The NBA's latest COVID outbreak, Kyrie's Return & a Matt Barnes interview

people are following my college football bets. I'm sort of red hot. I've won eleven of twelve. Hey, if you're new, just download the FanDuel Sports Book app. I did it in fifteen seconds. Get started now sign up. Please use the promo code Colin so they know we sent you. Please use the promo code Collins CEO l I in FanDuel sports Book App. Sign up. Happy Holidays ever, everybody, and welcome back to The Draymond Green Show. This is our sixth episode. Think it will be another great episode.

I have my big brother of mine, um, a guy who I play with, uh won a championship with, but more importantly, a guy who I've had respect for forever. I love the way he went about his career, love the way he's gone about life after basketball and dominating and trail blaze in the path for myself in this space, and and podcasting and what he's done. And at the other half of all the smoke, Matt Barnes, who I will have and as a guest, a super, super super

insightful interview, as Matt always is. I think you know you'll what you'll take away from this interview, Hopefully it's what I always take away um from Matt when I hear him speak is number one. Hopefully people will learn how to continue to separate the basketball player from the person as someone who deals with that a lot. I actually posted on my story the other day and I just put L O L some guys saying like Draymonds

are really nice. We were in New York actually, and I think it was one of the guys who was probably saying outside the hotel, said, Draymond is a really nice guy off the basketball court. And you know the reality is people meet you on the basket, or they don't meet you. People get to know what they think they know of you from watching you do your job and play basketball. And kind of have this perception of

who you are as a person. And I think it's always a bit skewed because the reality is most people's job they don't compete head to head with someone like we do. But I think in all jobs, or most jobs, there is competition. You know you're whether it's the competitor you're competing against as far as other companies was in your space, whether it's you trying to get some award throughout the ranks of the company, whether it's trying to

move up. I think there is always competition, but it's not quite head to head and so direct as us who I'm trying to destroy my opponent, like I want you to know, I'm trying to take your heart. I'm mentally trying to destroy you. And I am very very upfront and direct about that. I'm not trying to hide that. And and I think in most fields that's probably a

little different. So when you when you're watching the game or you see someone like myself, like a Matt Bars, you kind of had this perception of who you think this person is, and and a lot of the times it's it's as far away from what you actually thinks as it possibly can be. And so I hope people leave the interview with Matt if you haven't, I tuned into all the smoking and realize how smart of a guy he is, how well spoken he is, how thoughtful

Matt Barnes is. That you will leave this episode of The Draymond Green Show with that understanding of Matt Bonners. But like I said, even deeper in understanding that who you see on basketball courts on football fields, I think in Dominan Sue is another one. A guy who I have a great relationship with, who you know you've seen have incidents on the field. Uh, he's had some nasty moments where people are on the field and you think, like man and domin Con Sue is a bad guy.

Yet this guy is an engineer, a legit engineer, not like someone who's just like went into a space like no, this guy went to school for engineering, extremely smart, extremely incredible person, and extremely incredible business man. But yet you you've seen him on the field and you think, like, oh, this is a nasty guy. So I said all of that to say, hopefully leaving this episode you will understand that what you see on the basketball court, what you

see on the football field. What you may see if elon Musk and the media and create your opinions is you're watching someone do their job. And if I came to watch you do your job, what what I think of you? Did you know what I think the same thing I thought of you before? Probably not, because we're all a little different in our work environment. So hopefully you'll come away from uh this episode with a little

bit of that. And I will say the topics of the interview with Matt Barnes for the actual interview and around the association as we always like to start off this our episodes just with things that's going on in the NBA is of course, should be the number one thing on this show. I think man COVID, which seems like this thing has been going on forever now, and the reality is I think this thing will go on forever. I think at some point we will learned to live

with it. I think at some point it won't be as big of a deal when someone does test positive or someone is a little sick. I don't think it will be as big of a deal as it is today. But I also said that a year ago that this thing isn't going anywhere, and one day, we're gonna learn to live with it. A year later, I still have those same thoughts. I don't think this thing is going anywhere. I got that part right, definitely got that part right.

Things definitely not going anywhere. Is here to stay. But I'm not quite sure I got the part right yet that we will learn to live with it. And the reason I'm not quite sure that I got that part right is for two reasons, actually a few reasons, but one being where once again seeing NBA games postpone due to COVID outbreaks, and I definitely understand why the games

are postponed because you're now losing guys. For instance, on Brooklyn, you have James Harden, you have Kevin Durant, you have Bruce brown Um, you have LaMarcus Aldrich, James Johnson, and I'm missing a few guys, but you actually, uh yeah, I'm missing a few guys for sure, because I think they have like ten guys on the list. But we can just stop at Kevin Durant and James Harden, and

we can just stop there. And the reality is stats when you're talking to the Brooklyn Nets, you're talking Kevin Durant and James Harden if you're going to see that team play. Obviously, Kevin Kyrie Era has not played the entire season, which we will touch on as well, but um, when you're going to see that game, like, those are the guys that you're really going to see. I mean, that's just the way it is around the league. And

those guys are out. But not only are those guys out, because I think if if it was just those two and and and everyone else was healthy, the league will keep going and they will continue to have games. But the fact that you have so many guys out and those two you see, Uh, the league, as of yesterday or today, yesterday, they you know, implemented a rule where you can sign replacement players if if you have guys on the COVID list. Uh, if you have a guy out,

you can sign one. If you get the two guys, you can sign one, then you get the three guys you have to sign too, you get the four guys you have signed three, and so on and so forth. But what I do understand is that if if Kevin Duran and James Harden are out and you're just signing replacement players, that's not really the product people have in mind.

When when they're talking about going to see a Brooklyn Nets game, And so I do understand um why those games have been postponed on top of the most important reason being just to try to stop the spread, try to stop the outbreak amongst the team and spreading throughout the league into other teams, that being the number one thing, and then what I just woke on being number two.

But when I say we would be able to live with this thing, what I mean by that is if someone had the flu, Jordan Pool, for instances in in the protocol for our team. Wiggins just went in the protocol for our team. If Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Pool had the flu, we wouldn't be testing for it because we learned to live with the flu. If they had the common code, we wouldn't be testing for it because we've learned to live with the common code. It's just what the word to start the the name of the

thing is, it's common. It's now a common thing. So we've learned to live with those things. And when I say we will learn to live with COVID, and where I said I got that part wrong is because we're still canceling games. We're still postponing games. We're still testing guys to see how long they have COVID, and once they're COVID free, return to negative tests, they can return back to the team and to the facility and all of these things, which means we still have not learned

to live with it. And the reason we haven't is because we're still testing for We're still removing people when they come when they test positive. And I don't think this is going anywhere. So if it's not going anywhere in eight years, someone test positive for COVID, are we still testing for COVID and eight years like we are today? And if someone test positive for COVID and eight years,

are we still removing them like we're removing guys? Or are we still postponing games like we're postponing games in eight years? Because then you have to ask yourself, especially if it's that far out, did we learn to live with it? Or is that just the new normal? And so I'm kind of in this space right now of like it's our new normal, going to be testing forever and once someone tests positive for COVID, removing them from life as we know it, will that be our new normal?

And will that be considered living with this thing or will it be like everything else where we kind of just go on and if you don't feel sick, you're going about your day, you know, and if you feel a little sick, depending on what that is. You know, someone has a cough, a little cough, they don't really remove themselves from daily life, you know. If someone has the flu, you're kind of stuck in the bed, and

so you're automatically removed. But you know, this is a little different, and so does does it become our new normal where we're testing and we're removing people away, you know, years years from now, or do we learn to live with it? And just like any other sickness or virus, if you show symptoms, you kind of get checked out, You lay low, you do you know, you do the thing, you take medicine, like all these other things that we do in life when it comes to sicknesses and diseases

and viruses. Will that be our new norm? I don't know. It's it's very interesting, but I must say I definitely thought we was past this part of it, and we're not. But speaking of COVID, and we also talked spoke on the Brooklyn nets Um Kyrie Irvin. Brooklyn Nets said they are letting Kyrie Irvin play in away games, not in New York, which could be the Knicks, um or in States, or in Canada, or which is a country where their

rules aren't the same, thinking California. In order to play in California, I who play for the California team has to be vaccinated. But if you're a visiting player, you can COVID test and you don't have to be vaccinated. I think that is our rule. Um actually, I don't think I know for certain that is our rules. So and you know, Kyrie will be able to play when the brooklyn Nets come to come and visit us and here in San Francisco, but they're allowing him to play

away games. And they said it was due to the amount of injuries and um dropping Kevin Durant's worklow, which has been I mean insane. By the way, Kevin Durant like, you can't tell me this dude how to chilly surgery. I don't believe it. This man is obviously I know he did spend time with them post a chilly surgery, but it's hard to believe Kevin Durant had a chilling surgery. At the way he's playing, I mean, at the level that he's at every single night, the minutes he's playing

like that's insane. So I just wanted to throw that out there. But I don't know. I mean, I think you obviously want Kyrie Irving the part of your team. I don't know, part time full time doesn't work. Part time is the question? Like, how does that work in the playoff series where you know, you could be on the road for four games, at home for three games. Uh, you know, how does that work out? From a chemistry standpoint?

