Carlos Arroyo 11-7-23

We've got to go to.

On this edition of Magic Pod Squad, we catch up with former Magic player, nine year NBA veteran Carlos Arroyo, now the general manager of the Puerto Rican national basketball team.

Just one of the many things on his current resume. He's in the music, he's been in movies, just an unbelievable professional basketball career, and now he's building something special with the Puerto Rican national team. Magic fans apport a Department of Transportation reminds you that fans dorole, that fans drive drunk. If you've been drinking, don't get behind the wheel. Instead, find a sober driver or catch a ride service. Remember, drive sober or get pulled over, have a great night,

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 Pods Squad. Hey, welcome.

Eber went to another edition of Magic Pod Squad Dante Marcatelli, George Galante, Jake Chapman, and Carlos Arroyo, former Magic player now the general manager with Team Puerto Rico, doing.

A fantastic job building that team. Carlos played nine NBA seasons from two thousand and one to twenty eleven. Three here in Orlando from two thousand and five to two thousand and eight, And Carlos, is this right? I knew you had played, I knew you had a long career overseas, but I think you stopped playing professionally about six months ago.

I have good depth.

I mean, nineteen ninety six to twenty nineteen, that's a heck, that's a head giver career.

My friend. It's been a long journey, but you know, a great one. I mean the Big three, you know cows as part of my career as a professional.

Yes, well, it's always great to see a college. We appreciate you doing this all over due to catch up, but kind of let everybody know what you're up to now. I know, between running team Puerto Rico, between following your daughters around and their volleyball career, I mean, I don't know I have time for anything else.

Yeah, I've been fortunate to you know, be able to uh say on my feet as you can say, I mean, and then do little things here and there. I like to have the flexibility of not being at a job, you know, and committed to a job undred percent. I like to you know, be with the national team as well as you know, following my girls around with volleyball and my oldest other and she's already in college, and I got the two little ones at the house, and you know, you know, in the national team itself.

It's it's a it's.

A twenty four seven jobs throughout the year, you know, with qualifiers that we have with FEBA and recruiting and.

All that stuff.

So you know, I try to stay pretty busy. I've done music here and there, and I was able to you know, be a part of a movie you know that came with the music. So doors, doors, those doors open for me. I just try to take advantage of, you know, the things that I did when I was playing and the doors that are opening now.

And I've been blessed to be honest with you guys.

He's being modest. He's being modest. He says music here and there. He's a music sensation.

With saying we can't gloss over and like like we can't get into that a little bit now, we can't just gloss over the music part of this.

I mean it was always a passion of mine.

You know, I never had the time because I was always traveling when I was in the league and when I was in Europe. So and you know his producing music takes a long time. You know, you have to be in the studio for you know, so many hours. I mean, you know, I had kids at home and I had to go to my wife.

Arm the other and you know, when are you coming on? Why are you going to retired? You should be you know, so you go through all those ups and downs of you know, being retired and wanting finding yourself, you know, you know, seeing what what fits better, uh, once you're done playing. But you know, for the most part, you know, my family supports everything I do. So it's been a blessing.

Now do they get to come on, like because we were doing this podcast right now and you're you're in Chile right now. Yeah, Like, do they do they get to come on some of these excursions with you? I mean, you're you're riding all over the world. Still not really, Yeah, we were, you know, we had the World Cup this summer. We were in Philippines, and we had all those exhibition games before the World Cup leading to the World Cup. So we wait to Italy, survey and all these places.

But not really. You know, my girls they do travel well in the summer and throughout the year. They do the clubs.

You know, they have the club seasons and you know, now I'm o oldest season and Dane Hyland she got a scholarship to play volleyball with it. So she's over there going through her freshman year. And my two little ones are in school where they have their own activity. So my wife is always you know, she's the one, you know, she's ober drive at the house when I'm not there so but you know, I like, you know, I love taking my kids to school. You know, I

Carols, What appealed to you about producing music when you got started? How how did it sort of take you away from from the grind of being a pro basketball player.

You know what pushed me to to do music was you know, at the time I retired, the music business was just growing so fast, especially the reggae tall and Latin urban music. And you know, I decided, I said, you know what, I have a great relationship with all these artists. Why do I, you know, try to find a label that can support the vision that I have with the project that I wanted.

To do and and you know, maybe I can make some money. And it went like that. It wasn't easy, But.

I thank God for basketball every day because of the relationship that I build, because of the respect that I got for the years that I played in the national team and then the NBA. You know a lot of those guys, you know, we build religions when I'm friends

You know what I'm saying. But you one of the features. So you have to kind of like you have to suck it up and you know, and grind.

