A Los Angeles Lakers Super Show | Austin Reaves, Flea, Russillo, and Jake LaRavia

A Los Angeles Lakers Super Show | Austin Reaves, Flea, Russillo, and Jake LaRavia

And I’ve been, you know, in many in argument. You I almost got in a fight in the Boston airport one time when I see Good for you. Good for you. No, guys surrounded me, man. It was when when uh the Lakers I mean, it was before your your days, but when the It was the LA It was uh 2010. Okay. Yeah. 2010 game. Well, we won five. What was the fight? And all these guys were just like I was like all lakered out and they came up and they just they were just like sweating me hard and I was just like go Lakers and they were like saying remember when you had the confetti in the game and the confetti game and you couldn’t release the confetti and I was just like the Celtics suck ladies and game six and game seven. [Music] I’m ready to start this thing. Let’s do it. Are you going to start it? Are you the MC? I’m going to start I’m going to start it. This is just his house. Thank you, Ryan, for for graciously letting us use your house. We need somewhere near these guys. Well, I’m just like, you know, I was driving over here and I was thinking this isn’t for kids, right? This podcast. Is it for kids? Cuz sometimes I just cuss it just comes out cuz I was about to because just the way I speak. But the thing that I always think about and I’m a, you know, I love basketball like and for me like being a musician, it feels the same to me. I grew up playing basketball every day, you know, I was never good. But that’s the So my question is like, how the [ __ ] how do you guys get so good at basketball? Like I mean, and what what’s really curious to me is like you guys are elite athletes, right? Like at what point That’s debatable. Well, I know like you’re always like like yearning and trying to get better and you’re like climbing a mountain of skill always, right? like to be good, but like at what point like little Jake and little Austin when you’re a kid do you have that feeling that you’re driven so powerfully to give so much to something to get that good? I think mine was I have a I have a great delusional confidence like you have to have that as a professional athlete. I think I think J.R. Smith was telling a story one time and he was like or it was I think it was Amas Shumpert and he was like the majority of professional athletes have screws loose like you’re not 100% there mentally. You have to be delusional. You have to be overly confident every day to go compete like that. So I feel like at a young age my my family you know instilled that into me cuz everything we did was competitive. My brother used to just beat the [ __ ] out of me at everything. I never won anything. My parents never let me win anything. So that kind of just, you know, built that fire in me at a young age and then, you know, just continued to get better. Stayed in the gym a lot. Do you have it with everything in your life? Confidence. Yeah. I know you have it with golf. So we we know two things you have it with. Uh I mean I would say the majority of sports. Yeah. I like I mean but I’m also like a in like I said an insane competitor. like anything. Like we had a little team thing the other day at the beach and we played spikeball. First time I ever played but like it wasn’t sweet. But I mean, but it’s not delusional though because you got into the NBA like you know you didn’t get drafted. You come into the Lakers, I mean, I know I’ve watched every second that you have played in a Laker uniform and it’s like you just came in from the beginning like brimming with confidence, but it wasn’t delusional cuz you could do it. You know what I mean? Like Yeah. No, I think that I mean I think that I give, you know, LeBron and AD a lot of credit for that especially because they were two people from day one was just like be yourself. Like don’t try to be anybody else on the court especially, but they were like off the court too. So that made me feel super comfortable because I don’t I don’t go out. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke. Like I really just love to hoop and play golf. And so they never was like telling me I had to do this or had to do that. Especially when it came to basketball. They just told me to be myself. So at the end of the day, like I’ve played basketball, you know, since I was, you know, 10 years old. So it’s all the same thing at the end of the day. Awesome. Where’d yours come from, Jake? Honestly, it’s kind of like very similar to him. I was very overly confident growing up uh in everything I did, you know, regardless what the sport was. Even if I was bad at the sport, I was confident in it. I was talking [ __ ] you know, whatever it was. Um that’s just kind of how I grew up. I grew up with like a crazy competitiveness. Like my family was very competitive, you know, whether we were playing cards or sports or whatever it was. Um there was always that that, you know, competing to it. And that’s like kind of what I fell in love with with basketball was just that competing aspect. you know, once I picked up the ball, I just never put it back down. I I fell in love with it. Fell in love with the grind, you know, working hard, making shots. Like, it’s it’s all every every aspect of basketball is so fun to me. And uh that’s kind of just what’s fueled me to to the point I’m at. I remember Chadam High School for me was like the first Tell us about it. Let’s hear more. Let’s get into it. No, we don’t have any uh any video any footage of that, but I’m just I’m psyched to have all you guys in my house. I wanted to ask about your um we’ve already gone over this with Austin so much, so we’re not going to get too much into his background stuff, but some of your background cuz I feel like, you know, the NBA junkies, the Memphis fans, the sack fans, they know, they’ve watched you play, Laker fans, they’re about to kind of experience um the the Jake experience for the first time. Um, but if we were to go back even just to high school, like when did you grow, you know, when did when did the jump start to happen? Yeah. So, I was a a guard pretty much growing up. I was 5’10” my freshman year high school and then uh my freshman to sophomore year that summer I grew to 6’5. So, like that was kind of like my crazy growth spurt. And then I started playing like more of the wing uh position. I didn’t play varsity really till my senior year of high school. uh had a breakout year uh commit committed to Southern Illinois Edwardsville and uh they had ended up firing their coach. So I went back to the transfer portal. Indiana State was the first to reach out, committed to Indiana State, went there for two years, did well. Coach got fired again after my second year and uh hit the portal. Committed to Wake Forest, had some big games against big schools. There was a big thing during my pre-draft about my age which kind of like you know how like age is one of the biggest things in the draft and if you’re older if you’re older then [ __ ] we have a great example right there but like all over Google and stuff it said I was 22 years old but I was only 20. So like when you know me and my agents have found that out we got on that instantly and like literally as soon as we put out that I was 20 years old I got on every like draft board. I got on every mock draft and like even some teams didn’t actually know how old I was. So, uh, you know, it was like Dominican relievers. That’s why insane. You I looked it up one day and I was like I was like, “How old is Jake Lar said 22?” I’m like, “I’m not 22.” They were like a draft prospect. It’s an American. Who did that? Like I have no idea. I couldn’t tell you. Someone Google I don’t know. I have no idea. But yeah, that kind of like screwed me until the age got changed and then I was kind of all over and everyone was good and you know, I got drafted 19th and played in Memphis and played in Sacramento a little bit last year, but I’m excited to be in LA. Do you think do you think um being in Memphis and we sort of know this from some of the guys who’ve been in on that particular team, there’s just a lot of [ __ ] [ __ ] There’s there a lot of tough guys. you’re you’ve a new teammate now um who we’ll get to who played in that experience as well, Marcus. But it’s like it it’s a it’s a place that breeds you you step into that locker room and you’re and there sort of like there’s nothing that you’re not going to leave there unless you have a certain uh attitude. Do you feel like that was a benefit for you with with with sort of uh your welcome to the league moment? Uh I mean the Memphis team that I played on my first year was kind of like that upand cominging like just dogs. They had just lost to Golden State in the playoffs the year before. Uh that was like Dylan Brooks like villain era. Um like he was coming into his own but like it was really just a bunch of young dogs like that. We were you know we were growing up with each other. Is that the whoop that trick game? Yeah the whoop that trick. We did a good team. We did the little dance out to the court every game. Um but honestly I I really did enjoy it. Like that group of guys was really good. we were all around the same age because like again our our vet was probably you know Dylan Brooks or Stephen Adams who were still I mean they were both I think maybe year seven, year nine. Um but outside of that it was like Jaw was only in like year four or five. Dez was in year three or whatever and uh Jiren was even early on still. So it was just like a a group of dogs that was just out there on the court competing every night. Do you have a uh you have a Steven Adams story? Uh I mean the dude is just like an animal. like he just he would walk around the the facility barefoot with with steaks in his hand eating eating steak he only eats meat of you know steak in both hands eating both but yeah he’s that dude’s uh one of the strongest guys I’ve ever been around just like brute strength like it’s it’s crazy where’ y’all meet I remember so throughout his whole like college talk I was just thinking about that I had so my roommate at Ulandis Williams transferred to Wake Forest And I remember he called me one day on FaceTime. He’s You got to know him. He’s hilarious. He’s he’s crazy as [ __ ] He called me. He was like, “Hey, I got another white boy this cold as fuck.” I was like, “Okay, cool.” Blah blah blah blah blah. So I obviously I was watch like I would watch their games to watch, you know, me or Alandis. And I seen him and I was like, “Oh, he’s like actually nice.” And so like I got to know him a little through uh Alandis. And then when he signed with the agency, it was kind of just, you know, after that we we come to know each other. Let me ask you guys about this. This is the thing being someone who’s, you know, a basketball fan. I watch everything and it’s the thing that I’m most fascinated with. And it relates to uh relates to music, it relates to art, it relates to film, it relates to literature, to everyone I know who’s trying to be the very best that they can be. And it’s getting to that place that I hear it referred to in basketball as the zone, but it’s for everybody. It’s a place beyond thought. And to me, when I think about it, it’s like you get your mind out of the way. You get every every distraction out of the way, just like you. And you’re letting God speak through you kind of like in that place of emptiness. When you’re really and it’s when you’re most alert, it’s when you’re most connected. It’s when you’re anticipating what everyone’s going to do. You know what I mean? The most acutely. And I wonder um is that something that you work towards getting to? Is it something that you think about, but I know you know what it’s like to be there cuz I’ve seen you there. Yeah. I think I think all athletes want to live in that space. I think it’s the I mean that’s the greatest feeling in any sports. Any I mean anything you do really is when you get into that uh flow state where everything’s working. Shots that you know probably aren’t great shots that they’re going in, passes are getting through, like everything’s working the right way. Um you definitely want to live in those moments more. I think I heard Braun talking about that one time like I think he was talking about what was it game six against Boston in Boston and he just I mean I think he had what 50 or whatever. So it was just like he was like I was trying stuff. He was like I was doing things that I don’t actually normally do and he was like but I was in such a zone flow state that he was like everything was working. So like I said I think all athletes whatever the sport is you try to get to that spot as much as you can. Yeah. I would love to be there every night. Yeah, I would love to be there every night. You can’t control it though. It’s almost like when the spirits are on your side or you’re in a place where you like to me it’s like trust when you can trust yourself like as a musician can always be thinking like as an improvising musician well uh you know I’m going to try this. I’m going to go to a darker tone here or be more dissonant or angry or more beautiful or whatever it is. But you can’t control getting there but you always want to be there. 