Club 520 - Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver & Paul Millsap on 60-win Atlanta Hawks, NBA playoffs vs. LeBron James

The volume. Oh right at about the nice yeares for us. Shout out to the Hawks man specially noise for the Hawks.

One time.

Show two times for y'all. We appreciate y'all pulling up one time for the one time. It's Club five twenty live and the Ato.

Man, you're not your back home man.

Yeah, I'm glad. I don't see no double zero cherseys. I appreciate it so every time of my life. The PTSD jersey for show man. Well listen, this is Club five twenty. I'm the host. My name is DJ Wills. We got some special special guests with us. Man honor the legendary team in the NBA, especially for the Hawks history man to my immediately, if we're gonna introduce my man's last to my farther.

Left, my dog BI should be hearing out the pearls. How you wasn't nasty?

What's saying that man at l thank you?

He don't even sound the same ato. You know what shot he got the zero jersey? Turn me out? Yeah I like that one.

All right, all right, cool for show for show tomorrow, right, y'all know what it is man, TL's finest young not your young team. I feel to be back in the ay Man, feel great. Man, It's always home, uh, my favorite place to ever play. So I'm glad I can have my guys show up with us today. I'm actually really really happy about this. We've been trying to get Paul on the show. I wanted to get Kyle. Kyle's my guy.

So to be able to do this live with y'all, this is great for sure.

Man, shouts to the Hawks one more time for making this wonderful situation happen. Man, most definitely shouts y'all as well for pulling up.

But last it was most certainly not least meant to my left. Man.

We got two Hawks legends in the building, man hoping that already had amazing NBA careers. Man with no further ado, Man, we got Kyle Corn Paul messed up in the building. Appreciate y'all sliding on this man for show.

For shures, Like we said, we're gonna highlight that wonderful year. Man.

Obviously I had many good years here, but that was a really, really, really special one. But before we get into that year, we got to talk about how y'all all came together because obviously not sho you was already a Hawk all, Kyle, y'all came for different situations.

Let's talk about how y'all got to being a Hawk.

Well, I guess I'll start. Yeah, I was. I was in Utah.

You know, I spent seven years in Utah, had some great years in Utah, and then you know, it was time to go. And you know, I was looking for its place to be closer to home in Louisiana. I me and my wife actually were looking at homes, you know, in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas area. So we wanted to move back somewhere, and the Hawks offered me a two year deal and the rest is history.

Most definitely, cole Man I would come out.

I was.

I played with Paul in Utah for a couple of years, and then was in Chicago, and then uh it was with Derrick Rose when he was U MVP.

Yeah.

Then you know, things happened, had to get traded. I knew that I was going to be on the move. It's funny. We actually I was driving with my wife. We drove from New Jersey. I don't know why we did, is we drove all the way to Santa Barbara and on the way we knew we are to get traded somewhere, and we were like looking around with teams there was going to be And we got all the way to Santa Barbara and I got a call from Danny Ferry saying I.

Had to file it back.

We like drove across the country, got there, go went to the airport, and flew all the way back to Atlanta. And it was funny thinking back about it now.

We went.

We stayed at the Rich Carlton downtown and Danny Ferry came down that morning and asked me come to the table and talk to him.

And I thought it was gonna be like a welcome to the Hawks moment.

And he was sitting there at debating with the doctor if he was kind of accept my physical and not.

Me.

He's like, I don't know. This guy's been I had a foot injury the year before. And he's like debating if he was going to accept this thing. And I'm like, man, should I be sitting here?

Should I like walk away?

And he and he just like decided the last second.

He's like, all right, we're.

Gonna do it.

Welcome to the Hawks. And I was like, okay, So how did.

I get to the Hawks. That's how I got to the Hawks.

And physicals riding Bay real tricky right now for show, now for you.

He was already here with the U a different regime, obviously, new culture, new situation. How was that welcomed them to the team. I probably wasn't the best at welcoming people to the team. I didn't talk much, so when I met Paul, he just came in, what's up.

You know, he don't talk a lot either, So it's.

Gonna be a great podcast.

Yeah, what's up, Bro? That's all he gave was ahead and what's up?

Bro?

And Kyle he was y'all see Kyle, he he lights up a room, he comes in, what's up?

Brother.

