Chris Paul on joining Steph & Warriors + Patrick Beverley & Scott Foster beefs | Draymond Green Show

draft King sports book an official sports betting partner of the NFL is bringing you yes an offer that will help you win money in the NFL playoffs new customers bet five bucks that's it five bucks that's it$ five dollar any game and get $200 instantly in bonus bets are you kidding me I bet five that's it download the draftking Sportsbook app now it takes 90 seconds and put in Colin C o l i n easy peasy new customers five bucks that's all you have to bet and get $200 instantly in bonus bets only on the draft King Sportsbook the code is Colin C o l i n and the crown is yours what's up everybody welcome back to the Draymond Green show as you know I'm not really one to keep looking down um when I'm doing anything when I'm speaking definitely when I'm doing an intro but this intro will take quite a while because it is quite the resume and I'm not going to butcher it I'm going to give it all the respect that it's due so I am going to look down and read you this intro or better yet this list of accolades uh bio if you will um 12 time Allstar four time all NBA first team five time all NBA second team two times all NBA third teams for those of you that may be like me uh that is an 11 time r NBA uh rnba player seven time rnba first team defense two time second Team all NBA all defensive team for those of you that's a little like me that's nine all defense teams five time assist leader in the NBA six time steals leader in the NBA Rookie of the Year third all time in assist and third all time in Stills uh I am joined today by none other than the point guy himself Chris Paul CP what's up my brother what up D man appreciate you having me absolutely man I'm excited to have you on the show I must say um in looking at list of guests over the course of the three years of this show if we went back to the start of this show to the Inception even if we went back a year ago I'm not sure that I could have forecasted hell no a guess on this show being Chris Paul no chance and yet here we are man I am ecstatic um like I said I just want to say number one thank you for coming on this show anytime for real man crazy how life worked absolutely I mean I could have I could have never imagined that this was going to get here and we going to get into that you know we're going to get into that um because that will I think get good but in saying that that um I just want to I I want to go back to the beginning man take me back to Winston Salem growing up as a kid um and you know you look at who you became in the NBA in your pth I know going back you always heard he's too small he's this he's that take me back to Winston Salem growing up and just how it all started on the way here yeah uh man I grew up in in Winston and I played football and basketball but uh I just always had to grind you know what I mean like I had a you know my older brother CJ I grew up as a little brother always running in behind him and his friends and um I don't know I just I mean I had these goals or whatnot my parents like uh always had to work whatever it was that was like a job or whatnot but when it came to sports um I just always been extremely competitive you know what I mean whatever it is if it's practice if it's games whatever it is and so uh my hometown shape me and is is the way that is the reason why I am the way I am absolutely yeah absolutely you in these interviews I always come in with like this template and then I hear you say something and I'm like but I need to know more about that and this is so interesting to me I don't want to lose it so I'm going to ask it right now you speak about being overly competitive in a sense like super competitive and I call it overly competitive because the reality is what is overly competitive like you're willing to do whatever it takes to win like that's overly competitive most people aren't like that right and I'd like to think that I am a bit like that as well I've watched you I've played against you um for years uh throughout my career for the last 12 of your well 11 of your career um and that competitive spirit it's always been there I've always seen it we bumped heads we we had our runin we've had all of that and the reality is it's two overly competitive dudes clashing no question as you have continued to age in this league you know become more seasoned uh year 19 um you're still super competitive but you Channel it in a totally different way like even the stuff that I would see you get into Through The Years you know whether it was me or anyone else I always I love watching basketball we always talk about guys not watching no more like I always watch and the things that you would get into with guys you don't get into none of that stuff no more yet you're probably as competitive as You' ever been like help me through that because that's also something that that I'm trying to figure out you know what's crazy man and you know it I still get into some [ __ ] you know but um I don't know I I honestly don't know um the teams that I've been in on you know I I've changed teams a number of times now you know and that's something that's that's different you know every time you go to a new team you basically have to start over absolutely and uh I really appreciate coaches who sort of challenged me and you you're not always going to be a saint you're not always going to be right because you got to be who you are Absol you know and I remember uh Monty Williams he used to always he would tell me in book all the time like all right now with the tech you know and then he told me he was like we had a thing when I played in Phoenix that there was no fourth quarter techs right you couldn't get a couldn't get a tech in the fourth quarter um that was like one of our team rules um but you still got to be who you are and I found over my career I mean it's different guys that I mean Jay Crowder I got into got into it with him um a little bit when uh we playing the bubble was nothing crazy but when I got an opportunity for to be my teammate I loved it I loved it it's been a number of guys like that who you know you you sometimes you challenge guys you be like yo what's up with it and the guy who tuck their tail when the front office come tell you you know we can get this guy what you going to say hell no I want that guy hell no I used to tell Bob Mars and I want you to finish that but I used to always tell Bob Bob will come ask me like what you think of this guy and I would simply say Bob I like when he come on the court for the other team right I don't to play yeah and see I tell you uh JJ reck was like that so in college me and JJ couldn't stand each other I mean we got in a fight got into it and I never forget I was in uh standing in my closet in La when Doc Rivers hit me and told me we had a chance to get JJ reic and when I say I ain't like JJ I could not stand JJ and as soon as doc said it I said let's get him because I know guys that are competitors we got a lot of like absolutely you know I'm saying we alike a lot of ways and that's why I mean I'm sure we'll talk about it at some point but when the trade happened for me to come to the Warriors and knowing our history I knew you know that that would be a conversation but I knew basketball-wise he on the same type of energy I'm on you know what I mean and so like you said I I'm a Believer in that you know some people would say my competitiveness is the best thing about me and the worst thing about me but at the end of the day is who I am right right right you know and you just at times you you have to figure out ways to channel it and that's why it's been dope with you cuz we talk about it and it's one of those things where you need somebody who you respect on that competitive level to talk to you and challenge you with it you know so I've had a number of great teammates over my career who at times when I get a little crazy they be like all right yo chill chill absolutely you know so I think that's been a very interesting thing for me especially um navigating this season um I was telling I've told several people this actually is one of the things that you've helped me with a ton is how I speak you know I'll come in I'll come in the Huddle and I'm like yo what the [ __ ] like like why are we switching this like this don't make sense we should have been stop switching this I've been said let's stop and you like yo yo yo hold on like what are you say what do you see what are you saying I'm like all right well they keep hitting us with this same play we keep switching it I don't understand why we're switching it it's putting us at a disadvantage here then they're getting to this thing and you like all right so what do you think we should do yeah I think we should guard it like this I think we'll take it away all right y'all hear that that's what we doing we going to this and I remember the first few times you did it when you finished I sat there and I felt stupid because I'm like I just came in here yelling screaming like blurting out what I think should happen and he just totally calmed me down and got the point across just like but you know why o Dre and it's so crazy man is because I've almost needed a me too right so gang of my teammates are probably hear this and be like what Chris was doing what cuz I've usually always been the guy who's yelling yeah you know what I'm saying and still now I I'll do that but I think over the years what I've tried to do is you know everybody always remembers it's just like if you tell somebody how good they are a thousand times if you tell them they bad one time they don't remember that fact right so fact people may have whatever perception of me or whatnot but for my whole career I'm the guy who I text my te teammates at night after a game good job this that and the third you know what I mean like always encouraging them but people are always going to remember how you were sort of hard on them but that that is what it is but like David West back when I played in New Orleans I never forget he came to me one of my practices and he was like Hey peasy you got to chill you got to chill you gota watch how you talking P he that's what he said to me and I remember and I was like yeah D I just want to win you know listen to what I'm saying not how I'm saying it and I still have times where I'm on 10 you know and sometimes it's necessary but that's why I can appreciate somebody like you because I hear what you saying you know what I mean I ain't tripping at how you saying it you know what I mean but being in the huddle with you it's like I need somebody else to care like this [ __ ] care you know what I'm saying which they do you know what I mean but it's a passion and I think that's why like I said I I've loved being your teammate I appreciate it no I think I man it's been incredible and like I said you come into these shows with this template but then sometimes these conversations just go and man I I I've also told several people this and I would have never