Why didn't the professor play professionally?
The truth is, nobody would consider my resume legit enough to get an NBA workout.
And then once in a while, I actually will go crazy and live up to that narrative.
And I'm gonna get moves off no matter what.
This guy is really big.
This guy's name is Big Jim.
Were there a lot of girls coming to your guys' games?
Yeah, it was the groupie central back then.
Yeah, when I moved to LA, I was like, that's why I like to party every night of
Really? I moved to LA in 06.
And I would party on a Monday.
Was there something that propelled you into finding faith?
I think God uses a whole bunch of things, never one thing, you know what I mean?
But yeah, I mean, going broke, and one ends out of nowhere.
You know, I actually never said this publicly.
Welcome back to the Courtside Club.
Thank you for joining me once again.
You're our first episode of season one.
Honored, thanks for having me back.
You kicked us off the right way.
We are now into season two.
I'm excited to catch up with you.
This is season two?
This is season two of Courtside Club.
It's like, we're like midway through season two.
Changing it up a little bit, taking back ownership.
My fans obviously like, I probably have on my channel, I think like five videos of us
And I think three of them are in like my top five most popular videos on my channel.
Let's go, let's go, I love that.
Where you're teaching me how to do things.
I think also it was like early, we were kind of like early in the YouTube space, like for
hoop creators, collabing probably wasn't as common.
You know what I mean?
We just had like a little camera, like literally one camera and you just taught me some moves.
I think one, one of my favorite ones is like behind the back and then it goes between your
There's like no name for that move, but it's like, it's like behind the, all the way behind
your back and between the legs.
So I made up names for it to like title the videos, but even the thumbnails are just like
so old school YouTube.
But anyway, I know that my fans obviously love you and are excited for you to come back.
It was a good crossover.
Cause my, my fan, you know, you have a lot of guys, right?
Like I never even told you this.
I've met so many dudes that like, you're going to be with Rach there.
You're like the dream girl for so many guys.
You know what I mean?
Especially from that time period, you know, people knowing 2k and stuff.
There was like grown men who wanted to come to the shoots.
Oh, that's funny.
Just to meet you.
But I, they were like two heart eyes.
I was like, I'm not bringing you up there for that.
You know what I'm saying?
Like it was just, I don't know.
You know what I've been getting more recently, which you probably get is people saying you
were my childhood, which like makes me feel like old in a sense, but it's like crazy because
It was 10 years ago now or over 10 years.
It's like a launch.
They were like, you were my childhood.
Like you were my high school.
And then like they're grown adults now.
They're like, I don't even play the video games that much anymore.
And I was like, well, this is weird that time is going by this quickly.
Cause it'll just happen.
There'll be one year.
Well, you'll hear that for the first time.
And you don't know when, why, when it is, it turned to retro nostalgia.
I don't know, but it happened for, well, it happened to me a while ago.
You know what I'm saying?
But look, people would say that to me, even like when I was starting YouTube, but they'd
say it about and one.
And then I don't know what year, you know, Spider-Man, you was in the Spider-Man series.
Then that became, I grew up on that.
And I don't know.
I don't know what year that was.
It was like, cause you transition from like, I used to watch it with anyone to like, oh
my gosh, I loved the Spider-Man series.
I mean, a lot of people with me don't even know what and when it is, you know, like half
of my audience never heard it or they may, they heard, but they're not like familiar.
You know, they just hear the culture like, like, oh, that was the hand one move.
You know what I mean?
But they don't really know what it was.
Should we reintroduce them to an one that was your game?
That was your start.
It wasn't your start.
It was your start in basketball, obviously, but that was what, I mean, you have guys and
I even watched your interview recently with KG.
Like you have NBA legends who are calling you a legend and you are, but that is really
what just propelled you into this space and gave you such a respect on your name.
Put some respect on your name.
Like that's when you got it, you know, and you've kept it.
I mean, I was actually a fan of, I was just a fan of it when I went and tried out, not
knowing that the whole reality.
Series that season was about the tryouts.
I think I was so like deer in the headlights of everything that was happening.
Things were moving so fast.
I remember I watched the first episode, we were already halfway through the tour and
I was hoping like one of my highlights would be on there.
So like I could maybe like pause it and then call my friend and be like, yo, I'm on the
And then like, it was all about the contestants on the reality show.
I didn't realize.
So the first episode, I'm like on more than half of it.
Like the start, you could, you could say the star of the show.
Like I wasn't, I feel like I wasn't notified of that or I probably was, but I was so young
So many things were happening that I didn't fully process that.
And I remember it was all cringe for me cause I was like, why do I look like that?
Why do I sound like that?
And what was the introduction?
Friends calling you like what's going on?
Yeah, it was, it was very surreal and such a cool moment, but yeah, it was my introduction
to the, it was a blessing.
How long were you with and one?
It was seven seasons on ESPN.
It was from oh three to oh eight for me.
But and one went from 98 to oh eight, 10 years.
The and one mixtape tour, the brand obviously still around, right.
Which is in such an interesting place now it's so different because I feel like, you
know, we're getting older, but that culture, the culture of and one was what and one was
Now it has become like, in a sense, it's just more of a brand, you know, but they were so
Well, nobody even knows the brand, like the more people I talk to, like, they don't even
know the clothing is still around, even though it's like at Walmart, you know, it's like
a mass brand now, not, not really a cool kit brand.
But I talked to tons of people were like, what happened to that man?
That brand was sitting.
I'll be like, well, the clothing's still around.
I'll be like, no way.
And I'm like, well, yeah, you probably seen, you just didn't know it.
But I think like that, that was what made it what it was because you attached people
and culture to it.
And that actually was the success of it.
Do you know what I mean?
The show was successful, obviously, but then you just had like that feel to it.
I was already culturing it senior year in high school.
My seat, if you look at my, if you look at typing professor, AAU slash high school mix,
I have like all my childhood all the way up to the senior year in high school.
I actually, you have that on your channel.
It's all my channel.
I uploaded like one of my early vids, like 10 over 10 years ago, I have the Tai Chi and
ones on my senior year.
So I was actually my first day at school fit my June, my sophomore, junior senior year,
was actually an and one head to toe, either a Jordan or an and one head to toe fit.
So I was like actually a super fan.
Well, you told me also, like you played JV up until junior year, right?
Like you didn't play varsity.
I don't mean to like laugh in your face, but like, no, at that time, well, I love it now
because that's my whole M I've always been like an underdog.
Like some of the young kids now probably don't receive me that way.
It's more like I'd be the favorite, but I'm actually more the true, my true career.
Cause there's always a digital narrative, narrative of how something is and then a
The real life narratives.
I'm always an underdog.
So yeah, that I learned a lot though.
It was good for me, like playing JV and all that being, you know,
And I, I think the burning question now for probably your new fans and didn't watch back
in the day, and maybe I haven't seen your podcast is why didn't the professor play professionally?
