Dalen Terry Breaks Down Top 3 Toughest NBA Matchups

Toughest player you had to guard in the league so far?

I mean, DeMar DeRozan.

Who on the Bulls can't guard you? Call him out.

Damn.

Who can't guard you?

I mean him.

He can't guard me. He can't guard me. He gonna tell you that though.

Straight at him.

Huh?

He gonna tell you that.

I don't think he gonna tell me that.

I mean, he not gonna tell you that.

Welcome to Iman Amongst Men, powered by Cash App. We don't shy away from topics other people are too afraid to talk about. We go all the way there. Now let's get it. It pays to get paid on Cash App. Depositing your paycheck comes with protections and security features to keep it safe, including card lock and transaction alerts, so you never have to wonder what your money is up to. Instead, you can have time to wonder about everything else. Hey, Ahrii, what do you wonder about?

Aliens, ghosts, government conspiracies, the nature of mankind, you know, stuff like that. What about you?

I wonder what's wrong with you most of the time.

That's considerate of you.

Anytime, brother. With CardLock and transaction alerts, you know your paycheck is safe. And when your hard-earned money is safe, you can rest easy. That's money. That's Cash App. Download Cash App from the App Store or Google Play Store today. Cash App is a financial platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Debit cards issued by Sutton Bank pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa USA Inc. All other trademarks and service marks belong to their respective owners. Welcome to Iman Amongst Men. I'm Iman Shumpert here with my big brother Ahrii. Ahrii, go on and give a what's up to the people.

What's going on, people? I'm Ahrii, and today we're joined We joined by another very special guest.

Yeah. At guard.

Yeah.

From Arizona, 6'7, Dalen Terry. Put it in reverse, Terry.

Welcome to the show, man. Man, what's happening? How y'all doing, man?

Good, good. Put it in reverse. Go, throw it in reverse, Terry. Throw it in reverse.

Man.

No, we was watching your highlights and I'm like, bro, after they said it 2, 3 times, it was funny. But I'm like, bro, you gotta just do reverses. Just don't stop with 'em. Just anything they wanna see, just reverse it. 'Cause that hearing that, I'm like, bro, that's the best shit on the radio. Like if I was riding home, I'd be like, man, Terry reversing something, dog, dog.

But that's our thing though. Like Chicago sports radio, like they—

Yeah, we really like that.

And they like giving names like that. Like especially if it's relevant and it's quick. Like he came on strong, paused. And you know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

How did it go?

But yeah, once he came on, it was just, you know, it was takeoff from there.

Yeah, I like that though. You always played that slasher-like game?

Yeah, growing up I always played point guard, so. But I always was just the tallest on the court.

Oh man. No, you good.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Go ahead.

Tallest dude on the court. So it was just more like I always had to guard the best player, always doing that. I was always doing a little bit of everything and I always liked to pass. I always liked to get rebounds. I like to really get the rebound and push it. So everybody said, if you get that rebound, push them.

Yeah.

You the point guard on that play. That's what I used to try and adopt that. It get tougher when you get certain, you get on certain teams.

'Cause you gotta be the energy guy.

Yeah. You gotta be in a certain role. But on those, that's free times though that you can become the point.

Yeah.

Like getting a rebound. And having guys that could just, you know, take the wings and it gets you—

Your Scottie Pippen moment.

Yeah, it just gets you them moments that you don't feel like you not you no more. Like, I know how that feel, boy. 'Cause hell, in that league, boy, they will put you at a position in a heartbeat. You hear me?

Yeah.

They told me I was a 3-and-D guy. I came in at point guard.

Hurt your heart, didn't it?

I say, boy, what? I say, guard who? I mean, I could guard him, but damn.

You right. I guard point guards.

Like, that's what I'm like. I got a list of people I gotta guard this year. I didn't throw Melo on there. Like, y'all got me guarding everything, man. The theme of today's episode is gonna be leaving no doubt. When you hear that phrase, what come to your mind?

Man, just being undeniable, you know? Like, uh, just being somebody that like leave no doubt. Like, I want everybody to be like, when I get done playing, like to know what I'm about. On and off the court, you feel me?

So you a person that like, on and off the court, is it just like, bro, I'm doing all ball?

Yeah, like, I like clothes. That's the one thing I get into. But if it ain't about basketball and ain't about no clothes, don't call me.

Like, I was the same way coming in. I think I was, I wanted to do the fashion stuff and then after a while I just, I don't know. I don't know when I became—

You was in a different era. That's why.

Yeah.

Y'all put it on, but it was a different way. Like, we, everybody just showing their emotions however they showing their emotions.

You feel me? Like, that's crazy.

They wasn't letting y'all do it though.

Yeah. They wasn't really letting y'all do it like that.

At all. Straight up. Stern with it.

He was stern.

He was stern with it. Like, he was like, hey bro, y'all gonna come nice.

Oh no, he would lose it if he saw what was going on that day.

They fined me a couple times already for outfits. Yeah, they fined me for outfit. Like, bro, you not finna come in, you finna come into the Garden like this when I play for the Knicks?

They like—

Like this before Russ was like flagrant.

I'm about to say, Russ be wilding. No, he was— Wilding, but like, you know.

But it was cool though, 'cause he pushed the line. Yeah, wow.

I think he'd be wild. No shirt under the vest and all of that.

I think what people fail to realize with Russ, what he did, I feel like even though it was flagrancy, it was like—

I mean, they was already probably on you though.

But Russ stepped up.

With the flat top, they was already on you.

They was on me, but it was like Russ did the like—

Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? It was like high fashion over the line for us. We was like, damn, bro. Like, he was going high fashion. But I feel like that's what pushed the envelope. They don't care. Like, mine sometimes just show up with shorts and a shirt.

Yeah.

I'm like, now that's cool. Like, I wish KD, them start just like—

I feel like eventually though, most players are gonna get to that point.

Get back to that.

The thing is you be having days though, like when it come to that.

Yeah, I feel like you should though.

Yeah, like it's just like I wake up, put what I feel like on. Like, you know, like if I wanna wear a big sweatsuit today, that's what I'm gonna wear, you know? But if I don't, Then I'm gonna put it on.

You know what I mean?

It's just how you feel.

He also don't have a stylist. Yeah.

I mean, but that's what's raw about that. They don't feel no pressure by it. They don't feel like we not focused on the game. We just get swaggy. Like, that's how I feel. I'm like, man, we just putting on clothes, G. I didn't really start thinking about it till y'all start asking us about it.

Like, yeah.

Like, why you guys focusing on fashion? We like focused.

Like, yo, what? This is what you grew up like. Yeah.

Buy clothes. These the clothes I own. These are the ones in the closet, bro. I'm like, y'all got fake outfits for a day?

Suit and tie.

Suit and tie. But stylists will give you, they'll put something on you for the day like that you probably don't even really wear. And I think that's where the hiccup comes in.

The hiccup.

Blur that line. Basketball always your favorite sport?

Yeah, always. I ain't never had no other love.

I'm a hooper, bro. No half stepping it.

I played football, but you know the story, every basketball player play football for a certain age and they get cracked and it's over with.

Oh, what age?

What age you at? I think I might've been like 6th grade and I was everywhere on the field too. I was quarterback, running back, wide receiver, safety.

Copy, you AI.

Yeah, tight, tight. So then I got the, I think it was a, I was running a slant route, caught it.

Right across the middle.

Yeah, I got through, I got past my first defender, but I wasn't really thinking about the other safety.

Yeah.

And as soon as I caught it, looked this way, He looked over me and I was like, yeah, I'm playing basketball.

He dropped the ball and walked off.

Man, it's just like you playing— I was going back and forth. I mean, it was like 2 years I was going back and forth, basketball, football, basketball, football. And it's just like, when you go play basketball, all them football kids getting bigger. And you know, basketball, I'm just tall, lanky, skinny. I could do that in my sleep. Nah, them guys getting bigger, they eating more. It's over.

I'm not gonna transform for that sport.

Like, I don't love it like that. I'm wearing basketball number I'm on the football field, I'm wearing 24. You feel me?

So.

Now that's hard. Tell us the backstory on how you got to the league.

Like, like outta college type?

Mm-hmm.

Okay, so.

Tell us the whole route. We got a bunch of young men that listen to the podcast. Shout out to everybody listening to the podcast at home. We got a bunch of young guys that listen to this and a lot of the questions that I see come a lot are like, you know, how do you do, like, what if I, What if I didn't get drafted? What if I did this? What if I did that? I try and tell people all the time, like, so many people got so many unique stories of how they got in. Even when they're in, having to go play in the other league, the G League.

Yeah. Okay.

Yeah, I feel you. Okay. I'll take it all the way back to high school.

Let's do it.

All right. So high school, you know, freshman year, you know, I'm freshman on varsity. You know, I feel like the big man on campus. You feel me?

I was with you on that.

Yeah. So I'm feeling good, you know? But like, it was a lot of kids that was just, hella big growing up and they had hella offers already, you know? But I was a kid that was like, everybody knew I was gonna be aight, but they ain't really believe like I believe. Like I was confident wearing it on my shoulder, but they ain't really believe like that. So freshman year I made varsity, then I get an offer and it's like, oh, who is this kid? You know? And it's like my sophomore year—

Who was the first offer?

