before me that you know, played you know, big time high school basketball and then went on to play college basketball, so Roy Sparrow. So I had a chance to watch them, right and then any opportunity I got a chance to be around them. I was trying to find those guys. They was at
the wide, they was playing in the projects. Whoever I was going, you know to the point where I kind of aggravated them. So we had to, like, you know, get me in the mix.
How were you with this age? Like I was?
I was eleven twelve, and you know, yeah I was. I was a short. I had a growth spurt like seventh eighth grade.
So you went from what to what?
I went from probably like probably about five nine to like six two, and then I jumped from like six two to like six seven. And then at that point I started drinking coffee. I started going to dunk the donors to get coffee to stump my growth.
You don't want to so you didn't want to be telling.
Cause I had it. I had everything.
You want to say. That part typical, so.
To speak, really exactly, I started going getting coffee, and then it.
Was like this mother was trying not to be Yeah, yeah, that's real. Ship.
I got a family full of people that drink coffee, so they got different you know, pinions.
About it growing. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.
So I started drinking coffee. Man, try to stop my growth a little bit. I was like, no, we're gonna keep going. I just kept going and I kept the game.
With me, right yeah, right, speak to us about Sunny Vicarro. Was that your Adida's guy.
Yeah, Sonny was Sonny. Sonny was that guy. So I was part of that that crew of babies that all went to Adidas. You know that was you, mac Me, Matt Cole, Uh, I'm gonna blak. Jermaine was first there. It was a bunch of us Man, Antoine Walker and so many different guys.
Sonny's a great dude. I mean Sonny early on, and then I saw the Air movie where he kind of started with Nike and his vision to get MJ and all that, but to speak to the to the person, because I don't think he necessarily gets his flowers. It's kind of a pillar for high school basketball and what he does for guys. And then obviously you know what he done in the Indushoe Ran Man. He's like the godfather of it all. You know, if he spoke about you, that meant everything stamped.
Yeah.
So he can tell, you know, a college coach, he could tell the NBA, you know, Scout Yo two years, three years, you know, Steven Jackson three years and it's a done deal, you know. And then on the on the flip side with the business stuff. Obviously he did the Jordan stuff, the Nike stuff, so he was way ahead of his curve with you know, finding talent. But you know, for me, man, that was that was everything.
Being able to go to you know, a B C. D can't play against the top, you know, guys, you know, get a chance to see him, figure out what you gotta you know, go develop on, you know, develop the game with a little bit more to kind of catch them or whatever the case may be. But it was everything.
We had a relationship with all of us.
Like I'm gonna go tell you how great crazy relationship was I come out of We graduated ninety six. They he go to college, some of us go to the league. But I bounced around a little bit when I first get back to the NBA. As soon as I get in the league, I get a call from Sonny. We're giving you a six year Adidas deal. You know what I'm saying. I fell off the map for a minute, you know what I'm saying. But he don't forget his people. Now, Sonny,
don't forget his people. Have you guys had Sonny up here? No, we gotta get him, Yeah, we gotta get him. M Yes, sir, We got to ask the question. Say we have a question that.
That's gonna be. Look being a businessman, I am. I got to get in on that. Yeah. But listen, I know the people were wanting.
You know, they gotta hear a story.
Yeah, yeah, espefter seeing air and then everyone everyone. I've always talked to the hit Sonny Is put his hands on There's always nothing but spoke well about son.
Son of a Carrol, not Sonny Hill. Whoa nah? He the reason why I lost the All Star Championship.
Yeah, I remember McDonald's.
Philly.
Got to get to know o g is good. People did wrong Philly. Philly is like my second home. That was that was big for me though I understand. Yeah, that was big.
And he screwed. He took the m v P from Yeah, he was his guy.
That is doll.
That's his baby that was in the house. Yeah, that's his baby.
I can't be by his you know, SHOs you know doing this thing. That's my brother in Jersey. You know, have a good game. You know what's funny? Was you know we talked about it. Yeah, we asked.
We asked Cold Coke thought Jack on the m v P.
He should have He should have.
Cold was second person. I was right and and but that's the that's the top two players in our class. That said that, though not thirteen to fifteen, it's the top two.
Players in my class. That is sad, y'all.
I mean, let me let me since we on that, let me let me go to something that a lot of people have been trying to ask me of late about that game, right, So if you remember the game, right, it was it was you know, everything now is opinion based, right, So it was like, yo, if you like Burger King,
I like, you know, chick for like whatever. So when it comes to one and two with that opinion with me and Cole, right, I obviously KG just came out and said something about I was the I was fit already coming out of high school to be you know, to go pro, right body and all that kind of stuff.
So that year, obviously when I got hurt at ABCD Kobe, you know, took over a number one rank, which was well deserving of, right, but I wanted to show that I was just a tad bit at that point, tad bit ahead of everybody's going on, you know, just in general, like it's me then down, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, So if you remember the first maybe five six minutes of that game. You go back and check it out. I just destroyed. I just destroyed. You know what I
was playing on doing. I was playing on announcing that I was gonna go pro. Right if the scouts would have changed their mind within that five six minute really, because history would have been changed, because I would have been I would have been right that year the high school guys that was coming out, me, Cole and Jermaine O. Now, I was gonna be the first one picked at thirteen, which would have been Charlotte.
Right.
I didn't go Cod went thirteen. Charlotte made the trade laking for life all. You know what I'm saying. So history would have been wow, yeah, just a little something.
So what so I mean, let's elaborate on that further. So what you did your thing obviously that first five six minutes? What what made you go to Villanova? What made you decide to let me take one more year under my beltfore I make this jump.
But once I got the first sub in the game, my my guy went over and asked the scouts like, does that anything? Does anything change or shift? And it was like, you know, right now everyone's saying thirteen.
