Draymond Green & Baron Davis react to USA Basketball's win vs. Serbia + France benches Gobert again

Welcome to the brand new Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our content. What's up everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green Show. We got an alumni here, but not quite here for an interview. We just gonna kick it, chop it up. You know, I'm his co-host today and that's how we gonna rock out, man. But welcome back, my dog. I appreciate you, my dog. Absolutely.

I like the medal. Damn. That's nice, man. That's real gold too, huh?

You know what? I just read something the other day that said it's 96% silver and 4% gold.

That's ill.

But I take the 4% gold.

That's ill.

And what it means, what it means, honestly, it could be all fake gold for all I care.

Sure.

You know, for what it mean.

Nah, that's solid though. That shit look hard.

But I wish it was real gold though. Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Hey, are you not playing Best Ball at DraftKings? My opinion, you're missing out. DraftKings Best Ball Millionaire Contest is their biggest fantasy contest ever, and that's saying something. They're taking $15 million and putting it into the prize pool. $15 million. 2 millionaires, not 1, 2, will be crowned each week. Still not convinced? Check this out. DraftKings offering everybody a Draft 1, Get One Special. Your $20 entry fee— and that's all it costs to get involved, $20, this is really nice— gives you a bonus ticket. Get in on the best ball action. Download the DraftKings app, takes 90 seconds. Use the code COLIN, C-O-L-I-N. All customers who enter the NFL Best Ball $15 million Millionaire Contest get a bonus ticket and get a shot at being crowned one of two millionaires. Only on DraftKings. I'd definitely, if I had one, melted mine down. I'd have to melt mine down. I had to stretch the gold out. You know what I mean? Make me a little, you make a little crown or something.

I'm gonna keep my medals.

Okay.

I'm gonna keep my medals. I wish I had my other one. It ain't here, it's in the storage. But so I'm gonna be honest with you. These Olympics, I'm always rooting for Team USA and I've made that very clear. But the start of these Olympics, I was in my feelings. Oh, for sure.

That was the last time we was talking. I was in my feelings.

Yeah. And I would never root against our team, but I was just sitting there watching the game. And like every time I'm watching, I'm like, and putting myself right there. Like if I was right there.

Yeah, if I was playing.

If I was right there. "Ah, I could've stopped that. I would've guarded that like this." And it took me a few games to get outta my feelings and stop doing that. I really used the group play to be in my feelings. By the time we hit the medal rounds, I was outta my feelings.

Draymond Green, Team USA.

I was settled into my role. I was settled into my role. And I was like, anybody, my sister was the only person to watch the game. But you watched me watch the game.

Yeah.

I was number one. The energy was there. Number one hype, man. Like going crazy. I'm coaching through the TV. So my energy changed towards, I've been, man, my heart was in my stomach watching this game.

Oh yeah, man, that was, T.A., talk me through it. 'Cause I know you had to probably like try and jump through the TV, probably text a player. That was at halftime.

I was this close to putting Bron and Steph in the group chat like, "Bro." Like, come on, man. Come on, man. Come on, man. At halftime we was down 11. I was this close to group texting them.

Yeah.

Like, "Yo, what's like, here we go." And we was turning the game then, but I was this close.

Yeah. Nah, you'd be locked in. Olympics is different, bro.

It's a different feeling. But I was tweeting like a motherfucker.

Was you?

We gotta pull up the tweets. I know you was going off. I was tweeting like a motherfucker. I was coaching.

Yeah.

But man.

You gotta coach 'em up. I was doing that when the walk, I was up at like 1 and they was doing the walk and shit.

Ooh, it's the walk.

What's the walk? The Olympic walk, when they walk. Oh, the opening ceremony. Oh man, I was, yeah, race walking, bro, look. You know what I'm saying? I was chilling, I'm like, damn, this shit. Man, they out there, whoom!

You know what I mean?

They getting off. I'm doing the same thing. I'm finding myself 1:30 in the morning cheering for, you know what I mean? I'm cheering for Ecuador, Spain, walking. Olympics got a different vibe, bro. And then I can imagine for you, 'cause when we was here last time, you was in your feelings. You should have been on the team. You just said you in the group, you in group play.

You know what I mean? So you not there, but you mentally, you prepared. You prepared for the call.

Absolutely.

If they would've called you, bro. I was out. I was outta here. So the day they called Derek White, they called me, I was outta here. I was gone. Hey, bro, when you watching the Serbia game, did you think that you was gonna get a text or a call? If they would've said, "Yo, Draymond, can you make it?" That's how I would've teleported. That's how that energy be, huh? No, I'm serious, man. Like, goddamn, I need to be there. Bro, my nerves been so bad all day. 'Cause we couldn't lose this game because, man, although I didn't end up on this Olympic team, I remember vividly winning in 2021 and like saying, yo, the next step is to beat France in France. And somehow France, they beat Germany. I know how.

Yeah.

I know how they pulled it out.

Yeah, let's talk about that one too.

The matchups was good for them. You know what I mean? Yabusele, who was drafted by the Celtics, played like 2, 3 years in the league, went back. They had incorporated him into the, put him in the lineup. Took Rudy Gobert out the lineup.

Got it.

And last game he had 23, today he had 17.

Oh, okay. Well.

And then they got this guy, I think his name is like Mathias or Matthias, Mathias and Lesort. And like they throwing the ball into him, like he getting to it.

He can get to it, yeah.

And they were just way more physical. And Wimby made some big plays, some big shots. They took Rudy Gobert outta the lineup.

Yep.

And they won.

Again.

So what are your thoughts on that? So now going into the gold medal game, think about this. Going into the gold medal game, this is Rudy Gobert, All-Star for Defensive Player of the Year versus Joel Embiid. If you're France's coach, do you have to take into account that this dude gotta see those guys and he's familiar with those guys, do you play him more or do you roll with what's been working?

Well, outta respect, give him a chance. But if he ain't cutting it, you gotta roll with what you got. You know what I mean? Like it's a gold medal game. You know what I'm like, it's the gold medal game. We've been winning. How many times the coach say, we've been winning this way, why change it?

Absolutely.