Grand Canyon. And then the next one was UCLA.

Solid.

Man, my first offer, Grand Canyon, I'm thinking I'm going to Grand Canyon.

Straight up?

Oh, that's how all y'all do? Like the first offer you saw?

What was that? Southern Illinois?

Yeah.

I was really like, y'all the first ones that took a shot on me.

Yeah, yeah.

Like, you the first ones that saw it. I don't know how everybody else seen it later, but—

Right, right.

Y'all came hollering at me, so I'm gonna check y'all out.

Exactly.

And you didn't go at all. You know what I'm saying?

You didn't go, but go on.

I'm sorry.

All right, so my sophomore year, you know, all the seniors leave. My freshman year, all the seniors, that was their last year. All the cold ones. Sophomore year, it's my time to shine. It's just me.

Right.

So I'm playing and, you know, like, I'm in my hometown playing and it was just getting to the point where like prep, uh, AAU— no, prep basketball was getting big.

Yeah.

So, so everybody was on me. All the schools were trying to figure out like, what you gonna do for your junior and senior year? So then I ended up transferring to another school, like, um, a prep school called Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix. So then I went to that powerhouse school. We got all 5-star dudes, you feel me? But I'm top top 60, top 75 at the time. And it's just like, only a matter of time before I get on, you know? So I'm trying to get on. I end up playing for Compton Magic, a team out here. So every weekend I'm out here all the time, always trying to play, just trying to get it. And we playing on this, me, Evan Mobley, Isaiah Mobley, Onyeka Okongwu, Johnny Juzang. We got, yeah, we that. Jalen Clark, you feel me?

So we—

We that.

Yeah, we number 1, number 2 in the country. We always knocking on the door like, what's up? And we wearing Adidas. You know, you know the politics in AAU. Yeah, so we already against the 8-ball, we feel like. So we at everybody. So, you know, Arizona, they always think we soft. They think Phoenix kids soft, all that. So I come out here playing— what? That's what everybody say. They say Phoenix kids soft, all that. We changed the narrative now. You don't know that.

I didn't know that. I didn't know that. I never heard nobody saying I'm from Phoenix.

They'd be like, what?

Nah, it is. I don't meet many, many people from Phoenix.

Exactly.

But I'm saying I would never just—

Try you because—

Yeah, I'm definitely not finna play with y'all and them gun laws. Hell no. With no niggas from Phoenix.

So think about that. I'm from Phoenix. I'm coming to Cali. I'm already on like, man, y'all don't like me. I'm different. You know what I mean? So it was on that. So me playing for that team, everybody's naturally just like that. So we at everybody. We trying to play all the EYBL teams, all the unarmed teams. Anybody that's ranked above us, right below us, we want to smash. You know, so that's kind of how I got my name, just being scrappy, being playing all over across the court. And I'm 6'7 playing point guard.

Gosh.

So I'm doing that every game. And it's just like, I just always felt— I was always in the conversations, but it was always just kids that's always been super big all their lives that's just always above me.

Yeah.

So I always felt some type of way like, man, I want to get at him. I want to get at him. I had a list, like, real. Straight up.

That shit be real, dog. People be thinking Miles be playing like, I got a list. And they be thinking it's like, like a figure of speech, like, nah, I'm serious.

Yeah, wrote it down.

Oh y'all, right now.

There's people I still gotta get at, you know what I'm saying?

Straight up, it's like, you good at basketball? I want it, I want it.

So then I'm obviously, we getting hyped, obviously we top 5 in the country every year. So now it's bringing on to me 'cause I go back to the big powerhouse school, Hillcrest.

Gotcha.

So then now we playing junior year, senior year, we always in the conversation, we always top 10 or whatever, but I'm still like a top 40 kid. And you know, McDonald's about to come around, all them big games, I'm I got all that pride. I want to be in that, you know? So I know, like, I'm like a top— I'm top 25 on one of the rankings. I'm top 40 on another ranking. I'm top 60 on another ranking. You know, I'm listening to top 25, you feel me? So I'm like, all right, I know I'm top 25 this ranking. I'm, I'm right there. But then it's like they did some foul shit. They— right before, right before the, uh, the last ranking came out, right before McDonald's, I dropped.

Yo, those rankings, man.

So I'm like Nah, but them rankings, they say they don't mean nothing and then stuff like that happen.

But that's what I'm saying, they mess with your mind.

Yeah.

Like even as a fan, I used to be looking like, damn, like how did he, like he ain't even played this weekend.

No one know.

Exactly. So I'm thinking I'm in the mix like for something. I'm just like, I already played Adidas. I know I'm not Nike. You feel me? So like I gotta get, I gotta leave no doubt. You feel me?

Straight up.

So obviously I left some doubt and they dropped me. So I'm like, oh man, I'm hot.

Some doubt.

My whole like second half of my senior year, I'm hot. Like, man, I'm trying to get— I'm over here. I averaged, I think my junior year, senior year, I averaged like 11, 12 assists, 20 ball. I'm trying to do everything. I'm getting a whole bunch of rebounds, blocking shots, dunking on people, doing everything I can.

Doing what I gotta do.

Man, and they still ain't really messing with me. But then COVID hit and it's like nobody playing in them games. The world shut down. So now it's like, that's my senior year.

Jesus Christ.

So my senior year, obviously going to a prep school, I do online school, all that. So I don't get to— I had to sacrifice all them hanging out with all the homies and all that. I didn't meet everybody, but I don't get to go to prom. I don't get to do none of that. You feel me? So it's like, dang, I ain't make no McDonald's game. I ain't make no Jordan, all that. Then I can't live my life? Dang. All right, bet. But I'm all about basketball anyway. So now I find a gym. Obviously I'm in the gym every day.

Yep. Ain't nothing else to do.

Right. Nothing else to do. Everybody's saying, wash your hands. Man, I'm not listening to that. I'm playing basketball. I ain't gonna lie to you. I'm not listening to that. My whole 2020, I'm hard-headed. My dad like, don't come back in the house, man. Man, we playing outside, we running up the court.

Telling somebody that's in high school stay in the house. What?

I just got old enough to leave.

Yeah, it's crazy because they—

for real, like, just got old enough to leave. My mama just now trusting me for real. Like, even though she let me get out, like, she just now letting me do— I can leave without her calling my phone every hour, you know? Like, So then boom, I was committed to Arizona.

Right.

And you know, when you senior year, after that senior year, you pretty much get right to it, like to go to college. In Arizona, I'm from Phoenix, Tucson is an hour and a half away. So I'm getting ready to leave and they like, y'all can't come yet. And we like, why can't we come? They're like, man, we just think it's best everybody stay at home. So I don't get to go to school till about August. So all summer I'm at home, but then boom, I'm working out. Nobody really noticed. I tear my meniscus. So I'm like, oh man. Like right after my senior year. So I'm like, meniscus, COVID. Now I really can't go outside. You know what I mean? Like I can't play basketball. I can't go outside. I'm hot. But obviously meniscus ain't as serious as a lot of things. So I'm just—

Rehabbing it.

But at 17, 16 years old, I'm— I think this is the worst thing in the world. I'm like, man, All the momentum I had is gone.

You had to get a scope?

Yeah, scope.

Copy, copy.

So I got the scope quick. And Arizona obviously was cool about it. It was like, man, it's not as bad as you think.

Like, you know what I mean? Oh, man.

I think it's bad.

They like, you 18, boy. You got a lot of ball to play.

Right. So then I end up rehabbing all that summer right before. I didn't miss no time on the court. Like, by the time we got there, like August, I was on the court the first week.

And nobody even knew.

Yeah, I didn't have to announce it or nothing like that, you know? So, and that was, Obviously, like they said, stay in the house, COVID. I'm ducked off. Nobody see me.

You feel me?

They might— if you see me in Newbury, it's usually one of my homies. You feel me? I didn't want nobody to really see me like that. So that was cool. And then obviously my freshman year at Arizona, you guys probably seen the crowd before. Ain't no fans. So we playing basketball games, you can hear a pin drop.

Straight up.

So it's like, I got Sean Miller yelling at me. You know when a coach cussing you out and you just— it's so loud, you just like, nah, I'm not doing none of that. We gotta listen to everything he say.

It's more embarrassing when it's like nobody can hear you. I mean, if everybody can hear y'all, it's way better when it's just, it's a nutso in there. It's like you could just zone out. I know what you saying.

Exactly.

So you can act like you don't hear people.

Yeah.

But he said he still had to do it.

Like, man, I can't listen to you right now. Exactly. So playing through COVID my whole freshman year was hard, but I had the mindset like, I'm gonna get outta here in one. And then obviously my meniscus tear, I still think I'm getting outta here. I'm confident. We getting up outta here. And obviously it didn't go the right way. I was in and outta the starting lineup battling with a few guys on our team. But it was actually like a real good experience for me because it showed me like, man, like it's other guys out there that's nice, you know?