Why weren't you in the NBA?
You're meeting NBA players.
You're crossing up.
Everyone you're, you know, on the, on the tour getting buckets.
So, I mean, cause I'm such an underdog, there's no way I'm going to get drafted.
I mean, there was, that would have been completely unrealistic.
I started playing.
So I graduated 17, I made and won 18 and signed away my eligibility.
So I played one year Juco, but I already got cut from three other community colleges, got
one, got a walk on spot.
Because my dad persuaded the coach to give me a shot that I was supposed to red shirt.
People got injured.
So I actually played, but I don't play three minutes a game.
And if the game was close, I didn't even get in there.
And then after my freshman year, I improved like 300% to a point where I'd hold court
Like the scholarship athletes.
It's a good thing.
I didn't come back.
Cause now the coaches would have had to make a political decision.
If I was best player in the gym, it's hard to play your scholarship athletes over.
But sometimes you got to go where the money's at.
Luckily for them, I didn't even come back.
I just went to NY, signed away my rights and went pro.
So nowadays with NIL, technically I have three years left of college, but.
How hilarious would that be?
This video is being titled.
The professor is going back to college.
Three years college eligibility.
You would put butts in seats.
It was funny to think.
I'm like, can we petition for this?
I don't know if there's an age as a thing, but anyway.
I don't know either, but it was just funny.
So no, the reality is what people, I've done actually done four videos on my YouTube channel
about this, but still every video, every comment, go to the NBA.
Why are you not in the NBA?
Then there's other person like this dude was, he's garbage at basketball.
He never had a shot.
So the truth is, is like the answer is it's somewhere in the middle.
So at 18, after my freshman year in college, I literally improved like 300% that spring
and summer right there.
I don't know what happened.
Something clicked.
Like I started lifting weights.
Uh, I got a little, you know what it is?
I'm just a late bloomer.
Some people just mature.
I was always like.
I was going to ask.
Cause that's kind of wild though.
Like that's the summer that you take a leap.
Like my basketball summer, I took a leap was between sixth and seventh grade and I was
Well, the thing was, I always was very skilled though.
Like Michael Jordan's was, I think also his like junior year or something like Michael
Jordan's is another like kind of late.
But it was high school.
And then he had another like mini jump in college, but.
He's still a beast though.
Cause then he got cut from the varsity.
Like this doesn't even count.
It's a dumb story.
You know what I'm saying?
Michael Jordan's trying to play.
That whole Michael Jordan got cut.
It's like, bro, he was, he was on JV as a freshman.
So yeah, you got cut from the varsity, but anyway, no, but, uh, so I was always skilled
Like in fourth grade, my trainer showed me the Iverson crossover and the thing is with
What held me back in pro basketball too, was I always looked like, like 10 or 15 years
younger than I am.
But it not only just looked young, looked like an actual, like kid, a child always,
you know what I'm saying?
So usually if you don't pass the eye test, you need to average like 30 to make up for
your, so they can trust that your game is like that.
Even looking like that.
You know what I mean?
That's a reality.
Like Earl Boykins playing the NBA is five, five or whatever.
He averaged like 30 in college.
So I was never that guy.
Like my true narrative.
Is I'm actually like an underdog and I really surprised people.
Like if I play with NBA players, like right now, the false social media narrative would
be like, Oh, he didn't break nobody's ankles.
He didn't even hang at this or like, like I'm supposed to go crazy.
But the true narrative is, is I always been an underdog and play at a lot higher level
And then like once in a while, I actually will go crazy and live up to that narrative
and I'm going to get moves off no matter what I can get moves off on any doesn't I got moves
off drew holiday.
You know what I'm saying?
I'm getting moves off.
I was going to ask who has been that, that guy that you pause got moves off on.
I mean, and you know, drew Holly, to be fair, like you got a couple of bucks, he's the best
defender I've ever played against.
So that's, he's not the guy, but I got moves on and people, I got one on Daryl Armstrong,
like crossing mug fell in the crowd score.
Like I went to the buggy, try to like block it and it tripped into the crowd between his
So all of these are public.
Have there been any where you're, where you're like, don't have an audience.
Oh, uh, a lot of private runs.
But you know, when I'm in that environment, I was playing like, it's less about the show
cause there's no crowd there.
So I'm not really like, you know, you go off the, he's in between the legs, like maybe
here and there, you know what I'm saying?
Cause some moves are some trick moves are actually effective if you know what you're
So between the legs here and there, but not for the most part, I was just playing more
like, like just getting a real sweat in playing conventional basketball.
Um, but yeah, so what you're, what you're really saying is I don't really play hard.
Unless there's a crowd.
No, but I'll play.
I wouldn't play as flashy.
I actually, I wouldn't now.
Cause that's the only way I play.
I have no interest in no regular basketball.
There's no point.
And like, I only look at the game and showtime now I'm I'm more entertainer than Hooper.
I'm like 60, 70% entertainer, 20, 30% or 30, 40% Hooper.
But to go back to what you're saying is the truth was when I was 18, I signed away my
college eligibility.
So I did play pro.
I played the ABA.
I didn't play in the CBA, which is the old G league.
I actually was trying to make the NBA my first three or four years on and when I was still
trying to make the NBA.
But in that time, the truth is like, nobody would consider my resume legit enough to get
But then later I got a lot better.
My prime, I feel like game wise, I'm old.
I haven't reached my, in my person, maybe I'm delusional, but I feel like I haven't
reached my prime now.
I haven't had no decline.
Like people didn't know me.
Guys have been with me for 10 years.
They don't feel like my game declined at all.
But, but as far as, uh, you don't think like speed, agility, quickness, any of that?
No, not, but, but I'll play every three days, right?
You play a real season.
I probably would have had more miles.
I probably would've got more worn down.
Everybody would have 40, right?
Even LeBron doesn't explode like he used to.
But I never jumped.
So mine's just quickness.
I'm still as quick as I ever was.
For fact, a lot of people think I was in my prime and one.
But they're only saying that because we play an arena with five on five and then we're
like running up and down instead of a half court game, but they're just basing it off.
It's just the look.
You know what I'm saying?
Yours are also kind of like mini movements also.
So, so the truth is I think when I started working out with NBA players or D1 players
and I realized like, oh, I could go back and forth this level, you know, like that was
That's how it happened.
I was like in my late twenties.
So like, you're never going to get a shot.
If you're five, a five, 10 white dude, like being a rookie at age 28, 25, 20, it's a stretch.
And then the high ups didn't look at street ball as credible.
Your street ball career is like, it's more on par to them with like the globe trotters.
You need to, you need, you need, you need D1 pro for a year at least, or a couple years
You need to be in the, what back then was the CBA or the D league.
Now the G league, you got to prove yourself for like a year or two before an NBA high
ups can be like, oh, he might be able to play with us.
It ain't going to be like on and one going crazy with highlights.
You know what I mean?
