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What's up, everybody? Welcome back to this Draymond Green Show. We got another legend basketball royalty here today. Another one of the Grace tenth pick in ninety eight NBA Draft, two thousand and eight NBA Champion and Finals MVP, ten time All Star, one time All NBA Second Team, three times All NBA Third Team, a member of the NBA seventy fifth Anniversary team. His number thirty four is retired by We don't really want to talk.
About this team because they just beat us really bad.
But talking about none other than the Boston Celtics man with the nickname the Truth, Paul Pierce.
Welcome to the Draymond Green Shows.
What's up? What's up?
Dre Hey, hold on, before we get started, I gotta address your viral shit talking first off, because you just said Joe's side of it and I ain't had a chance to save my side of it yet and so I'm gonna start off with that first of all, the ship where.
You was like, you don't want no farewell tour.
You thought you was Kobe, all right, So let me go to my side of the story. Now, the Golden State Warriors were starting the beginning of the height of their superpowers, and Draymond had the hide of his superpowers, was one of the more intimidating players and top defensive guy in the league.
And I'm on the Clippers, you.
Know, I feel like I'm on a team that got a chance to maybe challenge y'all. So I just feel like it just looked like Clippers was kind of intimidated by you and all of that, and so I want to bring a little edge to the table. And I wasn't really playing much Digg, so it's hard. So we going to the game and I'm just seeing how you guarden Blake and I'm like, damn.
He'd be a hell of physical and he pushing on and him like, you know what the fuck going on?
Man?
Hold on Blake bus his ass. Man.
Hell no, you can't really do that because everybody know you the head of the snake, and if you go at the head of the snake, you got a shot, and I didn't want y'all to think we listen Tom they so I'm yelling, I'm whoofing at you.
We have the free throw line. I think I forget to have to free throw.
Line, and I'm whoofing at you, like, no, fuck that man, fuck him, go at him, blake, you better than him. Whatever, And so I'm like, all right, I'm shooting. I want everybody to know this is what we own this year. You know, damn, come on, this is the class of the league right now. And you said what you said, right, and everybody the camera on me. So when I and
to be honest, I didn't hear what you said. People don't know this, but the microphone underneath the basket pick up everything, and so when you're an arena, it's hard to hear. I'm on I'm on the sideline, I'm on the bench, and it's hard to hear. So it make it look like you shot something to me, But honestly, I didn't even hear what you said.
It toil.
After the game, I'm looking at my Twitter like, oh damn, you know he went back at me because I couldn't really see. I'm on the bitch, you're on the other side. But I do love yo, Banner, and I will tell you this. I love the fact that you say true to who you are, because even before you won, you was like that. Because I remember we came in here Boston, w you was talking shit to KG, and I'm like, who is this dude right here? Like like really looking at that him. Y'all ain't won yet, but already you
had that. You remember that we cared to go to step KG. I'm like, who is this little nigga about you?
It was he was. I was like, damn.
And so it all makes sense now, like you've always been like that. You know, some people they start winning or they get some money and they turn into something else, you know what I'm talking about. But you came in true to yourself. And I appreciate that, man, And you know, I love what you've been doing to the game. And I just want everybody to know, between me and you, it ain't never been no beef good Banner.
I respect your game and what you brought to the game. Man.
I appreciate that. I definitely remember that because I remember coming in. You know how Kg KG KG will stand next to you. I've actually told the story before. KG will stand next to you and he will call you every B in the book. He will call you every three zero four in the book. He's going to call you soft, all of that, and he's just gonna stand out the free throw line next to you and say all of these things about you. And I'm standing there
and I'm like, first, I'm like this nigga's crazy. I'm just standing there listen to him, like who is he talking to?
Man?
Like cause he come back down the court talking to you and you know you're talking to you, and.
I'm like, all right, we go back down the car. Another file, have it.
We had the free throw line like yeah, this little nigga can't fuck with me. Was so fast and I'm just sitting there like, hey, yo, I ain't gonna be no more. I ain't gonna be too many more yo, So you ain't gonna keep talking to me like that. And he like, yeah, whatever, little nigga, I ain't getting into that with you today. I'm like, you know you gonna get into it with me today. You keep talking to me like that. But like that's just you know, it's funny because I've just always been taught by, by
my mom, by my neighborhood. Like the foot that you start off on, that's where it's going, you know. So like Coachizo when I first got to campus, and I won't say that, I won't say that what he called me publicly, But when I first got to campus, my first action, Coachizo, he called me a very specific name, and I went crazy, and I'm like, and now mind you, I'm a fat, pudgy freshman. Like when I said fat pudgy, I was real fat and pudgy, and and I'm not like the highest crew, like we got.
Two recruits of my three three person class.
I'm the lowest recruit and and he caught and I lost it and I start like cussing them out, like don't ever call me that.
And he never called me that again, but.
It was but he only never called me that again because I stopped it there.
You know what I'm saying.
Absolutely, And so that's just kind of how I always been. So when that happened with KG, you know, for me, you growing up, you know, and especially for me I'm growing up and watching KG in particular with his emotion, you know what I'm saying, and how he wears emotions on his sleeve, and he loud and he communicate, So I felt like I could relate to that, you know what I'm saying, Like I play with my emotions on my sleeve, like I'm gonna talk to the next guy.
I'm gonna scream on you when I do something to you, you know, And like watching KG do that, I'm like, oh man, that's dope.
But then you come into the league and now.
It's like I can't really be that fan, you know what I'm saying, Like I got a stand on business or they gonna treat you like that fan. And so when I came in and I and I noticed him doing it, I'm like, hold on, man, like this KG, but you can't just sit and talk to me like that, bro.
You know.
But even getting into the moment that you just got into, I had no idea the thing that the microphone picked that up either. Like I got to my phone and I was so upset. I was so upset because you know, at that time, and you had just came into the river right like you you know, it's us the Clippers. Who's the next young team out? You know what I'm saying.
We had just one but you know, it's still kind of right there, Like Doc had just said that, You're like, oh, they only won because such and such was hurt and this person was hurt, and so it's still kind of right fresh and those moments, and I'm like, you know, at that time, Blake was Blake LaMarcus Audrich. Like there was the dogs at the z Bow, there was the dogs at the four spot. You know what I'm saying,
z Bow my big bro Spartan dog. And so for me, when I see these dudes, I just want to kill them, like y'all saying these is the dudes at the fore.
I want to kill these dudes.
And so you had just came in me and Blake had already had our thing for a few years leading up to this, and and you like cook him, Blake, he too little, and.
That trigger for me.
I hate when people say he too little, because the reality is I probably really am too little, and so it's kind of one of those pet peeves of like like, don't fucking tell me I'm too little. And so you're yelling he too little, he too little? Man cook him, Blake, And because you're yelling at I jump on a Blake Griffin pump fake, and I'm like.
What are you doing, bro? Like, why are you jumping on a Blake Griffin pump fake?