Mmhmm.

And it's like, you ain't just fighting against them other teams, you fighting against your teammates too. Like, as much as you call them your brothers you go to war with, hey, if he played a 1, he played a 2, he played a 3, he gotta see me in practice. 'Cause our coach was, he gave it up like that. He's like, whoever win in practices, we can start.

That's fire.

So I could— I had to respect it, you know what I mean? So I'm in and out of the starting lineup. I probably started half the year and the other dude started the other half. But obviously that ate the competitive side out of me. But just playing COVID, playing that first year COVID, like, we every morning at 7 in the morning, we gotta put the, uh—

Oh yeah, the little test.

Man, I'm sitting here like, bro, on an off day, like, crazy. Y'all calling me out. If I oversleep, they calling me. We doing Zooms. I'm like, bro, I gotta put this tube up my nose every day. This hurt.

On the Zoom. Dang, you had to like show the evidence that you did.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And then it got to the point, like, if you ever had COVID, you had to go into the facility and like physically sit there, stand in the line around all the athletes every morning. Even like through everything, like no matter what, you can't get in nowhere. They telling you don't go to no— how do you tell a kid in college don't go to no— don't go to see what's outside? Feel me?

Like, just got to this campus.

I don't know how you made it, man. You seem really agitated about that.

I'm very mad about that.

You clearly ain't even got over it, right? Y'all cheated my boy outta some time, man. My boy need his time back, man.

Man, they telling, they over here locking the gym certain times. I'm like, bruh.

Nah, nah. See, I wouldn't have been able to do that.

Telling you, feel me?

It's a couple things we not gonna do.

They washing the balls right after you pause. Oh my gosh.

That was crazy.

They putting the rag on the basketballs after you dribble the ball.

That was a good recovery.

That was good. That was good. So we were basically doing all that. And then my sophomore year, um, our coach got fired. Um, but he also, he was part of the whole, you know, everything that happened. And we had got a new coach. So now I'm sitting here like, all right, I didn't do good enough to go one and done, but now we got a new coach. So am I gonna get in the portal? Am I gonna, what are we gonna do? Coach came in, I ended up liking him, we ended up staying. So now I get invited to the USA USA U19. And you, you know, you go to USA U19, you make that team, you probably a lotto pick, you feel me?

Yeah, you lit.

Right. So I go there and I'm like, man, this is my time to show everybody who I am. So then boom, I'm— I felt like I was killing. I'm, I'm talking how I talk, I'm walking how I walk, you know, all that.

Straight up.

All the homies in here, you feel me? It's whoever, whoever want it who can get it.

You got comfortable.

Exactly. I mean, so it's like 3, 4 days, it's at TCU. I ain't ever forget. I, it's— I'm gonna run it all the way down just so you know. So we playing, I call, call my brother, actually Donnie here. I call him, I'm like, man, I'm going to USA. Like, they about to see what it is. All the McDonald's, all Americans, all that.

Yeah.

Yeah. All that talk. Yeah, I'm here. What? Feel me? They calling me like, yeah, he about to be gone for a month. He about to go to USA. It's over with. We ain't gonna see DT for a long time.

Right.

Man, I go for a week. I think the, the first cut, Boom! Yeah, they don't say my name. I'm whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What are we talking about? They pulled me to the side like, "Yeah, it's it's not even about it's not even about basketball. Like it's politics. You know, like you know how this go, DT." I don't know how none of this go. No name. No sense to me. Like, "DT, don't be mad. Don't show don't show him how you hot." What? I'm I'm in the hotel lobby hot. Like I'm going home. I'm not— I packed, man.

I'm wearing—

man, I packed all these Kobe's. I packed all these, man. What? You feel me? So I'm hot.

Like, right? You should be.

Oh, man. And he's just trying to justify that I'm good enough to be on this team and they just couldn't pick me because of politics. So I'm sitting here like, bro, you want me to be calm about this?

All right.

And he's like, yes. Like, I need you to calm down. You're gonna still be whoever you gonna be. But I'm hot because I know what, how I was looking at it when I was younger or like on the USA team. Okay. U19. That's the guys that didn't really make the version one and done. And then some of the freshmen put on a team and they on the spotlight.

Straight up.

And it's certain guys on there. I ain't finna say, you know.

You don't need to.

Man, y'all know.

Go get 'em when you see 'em.

Some of 'em ain't even, somebody ain't even on the list. They didn't even make the list. So it's like that. So I'm very mad, right? And then my sophomore year, we own. We own. We top 5 in the country all year, you know? So we playing UCLA, USC, all that, big games. We play Illinois, beat them at Illinois. We having a good time. We on top of the world. And it's everybody eating. We got 3 guys drafted first round. So everybody eating. We get to the tournament. We get to the tournament, we play— you remember I said the game was at TCU, right?

Yeah.

So you know who's the coach? The TCU coach. Oh, he the head coach of the USA team when I got cut.

Copy.

Okay, bet.

Just write that down.

Now we here. Okay.

Now we here.

So then boom, end of my sophomore year, you know, I'm starting to get on the boards a little bit. Slasher, you know?

Yeah.

We get to the tournament, we play, we forgot who we played first. We beat them. Second game, we got TCU. Ooh. So now I'm like, wait.

That's him.

Point guard. Oh, okay. Write this down. All right, bet. I'm gonna see you real soon. So right before, I thought I'm the only one that peeped it. Like, oh, he's the guy that cut you. Like, nah, the media was on there. Like, how do you feel about such and such? You know, this is your first time seeing him since you got cut.

Cut, cut.

First of all, I got a lot of pride. I hear cut. Hey, bro, you just sparked the whole nerve, dude. Like, so now I'm all the way mad all over again. I don't even care about no stats. I just can't lose this game no matter what.

He gotta go home before me.

'Cause I had to go home before him.

Copy.

You feel me? So I don't know if y'all seen the game, but in the game, it was a crazy game. I get a steal at the end of the game, like 2 seconds left. It might've been a foul, wasn't a foul though. Got the steal, boom. Dude fall on the ground. 2 seconds left, I'm at half court. I throw the ball out. And you know, as a hooper, you got an open layup, but like I'm at half court running and it's like the time is running out. Everybody like, why you ain't shoot the floater? No, I have to dunk this ball. 'Cause if I try to lay this up and I miss it, it's over with. I'm gonna feel horrible. But the game is tied. So I get the whatever, boom, boom. Try to lay it up or try to dunk it. Boom. The time would go out right before. So now it's overtime. We end up winning the game. And we talking our shit right after the game. Yeah, DT. Yeah, you got your get back. Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo. Next game we end up losing to Houston. Sweet 16.

Oh my gosh.

End up losing to Houston. I'm hot, but you know. The show must go on.

Real talk though. He went home. He went home. I got the thing done.

He was on the list. You feel me? So I don't think that's my last game in the Arizona jersey. I really, I kind of do. I'm one of them guys that was on the cusp. So it's just like, dang, like it all came back. Like we had a good year, but as soon as the season end, I'm getting ambushed by everybody. Agents, coaches, everybody like, what you gonna do? What you gonna do? I'm like, man, we just lost. I'm hot. I need to leave me alone for a week. Like, you hear me? So it was a couple guys that like was trying to talk me out of like whatever I was trying to do. So like they asked me what I'm trying to do. I'm like, I'm finna go to— I think I'm finna put my name in the draft. Obviously to test the waters. At least I owe myself that. Yeah. And people was talking me out of it, trying to talk me out of it. Like, nah, I think you should come back to school. Couple, I forgot. I know who said it, but somebody said I wasn't finna get drafted.

I went through that.

I'm like, okay, so now you should remember how I said leave no doubt. So now I'm sitting here like, people saying I can't do this. Like, is people really saying I can't do this? Now I gotta, now I gotta see if I could do this. And I believe I could do this.

I gotta hire the agent.

Right, exactly. So, so then I get, I obviously get my agent. My agent, like my big brother, you feel me? I've been knowing him since I was 15, 16 years old, and he happened to be an agent at that time. Like crunch time, just happened. It just happened like that, you feel me? So we got that type of relationship. He calling me like, hey, bro, I'm telling you, this buzz is real. Like, this ain't no second-round buzz. Like, you okay? Like, so I'm like, you for real? All right, bet. So I jump out there, I come to LA, come to LA, I'm testing the waters. I remember my first workout was for the Clippers. They had the 43rd pick, but I'm just trying to hear what everybody say. 43rd pick, um, they guarantee me, like, don't work out for nobody else. They said, but before they before they said they had the 43rd pick, they said don't work out for anyone. I'm like, how many? What pick y'all got? 43. Nah, I gotta keep working out. But obviously I know I ain't gonna go past 43.

Straight up.

So now the first the first before I'm testing the waters, I'm doing all the second round teams and a little bit of first round teams before the combine. Like I'm I'm on the go. Working out for them? Yeah.

Okay.

So I'm I did 18 workouts. So I did probably like. 7 before the combine. And the one I did right before the combine was in Chicago for the Bulls.

Mm-hmm.

