Baron Davis - Rivalries Never Die

Hi, I'm Sloan. I'm fourteen years old, and I love the NBA.

I believe in today's guest because he was a part of one of my favorite lineups ever, the two thousand and seven the year I was born, by the way, we believe Golden State Warriors. Not only did he take down Dirk in his now, but he's an NBA All Star and entrepreneur.

And an all around great guys.

Today we're talking to the one and only Baron Data. So Baron, everyone knows you were part of the two thousand and seven we Believe Warriors.

Something crazy is is I wasn't even alive for that.

Wow.

So here's what I want to know. Do you root for the Warriors? Are you a Warriors fan?

I do. I always say the Warriors have my heart.

You know, born and raised here in La I was born in nineteen seventy nine. Do you remember King you like, go back that far? Is it all true history?

Yeah? But that was the year of Magic Johnson.

Yes, and so year I was born, Magic Johnson won his first championship with the Lakers. So you know, forever, I'm going to be a Laker fan. But like, my heart is always with the Warriors, So I root for the Warriors.

It's funny because I'm an LA kid too, and I hate the Lakers burning Path and I really really cool why you know, Okay, absolutely, I mean I guess Lakers do have Lebron, but like, come on, you want to root.

For the war Yes, you definitely do the other team to root for.

They are So I.

Don't know if you know, but I am fourteen years old and I'm going into my freshman year of high school. So I'm going to take you back. You're Baron Davis. Everyone knows famous Baron Davis. But when you were fourteen, when you were going into ninth grade, who were you?

What were you like?

I was five feet tall?

Seriously, yeah, my god, yeah.

Five No, it was five two, okay, and I was.

Like one hundred and twenty pounds or something like that, one hundred and twenty five pounds, And I don't know. I was just I was happy, you know, I was happy to like be in high school. But I was probably like in that Crossroads, I was like the smallest kid.

Yeah, you know, in ninth grade.

I was so happy to get to high school because I played you know, basketball and Crossroads in eighth grade, but I always wanted to play like against better competition. So it was like my first time having an opportunity to feel like, you know, I was a real teenager.

But I didn't really do much. You know.

It wasn't like I had an exciting life. I was just so focused on basketball.

That was it. That was really it.

I remember playing against Brentwood at homecoming and the jersey was too big.

No, no, they didn't.

No, we cracked and we could kill them. And they were yelling diapers, diapers every time I tested the ball because my shorts were so big that they thought that I had put a diaper on to keep my shorts up. So yeah, so you know, classic Brentwood. That was fun and just I think being in ninth grade and being in high school for the first time, it was like you got a chance to like see what the older kids were doing. So I was like always trying to like hang with the older kids on campus.

So if you were five too, did you think you

Uh.

I never paid attention to my height, you know, like I was super insecure. I would go in the backyard and hang on the clothes line, so there was like these clothes poles, so I would hang on the clothes line. That's the year I start drinking milk. But I was really eating cereal because I hated milk.

I don't know.

I was just kind of like confident, you know what I mean. But at the same time, I was so small. I was just trying to like trying to have some you know, trying to have some space and like follow other people.

You know.

Now, I think I have to start drinking milk. I need to get a little bit taller. I'm still serial. You know, one day I'm gonna dunk because I'm gonna drink all that all that milk. So, you know, like currently there's the eybl tournaments going on, and I think it's interesting because all these players who have the potential to go to the NBA, they all know each other. All these five stars, they play against each other all

I played against Earl Watson when he was in seventh grade. I played against Dion Glover when he was in sixth grade. One Dion Glover beat our team in the championship. Earl Watson beat our team. They beat us too.

Who else? Tayshaun Prince.

We were actually on the same AAU team, you know, like here in LA when I was growing up as a kid. It was like the first time that I would saying, like AAU basketball was starting to like form with travel. We didn't have all the resources, but we would all kind of travel together. Gilbert Arenas played on our AAU team, Like we had a lot of Gilbert James Harden played on our AAU team, So it was

Yeah.

I think it's cool to see, like, you know, Bradley Beal with Jason Tatum in the way that like they came from similar backgrounds in like the same city, and I think that they played on similar teams and how then you know, when Bradley Bill was like seeing that Jason Tatum was like gonna make it, then you know he becomes.

Like a role model for him. I think that's cool looking at those pictures.