How does it work where a guy could be missing from a team for two weeks on a on a twiter road trip, then you come home from that twiter road trip, you have two road games, and then you go back on the road for two games. It's like, how do you build connuity? Uh, the familiarity amongst the group? How does that work out? I think those are some of the questions that people have, and you know, we'll

see how it works out. But like I said before, if you have Kyrie Irvan, you can have Kyrie Irvan available. I understand makeing Kyrie available. You know there are they are a completely different team with Kyrie UH. And we all know Kyrie is a once in a lifetime a generational talent, especially with the way he handles the ball and finishes around the rim. UH. One of the shiftiest guys we've ever seen in our league, for certain. So

you got Kyrie. I understand adding Kyrie. So we'll see how it goes, because, like I said, those questions that I just posed, they are reality, and those are the challenges that they'll have to face. But we'll see how it goes. And then also around the Association, we recently played in Toronto and their crowds at fifty percent. Again obviously totally different country, so they're probably under the guidance of their government and asking them to reduce UH their

attendants to fifty percent. Again, I can't quite foresee that being a thing around the league throughout America. I just I don't. I don't think so. And maybe that goes back to maybe we are learning to live with it, you know, and and maybe you know, we're starting to just realize what some of our new normals are. The crowd thing, it was a little weird, you know, you I mean to see that. Obviously I didn't play in the Toronto game. But to see that and you know

as a little traumatizing. You know, you go from the crowds that we were in and you know, pre COVID to what we went through through COVID, from the bubble too. I mean at one point last year we had family in the building, like a hundred of people in the building to a thousand people or whatever the progression was. To now see this thing drop back to is like whoa, Like, it's a little traumatizing because as as you know, as an athlete, as a basketball player, I mean essentially an entertainer,

that's what you do. You entertain crowds. You feed off the crowd, you feed off the energy, and all of a sudden it drops back the feet percentage like oh man, like here we go with this again, you know, not this again, Like you know, we've seen enough for this. And and then you think about the business side of it. I think when you look at the NBA and they

pulled it off, so kudos to the league office. But they did everything in their power to get the season back on the normal schedule, and we did that and we're back on a normal schedule like we were pre COVID, and I know the ramifications uh that COVID had on

the league. I know what it did to the scheduling, and so to think that there would be another stoppage or you know, some other delays, I I just can't really foresee it with everything that's going on, to get through or to get back to somewhat normal for us, which has been I must say, until the Toronto game. I just can't really foresee it going back to where

it was. And then also the amount of opinions are I mean, we've all heard everyone's opinion now at this point on what the shutdowns there was shutting down the economy did, was shutting down this business and that business there, the effects that it had on us as a whole as people, I just really can't foresee it going back to where it was or or or some type of shutdown or some type of pauls you know, throughout the league. I really just can't foresee that in and I hope

it doesn't end up there. Um, you know, but you know, I think you know, we all know this this outbreak throughout not only our league, but throughout the NFL as well. Uh, it's it's been pretty substantial, and it's not one guy, it's not two guys, it's not ten guys. Uh, if I'm not mistaken, I think the NFL has a hundred and thirty guys on the COVID ire list. That's a

ton of guys. And then you look at the amount of guys that's on the NBA Listen, it's get it gets interesting, and it's it's definitely getting a little dicey. So we'll see what happens. Like I said, I hope it doesn't happen. I hope we can continue to play. I hope we can keep everyone healthy, and I just hope we can figure this thing out and kind of figure out, like what is living with COVID as we know? Like, like I said, it's not it's not going anywhere. It's

mutating more than it's going away. So what happens, I don't know. It's interesting though, and hopefully, you know, we can continue to move through life, we can continue to figure out what we're figuring out, what we need to figure out, and if living with this will be our normal, hopefully we can figure that out as well. Uh if if if that's just going to be our new normal.

So so If you follow me on Instagram, you may have saw my story that I said I needed to speak on this situation with with Kevin Durant and this young kid, Jaden Moore. I think the kid's name is Jaden Moore. Everyone's saying, oh, Katie's catching backlash for going at it with another kid, and it really pissed me off.

And the reason it piss me off is because Kevin Durant catches backlash for criticizing I'm not sure how old the kid is now, but apparently this this video is from when he was in the sixth grade, so let's say the kids in the eighth grade, maybe even the ninth grade. Kevin Durant catches criticism for criticizing a sixth grade basketball player, seventh grade, eighth grade, whatever it is. And I think that is the most ridiculous thing I've

heard in a long time. And here's why. Be upset the day that the that the all time grades won't talk to the young kids. Be upset the day that the all time grade doesn't care to speak up on the kid who is doing a move in the game that is not fundamentally sound, that is a travel and a double dribble and whatever else you want to say. It is. It breaks a lot of rules and it

was a nice looking move. It's great if the kid's goal is to play and one like a lot of our goals where when we were growing up, and one was it. You had hot Sauce, you had RP Escalade, you had UH Bone collector, you had all of these guys who it was incredible, but it's it wasn't NBA basketball, nor was it fundamentally sound basketball. A lot of it was travels, double dribbles, throwing the ball off the heasy and all of these things that they were doing while playing.

It was a show. The game of basketball becomes a show when it's played the right way. That's when it really when when you're playing at the level that Kevin Durant is playing, myself, other guys in the NBA coach Steve Kerr always says, the show happens, guys, when when when we play defense and we take care of the ball, that's when the show happens. The show doesn't happen because this kid can do like a behind the backspin, wrap it around travel move. That's not the show. That's not

what's going to get that kid to the NBA. And so for Kevin Durant to crush catch criticism for saying the move stinks, it is ridiculous. And I have to commend the kid for his response because that's what his response should have been. His response should be, thank you for the criticism, Kevin Durant for even caring to speak up on my move, Kevin Durant for having an interaction with me about me, Kevin Durant. I mean that actually

should be a lifelong goal. The fact that that kid who probably aspires to be Kevin Durant, has Kevin Durant comment on something of his and yet we live in the world today, where as I said on my Twitter the other night, it's a shame that Jack Dorsey used his brilliance to give everyone a platform to say whatever the hell they want to say, because everyone doesn't know what needs to be said. Everyone doesn't use that platform

the way it should be used. Because if you use that platform the way it should be used, you're encouraging that kid to listen with Kevin Durant has to say, Kevin Durst done it. He's doing it everything that that kid wants. Kevin Durant is done from a basketball perspective, So why is it that Kevin Durant should catch backlash for saying the move stinks? It does if you appreciate the game of basketball the way the game of basketball

should be appreciated. The move does stink. Incredible that the kid has that type of footwork and that type of coordination to actually do that. But now let's build up on that with the fundamentals. And so I applaud Kevin Durant for speaking up and saying the move stinks. Let's stop teaching our kids who's going to take over this beautiful game of basketball that we all play, that that's what needs to be done. That's not what needs to be done. But yet that's what overtime posts on Instagram.

That's what all of these pub the cases. They post that on Instagram, and then our kids think, oh, well, that's what I need to do to get posted by these people. I'm gonna do that move and it's ruining the game of basketball. So you know why Kevin Durant gets criticized and catches backlash. Was saying that move stinks.

