Metta World Peace on injuring Michael Jordan, playing with Kobe Bryant, guarding LeBron | Club 520

without a ball is just a court without your spirit it's only a game so together with the fans we bring our best Hennessy is excited to celebrate the intersection of basketball with art music and fashion each of these elements of culture represent ways that fans players supporters pay homage to the game both on and off the court Hennessy and Mitchell and us have come together for the ultimate drop a limited edition collection to mark their share of love for basketball culture and to celebrate Hennessy's continued partnership with the league the exclusive collection will have a limited drop available for both in reta and online and will be featured on the Hennessey Arena tour making stop in San Francisco Saturday March 9th Dallas Sunday March 17th Atlanta Saturday March 30th come see Club 520 podcast taped live in each City for your next pregame let's share a Twist on the classic the Hennessy Margarita a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a bit of agave syrup top it off with some ice and a Sala Rim mix it shake it poor and enjoy the spirit of the NBA Hennessy without your spirit it's only a game 21 and over only please drink responsibly subscribe to our YouTube Club 520 uh we clowning on that mother just hit the button God don't ask more questions subscribe all right we back another episode of Club 520 podcast I'm the host my name is DJ Wells we got a special guest in the building a legend in the building to my left we going to introduce my man's last but some my far left we got my dog Bishop B H out the Pees how you what nasty how you what nasty I'm good today baby oh you got the Hat yeah let's go let's go you seen a lot of things shout out to Melly hey shout out to Melly shout out to JDM got it in the mall Mike shout out to the merch gang G to my right my dog young not young T how you up man I'm good man hype man we got another legend in the building oh man he was with your Pacers yes sir he I got chance to play for the Pacers I ain't do what he did but I got a chance to be on the team but now I'm glad we got him in the building man I'm going let you do the honors to introduce him listen man anytime we can get a legend in the building especially a pac's legend building you know what it is we gigged about this you've seen this man Champion philanthropist one of the first people to speak about how important it is for black men to go to therapy to have a release for their mental health and to use his platform for other people to feel that type of relief that they needed got the dog met World Peace man appreciate SL 520 big dog thanks for having me man yeah thanks for that's probably that c yeah what that hat say how you was nasty that's fly that's my first time hearing that no that's snaptown lingo that's good you didn't hear it you probably been some place you didn't want to hear that at but obviously man you a Pacers Legend being in the city before we even ask like how was it being in the city when the Pacers was like lit like y'all was it how was that feeling in the city cuz you always got a lot of love especially for the way you played like a lot of people don't understand how we embrace our players here like if you come to nap and you hoop we rocking with you forever I love nap you so the history with nap is is interesting because I grew up a Nick fan I actually grew up a bulls fan you know Michael Jordan is like LeBron James so we I'm from New York but hopped on the Bulls bandwagon but definitely a Nick guy I love New York but the crazy thing about the PAC is I have my hood and queens we tied to the Pacers sea green play for the Pacers Vern Fleming ver FL I walk you know right the same block ver fman you know that's where he he's from the hood and we seen the pce his uniform since we was young then I get to the paces and then ver flin is my coach oh yeah so it was just crazy being able somebody I idolized is now passing the rock while we getting shots up now he never I never really seen him because he was older but every day I just would think about damn Vern Fleming is passing me the ball and practice and he's sitting right here you know right here next to me on on the bench so you know the paces is super special to us you know a lot of people don't really understand but the pce is super special and then when I came here my whole family came here then obviously I left and they just parked you know we got about 30 family members here right now when I left it was maybe 10 but we popping babies out you know the artist you know name and the the homes my other you know my mom's last name you know we got a couple last names but the bloodline is like we love naptown we love Indiana you know and we always will the Lage and that is crazy hold on though hold on can we get a classic Vern story Vern our guy yeah that's good to hear that's good to hear like that's what I got you know what I'm saying you got a classic story that you can share with us that ain't too fed yeah man I well I got the stories I I'm 44 I came here I was 2022 yeah so Verns niece is has a baby with my cousin so that's one that's one story keev it in the family yeah and his brother was nice I don't know his Vic his brother yeah nice for real super nice and then I played in um you know um local ball with L gon who coached ver Fleming okay also so it's like a lot of differ I don't have any other stories because um you know like when he went to the league a lot of people still you know was still in the hood that he played with but they were so so much older than us ah so those stories over ahead he was he was like a kind of a good guy not getting in any trouble so was it wasn't a lot of stories out there you didn't ver go play ball you never heard any crazy stories yeah yeah that's far we got to take it back though we just had a little off M conversation about the a days you was part of one of the best Au teams ever truth some say it's the best ever that's crazy it's Up For Debate though I for sure for sure it's Up For Debate that's 100% but to hear people say it yeah it's it's wild because um we we felt like that you know and but people started to say it other even like the younger generation I'm like how how do they even find out but the team was sick you know you had you had me and Eric Barkley picking up full court we picking up 94 feet you know then you had Lamar Odum who was 611 point guard e at that time you know in high school Elton BR who was always the best Lamar was always number two and then me Eric was always like tied for three and then we had a couple people that was not far behind Jessie came off