Jimmy Butler joins Knuckleheads with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles | The Players' Tribune

buckets the nickname you had booked as the nickname before you got to Chicago or say I had it before he know it was that Stacey King Chicago to program you know I didn't hurt Jimmy bugs I was like man I'm like like he nice and all this stuff and then you know I heard a homies in Chicago neighbor like yeah you tell my Jimmy buckets from the program and I'm like is this the same dude nah that's his name baby buckets so that's how I gave you that night yeah that's what's up and it stuck with me a little bit ever since I never stop never so what I want to know especially since your defender I was a defendant who's the first when you first got to the league host of fortitude stop no you wouldn't do that no you would you're the score shooter it's three-point shooter used to post up even in the second later part of my crowd was a defender no use the first offender first and then you start to lose your mobility so then you become a three-point it's not exactly what I said it's respectful as being defenders you know offended you just lighting because you won them 21 like you ever we're getting to that leg who's the first person that bust your ass and their league and you was like oh this this is this is the league that's where I said like he was hitting like oh I need no then you realize like it's to leave for you it can happen on any certain night yeah the first person they got who probably you wasn't expected though not like one of them dudes well it's never it's never who I'm not expecting because every time I played I always had to guard the big-name guy right so whether it was Kobe or whoever it was damn and I would say KD the first time not lined up against him just cuz to me he's so disrespectful with his game because he's seven feet and he can like shoot over anybody you know what I mean so he'd be like yo good D like like what can you do he shoot fadeaways off one leg dribbling and all you can do is look over at the bench and be like yo garden look crazy like I said I said the same [ __ ] okay hey you we got you six seven off of six five six C okay don't look at me like that but when he's telling me once he gets his fight and raised up you know you just gotta you gotta hope he missed I committed to st. John's Q career to DePaul and uh I got I got sucked in by Midnight Madness what was the reason that you chose more kid I want as good as y'all be quiet I say why mom I hate on my kids I was born there yet I was about to say you know speak on not only did you know you went to you ain't JUCO first so you went a different route totally I wasn't about to get the hey but she was just comin it's definitely coming I wasn't good it's it's a long story but you know to cut it all down when I went to JUCO I played with this guy named Joe folks who had already committed to Marquette in November so when I get there you know I went to Tom ball right outside of Houston I shot the ball every time and I was like man can I really compete with the best of these guys you know JUCO was tough like doggy dog man if you pass the ball you might not get the ball like everybody trying to get to the next level so um man is Joe folks we end up being roommates you know later on so we ended up being the two best players on the team but you know I come out the first game and I'll score 33 damn score 33 and you know college JUCO but college I was like [ __ ] man maybe it's not a fluke I come out the next game I was like man hi let's see if last game was a fluke 37 and I was like oh you know maybe I can't hold my own buzz came in he was assistant Mr Kent the Korean at the time and I was always around Jo so he always would speak to me be nice to me Anand and then one day you know I'm playing well so I got all of these schools talk to me offer me now he comes out to him so you know what if I ever had a head coaching job like you would be a player that would want to come you to come play for me I'm like man get out of here man Korean going over like Korea had a deal a shout out Claire you know I'm saying he was in there and stay in school back when I was in school he was that he was under his Oh uh-huh god I love seats yes head go way back and I'm sorry my man oh good dude but I mean crane is there like you assistant coaches dude crane leaves go to Indiana buzz gets the job I'm the first person he calls like he would always he always had told me the truth and all it is so right you know without even visiting I went to Marquette I know it's crazy I didn't know where I don't know where Milwaukee was I know what state it was in I didn't know it's no sorry I went to Marquette youth in for a rude awakening like I was in Houston basketball shorts and teeth when I got there I was like [ __ ] I was in Wesley Matthews closet stealing all his jackets but like cuz I didn't have nothing nothing I'm gonna literally slippery's basketball shorts white terrible so that's how I ended up over there crazy but JUCO days well you got blue you got the school loads there like for you like when you started hot like how was that that that matter that's an absolute [ __ ] worse [ __ ] worse so so way buzz was loving you he was the one who's keeping it real with you how did he go to the word he kept it real with me he did say hey when you get the ball throw it to one of the [ __ ] players throw it to [ __ ] Dominic James Wesley Matthews is our hair jo McNeil and so when I got in he played me because I play hard and like when the ball went up I was going to get the ball right now when I got the ball you could [ __ ] just go to anybody because I wasn't going shooting I was gonna turn around and find one place so that's how I made my mark in Marquette basketball and that's how he kept me on the floors like Jimmy go get his extra possessions he take a charge hearing their offerings everybody going to get it you're not worried about him shooting it cuz he gonna give it to one of those for us and then you know I started they called it a Jamie's bunch he was the ga at the time so I had to go in with him early work on all this stuff the fundamentals da same man and this [ __ ] buzz used to dip cussed me out dip all in my [ __ ] face Owens balls like Jimmy what the [ __ ] was that I was like yo but then again I'd be looking at me like man Dominique James just did the same [ __ ] you did say left it at that but [ __ ] but that's when I started to realize that their levels and there's roles like I mean he'll that's Dominique James at that point in time I was just me I was like [ __ ] I would yell at me to him i yelling at Dominique James you know at me but buzz was a real man he taught me so much honest is day one steals that way now probably to a fault like he got something to say about every day yo I saw it not that my buzz relax man just relax I'm not I'm not a kid no more but that's my man that's why I love him I love him to death that's my guy so how did you get from there like going from being the guy like I give everybody ball to like you getting ready to get up out of that now you like figuring [ __ ] out you Iko who you know say you coming to your own you figuring out like my role changed my role change like you know my junior year when all of those guys left i I got the ability to be able to just you know shoot a couple bad shots attack at any point of time that's what