Kevin Durant gets criticized and catches backlash. Was saying that move stinks because y'all can't tell his stink because people don't know the game of basketball like they think they know the game of basketball. And that's what you enjoy seeing. I hope the kids feel the kids feelings wasn't hurt one bit. I hope what that kid took away from that is I would be at the gym at six am the next morning before I go to school, working on my fundamentals. It is ridiculous what we're doing to

the game of basketball. It is ridiculous that somebody will highlight that move. It's a travel and a double dribble. Why highlight it? But I'm happy it was highlighted because now that kid had the opportunit. We need to interact with Kevin Durant, and I hope that kid take that interaction as far as he can take it. And I hope when that kid see it, another kid in ten years do that same move. I hope he'd go on Twitter and say that ship is trash, the same thing

that Kevin Durst I'm sorry, stinks. That's what Kevin Durant said. I hope that kid go and say that because it was ridiculous that Kevin Durant catches backlash for it's saying a move that a young kid did that inspires to be him or someone else in this league sucks. That's the world we live in. It's ridiculous. If Kevin Durant can't speak up on the basketball move, who can? And this is for all the young kids out there. You

decide what you're gonna go work on. Are you gonna go work on what Kevin Durant said, gonna work on because I know he knows what it takes to get there? Are you going to listen to the people on Twitter and Instagram that tells Kevin Durant he's wrong for telling you that move stinks? Oh and I also forgot to mention next week will being exciting show. And the reason it's exciting because for you, the subscriber, subscribers, the listeners of The Draymond Green Show. Next week we will do

a holiday dishing mailback episode. And the reason that is exciting because for you, the fans, the listeners, the subscribers who tune in every week, Um, since we've been doing this now, like I said, this is episode six, Uh so who's for those who's been tuning in I thank you. I don't take your ears for granted. I don't take your attention for granted. I don't take and most important, I don't take your time for granted. I really appreciate

the subscribers and the listeners, so thank you. And because of your participation and your dedication to the Draymond Green Show, we will do a holiday mail back up. So put some questions. I mean, we're put it out there on Twitter, whether it's the you can send them to the volume sports, you can tag me in it, and you may have your episode featured on discott. I'm sorry, you may have

your question featured on this mailback episode and answered. And I'm looking forward to those, and I think it would be very excited. UH love to engage you guys and kind of hear what you're thinking and what you want to hear more of as opposed to just what I'm thinking, you know and so or what our guests haven't been thinking. So I want to take some of your questions and see what you want to hear, and so that will

be a very fun and exciting episode. But for this week, as you know, our guests, as I spoke on before, who I Am extremely honored to have on this show. Uh. Like I said, championships, championship brother of mine, UM, but even further past the championship, just a big bro who I look up to, who gives me advice. So I still talk to pretty frequently. UM today. Excited to have him on the show and welcome Matt Barnes to the Draymond Green Show. Matt Barnes, my brother, Welcome to the

Draymond Green Show. Man. I appreciate you having me and congratulations on the show. Man. I love that you're in this space. I knew it would only be a matter of time. Thank you. I appreciate you after you don't after watch him? How you and Stack doing it? I always tell people when I came on to your show, I felt like I just talked about everything. And part of the reason why I talked about everything is because y'all make that a safe space to get whatever it

is that you want off your chest, to share. Whatever it is, whether it's basketball, weather, it's life, whatever it is,

let's talk about it right here. So I think y'all have done a special job, and what y'all are doing is creating a path for guys like myself who obviously still currently playing, and but you know, athletes getting into the space and and really owning the content and and and all the things that you all have been able to do with special So I appreciate you all for for for trail blaze in this path, man, because it's

I enjoyed this. It's a lot of fun for me. Yeah, that was really the goal, you know, when I came up with the idea, you know, as you spoke to it,

a safe space. You know, normally any kind of conversation you kind of have to be on edge if you're dealing with the media, and now that we transform from athletes to media, I wanted to still have that kind of same connection and energy because you know, you and I have had several conversations off the record, but I feel like we can still have those conversations on the

record as long as it's a safe space. So yeah, I think we've been able to create first and almost a safe space and where guys feel comfortable and we can relate to each other. And I really feel like that's it brings out the best content, you know, So again, I'm excited during this space because I just always felt like, you know, outside of basketball. You've got a great mind and you land so much to so many different field so it's dope to you know, have bro with this space. Man,

I'm glad. I'm happy for you. I appreciate, I appreciate how the boys. Man, good brother just turned thirteen. Can't tell them ship, they got a little bit. They got the little mustaches lined up by the barber for the first time, so it's it's it's dope. Man. I got teenagers now, so it's it's been a blast. And then the ash little man just turned three, um two weeks ago, man, So you know, I got teenagers and I got a three year old. So it's been fun. It's beautiful, it's

it's grateful. Ash too. He tried to keep up with them because he's the young you know, he's a young with with you know, my girl has three kids from her previous mayor, so we've got six kids on the thirteen, so he's the youngest. So he's definitely tugging it out picking up a few words. I wish he kind of probably waited ten years to pick up, but you know that's what happens. Absolutely no, but obviously, uh, you had

an incredible career and what we're sharing comments. You're pick in the draft, second round pick, and I think, um, I know for myself, going second round it brought a chip for me especially. You know, I came out of college national player of the Year, over Anthony Davis, over Damian little Ard, over all these guys, and I went second round. And I feel like that, like that fueled me. I wanted to destroy every one of those guys that drafted above me. I wanted to destroy every team that

didn't pick me. That fueled me. That was that something that you carry with you through your career. How long could you carry the second round chip until you was kind of over it? I mean, should I still carry it to this day? You know what I mean? I mean, I take the same mindset I had in basketball the business, but you know, being a second round pick, not really

getting a chance to even play. I was in Cleveland with John Lucas one of the first cuts, like maybe four practices and didn't really give me a chance and never let me get into drills or anything. So you know, I was off to the to the D League at the time. You know, me coming into the league and oh two, it's really back in that day. It's really about a position. You know. In the U c l A. I was similar to you. I was Swiss army knife, you know, I could play anything, but majority of the

time I was an undersized power forward, you know. And in two thousand two coming into the league, the power forward to Chris Webber, Antonio mcdie, Kevin Garnett, you know, and I'm sick. I'm six seven to ten at the time, so I really felt like I was kind of position list because of the way I played the U c l A. So it was almost like I had to reinvent myself as a pro, and it took a lot of hard nuts because you know, again towards the end of my career and when you came in, it was

less about position. It was just more about basketball and i Q and again, so I had to kind of

learn how to be a wing on the fly. So I always knew that I could play defense, so I just played my ass off on defense, hoping then that would give me some time to develop, you know, develop into a wing, which I had to be at you know, the first ten years of my career, and then I could last four Again the game got small or the game got faster, so I was able to move from the two to the three, to the four or whatever

with sometimes even the five. So but the area original question, you know, definitely it was a chip um that I've had really my whole career. You know, I came into u c l A. We had the number one recruiting class back to back years, but I was the least heralded recruit um. You know, we had gern Rush, Ray Young, Dan Get, Jerry Droo mois So all McDonald's all Americans. I wasn't, you know, I was playing football at the time, so I wasn't really tripping off the McDonald's all American

type stuff. But you know, it was always kind of just a grind. And you know, if you were to look back at that team with Baron Davis, Earrol Watson, Compono, everyone I listed, I would probably be the one that people say, well, is he gonna make it? And I ended up being the one that played the actual longest out of that whole group of names. So it's always kind of just been my mentality again, and I've taken that perspective from playing into this business world and kind

of keep that same chip on my shoulder. No, it's it's it's definitely fuel man and drives you for sharper. Speaking of you, just you spoke on football that you were playing football. I think a lot of people don't know your football background. Your resume. Obviously, I've heard I know all the resume just sitting on the planes and in the locker room, you kind of get everything. But tell these people about your football resume mount and they quite understand. Football is my first sport. I grew up

playing football, tackle football in the streets. You know. My dad was in and out of trouble, uh and and and would always play Sunday flat or tackle football leagues at the park. So I grew up at the park watching football. So uh naturally, football is my first sport. I really didn't take basketball up until about junior high and as far as taking basketball serious, but I was natural at it. Um it was easily my best support.

Basketball is a lot more challenging and football was. But when I was just thinking, you know, as a youngster, as we're playing, you can't tell no young kids that they're not going pro. So in my mind, all right, am I gonna go pro? And football or basketball? And you know, having a decorated high school receiving. You know, I led the nation touchdowns by senior year with a broken toe, kept playing. I was first team, you know,

all American, recruited by everyone in football. But you know, when that time started to you know, go to college, Do I want to play both or do I really want to lock in and try to make a real career out of one of them? So I just chose basketball for longevity because at the time, you know, being sixth eight, there wasn't too many six eight receivers on you know, Harold Carmack. You look back the old Philadelphia

Eagles now the NFL, or I probably see me. About ten years ago, the NFL started looking at basketball players as valuable assets on the football field. You know, you see a bunch of guys that didn't even play football that are you know, making good money in the NFL now. But again, at that time, it wasn't too common. So you know, again, basketball was a lot more challenging for me.