So I work out for the Bulls, I'm by myself, and by myself in there, you know how it is, everybody watching you. Nobody's saying nothing. Everybody just like, mm-hmm, noting everything down. So I'm like, okay, it's go time. I'm feeling like I belong, you know? I had a good workout, shot the ball real good, played ones with the Petey guy, got off on him, you know? So it's just like that. And I don't have no clue about nothing. Like, I'm like, I did good.

Like, yeah. I don't know what to go off of. Right.

I don't know. So I go to the combine and my agent tell me like, don't, we ain't, we ain't playing. We ain't doing nothing. Like, you, you, you that. I'm trying to tell you like, the buzz is real. You played enough. You did enough workouts where it's like you got enough leverage on these guys that they got, they wanna talk to you.

Right.

So I'm just going into the interviews. I'm talking, I'm just like how I'm talking. swagged out, I'm feeling good, you know, I'm confident. I'm telling them exactly what it is. Like, I think I'm cold, right? And I think y'all do too, so let's make something happen.

You feel me?

So it's like that. But I'm starting to like— they surprising me because I'm originally, I'm hearing like 30, 35, 29 in the first round. And there's teams in the lottery that's like, where you think you're gonna get drafted? And I don't even know what pick they got. I'm like, I think 20 to 35.

Right.

Well, what about 14? What about 13? What about 7? What about 10? I'm like, what about 18? What about 17? Oh, oh, okay, okay. I'm like, me? All right, bet. Yeah, what's up? Like, I'm trying to figure out what's going on. And they like, so now it's getting the word out. And you know, after the combine is when you gotta figure out if you gonna stay in the draft or not. So obviously, like I said, I'm on the ground. I'm gone for weeks at a time, you know? And I ended up calling coach like, yo, look, coach, I love you. I appreciate y'all. That was one of the hardest calls ever.

Like, that'll be all.

I gotta get on. So it was a specific team I didn't top 10, and I killed the workout, like murdered it. And I'm thinking like, you know what, if I'm gonna go top 10, it's gonna be here, right? I know that. I know that for a fact because the GM, all that, I've been knowing him for a long time. He's one of the reasons why I even came out, right? So it's like, all right, bet. So I know I got— I'm getting real buzzed. Like, wherever I go, I know I ain't getting out of— I'm outside the lottery. I'm top 20. I know that.

Straight up.

You feel me? So draft day come. The night before the draft, my agent called me like, yo, I need you to take this test. Like, test? What type of test? I don't think nothing of it, man. He like— he don't tell me what team it's for. Just take a test, like some IQ test. I take the test and he called me like, yo, you took the test? I'm like, yeah. He like, redo the test. I really was being honest. I was just like, I'm gonna be honest with you. So I redid the test. He's like, okay, you did a good score. There you go. But I'm like, what is this for? Like, I'm thinking it's for me and him. He don't tell me it's a team or nothing like that. So he like, it's for the Bulls, dude. Like, what you talking about? 18th pick. I'm like, oh, okay, bet. All right, I got you. I got you. I got you.

Let me redo what I was just doing. I was playing.

I was just playing. Yeah, I was just resetting that.

Right, right, right. So I still don't— it don't ever catch my mind that draft day I'm going to the Bulls, you know? So San Antonio had like to pick after, Memphis had to pick after. So I'm thinking that's where I was thinking I was going if I didn't go top 10, right? So the draft day come. Y'all ever been to Lolo's Chicken and Waffles in Phoenix, Arizona? It's like Roscoe's out here, but in Phoenix.

Lolo's.

Lolo's Chicken and Waffles. I didn't get invited to the green room. I'm hot about that, but it is what it is. We going back to the crib. I'm gonna have everybody there. So we pack it out, obviously. I walk in, I get there, I'm, I'm chilling. I'm— I see the top 10, I see I don't go that certain number, I'm like, take my jacket off. I'll start eating chicken, I'm chilling. Woo doo woo. 15, 16 come around, I'll start getting ready. I'm like, all right, let me put my jacket on. All the cameras getting right here in front of me. And my agent called me.

My—

one of my homies, Tar Easton, played for Houston Rockets. He get drafted 17. At the time, my agent represented him. So he's on— I see him on TV, then I see him walk across, call me. So I, I see him go like this.

Yeah, so you like, this live, brother.

So it's live, and I'm like, oh yeah. So I run out, he like, you coming to Chicago, baby, let's go.

Yeah, you like, damn.

Oh, they told him.

When I'm outside, I come back, get myself together, I'm— so I'm sitting here, and my dad, you know, he, he got that call! So he gets hyped, and I'm like, hold on, hold on, hold on. He said it, my dad. Not the reaction I wanted. Right, right, right. So I got everybody shut up. We look at it, everybody turn up.

Yeah.

I forgot what song was on. Put On for My City by Jeezy.

Fire.

Yeah, so I'm on that. We running all through it. The homie ain't here. He doing a whole bunch of crazy stuff all through the low lows.

That was this.

See, exactly how it be.

Overdoing it.

So he having a great time. Obviously he more happy than me. I'm happy. They talking, you know, they saying all types of things. We going to Chicago, Michael Jordan, D-Rose. Oh my gosh, what number you gonna wear?

Oh bro, oh bro.

Oh, that was crazy.

But it was just like a— when I got drafted at 18, it was just like, man, like, I just— it was a lot of things. It was like that played into this where I could have steered off and be like, man, you feel me? So it was like, all right, didn't make McDonald's, didn't make the USA team. People— some of the guys top 20 probably looking at him like, eh, he just ain't nothing, you feel me? Then I'm beating these guys my sophomore year, like, yeah, remember? You remember me?

Like, you feel me?

Oh, bro.

So it's like all that. Then it's like, all right, now I'm top 20 pick now, what y'all gonna say now? You know?

Let's all note that he says some of the people on that list, he can't even get 'em. They just all forever gonna be on the list 'cause y'all didn't make it to where y'all— So anytime you at home and you feel like, man, these guys, it's just politics and these guys, that's not a good enough excuse, bro. Go get better. And next time you see dude, you gotta put yourself in there. You gotta put yourself in position to see dude again. When you see the man, beat his ass.

Can't hide no more.

Beat his ass. It pays to get paid on Cash App. Depositing your paycheck comes with protections and security features to keep it safe, including card lock and transaction alerts. So you never have to wonder what your money is up to. Instead, you can have time to wonder about everything else. Hey, Ahrii, what do you wonder about?

Aliens, ghosts, government conspiracies, the nature of mankind, you know, stuff like that. What about you?

I wonder what's wrong with you most of the time.

That's considerate of you.

Anytime, brother. With card lock and transaction alerts, you know your paycheck is safe. And when your hard-earned money is safe, you can rest easy. That's money. That's Cash App. Download Cash App from the App Store or Google Play Store today. Cash App is a financial platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Debit cards issued by Sutton Bank pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa USA Inc. All other trademarks and service marks belong to their respective owners. What's the biggest surprise you had being a rookie in the league?

Just me being so young and like them guys, like playing against them guys that's just super strong. Getting hit by them screens. This is like—

Different.

Like one of my teammates, Andre Drummond, hit me with a screen. Boom. And it's just like, hey bro, we in practice. Like, you feel me? Stuff like that. Who else? Jeff Green, big strong.

Oh yeah.

You feel me?

Uncle Jeff.

You feel me? It's all them old guys.

It's like, Uncle Jeff.

Or even the guys that don't look that strong.

Right.

And it's just like, oh.

Oh yeah. It's just that grown man strength.

Yeah. So it was a lot of that my rookie year. And even this last year, and it's just like, all right, we gotta get in the gym, you know? Like, 'cause it's like, I know I can hang with him basketball-wise, but it's like, all right, he's just strong. Like, it's nothing you can do about it.

He's just strong. You feel me?

Like, it's just like, All that was the biggest thing for me. And just obviously seeing just how like certain teams is constructed. Like you could be drafted high, but if it ain't, if there's a guy in your position and he a star, it's over with.

Yeah, you gotta sit.

You gotta sit, you gotta learn, you know? And you gotta be okay with that.

Straight up.

Like being a competitor, it eat at me. Like, all right, you didn't get to play this game.

It's supposed to eat at you.

Yeah, yeah. You hot, like, you know? So just being like that. But that's why I credit like DeMar, 'cause DeMar, hey, little homie, you gonna be all right. Don't worry about it. He always made sure I was gonna get it.

He wouldn't work with you if you wasn't gonna be all right.

Exactly.

Straight up though. He be like, man, if he working out with, like most times when dudes in the league take somebody younger under they wing and start working out with 'em, it's like, bro, I'm getting something outta this too. Like I'm getting something out of it when I'm going one-on-one with you. Like, yeah, it's good for you and you learning, but I'm getting something out of it guarding somebody young. Guarding somebody that got a battery in they back that could do this for longer than me. You know what I'm saying? Like that's, DeMar, you know, I know you know. Biggest adjustment for you off the court as a rookie?

Off the court, just the lifestyle. Like all that flying, you know?

Yeah.

That was really like real.

It's tight.