So for context, for the people, the truth is I wasn't good enough when I was in college
or, or first going to and one, cause I was too green.
You weren't good enough at that time for, but it's also, I think, and I wanted to ask
you about it, how you feel about just the landscape of the NBA today.
Cause it's, it is so different than even it was.
I feel like back then.
Like it was also a bit more traditional basketball and you see now how the game has changed so
The players are scoring so much more too.
Some traditionalists don't like it.
Some are like, oh, the game's better.
I feel like I'm somewhere in the middle because the competitive nature to me doesn't seem
to be as there as it was before.
It's too big a business.
Like the all-star game.
Like nobody tries.
I mean, that was awful.
It was all time worth this one.
The game was really bad.
I think as the business grows, yeah, the stakes, the personal brand for each player comes bigger.
The stakes get higher.
There's more money.
And so people don't want to look bad and they don't want to be compared next to the other
But on I'm like you though, on the other side of the coin, the game, it'll always change.
It's, it's not going to stay like it wasn't.
It's always going to change.
Everything changed.
It's like music, right?
Like some people are only like 90s hits.
Like 90s hip hop, but it's like w w it was supposed to stay like 90s forever.
Of course it's not.
It's always going to change.
So I'm not worried about it.
I think and one and flashy basketball had a big influence on the game today.
And like a lot, like the way the guards play and like when we were playing like Iverson
and Jay will were like the first guards that were trusted to play like that.
Cause even skip to my Lou, who's the first and one player, right?
One of my idols, he had to let go of his street bonus to be accepted in the NBA.
Which is what I dealt with in the CBA and all that.
I actually had 27 and seven in a, what would have been a D Lee, you know, it would have
been the new age G league, right?
It was a CBA as NBA players playing, they dropped down, but it was like, they didn't,
they didn't want me to be good.
They was like, ah, street ball.
It's like, ah, it's gimmicky.
Do you think that you could handle yourself in today's NBA game the way it's played?
Cause it's different now it's quicker and it's a five out stretch.
So I feel like even somebody who's, you know, smaller, like you see somebody like Steph
Curry who has, you know, dominated for however many years that wasn't the traditional player.
And that's a guy who even also came from a smaller college, you know?
I think I'd have to work out different.
I'm not in good enough shape.
And I'm not saying in that, but I'm saying take your like stature, your routine when
you were playing games every week and you were kind of in the mix, they're playing five
And I'm like, would that translate to today's NBA game?
Do you think it would be more accepted?
I mean, I think it would've worked back then too.
It's like basketball though.
It, when you get to the elite levels, it's actually basketball snobby.
No, like NBA high ups.
They're very snobby.
Like, and even like it's very alpha.
So it's like, if you don't fit that mold or what they thought was like, oh, are you like
you scrub you know what i'm saying so there's an attitude towards streetball for the longest not
now now i got friends who were assistant coaches and they'll be like you a legend you know what
i'm saying if it was like this back then it would have been different i probably might have got there
based off marketing you know what i'm saying true actually yeah i didn't think about that yeah for
sure true but uh yeah i mean it's i'm not gonna say like i'll go crazy and like today like i'm
not in good enough shape to play every three days and go over there and play full court defense and
all that yeah because i play a lot of half court because that's just like easier for social media
yeah and you get the ball more well now like you said like you're you're playing for entertainment
period yeah like you want to win but it's it's not no and the truth is it wouldn't be like
i would just play at a higher level than people think and that's enough to be a win
you know like the social media narrative is like that people want you to live up to your name and
like go crazy no matter who you play against but the truth is like if people saw me play it's always
like more like an underdog situation and to be like man i was impressed you were doing it and
once i'll get a move off and live up to the name to be like oh like yesterday just yesterday
i got in a one-on-one with dude six five but he's like it was a college i don't know college
level maybe pro i don't know and he beat me in the first game we played seven he beat me like
seven five and then we played again and like looked like he was having the edge and then
the crowd was kind of like a lot of people just never see me play so they're like
dang can is he gonna lose twice like yeah and then i wasn't getting no moves off either
but then some point i kind of like got used to this guy's game and footwork and then i crossed
him out a couple times i do almost tripped over like twice and they lost it because they're like
oh right that stuff is real you know what i'm saying and then i actually won the second game
and so yeah it's my whole thing it's more under so you asked me about playing nba it's more
underdog ish but i'd get moves off against anybody i'd say that could you do a series
do you think nba players would be up for that uh they're so busy and and then like you said the
brands are always at stake so if i collab it's their ego like if they if they lose to you
it's not good business-wise it ain't even good business-wise to get one move done on them i saw
the other day it was a street baller they were playing with kairi and he stood he like hit the
ball away from him and posted it oh from kairi and we if you're a hooper like that happens to
everybody i played a homeless dude yesterday he hit the ball but i was trying to do too many moves
you know i'm saying like you get it anybody get a hand on the ball right
i could go i might get a hand on it doesn't mean anything right but uh yeah but that got posted
and then that has a narrative like oh yo he locked he's locking you know it's like a false narrative
right so it wouldn't be good for anybody's if i shook him up or something but but we know that
could happen though right like i can go between anybody's it don't even matter you're gonna have
to foul me i'm gonna do a move i'm gonna get a move off in the course of a game so
if i collab with the nba player i would only collab with them like i'll play
2v2 with with them got it with somebody yeah because i'm for the good of other people's brand
i don't want to have like a threatening you know i'm saying like i'm past trying to be the best
like you turn into the villain it's like your villain arc yeah it's all about entertainment
at this phase though right like yeah like it's all about entertainment it's not about being the
like i left that way like early 2000s like trying to be the best because how good can you i mean
i'm not in the nba so when street ballers are trying to be the best it's a very small ball
viewpoint because like how good can you be you're not going to be the best you're not going to be the
part yeah i don't know i left my i left that back in college for me trying to be the best
yeah yeah it's a hard thing right i feel like if you're not and then this is your career it
better be you better got to be entertaining you know i mean because yeah if you're just doing if
you play conventional he's doing step backs was like we're all competing for eyes we already saw
steph curry 50 he already did that oh you're just making fun of my fundamental game no i'm not even
saying that and listen people are marketable for a lot of different reasons i'm just saying this
i looked at i always try to be try to do something that's not like the league yeah but yours is for
all different though think about it so there's like the cuteness factor there's like relatability
yeah well i've never with my content tried to be like hey i'm the best i don't and everybody's
like oh one-on-one this i was like i'm never playing one-on-one you guys will never catch
me dead playing one-on-one against anyone wait why not though you might bust somebody i wouldn't
though i actually hate playing one-on-one not one-on-one player no at all but there's nothing
wrong with that right people don't know that i
i'm a two dribble shoot player sure like that's all i need to but i'm not gonna sit here and do
all the things yeah i'll tell you to move though why not using shakes but i think relatability
yeah i think i think but people can be marketable it's not always that like skill base i think like
like even look at like uh people in the basketball influence big fallings the dudes ain't they're
like college level or decent but they might be really good at social relatable all you need to
do is be entertaining an entertaining one-on-one with people like that yeah i think that's what i'm
how do you feel about the state of the wmba right now i have full-on debates with my
viewers about lowering the rims in the wmba oh because i personally yeah actually no wait what
do you think do you think that the wmba should lower the rim i don't think it needs any help
though i think everything right now is on the rise though with the college game those girls
who are super popular with the nil they're gonna then go the wmba is gonna make the w even bigger
like everything's going everything's going up right now and honestly it's a it's a it's a bs
how many dunks are there guys like two dunks again you're not even gonna uh logic so we
basically feel the same way it's a dumb viewpoint i don't even watch the nba for dunks necessarily
like not necessarily so have you been watching my content and you're just basically saying what i
said verbatim because we have the exact same oh no i exact same no i remember hearing that and
they were thinking but i was like
it's not always about the dunk like handles is actually more marketable than dunking
period and shooting it always has been yeah yeah like like when we're on air one the the handle
the bat the ball handlers are always gonna be more marketable than dunks because
dunking's really dope and it's like up there if you bang out on somebody but like it happens
really rare and then it's kind of it's actually unrelatable because because like only certain
people can like sky and dunk right um i always thought though with nba with with girls basketball
um then you see that this all comes together throughout like like these like converting
teams and things like having like one team step by step like solo boom stuff like hicks or
jumping like jumping a couple of lefties in every game and the Sephora came out with one if you
inclined yourlag Villa and go now this is what we're going after
that's our hot shot you think like more highlights will bring more attention to the game but like
it's not a couple dunks right i think like girls it's only evolving though it's only getting better
All the NILs, like I said, those girls are going to go to the NBA,
but it's only going to go up.
