#MLBVideos: The 6-1-1 Podcast: NBA Champion Rasheed Wallace joins Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins!

The 6-1-1 Podcast: NBA Champion Rasheed Wallace joins Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins!

Here we are once again, the 611 podcast. Jimmy Rollins, my man Ryan Howard, and today we have a special guest. Yes, we do. A homegrown Philly legend. Yes. Yes. He’s a fourtime NBA Allstar. Mhm. He has a ring. He does. With the Pistons, 2004. Bad man. He’s a bad man. When he was on the court, he didn’t want to see him. Mhm. You know, he he’s a goat. He he was up there. My man Rashid Wallace Wallace. We have to get proper. Wallace had to walk that off. [Music] Thank you. Thank you for uh joining us today. And I can say this, you know, usually we’re calling, “Hey, you want to get on the pod? Jake, you want to get on the pod? She is different. Like Sheed is a really a Philly guy. The Phillies in the playoffs. It’s either she or Reek. Hey, give me give me some tickets, right? You know what I’m saying? Something happened and give me some tickets. Hey, can can we get this? And I appreciate that because as being baseball players, we and the Phillies itself, we know the history. Jackie Robinson, Dick Allen, right? You know, and how it has with the black community. It’s kind of been like, ah, we don’t really get down with the Philly. So to know that you always uh supported the city and the team and we appreciate that. But I’m I’m going to kick it off with that. What is it that that you’re different in that regard that you’ve always supported the Phillies? Basketball’s simple. Football’s simple. I don’t know how you get that with hockey, but you always really supported what we did on the field. Oh, no doubt. I support my Phillies. I support my Flyers. I support my Sixers. I support my Philly Union. I love big five basketball, you know, and but my team, my football team is the Chiefs, and so, you know, everybody talk about that. Hey, give me about Is that known? Is that known? Oh, yeah. It’s it’s publicly known, worldwide known. Okay. You know, it is what it is. But no, other than that, I love every other Philly team, man. Um, and growing up watching the Phillies, you know, with the whole uh Mike Schmidz and Steve Bedroans and all that, I’m like, “All right.” As I got into baseball myself, then that’s when I All right. All right. You got to learn who these players are and this and that. Cuz in high school, I was a pitcher and played right field. No, I was not any good. No, I was not an MLB prospect. None of that. Call me wild thing. And now I understand how I went. I think it’s uh the Tommy John that the I see how that happens now. Pitching one day, my elbow swelled up to about the size of a a softball. All right. Baseball ain’t for me right here. Let me let me go ahead back here to this basketball thing. But how many sports did you play growing up? Did you play a bunch of different sports? Yeah, I did everything, man. Only thing I can’t do is play golf and and ice skate. But uh growing up, I did track. That’s my number one love. Really? Yeah. Track when I was a young fella. Um did all the uh track events, but as I got into high school, I did the field events as well. In high school, I did um 200 to 400, 4×1, 4×2, high jump, long jump, and triple jump. Oh, you was really out there. That that’s my number one love. And then it was basketball/foot. But other than that, track and field, that’s I I can sit down on any level, high school, middle school, professional, European championships, NCAA championships, uh, conference championship. I watch track and field all day. If they had a track channel, I’ll be their biggest supporter of So, how so explain that now? We all know about the pin relays. Did you did you run in them? Yes, I did. How’d you do? Uh, I didn’t win, but hey, I was just blessed and love being able to run in it. I was in high school at the time, but yeah, it was it was cool. So, where did the passion for track and field come in being one and then transitioning to basketball? So, when I was younger, of course, we all were kids, so everybody, you know, you up and down the block. Right. So, being a little bit taller than the kids in the neighborhood, uh, my first athlete I saw, my first black athlete I saw that was tall was Edwin Moses. So, and watching him out there on that track and and going over them hurdles, all you saw was legs. Just legs everywhere. And I was like, “Wow, I got long legs, too.” And so, you know, asked my mom to get me into the whole track thing. And it was it was love from there. Love at first sight from there. What was your what was your favorite event to compete in on track? Um when I was younger it was the 100. Of course you were fast, right? You got stride. I had the stride when I was younger, you know. I had I had the good takeoff, but as I became older, it’s like, all right, it was more of a gallop then. So let me go ahead and do this 200 now so I can go ahead and get it turn around that turn. But man, it was it was awesome. and and just just being able to get out there and just run. You know, you didn’t you don’t have to learn how to do that, right? You know, baseball, you got to learn that good eye hand coordination to be able to hit. And you know, you got to um be able to learn how to throw what’s the two three double play and all of that track. Yo, put this uniform on. When that gun go, you run to that finish line. Yeah. That’s all it just run. And I loved it just being out there. I felt free. I felt free. But um but no, track and field my first love, bro. And then in high school, that’s when I got into the field events, the triple jump, long jump, high jump. Um my high school coach, Bill Ellerby, he was the one who was like, “Yo, yeah, you going to do this?” I was like, “All right, no problem.” I was I was already, you know, eager to do it anyway. So, he taught me the whole um and I had to read up on the internet and stuff about the whole Fazberry flop. the way you jump over the high jump bar with your back opposing to like Will Chamberlain old school to going over the top. Will Chamberlain did it forward going this way reaching over. He was a super super athlete as well. Track two and um but my high school coach taught me to flop and he told me the techniques on a triple jump and he’s like look this how you got to do it. Throw your body