100%. Yeah. And I guess like I don’t know people like have certain techniques to try to get there to try to get to that place. And I feel like for anyone in any field so yeah I don’t know when did you first think about it? I mean not consciously but you know what I mean cuz you don’t know but I mean for me like if I’m sitting by myself and I’m playing blowing my trumpets and the piano whatever I’ll like it’s like the drool test. I see I’m drooling. I’m like, “Oh [ __ ] I’m in a good spot.” I was I actually heard a story about Kawhai the other day. Um I heard one too. I’m not talking about that. I don’t know. I don’t want no part of whatever is going on. Clipper curse. It’s eternal. It’s But they was telling me when he works out like he’ll like miss a couple shots and he’ll get like he’ll get mad like he’ll start biting his tongue. And they say once he starts biting his tongue he’ll make like 60 shots in a row. It’s like like you said like it’s like your your drool face like once he like it’s like once he starts biting his tongue it’s like he don’t miss. I was like that’s interesting but it’s crazy. I wanted to ask like I don’t know maybe this is trying too hard but you know when you’re when you’re an athlete and you’ll see like anybody who’s a little kid you’d go like I’m gonna practice that move and like sometimes it happens but it’s just a lot of times just like I don’t I might not have the same hip alignment. I may not have that kind of stuff when you’re a musician and you’re like I you know again I’m going deep into the catalog but like here’s going I don’t know which bass players were your favorite. I don’t know if it’s like a Stanley Clark or Jacob Ptorius or that kind of stuff and you’re like, I want to sound just like that, but there’s so much feeling when you’re at that elite level. Like, is it a fight when you realize I can’t match it perfectly or is it something where you the greatness in what you do is you finding out how to get to this peak that’s different than everybody else? I just always wanted to be myself. You did a good job with that, by the way. Thank you. Yeah. No, I never It’s funny that you asked that cuz I I’ve never been insecure as a musician. I was also like delusional. Like I just like I don’t care if I’m playing one [ __ ] note. I’m going to play it with every fiber of my soul. You know what I mean? Like just give everything I got and everything that I do. But recently I made a jazz record like a solo album playing trumpet. I played I wanted to be a jazz trumpet player when I was a kid and I was stepping out of my comfort zone. You know what I mean? Like there’s so much ego on rock music. You’re selling out, you know, giant stadiums all over the world. You’re so great. You’re so great. Oh yeah, please another million. You know, you know what I mean? It’s like it’s so ego- driven for sure. But I went and made this jazz album and it’s a very cerebral, sophisticated music and I’m got these guys to play with me that are so good and I was terrified. Like for the first time, never scared of music. I was going into I was like, I’m scared they’re going to make fun of me behind my back. they’re only going to think they’re going to be doing it for a paycheck, not for the, you know what I mean? And I got in the room with them and like we connected really beautifully and it was so great and I realized like it’s not about and I think it’s like this in sports too maybe. I don’t know if you guys but like I was talking to someone like one of these guys I know he’s very evolved musician he was like look we’re all on this mountain climbing this mountain and some of us are higher up like you have like these virtuosos you know John Cold Train or Charlie Parker at the top of the mountain or Stevie Wonder and we’re all climbing it you know what I mean but it’s a beautiful mountain and we’re on it and we’re working so I it was such a beautiful way to think like yeah let’s [ __ ] rock this [ __ ] let’s do this you know it does not about like you know who’s better who’s not that are, you know, working together to make something happen. So, yeah, that was a great answer. But the the funny thing is you kind of can’t ever accept that like for what he’s talking about like his journey, you like you’re competing flee, but kind of not really in the way these guys are, right? It’s different. Yeah. I mean, if you’re not on my team, good luck to you. I mean, I have I’ve created some friendships in the league. When I first came in the league, I knew Landry Sham. He was my roommate at Witchaw State. Other than that, I didn’t know anybody. So, it’s like it’s at the end of the day, it’s competition and I want to win. If we win, we get paid. You know, I want to win championships. But when it comes to, you know, stepping in between the lines and like none of that really matters. Do you see similar do you see similarities in the in the dynamic between a locker room and a band in terms of the interpersonal dynamic? Well, I don’t know. I’ve never been in a locker room, but for us it’s, you know, I mean, we just did a 2-year long tour. You know, I’ve been touring my entire adult life or even before I was an adult. And there’s times when everyone’s getting along and it’s great. And it’s like you can live within this thing. It’s beautiful. You’re all family. You love one another. But sometimes, you know, someone’s pissing you off. You know, they’re pissing you off. You think they’re being hypocritical. You don’t respect what they’re doing. You think they’re dishonest or whatever. and it’s diff, you know, that’s when it’s hard. So, for me, it’s all about, you know, when you can have that togetherness and I don’t know how hard that is on a sports team, but it can’t be all getting along all the time. I mean, there’s just no way. No, for sure. I mean, I think I think that’s the, you know, one of the beauties about, you know, sport team sports is like you’re not always going to see eye to eye. You’re not you’re going to get into arguments and I think that stuff is healthy. Like I think once you have a team that can confront each other, Yeah. I can come up to Jake and be like, “Hey, you [ __ ] this up.” Or he could come to me and be like, “No, I don’t think I did.” Like when you have that communication and that dialogue, that’s when I feel like you can get really really good, but like if you’re kind of, you know, beating around the bush trying not to, you know, hurt anybody’s feelings, then at the end of the day, like you can’t be, you know, upfront with one another, then you’re not going to be as good as you you want to be. And yeah, I would say it’s more so like communication on the court cuz like even like from a college standpoint, it’s going to be different. like that locker room is going to be different than a professional locker room because you know now dudes is grown men. They got families, they got kids. Like you’re not hanging out on like in college, you know, you’re just you’re hanging out on the court or off the court with your teammates every day. Like you’re probably just going over to someone’s apartment or whatever it is, but like that was the first thing like I noticed in the league was just like, “Oh [ __ ] like dudes don’t really hang out with each other like no more.” So like you got to really just, you know, get those relationships in the locker room. Like so you do have to be able to communicate well with uh your team, but like like Austin was saying, it’s not always sweet, you know, like there’s going to be battles. What about like emotional life in general relating to playing the basketball cuz such a sensitive game? I mean, a matter of, you know, you you’re in your rhythm, you know, but a centimeter to the left, it’s not going in, you lose the game or whatever, you make a bad pass, one decision, you didn’t, you know, do the right thing. like how does the emotional content of your life and we all go through you know maybe Grunk’s in a good mood every day but we all go through stuff we break we have breakups we have divorces we have we make mistakes in life we you know what I mean things that like when you’re upset and people I mean sometimes I can see it like you know in sports like just someone’s struggling you know what I mean like whether they might just having a bad night or a bad day they’re angry or whatever but how do you balance just the trials and tribulations of being a human being with, you know, performing at your best and being there available and present for your teammates and for everybody. I would say, and this is like not in a negative way, but like it’s a lot easier if you have like a I don’t care mentality about really anything. So like like you said, you miss a shot or whatever is in the game, you miss a game shot, game a layup, gamewinner free throw, whatever it is, turnover, like go fish memory on to the next play. Like that’s really just the easiest way to go about pretty much everything cuz if you’re striving for perfection on the court, it’s probably just going to hurt you in a negative way at the end of the day. So if you just have, you know, that I don’t care mentality. And again, that’s not like negative. Whereas it’s like I don’t care that I had a turn because I do care that I threw the ball away, but it’s not I’m not going to let it affect the next possession. I’m not going to let it affect the rest of my, you know, rest of the game. It’s all within the flow of the context of being your best. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think for me it’s like at the end of the day, like I’m able to play basketball, a kid sport, for a living. So, it’s like make a lot of money. Yeah. So, why am uh you obviously stress about, you know, things that you know, you want to get better at. You put in all these hours, you want to see improvement, but at the end of the day, like I play for the best organization in basketball, and you know that there’s a lot that Exactly. You know, so you know there’s a lot that Yeah. Exactly. But you know that there’s a lot being here that comes with being a Laker. Like you’re going to see all these things. You’re gonna hear all these things. But at the end of the day, like if I’m comfortable with myself every single night, I set my bar higher than what any fan that looks at me sets my bar. So if I’m happy with how I’m playing, then I really don’t care, like Jake said, about what anybody else says. No, I appreciate it. But I what I meant more was like when other things are hard like we all go through times of anxiety and fear. Yeah. Like off the court when life is difficult when you go people die you know I mean life can be heartbreaking like able to channel that energy whether it’s anxious or anger or melancholy or sadness like to deal with that in the context of expressing yourself on a basketball court. I think for me like basketball is my safe spa safe space. So it’s like when I go to the gym like I forget about everything else. Like you can be like you said you could go through real life you know stuff and that’s what not a lot of people um that you know average you know fan thinks about like you know you have you know all these guys in the NBA that have real life. We’re not robots like we have family members who go through relationships and stuff like that. So you can have bad days, but at the end of the day, like if you genuinely love basketball and you get around basketball, like obviously, not that that stuff doesn’t matter in the time, but you can kind of clear your head and, you know, keep the main thing the main thing. Yeah. Yeah. Is is there a difference between a player that loves basketball and a player that’s good at basketball? 10,000%. And there’s a lot of people that are really good at basketball. Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about. Like someone could have the right body, put in the work, be really good, but not love it. You know what I mean? And I’m just like, and sometimes I feel like I can see that in players, you know what I mean? Like you’re not It doesn’t mean like having fun biting his tongue over your trying not to make No, no, you guys are doing a great job. Well, you know, my well well my wife told me my wife she used to work as an intern in the summer league and she had to get the players to come do uh trash or whatever and she was telling me she was like she was like there’s such a big difference between the players that hit on me and the ones that leave me the [ __ ] alone. But no no but no she was like but between the players that love the game and the players that are just like they they’re good at it and they can get paid well and it’s a good job and but they’re not going to do anything. And she was like, “The ones that love it are always down to do this stuff. They’re always down to go to the kids’ hospital. They’re always down to help out with the food bank. They’re always down to do this and that.” She goes, “Other ones,” she goes, “the don’t love the game. They’re not they’re just not as there. They want to get in and out.” A lot of people love what the game provides instead of the game itself. Like people love the access to clubs, and you know, obviously money, jewelry, cars, like people love that. That’s why a lot of people play basketball. And I I play basketball cuz I like basketball. Yeah. I mean, that’s how it is for me with music, too. Sure. That’s why it’s like, look, you know, I’ve been in my band for 45 years. I’m 63 years old. And I still wake up every day, I’m like, God, I got to get better at that diminish scale. If I can do it backwards and I can do it, put two of them together and do it. Oh man, that would sound good. And I’ll sit there all day trying to like articulate this, you know, kind of academic concept or whatever it is. But cuz it’s a lifelong journey, you know what I mean? And it applies to everything. And that’s I think you know the thing that’s so exciting to me like it’s it’s a vehicle for human greatness. Does that exist in in in music what we’re describing about people who are incredibly gifted but may not love it. Um yeah I most people who are gifted like actually gifted and I don’t really believe in talent. You know what I mean? Sometimes I think the best talent is no talent. Like some people can take real naturally to be very like a natural sense of rhythm or melody or whatever. But sometimes the person who doesn’t have any of that has to invent a way to do it because they love it so much and then they come up with some weird style that’s you know can be really interesting. Yeah. But um what was the question? Well just there’s that dynamic what we’re talking about of guys Oh right. Yeah. I think usually Yeah. Like especially in in the rock music world a lot of people like they learn how to do a certain thing. They might have a hit record, but they don’t last. Yeah. You know what I mean? Because they’re not going to like put in the work. You could have a hit. Like, look, a long time ago, I could have had my four seats at the Lakers and be sitting on a beach eating papaya, smoking weed, going to the game. You know what I mean? But no, you know, no, it’s great. It’s great. And what I thought I wanted, but I just love music and my favorite musicians never stopped. Louisie Armstrong, you know, the night before he died, he was on stage like they carried him on. played because he just like it’s just like this coil that’s tightly wound inside that you want to unwind it, you know? And like I saying that thing about playing with those jazz musicians like they’re so good. I aspire like I’m yearning. I care. I love it. And I get the not caring thing, too. But I I know it’s like caring and not caring. You know what I mean? It’s like, yeah, you got to let go. Part of it is [ __ ] up. You know, I make mistakes all the time, but it’s like it’s in service of, you know, doing the right thing. to to that to that end. We’ve talked about this a bunch and you’re gonna you’re about to live this, but with you know, you you one of your guys teammates I feel like is the obvious the the most shining example LeBron obviously of someone who loves the game more than anybody and it’s why he’s been able to do this um for so long. Are there things you’ve seen already or there things that you’ve passed on to him about that experience that have sort of shown outside of his incredible gifts and everything like that, just this desire is why he’s in the position that he’s in? Yeah, I haven’t really been around him much. I mean, I’ve played against him a couple times. Um, so yeah, I mean, I think it’s just like you said, the passion for the game. Like there there’s no there’s literally no other reason for him to continue to play basketball. Like in my opinion, he’s the best player to ever touch a basketball. He probably could have retired six years ago and people would still say the same thing. So, um, he has enough money regardless of what he was saying on that podcast the other day. He has enough money. He is a couple thousand. He probably he’s taken some of my money before. So, it’s crazy. But, no, he that’s that is the only reason he’s still playing basketball. It’s cuz he loves the grind. He loves the game. Uh, he wants to continue to get better. Even when, you know, you’re at that level, there’s still things that, you know, he thinks he can work on to become a better player. So, um, I think that’s the most incredible thing about him is how he, you know, conducts himself, you know, on and off the court. The thing I kind of think about with LeBron, and I think about this with a lot of athletes, like especially in sports, like this is somebody who at 13 was on the radar for us as basketball people, okay? And so to be famous that long and then the times when it’s like, oh, I don’t can’t believe he said that. I can’t. I’m like, you know how hard it is to be that famous for that [ __ ] long and have every like there’s no there’s no approval rating that’s even even attainable to like have this perfect score through all of it. Like there and and to me none of that stuff matters nearly as much as who is as the basketball guy. And to be that important to have that many eyes on you, it might not be winning or losing or the camaraderie, but that’s got to be like a tough off switch. Like I’ve had buddies that played in the NHL and they weren’t [ __ ] even close to as famous as LeBron and I’m like what’s going on? And they’re like, “Dude, I’m in a [ __ ] minivan and I’m 42 and I’m waiting to pick up like I nobody cares. No one cares.” And like I’m picking up my kids and I can’t believe my wife did this this whole time and I’ve been lacing up since 5 years old and now I’m dropped into this world that I never had to experience. And so that I think could be the thing driving anyone that’s still good enough. I mean, because what he’s doing is just defying science here. But to have that off switch, even if you think you’re over it and your body’s not responding to have that off switch where flee, like I think there are some similarities, but nobody ever really tells you it’s over unless people aren’t interested. And you guys are so far past like you you’re a part of Americana. And to be in control of a crowd, to have that moment of just the ego fest in a good way of like I know right now all of these people are paying attention to me that you know mere mortals most of us will never ever [ __ ] experience. And the difference is is unless you just you know people get sick of your songs. But if that would that would have already happened by now for you. Yeah. For me it’s just about like I was kind of joking around before about you know ego and money and stuff. And look, I like to make money as much as the next guy. But for me, like when I sit in a room and I pick up my instrument, whatever instrument it is, and I start playing, I’m my best self. It’s time well spent, you know? It just feels good. Got up this morning. I was up at like 5:00. Went and sat the piano and I was like playing playing and I was like, “Ah, ah, it feels so good.” You know what I mean? That’s awesome. Yeah. But but it doesn’t go shoot my my 30 free throws every morning. 27. I got 27. Hey, that’s a good number. You shoot better. I saw you with lethal shooter. I saw video. You shoot better than a lot of NBA guys. That’s I just learned how to shoot right. He had just taught me. It looked Hey, look. It was going through the net. Well, I had this like weird little kid shot. My whole life. I never learned to shoot right when I was a kid. And then during the pandemic, I got together with a lethal shooter and he show he like, you know, left hand, guide it. I always had some weird twisty shot. It would go in sometimes. I did win a three-point shoot off at the MTV Rocket Jack Celebrity with that shot. So, hell yeah. But, but I, you know, I love it, man. And I know I think about 2D. Do you still like like like for me every time I shoot a basketball and it goes in, it’s so satisfying. It just feels so good, right? When you see it and the arc and the the beauty of it and the fingertips and Yeah. You know, sound of the net switch is one of the best. What’s your favorite instrument to play? Uh, right now the trumpet really playing the trumpet, but they’re all relative, you know? I mean, most likely I play the the piano, the trumpet, and the bass. Okay. How many can you play? Um, I’ll pick up anything in a whirl, but but those I wish I wish I could play an instrument. He plays the guitar. Yeah, he’s actually he’s actually pretty good. Do you ever try me? My brother tried to teach me a song on the guitar and I wanted to I wanted to break it in 30 seconds. So, I kindly gave it back to him before I did break it. Sounds about right. My fingers just didn’t work the right way. It was hurting. My fing Yeah. I didn’t It’s not for me. You got to put in work like anything. How did you How did you change how you take care of your body because how how physical you are as a performer? Um well, it’s you know, I mean, as you guys know, it’s I’m I’m in my 60s, so but you know, constant upkeep. I exercise every day. I care. You know, my performing like with the Chili Peppers is super super physical. and something, you