I had to work a lot harder, but that's so with someone you know, into his grind, and so I chose basketball, and you know, it ended up working out and ended up working out well. But you know, there's not a day that passes, and I know you kind of feel the same way. You're still in the mist your career, but I know you love bought at death and I'm always looking back, like, damn, what if I would have went this way? You know, I might have

not played this long. But I knew I had a nice splash because you know I ran in high school, ran a four three nine. You know, I had a thirty nine inch vertical. I could really play, I could really catch, I knew how to run routes, and you know I love physicality, So you know, football was really my you know, god my god given talent, and you know I chose basketball to make a career outive though. That's that's interesting. I think for me, I actually I

wasn't that good at football. Like I was a pretty good defensive and I could lock the ash down and like you wasn't running around age she was gonna have to cut it back to the middle. But I wasn't great, Like I was decent and pretty pretty good. But I didn't think. I thought for me when I stopped playing, Um, I stopped playing after my fresh so everybody think I played that Michigan state because of those a couple of

clips when I played in the spring game. But I really stopped playing football after my freshman yor of high school. And the reason I stopped playing football after my freshman year high school was because, now that I look back on it, I was probably wrong. But from my freshman year to my sophomore year, I grew from six ft to to the high a m today, and my knees were hurting so bad to where yes, when we had when we had basketball trial right after football season, I

couldn't run like I'm talking about. I'm like like almost walking up and down the floor. I could not move. And so in my mind, you know, guys have been chopping me down that year because I was taller. Obviously I was growing and getting taller, and they were chopping me down. So in my mind I tooked. I thought to myself, like, I got I need to make a decision right now if I really want to play football or am I just going all in on basketball because

this football stuff is messing up my knees. Little did I know, I was in the midst of a grossberg and that's where my knee pans were coming from. But I stopped playing because I thought football was messing up my knees and going in the basketball season, I'm like, I love basketball, and I think I'm better at basketball night and at football, and just stopped. But so then I played in that spring game. I just knew that that would be my last time in life ever being

having an opportunity to play football. So I went out there and I asked him, like yo, Coach Deacon. I played a couple of plays in the spring game, and it wasn't serious. It's just like me getting out there to say I did it, and I did it, but I wasn't that good man like I was. I was okay at that time, like I got moved well today. I moved well then, but not fluid, and so my routes like at tight end, my routs weren't great. But my routs weren't great. I just didn't move it's fluid

as I do today. So it was it was a little different for me. See that's interesting because again I I think I looked at football the way you looked at basketball, Like I love football, but I started playing basketball because again, you know, when you're thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, you're starting to grow, and I just kept growing. I want to say, in junior high I was like eighth grade, I was about five ten, and by the start of

my freshman or I was six four. So then from six from freshman year the senior I grew up to throw threw to six eight. So basketball kind of took center stage. But at the same time, like my love and passion was football, Like I loved the hit. I didn't mind getting hit, like that was my whole thing. And I really kind of felt like, you know, I made a fourteen year NBA career out of just being

a wide receiver. You know, I get out on the lanes, run the lane, Chris Paul's you, Steph whoever passed me the ball in the lanes, I finished and then always everyone always went like, why are you so physical or why do you And to me, it was just that football mentality, Like I loved being able to mix it up. You know, at the beginning of the beating of my career, we really got to play real defense, you know, when you went across the pain you got hit with the

rmbar and I loved all that ship. I love when bigger dudes hit me because I'm gonna try to hit him back later, you know, I mean somebody in the NBA was kind of my thought process. So again, like really I took that football mentality and just applied it to basketball. So it was again my my, my, my true love is football and and you know, God bless me and allowed me to you know, make a career

a basketball officer. Now it's it's dope, I think for me personally also, I like even today, you know, you talk about that physicality, like the NBA is soft to me, man, Like the NBA is soft. The physics and the reality is the NFL is starting to get a little soft. It has gotten a little soft. But I get it. I do understand with all the concussion stuff and like all the and the type of injuries that guys are having.

I get it. Some of the cars I can do without, but I do understand their their point of view and like why they're trying to clean the game up because it actually alters a lot of guys livelihoods are the lines that they live outside of football and after football. So I get it. But to this day, like I still enjoy watching football way more than basketball. Like I

watched basketball, but I watched football. Religious Yeah, yeah, so I watched I watched basketball now to watch people I know still you know what I mean if you k d you know guy Chris Paul, guys I play with. But Sunday ticket comes on, I'll watch every single motherfucking game or like, I'll sit in my main cape and watch basketball and smoke a couple of joints throughout the day. Everyone knows Sunday don't funk with dad, he's watching football slot. Uh,

completely on that same page. Absolutely, So you you you didn't make the decision to go u c l A for basketball for four good years at U c l A. You come into the league, you bounce around a little bit, and then you signed with the Warriors. What what? What end up? How did you come across the opportunity and signed with the Warriors? So just to quit? So G League Clippers signed me to a ten day to ten

days make the team. Uh, they're really they're ready to after my first huss this is two thousand two three, they're ready to give me a two year minimum deal. Um, but this is in the midst of in the early two thousands, when it was sack Mine, Kings and Lakers you know what I mean. So I'm going to school of U c l A. But I'm from sack See. Webb's my big homie, you know, another Detroit dude. Um So I'm always hanging with him in the summertime, working

out with him. White Chocolate, Mike Baby comes along, Bobby Jackson knows kind of guys. For those of the guys I'm working out with every summer. And I hadn't took the Clipper deal. I was just it's great, I have an opportunity to, you know, let's grind to see if happened to find anywhere the people that want to give me some money. Um. So I go into and we're working out the King's facility every day. And this is when they had Rook Adelman, and he came up to

me and asked me what I was doing. I kind of told him about the Clipper situations, like, you know, I think you'd be a great fit here in your hometown. Do you want to come here? I'm like, what, Well, yeah, So I end up passing on that two year deal, which is crazy, but I took a one year deal with a Sacramento and then that's the year they trade Webb to Philly. So then I go with see I'm gonna throw I'm gonna throw in on that trade. I go with See Webb to Philly and don't get a

chance to play it for almost two years. Behind My cheeks almost end up, mo cheeks up, and I probably never would have got a chance to play basketball. Peer it. Get through Get through that. So I'm I'm at a cross roads. After playing one solid year with the half a season with the Clippers, I saw it half year with the Kings on the bench for two years in Philly. So people are like, Okay, you know that window and

I went My time is ticking. So I'm almost to the point now where like ship if you know, no teams were really calling. I'm doing summertime football workouts to my brother because my brother was just coming out of college too, so he was getting ready to you know, to play football as well. So I'm doing you know, three or two days a week, I'm doing football and four days a week I'm doing basketball. Just to kind of see what pops off. My agent had you know,

ten NFL teams lined up for private workouts. Um, but this is when my college teammate Baron was with the Warriors, and he hit me up one day like, Yo, we're having you know, a pickup game down here in Oakland. If you're not doing nothing, pull up. I'm like, Ship, all right, you know, I'm our our twenty get dressed, hopping a car, go down there and drive down there. Um and ended up doing really well the team was in town. I ended up doing really well um that day.

And I didn't know at the time that you know, the coaches in the old prix of the coach's office can see the floor, so I didn't know Don Nelson was watching the whole time. He comes down after ask me what I'm doing. I'm just like, you know, to be honest, coach, it's not ringing. I'm just I'm trying to make it. And he's like, you know, I can't promise you nothing. We already have sixteen guarantees and our

rosters full for training camp. But if you play as hard as you did today, I'm gonna give you a chance. And I was just like, Ship, that's all I need, is it? Like a real chance. So Nellie was the first one to really you know, after my first you know, my first year, is that to really like, okay, I'm gonna give you a chance to see what you got.

So I ended up beating out, uh everyone in training camp, and then two guys that had guaranteed contracts things that are non guarantees that they had contract guarantees training camp end up beating them out, end up being like the last another fourteen or fifteenth guy. And you know, from there, it was just grinding any any chance I got, I would go and produce. I go play ten minutes. I'd have six point seven rebounds and you know, guard people

and make assists and make play. So Nellie, slowly but sure, they started trusting me enough to air. By mid season, I'm starting and now they're they're trying to think, Okay, you know we've signed dun Lee V and Murphy to these deals. We're not really going nowhere. So you know, I made I made them feel more comfortable going out and trading those two guys that you know that that had got deals, And that's how we ended up bringing stack in al Harrington from Indiana UM to that team.