forward on the long jump when you’re jumping in the pit and all of this. He said, “Don’t fall back.” Cuz whenever you fall back, put your hands or your butt or like if you fall back and and hit your head in the sand, they marking it there. So I was like, “All right.” Taught me all of that and I just had fun with it. So when did Okay. So track and field was number that was your first love. Was that was that the first organized thing you did? Yes. Yes, that was from And then when you got into basketball, how much later did that happen? Was it was you like I’m I love basketball also, but it was track and field and then it’s like ah I’m switching over. No, basketball came later. Uh after track and field, it was football, right? Um I I played football wanting to be like my older cousins in my in the family, my older cousin Stanley and Hakee. Uh my older brother Malcolm, they all played football for um for the Oaklane Wildcats. So I was like, “All right, I want to be like them. I want to be like my big cousins for sure.” So I tried football. That wasn’t it. Mhm. It wasn’t me. It was that that first time you got that got rocked that day. Uh I think I think the drill is uh called bull in the ring. Y when everybody laying down and the coach yell out your number and you got to get up and uh that’s when I knew football wasn’t for me. I was about yay big anyway. Like oh no I did I didn’t have that that at that time I didn’t have that physical streak in me like that. Yeah. Hey man, you ain’t got to buy them cleats no more. No, I’m I’m good on football. That was it. That’s and then after that it was that’s when I got started to get into basketball a little bit more again wanting to be like my older brothers, my older cousin. Uh my oldest brother Malcolm, he was the one in the neighborhood. He had the little handle and the jump shot. And then my brother Muhammad, he was a natural righty, but he played basketball left-handed. Okay. Everything he did, he had all the Michael Jordan dunks down packed. The rock the cradle, the Yep. Just from the left side. Bunnies like that, man. What did he And but his jump shot was trash though. But he was but he going he going to grab you some rebounds like Barkley and he going to dunk on your head though. And just watching him my older cousins it was like man all right I like that. And then with with seal it for me to get into basketball was a a young lady who lived across the street from us when I was growing up at at that time I didn’t know what all city was and all Philly first team and all. I didn’t know what that was. I’m I’m about nine years old, 10 years old. And then played her one-on-one one day and I was like, “Oh my gosh.” And and she told me how to shoot like tuck your elbow, keep it close in when you shoot, make the arc, the gooseeneck. And I was like, “All right.” I had the slightest idea what a gooseeneck is, but I was just looking at her with dreamy eyes. He was like, “Whatever she’s saying, it sound good. That goose neck.” She could have been like, “Go jump off the roof.” Okay. Like, you know what I’m saying? Hey. Hey. It’s funny cuz it it does grow with a girl. A lot of times, you know, the cute girls that that hey, like I we we talk about kids get old about 13, they fall off from baseball. Why? Because the girls not coming to the baseball game. You playing in front of your parents, but where are they going to be? They’re going to be at the basketball court. They going to be on the football field. It’s like, so I’m going to do this cuz you getting that attention. And I get it. But in the long run, if you my size and you got to play against Sheed, it’s just that’s not happening. It’s Look, he going to be It’s all day like this. I mean just me trying to play against you so it’s different. So um so the kids out there understand it we it does start with a girl most of the time. Facts. Got to get it together. You got to be real with yourself. If you be 5’7 you’re not running up against somebody like that. That game elevates it. When when when the girls are in the stands for sure 10 11 you straighten up and you ain’t tired no more. Yeah. Yeah. Right. So it it was happening at nine. You know what I’m saying? That’s and that’s how I got into basketball. And then from there I was just in a gym. So did you go back and thank her? I have I didn’t see her like once once I got older. She went off to college. She was a senior in high school at the time. I think she was I think she was going to Lincoln I want to say. I can’t remember. So you were a baby and she Yeah, I was I was 10 years old. N 10 years old and she was already a senior in high school. So when she went off to college Yeah. Yeah. That was it. I ain’t see her no more after that. So, I never had the chance to thank her. But, no, it was um that’s the reason why I got into basketball, man. My my older brothers and cousin and the pretty girl who lived across the street. We got we got a question because we’ve both played for a head coach, us um a manager, Dean Smith, Charlie Emanuel, and there are similarities in in their style of uh managing, you know, we we are, you know, top-of-the-line athletes, right? Um, you know, some are going to be better than others, but you have to deal with everybody the same and differently. Um, I I know I got into trouble as being one of the team leaders because I couldn’t get away with stuff. It was if I got away with it, everybody else feel they going to get away with it. Then, you know, the manager or head coach feel feels like they’re losing the team. Um, talk about your experience playing under Dean. Man, it was uh phenomenal. He was uh one of my top three coaches that I love that I would go to war for. He um what sold me though was I’m a senior in high school at Simon Gratz. Um and it’s around the final four time. They had just won a championship. So I’m coming home from track practice and you know I got my headphones on walking in the door and off to the left was our living room and then you know go straight to the back is the bedroom. So, you know, I walk straight to the back, but out of my peripheral, I seen some figures over here. So, I’m like, “What?” I’m like, “Hold up. My mom ain’t supposed to be home from work for like about another hour, hour and a half.” So, I get to lean back like that. Who’s sitting in the living room? Is my mom is uh coach Phil Ford, who in my opinion, as I