it was he put the working Sun and he put confidence in me to add to the confidence that I already had that's what the game is it's all mental there's a 90% mental and the other 10% is like men you got to be able to go out and do it you gotta be physically be able to do it but if you think that you can do that man you can and so he was giving me a ball boom boom I never forget my junior year in the tournament [ __ ] quincy pondexter I watch a game drove right by my sorry-ass game and I was like man to pee man I was like that she's not happening again so all we focus in on was how can you guard somebody so the next year coming back I guarded marShon Brooks in college I was a bucket and a half he was man but cardiac Kimber guarded him man in college like all of those guys are problems man that's one big he's real - yeah it's real and um that's when you know I started to take defense a lot more seriously than offense as well but my offense was always just behind my defense cuz I locked in on a defense event yeah I never get Wesley Matthews came back I'll say yo you can play in the league I was like worried and that's when I really started to take basketball furro furro like being able to go on a higher level yeah that's when I was like you know what maybe I can be a pro at the highest level not you're a pro nothing wrong with that but like the NBA like that's where you want to be it that's the best of the best and he came back and told me that knows like no people understand how to change when you get a chance to go out there be giving that freedom to make mistakes and not be worried about if I pull it out yeah like you ain't getting pull it out or just getting somebody going crazy on you for one look and you get that little freedom his life all right I could I could loosen Anaka try I could come and go explore this game I had rip as one of my vets right you know G real that's my hold that family come on really he should come to me any like he would be injured Ronnie Brewer be nicked up blue out Danny would be nicked up so I got a start but I would play the same way you know tizwoz my coach I would play the same way if they was in a game I when I get in like try not to make a mistake like dude was right don't [ __ ] up so you're gonna come out of the game so I was playing like that timeout came rip pissed off Jimmy get your dumb ass over come here what he was like why are you playing like that and I was like man I'm just trying not to [ __ ] up he was like I hope you do [ __ ] up just so you can see nobody else can come in for you you know only one but if you [ __ ] up nobody's will come in for either side and then I was like damn right didn't I just went out there and started hooping and I started playing well I can remember that coming right hold changing like playing cuz you know I was still in the lead playing at that time and it was like I'm watching I'm like he went from like struggling making mistakes you could see it physically on your face you'd be like trying to figure things out then it's like he just started to make plays play a little more freely and like figure it out then it was like not he like his confidence going through the roof and now he's starting to figure things out unlike who I want you to talk about like cuz I know you was defensive minded but when you put your imprint on the game of oh I can score on this level to like you start off he was playing defense and then all of a sudden there's like they tears depending on you to score now yeah you taking more shots and it's like oh I can I can average 20 in this league just with the best stuff first off that's hard to do I was 20 in the league knowing that you probably the number one or two guy on the scale report so they're like yo we got to stop this guy it's hard to do so you know for James to be able to do what he do and Stefan knowing like we got a lot Gainey we gotta try to stop these guys that's tough and the team to need there exactly every night and then you got to go down there and do it on defensive end too but I just started working on my game I never I never worked on my game as much whenever I was in college and dream college or in high school because I was like man I ain't gonna be a pro I got from Tomball Donald's all-american I had to go to JUCO like I doubted myself that's why it's funny whenever you hear people say oh I knew Jimmy was gonna be to stop [ __ ] life I didn't even know that was what I mean like so when people say that it sounds good it sound good was you a hooper luck because i didn't work on my game me coming out i just play with adults and played a lot yeah I asked that's what I use to go anybody whooping who are they planting that time so I wasn't playing it and I just got out spirits like started out on crazy and I just I just who I didn't know too much about the games whenever I got to JUCO they taught me a little bit about the fundamentals of the game footwork got to college the Marquette they did the same thing and then I started you know working with a trainer Chris Johnson out of Houston my guy and he started teaching me about the game and how I could be effective and my skill set you know I'm not steps or nothing to go out there and try to play like Steph was there I can be me and be effective in FSU that's it and we did that came all-star boom I like to think that I've still been playing our way since yes you see your points of where you can get your easy buckets you learned again I see you uh you do a lot of sitting you ain't being sentiments and I love that me being a big small full I used to always if I got somebody smaller so for I'm gonna run right under the goal and just seal them on and are you giving your bodice easy layup easy but you can get you can get like about that what you saying here for come on stop everybody know everybody know I had the lunch girl first of all I was a rebounding guard and I put somebody inside the bucket I agree with anything inside the bucket and transition you know no he no he dropped that thing down there to me kinda watch me abused a grip xog but like a like like little bunnies bunnies like that that help you they don't people don't know that goes into averaging 20 yeah I don't know how to get the little bunny started confident quick back up door and schedule exactly oh I'm a jumper not working you need that one right next to the rim gopher you will get you a foul and get to the free-throw line and that's that's how the score is do it you do a couple easy ones now you're not pressing not thinking about nothing boggling the Bison you know okay I'm feeling it I'm in a rhythm a jumper or two as you can have one of them nice but as a defender and you know basically a two-way player but somebody who's known as a defender like how you feel about how the league is just slowly but steadily just crippling the defender and like just completely putting the putting the GAR like okay like like for heart and he can travel now he can do a double step back step back and just like as if he ain't frying people when ain't gifted and talented enough like we're gonna we're gonna take some some stuff away from the defender and we're gonna allow them start doing the legal stuff like first like how do you feel like if somebody who hang their hat on their travels or not that's still a tough a shot to hit let's just get it out that's the problem that's what I'm saying as doubles triples got back