So you wanted to be higher than that.
I wanted to be top ten. I wanted to be to look, ah, that's what I was. That was my goal to be top ten.
I'm not top ten enough. I'm gonna go to school for a year exactly. I want to be top ten.
And I'm just gonna say this, just my opinion. You were the best person, best player in class in ninety six. Kobe ended up being better than all of us and have a better career, but in ninety six, you were the best player in our class.
Dog by far j.
Always close because he could do a lot at seven foot, you know what I'm saying.
But you were the best player in our class.
Dog.
It wasn't even close to me six guard. Yeah, you can do everything we was doing.
Yep, yep, you got a curly top two Na.
It was it was dry.
It was some pretty good.
It was dry. It looked like that, but it was dry. It was I remember, Brom, I'm from Pasting, New Jersey. You don't have good hair like that, but it was. Now, that was the thing. We always rocking and fro Man back.
Then high school coach. Now, I don't want to butcher the name.
How you say the school name, Paramus Catholic. Paramus Catholic heard you are kind of kind of going through it right now. But what what is that experience like to give back and be a part of encouraging and motivating this next generation.
I've been doing it for twenty seven years, you program. So I coached in a small school in California for three years after retiring. Where was that at Faith Baptist right there, that's in the valley. Yeah, you know, I used to living in Heading Hills. I didn't know that I was hitting Hills Quiet, that's hill.
Bro You never know what?
Yeah, I know, I know you was at Yeah, I was Jack, you know exactly like Yo, can you come to dinner with Brot? But yeah, So I coached out there for three years, and obviously with my AU program being around the teaching, when I had the chance to, it was just like second nature, you know, wanting to get involved being back home, so you know, I dove into that game as far as you know, coaching high
school ball. It's been tough for us this year because my thing is this, right, we come from an era where we always trying to find who the big dog in that room. I'm gonna go after them. That's our error. Like these kids now, it's like they don't want to compete, you know, to put a stamp on their own name, like they wanted to be kind of giving. Right, So you got all of the Camps au World and all that kind of stuff. The elite is always going to
stand out, you know. But for me, with the young group that I got, I put them in the toughest situation possible, right, So we we scheduled all the top teams in the state of New Jersey and New York, you know, and we even played a tough team from Canada. So they're going through that process now of learning how to compete, you know, learning how to just trust each other, you know, and just jail you know, how it is as a team, and get to the point where it's
like this is second nature. We know this person likes to do this, he likes to do this. This is what's going to make us go, this is what's going to hold us back, all of those kinds of things. So once we get to that point, we got a young crew, you know, a bunch of juniors. We got two seniors on the team. So when we get to that point, where they fully understand it. Maybe another summer click, yeah, we'll be We'll be good. We'll be right where we
want to be in the future. We're always waiting for the who's next.
Yeah, Tim Thomas players, that's something you've been you said twenty seven years in counting. Why was it important for you to or the AU program?
When I was coming up, I had a chance to, you know, start traveling because of the game of basketball at the age of like ten, you know, just playing in different events, different camps, all of those kinds of things. So for me, once once I you know, have some success with the game, being able to you know, give back was everything, and that was part of it.
I had.
I had the Adidas deal and then you know in the summers, they'll give you after your season with any contract, they'll give you a certain amount of merchandise that you got to spend through your friends, family or whatever. So I had like three hundred K merchandise that had to spend each summer. So I didn't know how to give it away fast enough. So I was like, you know what, let's just start, you know, a program. And I started the program and it has been successful.
So any pros come through there, twenty eight.
Of them go on to Instagram, Tim Thomas players, twenty eight pros, twenty eight pros, twenty mc donald's all Americans, and sent about fifteen thousand kids off the college over again the game in basketball.
I don't get discussing that. That's at all, bro that's dope for.
That for sure, That's been blessed and blessed.
Every year, millions of people fill out a bracket for March Madness. But did you know the chance of getting a perfect bracket is one in one hundred and twenty billion.
So I'm gonna submit my inevitably broken bracket to couselight dot com slash March hoops. Predicting the perfect bracket it's damnar impossible, but scoring some cold, hard cash or cool prizes is possible.
Now that I've let go my imperfect predictions for the tournament, I choose to chill and crack over the ice, cold course light. I'm not letting my bracket break me. I choose chill and choose cors Light this March.
Look out for some dope prizes throughout the tournament at corslight dot com slash March hoops.
There's sixty seven games in the NCAA tournament, so that's sixty seven opportunities to crack open a course light when the mountains turned blue on the bottles. I love course Light. It's my beverage of choice because it's refreshing and easy to drink, and.
It's easy to get course Light delivered straight to your door with Instacart by going to courselot dot com, slash Mode Celebrate Responsibly, Course Brewing Company, go to Colorado.
Let the March madness begin. The NCAA Tournament is officially underway and the games are being played all around the country, and the best way to track a schedule and tickets is with game Time. I just pulled up the app and I can see that all the games are here at Crypto Arena at the end of the month. That's what's great about the game Time app. I can see the whole nc DOUBLEA tournament schedule, or just look to see when the tournament's going to be near me. Game
Time has the best layout, hands down. I'm always checking the game Time app for upcoming events. It's nice to have an app that's one hundred percent reliable with the money back guarantee, so I know I'm getting the best deals on tickets, and the game Time app always comes through with the last minute deals. I'm going to concerts and games this year because of game Time. I just picked the section and I can see the view from my seats. Game Time picks the seats for the best price.
I take out the frustration and guesswork out of buying tickets for game Time. Download the game Time App, create an account, use the code smoke for twenty dollars off your first purchase. That's cod smoke for twenty dollars off your first purchase. Download the game Time App. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed.