And then you know, we tried to get our ship together a little bit and we become the we Believe team in like a month and a half you know, people think that we believe team was like a whole year or crazy. They don't understand that was post trade and we started off shitty because Baron was hurt, Jack was getting into draft, was still in trouble for some other ship he was doing. So we really hit our stride like the last games and then you know, into

the playoffs. We made NBA history, but it was really a short lived experience. But I say all that to say like it came about because literally my college teammate, Baron Davis called me, told me to come play pick up. I'm press Nelly, and Nelly gave me a chance. That's interesting, And so y'all have that that last half of the year, play well, beat the Mavericks in the first round, lose to Utah in the second round. What happened the following year?

Why didn't that team come back to the playoffs? Why didn't that team continue to trend up? We're just as opposed to just having that one year so before this golden state, and you know, looking back on it now and you learn the history and you know, management everything, and people understand how important management is. Winning starts at the tops, and as a player, you know a younger player. You don't really realize that. You look at the players like, Okay,

we're gonna be straight. But winning starts at the top. So Golden State had a history of getting people in and getting them out for some reason. They never really paid the right people. They never really built anything. So what happened was And it's funny too, because I was just with Kevin Garnett a couple of days ago. He came over because we're working on a couple of products, but we started talking about this ship. So we were supposed to trade Jason Richardson and our lottery are are

picked that we had. I'm not sure if it was a lottery, but I think it was because we ended up getting Brandon right, we were supposed to trade Jay rich and our pick to get Kevin Garnett, and uh so that was And I didn't really know how I heard rumors until I finally had KG on the show and then we really got into it when he was here the other day. So we were supposed to get Kevin Garnett that you're basically for Jason Richardson, So we

would have added Kevin Garnett to that young team. And it was funny because we're over here talking the other day. Just like, man, you guys were young and wild and off the court while too, and I loved your energy, but I didn't know if I could have hung with y'all. But it was it was It was funny just to hear from his mouth. So he really considered. He said his three teams were he called it that team in Oakland, the Lakers, and the Celtics, and uh he ended obviously

end up going with Celtics and winning a championship. So the player, like I said, the plan was to trade Jay rich for Kevin Garnett, and Kevin Garnett was supposed to come that we believe team that following year, but to slow down a little bit. So the very beginning of that year, my mom is diagnosed with cancer November one, which is the beginning of the season, and she dies November twenty seven. So within twenty six days, I find out my best friend in the world is sick and

she's gone not even a month later. So for me personally, obviously I wasn't the best player on that team. That was you know, b D stacked Jay richmondte you name him. But I was like the heart and soul of that team, you know, so you know, for me to kind of go down that next season, in my head is in clouds literally the first three or four months of that season. But what's crazy about that was again I had a

breakout seasonal Golden State Nellie gave me a chance. They offered me a three year, twelve million dollar deal at the time, and during the playoffs, I'm here and you know, like Matt Barnes is gonna get paid. You know, he should be one of these you know, high twenties, low thirty guys. So I'm thinking less. I'm hearing that all during the season, and then you know, once the season's over,

Golden State is really quick with their deal. So I think they were just trying to steal me before I can really hit the market and you know, the summer, you know, rest in peace. Dan Fegel was my agent at the time. He led a bull, He led a nice, high twenty million dollar deal go to Dallas. He doubt he was asking for more and they didn't want to give him more. I was on vacation, didn't tell me. They ended up signing Jerry's Stackhouse and Devin George with

the money they were gonna give me. I end up firing dan Um and didn't take that deal, but ended up going back to like a four million dollar deal to Golden State. So I say all that to say when I was when my mom died and I was finally kind of start ready to play in January, Nelly pulled me to the side and said, I'm glad you didn't take a long term deal here, your time here

is up. I'm like, what the fun me? You know, my mom just died all this ship, Like, what the fucking One thing I always respect about Nellie he was a straight shooter. There was no bullshit with him. I just didn't understand where it was coming from. And I think because I was in the midst of my mom died, he was probably mad already in the preseason obviously, but he couldn't really get on me or show me that because my mom had died. So I was just kind

of in and out of it. So once I really felt like I was mentally to really get back in the mix, he pulls me to the side and tells me what he just told me. I'm like, what this motherfucker right here? And bro, I didn't really I really played the rest of the season, so after that I was out of there. But I think the fact that he you know, that he gave me the opportunity to really get my my career on track, which I appreciate. But you know, as as younger players, we want to

get as much money as we possibly can. If if someone's are from your twelve, when you're hearing you know, high twenties, maybe even thirty, I'm gonna see what that is because we you know, we know how fast and small our window is. UM ended up not working out and taking the four million dollar deal, and and he held that against me. Man. Unfortunately, Wow, that's crazy. That's interesting.

But I'll tell you what I know. You just you just you just mentioned like I wasn't the best player on that team, or you know, you weren't the top score you probably weren't top four or five scores. But I think the role that you played on on every team. I think the role that you played on every team that you were on, including even when when you came to the Warriors the second time, was you were an enforcer.

You were an enforcer. And I think, and I would love to know how you feel about this, but I don't think a team can win a championship if they don't have an enforcer. You can look at the Milwaukee Bucks, for instance, they bring in p J. Tucker as an enforcer, and boom, just like that, they win a championship. Now, it's not an overnight thing, right, Like it just doesn't happen overnight. But they already had a great core group

of guys and now and they needed an enforcer. And I think I think Bobby Porters was trying to be that for him. But Bobby Porters had never really been an enforcer. He had a younger guy who you know, was kind of looking for a scoring in the league, and you know, through Chicago and then with the Knicks, you know, kind of looking for a different thing. And then he gets to Milwaukee. I know he realized it's like, dang, there's a there's a lane for that, and let me

try to be that. Because he's naturally a tough dude, Like he ain't no slouch, you ain't bullying. Bobby Porters just naturally a tough dude, but also not a very outspoken dude. And and most enforcers are outspoken or not. They'll speak out and Bobby Porters isn't really someone who speaks out. So you bring in PJ who now takes that team to the next level as an enforcer, and while doing that, he shows Bobby Porter's how to do it, you know, because like I said, he's not a slouch,

he's not soft at all. She just had never done it before. And then you bring in a guy who has done it and show him the way, and now I think he's taken on that role for that team. But I think there's I think every team, if you're gonna be a great team, and I would love to hear your feelings, you need an enforcer you have, so I think I completely agree. And whether it's an enforcer glue guy, I think the term enforcer has kind of watered on over the years because the style of the

play of the NBA. So when we say in it's not someone that's gonna go out there and fight people and do this, and but if you have to, you will. But at the end of the day, as someone with that energy that's going to bring it constantly, whether being

practiced or the games. And I am to me, I look at you as an enforcer, you know, I think you took that role to another level with all the accolades, you bambed choir over the real But at the end of the time, when I tell people like that team is great, just like I was telling you before, we talked like that team was great, that that was a really good team. But it's not a dynasty without the tangible thing that you brought to that team day and

day out practice. I even say the organization like I felt like it's a mentality that the organization takes on of that particular player, you know what I mean. It's just a no nonsense, no bullshit, We're gonna play basketball. If we need to fight, we can fight, but let's just play basketball type mentality. And you know the thing about me is, you know I bounced around my career

um but everywhere I went, I played. Everywhere I went, I sttarted or was first six, you know, first guy or second guy off the bench, you know what I mean. And it was always a situation because I kind of feel like management doesn't really necessarily have a real pulse of the team because they're not in there during practice, they're not in the locker room. They don't see how you create bridges and put out fires. And I think

a perfect example was that Lob City team. You know what I mean, because you know Doc and I got into it, and I was the first trade because Doc was alas a bullshit and he knows it. But I was the first trade because you know what you're talking about, Doc, I'm a man. Don't disrespect me if you you know, we're gonna have a real problem if you do, I end up getting traded. But the second I get traded from that team, I'm constantly getting calls from CP J J DJ like, man, we miss you. We've been telling