Rudy Gobert gotta figure out like, and humble his self and say, yo, if I wanna gold medal, I may have to sit this one out. Or if I wanna gold medal, when I do play, I gotta do something. Maybe better for Rudy Gobert against centers he play against all the time. And then B, AD, you know, Bam, he got a chance. You know what I'm saying? I think just to make up on a team, He is just like, there's not a right 4 other players that complement him being out there. And sometimes that's just the nature of the game. Like you can be a great defensive player, you can be a great offensive player, but if you don't complement the other 4 players or they don't complement you, then it ain't no flow.

Yeah.

And I think that's why, You know, you see the results. They can throw the ball inside. You can't throw the ball inside with Rudy Gobert. Rudy Gobert don't block 2 shots, 3 shots, 4 shots. Like he gotta go block 4 or 5 shots to have an impact.

Yeah.

He gotta go get 12, 15 rebounds to have an impact. You know what I'm saying? And get like, you know, at his position for what they need to win. 'Cause a lot of, What he's called to do is Wimby could do it, but he play on the perimeter. So you gotta be physical. You gotta be something that is reliable.

Yeah.

And so I'd rather rely on homeboy to go get me 17, 15, at least, you know what I mean? Like it's something I can go to. I mean, I feel sorry for Rudy Gobert. You know what I mean? Like everybody pick on him and shit. You be picking on me.

I don't pick on anyone.

You don't, you don't. No, you don't, you tell the truth.

I tell the truth. You don't pick on me. We live in this day and age where, and I've been speaking about it forever, the new media, like where these people don't necessarily tell the truth in large part because it don't fit their narrative.

For sure.

But also because they just don't know how to see it. And so for me, I just tell the truth. And listen, when you are a max level player—

Facts is facts.

Defensive player of the year over and over and over again, that comes with a certain responsibility.

Right.

And if you don't uphold that responsibility, ain't nobody watching this show if I'm like, well, you know, wasn't Rudy Gobert's fault. Like, no, if it was your fault, it was your fault.

It has to be. If you got all these accolades, you gotta show up.

Absolutely.

Like Dikembe Mutombo, he always showed up. He always blocked shots. He'll always foul you. You know what I mean? Like, it wasn't never not a time where it was like, he wasn't that. You know what I mean? My problem with Gobert is I don't really know, like, is he really, is he, he's not intimidating at the rim. So I don't know how you can be defensive player of the year if you not intimidate, like if you, people are not intimidated to go to the rim. So that was just, you know, I just think that he has a lot of accolades. I think, you know, I think he's a good player, but you gotta find the right 4 people to make him effective. And the way that France is made up and going into this USA game, like he gotta find a way. And he gotta humble himself sometimes. Like, you know what I'm saying? This shit don't, the glove don't fit, man.

Nah, I agree. And they've been playing much better basketball since they took, the proof is in the pudding.

But what about USA though? Like what about this damn game?

You know what I mean? Like break down the game, bro. So I was just about to ask you, so second half, the team was clearly better when we went talent. Like in Team USA, we got our role players. I've been a role player on Team USA, like, and Derek White's in that category. Drew's in that category. But then sometimes, but then we also, what makes us so much better than all these other teams is that we got that and we got role players that are the greatest role players in the world. In the world.

Yeah.

But then we got the greatest stars in the world. And so—

Yeah.

I felt like earlier in that game, maybe like I started texting Bob like, yo, we need to get like KD in with Steph and Bron. Because earlier in that game, you could tell like we weren't about to out-role player them.

Yeah.

And it's no knock to our role players, but that's what they do.

That's what they do. That's how they get you.

That's what they do.

That's how you get caught up.

When are we going to go with the dogs?

Yeah.

And I can speak from a role player perspective. Like I always try to make it to where no matter what, I need to be in the game. Like I gotta be in the game because I'm gonna do something, make something. But like the reality is, in game 4 of the NBA Finals, I had to come out. It's the first time it happened to me in my career where it was like, damn, it's winning time. And it was better for me not to be in the game. That's the first time it happened to me in my career.

Wow.

But it happened to me. And I said all of that to say, as a role player, sometimes it just happened to you. And you could see it, like it was there.

Like, yo, it's time.

Like, go to those guys. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And when we finally got there, we did. As a star player, a guy who was going to get 30, 25 a night, if you're the star on that team and you know you got other guys, at what point, if you're Bron, if you're Steph, you going to Steve like, yo, no, we need K, we need Book. "We need Joe." Like, "We need these stars right now to star power us to that thing." What's that balance?

I mean, for a coach, you gotta think like it's all energy, right? 'Cause like, if you start, you can start with your top dogs. I'm gonna rely on him, he gonna rely on him. It's almost like we too unselfish. I think when the going get tough, ain't no fucking superstars, right? So you're like Steph, LeBron, you know, KD, they not, they know that they have to superstar at a high, like the reason why they gotta superstar at a high level and the reason why you are a superstar is because you're the most incredible role player and the most undefined role player at your position. Mm-hmm. You know what I mean? And so when you playing against Germany, you gotta think those dudes are role players in the NBA. They're superstars for their country.

Absolutely.

So we coming out thinking like, oh man, that's Bogdanović. You know, we know what he do. But like, we ain't really seen him with all the freedom in the world and all the confidence. You know what I mean?

Yeah.

And he's going and he's playing a lot harder than he would play in the NBA because he's playing defense, you know, he boxing out, all the little things. And so for us, we gotta match that with incredible talent.

Yeah.

Because if, you know, Jrue Holiday, White, they used to like being energy guys, right? But if the energy don't meet where we think these dudes are role players, but they superstars. You know, they superstars in they mind. Absolutely.

Right? We still role players. You know what I mean?

Or like all-stars in our role in this confine of the team. 'Cause you know what I mean? It's like, they ain't got no LeBron. So now you gotta figure out, oh shit, we down. Like when you see them dudes at the end of the game celebrating and hugging each other, It's 'cause they made that sacrifice. It wasn't casual. Like, it ain't casual no more, dog. Like, what we gonna do?

Bro.

And when you got 5 of your most talented players out there on the floor, once that, you know what it is, once that momentum, 'cause you the momentum, you know how to change the energy and like catch 'em. Once that momentum changed, all 5 of those dudes are playing selfish, unselfish, And they're not thinking about, oh, I'm relying on LeBron. Or LeBron like, I'm relying on Steph. It's like, nope, here I go. I'm not open. Boom, there go. That's the play. They playing the play. You know what I mean?

