Paolo Banchero Orlando Magic, No. 1 overall pick to NBA Stardom, overcoming injury, Coach K lessons, Michael Jordan, Family strength, playoff mentality & NBA Conference Finals

“It felt like food was taken off my plate…Came into this third year with all these goals, the 50 point game was a confirmation that the work I did was showing up... So to go down with an injury was like a hit to the stomach- it was a reality check, like I’m not Superman.” Paolo Banchero In this episode of The Pivot Podcast, we sit down with Orlando Magic's All-Star forward, Paolo Banchero, to discuss his journey from a standout freshman at Duke to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft to battling adversity this past season dealing with serious injury and how he was able to lead his young team deep in first round of playoffs. Coming off a historic 50-point performance this pass season, Paolo opens up about his experiences in the NBA, his time under Coach K at Duke, and the challenges and triumphs of his rookie season. He shares insights into his mindset during high-pressure moments, the evolution of his game, and his aspirations for the future. He talks about the strength of his family grounding him, growing up in Seattle with basketball idols becoming his mentors and the call from Michael Jordan that changed his outlook in life. Paolo shares his takes on the current NBA playoff picture and how teams on the road win early games setting the tone for the upcoming conference series’ which is what led teams like NY and Indiana to the point they are at now. He gives us the one key that separates teams at this stage of the playoffs. Tap in now for our conversation with one of the league's brightest young talents as he continues to make his mark in basketball, on and off the court. Thank you to our friends and partners at KaChava for sponsoring this episode. Go to ⁠https://kachava.com⁠ and use code PIVOT for 15% off on their subscription for a limited time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 0:30Fred Taylor?

  What's up, big dog?

• 0:31Ryan Clark?

  I got more work to do.

• 0:32Fred Taylor?

  Big respect. See, I'm tiptoeing.

• 0:34Ryan Clark?

  Hey.

• 0:34Fred Taylor?

  Say what's up.

• 0:35Ryan Clark?

  Freddie T., you think I got him, though, in the post?

• 0:36Fred Taylor?

  Nah, not at all.

• 0:37Speaker 03

  In the post? Nah, maybe a post route.

• 0:39Fred Taylor?

  You haven't had him since he was in the seventh grade.

• 1:03Ryan Clark?

  Welcome. We have Paulo Van Caro. We have my boy Freddie T. I'm your boy RC. Channing did not make it today. But Pivot fans, thank you so much for pivoting with us. I couldn't help but notice, you know, before the show started, you had to spit your gum out.

• 1:16Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 1:18Ryan Clark?

  So somebody had to come give it to you. But you mentioned about what Coach K said, though. You said Coach K said it's good to have strong women around you, starting with, you know, your mother and your grandmother, and also with management. What has that foundation been for you? And how have you learned from the strong women in your life?

• 1:34Speaker 03

  Yeah, I would say the foundation's really been there since I was born, really. You know, I got two, two great grandmothers who, you know, took care of me, you know, from the, from the time I was born up till now. Obviously, my mom, you know, she has a sister, my auntie. And so they kind of taught me, you know, everything that I really needed to know. You know, they taught me a lot of lessons, both in sports and in life. They expected a lot out of me, but they also, it was unwavering support, you know, throughout the course of my, my journey. So I think, you know, I felt that growing up always, you know, their support and also their expectations, their critiques, you know, they expected it a lot. When I didn't meet those expectations, you know, they let me know. So it always was like, you know, I wasn't just playing for myself, I was

• 2:19Speaker 03

  playing for them, trying to, you know, you know, make them happy, make them proud. Going to play for Coach K, you know, seeing, you know, he has a very, you know, strong, you know, support system, you know, with his wife, he has his daughters, and they got his grandkids, you know, and he, you know, always praises the importance of family and, and the importance of having strong women as well. And then now, me having Nicole as my manager, somebody I, I look to as like big sister, you know, I never had, you know, someone who just keeps me on point. We all know as men, I feel like, you know, sometimes you get stubborn, you get stuck in your ways a little bit, and I think having that, you know, that female woman perspective, you know, it gives you a different outlook and it really does help you, you know, make good decisions and make the right choices.

• 3:03Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, 100%. We see things a certain way, and there is a foundation that someone like a Nicole, one who's versed in this business, who's educated in this business, but also has an understanding of a different perspective. It allows you to now view things in that way, take that advice. And I think it's always cool to have had a foundation to be able to recognize that before you even get an opportunity to work with her.

• 3:25Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, no, it's a great perspective, but you know, most times on the outside looking in, people see the all-star when they see you. But coming up in a sports family, I want to ask, how did that like shape you? Was it pressure, just motivation, or was it just like family vibes?

• 3:41Speaker 03

  A little bit of everything. I think, you know, my family, having two athletes as parents, everything was competitive, you know, just.

• 3:50Speaker 03

  Naturally, you know, just that was the natural atmosphere was competitive. And so, you know, from the time I started out playing Little League football, basketball, you know, they was always pushing me to be better, you know, I'd have a good game, score a couple touchdowns and, you know, pops would be telling me what I could have done better, you know, what play I wasn't, you know, I didn't carry out my fake on this play right here, you know, so they never let me feel like I made it or I was good enough or I had done enough. And so I think for me, it was always motivating, you know, I was always trying to be better. My dad, he was always like, you know, when we go to like camps or, you know, I would do, I play football, you know, I go to out of state, play football, do camps and stuff. And, you know, I was never the number one ranked player. So he

• 4:34Speaker 03

  would always tell me like, you know, you got to look at these guys that's above you and just slowly check them off the list, you know, every year, every summer, you know, just, you know, look back at those rankings or look back at, you know, whatever that list was and just see who you've passed and see who you still have to pass. And so I think just having that mentality always in the back of my head, like, there's always somebody I got to chase after. That was why going number one in the draft like was such a huge accomplishment. Cause I was, I think that was like the first time in my life where I was like, no, I did it. I got to the top. I was, I was number one finally, right? I've been chasing everybody it seemed like my whole life. So it was, I think just them creating that type of competitiveness in me.

• 5:12Fred Taylor?

  You mentioned football.

• 5:13Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 5:14Fred Taylor?

  And we were just at the Miami Grand Prix not too long ago. And I know in the inaugural season, you did an interview, a lot of people, that guy mistakenly identified you as Patrick Mahomes. Could you imagine yourself being 6'10", playing quarterback? We just saw an article, this kid, 6'10" basketball player, just transferred, he just went over to play receiver. Could you, you think you can get it done at the QB position?

