Shadowing Practice: LeBron James on Leaving LA and Choosing Philly - Learn English Speaking with Video
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We're back.
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Man.
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Mind the game.
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Mind the game.
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Season four.
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Season four.
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Time flies quick.
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Philly, huh?
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We rolling?
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Of course we are.
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You got me.
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You got me.
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Let me know.
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Just keep it going.
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I actually like Philly though, great city.
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I like Philly.
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I spent a little bit of time there when I was younger.
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I actually played at the Palestra in high school.
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Yeah, my senior year it was, you know, growing up and being like a historian
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and reading stories about the Palestra and obviously Wilt Chamberlain
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and all the things that he did there
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and how historical it was for us to go there My senior year being from Akron.
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I was like, oh man I'm like in a building with some of the greatest ever played
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So it just had an aura about it when I played it was it was fun.
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AI came to the game That was pretty cool to see Bubba Chuck at the game.
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So what do you remember about that game?
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What I remember about the game was that we was playing the number one player in Pennsylvania Um, Maurice Rice.
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He had broke Wilt Chamberlain's single season scoring record.
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So, I'm reading all this stuff about Wilt and the history of the game, and we're traveling to Philadelphia, and they say, okay, well,
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you guys are going against a guy who's broken Wilt single season record.
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And I'm like, this guy Wilt averaged 60 and 40.
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What the hell is this guy doing
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so it was like oh we better have our shoes tight
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and we better be ready to go yeah i definitely remember
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and i remember walking into the into that into that arena and just it just it felt like
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it felt like the coliseum like like gladiators like fought in
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this place like it was an old like field feeling about it
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so you can tell like the basketball gods and the basketball while Spears was in there that night.
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Like, it felt right.
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History was in the building.
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Yeah, history was in the building, it felt right.
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That's cool, man.
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Yeah, I always love asking you old questions like that.
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Yeah, yeah, it felt right.
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I can't believe how much you always remember about shit that's like a million years old.
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Yeah, yeah, it felt right.
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Yeah, that's cool.
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It's a shame, I mean, we always got to move on now, but those old buildings are the best, for a totally different reason.
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I don't know if you had to play in them every day, but this is always special.
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Yeah, I always think about now, like, even out in the present, like, you know, playing in the new arena
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that Golden State has like compared to Oracle like I had
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so many battles in Oracle and Oracle felt like
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that too yeah like it felt like everything was on top of you like it felt like
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that like so it's always like you know going into the chase arena now I believe
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but it's always feeling like a little different you know going
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in there now it's like a computer chip yeah yeah exactly
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a concrete circle exactly yeah before we Philly before we get
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into Philly before we get into Philly I definitely want to bring up
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Obviously one of the greatest coaches ever played a game someone
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that you played for someone that you admired and I want you
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We all take a time for the late great Don Nelson.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, and just give us you know Give us give me you
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know us you know the perspective obviously you play with him being around them You know what did he mean for you?
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Nelly means the world to me So for those who didn't get to spend a lot of time with Nelly, he's one of a kind.
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Larger than life, big personality, can walk into any room and own it,
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free spirit, but also a basketball mind and genius.
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I mean, the effect he had on the game, played in the league, obviously won championships, hit a game -winning shot in the finals, I think, at the Forum, if I'm not mistaken.
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Hit the back rim, bounced way up in the air, went in.
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Coached at an elite, elite level, one of the all -time leaders in wins.
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Was on the rules committee, always out in front of where's the game going, what are we doing, how can we affect and make the game better.
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But for me, it was about a coach who took me at a time in my career that was tricky for me, and where I was just trying to make a name for myself.
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So I'd played two pretty good years in Phoenix, but was playing behind Jason Kidd, Kevin Johnson.
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Second year, earned a bunch of minutes, showed a little value.
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They thought they were going to lose me in free agency, so they traded me.
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And I went to Dallas and hurt my back.
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That's when I first realized I had back issues.
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So it was tricky at first, but playing for Nelly was amazing because he would push you,
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but he also believed in you and
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if you could handle it he'd give you more rope
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and more rope and more open so he challenged me in a lot of ways
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and I remember one of the most impactful things Nelly did for me was made me more aggressive
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and less shy You know, I grew up in an era where the point guard was to run the team organize the team
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Facilitate and he thought that was bullshit.
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He's like you can score the ball.
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You can attack I want you to attack and shoot the ball as many times as you need to shoot the ball.
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You know one story That I remember in the details may be a little fuzzy,
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but we played Atlanta I think I came out pretty passive maybe had like five points in the first half
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or down 20
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he kind of laid into us got on me for not
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being aggressive i think i had 35 in the second half
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and we lose in overtime and he comes in the locker room
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and he was like that's fucking bullshit if you're a dominant player dominate
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and he lit me up you know you know you're thinking you know yeah man we lost
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but got us back in the game yeah he's like that's unacceptable like your job is to attack
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and to kill people
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and i think for me as a young player from the
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west coast of canada like someone believing like you're as good as these guys don't sit
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and wait and play make go and so
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that was impactful for me for the rest of my career
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to not be shy to believe to to know i belong
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and i think that him pushing and asking more of me
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and giving me more responsibility but also letting me drown
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if i had to yeah you know remember he used to say to me
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if i were having a bad shooting stretch he'd be like sleep in the streets like
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And I didn't quite know what he meant at the time, but he was like, man, if you're a bum, you're a bum.
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Go sleep in the streets.
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Accept it.
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It'll come back around.
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And so there's so many stories.
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Those are just a couple, but the impact he had on me to have more belief, to have more, you know, you know, just feeling of I can do this at the highest level.