George doesn't feel bad because he's been chasing around NBA players for twenty five years, so he knows exactly what you're talking.

Right, I do not feel bad now, you know about to sit around and wait part of this, right, I always like to tell each other it's like, oh, we spent a lot of times sitting around and waiting, you know.

Far athletes, athletes as you know, George and Dante as you know. You know, if we have practice at ten, we probably there as nine true.

I see what I'm saying. Actually, you know, and artists they are not like that. They might not show up. They might not show up and I'll tell you why they didn't show up. You know. So their schedule is just very is it, you know, mixed?

Is it different on a movie set? Did you enjoy that experience? I imagine those things have to happen like clockwork. When you set up to shoot a movie that was great.

Uh, you know, that was one of those experiences where you know, you try to you're in a situation where you've never been you know music. Yeah, I've been doing music since Ide with a kid, you know, and you know, with my friends back home in Puerto Rico.

But you know, being at a.

Movie set, you know, everything is by the clock, and everything is very disciplined structure, you know, you know, call up at five in the morning, you have somebody there for thirty already waiting on you to get, you know, to the studio that can do makeup and all that stuff.

And or they say, you know, action is action, you know, whatever time they tell you. It's more structure than the music business.

I want to get into this car. We know it because We had you here for three years, and it was a fun three years here in Central Florida. It was fun for us to get to know you, and I know it was fun for the fans and a lot of Puerto Rican fans here in Central Florida, so I know they'd love to have you here, and I know you enjoyed your time here as well. But let

Thank you, Thank you so much.

I think most of Latino's not my journey, but you know I was one to raise in Puerto Rico turn pro when I was sixteen.

My father wanted me to turn pro when I was sixteen.

Back then, you can still play in your college and you know, I could still play in the NCAA and go back home and make some money and you know, be a pro and be a part of Division one basketball, which it was my dream.

That wasn't drafted.

You know, I had pretty solid senior year and I got invited to some vetcams. We decided to go with the Toronto Raptors. That opened the doors for me that first year. So I went to vetcamp them having fifteen guarantee contracts, which I told my agent, I don't know what I'm doing here, because you know, there's no way I can make a team. I did well enough for them to open a spot for me and give me

I played with some great players. I was fortunate enough when I was in a land.

I know, my first year with Grant you know, and Stakesy Argument and all those guys, you know, uh, the white and his speak.

So I was blessed. I was blessed my whole career.

I learned a lot from every organization that I was a part of, and even when I went to Europe. It was a moment where in Europe where I was like, can I do this because it's just different culture wise. You know, it hits you when you go to Europe. It's not for everyone. So I had to adapt. Even though I was playing in the.

National team and I had just FHEBA rules and the way they played. It was totally different from the NBA.

But I playing with the national team and helped me at that better. But I still had to get adjusted with you know, the food and the language and the culture. It was just, you know, it was just difficult times.

You know.

I was there by myself most of the times. My family, you know, went with me.

My first year in Europe was in Israel, so I told my wife that's when I had my first daughter, and I told him I'm going to go first to see how it is and everything gets settled, and then I'll bring you guys over the same when I went went to Turkey, and my last year was with the Barcelona in Spain. But you know, the treatment and the care that you know they gave me was was amazing, was first class at all times.

You know, I always felt that I was in a situation where I was going to be successful and and I have an opportunity to play my game, which I missed. You know, I feel like one of the years in the NBA that I really felt like I was playing my game and I was really happy on getting ready for games and traveling, and so was with Orlando. To be honest with you, you know, I got to play minutes. Uh.

Brian gave me an opportunity from from the start when I got to to Orlando, and you know, and I was able to you know, showcase Uh you know part of my game that I was unable to showcase.

When I was with the other teams. Aside from you know, I felt like I was in Puerto Rico when I played. And as you guys remember this is all of flags. It was. It was just an amazing experience, you know. Uh.

And I felt that every time I went to Orlando with the teams, you know, every time I quote, you know, I felt like I was a Puerto Rico people coming and supporting you know that, you guys know the Porto Rican community and Orland Lose amazing and growing. So you know, my journey's been a special one and I truly miss it. Uh sometimes I miss it. I don't miss the grind of it, you know, waking up and training and all

That's awesome.

Carlos, Carlos.

Before we get in, they saw some of your Orlando teamates because you were here right when some of those guys were just starting to pick you know, the Dwights and the Jamiers. You played with John Stockton for the last year of his career, last two years of his career. But what was it like playing with the guy? I mean, because I went back and looked just to see, Oh, let me see how many games he played in his John Stockton and he started all eighty two of late thirty one minutes.

