On this edition of Magic Pop Squad, we catch up with former Magic player and fan favorite Anthony Johnson. He had a terrific NBA career and of course his last two years. We're here in Orlando. He's part of that two thousand and nine Finals run.
We get into all of that with aj Magic.
Fans afforded Department of Transportation remind you that fans don't let fans drive drunk. If you've been drinking, don't get behind the wheel. Instead, five a sober driver or catch a ride service. Remember, drive sober or get pulled over, have a great night, and drive safe. Lots to cover here with Anthony Johnson, including that two thousand and nine Finals run that included beating Lebron James in the Cleveland Cavaliers in what ensued after they eliminated the Cavs, always
a favorite story for Magic fans. What he's up to now, a lot of time with the golf course, being a dad, coaching his kids in basketball, and a little bit about his NBA journey and some of the greats that he played with along the way. Terrific stories including Ron Artest, Dwight Howard, a lot of former teammates, good stuff with Anthony Johnson on this edition of Magic Pod Squad. This is Fawns long enough to Orlando Magic. This is Cole Anthony, This is Jennon Suggs.
This is Paulo Man Carroll the Orlando Magic and you're listening to the Pod Squad.
And welcome everyone to another episode of Magic Pod Squad. Dante Marcatelli, George Galatee, Jake Chapman, and this man simply one of our favorites, one of our all time favorites, Anthony Johnson. AJ played for the Orlando Magic two stints. You remember the ninety nine, two thousand and then two years from two thousand and eight to twenty ten, thirteen NBA seasons, and quite frankly, AJ, I would be fine if we just caught up but once a week and
just tell stories and reminissent. It has been way too long.
How are you, my friend? It is always a good time to catch up with my Dante Galante and now we got Jake in and building. Yes, okay, you know, catch up with my magic people. So all good. Thanks for having me on.
Guys, let everybody know where you're at, what you're up to. Do you play golf? Twice a day, three times a day. How much golf are you a get?
He's ready to go right now after this, by the way, like we're keeping him from a tee time. Oh no, no, we're keeping him from.
Oh man, I got two wheels to the golf course. We got a twelve fifteen teeth. Now, you know, I live here in Atlanta, and you know, just kind of taking it easy, living a dream. Got two kids. My son's a sophomore in high school. I coach today, you teams in the summertime, so helping, you know, just helping him getways, trying to go and I have a daughter that's seventh grade. So just trying to be the best dad I could possibly be. Soaked. Yeah, just living a
dream and enjoying fatherhood. That's great.
Hey, Jay, talk about that. I think we talked about that the last time we spoke about coaching your son. How has that been for you? Do you are you one of these I mean, you're coaching, so it's a little bit different. So you have to be a little bit of a screamer, I would imagine, because there's two types of parents out there. There's there's the ones that kind of just sit back and then there's the ones
that are super involved but you're coaching. So how has that angle been from your perspective, coaching your son, watching him, watching him do what you did?
Well, we all know I'm super competitive, so I really enjoyed a competition aspect of it. And you know, just being able to be around my son training him and you know, coach his team's day in and day out. You know, it's a bond that you know, father son bond that I really enjoy. And he knows when we're practice, I'm the coach. But soon as practice so we get in the car, I'm dead. And he knows that I'm hard on him, and you know, it's one of those
things I tell him all the time. You know, with my basketball career, you have all the answers to the test, so there's no way be making sixties and seventies. We used to be making nineties and one hundred. So when he's not doing what he's supposed to do, you know, I get on him pretty hard. But you know, when when he's playing well and he's you know, applying answers that he has, you know, it's good to sit back and be a good father and kind of just you know, nod my head in approval.
So how is he doing on the test since he has all the notes?
And man, you know it's a roller coaster, you know because somebody you know now he'll be sixteen on Saturday. So you know, these kids nowadays, they think they know it all and you have to give them room. You know, this is his journey. I've already had my journey. This is his journey. So I got to give him room to kind of develop, to try things. And you know, I know what, you know, he needs to he needs to grow, and I got to give him room to grow.
It's not you know what, I can't always expect him to get it from my viewpoint and from my eyes. So I have to allow him to kind of, you know, make his own way. And sometimes it's you know, pulling hair out, which I already have it here. You know, I have to allow him to take the driving wheel, to take the stairingwheel. And this is his journey. So some days you know better than others. But uh, you know he's on the right tack. Yeah, I coach.