I don't know if you've seen them, but it's like an edit of this AAU team, and I think there's like twelve kids on it. All of them made it to the NBA. Yeah, it's just crazy seeing all of them there together. So that's cool to hear that you would like a similar experience.

Yeah, it's so great.

Like basketball has such a such a great brotherhood and sisterhood and family like orientation and like the whole part of like everybody says basketball community is like we're a community, and so it's like it's like a pay it forward and like you really love these people, you know that you look up to and you like watch, you know, make it. So I think it's just this undying love and appreciation of people's skills and you know, their path that makes our community so close that.

Speaking of making it, what was your welcome to the league moment?

My welcome to the league moment? John Stockton.

So we're playing Utah I come off the bench and I'm like, I get to play.

Against John Stock.

This is your rookie year, Charlotte Rooki Year.

Like I'm like, I'm and pressed.

I'm like looking at him, like I thought he was taller than this, you know, I thought he was bigger than this.

I'm looking at Carl Malone like, oh he's pretty. He's huge.

And so the game is going. Our point guard is you know, Stocking is just working them over, and I'm like, what is he?

What is he letting this do?

Work him over? I get in the game, I check in the game. They shoot a free throw, I go to take They go to take the ball out. I try to grab the ball. I turn around, he steals it.

If they score, I get the ball back. I throw the ball in the get it down corner, throw it in the post.

I cut through the big man takes one druggle spits, he steals the ball.

And then the next play he like took me off a pick.

Then he like elbowed me in my like in my neck and pushed me in the Carl Malone.

So I was like, Dune, this is not this is not a nice guy. I'm hot, you know, I'm hot.

I'm like, all right, I'm about to take it to him. So I get the ball, get the steal, and I'm going and I don't see him anywhere. And as soon as I turn, turn around and throw them all in front of me, friends in front were not small bounds and the coach takes me the game.

Yeah, that was it. I don't think I even went back.

And you know you.

Did lead the NBA twice in steals, so you were like.

Okay, well you have to learn from the grades.

Now we've heard about you in like middle school and high school. But here's my question. I want to know you were part of the We Believe Warriors. I don't know if you saw, but these last Warriors people were saying this was like, do We Believe Warriors Part two? If you had your starting lineup and then you had Steph Clay Dre loon In Wiggs, who's winning. Oh for sure, I'm going to take my Warriors because we did. I mean, you know, you guys beat Dirk, but we beat Luca and then we got a ring.

Yeah, you got ring.

I mean you know, I would never bet against myself on a basketball court, or Steven Jackson or Monte Ellis.

I mean we you know we can.

I definitely feel like, you know, our team would be able to get up and down, you know, score with them. And we actually like play.

Defense, not saying it like I'm talking about our era.

I will defend my boys over everything.

We play defense. Joy Mind is a great defender. The Warriors a great defensive team. I'm saying, like on our team, like they didn't think that we played defense. O.

Yeah, so we.

Started like like not that we started, but we were the first kind of team outside of Phoenix that would play up and down, shoot a lot of threes, and they never thought we played defense. But similar to the Warriors, it's like you have this defensive mentality. But if we were to play that game, I would put Monte Lis on Steph Curry.

I would put me on Clay.

You think you block them up? I mean, you know, if it's game six, Clay, no one can stop. Maybe any of the maybe.

Maybe Clay is tough to stop. You got to get around a lot of picks. Steve Vin Jackson with guard probably Wiggins, Okay, Matt Barnes or Al Harrington with guard Draymond. Draymond can't guard Al Harrington. I've never seen anybody guard.

Drake can guard anywhere.

I feel like I've never seen anything.

Okay, I'll for it.

Then, well that would be an interesting matchup. And then Looney and Beatrice. I think they would both just they were both like hustle guys. Yeah, you know, would cancel each other out. But you know that this team was very similar to like our team as far as like they just play with so much joy together with tinacity and you know, you got a top five player of all time and Steph Curry.

I like top five.

It's tough, you know, it's tough.

Yeah, I think Lone is so underrated, and I think he's such a fun player to watch. You know, last season and this season he has not missed a game. He just plays through everything. I think it was something like since January he led the league in offensive rebounds. He's just I just think he's so fun to watch

And it's true.

Was he well he's number five? No, he was five on.

Okay, and he has my number two for the Warriors.

Yeah, you guys connect, I think.

Okay, what was the most memorable play of your career?

Well, actually, I think we all probably know the answer to that, but I want to hear your answer.

I would say the most memorable play in my career is uh, I have credit for making the longest shot in NBA history.