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And I also remember when I made my first All -Star game, he kind of looked at me shaking my head, like, because I had this, like, excitement and smile on my face.
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He's like, oh, now you believe.
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You know, like, what have I been telling you to go do?
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So just, he put a lot of life into me.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Put a lot of life into me, and so one of the truly most impactful people I think our game and our league's had, and sorry I went off on a tangent.
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No, I love that.
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The guy means a lot to me.
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Absolutely.
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He's meant a lot to our game, and we will miss you very much, Nelly.
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I love the man.
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Absolutely.
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We send all our prayers, our spirits, our good vibes to his whole family, friends, everybody, anybody being associated with Nelly.
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and we lost a great one, but he's definitely going to continue to look down on us on the basketball community, you know, for as long as he'll be up there with us.
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So we know that.
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So that's awesome.
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Like I said, I never got an opportunity to play for him, but I've been around him obviously as an opponent, you know, and just being around some of his teams either when he was in GS, Golden State or in Dallas,
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you know, so much respect.
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Like you said, one of the most winningest coaches in NBA history, and that doesn't just come by uh by luck that's right you know no way
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that that that is that is by detail
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that is by knowing the game that is by putting the work in and good things happen so
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unbelievable person thanks for saying that
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some cities shape you as a player dallas shaped me as a person i spent six seasons there
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and it's where I really came into my own as a player.
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More importantly, it's where I met some of my best friends.
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Every summer, my friend hosts a celebrity tennis tournament, which always gives me a good excuse to get back to Dallas and talk a little trash to my old teammate.
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For this year's tournament, I booked a great home on Airbnb in the Uptown neighborhood.
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It was spacious, perfectly located, and put me right in the middle of some great restaurants and things to explore around Dallas.
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And while I love the tacos and burgers, Texas barbecue is no joke.
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That's what I like about staying somewhere like uptown you're not
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just in dallas you get to experience the neighborhood find your way around
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and feel a little more like a local and
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if you're heading out of town yourself it's worth thinking about
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your home too instead of sitting empty you can list it on airbnb while you're away
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especially
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when something big is happening in your city a sporting event
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a concert a festival fans traveling your city can experience it like a local
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while you earn a little extra cash to put toward your own travels.
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It's a pretty nice way to make your home work for you while you're off exploring somewhere else.
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Your home might be worth more than you think.
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Find out how much at airbnb .com slash host.
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You know, I'll give you my end of career feelings because I want to get to the big picture of your summer.
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Like the start, I'm sure the summer started a lot different than it ended
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yeah for sure right before it's ending um you know i i retired at 40.
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the last year and a half or more was tough injured
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but when i got to 40 and retired i wanted to play so bad I wanted to play.
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I just wanted to get whatever I could out of it.
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I wanted to be a part of it.
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I wanted to compete.
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Because I knew the end is finite.
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Like, if it's done, it's done, right?
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Coming out of this season, I mean, you just dominated a playoff series, right?
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So it's a little different.
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Like, your health wasn't necessarily a mileage can be an issue, but your health was good.
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You're playing at a high level.
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How did you go into the summer, and how did we get to the end of the summer?
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Um, yeah, like you said, you know, coming out of that playoff series and coming out of the postseason, I felt, you know, pretty damn good, you know, at the, like you said,
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the mileage that I have on my body, the toll that's taking me to get to this point, I felt pretty good.
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But there was like a, there was a lot of moments of once we lost to OKC, is this the end, you know, and.
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Where did they show up?
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Like, when are you thinking that?
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Like, when you're in the locker room after the game and you're playing home, just like on vacation with the fam?
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I'm they show up in just like random moment like it show up sometimes the day of the game Yeah, you know, it's so when I got right going or shows up like,
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you know You're leaving home
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and now you got to get on a four -hour flight It'll show up there
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while you're on the plane and you just like reading or listen to music and you
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It'll just show up like this may be it.
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Yeah, you know, so it shows up at random, you know moments and random You know times of the day, so So, you know, it just always,
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it played all the way obviously to the end of the season and also into, you know, into the offseason.
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Yeah.
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And as time goes by, you know, I'm sure you get some time with the fam.
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You take your break.
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You know, you do other things.
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By the way, did your golf game improve this summer?
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It has.
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Here we go.
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It has improved.
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All right, all right.
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That's a good sign, huh?
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YouTube channel.
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Yeah, come on now.
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Cut it off.
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But you go from, like, everything's in doubt, season ends, I don't know, team, am I still playing, how do I feel about this whole thing,
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to what were the stages to get to, like, I'm playing first?
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Yeah, I mean, it all came down to, you know, for me, I've always told myself,
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like, if I feel like I can't put in the process of waking up and training the body and training the mind,
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and I feel good after I do that on a consistent basis, like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.
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Like, if I feel like I am cheating that process because that's what's gotten me to this point, then I know for sure that I'm done.
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You know, and I was able to take the time off after the season.
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You know, it took like a month and a half, two months off of no basketball.
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I was obviously still, you know, doing certain things, whatever the case may be, to try to keep the body in a good place.
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But, yeah, I just, I felt like my body responded very well, you know, after the season.
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My mind responded better than it actually did last summer.
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Okay.
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Do you attribute that to anything?
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I don't know.
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I don't know.
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Like, I think the only thing that I continue to say to myself was like, if you still have an opportunity to do what you love,
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then why just say I'm done?
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Yeah.
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What is the reason?
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And do you have a real reason if your wife is saying continue to go if you want to?
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Your daughter and your two boys are like, yeah, do what you do.
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This is, you know, we're going to be here.
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Like, if I have an opportunity to still do what I love to do
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and continue to inspire people in what I love to do, then I think that's what it came down to.