learned when I went to Carolina, he’s probably the best player to come out of Carolina till this day. Um, and Dean Smith sitting in my living room. I’m like, “Whoa, coach, what you doing here?” Like, “You should be celebrating. Y’all just won a championship last night.” And he’s at your house that next afternoon. Wow. I’m like, “Yo, y’all should be celebrating somewhere.” And he said, “Oh, no. We we we did that for a couple minutes last night, but it’s time to get back to business.” And I’m like, “Yo, I like that.” you know, you go ahead and you going to celebrate cuz it was a lot of work throughout that year or whatever. But he like back to business. I was like, man, I like that. And from there, that’s what sold me on him. And then once I did get down there to Chapel Thrill, we were um we were again defending champs. So, it’s like, okay, I know how that felt from a high school standpoint, winning championships and defending them. So, now it’s like I’m part of this defending championship team. So, I got to live up to the expectations from what they recruited me when I was in high school. So, I’m doing my best and everything. And you know, Coach Smith, he’s teaching me a lot of things. The upper classman, Eric Montro, rest in peace. Um, he’s teaching me a lot of things about just the system and this and that. So, one time it was uh we were we were going over something and coach Smith, I was out there on the second team and the whole key was to just keep the ball moving, right? So the ball came to me. I’m wide open. It’s a little baseline shot about a little 12footer, 12, 15 footer. I shoot the shot. Wait, stop. Stop. Stop. I do something wrong, right? You know, that’s what I’m thinking, right? So coach is like, “No, we don’t do that here.” You know, pass the ball, this and that. Get to know the system. Blas blas. And I was like, but I was open, coach. He’s like, “Oh, you think you can do that every time? Yeah. Right. So, and then that’s where I’m messing up at because I should have just shut my mouth and had him just say what he was going to say and then but I’m and I wasn’t getting smart or nothing. It was just answering an honest question. Ask me a question. I gave you honest. He’s like, “Okay, shoot it.” Hit like five or six in a row. Then he’s like, “All right, stop. You shouldn’t have shot the shot anyway. All right, come on. Let’s go back. But but no, Coach Smith, man, he he was that guy. You know, it’s a a crucial game against Duke my freshman year. Here it is. You got Grant Hill down there on the other end. You know, he’s a phenomenal allstar and and college player, you know, NCAA champion, this and that. So, I’m like, man, I was just watching him on TV last year, too. So, we playing Duke and it’s a timeout close game. everybody on the bench and coach Smith got his clipboard and he’s just looking at all of us this whole and and mind you it’s time out so clock still going he’s like and he looked at he’s like this is a good game huh and I’m sitting there as a freshman I’m watching them and I’m watching the upper class and I’m like yo you not going to draw no play up or nothing like it’s like this is a good game this is a real good game and then he ended up saying the play and of course it was the upper classman who knew So he ended up saying the play and we went out there and won the game. But I was like, “Yo,” I said, “That’s crazy.” And then just listening to his philosophies with basketball and calling things out before it even happened. Like um watching basketball games with him, he be like, “Oh, this team, yeah, they’re down 10 now.” Four minutes. He said they’re going to come back and win. He said, “You see the effort and they certain little plays and keys that I didn’t see.” Mhm. And next thing you know, how you know that, man? The team ends up winning. So, you looking at But man, Coach Smith, phenomenal dude. Well respected down there in Carolina. Well respected in the NBA and by his peers um in college when he was here. And man, just one of the best to ever do it, man. He’s his his ultimate. And to get to the to the same similarities probably with Charlie, like all of you guys were all stars. you coming from college, you big stars and this and that playing baseball, right? So with us, he has to manage a team full of McDonald All-Americans. Mhm. So like Exactly. So everywhere like everybody on our team in their respective high school, you was the man, right? 15, 20, 25 points, 30 points, whatever you average, you were the man. So most people think or most guys thought that when I go to college I’m still going to be able to rock and roll like this. No, you not. No you not. You little fish in a big pond now. No, you going to get these rebounds and run the floor. So I already knew I wasn’t getting no plays called for me. So that was just my thing like all right let me run the floor. If I get out run the break they got to throw it to me for the alley. So, you know, that’s what I did. And just learning the whole ropes, learning this game of basketball through him and the way he managed that whole locker room cuz everybody got along. It wasn’t no no bickering or nothing like, “All right, man. So what? You average 20 in high school. I a 25.” Like, you know, that don’t mean nothing. But now Coach Smith like, “Nah, we going to do this.” And he made sure everybody got to play. you know, guys came in for a couple minutes or it was a rotation like if you score like three, four bucks in a row, all right, you coming out, you know, cuz he didn’t want nobody’s head to get too big like I got to go out here and average 25. No, you don’t. Not playing under coach Smith. You didn’t. So, he got everybody. So, he took care of that. He got everybody to buy into what he was selling. Yeah. From day one. Yeah. From day one. and and he let you know like everybody swear that I got paid to go to Carolina and this and that because um you know I bypassed Georgetown, Villanova, and Temple. That was my other three out of my final four. But um no, I actually went down there for the basketball factory that Carolina is in. Yeah. And speak we we going to step back because you touched on something that the McDonald’s Yeah. you know, uh classic. It’s still I think it’s still true. You you are the one and only player to get ejected from McDonald’s high school all-American game. Mhm. I don’t know if we have a clip of that. It would