From NBA Kid to Sixers Forward: Jabari Walker’s Untold Journey
Your dad played in NBA. How was that growing up with a dad in the NBA? Ultimate T code. He just told me all the stuff that people didn’t know cuz they hadn’t experienced it. Did you have any veterans? Like some guys kind of show you the way when you came in. I think damn I got to ask him questions and he’s just a he’s a solid dude. So what’s his work ethic like? He was just so consistent. It didn’t even seem outside of the norm. That’s the first thing I saw when I got to the league. I was like, this is normal. But then you kind of see later on that yo, nobody’s really doing what Dane was doing. Did you play against anyone that you like looked up to? It has to be between Kevin Durant and LeBron. The first time I checked in, I was next to LeBron. I just remember I was like, “Yo, I I can touch LeBron right now.” Like I just had that that kid thought I’m guarding LeBron. Like me and him are matched up and I just remember he did like a spin move or something like that and I just felt his power. I was like, “Yo, this is this is what makes LeBron LeBron like he just creates so much space.” And what about KD? Just cold quiet buckets. Like just ha won’t even say nothing. Just get back. I’m like, “Yo, when he get to that spot, ain’t too much I can do.” like he’s shooting over the top. What’s up scores? Welcome back to the channel. Uh before we start, make sure you guys like, subscribe, and share. We want to keep getting amazing guests. And today is nothing short of that. Today I have University of Colorado legend uh Trailblazers drafted him. Now he with the 76ers. His dad was on the show. Please welcome Jabari Walker. What’s up, bro? Man, my man, thank you for coming. Yes, sir. Thank you for having me, sir. Let’s do it. Yes, sir. Man, so your dad played in NBA. Your dad played in the NBA. H how was that? How was that growing up with a dad in the NBA for you? It’s a cheat code. Yeah. Yeah. Ultimate cheat code. Even the guys around me, they’ll be like, “Man, you so you so lucky to have have your dad.” Just the information he uh he provided just for the community, everybody around him. Um yeah, just it’s it’s a lifestyle. He just told me all the stuff that people didn’t know cuz they hadn’t experienced it. Right. Like far as when he say don’t didn’t know, are you talking about like in like far as basketball wise? just like the stuff he he had seen. He played with Kobe, played with Shaq. You can’t know things that they did unless you really were around that. So, he would tell me the the stuff that didn’t necessarily make it to the the media, like when he had personal experiences with seeing Kobe do footwork, waking up. He he taught me about routine, waking up, going to the gym and not just shooting a basketball, stretching, right? Eating right before you get to the gym, things like that. We don’t really talk about that enough. So, like I definitely want I’m pretty sure the viewers want to know because it seems like the NBA kids is taking over now. Everybody, if your dad played in the NBA, you division one immediately. Borderline NBA. What did you do as a child when it came to working out that the kids don’t do? Like I because I because I I coach um a lot and I coach a lot of youth players and I try to tell them that simple is the best. Less is more. Yeah. One learn the one learn how to work out of three or four dribbles. But they they fight me on it sometimes. What was what did you do different from other kids that you played when you when you was young that your dad taught you? Yeah, I remember my dad he wasn’t too big on um the AEU system. um he’s big on player development. So he uh he took me out of that for for a period of time. And how old were you? I was around there 8th grade, ninth grade, 10th grade. It was around around that time. Okay. Yeah. Guys were starting to get ranked and then you want to be a part of that. He’s like, “Trust me, it’ll come back later on. If you put in this work right now, player development, focus on the the little things and stuff like that, then we’ll catch them later.” So I just remember that and we were in a gym in the valley while everybody else had tournaments and things like that. So um yeah, we just we did our own thing and we we built it up from the the ground up and started with my legs. Uh had a couple injuries and we just we just had a routine. It was it was different. Gotcha. Yeah. Well, what time what So how many years did you take off at AU? And do you think that hurt you? Did you think that hurt you when it came to your your stock when it came to going to college? Yeah. No, ultimately I I I don’t think it hurt me. I think even if I if I got success in the front end, it would have been temp temporary during that time. But I think the importance of going through adversity and seeing those kids in front of me and knowing I was better than them, I think that is the reason I’m still in the league today because I’ve passed so many of those kids and I still am not where I necessarily want to be or know I can be. So just that mentality I’ve been I’ve I’ve had this for so long, but if I had success early, I would have been spoiled and I I’ve seen how that goes. And I I don’t like that. I rather have a chip on my shoulder. Gotcha. Were you always tall? Like were you growing growing up? Yeah, I I grew gradually. I wasn’t the tallest, but um I I just grew consistently when when my peers stopped growing. I kept growing. Got you. Yeah. Why they call you tank, man? How you know about that? How you know about that? Come on, bro. You know, I do my research, brother. I do my research, man. When I was when I was young, they uh I was fat, so my mom used to call me Tank. And yeah, if I if I hear somebody call me tank, then that’s I know I know them from like when I was a child. Yeah, a secret out there. Yeah, that’s that’s a secret. Nobody really know that. Yeah, man. I I got to do my work, bro. I’m trying to get my journalist on, man. Uh you was in Englewood, though. You you grew up in Englewood, but then you moved to Arizona. Yes, sir. Right. Yeah. What What made you move to Arizona? And