Like if Blake Griffin want to shoot a nineteen footer, by all means you let Blake griffind shoot it. I done jumped on the pump fake. I filed and you just over there talking. So now I'm even more man like this dude just made me jump out of Blake Griffin pump fake.
He talking.
You don't know how much I really don't like Blake in this instance because he in my way, Like I'm trying to be I want to be an all star, Like you know what I'm saying, somebody he in my way. And then I got back to the phone and I'm like, my phone, I got a million text messions, right, And I'm like, why the hell I got all these text messages? Nothing crazy like right? And I see that, I'm like, oh, they picked that up right right?
Oh?
And and and that that that was That was a crazy moment.
I get that on my Twitter feed every single day, so like I'm like, damn, so I just want to address that. But like I always you and enjoy you know, a little banner here and there. If I'd have heard that, I probably would have snapped something back. But uh, you know, it's all good. It's always loved. You know, you're a competitive person, just like myself. I wish you could have
saw each other when I was in my prime. But you know, you doing You're doing your thing, Don and I appreciate that because in a passion, you could have played in any era, because I feel like today the passion ain't the same, you know, I think, uh, you know a lot of guys get too complacent with their brands, the money they making, and it just feels like I
don't see that passion no more. Yeah, you're playing hard, but coming playing hard, you see it only a certain few people like and I named this before, it's like you Johnnie Westbrook, Pat Beverly and uh, you know, maybe a few more, but just like that, just you let it out. You don't hold it in. And I appreciate, you know, still seeing that while it's still in the game.
Absolutely no, I appreciate it. And we're gonna talk more about that. But before we get into all that, I want to like, take me back. You're born in Oakland and then moved to Inglewood, California.
Uh, take take me back to that journey. It's very interesting to me. Obviously I.
Became who I've become, and Oakland is near and dear to my heart, and so I'm very interested and just hearing that story.
And then I now both of those places mean a lot to me.
Yeah.
So I grew up in and I got two older brothers who played division. One single parent, live with my mom. Never never knew my dad. But you know, my mom moved around for Chicago. But once my brothers got olden up to college, about nine years old, I moved to LA, to the east side of LA.
Right.
We just went from one hood to the decks. You know, Mom was a survivor. She was a nurse, just trying to get food on the table. Man shout out to my mom. I lost my mom last year, but I mean she taught me somebody life life lessons and I you know, she she did.
Everything she could.
She left everything that meant and so I'm saying that. So we moved to LA, stayed a year in LA, then moved to Inglewood and You're like, damn, you know, we moving a lot. We haven't really got no stay of a place where people don't know. When I was in seventh or eighth grade, my brother got drafted to play Major League baseball. He got drafted tenth pick to play with Sam Cisco Giants, Steve Hosey. You know, he never really stuck in the big leads, but he made
like a sign of bonus. I think he made like fifty thousand at the time or seventy five thousand, and that was enough to give us out the apartments and got us a cool house in Inglewood to where it was a little safer environment.
But I think, you know, moving to Inglewood really molded me.
You know, growing up around gangs and drugs and prostitution, and you know, going to an inner city school. It's not easy when you got to catch the bus, and it kind of shaped me.
You know.
You know, where your environment shakes you who you are. You can make a decision do.
You want to go one way or the other.
And so that's why when people have seeing me on the basketball court and off the court, it's two different people.
And I'm sure you can relate to this.
This like we got we carry so many different personalities, like this is who I am right here, you know, and because of my upbringing. So people think I was unapproachable or always was mad and all of that, But in reality, I love my family, I love people. I'm not some social and all of that. But it's definitely a journey, you know, to get to where you want to go. And you can see it in certain players.
They come from something else difficult and you can see it and they playing And I see that in you, you know, Alan Iverson, you see the KG, You see it when these guys, you know, playing with that type of emotion.
Yeah, no one, Because I always say like I am the way I am. I played the way I played because that's how I grew up playing at Saginaw. That's how I had to be. Like if you were going to get on the court, you had to be that way. If you weren't that way, you was getting ran off the court quick.
No doubt, no doubt.
In the same way, same way man, growing up in the parks, you better stand on your file or you're gonna get beat up or ran out the park, don't come back and don't come back. So you always got to stand on that.
But talk to me, talk to me about like moving around LA because that's a little dangerous you know, like LA is very like this side, this this it can get the streets like that street is this game.
This street is that game.
You go over you know a little bit old, but over the way is now bloods you go a little bit.
That way is crips.
Like talk to me about navigating that, you know, being new to LA and then Niga Wood and kind of having to navigate that.
Yeah, that's little kid.
So check this out.
You know, Oakland, You've been out in Oakland all these years, but you know, the talk in Oakland is a little different.
Like they say blood, like what's up blood in Oakland? Right? So I grew up saying you know, and blood was like, you know, what's up? My boy?
So I moved to LA and I move in a crypt neighborhood. So my first thing is my friends. I'm like yeah, blood, yeah, Blood. They're like, hey, you can't say that over here, you know what I'm saying as a matter of fact. And I had like some red shoe strings. I was like, you can't wear that over here, and I was just matching my shoes. So basketball culture and gang culture, especially when.
You start becoming good, it kind of go hand in hand.
And when you live in these type of neighborhoods, and so I had to learn that when I first got there, Like, then I'll move to Inglewood, So now I know what's up. You know, Inglewood is mostly predominantly blood. But that's a good thing, you asked, Dre. And what the people of the story ain't told enough is how gang culture and basketball culture kind.
Of go hand in hand, especially in the hood.
So when you start becoming good, you know, you grew up in certain neighborhoods, they look out for you. Now, you know, they look out for you now. So now like when you see guys in the NBA do certain signs. They might not be gang bangers, but they might be tied to them because they grow up around And so that's how it was for me. You know, they get you some shoes, they make sure you go to the park. Ain't nobody messing with you. You got a future they looking now,
you know what I'm saying. So that's the story and all itself, you know, just just being around them and like, man.
This is what I grew up around.
You know, this is where I live, you know, and they like, look, you don't need to get involved with all this smoking and drinking on the corner, doing what we do. But we're gonna make sure if any of us can make it out the hood, it's gonna be you. So we're gonna look out for you, so you know, and I'm thankful the guys that looked out for me growing up, not knowing that I couldn't be in certain places telling me where not to go or make sure I didn't show up here. And that's definitely a difficult
thing to navigate it, you know. And I always say, you definitely got to surround stuff around the right people. And I didn't find myself hanging with them, but I lived in the neighborhood, and so I think it's important to really surround yourself abound people who gonna have positive influence on you. But also you got to keep a distance on what to do and what not to do, because then we make it to the NBA, dra and you still have some of these ties.
But you gotta like grow up at some point, you know what I'm saying.
And sometimes I might be referencing to guys that I'm playing in the league with today.
You know, maybe some things happen with Joah.
I don't know the complete story with that, But maybe that's something to do with you know, your surroundings and the people you're around.
So the more message I will say is just.
Be able to navigate that if you've got a bright future, if you think you can make yourself, get yourself out the hood and make a better life for yourself, and you need to do that.