• 5:37Speaker 03

  Man, it was tough. Like, I remember my freshman year of high school, which was the only year I played football in high school. I was on varsity and I was like 6'7" at the time. I just, I felt, and I played football my whole life, and I love football. But I just felt so out of place, like, that was the first time, I think, where it kind of felt unnatural.

• 5:54Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 5:55Speaker 03

  And the first time in my life where football felt unnatural. And so I think that was when I was like, you know what? I think, I think I'm gonna have to just go full-time basketball. But, you know, I think it's good, though, like, you know, if you could see, you know, taller guys starting to play football, like, you know, maybe they can make it work, you know? I think at the quarterback position, you could. But I think for me, I just was, I was good enough in basketball to where I knew I could, I could stay, stay on the path.

• 6:18Ryan Clark?

  Good enough is an understatement. You can go number one overall. Yeah, to be where you are now. You know, you talked about chasing. A lot of people don't understand how rich the basketball culture is in Seattle.

• 6:28Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 6:28Ryan Clark?

  Right, we had Jamal Crawford on the show, and he mentioned you when he was here as well. What was it like being able to be in some of those runs? And see some of those dudes that were doing it at the highest level? To not only kind of inspire you that you can do it, but also show you what you needed to work on to get there?

• 6:46Speaker 03

  Yeah, no, I can't, I can't say enough about that, honestly. I could sit here and talk to you for two hours just about my, my experience of, you know, talking to those guys as a teenager and how much they helped me. I think, like you said, first part was, was seeing that it was possible, that it could be done. I think being from Seattle, you're top left of the country. You know, you don't get the most attention and whatnot. But I think for me, growing up, seeing Jamal, Jason Terry, Isaiah Thomas, you know, Rodney Stuckey, you know, like, the list goes on and on. Aaron Brooks, you know, I went to his camps growing up. Like, seeing those guys in the NBA, you know, playing on the biggest stage and, and knowing where those guys came from. You know, you know what high schools they went to, what, what club teams they grew up playing for. You know, I'm playing for the same coaches that coached them.

• 7:30Speaker 03

  And so I think for me, it just made it seem a lot less, you know, lofty, you know? As a goal, like, I, I knew I could get there if I put in the work, because I'm seeing these guys that, you know, in the summertime, I see them come back to Seattle and they're just regular dudes. But then you see them, you know, Jamal, playing for the Showtime Clippers on TV every night, like, you know, it just, it just made the goals feel that much more real. And then, once I got to like that age of being in high school, when it was time for me to kind of start playing against those guys and matching up, you know, I give a lot of credit to Jamal just for taking me under his wing. And like you said, not only just, you know, inviting me to the runs, but like really involving me and really like trying to make me be better

• 8:12Speaker 03

  and telling me like, you know, what's, what next steps I have to take in my game, you know, to play at that level. And so I think early in those runs, I was like the big man, right? I was just rebounding, doing the, you know, the dirty work around the rim. Like I'm 15, 16 years old, big kid, right? Playing against, you know, Kyrie, young Zach Levine. Just all these guys. And so I was just doing whatever I could to be on the court, stay on the court. And so I think the next like two years after that, you know, I just remember coming back and, you know, Jamal telling me like, no, you playing point guard today.

• 8:43Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 8:43Speaker 03

  Like you bringing the ball up every time. Like I want you to initiate every action in this run today. Like I want you to be the point guard. And me, I've never really done that. And so it showed me like, no, okay, this is what you gotta do, you know, in the NBA. You know, this is what the star players do, right? That's what he's telling me, like, you know, the star players that you aspire to be and that you, you know, you want to be like, this is what they're doing. This is how they're playing. So, you know, you might as well start working on it right now. And I remember one thing he always told me, like always told me from the time I was 15, was like, you know, it's, it's gonna get here a lot quicker than you think. Like I know it feels like it's forever, you know, till you're, till you're there, but I'm telling you, it's gonna happen so fast. You're gonna look up and you're gonna be, you know, in the NBA. And it happened exactly like that, so I give him a lot of credit.

• 9:25Ryan Clark?

  That's how you said pound for pound, Seattle the toughest though.

• 9:27Speaker 03

  Yeah, I stand on that for sure. I mean, it's a list, like I, I named like five, six names, but I could name, there's 20 more that I ain't named.

• 9:35Ryan Clark?

  All right, so if it's Seattle, what's the other regions, cities, states that are up there with Seattle and putting out hope? Because see, we football guys.

• 9:43Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 9:43Ryan Clark?

  So everything's the South.

• 9:45Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 9:45Ryan Clark?

  You know, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, then you throw California in there because it's big. What are some of those other regions that you think put out players like Seattle?

• 9:54Speaker 03

  I mean, you definitely throw California in there, but California's huge, right? Texas has some good players, I think. North Carolina, going to Duke, you know, they call that the hoop state out there. A lot of rich basketball tradition in North Carolina. But man, I think Seattle, like I said, pound for pound, like we're a smaller state, a smaller, you know, demographic, but if you was to do like by population of hoopers, like we got a lot less people and a lot more hoopers. And so it's just something in the water there, man. Like it's such a rich, rich culture. You know, my mom was a high school coach when I was growing up, so you know, all the players that was coming up during that time, I got to see at an early, at an early age, you know, when they was in high school and just how they carried themselves, you know, how they moved.

• 10:37Speaker 03

  And so as a kid, like I was just a, I was a sponge, you know, I was just sitting there watching, but really I'm just filing it all in my head, you know, taking notes, you know, seeing, you know, how dudes carry themselves, how they warm up, you know, how they play, how they handle certain things. And I was just always mindful and paid a lot of attention to those guys, so.

• 10:54Fred Taylor?

  What were some of the early challenges or adversities that you faced coming up?

• 10:58Speaker 03

  I would say it was just really trying to focus on one, or like I never focused on one sport growing up, you know, it wasn't like I was, I knew I wanted to be an athlete, but I didn't know what. Like I didn't really get a clear vision until probably eighth grade freshman year. But like before that, it was like, you know, football, basketball, track, you know, hopefully football or basketball. Like football was the first sport I actually like was dominating that. Like I felt like every time I stepped on the field, I was the best player, like, you know, and that was all the way up. You know, basketball, it was like that, but it wasn't the same because I played on such a good team, you know, growing up that like I wasn't the star player, right?