We play in Boston. I got room 206 this day we played. Next day we play in New York. I got room 312. I'm walking over there to 206 like, oh, bro.

I remember being in the league, my adjustment to, to flying, I remember waking up in a, well, I forgot what hotel it was, but I remember waking up and just being like, you know, you really trying to register what's going on and you like, nah, I don't remember this room. Like, see, and then the bags, you know, they used to bring the bags and they leave 'em at the door.

Yeah.

So you, we done landed, I'm knocked out already.

Right, right.

I don't even remember my bag. It's like a little hallway. I remember waking up And freaking out, G. Like, I ain't know where my phone was. I just felt like, I'm like, bro, did I get robbed in a hotel? Like, was I drunk? I'm like, why can't I remember what's going on? I'm like, where are we at?

You was just so tired.

You exhausted. And we had lockout season. So we had the lockout season where I came in, we started playing at Christmas. And then after that it was just like 3 games, 3 days. You know what I'm saying? 1 day off and then another game. I was, I had never, my body had never been through nothing like that. So I know that feeling where you like, yeah, I'm in 305 and it's like, nah bro, you on the 11th floor.

You feel me? All that. So it's just like just being in so many different cities, forgetting where you at, realizing you got family everywhere. And it's like, yo, can I get a tea?

And you got family.

Really? You got family? It's all that type, you feel me? That people don't really think about that. It's all that type pressure. Oh, why you ain't play today? You think I wanna answer this phone call at midnight? I don't care.

I actually wanna get an extra workout before we hop on the plane.

Exactly. So it's just certain things that nobody that's not around in the circle that don't know, like, all right, don't call him right after the game and ask him that. Like, come on now.

Like, they just acting like everything, but oh, you be all right.

But what about when somebody ask you like, yo, when y'all play the Timberwolves? Bruh, we play tomorrow versus Boston. You think I'm thinking about in a month? I don't know the date. The schedule is public knowledge. Like, man, man, that might be the worst question I ever get in my life.

I remember after a game, somebody, somebody needed something, but they was like, you just act like you just can't answer your phone. And I was like, this is just, this just shows me how much you don't fuck with me. Like, like you calling me for some money and don't know that I'm busy doing— Yeah, I'm doing the show. that give me the money to give to you.

Right.

How you mad at me? Yeah, mad at me. I'm not texting when I'm in a game, bro. Like a game. And we lost.

Right. In the first half. I'm not giving it to you.

Now what?

Yeah. Give it to you. You ain't watch the game?

I'm a sore loser, bro. I ain't even play well.

That's crazy. You ain't even watch the game.

For real. I ain't even play well. I shot it 2 for 6.

Right.

You feel me? Barely touched the rock. Like I was blue.

You told him that?

No, that's what you be thinking in the locker room, bro.

But you get to thinking like you get more mad as the time go by.

Oh bro, you like, man, I'm missing layups and you texting me this.

You asking me about—

Oh bro, missed the easy layup. 'Cause he bumped me right there. Now I had to hit 2 free throws. That was supposed to be an and one. That's really a layup. Like what I'm doing wrong?

I had nightmares about that play. You over here calling me about—

And you worried about me. Yeah, it'd be like $500. It'd be $500, some shit like that.

I've never done it, son.

No, no, you ain't do that.

I ain't never done nothing like that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's why.

'Cause I watched the game. I was like, just wait till tomorrow.

Yeah, this shit, he'll call after the game like, bro, what is he doing?

Yeah, yeah.

Oh yeah, yeah, it was never one.

He'd be like, who the fuck?

Don't pass to him no more. Yeah, that was him.

And there's certain guys like, yo, Circle, that could call you and say whatever after the game and you ain't gonna be hot. And if you hot, they know you really hot because it's like, I should be able to talk to you.

Straight up. And if they part of the basketball, like you said, that basketball circle.

Yeah, yeah.

Like you gonna have your mentors, other guys that hoop that we allowed to cross a couple more lines than everybody else.

Exactly.

Especially if you don't have like a hooper's like walk-in, you know what I mean? Like you don't look like an athlete. You got the aura. Yeah, don't come in here corrected. Don't ask me why I did something in the game. It used to be hard dealing with coaches. Like, what's your mindset on that? Like when a coach can't do, like they can't hoop, but they yelling at you for hooping.

I don't think I ever really played for a coach that ain't play.

All your coaches.

So like when I was growing up, like our coaches, my coach, Coach Mike, like I'm 12, 13, 14. He used to take me to LA Fitness at 7 in the morning with him, you know? Like, I know he might not be the coldest, but I know he like DT. He get that work in. We playing to 7. All right, 5, 6, 7. I need all them points at the end of the game. I'm gonna get us the photo.

Got it.

Like, so it used to be like that. And I have so many coaches, I always knew that they could hoop. I seen the footage. I'm always looking at like, coach, what's your last name?

Real talk. Check they footage.

You feel me? I'm checking they footage. But like, when I see coaches that I be like, man, you never played basketball in your life. It's just hard for like, As a hooper and as a—

Yeah, for sure. For sure. It's like, bro, it's hard to receive this from you, dog. Like, it's tough, man.

That to me is just funny.

It was like Coach Al, that used to be hilarious 'cause he'll tell you over and over, like, I'm a goddamn football player. I ain't finna do that shit. But that's how he broke the ice for it. He like, I know y'all looking at me like—

That's a good way to do it.

You can't do it. Exactly. He like, I know you looking at me like I can't do it. So he'll take it and shoot a bad shot up, shoot some that he can't shoot.

Like, oh man. It's funny though.

Get on the line. All y'all get on the line for laughing at me.

At the same time, it'd be guys that ain't never played basketball, but just be the smartest ones in the whole building.

Oh bro.

And they'd be like, all right, you gotta take it with a grain of salt, motherfucker.

Straight up though. They might have the scheme of the decade. It's just, we don't lose when we run that scheme. It's cool though. I think that we accept so many people that shouldn't get to talk about basketball, but it's like, if you read enough numbers, you could do something out here, bro. I ain't gonna lie. I like people that got that type of database.

It's fun to talk to people like that.

Oh, bro. 'Cause I done got into it with people where I'm just like, bro, you don't know. And they like, I don't know, but I know the numbers.

I know the numbers. The numbers do not lie. You know what I mean?

They will get into an argument with y'all. I'll be talking about the passion of the heartbeat of the game. They like, he shot it 0 for 4 from here. He did not score until the 4th quarter. In the 3rd, he didn't have nothing but free throws on the list. So.

You're done. You're done. Go sit down.

What you think about him or how much you work out with him in the summer. Toughest player you had to guard in the league so far?

I mean, DeMar DeRozan, but I'm gonna take him out 'cause it's my teammate.

I mean, I wouldn't take if—

Let me think. Okay. It's guys that everybody know. Kevin Durant.

Nightmare.

He was one of the first guys I seen my pre-draft before I played, before I got to the league. I seen him early.

Nightmare.

Him and Kyrie together. I'm like, yo, what are we doing here?

We was cheating.

Yeah. I don't know how you play against them.

We was cheating. When I was on the team, I wondered how we all standing in this locker room. Like, this is cheating.

Man, he just, you could be there and you not there. And that is really real to him. Like, you are little. Real, you know what I mean? Real talk. So it's like—

Great defense.

And he'll tell you like—

Great D. You did a good job.

You did a great job. You know what I mean?

That was perfect defense.

Right. Like, but just so tall.

It's like— 7 feet with a ratchet.

Another one, Luka. He just like, it's hard to guard somebody that's just slow. Like he not slow, he's slow, but he quick though. Like he get that first step and then once you in a disadvantage, it's over with. Yeah.

And he's so slow that way he moves quick.

Yeah.

I think his pace, his footwork, his change of speed. I don't think it's that.

It's a deceptive thing. It just, it looks slow 'cause of how he makes it.

It's white.

I wouldn't say it's white.

Yeah, it's white.

No, I wouldn't say it's white.

Yes, it is. That's the great white pace.

But there've been hella slow, really good slow Black players too.

That's the new great white, boy.

Just in case you don't know. So what about Andre Miller?

He gonna take you underwater, bite you, and drown you.

So what about Andre Miller?

Andre Miller wasn't slow.

He was faster than Luca.

You think he was slow?

Are y'all serious? I could call Andre Miller right now.

What, you think he was slow?

And he's gonna be like, yeah, I was faster than Luke.

I think he was faster than Luke. Well, I don't know. I don't know.

Okay.

'Cause like I said, Luca—

Playtime.

Playtime.

Yeah.

I feel like Luca's changed his speed. He plays slow on purpose.

'Cause he could get faster.

It's deceptively slow. It lulls you to sleep. It's not as slow as people think, but I am saying it's white 'cause that's what's throwing you off. You don't expect that man to be playing how he play.

It's just like, and he's 6'7 and he can—

Yeah.

It's like he'll get all the way to the basket and then throw a crazy pass all the way behind his head over there. Or he just laugh and just, you know what I mean?

He's having fun too.

And then he throwing a lob and then they dunking and it's like, oh my goodness.

Luca though. I like it.