Yeah, And I always you know, I agree with you one hundred percent because you know, guys in my neighborhood, if I you know, if I went the wrong way, they like, nah, you know, or you come over there, you're like, yo, I want to shoot dice or you know what I'm saying. You come, you go, you reach for the j They man, I slapped the shit out of you. If you like you not doing this, you gotta be you gotta make it like you got to be the one to make it.
Out of here. You you not doing this.
And the sense of I wondn't even necessarily say protection, but just like them looking out, like the way guys in the hood looked out for you. It is actually total opposite of what people outside of the hood thing.
People outside of the hood thing.
You grow up in hood, and it's the guys in the hood pulling you in, like hey man, we want to draw you in. And it's actually the total opposite. The guys in the hood like, yo, don't do this, like I'm already over here doing this. This ain't it, bro? Like it may look cool and like, don't get me wrong, I got respect, like I got this little cloud, but this ain't a cloud. In respect you want like get
away from over here. And so that's one thing I've always always respected, like from you know, the OG's in the hood that I grew up in, OG's from hoods you grew up in, and different OG's you know, wroung like they like, nah, bro, this ain't it like you go that way?
You know what I'm saying.
That's a story that needs to be told more, you know. And I think there's a story and all that, and I've been I've been talking to people about that though.
Straight up.
Yeah, you then you didn't leave. You leave Inglewood, you go to Kansas, Uh, you win three Big twelve Players of the Year, and you know in three years of playing at Kansas, which is I heard of people don't do that.
Uh, talk to me about why did you stay so long?
Like you knew you were dominating, you Big twelve Player of the Year as a freshman, then you win against a sophomore. Why did you end up staying at Kansas for three years as opposed to going to the NBA even earlier.
Yeah, And to be honest with that, I could have left my sophomore year without I wasn't ready. I told myself I wasn't ready, just mentally and physically because I came in as a young freshman. I stepped on campus at seventeen and played three years. Left at twenty. But I wasn't ready, dre to be honest, because ninety five KG left straight to the league. That's the first time that ever happened. We left McDonald's. Everybody like, what college you going to? All the top players, KG was the
only one that didn't commit. He was like, I want to the league. So everybody was like, damn, you can do that. So I'm like okay. So then the next year I'm a freshman. Next thing you know, Stepan Marlberry and Shtreetbrop duor Rahin was one and out. So that was the first year of guys on one and out in college. So KG started the high school and then
the one and done was started. So I think my class was responsible for a lot of that, you know, moving forward with the high school guys coming out, because if it wasn't, we wouldn't have guys like Kobe, lebron T.
Matt and Dwight. You know, KG really kicked the door around for that and then after that.
But the norm dre was three years and out. That was the norm in the nineties eighties. You know, you you matured, you played three years and after your third year, that was leaving early, you know, and Steph and Sharif and KG did that.
You know, nobody was that was like taking the.
Lead early until now everybody freshman, freshman, sophomores, high school players, until they cut that from the NBA.
So but that was the culture.
Leaving early was the third year, you did three and then you left early. So that's why I stayed.
Okay, all right, because I've looked at that a million times, like he just ain't in everybody, why did he stay here? Like I stayed there for I stayed four I had to stay four years to school like I ain't had no choice because they.
Just KG was the first year they started drafting for potential before you got drafted on that you was ready or not, because before that the number one pick was coming in damn near averaging eighteen nineteen in the game.
THEMN there, second third year, you.
An All Star from the number one pick because they were a little more mature than after that ag come in, they started drafting on potential.
Okay, no, that's that's that's so.
That's a little history lesson right there.
I appreciate that because I was I was tripping on that. But then you go to the Celtics and you bawling. But from a team standpoint, it don't start off great.
I mean.
Celtics, Celtics tradition, excuse me, tradition, all the championships, the Birds, Robert Parrish, Bill Russell, Uh, you know, the list goes on and on. How was it dealing with that? Because Boston, Boston ain't the nicest town. Likes and just like, oh we cool, were happy to have you.
They might the titles, yeah they might do you man, it was rough coming in there early and I got drafted ten and I remember taking the ball out as a rookie, They like, who who is this?
Y'all dropped this motherfucker.
Damn it's like one of my first few games, Like damn, you gotta have big skin to play in certain organizations or you will get ran out by out of the fans or the media. But luckily, you know, I came in like, look it gonna be me. I don't really hear crowd noise. I'm gonna make my mark right away. And I was able to establish a friendship with Twina. And it was rough at first, you know, cause I came from Inglewood where we won't.
With the Kansers, we won a lot of games.
And to get on a team to where it's like no playoffs, under five hundred going home early. It was like culture shot. It was not only a culture shot moving from LA to Boston. Coat your shock just basketball wise. And then you are the stairs, you looking at Bill Russell, you like red all back, you putting your head down. But I know we're young and we got to learn, and you know, you take your growing pains, but you know, it's a part of the game. It's you know, some situations,
it's different than others minds. You know, we have our growing pains. But I feel like it worked out in the long run, all right.
And there was another side of that that most people won't even think about. But going from LA to Boston, you grew up a Laker fan, Yeah, yeah, absolutely that hatred.
Yeah, I hate Bosston. Everybody know that. Hell well documented.
I think even today, Boston is one of the more hated franchise in all of the world. I mean not maybe in America because you got the brand that's good outside, but like in America, and they always Boston's always been like one of them black hat teams. And I don't know why I hated them. And even when I played, we got people hated me. I mean, I got booted lot of arenas, and I don't know, It's just something about the black Cat, the Boston Celtics franchise.
With whears, because when you're.
So good and and and a story franchise, maybe people looked at that, and you know, when they compare with the Lakers, people are gonna choose the Lakers or Boston any day, you know, because that's the comparable when you talk about great franchise. And so I learned to get comfortable being wearing a black Cat. I learned to get comfortable. I learned to just understand, like, look, if this is gonna be what it is, then I'm gonna accept that, but it's not gonna move me or shake me either way.
And it's something I had to live with and that's been my identity and I'm fine with that.
MM no doubt I respect that. Uh.
And during your time there, you you you then establish yourself as one of the better better wings in the league, making our NBA All Stars over and over again, earning the nickname the Truth. Then y'all reach a point where it's not going great. Doc's essentially about to be on his way out, about.
To get fired him.
The Doc's about to be on his way out, and from what I've heard, you're possibly going to get out of there soon too, just for your own career, y'all. You then find out that y'all about to get reallen, y'all about to get KG. What was your thoughts? Were you worried about sacrificing shots? Because for so long now you've been here, you've been the man. You you do what you want to do? Or what's that for you? Like, this is my chance to win and become a Boston Celtius legend.
How did you accept that? As as that starts to happen.
Man, it was just like, yeah, I want to say, I'm just all I ever want to do is win in Boston, man.
And I was just like, all I ever wonted.
Dre was just a shot, just a shot, you know, vis all these other great wing players.