the bench yeah Reggie Jessie my God that's crazy that's the same John's legend for sure that's incredible man regie Jessie was a sleeper and I I felt bad for him because he playing on our team and we all team ball players so nobody nobody had 20 nobody had 30 yeah Elton averaged 14 I averaged 12.8 you know so it was all about hustle and Reggie you know he's a team player Lamar you see Lamar yeah team player you know I was the man on my team's here but when I went to the Lakers I had to play a role I can play a ro easy that's easy you know you know four five shots be effective that's how we played it wasn't about how many shots you miss it was about just trying to win so I was never worried about field goal percentage and that's how we all that's how we all were and we respected Elton as the best player on the team you know and then guys like Reggie you know he wouldn't play as much so he he could have went somewhere else yeah but but nobody was thinking about oh if I play on this team I'm not gonna get scouted we was thinking about winning now you know and so it was like he he sacrificed a lot did y' ever go up against Tim Thomas Squad we Tim was a year older than us okay we were younger Tim gave us 40 one time for sure was he really like that in high school oh my goodness I mean he was nice in the league pretty solid in the league too play the busy he was nice played the same way played the same way played the same way yeah yeah he get but he was older than us but when he gave us 40 it was a a tournament called Portchester okay so Portchester it was New York at his finest there was no fouls it was a high school tournament with no fouls that's crazy so yeah the only tournament like this no tourn only tournament like this so you can literally you know you on a fast break they they coming at your head this is everybody it wasn't just me this was like the league and you know and then so in that tournament he had 40 in a small gym that's when I knew he was the truth he was playing the above Rim tournament it was ref it was it was it was one of my favorite a lot of people don't know about porchester it was one of my favor I would I wouldn't have played that sound like football that started the Ron aresia you was go 94t and not cut no foul call you was in there going crazy that's slambo yeah but yeah exactly it really was it was high school too because the streets of New York was like tough playing the streets but this it was like an organized tournament and you wouldn't expect you wouldn't expect it yeah to be that aggressive but Tim had he I remember one game he had 10 threes I remember the game and Tim was Tim was the truth for sure I had to ask about it man we can move on but I had ask I mean speaking about like high schooling around that time is there anybody like New York is a basketball state is there anybody we like wouldn't know that was like super nice like you said El those guys is there anybody out from New York that was so many guys so so many guys and when I came into the league I will always shout out the guys that nobody heard about cuz I felt like I was obligated yeah you know it was a guy named Mike caffi from my neighborhood Mike caffi I was 13 he beat me 32 to2 you know he was tough he he later died um on 2010 on I had a my a name his name inscribed to my head said chatty he he died in a drug deal but you know it was players like that yeah that you know they didn't have the support you know they didn't have the father figures and stuff so they you know they they go other routes but he stands out and other some players just couldn't make it some players didn't have the street side but they didn't have the guidance you get a guy like Ali you probably heard of Ali Hell Black rest in PE play ever about elitec guy bro legit legit I played against alib plenty of time 6'8 you know throwing behind the back passes full Caught On Target on time at 68 like he he was he was incredible even though he was in the street playing street ball I actually brought him Indiana cuz he was going through a lot he was trying to train so I'm like Ali Mo if you want to play in the league you got to work hard so I brought him out to Indiana he was in the Pacers gym we working working them out oh yeah yeah I worked out Ali actually chatty was in the P we was all out here one year everybody working just working on our game you know when we had access to the gym but it was a lot of players you know that that I thought was nice for sure dang Ali Mo could have been a Pacer Larry we could have had B off the as a backup one we' have been lit him and Jamal we had noard he had cardio at that time but that's a testament to him cuz uh a guy here from we all know Andre ow said the same thing about you man he said he used to have runs out on T and post and you used to come up there and hoop with him and he was like man you can play and you called Larry and him up there to watch him work out and he got he made the Pacers team because of that that was it was random because I respect Andre's work ethic even though he get all the foul calls yeah listen to this day to this day to this day he he he's still some calls you can't you're not going to win a battle with Andre you ain't winning no battle man I be like man your boy then he gonna get mad he gonna poke his chest out I ain't getting all no foul your ball but Andre is my guy but he that he's tough you know he was solid and you know I wanted to rock with him honestly I felt like he's a dog and um I I forgot that he was actually on that team but I feel like he was a dog no yeah he said that man shout out to you definitely man sh definitely I was uh man I love playing with dogs man I'm not going to lie it's every practice that we was in Indiana practices was it was intense man and that's the craziest part is like obviously when you came to Indie and then the team they formed like one time was like the Pacers might win a championship like we were I felt in our heart of hearts we had a contended team I don't get to say that often you know what I'm saying years of heartbreak I get it but that time period especially I was like oh we have everything we need to win this the ship I feel like we was the best team in the league yeah that's the best pers team ever yeah for sure hold on hold on yeah and no disrespect to the teams that went in the fs with J roll Mark Jackson cuz he here it was different bro different we believed it them pin stripes bro I mean a little flow but them pin strip drivers bro they was different like they knew what time it was with us y had a bunch of two-way players yeah everybody was everybody was two-way yeah you know everybody was two-way Jermaine could