I don't care I step back from three as far as he'd be shooting anyways she's tough but it's just like man you can't you can't really be physical with nobody no more I'm done right there and that's that's where the game is okay yeah what I'm gonna do I'm a little bit go doing the playoffs a little bit more a bit but just think of it I look at it this way think it the way that y'all used to foul [ __ ] does Lance think about that we're going on huh purse on the foul on you now you had somebody think that you're for sure getting a flagrant that's way now you just don't choose if it's a flagrant one a favorite or they go yeah maybe I used to [ __ ] people up battered bruised so many women man no layups we not give you no [ __ ] laughs I'm coming with all my might trying to dunk it haha I know they come they'll fire you before they let them get it because I want to ask you you're competitive is like when we got to the league we was real competitive because we were so young and we to prove ourselves playing with these grown men and it's like it's five of us 21 and under playing against these grown men with kids and I want it's like two parts of this question I want to know where you got your competitive edge to always compete every night mother if he give you 60 or 50 you made them earn everything he got and to continue to keep that competitive edge everywhere you go first off I'm not going back to Tom ball like that that's that's how I keep looking at my people I said why you keep doing what you're doing you let me tell you something I'm not going back to the house out but mark my competitive edge that [ __ ] come from the fact that nothing was given to me man nothing I had to go to junior college I had nowhere else to go great and then when I got to Marquette they was all just one for gain go make it so I was like okay i'ma show you that's where it come from like I I wasn't that good so I know what the work can get you so that's what my competitive edge so for me I don't I don't care if you as a McDonald American or a tradition we all bleed the same fact we all gotta tie our shoes of the same unless you wear velcro then you just step over but other than that man we don't we don't go at it you're scaring me nah I don't care how big your name is the contract is at the end of the day you don't have to plan out there today like it's the price on this here so you're saying maybe like now see I won't play against him but that's why I play the game as I tell everybody like I don't do it for the fame on do it for the money I don't do it for nothing the only reason that I do it is so when I go up against the guys that you could call out and be like yeah [ __ ] go everybody could say whatever but like I don't even know it's just like will you be to like the media can say whatever as long as when you see that dude he shoots who they're looking he likes here we go I got it I got something I gotta bring my lunch here tonight like that's like that we all want as hoopla's and competitors like it don't matter what the outside world think they're praying like we all know when they see when just in that battle how they react to me like you know that they didn't push them that's that's respect you want you know before the game you dashed by the oven you look across that whether it rusts BG wrong yeah that's why I played a game I don't play it for no other reason that and you know guys talk guys know when they belong I mean he a [ __ ] clown we're already [ __ ] went to fight [ __ ] know you know we know we know flame well I just want you to be like I respect him of what he play heart I know he gonna be your name he gonna make it tough for me tonight that's why I put a guess the one thing that translate all in the neon sent generations from you know I don't care when you play and that's one thing that we respect about you and where you play we feel like you cut from the same cloth I think that's why you brought up the story about how we came in and we competed in earning whoever how disrespecting like her being ready to fight if you got a fight but we will we come and we can are we trying to make a splash like y'all know boys to--don't boys out that we want everybody to know and we want everybody to see that we ain't scared we running from it but hey we hear you don't standing like when backing down like whatever I like to end it I just told the story the other day whenever I came into the league MVP DeRose Divas player year Joakim alright all-star Lu boos rip all of them guys and the way that they used to talk to each other in practice is like damn you know if you can talk to MVP DeRose like that mmm I know you gonna [ __ ] me up and when I do something wrong right you know to me so that's what I came into like you can be brutally honest in between these lines because we all trying to win yeah we all want each other to be successful and I got to know what you doing so this guy can know what I'm doing and what I'm supposed to do so you're talking and all the time it's not gonna be like a hey can you please that you don't have time for that and I feel like this there's 20,000 people in the arena you can't hear it I feel like now it's a it's a everything is hey don't do that B you're not supposed to talk like come on yo i'ma say it get right to the point I'm gonna raise my voice a little bit might put a few f-bombs in that but it's over with we all trying to work toward the same goal but like that's why long like we all come that's what the NBA is it's a it's it's people from every different walk of life you could think of as long as we are respecting everybody each other's you know saying the way we come from and the way we are like man what you're trippin for you already like everybody had a coach or a crazy cool coach a you coach somebody it know Sam YMCA whatever to be going off which you know he mean where he learn a hell out of the kids and everything don't do that don't be sensitive like I feel like now everything is like because there's so much accessing it so much you could see everything like everything is so sensitive don't do that don't double did you see that that was oh my Mike come on man burn me at the same time that's the world now social media ruins everything oh my god you can't say do act go nothing taken out of context you don't even have the proper context for three they just see a patron or go crazy so when there's a gap they just don't insert whatever the hell they were like oh I don't know what's going on yeah I'm gonna do so and guess that should be juicy as they come out but I have no idea if this is even remotely true black if it is that like who came up with this creativity of this telling you it is not to be a like who sat down and thought it is like this is some you might be gonna go do movies a sudden you just create stories like this like this is it gets real I'm telling you this should be funny especially when it come to me because I don't read nothing in the media I promise I don't read nothing but I know what's going on somebody all yeah so I know what's going on but I just be like when they semi [ __ ] and my thing is if you know me then you know that something that [ __ ] that people be talking about it's like yo he don't he not that now that part okay but like right that's not part of like and know and if you know me you know what my heart is you know what I mean and uh how I do really play to win I like