The last year while you were there.

I mean, what was it like to I mean, that was one of your first stops in the NBA ended up being with one of the arguably greatest point guards ever to play it in.

You know, and you know it was funny. John was the starter and the backup was Mark Mark Jackson, So I was behind the number one and number two assist leaders in the history of the game. So that he's hand.

You know, that year for me was a clinic the whole year. You know, it's just watching them, how they prepare for games, how they saw the game. I was asking a lot of questions, but that truly helped my

He was. It is my and then it doesn't matter. You could never pressure it. It's like kind of like watching you got You can have a guy brush him ninety feet, but he's gotta go to his own speed, you know. So that's what I like about John and every drill.

You know, he took it personal. If we were running seventeens, he will make sure he was the first one, you know, just to prove that he's not old. But he was a tube professional man.

I can honestly say I was a last substitution.

For John Stopton, you know, and Sacramento. I was a big guy that brought about axcepting out coach flow. So you know, I asked me this t a wow that he came out. I think it was the playoffs in Sacramento, But that moment in itself I would take with me forever because you know, me going in there and give him high five and you know, give him kind of like a little earlier after he walked out the last time he walked out of the court, that was a truly special moment for me.

Well, the guy had replaced the other guy that replaced George. That's an answer to a trivia question. After nineteen years of starting point guard, the guy that replaced him as the starting point guard the next year was this man, Carlos the Royal. Right, and and maybe probably the best statistical year of your NBA career that that year starting in Utah.

Absolutely absolutely, I remember, you know, I had a lot of pressure from from the media back.

Then because they were you know, are you're the.

Next one, You're ready to you know, take on, you know, that responsibility. And I said, look, I'm only here to take advantage of the opportunity, just like John did when he was given that opportunity.

So, but you know, it's a lot of pressure, you know.

I can honestly say that, you know, mentally, I was trying to prepare myself to not mess it up.

And but I had a structure team, you know, with Jerry Swam. You know, he was very determined with doing things right, very disciplined with his structure and how he wanted us to play. And as you guys know, you know, Jerry doesn't mess around, you know, and he's the same at practice I shoot around in games. You know, he's

So if that was your best year, your second best year, I would think statistically was at six oh seven season here you mentioned some of your teammates. That was my intern year, so quick personel story. I had to hold. I was the radio intern. I had to hold the my gap to practice after in the newt rounds. And you guys were such a great group. I don't know if I'm still doing this all these years later if not for people like you, Jamiir, Tony Batigue, he I'm dueling,

You know, speaking of our Grant, I saw him and uh uh you were able to set up a game with UFA and Vegas this summer, so I saw him there. You know, he's part of the us USA basketball now and it was great. CM. He was always just a great leader. Always very positive, very soft spoken all the time.

You know.

Uh, he knew it'll calm you down at moments of adversity, which I like. But it was just a fun group.

I think, you know, Dwight in itself, he kept him and Jamie, he kept the group always laughing and doing little.

Jokes here today, you know how they were.

Kean was kind of like a jokes too, but he was serious when we needed to be serious.

But t was our o G. You know, Stacey Augman was our o G.

So we had a great balance on that team, you know. Uh, and me coming in, I was just trying to fit in. I think when I came in, I played one game with see Press. That was the only game I think it was in Cleveland that.

We play together. And then I think orlanda kind of a wake them or something.

Uh.

But I know I had to.

I know we were trying to fight, you know, we were finally trying to you know, stay afloat and trying to make the playoffs.

That we missed a couple.

Of games that year, but we had we had to run that uh that last part of the year.

Uh.

But I enjoyed it. I was just happy to be in Orlando. To be honest with you, Uh, well, there was rumors about me being traded.

You know.

I met right away with Joe Dumars and Detroit and I told him, look, I don't want to leave, but if if you're going to trade me anywhere, please.

Let it be on that Is that right?

Is that right?

You asked for this? Yeah? Cool? Oh yes, yeah, there was too. There were rumors because remember dark old Minischik.

Yes, he wasn't he wasn't happy you know, you know in Detroit, and they weren't happy with him either, so they were trying to move them. And uh, there was a period of like two weeks where it was you know, strongly, you know, there was they were considering trading him, and and there was rumors that I was part of that past page with with darkle so and I had a great relationship with Joe, and I said, Joe, you know, uh, can we talk for a second.

