Kentavious Caldwell-Pope talks about joining the Lakers and learning from LeBron James and Rajon Rondo. Rondo taught him how to study full-game film, breaking down plays and translating that knowledge to on-court decisions. KCP credits these veterans with shaping his growth as a player and leader.
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Welcome to the brand new Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our content. So then you go from Detroit, kid from Georgia, country, move to Detroit, that adjustment, and then LA. What was the adjustment like now going from Detroit to Los Angeles? For the Lakers, by the way. Nobody showing up to these games in Detroit. I noticed.
I wouldn't say that. Like when I was in Detroit now, we're playing at the Palace. No, we had a nice little crowd. Sometimes.
Sometimes.
I was like, the Palace is like historical, you know what I'm saying? Like the Bad Boy days era. So like we had some fans in there now. Like it was a few fans in there.
But they ain't the Laker fans.
True. There's a lot different from that. Like, 'cause I said it after I won, you know, the championship. But like, it's love-hate relationship with the Lakers fans, you know? Like they love you regardless, you know what I'm saying? But like, if you doing bad or like you ain't playing up to your potential that they think you can play at, like they own you. Like they gonna let you know. And then you playing at your greatest, like they with you, you know what I'm saying? They with you regardless, but like they gonna let you know when you doing good, when you doing bad. And that's why I respect so much about their fans, you know?
They hardcore.
You know what I'm saying? They on you.
What, and how are they on you? Like, is that coming through social media? Is that like you walking down the streets of LA, they coming up?
I would say a little bit of both. I wouldn't say they not so negative. Like when they see you in person, you know what I'm saying? Like more, you know, supportive, you know what I'm saying? Stuff like that. You know what I'm saying? In the heat of the moment, in the arena, I can see a little bit different there. Like what they telling you, like, you know, pick it up, you know, I've had, you know what I'm saying, a little bit of both, you know, through social media, like in the arenas, you know, like to a point where they was, they was like commenting on my wife's pictures or like the pictures she posted and saying shit about me. So it was a lot of stuff that was going on at one point when I was there. Mm-hmm.
You get to the Lakers, Lakers not very good. I think what, a year later, 2 years later, Bron comes.
Year later.
Year later.
Year later.
Y'all get Bron.
Yep.
Changes the outlook of the franchise at that point. Lakers had been struggling for a while, kind of toward on the end of Kobe's tenure.
Yep.
Into Kobe retiring, couple years, you get there. Then Bron come. What was that like? Like that big of a force coming to the team, the media attention, which the media attention for the Lakers is already crazy. But then you get Bron there. Like what was that transition then like from going from playing with like all these young dudes and you kind of being the vet in the sense of what we were talking about.
Yeah, been that young vet they so-called.
Yeah, today.
Yeah, I was. I think I was, I was, I think the older two guys when I got there 2017 was, was I had Isaiah Thomas and Brook Lopez and Corey Brewer. I was only three older guys and I was, I was 24 at the time when I got there. Everybody else was like 19, 20, 21. It's fucking crazy.
Then Bron come in. How did it, how did it change everything? Did it change? From day one in practice? Did it change just the games? It was also a growing process. I don't think y'all made the playoffs that first year.
Yeah, no, it definitely was a growing process. 'Cause, you know, everybody, him adjusting, you know, to everybody and then everybody trying to adjust, you know, to like him being there as well. So, like, it was a big adjustment, you know, everything did shift, you know what I'm saying? As far as like, you know, how we practice, how we watch film, you know, like doing like stuff as a team, you know, a lot of the stuff changed there. And I was unfortunately, well, fortunately to have, you know, Rondo too at the time, you know, Wim Brown was there. So like, them two can both navigate, you know what I'm saying? What's on the court, you know what I'm saying? You know, and how we want to play, you know, I would say. But like, it was an adjustment, but I don't think it was a big adjustment.
How was the conversation? I'm a basketball nerd. I love the X's and O's. I love the game within the game. And so I'm asking this question personally for me, 'cause I wanna know.
Okay.
What was the dynamic, the conversations like? Amongst Bron and Rondo? Because for me, those are two of the greatest basketball minds to ever play in the NBA.
I would say the conversation, the dialogue, like as far as like in film, man, like they broke down everything. Like that's who, like Rondo, the one that taught me how to watch film, you know, how to watch, like I didn't start watching a full game of film until, Draymond Green, like 2 years ago.
Wow.
Like, that's who taught me how to watch a full game of film. And like, but you can just watch it, you know what I'm saying? But like, he taught me what am I looking for? You know what I'm saying? When I'm watching this film, you know, and then just having them 2 together in film together, man, it made, I would say it made everything so easy, you know, on the court. You know what I'm saying? Because now you know where to be. You know when this motion is happening, I know I gotta shift this way or I gotta do that. You know what I'm saying? So they put it, they break it all the way down to a point where like, if you fucking up, you not giving out effort. You know what I'm saying?
Right.
So like, if they giving to you this way, you know what I'm saying? Like, that's knowledge, man. Just take that. You know what I'm saying? That was one of the things I took away from both of them. I just learned how to like break down that film, you know, and actually know what I'm looking at when I'm breaking it down. You know, so I was, and it's helped my career. You know what I'm saying? Being able to be a leader on other teams.
Absolutely. Was there ever a point or were there ever times where those two bump heads on their ideas? Because there was some high-level thoughts both of them dudes having. Were there ever times that they bumped heads on their ideas? And if so, was there ever a time where Bron will back down and say, okay, we going with Rondo saying?
Yeah, I feel like they both had, uh, you know, their disagreements, you know, as far as like what we doing, uh, but I feel like that would be, you know what I'm saying, more when they discussing together because I've never seen it, you know what I'm saying, happen, you know, in person. Um, so I feel like if they discussing amongst themselves, like they have a disagreement, I feel like them guys, you know, they fix it before they even kind of like before we see them or like before we have like team film, you know, or whatever. But yeah, I've never seen them like disagree in person. But if they did, it's like, I feel like they both, you know what I'm saying, humble enough to like be able to listen to each other, you know what I'm saying? As far as like, 'cause they both, like you said, man, one of the greatest at knowing the game. And I feel like, you know, them both hearing each other out, you know, keeps all both of them.
Absolutely.
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