ON TODAY'S EPISODE, I SIT DOWN WITH GRAYSON "THE PROFESSOR" BOUCHER. HE TALKS ABOUT HIS TESTIMONY AND HOW HE WENT FROM BEING A TRAVELING BASKETBALL TV STAR TO NOW A VIRAL YOUTUBE SENSATION ALL WITHOUT COMPROMISING HIS BELIEFS. HE IS THE DEFINITION OF NEVER GIVING UP. CHECK IT OUT. REBECCA LAMB WEISS: HEY, GUYS. WELCOME TO THE REBECCA WEISS PODCAST AND I'M SUPER EXCITED TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE JOINED WITH THE PROFESSOR AKA GRAYSON BOUCHER. HE IS HERE. GRAYSON, TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
HEY, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
WAIT, LET ME GIVE YOU THE LET ME PUT OUT THE OFFICIAL TITLE.
SURE. REBECCA: SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER AND GLOBAL BASKETBALL ENTERTAINER BASED IN LA. I WAS JUST GOING TO HAVE YOU INTRO YOURSELF, AND I'M LIKE, WAIT A SECOND. I GOT TO SHARE THE TITLE OUT THERE. SO, GRAYSON, TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. YEAH. SO, IT ALL GOES BACK TO WHEN I WAS TWO YEARS OLD, STARTED PLAYING BASKETBALL, MY DAD'S PASSION FOR THE GAME WORE OFF ON ME, AND, I REALIZED I WANTED TO PLAY BASKETBALL FOR A LIVING WHEN I WAS IN THIRD GRADE.
WOW.
YEAH. SO I'VE BEEN PLAYING THE GAME FOR A LONG TIME, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, MY CONTENT'S PRIMARILY BASKETBALL, STREETBALL-STYLE OF CONTENT. SO IT'S BASKETBALL BUT IT'S NOT THE NBA. BUT YEAH, I'VE BEEN PLAYING THE GAME MY WHOLE LIFE AND BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE AN INFLUENCER AND DO THIS THING FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS NOW. BUT, YEAH, STARTED YOUNG, YOU KNOW, I KNEW I WANTED TO PLAY BASKETBALL FOR A LIVING WHILE I WAS IN THIRD GRADE.
THAT'S IMPRESSIVE. YOU KNOW, NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN HAVE A CAREER JUST BASED OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND DOING THIS FOR 15 YEARS. THAT'S REALLY SAYING SOMETHING.
YEAH, IT'S BEEN A BLESSING. YOU KNOW, I THINK, I WAS TOURING ACTUALLY UP UNTIL 2016, SO I STARTED PLAYING PRO AT 18, STREET BALL. IT WAS CALLED THE AND1 MIXTAPE TOUR . IT WAS LIKE ON ESPN. IT WAS AIRING MORE THAN THE NBA AT A CERTAIN POINT FOR LIKE 5 OR 6 YEARS.
OH, WOW.
AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT. BUT COMPANY JUST GOT BOUGHT OUT ONE TIME. SO THE SAME DAY I WAS ON THE COVER OFSPORTS ILLUSTRATED , THE SAME EXACT DAY, SOMEBODY FROM CORPORATE TOLD US THAT THE COMPANY HAD JUST BEEN BOUGHT OUT. SO AS I'M LOOKING AT THE COVER OF THESPORTS ILLUSTRATED , SAME MOMENT, IT WAS THE PINNACLE OF THE WHOLE THING. AND AT 23 OR 24 YEARS OLD, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANT. SO I WAS LIKE, SO WE STILL GET TO HOOP? AND THEY'RE LIKE, OH, YEAH. AND I WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, COOL.
SO SOUNDS GOOD. BUT THEN LIKE, NOTHING WAS EVER THE SAME SINCE THAT MOMENT. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I STARTED WITH AND1 IN '03 WHEN I WAS 18, IT ENDED IN 2008, OUR ENDORSEMENT DEALS ENDED. AND SO THERE WAS THAT STRETCH. SIX SEASONS ON ESPN. AND THEN IT JUST LIKE ENDED OUT OF NOWHERE. AND YOU HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS NEXT. BUT DIGITAL WAS NEXT FOR ME. BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL SOME YEARS LATER.
YEAH. SO I WANT TO GET BACK INTO YOUR PAST.
SURE.
SO YOU SAID YOU STARTED PLAYING AT TWO?
TWO YEARS OLD. MY DAD GOT ME A LARRY BIRD NERF HOOP, AND I WOULD ENTERTAIN THE FAMILY LIKE MAKING BASKETS ON THIS NERF HOOP. SO, LIKE, BEING AN ENTERTAINER THROUGH BASKETBALL WAS, LIKE, IN ME SINCE I WAS LIKE TWO, LIKE, THIS WAS THE GIFT AND THE CALLING FOR ME. SO, SO YEAH, IT WAS GREAT. AND THEN BY ABOUT THIRD GRADE, YEAH, I WANTED TO MAKE THE NBA OR PLAY BALL FOR A LIVING. AND I HAD JUST LIKE THE MOST UNCONVENTIONAL ROUTE TO PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL YOU COULD THINK OF.
SHARE THAT WITH US.
SO MY THING WAS I NEVER GOT QUITE THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I ALWAYS LOOKED WAY YOUNGER THAN I WAS. SO EVEN WHEN I WAS LIKE 16, 17 YEARS OLD, I LOOKED LIKE I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD. YEAH WHEN I LIKE WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL ON THE ROSTER, I WAS 4'11", 85 POUNDS.
OH, MY GOSH.
YEAH. IT'S LIKE, WAIT, WHAT? PEOPLE ARE LIKE LITERALLY A GRADE SCHOOLER. THAT'S WHAT I LOOKED LIKE WHEN I WAS A FRESHMAN.
THAT'D BE ROUGH.
IT WAS. AND I WAS A STARTER ON A FRESHMAN TEAM. I PLAYED ON ALL THE AAU TEAMS LEADING UP TO THAT. BUT THEN WHEN I GOT INTO HIGH SCHOOL, IT WAS LIKE HARDER TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY. EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE SKILLS ON OFFENSE. DEFENSE WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE I WAS SO SMALL AND I KIND OF LIKE SHIED AWAY FROM CONTACT. AND BASKETBALL IS LIKE A VERY HIGH-CONTACT SPORT, CONTRARY TO WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT THINK.
YEAH.
SO COME JUNIOR YEAR I GOT CUT FROM THE VARSITY TEAM AND THAT'S LIKE A BIG HIT TO MY EGO. MY IDENTITY WAS JUST BALL. BALL IS LIFE, RIGHT? THAT WAS MY THING. SO I GOT HELD BACK ON THE JV TEAM. I STILL DID GOOD ON JV BUT, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T GET THAT OPPORTUNITY TO VARSITY. AND THEN MY PARENTS TRANSFERRED ME TO A CHRISTIAN SCHOOL MY SENIOR YEAR MAJORITY JUST FOR BASKETBALL. SO I GOT A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I GOT SECOND TEAM ALL STATE ONE VOTE AWAY FROM MVP AND IT WAS GREAT.
SO I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET A BUNCH OF COLLEGE OFFERS AND LETTERS. RIGHT. BUT I GOT ZERO AND SO.
OH, NO.