This one thing that people don't know about the McDonald's game. We had a practice and saying you remember this, and we all just happy to be there. But this goes to Kobe. Brian just goes to talk about Kobe. Bro We're supposed to be going through a walkthrough, walk a walk through, key walk through. They passed Kobe the ball. He rips through on Rib Hamilton Dog and we all just really standing there.
And Boom was under the basket. It's a walkthrough, Bro, I was under I almost kind of took it. Person I'm like, Bro, it's a walk through. I'm flying, like, what are you doing?
It's a walk through, bro. He's like, now, we like to read the game tomorrow.
He he was dead serious out to the point where we end up scrimmaging.
It's supposed to be a walk through, we end up playing. But I feel like that walked that that. That scrimmage was probably more popular. Scrimmage was fire.
Yeah, it was.
Really take it personal in practice.
Well because it was him and Jail matched up. It was Ripped and Uh and Kobe, it was me and Jerl Brown, it was Ed Colder and Shaheen matched up, and it was Jail and Voss. I think, if I'm not mistaken by said Lauren was one of them. Yes, yeah, so, but the scrimmage is crazy, Yeah.
It was.
It was tough.
We knew we was gonna beat the West. I'm sorry just going to say that.
Bro. We had the top three players on our team. How could we lose?
Yeah?
We had Kobe, Jermaine and Tim bro. It was no way we was losing that game. We end up winning by twenty. Clo wasn't even close. I let the game of scoring because they was watching them three right around team on the West. He was hitting him with the in and out every time. He Mike, Mike, don't want to talk about that, but it's on film. He came down every play in my line and was the ship out of Mic every play, every play. And that's why it looked like he won every because he was fucking Mic up.
Shot was difficult. Shot was difficult. I had to play against him in high school, you know, where he had just free reign. Like actually we just played his high school last night. Lost to his high school last night. Saint Pat shout out to them. But he was vicious man. He was a dog. And that's why all of his his college teams played just like him. They have that that personality, and that's what I'm trying to you know, still in two kids.
Yeah, absolutely was what exactly is the greatest team ever assembled, Tim Kobe Vincent ripped a team a.
You oh yeah, by far? I mean, listen, I was, you know, just trying to establish myself, right. I had no chance. I had know, like real thought that you know, Rip would come up from Philly to play with me, a guy from Florida and e Vince Carter will come up to Jersey to play with me. A guy by the name of Kobe Bryant would come to Jersey and play.
With him and rivals.
Yeah, a guy by the name of Kevin Freeman, you know, would come by, right, you know and play with me. We had Edmund Saunders. We had Anthony Perry that went to he went to GEORGIAWN but he went to he played at St. Anthony's. So we had a we had a bunch of studs, right and you know, there's a clip I got to send it to you guys. But Kobe, you know, he mentioned it were beating people bout fifty
sixty points. Weird. The reason why, like now, when you go to like some of these AU events or some of these high school events that they're playing in college you know, gyms and stuff like that. We won. We won back to back AU national championships and we was playing at you know, universities Florida, so down. Yeah. Church real was that there was nobody on the East Coast that could do anything that was good. It was good, don't they was good. I'm not gonna say.
Those names right there.
You want to tell them what was on the church, the him, But I'm just the greatest team though. Yeah, but that on the same time, same years. There's the document, you.
Can look it up. It's still there. We're still on the list.
It's number one. There was number one. But that Church team was scary too.
That there was a lot of great teams like that that you know, salute to all of them. But you got just think of the times, like think about what you've seen with Vince. Vince was I was. I was witnessing Vince doing that early. Yeah, the world calling on later? Yeah, yeah like that. We was like, how when he came up to play with us?
How can you see the stuff you see like all the little mixtapes that have now if there was a social media era back when.
That team was together.
Crazy.
Yeah, No, I'm still seeing his old old mixtapes, Like can you imagine this in high school? Rount see nothing like this in high school right now? No, I don't even see it like in college and barely in the pros.
Parent told the story about Kobe wanted to kill you doing a game when you were sixteen. You know, we all know Kobe had to kill this and you definitely was on there. Jay A was on there, Rip was on there.
Did he ever talk to you about that now, I mean, I know the game that that Rip was talking about. So that was our junior year. I went back because baseball was my first love before I started growing. So my junior year I went back and played baseball. I did the Michael Jordans went back and played baseball cole that year. Cob and Rip went back to play with the Philly team. And right, so obviously you meet in
all these different circuits. So I told the guys, I said, we're both us in in this, in this one circuit together. So I said, listen, if you guys make it to the championship game, I'll dry down now and play. But I'm still in baseball season. So they made it to the championship game, and it's just so happened to be Cob and Rip. And that's the game that Cod I mean that Rip is talling about. So the game was in Maryland at the University of Maryland. I just told
you we was playing at these these colleges. The game was there, So I drove from Jersey to Maryland. I got there the end of the first Cob already had like fifteen right, so now I'm behind the eight ball with an assassthing like that, what are you gonna do? Right? So I'm already behind the eight ball, right so I walk in like Sheppard, like, I'm just right out the car, Like I walk right in right from the car. Right there, I'm right on the court. So I'm playing ketchup. So
Cole probably finished the game with forty something. I probably finished the game with thirty something. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, that's how the game went. They won the game. That's how it went.
You know.
So we don't play the same position, right, so the matchups were probably never going to match up against each other. And then our senior year in high school, because we was both number one, number two in the country, two hours away from each other, everyone was trying to make a game, you know, that high school game and asg wanted it at the time, the Meadowlands where you played, they wanted it. In the university would have took it.