• 11:41Speaker 03

  It was like we all was good, we all, we won all the time. So it wasn't like I was dominating. As where I was in football, I'm the quarterback, I'm touching it every play, I'm running, I'm throwing, you know, I'm dominating the game. I think for me, it was just focusing on, you know, one thing, you know, how can I get better at one sport? And I think it didn't, it didn't really click for me until, like I said, like eighth grade, freshman year. I think when I got my first offer for basketball, I was in eighth grade. And I was like, okay, I'm a, now I'm gonna spend my summers doing strictly basketball. Because before that, it was, you know, I'm going, I got a quarterback coach, I'm going to the field, I'm doing stuff, and then, and then I'm going to the gym too. So it was always both. But I think once I got to that point, it was like, alright, I'm a, I'm a, you know, commit all my time and all my energy to hoop.

• 12:26Ryan Clark?

  When did you start being hunted? You know, I went to Marcus Spears, who does NFL Live. His son is a sophomore. He's like, top five in his class. And so, I went to watch their AAU games, and it's obviously all these former players that coached, but it's all these college coaches on the side. But you could see, like, the way the dudes they were playing tried to attack them.

• 12:48Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 12:48Ryan Clark?

  Right, like, I'm gonna go out and get my name off of this kid. When did that start to happen for you? When you were walking in the gym and people understood, okay, that's Paulo. If I go get him, if I outplay him, then that sheds light on me.

• 13:00Speaker 03

  I would say that didn't happen until I started getting offers from, from the Blue Buzz and stuff like that. You know, because I kinda, I kinda hit the scene in a, in a sneaky way almost, you know, like, I started playing up, you know, in eighth grade, I was playing 16U. And then my freshman year, I played 17U. I played with Jaden McDaniels, who's starting for the Wolves right now. That was when I was 15, and it was a 17U team. And I remember, like, I remember my mom, I remember some of my AAU coaches being like, unsure if I was gonna be able to like, hold my own on that level. Because it was EYBL, top Nike circuit, and I was playing two years up. And so, like, going into that spring/summer, my mom was like, hey, you know, maybe you should play 16U, you know, we don't know.

• 13:45Speaker 03

  You know, you just, you know, you might be better off playing, you know, one year up instead of two years up. Yeah. And I was like, no, I'm trying to play two years up, like, you know, I want to see what that's about. And so I just remember that being like a thing. And then, you know, my first game, you know, I had a great game. In my first session, I played great. And after that, it was curtains, like, and I think that was when I realized, like, okay, I'm, I'm a lot better than, than everyone thought. Right. You know, because I had just finished my freshman year of high school, you know, and that's just local. And I did well, but like I said, it's just local. So once you go on a national stage, it's a little different. But I felt comfortable. I was hooping, like, I was a big kid, so I felt physically ready. Yeah.

• 14:24Speaker 03

  You know, and I was like, man, this is, this is easier than I thought. Like, it's, it's good competition, but like, I can hold my own. I'm good. Right. And so I kind of snuck up in that regard where like, I'm playing two years up and everybody's like, who's this kid? But I would say the year after that, my sophomore year was when I started getting like the Dukes and the, you know, Kentuckys coming in. Did you play on the same team the next year? Because you'd have to move up. I'd have to move up, yeah. So I was now playing one year up the next year. Yeah. And I started getting, you know, a lot more recognition. I won MVP of the NBA Top 100 Camp, which was a huge camp. And so I think after that, I started getting hunted. But honestly, man, like, I, I never had nobody like come and like go at me and like,

• 15:05Speaker 03

  because I just never allowed that to get in my head. Like, I never allowed myself to be like, oh, I'm, I'm top five now. I got a Duke offer. Like, I'm good. Yeah. That was never me. Even though I was a top three player, I'm like, shit, I ain't number one, you know? I'm still, I'm still hunting. I always had that in the back of my head. If I'm playing a guy who I know is ranked top 30, I already know he's coming. And so I'm not, I'm not coming in thinking I'm gone. Like, no, I got to prove to this dude why I'm where I'm at, why he's where he's at. So that's just how I always thought. I love that.

• 15:33Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, no, I love that mentality too. But I want to take this moment, we, it's a little pause in the show, right? RC has this thing where he likes to cut the room. Based on his Super Bowl wins, if we have guests that have Super Bowl wins or what have you. You and I, we're the only one on this set right now that were drafted in the top 10.

• 15:53Ryan Clark?

  Oh, sir.

• 15:54Fred Taylor?

  Of our respective sports.

• 15:55Ryan Clark?

  That's wild.

• 15:56Fred Taylor?

  So we get to cut the room like this.

• 15:58Ryan Clark?

  That is a wild statement.

• 15:59Fred Taylor?

  But he's so good at what he does, so we'll let him stay. Just even with that, just want to kind of get to draft night, right? Then taking number one overall. Cooper Flag, who will be selected number one overall, another Duke alum. Take us back to your draft night. Are there any like memories or emotions that you still carry with you to this day?

• 16:19Speaker 03

  No, draft night, that was one of the best nights of my life, one of the craziest nights of my life, just emotionally. Because I woke up that day, you know, I would say probably 85, 90% sure I was going to go two or three. So, and I was happy, like I was good, I was super excited for it, I was ready to get drafted. And then like kind of as that day went on, hour by hour, it kind of got like more and more intense. Where like, you know, my agent, he coming back to me like, hey, we might, we might have action at number one. And I'm like, for real? And he's like, yeah, man, like be ready, stay ready, like, I don't know, but just be ready. And so, kind of as the day went on, I remember just the nerves building up.

• 16:58Speaker 03

  And then I remember where, uh, it was like 45 minutes before the draft, they, they have all the guys come out with their families onto the stage. So they had us in the back of the backstage area and they had a TV up, you know, it was on NBA Today. But there was no volume on it, they just had subtitles. And I saw my pic, I'm, I'm sitting there with my parents and we're just watching the TV. I see my name on the TV and they're like, and I see, I'm reading the subtitles and it's like, I think it was Woj talking. And he's like, you know, it says Ben Carroll is gaining momentum for number one pick. I'm just like, I tapped my mom and dad, I'm like, yo, like, like that shit might happen.

• 17:38Speaker 03

  And so we like walked onto the stage and then once we sat down, it was like on from that point, like my agent, Mike Miller, he's sitting there next to me and he's stressing, like he won't, he ain't putting down his phone, he's like talking to himself. You know, like trying to, you know, get himself locked in and I'm just sitting there trying to keep calm. And then, yeah, by the time it was time to the draft, you know, it was like between three guys. And then before the commissioner come out, like all the cameras started coming to my table. And I was like, damn, it's about to be me. And then my agent slid over the phone and he showed me a text that said, you know, I was gonna go number one. And like I just, I damn near lost it, you know, I almost started crying right there.