BUT YOU KNOW, MY ECOSYSTEM WAS SMALL COMING UP. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF HOOPERS, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE TO PLAY LIKE HOW GOOD YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE TO PLAY COLLEGE BASKETBALL. IT'S KIND OF A MYSTERY. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING HIGH-LEVEL INFO, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
SO I GOT NO OFFERS AND I WENT AND TRIED OUT FOR THREE COMMUNITY COLLEGES AROUND THE STATE, AND I GOT CUT FROM ALL, EVEN THOUGH I'D HAVE AMAZING SHOWINGS, YOU KNOW, BUT I STILL LOOKED LIKE I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL AT LIKE 18 YEARS OLD.
WHAT WERE YOUR SPECS THEN? HOW TALL?
PROBABLY 5'6", 5'7", ABOUT 115 POUNDS. SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WHAT POSITION WERE YOU?
POINT GUARD. THAT'S THE ONLY OPTION, RIGHT? BEING SMALL. SO POINT GUARD. BUT I THINK EVEN THOUGH LIKE ONE OF THE COLLEGES I REMEMBER I LIKE MADE EVERY SHOT LIKE SEVEN THREES. WE WON EVERY GAME CROSSING PEOPLE UP, DOING MY THING. BUT THE COACHES WERE REAL LIKE ALPHA. AND THEY PLAY A DIFFERENT STYLE OF BASKETBALL IN OREGON. IT WAS MORE LIKE OLD SCHOOL, LIKE HOOSIERS, CONVENTIONAL FOR B-BALL PEOPLE. THEY KNOW WHAT I MEAN. IT WAS LIKE KIND OF LIKE THE WAY WHITE PEOPLE PLAYED.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DATED, BUT IT CAN BE TO THE ADVANTAGE OF TEAMS THAT DON'T HAVE AS MANY ATHLETES. SO THAT'S HOW I PLAYED IN OREGON. SO LIKE MY STYLE WAS MORE LIKE THE NBA OR LIKE STREETBALL, BUT DIDN'T REALLY FIT THE MOLD. SO ULTIMATELY MY DAD, WHO OWNED A JEWELRY STORE, HE WAS SELLING JEWELRY TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE PLACE I DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO GO TO BECAUSE I WANTED TO MOVE OUT FROM MY PARENTS'.
HE PERSUADED THAT COACH TO GIVE ME A SHOT TO PLAY ON THE TEAM, AND THE GUY WAS NICE, NICE ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY GIVE ME A TRYOUT. LIKE WHILE HE'S SELLING HIM JEWELRY, HE'S PERSUADING HIM.
GO, DAD.
I KNOW, SO MY DAD'S THE ONLY REASON I GOT IN THE DOOR TO PLAY COLLEGE BALL. THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE ME REDSHIRT MY FIRST YEAR BECAUSE I WAS SO SMALL, THIS GUY GOT TO PUT ON SOME MUSCLE. BUT THEN THREE OF THE GUARDS GOT INJURED BEFORE THE SEASON, SO I HAD TO END UP SUITING UP.
WOW.
I SUITED UP AND I PLAYED THREE MINUTES A GAME AND IF THE GAME IS CLOSE, I DON'T EVEN GO IN THE GAME. SO THAT WAS MY COLLEGE BASKETBALL EXPERIENCE. BUT DURING THIS TIME I WAS LIKE AN AND1 FAN. I'M LIKE CULTURING AND1 LIKE TO SCHOOL. I WEAR, YOU KNOW, NOW IT'S COMMON TO WEAR BASKETBALL CLOTHES TO SCHOOL, LIKE FOR STREETWEAR. I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I WAS THE FIRST ONE, ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO DO THAT. LIKE I WOULD JUST WEAR A NIKE HOOP OUTFIT TO SCHOOL OR LIKE BUTTON-UP PANTS AND A T-SHIRT.
YEAH.
SO I WAS CULTURING, BUT IT WAS ALL AND1 LIKE EVEN MY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, IF YOU LOOK AT MY MIX, I'M WEARING AND1 SNEAKERS.
REALLY?
YEAH. SO I GO TO TRY OUT. SO AND1 MIXTAPE TOUR WAS LIKE THIS GLOBAL STREETBALL TOUR BLEW UP ON THESE LIKE CULT, THESE VHS TAPES CALLED THE AND1 MIX TAPES . AND THEY HAD LIKE A GLOBAL CULT FOLLOWING.
SO A HUGE FAN OF THIS JUST AS MUCH AS I WAS THE NBA AND I WENT TO THEY WERE HAVING THEY WERE GOING ON TOUR BUT BEFORE THEIR ARENA GAME, THEY HAVE A TRYOUT IN THE PARKING LOT FOR LOCALS, AND FROM THAT TRYOUT, THEY ONLY PICK LIKE 1 OR 2 PEOPLE TO COME INSIDE THE BUILDING THAT NIGHT AND PLAY AGAINST TEAM AND1. SO I WENT AND JUST TRIED OUT AS A FAN. I WAS GOING AS A FAN. I WAS JUST GOING TO THE GAME AS A FAN TO WATCH MY IDOLS PLAY.
BUT I STEPPED IN AND TRIED OUT JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING A TRYOUT AND LIKE WENT CRAZY. CROWD STARTED GOING CRAZY. WE'RE TALKING THESE HIGHLIGHTS CROSSING PEOPLE UP, GETTING BUCKETS, AND THEY ASKED ME TO COME INSIDE THE BUILDING AND PLAY. AND SO NEXT THING I KNOW, I'M GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH MY IDOL. YOU KNOW, MY IDOLS. YEAH, IN THIS BATTLE. AND THEN AFTER THAT GAME, THEY'RE LIKE, WE WANT YOU TO COME ON TOUR. THUS THEY PICKED ME OUT OF LIKE THREE GUYS, LIKE, WE WANT YOU.
AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT. I'M LIKE, YO, YOU WANT ME? I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. RIGHT? I WASN'T AWARE OF THE TV SHOW. THEY PROBABLY TOLD ME. BUT I'M SO GREEN. I'M NOT, IT'S NOT FULLY REGISTERING. SO THERE'S EVEN A CLIP OF ME ON THE TV SHOW. THEY'RE LIKE, WE PICK YOU. AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. LIKE, FOR SURE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW.
WHAT YOU'RE LIKE, SIGN ME UP.
YEAH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT.
SO YOU WENT INTO IT NOT EVEN REALIZING THAT YOU WERE GOING TO GET PICKED?
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, I WAS GOING THERE AS STRICTLY AS A FAN. THEY HAD THE TRYOUTS THE YEAR BEFORE. I ACTUALLY TRIED OUT, BUT LIKE IT JUST ENDED THERE. THEY DIDN'T HAVE A REALITY SHOW THAT THEY WERE LIKE DOCUMENTING ON THE SHOW. SO I ENDED UP GOING, THEY MIMICSURVIVOR . THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST 50 REALITY TV SHOWS EVER. SO LIKE THEY COPIEDSURVIVOR .
AND SO BASICALLY THERE WAS THREE SPOTS ON THE TOUR AS A CONTESTANT AND EVERY CITY, IF SOMEBODY TRIED OUT THE BEST PLAYER WHO PLAYED IN THAT CITY IS GOING TO -- WOULD REPLACE WHOEVER PLAYED THE WORST OUT OF THE THREE GUYS.
OH, MY GOODNESS.
YOU GO HOME. SO EVERY GAME IS CALLED AN ELIMINATION GAME.
WAIT, SO YOU WERE UP AGAINST IT EVERY SINGLE TIME? EVERY CITY?