know, you guys know about you’re not feeling good. You got to go on, you got to play. And, you know, I’ve been times it’s like, I got the flu. I got divorced. I have anxiety. I’m, you know, I’m tripping. I’m like, awful. And I was like, I can’t get out of bed. They’re like, you know, 50,000 people bought tickets tonight and I’m in Pittsburgh and, you know what I mean? Like, you know, you get up and play and go. You know, and I I wonder like as a pro alete like basketball season’s long like and you know it’s long like what’s the first time I remember the first time for me being on tour and being like it’s always was so fun. Oh, we get to play tonight. Like just let me at him. You know what I mean? Like I’m going to destroy this. Destroy this [ __ ] And then you know the first night was like I really don’t want to. You know what I mean? I don’t feel good. I’m tired. I didn’t sleep. I want to go home. Like all of that. I’m you know everything. And you got to go like the first time that’s like when you become a professional I think cuz when it’s fun there’s nothing more fun, right? You’re traveling around playing basketball, you know, full arena, whatever it is. Like the first time you get there and you’re just like, man, I don’t I don’t want to get out of this hotel room right now. Like like how is that like what kind of adjustment is that? It’s it’s the same. I mean it’s the same thing. You got to there was there’s many days in the season where if we’re on the road for, you know, 14 days and we’re, you know, in game seven of, you know, a road trip, you wake up, you don’t feel great. And my whole thing was like trick your mind for 3 hours a day to that you’re okay. Like the rest of the time you can lay down, go to sleep, do whatever you want to do, but like for those three hours that you got to, you know, go be a professional, you got to show up, you know, lace your shoes up and go compete. And you know that that’s not getting there is the hard part. When you get on the court and the lights are shining, fans are screaming. Screw f you. All that’s with the fun stuff. So like when it gets to that point, you’re like, okay, like it’s time to go. Yeah. I got to think like halfway 3/4 of the way through a season, everybody’s banged up somehow. For sure. Everyone’s got something. Yeah. It’s usually like right before Allstar break kind of everyone everyone in the league hits like a wall of like let’s just make it these last two three weeks right before Allstar break and then we can kind of chill out a little bit for the people. Yeah. For the people that are also in Allar break used to be three days. You guys know Allstar week is placed at the literally the perfect time cuz it’s like you know everybody’s like oh the second half of the season after Allstar break. It’s not actually the second half of the season. you got like 30 games left, but it’s like or 25 games left, but like that Allstar break is placed in a perfect spot cuz some at that time you’re like, I want to go home. Yeah. I can just imagine like, oh, I’m an allstar, but I wanted to go. That’s what I’m saying. Like Brun like I he usually I mean obviously he’s always in the All-Star game and like he gets literally like max three days max goes to finals went to the finals 10 million times. Yeah that’s that’s Olympics it’s like there’s no break. Yeah you season uh where you just non-stop fun I had so much energy going into this season. How do you have the energy to golf? Golf can take it out of you too. It’s that’s therapy to me. So, it’s like I I don’t know what therapy it is to everybody, but like it, you know, some therapisty’s literally sitting down talking to somebody about how, you know, stuff went that day. Going out and playing golf is like mine, you know, goes to a completely different place. Phone goes in the cart, don’t talk to anybody. Us two just go out there and, you know, golf for, you know, two and a half, three hours and just forget about life, honestly. Two and a half. You guys must be good. I never want to play with you guys now. I just decided Yeah, for me, you know, I’m a I’m a runner, run marathons and stuff and that like, you know, two hours into a run, you know, beautiful up in the hills in Malibu and stuff. My dog, you know, just like that peace morning, I get up when the sun is just barely rising. Get out there and run. That’s awesome. Like, do you get on the bike, too? Just just zooming around motorcycle. Yeah. I I well it can be kind of it’s you know it’s it can be stressful in more adrenaline for sure. Yeah. But I like it. I mean I like the fact anything that gets me away from the phone. Yeah. Yeah. I mean cuz you know we’re all addicted to the [ __ ] thing. It’s disgusting. It’s like you know I’m older. I grew up before I didn’t have my first cell phone till I was in my 30s. You know what I mean? And life, let me tell you, life was better. Without a doubt. I bet. Like it’s good to I’ll be thinking like who was that guy? You know what I mean? It’s some quick information or something. But it was better. I’ve heard that. I didn’t have a computer till I was in my 30s. Like it didn’t it didn’t exist. You didn’t you know I’ve heard that from a lot of people. Yeah. I used to like lay down in a field and stare at the sky and like you know be like oh wow it’s like you know what I mean? Like well I was on the other side of the world. I was in China I was in China like two weeks ago. So, if you want to know, it’s great, I guess. Um, we had a good time. We did uh Scotland. We we golfed in Scotland and then we did uh China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, all for my shoe deals. So, it was fun. We had a good time. Um, yeah, shout out to all the Laker fans over there. Was it a Lynx course in Scotland? It was uh the old course. Yeah, it was St. Andrews old course. Flew into Edenberg and you know, St. Andrews is like an hour from there. So we stayed there for like 3 days, golfed a couple times and then moved on. Did you eat haggus? I actually did. You like it’s like it’s like blood like Yeah. Don’t ask what it is. It actually it actually is sometimes Sometimes you don’t want to know. Yeah. Well, I actually I tried it and I was like, “Oh, it’s not bad.” And they were like, “Do you want to know what it is?” And I was like, “Sure.” And they told me and I was like, “I’m not eating that.” Yeah. But you mean we eat meat, it’s the same [ __ ] Oh, no. We were talking earlier about cuz I like, you know, traveling around Africa, like anywhere, I’ll always eat anything. You know what I mean? Cuz I feel like part of the culture, like a eyeball, you know, whatever. If they’re eating it, I had bugs. A bowl of bugs. You’re better than me. But in the Philippines, they eat these little Did you say Did you go to Manila? They eat the little baby birds. They eat I ain’t eat none of that. Yeah. It’s like a like just beyond an egg before it’s a bird and has little crunchy bones in it. Oh no. It’s like the fetus but some bones. Was it good? But I was like, “No, I couldn’t eat that one.” That’s the only one I was like I was like That one’s crazy. But that’s a little It’s got a little wild. What was What was the uh What was your craziest onstage injury? On stage injury. I’ve been hit in the head with a bottle. Anthony swinging the mic around. Pop me in the head. Head injuries. Maybe some I used to like I used to like dive like be playing and then dive into a somersault and a couple time I cracked my ribs [Music] but no it’s more like psychic injuries. Uh I have I have kind of like a basketball question which I’m not like trying to basketball. Yeah. It’s not like it’s kind of like a bigger picture thing, but again, I don’t like how you guys have known each other because of of coming up, right? And he goes in the first round, right? You’re trying to make your way in and now you probably feel like you’re at least I I know you well enough to not know you’re going to say no to being comfortable, but like you’re trying to survive, right? Like you’re surviving. How has this relationship helped you kind of understand where you’re both currently at? And I think Jake, I’d start with you. Uh, I mean, yeah, starting off like just knowing about his story and like even his rookie season and like everything that was going on, I kind of feel like we’re both underdogs. That’s kind of like also who our agents like try and go for, like the underdog type stories. I think that helps a lot. Um, and just seeing how much he succeeded in his first season and then going into his second one which was my rookie year. I love seeing, you know, the people around me succeed, the people in my circle and, you know, be just being able to see that uh with him and just uh once we started having communication, being able to talk and stuff like that. Um, it was just good to to be able to see that from him. And then obviously I went through, you know, whatever in Memphis with my first year going through sickness, injuries, like stuff I had never in college. I never really missed a game ever. And then, you know, my first year I get hit with all these like just a bunch of [ __ ] like literally because you’re kind of like, “Hey, I’m a firstrounder.” But then the way the contracts work is it’s a team option the third year. Those used to all be guaranteed for four years. So now I feel like the decisions on you guys are made even quicker. Yeah. Um and then everybody was wondering if you were an immigrant because of your age, right? So but it it can get scary like real [ __ ] quick. I remember talking to like Austin Rivers about this where he was like dude after my first year I was like I’m going to make like he’s like I’m going to make what’s this I just had Austin Rivers in my head cuz I was sorry to interrupt I remembering but I was remembering when when we got when Austin got drafted to the Lakers or not drafted but picked up and I was like I don’t want Austin [ __ ] Rivers I was like oh it’s Austin I want to work yeah that’s your breakout right there. Sorry. I can just crash my head. I’m going to say that I couldn’t be happier with any content decision than what you just did right now. But no, it like we interviewed I, you know, I’ve known Austin a little bit. You know, I knew his dad when I was in Boston and I asked Austin, I was like, you know, what did you think after your first year? Cuz like, let’s face it, the career has not gone the way that you wanted to. And this was to Rivers and Rivers like, “Bro, I thought I was making like seven all-star teams.” He’s like, “And then I come into my second year and they’re like, yeah, you’re coming off the bench.” And he’s like, “What?” You know, so there’s probably for you, Jake, like a resetting like you never you guys already talked about being delusional. You just have to remain delusional, but like kind of this this fighting for your NBA life thing that you know what better motivation than that. Yeah, it it’s like really all about trusting the work that you put in, understanding how many gym hours, how many shots you’ve put up, and then just going out there and actually doing it. Like you can’t really do anything else. It’s like I always say, control what you can control and then like just let everything else happen the way it’s supposed to happen. Um, all I can control when I’m out there on the court is playing hard, you know, giving effort, communicating, talking, um, playing with toughness. Like, I can’t control if I make a shot. If I could, I’d be the best player ever. You know what I’m saying? So, it’s like just go out there and control what I can every night and then, you know, everything else happens the way it’s supposed to happen. How much does it help though? Like, cuz I It was kind of funny. I was thinking about it cuz we all know that like Luca bought a pad in town and then