S2 Episode 6: How To Be A Pro

on another very different pursuit. Tyrese, Maxie and his uncle Brandon are trying to find the perfect pair of draft day shoes. Good. How are you? Yeah, Yes, I'm truly good. Cool, cool, sanitize where you go. We're gonna part of you guys up in just to second pistad. It give us just a few minutes and then someone's cann step up. We have a rotating system in our storey. If you haven't been here in a loud yeah, yeah, solid. You guys have anything specifically looking for, I can checker in joy

level if you want, Nah, not not check Yeah. Trying to complain an outfit. It's their last day in Los Angeles after eight months in the city, and for most draftees, fighting the right footwear might seem like a minor detail for a virtual draft at home, especially when there's no stage to walk across. In fact, the draft cameras might not even capture most players shoes. It had to be real, real, plain.

You gotta be so none of these popped, none of these pop. This don't pop. Tyrese is obsessing over the perfect shoes because no fine point it's too small or unimportant. For him. He's been focusing on this level of detail ever since breaking down his own film as an eight year old. That's part of what propels him to greatness. He's still chasing the high expectations he and his family set all those years ago, So even his shoes on draft night can't be brushed aside. It's too much. Yeah,

it's too much for the suit. That's too plain. Nah, it's not not that, ain't it. This first stop is a Gucci store where they struggled to find the perfect shoe. You see. That would be too much. This would be too much. Yeah, it's too much going on. That would be good because it's antique finished it's good with a coloration. It's good. Nah, it could be an option. NA, thank you. Frustrated, Tires calls his agent, Rich Paul for advice. YEO, hold up,

because I'm looking for a shoe you think I should get? Uh? We looked at a product tennis shoe now as hard or a loafer. What do you think? You know what I would go with? That? Silk? Don't really get you want to you can do, you can get if you go to this route, you can get both. Go back to Ralph Lauren. They have a double punt black, double punks, double month double telling you want to found a double month up leather shoot and then gold call you speaks

sla and they have a plastic. Tires and Rich have an uncommonly close relationship for an agent and client, and this kind of conversation is normal for that. So Tyres and Brandon take the shoe advice and head to St. Laurent in search of Rich's suggestion. Right, what's one I'm going in? Yes, sir, Yes, sir, that's it. That's it. That right there, that's what I did it right there. That's how you know when you found it when you walk, when we both walk inside. That's it. They're gonna be like, man,

who'll be who'll be stalling? Oh yeah, my uncle, you want to be on league seats every week. To Rees's time in Los Angeles has been a training ground on and off the court, where he's learned how to live and work like a professional athlete. For him, that means showing up early to work every morning and completing three workouts before lunch. It also means learning how to navigate life in a big city as a celebrity, including fighting the perfect suit and shoes. I think the attention to

detail is for reasons. It's sceptional. This is Tyresis trainer Chris Johnson, who, like Justin Holland with Anthony Edwards, plays the role of mentor, counselor, and friend in addition to basketball guru. Not all young players have it, and I'm gonna tell you this, not all old players have it either. And that's the difference. When people say, well, well, why is that guy better than they got? They both sixty eleven, they both two d sixty pounds, they both got a

four days vertical. Those are the people that dominate the game because they're playing chess as a rookie coming in the first thing you have to navigate. It's the veteran players. Not the veteran players are trying to be the best they could be. The veteran players that are kind of in the coast mode and they see that you're on the heels, but they can kind of be like, Yo, we're not going hard today. Yo, why are you going

so hard? In their drill? So down? And so I wanted him to know right away you are a professional. So your jobs just set the tone with the way you want to be every day. You don't change how you're gonna be. You make them adjust to you. So when they see you coming, they're gonna know if I'm not on my ship, he's gonna embass me in practice,

because practice is the way you play the game. And so I taught him like a bunch of the the O G tricks and I was like, this is what a rookie will go through, and this is like, you know, fun, like you gotta carry and got bags and stuff like that. People don't see that. But let's talk about some things that people don't talk about. Let's talk about the manipulation, because you're actually are attempting to take their job. So perspective is very important, and so that's what we talked about.