have won Defensive Player of the Year you know I he should have won MVP you know and I don't you know kg that's my dude it's not to you know slight him but it's to give Jermaine his flowers sure you know because people forget that Jermaine once he actually finished third I thought he should have been MVP because he was the best on that team we won 61 games that was nice we was five seven games ahead of everybody else so what does that mean you know so I feel like Jamaine was getting slighted in so many he's so professional you know he's I I brought him down a little bit when I left you know when I requested trades you know he don't get the MVP and he's still resilient and still fly like he was 22 years old you know but we definitely had a lot of two-way players yeah now I gotta ask you you talk about this a little bit but we'd love to hear it again if possible your legendary pickup game with MJ man how was that playing ball with the goat incredible it was incredible cuz so I'm from I'm from uh you know from New York so I pick up basketball is what we just take it serious so that's all I know you know is to is to work hard so MJ I idolized MJ you know ter I got defensive player of the year and his number that's his number that's 23 that ain't nothing but MJ man so sir um and then when I was 19 we had these um open runs and you know how we play open runs you know some Andre Owens he would loved these runs um MJ when he the problem with MJ is when he get the ball he gonna score so that's where you mess up by letting him catch it so every time he would catch it he was scoring some my head I'm just like I can't let this dude touch the ball so he was posting me up one time and I was trying to deny and they had referees in in open runs so as I was trying to deny him you know um as I was denying him I I just moved his arm out the way you know and then as I moved his arm I hit him with my my right elbow and it hit him in his ribs um and then you know his ribs cracked his ribs and then um so I seen him go like this but I didn't think nothing of it so I seen him holding it so we go down we miss a shot MJ give me the ball MJ get the ball he hold it come down free throw line game winner and walk off the court I'm like damn MJ nice and then the next day I get I seen the media said met World piece punched MJ damn you know it said R out chest punched MJ and broke his ribs so now I'm sick I'm in I can't leave the house I'm not going to practices it's summertime yeah but we still training so my agent called me like my agent called me he like where you at I said read read the paper I'm s I'm I'm depressed this is my guy and um then MJ called me and MJ I was really depressed he said hey it's all right man it's all right young fell just on the phone it's all right Young fella it happens you're going to be good I know you didn't mean I said MJ man my bad man I was just playing hard but those runs it was intense I could believe yeah it was intense we I we was going hard and MJ actually asked me to come back you know he was like Hey I want you to come back and I was young and he I was like he was like yeah CU you giving me that work but I was I was in my Prime and at 19 i i my defense was crazy the whole time my offense wasn't there so it wasn't highlighted but my defense was like you know it was definitely a lead at 19 oh yeah young you was full of energy wasn't tired don't get tired when did that offense click though because you became hey you started killing yeah when that click for you like all right I know I can guard everybody I'm locking everybody up but I Get Buckets too but you know like so when I was young I wasn't able to score at some point in time in high school I was scoring a rock I was hitting threes all this stuff I got to college you know for me I want to win so if we losing the game I'm just I'm in Hustle mode I'm not thinking about offense I'm thinking about running I'm thinking about closing out and so I don't have no legs for offense so you know a lot of times in college I'll have 11 points eight points you know maybe 15 points for me that's that's that's a great night for me yeah when I got to the league I was at averaging 11 averaging 12 and then we were losing we losing so I said I had to work on my game because I can't I can't keep leaving this the chance so every year I kept improving just in the gym you know four times a day in the gym almost you know five to seven hours every day working on my game and that just Ping On I just kept getting better and then when I got defensive player of the year um I was averaging 18 that next summer I was in the gym every day so then Larry Bird was coming down to the gym and then Larry was working at me every day I said I'm not about to miss out on this opportunity I'm in the gym every day I didn't leave Indiana you know and then I just I was getting better every week every two weeks game was getting crazy and I came back I was averaging 20 plus yeah you know I was like before I got suspend I was at 24 I was at 24 game and what happened was back then you know guys could hold you so I had to figure out how to score one dribble so you you'll see a lot in that in that year you'll see jab one dribble shot one dribble right shot you know okay you know or one dribble layup one dribble layup one dribble layup and I had to you know figure out a way to get people off me and get to the basket and then Carl kept saying you know stop holding the ball you holding the ball too long yeah so I'm like what you mean I'm holding this you know what you be so I said all right if he's saying I'm holding the ball too long I'mma get Buckets before he can say you the Ballo you know so when I get the ball eventually he just one day he was in practice he said no you finessed that you finessed that one day he's in practice he was like Ron you're a unique squirr you have the unique ability to to to drive middle and shoot so that's okay so he solidified he solidified in the practice one time but it was just work man it was work you was the real two-way player bro I used to be like how the is he averaging 24 points and still playing the whole game on the defensive end what the is he taking with just I just where did that come from is that always how you've been though like high energy I mean like able to play like that but what's crazy was I had um I had a heart M when I was 13 cuz I was playing all day one day had to go to the hospital because I was playing from 7: a.m. to 7:00 p.m. right so then had to go to the hospital was I caught pneumonia but then I caught a a issue in my valve in my in my lungs M so I get drafted they missed the whole thing before I'm sign my contract Donnie