Doc to bring you back, this, this and that. So there's certain tangibles that you bring as a player when you're that kind of player that don't necessarily always stow up on the stat sheets. You know, again, you're not the All Star, you're not this, you're not that, but very vital to team success, you know. So, UM, I

completely agree. I really feel like and there are very few I feel like if you guys left in the league because the league is so going in such a different direction now, it's more up tempo, it's more scoring, it's more points, it's less defense, it's less physicality. Um, but I understand and respected and appreciate it. But at the end of the day, like I said, I think there's less of those guys, but you can really tell the teams that do still have success in this league

have a guy or two like that on the team. Still, I think I think you definitely needed I think also even from the standpoint of like, there are certain things that go on on the court and especially and guys do stuff to your superstar that you you can't just let it ride. And if you don't have that guy on the team, your superstar would probably be one of

the most disrespected superstars in the league. I would say his name because I actually think he's one of the most talented guys in our league and I got a lot of love for him, and like, that's my dog. We want a gold medal together. Paul George. Paul George does not get the respect he deserves. Paul George is one of the most talented players in our league. He's

accomplished hell of a lot in our league. But I feel like one of the reasons Paul George don't get the respect that he deserves because Paul George were having to fight for herself and Paul George wa never have to fight for herself. I'm sorry, but Steph Curry not fighting for himself. And you can say what you want to say about him, what you think he I don't think he's gonna fight back. He ain't gotta fight for himself, nor you'll never know if he can, because someone else

is gonna handle it exactly. He and I feel like Paul George, he has to fight for himself a lot. And I don't know any superstar that don't have somebody that's gonna fight for them and and and he don't always have that, And so I just think that's very important, not only to your team, but to to to your the star of your team as well. You gotta have somebody that's putting their neck on the line for that guy, no matter what it is. And like you said, we

we saw you do that. We see myself with stuff, We saw you do that with CP, we saw you come on the team. When you came on the team, it was like I took a back seat in that role like Matt protecting all of us out here, like it's cool, you know. And so I think I think that's very important. And and we see that happening around the league. Like you know, I sometimes see like a guy hit Trey Young and Trey Young somebody who who who coming to take care of this young dude? Man right? Rescue?

You see that there? You see that with Jason Tatum, Like there's a handful of these stars that kind of have to fend for themselves, you know. And and that was a role that I embraced. I love, you know, when I went out there again, we would love whoever. Who wouldn't love to score thirty points a game? But I look forward to, all right, I'm gonna guard the best player every night. And then I know I got

my teams back. You know, that's family. So you with CP, you funk with Kobe, rest in peace, Steve Nash, Steph keV, you whoever. Like it's it's all it's it's gonna be a war, you know what I mean. And that was a role that I loved because you know, that was one thing I was brought up in my family. My dad was nuts in the streets on drugs. But you protect your family at all costs. You know. I always looked at my teammates with my family. So I always figured,

like the superstar has enough to do, you know. I mean, I got a chance to play with Kobe, so he was given to you on both ends. Dog tired every game. He should never have to worry about somebody coming at him, you know what I mean. And that's pretty much how I got on the team, you know what I mean, because I came at him. Ron Artest came out in the year before, so he was like, funk these I'm going him go get both these crazy motherfucker's to have line back, you know what I mean. So to me,

superstars have enough. So you always need that guy or two that can hold it down, even and sometimes when it's not neat like you said, well, I don't know if he's gonna be. You'll never find enough because you're gonna have to go through a lot too, even though it's Step will fight back or Step will say something back type situation. Absolutely, you know. And and speaking of that, uh, just the toughness, the smoke. You know, you transition obviously as a retiring as a player, you moved into all

the smoke you've done. You've been doing a bunch of different things off the court, but all the smokers where I think you've obviously made the biggest mark because it's the biggest hit. It's the show we all listen to. Um, it's the show you know you look forward to. I think the guests that y'all bring on the authenticity of the show ' special And it's named after what I know, you and stack Jack Dearly all the smoke, that's that's

that's a part of who you are. But what what is what is your favorite What's what's your favorite part of all the smoker? Like, what what do you love

about having that platform that that y'all have created. I think, first and foremost, if I speak personally, it was to be able to show the other side of me, you know, because I think there was such I was having such a I say, reputations are earned for the good or bad, but I think there was such a misconception as who I was as a person while I played, because you gotta think, you know, social media didn't really hit until

the end of my career. I mean, so there was always he's got tattoos, he's this, he's that, he's always fighting, so people like, you know, he's probably some dumb athletes that dada. And then when people start hearing me speak that like, oh ship, you can hold the conversation. Oh Ship, he's intelligent. So I think, really, first and foremost kind of shed the stigma that there was about me. Uh,

it's what I appreciate most. But then when you know, I look at the bigger picture, I think it's the first thing you said was creating a safe space for us. I think for so long our stories have been told by other people, not even no sutime, not even people that are the same ethnicity as us, you know, other people trying to tell our stories that never walked a day in our shoes or can even put our shoes on.

So I think that all the smoke has allowed us to be able to change the narrative overall, and and for people to uh, you know, feel safe, to be able to say stuff they may not be able to say, but they want to say, you know. So I just think we've created a safe haven. And I think one thing that is also added to our successes. Like you said, people know stack and I and I think that we

haven't sometimes coming into this media space. And you'll learn once you're done, But I don't think it'll affect you because you know who you are as some of these people come in and change who they are to fit in at particular networks or situations, and that was never

my thing. Like I'm at ESPN and I see guys that I'm with it are kind of moving up sometimes, but I know you have to say some ship that as players, we know we shouldn't be, you know, like I think he was a player, what are you talking about? And I see some guys that are crossing that line saying that. But when they say they're rewarded and they move up into me, it's just like, you know, I'm not using me. I'm using ESPN as a platform to have my face on, spit some game, uh, and just

continue to network from there. So I realized that this media space, like I said, I'm not changing. Obviously I'm not a player anymore, but I still have a mentality of a standpoint of like I know what it's like to be in the trenches. I know what it's like to be in the Western Conference finals in the finals. I know what it's like to be in the Eastern Conference finals. I know what it's like to go through those streaks winning streaks. So I owe it always bothered

me when media would speak to ship. They really don't know. You know. Stephen A. Smith is the guy in our you know, in our profession, but there's only so much real ship he can give you because he's never really been in the trenches, you know what I mean. So he can give you the analytics and the numbers and this isn't that, but he can't tell you what it's like to have to shoot. You know, two free though are one second ago to tie the game up, you

know what I mean. So I've always taken the ad of is you know, although I'm not a player any more, I'm not going to be someone in the media that's gonna sell my brothers that are playing short And I'm not knocking nobody because to each his own. But I feel like there has been some guys that have crossed over into this media space, and you know, although they're talented in it, they said some things. Sometimes I'm just like, Bro, you were just the player not too long ago. This

is crazy to hear from a former player. So that's kind of been my thing. It's like to me, staying authentic and true. It's it's two things, you know, Jack and I have been able to do, and I think that's why we've been able to win. In in this meeting your space, I think I think that's it's beautiful and I agree, you know, I see guys as well.

Like I called out Camsrap Perkins um when on Kate's Instagram live when right after we won the Olympics and then part due to you talk you talk the enforcer, right, like we just talked about the enforcer on the team that was Perk, Like that was the only I mean, let's face it, like that was the only way Perk signed his huge deal. Like, don't get me wrong, Perk was playing good basketball next to KG in Boston. They won a championship, but his role on the team was

to be in an enforcer. And some of the things that he said, especially when we were over there at Olympics, I'm like, bro, like you act like you weren't just one of us, you know, you act like the things that you're saying, like come on, my man, like and you you went to battle with Kevin durand like Kevin Durant was once a reason that you were on a roster Like I I didn't like that and I and that's why I called him out. You know, I'm not going to um, I'm not going to just dislike something

to talk about it behind his back. No, I want you to know how I feel. And that's why I said, yeah, Kendrew Perkins. I don't remember what I said verbato, but that was why, you know, because I feel like guys do get in this space. And it's not just Kendrew Perkins, by the way. That was just my example when I spoke up, But a lot of guys do it, and

I agree with you, they move up. But but for me, like one of my biggest things when I first started going on on inside the n b A, I want you to leave that's that particular segment with a better understanding of what's actually going on on the court um that fans don't really have. And I know they don't really have it because I read my tweets time to time, I read I read my Instagram comments every blue moon.