It's easy to forget that NBA rookies are not only competing for playing time and games. They're competing every minute of practice for one of four hundred and fifty jobs, and they're shooting, passing, and defense. Those are only part of what a professional lead master. Here's Tyrese again talking about some of those off the court demands. Being in l A you never know who you're gonna step on the quote with, who you're gonna be working out with,

or you're gonna be playing against. But as soon as I step on the court with these guys that are in the NBA or in whatever position they are, I feel perfectly fine. I feel like this is where I belong. So when I'm on the court, I feel like at home there's I feel like there's nothing wrong or out of place there. Now being in in a different lifestyle to where you have to do different things like I have to do interviews, I have to do you know, certain media stuff. I have to look at, contracts, have

to stuff different stuff like that. You know that that's where you start getting to like like WHOA like Okay, you know this is different, not saying like I mean, I've been working for this, this is why I wanted to be in my whole life. But it's still different. Chris Johnson tells the story about the moment he saw things click for Tyrese during a one on one game with another pro man. I'm gonna tell you a story

about Rundo and Tyrese. He's talking about Roger on Roundo, another former University of Kentucky star, has become a fifteen year NBA VET with two championships and multiple All Star Games under his belt. Manname was compete so hard man. Rundo and him got into it. Tyree's said, man, check ball. Rundo wouldn't play run us and now I didn't get the file. So Rundo been a vet. Rundo wasn't affected by any of it. But Rundo was pushing his mentor think about it like it's just them every day. So

then Rundo was like, Chris, I'm done. Game over. I'm a VET. I get that foul. I was trying to teach her Rees say this is how it goes. Here we go. But you know, Rundo is a great mind. Player of the game. And he's one of the better point guards than ever played the game. So Rundo's teaching him all these tricks and he hes getting into his brain and and then all of a sudden, you see tires go from this side, and he started playing the game. See that is development, and he understood it. He didn't

get it at first. And he you know, Rundell bolling him, hit him in his side, stepping on his shoes. This true story. Nothing going. Who was winning and losing? That that ain't important. It was lessons that were being taught. Tyree spent the last eight months learning these lessons, and he's improved his shot, his physique, and his game. He's learned how to move and operate off the court. He's practiced scenarios that might never occur and found shoes that

might never get seen. He's covered every detail and prepared for every scenario. There's no doubt he's ready to go. As soon as Brandon packs up his hotel room, that is, we'll be right back. It's true to get out of here. It's been a long journey to enjoy the process, but it is time to l a start. The new journey man like literally packing up and I'm out. They're checking out and heading to l a X Airport for their flight back to Texas, but first they need to make

one last stop before leaving town. B there is Hey, just see my dog go man m lonts of a hard grind, get the head of a job though, Man, I'm proud of you. Appreciate, appreciate. That's Rich Paul at his house in Beverly Hills with Clutch agent Mark Murray, both waiting to say goodbye. A lot of guys can't can't stomach that like that, especially the way you handled it flawless, which I'm a hard critic. I don't have much of I'm the hardest critic. I don't really have

much of critique. How your body feel over with all of them? So good? Good? You know for rehab, you know, get recovery every single day lifting. You're gonna fall in love with that part. See, that's what guys understand too, coming in as rookies, that recovery aspect of it. Now, you're not gonna go with you, You're not gonna go without it. If you can't get that in Garland, you're gonna be like, man, I'm getting the hell out of here, because I'm telling you, once you come in like that,

you're getting your body taken care of. You won't ever go backwards. It's gonna be good. Bro. I can't ain't. I'm sing, it ain't the same. I can't. I mean, I'm still doing everything, working out and getting my shots, are doing all that, But I ain't. But you need your process. Yeah, I agree, But that's part of being a pro, you know. That's that's part of being a pro. So now your trainers whatever whatever team, you go to your training stack and be looking at you like, damn,

young fellow, like what you're doing. Man. I fell in love with it a day long. Few rookies worry about rehab and recovery because when you're twenty years old, like Tyrese, injuries are less common and sore muscles heal fast. But that's a false sense of security For young players. The competition in the NBA is significantly bigger, faster, and stronger than any they faced before. Pros play four times as many games as college players, and the traveling demands are

grueling throughout the season. All this leads to younger players regularly hitting a wall in their rookie year where they physically begin to wear out. But thanks to his extra time in l A this offseason, Tyrese is already one step ahead. All right, makes sure you are those mass out there or we gotta keep you safe for a couple of day. Double it up. You got some sanitizing. Yeah, I'm talking about all right, my dog, I talked to a show. Okay, be thank you too. Man Rich and

Mark watched them drive away. They don't come like that often. No, no, they don't come like that. You really had to drag him out of the gym today, like he was like sad leaving Chris Sports Rehab, crazy parties, all of them are sad. They said, he's leaving from like not just like the people working from like assistance, the interns, the rebounders, like they all because he's just such a good kid, like you don't. And that's what I'm telling these teams,

y'all don't understand. This kid is a superstar person paying him millions and dollars not gonna matter. He is a super for star person. And when you got that, times is work ethic times and skill set times is man, It's dangerous, bro, that is what it means to be a professional, and people around the league are already starting to notice. Here again, it's Chris Johnson talking about a moment in Los Angeles this summer. I remember we're played two on two and Katie was here, k d Is Brooklyn,

that superstar Kevin Durant. We were trying to figure out the two on two teams, and you know, Katie first pick Tyrese because if we ain't gonna name all the players, Yeah, it was a number of NBA players's I want Tyrese. Him and Tyres killed the gym. They destroyed at the gym. I mean, Kevin was kicking it moving and Tyrese burning the gym down right there to Kevin. That's why I thought. I was like, man, Brooklyn may try to get him, because Kevin knows how good he is. He's seen him.