I thought he was like a surfer kind of guy, So I'm like, what's up?

Cool dude?

Like, but he was super cool, super chill, and uh it was easy.

It was easy to work with. That's crazy.

I mean, before we get past this point, we gotta talk about Kyle Man. You got one of the legendary picks in the NBA. Man, you with the Jordan zone. Has that ever came across your timeline recently? You we got the rookie pick, you got the Jason and everybody's like that, we thought he was a surfer, but you.

Had the heat on your feet. Please revisit that pile.

Where that's like it's like there's a date on the calendar where that picture has to come back on the internet every single year.

It's like two pictures.

That's one of them.

But yeah, man, you know that was All Star Weekend.

You got to come with something, right, for sure, A little bit different All Star Weekend now, for sure, that's true, my pot petty'all, but listen, legendary season start off.

Man. First of all, who's coaching the team at the time. Mike Budenhozer. Come coach Bud. You man, that was my guy. Oh yeah, you can clocking up a Bud and.

Coach.

That's the home for show. Yeah, Coach Budd was cool. When he first got here.

I didn't like him, not to say it like that, but we ended up becoming really good friends. But for real, Uh, we played the ice so style. You know, before they got here, we had Joe. Everybody played one on one basketball. I don't know if it was the best brand of basketball, but it was fun. And uh, he came in and changed all that and for me, it was my time to shine. I thought I just had got the team, like it was my first year really about to start. And he was like, no, we don't play that way

Yeah.

No, Me and Budd, you know, we kicked it off pretty pretty good, you know, our first time meeting each other. For me, I was just evolving into, you know, a more high volume player, and Bud kind of brought that

And you know, definitely appreciative for that.

Most definitely man, congratulations as well man in retirement for Shure Man.

There we go. Chuse love regulations. Man.

Now before we get into the season, Me and be here got a talk because you know, this is our man, this is our man from the day one. So naturally we got to hate and y'all was our favorite team to hate on.

Man.

Yeah, yo, y'all was man fool with y'all like that.

I'm gonna keep it real.

I was supporting my guy, but I was like, how do they keep winning?

Man?

Who did you root for? At that time?

I was really just a player like Carmelo Anthony was my favorite player.

But me and him, it was deeper than y'all, Like he made he made me.

Not like him, Like he used to come back to the crib cal corner shoe bear and everybody in the league Cal corner shoe bearing real like, man, I can't say it, don't hear, but y'all know what cor But nah, I just used to be like dang bro really leading the Hawks, like, and I honestly thought that y'all could have made it for real run, but I had to hate because that was just our beat for real.

But I just like, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was always real beef.

They call us the little Giants. You ever seen that movie? That's what they called me.

Every day. Y'all was the little Giants. Man, y'all had y'all one shot.

Y'all went that crazy run, but you know, shout out to y'all. Y'all did y'all thing for sure?

For sure, we're gonna get too far here about but starting a season off, y'all started off five hundred and five or five. Initial thoughts on that, like, are y'all trying to figure it out or just get used to new players, new too, leaders with Bud every day, new systems, or did I know we had some special We just got to get there.

I don't know that we knew that we were going to end up with the season that we had. And I think that our group was really had been the works for a couple of years, and that's really how these really good teams happened. It never just like all comes again. It was very few instances in the NBA where like a bunch of moves are made and now we have a super team and they're going to take off like that's happened, but it's not very often. And I think what we had all been doing it was

I thought I was gonna get traded when we started off, like, yeah, they got probably at the move. Me I'm not mixing in pretty well. But now we just got in a groove. And like when we got in that groove, it was over with. Our defense was connected, our offense was connected, and it was times out there during that year we didn't even get to play the fourth quarter and it messed up my stats.

All start team barely.

Who was the vocal leader on that team?

Though it wasn't me?

It wasn't because though now you're all three of y'all's quiet, So.

You know, I mean, that's funny because you know, Bud always tried to get somebody to be super vocal, one of those guys, right, and neither one of us really had it in us. So each one of us will say something every now and then and we'll put our input in.

But what was the vocal leader. Okay, you know at that time.

All I didn't say a word. Kyle, Kyle talked. He talks a lot, you know, Al you.

Al So y'all used to just kill people and not saying that to nobody. Nobody talked crazy to the opponent or nothing, not even nobody on the bench.