I'm watching Cold win it all.
I'm watching guys like man Ne Genobi win it all, guys in my position, you know, having success in the playoffs. And I just said, man, I'm looking at these other players, play with other great players. I got a chance to play with Antoine Walker. We went to the Eastern Conference finals and we trade him. We this close, so I'm like, damn, we trailed. We running backwards. All I ever won is a shot as a competitor. That's all you ever want. Just give me a shot with another great player and
let me see if we can pull something off. And so when that happened, Dog Ray came and I was like, oh, okay, I'm not getting traded.
We I'm in this for the long run. Then we get KG.
That's all I asked for and over here during the good years the bad years, just give me a shot.
You know what I'm saying.
You got d Wade get to play with Bron this shot and all.
These other great players.
Get the team up, because you can't win by yourself in this league. You need other greatlaers. We all know, Hey, I don't care how great you are, you need another great player.
And that's all I asked for. So once I got them, even.
Though we only won one title, we was hurt the next year, and then the following year we went back to the finals to play the Lakers again. Twenty and ten, we were twelve minutes away with the league. I'm happy I got a shot. I could have won two. If
kJ don't get hurt. We was on pace to him were seventy games the next year, and so I'm just thankful that I even got a shot later in my career because if we had got together when we are young, boy, we would have looked like y'all warriors, man, I'm telling.
Look like we're together at twenty six, twenty seven. It would have been a problem.
Yes, sir, do you feel good? Do you feel like we started that big super team?
For sure? For sure?
So we was an influence on Bron and then Kad and all of that and everybody coming together.
Well, I think I think also a thing that it did was it allowed you to see that it was possible. So we had like before that we didn't know this was possible, Like all of a sudden, it's now you Ray, Allen and KG like this. No one ever even thought of these things before, Like how is this even possible? And so I think that opened up the world of possibilities. Now you're like, ah, okay, I can do this. Now I can Yeah, like we can put this together now,
you know. And so I think when that happened, everybody's just like, Okay, now you can put these pieces into place because I've seen it happen, you know what I'm saying. And I think another thing, See, everybody always talk about you, Ray and KG, which by the way, should be talked about, but nobody ever talked about y'all had a great young point guard in Rondo.
Boy, Like how important was Rondo to what y'all?
Rondo was so big to everything because he was the youngest and they wasn't sure at first that Rondo can be the point guard with us because he was only in like his.
Second or third year. Second, you know, he was in his second year.
So it was a lot of talks about maybe training Rondo, do we need an older point guard.
I was like, nah, this. I saw his rookie year.
I was like, this, dude gonna be nice. He showed me flashes his rookie year and I was like, he actually the perfect guard for us because he's.
A past first guard.
Yeah.
So I was rocking with him. He was picking up pull Corey, play d and he always made the right decisions.
I Q was off the charts.
And see that's that's the thing about Rondo more than his skill is IQ. And you saw that and just Tod that has first point guard who was mature for his age. That was the perfect storm for us.
Yeah, as far as demeanor, like you're an alpha, O, Kg's an alpha.
I don't know rate that well, but he like he I.
Would I would say he liked more of a sniper.
Yeah, like like I'll get you, but I'm gonna go under the radar with mine a little bit more.
How did a young Rondo handle that?
Because Rondo is like th toughest ship and yeah, how how did he adjust to that where he's an alpha and he's the point guard running the show. But like you got these ogs in here, like how was that adjustment for Rondo.
You know what did was probably the best thing he did. You know, as a young player, when you come in and I always say this, players, you know, find event you can come up under. You know that can show you get a good mad though that you come up under. Listen to what he got to say, and he gonna show you the way. First thing he did, he went, he went to the ticket university. He checked in the ticket university, got up under his wing. That's where he
started developing that mentality. He went right the ticket. Ticket took him under his wing every day in Rondo here every day in the locker room, on the court, and that's why you see the He had it in him.
But they just start growing and start growing.
And it was hard on him because as a scorer, as a guy want the ball. You know, I'm on him, like, you know, bring it this way. But he was so smart and the point guard is the hardest position you gotta distribute to guys who need the ball. But he handled it good though he went under ticket. The mentality even it was nice, me and him might argue he stood on his business and I was like, all right, I respect it.
You saw something.
Different than all right, cool, and we moved on from it, and it was it was just a perfect family to just be under that. And now it's Ronald grew and he saw his natality. He quiet too, but don't don't push his button. Don't push his button, you know. So he he an opportuneo. But we had a lot of them though, Perk, Leon Pole, Eddie House Posey, Uh, big baby. I mean if we got into a team fight, I'm not sure anybody wanted to see us.
It's all. We had so many big dogs. Tony Allen, Damn. I forgot about a damn damn. But like, yeah, that was the funnest time. We all kicked it. We all kicked it.
We all went out together, we all ate together. We just did everything together, you know. So it made it fun. And you know, I.
Appreciate them dudes and Rondo and all them.
No doubt.
Uh. And speaking of appreciation, y'all win the finals, hurt the next season, go back to the finals y and joins the Miami.
Story, like, talk to me about that. I need to hear your side.
We Ray doing that, man, So you know, Ray came in as we are brotherhood. Our families hang out with each other, his kids, my kids. We go to this house for you know, Halloween parties and Super Bowl and vice versa. So when they when it hit that he was we just lost to Miami by the way. Uh And and I'm like, all right, you know, we just need to regroup, get a couple more.
Young dudes, then we're gonna resign.
Right, We're gonna stay un lined up our contracts and finish this thing out together. And by the way, I help y'all bring play back. Y'all need to finish together, you know, hope that's an example of how we went. And y'all don't do that, you know, give him what he won't, you know, right? And I think you know, I didn't know you had issues with the contract or starting. But the thing is, I wanted you to holler like if you don't leave us, like give me a call like it ain't working out. Uh.
You know they're not gonna get me the contract. I won't They're not giving me the roll. I want someone go this route.
Okay, man, I respect that you make a business decision for you and your family. Cool, but when you never get that call, you leave and go to the team. We pretty much this is our rival. We just were playing these cats to see who going to the finals the next few years, Like, come on, man, I just didn't feel like there was a respect thing there. And I don't run into retail and Ray after that until retirement, so I don't talk to.
Him and he don't talk to me. You know, even when we play.
Each other, it's no words really, and I felt a certain kind of way about that. So I had a chance to I was playing this exhibition game in China in retirement, my first year retire, and I didn't even know Ray was gonna be there.
So next you know, he's like, oh, by the way, Ray is here in.
The locker room next to you, and I'm like, all right, you know what, let me go holler at him. So I was went over there, like, look, I told him I felt about the situation. He was like, man, you know what. I broke it down to.
Him like that.
He was like, you're right, I should have did it different. After that, I was like, it's all good. We smoke on it, we shook and there's been love and it's been love since there.
So why at the seventy fifth did you and KG do that? When Ray walk fast because I didn't know it was love now wa y'all was like laughing. You at seventy fifth anniversary, you and Casey was laughing when Ray walked through, and I thought it was still some beef.