You do what happened?

It was we were playing Milwaukee. It was like, I think, like one second on the clock. They were shooting a free throw, and I was telling Eddie Robinson, like, Yo, take the ball out, dude, just take the ball out.

Throw it to me. I swear to god, I'm gonna make it, dude. I feel it.

And he's like he's like going as he's lined up across and he's like, dude, like all right, I'm like, dude, no, no, take the ball out because if you don't take it out. I think it was mash or somebody. They're gonna take it out and they don't care who to.

Throw it to. So we're like going back and forth, and he was like, I got you, I got you.

The ball goes in and he takes off down the court and I'm like, I'm so upset, so I run to the baseline. I forgot who threw me the ball. I catch the ball and I throw it and it goes in and you can see him like holding his hands up at the opposite end of the fit of the on the basket. It was in Milwaukee, Oh okay, And it was like one of those shots like, oh, like you know, the momentum had changed, Milwaukee is just his some free throws.

The air was dead, and I just like flung it and I was like, see, I told you I was gonna make it. I told you I was gonna make it.

So it was like the shot that I called before I show make it in or did you know I switched?

That's nice. You should have been like you guys were playing a game of horse or something. No one would beat you in that.

And then I would say, carolinco is probably like the one that people will remind me of, so I have to I have to say that that is, you know, one of.

The more livable, you know moments in my career.

Yeah, I feel like Jordan Poole has had a few

What are you doing?

And then it goes in like I was at Game five of the Finals, and I remember it was funny because I don't even know what was happening, but I'm still like, I love Jordan, but I'm.

Still like, give it to Steph. Give me Steph is Steph.

And I think it was like going into the from the third to the fourth and Jordan just sort of took it and he just sort of like chucked it and of course he like baked.

It and I'm like, what are you doing? Like every time you're like, do not do that? And then it goes and you're like come on.

I mean, I love guys like that who are like, you know, it's like reliable wild cards, you know what I mean. It's just like you know what you're gonna get, but you could get forty, you know what I mean. He's so capable of like doing incredible things.

He has so much potential.

I just I hope that what we saw this season stays, Like I really really hope that he just continues to grow because he's really I mean, I think you can see it at Michigan. We saw this season, especially when Steph was hurt in those last few weeks, he was really so especially in the Denver series too, he was crazy.

I think he's gonna have a big year because you know, there's still like the sixth Man Award, there's still the most improved player. There's still like, yeah, there's still like room for him to grow to be that guy.

Yeah.

What do you think about Jaw getting Most Improved Player? I think I.

Did not Like I didn't either, because I don't like he's already a superstar, you know what I mean.

He was drafted second game.

Yeah, I feel like Most Improved Players an award that's supposed to be given to someone who goes from being like Jordan Poole in the G League to being like a huge player. Jaw has the normal progression of an NBA superstar.

He was rookie in the year.

He's just getting better, but he's getting better like he's supposed to. Jordan was one of the last picks in the first round, and now you know, he's averaged like twenty eight points all something like that all five games of the Denver series.

So okay, this is for sure my.

Favorite you should like work for the NBA. You should

Okay, NBA, if you guys are listening, So Baron David says, I'm knowledgeable.

Yes, yeah, the Most Improved Player award cannot go to a super ries.

You know what I think should happen. I think I should just choose all the awards because you know.

If I did, I'd be like, Okay, Kaminga and Moses Moody, they are tied for rookieson definitely, Draylon is definitely Defensive Player of the Year. Steph MVP all the time. STEP's unanimous every year, not just once every single time for sure. Okay,

Let's just be honest.

He's like a very devon air and charismatic and fashionable guy.

That's your way of saying it's saying it.

That's just like you say, he's a brand, Yes.

Tsunami poppy.

Yeah, so Steven and Smith is known for his hot takes, but I don't think you've ever seen takes hotter than Kelly Ubray Junior until now.

Because Baron Davis, we are about to get really hot, devilishly handsome. These takes are going to be I'm telling you.

Like Kelly Bray, of course, you know, these takes are just gonna have beautiful green eyes.

And be good.

Okay, which NBA player is the best dress? We're doing current currently? Uh?

Kelly, good answer answer? I like that.

Okay, Kelly, Ray can't be the answer for all because you know you were if this was if the roles were reversed and you were asking these questions, I'd be like, Kelly, you're right, Kelly, Kelly, you read Kelly. If you're watching this, perfect everything now. Okay, who is the best shoe game?