it’s like the what? Luca bought a place in Manhattan Beach, right? He bought Sherova’s place. Um, and then I always kind of think about like like hey dude, are you doing anything today? Like neighbor and it just to your point earlier, it’s not really the way that it works. Um, but it seems like you guys have enough of a relationship especially with the agent thing and the whole thing like are you just guys are you going up to Elsagundo to put in work? Is that is that how your summer goes right now that you’re gearing up here? Yeah, I mean I see him every day at the facility if that’s what you’re saying. Like we’re we’re there literally every day. Um 5 days a week and sometimes we’ll do something else. Um whether it’s getting the the team together. We just did something on the beach yesterday or two days ago or on Friday actually playing spike ball or just like throwing a football around whatever it is. Speaking of Luca, the last pod we did with Duncan was I think four or five days before that trade. So it Yeah, cuz it was in We did it at the end of January and then it was at random. It was when you guys were in New York. Yeah, I mean I remember exactly where I was at. So I remember I was So I want to get your guy your your two I want your perspective as well, but your two perspectives first from the fan perspective and from the you I want to hear your perspective first. Well, mine Yeah. Okay. I went over to my manager’s house. He was having some kind of a party. Ben Stiller was there. Ben Stiller is a big Knicks fan. He’s told me I’ve heard the story from him. Oh, really? Yeah. No, we beat the [ __ ] out of the Knicks that night. Oh, yeah. No, Ben walked up to me and he’s like, “You got Luca?” And I was like, “What? You got the Lakers got Luca?” I was like, “Haha.” You know? Yeah. And literally and he goes, “No.” He goes, “They’re trading AD for Luca.” And I was just like I was like, “Fuck you.” You know what I mean? Like, but then I was like, he was like, “I’m telling you.” And it was really serious. I like ripped out my phone. I literally I fell down on the ground. My wife was nearly in tears because she loves AD more than anything in the world, you know, like I literally I fell down on the ground like face first on the ground like I couldn’t believe. I mean, I was, you know, look, I love AD, but I thought it was a really good trade. And there’s nothing no slight on AD because AD’s incredible. I respect him as a man. Love he’s a one of a one of a kind player. But getting Luca like at that age, that kind of player, I mean, unbelievable. you know, I was just like unbelievable. It’s so exciting. I’m so I mean, as a fan, you know, from the fans perspective, like anticipating this coming season is is really exciting. Like, you know, coming into like like all, you know, you you know, LeBron, what might very well be his last season. Really excited about Marcus Smart, too. I loved him like Oklahoma. I loved him. I don’t even like Oklahoma. Yeah. Yeah. No, that I mean, I basically had the same. It was I mean, we played New York. We beat New York by, I think, 15 or so, you know, pretty comfortably without AD. We were playing well. Um, we get in the locker room after the game. I’m sitting by Brian. We’re just talking about [ __ ] And I was like, we’re going to be Everybody was kind of falling into roles and everybody was bought in. Like I said, we were playing well and I was like, we’re going to be all right. like once we get AD back like you know obviously he’s a big piece of what we were going to do at the time but you know like I said we just beat them and I was like we’re going to be all right and he was like yeah we’re we’re going to be good and get on the bus and talk to my family every everybody did media get on the bus we’re like 5 minutes away from the hotel and our group chat starts going crazy and I was like and I honestly I hardly ever look at the group chat to be honest cuz I don’t I mean it’s just talk they talk about whatever and so we and it was a big deal such a delta in age possibilities that Jack do conversations are I mean it could be about the weather it’s anything so like 401k or cartoons so like I thought you know a couple people just texted cuz we had a couple guys out and then just texted about a win or whatever good win whatever and the first time the first thing I looked at when I pop pull my phone up ad said they traded me. And if anybody knows AD, I don’t know if you know AD very well, he he jokes around a lot. So, I literally was I laughed and I like put my phone down and my phone kept going off and I was like, “What the hell?” So, I pulled up Instagram and I seen Sham’s tweet or post or whatever, called Aaron and Reggie and I was like, “What the fuck?” And they were like, “This there’s no way this is real.” And I was like, “All right, cool. Like, let me know if you hear anything else. call one of our assistant coaches, Bo. And I was like, “What the fuck?” And he was like, “Uh.” And that’s all he said. And I was like, I was like, “Uh, what?” Like, he was like, “It’s real.” And I was like, “Okay, how do you like why do you know that?” Like, and he was like, “Uh, I’m sitting by Max Christie.” And I was like, “Oh shit.” Like, this is actually real. So, like I was obviously hurt at the time cuz, you know, had a really good relationship with Max, had a really, really, really good relationship with AD. So, you know, that, you know, aspect of, you know, I was with AD for, you know, four years with Max, I think, for three. So, like being around them every single day for the year is like you wake up the next day, I think Max left at like 4:00 that morning to go to Dallas. So, it’s like it’s just gone. And then we get Luca though, and like you said, incredible player, like a generational player, like you said, nobody thought that he would get traded at that age. Um, I mean, anytime honestly. So, um, you know, everything happens for a reason. Like you said, I’m really excited about what we got. Incredible. But I keep thinking like there’s got to be [ __ ] we don’t know. And maybe, you know, I’m I’m going to let you ask those questions. I’m not because Cuban gives up ownerships in the Mavs, right? He doesn’t have percentage anymore. And there’s like new people in charge. And then they get Luca must have pissed someone off. Like he he must have pissed somebody off. Oh, yeah. I think we know enough of the story is that Nico was obsessed with Kobe. Yeah. And he had that relationship with Pelinka forever. And then somehow Pelinka convinced Nico that there was uncertainty on whether or not he’d like want to stay a Laker. And so a guy at probably his worst is the third or fourth best player in the world was traded after making what five first team allNNBA by 25 where Hall of Famers may not make it twice. And you know, it’s one thing to trade him, it’s it’s the other thing to not build a market for that kind of asset. Yeah. And so this thing was it was it was almost as if Nico thought Pelinka was doing him the favor by keeping it quiet. When Pelinka’s probably in private moments going, I can’t [ __ ] believe we’re going to get this guy, but I’ll tell him like, we’ve got to move fast when we, you know, don’t shop him because I may get cold feet. A lot of the stuff that came out about that was just, you know, it’s an awful trade. It’s the worst trade in the history of the league because of what Luca is at that age. Not being disrespectful of AD for sure. Okay. It’s an age. It’s an injury in injury history thing. That’s I mean these these are real discussions. But to not build them if you’re going to do it, if you’re sick of Luca’s deal for whatever reason, then you have to build a market and he didn’t want to do that. Yeah. And the Lakers just continue on this epic run of of acquisition. Yeah. Well, you know, like as a fan, you’re always pissed at the GM, right? You’re like, “Why did you do that? Why did you extra fall in love with guys to live this all again?” You know what I mean? But all of a sudden, it was like Robink is a genius. The man the man is a transcendent spiritual giant. I ain’t going to lie. The uh the first game we played in Dallas after that, I never I’ve never I will never in my career of basketball any honestly anything see anything like that. That was insane. Are you guys like almost forgetting you’re in the game? You know, like like players just looking around going, “This place is pissed off.” They fouled Luca like the first two minutes of the game and it it started it was I don’t know if it was fire Nico or [ __ ] Nico. I don’t can’t remember which one it was, but like it was from it was from tip off to the end of the game just going crazy and like every time Luca scored it was like and he went crazy in the first half too. He went crazy. I think he had four or something. So it’s like we were like please go for seven. Like we didn’t kill. Please go kill. I remember I told JJ at the it was like it was either the start of the fourth or end of the third. We were up like 10. He subbed Luke out. They went on a little run and I went I went over to JJ and was like, “Hey, look, like just put him back in the game. Like, he’s going to win us the game and he’s going to have 50 and this is going to be great for the team.” Like the the embrace, like the way he did it and the way I felt like everybody was, you know, there for it. Like everybody wanted it to happen on our team. It was it was really good for us. I remember we did a Trey and I did an EP with Naji Marshall a couple weeks afterwards and even he was like like they want to win the game. Yeah. But even even the Mavs players are like rooting for Luca. They’re like it’s a it’s like a storybook movie where everybody wants the same thing which is like this dude to just go crazy. Well, he did that. It was a bummer that AD didn’t play though. He did play. He did play in that game. No, he was. Anyways, if AD AD if you watch this I’m like you’re like 0 for four when I guard you. Oh, I thought AD was injured in that game in the first. No, he he didn’t play when they came back here. I don’t Okay, maybe that’s what it is. Can you understand as a as a maybe like at this point one of the sort of preeminent Lakers fans? Can if you were to take five steps back, can you understand why f why Luca ending up on the Lakers pisses off the fans of every other team? Oh, yeah. I told you I sit next to Jimmy Goldstein at the games and you know Jimmy Goldstein, he hates the Lakers. Really? You guys know that he roots for the other team at every game and I’m sure what the [ __ ] I didn’t know that. He hates the Lakers. Interesting. Yeah. And the reason he hates the Lakers is he’s from Wisconsin. And when Kareem left the Bucks to come to LA, he was so bitter. And since then, he goes, “It’s not fair. All the players want to come to LA. All the best players want to come because they get the best press. They have the best weather. They, you know, all the reasons.” And he’s bitter about it. and he’s I mean like super angry and I realize that that sentiment is common place and I’ve been you know in many an argument and I almost got in a fight in the Boston airport one time when I see Good for you. Good for you. No, guys surrounded me, man. It was when when uh the Lakers I mean it was before your your days but when the it was the LA it was uh 2010. Okay. Yeah. 2010 game Well, we won five and the Lakers went down 32. No, I guess it was 2-2. I can’t remember. came back and won six and seven and won. No. Yeah. Came back. Whatever happened, they won a championship that year. Oh, yeah. It was good. It was good. It was What was the fight? All these guys who just like I was like all Lakered out and they came up and they just they were just like sweating me hard and I was just like, “Go Lakers.” And they were like saying, “Well, remember when you had the confetti in the game in the confetti game and you couldn’t release the confetti?” And I was just like, “The Celtics sucked. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re in game six and game seven.” And I sat there in a box with Michelle Obama in game seven and watched the Lakers win. That’s crazy. I’m losing my mind. I did. They know it was flee though. I have no idea. I was like it was I had flown the red eye to go see the game. I was just like living it. I was, you know. So since you hate Boston, how how bad does it hurt you that they have one more championship than us? Yeah. I don’t like it. Okay. I don’t like it. It’s repugnant. But I have to say that, and this is a hard thing for me to say, this is the least hatable Boston team of all time because I’ve always hated the Celtics, but I can’t like when Tatum showed up with the Kobe armband, it really kind of melted my heart a little bit. Understandable. Understandable. Do any of the Minnesota titles top the crack five? Wait, what about them? You’re not going to try to take away the Minnesota titles, are you? I’m from Mass. I I could I let it go long enough. I think I really the guys at the airport by the way. I was at that game anymore. Those are Laker titles. Yeah. That’s like saying like, “Oh, the 60s, you know, the Celtics titles don’t count cuz it was a 60s. It was a different league.” What year? You got season tickets in ‘ 88? Uh, no. I haven’t had I got season tickets in like 98 99 was the first time I could afford them. Wait, after after the 91 album, you still couldn’t afford Lakers tickets? I probably could have. Yeah, so it’s like I was like I spent it all on a house. I got a house. I I didn’t really have afford it. Yeah. And then then for I didn’t get the the courts till like 5 years ago. Yeah. Now it’s like that. Play a lot of gigs, make a lot of records. Yeah. Yeah. It’s a childhood dream. It’s all worth like Sonic wants to use under the bridge. Yeah. It’s been 30 years. Do you have a um Do you have a favorite Encord Kobe moment? Yeah. So many. One of the things I loved about Kobe so much was all of them. And when you say all of them, it’s just that you see like I watch every game. Like I moved to LA 1972. I’ve like pretty much watched every single It was they weren’t on on TV back then, but watched every game. I used to go on tour before the computer. I used to have someone put the the phone up against the TV and call for him and sit there and whistle on the phone. Like I’m hardcore, but Kobe and I don’t know if I’ve seen this with any other player, and I’m not sure, it might be that I missed it, but he showed up every single night and he never had an off night. Sure, he had bad nights when he wasn’t hitting it or whatever, but he never I never saw him space out. I never saw him not try. I never saw him not give everything he had every second he was on the basketball court. And that’s really the thing like the the entirety of that that incredible that kind of diligence and work ethic and dedication and love, focus, you just don’t see it. Favorite Kobe story. Your favorite moment just watching growing up? I I mean it’s hard to to top his last game. Uh I was in my room and it’s late cuz it’s two hours behind. I think it was my senior year in high school. Was it six? It was 16, right? Yeah. 2016. Yeah. So I was was senior in high school and I was watching the game and I was losing my [ __ ] Like I was up jumping around going crazy. It’s probably 11:45, 12 at night. So, everybody in the house is asleep. And I guess I woke my mom up and she popped her head in the door and was like, “What the [ __ ] is going on?” And I was just like, “Shut up and get out of my room.” Cuz she looked at the TV and was like, “Oh, okay. I get it.” But yeah. No, I mean, I think like you said, like just his, you know, mentality towards the game, you know, like you said, every possession mattered. Um, he was a winner at the end of the day and that’s what you want in a in a you know basketball player. I picked the anthem in his last game. That’s incredible. He asked me to do it. That’s incredible. That’s a that’s a crazy I didn’t know that. That’s awesome. Career highlight. Yeah. And you know what’s crazy is I I played the anthem, went and sat in my seat, watched the first half, and then I had a fundraiser. I had committed to play some charity, the band, and had to leave at halftime to go play a gig. So I saw the first half and he really went off in the second half. He did go off in the second myth of being professional. Is that like top three things you ever got to do? What’s that? Is that like top three things you ever got to do though? Play that anthem. Yeah. Him him asking you to. Yeah. It was really I mean he was always really nice to me. Always. I mean I didn’t I can’t say that I knew him well at all. Just like you know little conversations but always took time. Hey, how you doing? Appreciate you. But like you know write a thing to me on a picture like a you know not just and I didn’t ask for it. And I would, you know, but yeah, just nice. Can people ever talk [ __ ] to you on the floor? Have you ever gotten Have you ever gotten any back and forth with players other teams? Uh Chris Paul. Chris Paul. I kind of had it not Chris Paul. He would never talk [ __ ] to anybody. I kind of had it coming cuz I used to heckle like crazy. Yeah. And and what there was like a downtime for the Lakers. Lakers were not doing well at all. And I think blind Blake Griffin was at the free throw line or something. I can’t remember. And I was yelling out. I was like, “You could win 20 championships and this is still gonna be a Lakers town. [ __ ] the Clippers.” Like some I think that was my line like always you and um he came up to me like flexed on me at my seat like came to my seat, got in my face and it’s always like there’s like this kind of invisible wall between Yeah. He broke the wall and he got right up in my face and he was like did some weird reverse psychology trip on me. He was like, “Yeah, there will always be a Lakers. It’s always going to be Lakers. What do you think about that?” That’s hilarious. Yeah, I was just like headlights. Yeah, totally crazy. That’s funny. It’s such a weird comeback, but it’s like unexpected. Unexpected. No. No. Normally I would have some like witty reparte, but I didn’t have [ __ ] I was just uh you know another time speaking of ad like I don’t know maybe four years ago or something my wife was at all. She makes um she designs shoes make Jordans and stuff. Anyway, she was there and um she met AD and you know they like hit it off and she said my husband really loves you is a really big fan. She was like oh he was like oh cool. He goes let’s let’s um trick him. Let’s let’s go next time you all at the game. He goes where do you sit? And he was like you know we sit right at the base. He’s like, “Oh, yeah, I know you.” He said, “Next time we go to the game, I’m going to come up to you and pretend like you and I have been friends for like 20 years that we grew we’re such close friends just to freak him out.” She’s like, “Okay.” And lo and behold, the next day I’m sitting there, you know, all excited for the game. But every time I get down there still, I’m like, “I can’t believe sit here and watch these guys.” And um he comes up, he’s like, “M, I miss you. You know, we got to hang out. We haven’t spent enough time together lately.” All the great times he had on under his leg. Yeah. Yeah. And he did it. Yeah. That was funny. Yeah. It was nice. He’s nice. I love you’re just torturing the Clippers. Poor Clippers. Like of all the Oh, yeah. They They don’t They Who do you Who do you not like more, the Clippers or the Well, it’s close. Clippers. I mean, you know, I had my some Kings hatred for a while, but that was like there was that Kings rivalry, the the Chris Weber team. Anyways, that was time like I had a Sacramento Queens, you know, t-shirt that I used to wear. Um, but you know, Celtics and and and Clippers are pretty much, you know, perennial teams to hate. And no, I used to kind of like the Clippers like I like the Darius Smiles, Ken Norman, you know, those teams. Gary Grant, I like those guys. But when they got good and started talking [ __ ] Elton Brand was like, “No.” Then they started like beating us all the time and then I got us, right? I’m a fan. But for sure. Yeah. Then I started getting real mad and started hating them. And uh it’s actually like kind of even like kind of hurt friendships that I have like people in LA like who love the Clippers. Yeah. Oh, cuz you were my child about this. I feel like in every aspect of my life, I need to be an adult. Like I’m married, I have a career, you know, business. I’m I have three kids. I like all these things. I need to be a mature, responsible, reasonable human being. But not as a basketball fan, no. I get to act like an insane two-year-old and you know, soon you put on that Laker uniform, I love you. Yeah. Who’s on who’s on your level as a fan? Um, lots of people love the Lakers. Well, just if you got to do like a I just like, you know, if you if you got cuz I feel like like Jack doesn’t go to the games so much anymore. I feel like Lou Adler still goes, but who who’s even in the crew? Who’s the like like who’s like a famous person cuz they have some movie like you actually are like you’re a real fan. Yeah. I mean, well, even though like Jimmy doesn’t love the he doesn’t like the Lakers, he’s against the Lakers. Crazy. Don’t let him snowball you, man. He hates the Lakers. He he always when they when when they when the Lakers are losing he goes to he goes and I’m like [ __ ] you Jimmy he’s like the strangest but most lovable man you know sick house his house is he probably has the nicest house in LA yeah is that cool right I ended up at a late night with him in Boston once yeah we didn’t hit it off great uh I was it was during the ’08 finals and I was with some NBA guys. And then the way the story goes, the quickest version of it is that we were with somebody and somehow Tom Brady came up. So then all of these girls we were with thought we were going to Tom Brady’s condo for a late night. And boy were they disappointed because it wasn’t Tom Brady’s condo and he wasn’t there cuz it wasn’t his [ __ ] condo. So then it was like a couple guys in the Revolution and then one of my guys it was a friend and then Jimmy was there and I was kind of just like what’s your deal man? Like not in a negative, but again, the Boston thing was probably coming out. They were going to Tom Brady’s condo and they ended up with you and Jimmy. Jimmy Goldstein. Yeah. And a couple other guys. That’s a win, right? I thought that was a win. Back then for me, that’s not a win for anybody. Yeah. But and I I just Anybody like Tommy knows like I’m just very straightforward and it’s not like to be a dick or anything, but I just we were just I think there was a guy in the Revolution. I was like, “What do you guys pull in a season?” And and he’s like, “That’s kind of a [ __ ] up question.” I was like, “Well, I I can find it on my phone in 30 seconds.” I’m like, “I’m just making conversation, you know, right?” And then he was like, “What do you what do you make?” And I was like, “Oh my god, I’m [ __ ] broke. I’m making like 20 No, I’m at 38 grand a year right now filling on this this radio station. Things are pretty bad for me personally.” Yeah. But I have I have aspirations and so not a follow-up. So, I was I was Jimmy was there and I I just couldn’t I was like, “All right, on to you now.” I’m like, “What’s your deal?” I was like, “Were you a dentist or something?” And he was like, “No.” He didn’t like me at all, but I couldn’t I couldn’t figure it out. He’s like, “Well, a lot of my money was architecture early.” I was like, “Well, look, I mean, you