No, I was going to ask you, okay, so y'all good now?
Yeah we're good now.
Yeah, there wasn't no beef by the time, because the seventy five was last year. We was good before that because remember if you noticed when KG you got a jersey retired, we all hugged that half court, which was like a couple of years ago. So yeah, he was like, shout out the Ray tickets. I was good, but ticket wasn't good until his retirement. You don't even know. We
didn't know Ray was coming to his retirement. That was the big thing surrounding KG retirement when he was getting his jersey retirement, Like it's right, man, you know you think Ray gonna show up?
Nobody had the idea. I didn't.
So when he showed up, I think that was a sign like, you know what, it's time to squash that KG rondo.
Let's bring it in.
And I think from that point we all squashed it already, had squashed mine with him. But at KG Jersey retirement, I think it was just like all right, they spoke it was cool.
Now everybody good. Now I love that.
Man, because you know, you go through these like and like you said, y'all won one. But it's hard winning a championship, Like yeah, for sure. You know, people don't understand how hard it is, how many things have to go right. Yeah, you gotta be you gotta be really good, but you have to be really lucky.
I gotta be really lucky.
Lucky you start talking about hell all the time.
You don't win championships with a look, I'm sorry.
Without luck at all. People don't know.
Look at their fact.
You look at the amount of teams that you thought was going to win a championship.
They were unlucky.
Yep, yeah, absolutely absolutely, Like Houston they got y'all, they got y'all, Chris Paul pull a half string like, hey, I'm telling you you need it in every championship. Toronto beat y'all because they got lucky. KD got hurt exactly every year. Yeah, I see it every year. Bro, you gotta be lucky and all of this and that, and that's the part. That's the part people don't get no matter how good, we gotta be lucky.
We're playing against Houston. They missed twenty seven threes in a row. This is just what they do. They shoot threes.
They've never done that.
They missed twenty seven threes in a row. You have to be a little lucky, right, just the reality.
Yeah, that's crazy, that is crazy.
But in saying that, and I mentioned it earlier, you know Doc was kind of on his way out. Then y'all, Ray come in, k KG, come in, y'all get it rolling, y'all get Doc his first and only championship. Hasn't quite been able to get over to hump since. Uh Now, as we all know, Doc is now with the Milwaukee Bucks trying to number one souven is your season, but number two going to win a championship.
They made the trade for Dame.
They obviously got Chris Middleton, Jay Crowder, Bobby Porters, Brook Lopez, Pat Bearev.
Now what do you.
Think Doc brings to that team and can he help them get over the hump to win a championship this season or next?
I will tell you one thing. Doc is a great motivator. Man.
I'm telling you he knows he knows each individual on how to coach each in a visual you know, he coaches them all different. You know, he don't He's not gonna coach Gianni's coach, Bobby Porters and all school coaches. They gonna coach one way. It's dayway or the highway. And that's one thing that Doc has been great that because he's been a player, he understands, you know, what they need and when they need it. And I think he's the he's the right guy to help them get
over the hub. Actually, you know, your players got to respect your coach. I think they respect Doc. You know, I'm not sure how much they respect that Adrian Griffitt or why would they get him out of there? Doc is gonna come with some respect. Yeah, he hasn't won as many as people probably thought he should, but he's been there and they're gonna respect that. And so in saying that, I think he's gonna bring some leadership in another voice, because like when you look him at Waukee, like who's.
The like vocal leader? I really don't know. I'm not in the locker room.
Maybe it's Sean this maybe his name, but Doc is gonna be another vocal leader in the locker room and he's going he gonna tell you like it is, and I respect that, Like, whether you like it or not, he's gonna keep it true to you. So hopefully, you know, he can get them far. But I don't think they're gonna beat the Celtics in the East.
You know, it's bad timing right now, but he got a championship. It's a bad time, but I.
Think he got a championship caliber team, and I think I think they gonna see the Celtics and the conference finders.
I respect that. I respect that.
Man, it's the year two thousand and you get stabbed eleven times? Number one, How do you still manage to play eighty two games? It's beyond me. And I know you've talked about the story before, but like, what's something from that story that people don't know? And like I said, I also want to know, how did you manage to play eighty two games?
Oh?
No, right, I don't even know how I'm alive? Truthfully, when I look back at it, you know, I think just to I thank God. I'm a true believer in God. You know, I think you know, he knows who your time is and it wasn't my time, and I think the only thing let me tell you something d when people don't know but I haven't spoke on I talked about the incident and being in the club and you know, being stabbed by like multiple men and three different knives,
and well, people don't know. I played because I played through pain. But that was the only thing that my being on the court was the only thing that gave me peace. You know what I'm saying, because I'm traumatized, I'm in my house, I'm scared, but at the same time, I'm paranoid. I'm like, I'm okase sleep, like I have to wear like a vest that this is people don't know. I have to wear a vest under leave my uniform.
So like a lot of times if I take a charge or I go into the paint, I felt that it wasn't all the way healed and I have to just mentally play through that because I know I wanted to be on the court because that's the only piece I got from not thinking about what happened for that three hours, that three four hours that gave me peace.
And you know, when you go through a whole day when you can't sleep at night, and you're sitting around, not leaving the house, not going nowhere, you know, wondering if it's really somebody out here trying.
To kill you.
You know, that's not a good that's not a good mental to be in, you know. So, But for that three four hours, I'm in the gym, I'm gonna be on the court. So I disobeyed doctor's orders. I practiced before I was supposed to practice. I wore this like damn there, bulletproof best or whatever kind of best thing got for me.
And I just played through it until I healed. And I really didn't heal until after the season.
That's crazy, man.
And how did you manage to stay in Boston another ten years after that? Like, like, how long did it take you to start leaving again, to go out again to live normal life again in the city where you just got stabbed stabbed up by with three four dudes? Yeah, Like, how how were you able to get back to some sense of normalcy in that city?
You know it too.
It took a while, but I surrounded myself with some family and friends because immediately I moved out two of my cousins who are the same age as me, two of my best friends who I grew up with, and I moved into Boston with me, so I had family around me at all times. Uh, you know, people watching out for me. I kept I kept a family and I kept it close.
Uh.
But it took some years.
Man.
It took some years.
Even going to the restaurant, dude, I was just I had security. I'm over here, like seeing who know my car? I gotta standing outside went inside. And it took some years to me to really started getting back to normal because it got to the point I get real anxious when I got in the crowd, you know. You know, I couldn't do the season tickets holder stuff with the
crowd of people, appearances, I wasn't doing so. But the thing that helped me the most was started when I started talking about it to other people, you know, because I held it in for a few years.
But then I started.
Talking the more people about it, and it helped me get comfortable with.
Like just letting it free, letting it out, loosen it up.
And that's the biggest thing to help me because at first I had a psychiatrist or psychologists whoever you talk to after and I had two sensions with him, and I was like, man, I don't want to talk about.
This no more. And from that point in I held it in.