wall say hey you got blood leaking in your lungs said what you mean I go to the doctor they say we got to open you up what so they had they was gonna open my chest up and I'm like get I'm like get this I'm like get it over with so my my my agent mark botstein he he's like he's like I'm not letting him open up your chest I said well let's just get it over a year and a half I'm like we'll just do it whatever then they said now we gonna go we gonna go through your underarm it be it's gonna be you be it be about eight months so all right cool get it over with and then Mark said nah I'm not I'm not letting it go down so then Mark was researching they went through a artery in my thigh and they plugged up the hole in my heart so this whole time I'm working extra hard I'm like damn why am I always tired in the in the first quarter you know I'm like I'm always tired mean meanwhile I'm I'm playing defense exhausted oh every time okay man when they did the surgery the doctor said it took 40 minutes I went I went from being out a year and a half to a 40 minute surgery the doctor said don't play basketball I was in Chicago I went to Chicago surgery over he said don't do anything for a week I drive right back to to the gym to pce I go right to work right my heart start pumping out my chest so I I called a trainer no trainers I called my doctor I said yo doc my my heart like something happening pumping out my chest he said what are you doing I said I'm working out he said did I tell you didn't I tell you no workout so I took off about you know I took off like two weeks and then um I came back that next year my L it was crazy had so much energy bro yeah the blood I was playing with blood in my lungs I I had this one coughed up some blood it was natural and then you know since then I was just like the game became easier for me it was crazy that's crazy you had to fight yourself just against them and now what of them near died you got off the say all right I'm back to play pickup next week he said I would have been like going through every St like but shout out to you though yo asan a great agent is a great agent but like a lot of guys they agent would have did all that they would have took those steps to do that obviously he cared even though I wasn't with him for a long time because I had other things I was going through I should have never I should have never parted way Mark yeah but I want to give him credit because without him I my I would they would open me up yeah for sure Y and like you said there's a lot of a lot of agents that would have just took that first opinion yeah and alter life that could have altered your whole career especially that time period they a little bit more lenient with players now developing being not hurt yeah a year back then was really like two and a half that could have set your career all the way back yeah I was I was I was I was devastated cuz you know um I played so hard and it was just it was just so many things going through my mind you know and um and and Mark was like n I'm we gonna find something else he he found somebody from overseas that lived in Chicago to do this special surgery incredible that's crazy crazy that's dope man as a Louisville fan it was so hard trying to get tickets to the Louisville Kentucky game I know it happens every year but it's so hard to get tickets it should not be that hard to get a ticket to support your team and be a true fan and with game time that problem is no longer an issue hey you shouldn't have to worry about buying tickets to your next big event game time is the fastest easy way to get your tickets to the next big event and the price is guaranteed so go ahead and take the guest word out of buying tickets with game time so download the game time at make account use promo code Club 520 and get 20 $ off sign up and while you at it go ahead and use the promo code Club 520 for $20 off your first purchase on the app don't forget use Club 520 for the promo code you get that $20 off download game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed who and would you say young players now I know you still follow L who are the young players you say remind you of you or that you favorite a lot yeah you know and I always I always answer this question with um I kind of reverse it who who would I want to be like that's dope because like my career it would have been different if I I was I was unstable I was just playing off the talent I had the hard work I still got a lot of awards but who would I want to be like kawhai LED one I could definitely you know what I'm saying I would love to have been like him or and now I'm looking at this Maxi kid tyres oh my goodness he's both ways huh nice oh he is so nice I like his game but kawh in it's somebody I felt like that would have been my career I can definitely see that that's like a if it was a little more stable if he was if he was your height he' be the best player in the League Kaw tyres tyres my no he not Tyrese only 6'2 bro no way yeah yeah Maxi from Philly he like my tap in yeah he like be a little guy make it even crazier now was your size and the fact that you compare your to him is incredible bro but yeah he ain't he ain't bro I thought he was 67 62 Le somebody kept telling me I got to watch this kid cuz I watch a little bit I don't watch a lot of basketball I watch a little bit you know um I watch more boxing honestly I love boxing and somebody like you gotta watch this kid you gotta watch this kid and they've been telling me for years then when I watched I'm like damn he's nice I thought he was 67 no he that's crazy that you thought he was that t man 6'2 like 6 all right well we going I'm you know that's not told Kawai I got to find another play definitely for sure that was that's crazy tyus Max and Kyrie IR if they was both 65 the world would be in trouble yeah they' be different man I got ask you about this obviously play for a couple different teams what was your favorite City to play in my favorite city um outside of n outside of n it's a lot of different variable I played in la la was crazy MH um I would say Chicago was was pretty insane cuz MJ was de you know and they was they was behind us too man they was behind us um but I gotta say la la you know La um the energy in the end it was crazy because when you came into that building the fans knew somebody was getting locked up it was a different it was a different energy like y'all good tonight you know Y how y'all feel tonight don't worry too much it was a for energy so nap is always going to be in there but you said but I would say la because you playing with Kobe and you playing for championships I almost didn't even go to