know, you [ __ ] get to walk around in the tunnels without even a credential doing something, right? Just try, you know, I’m just a young guy trying to make it happen. What can you teach me?” But it was like, you know, persistence, man. Yeah. Yeah. I was being persistent that night. I just wanted to win you that night. Yeah. What excuse the girls got made to leave like 4 minutes, but the condo? They were like, “We’re here now.” And then uh I remember the guy whose house it was threw on Dre Day on DVD like on 11 and it was they it was even worse. Just like this party. So we were having so much there was so much hope 30 minutes ago walking over to this place around like a Boston SNL skit. You know what it made it even worse. I remember I was like cuz I was pretty broke. And then I was like oh I got to get out of here. And then I I think I was like do you have any booze? And he was like what are you doing? I was like I got something going on. I was like do you have any booze? And he was like yeah I think there’s like a peach schnops in the freezer. I was like that’ll work. I can’t believe I just told the rest of that story. Do you guys do you guys have rival bands? Like if someone won a Grammy or they were like headlining something thing like how Yeah, they sold out. Really? They sold out three nights. Yeah. But um No, not really. Not really. One time there’s this English band called Primal Scream and uh this was I don’t know 20 years ago. were playing this bull ring in Madrid and our dressing rooms had no roofs. They were like set up in the bull ring like kind of like, you know, around. They set up these like curtains with the poles, you know, we’re sitting in there waiting to play. They have these like little amps, little drum pads and we warm up before we play. We’re kind of jamming getting ready and they say, “Hey, we’re about to go on.” They yell over there, “We’re about to go on, mate.” And we’re like, you know, they’re kind of drunk and can you not make noise? And we’re like, “Okay, cool.” So, we don’t play. They go on stage. We start playing. They get off stage, you’re playing, and then they’re like, “You got to stop.” We’re like, “No, [ __ ] you. We’re warming up now. We’re getting ready.” Next thing you know, like a piece of fruit comes flying over, hits my drummer in the head. And it was like, “Oh, it’s on.” Run out run out there. They run out there. People are holding guitars like that. Swing. Some roadie like gets into it like my singer. They start swinging. It’s like it like kind of brawl breaks out. It didn’t It never got full on. It got like, you know, no one really wanted to get hurt. You know what I mean? But that was one of the closest uh the fight with Primal Scream. That’s awesome. Boston airport buds. Yeah. Let me ask you guys something. Um one thing about music like you know we we we do it ourselves. We’re in charge of ourselves. You know, we do it. No one can really tell you what to do. And we have producers which I guess is kind of like a coach. But what’s it like to get and this is more to you and and to you too because I’m sure there’s something you live with like to get traded like you set up you give you’re part of a team you wear the uniform you give your heart to this thing you’re speaking something guys come upstairs heard uh no I read about every day before I go to I like Google Lakers and you know this is all [ __ ] you know until something real happens but like dealing with that like I can’t even imagine like I thought about it like like I said my wife was friends with AD like she was in tears like he’s going to move his kids are in school she’s friends with his wife like you know what I mean like there like that’s your life your personal life being like severely affected by this random thing that you have no control over. Yeah. I mean it’s definitely a shock. Um, they declined my option, so I figured I was going to get traded. So, it’s not like I was surprised or anything, but it was the uh it was the last day of the trade deadline. I think it ended at like 2 or something and like it was getting near the end, so I was like, “Oh, like maybe I’m going to stay in Memphis. Maybe they’ll keep me around, whatever.” And then I got a call like literally an hour and a half before and they’re like, “Well, you’re going to Sacramento. They want you there tonight, 7 o’clock, like plane ride.” And I was like, “All right, like I got to pack my things.” Couldn’t really bring anything outside. Two suitcases and I literally lived out of a hotel my whole time in Sacramento. Wow. And now was that just one season in Sacko? I mean, yeah, I was there for 20 games. Like 20 games? Yeah. I was there for the last half of the last 30 games of the season, I guess. Right. Yeah. Well, I hope your Laker career goes for 20 years. I do, too. I love it here. So, it’s uh Same. Yeah. Yeah. Same. Yeah. Yeah. I just kind That’s the one part of like y’all’s job. I mean, I’m just like that’s crazy. It’s definitely tougher obviously if you have like a family. Like if you have kids and and you’ve bought a house, but like I was renting in Memphis. I was still on my rookie contract. Girlfriend wasn’t living with me. So it’s like it was it wasn’t like hard in that aspect. I didn’t have kids to move. Yeah. She’s living with you now. Yeah. Yeah. LA. I’ll move to LA. No Memphis. No Sacramento. We’re doing long distance. Yeah, this weekend. This weekend you’re getting married this weekend. Congratulations. That’s incredible. Appreciate it. That’s beautiful. Yeah. Huh? Late invite. Yeah. Getting engaged was like the first thing on my to-do list this off season. So when I’m so excited. You get the ring together and everything. Yep. Yeah. Know all that’s been handled. Yeah. Uhhuh. That’s incredible. Where you going to do that? Uh we’ll do it at like Lagouna Beach. We’ll be out like Laguna Beach. which hotel in what where if you crash the if you crash the wedding that’s one of the few people I’m not it’s like hopefully it doesn’t happen but I don’t think you could be truly upset if that happened. Yeah, I don’t think I think it would be I think it’s a win for everyone involved. Well, I got you know I got to say like as a a fan we’re all excited that you got signed to the Lakers. We all read that like yes we need that. We need that that that shooting wing. I’m very excited to be here. I’ve been here the last like month and a half, two months and just been around the coaches, been around the guys. Uh we’ve been competing our ass off every day. Um so it’s been really good to just be here and be around everyone. You story yet? Um he ain’t seen nothing yet. Yeah, Austin said that a couple times. I I I do understand what is to come. Um he’s a psych. We’ll check Let’s check back in four months. I’ll have a story. I’ll have a story. We’ll check back in a week. We’ll do training camp starts in a week. Wait till the game start. JJ will spaz out in a week. What about when LeBron stays low and then blames you? My fault. Sorry, Mr. LeBron. My fault. There’s still It’s still my fault. The thing is though, I will give him credit for Yeah. He at least talks when he’s low, man. So, yeah, you can figure it out. But it’s usually like, are you serious? I’m supposed to go back out there. See, now I’m making it negative and I don’t want to do that. You’re teammates. Yeah. I just remember a specific play with Austin last year where I was dying laughing cuz then you guys started swearing at each other when you’re inbounding the ball to each other. But that’s that’s also that’s also a good thing about him. You can you can go back at him. I remember my rookie year something happened and he was on my ass about something and you know we have the iPad behind the bench and I walk over the iPad and I’m like hey I know I didn’t [ __ ] up but can I see like and he I clearly I don’t even think I was anywhere in the wrong and I was like yo I just tapped him on show was like hey I this is what happened and he was oh that’s my bad like my mistake so you can go back at him. Um, we’ve had a couple instances of where, you know, we’ve went at each other. My grandma one day was so mad at him. He she was like, “If he yells at you like that one more time, I was like, “Mama, it’s okay.” Like I Your kids have yel your my mother your daughter has yelled at me way worse than that. So, um, it’s fun. It was fun. You grew up in Arkansas, right? Yeah. the uh uh Little Rock. Uh small town like an hour 15 of Little Rock. Yeah. And and then you went to Witchah State and somewhere else too, right? Waw State then Oklahoma. Oklahoma. What was it like coming to LA like all of a sudden like culturally being an NBA in Los Angeles? Yeah. I had never been to LA before. Um I left the day after the draft, which obviously I didn’t get drafted. We signed the 2-way that night and I was in LA the next day. I didn’t know what to expect. uh was kind of terrified and then I got here and I don’t want to leave. I I love it out here. It’s pretty good. I have I’ve been here since 1972 and I have a lovehate relationship with it. Weather’s great. Obviously traffic sucks, but for what I want to do, uh you know, I tell people all the time, LA is what you make it. Like you can obviously get caught up in all the, you know, night life, you know, whatever. You know, you have anything you can do out here and everything’s at, you know, the tip of your fingers. So you can do anything. But uh what I like to do, you know, I’m one of three places. I’m either in the gym, at the golf course, or my house. So, right. No water sports. You live by the ocean? I live a couple blocks and I No surfing. Nah, I wouldn’t say I’m scared of the water, but I’m not like going out there swimming. I don’t really like the beach either. I’m too, you know, pale for that. I get burnt. Yeah. So, also, don’t you think, son, you guys sort of mentioned this before, but I mean, this goes without saying with the Lakers, but it’s just it’s it’s LA in general. The stakes with a fan base like this, like, you know, even if even if you’re playing bad and you’re getting [ __ ] and everyone wants to kill you, it’s like, you know, people care and that doesn’t exist everywhere. For sure. And so, and so just that just that the the the gift of being like able to be a part of something like that. Yeah. I mean, like I said, I think it’s, you know, it’s obviously, in my opinion, the best, you know, organization in basketball, if not all of sports. And, you know, that comes with a, you know, big responsibility to, you know, not just win games, but go try to win championships. That’s what, you know, this organization has done for, you know, forever. Um, so that’s what they expect. And, you know, our job is to, you know, go do that. And if we’re not doing that, I feel like the fans have a right to, you know, be upset. I get upset. Understandable. How many times have you cussed me in the TV? Never. Okay. Never. We’re gonna find this. Never. No. Actually, I don’t get upset with players that much. Like, I just always want players to do good. I’ve never liked There’s been a few Lakers players I haven’t liked over the years, but very few. Most everybody I really really like. Like, I just want everybody to do good. I’m not There are fans like, you know, it’s a different kind of fan that’s like always pissed at somebody like You know, I just want guys to do good. For me, I get more mad at like personal decisions like when um the gym bus was in charge, you know, with things like things that happened and and when Magic was in charge, I just like let Zubots go for nothing and like a few moves like that like that gets me mad. Like I still when I see Zubots, I’m like, “God, I just like you know.” Do you remember what that trade was? I mean, I know what it is. I can’t remember. What was it? Muscala. Yeah. It needed