But I think talking to people, surrounding myself with love really helped me get through those times. And uh, you know, I appreciate the people who I was close to and the people I was able to talk to about it.
And uh yeah, it was difficult, and I used the game of basketball to rededicate myself.
And I think, you know, for me to take that next step to where I got to, something.
Like that maybe had to happen.
Maybe God listen in a message to where like, look, you need to refocus, get back in the gym. And I really think from that point on, elevating my game from that point.
On, mm hmmm, yeah.
I mean some some some traumatic like that. It does one or two things to people. It's seen you this way, yeah, I'll see you that way. And that's very like you're very sure which way that guy went.
Yeah, because it's hell yeah or either way. Man.
But I was I was raised by some strong by strong mom taught me always to just be strong and you're gonna get through what that situation.
We're gonna get through.
And so that's just the cloth. I was built through and that's why I was able to get.
Through it, no doubt, man. And switching gears a little bit, not really.
But in the same light, if you playing eighty two games that year, you played eighty plus games seven times in your career. What is your perspective on this, this current debate load management? Uh, guys resting the sixty five games award? You know you got to play sixty five games in order to br NBA, MVP all those things. What's your How do you view that as someone who played eighty plus games seven times?
I mean, I really don't see the science at the low management because they don't prevent injuries. I play eighty plus games, I play seventeen plus season without any major injuries.
I was lucky.
But it's no science to like, if you rest, you're gonna be less likely to get injured. And so I just say this, if you love the game, ain't nobody telling me I can't play tonight. That's just that's just me, and and I see that with just only certain people in the league, you know. And I've never seen Bron Bron like Bron don't sit down like I do. Just seen Bron coming to the guarden I'm talking about. He rolled his ankle like this, and I'm looking like, oh yeah,
he's for a showdun for the night. Two minutes later he comes back out there catch a lot and I'm like, damn, that's crazy. Like like today, kids roll they ankle, I get it sit out, or you know, I play with a dislocated thumb. But it's just different now. I don't know what it is. I think it has a lot of to do with the people around in the organization, like the medical staff or these doctors here.
They convince us like, no, this is the right thing to do, and we created more.
Jobs for these people to come into the NBA, and so they got a job to do. When you got all this big medical team, the medical team wasn't.
Like that when I was in the league, dre.
Now you got more physical therapists in the back room. Where it was only like one or two, you got to the one that can treat every player, and then you got one that's like, look, you know, no long run, you know, not only this year but your career, but nothing, no science has proven that you're not gonna get hurt ever when we do this. So I'm not again, I'm
not with it, but it's the way the NBA. And I like the sixty five game rule actually, you know, because if a guy plays sixty games, how is he better than this guy playing seventy two games and his team is doing well? You know, get into the guy who's been out there.
The whole time. You know, these awards and so, I mean, I just think that's the way it should be. Man. You know, hold these care players accountable.
Yeah, if you if you pressing yourself to play sixty five and you got an injury, that'sa on you. Don't be pressed to make all NBA. Don't be pressed to do all this stuff. Get yourself right first and then play.
You know. If guys is playing hurt, that's on them.
Yeah, no, no doubt. I respect that you.
Speaking of bron you've made a few comments about Brian. You said you made him join the heat, you said that he wasn't top five player in the NBA. A lot of people has called your takes on Brian as you hear, where do you stand, Like, do you still think Brian ain't a top five player in NBA history?
First of all, I'm clear that up. I've never I did say that, but it was based on when they was playing the Portland Trail Blazers in the Bubble, and I think Portland went up two oh or they won the first one, or maybe they didn't even start the series. But I was like, all right, they got a d
they got this. And I was like, if they lose to the Blazers in the playoffs first round, I don't want to hear about Bron being top five because I felt like they had a championship team, which they went on to win a championship in the Bubble that and so do I think Bron is the top five players?
Absolutely? Man, Absolutely.
I mean I've went on record saying this after they won that chip, I said, Lebron has submitted to hisself as the number two to me player all time. Now literally, I know he was gonna go for forty thousand, little I know he's gonna break all these other records.
This is like four years ago. Bron is in.
That gold argument to where you could just say he might be the goat, you know, his longevity, the records he's had.
I mean, yeah, it's who you like.
Whatever air you play in, whatever, But Bron has a serious argument and I will say this about Bron. I wouldn't be who I am today without Broun. And I will say that for the simple fact that I got to match up with him, for the simple fact that I get to have these epic games against him, I wouldn't be who I am without him. So I'm taking my head off to him in retirement.
Did I ever hate Bron?
Never hated Bron, always respected him. It's just that me in the heat of the battle on the court, I'm no friends, Bro.
That's just who I was. Listen, you do what you do, what your team over there.
I'm gonna do it my team, and I ain't no love. And he always came like I was a Bron hater, but nah, I appreciate what he done to this game. He's reset the bar the standard now and he's pushed the bar so high now that I don't know if in our lifetime there's gonna be anybody close to him. And I respect what he's done for the game, not only on the court, but off the court. So I'm happy that I come on your platform and let everybody
know this. Yeah, I've said some things about Bron, but look, real recognized real at the end of the day, and he's just been unbelievable man, And we appreciate that.
No doubt, no doubt, no I respect that. Another one that went crazy, And I asked this question more so not even about that moment, but just kind of your take because number one, like I said to start, you don't get a nickname the Truth.
Without being one of them one.
It's like that, that's no debate, like big Ticket, the Truth, the Glove, like you King Jane, like you look at you don't get those nicknames if you not one of them ones.
And so I say, you flash like Shot Diesel.
You look at the nicknames guys got like you gotta be one of them dudes.
And if you're not one of them dudes, you don't get nicknames. It's just you know what, that's.
Not true, like this error, where's the nickname? The nickname? Okay, joker, I mean.
Like stuff don't really have a nick Yeah, he got a couple of things. People trying to throw.
Out the cry like you know what I'm saying.
Baby face assassin, and we've heard this stuff.
Nicknames that's true, saying that's like this error.
Don't like where the nick games, like and they going away. I think that's true.
But you but you had to be one of them ones then to give absolutely and saying that you you you and I can agree you. You've spoken about being underrated, uh in NBA history for what you've done, the things that you accomplished. You also said you were you were better than Dwayne Wade. Where should you be ranked as far as that NBA history go. When you're talking about great two guards, like, where where would you put yourself in that?
It's tough man?
And the thing about Way and I will say this is one of the greatest players. I love watching him when I didn't play. But in all of this, I never brought way name up without it being brought to me.
That's true.
I never like came out and be like, oh, you know, that's when it's hat true. That's what I feel like. When it ain't brought to you and you just bring it up, I feel like that's hay. But I was like, but I'm gonna tell you this. That's who made me who I am because I felt like every time I step on the court, I was a playing like whether it was cold bron I felt for like one night I could be the best player that night and for me having that mentality, that's who made me who I am.
So I said it on national.
TV, and yeah, don't I don't have to acculade's way had you know, you're playing on better teams. But I'm not trying to discredit way Wade is an all time great.