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And I'm not going to cheat it, you know.
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I'm not going to just, you know, wake up and show up to practice.
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No stretch, no workout, no weight room, you know, no recovery, no nothing.
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Just go on the court and play.
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That's your answer.
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Yeah, there's no way I can do that and be successful in this game.
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So I think it just came down to just like like
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we talked to her like you said what what's this What's the courage closed the curtains closed?
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Yeah, you know And
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if you still have an opportunity to still play it at a higher level and compete at a high level, you know Why not for me there was this?
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Two -sided nature of wanting to play and it wasn't just loving the game.
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It was I love the game I want to compete
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and perform but as much as anything I loved and was obsessed or addicted to the lifestyle of preparing competing,
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recovering, going against someone else the next night, where's your balance between I just love the game, or has that love shifted to I love this pursuit of trying to be my best every night?
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Yeah, I think I'm more in love with the pursuit of how much can I continue to define the odds.
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It's this whole father of time thing that I've actually dived into and have a real basketball competitive thing with him.
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Uh, so like, you know, like last week.
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I've been doing on the court.
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I've been working out Monday, Tuesday on court, take Wednesday off, and then I go Thursday, Friday, and then take the weekend off.
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Last week, I went Monday, Tuesday, and then my trainer hit me Tuesday evening.
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It was like, good first two days, big fella.
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See you Thursday morning.
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And I was like, you know what?
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Actually, I'm going to be in tomorrow morning.
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And I was like, what?
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And I showed up Wednesday, and I did three days straight.
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Like, it was like, and I went through the workout, felt really good, responded well.
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And Chris, shout out Chris Johnson and Corey, man.
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Those are my guys, Corey Smith.
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Those guys are awesome.
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They was like, what you doing here three days straight?
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We ain't doing three days.
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I'm like, we're going to get something done.
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And we got something done.
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It was super productive.
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So just like you said, Steve, I think that I'm more in love with just like the process of getting the body right,
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keeping the mind fresh.
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How long can I keep the mind fresh?
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And now, moving on to Philly, you know, giving all the game and the blueprint to these guys,
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you know, to Embiid, to Maxie, to Vijay.
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You know, JB kind of, he has some of the blueprint because he experienced it, obviously, in Boston.
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You know, but Anthony Simons, and obviously I'm back with KCP, who I was able to give some of the DNA to.
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When we won a championship here in 2020, you know, you know, Dean Wade and the rest of those guys,
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like I'm I'm excited about that almost more than that.
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It's going to sound crazy, but actually get on the floor, right?
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Because if that thing clicks, this will be easy.
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That will be easy.
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So I'm excited and intrigued about that.
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So there's two things I'm hearing like one you went three days in a row instead of two.
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That's that's because you want to push.
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And you want to say, like, the smart thing to do is two.
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The smart thing to do is two.
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I want to prove I can still.
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So there's a father time competition.
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And it's a lunatic thing.
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Yeah, yeah.
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Like, you don't want to insult yourself.
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You know?
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You want more.
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And then the other thing is this legacy.
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Sharing.
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Mentoring.
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Yeah, man.
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Like you said, inspiring with your play.
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But that's kind of our peripheral thing.
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That's a second thing.
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The thing inside the locker room is to be able to share, grow, mentor.
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Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
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And that still means a lot.
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You still get juice from that.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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Absolutely.
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You know, I've been around some, obviously, some great locker rooms, been around some great teammates.
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And, you know, this is another opportunity to be able to share all the stuff
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that I've been able to gather over two decades as a professional.
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And, you know, over 30 years of being in the game.
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and believing that I was, not only believing, but knowing that the game was given to me the right way
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and the proper way of how to play it and how to approach it and how to go after it, you know, to be able to now,
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you know, take that into a new locker room is something that's motivating for me.
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That was a great comment you made about, like, if we take care of this, the on -the -court stuff.
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Yeah.
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I mean, that's one of these, we can maybe touch on this later, but we'll start talking about why Philly but like that's one of these things
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that I really want to hear from you about is You know, you're coming into a locker room with personalities a lot of success and we're gonna get to that but
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But first I want to hear like how did you come to Philly?
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I? I have my thoughts on it.
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Yeah, but I'd love to hear from you.
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Like what what led to saying like that's my destination?
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Yeah, um Um, I think one of the, well, first of all, my relationship with Tyrese Maxey goes beyond the court.
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You can tell every time you mention him on the podcast.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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You love him.
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And by the way, when I mentioned him in the past on the podcast, Philly was not even in question.
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Like, it was just like.
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You didn't even know they would.
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No, absolutely.
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I didn't even, you know, obviously, and it's way before the JB trade as well, which was another intriguing piece.
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Yeah, right, yeah.
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You know, but I just love everything about Tyrese Maxey,
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man like he just said every every day you get the same person and that is very rare
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in sports and and obviously super rare in life
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and I've always talked about how great of a person
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that he is and obviously we know what he brings to the basketball court
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but like he he was deaf when I became a free agent
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and and we decided to let the Lakers know
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that I wouldn't be returning he was one of the first people
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that was on my line calling me yo what we doing oh what's up What's up, OG?
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What's up?
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What's up, O -Heg?
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You know, come on down here, man.
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We can use you down here, you know.
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So in our relationship, like, it's a lot of times that I just I don't answer the phone for a lot of phone calls
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because I don't even want to be swayed in one way
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or I don't even want I already know what you're calling about.
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But I mean, he's just such a he's such a great person.
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I cannot not talk to him, one.
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But I thought the JB trade, too, was another.