that that's the only reason why I haven't won on any level I can't say that I'm a winner yeah I don't want my career to end like that can you say that I'm a loser no no I'm somewhere in there yeah but you know somewhere in that case man you know how much you overcome to get to yeah well I want like give me like a championship ring whether it's what we all can't win I'm gonna say like the cuz I'm a person who didn't win a championship in the NBA but I know I think what made me a you know saying not like you say not a loser you know saying good morning everybody can't be like a world champ I'm like no I wasn't that me sure once that you know not ever stop working but like for me I know you not a loser because of the like he said what you've overcome and the way you work at it you know like if you was out there dog and it got a bag and sent on your blood like in the chase I know you max and now you you try to leave it all out there not trying to max out with you that's all that's all you can do you can only put everything you got into it and then sometimes the chips far this way sometime they don't everybody knowing this league in all sports to win the world championship ranges it ain't just hard work effort is luck it's ain't happening things going your way it's all type of things so that's like one of the hardest things in the world to do so you should never feel like you were you know saying like a loser like you see you listening to Charles and on the model of Jose Blair but no parties not know what or you know them guys didn't like it so crazy not a loser little players who didn't want to chip and - you give it your all every night if you put it all on the line you put the work in and all this stuff and you can walk away from it you know what your chest of huh you know I know that count but we all Prada because everybody don't be in position to win chance to be on you got some players that play for bad teams they hold over everything that I went to my whole career was about starting over so I I get a chance to play in the playoffs yeah that's hot no time and I used to see players in the playoff I'm like no I'm better than new and he got the opportunity to play in the playoffs her in a world is looking at on her but I can't I can't dwell on it or beat myself up about it I've just gotta play the cards that they gave me yeah and work hard it talked about how like you can like let you see from tumblr like you been but I would say like a different type of superstars singing country music not being you know saying like being up right yeah like not being afraid it whatever that entails like you do you whether it's like I don't see any Wilin out going on the little ocean adventures in the wild lights and follow them off the canoe laughs I am Who I am you gonna like it you're gonna hate it but I'm still gonna be me I'm not I'm not changing Who I am I may change the clothes that I wear the city I live in but we do the same stuff but if you around the house Ewing I'm gonna hang out with us all we're gonna do is play Domino's uno some cards and watch the same movie over and over and over yeah that's right so it's like that's who he is and then he's gonna work on his game that's that's me in a nutshell oh man like I really don't give a [ __ ] what anybody thinks of me I really don't because I'm comfortable in my own skin and I like Who I am I like where I met you know and it's like I say it all the time I if you know me if you around me you know who I am you know I mean that's like every time I come to Orlando me and you lean like you know what's good you know what I mean like now whenever I I'm in your city like it was good man let's go have a dream let's go have lunch or something like that if you my people you my people you're not my people you don't know me so I would expect you to fill a void you know really I get it I understand it sounds exactly like this yeah that's what it is when you understand it some people like people don't like you for no reason at all and people don't hate you for no reason even though you yeah that's just life they do they do Rock says Jesus yes Oh as a perfect man I know they go hey my nothing Oh hate me let me ask you this uh you know you came from a private environment you know like us and uh I know like when I you'd be around people where I'm from we in st. Louis the father's people then being as Chicago was just four hours Memphis which is another four hours and getting a chance to play basketball in this basketball taking me around the world and seeing stuff that people in my family would imagine seeing eating some type of all that just people just you never know who would be with some type of celebrity or oh I got Kobe number I can talk to Kobe or I think I think Mark Wahlberg the relationship you have with them like that's like somebody we like all saw on TV like from everything like you like he'd been a superstar and you get to know him and be get a relationship my house no coming from where you come you came from to be and like the luxury of all the stuff that you had the luxury and like you say for you you do as a person who doubted yourself you didn't see this like some people at a young gay like he was like you know a Sports Illustrated to go to go to know ya know none of this you're worried about it nah man I thank God every single morning every night for the life that I have for the people that I had and to know how fortunate and blessed I really am it's incredible like there has to like God did this I you can't make this story up well of where I come from and how I got to where I am and the people that I'm able to to break bread wit and bring along with me like nah like we're all unique and we all have of our own stories but for me or for the next guy like come oh no that is it's not like that so every day I wake up and I know that I could call this person in raqqa afford this food or I can go to this country yeah man I didn't even know where the hell Paris like I've never looked at a man yo Paris is in France in that's here or there the one that gifted us to uh you know I mean like yeah I don't know all that and I'm going over there and they're teach I'm like damn never in a million years when I'm back in Tomball thinking like this little basketball about like Baja what about with your friends and family that that's been in this small town a whole life and they start an experience in which you eaten up the better foods and in a different medium [ __ ] not like if you country you can turn my life but I'm glad that I get to bring some of my people along with me and it's hard because like you can't you can't get used to it always tell everybody that the life that I live that we're able to live it's it's a fairy tale like I see utopia like there is something wrong but there's a lot of right too much of any good thing is a bad thing I tell everybody that man so whether it's a jewelry or the food or the women or the way we travel whatever it is man any point of time it could be gone yeah an important time it could be gone so you have to enjoy you have to live your life but know that it ain't it's not going to be like this forever in fact that's that's the hardest thing to try to get family to understand you know I still say thank you I'm still very grateful for everything that everybody does for me so when somebody and that's why I keep the people around I keep around they let me know