in a million years imagined it happening if I I I have not sat down and done the exercise so um um I will one day do that I just haven't but if I put up a list of teammates and like I went down this list and it's been 12 years now for me and I went through this list of teammates and like I I start putting my listing order of my top teammates I haven't done the exercise but what I'm certain of is that you're top five in like my list of top teammates and it's been such an incredible oddly enough I've had the the tumultuous year that I've had um as far as things have been going um just this season and and writing that [ __ ] but the time that I have been with the team and and my practices you know our practices and time spent together in games and all of those things I'm like yo he represents everything that I could want in a teamate um [ __ ] going wrong first person to check on you uh stuff went right first person to congratulate you um yo what you doing for dinner uh what you doing with this thing what you doing with that thing yo uh what do you see on the floor I'm seeing this you seeing that thing across the board and I'm like wow that's that's what I try to be for teammates you know like I I try to be all of those things for teammates a guy got an MRI yo how was your MRI everything good with you the moment you find out you know sometimes you don't find out those things right way you look online like oh you know D had M so like just all of those things and and like checking all of those boxes and I don't even know where I'm going with this but I just want you to know that you know what it is Dre it's crazy and like as long as we didn't competed against each other right like I told you like when this trade happened you was a free agent or whatnot and I never forget when they called me and said it was a possibility uh and people wouldn't even know this except for my family I told them I said well I don't want to come if Draymond a signing back right and that's why me and you always talk about it like uh the social media world and all that they don't never really know what's really happening and so I didn't want to come to the Warriors without you being here so um as much as we didn't fought and got into it and all that I saw the way that you protected Steph clay all them guys over this time man and it was like damn if we we can figure it out you know and we can play and be on the same team it's going to be hell for the other teams you know and so abely that that's what I've appreciated man and regardless of how the season been so far that's where the the UPS the Downs the wins and losses you they they come but that's while we keep saying in our locker room we we going to be fine we going to be fine mhm and I think for me like you know you go through these things and you're trying to sort through the things trying to figure it all out and I think for me the thing that I can always turn back to is like but I got some guys that I want to make this right for you know like regardless of what you may go through mentally you know for me mentally going through like y I'm probably done like I don't even know if I can really handle all of these things no more you know like is this really what I want to be doing anymore and going through and processing all those emotions and feeling those feelings I think for the you know like this is the you know and going through all the things that I've went through in my career the UPS to Downs I feel like this is one of the first times I really just took a step back and allow myself to feel it you know like and it's and it's necessary and it's been dope to like be on that Journey with you and the guys and all this stuff man but it's it's crazy for me to see because you know um all the guys the guys that are retired the guys who came before us it's it's a lot to Bear you know it's a lot it's a lot of uh a lot of pressure it's a lot thrown at us not just uh to be the best athlete but life abely you know what I mean and so to to try to hold it all together for everybody is what we all try to do and that's why it's been dope to be able to lean on each other you know I'm saying you you going through what you going through a lot of other people but you still trying to be there for other guys you know what I mean so when you get on the other side of it man like we always talk about you know we smile we laugh and uh everything GNA be cool no doubt no doubt and I think for me it's looking at you it's looking at step it's looking at you know young guys clay and it's like no but I I wanna I want to do it right get right and do it right for them like like I think that's probably always my mindset you know like I I I'm the kid that you know my mom would curse me out because I give everybody like I'll give somebody my last dollar right right like why don't you give him your last I'm like man he needed the dollar I ain't need the dollar she's like no but you don't give him your last dollar and I'm like Ma I'll go find another dollar he needed that dollar and and is and I mean now that I'm your teammate and I can see it and played along alongside you and I see your life you do so much for everybody and that's what was crazy is even me trying to find my way here with this team you didn't got on me a few times yelled on me at the right times where you like see Don't Lose Yourself Don't Lose Yourself you know but it's so crazy because I would I would play against you guys and You' be coming with the basketball and ID be like oh he ain't doing it's just so easy to make sure you find them find them and and forget to to to look for your yourself and that's what's been cool for me when we start games out knowing how we worked out and stuff uh this summer or whatnot well you catch that ball you ain't even thinking I love it though you ain't even thinking about trying to hit somebody on a cut or something like that and to see the joy of our team when you do that right it's so crazy like you think people go crazy for Steph and Kay 3es when you shoot it everybody go nuts but I think everybody does that and you probably don't even realize it's because of how selfless you've been in finding them for so long so that when guys see you doing it and they didn't seen you put the work in it it make our team go crazy no 100% man that's been uh like you said and me saying that to you like I know the feeling you know and bro it's hard man you like you play basketball all these years like you see things a certain way and then all of a sudden you catching and you hoping for a shot and [ __ ] in the paint like man go ahead now you sitting there like but damn am I really supposed to be shooting this ball now cuz he just standing way back there looking at me it's wild it's wild it's just like uh like Denver like put yic on me you know what I'm saying and I'm looking like the hell going on like so it's different it's different but that's that's all the different stages of of of your career I guess yeah no for sure not what it it also I think is a nod to Steph because these teams they they try some of the darnest things yeah and like like putting yo yic on you like in theory it makes no sense whatsoever yeah I think for us and you know I think it's something that at some point we'll figure it out when it's time to figure it out but it's like it's almost like a boxing one like a team throw a boxing one at you and you're just like what the [ __ ] is this like I don't even know what to do against this I haven't seen much of this it just kind of throw off your Rhythm it's weird yeah it's weird um I told Steve that I said we got to practice that or something a little bit cuz yeah I ain't never seen this you know like if he guard me with all due respect give me the ball and just get out the way out the way no for sure I think um I was I was having a conversation with Coach ISO the other day um and he was and he was saying to me he was talking about guys in the league that are really BigTime scores and how hard it is for them to also focus on getting other guys involved and he was asking me he was like Draymond it just seems so hard like like just to see guys do that and like help me understand like who the the guys are can do that and I'm just like coach if you want my honest opinion who can do that at like in a level like no one else in this league and it actually impacts winning and you know it everyone can rally around it I said there's two guys that that currently do it one guy who does it all the time one guy who still does it sometime I said but there was one guy in particular who doesn't fit the mode and and so now I walk you through it I said there they're two guys they're both 68 they're point guards they're once in a lifetime Luca yeah and LeBron yeah I said and so to now who you can also put in there and we've seen him do it and it looked like it was going the other way in his back though James Harden yeah also do that you know but I was talking specifically I'm talking about Luca and LeBron I said coach that's one of the reasons you've never seen smaller point guards win a championship and like lead teams a championship with the exception of couple guys Steph and Isaiah I said but I'mma give you one guy coach that did it at the highest of highs and and here's the question I want to ask you with that I said Chris Paul was one that scored it got everybody in position got assist ran the team did the leading he was the one guy do it and at his stature you have to wonder is that too much and looking back on your career you suffer injuries in some of the darnest times times where you're on your way to an NBA championship do you think in looking back over your career the load that you had to carry and getting everybody involved the leadership all the things do you think that's sometimes overball you down in the long run man that's a good question um honestly I don't you know what I mean I think just it was some crazy injuries and whatnot and I don't think that the lad was too high as far as you know that was just how we played I think the thing that was always different and actually played a role in why I ended up leaving uh the the Clippers was yeah had the ball was in my hands a lot but all them years I was you know making plays and all this stuff and I defended at a [ __ ] high level you know what I mean and so that that was but at that at that age I didn't even think twice about it right like I always talk about when I came into the league it was just different it was who we playing tonight okay I got Steve Nash okay I got Steph all right the I got Russ you know what I'm saying I got Gilbert aren's a whoever it is Willams he will yeah and it's just I didn't know anything else you know what I mean and that was also a way of competing right like I think a lot of times especially young kids now just think competing is how many points and assist I drop on him you know what I mean but for me it was also the defensive aspect to it so yeah it was it was tough or whatnot and I know they always say a small guy can't lead a guy to a