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Slash Baseball. All right, welcome to hoops tonight. Here at the Volume presented by Chase Freedom. We have a very special guest for you guys today, Hi Mayhawk has Junior Ford for the Miami Heat also on the USA Select Team, something I'm very excited to talk about today. But before we get into that, we're taping here at the MBPA
Brotherhood Deli presented by Chase Freedom. In front of an incredible crowd of both Chase Freedom customers as well as fans, some of whom you've had the opportunity to meet already. So before we even dive into the episode, can we take a moment to talk about how cool this is, what does this mean to you, and what has this experience been like so far.
It has been a great experience, a chance to connect with fans. Everybody who loves basketball always knows that Summer League is the place to be Las Vegas. This is I think a mini mecca of basketball when you think of you know how many people come and play not just in the NBA but au tournaments around you know, teams around the country always come to Vegas to play. So this is a mini mecca and it's great to be here. Yeah, it's cool.
You're walking around the casinos and you see all the kids run into their camp games and stuff like that. It's literally just a basketball event where everybody comes around the country. So I want to start with you and say Select Team. So I think this is a particular literally a particularly amazing honor because it's getting selected to the USA Select Team is not just about your talent.
What those guys are saying. The guys who are the decision makers for Team USA are saying, you can help make the main team better.
It is a.
Payment of respect to you being a winning basketball player. That's why I think it matters so much. Did you expect to be invited? Was this like a goal of yours that you achieved or were you surprised when you.
Heard about it? I would say I was pretty shocked when I got the news. My agent had called me and let me know that I had been selected to participate. I was blown away. I didn't think that was going to happen. It wasn't like a goal of mine or something that I was thinking about. But you know, when you get honor like that, you have to take advantage and jump into opportunity.
So that's what I did, And like, honestly, like if someone asked me to explain Himehawk as his game in like ten seconds, it would just be a really good basketball player, just well rounded, does everything well. That's the kind of guy that helps push people and make other people better. That's why they wanted you there. That's why they wanted you to compete against the best players in the world. I thought it was such a cool, honor
tell us more about the process. Was there like a ton of scheme implementation at first, Like were they trying to just inundate you with a ton of sets and defensive coverages or was it more just kind of they trusted you guys to go play basketball and you just competed against each other for a few days.
I would say that, you know, the first couple of days was a lot about putting an offense and defense and a lot of what the Olympic team would see during their competition. So we you know, got a bunch of plays put in and for the very first day so that we go execute the next day. A lot
of that and a lot of defensive principles. But at the end of the day, they just told us to go out there and who play our game and you know, really push those guys and give them a challenge because that's what they're going to face.
Yeah, for sure. Was there a particular player on the select team that you matched up against and like competed against and then you left the that experience like feeling more respect for that player, like a player you were impressed by.
I mean, the guy that I was probably matched up the most with was probably Lebron. You know, I already have incredible respect for what he's been able to do, the longevity with he was able to play with. I mean obviously still playing, but just how hard he goes. Even Coach Bo was telling me that this guy, you know, still wakes up at six am in the morning before everybody else, that gets his lift in, and the way he prepares for practices is like he's playing a game.
So you get to see that, and you know, those are things that I want to take and implement into my routines and my lifestyle, and you know, just being able to see that was incredible.
Yeah, I saw a quote from Katie the other day talking about how like how he just the amount of energy Lebron brings every day, how it's like contagious and a basketball season is a grind. It's hard to bring it every day. So when you have a guy that brings that energy, it just kind of lifts everybody up and then you get a little bit more out of
every practice and it just makes it better. Obviously, the selects team, that whole process includes the famous scrimmage against the actual national team, and it's like goes all the way back to nineteen ninety two when they actually beat the Dream Team, right, and so this is kind of a famous game for basketball players. Like where did that stack up for you with your other core memories as a basketball player, Like you played in that famous game, Like what was that experience? Like?
