March 4, 2024 • 25 mins
Interview with Amar'e Stoudemire on The Bootleg Kev Podcast.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Bulet Cavs show man. We got a special guest as
an Arizona native. It is an honor one of my
favorite Phoenix Sons of all time, and his jersey is
going into rafters the Ring of Honor. I'm Mari Stoudamyer.
Welcome brother, long time coming man.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah, yeah, we hear now, we hear now.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I gotta tell you, man, Like, it just feels like
ever since Matt Ishbia bought this team, he is done
right by US fans and by like the era of
Sons basketball that we all love so much.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Absolutely, I mean he's great, bro, Like since he came in,
he started this new wave of like excellence with the organization.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Right, crazy, It's awesome, man, And it's so crazy because,
like you know, I feel like I pinched myself every
time he does some cool shit, like we get the
G League team now.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Right, he knows long time right, Yeah for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Bro, games are free on TV, right. You know, it's crazy, man,
you are such a staple in this community, not just
on the court.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I think back to like going to Stota Meres and
having penny drinks and getting wasted. Stottlem Myers was a
stable downtown for so long. I even think to when
you had your record label and you had like Judge
and Juice and those guys like and you were like
doing your part to kind of like help put on
like asy hip hop. Like all these years later, Like
(01:23):
how connected are you still to Phoenix? Obviously you know
you went to New York and had an amazing run there,
but like Phoenix is kind of like where it all
started for you.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, it is. It's where it all started, bro. And
I think my time in Phoenix was was great because
I was able to put on for the city you
were you know what I'm saying, Like you were saying
the record label who was doing the It was hosting
like talent shows and so local artists would get a
chance to to you know, broaden a platform from that standpoint,
(01:53):
from a fastest standpoint. I had fasties shows out here
for All Star Weekend and these things. I mean, it
was just its just Phoenix became a home to me,
you know what I'm saying. So I embraced it. I
even trained here in the summertimes, and most people will
leave and go to laause the summertime is hot. Whatever exactly,
I stayed here and train because the facilities are great,
and plus I want to be in top shape and
I felt comfortable in my own home training with my trainers, right,
(02:16):
you know what I'm saying. It was a good fit
for me.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's crazy, man, because I think back to like the
Sun's heyday, the seven seconds or less era of Phoenix
Suns basketball, and you know, a lot of highs, a
lot of heartbreak. Uh Western Conference Semifinals seven. You and
Boris jump off the bench to defend Steve nash yep.
I was Actually I made it on tn T because
(02:40):
at the time they called me bootleg Kre for a
reason because back then I used to bootleg everything, mixtapes
like Nicky Nice and all the stories around town. But
I had fuck Robert Ori T shirts that I made. Yeah,
I remember those, and I sold that was me and
I sold them on the corner in front of the
arena and Craig Sager remember that. I remember that one
on TV. That's right, That's right, And so that was
(03:02):
like it felt like that year was like our years.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah. Man, that was a crazy moment, bro, because no
one knew about this rule you can't step in the court, right,
No one heard of that the coaching staff didn't know.
If they would have known, they would have held us back,
or we would have just not stepped in the court,
you know what I'm saying. So, and I was always
pretty upset about that time too, because it's like, what
kind of rule is what kind of punishment is that
(03:26):
to suspend someone for a playoff game without a warning,
you know what I'm saying. But the following game I
came back, Game six. So what I did was that
game I spent a stud of Myers downtown, so I
had all my.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Sit there because you couldn't you couldn't even be in
the building.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Right right, So I was across the street from the arena,
and I went to the restaurant the big screen TV,
and we sat in eight Food and watched the game.
And then game six, I came back with thirty eight sixteen,
you know what I'm saying. But by that time, they
had the momentum.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
They did, They did, they did.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Man.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
You know, it's crazy. I recently, you know, as a fan,
like we carry sports fan hate with us, and when
Kobe passed away, I like hit me real hard. I
used to hate Kobe when he was alive as a player.
You know because I co co was Cole was a
Son's dagger exactly right. But you know when he died,
like I cried, you know, and I was like, it
made me like let go of like, you know, some
(04:17):
of the toxicity we have a sports fans. With that
being said, I'm not sure how much I've let go
of the Spurs hate that.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, I'm not. I'm not I mean Spurs. I mean
I have less love for the Spurs. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
It's I want to like Wenby but he's got that jersey.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I just think all the heartbreak man, like it's crazy, Like, uh,
what was it like for you? Because you know when
we think of d'An tony like he wasn't high on defense,
but like you had to be the guy to like
guard Duncan a lot, you know what I'm saying. What
was the hardest part about he wasn't he didn't show
much emotion. I mean I remember he hit a three against.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Us in one of those playoffs and then I was
just like, that's the most most of you might have
seen his entire career. It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Nonetheless, I think, like you know, he somehow gets when
we talk about the goats. He kind of slips through
those conversations when he should be imm he's the greatest
power for it of all time, like five rings, going
and on. But what was the hardest part about competing
against Tim Duncan in those high intensity series and games.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well, I mean the problem was is that the Spurs
were always well coached and were organized right, So and
with Tim, he was a player who playoff angles, so
that wherever he is on the court, he's figured a
way to get a basket or a rebound. And it's
not like allowed thirty points, right, it's a few free
(05:39):
throws here, it's a jump shot here, a couple offs.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
He's like, it works the angles of the game.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
You got thirty points and fifteen rebounds. Yeah, Like I'm
dunking the ball all night and you don't even know
my points are allowed? Right? His are like the end
of the game. It's right where you got thirty five
and fifteen. Yes, you know, but that's just how he played.