Lakers I was actually trying to come back to naptown actually really 100% I was trying to come back to Indiana that was my first choice but it just the history it was too much too much history yeah dude you know can can I be trusted can I be relied on you know I wasn't a reliable player so put me in a bad spot yeah see my favorite version of you as your career went I love when you was in Houston boy came with the Mohawk sir you was getting buckets that's when I was like damn he he really get Buckets was you still rapping I was still rapping I was I did four albums my last year that nobody heard I put on itun I did four albums my last season look at the SoundCloud we got find it no but I took it off I took it off it wasn't like it wasn't it was just quick songs knock him out another 16 but you know that was just like fun um it was fun I'm from a Queens like Nas is right there m deep right here huh my favorite Rapp n yeah they give me problems about liking n they say I gotta grow up you all right we we we jump all over the place on all excuse us yeah in the building who would you who's in your not you don't have to rank or nothing but who's your favorite three rappers from n y favorite three rappers I would say um Nas Big L R um pun oh I love pun too he have baross and that's you know it could change but you know pun is incredible yeah obviously Jay-Z is incredible um you know but yes what was you warming up to in them games man to him yeah I was doing that a little like a having a picture of his on his home screen I was you had oh that's nasty hey I ain't going to hold you hey you had one of the hardest songs on 2K when you loaded up 2K that moment of s for the champion that was that yeah that that that was that was my most successful record the other ones was Duds but um it was it was Eminem a little bit it was mob deep out the gate um it was it was Mary J BL a lot SWV So I was R&B I love R&B but at some in Indiana I had to stop listening to M de Eminem before games because turn yeah man I'm too turn I'm listening to Eminem some shady bring de like Jim Bray like yeah let's go like crazy I'm saying I had to tell my I coach High School had to tell my kids they couldn't listen to NBA young boy cuz they be too hype we listen to sh before the game I said y got to calm down that's all y saying can't the sh before bro they be too hype they be too hype I had to stop listening to rap I stopped listening to rap before game 2005 no more it's over yeah it's too much I started listening to um yeah just other type of music um R&B or like jazz or something I was listening to some jazz like when I got later in my career SM down sure no but how was it once you got to La man how was that like did Kobe make a phone call like hey my boy I need you slide or it was it was crazy because um so I was in Houston and I ain't gonna talk about things that was promised on here you know that be going I don't want to talk about it but um I had a great season so actually in Houston I wanted to stay in Houston I came I came out I thought I was gonna play t-m I was playing two minutes a g five minutes a game eight minutes some so I said damn contract yeah I'm sick I'm in my Prime 28 I'm sick I'm like I'm like all right all right my career is pretty much over all right I'm G deal with it cheer cheering on the bench you know um I thought I should a chain bad was playing T-Mac T-Mac get hurt then I start playing my average go from what at 5 to 17 you know being one of now the feature the team so we we get to the playoffs um we take the team out the first round for the first time in 12 years since AE was there you know next to Brandon Roy nice B Roy one of my favorite players of all time yo B Roy was you got a classic interview talking about him too he nice said no flaws in this game nice he was that nice Roy was nice can I ask you a question way nice so me and Jamal Crawford one of my my good guys good dude me and him used to battle about him and Joe Johnson who was better Joe yeah out of B Roy and Joe yeah be right is not even close uh no I love Joe easy it's not that easy I'm just saying like as I mean he guard both of them and I got to respect it because you are who you are yeah no Roy was tougher than you know he had that that that knee surgery he gave me 40 nobody gave me 40 you know he the 40 was in my face damn you know what I'm saying and I was like I was I was baffled I'm like here I am in my Prime you know I'm in his ass and all that and he just go right go right fade like this devil is [Laughter] crazy nice that was crazy well yeah pause but rewind d R but that was it had the first ride the second one was crazy yo I gotta get yo I got to get on my P and q's you was like and I was in his ass I was like it's so much other ho we can talk about but that one is crazy I just CAU on that was crazy man hey D dashh cam I apologize no no no but I can I can respect that cuz you definitely guarded all the best players in the league so your word goes a long way he was nice I got him up out of there early we put him out you know in the in the um we played them in the first round got them up out of there in first you we we was a six seed they was a three so we got them up out of there and then the next year I mean the next round I was averaging 25 I was playing really well so I thought I was going to go back to Houston and then um I said all right since I'm not going back to Houston because they didn't offer we don't want to get into that um then I I want to come back to naptown yeah I never thought about going the Lakers just beat us so I'm I'm super competitive um you know King j i I would have went to Cleveland but I'm super competitive I want to play against all these dudes so I a't go to Cleveland because because of that not because I love I love King James and then um when Indiana turned me down then I called Detroit I was I want to go to Detroit cuz I want I'm all about the story I'm like Dam that should have be dope if I can win a title here all right cool I can win a title in Indiana that should have be dope if I can win the title in Detroit but then Detroit was like you know n too much has happened I was I would love to hear how that phone call went well I I told my agent and my agent was like they was like nah we don't I was a lot of history yeah a lot of history there too soon baby I'm I want to get into I like to go into the fire I like to go into the lion's den you know I I love being in the mouth of the Lion you know so when when when that didn't um when that didn't happen I I didn't even want to go to the league I I tried to go to Greece I'm like nobody I want to play with real talk my my agent was David Balman so