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that nobody I don't think anybody seen coming I think people saw
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that something was going to happen there
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but I didn't I don't think anybody thought that it would be Philly
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that would be part of that that trade package
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and I love the way he approaches the game too you
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know both sides of the floor what he brings to the
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game his insight on the game I watched him you know kind of misunderstood and
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that is absolutely okay I don't think I think we're all individuals for a reason like you know i'm saying
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and everyone's always trying to put everybody in the same box
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and i and i love what what he stands for
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and what he brings uh to the table um you know in that fashion
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and one of the most important to be honest is is the big fella he's done everything in our league
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and the only thing he has not done and that's winning championship and i want to try to help him
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get that first one.
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He's been the MVP of our league.
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He has a gold medal.
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All -stars.
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Signature shoes.
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Bunch of money.
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Beautiful fans.
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He has everything.
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He has the city on his back.
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He's been the process.
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You know, for what, 10 years, 12 years, or however long he's been there.
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But I mean, I think it's time now that we even dig even deeper into the process, and I hope that I can be kind of
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that final little piece that can help him get over the hump
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and have him see maybe just see it a little bit
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differently than he's seen it in his career as far as
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like the day -to -day process the day -to -day what it takes to get there
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so definitely one of the most disappointing things has been his health like for a player
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that is so talented so gifted to have such a difficult time staying healthy you know
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that that's the big question right the team is
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that he is you know such a big piece of the
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team such a talented player I mean he shows up for three games against Boston
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and wins a series you know and just bullied them through the series
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and then his body can't take it
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and that's the thing is like can we see Joe play ball
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and stay with it that's that's the you know what everyone
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wants to see what I want to see know Joe a little bit
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and really really like him
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and his talent is amazing it he loves to play ball yeah
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so it's gonna be interesting I think that's gotta be one
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those things like on everyone's mind is can he stay healthy through a playoff run
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so you know what's interesting about tyrese is um you remember
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on the pod with steph like i had a comment
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that like as good
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and talented as stuff is it's his personality his day -to
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-day like who he is as a person tyrese has
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that some of
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that right like it feel like he's just like loves to
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play yeah Loves to like there's a positivity to everything he does it comes across.
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He's been the same person
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Since the moment I met him before he was drafted into
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the NBA the same Exact person he came to my house
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and at that point in time he was 19 years old
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So he was actually hanging with Bronny
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and Bryce They was like playing video games at the cretin inside the house
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So I met him say what's up to whatever he's going into the draft But he was actually, he was closer to Bronny and Bryce than he was to me, obviously.
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So he was hanging with them.
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But, like, came in super respectful to me, super respectful to my wife, super respectful to everybody in the house.
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Bright smile and just, like, super just, like, down to earth, you know.
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And from the moment he's gotten drafted to the perennial all -star superstar that he's becoming, nothing has changed.
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Yeah.
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Nothing has changed in his demeanor.
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You know, and we all know how people can be the humble kid coming in
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and I'm excited and then some success happen and they be totally different.
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Kid has been the same, same person, man.
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And that is it's hard sometimes, too.
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I'm not faulting anybody for having some change as far as, you know, growth is good when it's about change.
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But like, you know, this kid has this young man now, I would say this young man now is beyond his years for sure.
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Easy to root for easy to root for what about Jalen what makes him misunderstood
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because this guy's always played hard both sides of the ball
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physical skilled intelligent what do you think it is it's made
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him misunderstood I just think anytime someone kind of moves to
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their own beat it makes people uncomfortable he has his own
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voice his own voice he moves to the sound of his own beat it makes people uncomfortable
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because it's not the what everyone's accustomed to yeah you know
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so you know when it becomes misunderstood then it becomes intimidating
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and people look at it as like you know i don't want to be around
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that because they feel intimidated by it there's an energy there's an energy
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that they don't feel comfortable with right i don't know am i right i'm going to spend some time
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and get an opportunity to to be around them even more i've we've worked out three
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or four times this it's off season, we've been in communication because we want to we're two of the guys on the team
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and obviously kcp's on the team as well um
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but we're two guys on the team that's been through the foxhole
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and been through the ringer of what it takes from the
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moment we step on the court for training camp to the moment we raise
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that larry o 'brien trophy we know what it takes
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so you're just trying to make sure we're on the same page
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and have everybody else on the same page but it's been nothing but good, you know, good interaction with JB, you know, and we're going to continue that.
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What do you, what have you seen or what do you know so far this summer from VJ Edgecombe?
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The intel that I've got from everyone is that this kid is beyond his years.
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They say he was actually one of the leaders of the team as a 20 -year -old rookie.
427
Wow and not in a disrespectful manner it's not like he was just speaking just to be speaking
428
or you know thinking he's better than this guy no it's just they say he speaks with an intelligent
429
confidence natural natural exactly and works extremely hard yeah
430
and uh he's a flat -out player man yeah i mean
431
he's the player he's i mean other than joe's health i mean he's the guy that
432
You know you kind of put all the pieces together He's a guy
433
that still has leaps to make you know with his athleticism shot making defense, you know
434
He obviously that has to come with what the right time the right fit how it all works
435
But like the playmaking stuff like
436
that can continue to grow different types of variety in a shot making
437
So that's exciting to be out of a young player like
438
that I don't know there's no reason he he shouldn't be able to If he really wants to be
439
contending for an all -defensive team this year with his athleticism, with his length, with his speed, if he wants to.
440
Obviously, I think JB is going to set the tone with his ability to guard, but I think Vijay should be right there.
441
Just taking all the keys from JB, learning all the nuances because he has all the tools.
442
People always want you to get your turn or you're, you know, well, why?