championship team to a championship and that's also what almost made me mad about you know losing at them times cuz I ain't never been one that go with what everybody say yeah you know but it's it's definitely tough and the game has changed a lot but that's you know Luca and and Braun and them they they they special cuz even though they have those big number games they play the game the right way yes you know what I me they they hit a guy when they open you know and that's that's big absolutely speaking of playing defense um told Tri one day I said man I remember the first time we put Clay on CP and I remember him walking past the bench and saying goddamn y'all gonna put somebody 67 on me now that's what we doing now I remember the first time you walked to the bench and said that but the NBA start changing with that like yeah everybody start doing that all of a sudden you looking up now you got 67 guy on you got 69ine guy you look at like Jaden like uh Jay I get their names confused I think it's jayen McDaniels innesa dude legit 69ine CH point guard no question every time and and he keep up he L he got Lan like The League start changing with that how what type of adjustment did you feel you had to make because you still start getting your Mitty like you still getting your saying things you're still getting getting right whenever you wanted to get right but what challenges did that present when the league start doing that um it really wasn't that big of a change for me because I didn't played out of the ball screen my whole career and what those guys had in hyp I had over them in quickness yeah you know what I mean I think some of the guys that uh and it's crazy to play this long cuz it's guys that I appreciated like guarding me right like Tony Allen I remember when Tony Allen retired or we played them in a playoff series or something I texted ta like after the game or something just like I appreciate the competition absolutely you know and so um it's crazy man I used to be on that type time all the time where it was I'm about to play against like another Prime Time guard and I walk out onto the court and other team put like a a wing on me or something like that I I used to say that I used to say it to the coach I used to be like oh that's what y'all on y'all got a point guard coming into the league and you don't want to throw him to the fire huh like I was just on that type of energy you know and I is what it is but I mean I just felt like people was ducking yeah you know what I mean and I know like you said like the league was changing cuz they trying to figure out you know ways to slow you down or whatnot but regardless my coaches would tell you at that time you know if you wrote up on the board or something like that that Matt Barnes was going to guard such and such I would stop the meeting no no no no coach nope nope I got you know what I'm saying yeah and that's just how I was brought up in the league now though yeah uh JK one of y'all run around JK you got him wigs you got him you got him you go and run around with him whatever but back then it was just them coaches know they was trifling too you're supposed to they a rook throw them out here teach them teach them how to play defense that's where the League was different back in the day dude hand you 35 40 or whatnot who cares you you'll be better the next time mhm that was than what the welcome to the NBA moments everybody always talk about they was different then you look at guys welcome to the NBA moment now you like man what our welcome to the NBA moment was like yo bro gave me 50 like like I remember KD giving me 50 one like I remember that yeah but that just breeds some competitiveness in you like some type of compet ition in you you know what I mean but that's fact um and then speaking of Defense I I have to ask this so again I'm I'm gonna repeat nine time all defense seven first team which I must say I'm pissed off uh because I'm on this tail now at eight although I ain't got as many first teams I'm at eight hey and I'm a miss this year I just can't make it with the number what was so funny is uh he was hurt you missed the first games right and I remember he came in the locker room was like all right now I'm on yall ass I'm on I gave y'all a couple game Head Start I'mma gave y'all a couple Head Start you know what I'm saying but you you already know what it is no for sure and I I have a specific question um so I'm going to repeat again nine times all defense seven first team that's impressive man when Patrick Beverly said Chris Paul is a chair nine time all defensive team seven first team when he went on ESPN and said we all know Chris Paul a chair hey what was your first thought we've all had a frustrating experience buying tickets even me you all know I love to go to concerts 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price guaranteed and B what like did you think about saying something about it did you think about did you not see it I know you don't look at a lot of stuff but sometimes this stuff just make it to you because it Go group chats all the other it made it to me like walk me through that time uh you know like I'm first and foremost I was you know a paralyse to say anything you know what I mean like seriously and I get it um I done had many of times in my career where somebody done said this or said that you know what I mean and I know people looking for sound bites and all this but I the work speak for your right you know what I'm saying so you you you hell boy you hell you know me saying I just want to know you know I mean I I still compete on defense you know what I'm saying every every night as best I'm probably not the defender I was some some years ago you know what I mean but uh yeah I nine times Len sound bites no man I I I just wanted to know you know I never really hear you speak on anything um and when I saw that initially um so my first thought when I saw that I'll give you way my mind was working because at that time I mean I'm still like doing the podcast and TV stuff and I really love it yeah and and so when I watch the these things I'm also watching as a student you know what I'm saying to better myself and I be very critical of people I think Pat is really good when he did that I was like whoa ah I was like damn like it's so hot and I'm like like if you actually really listen to Pat talk he say some good [ __ ] but I was like ah because when I saw that like like don't don't become the hot take guy you know what I'm saying like you like you don't want to come in so like he I feel like that was like one of the first days he came on ESPN and I was like whoa like you want like don't become the hot guy because I think Pat is really good and when I saw that is just like yeah you know everybody has their opinion and in the world that we in now you know is people going to say something you know what I mean at all times and uh I'm human just like anybody you know and I think that's the thing that I've always tried to do is no matter how I feel or anything like that even though I mean man you talk about it a lot of times I know the real with a lot of situations and how it go down is you got to give it that 24 hours or that 48 hours or whatnot that's the hardest thing to do that's the hardest thing to do and you know when you you let something go or whatnot like I'm I'm not a guy who when something happened I run to my phone you know what I'm saying and post this or post that or whatnot you just you you you stand on the work 100% I I still remember a conversation I had with you way back in the day we was on the phone he's like man I ain't going to celebrate when I score I put the work in I know how good I am I don't need to celebrate that ain't what I need to do that's crazy I remember I said that cuz I I've always said I ain't like a guy that talk junk you know what I'm saying and you see now like I ain't I ain't really on that unless you on that yeah you know what I'm saying I always said I never say nothing first you know but in competition I'm I'm here cuz if somebody say something then I ain't going to know when to stop and we going to go wherever it got to go that's how it used to be with me and you that's how it used to be but it's it's crazy man it's that it's that competition and when I'm playing in the game like when I score I go from offense to defense so fast yeah you know what I mean like you even see with the team like guys got celebrate I man we got to get get back they coming to try to score on us you know what I mean so I think you know I mean in that Pat bear situation that's what was probably crazy in that situation in that game is after I hit that shot and the timeout happened and I was walking to the bench everybody of course after the game was like man what you say to him man what you say what what did you say to him and I was like I ain't say nothing and I think that's probably the part that's that's the worst you know what I mean is that somebody would probably rather you say something to him but I remember going in that game I was just like man I ain't on none of that you know what I mean it's just let's win the game win the game y this ain't got nothing to do with me and him yeah let's win the game no for sure I I I definitely thought he said I mean thought you said something I ain't say nothing nothing one of the things that I want to better myself at you know I I publicly said like you know you look at some things you like I don't like that about myself and so for me I think you mentioned earlier you like your competitiveness is like essentially your gift and your curse I think that for me too but when I look at things and I say what can I change or what would I if I could improve One Thing by myself or something that I don't necessarily love about myself it's actually one thing that I don't necessarily love it about myself but I wouldn't trade it because it actually makes me who I am but but it gets rough sometimes and so I I say this to you um because you just really said like I'm I'm not going to run and say nothing one thing that I dislike about myself it's kind of a love hate thing is is I have to say something like like like and that's something that that I'm actually working on but like I got to say it like I I need to say it like I need to get it out at times I struggle where I'd hold things in because I need to say it so bad and I just hold it in and bite my tongue and then it come out the absolute wrong like you know you look at some of the situations I've had some of them KD situation for instance like I had actually been trying to work through that thing with people like trying to work through it and I'm just biting my tongue biting my tongue like hold this thing and you hold that thing and you bite your tongue you bite your tongue but I have to get things out and then it's just like B and it come out I'm like [ __ ] like that wasn't supposed to come out that way right but I have to say thing I don't love that about myself what is something about you that you don't love about you um