what year was that? Yeah, it was my it was going from my junior year to my senior year. So, I did my senior year at Compass Prep in Arizona. Oh, okay. And how did that did how did that impact your game, man? It’s one of the top five decisions I’ve made in my life so far. Yeah. Really? Uh yeah, just for my career as far as basketball. Um I went from, you know, mainly being at an academic school which was which was great. I was in Englewood. Uh no, I I would go from Inglewood to Campbell Hall. Okay. Campbell Hall made that hour and a half bus ride. Yeah. So, I had got great education and then um I started to just outgrow everybody around me and then they were like, “Man, you kind of need a different environment like something with with some more coaches and things like that.” And then uh the coach from from Compass, uh Pete Caffy, he he uh recognized me and talked to my pops and was like, “I think this would be big for you to do for for one year.” And I was I remember my dad, he was telling me all the pros and cons, and he was like, “It’s ultimately up to you. like you betting on yourself. You you’re the man here at Campbell Hall. We can see where it goes. But you going to Compass where it’s going to be some four stars, couple five stars, and you going to have to earn your way. And so that was I was like, man, I want to see where I’m at. Like, let’s go. We train hard that summer. Got to got to Compass. I see USC. I see everybody in our practices, not even in the games. I’m like, yo, they all here just for the practice. I was like, yeah, I can make something work with this. Did you ever get homesick? cuz I know a lot I got I have some kids who thinking about the prep taking the prep school route. Yeah. So, okay. Give give them some light. I didn’t I’m not gonna lie. I didn’t once once I got out the house. They gave us a team house and um just being around the guys and and and knowing that I kind of had some brothers that I was I was staying with. I didn’t really get homesick honestly. Right. When you go to prep school, it’s like they kind of build start to build like a family vibe versus like when you were kind of local, you just go your own way after school. Yeah. Everybody was coming from different cities. So, we all had to bond in that way and things like that. What made you choose Colorado? Yeah. Um, so I got I got recruited a little late. I was a late bloomer. So certain teams would that were bigger were like, “Dang, man. Like if we knew about you earlier, then we would have we would have paved the way for you. We had an offer for you.” and I just I just wasn’t getting it uh just because it was my senior year and you know people get offers junior year, sophomore year and they make commitments and stuff like that. So Colorado they came and uh they had a spot and then u they watched me practice and uh they’re pack 12 so they would play against the cows and USC’s UCLA’s and stuff like that but they weren’t the you know the big time Yeah. Yeah. school but they start the platform. I went to school in Colorado a little bit while now. Yeah. Exactly. So I just went back I started watching videos. cuz I seen they play fast pace and uh seen some of the forwards that that got drafted before there. I got to talk to them and they were like, “Man, Tad Boil’s big on defense and just energy and things like that.” So once I heard that, I was like, “Oh yeah, that’s going that’s going to set me up for success.” You probably had a good time in Colorado, huh? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. I love Colorado. I mean, it was where my school was at, it was all way out far about five, six hours from yours. I went to a school called Adam State. Okay. Um in Alamosa. It was a culture shock for me coming from the Bay come from it, but I learned I learned a lot from Colorado. Learned a lot from especially being like outdoors and stuff like that. Did you do any like outdoor stuff out there? Yeah. Yep. Uh you’re forced to be outdoors honestly. You you take a step outside of the campus or anywhere then you see the mountains. So, right. Just just being around that I felt You didn’t skiing or anything like that? Nah, I didn’t I didn’t do that cuz it was I I don’t even think I was allowed to honestly. So, different was Yeah. I just want to see what you going to break the rules. Yeah. No, I didn’t I I didn’t do that. So, you went there. So, you went to Colorado, University of Colorado. You was there for four years, right? Uh, two years. Two years. Two years. Huh? Two years. And you went to You enter your name in the draft right after that. Yeah. Yeah. And you was 57. Yeah. I saw one I I saw you in summer league at the end of summer league. Yeah. Uh, someone interviewed you and you said, “Uh, I got some approval. You should have You should have went higher.” Yeah. Yeah. Where, let me ask you, where do you feel like you should have at least landed? Yeah. Um, I think ain’t no slight to anybody else. You should feel highly about yourself. Yeah. No, I think right now I think first first round to 20s later on, but I think later on in my career, it’ll it’ll show I should have went even earlier than that. But yeah, I think I think somewhere in the 20s. What’s what’s the biggest adjustment that you had to have that you’ve made uh from Colorado to uh the NBA? Um just honestly everything with the business side. Um, basketball is going to be basketball. Obviously, that changed tremendously, but a lot of people don’t realize you got to start learning about taxes and you got to start dealing with management and dealing with uh a lot of the political side of things like even more interviews and and things like that. Sorry, man. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, no, no. I mean, I’m I’m prepared, but yeah, just just that side of it because it uh happens so fast that if you if you don’t prepare, then it’s like you you might mess up, say the wrong things, be late all the time, just not be a professional. Oh, there you go. Do you have any Did you have any veterans like some guys kind of show you the way when you came in? Yeah, I think I think Dame I got to ask him questions and he’s just a he’s a solid dude. So, he uh Dame Lillard, right? Dame Liller. Y just want to make sure everybody know Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Damn little there. Um yeah, just got to chop it up with him and he was just humble down to earth. What’s what’s his workout like? Is it is it is it really, you know, is it because I I remember following him um when he first got into the league and I remember watching his workouts on YouTube and I’m like, damn, he working hard, bro. You’ve kind of you’ve met him like in year 10 for the Blazers, I want to say, right? Um what was his work ethic like in year 10? I wish I got to appreciate it more, honestly. I was so caught up with just staying in the league and making it that I didn’t realize like that was actually greatness in front of me. But it was just he was just so consistent. It didn’t even seem outside of the norm. Like because that’s that’s the first thing I saw when I got to the league. I was like, “Okay, this is this is normal.” But then you kind of see later on that yo, nobody’s really doing what Dane was doing. What was he what was he doing that was like that stood out to you? He was just he was he always had a set routine. Like even when guys weren’t shooting, he was doing that. When I first got uh introduced to the the uh facility, he was in there working out, said what’s up. He was like one of the only guys in there and I was like middle of summer. So just times when guys would be back home and doing their own thing. I think he just he’s always in the gym. Good Yeah. I mean Yeah. I I think uh Dame always I was telling this earlier, not earlier, earlier this month. I was like if he wins one ring, he top five. He top five all time. I think he I think he should have stayed with the Blazers. I mean, he going back now, but uh he he just, you know, he was a breath of fresh air for those guys. I mean, he’s still a legend, obviously. Obviously a legend. Get his jersey retired. I think he’s a Hall of Famer as well. Um you also is coached under Chanty Bilips. Mhm. Johny Bilips went to the University of Colorado as well. Um, what’s some what’s what’s the one of the most important things you learned from him this far? Um, I he was he was big on everyone just having a having a role and being an expert in that role. So, I think especially with our team being young in Portland, um they would tell us roles that we had and and I just kind of talked to him about that and he was like, “Look, if you if you do this and do it at a high level, then you earn more and you continue to work on those other things, but just do what you know is going to get you playing time.” So, I think that differentiates a lot of uh young guys that stick in the league and don’t, you know, everybody wants the ball in their hands and they want to play like they did in college and when you get to the league, you think everybody else isn’t a pro. You think you just come to save the the team like, right? But quickly you learn like everybody has a role. These are professionals. So I think as soon as I understood that, you know, the corner, rebound, and defense was going to be my spots, right? And I still work at night on things that I need to just in case that day comes, right? Then I think that’s what I I learned from him. He taught you well cuz I I tell people that all the time like casuals don’t understand that part. They don’t understand that what you’re seeing, you’re seeing the best athletes in the world, who was dogs for their college, dogs for their high school, but they now have a role just because they average seven, five, whatever many points. Yeah. Don’t mean they can’t drop give you 50, man. It’s crazy. Crazy. Uh, is that the hardest thing to adjust to when you get to the league as far as like, you know, you got the ball in your hand at Colorado, now they telling you, “Yo, man, look, be a double double machine. We Yeah. Yep. It was tough even even expecting it. Like I I knew that’s what it would be, but there’s so many games that you’re you’re doing that consistently and it’s like you kind of miss the days where you at the park and just had to had the ball in your hands and things like that. But when you playing with these guys that are high level scorers, it’s like this becomes your job. So you view basketball a little differently. It’s not you bringing the ball up doing whatever anymore. It’s like your job is to do this. this is going to get you paid. Do you want to play for fun and and play for what they don’t need you to do or do you want to make money still playing the game but just playing it in a different way? How how is that though? Cuz you said you you doing it for so many games. U obviously the NBA has the most games. Yeah. Uh playing 82 games a season. How is that how how was that adjustment for you? Yeah, that was that was a big adjustment especially that rookie year. Um, it’s like by the time the college season would have been over, it’s it’s not even Allstar yet in the Allstar break yet in the NBA. So, I’m like I honestly thought it should have been illegal the way they had us playing. But then I’m like, everybody else is okay with it. Like, it’s me. I got to adjust. But the back to backs, people don’t realize. Like, they just turn the TV on. They’re like, “Oh, okay. Blah blah blah is playing.” But you don’t realize they played the day before, took a break, they played the day before that, too. Like, it’s so many games. What’s a typical? Because I want people to understand this. I I try to break this down to people. Obviously, I never played in the NBA, but I I understand. I see it. I understand how hard it is on the body. On a typical back to back, what is that like? Are you you get in 6:00 in the morning? Are you get a rest? You got to go practice. Yeah. Uh it could be worse depending on where you flying from and where you got to go next. But let’s say the game ends at uh 10. The game ends at 10:00. We got to get on the plane, things like that. Shower. So we get on the plane around around 11, maybe 12 sometimes. Get into the hotel. Earliest is like 1:30. Sometimes sometimes it can be later than that. And