It was absolutely incredible. I use that word a lot, but that's really the only way to have to describe it. I would say, you know, you got guys Lebron, Steph, Katie, you know Kawhi, you know some of the younger guys as well, like Tyree's an ant. You know, this collective together as a team. It's like the NBA is in
a transitional period. You got guys like you know, Lebron, Steph, kd On there, you know, who knows how many years they got left, and you know they're on the floor together at the same time, and you never know when that's ever going to happen again. So just to be able to be in that position experience that was amazing.
Yeah, especial shout out to Steph, Kde and Lebron for like still being this good as the younger generation is coming up, because it kind of makes for this cool experience, Like I was at the game on Wednesday and like seeing the bench unit come in and bring all of their youthful energy, but then also watching the starters get off the way that they did. It's such a cool basketball team because it's like two completely different generations playing together.
Let's get into your NBA career. So before we get into some of the specifics, did you actually have like pretty good intel that you were going to end up in Miami or was that a surprise to you.
I didn't have intel, but I had faith. Okay, I was going to land there. I didn't know for sure, but I don't know. After one number eighteen was called to pick, I just had a feeling that my name was going to be called.
That's awesome. You obviously had a very successful first NBA season. You played over two thousand minutes for a playoff team. The heat were two point two points per one hundred possessions better with you all on the floor versus when you were off. According to Cleaning the Glass, you had nine to twenty point games. So to put it simply, you were a good rotation player for a good team right away as a rookie, which is super rare in
the NBA. Was did you have any goals going into that season that you lived up to or is there anything that like, did you have any other specific goals for next season, like a next step you want to get to in your second campaign.
I was having this conversation actually the other day about goals and mindset and you know, expectations, and one of the things that I've learned is that, you know, I go in to have no expectations and just be ready for my opportunity. So I went into my rookie season, you know, not really knowing what was going to happen. The the NBA season is so crazy, so many ups and downs. You know, guys get hurt, and then you know, it's an opportunity for me to step in and be
able to play my game. And then so that's kind of what happened. And then you know, this next year, obviously you know everyone's pretty much healthy. So you know, my job is just to be prepared as I can, you know, for whatever opportunity calls, and just be ready to play my game and go out there and help win games.
That's actually a really interesting point because every season has a different roster, a different health based on you know, how things go over the eighty two games, so your role could shift from year to year, and so yeah, like you can't let your personal goals get in the way of that. You have to just be ready for whatever's next. That's kind of what it is. You know, You're just ready for whatever comes.
You know, one day, you know you're asked to, you know, handle the ball, to play play the point guard. The next day you're asked to, you know, guard the best player. So I just try to be ready for anything at all times.
I actually have a quick follow up on that. How much harder was defending at the NBA level compared to the Pack twelve level. Were you like blown away by the speed? Like was it a tough transition?
Yeah, I think well, when you talk about college basketball, everything is so condensed and packed in the paint, whereas you go in the NBA and you know there's three second three seconds defensive and the key, so so you know there's not anyone there, and it's a little bit wider of a court. The spacing is just much bigger, so there's a lot more room. So defensively, it's definitely makes it a lot more of a challenge because you know, in college you got guys helping. You know, you get beat,
there's a guy helping on the baseline for you. And you know that's not always the case in the NBA. You know, you try to, but it's it's just a lot harder.
Yeah, you like containing in space. It feels like it's one of the most important things you have to be able to do now. And like we even saw with the Celtics in the finals, it's like if when you can drive and kick and get the defense in rotation, it just makes everything so much easier, and so being able to contain the ball is so important. So obviously every good basketball player has like a healthy amount of respect for the Miami. Their organization is famous for good reason,
their championship organization. Obviously, like you've been a fan. I would assume of Spoe and of Jimmy and Vam from Afar, But like you were in the trenches with those guys this year, So what was that.
Like, Man, it was a it was a great experience. There was no other people I'd rather be in the trenches with than those guys. You know, I suppose one guy that you know talk about bringing every day, that guy brings it every single day to practice, you know, Jimmy and Bam the same way. You know, it was just a it was just a perfect storm for me to be able to go in and learn from those guys right away. And I was just really blessed to have that opportunity.