• 18:20Speaker 03

  And so, just the emotions of being content with going number two or three and being excited about that. To then like it kind of being, you know, 360 and now I'm about to go number one, which is like a whole different deal just to be the number one pick. But I'm blessed of how it all worked out, man. It was crazy.

• 18:37Fred Taylor?

  To go, when does it go from that level of excitement to the pressure to have to, or does it ever get to a pressure situation where being number one overall, now you gotta go out there and prove you deserve to be that?

• 18:52Speaker 03

  Yeah, no, I think it was pressure because, you know, I didn't, I didn't visit the Magic during my pre-draft process. You know, I visited the two, the second pick and the third pick, OKC and Houston. But I didn't visit the Magic, so like I didn't, I had never been to Orlando, I didn't step in their building. And they still chose me. And so I was like, it was some of that pressure of like, alright, they're choosing me because they really do believe that I can come, you know, change things around and kind of turn this whole thing around. You know, because we didn't meet, you know, they didn't get me in the building, I didn't do a workout or anything, but they just believed in me that much. And so to them, I'm, you know, forever grateful that they, you know, took the chance and picked me because, you know, I think that's, you know, rare for a player not to

• 19:36Speaker 03

  come in and visit, not to work out and still get picked number one to that place. So I think I felt that pressure. I think once I realized I was going to Orlando, I was like, you know what, I gotta come in and be the guy from day one and just give them my 100% you know, effort and focus from the start because, you know, they're taking this chance on me, so I gotta prove them right.

• 19:55Ryan Clark?

  It's Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Webber, Dwight Howard, and Apollo Van Carle. Those are the four first overall picks of the Orlando Magic. Obviously, a trade happened with Chris, but the other two took the Orlando Magic to the finals. And in your first year, you become Rookie of the Year, but you get to a game seven in the first round. What was that experience like for you and what did you take from it?

• 20:22Speaker 03

  It was eye opening, you know, I think coming into the league, especially as a young player, you know, you're just trying to get yourself established and get your feet under you. The playoffs is a whole different ballgame. Like, I've said before, you know, I talked to Anthony Edwards after my rookie season and we was just, we was on the World Cup team together and he was just telling me, you know, how real the playoffs are and just how different it is from the regular season. And, you know, everything he said was right. You know, once I got there in my second year, you feel the difference.

• 20:51Ryan Clark?

  Right.

• 20:52Speaker 03

  You know, you feel the difference, the way the game is ref, you know, the referees aren't calling it the same, the intensity from, from both sides, you know, it's a different intensity on the court, you know, and just, just the pressure, the momentum, how heavy it is, you feel the difference. And, you know, game seven specifically was like all of that times five, you know, and, and it was just a great experience for me, a great experience for the team to be in those moments and in those environments. And, you know, to be in our first playoff series and to take it to length, you know, all the way, seven games. It showed us a lot about who we were as a team and as a unit, you know. You know, obviously this year was a little different playing Boston, but, you know, I think both of the experiences have helped us and, you know, next year, I think that's the, the goal is

• 21:35Speaker 03

  to, you know, advance past the first round. Now, we've been in the first round these two years. We felt like what it's like to go to a game seven, felt like what it's like to lose 4-1. So like now, let's build on both of those experiences and, and get, you know, make a run next year, you know, get past the first round.

• 21:49Ryan Clark?

  Right after you hit 50 this year, you got hurt.

• 21:52Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 21:53Ryan Clark?

  And it wasn't one of those injuries where you could bounce back really quickly. How much disappointment did you feel in that? Because you were becoming, obviously already an All-Star, but becoming one of those guys that people expected to show up every night.

• 22:07Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 22:08Ryan Clark?

  And you don't just drop 50.

• 22:09Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 22:09Ryan Clark?

  And it sometimes that could be one of those things that you are allowed to continue to ascend, not only you, but your team.

• 22:15Speaker 03

  Mm-hmm.

• 22:16Ryan Clark?

  How difficult was that stretch sitting out when you knew that was time you guys could be gaining ground in the East?

• 22:21Speaker 03

  Yeah. It was hard. It was hard for everybody. Hard for the team, hard for myself. Cause like you said, it was so early, you know, dropping 50 game four, like. I knew I was gonna come in and have a big year, but like coming in that way and having 50 points, like it kinda was almost for me like, oh, like nah, I'm really like gonna take over this year, like I'm really on that this year. And so, the game I got hurt, I had 31 halfway through the third quarter. And so like, I was in such a groove, like mentally and physically, I was physically in shape, mentally, the game is slow, I'm getting to where I wanna go, I'm manipulating, you know, the game and, you know, getting who I want matched up and

• 23:05Speaker 03

  making the passes at the right time. And it felt like everything was clicking. And then for that injury to happen, it just, you know, put a pause on all that. And so, for me personally, it felt like, you know, food was taken off my plate in terms of, like, I come into the year, working so hard in the offseason, and I just knew I was gonna have a huge third year. I had all these goals, you know, that I wanted to hit, and the 50-point game was like, like a confirmation of like, nah, yeah, the work I did is showing up. And like, that's only game four I'm doing this, like, it's gonna be a long season for everybody else. You know, that's just how I felt. And then so, to go down with the injury, it kinda was like a, just a hit to the stomach where I was like, you know, I've never had to deal

• 23:49Speaker 03

  with an injury like that, you know, ever in my career, outside of a, you know, sprained ankle. You know, I've never had any tears or broken bones, thank God. And so, to go down with the oblique, it was just like a reality check almost of like, you know, I'm not Superman. You know, I gotta, stuff like that can happen to anybody, you know. And so, it was a reality check, but I think, you know, I handled it well. I handled it well. You know, I stayed locked in through the time I was hurt, you know, I still traveled with the team and just did my rehab that way. And just tried my best to do what I could to stay mentally sharp. And then when I came back, it was a, it was a physical, you know, adjustment I had to make, you know, just to getting back used to the physicality and getting back in shape. You know, it took me a while to get my feet under me, but, you

• 24:34Speaker 03

  know, I was proud how I finished the year and played in the playoffs. You know, I think I, you know, I played well and was able to bounce back in that regard, but I still wasn't, you know, at all satisfied by how my third year went.

• 24:47Ryan Clark?

  Freddie T, man, I know you've been back in the gym.

• 24:48Fred Taylor?

  Yep.

• 24:49Ryan Clark?