then don’t let you get delayed on a backtoback, you know, get in three o’clock. So yeah, and then depending on how long that flight is, you got to add that, too. So it’s Yeah. You got to get straight to bed. Yeah. I I can imagine, bro, cuz that’s strange on your body. And then you then you got to play the game. You getting hit up and down the court. Yeah. That’s that’s a different that’s a different beast. And I don’t think people want to understand that when you seeing guys drop 30 backto back nights. You want a different That’s a different level of basketball as a rookie. Mhm. Did you play against anyone that you like looked up to? Yeah. And you was like, “Yo, when I get in the league, I got to see how he really ball and did he uh did that person like not let you down on that on that?” Yeah. That happened a couple times. Who Who we talking about? It has to be It has to be between Kevin Durant and LeBron me. Yeah. I think the first time I I got in the game, I I checked in, I was next to LeBron. I was It was like at a free throw line or uh something like that. And I just remember I was like, “Yo, I I could touch LeBron right now.” Like I just had that that kid thought and then I kind of let that let that go. I was like, “Okay, I’m in here for a job.” Right. So then I’m guarding LeBron like me and him are matched up and I just remember he did like a spin move or something like that. And I just felt his power like I was like, “Yo, this is this is what makes LeBron LeBron like he just creates so much space.” And then after he did a couple moves, like I just seen people start moving out the way. And I’m like, that’s what makes people move out the way because once you feel LeBron’s power, you just kind of you just kind of know for sure that he earned that respect. So how much how much he gave y’all that night? I play I played LeBron a few times now, so I don’t even remember when my first time playing him was honestly, but Yeah. I think one time one time he he might have gave us 40 or Yeah, I think he gave us I think it was recent. He gave us 40 at like 39 years old or maybe he was 40 or something like that. He broke he broke some record against us and I’m just like man that’s crazy. What about KD? KD just just cold quiet buckets like just won’t even say nothing. Just get back. I’m like yo. And I I’m thinking I want to go oneonone. Nah, it don’t it don’t work like that. We going to send we going to send help, young fella. So then they tell they tell me, “We just send him this way. We going to come help you.” I’m like, “Yeah, y’all come help y’all come help me cuz when he get to that spot, ain’t too much I can do.” Like he’s shooting over the top every time. Yeah. I tell I tell people that all the time, man. Like what we seeing is like like these guys is on a whole different level, including yourself. Like, you know what I mean? Like you you a different level athlete cuz you able to do the things you doing 82 games. You you you able to one even just check your ego and say, “Look, I got a job to do.” Yeah. You know what I mean? You’re not important anymore. You going to the Sixers, bro? Yeah. Yeah. Let me Were you sad when you got traded? How how’d you get the news? Was it like, you know, you was chilling at a bar and it was like, “Oh, traders.” Yeah. So, it was free agency actually. It wasn’t like a wasn’t a trade. Yeah. So, it was either Portland picks it up or I go into free free agency. I was a restricted free agent. Okay. Yeah. And then I kind of I just got the word from Chanty. He was like, “It was it was good being your coach.” And then um I was like, “Okay, at that point I kind of knew um I was going to go into free agency and I wasn’t going to go back with Portland.” So um I was prepared for it, but then that night like just memories and stuff with all my guys back in Portland and then I got a home in Portland. So started thinking about that. I got an attachment to that. And then just like three years that’s that’s a good amount of time. Like you build friendships, you like you got certain restaurants you like going to, certain things like that. So then I just started thinking I’m like a fan favorite over there too. Yeah, they they love me. Every time I was out just all love. They appreciate that energy energy stuff. So yeah, it hit me. It hit me. Yeah, you’ll get the same love from from Philly. But I’m telling you, man, just play hard. Just play hard. Philadelphia fans going to love you no matter win or lose. They know they know you willing to dive in the stands, get the ball, get double double. They going to love you, bro. Yep. Yep. I’m excited. What? Um, so we got this segment called Brainwash the Thing Elite, right? Mhm. So what brainwashing lead is is when we talk about how we got over tough times, how we how we face adversity, you you had a few injuries, even a concussion, right? Uh you’re trying to stay on the court, you’re trying to keep your job, you’re trying to prove yourself, but damn, these injuries keep happening. Yeah. What is the mental process? What are you thinking about? How are you keeping yourself positive? Yeah. Um, I think there’s there’s certain things you can see when you’re not when you’re not playing, you kind of see the the game differently. So, if you don’t waste time just opening around about your injury, then you could actually still improve. Like, I don’t know if you have this experience, but when you’re not boxing, like when you watch boxing or watch certain fighters and you come back and start boxing and it’s like it’s like almost kind of like you’ve been working. You start doing stuff. Yeah. So, it’s kind of like that with basketball. Um, you you see different things in offenses. cuz you see where people are messing up and you’re like, “Okay, when I get back, I want to try that immediately and then I want to be able to add this.” So, it gives you time to break out of the little routine that you had where where you was running things the wrong way and just kind of fix it. So, so you found So, you found the positive in it. Yeah, I found a positive in it for sure. Yeah. Yeah. I think that’s the biggest thing. I think people get