I don't read them often because there's really no upside of that on board, and I'll scroll through them and I know people don't know what the hell they're talking about. And so I want you to be able to watch me speak and leave that segment with a better understanding of what's actually going on as opposed to what people already truly have and their understanding, which I don't think

most people. People think they can just watch a couple of games per week and really understand the game of basketball. When I studied, Yeah, I studied this game daily. I work on this game daily. That's other people doing their job. But yeah, you can't go to their job and do their job just by doing it once or twice a week. But they actually think they can play and study and talk about ours And it's mind boggling to me. And so because that won't change, let me help you under

better understand this game. And that's what I That's one of the things I want people to take away from me when when I'm on I'm on TV speaking on the game of basketball. I also want to be critical of players. And there's a way of being critical and the balance that I try to find. There's a way of being critical and saying what needs to be said and understanding that at the end of the day, I will always be one of you. I will always be one of the guys are part of this brotherhood, a

part of this fraternity that we say we have. We talk about this brotherhood we talk about the fraternity, but we don't protect the brotherhood and we don't protect the fraternity. And I know I'm gonna always be a part of that. And because of that, I understand how it feels when people just run off crushing you. Now again, there's a way to be critical and there's a way of crushing someone. You don't just have to crush your guy. And I think one big moment I had on TV was it

was a whole segment. I think I had four clips a half time and we were it was a Nuggets game, and I went at your Kinch's defense. I'm like, if they're going to ever be a good team, he's the back line of the defense. He has to be good defensively. And I showed four clips him not rotating over is the low man, him not moving one like four clips,

and I was very critical of him. He came up to me that following year he said, hey, I like he said something along the lines like I saw what you said about my defense or something I like you were right or I appreciate it or something he said like that, and he said I've gotten better. I said, you one percent gotten better. I've been watching you this

year and you've one percent gotten better. And that was a big moment for me because this TV thing is new and I want to do it and I enjoy doing it, but I also I gotta these are my These are I work with these guys like I go to battle with these guys. These guys can possibly be my teammate one day, and I have to understand that, and so I try to find that balance. And that was a big moment for me because I was extremely critical because of his defense. But you're right, You're right.

Guys get lost in that um. They start completely bashing players and they lose themselves, and I don't like that. I think it's important because you can be critical without disrespecting. And I think that's the fine line that good commentators can use, or or good analysts can use. UM. You know, because like you said, at the end of the day, what we're saying, we know it's amongst our brothers that are gonna hear it. So we're saying stuff for them to use to put in their bag or to get

better with. And I think the fact that, like you said, the m v P of the league heard what you said, applied it and got better instead of you know, soaking about he or this dude's hating. I mean, I think sometimes what gets lost is social media has given so many people a voice. Oh, Draymond is up there hating or Mats up there hating, and it's never that because it's not in us. We don't have no reason to hate.

I mean, I do Kings, you know, I do um halftime or I do pregame, halftime and post game for the sacrimento Kings down, and it's similar. You know, I'm seeing some of these players out there, and what I'm trying to give these people is just an older you know, I've played this game for a long time and I have a good mind. I wasn't the best, but I have a really good mind to it. So if I can give these people are younger players pieces here and there that they're going to help them, you know, that's

always the ultimate goal. And then one more thing. You know, Kendrick Perkins is fun. You mentioned because Kendrick is the homie and when he first got on TV, he and I like, he would hit me sometimes like big broth, should I say this or I want to say this, or I want to say that, or when he would say stuff that's kind of like No, I would hit him up, like, you know, because I wanted to hear his thought process on why you felt like you had

to say that. You know, maybe you have a reason that it is amongst the we don't know is why you say that. So, you know, I think it's important to kind of have those types of conversations because you can say now that we're done, or now that he and I are dumb planing, or even you're in the media space, which that what one since you say can get blown and ripped out of proportions. I always thinking important to have context on what people are saying. So no,

for sure, and just one last thing on that. I think the context is important because what a lot of people, you know, UM said outlet is going to take eight words of hunter words response and that's what they're going to post. And the reality is most people don't read, and most people don't research, and so you read those eight words and you don't go I can read the full transcript, or you read those eight words and you

don't go back and watch the interview. And if I take eight words of a hundred word statement, I can make those eight words almost look like whatever I want them, anything, anything, And like I said that, you know the media, like we know the media, they're gonna they're gonna twist on the side of controversy and negativity instead of you can you can big, we can talk all day about stuff, how great he is, but we might say something like I said, unless you hear the whole conversation, like damn,

why they hate No, that's his teammate and that's his form. Why they hate on Steff? When it's not like that, Like you said, I think we live in a society where we just read headlines because there's so much news coming at us that if we read the headline, and I was even guilty of it, you know, I probably say, like three or four years ago, because I didn't have the time, I would read the head like damn, that's fucked up and keep it moving, but halfen in the

back of my mind, so and so did this. But then I started realizing, like, yo, most time the headline really has no thing to do with what the actual and it was it was maybe, like you said, eight words out of a whole interview that can be twisted, and most of the time, and when the twist is

going to twist towards the negative side. So that's definitely something I think is a society we have to get better at because there's always so much information coming at us that if you're gonna have an opinion on something you heard, make sure you really go back and do the research or read the article or listen to the

interview before you come out and say some bullshit. No I agree, but yeah, man, Uh, Steph Curry recently breaking recently breaking the record, UM the three point record, two thousand, nine hundred and seventy four three record, which is absolutely and saying he did it. I think of rayal games. Stuff is played seven nine games, unbelievable, It's mind blowing. How incredible, uh of a score he is? How incredible of a shooter? Is greatest shooter we've ever seen? What when?

When was the moment where you saw Steph and you like heat different and obviously you never know it's going to reach this point. What was that moment for you? Was it as a teammate or was it as a or was it as an opponent? Well? I think first it was an opponent, and then once I became a teammate, it's like, uh, it makes sense because this motherfucker works his ass off. But I think as an opponent I saw at first because people don't realize like we were.

And I don't even know if you guys looked at this way, but we were quote unquote almost the big brother between the Clipper and Warrior. Early battles we had. You know, you guys were a younger team. We were an older team that never never lived up to the hype or never got over the hunt because we always got in our way. So we would always go to war with your young team, and Steph and CP there

was always this. Even they may love each other, respect each other, whatever, but it was always those were always the two names. So I remember, because I the CP was at the top of this game at that time, and I remember some ship you says like, I'm I'm wrong, I'm rolling with Steph ten out of ten times, or you said some ship like that, I'm It's like I loved this, and then again we took us to the

seven seven Games a year, that Donald Sterling ship. But it was as an opponent when I played for the Clippers, because like I said, you guys were kind of like our our many little rival at the time, but just to see some of the shots he took, and no matter what our defensive approach was, he would find a

way to make something happen. And obviously a lot of that credit goes to you, you know, and Clay too, because again I don't think that Warrior team becomes a team they are without you, because I really think you sacrifice so much. But also from a standpoint, you have such a great understanding of him, in such a great understanding of Clay that you can get everyone else to

understand your point of view. Also, Andre, you and Andre, I think your guys point of view on how we can get these two guys off because if they get off, we're gonna eat free all day. We're gonna eat very easily if our two killers are out there killing so Um again, just seeing him as an as an opponent

for a long time. But then you know, when I got a chance to come to you got this team at the midway point of that seventeen season, it blew me away because again with that Live City team and no Lake CP Jamal j j DeAndre lamar odom Eric Ledsoe, Like there's no Grum Butler, there's no fucking way we shouldn't have won a championship. But I had never been on a team. Obviously, you guys had more star power with your team, but we had a lot of stars

on our team. But when I came to that team, all the eagles are left outside the facility, All the legal egos are left outside of Oracle, and it was all about working and getting better. And I think what blew me away the most is you've only been on that team, so you don't know no different. But I've been on teams. Once practice is over, the gym is empty. I went to I I went to this team, and it's just like I had to wait to get on

the court because all eight fucking hoops, everybody's working. It was Clay on one, and it was Katie and step on one, and it was you somewhere. It was Draymond somewhere, it was Looney and the younger dude somewhere, It was Iggy somewhere. So I just saw. So when I would have to sit sometimes thirty to forty five minutes, sometimes an hour, just to get my normal, you know, staying shape old man routine off, I would watch this ship.

Obviously that everyone's doing, but then you know it was it was Katie and steff for working with Steve Nash. So I'm looking at Steve's great mind. I got a chance to play with Steve. Katie is Katie staff the steps. So I'm looking at the the off balance, awkward body, angles, one foot, leaning, left hand, right hand, all the ship that they were working on, and I'm thinking, like, any shot that these two guys in particular, but I'll talk about Steph makes on the on the court is not luck.