I coached my son in the basketball for one season and we won zero games. So now they're both players. I only had a partial answer, can you Yes.
You got to get and I am a deal going. You gotta go find seven year old?
Yes, that's right.
You know what.
You know what's interesting, George? You say that. And I'm always amazed at how athletes come at it because my I coach my daughters and we have one George. We have won a couple of games, which is fun. But they get upset. They'll get and I feel bad. I'm like, you know, if they have a bad game or miss some shots, they get upset, and I'm like, it's sorry, I don't get him next game. And then I talked to Q Rich. You hear from aj and age. You know, Q will say his son got upset, and he'll write
back say, well, how much did you practice? What'd you put into it? It's a completely it seems to be a completely different mentality from a professional athlete as how they treat that situation that it is for me, whether everything's.
Fine, as opposed to you just said to go play something else.
Yeah, Cross, It's that sounds good, right?
Is that fair? Is that fair? You kind of there's a different accountability.
I think yeah, I mean, you know, I think we all, you know, being a former athlete. Uh, you know, our kids are a little bit ahead of the curve and definitely ahead of where we were at that same time. So you know, a part of it we want them to have the professional approach and gret things and you know for us, you know, for me, it was lifting weights during the day, getting it exercise on the game day, you know, get treatments and all that kind of stuff.
When you know, I'm dealing with a fifty year old and none of that stuff is really important right now. So you know, right right, have my you know, getting ready for NBA Finals game approach and he has dad. I'm fifteen, you know, yes, two old bucks, other stuff approach. I gotta check out YouTube, I gotta check out social media. But there's a lot, you know, there's things that's more important than you know, putting my best foot forwards. So you know, as a parent you have to make the
necessary adjustments. But you know, preparation is one of those things that if you want to be successful, it has to be high on the priority.
A j It's obviously a completely different level, but does it make you relate a little bit to stan Van Gundhy and some of some of the coaches maybe you had over the course of your commercy, you'll stand trick channeling through you at any point or is that just is that way out?
Is that way over here?
I think Stan's approach is a little different to Ayj's approach. Probably a good thing. Yep, yep, you know, uh, you know, of course Stan was a great coach. We had a great system, we had great success. But with staan Man, nothing was ever perfect less unless you beat a team by one hundred and you made every shot and each got a high level of threes. Yah, Stan was not going to be happy. And and you had to hold
other team to like less than fifty points. But if he gave, none of those things are really able to be accomplic So Stam was never happy. But you know, he's a great guy and a great coach. But you know, my approach, man, I just you know, these kids are young. We want to practice hard, I want them to prepare. I want to try to help them get to college.
So you know, it's just as much as possible, just try to put them in a position to be successful and be aggressive and uh, you know, just uh and and like you said, there's going to be some teams that, you know, you just run into a bustsaw. So sure, you know, you just gotta kind of, you know, take it one day at a time and just prepare them as best as possible. You know.
It's interesting. We had Hito Turkelu and Rishard Lewis h in here on opening night, so that was a lot of fun. And Rashard told the story that heto Turkulu when the play was drawn up for him. He understood it. If it was a gain, if he's gonna get right, no problem, But there was a language barrier when it was get back on defense. If you remember it that way. What what's your what's your memories of hto Turkulu?
I mean just that combination with Richard and Big Turk and the White Man that have three guys that runck and rolls effectively and finished games at a high level, like the White being in tror presence, Big Turk and Rishard being able to score from three, then Big Turk being able to put the ball on the floor at six eleven and we're sharred being able to post at six ten, six eleven and take advantage of matchups. Man, You know, that was like a teammate in heaven, and
we took advantage of it as much as possible. But my Big Turk story, man, I'll never forget. You know, we always get on Big Turk about a whole bunch of stuff. But before a finals game, he's the pizza before the game. I'm like, Big Turf, you're the only guy here in the NBA Finals that's out of seat. But how do you say, hundred and twenty games and you playing thirty five forty minutes and you still out of state? That like, come on, Big Turk, come on,
Big turn. We had a great time. We had a great time.
That's beautiful.
AJ.