EVERY LIKE 2 OR 3 GAMES, THEY HAVE AN ELIMINATION GAME.
OH, NO. AND YOU SURVIVED?
I SURVIVED.
THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE SUMMER. SO IT COMES DOWN TO THE VERY END OF THE SUMMER.
OH, MY GOD, I'D BE NERVOUS. YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE HAD A GAME THAT CAME DOWN TO THE END OF THE SUMMER IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. AND SO BEFORE THESE ARENA GAMES, I WOULD GET A LITTLE BIT OF JITTERS AND KIND OF NERVOUS. BUT I KNOW IT WAS MY GIFT BECAUSE AS SOON AS THE JUMP BALL WENT UP AND I RAN UP AND DOWN A COUPLE TIMES, I WOULD ALWAYS LIKE NOT BE NERVOUS, LIKE IT DIDN'T MATTER WHETHER WE WERE IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN OR IN THE PARK OR WHEREVER.
SO WE COME DOWN TO THIS LAST GAME AND I END UP HITTING A BUZZER SHOT AND WE BEAT, WE BEAT TEAM AND1. AND THEY WERE LIKE UNDEFEATED UNTIL THIS YEAR.
WHAT?! THAT'S WILD.
YEAH. AND THEN THE NEXT GAME, THE FINAL GAME FOR THE REALITY SHOW AND EVERYTHING, I STILL DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS WINNING. THESE TWO OTHER DUDES WERE LIKE PHENOMS THAT I WAS LIKE, COMPETING AGAINST. THEY COULD LIKE, DO A 360 WINDMILL BETWEEN THE LEGS, NOT LIKE BEST ATHLETES. SOME OF THE BEST ATHLETES I'VE EVER SEEN.
YEAH.
AND SO WE PLAYED A GAME IN LINDEN, NEW JERSEY. STREET BALL IS FROM THE HOOD, YOU KNOW, LIKE RUCKER PARK IS LIKE THE MECCA OF STREETBALL. TRADITIONALLY, IT GOT SO BIG THEY PLAYED NBA ARENAS. BUT FOR THE SHOW THEY'RE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, YOU DID IT ON A COMMERCIAL. NOW CAN YOU DO IT IN THE HOOD? AND SO THE FINAL GAME WE PLAYED IN THE HOOD AND THAT WAS NEW FOR ME. RIGHT. BUT I HAPPENED TO HAVE A GREAT GAME. AND THEN THAT'S HOW I WON MY CONTRACT WITH AND1.
WOW.
YEAH.
SO I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ABOUT YOUR STORY IS YOU DIDN'T GIVE UP BECAUSE YOU HAD SETBACKS AND YOU COULD HAVE JUST TAKEN THAT, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE, OH, YOU'RE TOO SMALL. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO PLAY. YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE AND BEEN LIKE, I BARELY GOT TO PLAY. BUT YOU DID NEVER GAVE UP. AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED IS YOU PRACTICED REALLY HARD.
YEAH.
AND SEE, THAT SAYS SOMETHING, THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU HAD A GIFT, BUT YOU ALSO HAD DISCIPLINE. AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT WORD BECAUSE IF YOU GAVE UP AND IF YOU WEREN'T DISCIPLINED, YOU WOULDN'T BE SITTING IN THIS POSITION TODAY, YOU WOULDN'T BE WHERE YOU'RE AT.
NO, AND I THINK WHAT I TELL HOOPERS TODAY IS, I DID IT MORE. I DID IT JUST OUT OF THE LOVE AND THE PASSION FOR THE GAME, MORESO THAN HAVING THE BLUEPRINT OF HOW TO BE A PRO OR WHATEVER. I JUST, THAT'S ALL I KNEW. IT WAS LIKE MY FUN OUTLET, LIKE, SO I TELL PEOPLE, LIKE HAVING A, A LOVE FOR THE GAME AND A PASSION AND LIKE IMAGINATION IS ACTUALLY MORE IMPORTANT.
EVEN THOUGH KNOWLEDGE IS IMPORTANT, IT'S ACTUALLY MORE IMPORTANT JUST TO LOVE IT, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT THE TIME IN NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY FOR SOMEBODY LIKE MYSELF WHO'S LIKE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE 6'8", YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? 6'8" BUFF. THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE LEAGUE JUST OFF GENETICS. AND EVEN THEN THOSE PEOPLE STILL GOT TO PUT IN THE WORK, TOO. BUT ESPECIALLY MOST OF US WHO ARE NOT GOING TO BE THAT ATHLETICALLY GIFTED.
SO IT WAS REALLY BECAUSE I JUST LOVED THE GAME.
YEAH, YEAH. BUT YOU WERE CONSISTENT TOO.
BUT IT'S A GOD-GIVEN PASSION, THOUGH, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I THINK AND I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY STUMBLES ON TO THAT. RIGHT. BECAUSE LIKE, I THINK WE CAN FALL MYTH TO LIKE WHATEVER YOU LOVE MOST IS YOUR CALLING. AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE. RIGHT. BUT MINE HAPPENED TO BE. WHAT I LOVE MOST WAS MY CALLING, AT LEAST WHILE I CAN STILL BE ACTIVE IN BASKETBALL.
YEAH, AND I WANTED TO TRANSITION TO THAT. SO WHAT WAS GOD FOR YOU GROWING UP? AND THEN I WANT YOU TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY.
YEAH. SO FOR ME, MY PARENTS PUT ME IN CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL. MY PARENTS, BOTH OF MY PARENTS' PARENTS WERE CHRISTIAN.
OKAY.
SO THEY PUT ME IN A CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL. AND SO I HEARD ABOUT CHRIST AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG, I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS LIKE SANTA, SANTA, THE TOOTH FAIRY, JESUS. ALL LIKE THIS. YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? AND THEN, LIKE --
IT DIDN'T, LIKE, FULLY REGISTER.
NO, NOT. AND NOT EVEN WHEN I WAS A SENIOR. THEY PUT ME IN ANOTHER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL MY SENIOR YEAR. SO IT WAS LIKE PRESCHOOL. AND IT'S LIKE THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL AND THE END. CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL. SO I REMEMBER BEING REMINDED OF ALL THE THINGS I WOULD HEAR BECAUSE LIKE, WE HAD A CHAPEL, JUST LIKE IN PRESCHOOL, I HAD A CHAPEL, KINDERGARTEN, PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN. I HAD A CHAPEL. SO WE'D DO THAT, YOU KNOW, AT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL. SO I WAS BEING REMINDED OF ALL THE SAME THINGS.
I REMEMBER ACTUALLY ASKED MY HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATE IN BIBLE CLASS, I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER THIS VIVIDLY. I WAS LIKE, SO IS LIKE JESUS, LIKE REAL, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I LOOKED AT HIM AND HE WAS LIKE, WAIT, WHAT? AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH, HE'S REAL? HE'S LIKE, I THINK SO, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK SO. AND LIKE, IT WAS FUNNY BECAUSE HE WAS CHRISTIAN, RIGHT? HE CAME FROM CHRISTIAN, THE WHOLE. HE PROBABLY UNDERSTOOD IT, BUT MAYBE HE WAS EMBARRASSED TO BE LIKE FOR SURE OR WHATEVER.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG. SO THAT'S THE MOST I EVER THOUGHT INTO IT.
SO YOU NEVER REALLY GOT THE FULL GOSPEL JUST LAID OUT?