Yeah.

They play, oh, that's Steph.

That's good. Yeah.

Like, but before it's like, oh, that's Steph. That's good. Let me run back. It's like, nah, there go a shot. If this shit come off, I gotta get the rebound. You know, it's like that sense of urgency when you got 5 superstars They all gonna be the best role player when they clicking. And I think that's how they caught him.

No, it definitely turned into that because like when Joel got going, it came off a trail, typical Joel play with the '76ers. Trail, hesi, pull, bucket. And he rolled from there. Steph coming off, shooting. Bron getting downhill. KD coming off looking for the middie. He ain't got it. Now I swing. That's definitely what it turned into. And that's what it needed to turn into.

Because they get role player shots.

For sure.

Steph Curry don't never really get role player shots.

You know what I mean?

So he getting a role player shot or Embiid walking into a swing and that's everybody's— you start watching, they just start falling into like this perfect collaboration of a puzzle. It's like, oh, we all know what we do. You know what I mean? But it's Steph had a shot, I think he moved it to LeBron, LeBron looked, penetrate, get the and one. LeBron, he had a triple double today. Yes, he did.

Yes, he did. It's crazy, man.

Like they all play the way we see them perform at a high level in like this short little, like 13, like it just showed that greatness.

For sure.

And sometimes you gotta level up because if I'm gonna lose, I gotta go lose with the dudes that they're gonna talk about the most.

For sure.

And then if you got, come on, you got KD, you about to lose. Steph, you about to lose. LeBron, you about to lose. Joel, you about to lose. Book, you about to lose. You know, all the other dudes too, not taking that away from nobody else. But like you put 5 of those dudes in, you about to lose? And all the media on you? You gotta let them fight. You gotta let them fight for they life.

Yeah, you can't be remembered as that, bro. Man, that's so dope to watch, man. 'Cause during the Olympics, when you go through these Olympics, like for us, we grow up, we grow up wanting to win it, play in the NBA, win an NBA championship. We don't necessarily grow up like, yo, I wanna get an Olympic gold medal. They grow up like, I wanna win Euros, I wanna win Olympics. And so for them, But when you get in it though, you then feel that.

Yep.

When you go through these runs every year, because again, I said it, we're so much better players than these guys.

Yeah.

It's like, it's just the reality. Every year you get that test though. Like every Olympic year you get that one test. And when you get to the end of it, bro, like, the bond that you have with the guys that you did it with is all built on that one test.

Yeah.

And today was that test.

That was that test for them.

Like today was that test where it's like, you see them hugging after the game. Like that was the one that made you feel like, yo.

That was finally, they became a team. So all the shit that they like, you know, they wasn't really tested or kind of tested or figuring it out. They had an excuse for that. Like there's no excuse. We're about to, Win, lose, let's go get it. And then that's when that, now you see 'em like, damn, watch when they come out against France. They about to beat the shit out of France.

By 25?

25 at least.

And I'm going.

Oh, come on, that's killing.

I know you're going. Shout out to you there. No, straight up, I'm going. Shout out to you. You see, I know where you sitting, right behind the France bench. Yes. I need Sasha Rudy to go back. I'm going. Hey bro, if you do that, that is— I'm this close to wearing both of my gold medals in that cup.

That is international Olympic medal historical. Like dude, your story will be the second storyline in the championship game.

Should I wear the 2020 Olympic medals that we beat France in the gold medal game to get?

Hell yeah. Yeah.

Y'all think I should wear that?

Bro, hell yeah.

Wow. That'll be epic.

'Cause every time they cut to the timeout, you'll be sitting there. Everybody like, "Yo, is Draymond Green coaching?" Like the people who haven't been paying attention, they gonna see you and they ain't gonna be able to figure it out. Everybody else who know what's going on, you don't have to say nothing. You ain't never say nothing. Presence.

2020. Hey, dawg, you would be, you know, the Godfather when he called his uncle in the courtroom. Absolutely.

Yeah, that's how you, that's all you have to do is sit like this behind they bench. Oh, bro, you gonna send shockwaves. 'Cause they ain't gonna look at it and be like, "Oh yeah, okay, y'all trying to intimidate us." They gonna be like, "Damn, dude, what is Draymond Green gonna say to me?" Hey dude, you know—

I don't know if they gonna send me there though. I don't know if they gonna send me there. Nah, they would be terrified. So, and speaking of, we about to beat them by 25, that's a foregone conclusion.

Yep.

A couple episodes ago, I was talking about the Dream Team versus this team. And of course after the game today, everybody gonna say, oh, they got tested and they should have lost like, Every team gets tested. It happens to everybody. So I'm not, but I still think this team is better than the Dream Team to me, regardless of what happened today. What do you see for that?

You don't think so? Nah, like I grew up, you know, I grew up idolizing Jordan and Magic and that, just that whole era, playing the next generation of era, and then just kind of missed out on these dudes. Like, I admire these dudes in this generation 'cause it's just, they're more athletic. More skilled.

Yep.

More talented, shoot better, right? But if they were locked in the alley and they had to squab, who was you, which team are you picking? If it was a fist fight, who are you picking?

Unfortunately, we're playing basketball.

I know, but I'm just like taking that mentality because you have this super talent, right? There's, I mean, shit, you got talents of, you got godly talent. So when the gods start to, they have to fight. Physical skills, da da da, like all that shit is going to, just like the Olympics, like, Someone's gonna measure out, someone's gonna be better than the others, it's gonna be mismatch problems. But who want it?

Well, here's the thing. Who want it? All of those guys at certain point, KD at certain point, Bron at certain points, Steph at certain points, all of those guys in their careers has had to do that at different points. I think we get to this space of where like, and this goes into like, everybody always speak about these terms in terms of LeBron, And Jordan debate is like MJ was more of a killer, this, that, and the other.

Ah, they killers.

But this is the thing though. And we gonna say Bron not?

Bron is a killer.