probably same thing you just said you know what I mean now I'm I'm going to say it now I'm probably not going to say it just like ah like right then and there but I'm I'm very like you know like if it's some type of issue or anything like that with a person or with a team or whatnot I'm going have a conversation you know what I'm saying it's not always the best thing but it it's what I have to do to feel to feel better you know what I mean and so that's something um like it's crazy man I I really try to be cool off the the officials you know what I mean like for real and like sometimes I watch games back and I be like I can chill there but it's just it's crazy when you know the game in a certain way and all this stuff that that's that's one thing but yeah is like overc communicating and I know some people say dang that's too much you're talking too much talking too but it just take all the guest work out yeah and I think for me um that's that's what I battle with is I I try to pick my spots when I'm going to say something and when I'm not not you know what I mean like what you're saying is it's right like you bottle that stuff up it it's going to get crazy when you finally do say something you know but I'm I'm the same way but I feel like I'll go nuts I about to go nuts something be going on during the season or whatnot and I'm I can't be my authentic self unless I let you know that there is maybe this little friction or this issue here that we we need to get through as I said before you you you're not someone who sits on social media I know that in being your teammate and spending time around you you're not someone who watch talk shows um but like I said I do know you're someone who's in a couple group chats one specifically that you always talk about your boys yes and your brother absolutely and um I know my homies when some [ __ ] said they sending it to me like hey what's up with bro quick fast in a hurry so I um was in an interview if I'm not mistaken I was in an interview with Taylor Rooks um who's a great friend she's incred I think Taylor Rooks by the way just shout out to Taylor is the best in the business she's incredible what she does in any I watch Like again I take this stuff very seriously I watch film on her yeah like her followup questions are like Oprah like she crazy Taylor is really good and she keeps it laidback and fun to where guys are comfortable too you abolutely absolutely so I I watch her and if I'm not mistaken in an interview with her she was asking me about people that I don't like in the NBA and I said I hate Chris Paul easily 100% my least favorite person in the NBA um I wanna I want to walk through these things because again we we keep like I mean every word I've said yeah but and there's a journey to get through there to to get to that and man you get something sent to your phone I'm saying something like that uh number one talk to me like how how how you what what were you thinking of what was being said goddamn it in that group chat when that came out so first and foremost just like anybody just like Trav anybody every all of my homies GNA know who I on rock with yeah you know what I'm saying and so I don't know which time that was first and foremost cuz you said it a few times if we gonna keep it funy so for me I'mma tell you and it's crazy cuz I mean I could name a few guys who didn't had that with me in my my career you know what I'm saying and everybody who know me know like and you know this Dre I always say this when anybody say something I say I be everywhere yeah I say this all the time I say I be everywhere and I say when these people see me they don't be on that type time and I know it's respect thing and all this and then hell we showed up at Brun house for the car game yeah you know what I'm saying like all this different type stuff so when that come across like a group chat or one of the homies or something like that uh you know be like man how is he how you even on his bra I'll be like man I don't know I don't know real talk and so it's crazy of course all my homies they you know say this and say that but me I don't I don't know I think it's that we differ like people differ and I always said like if somebody asked me that I may say something else around it or whatnot but it wasn't it wasn't never that deep for me I knew how I felt you know what I'm saying but if somebody asked me I wasn't GNA say this and say that but it was for me like I said I'm president of the union for eight years it's been a few guys in this league who would go out here and say something about me and then what what I always say I'm everywhere I'm everywhere I'm everywhere I'm at the meetings I done had guys who would talk crazy about me on a on a podcast or a show and then they come up to me before a game and be like hey yo see what we going to do as far as the union stuff is we going to play and I'll be looking like didn't you just say you know what I mean but I think I mean me and you done talked a lot about all this stuff it was like when I got traded you know what I'm saying when I got traded first thing you know I did is I hit you MH you know what I'm saying knowing all the different Dynamics or whatever it was sent you a text I was was like yo excited to be your teammate and we we talked it out M right and I absolutely I feel like I've always been able to to stand on that regardless what anybody say this that and the third is that at the end of the day if you know who you are then you get past it now interesting enough man you know obviously book is a teammate of yours book your man you're still great relationship I've known books since in high school like maybe 16 years old or something like that and so I've always had a great relationship with book I got I mean I love book like that's my dog we playing the Olympics in 2021 and I'm like book I hate him like book and he book like and book A real one I love book man he a real one book said I feel you Dre I don't know if he really feel that strong about it Dre I don't he don't talk about it like that I said I know he probably don't talk talk about it book I [ __ ] hate CP man and he like yeah Dre he don't really he he don't be on it like that like he like yeah he he definitely don't [ __ ] with you but he don't be on it like that Dre like come on Dre I'm like n book you don't understand and again that goes back to um I gotta say it but also immaturity you know even in like when I look back and I I speak and you know I think about things that I've done like there are some things that break the internet that I wish I could take back like that you know what I'm saying like people people really value themselves on can I move people this way can I get people to say this what they gonna think and there's actually things that I've said throughout my course of these years that broke the internet that people love that people like oh yeah and and I wish I could take it back right away and and I think for me is also like the immaturity you're you're six years older than me you know like been through a lot more than me been doing this a lot longer than me and then obviously there's the difference in personalities as well but a lot of immaturity involved in my but I I was on that t type time too though like it's crazy and I don't I don't even really be thinking about it I don't even be realizing that I'm six years older than you cuz when I'm in it I'm in it right and so book that's that's like my brother for real you know what I'm saying and so me and book spent a lot of time together still do and you know it's crazy book would tell me me about guys that he was around you know what I'm saying that was saying little stuff and ID be like dang that person don't act like that when they around you know what I'm saying and so that's always been been interesting for me but I'll tell you this I remember it was a game we was playing in La you wasn't playing you was behind the bench yeah you was behind the bench I don't know what year it was but something happened or whatever during the game you stood up said something I said something and that was just that's the type time it was that was the it was like social media like that people wasn't putting it all over the Internet or whatnot but it was just it was a a competition thing man and for me that stuff can escalate and I always been uh I always say this I'm on whatever they on you know what I'm saying that's that's just always the energy I done had since I came into the league man and like you say immaturity I had it I still got it at times too I ain't no saint by no means but it's uh it's a process and you start appreciating different players in this league you appreciate even being able to play at a high level and all that but I told you out of all the guys that told Steve this I feel like I told the team that out of all the guys that I didn't really had like beefs with over my career uh you know that I could care less if I talk to him or whatever I said I'm glad I got an opportunity to be teammates with you straight up man I and I mean that when I say it because you know you get a chance to see for real you know why y'all was winning championships you know the competitiveness all that man so and I I mean that you know I mean I'm glad we get a chance to be on the same team 100% man like I said as you know um I feel the same way and I think man it's funny it's funny see I have a friend in London we we we were I mean he's he lives in London we were in Paris this summer and we had a gray wine dinner and I was sitting next to him his name is Virgil and Virgil asked me see I kid you not this is God works in mysterious way Virgil ask me sitting at the wine dinner who's your least favorite player in the NBA who could you not see yourself playing I said there's zero [ __ ] chance I'm ever playing with Chris Ball it's not happening I don't I it cannot happen Virgil he's like I knew you'd say that he's a fan of that he's like I knew you'd say that literally see from that dinner two days later I'm flying back from Paris I get a call from Mike Dunley and I'm taking off and I'm like Mike I'm uh I'mma hit you when I land I'm flying he like all right hit me when you land I'm like but I'm fine back from Paris it's 10 hour it's gonna be a long flight he's like all right well it's a little urgent kind of need to know it's like we got we got we got actually we got a chance to you know bring in Chris Paul and I was like listen Chris Paul is a competitor Chris Paul is an adult Chris Paul want to win Chris Paul play the basketball the right way we can figure it out I said we can figure it out all the other stuff we ain't been the best of friends man I said but we can figure it out and and for me man it's like you go through these seasons in your life as you know and it's like God placed you here at the right time because I'm not sure if in year nine in year eight if I was even mature enough to handle it right like if I was mature enough to even had a conversation with you like when you text me I hit you back and we were supposed to