NO, I DID, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT GIRLS AND BASKETBALL, LIKE, I WAS LIKE,
IT'S NOT REALLY ON THE HORIZON.
YEAH, EXACTLY. SO I DON'T THINK IT FULLY I FULLY WAS ENGAGED EVEN THOUGH I HEARD IT. I WAS LIKE, OH, MAYBE IT'S LIKE A BELIEF. LIKE THEY JUST WANT TO BELIEVE IT. IT'S LIKE GOOD LIFESTYLE OR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT. RIGHT? JUST CULTURALLY. SO THAT'S HOW I LOOKED AT IT. AND THEN LATER, AS I WENT THROUGH AND1, YOU KNOW, IT JUST ENDED OUT OF NOWHERE. AND LIKE ME AND MY TEAMMATES, WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM.
I KNOW FOR MYSELF, MOST OF US PROBABLY WENT BROKE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, I KNOW I DID. AND SO, I THINK THAT WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE OUR LIFE WAS SO FAST-PACED AND GETTING SO MUCH MONEY AND A-LIST-LEVEL FAME, AND WE'RE ON ESPN LIKE 50 TIMES A WEEK. THAT'D BE LIKE BEING ON NETFLIX ON THE RANKED IN THE TOP TEN, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? RANKED SO, TO HEAR. YEAH, TO HEAR FROM GOD. I THINK LIKE, I NEEDED THAT HUMBLE MOMENT,
MOST OF US DO.
THAT EGO-STRIKING MOMENT.
YEAH.
AND THEN, IRONICALLY, ACTUALLY CAME TO CHRIST BECAUSE MY CLOSEST FRIEND, HIS NAME IS ESCALADE. HE PLAYED ON THE TOUR WITH ME. HE WAS 6'9", 500 POUNDS. HE ACTUALLY HAD A HEART ATTACK, AND HE DIED. AND I RECEIVED CHRIST AT HIS FUNERAL. YEAH, SO VERY UNLIKELY SITUATION. YEAH.
WHAT WAS THAT MOMENT FOR YOU? LIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU THINK IT WAS JUST NOT ANTICIPATING YOUR FRIEND GOING AND KIND OF LIKE ETERNITY COMING INTO YOUR VIEWSCREEN?
YEAH, EXACTLY. LIKE I DON'T THINK I EVER REALLY ASKED, LIKE IF I THOUGHT ABOUT, LIKE, BIG QUESTIONS OF LIFE. THEY WERE LIKE, ULTRA INQUISITIVE AND I THINK IN MY MIND I WOULD THINK, LIKE, YOU COULDN'T REALLY KNOW CONCRETE TRUTH, RIGHT. LIKE THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW. SO LIKE, WHO CARES. THAT WAS KIND OF MY MINDSET, I THINK. AND THEN YEAH, I STARTED ASKING MYSELF BIGGER QUESTIONS OF LIFE.
LIKE AFTER GOING BROKE AND TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT AND THEN LIKE TRAGEDY AND GOD WAS WORKING ON ME ALSO, I WAS PLAYING IN A CHURCH LEAGUE AT THE CHURCH, THIS CHURCH WAS CLOSE TO MY HOUSE. I WAS PLAYING IN THIS LEAGUE. AND THEN, LIKE THE ELDER OR THE LEADER OF THE TEAM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OUTREACH LEAGUE, RIGHT? SO HE INVITED US TO CHURCH, BUT I JUST WENT TO BE POLITE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I WAS LIKE, ALL RIGHT, GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING? SO I'LL JUST GO AND LIKE, LISTEN.
AND KIND OF REMINDED ME OF HIGH SCHOOL A LITTLE BIT. WASN'T FULLY ENGAGED, BUT KIND OF BEEN ASKING MYSELF SOME BIGGER QUESTIONS. SO IT DID INTEREST ME MORE THAN LIKE WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL OR WHATEVER. AND THEN THERE WAS A BUNCH OF THINGS LEADING UP TO THAT MOMENT WHERE GOD WAS KIND OF LIKE LEADING ME AND THEN LIKE THAT FUNERAL I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE LIKE ULTRA KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURE OR ANYTHING, BUT I JUST FELT LIKE IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND THEN I WAS REALLY LOCKED IN BY THE TIME I WENT BACK TO CHURCH AND HAD A FULL TRANSFORMATION AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
TALK ABOUT THAT. SO YOU GET SAVED AT THE FUNERAL AND THEN YOU GET PLUGGED IN AT A CHURCH AFTERWARDS?
YEAH, EXACTLY. AND I KIND OF ALREADY WAS, THROUGH THE BASKETBALL MINISTRY.
OH, SO IT WAS THE SAME CHURCH.
SAME CHURCH. YEAH.
OH, THAT'S AWESOME.
YEAH. IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE LIKE 15 MINUTES FROM WHERE I LIVE. SO I STARTED HANGING OUT WITH LIKE JUST MAJORITY PEOPLE, THE, THE CHURCH, YOU KNOW, IT SWITCHED UP MY WHOLE FRIEND CIRCLE. I THINK IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT, BUT IT WAS JUST KIND OF LIKE OBVIOUS THAT THAT WAS THE MOVE. LIKE THE ONE SIDE OF FRIENDS ARE PARTYING. THE HOLLYWOOD PARTY ON MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY, YOU KNOW.
YEAH.
AND THEN MY OTHER FRIENDS ARE LIKE LOCKED IN AS BELIEVERS. IT JUST FELT LIKE A MORE PURE CIRCLE. AND I HAD A WAY BETTER FRAME OF MIND HANGING OUT WITH THEM, SO THAT WAS MY MINDSET AT THE TIME. BUT THAT WAS LIKE NOT KNOWING. IT WAS LIKE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. SO YEAH, MADE SOME GOOD CHOICES IN THAT AREA AND THEN, YEAH, I WAS IN A BIBLE STUDY AND JUST LOCKED IN AND JUST TIME FOR A NEW SEASON OF LIFE AT THAT TIME. YEAH.
YEAH. AND DID YOU LEARN, LIKE, THROUGH THE CHURCH, HOW TO HAVE YOUR OWN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD?
YEAH. FOR SURE. AND I THINK, LIKE, EVEN AFTER COMING BACK FROM THE FUNERAL, I WAS DIGGING IN RIGHT AWAY, LIKE I TALKED TO --
YOU HAD LIKE, A HUNGER.
YEAH. CAJUDA LED MY BIBLE STUDY. HE WAS ACTUALLY, LIKE, MY MENTOR. I JUST MADE HIM MY MENTOR. LIKE, AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, ASK HIM A LOT OF QUESTIONS. YEAH, EVEN MY FRIENDS, I WAS HANGING AROUND. THEY WERE ENCOURAGING US. SO. SO YEAH, I THINK, LIKE, THE COMMUNITY HELPED ME A LOT. RIGHT. LIKE WHO I WAS SPENDING TIME WITH AND WHO I WAS ASKING QUESTIONS WITH. AND THEN BEING MORE ENGAGED WHEN I GO TO CHURCH, TRYING TO LEARN EVERYTHING I CAN ON THE INTERNET OR CREDIBLE SOURCES.
YEAH, STUFF LIKE THAT. SO YEAH.