Well, I feel the same way,
and I feel like when most people are watching an NBA game,
you're not sitting there on the edge of your seat like,
who's going to dunk next?
That's not what you're watching an NBA game for.
You'll see it every once in a while.
And I also just, from a practical standpoint, lowering the rim,
and you're somebody who can also vouch for me, who plays at the park.
Do you know what a revamp that would have to be for girls' basketball
to even have accessibility to a lower rim if we want to make it so,
oh, women are playing at an eight-and-a-half-foot rim,
so now every church, every park, everywhere ever needs to now have two hoops.
Yeah, or have another one.
But it's like I used to play with guys a bunch when I was growing up
or play at the park or play whatever gym you could get into, basically,
you would get into.
I just don't think that's the fix.
I think for the longest time, there's a view of,
of the women's game that it's lower than it actually is.
And I think there was a, like, there was like a perception of,
basketball's snobby.
At the highest level, it is, though.
Like, there was a perception of disinterest because they're garbage at basketball.
A lot of people just think, oh, they can't play.
But then now, as time going on, it's like, no, like, a lot of girls are super good.
Look at Sabrina shot against Steph.
I couldn't have got Sabrina's score.
She scored the same as Dame, who won.
That's what I'm saying.
And Steph just had, like, a crazy round.
She might have won the men's.
Like, literally, like, round for round.
I mean, her shooting is insane.
Which is something I do feel, like, women can do because we're not,
biologically, we don't have the same, like, physical assets as men.
And I, as somebody who didn't even have the same, like,
athleticism as a lot of my peers who were girls.
So, I, like, honed in.
I honed in on shooting because that is something that you don't need,
like, a crazy amount of strength for.
You just have to have that consistency.
And so, even with the NBA turning into this, like,
five-out spread game where there's centers shooting threes.
Like, everybody has to be able to shoot a three in the NBA now.
And I think that that's translating over to the.
Steph Curry changed the game.
So, it'll be interesting to see what happens.
But it's only on the rise.
I am interested to see, like, Angel Reese and.
When they go to the W.
Because, like, their brand is so big.
And Paige Beckers, who's another one.
Her handles are crazy.
I don't know who that is, but.
She got hurt for a couple seasons.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I do know who that is.
Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what happens when they're in the WNBA.
I think, honestly, though, the rise of the game.
It's all about marketing, too.
A lot of it's just marketing exposure for a lot of things.
So, think about it.
Now, we're all into the.
They were more into the girls' tournament than they were the guys' tournament last year or two years ago.
Well, there was the.
I think Caitlyn's.
Her most recent game where she, like, broke Pistol Pete's record or whatever.
Or, I don't know.
Whatever record it was.
Was the highest viewed college basketball game.
So, you have that.
It's all about entertainment, though.
It's all about what's a good watch.
So, I just think.
I think the WNBA was honestly unexposed.
And people didn't tune in for waves of thought that were in the culture.
And I think it's being, like, unbuttoned now.
Because at the end of the day, like, even.
Look at what I do.
I was never in the NBA, but it can be an entertaining watch that everybody could buy into.
And I know that my brand is always bigger or more trending based on how viral you go.
And there could be ad spend sometimes.
So, it has to do with eyes on the mainstream.
A lot of it's marketing.
A lot of it's marketing.
Speaking of viral videos.
For halftime today, I would love to react to some of your viral videos.
This first video is with you.
And another one of my favorites, Jason Williams.
Or you guys are at your space.
Teaching him a move.
So, you basically stole the idea that we used to do together.
And you did it with Jason Williams.
I try to turn the defender.
It could be all type of moves, right?
But, I want to get you to turn.
And then, I give a quick in and out cross between legs behind.
This is a great moment.
You know, like, Jay's highlights are playing on that thing.
It's really dope to watch his career highlights.
And then, showing him a move that.
If I went in and out, it's kind of in their vision.
But, it's a little more.
I actually went back and saw an old video where he did that move.
Oh, he's done it before?
He just didn't set it up like I did.
I saw an old video.
From the 2000s where he did it in China.
He didn't even remember he did it.
He told one of the homies when he left.
He's like, I think I did that move back in the day.
Do you think that would actually be doable for somebody in the NBA?
How long have you known Jay Will?
So, this was cool.
You know, I actually known Jay for like 20 years.
We met in 2004 at Madison Square Garden.
Were you on tour?
It was a quick exchange.
He came to the and one game.
Really quick exchange.
But always been really cool.
Super cool people.
And then, you know, this move here is like, I couldn't really give him a new move.
I think what I said is there's nothing I can teach you with handles.
But I just want you to react to stuff that I don't see NBA players do.
See what you think.
He's someone I feel like who, well, first of all, I've worked with him before in the past also.
And he's amazing.
Oh, that's right.
Well, actually, my video with him.
But is my most viral short on my YouTube.
It's all good, though.
But he was actually teaching me how he passes to shooters.
And he was like lining up the laces so that like when I caught it, the laces were pretty
much lined up for me.
The seams or whatever you want to call it.
That's a deeper level of thinking.
I don't know if I ever lined up the laces.