MJ, everybody, and again, we all grew up wanting to be like Mike. But it just bothered me when like all of these guys have had their successes at that level as well. MJ won 6. MJ played 15 years. Like, so there was 9 years where he couldn't capture the, ah, to get it all the way done as well. So we all fall short of the thing sometimes. But to say like, all them dudes have had that same killer at times to put it away as well.

Yes.

So now speaking about—

Okay, so—

They jump higher, they run faster, the skill and all that. When you say that, all these guys have also had to have that killer at, Different times as well.

I'm gonna go with the Dream Team based on chemistry. Based on chemistry, based on intellect, you know what I mean? And based on understanding that if these are, relive, relive, what is this team called?

The Dream Team?

Wait, 2024.

Oh yeah.

Like, can we give 'em another chance? The 5th in a row, that's what this team is called.

Cinco.

Cinco. Okay, so with the Cinco, Obviously they, you know, the Serbia game made everyone, uh. But they have a great, they have good chemistry. They would be the dogs. The Dream Team would be the underdogs, right? So imagine Michael Jordan walking into a game and LeBron is the guy and it's like, you're not better than him. Or Larry Bird. You're not better than KD or whatnot. Or Magic, you're not better than Steph. Or Charles Barkley, you know, Patrick Ewing, or you know what I mean? You look at, they're going to play smarter, different. And I think collectively, when you got a bunch of killers in the room, you know what I mean? Everybody gonna die, but it's gonna be some other ones standing still and it's gonna be some dudes run out the room. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

And so when I look at the roster of killers and I look at the roster of killers on the Cinco team, somebody is going to run out the room or get, you know what I mean? Bop, bop, bop, socked up in the corner. You know, like, imagine boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Somebody getting socked up in the corner. Oh, he done. Let me, you know, now let me go, let's go. Both sock him up. You know what I mean? So yeah, you know, I'm looking at the size, like the size factor in Dream Team 1 versus Dream Team 5. You gotta get an advantage to Dream Team 1.

How?

'Cause they bigger.

Patrick, you are not better than Joel Embiid.

He's bigger than Joel Embiid.

Not really, Joel Embiid is huge, man.

I know, but he played like, Joel Embiid ain't gonna, All right, go bang with Patrick Ewing. They gonna bang with David Robinson.

AD.

You know what I mean? I'm talking about they getting the ball in the post, pow, pow. You know what I mean? They gonna block it. I'm not saying AD ain't gonna block it or, you know what I'm not saying AD weak, 'cause they gotta come out, you know, like the whole thing is, can Shaq play in this? You gotta come out. That they gotta come out the paint. 'Cause Embiid, he may, you know, uh-uh.

He hit them with a couple Tracys today.

But if he miss, that energy, you know what I mean? That chemistry ain't properly aligned.

If it was a fifth, we all would be drunk right now.

I'm just saying, that's the if for the— That's my reason for picking Dream Team. Because I think that they have They have more unified killer chemistry. And when I look at this Cinco team, they got all the killers in the world, right? But Draymond Green is sitting here texting everybody around basketball, 'cause something wrong. Something wrong, bro. Something wrong. And I'm not, it's not the players. It's the chemistry.

No, I think the chemistry's great.

You know what I mean? And we saw, we saw like, we saw it click today.

Absolutely.

But like, what happens, like who didn't play on the Dream Team? Clyde Drexler?

Christian Laettner?

Well, Christian Laettner didn't even need to be on there.

So unfortunately, Draymond Green, hashtag.

You know, Isaiah should have replaced. Christian Laettner. I always look at Christian Laettner.

Well, if they was going one college guy, it should have been Shaq.

I mean—

So not saying Isaiah shouldn't have been on the team, but they said they were picking one college guy. That should have been Shaq.

Do you think they should do that now?

I was gonna ask you that. Pick one college guy?

Yeah, do you think like now since we back to cracking—

If you gonna play like a not Tyrese, not play a Tyrese Halliburton anyway, you might as well take two Titans. Take a Cooper Fly, you know what I'm saying?

I agree.

Not two though, but one. I'm cool with one.

But it should be like the, I felt like the college player of the year or somebody like that should earn a spot. You know what I mean?

The college player of the year do have to have like potential to be great. You can't just be like some college player of the years don't even make it. Like you can't be like that college player of the year. Nah, you can't be like untalented.

You gotta be like, yeah, be a Zion. Be the next face.

AD going into his rookie year was on the 2012 team. You know what I'm saying? So like, you gotta be that level of talent to get that spot.

And I know I'm just being petty. So do you think Caitlin Clark should have been now?

I think Caitlin Clark should have been on the USA team.

I think so too.

Because—

I think it's good for the brand.

It's great for the brand. Let's not, we talk brand any other time. Let's not act like it don't matter now. Oh man, it matter.

It makes the most sense.

100%. If you think about what, and by the way, if you think about what the 1992 Barcelona team, Dream Team, did for the brand of basketball.

Yes.

The W is still in the, are still in those phases of the NBA.

Yes.

Right? Like the NBA during that, the W is there. So it must be about spreading this globally. And she's the biggest global star.

Man, we should've looked, yeah. In women's basketball.

And listen, I think like the women we got over there, I think A'ja Wilson, like I think A'ja Wilson's gonna be the GOAT. But like just from a pure branding and marketing stamp, Caitlin's the biggest. And so for her to not be on the team—

Her and Angel Reese should have been on the team. I think so.

'Cause—

I agree.

For her not to be on the team, Angel Reese not to be, I think for what they're doing for women's basketball, like that should matter. And by the way, What they showed you in this half a season is that I'm gonna be one of them ones.

I'm one of them ones.

So it's okay to bet on me right now, 'cause I'm gonna be one of them ones. Angel Reese is leading the league in double doubles and broke the all-time record. Caitlin Clark is leading the league in assists on a historical pace. They've shown you we gonna be one of them ones.

In the first half of the season.

So you can make that bet on me too.

Yeah, yeah.

I felt like I missed a chance.

I just wanted to say that 'cause I had never chimed in. I just think we missed a golden opportunity.

Sure.

To like really extend the women's basketball brand. Not saying it's relying on these two, but just the attention that they get brings attention to everyone else. And now it's like, oh, you know, like you go to watch a movie And you know, you may go to a Will Smith movie and you may wind up liking, you know, Robbie, whatever her name, like, you know what I mean? So it's other performers.