have been It would have been nice to have a clip of that. It wasn’t actual ejection. I just had to sit down on the bench. I couldn’t play no more. First off, I didn’t want to be there. I’m not I wasn’t never one that liked Allstar games, you know. And anybody back in Philly during my high school years, they’ll tell you when we had the uh Philadelphia All-Star games, they’re I ain’t care about that. No, I’m I’m giving the baller. I don’t want to be there. It’s not me because you don’t play. Ain’t nobody playing, right? Everybody want to showbo and this. No, I’m I’m out here to play. I ain’t trying to be all fancy dancy like that like like the same way Sean Taylor was in the in the Pro Bowl that year. I’m I’m with him with that. I was with him like, “Yo, yeah, this a game.” No, we ain’t out here lolly gagging. But um it ended up Yeah, I I I had a couple fouls that one I didn’t think went my way and this and that and and I actually uh watched the game myself probably about a month ago. I forgot where I watched it at. It was on something and uh yeah, I actually watched the game myself and it was a fun game. It was it was cool, but personally I just didn’t want to be there. And so you found a way to get out. They kind of sort of did me a favor by, you know, kicking me out. You know, my mom was mad, popped me in the back of my head a couple times. Her my godmother cuz they came down there with me. Boy, what you doing? But hey, it was cool. Jay, did you ever have an ejection? You ever get ejected out of a game? Yeah, it was it was it was it was trash though. We were playing um No, we’re playing we’re playing in Houston. Okay. Okay. Facing Roger Clemens, first bat, double left center. So, you know, I’m feeling real good, but it’s Roger. He gets about three or four inches off the plate. I turn around. I want to say the umpire was Paul Narret. And I turn around like, bro, like, come on. You You saw what I did last time. I know what he coming with. You know what I’m saying? So, he calls three inches off the plate. All right. Bet. So, now you shifted the plate over. Battle will get to a 3-2 pitch. He throws a two seamer about two inches inside off the plate. And I just looked at I was I looked I turned around I was like what the and just took my helmet threw it. So I guess he found me because I threw my helmet and I looked at him and I threw the bat just just kind but but not not at him just kind of like just kind of like just just threw it and I just walked away like ain’t nothing I can say cuz I don’t want to get kicked out. It was you know cuz I I don’t get angry right but this moment it was like I’m facing Roger Clemens you know one of the greatest pitchers of of our time that we got to face. Um, and you going to let He didn’t If he strikes me out, it’s one thing, but you struck me out and I didn’t appreciate that. So, I do that and I just walk off and I’m just shaking my head and all of a sudden I hear Milk coming down the line screaming and hollering and I’m like, Mil, bro, like it’s I’m over it now. It’s cool. Like, I’m like, it’s already it’s already done. And then Mil was like, “No, he just kicked you out the game.” I was, “No, but you know me, when I get all my anger out, it’s like there’s no going back and getting re-angry. It was just I just turned around.” I was like, “What?” Like, you kicked me out the game because you threw your helmet to threw your bat and you was cursing. I’m like, “Here we go.” And so when I say it was weak, it was weak because I didn’t It wasn’t nothing for me to do anymore. I didn’t accepted the fact that you struck me out. It’s cool. Let me go. Because I think Charlie had already said we were somebody got hurt. It was like we can’t, you know, we got we already short, so here we go. And you kicked me out the game. So when I it it was weak. It was it wasn’t it wasn’t nothing like yours running running up. I was rookie for that game because I was getting that same I was getting that same heat from that umpire cuz he was giving he was giving Roger like three inches off the plate away. And I looked around. I turned around then. Huh. I turned around and I said, “Look, I get it. That’s Roger. That’s Roger. I get it. I’m a rookie. I totally understand. But bro, give me a shot. Say three inches. That’s like you got you there’s no shot of trying to hit it, bro. I got to turn around and try to hit it from from the right side. Yeah. So, I was like, man, I ain’t do what Jimmy did, though. No, you you have Yeah. You You have Yeah, I did. You Hey, I had a week. Hey, you gota you gota Hey, I had a Do we got Do we got I think it was against Houston. It was against Houston again. It was against Houston. Hey, we Oh, we got the Dissy Jackson. Hey. Yeah, I She to be proud of this one. Yeah, I had to let she It was against Houston. She to be proud of this one. What you think? What you think? Did he go? Is that a check swing or not? I don’t. Did he swing or was it a check? It don’t look like he crossed that plate to me. He taking a And he took a real long time. And that’s my guy right there, too, man. Scott Barry. I love him, bro. I love Scott Barry. You had him on the way up, too, huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Barry was awesome, bro. Amazing. Still is, man. Shout out SB. But hey, look the There it is. Yeah. And then Greg Gibson was behind home plate. I can’t stand. So he’s talking to me. Like me? I’m just kind of like, bro. I’m like, come on, bro. Like I’m not I’m not talking to you. Hey, don’t you I told I told Greg I said, bro, don’t you talk to me. Don’t you say nothing to me. This ain’t got nothing to do with you. That was bad, bro. I know the feeling. All too well. It was bad, bro. And then my man Borie Bourney was over with Houston. He came in the next day. He’s like, “I’m dying because you don’t get mad. You don’t get mad. I don’t get like that, bro. I don’t get like that. It was You know what it was though, bro? It was like, it was all It was all set up. It was all right. It was all right there because the previous pitch, it says it all. My man Scott is an amazing umpire first and foremost and we never had any issues. That was just a bad game. Now, it didn’t help that I went like 0 for four with four strikeouts. No, that don’t help. That don’t help. But, you know, obviously frustration boiling over from me, but you know, you could see it in his eye. It was just