He used to talk crazy, Dennis, Yeah, most definitely crazy, yoab Get about games, yeah, no, I took that.

This is just a sidebar. I took that game and we have them at our house all the time.

That cone from you, Oh okay, I didn't know where you got that from.

It was more intense in the UNO games than on the court.

That's how it is.

Now y'all responsible for a lot of random disagreements. Maybe baby Fist fights the club twenty due to us Muno.

So thank y'all for that.

We appreciate that. Botigh for sure, that's crazy. The fact that y'all have are really that like kind of mono tone was just killing. But you talked about the makeup of that team and stuff. But also shout out to al Al still hooping, ain't that crazy?

Super crazy? Still championships He's super good.

Still just Alan Dinnis from that teams playing. Yeah, man, damn, we filled it up pretty fast, real quiet. The crown got like a definitely quiet like.

For sure.

Man, listen, y'all caught you stride January historic month, like basically your entire team, it's a player of the month. How was that feel? Like y'all all killing y'all all getting a recognition from that? I know that has to feel good in the locker room, for sure.

I don't think any one of us cared, you know, at that time, I don't think we cared that much. Right, we were so in the zone in the process of a winning that none of the stats and accolade actually mattered. You know, it's after the fact, you know, when the career is over with, I look back and say, this probably will never be done again. You know, it's a it's an amazing accomplishment, especially when you got four you got four teammates, you know it's all stars.

Probably would never be done again.

Yeah, let's let's talk about that also here, man, listen, four teammates into the All star situation.

How do y'all find out about that?

Because I know something made a little bit earlier than those like what's that like when y'all find out that all y'all going to be representing the squad?

I didn't know that all of us was gonna make it.

I was just worried about me, But I knew Paul had a I knew Paul would make it. He was having a great year most definitely, And I knew I was gonna make it. He had already been making them anyway, so I knew them too were gonna make it. So I didn't know if I would make it, and I didn't know if Kyle was gonna make it, but I was excited for us.

Kyle, what's that feeling like when you find out you're gonna be representing squad?

That was pretty wild for me.

I never saw myself as an All Star player, Like I always wanted to be the piece that like like made a team go and someone that you really wanted to be, you know, if you could count on and depend on, like you like, I wanted to be that that that perfect teammate.

So I never really like looked at myself as being like that.

So I think with the beauty of that team, man, it's like we all made each other better for sure, Like and That's really the hallmark of like the good teams to me is like when everyone is looking at each other and it's not about me, it's how can I make the guy next to me better? And the beauty of that squad was like we didn't need we were talking about words, like we didn't like we talked on the court. We talked in like nods and winks

Definitely that's the problem now would be coaching basketball. I think.

They can do that. They look at me like you are.

You're about to pass out coach.

Like, yeah, cowcovers not walking through that Doorike shout out the bike for sure?

No, Yeah, I mean for me, I was, you know, I was happy, you know I had teammates going to the All Star Game, you know, I was. I was I don't mess with I don't. I didn't care about all that, you know, but to have my teammates with me, you know, going to the All Star Games, it definitely meant something. And on top of that, but I was I was angry because Tomorrow didn't make it, you know, and Tomriw was my guy. You know, Tomorrow everybody knows. It's like the engine guy, you know, he he was

So you know, for me, it was a.

Bittersweet moment, but definitely was good. Glad I had my other guys.

I was gonna ask that question, the topic being if everybody on the start five make that that All Star team, but.

You don't he got paid know that next summer? Yeah, lesson at the bank.

That's what it's about. Did y'all used to ever run like a special play that cha knew? Couldn't nobody stop?

Just proved from.

I know, I remember we had we had some go to plays.

I would just asking be trying to get his players to Ryan most of them out.

You know when when when Kyle Kover came off of screen, he had the whole building looking at him. Yeah, you know, and when he made that either he was had an open shot or he made the pass down.

I mean we got that every single time, every.

Single Yeah, that was easy. I remember it's a video going around.

Well, I think you scored eleven points in like a minute or something like that. You're like, it's crazy, he checked. And I just remember like we usuedl to just throw the ball anywhere we would be. You'd be running around like he gonna shoot it. It's good, Like every time. I never really thought you were ever gonna miss Like when you missed, I was more like surprised, like you missed him.