like [ __ ] that's some [ __ ] okay that's not you that that's what I like about Real Black them me that's not my blood they gonna let me know when I'm not being me like I expect when I do some [ __ ] I want you to call me I yell [ __ ] that's some [ __ ] did yeah like I have my guys like that oh and we they can talk to me just like I would talk to them yeah let it go and it feel good when it's when you know that person always got your business yeah and it's okay to say I'm sorry oh it's okay to be wrong ain't nobody play if that's that's key what you said because all of us been in his life Bennett League doing our letting we've had peers teammates ponies whatever you want to call them and we see where they got the yes men around you you date they the ones just oblivious got their head in the clouds think they never wrong think everything they do is the code there's an a perfect and this because all of their partners around them it's just me and they eat when you eat they do what you do they gotta wait for you on everything it's like that's that's the bull you know saying like you say that we see that exist around and like it's always cool for me to hear because I feel like that's how we are that's how we always were weighing of how people around us that was telling us BS or pumping our heads up and that's why I feel like we were able to stay grounded within all of this we never got to the point where we was feeling myself for thinking we was better than anybody else because we in the NBA are we making some money we have very little the people that are around them I don't know I'm trying to play my homeboy in front of no girls or we've seen all of these he's the goat he's the biggest knows money whatever you want to say he's that enlightening when you chill with him and you see how cool how respectful how it matter how you thank people how he how sincere and I'll used everything like and he dragged nobody goes to you know don't you know the part that I don't like about that and is it stuff my social media does it a lot I think you can name whoever throw out a name yeah throw out a name good dude Mike Steph Katie whoever it may be we're all human so we all have bad days right we all have something that goes on like that you can't tell but just because I they don't want to deal with that right man you never know what's going on in my life for your own whoever's like just because that one time like I said man not today they're not an [ __ ] man you don't know what's going on personally that's a part that bothers me like I get it that we're famous that we make money or that we're faces on this billboard and that TV but at the end of day man you got to understand that [ __ ] is human and so do life we do a real life just like mistake you know worst part about it is is our [ __ ] is everywhere yes so if something goes on in our life hell TMZ it is on your website only your TV show coming to a station near you you're gonna know what's going on five miles over the speed it's on TV man usually if your name is if your faith is on that billboard you are and then the part they don't understand is that us being humans we got the things that even with us being on the NMB a on our level it's still things that happen in our lives that you don't know about it could be affecting us as we going through this the world like if we got a family member there's something going on ain't there god forbid anything like that it'd leave our been through and different scenarios like in the world don't know that and we in a crazy bad mood or dealing with it emotionally like are it's hard to do cuz you wanna you wanna this this platform where just said I just said you know 90% of the game is mental yeah I think if something is in your head and like you just like damn I got to think about this thing I got to play through that my mental is already messed up yeah it's hard to do that's that's the part of the game that you know the fans can't see is that man it's a mental grind your body you can get over that like getting the ice get in the ice bag get a massage that's like the Joe Hill mental can be so tired and exhausted when your body just keeps adding on to it like damn Mason Lee now I got to remember what each one of these players do on top of that at the crib is dis and I got to deal with this person in that person players who got wives they have to know how to manage that with with the players and all this stuff going through story you know telling you that part of it a human aspect of the game and of life as a whole this is hard I want to ask you uh man Q you know coming from where we came from we would Jordan's we praise Mike yeah Mike was just everything to us and we had an opportunity to be with Jordan Brand when a lot of players wasn't with Jordan for in and there was like a different day and age and era come from where you come from I know like he's brave but Mike when he was younger oh I don't even remember that Heidi's talking what are you talking to be well you well and just be part of man Jordan family Jordan Brenda the go-to all goats you know I'm saying like how did that feel like it's playing that more explain how you got signed to and explained how hyped he was about I was super high drawn up we couldn't even afford Georgia do that so we just looked at it same thing buzz right and wish like one day one day I'm a happy so whenever I did leave a former brand that I was with [ __ ] you know I had the opportunity to sign on a John man and man as B has been a great experience I've met you know incredible people Mike himself and like he was saying he's just an incredible human being he does it's like a family man it's everybody is in constant contact and you know it's great when we all get to get together over the summer but just to know I used to grew up like man one of these days I just want to a pair a pair of joins so and for you you like wanted to do is to like you know that they they freeze it up for you like him just get the little round meals stuff to come out he get rare like they sent him they gonna throw him some red trolls or some missiles in that like no you don't gotta like you're headed oh yeah yeah go ahead I know you love it honey like how they overload you with your everyday wardrobe get down to be joy you yeah you can either buy something else and then I get to you know lace my people yeah and you know the organization that I'm with like I think that the people behind our organization are so [ __ ] important man and I try to speak and know everybody name whether it be the ticket sales or the PR yes I dr. Pat and all of Harry's I really don't focus you like that I'm gonna say I don't hear but you my god so it's it's crazy because like I'm grateful for those guys like cuz they got a deal with with everybody whether it be media us as players fans so I want them to feel as appreciating and wanted as possible because that's that's what any job is you just want to be or to appreciate it moon make you feel like what is so important you know what I'm saying yeah so I'll try to do that to the better like I love the people behind the scenes of everything that like y'all don't get y'all's name I'm on the billboard or on the banner at the game but on y'all do everything to make sure that we good I just at least a we don't work without it don't work like see like I don't care what's going on none of this stuff don't work if everybody