  I think it was old Travis Hunter getting drafted down there that inspired you. You know what I'm saying? My dog played both sides of the football. I mean, just think, man, if he had some of this Kachava, man, shoot, this all in one, it's like a nutrition shake, but it's plant protein. Like, this would be something that would have got you right back in the day.

• 25:04Fred Taylor?

  Hey, bro, you're right. I would have definitely loved this back in the day. But even better now, it supports everything I need for my energy, digestion, my muscles, my weight. I've been watching my weight. It has 25 grams of plant protein, 85 superfoods. I mean, they should have named it everything because it has everything.

• 25:19Ryan Clark?

  And what's crazy to me, though, like you said, the plant protein. I was like, man, should I gotta be a vegan to take Kachava? But then I looked at it, bro. Adding plant-based protein to your diet is a great way to get all the nourishment you need, and it's a whole-body experience. And what's dope about it, Freddie T, is you can try Kachava now, risk-free, with their Love It Guarantee.

• 25:39Fred Taylor?

  Hey, bro, that's a fact. When I had it, I felt focused, energized, calm, and full for hours. When they say whole body, they wasn't lying.

• 25:47Ryan Clark?

  I mean, absolutely, man. Fuel your game with Kachava. Go to kachava.com and use the code PIVOT for 15% off a subscription for a limited time. That's Kachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com. Use code PIVOT for 15% off.

• 26:04Fred Taylor?

  I saw your exit interview. You expressed, you know, wanting to extend and be in Orlando a lot longer. You're a smart kid, too, because no state taxes in Florida. That's always a bonus.

• 26:14Speaker 03

  Yes, sir.

• 26:15Ryan Clark?

  So, uh... Bro, it's always so with you and Buddy, dog.

• 26:17Fred Taylor?

  No, I mean, I always tell people, going ninth, I still, I feel like I got the best deal of my draft because I was at home in Florida, no state tax. Like, that's, that's a win-win. Great weather, you know, all that stuff. But, but just, just going back to the Magic as a whole, like, the East is tough. You know, y'all got some teams, you know, Cleveland, what they've done, Boston, the Knicks, what they've built there. What will it take for you as the leader, as the franchise player of the Magic, and the rest of the guys? What will it take to, to get you guys past, you know, the first rounds where you're competitive and, you know, we can see you in that Eastern Conference Final?

• 26:57Speaker 03

  No, I think it's gonna take, one, I think health. I think that's the biggest thing is, you know, obviously, not everyone's gonna be healthy all eight, two games, but you want your main guys to be healthy, you know, for the playoffs. And so I think this year, not having Jalen Suggs, that hurt us a little bit, you know, because he's such a big piece for us. So I think health, but also just... Like I said, learning from these last two years, right? Like, you know, we've been out in the first round, the first, first two years in the playoffs. You know, why is that? You know, what, what do we need to get better at? What do we need to work on? You know, where are some of our deficiencies? Where are some of our strengths? And, and how does it all translate into winning in the playoffs? And so I think that's the biggest thing is not only focusing on the regular season success, but like, how can we be successful in the playoffs?

• 27:42Speaker 03

  I think you see some of these teams, like, like the Knicks or the Cavaliers, you know, they, they like, like the Knicks, they've been in the playoffs the last couple of years, but they winning, you know, go get some guys. And I think their mind is, they're trying to win for the playoffs. And Boston, you know, they're trying to win for the playoffs. And I think you can just feel that when you play against some of those teams. And so I think that's our next step is like focusing on, you know, what do we need to do as a team, as a, as an organization to, to have success and win in the playoffs and make those deep runs.

• 28:12Ryan Clark?

  You know, I want to switch it up a little bit. I read your diaries in the landscape, you know, and you and your two homeboys was on the safari in Disney.

• 28:20Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 28:20Ryan Clark?

  You know, when you get to this point and you are the guy, right? You know, when you grow up in some places like me and Freddie and yourself, sometimes the, the OGs or the older guys are like, okay, he's going to make it. You know, we're going to mentor him, we're going to take care of him, we're going to wrap our arms around him. But then when you become a draft pick and you become a star, it's like, who are those people to keep you grounded? Your two homeboys are with you. You know, you even say, you know, man, like they, they do everything I ask them to do, even though I don't try to take advantage of that. What is it like to have two people, man, that you've known your entire life be in your corner that way at this point in your life?

• 28:58Speaker 03

  I think you realize the value of it as you keep, think, going and, and reaching new heights. You know, having people with you that's been there since the beginning, it just keeps you grounded and it keeps you, keeps perspective on like, you know, where you started, how far you've came. And, you know, having their perspective always, you know, keeps me balanced because.

• 29:20Speaker 03

  You know, they keep it real. They don't, they're not yes men. You know, if anything, they're, they're the opposite. Right. You know, they see something they don't like, they see something I'm doing that they don't agree with. You know, they're gonna let me know and they're gonna speak their mind. And when they do, you know, I take that in as, you know, they're, they're speaking from a place of, you know, genuine love for me and for our friendship and our relationship. So both of those guys I've known since elementary, middle school days, playing football, playing basketball with them. We all went to high school together. And so we've seen each other through it all. You know, I feel like we've just grown, like stuff we've had to deal with, you know? I think we was in high school during COVID, right? So like that was like, especially in Washington, like everything was shut down for, for two years. And so we didn't have nothing to do but to just link up and, and talk about what we was gonna do. Once, once all this shit got over.

• 30:05Speaker 03

  And so I think going through that and then just me going off to college and them staying home back in Seattle. And then me, you know, making it to the NBA, you know, I told them, you know, I want y'all to come with me, you know? Cause my family, right, my, my mom and dad, they got my brother and sister, you know? So they're not gonna, they wasn't gonna get up and move from Seattle all the way to Florida. You know, that's just not who my parents are. My parents is both born and raised in Seattle. They don't, they don't really wanna leave. So, um, you know, I told them like, hey, I need somebody out here with me. You know, I can't be here by myself. Just as a 19 year old, like I was gonna be tough. So, you know, they was, you know, graceful enough to like come out there and get up and, and come, you know, be with me and be by my side and help me out with whatever it is I need.

• 30:48Speaker 03

  And, you know, we still best friends, you know, we still kick it, we still crack jokes like we do all friends do. Um, but we also understand that we're all working towards something and we understand what the goal is. And, you know, no one understands that more than them. They, they don't let me get distracted. They make sure I'm, I'm working out all my stuff throughout the summers. You know, we ain't just chilling, BSing, you know? We locked in back home, getting up at the, getting up at the same time every day, going to get our work done. And then, you know, chilling after that. It's never chill before you work, you know? It's always work before you chill, so.