like, man, don’t let it be close. And that’s what that’s one of them things as a hearer. It’s like you got to take it out of his hands. And I gave it right back to him. But the funny part was the next day born came back and he was like, “Yo, Ry, man, like you good, you okay?” He’s like, “I ain’t never seen you like that before, bro. Never lost it, bro. Like that too much.” Did you just I mean, you brought up ejection for a reason. I I did bring up ejection cuz you started with me. You started with the softball. You know, obviously, you know, mine was weak. No, we Yes. We knew yours. We knew you was trying to go body slam Scott Barry. But she just No, you was about to go body slam. She you got you got a number of memorable. I wanted to body slam a couple of them myself. Which what was I don’t know if do you call it your favorite like like where you knew it was like I know what’s about to happen before it happened and all he got to do is push me. like a certain a referee you just like I didn’t I don’t like this dude a player like it’s going down. Oh yeah. No. Well, and that’s the crazy thing about it though. I never had no beef with no players. Like out of my whole career, you know, it was never nobody where I’ll be like, man, next time I see him, I’mma bust him in his head or something like that. No, it was more like, man, all right, they might have beat us or we beat them, but next time I see them, like, man, yeah, I got to make sure I bring it against KG or Tim D or something like that. But I cannot wait to see some of these refs that referee when I was playing. A few of them are still refing now. I cannot wait to see them because the the antics that happen now is far worse than anything that I I never really had no I just cussed them out you know called them mfers and you know gave them all the cuss words in the book. That’s all I did. I never, you know, they antics and running all around and you know, you seen LeBron joint when he just fall out and all this. I’m like, yo, y’all some punks. Y’all ain’t calling y’all ain’t calling this, but y’all wasn’t calling on me back then. I’m like, the game ain’t changed that damn much. But for the most part, no, it was a few referees in the NBA that I did like and I did respect. Some were younger and a majority of them were older vets. But yeah, you know, you you get to learn who’s who to. Like you said before, you you got your good umpires and you got your terrible umpire. And it’s the same thing in the league. I actually threatened to referee one time low key. Low key. I I’m not going to say who the gentleman was. I ain’t going to put him out there. Tell him what you said though, right? But so, you know, I felt as though he was giving me a couple bad calls and this and that. I was like, “All right.” I said, “Look,” I said, “I’m tired of y’all always with me when I come out here and play and this and that.” I said, “I got something for y’all.” I said, “You keep you keep with me and I’mma burn your restaurant down.” Yeah. I said that to him. God. And what happened? What happened? No. He just looked at me in shock like, “You playing with my livelihood, I’mma play with yours.” Dang. You had no issue. No. He just looked at me like, “But she all right. Growing up being the athlete that you were, track and field, basketball, football, who is the most freakish athlete, one that you’ve played against that you would think in basketball as well as just any sport?” Um, in high school it was a kid uh in Philly. went to Overbrook High called uh his name was Isaiah Montgomery. He was the first one I saw jump over a car both ways. Wait, what? The long way and the short way. In a dunk contest. In a hood dunk contest, I think, you know, for cash prize, right? Didn’t believe it when I saw it. But both ways, the long way. Now, it was it was something like uh it wasn’t a huge car. It was something tempor but but but tempo has some length to it though that front end. Yeah. It may not have been high but that was freak freak athlete. And then so I’m still in high school. So it’s my old head uh named Kevin Rockmine, right? So at the time he was one of my mentors and we were up at St. Joe’s University. So I was up there getting a little workout in. So, as we were leaving, uh, Team USA handball team was practicing in another gym. So, as we were leaving, he noticed one of the athletes in there and he was like, “Oh, man. Hey, what’s up?” And and one of his friends from before and they talking this and that and he told me, he was like, he leaned over and he was like, “Hey, Raj.” He’s like, “He got more ups than you.” And this and that. I’m like, “Man, whatever.” Look, I’m like 610 in high school. I had like maybe like a 48 inch vertical being as tall as I was. I’m like, “Man, whatever, dog.” I’m like, “It ain’t too many people out here jumping higher than me.” He’s like, “Ros, he can do something you can’t do.” I’m like, “What?” He said, “He can kick the backboard.” I out of here. So, you know, they had to practice. He was like, “All right.” They had they finished, they practice. So, he introduced me to the guy. I can’t remember his last name. His first name was Derek. He played on Team USA handball. So this is probably like 92. Okay. Around that time, like ‘ 91, ’92, he was prepping for the Olympics. And um and he said, “Yeah.” He’s like, “Man, Derek, you don’t believe you can kick the backboard.” I was like, “Yeah.” I was like, “No, that’s impossible, bro.” Bro, he ran from like half court and it was probably about two and a half feet past the foul line took off. No. So if if like if this is the bottom of the backboard, you know, the foam and then they got the actual glass. Yeah. And his foot went above the phone. The glass footprint was on the glass standing there in total total disbelief and total dis no some some real life street fighters. I said do it again. He was like man I can’t but no that’s that’s one of the moments growing up I wish that we had these phones to be able to video that cuz whenever I tell people that they don’t believe me. Yeah. Unless I call my old head and he calls he calls Derek. I can’t remember the brother’s last name but man that’s that Charlie story like it. So you you like I about to say the vet. Jesus I almost at the vet. You’ve been in Citizens Bank and you know that bell is in centerfield. Mhm. Charlie to this day. Like let us on that level you got some