ain't doing they port I couldn't do it I'm telling you they be typing stuff on computers and doing stuff with cameras like man I can't lift this mic up and down to tell you the truth now I'm like that too III could talk to the from the from the custodian to the to the CEO at the type of be cool and make them feel personally with me when we go from lock of the lock of letting the team or the ball guys the little guys is helping I'm I'm gonna have jokes and nicknames falling to make them feel I mean these panels have attention and not just a human what my thing is they're fans of the game huge biggest fan value even with anything when they go horny watching the game let me get home and they'd be getting there early like me coming they should they know this guy you know who you got tonight righty laughs you go left there you hit that double step back oh you tell my James so much like he did they know they know so I'm grateful for us for those people too hey so when you first like I know you know saying that you came in you know saying you got to wait to you guys like some some big money like when you got what was like the first man you got would like tell me that I'm like yeah but I never thought what was the first thing I got oh we're in Vegas like biggest purchase I'd like no house or car and I'm like a big purchase this right away or win-win as the moment I was like damn he was like man when you went for that yeah when it was something like you know what like this ain't an e this is like a one like would like where I was like probably you got your first big man wheels like I could go do some stunts test later on where I was like not never thought I'd be able to spin inside money on something like this to tell truth it we all did I'll probably say it was after after the Olympics you know I've been in the league a while but that that an Olympic summer and winning gold and using that company from the treat yo'self he got the part you got I got that Brenda but I had I had a little bit of money at the time and to tell you the truth coming into the league who is rip-rip was telling me so was playing boo right right yeah but hold on hear me out dog hear me out we're playing blu-ray and so I'm a competitor right so I never wanted to get out and I was good King that was be my hero my ball I don't so rip was like yo let me tell you something young fella you rebels big out to me now your pockets not like everybody else pockets at his table man get out or don't play are you gonna be in debt so I started what you call it and paid attention to it so now I'm going through the league you know I'm paying attention so y'all can't do that I don't have that I can't do that I don't have that there you go we won a gold medal Oh so my financial adviser says I'll give you angle save the amount of money but he says yeah I'll give you X amount of money I don't care how you spend you can give it away if you want yeah but go do what you're gonna do with it so I I got some cars and and some jewelry that lures oh that is funny that everyone read so that was on that was a big purse that was a good thing oh great they're times been it all in one day oh yeah you know it'll take me I got it I got another moment which was which was great too we was in uh was in Paris and I was with you know like I said now I'm fortunate to be able to be friends with dy email and I well in Paris at Fashion Week let alone I never thought that I would be there with those guys in pairs and then actually right I get traded to Minnesota and I got a trade kicker and so my agent picks up phone they just calling me and now we're sitting with playing spades and addy way stand next to me you know or teammates to Chicago at the top my agent calls he text me the whole time but I don't want them to think I was cheating so I'm gonna check out my phone I pick up the phone say yo what's up and my agents like you're finna get traded it's a Minnesota so I'm type D way a yo I'm finna get traded to Minnesota his i man shut the [ __ ] up no you know he's playing cards and the TV's on and you know nowadays it's sort of something big I've been dating is coming up on your vibe so my god I mean I'm trying to tell you we playing spades and you just got traded to Minnesota I just [ __ ] told you that like and so you know I get up talked to my agent because I know you got it you got a trade kicker for X amount of dollars right he's like spin it off you know so I go back to the table you know I'm like yo you know I just got traded but I gotta trade gig my agent said [ __ ] it spending bet dinner on you dinner are you so I was okay cool so we're going to my one of my favorite restaurants the Mark Wahlberg introduced me to LA me Louis and in Paris so we go in there we did that there's some top-shelf stuff that we had we had a night man it was it was it goin you know was the first time being traded so I took it kind of hard I mean yeah but I was fortunate to be there with and they kept you in good spirits and look man I'll toast to it just keep keep doing what you're doing yeah but we had a we had a good night we we drank a lot of wine have some good food to mellow snuck out with the best bottle - I'm never forgiven him for that I still remember stay mellow coming up like I know you start learning about this game and uh who did you see that you start patting your game off you start seeing moves or like man I liked how he played or race in the ground watched him t-mac problem probably gone oh yeah we aware yeah I didn't have to guard team any funny stories what was I I think it was in Atlanta at the time and so um I'm in Chicago I'm a rook and you know like teammate when he was in Houston or Atlanta whatever like he's my favorite player and uh I sub him to the game with Tom like this was at the ribs up by like 20 and t-mac was in the game for Atlanta and coach likes yo you got T Mac I'm like what like even though like there's 50 seconds left in the game and we're about 20 I'm just like damn like [ __ ] that wasn't a teammate had all your posters on my wall straight he telling me this who I get to guard or half the guard but that's who I'm out of my game after in high school yeah I would shoot just like he was shoot for wearing sneakers like he was yeah he had a 30 yeah 30 s wrong with you yeah 30 in his pocket any time he seen ya seen 30 yeah well he's to not saying that you can't guard him but like he was a problem for everybody yeah clue and other people send it this time long Wars I feel like that he had 30 on me and I I block his shot for game for us to win the game yeah you know I'm saying that's as a defender you notice it's about one one positioning a vote they gonna get the ball so much the thing on school day Paul yeah you just got to win a one that count I used to play him how long no cuz cuz you know me I was really ready to give scrap you know we know he was gonna be a war that way it was gonna I was going how I go and do that to how we're gonna make it a war one way or the other if he was way nicer to me I was gonna go to my special move is foul you realize I try intimidate you and see what we was gonna get from it I wanted to just do some just like some fun silly stuff of about 90s and now okay hit me was I I haircuts better in the 90s or better now I must say now I'm gonna say now a lot of nappy exactly and I'm one of them so I gotta say now yo relax cuz like my 14 year he wants to do this