But I think, you know, we're sharing the love here, which I think is great. But you know, like I was a product of how we played, right, Like I remember you and Kenny Atkinson watching so many clips of that, like why like when exactlyte is Kyle want to have the ball and where does he want to have? You remember that that back little gym over there like and you would watch it and then we come talk about it and we watch it and come and talk about it and like the screens and all the movement, like.

It was just perfectly set up for me. So it was wonderful. Man, I love coming off all those screens.

What's the most thudies you hit in the game that season?

You remember, it's a whole new world out there.

Now many.

You would have had to shoot fifteen?

Yeah, you think you would have been able to rock out in this league today.

For sure?

Yeah, I'm just like that.

Before we go further the season for y'all being his teammates, how it's like to see him now, Like because obviously you know he didn't really talk too much.

To see him on this platform, is.

That like a man that doesn't talk as a podcast saying I saw Jeff he was a scout for us, and then the next day he had a podcast and it was like nationally and ranked, Like, I'm like, okay, Jeff, tell them stories.

I'm definitely not surprised.

I mean, Jeff talked when in the right situations, you know, with the right topics either in that and you know he'll spill whatever, so you know, I'm not surprised, but definitely, you know, congratulations, appreciate appreciate it.

Love for sure.

Like you said, y'all go into the All Star break.

You know what I'm saying.

Now it's time to all right real say something about All Star game. Y'all Remember how cold it Wasn't it so cold?

I was talking to my wife about that this morning. It was awful. It was like negative thirty.

It was so bad.

It was cold.

I just remember my room service we had. I told this story about my nephew. I had this room service bill that was like eight grand.

Right, Yeah.

I was like, y'all was saying the same thing, and he was. I guess he thought he was on home alone. So he was just ordering everything. And I remember going to the off about to check out, and I seen Bud and we remember we was running kind of late, and but was like.

I got it all.

I got everything. And I looked at him, I said, good luck. I walked to that bus so fast.

Funny think about that.

His nephew is now working off his dad at five twenty, so he's still covering that bill for sure. Yeah, shout out tobacle. But like you said, man, have a crazy all start breaking down. It was back to the season at this point, y'all locked in. Yeah, I feel like it's time to contind. What's the process, Like, all right, we got a chance to really make some noise.

Now say it again. I couldn't hear it.

Oh my father, I said, Okay, so now after All Star break, everything's copoesteadic. Y'are playing good. It's not surprised anymore. It's like, all right, do y'all have championship aspirations? Like what's that locking in? Like, or like all right, we here, we can do it now?

Yeah?

Absolutely, that was the goal. You know, I think we had a moment. I think I remember looking at the standings a couple of weeks after All Star break, and we were like thirteen games ahead of whoever was in second place.

We were so far ahead, and.

I think there was this whole mindset of like, okay, how do we prepare ourselves to really get into a playoff run? And a lot that was based on like let's be fresh and let's be healthy and let's have our minds right. And so that's kind of where we were going, right, like trying to prepare ourselves to like

If I'm being.

Honest, We're just like we were just so far ahead of everybody, and you know, we lost a little bit of that with whatever was making us really really tick going into the playoffs.

Hmm.

Yeah, we started like subbing five in and five out.

It was kind of weird. I remember Paul got mad one day. He was like, man, we can't play like this, like I can't catch a rhythm. I just remember that because bub was south and five in, five out. That's when my stat started hurting. No, but I was just like you said, we took our foot off the gas a little bit. But I just remember Lebron at the All Star Game saying to me like, I'm gonna figure y'all out. And I was like, you know, studying we were doing. We don't even know what we're doing, like

Was like, nah, he sure figured it out.

He didn't do that.

I think that whole that whole stretch, you know, I think, you know, I don't want to speak for Bud, but it was for us to try to We knew who we were going to face at some point, right, we knew exactly who we were going to play, and you know, what was going to be our best lineups, what was going to be our best plays, our best strategy, you know, going up into that moment. So that whole time was pretty much like a figuring out process, and like Jeff said,

That's interested you say that because I'll take it to a February game I had against Golden State and I remember, you know that kind of a little bit of for shot them, but the way yall played against it was just like, oh they can do this against anybody. Yeah, and like that that after style and not saying this direct cord relation, but how y'all played the free moving basketball like kind of soon where it was like, oh, they can do this against anybody.