I mean, you do that when you pass, like when you're just shooting around.
But in game, it's so much harder, right?
You have to pass in a split second.
So if you're coming up the court or if you're passing with one hand, this and that.
But he was able to set it up in a way so his shooters were ready to go.
Because, you know, in the NBA, you shuffle the ball.
Defense is there.
So it's like you got to shoot quick.
But that video is really cool.
So yours has over six million views for that.
So you're getting.
That's the friendly one, though.
The roll off the head.
Yeah, there's just like a little tap.
You know, the irony with that one.
The irony of that one is that was a collab with the original white streetball white chocolate.
I think Jay will.
There's a streetball player named White Chocolate.
He'd never been mainstream.
Like he won like an ESPN show or excuse me, like an MTV streetball show back in the day.
So he has a following, but not not on the mainstream.
But like I'm not sure.
I think Jay will might be actually named after him.
But here's the funny part.
These were in the same week.
This is like the next day.
Those two vids you show me.
These are the same week.
Med might have been the very next day.
But yeah, I would both white chocolates in the same week.
Yeah, it was super fun.
And yeah, it was funny when that person's like, show me what you used to back in the day.
Because he's a person who only knew me for man.
So I have a very, very interesting demo.
A lot of people don't even know I still play.
I'm like a retro.
I'm a retro hooper to a lot of people.
And even in my own mind that you were saying earlier, like people like I grew up on.
In my own mind, I'm not a retro hooper.
We're getting ready to hoop tomorrow.
But I am to a lot of people.
They find out still play and they're like, you still like today.
Like, show me what you know.
It's like, well, you mean yesterday?
Because digital reach is like a lot of people.
But it's just not it's not the mainstream story.
I do like two things a year that hit the mainstream, maybe three.
But most of the stuff is like just digital.
But I feel like this is the new mainstream more and more.
I think more and more slow, slowly, slowly.
But I feel like most people pay attention to what's on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon and then Spotify and Apple for their music.
And then the new sites around the top stars on those platforms.
That's what like my mom or whoever.
They just know that.
But our generation and younger is it's changing.
Yeah, it is changing.
But it hasn't fully changed.
And it's saturated.
You know what I'm saying?
That's a big part of it, too.
It's like this might be the new mainstream, but like how many podcasts are that?
How many YouTube?
I mean, it's endless.
So it can't hit everybody.
But I don't think anything hits everybody anymore.
Like Barbie or like Cat Williams interview with Shannon Sharp.
Even that doesn't hit.
But it's not the world.
It's not billion.
So I think saturation has to do with it, too.
It doesn't feel as mainstream.
Whereas like whatever the number one thing is on Netflix, a big chunk of the culture.
We'll talk about that.
But even then, it's like the number one thing that's on Netflix will not be number one in two days.
If you can stay ranked, if you stay ranked on Netflix for more than a few days, that's pretty good.
It's like Stranger Things is like one that will do that.
That will hit everyone.
But I mean, it's crazy.
Like everyone's a creator now.
Everyone's a celeb now.
However, this video has 23 million views.
Oh, this is a banger.
Professor Silence's Defender with crazy moves.
I think the YouTube video has like 20 million.
So this is a heated trash talk.
This dude wasn't as familiar with me.
A lot of ish talk.
You know what I'm saying?
He fouled me right there.
He said he didn't move, dude.
Well, that's what you said, right?
Most of the time you can get a move off unless you get fouled.
I'm going to say something after this.
He didn't see that one.
It's getting over.
There's always a way to shake somebody up based on their stance.
And then if it's not right, you just pull up.
A lot of people will see the vid and be like, why don't you just close your legs or stand
There's a counter for that.
You can't close your legs and be on balance.
I'm gonna go around.
You should lay up.
And then you could be like, oh, why don't you just sack off?
And it's like, well, I'm automatic mid range.
That's like a layer.
You know what I'm saying?
So, yeah, you do that.
Mid range is not dead.
You can't stop between.
I mean, nobody can really stop between the legs because, like, if I cross over, you have
I'm gonna go to the bucket.
So I will pull back.
So, like, in that instance, I pull back.
I step back a little like I'm gonna pull it.
And then it's between legs.
You don't just telegraph, right?
It has to be when you least expect is when you do it.
That's one thing.
But then also, I feel like at certain rates of elite basketball, you can't really stop
No, but for real, like straight lockup.
I feel like the only times we've really been stopped from doing moves or whatever, it's
People just hacking.
You know what I'm saying?
It's just or holding.
A lot of people hold me.
I could grab my shirt.
You know what I'm saying?
Well, with my boyfriend, Dre, obviously, like defense was his thing.
And but I feel like with him and what I've come to learn, because I was never a defender.
I was like, I just want to shoot the ball.
I'll make sure people don't blow by me too much.
But I never really focused on it like that.
It's like tendencies.
It's watching hours of film on everyone.
So it's like your bag is very deep.
And probably very different than a lot of NBA guys.
But yeah, he'll be watching a game and he knows every player's tendencies like, oh, this
However much or he does this in steps.
You know what I mean?
You're already waiting on it.
So it's a huge advantage.
It's like, like, even for my vids, I don't want to play somebody I played before.
It's like, it's stupid.
We ain't trying to win no championships.
I ain't trying to prove I'm better than you.
Like this do always.
This do want to rematch.
Everybody wants a rematch later.
And I'm like, kill that, bro.
I don't even care.
Look, you had your chance.
You know what I'm saying?
But it's true, though.
Because it's like if you play a seven game series in the NBA, right?
It really just comes down to who wants it more.
Who's more physical?
Because we all we know everybody's moves.
You know what I'm saying?
And that's why, like, the higher the levels go, you got to have, like, unstoppable move.
Yet it comes down to a choice.
Like, if I'm going against somebody based on how they stand, we know how to attack.
If you do this, I'm doing this.
Well, if you do that, I'm doing this.
You really can't.
You just got to foul me to be able to stop moves.
You're just going to have to foul.
That's how I feel.
Well, he did there.
So this one has nearly 60 million views.
Do you remember this?
This is my biggest short form on two platforms.
Oh, here's the bugs, buddy.
Oh, this ain't even my channel.
This is a compilation.
This is Omar actually posted this.
What's the caption on this?
It says the professor.
You can't read it, old man.
It says the professor is one of the best basketball players ever.
Oh, that's props.
With a fire emoji.
I love that sound.
That sound was dumb funny.
Well, that was the exact movie you're talking about.
Even between his legs there.
Oh, this guy is big.
This guy is really big.
This guy's name is Big Jim.
That one was mean.
They're all mean.
But that's the thing, too.
That's another thing, though.
Like, people I know will be like, I want to play you, bro.
Think I got a chance.
They're, like, smiling.
And I'm like, we're going to have to get it.
It's going to be ugly.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, I don't like playing people I know are my friends.
Because at the highest levels, it's actually, you got to get mean.
We might not be friends walking away.