talk and you call you call and I'm like I couldn't even talk to you right like I was like damn CP going to be our teammate and like they making this move cool but then I'm like [ __ ] like what do I say I don't know what to say I don't know what to think like what do I do and and then we went to lunch and I said to you I said man I appreciate you letting me go through my process because I didn't know what to think I didn't know what to make of it I did know like yo if he my teammate we gonna make it work and we G to [ __ ] some people up Mike I tell you that but like there was a process that I had to go through and you look at like going through these seasons of life and what you can handle it's like I don't know if you'll ever even meet Virgil maybe you will but for me to be sitting there randomly having a conversation with Virgil at a wine dinner and the next day you my teammate that that is crazy man and and even think about that lunch that we had and you know you know my wife Jada and it's funny man like I remember cuz we went to the Bair hotel and um she was almost giving me a pep talk before I left the house she was like all right now be cool be good you you good you good she was doing all that and um it's so crazy man to know so many mutual people you know what I mean I think about Shayla and all these people who like man y'all need to talk y'all need to talk and we went to lunch there we ended up being there for hours you know what I mean hours man and I tell you and that's where like just maturity adults or whatnot being able to sit and talk and to actually listen to each other you know what I mean and know that you both in a place where you like dang you know even though we we ain't got a loan for a long time like at this point in my career I need I need him you know what I mean not just basketball Wise It's been it's been really cool like just the locker room you know and like we talk about year 12 13 nah this this ain't it yeah this a this ain't going to work but uh everything happens for a reason 100% man like you said Shay there were multiple people telling me like y'all should talk y'all will figure it out I think Shay was definitely one of the main ones so thank you Shayla we appreciate you um Switching gears you mentioned uh Players Association president um talk to me about that because number one I feel like you you took that thing with the Players Association president and I feel like you actually made that a thing like you know I've been in the league I think D fish was the president when I first came in the leag m and like it was cool but it wasn't and maybe I could have just been young and didn't understand it but it just wasn't like revered like the job wasn't revered it wasn't like a real thing it was a yeah it was a chore and it's like you took that thing and made it like a position like like it actually matters talk to me about just being the player associ president how you went about that first and foremost I wouldn't say me I say us like that that executive committee and all of us but um man I I joined the EC my third year in the league when Billy Hunter was uh the executive director and I never forget Billy it came to me and he was like hey Chris we need you to be on the um executive committee and I'm year three that's year I thought I was going to win MVP and I'm hooping and all this I'm like man I'm trying to set up my own business ain't nobody got time for this and that's back when they used to come in there and they come to the union meeting and they be like who going to be the team rep and what the Vets used to take the Young young fellas you got to do it you got to do it cuz it was like a chore and so now you see guys stepping up and they want to be a part of it uh I'm so grateful for that and I think I took a lot of pride in it because um it was some tough years we went through a process where we didn't have an executive director and had to go through the interview process I remember playing in Miami uh had a game that night had to get up at 5:00 a.m. to do some interviews and we ultimately got Michelle Roberts in you know we built the Players Association office now the court you know and just to see players now hell this you know what I mean like absolutely all the stuff that players do now uh and we still got a ways to go to continue to get guys to do things together and realize the power that we have as players as the collective yes right cuz when we first came into the league and rest in peace today David you know Stern it was a y'all do this do that do that you know it wasn't a partnership yes you know what I'm saying as much as guys would have liked but now the conversations that we have with Adam and all this stuff is is totally different you know cuz the way you get people to buy into something is you got to make them feel like they're a part of it yeah so when you think of the ncon tournament when you think of a playin tournament and all this stuff like that's where our league differs from all these other leagues and that was probably the craziest part in being the president of the union for those years is I was getting calls from the players from the NFL from Major League Baseball from soccer from all this saying yo how y'all do that like what like we don't talk to you know our commissioners and stuff we don't and so um it's it's dope to see you know how our league is basically leading away and and stepping down from that role you still get a lot of calls I spent a lot of time you're still on a lot of calls about the Players Association you get calls from people like yo I'm not the president anymore like CJ's the president um what has it been likeing you stepping down from that role but again I think that is also a testament to the work you did and what you made the position mean yeah that you're still getting those calls as if you're the directors I mean as as if you're um the president still you know what it is is um even before CJ got nominated I would talk to CJ a lot about things but we got a little group of guys uh with Kyle ly Dwight pal CJ um and us we've been doing calls now every couple weeks since uh the pandemic and it's very very important because we're very open with Adam and other people on the call about the things that's going on in the league and what's dope about is that it's not just all my views you know CJ's you is we talked to our teammates to figure out like when we was in Phoenix and you were saying how you might change the N season tournament games a little bit I love getting that feedback that's the funnest part about it now I'm going tell you when I was a president it's a little different because I'm getting out of practice and I'm getting calls from the office about what's going on in New York and I'm like man I got a game tonight I can't now now I mean I get an opportunity to basically put myself in the places that I feel like I can be most effective yes right and try to get that time with my family cuz it's it's a full-time job it is a fulltime job and um definitely didn't take it lightly and uh it was an honor and a privilege to do it and I'm going tell you man Dre is a lot of guys probably would never say it but it was a lot ofy it was a lot of hate and stuff that came from that what boy you should have seen the way people was hitting my phone when uh we was trying to figure out if we was going to do the bubble or not you know you had a gang of guys saying no we shouldn't be going then you had guys saying yeah we should be going and so yeah we got a lot of stories a lot of stories but that that Union stuff was uh was a great time and speaking of the Union I have something that bothers me or I wouldn't necessarily say that bothers me bothered me would be like oh it moves me it but it's something that I look at and I'm just like H and the the the director the executive director of The Players Association unit direct counterpart or direct person that they're working with because I think that's one of the things that you changed is where if it was like you had the NBA players union and then you had the NBA they they were synonymous in any way and I think that's one of the things that you change where the executive director now works with Adam you know and they work to put like yes Adam runs the league he's the commissioner we all know that but they work together to make these things work and there's a there's a a respect you know on the work level amongst them that allows us to continue to build this league and push it Forward right I don't know Adam's salary um the executive director salary is nowhere near that will the players ever get to a space of where we raise the amount of money that the executive director makes because due to the salary it's always going to lessen the pool of of people that you can get in that space um if the salary is what it is do you think the players can ever see that to understand that this is and you did it right but again you're also handcuffed by players too like ultimately you you run these things and you put these things in space and then guys vote on it do you think the players will ever understand that this is a business and the person in charge of this business is in charge of 50% of10 billion do per year uh BR whatever it is I'm not sure what the exact number is today right but just call it 50% that person is in charge of 50% of $1 billion do you think us as players or you know uh you you'll retire someday and I'll retire shortly after but do you think the players will ever reach a space where they say that position and needs to be viewed different the the salary needs to be raised because also based on that salary is how that person is going to be viewed going into the negotiation table Yeah but and this is this is what I would say to that because you definitely have a point there but I would say and I would challenge you and anybody else to come into those some of those meetings and have that discussion and this is why because there's so much that goes into the salaries of everybody and even I mean I remember the meeting when we and I'm sure you know this we're the only professional sports League that uh has insurance for retired players yes right and I remember that meeting and I remember that meeting and how sort of hard it was or whatnot to have all the guys actually understand what's going on because in order to do that that means that that money is coming from the players absolutely you know what I mean so once guys really start to understand that and understand like where the money's coming from where it's going how it's being you know sort of filtered out as far as the union and all this stuff I think you know it's it's definitely a conversation that that can be had you know but I think the other thing that a lot of people would be surprised is to see the pool of names who are in these uh these interviews yes right um obviously there's a confidentiality aspect to it but I can say this it blew my mind to see the names that were trying to be the executive director you know what I mean given the