Now it's up. So to hear you say that there would transpires that that's very interesting for sure.

Yeah.

I mean, you know, we looked at Golden State and how they how they played, and you know, we wanted to be the Eastern Conference type of you know, Golden State Warriors team.

At that time.

We had Kyle Korba, who we considered the best shooter in the league, and we ran a lot of stuff you know through Kyle. Cow was a big part of our offense because you know, he's dangerous behind the three point line, you know, And and that opened up a lot of windows for myself. Jeff and everybody else. And but you know when that shut down, you know what were our next options? And I think those are the time kind of the things we struggled with at that time.

Man. But I want to talk about wait, you know what I'm saying before we get to that part where y'all was still killing. The city was really behind y'all obviously, you know what I'm saying. That has a great fan base. You know, Hawks has some up and down years. Y'all had some good years before with Joe Josha obviously, but the city was really behind y'all. Like the way you even see like you used to go to Hawks the game, the opposing team might have had more in the crowd that time period.

Nah, it was up and see what's that like? Feeling that love? And know what I'm saying on off the court yard in the city, y'all still killing on the court too.

Yeah, I was in the city, so I used to you know, they didn't go outside. I was outside, so I got a chance to see that. You know, the people talk to you like when we love what you guys are doing. They was excited about our team. And then the fans, like the arena used to be lit, like every time Kyle hit a three, you hear three and all that stuff. It was lit, even Dennis when they used to say God, Eme and all that stuff. It was just the time was just amazing. That year

He represented, weal for y'all outside, okayl.

Oh Man Man, I think you know, I think when I first got here there was some criticism of like, you know, what's the atmosphere like at the games? And in the middle of that season when everything turned like like what they said, this place it was. It was so fun games man, and everything that you guys have built now is just added on to that as far as the experience, but like there was a real appreciation.

That was happening out there.

Most definitely, so obviously keep killing you get to the playoffs. You talk about that environment. What's that first home playoff game like.

A breeze. We knew we was gonna win the first round, Like that was easier game too. It wasn't No, it was Brooklyn, was it? I don't know who we played. People played Brooklyn. It was Brooklyn.

It's one of those games.

Yeah, but I knew, like we knew we had, we knew. I wasn't worried about them at all. The team I was worried about was like Washington. I think that's what we played next in the second round. I was like, yeah, this might get a little tricky. My defense was never the best, that's problem. I was like, themar you might want the best.

Tomorrow, you might have to switch.

Washington was good that year.

Yeah, they were really good, really good.

Yeah. I think we were good against teams that didn't execute well.

You know, we were good against teams who didn't communicate on defense, and we just knew teams that we were going to beat because we were going to right.

And that first round was definitely.

I had a business for sure. Like you said, I get it to Washington. You know what, I'm saying, different series, but I still prevail. And let's talk about that final matchup. You know what I'm saying, all chips on the table. What's that environment like preparing to go into that because you're playing against Lebron. I was excited. I was like, yeah, I think we can beat them because in the regular season, Lea we didn't. We beat them pretty good every time.

So you knew that he figured it out.

Yeah, I was like, why you keep calling me up in a pick and roll? Was trying to get that switch it was over. I was like, I can't go Lebron, I couldn't guard Delly.

What you think went wrong?

It wasn't.

The reason was it was not that.

It was not that.

It was not that just funny I was.

I was thinking like, well, yeah, I ain't throwing my guy a bus like that was not you know what I mean.

We got we had some injuries too, right, Yeah, definitely.

I mean I feel like I didn't get to compete in that whole series, right, I got the second game, but I mean there, Yeah, the playoff plays as you play and you play in the regular season, and you play in the first couple of rounds and you play in the last couple of rounds. They're all different, right,

That's what it is exactly for the fans in here obviously who don't have that feeling.

Obviously playing at home, different environment, what's it like playing on a road in the high intensity situation.

It's the best, It's the best.

It's the best.

There's nothing in sport like silencing a home crowd. There's nothing like it.

It is the best.

And then and then you know, it's a bunch of a bunch of teams in this league that have great home crowds. But when you can sign the team in the playoffs like it is the best.

I thought we were gonna win Game three. I remember that plays in my head a lot. I thought we won Game three and Lebron was Lebron.