How often are you playing You didn't just play the two you know three years in Orlando. You had a thirteen year NBA career. I mean that is a lengthy NBA career. How often are you pulling up highlights to show your kids just to you know, to kind of put them in check, like listen, like check me out, like this is me.
Then do it. Our coach used to do it at a high level back in the days. Uh again, Uh, you know these kids, like I said, you know, kids are young. They think they know it all. So You're trying to help them understand the game at a high level, and sometimes they look at me sideways, like I don't know what I'm talking about. So every now and again, you know, I gotta put them in the torture table
playing one on one, or I have to send them late. Said, let them know, this is coach JJ back in the day, dunking on somebody nice, you know, having a big night. So every now and again I do it with kids look at me sideways. But for the most part, you know, I just kind of talking up the im maturity and they they just think they know it all. And you know, basketball for them, you know, starts with you know, Lebron
James and you know these guys. But you know, we did play good basketball way back before you know, these these new shooting forty foot threes who you know started So yeah, so you know, every now and again I do it, but I just kind of try to laugh it off and h yeah, just try to find the nearest golf course.
Hey, Ja, I wanted to ask you about that, the state of the game today. You you sort of presided over some of that, you know, the younger guys. Lebron, Yeah, I think you were sing leg when stuff was was getting close. Anyways, how do you like basketball today?
You know, it's it's tough. I would have to say. In my career, I played you know, uh when I played with the Pacers, we used to have to battle Detroit, Receive Wallace, Chelsea Bullets, uh year and the year out to try to go to the NBA finals. And if you watch the brawl in the Palace, the score in the fourth quarter was like sixty six sixty two, were like three minutes left in the game.
And that why the fight bro go.
Ga, you know, with three minutes left in the game. If those were dog fights. You know, I didn't play with the Pistols and the bad boys, but you know, we used to take pride and playing defense. We used to take pride in competing, and we used to take pride and stopping our guy, and we used to take pride and team defense. Nowadays, some of that competitiveness, some of that taking pride and getting stops and playing good defense,
you really don't see it. So when the games get out of control, it's like, are you being offended that your guy thinks he could score on you whatever he wants? And for me, I would be offended, and you know, I would take the personal challenge of shutting my guy
down and stopping my guy. And of course, you know, now with the NBA guys shooting cross half court, guys seem the high level or high high amount of three And of course you know Steps and the Dame Lillard's and those guys, they were going to make a good bit of it. But you got to pay your best foot forward and you gotta stap it up, and you gotta guy, you gotta get stops. You gotta get stops.
And you know, it's just when I don't see guys taking personal accountability or stopping a guy, that's kind of you know, you gotta turn its channel quick fast.
You know what's interesting. You played, so you've eighteen years with the I'm sorry, eighteen games with the magic that it felt like it did it real It really felt like it felt like it. But those eighteen games at the end of the heart and hustle season, right where you were part of that run, this team was trying to get to the playoffs. You saw Ben Wallace really before anybody else did. Well, what do you what do you He's not in the Hall of fame. Is that incredible?
What did you see with Ben? And did you have any idea that this guy was about to emerge? Right?
Not at all, not at all at the time. You know, Ben was I want to say, I drafted yeah, yeah, yeah, I drafted a great guy. Quiet, never said much of anything offensively. It was kind of like, you know, don't really passing the ball less. He was wide open and no one was around. Uh you know, but what thing you saw, you saw his senacity. You saw when the game started like he was about his business and uh, you know, and he got every rebound whatever he got
his hands on. It was he was most secured and you know, and and kind of rebound at a very high level. But to see him evolve into you know, the dad, hard hustle Ben Wallace and to the Detroit Ben Wallace man, I mean, you know, he worked at it and you could tell he took great pride into being the best version of himself. And now he has a Hall of Fame jacket. So super proud of him, and I'm proud for and happy for him and his family.
And Jay, how about you had a lot of teammates over the years. How many of these do you still talk to reach out to. Uh, you know, like you mentioned Ben and those guys are how many of those guys are you still in touch with?