AND I THINK THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT WORD, IS THAT WE DO BECOME LIKE THE PEOPLE WE ARE AROUND, AND WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT WHO WE CHOOSE TO HANG OUT WITH. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY WERE SET UP IN THAT MOMENT. GOD. AND THAT'S WHAT HE DOES. HE PURSUES ALL OF US AND HE KNOWS THAT PERFECT MOMENT WHEN WE'RE GOING TO BE THE MOST ABLE TO RECEIVE THE GOSPEL AND MAKE THAT DECISION, YOU KNOW, SAME EXACT THING FOR ME.
GOD HAD BEEN WORKING ON ME AND IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME, YOU KNOW, REVEALED HIMSELF TO ME, AND I MADE THAT DECISION. AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE THOSE CONSCIOUS CHOICES, BECAUSE WHEN YOU FIRST GET SAVED, I THINK YOU'RE IN A VERY VULNERABLE PLACE. I THINK IT'S EASY TO SLIP BACK INTO THE WAYS OF THE WORLD. AND SO YOU HAVE TO BE CONSCIOUS ABOUT WHO YOU'RE AROUND, HOW YOU'RE SPENDING YOUR TIME.
YEAH. AND I THINK EVEN FOREVER. RIGHT. IT'S STILL HARD. IT'S STILL EASY BECAUSE EVEN, LIKE, FOR ME, LIKE, NOW I'M IN THIS SEASON WHERE I'M TRYING TO DO MORE OF THESE, BE MORE INTENTIONAL WITH DOING LIKE MINISTRY EVENTS, LIKE I HADN'T DONE ONE MINISTRY EVENT SINCE COVID AND I USED TO DO LIKE AT LEAST FIVE A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST USE MY PLATFORM FOR GOD, LIKE DIRECTLY.
AND THEN EVEN NOW, LIKE, I'M STILL TRYING TO LIKE YOU CAN GET IN, SEE, I GET SEASONS WHERE I GET SPREAD TOO THIN AND I BURN OUT. SO NOW I'M TRYING TO, LIKE, GET BACK TO MANAGING MY TIME HEALTHY AND BEING MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT READING THE WORD. AND SO IT'S EASY TO STRAY AWAY JUST IN GENERAL, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE FIRST COMING. I KNOW WHAT YOU MEANT BY THAT. BUT LIKE, FOREVER.
THAT'S A GOOD WORD TOO, THOUGH. IT'S CONSISTENT. YEAH, YOU HAVE TO BE. AND YOU KNOW, YOU THE THANK GOODNESS THAT IF WE GET SOMEWHAT OFF-TRACK, WE CAN REPENT AND TURN BACK AND GET BACK ON TRACK. IF WE GET BUSY, WE LEARN TO MOVE AT HIS PACE. AND, YOU KNOW, SOME SEASONS ARE BUSIER THAN OTHERS. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE TO BE LED BY THE SPIRIT AND UNDERSTAND, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT THIS SEASON LOOKS LIKE. THIS IS WHAT THIS OTHER SEASON LOOKS LIKE. AND SPEAKING OF CHANGING SEASONS.
SO AND1 ENDS, THEY GET BOUGHT OUT. YOU GET SAVED.
YEAH.
WHEN DOES YOUR OWN PLATFORM COME IN?
YEAH. SO EVEN BEFORE I GOT SAVED, I THINK, OUR ENDORSEMENT DEALS ENDED THE END OF 2008. LIKE, WE DIDN'T EVEN GET A CALL, YOU KNOW, SAYING THE CONTRACT RAN OUT. IT WAS LIKE A DIAL TONE, LIKE, HELLO? YOU CAN'T GET AHOLD OF NOBODY.
ROUGH.
SO, 2009, I STARTED MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY AN ATTEMPT JUST TO GET BOOKINGS BECAUSE I WAS AWARE OF YOU -- I WAS UP ON YOUTUBE BACK IN '05. I HAD A HOMIE MAKE ME A EDIT BECAUSE FANS WERE RIPPING OUR HIGHLIGHTS OFF ESPN. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO ARE ULTRA TECHIE AT THAT TIME AND THEY'RE MAKING THEIR OWN HIGHLIGHT COMPILATIONS ON YOUTUBE AND THEY'RE LIKE GOING OFF. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERY VID'S FIVE MIL, TWO MIL, TEN MIL.
SO I WAS LIKE, I SHOULD MAKE THESE ON MY OWN TO TRY TO FLOOD YOUTUBE AND HOPEFULLY TO GET MORE BOOKINGS OR AWARENESS. JUST PERIOD. IT'S GOOD FOR MARKETING.
EXACTLY.
BUT THEN AFTER AND1 ENDS, I'M LIKE, I NEED THOSE BOOKINGS. SO IN THAT TIME YOU ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO GET A DM ON YOUTUBE.
OH, WOW.
YEAH. SO I FOUND A FAN WHO WAS MAKING COMPILATIONS, PROFESSOR COMPILATIONS OF SOME OF MY TEAMMATES. RIGHT. AND I HIT HIM UP. HE LIVED IN SAN DIEGO. I COULD SEE HE WAS IN SAN DIEGO. I SENT HIM A DM ON YOUTUBE AND I ACTUALLY ASKED HIM TO TEACH ME HOW TO EDIT, TO LIKE, DO MY, TEACH ME HOW TO DO MY OWN CHANNEL. AND THROUGH THAT IT WAS LIKE LEARNING TO EDIT. SO I SAT WITH HIM LIKE THREE TIMES A WEEK. I WOULD DRIVE FROM LA TO SAN DIEGO.
WOW.
I HAD NOTHING ELSE GOING ON.
YEAH.
SO HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO EDIT AND THEN LIKE 2013. AND BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANT WAS EVERY TIME I DID A GAME BECAUSE I'D STILL GET BOOKED FOR LIKE FREELANCE GAMES, YOU KNOW, A FEW AND FAR IN BETWEEN. I'M NOT MAKING MUCH MONEY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S NEXT. I WOULD DO THESE GAMES, AND IF I HAD THE FOOTAGE, IF I COULD GET THE FOOTAGE FROM THE EVENT, I DIDN'T EVEN HIRE NOBODY TO FILM IT. I'M NOT KNOW HOW TO DO IT. THEN I WOULD EDIT IT AND PUT IT OUT.
SO BY 2013, MY HOMIE WAS LIKE, MAN, HE'S LIKE A LOT OF THESE VIDEOS GOT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VIEWS. HE'S LIKE, LOOK, THIS GOT LIKE A HALF A MILLION VIEWS. I WAS LIKE, HE'S LIKE, YOU NEVER TRIED TO GO VIRAL? AND I WAS LIKE, OH, YOU MEAN LIKE A YOUTUBER? AND I'M LIKE, HE'S LIKE, YEAH. AND I'M LIKE, BUT I'M THINKING, I'M AN ATHLETE.
I'M NOT. MY STUFF MIGHT BE ON YOUTUBE, BUT I'M NOT THINKING I'M A YOUTUBER NOT KNOWING, LIKE, NO, DON'T MATTER WHAT GENRE YOU'RE IN, YOU CAN GO IN JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. SO HE CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA, TO DO A SUPERHERO PRANK BASKETBALL VIDEO, WHICH WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW GENIUS IT WAS AT THE TIME WHERE I WOULD GO TO THE PARK, WE CHOSE SPIDER-MAN BECAUSE IT COVERED EVERY PART OF THE BODY, SO THEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHO IT WAS. AND SO I WOULD JUST, LIKE, PLAY PEOPLE AS THE SUPERHERO.