In my eyes, he's.
Probably three two, three, four best two guards at all time.
And so you know, some some of a TV.
But I feel like I'm right there, I'm right there, Like it might be like, yeah, I'm right like some of these other guys like yeah, cold Bron, I think Wayne, I'm right there.
I respect that, I respect that. I have one respect that and so and saying that, like you're right there. Do you think you know, like I don't know the full story of you being let or at ESPN. I know what I've heard, I know.
What I think, But do you think, yeah, what I saw?
But do you think those things like that thing for instance, and then being let go from ESPN and so on and so forth, do you think those things in retirement kind of hinders your name a little bit as a player, like the way people view you as a player, how great you were, Because one thing I do know is and even my journey. When you give people one little thing to latch on, they try to latch on that and minimize everything else that you've done.
Do you think those things hurt.
You in the sense of who you or how people speak about Paul player Paul Pierce the basketball player, because they intertwine the poker thing, the Instagram live and some a few things that you said when you were on ESPN.
Do you think that hinders your name as a hooper.
I think it's hindered my name amongst the young generation.
But real hoopers know and people of my generation know, and so you're gonna get a little comment so like he wasn't shit, He wasn't he didn't play. But but that's not true. You go to YouTube, you can attack my character, you can attack me as a person, but don't tell me I was shit on the basketball court.
You know what I'm saying.
So I can live with that, And as a person who's always wore the black.
Hat, I'm fine with that. Dray.
I lived a great life. I've traveled the world because of basketball. I got four beautiful kids. And if I'm gonna hang on to what other people say about me and how they hinder my name. Oh well, you know what, I'm still living my life. I'm still living a dream and I can give a damn.
What these people say. I think period.
Yeah, I respect that, man, because I've kind of seen that in a different sense, Like people will attack my character as a man because of how I play basketball, you know what I'm saying, Even with like.
The stuff that I just went through, you know, a couple.
Of months ago or whatnot, It's like that was one of the things that kind of had me like, man, I don't really know if I wanted to do this no more, Like y'all y'all talking about like I got kids.
You know what I'm saying. My kids will go on YouTube. My kids.
You know, my kids go to school, they got friends with a Warriors fan, and y'all attacking my character as a man.
My kids got to listen to that, you know what I'm saying.
Like, one thing I know is you can feel how you want to feel me about me as a basketball player.
You can say I suck. It's probably not true, but that's how you feel.
Say what you want.
You can say I rote Steph coketail cool, say all of those things, right, But when you start talking about the man that I am right like because of some I did in the lines of battle, like in between these lines, that to me kind of like that took me down.
A little bit.
You know what I'm saying, hold on, man, like I'm not I'm not this guy y'all saying I am. That's you said that about the basketball player, because like you just said, I actually did a story with Howard Beck when we were just at the guard a few days ago, and you said earlier you said, I'm not the same person like when I'm playing and me the person.
That's two different people.
Funny enough, I was doing this this story with Howard Beck, and he was, you know, we're talking about the things that's happened where I am today, how I'm playing, and blah blah uh mentioned some around our test stuff in there. And I was talking to him and I kept like flipping back to these two people, like talking to him and in the mind of like me and basketball and
then talking to him like in my normal mind. And I told him literally, as we're doing the interview, I said, Howard, I'm trusting you to not make me look as stupid as I sound right now, because that may sound like
like I'm totally out of my mind right now. I keep telling you, like, well, this guy who's the basketball player thinks this, and this guy who's not the basketball player goes X, Y and Z, and so I really like I can sympathize with that, you know, and understand that from a different point of view, because I've gone through that, you know what I'm saying, And like, obviously
I still get the opportunity to play. And when you get the opportunity to play, I always say, you get an opportunity to write the ship because winning cures all. Playing well cures all. But when you're not playing, people don't kind of give you that same grace no more. It's almost like it's almost like, Okay, I couldn't shit on you when you were playing because you was the truth. But now here's my chance on you because you're not playing no more. And now all you're going to like, okay,
so they're gonna listen to your word. Well then people look at it like, well, it's my word against yours, you know.
Right right, ask you this though, like you all right, we're going I'm going off right here. You know, how many years are you in right now?
I'm in your twelve?
How many years do you think you want to play?
Two? Three more?
All right? In your last year? Are you going to announce this is your last year? Nah? Oh, you don't want no parallel too.
I can't because somebody gonna do me like I Like I said to you, and then I'm fucked.
To them games and ya the same thing you have to me. Listen, Please announce your last year.
It's the only chance, the only chance my last year is announced that I'm halving the last year.
If that last year it happens to co inside with Steph's last year, Yeah, Clay's last year, And if that's my last year, that's the only chance that it gets announced, because then I could ride Steph Cotel on his farewell tour.
And that's like his man. By the way, I never asked for a fairreweal tour.
And my farewell tour was in Boston because I know that's the only place they appreciate me.
So that's why I gave away. That was my parawell two. Everywhere else I got booed.
That's funny, now, I get I get that, I get I get booed all the time.
I get it.
Hey, but before before we get out of here, two more things.
Number one, I just want to let you know, yeah, I call game.
That's one of my favorite interviews, like because you can tell in that moment and you tell me if I'm lying. But in that moment when I'm watching you talk, you like like like game, what I mean I can make like right game in that moment right there. That just came off the top.
Of the dome, right off the top of the dog here, like I ain't hit no game winners before. Like like I looked at him. I was about to be like think like like he look at it. It's all just like cay and I walked off that was in I was like he wanted to ask me another question if you look at it.
I walked up for like, man, here, I want to hear that ship. I don't want to hear that.
That was eforic. That's one of my favorite interviews.
Uh.
Two more questions.
You and KG y'all y'all always y'all talk about and shout out to y'all unplugged all the smoke productions, y'all. I love y'all doing y'all thing over there. Watch a lot of the stuff. Super dope what y'all got going. And I also think it's super dope to see you and Kg's bond like you know, even on top during that show, it looked like y'all looking out for each other, you know what I'm saying. And I think that's like, that's super dope because we go through these runs and
people don't understand. Man, through these runs, you can sometimes build resentment.
You run each other every day. Every day. You see the good in people, you see the bad in people.
You see the rough day, you see the great day, you see the drastic difference in between the two.
Stuff come up.
And to see that bond you know, and what I've been able to build with Stephan Clay like to see that bond still like that, Man, that's special, you know what I'm saying. So you number one, you gonna understand that because you want with this group. Now, a lot of groups have bonds and they split in these teams, they don't.
Have it forever bond. When you won, you know that bond.
Is forever, you know what I'm saying, So not everybody get to experience that. You know, you be friends in the league and the league is over with, or y'all go to another team, you don't want to talk to nobody, even talk yo teammate. But when you win, that shit is forever. And but for the simple fact we live by each other. Our kids is going to the same school, so we always.
Gonna have that.
No, that's special.