to a certain space where they not playing. They don’t they don’t want to be bothered with, you know, they kind of like, you know, like you said, opening around, not doing not doing their job. Um, I know when I tore my ACL, I was I was kind of I ain’t going to lie, I mean, it was during the pandemic. It wasn’t really much for me to do other than mope I felt like at the time. Uh, but no, I think that’s I think that’s important for kids to know cuz a lot of kids get injured and, you know, they they’re doing their best. They’re trying to get to, you know, get their goals, reach their dreams, and they get injured. Um, you living in your dreams. You living in your dreams. Um, when you Let me ask you about that. when you when you got drafted, was it how was that feeling, man? It was it was draft night was a time actually. I had a lot of tears, but there were tears for different reasons. My my first reaction was was disappointment, was upset because I went so late and my dad actually, he was the person that called me out. He’s like, “Man, you got all these people here for you and you you’re just upset like you’re not really enjoying the moment, you This is a onetime opportunity. You got drafted. Only 60 even that that time it was 57 58 people because two there was two picks that didn’t get drafted or whatever. So only 58 people got drafted. Wow. That year like the percentage of that is so rare. And then I’m disappointed because I went second round. I thought I was going to go first round and things like that. So at first I’m crying cuz I’m upset and and things. But then once he said that I was like man I looked around. I had my homies to the right, homies to the left. I had my mom right there. had brothers, sisters all around and then I uh I corrected that right away. That’s good. I mean, I I think um I think I think living in the moment, being in the moment is very important cuz we we often get caught up with the what we could have had or what we should have or the things that we should have in the future, you know? I think that’s good for you, especially being young, man. Like lot I wish I would have known that as a as a kid, you know what I mean? And when you was growing up, who was your favorite like your favorite basketball player? You can’t say your dad, bro. You can’t say your dad. No. No. I would No, never. I I would I wouldn’t say that. Um Kevin Durant for sure. Kevin Durant for Yep. You used to wear shoes, all that. Yeah. You cuz you young. You 23 I believe. Yeah. 23. 23. So you only know like you when you think of basketball, that’s the only people you know. Brian, KD KD on his what 17th year, I believe. something like that. And Brian is on his 22nd year. So, he been playing your whole life. Yeah. I only know certain parts of LeBron’s career, too. I don’t even know like the early parts like that. Yeah. Cuz you I mean, I always say like to be actually confident to understand basketball, you like eight. Yeah. Like eight years, seven to eight years old to actually sit down and watch it. Um, did you ever try to like Who did is Kevin Durant a guy you mo you tried to mold your game around? I did, but then I realized how different he is and how my my body type wasn’t going going to be like his. Um, but when I when I was younger and I was taller than a lot of people and uh I just had long legs and I was skinny. Then for that time, I was like, “Okay, I’m Kevin Durant of the eight-year-olds or whatever.” But, you know, as people catch up, you you realize you’re going to be 6’8 and not seven feet. Then you start taking some of his skill sets, but you don’t just be like, “Oh, I’m going to be Kevin Durant.” Gotcha. Who who was like your top who was like your top five? Like I always ask that question because people people got to know. Who like your top five of all time? Yeah. Um LeBron. Mhm. Uh MJ. MJ. Yeah. Yeah. Your pops love MJ, bro. Me and him was going back and forth with that one. You don’t like MJ? I do like MJ. I MJ my second, too. I I was trying to tell your pop he he’s he’s second. He your pop side say he number one. I’m not mad at that. You got brown. You got brown one. I got brown one. Okay. So, we in agreement right now. We in agreement right now, bro. That’s two at three. Three. It gets a little tricky, but I’m I’m going to go Kobe. Okay. Okay. I got Kobe four. Okay. I’m going to go Kobe four. And I’m going to go Magic. I’m going to go Kobe three. I’m going go Magic four. Magic four. That’s That’s fair enough. Well, I like Magic. Magic four. Then I’mma go I’mma go Kareem five. Green F. That’s a solid list. I mean, you can’t go wrong with um any of those guys. I like Magic. He kind of changed the game for for the point guard position. And same thing with Kareem. Kareem, um six time MVP, obviously, you know, champ six champion every time. Um so I I give you that. Who made out of all the guys you’ve named, who made the biggest impact like you think in in the game of basketball? Got it. Oh, that’s tough. It’s between LeBron and Kobe for me. Yeah. But I’mma go I’m going go Kobe. Yeah. I’m gonna go Kobe. Kobe fade away. Kobe shoes. Uh yeah. The way his mama mentality. Yeah. Just all that. I always say that, man. I think I think Kobe definitely changed the game when I think he’s the blueprint of work ethic. Yeah. When you think about work ethic, it’s like you got to try to get to that. Yeah. If you can get to the the mamba mentality, you you a different type of person, right? Cuz that’s ultimately what it is is just like being a different type of person than um than everyone else. Mhm. What should we expect out of you for for the success? I should have asked you that earlier because I know um people want to definitely know that. First of all, just being a great teammate. Uh bringing great energy every day. Um just a genuine person. I feel like I want to see others around me win. So, um, just a great vibe and then great energy on the court. Um, but if it’s the last thing I do, then it’s going to it’s going to be competing like like that’s that’s what I really want to do. Um, so just all that and then that comes with scoring, that comes with rebounding, comes with