I actually think Eric Sposer is the best coach in the NBA, I would agree, And he's kind of a psycho competitor. How does that like personality meshin with the locker room? Does it almost like feel like there's just another player in there because he's just as amped up as you guys are.
Oh definitely. I mean that guy is always, uh all, his mind is always racing thinking about basketball plays and what he can do to, you know, help our team get better. You know, I was telling they just asked me a question. You know. One of the funniest moments or craziest moments. I remember, Coach Spoe was lifting in the weight room, well like he always does in the mornings, and I walk in and he's listening to you know, zig Ziggler. I was born to win. I don't know
if anybody knows what zig ziggler is. Do you know what that is? I don't I needed and I. But I walked in and I was like, what is going on? I was warrant win and you know it was like something that was like almost hypnotizing him. And you know, I was listening to it while I was working out. It was, it was, it was. It was an interesting experience for sure. So zig Zigglar everybody.
And he was a He was a guard I want to say at the mid major level, wasn't he? If I remember correctly, Like he played in college, so like, I'm sure he's just wired like most most people that come up through that mid mid major level too, where they just have a chip on their shoulder and they're always super super competitive. He came up through the film room, so like that dude is grinded for everything that he's had. So it just fits so nicely with your guys' identity.
I would agree. I would completely agree. He brings it every day. You know, he always has that chip on his shoulder. That's kind of our our identity as the Miami Heat and part of our culture.
So I want to dive into your game for a little bit. You were an excellent post player right away. This year, you averaged one point twenty six points per possession including passes. According to Energy, out of sixty three players in the NBA last year that ran at least seventy five post up you ranked post ups, you ranked third. Okay, so you were one of the very best post players. You were one of the best post players in the NBA last year. You personally, on your own shot attempts
out of the post shot fifty percent. Like what, it really looked like it clicked for you. When I went back and watched your film, it looked like it clicked for you. That junior year at UCLA was the year where you really started to develop that post game. What drove you to to develop your low post game.
I would say watching Kobe Bryant working from the elbows, work from the post, you know, mid post, low posts, all of that. So he was one guy I really looked up to. DeMar de Rosen is another guy. You know, the face of game, the pivots, everything, the fakes. So
those are guys I really looked up to. And you know when I was a well, when I was a kid, I would go to the park all the time and just you know, work on my game, just me versus nobody, and just try to be as creative as I could be, you know, thinking of moves and how it gets scored to basketball.
Yeah, one of the specific things you do really well, most most basketball players when they go into a drop step have to pick up their dribble. Like so they'll spin towards the baseline and they'll pick up their dribble, and so if they don't get a decent look, they're
in trouble. They're like trapped down there. And one of the things you do is you keep your dribble alive as you go into that half spin, like as you drop step back and forth, and so you kind of do like almost like a post up from the three point line sometimes where you're just kind of spinning and spinning until you get into the lane. That's like a little piece of like footwork and and just you know, coordination that I know you worked insanely hard on behind
the scenes. So like what is your skill training regimen, Like, Like what in the off season do you have like a super regimented day by day kind of approach do you have like, oh, this day I work on post work? Like what is what is the process of making yourself the best possible basketball player?
You can be.
What does that look like, Well.
I would say, for you know, specifically post subs. I think the only way you really get good or great at that is by going against somebody and having someone guard you in those areas. So that's something that I really like. I like going against live competition. But as far as regimen, I mean, you know, one of the things I like to I like to get up a lot of shots. I like to get shots on the move stan stills, you know, mid ranges, trying to everywhere floaters,
get up as many shots as I can. And then defensively, you know, work on my defense, you know, guard guys. Instead of me just playing you know, one on one versus them, I'll go and guard and work on my work on my defense, try to find angles and really play around with stuff like that. So it's all to me, you know, thinking creatively about how I can be the best, what works and what doesn't. And that's really the approach that I take.