Margot Robbie.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know her name, bro. You know, unless I ain't in no movie with her yet. But like the attention of people who get attention allows for other talent wanted people to be recognized and like to be liked. So it increased the fan base. So I just think that, you know, that was just my little thing. And I do think that college kids, I think like now that we're so dominant or back to our dominance, we should allow for like that college kid, like whoever the next face or we think is gonna be the next contributor and gonna be, you know—

I agree because if you look at the game today and here's why I agree with that 100%. If you look at the game today, I said, you needed Steph, you needed KD, you needed, like, you needed Bron, you needed them stars to be in. And next you would probably say Anthony Edwards. However, I was thinking Book anyway. And when they end up going Book, and Book was huge. And while I was thinking Book and where the college player comes in, the difference in between Anthony Edwards today and Book today was Book did it already.

Yeah.

So Book been through an Olympics and he know what that feels like.

Totally.

That's Ant-Man first time feeling that.

For sure.

You gotta make that adjustment. And now that he's felt that, next Olympics—

Oh, he gonna be dominant.

Even possibly next game. But next Olympics, now when it get tough, he's gonna know what to do. It ain't that he never backed down, 'cause he didn't back down, but he just didn't know how to figure it out. D-Book knew exactly what to do.

He'd been there before.

'Cause he had been there.

It's also chemistry, right? 'Cause when you think about Serbia, they hoop in the NBA and then they go home and they practicing for the World Cup, or they all playing together. So these dudes is playing together every summer. Shout out to Team USA. Shout out to all the players because the hardest thing for all those dudes to do as superstars, as all-stars, as NBA champions, is to humble themselves enough—

Mm-hmm.

To make the team work. Jason Tatum not playing. Like, it take a lot, bro, to be a Draymond Green or a Halliburton, or you know what I mean? A Jason Tatum to sit there and like your whole fucking summer. So that commitment makes that, those dudes who are not playing or like they time is tricky and shit like that, it take a lot of humility.

100%.

You know what I mean?

I did that in 2016, sat there. Me, Harrison Barnes, DeMar, we sat there. Every now and like, there's one game throughout the tournament though for us where like, you got put in in that game and you made an impact and you played meaningful minutes. All of us kind of had our moment. I don't think HB did, but I sat there.

Yeah.

And it does take some humility. I just came off winning a championship, then just losing game 7 of the finals. I'm growing in my popularity. I'm growing in my career, my money, my pocket's growing. Like, and you like, nah, like, but I gotta be that for this team.

Yeah.

But that's a sacrifice.

Bro, and it's also a testament to picking the right players.

Absolutely.

You gotta have the right all the way 15 because—

12. 12. It's cool.

Yeah, if the 12.

I got 12. I picked all.

If the 12 dude is like, Upset, checked out, don't wanna be there. The whole shit is fucked.

Yeah, you feel me?

That's what happened to us, 'cause I played on the world championship team in Indiana, and then we wind up losing to Ginobili. We wind up playing, I don't even know where we placed, but the team was so dysfunctional. And it was dysfunctional because you just had the wrong mix of personalities, people, coaches, you know what I mean? And there was no aim. Like we all walked in like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, we here to hoop. Oh, we shouldn't lose to nobody." You know what I mean? Da da da. When you get in that testing moment and you lose, then it's like, holy shit.

Back then, did y'all try out for the team or did they just pick that team?

They just picked that team.

Okay. Yeah.

Okay. Nah, they just picked that team. And I was not on the team originally. I was chilling, enjoying my summer. Just maxed out. And my coach called me, I was on vacation. He was like, "Man, you gonna go play in the World Championships." I was like, "Bro, I'm not going nowhere. I don't wanna play." He was like, "You gotta play." Da da da da. Jason Kidd had bounced out and they was like, "Yo, they want you to play. You next up." And I was like, "Man, I ain't." Not that I don't wanna pay for my country, bro, but I don't wanna go to Indiana.

It was in Indiana?

That's disgusting. I do not wanna spend my summer in Indiana.

I told T, shout out to T, man. Club 520, man. I told him, boy, Indiana, that's disgusting, man.

Hey, man.

Hey, bro. That's terrible.

You know, I had been to Nike camp.

We had stayed at IUPUI. Wait, the world championships was in Indiana?

Hey, bro.

That's crazy.

Indianapolis.

What a sacrifice. God bless America. And our coach was, George Karl?

Wow. Was George Karl a coach? Whoever it was, he got on my fucking nerves. I think it was George Karl.

I gotta say, I love George Karl. It was George Karl.

Oh my God. Yeah, you know, so it was just, it was a bad experience, right? 'Cause you got so many, like our team had no chemistry from the start. And there was no LeBron, there was no like superstar that came in that could say anything. You know what I mean? Like we were all all-stars, but there was no, whoever was acting like a superstar was an idiot. You feel what I'm saying?

You got Reggie Miller. Who was acting like a superstar?

Paul.

Paul.

Pierce. You got Paul was killing. But like he had to be a superstar, right? So if Paul is acting like the superstar, you feel what I'm saying? Then we fucked because there go Reggie Miller. What is Reggie Miller doing? Then you got Shawn Marion. What does Shawn Marion think? What's Ben Wallace? And then in our era, like everybody was kind of like not cool with nobody.

Yeah.

Still, you know what I mean? It was like, And so everybody was just kind of like, man, it was so dysfunctional. And Andre Miller was on the team. Me and him was the point guards. And I remember I got to a point where I was like, man, what the fuck am I here for, bro? Clearly to win a gold medal. But you sitting there like, am I being used? My summer fucked off. You know what I mean? Like, I don't like this coach. Like, motherfucker's lying. These players don't, you know, it's like— Yeah. Who do you, there was nobody to step up and be like, yo, let's, it was done. You know what I'm saying? So I respect the players that do this because it take a lot of humility, dog, to like give up your summer, be like Jason Tatum, be an NBA champion.

You know what I mean?

To be on this dream team and to not play. And you still gotta like, you still gotta give good energy. Like I just tell them dudes, it's just a shout out to the— That's tough. To the players, but also to Grant Hill and people picking the right mix of people. You know what I mean? I think they, once we got it right, it was cool.