shooting. Yep. That one really bothers Laker fans to think. That one hurts. That one really bothered me. Seeing what Zoo does now. Zoo’s cold. Zoo’s great, but Laker fans, if you like Laker fans hold that one up with like they’re like, “Yeah, we we got Luca, but like we gave up.” It’s like, it’s not the same. No, Zubac’s really, really good. He is really, really good. He’s in the mix down here. He’s a South Bay guy, isn’t he? I I don’t know. Zuba. I don’t know if I’ve ever said a word to Zubot. Mosgov is sometimes shooting around. He was he was working out. Yeah, he was he didn’t have a a shining Laker career. No, I didn’t mean I didn’t mean to bring us on a sour note, please. That’s one of the You immediately recall and who was the I’m spacing out his name right now cuz I’m like an old fart. But who was the the the African player that was on Chicago Forever? Yeah, Lou Dang. I got Lou All Dang and paid all his money for him and he never played. He he got off the books like 3 years ago. Yeah. Like that kind of stuff like where as a fan you’re just like what you put me in charge. And please everybody thinks they’re a better GM. I will say Louis day was cold in Chicago. I like I remember at one point like when Kobe you know did the famous trade me to the moon I don’t care like where do you want to go? I don’t care. Pluto I think he said like he was really pissed. It was like a few years after Shaq left like 2006. Yeah. And they tried at one point, I think, to trade him to Chicago for Lu Alang. Remember what he said though? Chicago said no. No, but Kobe was like, “I don’t want you to trade all the good players for me cuz I don’t want the team to stink when I get there.” It’s like, “Well, dude, we want to be traded and we’re supposed to get ripped off.” And Jerry busted the thing about the diamonds. You can’t cut that. You have a big diamond. You can’t cut it in little pieces. I’m not going to trade you. Yeah. But, you know, one thing the Lakers have new ownership and the Walter Mark Walter, that’s his name, right? And like with the Dodgers, they’ve been incredible. And I even like noticed like with the in the draft like all of a sudden just spending that money going up in a draft to get a do theoro. Is that how you say his name? Is that right? Your guess is as good as mine. Yeah. But I mean he looks good. Like he looks like he could actually be a really productive player. He was he was on our our team today in pickup and I told him before I was like I want you to make the game as nasty as possible. Like run somebody over. go get offensive rebounds. He’s so athletic. Like he’s almost like if there’s a thing of too athletic, he’s almost that. So like, but he was incredible today. You just got to be able to channel the athleticism for sure. Has Luka been back? No, I haven’t seen him. You have Did you watch the Euro stuff? Little bit here and there. He’s like he’s getting fried. Yeah, he looked He looks like he was moving on. He’s doing covers. He was frying. Yeah, he’s killing everyone. He was killing. Can I ask you about like the Luca thing where it’s not quickness and this is the stuff before the draft that like hurt him because it’s hard sometimes visually you’re like okay he’s killing these grown men at the second best level of basketball in the world like you’re not supposed to be this already at what he’s doing but then you know you get into that draft thing and you’re like all right is he is he actually not that quick and what you realize is that being close to him as a defender is like the worst thing ever. So, he doesn’t drive for clearance, he drives for contact and then he controls you that whole time. That’s a really hard thing to be able to do, but he’s his movement is so good at that size and the hips and the shoulder. What is that like as a defender knowing like I’m never going to lose track of him, but he kind of has me. It’s just it’s such a different style. Always makes it worse like you know you’re going to be in front of him and you just still can’t stop him. You know what I’m saying? Like, can you explain what that’s like when you get stuck with him in practice? I’ve been on the opposing team and played against him and guarded him and um it’s like you’re describing like you stay in front of him, but he’s really good at using his body and finding angles and then he does his little push, cross, step back between legs. He’s got a high release so it’s hard to get a contest off. It’s hard to guard him without fouling. like he’s just I mean he makes obviously elite shots. Um I’ve always said when people ask me the question of like who’s been you know the toughest person you’ve had to guard in the NBA like he’s always been like a top two answer for me. Like it’s just it’s not fun to guard him really. He’s strong. Yeah. He’s really like really strong. like you know like you look at I mean he’s bigger than you think for a lot of people like he’s 6’8 like and his ability to stop and go like or really stop like he he’s not the quickest person in the world but like when he gets to his spot like he’s not moving that fast but you thinking you got to move with him his ability to stop and be on balance is like one of one and then the bumps and shot fakes. Like I’ve seen him, he’ll he’ll be, you know, messing around with the coaches and they’ll be guarding him in like the mid post or something and he’ll hit him with a move and um I was talking about Bo earlier. He he hit Bo with a move, shot fake and like Bo got off his feet and he like stepped through and Bo was like, “Bro, my ribs were [ __ ] up.” He was like he he was like and this is P. Like I could only imagine if he like actually tried to go through my like through me. So, it’s like his his strength is very underrated. And then a basketball IQ, it’s obviously like when you’re able to make any pass in basketball, that makes you harder to guard as a scorer. Seems like like watching him that he’s almost like you know where he’s going to go. He’s like, I’m going to take you right down there. Then I’m going to put it in your face. Like I’m going to push you off. I’m going to step back or I’m going to shoot the three or I’m going to fake the three and I’m going to drive. But are you ready? Cuz I’m going to do it now. [ __ ] you. Like that’s what it looks like. Yeah. Yeah, I mean the scouting report is obvious. I mean it’s it’s tough because there’s so much he can do on a basketball court, but like you said the what he does is what he like he’s not doing different things like we were talking about Lou Will before this started like you knew what Lou Will was going to do and you still could barely guard him. Yeah. And he wasn’t big and he’s not big Lou is like 6’3 something like that like against much bigger guys you see him like fade fade away that fadeaway. Awesome. Who’s your Who’s your favorite player of all time and and Kobe’s your favorite and sometimes your favorite I mean Kobe’s one of the best of all time too is not always for me it’s not always the best just like players I No I was I was a huge Kobe fan but other than that like there’s I mean a couple you know I love Joe Engles. Yeah like Jingle Juice. Yeah I I told him that one day I we was about I think it was last year he was running out on the court. Only a few people know us. Really? He was running out on the court and I I stopped him and I don’t know him at all until this past year. I was like, “Yo, I just wanted to let you know like you were one of my favorite players like ever.” Pick and roll master. He was so cold. Like, did he did he talk to you or was he nice? No, he was cool. Like he was like, “Brother, you were much better than I was ever.” But he was like, “I appreciate it though.” So, anytime we I mean, I seen him, we would talk a little bit. Rarely you tell another NBA player, I just love your game model. I’d be like, “What the [ __ ] What’s wrong with you?” Well, that was my when in the in the draft like my comp people would ask me like, “Who you think you play like?” And everybody’s always like, “Oh, I’m [ __ ] Jordan or LeBron.” And I’m like, “Y’all are all stupid.” So, I would just be like, “Ah, I play like Joe.” Wait a minute though. Didn’t you do that in the pre-draft process? What? Were you comparing yourselves to like You’re like, “I’m a hybrid Kobe.” I compared myself to Gordon Award. You did? Yeah. Well, it was just because they’re both white. Well, I was going to say you guys you also get from Indiana. Nothing would be funnier than if you were just like the just be like I’m like Quincy Avery. Yeah. Say someone random. That’s what I did with Joe Engles. But Joe Engles is actually cold. So, and I’ll stand by that. Gordon Hayward I feel like is a rand not not random. He was insanely good and I like watching him. The indie thing is also a real thing. That’s how they they’ll associate that because of that. Yeah. Is that where you say he’s your favorite player? Like coming up, you know? I probably grew up watching him the most cuz I watched him at Butler then early on in his Jazz career. Butler runler. Insane. He was insane. That Butler run. Did they go to the finals? He almost made the board. Kay had them miss the free throw on purpose, which was one of the dumbest single things I’ve ever seen a team do. They were up too. Yeah. Yeah. And he almost made the half quarter. Yeah. I wish it would have went in. I mean, it’s the kind of thing where you’re like, I can’t believe you guys just had him miss the free throw on purpose. Yeah, that it was. I don’t know why you would ever do that. And it banked off and then hit the front of the rim and went up. Wild. So, I guess you guys are all dying to know my favorite player, right? If you could trade Anthony for any other lead singer, who would you trade him for? That’s crazy. That’s my brother. I love him. Well, I We’re just hanging out. like Maynard’s pretty good. All right, thank you guys. We’ll do it. We’ll do a check. We’ll do this again. This was fun for sure. Definitely.

What a crew. This week’s episode features Austin Reaves and Jake LaRavia of the Los Angeles Lakers, Lakers superfan Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo.

They obviously talk all things Lakers, including incredible stories from Austin and Flea about Luka Doncic and the night he was traded, Kobe Bryant, and more. Flea also shares some of his best and worst moments as a fan, including the time he almost got into a fight at the Boston airport, talking trash with Chris Paul, and what it’s like being courtside. They also have fascinating discussions about talent and becoming and remaining great in both the basketball and music world. There’s so much more basketball and music talk as well that you just need to hear. Let’s go!

00:00 Intro
0:46 Start of show
1:30 How did you become a pro
5:13 Jake’s background
10:05 How do you find the zone
13:26 Finding inspiration from the greats
16:40 Similarities in a locker room and band
18:50 Dealing with real life in basketball
22:20 Players that love basketball vs good at basketball
26:50 Why do LeBron and Flea still play
31:30 Performing why no feeling well
39:00 Jake learning from Austin
43:38 Luka Doncic trade night stories
50:30 Luka’s first return to Dallas
53:24 Flea almost getting in a Boston fight
56:15 Kobe Bryant stories
59:16 Talking trash with Chris Paul
1:01:35 Flea’s fandom
1:03:45 Russillo’s Jimmy Goldstein story
1:06:40 Rivalries with other bands
01:08:05 What’s it like to get traded?
1:12:00 JJ and LeBron stories
1:13:50 Austin’s transition to LA
1:16:20 More on Flea’s Lakers fandom
1:19:50 How do you defend Luka
1:23:30 Favorite players

Subscribe to The Young Man and The Three podcast aka YM3 YouTube channel today for more NBA analysis, player interviews and highlights.

Previously The Old Man and the Three w/ JJ Redick (ESPN / First Take) and Tommy Alter