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That's interesting because like there are there are a lot of young basketball players that play too much and they don't do enough skill work. But then there are also players that do so much skill work and they're not going against live bodies, and you have to go against live bodies. And I find that fascinating because specifically with your post game, you are a master of leverage on the ground. Because I actually wanted to ask you about this.
I saw a tweet going around or just one one of the videos of that scrimmage against Team USA and you were driveling up the floor against Lebron and you attacked him in the post and you drew a foul on him, and we all remember the famous shot from the and I'm a Laker fan, so it was a little devastating for me. But you hit like a left shoulder fade along the right baseline over Lebron that was
going everywhere. But then I started digging through your film and it's like, oh, here's he's taking a step back in the post against Isaiah Stewart, Like oh, he's got Herb Jones on him, and he just posted him up and hit a hook shot over the top. You have this like obsession with the attacking taller players in the post, like are you just challenging yourself or do you see an advantage there?
I mean, I would say, I don't know. I hear what you're saying. I mean, Herb Jones, I think we're about the same height. I the story is definitely tall. But as far as attacking other players, I think you know it's expected, you know, especially you know if you're smaller, No big guys expecting a smaller guy to post them up. And you know that's a place where I feel comfortable, and a lot of the times you know they're you know,
they're expecting something else. So it kind of is a is a switch in their mind, something that they're not expecting. And you know, when I see a big guy, I try to, you know, face up, try to take them off the dribble, and if I can't, then you know, I just get back to what I know, try to post up. And you know a lot of the times, you know, you pump take a big guy there, most of the time they're going to jump. So you know, that's something that I always keep in the back of my head.
Well, and then again it goes back to that ground battle piece, Like that's what I think of when I watch you in those situations, Like you're seeing that you can win the battle on the ground. I can pivot around this guy, get to my spot, and then you have the left shoulder fade, you have the right shoulder fade, you have the left shoulder hook. So like those are all over the top shots anyway, they're designed to be
hit over length. So like I think you see that you just have an advantage there and that and that you can go to work. Let's uh, what do you think is your biggest area of improvement for a player As a player.
Right now, I would just say for me, being consistent knocked down three point shooters one of the things that I'm looking to to really improve this offseason, as well as, you know, just being a hound on defense, being able to you know, guard the best player on the opposing team and shut them down.
Yeah. You your junior year at UCLA, according to Synergy, you got zero point seven to nine points per jump shot, zero point eight seven. The next year zero point nine to one with Miami. So you're steadily tearing up as a jump shooter every year. And it's funny because I listen to people like either commenting underneath my videos or just people talking about basketball on Twitter, and they're under the impression that, like, you just go in for a summer and you can come out a great jump shooter.
And it's like, no, it's a grind. You got to shoot thousands and thousands of jump shots every single day for months and months and months, and it's a slow grind. And so there's obviously signs that you're making improvements on that front, And honestly, I would imagine that's something that they need within that Miami offense actually have a follow for you on the.
Post up stuff.
Did Eric Spolstra approach you and say like, hey, I watched her film at UCLA. I saw how successful you are attacking matchups in the post Let's incorporate that or did you demonstrate it? And then everyone was like, Oh, he can do this, Let's let's try to build this out more.
I would say he definitely watched his film because some of the sets that we ran were like almost identical to the ones I ran at UCLA. So I think, you know, that's just how great of a coach he is. He knows what his player's strengths are and he tries to you know, expose that on the court and then give us an opportunity to play to our strengths. And
that's just what makes him such a great coach. And you know, going back to you know, the jump shooting thing, that's one of the things that we talk about a lot is you know, success is not linear. You know, it's not a straight uphill. You're gonna go down, you're gonna go up, and then you're gonna go down again, and then you're gonna go up and then you know, to see those jumps. It takes time and it's like you said, it's a grind.
Well, especially with jump shoot because jump shooting is it's such a head game too, because you can go cold and miss four or five in a row even if you're doing everything right, and it can just be frustrated.