Luca tough.

Yeah, Luca is tough.

No, no, no. I'm talking about the tough in the playoffs though. Fuck you. Y'all go at home. Like, I don't like you.

Oh, you talking about the GOAT?

Yes. He's like, you can't guard me. Yeah. Like, you keep playing. Y'all keep playing with me. Like, I like that version of him. I just, I guess I just couldn't wait to see them in the playoffs and doing an actual run. You know what I'm saying? 'Cause that's how you get to see who people are. We all play a little different in the playoffs.

Yeah.

And they supposed to let way more go in the playoffs. I love that they are letting more go these playoffs.

For sure.

Well, they ain't got no choice.

What you mean they ain't got no choice?

They ain't got no choice.

Yeah. For one year they really locked the playoffs up and everybody was just shooting free throws.

And they knew about it.

Like, bro, we—

That's why they doing them little— everybody be like, why they doing the statements after the game? You know, when they miss a call and it's like, that's 'cause they know y'all Y'all gonna be on that.

What statements?

It's almost like they shouldn't even do that.

They shouldn't. I agree.

'Cause if it's like for a game-winning shot, like what, what, we get the game back?

Right. I agree. For that reason, yeah, they shouldn't. But at the same time, they know people gonna be there. Be on that.

No, he wanted people to be on there. No, no, no, no.

I wouldn't be. 'Cause like, I feel like, no, I feel like that. Like what's the point of even coming out the next day and being like, ah, we made a mistake. 'Cause it's like you can't change it. It ain't like y'all can be like, come back and play these last 48 seconds.

It's like, yeah.

Like, we fucked up and we don't know what to do. At least that way I don't have to go 10 years down the line being like, man, I know they was betting on the game and doing something. And it's like, nah, they just fucked up.

As basketball players, we gotta take a lot of shit off the court. You know, I feel like as a referee, that's part of your job. You know, you gotta be able to get heckled and they said you made the wrong call and you gotta live with that. 'Cause we get cussed out because we missed the layup.

I ain't gonna lie, man. I wouldn't wanna be a referee that missed one of them Finals calls or nothing like that. I can't imagine what that's like to go out somewhere and have a table full of Knicks fans that just don't fuck with you.

And if they know you—

You feel me? Landed in Chicago, you just trying to connect and they just on you. Like, bro, ain't you— that's him.

Yeah, that's him.

He made that dunk. That's what I'm saying. That's crazy. Oh bro, we got knocked out the playoffs.

You some fucker, bro. You some fucker. Joe, they ain't even— man, they should've teched you, bro. Like, might as well get on that with you. And it just be like, bro, I would just, you know, it was a game. They was moving fast. It was 10 people. You know what I'm saying? Like, I ain't know what to do out there. I made a bad call. But no, that's the thing. Don't hurt me.

I made a bad call. But that's the thing. Most refs do that.

Most refs will be out there. I just don't like the follow-through. Some of the refs do get tough.

Oh, they do. Oh, they do.

They'll hit you with some tough shit. They'll just be like, whatever. And that's why I got used to, if I haven't helped you with getting more calls, All the refs, gotta know 'em by name in the league. Yeah.

What's called all our vets made me, they're like, you gotta know everybody.

Learn 'em.

And even if I forget him, he'd be like, that's—

That's this person. That's this person.

Go talk to him. Go tell him who you is.

Straight up. Oh, word.

Yeah. Not on some like bogus shit.

No, no, no, no, no.

I ain't saying like—

Introduce yourself and give some respect.

Introduce yourself, make him look you in the eye. But it's like you even want him addressing you with that type of, yeah. Like that we on a first name basis. is now when you get fouled, you asking for a call. It's like you have that respect man to man to where he ain't gonna feel like Iman's yelling at me. He's mad at me. Like, nah, I'm talking to you. I might be a little razzle dazzle, but it's 'cause this man just hit my hand and it hurts.

I'm razzled. Yeah.

A little razzle dazzle.

Did you deal with this? Like even if you knew the ref's name, you still say like, ref, you know what I mean?

Yeah. If I'm trying to piss him off.

I still like will know his name and say ref and I'm like, oh.

It's an accident. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Yeah.

There's innocence in it. But I was doing it on purpose.

Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa. Do the refs get mad at you calling them ref?

Not even that. They don't get mad. I mean, they probably get mad, but like—

The NBA refs get mad.

Oh, the teammates just 'cause of what they telling you. Say his name. You know what I mean?

You say his name, he might help you.

Yeah. You gonna sit there and call the man, hey ref, hey ref, hey ref, hey ref. They looking like it's 3 of us.

Hey, hey, hey.

No, they be looking like it's 3 of us on the court. You may say, hey ref, hey ref. They'll sit there and ignore you at the timeout.

Yeah.

That's real.

I swear for the Lord. Yeah. You say ref, but I'm the opposite. I was always the opposite. They probably gonna laugh if they see this. 'Cause y'all know I was doing this shit, but I would call him by name. Tony, Tony, Tony. Hey, ref, ref. You feel me? Like, now I'm gonna call you ref, Joe. Now you ref for the rest of the game, Joe. You just ref since you walking off on me and you Showtime for the people. They came to see you tonight. So you know what I'm saying? Come here, Tony.

Let's not make this about the refs.

It could always be about the referees, bro. You just teaching the young players how to come in the league and tell 'em, man, Just name 'em by name, bro.

You gonna scare 'em into more mistakes.

Oh no, I wouldn't.

You gonna miss more calls.

Nah, nah, I wouldn't be as specific. I would just say name Tony. Like I just did that 'cause Mike Epps did it on the— you understand though? Name Tony. I wouldn't talk about Tony, bro. He cool.

Why'd you have to say his name?

Good.

Now we about to get a call.

I know Tony, man.

When I see Tony, Tony know me, man. I know Tony. Don't do me like that, Tony. Don't do me like that, dog. I can still triple threat, Tony. I don't wanna hear it. What's the practices like for the Bulls, man? Y'all scrimmaging?

Y'all bumping? We bumping like every like 2 weeks.

Yeah.

We got like 2 days that we bumping.

Gotta stay sharp.

Obviously we like, we gotta make sure young guys and old guys, but the old guys be beat up sometimes and they need a day.

For sure. No, the games is always—

No, no, no.

I'm laughing 'cause he was just like a day. Like I'm thinking he need, he said they need like 3 or 4. Like you only get a day.

That's all you getting.

But it's just more like, even if we come in there, we gonna have, it's gonna be an hour, it's gonna be 45 minutes. And you know how it is, you gonna get your—

Efficient.

As a young guy, you gonna work out before, or that's what I do. I work out before and I work out after.

Yeah.

Might come back at night.

You get shots up with everybody else.

Right, exactly.

How long did it take you to adjust in with like playbook?

Man, like the whole first year I'm sitting here like, we just added 5 plays in one day and we ain't talking about them plays we learned in training camp no more. Like that'd be confusing. Like, wait, we not talking about—

Now you understand it though.

Why we like, why? I know that play by heart. Why we just throw it out the window? Was it working? Next play. And it's like by the end of the year you probably got 100 plays.

That's what used to be raw to me when they, at the end of the year when they just would be like, all right, we going back to the 21 package. Like we running the pistol package now. You'd be like, what?

Damn.

And then you get back into it. But it's like, nah, it work. 'Cause it's like we're using this 'cause this worked well. when we tried it out against Phoenix. You know what I'm saying? We did this against whoever, it worked really well against them. We haven't been running it, but they didn't know what to do with that. So we gonna run that against them. And it'd just be like, bro, the way the NBA playbook come together and the way—

That's where the numbers guys come in.

Man, the way that NBA, like it'll grow you up fast though. Like it's raw as hell.

You take it like a mature, like way of looking at it. You gotta really ask It's like, yo, what's this play? Can you send me, can I see it on the paper? And can you send the film to me? Yep. So it'd just be like that.

And then you start seeing the progressions and everything and then you start realizing why you'll notice a lot of players in basketball, they have a fascination with quarterback.

Yeah, that's very true.

They have a fascination. Every great, huh?

What do you mean?

The quarterback's ability to go through his progressions. Basketball. A lot of guys say he could hoop, but he ain't got game. And people don't know what that means. I'm gonna clarify for y'all. Don't trip. I ain't gonna hold out on y'all. When somebody could hoop, they could play, they gonna play the game however they play it. When somebody got game, they play a certain game with you. Like they, like it's the difference in chess and checkers.

Like, Yeah, for sure.

It's a lot of people that play checkers with basketball. And don't get me wrong, you could win like that. But there's players that are gonna go out there and say, I'm gonna do this move until you stop it. And then I'm gonna do this counter. This counter. Then I'm just gonna throw the ball out there and I'm not even gonna pick it up at that spot. But your legs are used to dropping right there in that spot. 'Cause you think I'm finna do that move and now I'm taking you through the next progression. You know what I'm saying? Like as quarters go.

It's guys like that. Yeah. It's guys like that.

That would, they just go through this and you start seeing it like every game you see it. Like, it's like we knew Mike at the end of the game, what he gonna do? to the basket. Yeah.