He's good.

Yeah, he's pretty good.

It's good.

That was up.

What happened we went over time that game. Uh, he hit a three in the corner, okay, and tied it up. I thought he kind of cramp magically he came back. I'm like, I like, I'm like, kind of cramp. He's done, he's back.

We lost in overtime. I think Shoven might have got a shot to win the game or the tide of game something.

And granted, I mean we we felt like we played okay, but they played exceptionally well.

They shot the ball historically historically, you know.

First I remember the first quarter. I don't think they went on the run where they didn't miss it a shot.

I think they went on like our defense was kind of well, who we said was gonna let shoot?

I mean j R. Smith was knocking down shots. I mean it was they got in a rhythm that you know in basketball, you get in a rhythm like that, you.

Know you have to stop it. You have to stop the rhythm. Yeah, and you know, we just got ourselves dug ourselves too big of a hole. By not getting them out of that rhythm in the first, first or second quarter. And you know, when you're on the road and you're upin it's a good team, you're up against Lebron James. It's tough to come back from me, you know. But I felt like we definitely fought and we had opportunities to change the rhythm and change the dynamic of the series.

We just didn't capitalize on it. You don't want to know something funny about that. You remember when Jr. Started hitting those sories. I came to the benches, I got them and I got on here. The next one, I was like, I got him all chasing my gout him cause okay, he came up with screen hit another, but you go back over there.

I don't know who I thought was I'm five to the funny funny as you mentioned.

That you talk about the Lebron picker ros that was a clipble around, like Lebron demands that pick a roll for like four or.

Five times in a row, and then you're just all right, bro, Yeah, he kept doing it.

I knew.

I was like they figured it out, trying to get the switch. Then we had the double they was gonna kick it out, get a three. I was like, son, we can do.

I was definitely obviously, you know, season came up a little bit short of expectations. But you guys had a hell of a season obviously, playing the different situations past that.

How does it make like the memory of this team feel.

When you go back and like, all right, I played different places after this, but the camaraderie we had this magical season still lives on.

Oh.

I mean, for me, I went to Devil after that. A lot of young guys, you know, but a lot of young, honky guys. They were hungry, you know, all they needed was a little bit of mentorship to get them over the edge. But as far as locker room presence, I mean, I don't think there'll ever be another, you know, situation like we had in Atlanta anywhere else, you know, everywhere else. You know, guys are cool and whatever, but

You know.

We went to the to the to the what is it, the Braves you know stadium and played baseball man. You know as a team, you know, we did things like that that you know, when it gets on the court, it makes it a lot easier to to jail with a team, you know. So you know there's a lot not a lot of teams out there doing that.

Sure.

Yeah, yeah, man, that team lives on in me. I'll just say that.

Like for me, it's almost like when there's someone that you admire in life and they pass away or something happens and it's like you take what was good great in that and you want that inside of you.

Like that's what that group is for me, Like there was it was so pure, Like.

I always tell, like I'm told when I talk to kids about basketball, and it's always younger, it's like enjoyed us because the higher you go it may be more rewarding, but it loses its purity. Yeah, And it's not often that you get to be around and being a group in the NBA where like we were all about the right stuff and like a lot of like were for me now as we're working on building out the.

Hawks like that.

It's it's not necessarily the blueprint, but it is a north star all the way, and you want to try to you know, continue to add more talent and and all those things. But like how that worked, Like going back, just thinking back about how this team came together. It wasn't necessarily about adding a bunch of superstars and figuring out like you got really good humans who love to work, who were or love their craft, right, you got really really good coaches, like the coaching staff that we had

We had.

You had Kenny Akison, you had Nevin who's been a coach in Europe forever. You had Charles Lee, you had Taylor Jenkins, you had those are just head coaches who've been on the league. You got assistant coaches. Ben Sullivan's been a top assistant. You got Pants Pats and Andrews. You got Jordan Ott who was in the video room. Like these guys are all front of the bend coaches, Like that's who was teaching us every day what it

Of my life.

Yeah, for me, as far as basketball on the court, I never went to a team that had that same synergy and energy together, you know what I mean. So I went to go play for the Pacers two years later, and like you said, I'm winking at guys and they like, nah, bro, what you got going on, I'm like, cut back doward.