validators. Mhm. Charlie said he was out watching Julio Franco take batting practice, extra extra batting practice. So, you know, BP, you throwing 60, 70 miles per hour. You could you could really get into it. You know, you could just He said, and he swears to this day. I swear. I’m not lying, JR. I know what I saw. I saw it, JRO. I’m telling you. He said Julio Franco hit the bell out in center field in batting practice. that what’s that like 600 and something feet right at least I’ve seen Ryan hit 540 foot balls to center field pause you know center field but you know and didn’t even get close to that right and he sw he came out and he’s like Jerry you ain’t going to believe what I saw I’m like what you see Charlie Julio Franco I’m like where’s he standing in center field with a fun guy and I’m looking I’ve seen from second base I’ve seen Barry hit the McDonald time. I’ve seen Ryan go third deck. That That’s the only chance of ball that would have had to go out there. But to hit it dead center. I’ve seen Ryan hit it over the wall of fame with Ali, bro. Right. That’s I’m like ain’t no way in the world, Charlie. So, so I’m not saying it didn’t happen. You as you asked Julio. I did not. No, I I did not. I did not. I I should have. Yes, that’s one of those. So that story your viewer spread like wildfire though, right? Charlie’s the only one that has the story. Yeah. All right. She We have a segment. It’s known as the banana boat segment and it talks about rituals, superstitions, things that athletes, entertainers do before they get ready um you know before a big event or a big game. First, were you superstitious at all? Yes. Oh, very. This going to be a great segment. Yes, please. So, what was your banana boat ritual? Things that you had to do, sit a certain way, socks, eat, all that. Let us know. Well, when I was in the NBA, don’t mess with my sneakers as far as like I was the only one allowed to write stuff on them. Even the equipment manager, don’t write my number on there. Don’t write whatever. Leave my sneakers alone. But for me, I had two rituals. Every time I put my shoes on, I don’t know why, it just always felt good, but I tap my toe and heel seven times and give two stomps. So, like if if right now we in the gym, you know, and I do this to this day, every time I walk into the gym, I go like this. I go two stomps and tie my shoe up. Put the left one on. Same thing. Tie my shoe up. And then when I get out on the court, it’s a little uh warm-up shooting ritual I always do where I do a right hand and left hand. Stand in front of the basket, shoot it, step back, bend my knees, shoot it, grab the ball, take a bounce, step back, go all the way to the foul line, and do that with both hands. And then all right, I’m good to go then. So yeah, so when you So that now you’re locked in. Yeah. Like like with Has there ever been a moment where it’s like, oh, I forgot to do something like I didn’t do it. And I felt like I that’s where I messed up at. I might have had like a a bad game or or do some bad passes because I reflect damn to do that. So now I got to come back out at halftime and do it. Do it all over. But yep, that’s that’s my ritual every time to this day. My cousin will tell you to this day. I’ve been retired since 2012. Every time I got basketball camp, I’m doing the basketball camp. Yo. All right. Give me a second. Look like he over there. Gregory Hind Glover out. You know what I’m saying? So what what started it though? Like cuz I’m not a only thing I did I would consider superstitious was I jumped over the line. But for me it started there was like the baseball guys don’t want you you know crossing the line. So it’s like okay I respect the game. I don’t want to upset the baseball guys, basketball guys, golf guys, football whatever it is. is like, “Hey, we hey, I’m here today. Be with me.” So, that was the only thing I did. Other than that, I wasn’t a superstitious type person. So, it always is interesting to me that how something starts or you know, just just why. But how did that start? I don’t know. I mean, I guess for originally initially it started I guess um when I first my my rookie season when I first started really wearing orthotics in my shoes like professional orthotics and just to you know put your foot in and get that good feel like all right feel good now let me tie it. But yeah, they just just something I did. And you know, yeah, that I guess that’s my little uh uh ritual to the basketball gods, you know, cuz we believe in that. Well, I don’t know more about the younger generation, but I know the older generation, we definitely believe in a basketball guy. You know, if you’re not out there playing the right way or you being selfish, the basketball guys going to let you know you going to miss shots, you know, your passes messed up, whatever the case may be. Yeah. For no reason at all. because it’s real, right? And and and in short, for those who don’t know, it’s it’s it’s it’s a way of paying homage and respect to the game. You know, it’s it’s you know, you get out there, you start popping your collars, you getting too big, you nah, the basketball, the baseball, the football, the golf, they will knock you down. They will humble for no reason. You you get hot and and then you cold and you can’t explain it. You don’t feel good. You know, if there you you can’t see the ball no more. It’s all all these things. Your brain clicks and it turns on. So, it’s a way that that when you’re in it, like sports, they are spiritual also. They are spiritual. You know, there there’s a feeling when you’re on that court, when you’re on a field that you can’t explain unless you’re there. So, there there there’s a spiritual um component to it. And it’s and it’s respecting the game. So, you can’t disrespect the gods. You just cannot because they’ll let you know we’re still here and it’s real. You don’t believe us, you’ll find out. Ask somebody. Ask somebody. Look at your stats. That’s facts. For real. That’s facts. So Sheed, now as you’ve been done playing, you’ve gotten back into the game in a different way. Now coaching, right? University of Memphis. Yep. I had coached there for a year. Um that was cool. That was my first time coaching on that collegiate level, but it was cool. Been a high school coach uh for a couple years um back in North Carolina in Durham. Had a high school team. uh coached um uh basketball