In a conversational interview hosted by Speaker A, Moses Moody discusses his basketball upbringing in Little Rock, Arkansas, citing early inspirations such as Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, and local street players. He recounts his move to Montverde Academy after his sophomore year, describing the elite, nationally‑ranked roster that included Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Ryan Nembhard, and others, and reflects on the NIL era and the dynamics of sharing a tiny freshman dorm room with Cunningham. Moody shares how the intense environment, diverse international student body, and early independence shaped his personal growth. He evaluates how the high‑school team’s projected NBA hierarchy compared to actual professional outcomes, affirming that the experience remains his favorite outside of basketball. Finally, Moody talks about his draft expectations, noting a range of possible picks, the two‑chance scenario at his slot, and the significance of impressing the Golden State Warriors during workouts.
Chapters
Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, you transferred to Mount Verde Academy in Florida after your sophomore year in high school to further your basketball career. Before we get to the stacked squad you were on, who did you model your game after when you were growing up?
Model my game after? Being from Arkansas, you know, you don't really— you don't got a team or nothing. So I just grew up watching a lot of different players. I like Ray Allen a lot. I don't shoot like him. I never really modeled my form after him. I just like to watch him. Uh, I like, uh, Joe Johnson, being from Little Rock. Uh, I grew up— I grew up watching a lot of different guys though. Uh, yeah, so just taking certain things from different guys and really just being a fan of the sport.
That's what's up.
And then too, guys in my city. Like, I don't only watch NBA players. I ain't only take, like, I'm watching this, my homeboy, I'm in middle school, he in high school going crazy. I'm watching his game.
I had a guy like that growing up. Man, we had Anthony Roberson, Pete.
Oh, that's what's up.
And we used to watch Pete, man. Pete was crazy. That was my dog. He used to come across half court, freshman, come dribbling across half court and the whole gym, literally when he starts dribbling the ball from the back court, everybody go, "Ah." As he cross half court, it get louder. "Ah." Then he raise up. "Ah, ooh, man." Yeah. So crazy. And like, Big Red in my hometown playing at the, at the, at the Vets Park and Steel Bill Dale and all these guys, Sean Matthews. I learned how to like the tricks and the trades of the basketball game from those guys. Like them old heads, 38 years old, they still playing in the rec leagues and OG Fred Harvey. You, I learned to your point, Mo, I learned taught me a lot of tricks. My Uncle Benny, like I learned a lot of tricks to the trade from playing against those guys.
Right.
Yeah. Yeah. So no, that's fire. That's, hey man, told him, man. Moses from Little Rock, Arkansas, man. You just ain't getting that from many people, man. You not getting that from many people.
Jingle.
But your senior year, y'all, you were on the number one team in the country. Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, Ryan Nembhard. Yeah, they team was crazy.
That's crazy.
Y'all had a couple more guys I feel like we missing up, right?
Yeah, because that team right there, because me and K and Ryan, we all went there the year before, so we was already there, and then they— then it became that. So it wasn't even like they put that team together like on the spot.
That's, that's, that's, that's a crazy team.
That's a sick team, dude.
But you, you and K, you and K Cunningham were roommates. How was it? How was it being roommates, uh, with K, you know, as we get into this? Like your living situation, you move out of your parents' house, you moved to Mount Vernon, Florida, and you're rooming with K Cunningham. That first experience with a roommate, how was that?
It was different for sure. Well, well, for me, I grew up with like with dudes, like I'm always in my homeboy house. I got brothers, I got my brother, I got cousins, like I grew up around people, so that part wasn't hard for me, but My first year there, I can't even put it on a scale how small that room was we was in. But like, in the room, my bed is here, K's bed is here. It's like this much room in between the two beds. Like, it's crazy how small this room is. So given that was the situation, we used to get into it about stuff. Like, we used to always get into it because he liked to have the light off in the room in daytime. And I'm like, it's daytime. I don't want to be sitting here depressed. And so we used to get into it about— I'm like, I'm leaving the room. And the light on my side. So if I want the light on, I'm going to turn it on. I'm going to turn it on.
That sound like jail, bro.
And so that year we used to get into it a lot, but it wasn't never like we really into it. We ain't argue much, but that's my dog, especially now. And then the second year we had a bigger room and everything. And we've been like, we brothers at that point. So you argue like brothers. It's not even, so we, and you living with these dudes, we on the road together, playing basketball together, but we just got a special relationship from being so close all the time. Even when you don't wanna be. So, oh yeah, that's my dog.
With a team like that, the better player then at that time is not how it always turns out, like, to be the better pro. When you look at y'all team, has it shaped out kind of the way that y'all thought it would shape out from that point of, like, who was the top dog or who's having the better NBA career? Like, how has that shaped out? For that team?
It's really been, it's probably like similar to the way it was when we was there, honestly. Kade was number one player in the country being there. Scottie was top 5, top 10 or whatever it was. And then, and me and Draymond Green, like in the rankings or whatever, it was so much. We had so many dudes on that team to where we got 10 guys that are all top 20, like top 50 or whatever in the rankings. So like Coach trying to play everybody, but then the younger guys, this and that. So he would always play Cade and Scottie, you know, they number 1 and number 3 in the country or whatever they are. So they gotta kind of get a little more, but then you can't even get that much more. And then we beating teams by 50. So we gotta stop playing by the third quarter. So everybody averaged like 11, 10 points a game. So then on the ranking side and all that, now that now guys don't look as good, this and that, but it was, it was all up in the air. Who cares?
If you could do it all over again, would you, would you make that same decision?
100%, definitely. And honestly, I didn't like it when I was there a lot of times. And with that being said, that team that I was on was probably my favorite team I've ever played on outside of basketball. But when I was there, like, you got to keep in mind, bro, I'm leaving school at— I'm leaving my city at like 15, 16 years old, going to live in Florida with a bunch of dudes. My bird has students from 93 different countries. So you dealing, you got the Africans over here, the Brazilians over here, the, like, it's so, yeah, you dealing. And as a kid from Little Rock, I'm exposed to the world. A smart kid. And so even what that did to me growing up, and then like mentally I'm getting cool with the ADs and the teachers and the advisors, this and that, and working your way through a system and organization is like having to think for yourself as a grown man at 16. What that did for me growing up is irreplaceable experience, especially for a kid.
That's fire.
You got a lot of dogs in your draft class, you know, and being a lottery pick comes with expectations. Uh, did you know that the Warriors were gonna draft you with the 14th pick?
Uh, I, I thought so. I didn't, I didn't know for sure. No, you know, you can't know. But, uh, going into it, like I had a big, range that I could have went from like 7 to 25, you know, like I didn't have a guarantee or nothing like that going into it. So they had two chances in my spot and then I worked out with them and then I came back and worked out again. That was the only place I worked out at twice and I played really well. That's what's up. I knew it was a big chance. Hello.