SAUCE THEM UP. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? DO MY THING. AND THEN IT TURNED OUT IT WAS SUCH A GREAT VID. IT WAS A IT'S COSPLAY. IT'S HUMOR. IT WAS PRANK SPORTS, JAW DROP, LIKE COMEDY, LIKE EVERYTHING ALL IN ONE. AND THAT'S HOW YOU, LIKE, REALLY GO VIRAL. BUT TO HIT ALL THOSE, CHECKED ALL THOSE BOXES AND IT DID SIX MIL IN A WEEK.
WHICH IS CRAZY.
LITERALLY. I ONLY HOOPED FOR 20 MINUTES, BUT I DIDN'T MISS A SHOT. ALL THE TRICKS WAS LIKE FLAWLESS. AND THEN I ENDED UP EDITING IT. I EDITED IT MYSELF FOR LIKE THREE HOURS OR WHATEVER. BY THE END OF I THINK THE FIRST DAY IT WAS LIKE TWO MIL VIEWS. THEN AFTER WEEK SIX MIL AND I GOT MILLION SUBS ON THE WEEK,
THAT'S CRAZY.
SO IT TURNED INTO A BUSINESS OVERNIGHT.
OH, MY GOODNESS.
YEAH. SO THAT WAS LIKE THE BEGINNING OF, OKAY. NOW YOUTUBE ITSELF IS A BUSINESS.
YEAH.
AND SO THAT WAS IN 2013. 2013. BUT I STILL WAS TOURING UP UNTIL 2016. THERE WAS ANOTHER COMPANY WHO TRIED TO KIND OF LIKE DO WHAT AND1 DID, PICK UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF. IT WAS CALLEDBALL UP . IT WASN'T SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE FOR A LOT OF REASONS, BUT MAINLY LIKE MARKETING, EVERYTHING WAS TURNING INTO SOCIAL AND THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND THAT WAVE. WE HAD LIKE A TV SHOW ON FOX, BUT LIKE, NOBODY REALLY WATCHES FOX, ESPECIALLY FOR REALITY TV.
NO.
SO, SO BUT I WAS STILL DOING YOUTUBE IN MY OFF-TIME. AND THEN AFTER 2016, THOSE CONTRACTS RAN OUT AS WELL. I WAS ABLE TO JUST GO FULL TIME.
WOW. WHICH IS REALLY SAYING SOMETHING.
OH, IT WAS GREAT. YEAH. I COULDN'T WAIT FOR THAT TO END THE TOURING. I MEAN, IT WAS GREAT. I STILL LOVE HOOPING, BUT IT'S A LOT OF TO DO YOUR OWN, TO BE YOUR OWN LIKE CEO, MAKE ALL YOUR OWN BUSINESS MOVES, DECIDE THE CREATIVE, MARKET YOURSELF HOW YOU WANT TO. WELL, YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT. AND THAT'S KIND OF NOW THAT'S LIKE THE NEW, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT NOW.
YOU KNOW NOW I THINK, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T, I THINK THE INTERNET WAS ROUGH BACK THEN. BUT THE INTERNET'S PRETTY ROUGH THESE DAYS.
IT'S ALWAYS HARD.
YEAH.
LIKE NO MATTER WHAT PLATFORM YOU DO, IT'S LIKE IF YOU WANT TO DO IT IN EXCELLENCE, LIKE A FULL-TIME JOB, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE ALGORITHM CHANGES EVERY SIX MONTHS TO A YEAR. SO YOU HAVE TO PIVOT.
YEAH. STAY UP WITH THE TRENDS AND THE EDIT STYLES AND NEW PLATFORMS. IT'S A GRIND. IT'S CONSTANTLY CHANGING. IT'S EVOLVING QUICKLY. AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ONLINE CAN BE PRETTY HARSH. AND I THINK FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN YOUR POSITION, IT'S A DIFFICULT POSITION TO BE IN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY EASY. WE'RE LIVING IN CANCEL CULTURE DAYS.
YEAH.
SO HOW DO YOU HAVE THIS PLATFORM AND ALSO BE A BELIEVER AND STAY TRUE TO YOUR BELIEFS?
OH, WELL, IT HELPED A LOT BEING MY OWN BOSS. LIKE, JUST STEP ONE WAS LIKE, OKAY, NOW I'M CONTROLLING MY DESTINY. NOBODY DECIDES WHAT WE SAY OR HOW WE GET DOWN OR WHAT OUR SCHEDULE IS. SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE ADVANTAGE OF LIKE, BEING AN INFLUENCER. YOU CAN DO YOUR OWN THING. AND I THINK ALSO JUST, YOU KNOW, IT GOES BACK TO STILL LIKE, WHO YOU HANG AROUND, WHO DO YOU BRING ON THE ROAD WITH YOU? WHAT ARE YOUR DISCIPLINES?
SO I TRY MY BEST TO, LIKE, BE AS DISCIPLINED AS I CAN TO, YOU KNOW, STAY IN THE WORD AND, YOU KNOW, BE GROUNDED AND THEN ULTIMATELY, LIKE, USE MY PLATFORM FOR CHRIST. BUT I THINK HOW LOGISTICALLY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH WHO I'M AROUND. AND WHAT ARE MY DISCIPLINES.
YEAH. SHARE SOME OF THOSE DISCIPLINES FOR, YOU KNOW, THE YOUNG BELIEVERS WATCHING WHO WANT TO GROW IN THEIR FAITH.
OH, FOR SURE. LIKE I THINK LIKE WHAT WAS BIG FOR ME EVEN THIS YEAR AFTER, YOU KNOW, COVID FINALLY IS LIKE BEHIND US, RIGHT? MAYBE FOR A YEAR NOW. BUT GETTING INTO A SMALL GROUP, YOU KNOW, SO I'VE EVEN RECENTLY MYSELF GOT BACK INTO A SMALL GROUP, I'M TRYING TO READ DAILY, YOU KNOW, TRY MY BEST TO READ DAILY. YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET IT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, BUT, THAT'S ANOTHER DISCIPLINE, STRENGTH AND PRAYER LIFE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO, LIKE, PRAY HALFHEARTEDLY BEFORE A MEAL OR IN THE MORNING NIGHT, YOU KNOW, BUT TRYING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL ABOUT HAVING A STRONGER PRAYER LIFE. AND THEN, YEAH. YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU, OF COURSE, YOU COULD SAY JUST BEING IN CHURCH ON SUNDAYS, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT A STAPLE. YOU DON'T MISS BECAUSE EASY TO MISS. AND I THINK EVEN FOR ME, THAT'S A THAT'S ACTUALLY CAN BE HARD TOO IS LIKE YOU'RE SO SPREAD THIN WITH YOU HAVE A HUGE PLATFORM AND ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
EVERYONE WANTS YOU TO DO EVERYTHING. YOU COULD BE LIKE, COME SUNDAY MORNING, YOU'D BE LIKE, MAN, I'M TIRED AS HECK, MAN. YEAH, IT'S SO HARD TO MAKE IT UP THERE. BUT LIKE BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING IT A THING. SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT COME TO MIND.
YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THE MOST EXCITING THING FOR PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO DISCIPLINE AND SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES, BUT IT REALLY IS HOW WE WALK OUT OUR FAITH AND HOW WE STAY SPIRITUALLY STRONG IN HIM. AND SO THAT'S SUCH AN IMPORTANT WORD, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN THE RIGHT COMMUNITY, TO BE CONSISTENT WITH BEING IN THE WORD. YOU KNOW, I, I WANT MORE PEOPLE IN OUR GENERATION AND UNDER TO BE IN THE WORD OF GOD AND TO BE GLEANING IT FOR THEMSELVES.
BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T, IF THEY'RE NOT GLEANING FROM IT, IT'S GOING TO BE EASY TO BE DECEIVED. AND WE'RE LIVING IN VERY PERSUASIVE AND DECEPTIVE TIMES WHERE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE PUTTING OUT WHAT SEEMS LIKE A CHRIST-CENTERED GOSPEL, BUT IT'S NOT. AND SO, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE FALLING AWAY UNINTENTIONALLY, YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT HOW IN THE LAST DAYS, THERE WILL BE A GREAT APOSTASY IN THE CHURCH, THAT PEOPLE WILL FALL AWAY.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE CONSISTENT, YOU KNOW, TO BE IN THE WORD, TO BE AROUND THE RIGHT PEOPLE. AND I LOVE THAT YOU'RE USING YOUR PLATFORM TO GLORIFY THE LORD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S WHAT WE DO WITH THE GIFTS HE'S GIVEN US, AND IT'S BEING OBEDIENT AND IT'S BEING GOOD STEWARDS. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOUR LIFE IS A TESTIMONY TO NOT GIVING UP, TO BEING DISCIPLINED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WERE IN THAT CROSSROADS MOMENT, YOU CHOSE CHRIST AND YOU'VE LEANED INTO HIM EVER SINCE THEN, YOU KNOW? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
YEAH, ANOTHER THING IS IMPORTANT TO TACK ON TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TOO, IS THAT KIDS SHOULD KNOW OR NEW BELIEVERS IS THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY A BETTER LIFE. SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE DISCIPLINE, IT'S HARDER TO FOLLOW THE CALL ON YOUR LIFE. YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE CLOUDED. IT'S GOING TO BE HARDER TO FOLLOW A CALL AND IT'S NOT BETTER. RIGHT. BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THE ENEMY WILL TELL US, OR WHAT'S EASY TO FALL INTO FROM CULTURE, IS THAT THOSE DISCIPLINES ARE LIKE HARD, RIGHT?
SO IT'S LIKE EASIER JUST TO CHILL, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? LIKE, BUT YOU THINK THAT'S A BETTER LIFE BECAUSE YOU'RE LIKE, OH, MAN, YOU WORK ALL HARD. THAT'S CRAZY. LIKE, IT'S BETTER JUST WE CAN THINK THIS IN OUR MIND JUST SUBCONSCIOUSLY. RIGHT? BUT NOT KNOWING IF YOU ACTUALLY LIKE ARE. AND IT'S NOT JUST THE BIBLE DIRECTLY, BUT IF YOU'RE HAVING FUN SEEKING GOD AND LEARNING ABOUT CHRIST, OBVIOUSLY THE WORD DIRECTLY TO.
BUT IF YOU'RE HAVING FUN PURSUING CHRIST AND DOING ALL THESE THINGS, THEN WITH THAT FOLLOWS MORE PEACE, BETTER LIFE, BE MORE IN YOUR CALL. AND THEN IT'S JUST OVERALL, IT'S JUST LIKE A WAY BETTER LIFE. BUT EVEN MYSELF, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY. IT'S HARDER TO STAY WITH THOSE DISCIPLINES TO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE. BECAUSE I THINK THE BEST LIFE IN THE CULTURE WOULD BE LIKE, GET RICH OR BE AN ENTREPRENEUR. BALL OUT AND THEN PUT PEOPLE UNDER YOU SO YOU CAN LIKE KICK YOUR FEET UP AND CHILL.
IT'S NOT EVEN HOW IT WORKS ANYWAY, EVEN IF YOU WANT TO DO THAT. BUT THE REEL IS LIKE, YEAH, AS A NEW BELIEVER, LIKE BEING IN CHRIST. LIKE THAT'S A WAY BETTER LIFE. LIKE THAT'S MORE LIKE EARLIER ON THE TABLE TALK THEY WERE SAYING LIKE SUSTAINABLE JOY. THAT CAN BE GREAT. SO I THINK THOSE DISCIPLINES CAN BE LOOKED AT AS JUST LIKE HARD WORK AND LIKE THERE'S NO GREAT BENEFIT YOU COULD REAP FROM IT. BUT IT'S LIKE IT'S ACTUALLY THAT IS WAY BETTER WAY, RIGHT, TO LIVE. SO YEAH.
IN THE MOMENT IT MIGHT BE HARD, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S EASIER TO JUST THINK I'M JUST GOING TO CHILL. AND I TOTALLY GET THAT BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE MYSELF SO MANY TIMES. BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. IN THE LONG RUN, YOU SEE THE FRUITS OF THE WORK.
AND EVEN IN SHORT TERM, AS YOU GO. RIGHT, I CAN EVEN LOOK, I CAN POINT TO LIKE CERTAIN VIDEOS WE'VE MADE, AND IT ALWAYS COMES WHEN I'M LIKE MOST FOCUSED SPIRITUALLY TOO, LIKE,
THAT'S A GOOD ONE.
WE'LL DO A VIDEO LIKE IT'LL BE CRAZY. ONE TIME I CROSSED THE DUDE UP. I AIN'T EVEN TOUCH HIM. HE BROKE HIS SHOULDER LIKE, BUT THE VIDEO AND THE VIDEO LOOKED LIKE IT WENT SO LIKE SUPERHERO VERSUS VILLAIN THAT PEOPLE THINK IT WAS LIKE FAKE, BUT IT LIKE, WASN'T. IT'S LIKE GOD HAD HIS HAND EVEN IN, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT. SO LIKE ONGOING, WE COULD SEE THE HARVEST OF LIKE SUPERNATURAL THINGS HAPPENING JUST DAY IN AND DAY OUT TOO. YEAH.
THAT'S AWESOME. WHAT SO YOU ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID THAT WAS INTERESTING IS YOU SAID THAT A LIE THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE IS THAT LIVING LIFE FOR THEMSELVES IS THE BEST LIFE, BUT THE BEST LIFE REALLY IS IN CHRIST. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER LIES FROM THE ENEMY THAT GOD HAS REVEALED TO YOU THE TRUTH? WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE LIES THAT GOD SHOWED YOU THIS ISN'T TRUE. THIS IS WHAT'S TRUE. THAT COULD, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HELP BRING CLARITY TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING.
OH, MAN, SO MANY. I'M TRYING TO THINK WHERE TO GO, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES. SOMETIMES, LIKE, IT COULD BE LIKE A DEAL YOU GET OFFERED OR SOME BIG-MONEY OPPORTUNITY. BUT THIS GOES BACK TO THAT SAYING, LIKE, NOT ALL MONEY IS GOOD MONEY OR NOT ALL OPPORTUNITIES ARE GOOD ONES. SO I THINK SOMETIMES EVEN GOOD THINGS THAT COULD COME YOUR WAY OR WHAT SEEMS GOOD, PROBABLY ISN'T BEST FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE OR WHATEVER.
WHETHER IT'S SIGNING THAT DEAL FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S A CROOKED PARTNER OR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO DERAIL YOUR SCHEDULE, TO NOT BE DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND SPREAD YOU TOO THIN OR, SOMETHING THAT MAYBE LIKE A LITTLE EDGY OR DARK MIXED IN WITH SOMETHING GOOD. SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ALL GOOD. THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT I'VE COME ACROSS BEFORE THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT... REBECCA: WHERE THERE'S COMPROMISE. SOMETHING YOU SHOULD PASS. YEAH, EXACTLY. SOMEWHERE WHERE THERE'S COMPROMISE.