salary MH that it is now and it's because and this is a credit to our league and the players is that you got 450 of the most recognizable faces in the world absolutely you know what I mean it's people who are CEOs of big companies and all that stuff like that who are still putting their name in that hat to try and have this job and this role so um yeah I think as everything continues to grow and I think the union like we still are like in a in a phase where we still building think think 450 isn't that many years old you know but that's where the business like we didn't talk about it before what the licensing Check used to be yes and what the licensing check is now totally different you know what I mean so I think it's going to continue to uh take some time but continue to build you know like this basically Allstar team of people you know because you have a time when it's CBA stuff where you may need a lawyer but during all the other time you need a business person to make sure you know all the are being crossed and all the eyes are being dotted but it's important and like I said need to get your ass in there and tell everybody what you thinking like for real cuz that's that's probably been the coolest part of me being a part of the union and seeing how many smart guys we got and all the great ideas yeah I think for me also again goes back to immaturity I know you remember there was a time where I was trying to be on the executive board yeah and man I'm like yo I know I'm suited for this I know I'll fight like for players but another thing and I'll tell you Melo who also had your brother my brother who also uh had an opportunity of playing the Olympics with um man I came to the meeting in Toronto and I'm like I'mma get on the executive committee and it was me and Melo who the last two people and Melo got and I'm like Melo don't even want to [ __ ] be on this board I know Melo Melo don't want to do with this y voting for Melo because he Anthony and I'm like this is man like I'm done with this and the reality is I was in my feeling I didn't even realize that happened but that I I get it because that's what a lot of people do not realize is that this is the NBA but it is still like a high school election absolutely and and it's face to face yes so you find out on that day in front of your peers that you weren't voted in or something like that so I I definitely get it I know a couple other players who that sort of happened to and it's it's crazy man cuz like I said I can still remember the day that I ran for president like somebody nominates you you know what I'm saying like somebody nominates you and I wasn't even sure about running for president and I know Roger Roger Mason had ran too and I don't know who else did but yeah that that's like I get what you're saying but even and it's hard to say because you are who you are or whatnot but even if you not on the EC on the executive committee because it do it take a lot of time it take a lot of time man but I I think there's a way to find out if every so often you just jump on the call to get your ideas yes and see that's what I did when I was President man is that what helped was that I could get Braun on the line if need be I could I could get to book I could get to step I could get to any of these guys or whatnot and it it was a lot of guys who at the at the time would be like Dam y see ain't hit me you say you on fool with me so hit one of the other guys on the EC you know but I would try to make sure that I got feedback from other guys around the league about how they would feel yeah know I and I know from being in those meetings and seeing you talk to different people I know you was taking that feedback and I thought that was great um and like you said and just pushing this to where it is uh with Andre taking over um I know Andre has his plans uh with his fun and all of those things um that he's been working on putting together whole time he's been playing here and now he's on the other side of the fence as a player but Andre just recently yeah uh took over the Players Association as the executive director interum do you see a world where he may continue and and say ah this because he was on the committee with you and all those things you know what's funny man I don't know I don't think Dre wants to you know what I mean but that was uh that was kind of news to me or whatnot but Dre man I I talk about him all the time cuz think about all them years we talk about how we was competing yeah yeah he was he was on the Warriors too and when I was in Houston when I was in LA and so I couldn't stand Dre as far as hooping but Dre was my vice president along with uh James Jones at one point and it's still it's still crazy to think about how well me and Dre work together through all of that stuff given the Dynamics between our team but um I don't know I hit Dre after um after he took over and told him like man I'm I'm here if I can help with anything um if there's anybody who can dive in there and sort of know the ins and outs of of what the union needs and I know he's going to have a union you know what I mean at best you know always it's just crazy to to see that you know cuz we always talk about we we can't even see retirement right now and so it's just crazy to think about all we did as far as the union and know that he actually like be in the office and all that having to see what's going on now so I'm wishing him the best with that and um yeah I don't know well you say you don't think Dre want to do it that long well then I say let's get a satellite campus in La guys be struggling to get a gym in La so we get a satellite NBA players office in La you know in three four years when you like you know what I'm done I'm tying the strings up I'm throwing them on the wire could we see Chris Paul as the executive director you absolutely cannot you absolutely cannot but I will always be a phone call away just because man I learn so much there and I'm going tell you what's so crazy is we talked about an office in a gym in La at one point man but Dre we G to have to talk about these expenses we got to talk about these expenses they going they going to have to raise the dues they going have to raise the does cuz all this stuff is is good and well but these are ideas that I think are valid but like I said the players we gonna have to talk because we never raise the dudes or whatnot but if guys really want to see this stuff can happen yeah but pay cost it's gonna cost I think dudes needs to be raised anyway the reality is dudes may have been raised $5,000 since I've been in the league 12 years inflation Alone come on man we can look at inflation we can talk about that now now granted Dre will be at the next meeting I'll say this and here's one of the reasons I actually thought I would have been good for the committee when I was trying to do it was that I've I've worked myself into a position where I became you know a high paid guy in this league and allar and all this thing but I started as nothing I started as second round on the end of the bench you know like getting in for a defensive stop the end the game that's it you know and so I making 850 Grand now don't get me wrong people I'm not out of touch with life 850 Grand is a lot but when you're making 850 Grand living out here in the bay you slice that in half that's 400 Grand you got a agent fee 3% you know you got my rent was four time four or five times the amount as rookies in other markets so I'm paying that and and I'm making that money I ain't making much money and so I what my thing was I know how it feels to be at the bottom and I know how it feels to be so I know how those guys feel and that's why I thought I would have been good for the committee and saying that so when I say we should raise these dudes know that I'm not some out of touch guy that's looking at these rookies who who and like yo they should pay more too like no you number one you get what you pay for in life exactly and and and if you know the ins and outs of the union and all the things that the union provides and the things during the summer the trips all of this different type stuff you know like I think we have a very very very good union AB you know what I mean so those conversations do come up at times you know CHR need to be paid Chris chin need to be paid more the Ron CL need to be paid more see I tell you what and I'm saying this on this podcast the dudes definitely need to be raised you've had inflation take place we're still doing all the same things and guess what another thing is we all know more now see like we know more about life now and these are the things that we want the union to provide but yet we still paying those man if we wasn't beefing when I was President I would have walked you right into one of them damn meetings with me cuz uh you know man and and it takes it takes you know your vets and all that and I think we as players do a good job now but when I came into the league I didn't know what the union was you know what I mean like it's funny you know when they come talk to us uh and it's usually people that represent the NBA and people that represent the Union right like when I first came into the league you you damn near shunned away from the union people and just went to the NBA people that's a fact you know what I mean and they like you had to learn and be taught that the union is the ones that work for you you know not saying the NBA is against you but when you get a tech or you get suspended or something like that you do a call with the NBA the union is on the phone for you absolutely you know and so I think the earlier guys guys are starting to realize that earlier now is that the union is in place to help and make sure that they you know are able to go back to school you know what I mean the union to pay your tuition or whatnot to go back to school or whatnot man and I'm I know people are say I'm biased but I'm so grateful to uh the the people at the union the lers the uh the Chris's the Ron the everybody I I don't want to leave nobody out all of y'all man I'm so grateful for how you taught me like I tell people all the time I had a business class on steroids right I had a business class on steroids because I mean I know what a 20-year lease uh for where the union office is yeah you know in that part of New York I know how expensive that is I know what the salaries are like I know what the employee are like at the union office when they want to raise you know and so uh they taught me a lot and they still teaching me and I'm grateful for it that's that's incredible uh I had a couple more questions I I as you know we'll sit and talk all that man we good we in our building but I want to ask you something and and I can raise my hand I've never been one as I've told you I've never been one to say I was wrong or high anything that I intended to do so I come into the league warriors were the life and stock of the NBA and I walk in the locker room and I meet Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and I'm working out