camps and you know things of that nature. But that’s yeah that’s where I’m at now. You know it’s been actually it’s funny my buddy Corey now Alexander and I was just talking like yo it’s been about a good two or three years since I got on the court and ran up and down. I was like I got to get back out there you know but it’s it’s fun. Um it’s yeah it’s it’s it’s I like what I’m doing man and I’ve always got something to give to the kids. I can’t take all this knowledge to the grave. Um, so I might as well give it to them. What’s been kind of the biggest adjustment? So obviously like as you were saying like when you got to school, right, and Dean Smith was handling like all these egos and everything like how did you go about doing that? And also there weren’t NILs. Then there weren’t NILs. So even more so now with the NIL game that’s in place, like what was the thought process getting in there? Like all right, what what am I what am I walking into? What am I getting myself into with this? Well, now with the NIL, you know, those guys are lucky. That’s something that we wish that we all could have got when we was in school, you know, especially the billions that the NCAA has made. But off your names, I I tried to take a page out of Coach Smith book. Um, and just trying to remember how he used to operate with us because yes, even though the kids that I was coaching at that time, no, they weren’t all Americans, but they were still basketball players that had egos. So, it was a learning lesson for me. Um, a learning lesson for them as well to just try to try to navigate that. And you know, I see how and why my high school coach became such a great father figure to me because he was always there. You know, whenever I had a problem, I could go to him and I knew he wouldn’t judge me, you know, cuz he always he always somehow someway in his line, he always hit you with the we all human, right? And you know, we all make mistakes and blah blah blah. But and I just tried to carry that over to my coaching like with now a lot of the kids today for them it’s all about being seen on Instagram or Twitter or whatever and they don’t really like to get into basketball as far as digging into the game because here’s the thing everybody going to get dunked on. Yes, I got dunked on before. Yeah, I done dunked on people before. I got crossed over before and I done fell before. It’s gonna happen. It’s just like in baseball, you’re gonna strike out. You’re gonna miss a pop up. It’s the game. It happens. But what I think uh a majority of our youth today doesn’t realize is that one, it’s part of the game. It’s going to happen. And so what if it does? Yo, it’s so much. The thing about basketball, there’s so many possessions where you can come back and do better or, you know, in some cases some guys do worse. You just have to go and and be you. You know, one thing you got to set down tone the tone first when when I was a coach, me and my buddy Pat over here, one thing that we said we don’t do with the kids is F and E, feelings and emotions. M that right there was set a certain standard. But off the court, yeah, the kids know they still can come talk to us. But on the court, hey man, don’t look at me because dude found you and the ref ain’t call it. It’s the same thing I do in practice. So why you think you going to get the call now? But it’s it’s love though. It’s love. And like I said, I understand the way I felt with my high school coaches, how my high school kids felt about us. We still talk to them what, six, seven years later. So it it just make you feel good like like that proud uncle. Yeah. Exactly. With with the collegiate kids and high school kids with this NIL, the parents not only are living vicariously through them now you’re paying, you know, you getting this money and and some parents are trying to take that over to with some of these kids. You know, they could be getting, let’s just throw out there, uh, $50,000 to go to this one high school. Well, all right. Well, here it is. that kid is not old enough to be able to really understand or fathom y $50,000, you know what I’m saying? How what that can go to. Oh, the mortgage, the the bills, the car payments, the down payment on the new whip or something like that for the family, for the house. They’re not understanding that at the moment. So, with the parents, they try to bully the money. You know what I’m saying? Oh, I know my kid is getting this and so now I’m make a couple extra calls. Hey, dad. Hey, hey, hey. But you know, let’s go out, let’s go to lunch and this and that. Now you want to spend just cuz he getting a couple dollars. No, let him live. That’s his money. Just like just like we tell our kids like, “Oh, your kids and I know it happened with all of us. Your kids be like, “Oh yeah, we rich. We rich.” No, I’m I’m rich. You ain’t got no money yet, so I’m rich. So, and that’s the same. It goes back to with some of the parents. It’s like, yo, that’s not your money. You ain’t rich. Your kid is rich. He’s the one out here with this NIL. And I think at some point they need to put a cap on it because it’s it’s just getting outrageous and it’s it’s making a lot of good people turn bad people because you see the greediness in it. You know, they they want to push their kids to make the NBA so bad and this and that. They feel like, “All right, I got this little 150 200,000 or more, whatever now.” Yeah. It changes all It changes the whole game, man. For sure. That’s for sure. But hey, I wanted to change gears real quick because we have a list of guys and we want to get we like to do a little comparison on the show, you know, being being as athletic. Well, we’ve had football comparison. We’ve had football. We’ve had football. We’ve had football, but we have not had basketball comparisons yet. I I would say the one that’s easiest to me would be Aaron Judge. And for me, in my opinion, that would be Shaq. Okay. So, like Aaron Judge, like he’s he’s the man for the stankies. Mhm. You know, he he he gets them up out of there, you know, whenever they’re in a rut, you know, he go out there, pop two, three, four homers. Now, next thing you know, they’re on a four, five game win streak. And to me, that’s how it was with Shaq. Like, Shaq was just a just an unstoppable force down there. I’m talking about Young Shaq. Not even when he got old. Like Young Shaq when he first got to LA