443
Why can't I do it now?
444
Especially defense.
445
Yeah, especially defense.
446
Everyone can play, feature themselves on defense.
447
And one thing about it, if we can get stops, if we can get stops or create turnovers,
448
then it's going to benefit Vijay and Tyrese more than anybody on the team.
449
Those guys are so fast and so athletic, like, you're not going to be able to catch up to them.
450
You're not going to be able to catch up to those two guys.
451
So, you know, that's going to be important for us.
452
And that's been, you know, Traditionally, Nick Nurse has liked teams that turn people over.
453
The Raptors Championship team, you know, they were in passing lanes.
454
They were running people off the line.
455
They were speeding people up.
456
I think some people have thought it's going to be a challenge for you guys defensively.
457
I think a lot of that comes down to Joe's health.
458
But talk about those strengths.
459
I mean, you have, you know, speed.
460
You have versatility.
461
You have guys that can guard multiple positions.
462
What do you like about it?
463
With Nick Nurse's kind of system, how do you feel of being a good fit?
464
Yeah, I've been able to be on some really good defensive teams in my career.
465
And I think defense always comes down to the first thing, like a pride.
466
It's a pride thing.
467
Like, I'm not going to allow my guy to continue to exploit me or beat me or whatever the case may be.
468
Like, there has to be some type of pride in a sense of that.
469
And at the end of the day, the best defense never stops the best offense anyways.
470
And that's okay.
471
But if we can make teams uncomfortable, If we can make teams turn the ball over, if we can make teams or just,
472
you know, not be in a rhythm like they're accustomed to be in a rhythm versus other teams, it gives us another opportunity.
473
It gives us more possessions.
474
We want to try to win the possession game.
475
And I think what Coach Nurse and the things that I've seen with his teams in the past, especially with the Raptors team that won a championship, that's what they did.
476
They got up into you.
477
They got into the passing lane.
478
If you got around one guy, there's another guy helping you you know and obviously you know with OG
479
and Pascal and Kyle you know obviously Mark Gasol being on
480
that team like it was a lot of you know high IQ guys as well to be able to do that
481
and and I'm looking forward to seeing you know
482
if we can kind of translate a little bit of
483
that as well
484
because we have the speed we have the athleticism now it's
485
about do we have the discipline to actually be able to take
486
that on a defensive end and be and hold each other accountable too
487
because that's what it's about you gotta you know force force
488
guys in the contested twos you know try not to give up straight line drives don't give up corner threes
489
and then we got a rebound you know we as fast
490
as athletic as we can be we can't do shit
491
if we don't get the rebound you know
492
so that's important it's an attitude you know
493
if it starts with like being organized
494
and not giving them the easy stuff right if you start to take
495
that away then you can start to build on how who are we what's our identity
496
but I think his Toronto team and I don't know if others agree with this they remind me a little or
497
OKC's defense reminds me a little about Toronto.
498
Yeah, we're flying around getting people off the line flooding the paint Guys in the gaps using their length
499
and speed and then
500
that IQ to know like a lot of times It's not
501
it's not from the shoot around in the morning what the
502
rotation is It's just the next guy's on his bike day
503
and the other guys reading off him and playing and that takes IQ Yeah, not not every team has that type of defensive IQ.
504
Yeah, I mean when you have You know, you have Kyle who's one of the smartest guys that I've ever played against, you know kind of at the beginning, at the whole defense thing,
505
and then you have OG and Kawhi, you know, and Pascal, you know, and those guys, and then you have the smartest of Mark, who I played with, you know, a year, maybe a year or two here with the Lakers.
506
You know what's happening before it actually happens, you know, and that's what helps out the defense, the anticipation of things happening.
507
We've studied the game.
508
We've studied our opponent.
509
We know pros and cons.
510
We know what they like to do.
511
We know what they don't like to do.
512
Let's force them in stuff that they do not like to do and make them uncomfortable.
513
So, you know, when you compare them to what OKC does, absolutely.
514
They make you uncomfortable.
515
They make you do these.
516
They speed you up.
517
They want you to play faster because they know that is not to your likeness that you want to play at.
518
You know, you want to play a little bit more methodical.
519
You want to play a little bit more, you know, smooth.
520
No, we're going to speed you up.
521
We're going to force you into this paint.
522
We're going to reach from behind, and then we're going to make you take either contested shots
523
Or we want you to go to the rim with Hartenstein and Chet is right there, and they're cleaning everything up.
524
And they're so good at, like, those defenses are so good at, like, when they speed you up, your pitcher closes.
525
But their pitcher broadens.
526
They go, oh, he's in trouble.
527
Now they start to pick off your thoughts, and they're ahead of you, and now you're in trouble.
528
And the next pass is deflected, thrown away, and now it's spiraled in your home.
529
Or you get behind them, you think you got one, and they hand good hands, strip you from behind, strip you in front like you know all that fun defenses to watch
530
between traveling the show and the rest of life things move fast and
531
if you've got a family at home you want to know
532
they're protected online that's what stands out to me about xfinity shield you get built -in features
533
that are included with your wi -fi and xfinity gateway to protect you from threats at home and online.
534
With Xfinity CyberSecure, you get always -on protection from online threats and risky sites the moment you connect your devices.
535
Just set it and forget it, giving you peace of mind for your family and connected life.
536
Plus, with family settings, you can pause the Wi -Fi to easily manage screen time
537
and block unwanted sites so your kids can explore safely online.
538
So whether it's homework time or dinner time, you can easily manage your Wi -Fi with the Xfinity app.
539
There's even an opt -in feature called Wi -Fi Motion, so you can detect movement in your home while away or asleep.
540
No cameras needed.