Speaking of Olympics and goals, I watch all, I love track and field. I love swimming. I love, I don't really watch that. Women's basketball, obviously soccer, football in other countries. I love that. Beach volleyball is be turnt. Love beach volleyball.

Oh, beach volleyball was— we lost though.

Yeah, we did. It was unfortunate.

Nah, that was tough.

But, and I follow all these sports. I sit here, I watch it all day. There was this controversy stirred up last year by Noah Lyles, who grabbed the title of the fastest man in the world, by the way. So congratulations to him.

Look like a nose.

Yeah. Came back too. However, and then the 200, he, which is his event, like the 100 actually not, 200 is where he came in bronze.

Congratulations.

Which I think winning a medal, I think is incredible. But he made a statement last year that had the basketball community in uproar when he said, They ain't world champions. They, what, something, they NBA champions. Champions in the United States. They ain't world champions.

Is that how all that started?

That's how it all started.

Come on, homie.

I mean, it was one of those statements where it was like, it made you cringe to hear him say that because it's like, what are you talking about, bro? Like, this is the best league in the world. And like, we do the Olympic thing.

He's tired.

What you talking about? However, and to his credit, it made him more popular than he would've ever been in his life. Oh, for sure. And it made everybody watch races that he was in, made a lot of people root against him.

Yeah.

And after he won the 100, he spoke about having dyslexia and like all these different things, which shout out to him, man. I think it's dope to overcome that.

Yeah.

But a lot of people, I saw people making an uproar. I've talked to people who's like, why he ain't say these things before the race? And then after the 200, after the 200 that he lost, he came in bronze. He announced that he's had COVID for the last 2 days. But COVID, when you in the wheelchair. He was left out on a wheelchair. Why you flex so much, bro? So I just wanna know. Hey, bro.

Why you wanna know? No, but why you doing it? No, I think it's deep.

You don't do it like that, bro. That man got a gold medal, a silver medal, and a bronze medal. I think that's incredible.

He got it.

I also, but I had these thoughts also, like for us personally.

You are hilarious.

No. I just—

The wheelchair part was—

No. I mean, he left out the wheelchair and then announced that he had COVID for the last 2 days after he came in bronze.

Why was he in a wheelchair?

I mean, I don't know.

Well, I'm not laughing at nobody.

Like, why did he get—

was he in a wheelchair 'cause he was in COVID?

Or he was, I don't know. I haven't seen an interview.

Man, you know, we living in a crazy time, bro. You know what I mean? We living in a crazy time where it's like, People, and not, I'm not, I'm just generalizing. Like, people are confused and people are coached, you know what I mean? And like, it seemed like everybody waiting on they moment to like do some shit, to say some shit. And they want everybody in the world, you know what I mean? Even when like you looking at social media, like people be doing the most, you know what I mean? And I think sometimes the social media fuck us up, but as athletes, like it would be hard for me to play in this era with social media just 'cause the anxiety, you know what I mean? I don't really know what to say, bro, as far as like, damn, that's tough. You know what I'm saying?

What's tough, the wheelchair?

Man, it's tough to like, you know, you go from, it's just like a, like you, maybe he's, you know, I'm a big person. Like the shit you be saying create the energy, you know what I mean? And so yeah, you looked at this big moment, you may have said, oh, I got all these problems still, this how I won. But then also like the problem starts to like, you start getting asked about that shit. You know what I mean? And that shit becomes annoying, you know? So I don't know about the wheelchair. I like Diddy.

I don't think you, you can't leave out of the way. You just ran a race, bro. You ran two. It ain't like, by the way, y'all just finished like a 1500 or something and you was like exhausted.

A 100.

You know, like a marathon. Y'all both trash, man. You ran 200.

Is the thought that, damn, I didn't win. You know what I mean? Like I came in third, like maybe I was hurt.

I hope not. Because I think what he just accomplished—

Well, you have to be hurt if you're in a wheelchair. If he was—

Paul Pierce came back in the game. He did.

He did.

So I don't know. I'm trying to figure the wheelchair thing out though, man. Again, I root for Americans. So I was happy to see him win the medal.

For sure.

I think to get a bronze medal—

But it created attention, bro. It created a little beef.

It did.

Like, oh, you think track is harder than— I love all the competition and the narratives and shit, but like, you can't, I don't know. You can't do that, bro. You can't like, You gotta stand on what you stand on. Right, you can't just roll with it.

Wheelchair.

You can't just roll with it. You can't just roll off. You feel what I'm saying?

You gotta stand on what you stand on. You lose, you gotta run. You gotta run your campaign, right?

You can't roll away.

That's true, man. I do wonder what it's like though. To win a medal and then still be competing. 'Cause for us, like, you win and you done.

It's over.

So I wonder if he hit a little bit of complacency, like, "Wow, I'm the fastest man in the world." But to hit us with the COVID like, tell me you got COVID before the race, bro.

Yeah.

Don't tell me after, like, "Ah, I got COVID." Like, before the race, I got COVID, or don't run. That's always an option.

That's tricky though.

Or don't tell me at all.

I actually wonder— I'd have definitely told everybody I had COVID before the race. And been— I'd have lined up and gave him a quick one.

Y'all ready?

I'd have gave him one of them.

He done won. I don't need to know you got COVID. You just don't ever tell us. This is an excuse.

This is an excuse. It's just a bad excuse.

Hey, we proud of bro. Like, that's dope, man. You went and added to the medal count.

Yeah, nah, we got you. That's why I say congratulations. You deserve it. Absolutely.

Just don't leave in the wheelchair again. I hate when people do stuff like that.

Nah, the wheelchair is nuts, bro.

You lose, you lose. Take it on the chin, keep it pushing.

I mean, he'll probably come out, see this and be like, "Oh no, I fucked my ankle up, man." You know that? Hopefully. Don't leave. Bro, I got carted off on a stretcher and I was, if they would've let me walk off that court, I'd have did it. You know what I mean? Like, there's no way that I'm faking a wheelchair. Like, if I needed to like get through security at the airport.

You ain't come back in the game. You came back in the game after you got carted off?

Hell no, I wish I could. But they had popped my knee. Like, I would've walked off if they would've, you know what I mean?