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• 31:52Ryan Clark?

  Tell me what happened that started the 5 a.m. wake-ups? And they said you did something that made you have to get up at 5 a.m. I just wanted to know what it was.

• 32:00Speaker 03

  Oh, man. Wasn't even nothing crazy. Like, it was something, I think it was something petty, where like, my mom was like, you know what? Your ass is getting up at 5 a.m. and working out. I ain't gonna lie, in high school, I didn't really like lifting weights like that. I was a big kid, like, I was growing too, so like, my body, I was like, I don't really wanna lift, I'm growing, I'm a hooper, like, lifting ain't really what I'm trying, I'm just trying to get better at working on my game. And so, like, I think they were doing some lifting program at my high school, and like, I was skipping it, I wasn't doing it, right? It was supposed to be after school. But I was going to just hoop. Really, I'm supposed to be lifting. And so, my mom, she ended up finding out, or they said I wasn't going to the lifting program after school. And so, we got into it about that.

• 32:44Speaker 03

  I'm telling her, I don't wanna lift, I'm trying to just focus on this. And she's like, no, you need to lift, you need to be doing this. And then, it kinda got to that point, and she was like, you know what, since you don't wanna listen, your ass is gonna get up at 5. Since you wanna go hoop? You gonna get up at 5 and go hoop before school. Because I was doing it after. So she was like, no, you gonna get up at 5 and go before school, and do all the hoop, and go hoop all you want at 5 a.m. And so, it was like that, and then, I ended up doing it. I was like, shit, I can do this, you know? But then, what it was, my basketball coach, he started catching me sleeping class. So then, he had to go back to my mom, like, you gotta cut the 5 a.m. workout. Because I was catching up on sleep in the classroom, but... Yeah, that was my mom, man.

• 33:28Speaker 03

  She was hard, she was tough. She was tough, but all that stuff, I think, just molded me into who I am. Like, it just helped me, you know, realize, like, the work ethic, you know, you can't teach work ethic, you know, it gotta be in you, you know? So I think my mom, having her, you know, always on my ass, it just... Drilled that into my head like you don't want to work during this time, you're going to work during this time and it's not negotiable so.

• 33:54Ryan Clark?

  You mentioned going off to Duke, you know, your homeboy staying at home. What is like Coach K is one of those like mythical head coaches, right? That everybody from the outside, you see him and you want like a piece of knowledge, a piece of wisdom. But he's also sort of quiet away from the court. What is something that in your short time there, you were able to take away from Duke?

• 34:19Speaker 03

  He taught me more in those nine, 10 months than any coaches taught me in my life. You know, just basketball, off the court, on the court. One thing he always stressed, especially to me was, was having a strong presence and a strong, strong face, as he would say, but really a strong presence where, you know, any room you walk into, you know, whether it's a basketball gym, a meeting room, you know, an interview, you know, having a strong presence about you, having a strong, you know, strong appearance, strong look. You know, you don't want to show any forms of weakness. You don't want to show fatigue. You don't want to show frustration, sadness. You want to look strong in everything you do.

• 35:02Speaker 03

  I think that was something that as an 18 year old going into college, I didn't really understand at the time. Or like didn't have a full grasp of like what he meant when he would say that. And I think, you know, ever since kind of I've left, it's like I've seen exactly what he means and exactly what he was talking about where like, you know, these rooms you're walking into as a professional athlete. You know, you don't want to show weakness. You don't want to show any of that because, you know, you're being looked at as to the team as an investment, right? They're going to pay you millions of dollars to represent their franchise. Like you can't show, you don't want to be a head case, you know, showing all this emotion and being frustrated and pissed off. Obviously there's points where that does happen, but you know, just in general as a leader of men,

• 35:47Speaker 03

  as a leader of a team, you can't do that. And so I think him understanding where I was headed and what my goals were. He knew I wanted to be number one pick. He knew I wanted to, you know, be a star in the NBA. And so I think he was preparing me for what comes with that and how I would have to handle myself. And I think, you know, he just helped me tremendously in that aspect because without him, I don't know if I would have, you know, understood that. I don't know if I would have. You know, had the maturity that I do now in terms of how I carry myself and how I just go about my business.

• 36:18Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, the dynamics of going into an NBA locker room at 19, right? How were you welcomed to the Orlando Magic organization? Were there any veterans that kind of pulled you to the side and sort of chopped it up with you and gave you advice?

• 36:33Speaker 03

  No, I was welcomed with open arms. You know, they welcomed me open arms from the second I got there. The team was great. Like, I remember first meeting the team at Summer League that year and us doing like a dinner. And them being like the coolest group of dudes I'd really ever been around. And, you know, a couple of guys who were there in my rookie year that really helped me. One was Markel Fultz. He was a former number one pick, so he understood the shoes I was in. And so, he was with me my first two years there. He helped me a ton, man.

• 37:03Fred Taylor?

  UW guy.

• 37:04Speaker 03

  UW guy, you know? I knew that. You know, I looked up to Markel, like, watching him. I was in like 8th grade when he was at the Dub. And so, I was like at that stage where I was like realizing my NBA dreams. And to see a dude come to UW and go number one was like amazing to me. You know, just to see that up close. I went to, you know, his games and so to see it was crazy. And then when I got to know him and actually be around him, like, you know, he helped me a lot because I think my rookie year, I just wanted to be so good. I wanted to do so good that, you know, when I didn't play well or I had a rough night, whatever, like, I would take it super hard. I would put so much unnecessary, you know, burden and pressure on myself in. He would see that. You know, he was always the guy to pull me to the side and just be like, you know, relax, bro.

• 37:48Speaker 03

  Like, it's 82 games, bro. Like, you ain't about to play. You ain't about to have a great game every night. It's just not gonna happen like that. And so, he always just kept that perspective where like, you know, you pressing so hard to be great and to do shit the right way. And he's just, he was just that calming presence. And he was like that, not just for me, for the whole team, honestly. But I think for me, being a number one pick and him being in those same shoes and him dealing with the stuff he had to deal with in terms of the struggles and, you know, how people wrote him off and all that. Like, he understood more than anybody, you know, just how all this can affect you and so. He was a huge help for me my first two years, a huge help. Another guy was Terrence Ross, another UW guy actually, who I watched growing up a lot.