playing defense, but just the baseline is competing. I want to win. So, got Yeah. What So, I mean, I let you secret out your nickname Tank. What what do people like give us something that people don’t know about you? I think if people would definitely Yeah, definitely need to know more about you. If I spent a little bit more time in my ping pong instead of basketball, I’d probably be in the Olympics. Really? You that nice in pong? I’m nice. I’m nice. Really? I’m nice. Yeah, you ask my dad. He knows I’m nice. When did you start playing ping pong? Uh, I started when I was like I started young. I started when I was like fifth, sixth grade. And then that’s when that’s what planted the seed. And then we had a had a table. I think it was eighth or ninth grade at my school. And then I used to just run everybody off the table like or Yeah. Just go there when the bell rang, grab the paddle. I’m first on and just Did you play any other Did you play any sports other sports outside of basketball before growing up? Yeah, I tried football. Uh was like fourth or fifth grade and I was good. I was I was really good. I caught every football. The coach was like, “Man, you throw you throw him the ball, he going to catch it.” He said that in front of everybody. He told the parents that, all that. But that was the week we didn’t have the pads on. The the day we put the pads on, they start throwing the football on me again. Man, I can’t see the ball anymore. Like the helmet is all in my way. I start hearing footsteps like everything got messed up. I was like, “Yeah, no. I I don’t know if I can do this no more.” I don’t believe I I stopped I stopped at the flag football, bro. I was good. I was good. I What? All right. We couldn’t afford, but I tr I wanted to do it, but we couldn’t afford the um the equipment. I wanted to make it easy on my mom and and be like, you know what, man? Just give me some $40 pair of basketball seats. I just go out to the I go out to the park and I shoot around all day. That’s that that that made my life easy. You know what I mean? What you plan on doing when you get to Philly? Have you had a Philly cheese steak yet? No, I haven’t had a Philly cheese steak. Not like Are you even interested in having a Philly cheese steak? I am. I want I want a real one, though. I feel like the ones that I’ve been seeing, it’s kind of ruined mine. So, you haven’t had never had at all like anywhere? Like even in Portland? I’m pretty sure Portland got some Philly cheese steak place out there. I have I had a couple when I was younger. I didn’t I definitely didn’t have none in Portland, but when I was younger, I had some out here and then people just kept telling me it wasn’t a real Philly cheese steak. So, I’ve had whatever version California has. You know, it’s is a I’ll tell you off camera, but it’s a it’s a cheese steak. It’s authentic cheese steak place. Oh, here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. that I that I personally go to and I can stamp it for I might as well I might as well wait now. I’m about to leave. No, for sure. I I thousand% agree. Definitely wait. Definitely wait. We We was talking off camera about you boxing. What has boxing done for you as a person cuz I for me I always say every man should try some type of um mix uh some a combat sport. So one for few reasons. One, you realize you can’t fight. Yeah. Two, self-discipline. Yeah. Three, emotional control. What has it helped you with, man? Like 10 things. 10 like Yeah. A lot. I could I could ramble a little bit. Yeah, man. Okay. It’s a podcast. That’s That’s the difference. Okay. I’m used I’m used to the interviews. That’s precise. You just answer these quick. Exactly. Elaborate. It’s my first time being on the on a podcast. Yeah. You supposed to this chill vibe. Yeah. Okay. I like the podcast vibe a little bit more. Yeah. Your guy just answering straight up. You got You know, you can tell me like Yeah. You know, but I I gave KD some buckets, too, man. Okay. Okay. Okay. See, that’s why we got to do a second part at some point. No, we can keep going. We got We got some time, brother. Um Well, you know what? Before you go ahead answer the question. I I got I hold off on Okay. Okay. Yeah. So with boxing, I walked in the gym and the coach was like, “Do you want to learn how to fight or do you want to just get in shape?” And then originally I went in just to get in shape. But thought about it, I was like, “Uh, I really don’t know how to fight.” Like I like you kind of act like you you would know how to fight in a situation, but deep down like you you it’s never really happened. So right, you know. So I kind of had that feeling. I was like, I know deep down I don’t really know how to do that. So but I could fix it right here. So I told him I was like, “Train me like a boxer. Like forget the forget me playing basketball. Just treat me like a a boxer.” And um we just we start going in and we don’t even talk much about basketball. We just he I start being around the fighters and talking to them about their lifestyle and I start, you know, moving around with some of them and I I kind of fit into the boxing community. And so I have this basketball life now at this point where I train in the morning, get that out the way, then I go home or go back to the boxing community and I’m like I got two separate lives now. So that’s a fact. It’s definitely different. Boxing and basketball completely different. Yeah. So I’m in I’m I’m doing a boxing thing now and I’m I’m learning that your confidence goes up right away. Like Oh, for sure. you know that you you can deescalate situations without just you know feeling that that threat like you you walk in rooms like listen man probably can kick everybody else. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. So you just start to speak a little slower. You start to just come up with different solutions knowing that the last solution is we we can take it there. We have to. Right. So that’s what I was saying about the emotional control. Yeah. Yeah. There you go. Yeah. like the emotional control part of it is like when I was younger I and I get into like you know the verbal altercations you feel like all right I got to make sure that I’m first to hit I’m but now that you know you I’ve been boxing for so for so long I know like man look let’s let’s calm everything down you know what I mean cuz I I know where I can take out you can go with this but especially if you get hit yeah for sure that’s one thing too like you once you you do you hit in the midst too that’s that’s the whole thing like you develop skills with that but then when you actually get hit then it’s like okay how do I react to this and then you know when you when you get hit and you keep going then it’s like all right that’s another level. Mhm. Yeah. I mean and I was watching you uh on Instagram you was hitting the mids. You was you was working with a guy who went to a gym of mine. I used to go to uh what was his name? Skywalker. Yeah. Y yeah. Good. He a good fighter. Yeah. And uh and I was like yo my man hit hard. Yeah, my man must have had a bad day of practice cuz my man over here had hard as man. Yo, you got to uh do you do you spar off? No. Uh yeah. Yeah. I I don’t even know how much I can really say about that, but I’ve had I’ve had my moments. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, he just move around. He move around. It’s like it’s like slap slap boxing your buddies, man. Everybody done He ain’t getting hit. focus on basketball and if you do it the right way, use your jab, then you really not for me. I got long arms, so you really don’t have to get hit. So, yeah, just just move. I’m doing most of the hitting. I’m hitting people. There you go. There you go. Well, I want to go back to basketball because um cuz we talked about seeing your childhood uh favorite hoopers, right? Who’s a underrated guy that you was like, “Yo, I didn’t know he was that nice.” Yeah. Yeah. Like who who’s somebody you can think off top of the head? Um cuz this is what I’m saying like some people always think that the the is like everyone that he average four points you’re like a man he he not that good. But you give you got front row of seeing someone like who you grew up watching you like this dude I I know he was this nice bro he averaged 10 points my whole life. Yeah. Honestly for me it was it was Jeremy Grant. Really? Yeah. Uh he started off as a role player, so he um he he developed his game of course, but I didn’t I didn’t realize he could shoot the ball the way he did and the skills he had. Like if you really look at what he does, I know uh some people hate on him now cuz he he got paid and things like that and all this political stuff, but if you just look at what he does and look at his skill set, it’s like, man, he he I’ve seen him go at KD. I seen him go at some of these guys, not get Yeah. not get the same notoriety, but he’s shooting over the top. He got this he got this jump shot where he catches the ball high like at his forehead and just shoots it from there. You can find so many clips on that. So I I I took a lot from him for cuz you cuz you a bucket too. I haven’t watched a couple of your highlights and you had some great games so far. Appreciate it. Appreciate it. Oh, for sure. Is it I’m trying to ask this question the right way cuz I know y Here’s the thing. NBA players, y’all be so political, man. Yal like like what game that you you can remember cuz you had some good ones but you was like yo I’m busting these dudes ass today bro like I I like you walked in like look soon as he soon as I get on as soon as I get on the court I’m cooking y’all and then it actually happened. You got to tell us what what uh what game how many points you at? Yeah. I think um most the most recent one I’m going to say is is Boston this last year. Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh my trainer was was there. he was in Boston and me and him was just talking about mindset and just be being willing to shoot the ball and things like that. So, um I always want to show him that the the stuff we do in the gym um pays off and you know I’m going to go out there and shoot the ball and not be scared. So, I kind of had that mindset after a nice conversation with him and then plus it’s Boston, you know, they defending champs that’s that’s a big stage and just their fans talk crazy. So, you always want to play play good there. And yeah, when we got there, um I was just playing like just kind of nothing to lose. So, uh first shot went in, it felt felt good and then my energy was good, my body was feeling good. I was like, “Okay, this might this might be a good day.” Like they helping off of me, they must not know. So then next one went in and I’m like, “Oh, so if you make two in a row, like for me, that third one it just feel like a free shot.” So then that that’s even dangerous because like now that makes you even more comfortable to shoot the ball. So that third one I almost knew like it was it was destined to go in. So after that one then ended up with like six threes went six for six. Feel like I should have shot a couple more maybe. But now your three-point percentage been going up over the last few years. Yeah. Yeah. You know great. Well let me ask you this cuz I think people want to know this so we understand the NBA a little better. You have good games, right? like you had these 20 point outbursts or whatever. Does the coach come back to you the next game say, “Yo, look, we need you to do that for 10 more games. You got the green light.” Or does your role go back down to what it was? That’s a good question. Um, depends on who you are. Yeah, honestly that that Yeah, you you mean you you dropped the buckets, you in the league. Did they come to you and say, “Look, you do this again, bro. we got the green light for the rest of the season. Not from my experience. Maybe if I was making 10 million more dollars, then I would have that conversation. But you know, you know, the NBA is a little bit political. So, uh, let’s say somebody that makes a little bit more money had the game that I had. Then it’s like, we pay you to do that. I want you to do that again. Yeah, I got you. But it’s like if it’s if I do that, then it’s like, okay, you had a good one, but we don’t really pay