541
Xfinity Shield.
542
Built -in Wi -Fi features to keep you informed and at ease.
543
Get it now at Xfinity .com slash shield.
544
Restrictions apply.
545
Not available in all areas.
546
Xfinity internet and compatible equipment required.
547
You know you had a six -year run with the Lakers and won a championship.
548
It's the most, if not the most famous, it's one of the top famous franchises in all of sports and won a championship in the Lakers.
549
You're here six years.
550
It's a chunk of your career.
551
No, no. I mean listen man I came to, a lot of people say you know
552
when I came to the Lakers like I was just coming to be in Hollywood
553
and movies and shit like that you know but like you know I've always loved a huge challenge you know And,
554
you know, to come to a historical franchise
555
that has some of the greatest basketball players that we've ever seen in the history of sports, to be a part of that,
556
one, wasn't like a super -duper big thing to me.
557
It was, like, super cool and, like, humbling at the same time.
558
I think there's a Sports Illustrated, when I signed with the Lakers, a Sports Illustrated cover that they had, like, all the Laker greats on it.
559
And then I was on there, and I was like, holy shit, this is different, you know?
560
So the expectations around here in Los Angeles when it comes to the Lakers is like, let's win championships.
561
And I heard that and I understood that.
562
And for us to be able to win one, that was something I would never forget.
563
Like, obviously, with that group, with that team, for this city, I still think about not being able to do the parade.
564
I was going to say, scale of 1 to 10, how much does that bother you?
565
That bothers me.
566
1 to 10, 20.
567
20. Like, just to be able to celebrate with the Lakers faithful, yeah, absolutely, like, you know, I don't know what the route would have been.
568
I'm thinking go down Olympic, just like all the way down Olympic and end up downtown right by Staples Center.
569
I might want to call it crypto and shit, I'll call it Staples Center to me.
570
Nah, it would have been super duper dope, man, but yeah, we did that.
571
We did that and that banner, that banner is up there.
572
That banner is in that arena for forever, along with the other ones that have been able to go up in the history of the Lakers franchise.
573
And L .A.'s home.
574
Yeah, for sure.
575
Really, right?
576
Yeah, L .A.'s home.
577
Family laid roots here.
578
Yeah, yeah.
579
Kids kind of grew up here really now yeah I mean
580
my daughter for sure she don't remember a white winter my boys do somewhat but uh
581
but they went to middle school my boys went to middle
582
school here high school here obviously my daughters start from kindergarten on up
583
so yeah this is this would be home for us for
584
the foreseeable future let's talk a little bit about the term super team
585
because people debate about what is a super team what is
586
a super team the reality is I think a super team we should probably all agree
587
that a super team is just a collection of players
588
and personalities that have had a lot of success
589
that have either been all -stars or heliocentric parts of their team
590
but the reality is it's not the names it's where are
591
they at this stage in their career what have they been
592
doing like some people would say this is super team
593
and some people say that's that's not a super team
594
because it's been going on for a long long time you've had teams with three
595
or four absolutely great players it's the 60s yes the 60s
596
you know the Lakers Celtics you know you make them super
597
teams I mean even teams go under the radar like the
598
Lakers who won you know with Gasol Bynum yeah Odom you
599
know like these are teams you could consider super teams
600
but people don't want to you know
601
so there's all this some people do some people don't let's talk about let's get past
602
that because I wanted to set the context
603
because it's this is a debate
604
that you say that's a super team I say that's not like it there's no real way to define
605
which each team is of clearly some you know have
606
that the makings the Warriors team you know a lot of
607
that teams haven't been healthy
608
but that's a big issue health age what stage of your career you're at
609
so for me it's more about if you have players
610
that had a lot of success that have either been the primary
611
or secondary ball star all -stars or or better there's
612
so many factors that into building a team and
613
so those are some elements you guys are gonna have to i think it's the success to deal with success
614
that they have yeah where they are in their careers i mean you could look at you know
615
and i no one ever brings them up
616
but you could look at like the brooklyn team with you
617
know darren williams joe johnson kevin garnett paul pierce jason terry right you know
618
that team you know
619
but they didn't get an opportunity they didn't get an opportunity to really match it
620
and they really get an opportunity to play much I think they played maybe one
621
or two years and for the most part they were all past their prime too
622
so it's like I think it's where you are in your career
623
and the success that you're able to have you know you can get guys
624
that come together and and it just doesn't work out you know so but let's go through some of those reasons. So personality.
625
You know, what are the mix of personalities?
626
What stage of their career are they in?
627
So for example, as great as you are, you're not going to Philly saying, give me the ball and everyone watch me.
628
Because you have an understanding like, I can play whatever role.
629
And there will be times when I'm, okay, I need the ball now.
630
And there will be times when you're like, Tyrese is fine, JB is fine, Joel is fine.
631
And you're able to accept, control, mentor, direct from a different position.
632
That's not always the case right
633
so I think that's a big part of this is where
634
is a player at mentally in his career how are the personalities who's the leader how does it work
635
so I think what happens is you a lot of teams
636
that have had multiple players of success it's almost like their
637
personalities are bumping into each other you know how do we
638
get someone to declare to be the leader right someone is the are the other guys accepting right
639
or is it natural right
640
that I you know I'm quite happy not to be the leader he's a natural leader he He can be a leader, whatever it may be.
641
So I think there's so many variables when you put these things together.
642
What do you think with this Philly group, given all, you know, you have such a nice mix.
643
You know, you have obviously your success, Joel's success, Jalen's in the prime of his career.
644
Tyrese is kind of, if not in the prime, ascending to a prime.
645
Same with Vijay, he's gonna have a great career.