You know, we just couldn't make the game. You know, Cole played, he played Saint Anthony's in Jersey more than he would. I never played against him my high school, but he played Saint Anthony's I think twice or three times, you know, from.
And you see how these high school games being televised. These they just had Thomas Kobe Bryant.
So you know, mellow, mellow and Lebron was the first ones. I would have been probably me and Cole ok Okill.
Yeah.
I had the same type of feeling when I saw you and I saw you playing like he in high school, the same age and he doing that. E Jail even has said that when he saw you, who was it anybody that when you first seen him being most people being all when they see you at your size, and have you ever seen somebody like damn, I ain't like playing when you first got an NBA Like, Damn, I ain't.
I thought I was tall first in the NBA.
Yeah, when she first got in the league.
Hey, listen, my my my first game, my first preseason game was against MJ at at Carolina. So that was like that was a thrill for me, you know because Scotti was my og so high school, Scottie would they would come to town, Scotty, would you know, send for me and stuff like that. So I was around all of those Knicks Bulls rivalries, you know that the Bulls nets games, all of that kind of stuff with Kenny A and Derreck Coleman and all those guys. Yeah, so I was.
I was around that as a youngster, seeing all of that, you know. So when I first got to the league, it was like, obviously you're around all your your your role models, right, you know, guys you look up to, and now you you you in it. So it's like, yo, I'm I feel like I'm a part of this. I'm here. I've been blessed with the talent, so you know, now signed to you know, get after it, you know what
I mean. So yeah, I mean you was in all my first game against those guys, you know, seeing my idol on the court and stuff like that, like with MJ and you know, obviously playing against Pip that meant the world to me. And then my second game was against my New York Knicks. You know, I grew up a Knicks fan. So now I'm in NASA all playing against Pat Ewing and and Alan Houston and Spree, you know what I mean. So it's like, hey, I'm in now.
New Jersey. Basketball has never been anything to slop chat. Maybe overlooked at times, but the greats of you know yourself shocked Kyrie Irving, kat j R. Smith talk about just the pedigree. You mentioned the Ogs before you, but since then, you know the talent that's come out in New Jersey.
Oh, let me get my two Earl Clark, Isaiah Brisco. Yeah, I can't forget to back to back champs. To go to Jersey too, Jersey boy too.
Now yeah, now, man, I mean we just listen, We're we're top ten in the country in states right that produced the most NBA you know, pro I would go put higher and yeah, right, Texas up there, Cali is up there. You know, we're right next to New York. So a lot of times we don't get the proper respect. You know that's due because obviously you know your city. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. It's the you know, the media, you know, capital or whatever. So but overall, man, we
have some talent. Man, And obviously I'm gonna be biased. I mean, I think Jersey basketball players are better, right, shoot the ball. Do you know some of the same things that they can.
Do, but they shoot. That's the difference. You have to shoot. That's what all due respect.
But I mean it's just like, listen, we we have to get out of just do as Jersey they can't keep just talking about New York. We're right here, fifteen minutes apart from each other, Show Us Love not for real, Show some.
Love Everybody one and done at Villanova. The number seven pick, So you wanted to be top ten, you got that. You're drafted to the Sixers. That's a team with Stackhouse, a young AI, Larry Brown's first year coaching. What was your welcome to the just the league? You know, obviously being the top dog in high school one? Did you think in college now you're playing with the likes of Alan Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse who was a dog, and then you know, a legendary coach and Larry Brown.
Yeah, I mean I was playing for a real, real old school coach, Yarry. He just was on the rookies all day, all night, you know. So it was more of the mental part of it. I had to get through with him. Talent wise, obviously, I was blessed with that right, So I wasn't really concerned with that. Playing with Ai, obviously I was able to run the floor and do those things. I was able to keep up. Stack House was a monster as well. I was comfortable because we also have Derek Coleman on that team, who's
the power forward? But I was small forward. Was guys that I figured I can I can leat it out. Who was came later? At that time you had Horace Grant, brother Harvey Grant. You know, guys was a little older. So you felt like, you know, at some point it's gonna be mine.
Yeah.
Yeah, So he was comfortable with being the power forward. Then I was comfortable going in at the four and and the and the three, you know, so because of the skill set, right. So, but the the the mental games was was the stuff that you know when you play for an old school coach that's basically trying to run you through a wall, and you're not gonna give up. You know, they just keep going and going and going. So it was more the mental stuff. Me and a
I always talk about that every time we talk. It's like, man, I hate what hell he did to you, but you know you're coming from the city, You're coming from the hood that that.
I mean, you spoke to the mental side, and I feel like once you get to leave them mental side, is it period? How long do you feel like you had a grasp Was it through your first year, first two or three years? Like when do you feel like you got a hold of the mental side of the game.
I would say I would say probably like twenty games into the season. Okay, so it came quick, yeah, because for me, obviously, what LB like I was, I was working out forty minutes before practice practice to two and a half hours. That was back when real practice. Yeah you know what I'm saying, I'm ready to go. Yeah, you practice, you know too, two and a half or whatever. And then when practice over, guys are shooting around working on different stuff they want to work on. They got
me still doing drills, you know. So my days was like I was just draining basketball. So once I got like in tip top shape, you know what I mean, which is really after your third day, because we was going real two of days, and so after that third day, it's like you see vets like, yo, I'm taking it easy. I'm not scrimminging today, blase bla, and I'm just going through this scene cycle where this guys trying to you know,
run you through a wall. I'm like, all right, you know, after that that first taste of you know, getting in the game and feeling you know, how strong other guys are, how fast they are you know their skill set because you're still trying to, you know, figure all that stuff out, probably twenty games in.
I was I was.
Cool trade the Milwaukee in the middle of your second year. Your initial reaction to the trade hated it.
Thank you.