I said Dave I'm not gonna go to you know Indiana or the Knicks was like the Knicks wasn't an option because then Donnie Walsh was with the Knicks okay he was my GM hit I tried to go to the Knicks but that was like it was just too much history there mhm so I said all right cool want to go to Greece cuz I always want to go to Europe and just ball out in my Prime but then I get a call from the Lakers you know uh midnight and my my agent say yo the Lakers they they want to talk to you and I was like for what they just beat us man what they want talk about they want you to join their team I called my family met with Dr bust the next morning and that was it Champion that was it I've been watching winning time man and just to see how he ran the organization so I can imagine how like you said it was such a smooth transaction you went from I going nowhere to Dr bus call us up he was that good like he was that good do he's a hands off you know a lot of hands off owner and you know he's never you you can't go to Dr bus and say oh I'm upset because I ain't playing you g say you gotta talk to the coach well you could talk to him so you feel like you're part of the organization you feel like you really you're in tune with the owner he's incredible he's incredible RP Dr bus absolutely but that that Championship run y had like y'all had that Series against the Celtics is still one of the best NBA Finals ever man yeah it was wild how was it like playing like like you say you playing with Co in that environment in the trenches how was that feeling like was that probably what your favorite like basketball series you ever played and one of the best of them well me personally when I was in Houston I was I was in my Prime in Houston but when I got to the Lakers the next year yeah I was still you can't get worse in your Prime in four months yeah so I was still I was really but you know you playing with Kobe so I had to change my whole mindset I actually asked for a trade that year because I just couldn't get off and then I met with Dr bus he was like Hey we're just trying to win and I had say Okay role player role player time role player time role player time that was a tough adjustment yeah so that was that was so I when I got to the point where I accepted the role I started to excel in a role you know it's hard being a volume shooter then going down to five shots maybe eight missing shots you 0 for four one game I feel like 0 for 20 20 for fact feel like too don't miss the open ones oh my goodness you know so then I had to get comfortable with being a ro player and almost being a bad player you know and you know so you know from that perspective you know it was it was a hell of a run um you know Co Kobe was incredible and what was the first part of the question my bad I was a I was kind of ran no no you're good I was just saying like that environment like how was it cuz like we all watched that as fans like still like that was one of the best series ever n it was crazy so playing as the Celtics me and Paul got history from Indiana Pacers so when we was you know with the Lakers Pacers um I mean sorry with the Lakers and Celtics um it was it was tough it was like a mirror it was two very identical teams yep you know um we win game one they come back and win you know we go to their place get the first win it's back it's back uh 2-1 our favor we had home court they won the next two in game five Kobe scored 25 straight points and I'm just in awe no we we in the finals and I'm just like for about four five possessions I'm just like y this dude is incredible in my head I'm I'm I'm not even focused on the game I'm just like I'm like this is incredible this dude got all our points I'm trying to win a title and he's doing it without our help he's playing defense but he's pretty much doing it all himself we lose the game um and then we was down 3-2 and then Phil Jackson came to me and was like I need you to get Buckets he said I need you to score and I was like really and I did not expect to hear that my mindset was just work then I I came out I had four points in the prior game four then two then in game six I get 18 then game 20 I mean game seven I get 20 you know so I was like he can he gave me that extra confidence you know to put the ball in the basket I'm like yeah you I've been waiting for for you to tell me yeah but it was it incredible run you really kept your jersey on that whole day oh my goodness it was crazy I won my first title I was involved it was it was a different feeling because I'm like oh my goodness I had a big game yeah you know it's like you know so everything was complete you know I had a great individual career I got a defensive player of the year I was trying to get MVP that didn't happen now I got my TI I've been an Allstar once so I'm happy I'm content you know and then I'm like damn I just didn't I I kept my I kept my finger tape on I didn't want to take nothing off D I kept my I went out we we party it too I went out everywhere I was I went to like seven different clubs I ended up in the studio with Dre performing Champion recording Champions part two blowing it down that that was the end of my night it was wild then I gave Chris Brown my jersey cuz I was just so excited and then I was super excited and Chris Brown was he was there he was like yo let me get that Jersey and I was like damn you really want my jersey yeah hell yeah you can have it you wish you had that back now no well I was like just don't lose it you know what I mean just don't lose it like this is important to me I signed it and to this day I'm somebody went to his house and he got he still got the Jersey oh well that's dope I respect that that's dope yeah man I was I was just so Happ that you know that Jersey it meant something to me and for for somebody like him in his prime to ask for it I'm like hell yeah Paul Pierce up there in like one of your top matchups though he in your top five so far as opponents yeah Paul Paul yeah Paul weathered the stone because I he could have fold he could have fold the the the amount of pressure I was putting on him yeah every minute every game he could he never F he never folded you know um he had great games against me and I had great defensive games against him and offensive games also so he's definitely one of my toughest opponents yeah Paul Pierce can hoop he's tough he he's clutch you had one of my favorite players under 10 points before too I was a little upset which one Melo man carelo I love Melo Melo melo's tough yeah Melo I I love Melo was I had to give 100% against Melo I couldn't take a I couldn't take a breather so M if you go out to the club against me like you you asking