You know what I mean?
Unless they're, like, an athlete and they do that.
But, yeah, it was great.
Like, that was cool, Omar, to make that compilation.
This first one, though, this was, like, because he goes, right before this,
so this is a separate vid on its own.
He goes, you don't really, he goes, the game just, you know,
we're a few possessions in.
And he was like, oh, bro, this dude don't cross nobody, man.
He's like, that's all for you two.
Right then and there.
He checked the ball.
I actually just tried to run him over.
I just was going, he's a fouling, right?
So I went straight through his chest.
He's, like, grabbing me.
And I pulled back for a second.
I saw how he's standing.
Went, fake the shot.
Between his legs, he spun around and hit the shot right at that moment.
He just said that.
And so then we subtitled it on the short form.
And this dude was hot.
This dude was, I mean, he's stalking our social today.
Has anyone tried to fight you?
Fewer than you'd think.
Because, like, okay, this big guy right here.
You didn't actually push him to the ground, but he.
That's embarrassing.
Like, that one was bad.
There's a digital narrative on that push.
That one was really bad.
Yeah, so there's contact for sure.
No, no, I'm not saying you did anything wrong.
It's just a little, like, you didn't push him.
You just used him for leverage to go that way.
It's like balance, right?
If I go between your legs, the ball's on the other side of your body.
So we're both racing to it.
Of course I'm going to run into you.
You know what I'm saying?
And then we're heated.
It's like, yeah, I threw him over, man.
He's got all my nerves.
But no one's ever, like.
Most of the time, I don't.
I don't ever try to push nobody.
So that's, like, it's usually just a balance hand.
That game was, like, we were talking a lot.
But, yeah, like, in China, I play a CBA preseason game.
And I did it in and out behind the back.
And the dude, like, did the splits.
Like, touch the earth.
The game was really close.
The crowd started being on our side because we were playing streetball.
It's preseason CBA.
Chinese basketball leagues.
Like, they're NBA.
And that came down.
And then I was trying to go off the heat because I saw how frustrated he was.
But that's, people don't know.
So, like, my secret is you're super frustrated.
If I go off the heezy, you're going to be more frustrated.
That's right at the moment.
If you go heezy between the legs, it's the perfect moment.
Because you're going to be, like.
And then it goes between.
You know what I'm saying?
It's too much of a whirlwind of things.
But he moved his head.
He, like, moved his head when I threw it.
So hit the side of his head.
I don't know if it hit his eye or whatever, but he was really mad.
So he picked me up and he threw me, like, five feet.
And it went on ESPN top ten.
And both benches cleared.
It was a big brawl.
I've had a few incidents.
But I actually always try to show people love, though.
To be honest, when I.
Now it's, like, a production.
So, like, if somebody plays, they already know.
I'm going to be trying to get moves off.
Most people are always sagging off.
It's really annoying.
But I show love to everybody.
It never gets personal.
On my end, to be honest.
And I don't even get involved in a trash talk unless it helps a bit.
I feel like, in general, it doesn't get personal because you guys are both.
In the moment, you might be saying something.
But then after, it's like, it's Gabe, you know?
But most of the time.
Most of the time, it's love.
That's what I'd say.
90% of the time, it's love.
Maybe with the big gym.
If you are a little awkward leaving the gym.
But, you know, it happens.
For me, it's always love.
You know what I mean?
You're so nice as, like, a human.
Do you know what I mean?
Like, you're a really lovely person.
And I haven't always been that on the court.
Like, in the and one days, you might not like me leaving the court.
Just because we were all, like, trying to be the best and trying to be more alpha male.
And I actually did take every matchup personally.
But that was my own journey.
Like, being an underdog and then, like, being known.
You have to live up to your name.
So, I would be offended if people were talking to her or thought things.
I'd leave offended.
Let's watch some and one highlights.
You do look 12, by the way.
Oh, professor, teach me all of your moves.
We have the ladies in there.
These were great.
You know, getting to play in these big arenas.
You always can never beat the energy of a big arena going crazy.
That's the one thing you miss about.
Like, in the U.S.
YouTube era, I don't play in arenas as much.
Yeah, that energy has to be so different.
Like, this move right here against Headache in Toronto.
I scored after that one.
It sounded like game seven in the NBA.
Like, a lot of our games had game seven NBA finals.
When we play in Madison Square Garden, it literally was like an NBA playoff game.
Like, those times are really special.
Like, it was really dope.
Do you feel like it's like that overseas as well?
It was even louder overseas.
Like, fans overseas, which it's been my first introduction to it this past year, was like.
It's like, these fans.
It's like, every game, everything's on the line.
You know what I mean?
That's how it feels.
It's more once in a lifetime because you might not even go back to that country and they know that.
So, it's more special.
It's like, you live across the world.
We played with the most pandemonium reactions was Japan.
Tokyo, especially.
And then, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The Brazil one was so insane.
We played in like a soccer stadium.
And, the anticipation.
We had never been there, right?
And, the show had been going for like four years.
I remember I even just did like a behind-the-back dribble up the court.
Not even on the defender.
They lost it like, ah, you know what I'm saying?
The behind-the-back.
And then, like, we actually shook somebody.
Like, you might have thought the roof was going to come down.
Like, it was crazy.
We sold out a game on a Wednesday.
And, they literally were like, hey, we'll pay you guys double.
Can you stay until Sunday and do another game?
And, we were like, let's do it.
So, Brazil and Tokyo.
That's really cool.
Those were insane.
But, I know what you mean.
I mean, overseas is always.
I used to only do international videos before COVID.
On YouTube, it was always a great watch, too.
We saw the girl with her, like, shirts.
What was that like?
Were there a lot of girls coming to your guys' games?
It was the groupie central.
That's what I was going to say.
There had to be, right?
The and one times.
We were living it up.
Did you stay out of that mix?
I mean, some dudes were married.
You know what I'm saying?
They did their thing.
But, most of us were partying every night.
We got to the point where we partied more than hooping.
We were, yeah, it was a, I mean, it was a tour.
It was like hip-hop basketball, though.
We had six buses.
I mean, it makes sense.
I guess it's only surprising to me because the person I feel like I know you as, like,
you don't seem like a partier now.
I only go to events.
I don't do parties.
That's what I'm saying.
You met me in a good, evolved state.
You know what I'm saying?
You met me, like, later down the road, which I love you have a good perception.
I appreciate that.
But, yeah, we were wild.
The professor was in the clubs.
We were wild, yeah, back then.
Yeah, when I moved to L.A., I was like, that's why I like to party every night of the week.
I moved to L.A. in 06, and I would party on a Monday.
But you didn't have, you didn't have, like, I guess a dark time where you got too wrapped
You could debate that.
You could debate that.
I never was a big drinker.
I never got into drugs a lot.
But the women was overboard for sure.
But I'm Christian now, too.
You know, 2011, I accepted Christ.
Yeah, so, you know.