I'm not the only one that died and came back to life when I left Milwaukee.
I'm not. I'm not staying about the city. I mean, they love you out there. By the way, I was out there. I gave him the name Trilwaukee. It wasn't a city, it's the team that was Scott Scott. It wasn't the city. The city is, but you Thatt was Scott Scot. I dealt with him in Chicago. I understand that. Yeah, I understand that.
Definitely not tri Milwaukee.
Yeah, I understand that. Okay, okay, yeah, But for me, I hated the trade because I was I was seeing my pairs and situations where they was able to go establish themselves, you know what I mean. So like I'm seeing Vince, I'm seeing t Matt, I'm seeing Jamaine, you know, come out of his situation. So I'm like, you know, yes, this is a good team. Everyone wants to win a Championship. So when when you're young, you ain't thinking of them,
you ain't thinking like that, right. So I'm like, man, I'm seeing these guys doing they thing, and I'm like, I don't want to play behind big Dog who's the All Star. I don't want to play behind Ray Allen who's trying to establish hisself. I don't want to be with a two time NBA champion in Sam causel you know,
not thinking you young. So I actually I actually try to get traded to Indiana just during the same period, right, because you know, they gave you that twenty four hours and you get traded to get to the next city. I was actually trying to get traded to Indiana, but they loved our young boy, Alan Hamilton. They was like, now we got Alan Jonathan Mender, so we don't want
to make the trade. But I just looked at it as that like I was just being young, you know, immature, and was like, I want my own thing or be a part of something. And I thought the Philly thing was perfect because you got to remember they traded Stackhouse mid season. So now I'm looking at it like I'm a score chuck the score. You know, we don't play the same position, so we're not gonna clash, you know what I mean. So the Milwaukee thing, I was kind
of set back a little bit. But once I realized like what George was trying to do and the team that we had and the possibility of winning, I was locked in. At that point.
It said that you guys, you and Big Dog win at it.
Yeah a few times. That's my guy. I love Big Dog.
I know that matchup in practice.
Yeah yeah. So again, me being young, I want my own situation whatever whatever as a start or whatever. Obviously, you know how it goes in the league. The money guys is gonna play before the talent, even if the talent is you know better, whatever, whatever. I just felt like that right, obviously Big Dog was I got right. We had to lean on him for twenty some points again whatever he was averaging. But that was just the youngin in me just bringing it out, like, yo, I
gotta show these guys that I belong right. So everybody had big threes and all that, Nah, this ain't a Big three situation. It's Big four. Who got clue to you got he got it? He got a clue tt on this one. Yeah, That's what it was. They respected me and the reason why we was clashing because we was competitive the same position, competitive, you know, and I wanted that time.
Yeah, so I.
Talk about that team though, I mean, again, that's a younger Ray Allen. People forget who was cold as the motherfucker, no matter what Jack says, a young you a young or no not a young, but big Dog who's obviously the vet on that team. And then Sam, I am, I mean, that's a hell of a team right there. And then George Carl's braining around there a team you guys obviously found your mark, hit your chemistry and made it to the conference finals. And Big Dog missed that shot at the buzzer.
It's okay to tell our audience I cooked a lot of them niggas, definitely, okay. I want you to tell them, like I'm passing myself on the back all the time. Why won't you tell her, I'll I bust a lot of your niggas.
That's okay, tell talk that ship, but talk about that whack old jacko some things.
Never since forever, my dog.
That conference final is a no one though. You know, Big Dog misses a shot at the buzzer, that's your guys opportunity against Philly against Chuck. How tough was that for you?
It was? It was tough because you know, anytime you get traded from a team, and obviously you want you go back. You want to showcase, you know, your talent, and you know, it's like breaking up with a girl. You want to show them what you got, you know, what you had, what you're missing, all that kind of stuff. Right, But it was tough, man, because that's when I obviously
had Newchuk. I know it's talent and everything, but that's when I really like had an opportunity to like soak it all in on how great that dude was, you know what I mean, because.
That team wasn't very talented that he had.
It wasn't a talented team. It was not a town. And with George right, you know, when George was in Seattle, he was a defensive minded coach. In Milwaukee, we changed him into an offensive mining coach.
Because the weapons.
Yeah, so what killed us was the fact that we had an older saying that couldn't keep up with Ai. We had a bigger ray that you know, it took a lot out of him to play both ends right, you know, so you want them to score. You can't have him chasing, you know, big dogs. Just wasn't quick enough, right, So there's pictures that I was sending that guess who had.
To go to AI six eleven, six eleven.
Ten times?
Good luck with that, right, So he came.
Down to that and then, like just to talk about his greatness, it's like he was scoring and you know, now they say all three levels. He was scoring all three levels. He was getting to the basket. He was shooting short, little faded ways that was almost like post ups, like he'll drive the one spot and just pull up,
you know what I mean. So that was almost like a post up, like a Kobe fade or MJ fade right, and then he was hitting the three ball right and then and then the other thing was he was always going to the basket, so he was getting to the flow line. So a lot of people they talk about that series and say, you guys should have won, but the NBA cheated y'all because they got to the free throw line as many times as they did. But when you go back and look at it, it's like, Yo,
that guy was going wherever you wanted to go. And get a shot off. You're gonna follo him what you're gonna score.
I think there was a better matchup. That was a better matchup for the finals foot Lakers too. Yes, that year I would have gave him up his problems. Who was your center? Yeah, girl, John's e J right ever John Scott Williams.
Yeah, they were solid Bason, but there was definitely that whisper that that that the league wanted iverson first shock and Kobe.
Yeah, I mean, you gotta think about it. That year a I was m v P, Aaron Mcki was six man a year, uh, like Brown's Coach of the Year, and but Tumbo was defensive.