to not score you can go out yeah so I don't know what he was doing on some of those nights you know was outside wait what team was you on when you was when you Pacers man he on the Pacers when this happened but one time you know um Melo I thought that obviously he's a great player I thought he could have worked a little harder to get in shape he did at the end of his career if you notice at the end of his career he was a he was hustling I thought if he would have put that to in the beginning of his career he would have been a different player but he was just scoring the ball so easy which you know it made it easier for me you know um a guy like LeBron I wasn't ready for that he's in shape you know what I mean yeah he's in shape could play so if he was out of shape a little bit you know it was gonna be hard and that's crazy because one of the first one of his first games in the league was get the Pacers how was that like the first time you got to see like play against him in person he he gave me 25 I remember the day clearly 25 was a lot 25 in my Prime that was like 3840 and when he did that I was like this kid is nobody was scoring 25 you know what I mean I was like Wow to go in a game and telling somebody that average 25 that they not getting 25 you really g n he was like that bro he was like that bro as we know yeah he's one of the people like even we start to see it now with Steph like he's getting a celebration now was like we going we going to really miss Bri like we we we put so much pressure on him and he overcame all that stuff but it's just like y' don't know like he came into the league and has dominated every since we' not seen somebody step into the league and dominate all the way through all the way through who was an underrated who was an underrated player that probably ASA spoke on and people know that gave you buckets that you secretly like true there like that's true it's true it's people that can you know can say I I I scor on you a lot too but they wasn't Superstars yeah you know I would say um some people out of my position like a guy like Jamal Crawford not really in my position I'm 260 you know he's you know but I did have to guard him sometime you know how was that that was tough that was tough because he going this way that's my 260 shifting this way his his 190 is Shifting the other way that's not easy I got to shift he got the ball the string too yeah that was with a jumper yeah facts so he he he was always tough um you know Rip Hamilton but even even low level guys like um it's guys like Vashon Len I don't know if you remember stupid clip we tapped in you know what I mean like guys like that yeah nice little bump fade he was nice okay he could definitely shoot that thing for sure Glen Robinson big dog big dog was nice come on bro yeah definitely not he Indiana B dog was nice but I got a story we was playing against you you was on the Knicks you a little older at this time and uh I remember I got the ball on the isolation I had you in the is situation and I wave somebody off you said what the I say anything you was older but I went bu you lady there said I was like when you was with when I was with the Nick you was with the Nicks oh I was in Atlanta and you subed in you was a little older said watch out I was like I Kyle was on the wing he came and cut and I was like watch this what the I was like I got nervous for a second and I went by and I kind of did a little layup and then he start he kind of like started laughing I was like no cuz you know I was still competing yeah I I I didn't have it like I ended my career I was with the with the Lakers playing against the Spurs I had manisa surgery right yeah so I was supposed to be out six weeks I came back in five days right so I go back in five days off manisa surgery because it was our last season Steve Nash was there Dwight Howard was there Kobe just got hurt and pal so I knew it was over and and we we we just limped into the playoffs and I was like this gonna be this is for sure the last time this group gonna be together so I I'm trying to play we're gonna try to win it my mind said is always winning it now it wasn't going to happen Spurs swept us but I wish I would have never did that that's that that pretty much ended my career so when I got to New York you know it was um it was it was an honor I was so happy to be in New York so my mind we GNA try to win it you know I'm talking myself into like I'm locking people up but I don't that's what that's what you heard you heard somebody that was trying to into it the but I didn't have it it was kind of I was like watch out I was like Dam I'm tripping he about he about to either foul me or he about to block the out this shot go back to the league with no fouls yeah he started laughing though that's what made it cool I remember I remember I was playing against Jeremy Grant um his two brothers right two of themy from Philly he was in Philly that's yeah I went up for a layup he PCH I was end of my career he just punch it I'm like d my is over that was that moment I remember laughing like yo I can't do I'm trying I got the rebound I'm right here all I got to do is Lay It Up yeah he jump B get that out of here I'm like damn I over but that's a real realization like you said like especially for athletes like y'all been hooping your whole life that's your job so then when you get to that point you kind of like all right I gotta start thinking about what's next I got start thinking about what's next like even for you you was just like all right I ain't about to be no V on the bench I got to figure out what's next yeah for sure how is that like like M like you said like as far as talking about your mental health and stuff like that people don't understand like and I've learned being around him a lot more and talking to other people is like as a athlete that is your job but those jobs typically retire at 30 what do you do next and a lot of people have a hard time even getting to that question it's true it's true it was tough for me too I remember you know my my last game in stapon I had 18 in the second half I wasn't playing all season but I would play one-on-one against Jamal Brandon I was just trying to stay ready right so I wasn't I was mentoring I was working them out I was training Julius so I was working them out but when when we was playing I was I was competing so I'm like yo yo Brandon let's get this one1 DLo let's get get this one onone Julius let's get this one onone so I was trying to stay ready you know so then my last game in Staple Center I'm playing a lot I knew I knew I was done I kind of figured that this is gonna be my last year I scored zero in the first half