You know? For me, I'm kind of like a cave man, so I kind of like just just stay here in the house and if you see me on the golf course, that's I run it to a lot of guys on a golf course. But for the most part, you know, I text with a good amount of guys. But yeah, I kind of keep to myself, you know right now, you know, just the fact that I am, you know, just taking it easy. I try to get my kids, you know a lot of time. But I love, you know too, texts and the catching up with guys and
seeing them on the golf course. So you go to Vegas and there's a big event. I run it to a lot of guys at the Big Three and those type of things. So it's always good to catch up. But uh, you know, like I said, I'm a cave man, so uh, you know, I'm not hard to find. But at the same time, I kind of keep to myself. But you know, yeah, there's a lot of guys that are a few guys that I keep up with.
You played three years with Run Our Tests and Metal World, right, so you got it. There's gotta be some good run Art Test material you must have. You must have seen some unbelievable things in those three years.
What's crazy is before I got there, the stories that they were telling me, like the stories that I was told before I got there, and to see it in person, I want to say that I got the mild version. But the mild version of Ron our Test was out of control. And Roddy Man, when he's in his right mind, man, there's no small forward that you know could do what
he could do. He could lock people up, he could you know, the top scores could barely get the double digits, and then he could turn around and beast and eat on our fence. Had been withhoot threes, with shooting, with posting up and just using his physical strength. And one time he got up like two seventy and still was
moving and setting guys down. And that's incredible to be six seven to seventy and stopping the t max given the Kobe's you know, a tough time, like you know he was, what he was doing on the floor when he was in his right mind was truly impressive. But off the floor, that boy was, oh man, he was out of control. He was out of control, and it just you know, sometimes you could laugh at all, but at the timesy we try to compete and win it a ship. A lot of these distractions are not helping
us get out to go, and that was the disappointing part. True.
It was one of the first guys I remember when I when I when I hit the league, when I was an intern in six oh seven, maybe a year or two afterwards, where I looked at him and I said, he he was so build. It must have been the time you're talking about when he got up to two seventy and he was still moving. He was built like a like a meat refrigerator or something like that. I mean, he was just he was so thick and and the lateral movement. He was just outstanding.
Jay Just so you know, but Jake compares everything to food, a meat refrigerator like that. There's a lot of this, a lot of food analogies.
But go ahead, I got to add the jag Man thank of Bones, Jones, uh, the UFC fighter, Oh yeah, him as a basketball player. That was Ronnie as a basketball player, like he was just bones those you know, but at six seven, two seventy five, you put him. He put him on your list of the of the greatest defenders of all time. Oh yes, oh easily, easily because he could guard like like they are times that practices Dale Davis would host him up and Dale couldn't
really move him, and we all know how big Dale was. Yeah, I mean, I would definitely put Ronnie as one of the top greatest defenders in the NBA of all time.
I wanted to ask you, a j was there when you think back, was there a common thread on on all the great teams you played on, obviously the Orlando team, maybe those Indiana teams. Is there something that maybe, with the benefit of hindsight you say that was something that those teams had head in.
Common and maybe you didn't realize at the time.
Well and real quick, just so everybody knows, because he because because AJ's too modest. You were a sixty seven win Dallas team, a sixty one win Indiana team that went to the Eastern Conference finals, and of course this Magic team that went to the finals. So yeah, to Jig to your point, AJ, you were on a water of teams that had a ton of success and.
The New Jersey Nets where we went to the finals, fights with the finals twice for Jake Zacht of course, and the common thread. Of course, you have to have a defensive approach, you know. That was the one thing all those teams we took pride at stopping other teams. So having a defensive approach and just everybody being tied
end is one. When you don't have in agendas, when guys kind of have they air compacts in place and no one's casing free agency or chasing money, it kind of breaks everyone together and there's no in agendas and everybody is playing towards one common goal. And that's normally when you have that defensive approach, a good system in place, with good coaches, a good synergy, and everyone's playing towards one common goal, you'll probably have good success in anything
that you do. Anything that you do.
I brought up on podcasts before when we've talked to other guys and Ajam you may remember this because you were talking about everybody's playing for the common goal. Do you remember the training camp. The end of training camp before we went to the finals, we had a dinner, We had a team dinner that I was lucky enough
to be a part of. I've mentioned this before where Stan went around to every guy in the room at one through fifteen and just told everybody what their role was, and everybody, to a man just kind of looked like just looked at him, nodded, and then we went out on the floor and did it like do you remember that? And that's forever stick with me because I had never
seen anything like that before. We had I've been to training camps and that one just stuck out to me, and you knew walking out of that door, like we're gonna do something really special this year.