to Orlando and first got to LA like man tearing the whole backboard down and like he was really I would say yeah he was that Aaron Judge with them with them monster dunks is them same thing as them home run hitters. you know, and one’s on on that opposing center. And not only is it a foul and one, he made the bucket, but he smashed the backboard or the whole backboard support done fell and everything. That’s how they came out with uh with all the snapback rims now. Pull him down. And let me see. I’m I’m I’mma jump in. I’m looking at Ellie. Oh, and I’m thinking SGA. I was thinking the same dynamic like this. He’s slippery. He’s explosive and it’s and you don’t you don’t understand the speed until you lined up next to him. True. You know, so as I’m thinking now, Candy Hoop is another diff is a different thing. But I’m thinking like how SJ just moves Ellie and gets and gets that team involved, that team leader. It’s just when when when he when he gets on when he’s on fire, man, it’s it’s an unstoppable force, right? And it’s and it’s but it’s it’s like the breeze. It’s just I like like diesel words where like ah he’s like Ellie. So I’m looking at Ellie that that’s what came to my mind. But I want to know show who’s a who’s a show who’s show who’s a show because show does it on offense and pitches and he good at he’s he’s he’s been great at both MVP multiple times. Who’s a show comparison? I think that’s a I that that could be a SGA right there though too, huh? Reason being again as you just said on both sides of the ball SGA do play good defense. You know what I’m saying? He’s the champ. They’re the champs. Yeah, for sure. Who are Bryce? Bryce. Would Bryce Let me see. I don’t know. I don’t I don’t know. Bryce doesn’t really Is he a Luca? Is he a Luca in a No, cuz Bryce Bryce not to me. He not fancy like like he he doesn’t do all the, you know, Luca. He going to be fancy with the ante, right? Okay. You know, but I don’t like when Bryce hits a home run, I don’t see him doing all the shimmy and all that, you know, he just sling the bat and flipping. Would he be Would he be the Joker? Oh, just keep it. Would he be joking? Born and simple. I mean like I mean he goes about it. I mean, he just goes out and it’s like he just puts up numbers. Like he shows up, he posts up. Now you’re right. He does. you look up, you say not not overly not not super fancy or whatever, but he just like stays focused on what he needs to go out there and go do and does it. Every time I see the Joker play, it seems like he’s not he’s you know he’s involved, but it’s like where’s the scoring coming from? And you look up and it’s 35. Like where did that happen? Right. Like I saw him make a couple passes and assists and and it’s 35 points that you don’t see. Yep. It’s like that deadly pickup basketball game that you go to and you show up. Yeah. At like Yeah. It’s just like, yeah, just like at the at the local gym or whatever and it’s like, all right, I’ll guard that dude cuz he don’t move, right? He he looks like he’s in slow motion and the next thing you know on you. Yeah, you said he got 20 on you. Yeah, that’s that’s for sure. And then just just think about that, too. Just remember back in like the 90s, the the the MVPs and all that, you know, David Robinson, Carl Malone, you know, Oakley and all. He looks like he left. Now, now Cats is, you know, a little chubby and they MVPs and you like, damn, what the hell happened to all this dude? Like, for real, for real. Luke about to work out of her. Yeah, that’s what I heard. I’ve been seeing the memes, you know, looking like Yeah, he going to get back in the game. He going to get back. He going to get back in the regular game. I guess he was he was living off. You can’t pull f You going You do all that stuff in the offseason, but then when the season hits you going to go back. He going to go back like cuz he don’t know how to play any other way. That’s true. That’s like when C when CeCe lost all the weight. I didn’t like Little C. I I had that power like Yeah. When he when CeCe lost the weight, I like Big Ryan. Yeah. Well, I was stealing bases, too. Yeah. It’s what we do. It’s what we do, bro. Obviously, I like Big Ryan. I like, you know, eating Waw Wa on my couch. Ryan, you know, that’s that’s the Ryan I like, you know. For sure. Well, she thank you for um sliding through the day. Oh, no doubt. On your way to uh Chapel Thrill. Yes, sir. Induitably. You know, uh it was it was an honor having you and like I said in the beginning and you know, you you’ve been real from the jump like supporting what we do. Uh we know that how the city doesn’t get down necessarily in black neighborhoods, black community with with the Phillies, but you’ve been one that you’ve always reached out, you’ve always paid attention, you’ve always sent love. Um, and I personally appreciate appreciate that. And like I said, we appreciate you spending some time with us, getting to know you, your stories. Um, man, it’s I’m I’m looking forward to what you’re doing. And always, we know when the Phillies in the playoffs, I know I’m getting that text, hey, if they get to this level, you going to be there. I’m like, get to I got to work. I got to work. So, um, thanks for joining 611. Oh, man. As usual, it’s all Philly love, you know. Yes, sir. No doubt. Definitely appreciate y’all for having me, man. It’s, you know, like like uh I was watching something, right? And then they was like, “Yeah, uh the 611 podcast, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins.” I hit Reek. I was like, “Yo.” I said, “They got a podcast.” He was like, “Yeah, they’ve been at that joint.” I said, “What?” I said, “Fam.” I said, “Hit JRO for me, dog.” I was like, “I got to be on there with my guys, dog.” I was like, “Hit him for me.” But no, I definitely love y’all, man. Love what y’all did for my city. You know what I’m saying? And how y’all do still come back and support. Y’all don’t have to, you know, y’all retired brothers. Y’all could be doing anything, living down here or world travelers. But I just love the fact that y’all take time out to come back to the city, man. I definitely appreciate that, man. I appreciate that for sure, bro. No doubt. [Music]

NBA Champion and four-time All-star Rasheed Wallace talks his love for Philly sports, his biggest mentors and more on the 6-1-1 podcast

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