So mental, it's it's such such a mental thing. You shoot somebody shots, you're like, how do I miss? So that's what I think.
So specifically with spolshra, was there a set? Is there a specific set that they would draw up for you to get a bucket that was your favorite that you can think of, like in the huddle, it's like we're running this for high may he's going to attack this matchup.
Is thereveryone that you have in mind? Yeah, there's there's a few that I like. The cross green on the baseline is one that sticks out to me. And then we have a little nose where I catch it around. Uh well they set it downscreen for me and I and you know go up around to the elbow winging area and then catch it and pick a roll. So those are those are two much.
That get you to a good spot at the defender and trail positions, you have a little bit of an advantage for sure. Was it hard for you to pick up Miami's offense or was it pretty like it was a pretty standard read and react five out stuff.
I mean, you know, it's basketball. I think the difference in the NBA versus colleges and the NBA a lot of actions versus sets. You know, we got to get to this action. Okay, let's get to another action. You know, usually you got you got two ball swings and then you need a shot because of the short you know, twenty four seconds and versus college where you can swing the ball maybe three times and get a shot. But it's all actions. It's all you know, basketball stuff. So
it wasn't too complicated. So you played with Jimmy Butler. Obviously, this is a guy that you probably were fan of from Afar for a long time. What was it like being his teammate? I mean it was great, man. You know, that was my favorite player growing up, so you know, now to be his teammate, it's it's a little weird, you know, having you know, one of your idols now become you know, one of your teammates slash friends. So it's it was such a cool experience.
And then you're doing commercials together and stuff.
Yeah. Cool.
Have you guys had some battles in practice?
Yeah, we had some battles, you know, the one on one. That's something that we do a lot after practice is have one on ones and you know, from different spots, whether it be the low post elbows, even on the wings, and then shooting competitions as well, it gets it gets competitive.
Did you talk some trash to you at the beginning.
Yeah, yeah, we definitely try to test me for sure. You know, I stepped my ground, which I think you know, he respected.
So so what's the plan for the rest of the summer. You're gonna take some time off after the Select team? Are you going to get right back into it?
Oh? Well I got a game tomorrow, so oh okay, yeah I'll be playing here. Oh you're playing with Summer League. Yeah, that's already three three tomorrow. I got a game. So you know, it's been working continuing. We have practice this morning and then you know, got a game tomorrow. Excited for it.
What's different about Summer League this year compared to last year? Do you just feel like so much more confident?
Yeah, I mean I was confident before. I think I just got a year of the league under my belt, and you know, now it's not the first time of league, it's a second. So that's pretty The biggest difference.
Are the summer league practices. Is that do you feel like you get a lot out of them? Do you feel like this is a good offseason workout for you anyway?
Yeah, for sure. I mean any practice as you do, I think is good practice. You know, you have to also practice with intentions, so you know, it would be able to get out here, you know, connect with some of the guys, you know, Kalou Pele or two draft picks. It's been great seeing how they work and operate and getting to connect and you know, start you know, being that guy that welcomes the new guys and like you know, they did they did to me the last year.
All right, we'll one last question before we get out of here, before we wrap up. I saw some awesome merch here at the Chase Free at the Brotherhood Deli presented by Chase Freedom and the MVPA designed by Scoot Henderson. That's a pretty awesome collaboration. And there's also some limited edition mini basketballs by Susai, are you walking out here with one of those?
They'll give me one. I'll I got here with a sue side basketball all right.
Guys, Hi Man, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down. I sincerely appreciate it.
Man.
Good luck to you with the rest of the Summer League. Good luck, but next season I'll be here to tomorrow watching. I'll be covering you closely next year. You've been one of my favorite players for a long time. It was awesome to sit down and talk some hoops with you. Everybody. Thank you so much for the support as always, and we will see you next time.
Thank you the volume.
What's up guys? As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting hoops tonight. It would actually be really helpful for us if you guys would take a second and leave a rating and a review. As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if you could take a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it.