But y'all talk a lot about the NBA and how different it is in the League's what's what's the biggest difference to you, uh, in the league today than when y'all play.
I mean, obviously the obvious off the top is just the defense of physicality of the game. You know, they don't allow as much holding and bumping and stuff, and they allow a lot of player movement. That's why you see the scoring is not only individual wise, but team wise. I mean you talk about I think when I was in the league, the team that led the league and scoring was like one hundred and three hundred and four points. Now you getting teams average on averages one hundred and fifteen,
one hundred and twenty to the leaders. Just the physicality, It's like players can't play defense no more. You can't you your hands as much, bump as much, and it's allowing the offensive player to always have an advantage. And for the fact that players are getting more skilled. You know, players that all positions can handle the ball and shoot the ball extremely well, more athletic. But that's just how the game evolves and evolves every decade, every generation evolves it.
It's it's good to see, man. I'm actually I actually enjoy it.
I didn't like the All Star game, you know, I wish it was a little more competitive, But on the overall, I think the game is in a good place. The European players are really stepping up, showing.
They got with it.
Take and but I think the game is in a good place. I'm not sure if we'll ever see another dynasty again, the way the player movement is. You know, before you know, you have so much loyalty to one franchise, and you guys will probably be the last to stay with one franchise forever.
But with the player.
Movement, it'll be hard to see another dynasty. Which is great. You know, I think it's great because you have some newness to it every year. You ain't gonna have a team just overly dominated. Maybe it's good, maybe it's not. I like I like to see kind of like some uh some dynasty I liked and George y'all run, and you know, I think y'all still can have another run. Y'all still are dangerous in the playoffs, and so, uh, you know, that's that's the biggest difference I see most definitely.
You just mentioned All Star game. I remember watching All Star games that you was in. How can how can we get that back? I lied to you, I said too much.
I think it's start at the top, right. I think you gotta come from Lebron and KD. Because I remember Bron and Kobe like, look, we gotta get this in a in a huddle.
And then you look over Kobe he picking up full court. You're like, oh, he's see its.
So now everybody else like, oh, we can't be bullshitting now, come on now, Cobe ain't playing. Hey, y'all, let's go, man, let's let's get this money.
You know.
I think it comes from the guys at the top, you know. And so if they come in here and you got Brian and step like a KD and and Joannis like let's play, let's go. Maybe y'all you know, for three quarters a week the fourth quarter, you knew it was gonna be on.
And at least want to see.
That absolutely, absolutely, and last but not least, Man, I can't help but notice these retired numbers behind your number and just being a part of you get your jerseys retired with the Boston Celtics. That ain't that ain't no, that ain't no small feet like, that's not a small feat your number being retired up there amongst those other grats. Man, just talk to me about that feeling, uh, the day
when it happened. But also you know, every time you walk in that gym, those greats being one of those great just talk to me about that.
You know.
I'm happy that all the hard work and the dedication I put to this game and the hours, the blood, sweat, tears I was able to put in that people didn't really get to see. They just saw the finished product
on the court. That's what that is, you know. And nights when I'm waking up at three four in the morning and going for a run or going to the gym, that's what turned into that, you know, just sacrifice from not being around friends and family on special days Christmases, holidays and birthdays where you don't get to see people that you love. It's because of my grind and being
in the league. And that's the stuff that people don't see, the sacrifices that we make as athletes and the dealing with this person need money or your best friend just got shot or I just lost my close homie. They don't understand, like it's more than what you see on the court for you to still keep your mind in the same frame to really steal keep going, whereas days you really want to stop, but you keep going. And
that's what that equal. You know, me and here to walk into the garden and my number be there forever now that I was able to leave my legacy and left my mark not only with the Subjics, but the game of basketball, and so you know, being around having a check when he was there, when he was a live rest in peace, Bill Russell, and just doing it in front of them. It was just I wanted to be as great as I could and push myself to
the limit. And you know that's a product of me getting my jersey retired, which I'm heavy and thankful for because I gave a game my life and heard that I missed out on a lot of things in life. So Drake, when you retire, it's more to life than Hoop's man, travel the world, enjoy your family.
Man, so much more for us to see, man, And I'm enjoying retirement.
That's incredible to hear.
That means a lot, because it's the inevitable for all of us, right, like.
We all gonna one day be out of this league. And to hear you know, we always hear the shit stories, you know what I'm saying.
You always hear like, hey, man, it ain't and great over here, like enjoy that, and like, yeah, we want to enjoy it. But I actually am one like I look forward to retire, you know what I'm saying, Like I ain't. I appreciate the NBA, and the NBA has allowed me to live an incredible life, to provide a great life for my family. But I'm excited for what's on the other side, you know. You know what I'm saying, Like this to your point, this this job. Like if
there's a wedding, you miss it. If there's a childbirth, you can possibly miss it. If there's a birthday, you miss it.
You know what I'm saying.
If there's a school assembly, you miss it. If there's a fella's trip in the month of March.
You miss it. You know what I'm saying. If they're like you miss so much.
First steps, like you know what I'm saying, it's like, damn.
Absolutely, I don't take it for granted, man, And I appreciate you hearing you say that.
I appreciate you. Coming on the show means a lot. Says a lot about you.
Number one. I got to share my side of the story finally.
Absolutely absolutely, and I'm happy you let out with it. Before we go, Jackson, turn your video on. I just want you all to see Jackson fan out. You know this Celtics shit that got going on over here. All our listeners know Jackson is a huge Celtics fan.
So this is a moment for.
Jackson and Jackson how your moment. Go ahead and fucking fan out goddamn Celtics.
Thanks man, Thanks DG.
Paul.
I was I was twelve when the Celtics one in two thousand and eight, so I was really right when I was coming into my true basketball fantom and basketball obsession. So I just want to say thank you for coming on the show. This is a really full circle moment for me. You were my favorite player back then, So thank you for coming on the show. I appreciate everything you did for the Celtics.
All right, hey man, ash dra Mond was the game plan, not the guard Jaylen Brown the.
Other day, it was it was the game plan.
It was a host that he was going to shoot a bunch of shots, hijack the offense so that Jason.
And by the way, Justin told you know, it actually was working.
You looked at the score sheet at one point it was he was three for seven. JT had not taken the shot, Drew had not taken.
The shot, and then all of a sudden, we on offense.
We were awful, and we weren't moving the ball to passing, and they started.
Getting out in transition.
JT hit the three, Drew hit the three, and then it looked like the game plan made no sense, but it actually made sense, and I think it could.
Have won fifty two points later it didn't work, y'all.
Meeting the finals this year, y'all need to scrap that game plan.
I don't think we're gonna go with it in the finals. I don't think it's going I don't think I don't think it's gonna go in the finals. But I tell you what for both of you, two Celtics, Celtics ledger, Celtics fan, I'll tell you what. Walking in the other day them Booze ain't as loud as they was. Fell as they are, not as loud as they are.
Not as loud.
Truth.
I appreciate you, brother, thank you for coming on the show man. Love Yeah sure, love bro, no doubt