I get 18 in the second half so now we in Golden State so I'm like I just had 18 in the second half and I felt I was real I was still good I was still all right so I'm like I'm G get I'm gonna get 15 a night for sure so then Coach don't play me you know it's my last game hey yeah that's crazy this is my last game I'm like I played like maybe 10 minutes I'm like no way so I I walk off the court i i a say nothing to like you know the players Steph Andre I was just heing so I walk off the court know stay silent but I'm going just replaying my career in my head yeah you know I'm grateful I'm reminiscing I'm I'm like what have should have it was like so much we're playing did have a great time on a plane ride home though that was my last plane ride so we got Twisted 45 minutes baby we got Twisted in 45 minutes me and Nick Young so the rookies like me and my gu swaggy right so you know they they gave me one of the greatest you know plane rides home you know what I mean because I was just like you know all the rookies is there they've been really cool I I wake up the next day and I'm just super depressed I'm like damn what I'm going to do I know this is over right and then the next day I apply for school man I apply for a school at UCLA I was just replaying everything in my head and I like to make decisions quick I don't be I don't like to have time to waste so I was like all right I replayed everything all right we we we out here you know and and that was tough even though what what I'm doing to this day seven years eight years later you know went back to school for digital analytics business analytics coding all the stuff that where at with where Sports could affect the outcome of success you know but it was about four years you know where I was like damn this is tough like I'm really not do I'm not playing defense you know I master defense but how how am I going to master some else when so many people tell you you can't yeah you know but I believe that if you put your mind as an athlete if you put your mind in something you know you don't have to be in the Box yeah you know just because you're not balling you know walking like a ball player you might not be walking like a ball player anymore but you got something else you bring to the table y you know you you you're good because you're passion you could put you could have put your passion anywhere absolutely you know what I mean so when I said okay I'mma um downsize my life you know I'm not gonna I don't want to be in the lmel I'mma be content I'm a strictly so that that was that was my personal Journey you know and um everybody got different Journey some people commentating some people coaching but that those options not available for everybody absolutely not you know it's not it's not available for everybody so I didn't want to leave that the chance so I Was An Architect major coming out of college which you people don't know but damn you know so my first major was was architecture I I had letters from Princeton but I was also going through a lot you know what I mean so I was like my whole my mind was clouded but I when I when I I said damn I Was An Architect man I said I could do anything I want to do and when I told nobody that's I said I'm g go back to school I'm G be comfortable so I went back to school and just did did what I had to do good show for show like you said that passion like we got so many black entrepreneurs that don't come from traditional backgrounds but the things that they went through that adversity it's easy to put it somewhere else cuz you've already went through so much like now this is kind of easy I get to just use what I already got to yeah do what I want to do 100% absolutely man we appreciate you sliding man please tell the people what you got going on man yo man thanks for having me you know here we love when they told me naptown finers was inviting me in town I'm like yo I was just saying man apprciate I was like you know um my family's here so it's definitely great to be here we we love Indiana um but yes so basically I'm just like um raising the family I'm coaching girls as if I'm a volunteer coach at Cal St La okay so I've been doing that for five I've been coaching girls for nine years I was coaching while I was in the NBA after practice I was going to coach my girls um with the same coach and the last five years we've been at Cal coaching coaching women's basketball um last year we went to the NCA tournament okay for the first time in 12 years they salute and this year they had us ranked number one we had a rough start but it's just incredible it's my favorite everything I'm doing you know right now but the business is you know I'm building my business um which is like you know I have to do that but um you know coaching girls is coaching women's basketball is great and um you know building my agency is great um and different things like that but other than that I just want to say thanks for having me love man appreciate you though I love seeing you back doing stuff with the patents CU we need that 23 up we got to keep it real you one of the most important patient players ever walk through them doors I told I told the p I want I want to see them win a title we have a different history that a lot of people don't hear the conversations that between individuals you know um because it was just a lot of wounds that's that I was open that's being healed yeah you know from the fans and the executives but from that perspective seeing a ring come here in Indiana with mean the world that's what I want to see even though I'm a definitely Laker for life love New York definitely want to see New York one one day too um but you know that one coming here when it I'mma feel like it's mine and all the players feel the same way Jermaine everybody when that ring come here we gonna be just as proud as if and we can't wait because we knew we had the opportunity to bring it to the city you know and and we feel like that was our fault that was our bad you know Reggie don't got a ring you know that was our bad so we just can't wait till this team just keep building so you know we support the Pacers all day G we appreciate you man like share subscribe that good we'll be back next week Club 520

Channel: Club 520 Podcast

Views: 145,570

Keywords: Club 520 Podcast, Jeff Teague, Jeff Teague Podcast, The Volume, nba, basketball, story, ron artest, metta world peace, interview, reaction, cleveland cavaliers, indiana pacers, los angeles lakers, chicago bulls, new york knicks, lebron james, michael jordan, kobe bryant, nba championship

Id: EvRzDaFrF7Y

Length: 54min 5sec (3245 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 11 2024