That's what changed it for you?
There's a moral shift that comes with that.
That's like, the moral shift from that is, like, having that relationship, the fruit
of that is, like, the after effect is your moral, you know, code was going to change
and everything, so.
Was there something that.
I stopped partying at that moment, yeah.
Was there something that propelled you into, like, finding faith?
I mean, a lot of, I think God uses a whole bunch of things.
He's never, like, one thing.
You know what I mean?
But, yeah, like, I mean, going broke.
And one ends out of nowhere.
Different ownership change, right?
Could have went forever.
Could have went, like, the globe trials forever.
But it just so happened it fell in the hands of owners who don't know anything about basketball,
much less streetball.
Like, they knew nothing about basketball.
So it just ended out of nowhere.
So, yeah, I mean, hardship.
I actually accepted Christ at Escalade's funeral.
Mark Jackson's Escalade's brother.
Mark the analyst.
And he was a pastor, though, too.
So he did the eulogy.
Yeah, it was in Brooklyn.
Have you told him about that?
Oh, we're, like, fam.
Yeah, I hit Mark right now.
So that was the moment for you.
And then it kind of, obviously, it seems like your life was great beforehand.
But do you feel like this kind of took you to, you've been, I mean, you've been successful
Over 20 years, which is also unheard of in, like, the Hollywood.
It's very hard to, like, stay relevant, stay consistent, have people still care.
Get a second chance.
Have people still care about what you're doing.
So, like, how much do you contribute that shift in your life?
Oh, I think it was everything, to be honest.
I feel like, I mean, I feel like all good things come from God, personally.
So I feel like even that, like, even, like, my viral video, I got a million subs in a
You know what I'm saying?
It's like, I feel like, I feel like I was, like, ready for it to be used.
Like, everything's more about, like, people.
You know what I'm saying?
You serve people.
So, like, my whole platform's now used for that.
So I think I was in a good place where God gave me a second chance because I was in a
better place than I was before, for sure.
Like, everything I skidded out for me, personally, and all of us, and one, but I'm not saying
it's because we were rowdy.
A lot of celebrities are rowdy, but I needed it.
It's a slippery slope, though, as you, like, we've seen with a lot of celebrities.
Like, you can get wrapped up in that lifestyle, and then you are completely broke, but then
you don't get a second chance, and then your career isn't, like, you have to, you don't
make that money back that you had before.
Then you get used to a lifestyle that you're living so lavishly, and you can't support
that lifestyle anymore.
That's exactly what happened.
Yeah, like, all type of issues.
Was it because, like, of the partying or, like, buying things you shouldn't, or?
A little bit of everything.
I think, for me, I was never a big spender.
Like, I'm not buying boats.
I'm not buying a car.
Like, mine was, like, just bill spend is higher than we're making every month, but then you
feel like your money stream's endless.
And then some months, like, you know, you make 100 to 200K a month, so are we running
I got a chain and a bill.
You know what I'm saying?
Like, I go on trips.
I was never a big spender, though.
Like, I should invest in a real estate at certain times.
You know what I mean?
But I never, I wasn't making wise investments, but also, yeah, it was a little bit of both.
I was thinking entrepreneurially, I was thinking more like a hooper.
I just hoop and practice all day, then when we go on tour, we party and hoop and all that.
So, yeah, I was unfocused.
To a business person, an entrepreneur, I was very unfocused when that ended.
So, I think that had a lot to do with it.
And then, you know, even after, you know, finding God or whatever, I don't want you
to think, like, or the audience to think it's just, like, so polished and perfect now, right?
I've had my issues with a lot of things, you know, with women.
So, like, you know, just figuring it out as we go, you know?
No, I'm not putting you on the craziest pedestal, but I do, I think you're just a great person.
I wouldn't work with you as much as we have and, like, have this friendship if I didn't
And likewise, too.
It's always been great.
What advice would you give for, you know, young hoopers coming up now?
Oh, young hoopers.
Or just what they say.
Focus on the craft.
Less about, less about the hoops.
Less about the social media.
Less about the overdoing AAU.
All the players who are stars in the NBA today were gym rats, especially, like, guards who
have high skill levels.
Not everybody can be 6'9 and windmill, right?
Like, because genetics do weigh in, right?
There's a lot of guys who make.
Maybe, like, Serge Ibaka who started playing at, like, 18 or something.
Yeah, like, if you're that athletically gifted, you could actually not love the game and just
play a lot and be natural.
You know, you've been around NBA life, so you know what happens.
But most of the time, for most people, you're going to have to dedicate an insane amount
of time to the skill development of your game.
And that's going to come with just, like, time investment.
So you've got to, like, love it.
But, you know, advice for me, yeah, I tell people, like, you just, you actually have
Like, if you don't love it, I can't give you any advice to make the pros because you're
not cut out for it.
Like, just being honest.
Like, you may be cut out for college.
Like, you can actually like it a lot.
You can practice a lot and be a college player, but I don't think you can be a pro, especially
if you're a normal-sized guard, meaning 6'4 and under.
You don't make the NBA.
You're going to have to love it because your time investment is too much to not love it.
Like, you actually won't enjoy it.
You just won't put the time in.
Well, that happened to me, though.
I didn't even love it enough to make it through college.
Yeah, like, it's a lot.
You know, even, like, when I was playing the CBA, you know, like, those politics, I actually
got on my pro teams to sell tickets because and one could have been higher, right?
I mean, it was A-list.
It was on 50 times a week on ESPN.
It was only 50 channels, right?
50 to 100 channels.
So I got on those teams actually to sell tickets.
Then when I got there, they were like, oh, we can play.
So every team I played on worked my way to the starting lineup.
And it was great.
But the politics of the game and trying to keep your spot, the injuries, and, you know,
you're going through an agent and trying to get.
That's what I actually wanted to ask you because that's.
That's something that a lot of guys run into.
A lot of people in this industry run into is like agents, managers taking advantage of
Did you ever have any of that?
I actually had great representation.
I always got deprioritized, though, not being in the NBA.
So I don't deal with any basketball representation is not for somebody not in the NBA.
In my opinion, you shouldn't be with an NBA agency if you're doing what we do.
I know you need to say you're retired.
But like if you're hooping, not an NBA doing the social media thing, you need to stay away
from the rock nation and the NBA agents because you'll just be low on the totem pole.
They look at it as less glamorous, even if you make millions of dollars.
It's just not their priority.
So I got deprioritized.
And yeah, I had some sticky situations.
I think actually most people were great, but maybe I didn't like how they deal with people
relationally or didn't feel like I was getting my.
Max potential out of the deal.
Well, even when you were young, too, because you were kind of new to making money.
And that's I feel like when it's the most vulnerable place, when you're like new to
People can just latch on to you.
They totally can.
And yeah, like I was repped by like like the Goodwin brothers, like my first few years
And like they're cool people.
They're like dope.