• 38:32Speaker 03

  He helped me a lot too, because he had been there for I think eight years in Orlando. I looked up to him too, you know, I would go to him, ask him, you know, what he thought about how I was playing, you know, what I could do better. And he was just always a really, really down-to-earth dude, and he would just keep it, keep it straightforward. You know, I think you could do this more, you know, but at the same time, you know, you are doing this, but you know, I would like to see you do, you know, more of this for the team or for yourself. And so I think just having him to go to and be like, you know, what you think, about how I'm playing or what you think about this, and him just giving me that honest feedback, you know, helped me, because I knew it was coming from a good place, like T. Ross was one of the chillest dudes ever. And so I knew it was coming from the right place, you know, he wasn't trying to, you know, lead me in any one direction.

• 39:17Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, speaking of you, Dub, your mom left as the all-time leading scorer when she was there. You guys used to play many one-on-ones coming up?

• 39:24Speaker 03

  More my younger days, but we played some one-on-one games.

• 39:27Fred Taylor?

  When did you start winning?

• 39:29Speaker 03

  I would say I started, I would say I started winning probably around 12, 13 years old. I got a little more skilled, could go past her, I could go past her. But before that, it was just straight, like, I couldn't even, she would turn her back on me, I couldn't even get around to strip the ball, it would just walk me down to the front of the room. But she stopped playing me though, like, after, once, once I, I think I beat her the first, once, one or two times, she just stopped playing me.

• 39:54Ryan Clark?

  As a parent, once you lose, it's a rap.

• 39:55Speaker 03

  Yeah, once you lose.

• 39:56Ryan Clark?

  It's no longer fun to play. Yeah, after that, like, that's a rap. Nicole went to North Carolina, right?

• 40:01Speaker 03

  She did sadly, yeah.

• 40:02Ryan Clark?

  Yeah, she went to North Carolina. So, you're not like, oh, Duke Blue Devil. But also, Jamal gives you a call that Michael Jordan wants to talk to you. How were you able to put your, your Duke ties aside?

• 40:15Speaker 03

  Oh, that was, yeah, that was easy when it was MJ, that was easy, man, hey, that was easy, but, yeah, that was wild, I think, because during that time, I was, you know, figuring out, you know, where I was gonna sign, shoe deal and all that endorsement, it was between Adidas and Jordan. I just got a call from Jamal, I was in the airport actually, I remember, and I hadn't talked to him in a minute, and he just called me, he was like, yo, how you doing, what's up? He was like, man, you won't guess who I just got off the phone with? And I was like, who? He was like, "The black cat." And I was like, "Who the black cat?" He was like, "Michael Jordan, bro." And I was like, "Michael Jordan?" I was like, "About what?" He's like, "About you, dawg." He's like, "He called me about you." And he was like, "Michael Jordan don't ever call me."

• 40:58Speaker 03

  And he was like, "So, the fact that he called me, you know, to talk about you, like, man, he really wants you to be a part of Jordan." And I was like, "Man, for real?" And he was like, "Yeah, man, like, called me, said he loves your game, you know, loves, loves, you about the right stuff." Like, you know, he said, like, "We gotta get you to the brand." Like, shit, that's, that's all you had to say? And I think I signed with Jordan, I don't know. I think I signed right after Summer League. And so, just hearing that, you know, and knowing Jamal, like, he ain't just gonna say that, you know? He really got that call, and I ended up getting to meet Michael Jordan last year. In COVID, I just watched The Last Dance 2, right? And like, that came out, I watched that about 2, 3 times.

• 41:38Speaker 03

  And so, just to be able to sign with Jordan and be a part of that brand and just the greatness that is associated with that brand and me trying to, you know, build my own, you know, greatness, uh, there's no better place to be for me. So, really excited about that.

• 41:53Ryan Clark?

  See, you got North Carolina all over, man.

• 41:55Speaker 03

  Yeah, you know what? I ain't gonna lie, I, growing up, I actually liked the Tar Heels a little bit.

• 42:00Ryan Clark?

  Right.

• 42:01Speaker 03

  I can't lie, you know, because my rotary team, my high school AAU team, or elementary through high school AAU team, is, uh, Carolina blue colors.

• 42:09Ryan Clark?

  Gotcha.

• 42:09Speaker 03

  So, like, that was my colors I wore playing, so we always, you know, we always liked Carolina. And my mom, she also had a player that she coached in high school go on to play in North Carolina. And so, there was some ties there to North Carolina, but I ended up being a Blue Devil. I'm proud to be a Blue Devil.

• 42:25Ryan Clark?

  Ain't nothing wrong with that. I couldn't shoot a basketball good enough to be either.

• 42:30Ryan Clark?

  Michael Jordan brings me to, like, the clutch gene.

• 42:32Speaker 03

  Yeah.

• 42:32Ryan Clark?

  It shows up in the playoffs. And you think about these playoffs, you know, you had Donovan Mitchell scores 48, I think, points. Halliburton doesn't have a great day, he hits the clutch shot. You had the Clippers where James Harden doesn't play well, and in Game 7, the Denver Nuggets find a way to win. What is it about those pressure moments, Paulo, that allows some people to step up and shine? And then others to fall short of what they need to accomplish?

• 43:02Speaker 03

  I think really what I've learned in my, in my life or my short career so far is that... You gotta have like the shortest memory ever, like a short-term memory, you know, whether it's a great, you're having a great game or a bad game because especially in the playoffs, you know, if the game's tied with two minutes to go, then nothing else that has happened in the 46 minutes before that matters because the game's tied up two minutes ago, 0-0. And so just having that, you know, that that short-term memory of like, you know, whether I'm 0-for-10 or 10-for-10, you know, I gotta show up in these last two minutes. I gotta show up in the fourth quarter, you know, because this is the money time. This is when the game is won or lost in this, in this time right here.

• 43:45Speaker 03

  And so I think having that perspective of, you know, whether it's something, you know, if it's, if it's breathing or breath work, or if it's like meditation you do in the huddle, like something that, that, that grounds you and settles you down for, you know, this fourth quarter or this last five minutes. I think for me, that's just why I try to find myself going to is like when you get in those clutch situations or those big games, whether it's on the road, whatever, crowd is loud, like, you know, how can I ground myself, bring myself back home and, and get ready to go win this game? And so I think, you know, like you said, Halliburton, you know, Donovan Mitchell got 48, but, you know, Halliburton made enough plays to win that game at the end. And so, you know, they ain't gonna remember that 48 as much as you're gonna remember that last shot.

• 44:27Speaker 03

  And so I think just, you know, doing whatever it takes to win the, win the game, I think is the biggest thing.

• 44:32Fred Taylor?

  What stands out the most so far in these, in these playoffs?