So we went to his office. I said, look, because I didn't want it to sound like I wanted to leave, you know, I had or Detroit was a great group too, you know, and we had just down to the finalist too the year before. And I told him there's a lot of rumors. I don't want to leave, but and I hear that I'm being you know, chopped around with with Darko. I said, all I asked is that if you trade me, please trade me to a life. I want to be close to home. I feel like I'm

I was like okay, And then uh, I think we went to we went to Ohsta weekend.

That's when we got treated. Remember and uh he called me and so Carlos, I always spoke a week ago. Fortunately had to make the trade. Blah blah blah. But I give you my word, you're going with all lad So I was kind of like, so as soon as I hung up, I started like I was scaring and out until my wife we going on that so were we were truly excited. Man, it was an opportunity that I really.

Wanted to to be a part of that. You know, that club and Orland that's always been you know home for me. You know, we go there to take the kitchen Didney.

It's two hours from the I mean four hours from the house. Uh. So you know, I felt like I could fit in it. And you know with the guys and and uh the teams that the team that you guys had back then, so and I could welcome to uh you know, we had a mix up open veterans and young guys as well. So I felt comfortable right away.

I think was there too, Yeah, yes he was. He came here your last year. He had Rashard, you had Turkey, had Dwight Jamire. I mean you had the.

Start of Shaun Stevens. Stevens. Yes he was, yes, he was, Yes, he was. He was fun.

Yeah he was you know he keep you inddressed. Uh but what George, we played together, that's right. You There was a lot asked of Carlos with that because there was a lot of there was a lot of there's a big Puerto Rican community here which fully embraced you, as you mentioned, but you made time. I always marveled at that because you could have filled your entire day with with with go and visit this person, visit this

I was just grateful.

I was grateful for the love and I was thank for for people coming, you know, night in and night out, supported and brought the flags out. You know, it was just we started having Latin night.

I don't know if you guys had that for.

We did not.

I think Joey was a big part of that as well, uh through n Carlos Velis too.

They were a great group.

You guys had up a great group that you know, really supported me and make sure that I was out there in the community showing love too. And I think that was a great part of uh, of that energy that that I brought when I went to to you know, to Orlando, because of the community that was behind you know, our team. So I was just grateful, man, I was, I was, uh in a place where I always wanted to be, so you know.

And I expected that and it happened and it came through. So I was just I wasn't all with everything.

Well, I re level when we got when we traded for Carlos, we had you know, we I knew we had a big Latin community in central Florida, but you know, it didn't really touch us until we got VI you and I remember, I remember immediately when the trade came, Linda Lamb and Gonzalez was on our staff and Joey Cologne, and they immediately came to Joel and Tricia and I and just said listen, like this is going to open

You can't be like we we we had Shaquille and Neo Penny like we're good, like yeah, and then it but it was it was like this whole and even now we have a we have a Hispanic media list that we now we still use to this day to twenty twenty three that.

We didn't have before.

We really didn't And I kind of trace it all back to you coming close to to to Orlando.

That was beautiful, man, that was beautiful.

I mean, I was in shock, but I was expecting people to support our team. But I was in shock with the magnitude of the energy of everybody. Just We're having Regguatory.

Knights concerts right after the game. Yeah, And it was not like there was like one hundred people two hundred. It was like five thousand people, aren't there? Oh, we were producing postgame radio shows during those concerts. I'm not spot.

You're exactly right. You mentioned Brian Hill. Brian Hill was a big fan of yours. He was a big fan of Darko's too. It was something special with that group. But I know Darko struggled in Detroit and and and you know, I know he wasn't as happy being there. But but he was a talented individual. Carlos Darko was a guy that he accepted his role here. He did what Brian asked of him, and you know, blocking shots, protecting the rim. What do you remember? But it was

I think he was very misunderstood, right, you know, Darko was extremely talented, could task you know, the fat and he could score, and he could do anything, you know, he wanted to. And at the same time, I don't know if he was as passionate for the game as other guys. So it kind of made me rough the league the wrong way because it ain't show it, you know. But he loved basketball, but he was just not pas shouldn't like to go out and get extra you know, training and you know, get to a city and find

The the amount of the amount of pressure on you from the Puerto Rican community just kind of and and even still, I mean, you are you're mister Puerto Rican basketball essentially, and there are a lot of people who kind of tie tie their hopes to you.

Is it Does it ever make you sort of want to hide for a day and get a breather? Yeah?

And if you had to pay for a meal since you beat Team USA and O four and the Olympics, have you have you had to have you had to pay for anything into Rico?

Yes, yes, yes I do. I mean I've got share with my my premio here and there. You know. But no, I'm learning young. You know that. You know I embraced it. I embraced it.