with these dudes I'm like yo these dudes are special man I've never seen nobody shoot the ball like this you came in the year after Clay's rookie year yeah okay right after the lock yeah yeah and I'm like these two dudes are special let me figure out what I can do to help these two like and that was my goal from the beginning as you come and you start to see the lay of the lane you start to realize there's prior relationships there's this there's that this guy know him this guy know that and so I learned through the grayvine that CP and stepher close I'm like okay cool that's cool nice yep they saying these dudes is the next youung dudes out the West I got to figure out how to change this relationship if I can because what I learned is you know y'all both growing up in North Carolina family knew each other y'all knew each other um had a had a really good relationship me being the young called me dumb if you want I I would say I was young and dumb you come into the league you don't know what you think you know and so you come in young dumb and I'm like oh CP is going to definitely use knowing him and being a big homie against him let me see how I can get in between this and cause some arguments and break this [ __ ] up um in a weird way kind of not really but I said all that to say what's it been like for you to watch Steph like you get drafted you take him under your wing y'all working out together all of those things he come into the league uh ankle injuries the whole nine again me knowing you now I'm sure you was texting him hey man like stick through it like because I just know who you are he young he coming into the league I know you were offering that stick through it gets Healthy Starts to come up come up obviously become who he's become y have battles and all that talk to me about the relationship like the steps and along the way with you and Steph it's crazy man cuz um I didn't known Steph for a long time right coming through North Carolina and Seth like don't even leave that out and then uh Dale you know what I mean so my agent when I first came into the league was Jeff Austin okay I didn't know that you didn't know that no I did not know Jeff Jeff Austin was my agent when I came into Jeff Austin and Lance young I was with octagon um then Rudy Rudy Gay was too and then obviously Steph so um I ended up leaving after uh my fifth sixth year in the league when I went to ca but uh I kept my financial advisor guy named Frank Zer shout out to Frank Frank is me and Steph's Financial guy or whatnot but when Steph got drafted um I used to have my Camp I used to have my Elite camp y or whatnot and so the very first year I had my leite Camp Steph came to Camp he was nice Eric blo nice nice as hell and so my family went to Disney World in Orlando my wife like Lil Chris my parents everybody and Steph went with us Steph went to Disney World with us and we worked out and all that so our relationship was always cool and I mean just like I mean you know I got 13 of my kids that play in the in the league and I say St as a kid but you was from North Carolina you just tried to look out help whoever whoever it was and so it was crazy to see I mean I forget about the ankle injuries cuz I just remember how damn good he been you know what I mean and it's it's crazy the battles start happening our teams or whatnot um but it was just it was the Warriors it was never like about me versus Steph or nothing like cuz Willie right you remember when Willie one of Y coaches absolutely Willie is my family mhm when Willie became one of y'all coaches me and Willie stopped talking you know what I mean like for real for real so um I mean Willie Green yeah Green don't know but Steph just kept getting better and better and I mean like it wasn't like it was a surprise to me you know what I mean cuz he always worked like that and he could shoot it and then the way that you guys team like y'all played with a ed we did the same yeah and obviously like you said you wanted to build this Rift what what it is what it is the game was the game obviously people blew things up I mean with Steph when was when did he hurt his hand he hurt his hand in 2021 uh 2020 21 season yeah yeah that's when I was in um in uh no I'm sorry I'm lying no that's right his 1920 trust me I suffered through that year we were miserable I I was suck I was miserable that's when was in uh that's when I was in Oklahoma yes cuz I remember I was at my condo and as soon as I saw he HT his hand I sent him a message to put him with my hand I didn't have four hand surges really yeah so I hit Steph to try to make sure he got with dror Shen and tried to get with Mo the same person I had four hand surgeries I met Mo I feel like he used Mo right yeah yeah he end up using Mo y using Mo so Mo did all four of my hand surgeries and my rehabs okay you know what I mean and that's just trust me we done battled battled like hell like I mean you know like my wife was at his wedding they was at my wedding or whatnot but to see um him become the player that he is is it's dope man obviously I've been on the wrong side of some of them them losses and I'm mad as hell I was mad I mean big mad you know what I mean but now getting a chance to to be teammates and play alongside each other uh has really been fine it it's been it's been incredible um as we wind down and again you you've made it very clear like you stay out the way of things you stay out the way of people you don't put things in the media I didn't realize as an investor as a businessman that you had all the things going that you have going um you do it very under the radar um quietly but you got a lot of stuff going on incredible things try to what does retirement uh for Chris Paul look like um whenever and I think you can continue to play number one just as smart as you are like to go from as fast and athletic as you were to not even rely on speed and still be as dominant as you've been for the last eight year like I'd say the last seven years of your care career you have not relied on speed and to to to do that and still be the player you've been I think is amazing um but what what does retirement for Chris Paul look like man whatever that is I I definitely want to uh on a team being being an ownership group and it's it's because of it's a few reasons but one of them is like my love for the game right and Dre you like me we try to get back to LA and see our family as much as possible I done Miss so much of my kids lives that everybody be like oh he gonna be a coach he gonna be on a coach but I I coach a I do that now I coach aou but I actually want to be present for some of the stuff that my my kids have going on so I definitely want to be on ownership and the reason why I want to be in ownership is because I feel like um you have an opportunity to impact and in a lot of different ways right and for playing for so long and on so many teams I've had a front class seat in the CBA negotiations to see what this team does right what this team does right been in the locker room for this long so you see how a lot of the most successful teams are sort of like there's a bond you know what I mean that's necessary uh so I definitely want to be on ownership and and I want to continue to dive into different Investments you know what I mean and I know that just sound vague but I mean I got a production company uh I have a a cricket team uh over in India um I have a major league I mean a um a baseball team triaa team in my hometown Winston Salem Dash uh it's a lot of different things that I've been trying to get invested in but I just can't sit still that's one thing I ain't going to do that's one thing I'm not not going to do I I want to be involved and I want to be around the game I want to continue to try to impact Grassroots because the NBA level as far as coaching you can't tell us nothing yeah you can't yeah we feel like we know everything but for me now and like we talked about like Grant Williams played in my a program Josh a kogi Kobe white Harry JS uh Colin seon I could keep going on and wendale Moore Wendell Carter all these guys man that's probably the dopest thing for me at this point in my career is to see them you know what I mean is to see them and to know that in somehow some way I may have impacted their journey to be able to change their life because you know once you get up here you change everybody life around you absolutely you know what I mean so yeah I I definitely want to do that when I'm done you've talked about the last seven or something OD years uh like once you start bouncing around a bit switch teams you left your family home and just would go to the city and do your job and go back home uh talk about how tough that is uh that's been and and making that adjustment missing things um you know like for forever you you and Lil Chris was Inseparable like I mean he was everywhere with you and then you know the team thing start happening and and you make a the best decision for the kids you know some sometimes a lot of times as adults and parents you don't people don't make the best decision for the kids and you make the best decision selfless decision kids gaining friends they're going to school you know don't want to keep switching their friends group and to leave them home and and go off to work talk to me about the challenges that that uh created when I left uh LA to go to Houston I never forget telling Lil Chris he was looking at the TV he saw it on Sports Center and he was crying and I told him he said dad do I have to go and I said Chris Dad can't be himself on the court if you're not there with him right and so the thing happened in Houston I got traded to OKC you know me and my wife it's crazy man CU Chanty B that's that's my big brother there and Chanty love chance chance when we played with the Clippers chance had told me that uh pip and his kids weren't going to be in LA and I never forget me and my wife we was like oh you tripping chunks well that ain't never going to be me you know me and my wife thought it's going to be one year then we was like okay just do it two years now this is this is year five but it's crazy because probably this season is the most I've been able to see them yes you know and Steve does a great job but letting us know you know when we going to be off and stuff man but it's it's hard it's hard hard as you know cuz the game is played for 3 hours yes you know what I mean the game is 3 hours and as soon as that game is over we are regular human beings absolutely right who just want to know our kids are good our family is good and all that and so um I think that's probably going to be a bigger part of my story when I'm done playing then I realized yes you know is what I've been able to do being away from from them you know cuz that's a that's a huge part of my life and is we always say fill your cup you know what I mean so whenever I get a chance to see them uh it definitely feels my cup man but it's it's crazy you guys and the team have really helped with that but I I go back to that first year when I