A lot of accolades. So that stage, it's already set, and Milwaukee's.
A smaller media market. Yeah it was, so it was like not to take nothing away from Philly. But I definitely remember that, and it's funny he even said it before I even asked it.
So yeah, and then that year, to go back to what you was saying, Jack, like that year, we swept the Lakers. That year, really we swept the Lakers. So that that was because we George knew how to double shot, so we you know, most most people double on the catch was double when it was in there. Yeah, when it was in there, go get them.
You might catch your elbow, but go Yeah.
But but then again, you gotta think though, when they switching out of rotation. They got a six nine and big dog a six elevens bro, you know what I'm saying. They got big motherfuckers rotated. That's what I'm saying. Young, That's what I'm saying.
Yeah, And you know, playing you know on the East coast in the city, you know how to kind of close out because everybody's attacking the basket. So that's like second nature to you know, all of us up this way.
Nicks, the Knicks, can you dive into the fat Joe visit fifty cent Beef? I know you, you know you real cool with fifty I'm really cool. I'm really cool with Joe. But men fifty and had men fifty and had some conversations not bumping to one on the plane. He's somebody me and Matt look up to, somebody we want to have on the show because you got the contact on him too. Yeah, but talk about talk about getting caught up in it.
Go ahead, was I mean obviously again with you know alliances amongst the team with the beef that's in the streets of New York, Like, did that draw?
Did that divide the team or was there any kind of.
Funk before you start though, and me and you both know, this was real beef. This wasn't no beef for y'all get on songs to talk about each other. Na these This was real beef. Dog, This is real beef. Where you was hoping that day didn't bump into each other? Yeah, me let me take a swig first.
Yeah, let me get some of my some of yourn drinks. Yeah, let me get some of my vodka.
Our X go get it sometimes on water or drink or X. Yeah, drink or X. You know what I'm saying.
Yeah, So so that that was that was real.
Man.
It was like for me, right, I played for Fat Joe and the Rutger squad, Right, Me and stuff grew up together and all of that. So I was I was already had a relationship with most of everybody from Terror squad, you know, because obviously you see him in the park and stuff like that, right, and shout out to everybody you know the team. But you know, back then, like fifth was my guys. I was rocking with Fifth So they had the office directly across the street from
the garden. Yeah, so instead of some nights, instead of going out to eat, I would just he would have food already go over there and eat, you know, just chill out whatever whatever. So those was my guys which just clicked right. So not knowing like you know, how the ship you know, start and how you get.
Involved or whatever. Politics.
Yeah, so you know, in the rap world is what it is, right, So when it hit man, it was it was kind of weird because you don't really know the ins and outs of it all, but you could just start feeling like different vibes around people that you grew up with, like me and Steph, like we you know, were cool and talking of late, but we're on the team together and I'm rocking with you in it and
he's rocking with Terrist Spots. So you know, it wasn't things like me and him trying to like get that each other on a daily basis.
It wasn't that the.
Energy was off, like these are two guys that grew up, we went to five Star together, all these different camps and stuff, like I know, as brothers, you know all of that. I even played with Gauchos. A lot of peoplen't even know that, Like me and Felipe and Sham we all rocked out one time, you know, in the circuit, so like there's genuine love dick, you know what I mean.
So but on the court it showed. You know, it'll be you know, low passed, I'm six, low pass, late past, you know, stuff like that, and then you know what happens. Sometimes you gotta take it on your answer. You'll get a rebound, bring it up, go do your own things. So it showed on the court. So it definitely showed on the court with them two with fifth and in fact Joe going at it. I mean, it just took you know, a spind here in the city. It was just everyone knew what.
It was you saying you had to pick a side.
Yeah, yeah, it took. It took a crazy spind you know in the city, and it was like, you know, you had certain rappers, you know, trying to pick size with you know, with people and stuff just so they can kind of stay out of the clayer what they was doing at whatever particular time whatever. So yeah, it took the spind man definitely took a spind I.
Mean outside of that, what was it like to be you know, although you're from Jersey, what was it like to be a Nick?
It was everything, man, two time Nick, that was everything. Man. I remember, like yesterday, shout out to my my brother Coatino Mobi you know, Cat my dog. So the first one, the first trade I was, I was we was with the Clippers and we you know, we had a pretty decent team. I had signed with them after playing with them with the with the Phoenix. But Cat came out
with me with that trade. So when we got to New York, you know, you go through your your physical and stuff, and they found out he had the heart murmer and stuff. So he was his career was done. So I'm excited on being home. We get traded in and he's done. So that was like, you know, that was a dull moment right there. But you know, once once you get to you know, suiting it up and being in that locker room and playing in the in
in that garden, it's not like it. Man, It's not like it, especially for kid.
You know, in this area.
Landing with the signs in two in two thousand and six. Give us some Steve Nash, Steve.
One of that that was both he want VP those two years, right, you were there, Yes, I was there.
I was there the second one.
Second year, he's the one. He's one post to win.
Well, opinion based? How have you put it?
Kobe based?
Yeah, I'm saying opinion based.
Now you was on this team to hease stop it.
How you want to put it?
Man?
I love my brother Kobe. I'm just saying, how do you want to put it?
Man?
It's opinion based?
Okay, okay, So just let me ask you this. I mean to cut your question off. So you think he deserved winning the back to back Kobe had the better year. We know that, But who's and me and you hell do know at.
We ain't. We ain't vote for.
But hey, it is what it is.
Man.
Some people like numbers, you know, his percentage or whatever.
He was my vet.
I love Steve that he was my vet when I got drafted. I think he did a lie for me as far as because I was getting cut. They drafted me and told me I was getting cut. But he made me feel like I was a part of the team the little short time I was there, and gave me a lot of game. But talk give me some Steve Nash stories because you had a chance to see him at his best.