And it's like, it's certain guys, you know, he gonna get to that.

Yeah. Like DeMar.

DeMar, he gonna pump fake. DeMar created that game. He gonna pump fake and it's like, I know you gonna pump fake and he's still gonna pump fake and you gonna still jump.

How many pump fakes it gonna take?

Man, he gonna do it 3, 4 times.

Then he gonna bump into it.

Then he gonna pivot. Then he gonna pump fake. I'm like, bro.

Oh, bro. You'll just be like, just shoot it. Like as a defender, just shoot the ball, bro. Like, and he patiently just—

And then it'd be days where he don't even, like you think he about to pump fake, he just shoot it.

Shoot it.

Gotcha.

And he'll tell you, Like, bro, if people was really paying attention, like DeMar play a back to the basket game. Like, dog, when we was coming out, coming up outta high school, DeMar was dunking everything.

Man, he tell me, he was like, man, I used to be so athletic.

That man wasn't doing none of this back to the basket, one dribble pull up. I'm like, bro, I don't know when DeMar decided to start doing this shit, but I'm like, I remember the man shooting open 3s. He wanna drive the ball down your neck. Like—

He was explosive.

Yeah, extremely explosive.

He still put me on that rim.

I still can't beat him.

Oh no, he'll put you in the basket.

He can't, he old right now though.

Hey, DeMar, it's cool, we turn it on for playoffs and playoffs only.

He be dunking, he be saying, I be like, whoa. He be like, I can still dunk.

Ooh.

I be like—

He's just not interested in it no more.

But he catch somebody, he be like, uh-huh.

Yeah, if you take the stairs, you just dumb. Don't take the stairs with the man, Joe. Watch your head. Who on the Bulls can't guard you?

Call 'em out. Damn.

Who can't guard you?

I mean him. He can't. He can't go. He gonna tell you that though.

Straight at him, huh?

He gonna tell you that.

I don't think he gonna tell me that.

I mean, he not gonna tell you that. I'm trolling. I'm trolling.

Oh, bro. He gonna see this later.

Oh, bro.

I'm going to his house right after this too.

Oh, bro.

I'm gonna tell him before I drop. So yeah, right after this too.

Listen, bro. I ain't gonna lie.

I was over there talking crazy about an hour ago.

You was the target just about an hour ago. We just trying to eat.

Yeah, we gonna say, we just gonna say him.

Who the top 5 defenders of all time?

Ooh. Ron Artest.

Yes, sir.

Dennis Rodman.

Mm-hmm.

Ooh, Gary Payton.

Yes, sir.

Ooh, Shaquille O'Neal.

Hmm.

Nobody ever say that.

They don't.

I'm bored. The kid made my tongue, but we gonna be like, oh, geez.

I got 2 unexpecteds in there.

Yeah, I ain't gonna lie. That's, no, and I'm a, I lowkey Mutombo's usually—

I like the Mutombo.

Yeah, I like the Mutombo, but he's usually an either or. It's usually Mutombo or—

Elijah Juan?

Man, I gotta say Alex Caruso too. Shout out Alex Caruso too, you know?

All right, all right.

Yeah, you know, he really put—

Everybody on that, man. When he put that on with that headband, man, y'all know what it is.

Boy, he getting that mode.

Oh, I'm telling y'all, y'all know what it is.

Headband cut.

Y'all know about dude.

Hey yo.

Y'all know about dude. Y'all know about dude. He playing for the crib. Y'all know about dude. Yeah.

How you feel about Wemby? I mean, we could throw him in there already.

I mean, yeah, but—

'Cause people is turning around before they get to the basket on him.

It's with—

I'm like, they are.

With him, I wanna see when it becomes contagious to his team. Okay.

Okay.

Don't get me wrong, he does a lot of cool stuff defensively, but—

I'm talking about you come off that screen and he right there, it's like, oh.

He's gonna be scary when he learn how to play, he gonna create something for them defensively. Like right now he just, he big. Yeah. Like if y'all go in there, he just long. He don't gotta jump. It's throwing you off. But Miles gonna adjust to that. So I'm like, I wonder when he gonna make it to where like somebody that can't guard now can guard knowing that they have him and they could play off him. You know what I'm saying? I see what you're saying. But like he's gonna make them scary when he could do that.

I see what you're saying.

I remember feeling like, Once I had Tyson Chandler behind me, I'm like, oh, y'all don't know. Y'all really can't fuck with me 'cause he don't shut up.

Yeah.

I'm like, he make it to where I know I could go for a steal at any time. Like back a couple, little bit ago. A little bit ago.

Yeah.

Omari, Omari let you get cracked a couple times. So he go, my bad, Shump. My bad, Shump.

Shump, that was me.

I forgot.

That was me, Shump. That was me. Coach, no. That was me. My bad, Shump. I'm gonna call that out for you. I'm gonna call that out for you. Gimme that pocket pass. I'm gonna call the next screen. Keep throwing that pocket pass. I gotta get these dunks. Throw me that pocket pass. You hear me? But Tyson Chandler, Shump, you clear. You and him. You and him whole time. You know what I'm saying? Like just communicating and made me super aggressive on defense.

If you get beat, he right there ready to move.

Right there. 'Cause he looking like Shump. Like after a while Tyson was telling me, he like, oh yeah, you only get beat when people go to the right. Like it was something I had to adjust to. He like, yeah, every time you get beat, it's 'cause you guess that everybody's gonna go left. I don't know why, but he like, you'll guess. Every time you guess, you cover left, you power slide left. He was like, stop doing that. Just back up. I start backing up. Nobody could get by me. You see what I'm saying?

Like—

Shout out Tyson Taylor.

You know what I'm saying? That's a little, that little light-skinned man gotta do for me, man. You know what I'm saying?

What does the skin change?

Tyson came in there with the— Tyson used to come in there with the tall coat on y'all. You hear me?

With the—

you remember when Tyson used to be coming? Tyson come in that bar with the beard, with the cut, they cut the hair off against the grain with the full beard. With the full beard, Joe, with the trench coat, not playing no games. Hey, shut up, man. You go to dinner and go to sleep, man. Like, what's wrong with you?

He a holy man.

That man used to be, hey, shut up, man. You come get you a nice meal, get you some slacks.

'Cause you too wild.

They used to talk to me like I was a little kid. Shout out Tyson Chandler, man.

That's my homie.

Best and worst parts of living in Chi?

Oh, okay.

Watch your mouth.

Here you go.

Watch your mouth.

Yeah, I forgot y'all from over there. I ain't forget. Let me stop lying. Best part is, man, like, it's just love everywhere. Like, even if you, got your face half covered.

Real talk.

Oh, Dalen Terry.

Straight up.

What do you, you know? So it's like, it's always love. They always gonna make you feel like you that no matter what. No matter, you had a few bad games, they ain't finna ever—

You with us.

You with us.

You feel me?

They gonna ride or die with you. The worst part, I mean, we in LA right now, but the traffic, like I'm talking about game day, I'd be like, bruh.

It's rough.

I'd be like, bro, come on.

Yeah, yeah. Rush hour's bad.

And you hit the wrong turn, you know how it go.

You hit the expressway, right?

Yeah.

Oh, man.

It's bumper to bumper. Take the streets, every red light, you gotta really accommodate for some time.

You right, you right.

People hoping they bump into you in traffic.

Actually, it's cold.

Oh, the cold.

I'm from Phoenix, it's hot. We wear shorts.

That's what I was waiting on.

Man, yeah, scratch the traffic, baby.

We'll deal with that.

It's cold, boy. I'm talking about the shell shock for me. Oh my goodness.

I spent about 2, 3 months in Chicago.

And it's like, during the summer, I'm trying to come out west. You feel me? So it's like, I'll never get to really enjoy it. I do. I get to go back sometimes, but it's just like, I've been in Chicago all year and now I'm gonna be—

You ain't take a boat yet?

Not in Chicago. I ain't never been on a boat.

Take a boat in Chicago.

The homie scared of the water. So a couple of the homies is scared of water. You feel me? A couple?

Take y'all on the boat, man.

No, put 'em on the boat.

Get a life vest.

Yeah, get on there.

Get you a life vest and enjoy your life. Nah, enjoy your life, bro.

Too cool to drown.

You know, it was only—

Was it Lake Michigan? That's where you be at?

I don't know which lake you be on. The big one. Or the river.

The river?

Chicago River.

You ever seen it when it was green?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. All the time.

Look.

You like that?

He like that.

I never been there, but I see it on TikTok.

Oh, okay. I say, now that's hard. He say, now that's cool. We don't do that. Now that's wrong. But that— I remember a couple years ago, my first time being on a boat in Chicago and I was really thinking about like, I have never been on a boat in Chicago.

Are you talking about your own boat?

Yeah. Like knowing that you could just get a little yacht and just slide out. And it's like how you do it in Miami. Like for some reason just—

But it's not the same.

Yes, the fuck it is.

No, I'm saying, but Miami, you get out your house and you could just walk to the thing and peel off.

That's if you live there. If you live on it, peel off. True.