PJ? Tucker?

That's the answer everyone knows. When people give a different answer, I'm like, you're wrong. He has a house for his shoes.

He's the bomb.

Agreed, Okay, who is the funniest NBA player?

I like Anthony Edwards.

I think he has like like he has a great and funny and natural personality.

I think that he.

Could potentially be a superstar like as far as like other stuff.

Did you watch him in Hustle? Yeah, he was actually a good actors act.

At the Hustle premiere, there was this video and they asked him his all time starting five, and like before even saying Jordan, Lebron or anything, he just goes me, that's a good answer. Who is your favorite current NBA player?

My favorite current NBA player would have to be uh, Steph Curry me too, That's.

A good one.

That's an easy one.

Actually, I might have to say want is gone Anderson.

I love him, that guy.

I was a Sleepway camp and my dad wrote me a letter that JTA was traded to the Lakers. First I cried, Then I realized the bright side of it that he lives in LA and I live in l A. And we could run into each other like any and then we could become best friends. And then we could get like matching best friend necklace. Yes, for sure, best friends.

Okay, which current NBA player could run for president and win?

I would say Lebron James. I will vote for him.

I guess me too.

The only thing is so many people hate him that I think that they would vote against him, like I think you.

I think Bobon.

I know he's not an American citizen, but for me, it's just like everyone loves Bobon.

I will vote too.

Yeah, yeah, But the only thing you have to be born in the YEA.

Well, maybe you know, maybe we can figure it, you know what, Boban, maybe.

We can just make up the city and you know, yeah, like close to Reno he was born.

And sure, let's go with that. I like that idea.

Like that Bobon, Yeah, Bobon from team wise or country wise?

What kind of what city? Remember he lives here in the United States.

Oh, we're presenting, Oh, Bobon, the American citizen from Los Angeles should run for president. So you're saying, okay, great, great, Now which NBA player is the best singer or rapper?

Uh?

I know, Victor Oladipo is really good at singing Bows Highland is a dope rapper him, Dame Lillard, it's.

Dope, Miles Bridges is dope. Loue uh Loue will is dope? Who else? Somebody else? Rapp Kawhi Leonard. Yes, I'm telling you cool find the.

Scenes saying I don't, I don't, I don't has what if he just like sits there like this and like.

You should make a new balanced commercial with that.

I mean tell him I was just privy to hear his music. His music is done listen.

I have to take a listen.

I haven't Dennis Smith Junior. He raps too. He's pretty dope.

I feel like there should be like a rap battle in the off season, and there canna be like, oh, on top of my awards like m v.

P and stuff like that, there can be like a best the best artist.

Yeah, best artist, best artist.

I mean Dwight Howard and victoriad people were both on Mass Singer.

Oh wow, I know Dwight Howard, but Howard is funny too.

I interviewed him, and he is funny, and he was telling me. He was like, I answered the question who's funniest NBA player? You know who's the best singer? He answered himself.

Enough for sure NBA players?

Yeah, do you love yourself? Are you your favorite NBA player?

Am I my favorite NBA player?

I'm not my favorite, and no, I am one of my.

Favorite, Okay.

I feel like I am like one of my favorite most originals, so I would fall into like the most original one of one category.

I like that of like guys.

Again, in our awards, you can do like the Baron Davis Award, and that you can all like.

One of one, like one of one who's turned into a one of one?

Who would you have win that award now?

John Moran, he is I would say this year he Jason Tatum, You know what I mean, all these guys.

That I don't know if Jason Tatum's one of one, I mean he choked a little.

No, I gotta be honest, and I mean somebody people win, people lose. You know, people have good games, bad games, all of them, all of the.

One of one's jaw Jason, you know what they have in common? They lost to Steph currys.

Yeah, Steph Curry is one on one, defining the one on one. It's like I define it through art, and so I look at somebody's game and I say, like what makes them different? And there will never be another person like that?

You know what I mean?

So they some people are so special, but it's like there's people that resemble them, like you. And even when, like with the Tray Steph comparisons, I don't like those because Trey's trying to be Steph.

I think, and I.

Think, I mean one is one of one.

Like it's hard, it's hard, it's hard to where.

Are you going to find that tree? That's true?

I mean and he don't play like he doesn't. But I but I think the comparisons aren't.

It doesn't. They're not the same Steph is. He's the original they created.