You know my parents, you know, they they taught me from a young age. You know, I was national team was a religion.

You know a lot of what growing up. You know, I watched the national.

Team since I was a young kid and it was always a dream of mind to be a part of that team. But you know, I think, uh, you know, once I made it to the league, you know, I started getting you know, recognition, and then once that those two thousand and four Olympics, you know, after that, just I think my life changed completely from a from a marketing standpoint, you know, and and try to move my name with brands in Puerto Rico and internationally that I could you know, benefit.

From and grow and grow my brand. You know, it helped me a lot. But after those two thousand and four Olympics, you know, and then you know, doing well in the NBA helped my name as well to be able to open doors and internationally with the national team open the doors for me in Europe as well. So I've always embraced that, the love and the uh it's a huge responsibility obviously, you know, you have to kind of like have your your mirror plan.

You know, You've always I'm always kind of inspiring the next generation where I was when I was a player and now as and toory general manager for the national team and instructuring this the federation moving forward for years

Uh, I've learned how to maneuver. I've always had a good solid team around me, you know, you know, uh, my family and my pr people that keep me grounded as well, I think, which I think is very important.

So I've never thought that I'm bigger than the national team or bigger than Puerto Rico. Bigger than you know, always kind of like you know, moving. So I'm grateful for the opportunity that the game gave me and just try to embrace it and carry myself with respect as much as I can.

I know we're getting close to the end here, but by the time this drops, we're going to be in Mexico City playing against the Hawks. And we're very excited because you're going to be there. Is it What does it mean? You know, as as an international kid, what does it mean to see have an NBA game in a place like Mexico City or or somewhere abroad.

Man, I wish you were cold to play the Puerto Rico man. I like that happened me too. I know we were able to carry on a concert at the game. That we can't bring a game to Puerto Rico, you.

Know against the Pelicans. You don't have magic Pelicans with Jose Alvarado.

And Porto, you know, we can't make that happen. Say it's one of the guys that ever recoup a They saw our national team as well, so hopefully we get made something happen. Uh, But I'm excited. I think globally the game is growing continues to grow.

And you know at Lanta America, you know, Hispanics are very passionate about the game. Uh, just and beautiful to see, you know, especially Orlando, you know, being that it's in a in.

A in a state where you know it's a Hispanic community.

I think having that game in Mexico will help a lot, will continue to build, uh, the NBA brand worldwide, and and I just think it's great, you know, to have those types of games in other countries.

Are you doing the postgame concert, Carlos? At least? How about a good answer. What are you telling hey, Carlos? Last thing?

You know as well as we're getting ready for this, we're looking back on your career and you're seeing Vince Carter, roll on, John Stockton, Dwight Howard, Mark Jackson. Right, you look at it, people aren't fortunate enough to play with that caliber player throughout their entire career. And also success. You went to an NBA finals, conference finals, You've won

Now?

What are some of the biggest takeaways that you have from that experience, because he can.

Walk into a meeting and take his resume and just drop it on his ton and just go, damn, let go.

Let's here's the picture. Here's a picture of me supping out on John Stockton for the last time.

Yeah, why don't you here's It takes two hours to read my resume and I'll be back.

Yeah, right, man, I can't complaint. I've been extremely blessed and grateful for you know, I continue to say that because as you mentioned, you know, my last two years was in my last year the NBA and Boston where I had Shack and I have you know, uh Paul and KG and Ray Allen, right Miami was with those guys. So I think the.

Game has really shown me to be professional at all times, be humble with every everyone you meet, the new generation, be a mentor, you know, and uh.

With everything that I've learned outside of the of the the court and on the court, you know, I think that's helped me grow with to see the game from a different perspective, from a business perspective as well, and you know, it's just has opened the doors for me worldwide at which my son would love and be as fascionate as I was when I was a kid playing back when he really hates it, you know, yeah, and you know and you know, so that he can actually

You know, I can look back and say, look, I did this that. Wow, I can't. I can't believe it. You know, I'm just truly honored and blessed. We'll be exacted.

Well, we're so appreciative of your time, and we're proud of your Carlos, with all you've done and you continue to do. And we can't wait to see you in in Mexico City and Georgia back up on the post game concert. He'll be ready, he'll be.

Ready to get.

Yeah, and best of guys, keep keep up the great work with Team Puerto Rico. We'll be cheering, y'all, and that's fantastic. Carlos, take care, Thank you, thank you. I appreciate you that you got it. That'll do it for this addition of Magic Pod Squad. We'll see you next time.