But where do we have that? We don't have no beach that lead to that. It's not like you could park your boat right near your house is what I mean.

Oh no.

Like you gotta go to your boat, get it and try to—

But you can't do that in Miami.

You come back and ride past your house. They ain't parking at they crib. crib in Miami, right?

But that's a lot of changes you gotta make.

To steal your boat in Chicago, you can't just leave your shit out. No, bro, they will take your boat, bro. Don't, don't think this shit sweet. All that leave the key just in case, leave it in a compartment. Oh, they wiping that.

I never did that.

They wiping that.

I never did that. I don't know how people do that shit. Like if somebody—

Getting in that car, wiping that shit.

There was a couple times I borrowed cars from people and they like, yeah, the keys are in the visor. Like your uncle used to do that. He's like, yeah, it's in the dash.

What you on? Trying to get your car took.

Tweaking.

You know how it be in Chicago.

Old player. Just an old player.

Well, in Chicago now they don't even want the car. They just go in there and just find anything, wreck it, step up and just walk away. We like to ask all our guests, man, what are you working on improving in your personal life right now?

Personal life? That's a crazy question. I ain't even been asked that before. I thought you about to say basketball.

That boy though, he say, listen, one thing about it, I'm a hoop.

Life?

Life?

Don't ask me about that.

Don't ask me about that.

I'm trying to improve like when it come to like just marketing, like talking to certain people, you know? Like I've always been, you know, just if I don't know you, I don't know you. And if I do, I do. Like, you know what I mean? Like, so some people might say I'm quiet, but some people gonna say, oh nah, DT gonna talk.

Right.

It's like when somebody be like, nah, DT ain't talk to me. You be like, oh, he must not like me. Like, yeah, feel me? So trying to like balance that because it's just, you don't be like, it's just like that, you know?

I feel it though.

He don't be liking, but he needs to be liked.

But I, I tell you one thing, if I could tell you anything, I know you working on it. Uh, when you do come and you do shine your light on people, it don't come off that you don't like people.

I don't think that people don't think that. Yeah.

So I also, I'm a hooper, so You know, I could be dumb, but when I hear you talk, you always seem energetic, especially if we talked about basketball. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, I ain't worried about that part.

That's what I'm saying. Like, I don't think that— so if you working on it, you doing a good job. You don't seem like you nervous out here.

Love. Right, you ain't quiet.

He ain't quiet about it.

Before we let you go, bro.

Still got y'all on that list.

Is there anything you wanna promote and let the people know where to follow you in your career?

Actually, before we promote something, I got a question for you though.

What's happening?

You got like any Kobe stories or nothing like that?

Kobe?

Besides the one that you said where he was like, you had a good game, you know?

Actually, dude, the other one that stuck with me from Kobe was when, well, he was answering a bunch of questions.

Yeah.

And they was like, yo, when you was scoring 81, what was going through your head?

Right.

And looked at him and said, absolutely nothing. But he looked at him with like a disgust.

I can't believe you asked me that question.

And we sitting there like, Explain it. Like, what? Say something else.

What do you mean Kobe Bryant?

Right, right.

That's what, yeah. It was a real moment like that where we like, okay, it was a dumb question, but you wasn't thinking nothing?

And he was serious.

He was dead serious. Like, was snickering, doing Ari doing in the front row and shit. He, nah.

Where was this at?

We, the Attack. Well, it was called Attack then. We in there, they had the top 5 high school teams come at the time and we got to like talk, 5 Nike teams. We got to all come and talk to him. He had just did a workout. They was like, Kobe got an hour for y'all. And like, you know?

Yeah.

And I could tell like some of the Nike reps knew the level of seriousness and the level of dedication that this had. 'Cause they all was like, Straightening up. Like I had never seen so many people like— You got in the room and everybody was like—

Yeah, it was like you could feel it.

And then when he was asking, when people was asking questions, he was answering 'em so calm. But when the dude got jittery and asked that '81, I'll never forget how cold his face got. And he was like, absolutely nothing. And then silently stared at us for like 10 seconds and then followed up like, You know what I'm saying? I wasn't thinking.

Right.

Like, you don't think when you work this hard. Like, I knew what I had to do. Like, we was losing and I didn't wanna lose. So I turned it on and then I wasn't, he was like, at that moment, literally nothing. I had nothing in my head. He wasn't like, I just took it as this not, he not taking nothing as like, I wanna do this move or I wanna, it was just as it came, it just happened how it was supposed to. And it was like, I don't know if you had any moments where you had Kobe, just like his influence on you. And it don't take long. It just be like something that they do that you just gotta sort of interpret on your own.

Nah, for sure. I met him like a couple months before he passed. I met him first time, man. He got that aura about him. Like he got that like just, like how you said, people straightening up. Like you straight up, I'm in the gym, we in a big Inspire course. It's like, you know, like they got them big AAU gyms. And I was playing that night, but I'm just in the gym watching games and I just see everybody gravitate towards the corner and I'm just like, what is going on over here? Like, you feel me? So I'm just like confused. And they're like, man, Kobe over there. Kobe who?

The Bean?

I got up so quick and that's my favorite player. So I'm not playing. I'm going, I went over there and one of my coach at the time, he walked me past, he used to play with Kobe. He walked me right past the security line. Like, that's your guy? All right, man, let's go. Let's go talk.

Right.

Talk to him. Him, it was him and T-Mac. I'm gonna keep it a buck. I ain't even see T-Mac for real. Like, at first I didn't even, like, I was so like locked in on Kobe.

That's crazy, bro.

Tracy McGrady. Oh, you too. What's up? You feel me? So I talked to him for a little bit and he shook my hand. You know when they be, girls be saying, oh, this rapper shook my hand.

Oh, I'm never—

I really was like—

There they go. Not washing the hands.

Real talk.

You better not have no dirt in them fingernails, my boy. Yeah, let me see something.

Okay, my boy had to fact check. Now let me see something, brother. Yeah, right.

We ain't gonna put that narrative out there.

Oh bro, you know how social Man, it was COVID-19.

I just wasn't washing them extra. You feel me? I wasn't doing the extra 7 washes. I kid you not. I was washing them. Extra 7 washes.

Oh, y'all know my hands always ashy. I wash my hands. So my hands be ashy. It's a dead giveaway. Well, you kind of light-skinned, so you can't—

Light-skinned? Don't do that. Don't do that.

What team you think you on?

I'm definitely brown-skinned. Who not brown-skinned?

Who not?

Don't call me no light-skinned, man. I ain't gonna care.

No disrespect to light-skinned.

No disrespect to the light-skinned community.

But you know, as someone that pride themselves as brown-skinned, I used to be dark-skinned, you feel me? I went to Chicago, got light. That's your fault. Your city.

That's your fault.

You'll hear it. Wait till the end of summer.

He like, I lost my tan, man. Let me go get it.

I'm light-skinned for real? You think so?

Well, you just lighter than me. I don't know.

So like, so we was saying—

I just feel like with your skin complexion, if you go wash your hands, and then you could walk outside into the cold and not receive the, you know what I'm saying?

I can't wait to send you a picture of my hands when it's cold.

When it's cold outside, I'll show you.

It's white right now.

That mean you wash your hands.

Exactly.

That mean you wash your hands. See, that's what I'm saying. It's a great indication. If you ever—

That's cute.

Women, if you guys are ever, you know, looking for a new dating experience and you know what I'm saying? If you think that that guy's hands are ashy, like, That's a dead giveaway that he washed 'em. You know what I'm saying?

But— Let me point something out real quick.

Y'all keep dealing with the sweaty palms if you want.

Let's point something out. His hands ain't ashy though.

Who? Yeah, he brown side too.

So.

So it's like, but you gotta remember it's our podcast. So we had lotion in the back, we got powder.

We got a great team. Love, love, love.

Great team.

Love.

Great team.

Okay.

As always, man, thank you for rocking with us on Iman Amongst Men. I am Iman Shumpert.

And I'm Ahrii Shumpert.

Thanks to our guest, Dalen Terry.

Love, love, love.

Put it in reverse, Terry! Make sure to rate 5 stars, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast.

And to watch the full video episodes, you gonna search Iman Amongst Men on YouTube and click subscribe.

And until next time, y'all, we are gone.

Gone.

Gone.

Put it in reverse.

It pays to get paid on Cash App. Depositing your paycheck comes with protections and security features to keep it safe, including card lock and transaction alerts, so you never have to wonder what your money is up to. Instead, you can have time to wonder about everything else. I'm gonna go get some food. Hey, Ari, what do you wonder about?

Aliens, ghosts, government conspiracies, the nature of mankind, you know, stuff like that. What about you?

I wonder what's wrong with you most of the time.

That's considerate of you.

Anytime, brother. With card lock and transaction alerts, you know your paycheck is safe. And when your hard-earned money is safe, you can rest easy. That's money. That's Cash App. Download Cash App from the App Store or Google Play Store today. Cash App is a financial platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partners. Debit cards issued by Sutton Bank pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa USA Inc. All other trademarks and service marks belong to their respective owners.