They wouldn't let you.

I wasn't begging for no, I wasn't begging for that shit. I was thinking like, all right, let me, Pick me up. That came with the cart. I was like, no, no, don't put me on that. Hey bro, you cannot, you know, a wheelchair. He shouldn't have did that.

That's crazy. There's pictures of him, he got his joints up. Come on, bro. You can't do that.

Yeah, man, that's shit, man. People are so like fragile, yo.

I tell these guys all the time, man. You do stuff to get in that villain role and when it ain't so hot, everybody back at you. Everybody back here. Yeah.

Like, yeah, you gotta stand on what you stand on. I do think part of this is like branding. You know what I mean? Branding versus self-awareness. Right? Like you are very self-aware, right? You understand your brand, but you also understand the villain role and the brand you play when you on the court. You know what I mean?

Absolutely.

And so there's never been a time where you've backed down.

No, I can't.

Or not been honest or not been accountable.

You know what I mean?

Because you know what's happening, you know what's cracking. I think these kids, they be like still trying to figure they shit out. And like they not really self-aware. They're just more like the attention. Yeah. It's a fact. So the attention and the money and the money and attention and you never really know, you know what I mean? You never really know who you are.

That's a fact.

And then, you know, you think about Olympic athletes, not saying he not self-aware 'cause, I'm sure he is, but I'm just saying from a branding perspective, the media is branding you and you're not branding yourself. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

So you not give, you not, you don't have, you only have a little bit of time for that 15-second interview after a race or shit. But like if you were doing a, if you were self-aware and branding yourself, then by the time you do that 15 seconds, we already know who you are. And then the people, who don't know, now they got something to go back to. But ain't no really no substance. And like, it's crazy that stars don't have nicknames.

That's true.

That's what's killing me. Like, damn dude, where are the superstars with the nickname and the, you know, what do we call them? What's the commercial? You know what I mean? Like, Like even though all this money is floating around and people getting paid crazy amount of money, it's just hard to like lock in and like somebody. 'Cause it's like, we used to fantasy in movies and you know, like we wanna call somebody something else. Like we need personalities. We losing our personalities because everybody got bread. They don't have to do shit.

Before we get outta here, The biggest failure of US Olympics this year, we all agree, is our 3-on-3 team. Our 3-on-3 men's basketball team was probably the biggest failure.

Hot.

Of the Olympics.

Hot trash, bro.

I couldn't believe the team. When I saw the pictures of the team, I was like, who are these? How the fuck do you qualify?

And like, who did y'all beat? From the United States. I swear to God.

Stay in the same hotel with Kevin Durant and LeBron James and wear the same outfit and play basketball and be that sorry?

Come on, dude. I challenge them right now. And I ain't played in 2 years. I challenge them right now.

3-on—

Come on, dude.

I thought maybe like they got a great 3-on-3 team. That's why like I haven't seen them.

They never announced it.

No, they trash.

They are. Who's on the team, bro?

I know Jimmer Fredette was on the team. Trash.

It don't matter. It don't matter after that. It don't matter after that.

Who else was on that team? Jimmer Fredette, Canyon Berry.

How do you get on the team?

Dylan Travis.

That sounds like a country singer.

Florida Southern, Dylan Travis, two first names. Kareem Maddox.

And is he Black? They picked him 'cause his name is Kareem.

No disrespect to these guys' basketball career. It's not their fault.

Oh, is he? Where are you from? What high school? Oh man, he ain't from LA. He from, that ain't LA. The fuck you talking about? He probably from LA and went to Oak Park. Besides the point, how? Who did they beat to qualify? And where is the signups? 'Cause I would've loved to sign up for 3-on-3.

If they was doing it.

Beat me.

All right, so—

If Jimmer Fredette would've beat my team, I'd be like, okay, cool. Y'all go represent.

So in light of you saying you would sign up, LA's own Ice Cube, Big 3, said that he would pay for his guys to fly over, the champions of the 3-on-3 Big 3 tournament, to play against whoever won. I stopped looking, I don't even know if it's over. Whoever won 3-on-3 gold, he paid for the champions of the Big 3 to play against them, and he promised they would beat 'em. You agree with Cube? Champions of the Big 3. So probably Jordan Crawford, because JC dominates it. I think Quincy Miller, Isaiah, big fella.

Bro, they should've just took it outta just—

Austin, Isaiah Austin.

You better off, you could've took one of the big 3 teams to USA Olympics instead of what we had.

So should it be that way or should we start incorporating NBA players? Like the WNBA, the women's 3-on-3 team is WNBA players. Should we start going younger NBA players or should we go Big 3 guys?

What is the qual— how did they get on?

Who picked these dudes?

And how did they get on the team? How do you get on the team, bro? Like, I don't even know how to, like, where do we start?

You shouted out G. Hill. I think Grant, it's USA basketball. So I think Grant Hill.— I'm not— I don't know that to be certain, but here's what I'm saying. What is USA Basketball?

Where did they get picked from? How'd like—

like— BYU.

It must've been BYU, Jimmer. I just need to know what are the qualifications, the signups, the submissions, because I wanna go through the roster to see all the people that has signed up and be like, how do we come up? And you know, I be calling people trash. I told you that's like an LA slang. Like we always say, oh, you weak, you garbage. You know what I mean?

Not that we really meant it. That's universal slang.

Yeah, not that we mean it, but we mean it. You know what I mean?

Oh, it's universal slang. Trash is trash.

How did Jimmer for that? How is Jimmer for that? Like, who did he beat? I mean, I would've put Jamal Crawford on the squad. On the 3-on-3, I put Jamal Crawford. Who else would I take?

Jamal Crawford or Jordan Crawford?

Jamal Crawford, not Jordan. I mean, I take Jordan Crawford. It was a big three, but I'm talking about, I would take—

Marv still in shape.

I'm saying I take retired guys.

Marv could definitely— Marv would definitely be over there.

I take retired, like why can't our retired guys go over there? Come on, dude. Like, I don't know. I was watching.

But you can't go over there out of shape. You gotta get some shape.

Bro, I would, I'd make the team.

You gotta get some shape.

I'd make the Warriors.

You can't go over there.

Hey bro, I can make the Warriors.