was yeah he wants to he want to cut the side this was Ian I call them the what kind of favors would you call it before we're kinda before I call it nappy head boy I gotta go in now but I don't know I like to I like to look yeah you know people getting their hair braided up tight not on the sides no more yeah I'm rockin with it now because I'm in with the now I didn't do the hot tops I didn't now it's kind of like Oh like they still retro and now too so it's kind of all the yellow I feel I mean it all come back around anyways just like clothes do so maybe in a couple years stop what you got the ball guys closed oh that's the play of fashion was it better than you right now no ma'am I want the big eyes no up this I'm not folding with any jeans now right yeah I'll be wearing capris and culottes and all type of stuff not like I think come on man salmon color way when spray fuchsia looking like y'all saying like brother like y'all did being out texting my three this will he hit me with I chased like bro what is you doing sitting on a pitch like crazy rap music in the 90s or now I'm going into 90s with that one yes real rap be oh you have some some people that was just going out saying a names and songs to it one no subtle man was your top five ever my top five albums he asked me go hey ask me my top five albums go first off no John I just got through talking about this a day you can say what you want but you asked me the question Justin Bieber's purpose album is hey I don't give a damn that you look away I'm just saying he said my top five mile fever but B Nobi was that [ __ ] fire long hill okay I'm rolling fire Luke bright you know who Luke Bryan is country artists he got a crash my party tell you what check it out guy want fire I actually like Drake's take care of oh okay I got one more I got one more is it a rap artist cuz I don't think your name yeah it is my father it's my father I Wayne Twain the whole Carter's oh you had a car collision crazy yes I would say the first one of the second one is is my favorite one so I'll put that in you didn't get this out the way y'all dance way B to say that that was in there I just I had to remember 90s or now or you gotta throw in that kind of like the mm wheels real to I say so I was gonna say players jewelry then or now then yeah always it was stupid it's crazy that I say people would come in with like come on doll remember November Keys days with all he had his face piece y'all used to do it you know it was funny because now when you look back at he be like that's just ridiculous and obnoxious but you look back at it was like that's what that's what the times was hey I had a stripper and bro hey I had he sent me we was he I think he changed the game like how the staff basically changed the game was shewn threes like he did it in off the core way with the braids with the jewelry with all that stuff like any I did that we speaking of that like so what you saying like we got a question like who do you think was with the bigger like like had the bigger impact on closer like between AI or LeBron hmm it's a tough one right because it's different but it's still huge on both hands yes it's kind of different that's a man they both do so much man that's why I'm saying both doing deeds in different ways but if the impact is I don't think you can I don't think you can really pick one another it's like the whole Kobe MJ LeBron to be like I don't compare nobody just because like so you can't pick mine no I'm not saying I can't pick one but I don't compare like this person can do that and this person can do that I can give you my opinion but I don't think that you can compare because I'm fortunate enough to be able to see LeBron do what LeBron is able to do and look back and be like damn MJ was a problem and I never had to guard like Kobe Kobe no I'm saying that the COPE like like when we got drafted we 2005 so that year wanted a three-peat so so trust me like playing how you remember the saying I love in basketball when she garden is like the cam like yeah that's how I used to be like that garden at Kobe that was the Kobe where it was like he'll do anything like for real this to Kobe it was windmilling under the rim shoot laughs and three doing anything like literally doing this was the most effortless they're like I never it was crazy bruh so that's why I can't I never compare the three just like I can you I can't pick you know who change the culture in a like man I'm grateful for both I'm grateful for all three if they are as a player yeah and way too and everybody else that I've got a chance to play with play against or watch I guess just like man it's our honor to be able to see these guys do what they do night after night after night against the best against we got to stop this guy you know what we're gonna double-team him damn double-team that work you know triple team [ __ ] that [ __ ] empty the bench everybody go Charter so you get out of hand no I'm saying that she's crazy so I feel like I feel like you a person as a defender you didn't got a chance to play against these guys and they prime and I don't know when I name one will know in your opinion like put him in oil like who you a rather see like who's the easiest - who's our hardest to god I know all of them hard yeah but I wanna know like just if you feel that somebody coming on me trying to score [ __ ] 90 no no he didn't put me over him i'ma show them exactly so you got to do five can't just do like do three let's do let's do LeBron okay KD KD Kawhi they all the same position so knowing like a guard guard yeah let's do James Vaughn hard Harden KD LeBron hard and Katie LeBron it'll probably be respect to all of those guys right 190 on me one KD as I said early on like he's the hardest [ __ ] right especially with the team that he own now Faxon - probably brought three years why-why-why explained that why brian's to over sentence was because with brahman like he's just a [ __ ] sixth alone like two hundred and seventy pounds running the 4-flat like this is a flip right you know step in front of it no and now he in jump shots he passes the ball on time on target and he can set the screen he could come off the screen like everything I mean don't get me wrong change is tough too that's interesting with him him being third in that with the run he alright now basically being not able to be guarded yeah you feel like the people just had the green light like James is really a bit more well they had that mentality live like that but you know I think I think what you call it and the reason I say this is because KDE guards total problem you know I'm saying the same thing I think James can guard I just think that man I get it I mean you you're you're nice to do a right thing yeah he's certain all this energy office and that's how that team that he's on is have opportunity to win games yeah no I mean like defense is a lot of energy that you spend it if I can go down there and be short on all your jump shots like it's it's hard to do so I get it I'm not and everybody got their own style the game and you know the team you're is built around whatever player it may be but that's that's the order that I put them in all great Hall of Fame players oh they're all mmm but that's just just my take my opinion on it how is it to be you know Sam will continue gotten I like it's like you look at a talent like being like that kid is a problem like you know