He played silently and got his job done.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
You got to play with Steve. I consider you to
be a top three or four son of all time.
I put you in that conversation obviously, a shout out
to Walter Davis, shout out to Steve Nash. You know,
I put Barkley a little lower because he only played
a few years for US. But I think Devin Booker
has taken the reins as the he might be up.
(06:20):
He might be the go to the Suns all time
for you. I know you, you know you, he had
said recently yesterday he actually said that when he was
going through a lot of the losing his rookie season,
you had kind of reached out to him. But like,
what's it like to just see a guy like Book,
you know, kind of carry the torch from what you
guys built because there was the dark ages and now
(06:42):
it's like, all right, we're relevant again. What's your guys'
relationship like? And you know, where would you put book
in terms of like the all time son's greats?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah, I think I think Books of a long ways
to go, Right, He's really just gonna started man's on
his mid twenties, right, you know what I'm saying, And
what he accomplished already is incredible. So he's definitely in
those top conversations for sure. And so yeah, there was
some times where when I played here, we had our
run and then there was, like you said, a dark moment,
(07:13):
and then they draft the book and then they start
to kind of revamp and now they're doing great, right
with KD and these guys. But Devin is definitely at
the top of the list when it comes to all
time suns and the way he plays a game. We
was at the game last night. The way he plays
the game is like fundamentally sound.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
He's got that, He's got that killer instig man.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Go he goes for it. It goes for it, you know
what I'm saying. And that's and that's what you want
from a from a coaching standpoint or just suspectator standpoint.
You want to see your player go for it. You
know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
For sure, for you Man twenty ten, you end up, well,
it was what summer of summer of the end of
the twenty ten season right going into twenty eleven, there's
the giant I guess, the most memorable offseason probably in
basketball history. Because you're a free agent. Lebron's a free agent,
Chris bosh is a free agent. You end up with
the Knicks. You have an MVP caliber season your first
(08:03):
year there, before the injuries happened, What was uh, tell me,
like what what your mind state was? Because it would
have been nice to have kept you, It would have
been nice to have kept a few people in the suns.
We'll get to that, But what was like your mind
state year one in New York? You know, like because
you were playing with a chip on your shoulder that
first year, it was crazy. I think you had you
(08:26):
had a bunch of MVP votes, like I think I
think you guys were like a little over five hundred,
but you were balling. Like what was that first year
with New York?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Like, I mean it was incredible, bros? Like New York
was a place always wanted to play in, right, everyone
wants to play a massive square garden and to be
a nick and to play in New York. And for
me to be able to just show my entire skill set, right,
so I was able to You're.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Still with Mike D'Antoni too, that's he was he was
coaching that year.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So I was with Mike. Mike d'antonia was still coaching then,
and so now I'm able to really show my whole
package my game, you know what I'm saying. So when
I did that, It's like the league wasn't ready for
all of what I had in store. So so I
took the lead by staring crazy MVP chance. I was
leading candid for MVP halfway through the season, and the
city was on fire, right, every restaurant I go to,
(09:13):
everything's free. I mean everything was like New York was
on fire, bro, So it was it was a beautiful
time in New York. That.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, well, can you give me a little window of
what it was like to be around for the Insanity season,
because because I think you were you hurt when all
that was happening.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Nah, My brother had passed away, okay, and I had
went to Florida for like, I think a week or.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So, and then it happened while you, while you were
while I was gone.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So but I came back and caught it. So, so
what happened was a few players were hurt.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Mellow was out right, Mellow was hurt, You were gone.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
I was gone, and there was a few other players
that were hurt. So Jamie Land was like the fifteen
mail on the roster whatever, twelve mil and the roster right,
and so he got a call to say, we need
you to play. I need you to start. You gotta
you gotta step up for us, and he stepped up
and had thirty points game one. All right, you know,
thirty points.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Anybody get thirty on any given.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You know what I'm saying. It comes back with another thirty.