BUT EVEN IN YOUR REGULAR LIFE, YOU COULD EVEN, YOU COULD DATE SOMEBODY WHO IS KIND OF, LIKE, NOT FULLY LIKE, ON BOARD WITH CHRIST OR HAS A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THE GOSPEL, BUT, LIKE, MAYBE THEY'RE HOT OR THEY'RE REALLY NICE TO YOU. SO YOU THINK THEY'RE GOOD. LIKE, YEAH, I DON'T KNOW. THERE'S A LOT OF WEIRD DECEPTION THAT CAN COME YOUR WAY THAT MAY THAT NEED A, YOU KNOW, A CAREFUL INSPECTION ON MIGHT NOT BE BEST FOR YOU SPIRITUALLY.
EXACTLY. AND SO THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT WORD. IT'S NOT TO COMPROMISE. THAT'S SO IMPORTANT I THINK THAT'S A WORD THAT PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO HEAR THIS DAY. BECAUSE I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF COMPROMISE GOING ON IN THE LONG RUN. I THINK PEOPLE WILL REGRET COMPROMISE, BUT I THINK IN THE BEGINNING IT CAN LOOK CERTAIN THINGS CAN LOOK ENTICING OR APPEALING, BUT IT'S NOT WORTH IT.
YOU KNOW THAT VERSE, IT SAYS, JESUS SAYS, WHAT IF A MAN TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, BUT TO LOSE HIS SOUL, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT WORTH IT. AND SO I JUST LOVE THAT. FOR MY FINAL QUESTION OR THING THAT I WANT YOU TO DO IS FOR THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE LISTENING THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE BIG DREAMS AND, YOU KNOW, LOVE THE LORD, WHAT IS YOUR PIECE OF ADVICE TO THEM? HOW WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE THEM?
OH, WELL, I THINK WE TALKED, WE COVERED A LOT HERE, BUT I THINK, YEAH, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAY ON TRACK AND I WOULD SAY, YOUR FRIEND GROUP IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I ENCOURAGE THEM TO HANG OUT MAJORITY WITH OTHER BELIEVERS. YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS, LIKE, YOUR CLOSE FRIENDS YOU TALK TO WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT, YEAH, I WOULD SAY JUST STAY ON TRACK WITH CHRIST BECAUSE IT'S EASY TO BE TAKEN AWAY AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO JUST TRY DIFFERENT THINGS TOO.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT THEY THINK THEIR PURPOSE IS IN CHRIST. SO I THINK TRYING NEW THINGS IS GOOD. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THINGS THAT AREN'T COMPROMISING OR DARK OR BAD OR WHATEVER.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO FAIL.
YEAH. BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE COME TO ME WITH, HOW DO I START MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL OR WHAT DO I, HOW DO I FIND WHAT KIND OF CONTENT'S GOOD? AND I WOULD SAY, WELL, YOU SHOULD START WITH LIKE, WHAT DO YOU LIKE? LIKE WHAT DO YOU LIKE NOW? YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING THERE, TRY ALL DIFFERENT KIND OF VIDEOS AND SEE WHAT STICKS. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, AND SEE WHAT'S FOR YOU. SO I DON'T THINK, IN LIFE AND FOLLOWING YOUR CALLING, TRYING NEW THINGS IS A BAD THING, TOO.
SO THERE'S JUST SOME THINGS THAT'S TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT.
YEAH. AND DON'T BE. IT'S LIKE I THINK PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO TRY NEW THINGS BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE AFRAID TO FAIL. AND IT'S OKAY. LIKE FAILURE. THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD TO LEARN LATER ON IN LIFE BECAUSE I WAS, SO I WOULD AVOID THINGS BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO FAIL, AND I HAD TO LEARN THAT FAILURE IS NOT BAD. IT'S HOW YOU LEARN AND IT'S HOW YOU GROW, AND IT'S WHAT YOU DO WITH FAILURE, YOU KNOW?
YEAH, YOU WANT TO LEARN, JUST START THINGS UP AND LEARN IT AS YOU GO. BECAUSE. YEAH, EXACTLY. LIKE THE LEARNING PROCESS, THE FAILURES ARE THE LEARNING PROCESS. RIGHT. LIKE IF WE NEVER FAILED IN LIKE WHAT YOU MIGHT LEARN SOME THINGS, BUT YOU'RE NOT, IT'S NOT GOING TO SET IN.
EXACTLY.
SO YEAH, I THINK TRYING NEW THINGS, DON'T BE WORRIED TO FAIL. I THINK THIS GENERATION SPECIFICALLY HERE IS ALL ABOUT THE MICROWAVE. THEY WANT MICROWAVE SUCCESS, RIGHT?
YES.
I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO LIKE START THEIR YOUTUBE OR DO THINGS IN SHORT TERM. AND LIKE AFTER JUST A COUPLE VIDS, THEY STOP BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, OH, IT DIDN'T WORK. IT'S LIKE, YEAH, THAT WAS A FIVE-YEAR PLAN. SO I THINK SAY EVEN LIKE FINDING YOUR CALLING OR, YOU KNOW, STUFF LIKE THAT. LIKE YOU GOT TO JUST LIKE LEARN AS YOU GO AND...
AND NOT GIVE UP.
AND DON'T GIVE UP. I THINK THAT'S A BIG THING I'VE TAKEN AWAY JUST FROM LIFE IN GENERAL. I COULD LOOK AT THAT IN THE SPIRITUAL FORM FOR MYSELF, LIKE NOT GIVING UP. IT'S BEEN GREAT AND THEN EVEN JUST LIKE WITH BASKETBALL OR LIKE MY CAREER NOW WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, LIKE, DON'T JUST STICK WITH IT. YEAH, I FOUND STICKING WITH WHAT I LOVE FOR OVER 20 YEARS IT'S ACTUALLY SUPER PAID OFF. BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE UP.
LIKE I TORE MY ACHILLES, LIKE ALL THESE, LIKE, CRAZY, I ACTUALLY GET INJURED EVERY SECOND NOW. SO A LOT OF, LIKE, INJURIES OR LIKE, I NOTICED EVERYBODY MY AGE NOW, LIKE, THEY'RE DECIDING THEY'RE JUST DECIDING TO END BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THEY HAVE KIDS AND NOW THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S TIME FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR WHATEVER. AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE AFTER AND1, THEY JUST STOPPED, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, THAT'S IT. I GOT MY OPPORTUNITY ON TV, MY FAME WAVE IS OVER OR WHATEVER.
SO STICKING WITH THINGS IS ACTUALLY THE KEY JUST IN ANYTHING IN LIFE. YEAH. REBECCA: THAT'S SO GOOD. WELL, I ALMOST CALLED YOU "THE PROFESSOR", BUT I WANT TO CALL YOU GRAYSON. GRAYSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR SHARING WITH THE VIEWERS, AND JUST KEEP GOING. KEEP GLORIFYING THE LORD THROUGH WHAT YOU DO. AND WE'LL BE PRAYING FOR YOU AND BELIEVING THE BEST FOR YOU. THANK YOU. THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON. IT WAS AWESOME.
AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE REBECCA WEISS PODCAST .