sound like as big as he is being able to play the point and then you got you got you know obviously JJ is one of the best shooters in the league you got big and B who's probably the most dominant big fella we got going right now is just like how do you feel like you look around and you looking around like man I got I got something to really work with like we could be a problem it could be special we can and it looks good on paper but we got to go out there and we got to do it right I think everybody gotta be on the same page and in so many aspects of the game I think everybody has to do a good job of know where they fit in and how to get in and playing a role it's it's crazy to think that you know what you're going to get out of your quote unquote superstars but it's the role players and the roles that they play they're really gonna win you two championship know what I mean right the second that um dream on decides that hey I'm gonna shoot 12 threes per game like Steph it's over not the same team yeah but I think he does a great job and that's why I respect him for does a great job if I'm open but damns right Steph you don't for the game player no mmm you know I mean how many times does he dribbled apart I know total pain he could probably shoot and make a floater drew bland office long you know I mean then he goes and he just guards mmm you know you just say what you will but I do respect that part of his game and going back to your point like we can be really really good we have all the talent in the world we just gotta buy into everything we're doing on both ends of the floor and no that's when we go take it to another level man you know we watch film and we play damn if everybody was on the same page just one-on-ones this particular play on offense or on this particular play on the defensive side if we all knew that he was gonna do that and so we rotated this way or we put our hand like this Howard's put mm-hmm that's crazy that was big to me when I played and something that I need I was doing but I was doing knowing my personnel me being a versatile player happen to know positions from one all the way to the five at the NV garden everybody it was like I knew my whole person there I knew what he was gonna do I knew if I he owned the post and oh he's shooting up on him trying to design the ball he's gonna spend foot a lot yeah like that person there once y'all know each other personnel I know Lee he can do I know how to get him the ball I need JJ to get the power behind a throwing line I'm not playing being in position that he's uncomfortable and putting them in the best position to win that's why I love that was Julian being like I told you that ceiling under the basket both y'all be doing that y'all be hitting each other with them quick solid strong baseball past he's getting it down there trying to get that easy later you got it you know you got to try to play to your strengths and everybody else's and try to cover up everybody's weaknesses at the same time that's part of you know when I say being a good teammate and knowing where the teammate is capable of yeah but with that being said everybody gonna be on the same page no matter what so you got to know all if he's in this spot he is getting this ball or if he's here on a defensive end and if he gets beat or if he's getting posted up I'm going to be there that's the that's the next progression for any great you know I want to win chairmanship team how does it feel to come to two organizations like you went to Minnesota and you with the 76ers and you have this responsibility to have the game on the line mostly all the time yeah you know you call someplace at the end the game for a few players but 75 to 80% of the time their last play at the end of the game's gonna be called for you and you got the responsibility to miss this take this I get all the glory from that side so how did that feel to have two organizations back-to-back like they label you as a game finishes you know that's part of your stats I I love it you know because my teammates my coaches dorgon's they should have that much confidence in me to to take that shot late in the game but also to know that if I'm not open I might pass it to the open guy Mike sometimes in that position you got to see citizens on how I'm feeling I remember hitting you at the rules that you get the gang we know early this right out the way I have y'all wouldn't play Charlie Charlie Kevin look crazy but I got to set out 60 boom right there but like you said it's about the one plane saved it back inbound man but I think I think I work on my game enough to know I think at any certain time I could probably shoot any shot and feel comfortable whenever I let it go that it's gonna go in I'm not saying that they all gonna go in but um I know when I get to my place or my spots on the floor how affected that I can be and I think they all my Foreman sins has done a great job of making me feel comfortable on both ends of the floor but at the end of the game and it's it's on you you know I mean I like that you drive oh I love you good thing I'm gonna take it and you know make her miss I live with that we live with that and I think for the most part were okay with it so that's what so big that you don't beat yourself up about the missus you know you can't some people pretty much listen I like uh at least one yeah but I feel like LeBron kind of got caught up in that early on where he'll feel comfortable now in his career to take them last shots and don't care if he missed hit or miss it he's just confident and taking it but I feel like early on so much pressure was on him that he kind of shied away you know like you say sometimes yeah I pass the ball but sometimes you want your player I want my best player selfish in there yeah yeah Jordan could have passed it to a level for some time I want him to be selfish sometimes in the pet and they're taking that shot and we depending on I mean I look at it I look at it two different ways man to touch with it all just depends depends on how your your plan everybody else's strength and more anything meant if the person you pass it to can handle that you know what I mean pass the ball to a rookie and he misses that shot like think about the Metroid's is mental some yeah so you gotta you got to know that but if it's the right play you kind of gotta do and if he missed it he's kind of like yo this part of the game yeah that right there is the right play that's the right shot yeah if we do it over again I throw it to you for a reason or I threw it to you for a reason or that person threw it to you for a reason that's um but you got to always look out for your teammates that's why a lot of the times I will take the shot because one I know that I can make it into if I miss it we get another opportunity I guarantee I'm getting this it again so little fight another day alright now we definitely appreciate you family Jimmy buckets Philly 76 is in the building

Channel: The Players' Tribune

Views: 585,333

Rating: 4.9046721 out of 5

Keywords: Podcast, Basketball, NBA, Quentin Richardson, Darius Miles, Jimmy Butler, 76ers, Philadelphia 76ers, Clippers, Knuckleheads, Knicks, Pod, Jimmy Buckets, Depaul, Marquette, Roundtable, Conversation, Bulls, Chicago, Chicago Bulls, sports, Discussion, q rich, d miles

Id: EF0FEXI9vQ4

Length: 68min 20sec (4100 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 21 2019