Yes, I mean even early on, you know, I had come from teams that had you know, final success. The first two or three days in practice, I met all the guys in the locker room, Hey, man, like we got to take a ship team here, Like there's no weakness if we just kind of pull it together and just have the mental toughness. Of course, mental toughness come in into the second round, third round of the playoffs kind of helps you get through. If we can stay healthy,
we're gonna do it. But with stand and his staff to give every player a role to know your role and the roles that he gave us. Of course it was posted over your locker, so you saw it every day. But every role and each characteristic on that seat defined every player like there was no there was no gray area, first of all, and they were wanted to present correct on the roles that each player and the characteristics that was on that seat, So they kind of put things
in perspective. It let you know what you were there for. It let you know that what you you know what's expected of you and your strengths and your weaknesses. So let's continue to get better with your strengths and let's improve our weaknesses. We could have a great year, but that dinner was phenomenal and it was the start of something special and the year was just it was a
great year. Uh. Fortunately we didn't we didn't cap it off, but you know, it was just one of those things when you went in, it's.
So much better and losing, Yes, what well? And you and you and Rafer were such a great combination. We talked to Rafer about a year ago or so and listen, you you're phenomenal in the postseason and helped the team get all the way to the NBA Finals, which this city will never forget. But something that we kind of didn't remember was the Cleveland Cavaliers did this little picture celebration.
I remember it that you remember it.
I don't remember seeing that as much, but Rafer reminded us that that was kind of motivation for you guys. And then when you guys eliminated Cleveland, man, that must have been an incredible feeling. But kind of tell that story for us a jake from your vantage point.
You know one thing about that team, we went on the road and we smacked everyone. Right, it wasn't just us winning at home, but we felt very good and every confident when we were on the road, and the whole build up throughout the season was you know, the Lakers and Cleveland. You know, it was just right. That
was kind of like what was supposed to be. And then Cleveland before the game, they would always do this family photo and you know they were just you know, they were a first quarter team, like they would just blow everyone out in the first quarter, and it was just one of those things like you know, they just dancing and you know, just they're having a great time with her, and you win it and you feel like there's nothing wrong with that, but they it just seemed
like they used to go overboard with it, and you know, when we were playing them in the regular season, it was just one of those things like wait till, wait till you know, wait till June, because y'all, y'all gonna be in for rude of wakening.
So it bothered you in the regular season too when we saw that.
Okay, okay, gotcha, got it, but there's no need of getting robbed up in the regular season. It receives in November December, so it was no big deal. But you know, it was something we kept eye on, we talked about in the locker room. But it was one of those things where it gets you know, when we get face
to face come June or you know, the n of May. June, Yeah, y'all will have a handful, y'all will have some problems on y'all hands, and exactly did We were a three point a big Lebron James three point away from begging up and really kind of keeping that series and showing them they weren't on our level. But we knew they weren't on our level. But it was just one of those things that you know, you just got to play the games out. But it was just fun after we won.
You know, just taking a family photo like this, that's so good, you know, just rubbing it in a certain way. Ye, what did you do? They were not on our level at that time. Even when Lebron he was averaging like forty forty five like he was, he was, he was balling like it was. It was unbelievable to think he was doing. Of course, he was being guarded by Turks. So we got.
We got, we got, you know, to make up for that, right, just we.
Gotta give them a uh, you know, some little slack there. But yeah, they were not on our level. No team in NBA was on our level at that time. But you know, we just didn't get it done in the final two weeks.
Sure, but what but to remind everybody what you did during our family photo when we won the when we won the East.
Well you do aj, I mean, you know, I you know, I let my little you know, my point guard. We all were a crew. So Rayper and Demior and te lit Day they held me up and you know, like I was a baby, and yeah, so so so, yeah, we had a good time with it. Because that, you know, looks great. They used to hold up on Williams and you know, so it was just, you know, kind of
one of those things you just after the fact. I'm not a trash talker, but you know, I wanted them to know that they were not on our level, and yeah, we could do all that stuff too, but we could do it as we're winning and moving on.
The picture goes very under the radar because it's just just like we're having a good time agent and I knew immediately.