One of the funniest stories with Steve. We went back to Canada, you know, Steve from Canada, went back to Canada, and I think we was there like two days. Normally, you know, you in and out, so we had to stay over whatever.
Was this still to this Vancouver Toronto.
This is Toronto, Toronto, Toronto. So we over there and Steve had like I think it was his birthday or something, but he had just non stop events or whatever. So we're going from restaurants, restaurant, bar to bar, club, the club, whatever, whatever. And in the midst of us traveling, we get stuck in the elevator. It's like half the team. We get stuck in the elevator for like forty five minutes. So you know, start getting high, guys start getting you know,
start feeling it. And Steve was just cool as a fan, right, and then all of a sudden, you know, it's cold, so everybody got coats on and stuff, so all the stuff. He just started coming out of all this stuff like and everybody's like, what's going on. He said, Man, I can't take it. I can't take it. So you know the hair you got right there, crazy, So that that was one of the funniest moments when because I always seen him on the court just being cool, you know,
all the time. But nah, Man such a such a competitor man he was. You know, I played with some great guards, staff Ai sam Be with Steve Man. He was a guy that you like, outside of the shock, you had to double them. You had the double because he was gonna make something happen or he was gonna knock it down.
So yeah, that's my goya. He loved the past.
Super cool off the court though, if you had a chance to hang with him off the court, you got a whole different outlook.
He's a brother. Yeah, he was a brother. That's my brother.
Brother down three two in Games six visits Lakers, you had a clutch three and yeah there winning the series walking through that.
Man. That was contract really well that series though it was it was contract year. That was my first and only time competing again.
Show made some money too, motherfucker. He made some bread boy, you know, I like that.
But yeah, that was a contract year for me. And then obviously playing against my brother Cole, right so I never got a chance to play against him in the playoffs, and I just knew the mental warfare that was gonna be there. Like Cole loved to play those games with those he loved, you know, Yes, you know they'll say of you or do something stupid before the game, or not even speak to you, you know, just to you know, let you know what type of day it was gonna be.
But uh, that that was, that was that was a thrill to be, you know, part of that series, the way it was with us being down and fighting back. But that that player that you're talking about, it was scramble Mold right. So our best shooter, Steve missed the first three, right, we was able to get that rebound.
Uh.
I think Boris d how you guys are just talking about, had all that game. I think he took the second three and missed that one, and then Sean Marryon got the rebound and kicked it to me. So you know, we all know tendencies in the game. So as the ball was coming towards me, I seen Kwame Brown running towards me, so we know he's going for every pump fake possible. So and then I was knocking it down so well that series. It was just a small pump.
Fake was wide open. You know, scramble mold. You gotta shoot it, you know you can, and you know, try to hold it and look for somebody else. Time's going down, so you gotta let it go. So I just shot the ball with confidence. Man, I was shooting. Well, that's itious.
What would he do in today's game? Him, I'll be different, he can play one through five.
I just see myself when I watch today's game. You know, it's just guys six ten, whatever skill set.
You know, obviously a ton of expectations coming to lead you have a you know, a great thirteen year career. When you get a chance to kind of sit back and look at the friendships, the games, the money, the experience, the fun, what do you what do you how do you bother your career up?
What do you think about?
I think I had a great one, Man, I had a great one. You know, first of all, to be blessed to be in that situation, not to me, of us that you know, get a chance to make it to that, to that uh, that situation and playing at the highest level. So I was I was, you know, I was blessed to be, you know, a part of it. I had some great experiences with, you know, some great group of guys. You know how life is, man, You're flying all over the world, flying in the worst weather,
all that kind of stuff. So you know, you have those experiences of you know, being around different guys, different teammates six months and all that stuff, competing. You know, I wouldn't take it back.
You have a favorite stop or a favorite team that you played on.
I probably would say, obviously, any time you get a chance to play home, man, that's everything. I do wish that the Phoenix thing would have would have worked out. Thought you were great, Yeah, I do wish that would have worked out. But hey man, you know for us, man, we played this game to you know, get compensated well, and that was the biggest check on the table the business.
How would that would look you going into the nets? Well, that's I mean, what was it like when they when you came.
Out, that came out?
They had.
No Sam was there? Sam Pacell was there, Sherman, Douglas up, Kendall, Gill, Kerry Kittle, Johnny Newman, They.
Always there, wasn't there yet. He wasn't there yet. He wasn't there yet, No, so I was.
Yeah, I was sick, but I really wanted to play for the home team. I was excited about that drive.
Something you hope that that that young Hoopers take from this. Obviously you had a ton of accolades that the were earned because it was different back then. You had to earn the ship. It wasn't given away on social media and with highlight tapes like you earned that had a very successful career. Uh, you transitioned into a successful AU program who sent a ton of kids to college, the
McDonald's game in the league, coaching high school basketball. Now, what will you hope someone takes from this interview?
I mean, just you know, obviously, if you're a basketball player, follow your dreams, work work hard towards your goals. Obviously, you know, get those academics in order as well, and just be you know, solid people overall. Clean up your social media athletes because they watching, trust me, they watching, And get with the guys like us, you know, or guys that's not like us that may have played D one basketball, any collin college basketball, and go ask those
guys for some advice we share. We share, you know, stop running to the bad trainers, you know, and all that kind of stuff because right now we're behind the eight ball, you know, to the international game absolutely. You know, AU is a rapid thing. You know, we got to practice and train more. Kobe was trying to get at that a few years back. But we do have to practice and train more and play less games. That's what they're doing overseas. That's the way we got to get
our kids better. All right, salute everybody that's doing it and keep doing it because our youth need us.