you to do that yet. So, I really have have somebody pushing me like that to just go out and score and shoot as as much as you can, blah blah blah. But it also uh boils down to the program you’re with too. And I’ve already talked to some people from Philly and they’re like, man, we have this philosophy where if you know you open, shoot the ball, especially with like my percentage going up. And that’s certain things like that instill confidence in you. So it could just be a change of change of organizations uh you know unleashes something else from you to be more aggressive which allows you to play more freely and and play for it did it for James Harden? Yeah, for sure. Yeah. What uh you know what I want to go back to something you just said earlier about mindset and confidence? Was it ever a time in the NBA where you felt like you lost your confidence? For sure. Yeah. C couple times. Lot lot times. cuz cuz I want like I was telling you when we first met, I want to really inspire and motivate, you know, the guys you trying to get to your position, right? And then also these these conversations can help people off the court too. They can help the guy who wakes up every day and go to work. Yeah. You know, because we all lose our confidence at some point, you know. No one’s no one’s uh um no no one’s excluded from that. Yeah. What was the time you had lost your confidence, man? Uh, rookie year was a was a tough year. You go from playing 30 minutes a game, whatever, every game, and then you come rookie year, and it’s like you’re put you’re dressing up and family’s coming to watch you and you don’t play the whole game. Like, that’s crazy. You You’re working out, you’re practicing like everybody else, maybe even harder because you you might not play. So, you got to go a little harder just to get more reps and things like that. And then when the when the fun part comes and the arena’s packed, you got the smoke coming out everywhere, you got the jumbotron working, fans cheering you on, things like that, and you’re like, “Bro, if I get in there, I know I can do something like just off just off my energy right now.” And then it’s like they don’t look down to you. They don’t they don’t look down your way and call your name. And that happens over and over again. It’s like, yo, like what am I getting paid? What am I getting paid for? Like it’s it’s like am I robbing a bank right now? Like but then you got to remember you got to remember like it’s your time will come and I I had some good people around me that that told me that. They were like man that first year, second year, even third year sometimes is tough. So I had to I had to just stay in the gym and realize like I I got confidence from my workouts making 20 threes in a row, 10 threes in a row still having my my bag and then hitting shots in my workouts. I’m like, Mhm. man, whenever they use me, I’m I’m going to be ready. Like, I know I’m nice. You just kind of got to keep that. But if you don’t work out and and get your confidence from the people around you and things like that, then that’s how people young guys end up about the league. They stop they stop working. They stop shooting the ball. It’s all mental. That’s a That’s a good question. That’s There’s layers to that for sure. Yeah. You got to use my method. I What I used to do when I used to sit the bench, I used to put my Here we go. I used to put my chair out. So when you look down, you see me. I’m yelling louder than anyone else. Every I don’t care what he do. Free throw. Let’s go. Yeah. You got you got to use my method. I’m telling you. You don’t sit all the way at the end of the and you got fact. You know what you do? Take the warm-up off cuz it might you might subconsciously think that you was in the game already. Like hold up. Yo, get back in there. I’m telling you. Okay. The these are These are gems right here, bro. Like when I used to when I was with a uh I was in school. What? I used to take my warm up off and pretend like I was already in there. Yeah. Cuz he because he even getting he’s he he into the game like everybody else. Yeah. Look, I’m just I’m trying to help you out here, man. Yeah. You might have a little point with that one. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Look, man. We going to close it out right there, bro. I really appreciate you coming on, bro. We This is a scoring society. So what we call a scorer is a person who can handle adversity, who can handle and score in many ways. That’s what a score is. Sometimes you might have to move without the ball. Yeah. To to get your bucket. Same thing in real life. Sometimes you might not start as a CEO. You might have to move your way up. That’s moving without the basketball. Sometimes you have to create your own lane like you create your own shot. And that’s exactly what you did in life, bro. We super happy for you. We look forward to seeing you play for the Sixers this year. Look forward to do your thing. Look forward to seeing your journey and my friend. You are a scorer and welcome to score society. I love it. I love it. Appreciate it. Yes, sir. Appreciate you, man. Yeah. Yeah. All right. There you have it. Another interview for Score Society. Make sure you guys like, subscribe, and share. Until next time, let’s continue to think elite and together. Welcome to Score Society. [Music]
What’s it REALLY like growing up as an NBA kid and making it to the league yourself? 👀
In this exclusive Scorer’s Society interview, Jabari Walker shares his story—growing up the son of an NBA player, finding his own path to the league, how boxing shaped his mindset, and what he’s preparing for this upcoming season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
From childhood gyms to NBA arenas, Jabari opens up about the highs, the struggles, and the work it takes to build your own name in the game. 🏀🥊
👉 Watch until the end for his message on chasing your dreams and what fans can expect from him this season.
If you’re a real hooper or love hearing the raw stories behind the game, you don’t want to miss this one!
🔥 WELCOME TO SCORER’S SOCIETY!
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