• 44:36Speaker 03

  Anyway, this has been, this has been a great playoffs so far. I mean, it's still early, but I think these playoffs have been great. I think what stood out to me is, you know, a lot of these teams, especially the road teams, you know, they're coming in, I think, playing with a sense of freedom, you know? I think when you play on the road in the playoffs, if you're able to win one of those first two games, it kind of sets the tone for the rest of the series. You know, I think the series doesn't start until a road team wins.

• 45:04Fred Taylor?

  Yeah.

• 45:05Speaker 03

  So I think the first games of the second round, New York won, Indiana won, Golden State, I think every road team won. And so I think you're really gonna see what these top seed teams are, are made of. And so I think some of these teams that you see get, you know, the 60-plus win seasons, it's like. Those are great seasons, but then it's like you gotta reciprocate, you gotta perform that same way in the playoffs. And so I think for me, it's interesting to see, you know, because I'm trying to get to the second round, I'm trying to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. So just kind of sitting back, watching, learning like, alright, well, these guys were dominating during this time, but hey, you know, the Indiana's that were like, Indiana, you know, if they handle business, this is gonna be their second straight year being in the Eastern Conference Finals, and they haven't been a top three seed. And so it's

• 45:50Speaker 03

  like, you're seeing like, okay, this is how they're playing, you know, in these moments right here. Like, they're moving the ball, everyone's sharing, everyone's guarding. Like, playoffs is a different game. You know, you can't look at the regular season and really compare it to the playoffs. You know, you see teams play differently, you see players play differently, good and bad. You see some guys that are killing in the regular season, you know, their stats dropping in the playoffs because it ain't as free flowing, it's not as open, you know, the court isn't as open in space in the playoffs. It's slow, it's condensed. And then you see some players who, you know, maybe in the regular season, they're here, and then all of a sudden, they rise up to the occasion and take their game to another level. So for me, I'm just sitting back, watching it all, just taking notice.

• 46:34Ryan Clark?

  You've been highly successful early on in your career. If there was one thing or some things that right now in this offseason, you're focusing on, what are those things you want to go back into camp with this year in ways you've elevated yourself as a leader and as a player?

• 46:52Speaker 03

  Yeah, I think going into next year, definitely taking the next step as a leader, you know, vocally, you know, and just through my actions and what I do on the court. You know, I think I've done a good job of it, but I think I can still take another step in terms of just trying to elevate those around me, teammates, coaches, everyone, just elevating the whole, you know, environment. You know, because I think in order to be winning in the biggest age and in the playoffs, you have to create that environment, you have to create that culture, you know, in October, in September during training camp. And it has to last you the whole year. You have to, you know, hold that standard at a certain level.

• 47:30Speaker 03

  Throughout the whole season, so I think just me working on that for myself and coming in with that mentality and then, you know, with my game, just better in every part of my game. But I think specifically, you know, becoming a better shooter, becoming a better decision maker, you know, watching more film, seeing how teams guard me, what I've been dealing with my first three years, what I do well against, what I don't do well against, you know, seeing where some teams have tried to, you know, attack my weaknesses. Yeah. Whether it's, you know, on offense or defense, you know, just getting better, you know, trying to find every weakness that they can go at and trying to better it. So that's been the focus.

• 48:09Fred Taylor?

  Twenty-nine, eight, and four in five playoff games this season ain't bad at all.

• 48:14Ryan Clark?

  You know.

• 48:15Fred Taylor?

  Some stuff to build on, but that's amazing. We always ask our guests, what's their biggest pivot in life? That's that one moment you can look back on and say, without this happening to me or for me, I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today.

• 48:28Speaker 03

  Hmm. Without this happening. Man, I would, I would say, I would say maybe, maybe COVID happening, man, because I just think it happened at such a pivotal time for me. We had just lost the state championship, my junior season, we lost in the state championship on Saturday night, and then everything got shut down on Tuesday, next Tuesday.

• 48:51Ryan Clark?

  Damn.

• 48:51Speaker 03

  So it was like, my season had just got over, and then like school was out, everything was shut down, and so it was like, it was like, okay, when is this gonna be over? Right. And then it just never got over. And so I think a lot of people just kinda went with it and, you know, stayed cooped up in the house and just did nothing. And I think for me, it was the opposite. Like luckily I had, you know, a trainer in Seattle who had gym access, which was amazing because when I look back, like there was no park you could go to, no gym you could go to, like every possible basketball court was literally shut down. They had chains on nets, like you couldn't even shoot outside if you wanted to. Wow. He had a gym, a little, little, small little gym in downtown, like a little coded

• 49:35Speaker 03

  door, somewhere like this. Like you wouldn't even expect it to be a gym, you just walk in there and it's a gym. He had that open and I was in there seven days a week for a year straight. Wow. And I just got myself in. Ridiculous shape going into college like Once, once that junior season was over and it's everything got shut down like my mind immediately went to Alright, I gotta be ready to go to Duke because I know when I go to Duke The next step is the league and so I think it just shifted my mind of like Instead of focusing on like senior prom and just my senior year of high school, it was like no, that's over with. Covid kills all that. It ain't no senior year. You're doing, you're doing school online. So there's nothing, there's nothing to look forward to in high school anymore. Like everything I'm looking forward to is college and beyond.

• 50:19Speaker 03

  And then coming in during that time, Coach K let me know that it was gonna be his last year. So now I really know.

• 50:24Ryan Clark?

  Yeah.

• 50:25Speaker 03

  You know, alright, like it's my one year. This is his last year. It's, it's gonna be, it's gonna be a big thing. I gotta be ready for it. And then if I do what I'm supposed to do, then I should be able to go to the NBA. And so I think that was the biggest pivot was all that stuff happening during that critical point in my life and me just kinda You know, shifted my mindset almost to focus on, you know, my future and doing whatever I had to do to prepare myself for the future.

• 50:51Ryan Clark?

  Nah, that's amazing, man. The career and the trajectory seems like the sky's the limit and also that sort of mindset, the way that you approach it. I think a lot of young athletes can learn from that, that, you know, when you said earlier, yeah, I know if I'm top three, that If you top 30, you're coming for me. I don't think people understand that as much as they need to sometimes, man, but best of luck. Thank you for adjusting your schedule. Thanks to your team as well for continuing to work with us, man. This was amazing. I appreciate your time.

• 51:20Fred Taylor?

  Yeah, the other light skin, he got sick or something, all this traveling. But he don't take no baths though.

• 51:50Speaker 04

  Every game day, you show up for your team. Now it's your time.

• 52:01Speaker 05

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