So now, with only two days to go, Tyrese just wants to get back to Garland, Texas and find out where he'll be playing and living. We'll be right back. You won't say call her, You just being all ye earlier. That's Terse's mom, Denise Maxie. Oh god box in a sand e p a draft box. But I did hoping open. They won't. No, I'm gonna take me. Who are John's showing U some mew yeah I did the mask pad s door was so exciting. You think you delivered the supermom.

This was the lier. Moe's so exciting these guys and blah blah blah blah blah. So I guess got your hands honestly, Yeah, the hats and I don't know, little I don't got the hats in there. I want to what that leather box for that every season there is a green box. There's what he made the name name was sitting us watching game and there's the green box.

Draft was supposed to take place in the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, and normally Tyrese and his family would be at the arena in the green room with all the hats and swag waiting for them. This year, the league shipped a version of the green room in a giant green box two players houses instead. The box contains hats of every team in the league, so he can put on the logo for whichever franchise picks him in the moment.

M hey me and Brott, just time aboutible, it's here, ain't no, but I don't run if I'm not like, this's the real thing, because you just want to say an you get you say h m hm. So I'm only even here gonna know you hibly don't get it. You get handy home. My conscious so heavy. I don't know what happened. Ye, he's a whole hundred Yeah. Yeah, we're about to come up any minute. Ye, I'm gonnaquite when we get to the game. So all right, I wanted to they said, and say everybody that's in first

and second round. I think they s draft bots everybody. Yeah, because everybody even you know what I'm saying. But the name is so what they what you're doing? The heads keep keep No, I ain't keeping more. I'm tee you go to that my new favorite team. Well, I'm just talking about from me. The car service drops Brandon and Tyrese at l a X Airport. As they get out, an airport employee greets them, but instead of asking questions about their flight, the employee wants to talk about the

latest NBA news. What do you think on a drip pol trade? We're just talking about that, man, I don't know, like what I don't know if I mean, he said when we think about the curs paultry and I'm like, it's cool, I guess, but what is that exactly? What does it means? They're referring to the trade that sent All star point guard Chris Paul from Oklahoma City to the Phoenix Suns, likely to the Suns into a legit

playoff contender. Right, It's good to have vetterans around, but what they got They need this kid by the name of Tyrese max You know you know who that is? On whe is that you? You? You know? I appreciate m. My man, have a good one. The employee at the airport might not know his name yet, but he will soon.

In forty eight hours, basketball fans everywhere will know Tyrese Maxi and in a few years he'll be the one in the gym helping pass these lessons on to the next fresh faced teenager trying to make the jump to the league. And maybe ten or fifteen years after that, an employee at the airport will be asking some young prospect what he thinks about the Tyrese ma trade. Now that Tyrese has developed all the tools for a long,

successful career, the question is where will this journey start next? Undrafted. I guess I'll get this last little record. Actually, like to get on the plane, go back to the crib. Planning sports with my two older brothers was rough because I never could win, and that definitely pushed me to be better because like I'm like, one day, I gotta be able to beat him. This is their first time going through this whole ordeal too, and so it's new

to them. Drafted equipment. Here's an NBA ban or for media. Here's an I pan for draft night. Here's some technical equipment for this and that. I'm so excited for you. Thank you, thank you everything you do me brother, like you appreciate that. Yeah, no, who we have been through these last few years with you. It's been freaking crazy. Drafted as a production of tree Fort Media, Clutch Sports Group,

and I Heart Radio. The executive producers are Kelly Garner, Lisa Ammerman, Eric s A Lott, sewn To Tone l Ki and me Keegan Michael Key. The series is produced and written by Eric Winer. Jared brom is our coordinating producer. Trey McCain is our associate producer. Tom Monahan is our senior audio engineer. Mixed and edited by Steven Johnson, additional production help from Tim Shower, June Rosen, and Hayley Mandelberg. For transcripts of the show and more information on Drafted,

go to tree Fort dot fm. For more podcasts. For my heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.