I'm like, oh, I know what he's like, what he's let's rub it a little bit. You gotta rub it in because that's all you heard about. That's all Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland. You know, they they had nothing for us, Like they couldn't stop Turk, they couldn't stop the Star, they couldn't stop the White and everyone else, all the role players we contributed. So they like, yeah, they were not on
our level, really, and that is awesome. Lebron doesn't make that three, then they're down too old in their own building. Going back to Orlando and that that's easily sweet, which.
Take us off Turk because Turk had the game winner before that Lebron.
Yeah would have.
Been, but he's goes every time the playoffs come. I gotta watch that shot.
Yeah, and he don't clear winner Game one. He had had the game, Yeah, I had the game winning Game one. So yeah, so you know, of course it came down to game winning shacks. But yeah, we we didn't feel like they were on our level.
Real quick, before we go, I want to go back to the to the stand the stand preseason dinner where he assigned everybody his role. I covered stand in Detroit. He did the same thing.
It did not work.
So the personnel personnel helps, let's give otis. Let's give otis and then deck towards it in the front office or j def Oh this was instamental, uh you know, and pitting that team together and uh yeah. And also that's since the general manager uh day day towards it, yep. And then the ownership group like it was man from top to bottom. Our Senate d was unbelievable. I mean it was just smiling faces. Everybody was upbeat, everybody was positive. Everybody, I mean we were winning.
We had a great system in place, we had great guys, Like the synergy was unbelievable from top to bottom. It's just unfortunately unfortunate that we didn't get it done in the last two weeks.
Well, it's been a struggle since then for this Magic team. They've gone a couple of different directions. But we're fee there is a buzz in town. We're feeling like we're we're headed in the right direction and there's a lot of excitement around it. Do you watch the team still and what are your thoughts on this up and coming Magic team.
Well, I really like the sighs, the sides across the board, you know, uh that really you know in today's NBA uh you know, of course they talk about position this guys that you know, guys got big guys that can handle the ball, the bottners and uh uh you know Hollow and and Wendell Carter. You know, he grew up here in Atlanta. He has some perimeterive skills. So you know, I'm a big fan of Cole Anthony and uh, you know,
and and some of the other guys. So, uh, now that you know they turn the corner, they have some success at the end of last season, so now you got to carry you know, dad into this season. Of course, it improve your summer workouts when you know what it takes to win. Now, when you're in the summertime, your workouts changed and you're able to kind of develop and get into a mode of Okay, now I have some success, let's carry it forward. So, uh, you know the team's too.
You know, they got a big one tonight against the Lakers, so look to uh you know, seeing you know that match up, and and then hopefully they could kind of build on the buzzs. You gotta bank a lot of games early in the season when you can, and the Lakers a team that's very gettable, uh you know this time of the year, so you know, hopefully they could put their best foot forward and uh, you know, have a good showing tonight.
That's great on the broadcast. Yes, he's got it all down. I'm telling you, I would love to have him come down. Do you have it in you, budd George, to bring him down here for a broadcast and to do our golf tournament. He needs to come to the Magic Golf Tournament's do it.
I'm wide open, So let's do it. Playing you swing by on the way back. There's got to be now this kidding, No, there's definitely no room there.
The bench is full, those things are full. Watching the second Mental Laker game last night, and they like the beam you played in Sacramento.
Do you like that?
Do you like the beam?
I love? Uh? Did I like it?
Do you like it?
Do you like the thing? I love? Love it? Okay, you know it's it's theirs. You know, it's it's something that's theirs, and no other team have thought of it, you know. So they of course with the cow bells back in the days that used to be unbelievable. But it's Sacramento, you know, it's not much going on out there, so for them to have something that's days, you know, it's I really love it. I love it, and it gives it gives us as a togetherness and Carberie and
the guys. Not to say it makes you play harder, because at the end of the day, anytimes someone's keeping score, you should you used to kind of give your best effort. But to have that extra motivation to hit the button and like the beam, I love it. I love it.
Well, we love talking to you, aj great stuff. Hit them straight today and let's we look forward to seeing you here soon.
All right, what are we going for seventy five, seventy six.
What do you know? That's we're gonna go eighty one eighty four y one, how four?
So you're can we put them in our group tours for the tournament. We have a chance in this thing, all right, guys, good stuff. That'll do it for this edition of Magic Pod Squad with Anthony Johnson.
We'll see you next time.