And I bet you if you ask Gary Payne how they are, he'd be the best in the world.
They still rep Dame Lillard when we did that little.
Lab, they were there and I saw a dude I haven't seen in 20 years and they were super cool.
But like they didn't care about me at all.
Like, you know, we signed a deal.
I never I spoke to once every two months.
So, yeah, that that wasn't right.
Because they're not really repping me like and it made no sense with the hottest shit
like you could argue is the hottest show on TV at the time, not even just sports.
But like I'm not hearing from you.
If they were around today, it would be I would have been one of their top clients.
Like you see these reality stars who go on shows and just like.
Make a fool of themselves and are multimillionaires right after it.
And everybody wants to write a drama.
So I think it's all about.
Like I said, it's a lot of stuff is perception and marketing and like the wave of the culture.
So in basketball, if you weren't in the NBA, no matter what you did, it's deprioritized.
But outside of and when you see much outside the NBA that ever like went off and had a
So even me coming to social, I didn't know.
I was the first basketball influencer.
All time on accident.
I was trying to get bookings, but I'm on all socials with my highlights.
So I didn't know.
Could I have a mass following of a bunch of.
I didn't even know if it's possible right now.
We've learned like it's all about just being it's entertainment.
So everybody can.
If you do it right or if it's marketable enough.
I don't want to put you on blast, but turning 40 this year.
Oh, it's not blast.
I'm trying to hoop till I'm 50.
That's what I was going to ask.
Like where do we go from here?
You said like physically you're good.
You have all the skills that you had.
You haven't even hit your peak yet.
I feel like that.
So what what is the trajectory?
You know, I actually never said this publicly.
My goal is to play till 2034.
10 years from now.
There's a lot of people in the Hall of Fame that had long standing runs that aren't in
They're like contributors, right?
There's like women, successful women coach for 20 years.
There's like referees.
There's three Harlem Globetrotters individually.
The Harlem Globetrotters, a group is in there.
So my shoot for the moon, maybe I'll never reach it.
Land amongst ours to be a contributor in the Hall of Hall of Fame.
But I think like another 10 years would help more.
That's what I think.
Because that would be a.
30 year basketball career.
Professional basketball career.
And I don't want to play if I can't put on a show at like a good level.
You know, I mean, he's still already gone 21.
I'm older than LeBron.
So we're 21 years in.
But I'm actually like six months older in age.
Yeah, that's my shoot.
That's my shoot for the moon.
Land amongst the stars.
Because if it doesn't happen, it's still a great run.
I don't see why not.
I don't see why not.
You've affected basketball in like every aspect of the sport.
I mean, you were just on.
You were just on KG show and like to see him kind of.
Not fanboy, but give you props the way that he did for coming from.
That was amazing.
That was so fire.
And he's be an one guy, too.
He was signed and one like before we I was even on there.
So it's a full circle moment.
That was really cool.
I mean, you get props from all of these.
People who might end up there.
It's like they don't need to blow smoke.
They don't have to say that.
You know what I mean?
They they're around everyone.
They're around every Hall of Famer.
We'll have to see.
But let's put it out there.
I think it's possibility.
Last question for you.
Who is one person who's come up to you giving you flowers?
Been a fan of yours that really surprised you or like meant a lot.
Well, Iverson himself.
Like I when I was growing up, I loved and one just as much as I loved Iverson.
Jordan Iverson and Jay will my favorite NBA players growing up.
And then when I met Jay will or excuse me when I met Iverson was actually we went on tour in China and I played his last three games.
He ever played with him on the same team on the back.
Did I not know this?
My first NBA collab on YouTube before the word collab existed.
I got the footage from the promoter.
I didn't ask for clearance.
It's early YouTube, though.
So I didn't even it didn't feel like a big thing.
But the promoter was the homie slid me the footage.
They shot it horrible, but it still worked.
We edited to make as good as we can.
That was my first NBA collab is like three games in China with Iverson.
And then he knew who we were.
And like he was a big heat.
Man, we were flying private on the way back because I did two stints.
We did something in the Philippines in 2014.
And he was going off.
He talked about what he was a fan of me for like 15 straight minutes, 10 minutes real time.
And then Bone Collector and on the on the flight home.
It was very surreal.
So that was my obviously being your idol, too, that you're on the court with them all of a sudden.
Even it's hard to process, too, because like people are at a distance in entertainment.
And then like, yeah, you're like, wait, you meet him.
They know you've been like, well, you're actually a fan.
He's like, because I told him that crossover, bro.
I was like, that was the first move that was like the cheat code move for me.
I cross over grown adults.
I like this tall.
I'm saying literally I'm four foot something.
And he was like, why do you stop doing the move?
And I was like, I mean, they start calling it carry.
You know, that's cool.
That's like my moment when I went up against Candace Parker in the NBA All-Star.
She started guarding me.
And it was like, it's like all noise went away.
But then I was overcome.
Like, I was overwhelmed with fear, actually.
I'm like, why are you guarding me?
I can't do anything with you guarding me.
Like, why are you here?
But it was good, though.
Yeah, it was great.
But when she and I think this was also my New Orleans game because I played in two.
I played well in both.
But when she guarded me, she said, you better not shoot it.
You better not shoot it.
Because, of course, that's all I was doing in both of those games.
I said, don't worry, I won't.
And, like, literally passed it.
I was like, I'm good.
Candace, I respect your game.
But that's all right.
But that was someone I watched.
And I always wanted.
Like, my dream was to go to the University of Tennessee.
And I wasn't good enough to get there.
I made Division One.
But Tennessee at the time, it was like UConn and Tennessee were by a mile.
Go to your schools.
You know what I mean?
And so, like, I had so much, like, Tennessee gear.
And she was one of my favorite players.
For me to never play professionally, but then to have that moment, which felt like
a, like, being on the biggest stage I could possibly be on without ever playing pro with
It was just really cool.
That's super dope.
I appreciate that.
What else should we be on the lookout for?
Stay tuned to my socials.
I've been promoting this for a while, but I'm literally close to launching now.
You go to crossover5.com.
It's crossover spelled out.
Number five dot com.
You get a free video.
But you'll be notified.
I'm trying to drop my program, my online program.
You know, people can learn handles from me.
And then you can sign up monthly if you want to be on a live.
I'm going to go live once a month, do the workouts.
So look out for that.
It's called Crossed Up University.
Crossed Up University.
I could definitely use that.
As you know, my handles are so weak.
You know what I'm saying?
We'll get the free stuff.
You need like a, if you need like a women's side, I can demo that.
Hey, never know, though.
Because I do want to expand.
I used to start with handles.
It's what everybody knows me as.
But eventually we go into shooting and all that.
Because you can't just be effective in one area, right?
People don't even know.
Like I said, at mid-range, it's auto.
So, I mean, we'll talk.
Thank you so much.
This was amazing.
Thanks for having me on.
Season three, you'll be back again.
Wait for my text.