They're different, they're different styles, you know what I mean. I would say, because uh, you know Trey, Trey does shoes, shoes, the DP three, things like that. He can do all that. But I think when you scrappier than yeah, when you look at Trey and shout out to Sean Phillips, he explained this to me. It was like, Trey Young is a four level just like Steph. He's a four.

Level score and so it's like he can shoot deep the three mid rains dry, you know what I mean.

And so like for a guy that little to have that much game is Yeah, I mean, you gotta credit Steph Curry, you know what I mean.

But I definitely feel like.

I mean, Trey wouldn't do what he does now without Steph. No one would, No one would shoot those threes without I love Steph.

I just give him credit for every day.

No, you have to.

You definitely have to give Steph all the credit for pioneering a new stylish basketball for sure.

I saw some graphic that Steph's first season, there was fifteen thousand threes that season.

This last season there.

Was thirty thousand, and I feel like that just shows the impact he's had absolutely yet. Speaking of short players,

You know, the two of them were on the Bullets together.

Muggsy Bogues one of the shortest players ever, Manoupole the tallest player ever. Right, So basically, these are two things different, and I want to hear your opinion. Let's go fast

Town, me too, m j R. Brown, Okay, I'm gonna

Okay, that's what I don't do.

Zion or jaw uh uh. You don't want to compare anyone.

I love them, but you still I use them on the video games both, okay.

Well New York or La La obviously, yeah, so much better.

Okay? What are you? What is your choice?

I'd probably go messy too. I just was saying that more just like, actually is dope. He's insane.

It's so dope. It's like, but I like how MESSI reminds me of like a Kyrie or a Steph you know what I mean.

Yeah, messy. I feel like Naymar is very similar to Steth in their ways.

I feel like it's like a popular one. I don't think I made that up, but I'll give myself credit. It's okay, okay. So a little bit of background. So Baron went to high school at Crossroads and Crossroads biggest rival in the whole world is Brentwood School, and I go to Brentwood School.

So Brentwood a Crossroads.

Oh yeah, I mean, of course, cross You know we had Yeah, I mean we don't hate.

I mean we don't bode.

So we go to Crossroads.

It's like, you guys live in Brentwood and go to Brentwood, so you never really get out of Brentwood.

I'm not Inwood right now though, so.

Right now, but Brentwood isn't Brentwood.

True.

But you know this year girls soccer, Brentwood versus Crossroads. You got to pull up to the extra and I'm telling you what's gonna win.

I'm calling you now. You can put money on put money on it.

If Crossroads wins you have to wear a Crossroads shirt and then I get to write whatever on the back of the shirt.

If Brentwood wins, I'll wear a Brentwood shirt and then you get right.

Remember this this is we have video. I'm gonna score hat trick. You're in the I'll invite you. You can be my plus one to the Okay, Doris Burke or me.

That is super that's tough.

I mean, I I think, I know, I think I would love to see you do color. So it's hard to compare you and Doris because I think you're a great You're a great interview, right, and I think Doris is great and play by play I need to see you and play by play. Maybe you should come and like do a play by play on one of our like influencer games.

And I'm down and then and then I can compare. But right now I can't compare.

I got to be honest.

When I come home from soccer practice and I'm watching the Warriors, I do a little bit of play by play myself, but just for myself, you know, I just like I sit there with my dogs.

That sounds really sad, but it's.

Not it's not.

It's cool.

That's great, and you.

Know we're watching the Warriors and I'm just like, I'm just going down. But like I it's not like Steph that I like to commentate on, you know what I mean.

It's like the GP.

Two's of the world.

Yeah, and like the young Glove taking it down. That's that's how I like.

So you got all, all right, we gotta get you a cover.

My favorite Quindary Weatherspoon. I got to be honest.

I love commentating on him. He may only average one point seven points, but that's okay. Those one point seven points.

There, guy, that is my guy.

You know, at the Finals, I wore a JTA jersey and my brother wore My kaminga jersey. I did not see any other JTA jerseys in Wow. And now I have a j T jersey and he's on the Lakers. It may have been a waste of money, but I got I got to get one of those Dante Devincenzo.

They just picked him up with Matt McClung.

Those jerseys fire clung on the back.

He's a good kid, he's a good player. I like him.

Well anyway, that's all, so thank you, so much for being here and I love talking to you. I guess this is your place, but I said, thank you for being here. I'll take it out studio.

Good purpose. Thanks for listening to Sloan Notes.

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