646
What are the principles that you feel are most important when you go into a season with this new group?
647
Because time is also.
648
So I look at your first year in Miami, the Dallas series.
649
Like a lot of it is it's the first time we've been under duress together.
650
So how do you, with all your experience, approach it?
651
Yeah, I think one, it needs to be what is our mission?
652
What's our day -to -day mission?
653
You know, is are we bringing our egos to the table, our personal egos to the table for the collective group?
654
or are we bringing our egos to the table for the collective individual?
655
You know because obviously we're all got to this point in our career for a reason.
656
We're all who we are for a reason But if we're coming together for one common goal
657
Now if things happen and transpire we can look each other in the eye
658
and say okay But this is what we said.
659
This is how we say we don't go about it.
660
Mm -hmm, and that's the call.
661
That's accountability you know, so
662
I am super intrigued
663
that I'm looking forward to actually getting in the locker room
664
getting into the film room getting into practice kind of listening
665
dissecting
666
and letting it kind of just go through my database on
667
how now i could implement myself unless some joe reese jb somebody come to me
668
and say hey bro what you doing like we you came here for it to be you you know
669
and not a sense of like be you 30 points or 29
670
or whatever we're not we're like we need you to be
671
you we need your voice yeah my voice has always been
672
one of my biggest attributes my little league coach always told me like your voice commands
673
so much attention and people need to hear that so if
674
if what i've been hearing from the guys that we're here to to have championship habits,
675
and this is what we're a part of, then there shouldn't be no misunderstanding.
676
There will be some pushback, which is okay.
677
That's all part of the process.
678
That's all part of the process.
679
It might be some pushback.
680
There will be some, you know, there will be some good bets.
681
You got to go through shit.
682
And I hope we go through a three -game losing streak, you know.
683
I hope we go through some of those moments where we— Get some shit out on the table.
684
Yeah, get some shit out on the table.
685
We go through a couple games where, you know, it was a two -point game and who was taking the shots, who was making the plays.
686
We don't quite know.
687
We got to figure it out.
688
That's all part of it.
689
You know, I had the same thing my first year in Miami.
690
I had the same thing my first year back when I went back to Cleveland, you know, myself, Kyrie, and Kev.
691
You know, so those are some of the moments
692
that we have to be able to go through some real
693
-life battle moments in the fight In order to know really who we are
694
and what we want to become we got to peel the onion.
695
Yeah, we have to I mean essentially you're saying there's got to be an acceptance.
696
Mm -hmm.
697
That we're here for each other We're here to get better.
698
We have to put our individual kind of agendas Aside and align them.
699
Yeah, the other thing is like we can talk all we want about
700
You know the right way to do this or that
701
but the ultimate is how do we work every day to get better?
702
I have a growth mindset like try to improve every day You can't say like
703
if we do this this and this we're champs, but if we do this this
704
and this we can get better every day We get better at the end of the season
705
if we got better every day.
706
What else can you ask right?
707
Give yourself a chance like the chips lay what they may like you get championship is not guaranteed Obviously, it's been eight different champions right eight straight seasons.
708
It's oh, you know, so we got but what we know What we can control is how we show up to work.
709
It's not gonna always be there a hundred percent physically So when it's not now we have our minds
710
if it's you feeling like your mind can't be there that's
711
when you got the guy next to you that's
712
when you got your brother pick you up all right i
713
got you don't worry about it bro i got you today
714
if we're not on the court and we're just in a film room or
715
if we ain't in a film room we go on the court we got times on the bus we got
716
so many moments where we can we can jail
717
you know this the this venom can become a person sure you know
718
that in a good way it just continues the mesh into what we want to become
719
but it's going to take it's going to take sacrifice it's going to take communication
720
and it's going to take all of us just understanding okay
721
what are we really here for you know are we here to just play in a regular season
722
and no we're here we're really here to win yeah build a team
723
that can compete at the end we want a team
724
that can compete for a championship and i think the city of philly wants
725
that this is this is the city of champions The Phillies have done it in recent years.
726
Obviously, the Eagles have done it in recent years.
727
I'm not a hockey fan, so I don't know about the Flyers.
728
I have no idea.
729
It's been a minute.
730
It's been a minute?
731
Okay.
732
And I know it's been a minute for the Sixers since the year before I was born.
733
Having been a part of a super team with the Lakers and coaching one in Brooklyn,
734
there's a lot out of your control, right?
735
And the noise, though, is that everything's in your control, right?
736
But, like, coming to play for the Lakers in 2012, you know, Kobe and Powell came off the Olympics, long summers.
737
Dwight came off a back surgery.
738
I broke my leg game one or two with the Lakers.
739
And we also tried, how do we make these pieces fit?
740
And we tried to implement the Princeton offense.
741
And it was probably at a time when the game was starting to be
742
really a pace and space league, right? and so yeah maybe some of
743
that was in our control maybe some of it you know
744
wasn't the reality is like you you have to be healthy
745
we weren't you you have to have a little break
746
or two along the way right and and the same
747
when i coached in brooklyn like you know at our best we were unbelievable played some great basketball
748
but our big three played like depending if it was james
749
or ben simmons you know our big three i think played like 16 games together in two plus years
750
so you you know there's always things but you know i think
751
when you look back and at the moment the noise is loud about, well, it's success or fail.
752
It's binary.
753
But they realize the details don't matter.
754
And so I think managing those situations is so important.
755
And at the end of the day, if you don't have the bounce, you don't have the luck, you don't have the health, you know, it can undermine everything.
756
But being inside those locker rooms, trying to recognize what, how do we get everyone on the same page is the challenge that everyone can buy in.