So I'm like, it just wasn't the same.

I went there and I thought, like everybody else were done basketball players after playing on that team, you know what I mean, Like we just read each other well, we knew everybody's movement, we knew everybody was going to be on the court, and then going to these different teams, it wasn't the same. So I'm used to somebody setting a backscreen so you can get a wide open jump shot, and.

They like, nah, beat him, beat your man.

I'm like, y'all don't like play together at all, Like I gotta run to the corner every time, like nah.

So it just was a beautiful way to play basketball.

I enjoyed that so much that I even try to, like I'm a coach now, I try to bring that same philosophy when we play move the ball, everybody get a chance to score. No, no go to guy, but everybody can be the guy. And that was just a beautiful way to play.

Just to pay back off that, I mean, I don't know if everybody know that, you know an NBA team, you spend more time with your teammates than you do your family. So we see each other every single day, right, and you don't get that feeling, you know, once you get up to the door and say, damn, I go to work again.

I gotta go in here again. Right.

You had people who you wanted to play with, people who understood you, and that's what made it so special.

Definitely, how we talked about the soft camera. Did you know that she was going to be the team statrician? Because you know some of your teammates. You know what I'm saying, they lived a different life. You know what I'm saying in the kitchen.

Hey, I mean guys you say didn't drink water, and what I'm saying.

Oh my gosh, man, we had you guys. We had guys that didn't drink water on our team.

I'm like, you are an NBA basketball player. Your job is to run on the court. How do you not drink water?

And like when did you start paying how taste?

I'm like, I don't like how it tastes. It tastes like water.

Listen, you guys, one of them may or may not be on the stage, wouldn't drink water.

They're getting like ivs before the game, like hooked up to an IV so they can play.

I'm like, man, just drink this cup of water.

That's crazy. I couldn't believe you. It was living like that, Paul.

Oh Man, listen, man, legendary team Man, the city remembers you the city and braces your shots to everybody here, all here because of this very reason. Man, you might want to answer that text time tax. Then are we opening up to the crowd by chands? Okay, open up to the crowd. I have a couple of questions, a couple like questions before we get out of here. Anybody braving up? My man's no, yeah, you chans, yeah, go ahead.

Oh wow, it's on the way.

It's on the way. Man, we're gonna play. We're gonna we're gonna get that game. We're gonna get that game.

Yeah, we're starting to over under right now. Please PLA's your best dracton, gentlemen. And yes, sir, I could start it if you go look at our numbers how many minutes we played. We didn't play hot numbers of minutes like I think we played like twenty six a game I did like around that time. So, uh, Dennis shooter points it was great. Then yeah, I was kept then his shooter was great. Even Shovin mack Ken Baizmore came off that bench. It was a bunch of guys. Mike

Used to go out of it a little bit, but other than that, we love it. I love those guys.

Dennis was like, because we were all a pretty steady group, right, Yeah, Like Dennis was like the little brother that you needed to get under your skin, agitate you, yeah, get you going.

And it was he was a super important part of We needed it right.

We needed guys like that. We need a guy like Elton Brand and Pariantage and Michael Schala and I mean there's so many guys who starting their role for for that group and we're about the team.

It's a long list that was. It was a It was a great group.

Definitely jump in the back. Yes, sir, I've seen Budd at a concert.

Yeah.

He used to take his kids to all the concerts. Here and I've seen him and uh, they were having a good time. He didn't know any of the songs, but he was viobbing out. I'm scared to ask which artist it iss?

We was.

We was messing up some comments that Night's go see future shout out, No, sir.

I would I love to have known, one hundred percent under there's injuries are part of this whole of this whole equation. It is every year for every team. There's a lot of things that have to go right if you still be playing at the very very end. And uh, you know, I wish we could have had a full squad, but for sure, and last one, bring your ma Ma in front.

Yeah, I like that.

That's hard. Yeah, I like that very away.

I got all you grew up in.

Brother Weeds, pull it up or appreciate that for sure. Unfortunately are out of time. We want to say thank you all for pulling up. We appreciate y'all. Make a noose for y'rself and push up two times for our wonderful guests up here. We appreciate Paul and Kyle pulling up. The Hawks appreciate the hospitality as well. We'll see y'all another Time Club five twenty, the volume