I can never say that Steffy made a lucky shot because you know, he works on the odd angles, the awkward hand, the off the glass, the half court shots that he shoots like they're fucking layups while we're warming up where people don't know, like the warm up is jogging, laughing, stretching a little bit. But step is always shooting three quarter of court half court shots and he makes them

like their layups. So I feel again, to answer your question, I think I saw originally as an opponent, but it just kind of made it all made sense when I got to see him work day to day because he works his ass off on his craft, and you know, as as as your team does and I think what's kind of made you guys so successful is you know, we grew up watching basketball, and you grew up watching the Lakers and the Bulls and the Celtics and all

these teams always kept their core together. This new basketball, the stars, the courts are always leaving you guys some way. And even though you went through a down point, you guys were able to keep your core together. Now and that's why now when you're healthy, when step is healthy, play is on the verge of getting healthy, Biggy is back your guys. This chorus so strong, plus coach curve.

Now you added young talent around you guys. So it's always I've always tell people when I speak on ESPN or when i'm speaking, I'm like this, watch this Warrior team once they get healthy, because they've been able to keep their core together. And obviously Steph is the star, and he gets all the credit as he should. But again, I think that core unit is the reason why you

guys are in championship contention. Again, it will be an champion detention for the next two, three or four years as you guys run with you know, with a leader

in a in a score like step. But again I want to give you your kudos too, bro, because people don't understand again, playing against you and then playing with you, I see the ship you have to do on a day to day basis, and I see the way you conduct yourself on and off the court, and I really felt like that franchise has has embodied your hard work, blue color mentality and have made it into a dynasty. And again, you guys are on the verge of I feel like you guys are on the verge of something

special again. And I think before we I just want to say I think Jordan Pull is a cold motherfucker man we tell him. I don't. I don't know him, but I like are like he as someone who has been able to take advantage of unfortunate clay being hurt and and and coming around basketball minds like yourself and and everyone else who's there. So I'm happy for you obviously.

I know this interview was for me, but I just because we haven't got a chance to talk, I just wanted to make sure you guys think that, man, I'm still rooting for you guys. I love what you guys have been able to do. Man, And still man over here, chareing for y'all. I appreciate it, bro, I definitely appreciate you know. It's uh, being in this position, you have to have a lot of self gratitude because it's not always gonna be seen. People don't know the stuff that

go on behind the scenes. Uh, people don't. You don't get credit for screen and you don't get really get credit for defense, Like you know, a lot of the stuff you just don't get credit for. So you have to have a huge appreciation for self, a huge amount of self gratitude, but also a huge appreciation from the guys you're doing with as well. I get it us Rolexus.

You know, after after he broke the record, which is like I've been working on, like trying to figure out along with Hazel, like what what gifts should I should I get him for I'm breaking a record and I'm still going to get him a gift. But I wanted to be special, so I wanted to figure out the right thing. But I'm like, what gift am I going to get him? What gift am I going to get him? And I and I finally said to Hazel, I'm like, I don't want to rush it because I don't want

it to be the wrong gift. I wanted to be meaningful, so I didn't get it yet, and then last night I'm getting a gift, you know, And it's like, you know that the appreciation from your peers, from your counterparts, from the guys you go to battle with, also keeps it going as well. You know what I'm saying. Well, I think, yeah, I mean to me, that's what I because I I never got you know, I had a chance to get a couple of deals that kind of

fell through. So I really was underpaid my whole entire career, and it made me mad. And sometimes I get piste off or I would move teams. But at the same time, I think, what the key says, you're respected by your peers, maybe the funk the media, fuck the fans sometimes or the haters sometimes because like I said, they don't really know the game. But when you're respected by your opponents

and by your teammates, that's kind of in a position. Again, You've been an All Star, defensive player, Olympian and all that kind of stuff, but you, to me, you still don't get the props you deserve. And you're at peace

with that, which is great. But when you hear it from me, you're are guys you play against or when you're on guys with the Olympic teams, like they fuck with you in in real basketball minds though, that kind of stuffing sometimes, like you said, when you're not the star, and there are very few super superstars, you don't necessarily

get that. So again, understanding you who you are as a person, plotting yourself every once in a while because you need it, but then also hearing it from your opponents, of your counterparts. And then like you said, Steph showing you his appreciation when he broke the record by handing you your rollast. And I've seen Katie's tweet two because I thought he was third and a sister and yeah,

send sending the roly. You know, it's crazy about that a hundred Kate, Katie has a hundred three assistant three years. That's insane. I didn't realize that. Yeah, the crazy stuff. But I mean, you look at but you look at you. I mean, you're almost at five. But that's a lot of buckets, you know what I mean. And to even see Clay on that list, it's just like Clay don't pass nobody, But but but but the motherfucking basket, you know what I mean. But it's just dope. It just

kind of shows, and it takes a village. You know. It's greatest stuff is and he will, hands down be the greatest shoot. I think he's gonna put this record so far to reach that no one will ever sniff it. I think someone might score a hundred points before they break steps three point shooting record. But again, I think he landed in a great situation, you know, And you guys drafted really well, and again you've been able to

keep the core of this team together. That really understands because I remember when I got to the team, you know that always looked the screen down, just always looked the screen down buying clay or flying, you know, to buy into that and understand their mentality. And guys are coming doing it such a beautiful thing because I don't think people understand how hard he works to get one

shot off. That motherfucker can run back and forth eight different times, touched the ball three times but end up getting the corner three at the very end because the offense is so patient. It has an understanding. So again, I know we could talk all day, but I just like that you guys have something special. Man. I hope you guys understand it in the moment once I know you guys doing and best of luck man staying healthy and another rings show my brother, I definitely appreciate it.

And on the Katie thing, I think he might get a Rolexe. I don't know, we'll see he got out of here on us, but no, I think it definitely speaks to uh, it definitely speaks to the group. Uh that that's here, that you've been a part of all the guys that's come through here and just bought into what we're selling, you know, and that's greatness. That's getting to the next shot, that's getting to the best shot,

making it good too. Great. At the end of the you can overall say you guys are getting You guys are family and your team, and when you're able to keep that family together, you're always better. You're always stronger than unit than you are individually and man, So again, continue to access to YO boys. Man, thanks brother, that's what you get out of here. Uh. Your who is your guess? That you your dream guess that you would want.

I saw you to speak on this a couple of times where you talked about two paper who if you got to pick one guess for all the smoke that y'all have not had? Who is your dream guest? Lebron? That's fire. Yeah, I've seen him a couple of times. Yeah, he's given me okay, I'm ready. I've talked to his team a couple of times. So you know, obviously there's people like jay Z and Dre and all these other guys outside of basketball that I would love to be able to talk to. But you know, having Kobe's last

interview rest in Peace to our brother was really special. Um, the array of people we've had on the show have been special, but you know, distinct, Like you said, the great you know, Lebron is one of the greatest. Have been on Who you talked to? Well? Love of how Braun on the Draymond Green Show too, That's hey, that's your homie though. See you're gonna have a better insight on that than me. But yeah, that's my one dream guest. I respect that dream guests of mine as well, not

not my only one, but definitely a dreams. My dream guess is President Obama. I would love to hi President Obama as a as a basketball fan, um as first black president, um as everything that he means to the culture, to the world, not just us as black people like to the world. One of the better presidents we've had, The way he carried himself, the way he carries himself. Uh, just everything he stands for. Its President Obama. For me, you'll you'll get him, yes, sir, But I appreciate you

coming on. Man. He've been we've we've been rolling with these with these great wing defenders. First we have Meta, then we had that. Now my big bro, Matt Bonds. Matt, I appreciate you, brother, Thank you for coming on. Good for having me bro. Good look to res someone. Let's catch up soon. Yes, sir, thank you. Wow. What what

an incredible, incredible interview. Uh, super insightful as I said, uh and thought it would be when speaking to Matt, And like I said, I hope everyone took away, uh what they needed to take away from speaking with Matt Bonds, but also just on your overall perspective. Uh. If you took anything away from this, I hope it's more of your perspective and even less of what we spoke about, because your perspective shapes narratives and narratives shapes conversations, and

conversations shape the world we live in. So those perspectives and those narratives are extremely important. So if anything is altered, I hope is that, um, and I hope you have a deeper understanding and appreciation just for athletes, entertainers, people who you may watch. You may be fans. Uh, you don't necessarily know as a person, but you may think you do because of the connection that you have and

watching or being entertained by said individuals. But one again, thank Matt Barnes for coming on to the Draymond Green Show. Uh can't say that enough these you know, having these guys come onto the show, I mean, it adds an even another layer, and like I said, even more so. I'm just thankful to be able to hear their opinion and hear their takes and get the knowledge uh in the game that I've been soaking up and I hope you all have been as well. So until next week

the Mailback episode, talk to you all later. Happy holidays to everyone, much love, enjoy your families, enjoy your friends. Talk to you all next week. Thank you