Let me ask you one question, what would you tell because you've been through this, what did you tell the player that went that's going through injury and trying to get back as you've been through that.
Yeah, hey, listen, injuries is a part of sports. If you don't if you don't want to get injured, don't play sports, you know what I mean. So, I mean, it's just what it is. So when it happens, hey, listen, to setback happens for a reason. You know, you work your way to come back and get back into the groove and do your thing. And that's in any sport, in any sport, because it's going to happen, it's going to happen.
Before we hit quick hitters. Favorite Kobe story. You've known them for a long time.
Man, It's crazy.
Uh.
You know, when I got in the league, I bought a house in brnmar right, which is five minutes from from Villanova. So Lord Marion is right there. I used to see his moms and stuff at the grocery store and stuff like that. Obviously, we you know, we played au basketball together. We had you know, our fun times with that. Got a chance competing against each other, you know, in the league, in the playoff series, all of that. Obviously I lived in Calabasas. The accident happened, you know,
right there. So I just felt like our connection it's always been there, you know what I mean, ninety six class all of that. But we had you know, in California, it get those spires all the time. So it was one of those real bad ones. So we go down to New Point Beach with the family, you know, to get out of the house, might lose the house whatever. That's cold neck of the was. So we pull up first night, We're thinking about our house. The whole shebang.
Full up, go to a restaurant, you know, get some dinner, Cob knows the owner. He calls, take care of my guy, Bill probably six D seven hundred dollars. I'm getting ready to pull a card out. I was taking. Yeah, who took care of it? Oh, mister Bryant. Mister Bryant, like, ye, man, I don't know, I'm here, how do you know what
I mean? He was somewhere doing something. And then the rest of the time we had to be there, which is probably two weeks or so, everywhere I went to city and had to pay for nothing.
Really, he took everything.
It was.
It was.
It was so crazy to the point where like you know, you got you got a bunch of homes and so he was like, yo, just go stay at the My wife wanted to stay at the beach. You know, we had a beach front of it. So she's like, let's just stay here, but he was like, just go to the house. So yeah, I mean, it's stuff like that.
We do.
You know, I remember that situation like crazy, because it's like it's right there saying you try to drive away there and go see what's going on. But it's crazy. But yeah, man, it's as you can see, it's tough for me. I know, your relationship.
So quick hitters. First thing to come to mind. Five new Jersey Hoopers of all time? Put you on the spot. Yeah, come on, man, top five of all times.
You got so many, man, I mean Shock Shack's not born here.
So you, I mean you ain't even gotta be in order. Just give me five of them.
I'm gonna go with. I'm gonna go myself. You get born in Texas. Mm hmm.
Shack was born in Texas.
Shack was born in Texas.
He grew up in Jersey.
He grew up in Jersey. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go myself. Uh d J Wagner, I'm gonna go. You gotta put Kyrie in there. Mm hmmm. Uh, I'm gonna go.
J R.
It's gonna get that last oh Man, spot Herring ting Cat. There's some names out there still.
I ain't gonna get no calls. I'm soprano in this state. I didn't I didn't bring the road, but they know I'm soprano in the state.
They know that.
Oh man, I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go. Isaiah Briscoll I'm gonna go.
I'm gonna say say the truth. I'm trying to tell niggas. Ba I did it. I know it. That's one of them right there. Thanks, thanks, appreciate you, earl. Earl, you Arnor mentioned New Jersey childhood.
Crush, childhood crush. Man. I got in trouble for this too, because my wife went to Georgetown and I had got asked this while I was in high school and about the prom, like who would I want to go to the prome with? Because was going with friend? And I said no, I said, uh, I forget her name. I don't want to mess her name up. From from the Will Smith Show, from Fresh Prince, from Fresh Prince, the Sister.
Ali Tai.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah that was yeah. So I mean I just I just said it because obviously you know you're watching the sitcom shows. I'm like, she's pretty.
I got in trouble for that, and you got grounded for it.
Yeah.
Craziest thing ever offered you in high school?
Uh.
University offered me three million dollars uh, a two million dollar home, four different vehicles, and they knew I was only going to be there for six months, and I said.
Couldn't do it. God damn can you can you give it in my NBA deal? Could you give us a school or the cost? What coast was it on east coast? West coast?
It was on the east coasts.
It was on the east coast.
I'll give you this hand. I just told you I'm soprying on New Jersey.
So okay, I'll leave it. Keep it there. Dig that one thing you wish you was better at.
One thing I wish I was better at, probably being handy man. I'm not. I'm not handed. I don't know what us not handy. My wife get on me about.
That all the time. Had building ship like Christmas.
Come, I'm like, I'm trying to run away from toys. My wife gets on me about that.
Rick my handy man? H song album or artist to play over your career highlights?
Anything naughty by nature you know those my brother my brother so anything anything noughty by nature, anything Jersey you know, food Giez, anything Jersey Base.
One guess on all the smoke. I think you already answered it, but we're gonna ask you again because he brought up someone else he was close with you.
Yeah, real one guess that you would like to see on all the Smoke, but you have to help us get your answer on the show.
I got to got too, so I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go fifty. Yeah. You gotta get up here. Yeah, and I'm gonna go Sonny Carol for the basketball.
To male your calls, but for your call, real Tim. We appreciate you, man. We want to make sure you know that you were always respected.
By your peers and we got a lot of love for you.
And and it really hats off to your AU program and what you've been able to do and the blessing you've been for so many young men out here, just to give them hope and to see it.
Man. So continue to carry on. Make sure you guys get your purified business. Yeah, r X handing your business and man, God blessed man.
Thank you brother, my real brother.
You can catch this on All the Smoke Productions YouTube. We'll see y'all next week.
I