did it yes Shay you always hear me talk about Shay you always hear me talk about Shay uh Darius Bas D them boys them for life I don't care what they got going going on anything man they know they can always call me because that was my first year being without my family and they uh they became that for me okay that's that's incredible man that's I I did that one year um where it was right after the season started back from the bubble so the 20 20 2021 season oh you did that my family stayed back in LA because you remember you couldn't go to the arena oh yeah everything was shut down in San Francisco so you couldn't do nothing here and the weather was better in La so it's like at least they can get outside you couldn't get outside here you could so they stayed in LA and man man that's hard boy that that is tough so I um yeah I commend you yeah that's tough man it is and they getting older you know what I mean like I always say everybody got a story story and I know people got it way harder than I do but um that ain't my normal yeah right I say all the time to all those people who pursuing their careers whatever it may be like big shout out to you cuz my dream was to make it to the NBA yes right and I would not have made it without my dad without my parents but for sure without my dad like fostering that for me and it's just crazy for my kids especially my son being older to have these hoop and basketball dreams you know but Dad don't get to be there it's kind of crazy but you know we we we G to work it out absolutely well I mean you've been doing it gracefully jsx come through come through jsx in that good Southwest too talk to me about that see cuz I see I always tell people they like yo you don't fly private I'm like n people ain't going to run me out the airport like you you not like you're not going to run me out like yes I will fly private but I fly a lot yeah I'm I can't afford to fly private as much as I fly you're not going to run me out air right talk to me about that because I be seeing some of these young guys they fly private all the time I'm like how do they afford that is on listen I wish I would have knew now what I I wish I would have knew then what I knew now you know what I mean and I I've been flying private for a long time probably a little bit too much tell true but uh you know you you start to realize I mean this morning I took a 6:40 a.m. Southwest flight got me here just in time you know but there are certain situations that call for a private flight you know my my daughter uh she had a game that I wanted to make it to after practice or whatnot but uh I don't care who you are right like you know I know billionaires that budget yes that budget so I like how you say that you ain't gonna run me out there not running rning out the airport hell no n well just get me there absolutely get me there I'll be just fine get me there no for sure um man I thank you uh this this has been incredible uh I know subscribers listeners of the Draymond Green Show is going to appreciate this interview I'm very thankful to have this conversation uh before we get out of here um one of my favorite officials which is I guess odd for most people because most people your favorite who who you about to say like Scott Foster you want to talk about knock it off you want to talk about him what it I love Scott by the way you know why I love Scott cause Scott to me like where I go wrong is like the referees that act like they cool with you and the moment the gangar you can't say hi and I'm just like bro you just like was laughing with me and like saying hi and I never knew that was your man though I never knew that I like Scott cuz Scott I know what I'm going to get like I don't have to guess what I'm going to I know what I'm getting you knew what you was going to get every time you played against us sound right ain't got nothing to do with you but Scott let's go look at the record I mean you know Scott Scott like I can say a few things to Scott and he gonna cut it off it's not like I'm I'm judging where the line at like nope this is the line Draymond and if you cross it I'm teing you but we can talk on this side of the line we can talk and and and he cool I I like Scott you want to talk about Scott so he let you he let you say a few things to him no hell no he don't he don't but I'm cool with that just as long as I know I can't say nothing to you you you run into some R reason they like uh they they they start yelling at you then you say something back and it's like and I'm like bro you just talked to me like that Scott Scott Scott is different in that aspect you want to talk about Scott I can't I can't not right now I can't right now I can't right now but in due time in due time in due time we we'll have that conversation I can't right now but it's funny you say that CU it is a few refs who you could say something to and say something back I feel like she or somebody was talking about this recently or something about how you almost appreciate that yes like you know Carl yeah Carl if you yell at Carl Carl going to yell back at you absolutely but you you love to leave it at that you know what I'm saying like I would respect that more than the refs who grab their whistle you're like I'm call T I'm call you know what I mean I much rather I had a few officials here and there that yell back at you and stuff like that and I'm it's an intense game yes that's what I would say and you got a bunch of different personalities on the court or whatnot and I think that's what gets lost at times is that it's a game and it's it's intense um you gota you got to realiz it's an emotional game you know guys now okay if it's too much it's too much tell us but at the same time you know I think probably one of my only issues that Texs like the money it's crazy you know what I mean like how you just get to determine what my paycheck going to be this week like I always have a problem with because it's like yo at the end of the day that's a human being like that human being have feelings you can't tell me that oh none of these officials don't like you personally because that's a human being I I'm a human being yeah I have feelings towards certain people certain people that I work with certain people like you have feelings and so that be the thing with me to act almost as if like they're not hum yeah I've been on I've been on a competition committee now right for 15 years wow you know what I mean so people who don't know what that is that's that's a two hour two hour two and a half hour meeting every so often going over the rules of the game you know I've been doing that for a long time now and I stayed on that uh because I get a chance to learn yes you get a chance to learn like all these different it's some great basketball Minds that be on them calls man and I know some people probably like damn how you got time for that you do the union stuff you do this stuff but you to learn and you know the competition committee is how the n Season tournament came about it's how the um playin tournament came about is how the shot clock resets back to 14 now it's all the different rules of the game and you see that's why it's constantly changing like I know if I'm allowed to say it but it was one meeting years ago where they talked about getting rid of the corner three really yeah like they was just talking like every all types of things are thrown thrown out all the time on these committees because there's a vested interest in the business of the game and just trying to grow the game so uh yeah man that's why that's why like when people see me like explaining something like that it's like man I sit on this two-hour call and y'all explain the rules of this a take foul and all this stuff so when I get to the game I expect to see it a certain way but you would like that man like seriously you would you would you would like that it's a long call or whatnot but you you get a chance to get some stuff off your chest I think that'd be great I think I'd be great for the cont me not sure if I'm welcome anymore but I think I think I'll be great for the com Tony Brothers is I I love Tony Brothers Tony I [ __ ] joke on Tony and his goddamn unibrow my son got a unibrow by the way I talk about Tony uni them thick I mean Tony I got unib got them thick ass eyebrows and I call Tony ugly and he go right back at me Tony was talking Tony Tony embarrassed me in front of of my teammates I went and I talk [ __ ] to Tony he walked past my teammates and he said I had to I had that's when I had to Subway commercial like my sub is better than yours y want to talk about it and and like it was incredible but that should be okay incredible that should be okay I had a situation with a fish when I played in Phoenix and he called a carry on me and uh see this is what's crazy about real life is because somebody gonna hear this and then they just G get you again he called a carry on me and ran down there in front of my my teammates and said yeah that's a carry or something he said if I could if I could dribble like that I'd be in the league right that's what the ref told my teammates and so then I got back down there and I was like we can tell who ain't never played point guard before right and he gave me a tech see that's what's that's the crazy part about it if you can pop your [ __ ] I should be able to pop mine you know but you do have some of those those really good officials like Tony and stuff like that that you you should be able to go back and forth a little bit of something but I think it's tough now because everybody got mics on yeah everybody got mics on everybody zooming in on you talking to the off trust me I I know I know it too well it works for you sometimes though it do it got his POS I say hey some of I did not filed out of some games for that Tech I took earlier in the game now like come on now no but uh I'm done with this [ __ ] I'm done getting t i you see having the mics on and all that oh yeah yeah for sure that that works for you sometimes no doubt no doubt hey man that's a wrap from this episode of Draymond Green Show C thank you bro I appreciate you myate absolutely maybe we'll do this again one day because it's still a lot of stuff we ain't touched but we could do this for hours we'll definitely do it again and as long as it ain't yeah see it's easy to do it like this it ain't after a game where you beat us and some [ __ ] like that that's the worst that's the worst we we going to win together oh by the way for all you talking heads out there talking and y'all saying like oh man like that team is so saying this that and the other we still going to win a championship I told you that before we gonna win it again [Music] peace

Channel: The Draymond Green Show

Views: 242,328

Keywords: Draymond Green, Draymond Green Show, Draymond Green Podcast, The Volume, NBA, Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green reacts, Chris Paul, Chris Paul interview, Basketball

Id: uFBQAXw_dzQ

Length: 98min 19sec (5899 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 26 2024