757
And that messaging, like you said, every day, that commitment to trust one another's motives right
758
and it has to be some trial and error too some things
759
that we may start the season off doing
760
that we know okay oh we like that
761
and then we can you know get to a point where you know December come around we try something else
762
that don't fit for our team that's not
763
that doesn't fit for our ball club you know there's going to be trial
764
and error because this is our first time all getting together obviously you know Tyrese
765
and and Joel has the most chemistry out of anybody They've played together for, what, eight years now or seven years now.
766
But the rest of us are learning.
767
I mean, Vijay, one year, obviously he knows the system.
768
But other than that, I mean, myself, JB, KCP, Anthony Simons, Dean Wade, like, the rest of us are, we're all coming into it fresh.
769
We're all coming into it like, okay, we're excited.
770
But we're new to the system, and we're new to the surroundings.
771
We're new to Philadelphia.
772
Well, what I like about that approach, too, is that there's gonna be noise around your team.
773
You know, anywhere you go, there's gonna be noise.
774
You also have Joe.
775
You also have the questions about his health.
776
Then you got Jalen's exit from Boston.
777
You know, you got these two young guards that if anything goes weird, they're gonna be like, why don't they get featured more?
778
You know, you can hear it already what's happening.
779
So the important thing is to stay focused on the task, and that's a way to simplify and get the noise out.
780
If you don't simplify, if you aren't focused and aligned every day, doing the simple things.
781
Let's just build every day slowly.
782
Let's be open, honest.
783
Let's build this thing.
784
Let's get the dirt out on the table.
785
Let's get back to work.
786
Then the noise becomes louder, right?
787
Inside the locker room.
788
Whereas this is a nice way to just focus on getting better.
789
I think that's really important for a team.
790
Yeah, we've got to have a bunker mentality.
791
It's unfortunate, but very fortunate.
792
But the noise that comes with me, good, bad, and different, everything, it's a little different. And is it warranted?
793
I don't even know but it is it's different but if we have a bunker mentality on like
794
Nothing matters outside
795
This what we have or either with the practice facility or we at the arena or nothing matters
796
Like everyone's gonna have their opinion family members are gonna have their opinion friends are gonna have their opinion You know, you got your group chat with your boys.
797
It's like man.
798
Yeah, you got 11 shots last night You should have 15.
799
Yeah, why Bronny pass the ball more why Joey pass the ball more Tyrese Saw you on the wing.
800
Vijay taking too many step backs.
801
JB.
802
Why don't he take you out in the third?
803
Yeah, why don't he take you out?
804
Why don't Nick take you?
805
It's going to be all that type of shit.
806
I already know.
807
I already see it.
808
I already know.
809
It's been happening my whole career.
810
The only thing that matters is what we preach every day and how we're going to hold each other accountable.
811
If we can do that, if we can preach that, if we can practice that, because it's going to be tested, if we can practice and preach that every day,
812
And we'll give ourselves the best possible chance along with health obviously
813
which is very important probably the most important in sports
814
Then we'll give ourselves a good chance to be where we want to be when it's when it's time
815
First ever NBA game Don Nelson got furious and punted the back.
816
That was a great story.
817
You are holding the ball.
818
Oh, he grabs it off me.
819
He grabs it off.
820
Fuck, Larry.
821
Gives me the ball.
822
And then he punts it.
823
And Dale Harris in the background.
824
No, that was the best part, because Dale was like, Nelly, Nelly, Nelly.
825
And then when he saw him grab the ball and punt it, Dale goes.
826
He just starts laughing.
827
Oh, that's awesome.
828
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247 sentences
Michael Jackson EXPOSES His Father's Horrific Abuse & A Childhood Stolen | the detail.
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B2191 sentences
I met Adam Ondra and HE BLEW MY MIND
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
LeBron James' Philly Memories: A Window into Casual English Dialogue
The video features a lively conversation between LeBron James and an interviewer, touching on his high school basketball days in Philadelphia. The dialogue is casual and conversational, making it perfect for English learners to practice real-world speaking. It blends nostalgia with modern reflections, using phrases that mirror everyday interactions—ideal for building fluency.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "Time flies quick": A natural way to say time passes fast (e.g., "We haven't met in years—time flies quick!").
- "Mind the game": A casual reminder to focus (e.g., "We're late—mind the game, let's go!").
- "Shoes tight": Slang for being prepared (e.g., "The test is tough—make sure your shoes are tight").
- "Felt right": Expressing something felt correct (e.g., "Moving to the city felt right for my career").
- "Move on": To progress past something (e.g., "The project failed, but we have to move on").
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
Shadowing (repeating speech immediately after the speaker) is a powerful tool for improving English pronunciation and fluency. Here's how to use this video:
- Watch once for context: Focus on the story to understand the flow.
- Identify key phrases: Pick 3-5 phrases (like those above) and pause to repeat them, mimicking tone and rhythm. A shadowing app can help slow down the audio if needed.
- Practice intonation: Notice how LeBron stresses words like "aura" and "history"—copy this to sound natural. This is great for IELTS speaking practice.
- Role-play the dialogue: Switch between LeBron and the interviewer to build conversational skills. This works for English speaking practice in real scenarios.
- Repeat daily: Short, consistent sessions (10-15 minutes) with videos like this will boost your confidence. Learn English with videos to make practice engaging!
This video’s mix of storytelling and casual language makes it a valuable resource for learners. Use these steps to turn the conversation into a practical tool for better speaking skills.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | have I been telling · I've been doing · I've been working |
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you could handle it he'd give · if that thing clicks, this will be |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · has improved · I've always told |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | was made · being associated · was given |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.