Stop.

Come on, dude, I can make the Warriors.

Stop.

I can make the team.

You gotta get some shape, big fella.

Yeah, that ain't no problem, that's, you know, but I can make the team.

Do it.

Age discrimination.

No. No.

Y'all don't have tryouts.

We got training camp. You spend the next year getting in shape for training camp.

Year?

I'll be ready this year. No, you won't.

Not no more. I just came from the gym.

I was in the house.

Bro, I can windmill.

Camp is 6 weeks away.

You ain't—

Yeah, you ain't never seen a fat point guard that like 6 weeks away next year. Next year I'm gonna be too old. Let's make a bet. 1 year.

All right.

No, 1 year already.

1 year.

You got 1 year to get in shape. We gonna get you invite to the Warriors training camp and let's see if you can make the team. Done. Done.

What's done?

We gotta come up with a wager.

We gotta come up with a wager for sure.

Say no more. Mike Dunleavy.

That was my teammate. My guy, Dunes.

Mike, training camp spot. I may come make the team.

Bro, I may just come make the team this year.

I owe you $100,000.

Bro, I may just show up.

If you don't make the team.

I may show up and like show up as the dude rebounding for you. And by December they had been like, "Hey, my dude, come on, man. You out here. I'm tired of this. Hey, I am really tired of you. How do you—" Bro, you know, every time I hoop, niggas like, "Where you playing this year?" I'm like, "I'm not playing, bro." Let's make the bet. Done. You have to, whatever the bet is.

Oh my God. Bro, I'm not gonna make that. Next year, I'm gonna give you 13 months.

That's fine. That's fine.

But you gotta get some shape.

I'm gonna come and work out. I gotta come work out a couple times to see what y'all doing. I'm gonna come watch y'all. And then I tell you, watching them be like, all right, dude, I'll make, for sure I'll make the team next year.

You realize the NBA is much like a faster pace now. So you gonna need to drop like 35.

Yeah, of course, bro. I gotta drop 35 anyway.

Easy. Oh, I don't know about anyway. I gotta drop 35. If you trying to play, you gotta drop 35. Easy. Say no more.

But I know everybody play fast. And I remember, 'cause when I was in the G League, I was like, "Goddamn, these dudes playing way too fast." But I figured out my pace with all this fast shit.

Luka Dončić, bro, you don't play fast. You not Luka, bro. Stop it.

Bro, I'm like a baby Luka. I be like a baby Luka for y'all. What? Coming off the bench, bro? I be a baby Luka. Dimes.

That's so disrespectful.

8, 9, a baby Luka? Come on, yo. I can, 9, 9, I'm talking about like 8 points, 4 assists.

That's not baby Luka, man.

That is killer.

That's crazy. That's killer for me.

That's not a baby Luka. If I'm coming in 19 minutes getting you 8 points, 4 assists, probably a steal or two, you already know I'm gonna be back. 19 minutes? That's killer. Y'all be asking me to play more. I'm like, nah, coach, you seen the contract? I can't play more than 19 minutes.

Mike Dunleavy, you heard it here first, man. So before we get outta here, who win the WNBA MVP?

A'ja Wilson.

Last but not least, who wins Rookie of the Year?

I'm a point guard, so I'm going with Caitlin Clark. I'm a point guard. I like how, like I don't, I like watching Caitlin Clark play 'cause I like seeing great passes. You know what I mean? I like the art of passing is everything to me. You know what I mean? That's why I like Steph so much 'cause he do so much other shit.

For sure.

And like that's where I be appreciating the game. You know what I mean? Just like the artistry, the wizardry. And I think that's what Caitlin Clark got. That's why I watch her.

So I'm gonna go with Caitlin Clark because I think whichever team gets into the playoffs is the player that's gonna win it. And I think her team is better.

Yeah, she got squad.

She do. I mean, they had the number one pick two years in a row.

Nah, for sure.

Should be decent. And they both can play.

Yeah, you know, and it's tough, bro. Like, you know, you coming into a league, you adjusting, You gotta move.

You got a whole new life. And they just finished playing a month before they started. And they just finished hooping. Two weeks before they started.

It's gonna take some time, but I do like Angel Reese. She a dog. You know what I mean? She a dog. And she like one of those transitional big men that, you know, you need 'em both because it's just gonna start bringing light to all the dope young ladies that's out in the W that's killers. You know what I mean? It's so many killers and like they got game. The attention, I'm here for, you know what I mean? I'm tuned in, I'm tapped in. But I do feel like the Liberty may win it this year, bro.

The Aces is winning it.

I was at the championship last year, Aces and Liberty, and for some strange reason, I feel like the Liberty were not that far behind. Even though Asia was dominant or whatnot, I felt like the Liberty had, they had it. They could've really challenged them better. They could've been the people.

The Houston Rockets was once not that far behind and then they got further behind. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Further behind. So just because you one time. One time, okay. Memphis Grizzlies at one point, one step forward and then they got further behind. Like when you get your window, when you get your chance, you gotta get through that and see the Aces had already got through. So they were already champions.

Yeah, they had the chance. That's what got 'em over the edge.

Liberty, you still ain't got through that window and you don't always— now look at the Connecticut Sun.

It'll be Aces and Liberty.

I don't know, the Connecticut Sun rocking and you don't get through your window, that window closed.

Nah, I got the Liberty coming out. I got a rematch. And plus we need this rematch, man. We need this rivalry.

I would love to see it. Listen, man, I appreciate you coming on the show. You the legend. I gotta pack my stuff up and head to Paris. I'm going in the game in like a whole outfit. It's like an American flag, whole joint. That's fire. Like Apollo Creed. Yeah, I'm going in just like that. And I'm gonna be rooting. Draymond Green. So I don't really know.

Hey bro, I'm gonna be crying at the house.

This is how I'm showing up. So for the fans out there, I don't really know if there's a podcast coming after this gold medal game, 'cause I'm going to Paris. But you heard it here first. Congratulations to the 2024 Olympic gold medal.

Woo!

Team USA.

Let's go.

Congrats to the— Team USA women's Olympic gold medalists 2024. We love y'all. God bless America. That's a wrap. Appreciate you, my dog.

Living in America.

Peace.