Like well all right, well, and I'm in Florida watching
the games. I'm like, dang Germany, Lynn going off and
then play the Lakers had thirty in on Kobe. I'm like, wait,
hold on that, hold on, something ain't right, what's going on?
And then I get back to New York and the
city's crazy. It's upside down. I mean, everybody's everywhere cheering channing.
The crowd was crazy in the streets, every single restaurant,
(10:26):
everywhere was like.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
It was a movement.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
It was a movie.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
It was all that was on TV.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
It's crazy, bro. And it lasted for a good two weeks.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
It was like two weeks. Yeah. Well then like because
like Mellow came back and I feel like, like I
think he's talked about it, like but like there was
like weird energy there, but like Lynn, Jeremy Lynn. Saturday
was a moment.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I was back. I
was back Also, we played the game against Toronto and
it was down to the last you know, a few
seconds and I'm like, all right, it's my time to
hit the game winner. Jerman Lynd kind of moves everybody
out the way. I'm like, okay, all right, Jerry, I
got this. I got this and pulled up for the three.
Won the game.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So we were like, I'm gonna let him, I'm gonna
let him shine, I'm gonna let him be who he
is and have fun. But it all changed Mellow came back.
Then it kind of got a little a little shaky
because Jermanlyine wasn't playing much and the ball wasn't going
to him as much, so it kind of dropped there.
But it was a good run for him.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
You've played with a lot of amazing players, I mean,
obviously even throughout the later years of your career. H
when you're on certain rosters like back to back MVP,
Steve Nash, Mellow. Who's who, in your opinion, would be
the best player you played with or just your best
teammate you had.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Man, I had a lot of cool teammates. Bro I
had a lot of fun, right. I was always invite
my teammates out to dinner, to gatherings.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
To Wyant, Yeah you didn't have a nightclub.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You know what I'm saying. I was, I was viting
all my guys out to hang out because I think
the best thing about it was is to build team Canaderie.
For sure, because I'm on the court, I'm telling I'm
the leader that team, and I'm telling my guys, you
gotta do this, you gotta do that. It's like, after,
you know, demanding so much, they be like, man, I
can't you know, I can't take I can't take this.
But if we go out, we have a good time.
You see. It's all coming from a good place. And
(12:13):
now when I demand my teammates to do something, it's
not reprimmending.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
They know you guys are friends my guys. Yeah, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And so I think for us in Phoenix, the team
we had with Nash, Sean Joe.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Johnson, We're gonna get to that team.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But yeah, you know what I'm saying, those guys will
come out and will hang out like Nash will come
out of hang out in the clubs with us. Who
would have thought, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah,
with the guys. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, And
so that team camaraderie helped. So I would say Steve
Nash is probably my favorite teammate that I played with,
not only as an unselfished player and he played with
(12:50):
a certain type of passion for the game, but I
enjoyed playing with Steve.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Your guys is two man game the lob man listen.
And I feel like somehow how Nash was like a
decade before it's time because I keep I think about
like the three point eer of the game, and how
good Nash is a shooter, Like how much he might
have averaged if the game was you know the way it.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Is, he shoot more threes. Now, I mean we left
the league in three point shooting I think shooting what
twelve three is a game?
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yep, and got players that would probably be the last place.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, and we led the league in three point shooting
a percentages during that stretch. So we started this whole
wave of now three point shooters, right, we started that
whole thing for sure?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Is it is there something about the seven seconds or
less thing that you feel like gets a bad rep
because you know, we always hear D'Antoni wasn't like he
didn't coach a lot of defense, right, yeah, Like, and
I've talked to other players who've said that, like Baron Davis. Yeah,
I mean, you know, but it obviously works to the
point where the Suns were the number one seed the
(13:53):
number two seed, like very like it. You know, caught
a couple of tough breaks in the playoffs, but like,
you know, I feel like that brand of basketball somehow,
Like when you talk to basketball and nerds, they're like, yeah,
but you'll never win a ring with that.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
But well, I mean the thing is, we could have
won a ring for sure, right, we had a couple
of couple of breaks. Yeah, we had you had a
couple of breaks, a couple of bad releases, right, certain players.
We could have signed Joe for like fifty something million,
and then he went to go sign for one hundred
and something million and become a six time All Star, Like,
we could have had him on our squad for a
long time. Twenty ten team eight eight or nineteen we
(14:31):
lost against the Lakers in the Western Finals.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
That was twy t Robin Lopez was starting center.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, and I had him playing well, he's
playing along side of me.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, and then and then Ron Artest decided he wanted
to start making threes, right, and then.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
We go and not and not bring me back to
to to for the following year. And we're right there
the Western Finals, so we had chances to win with.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
That style, right, But well, that was that was Gentry though,
that was Gentry. That was Alvin Gentry, who had more
of a defensive mind. I was going to say, like
that season, somehow we forget about it, but that was
the closest you guys got to the finals and Marion
was not on that team. It was very it was like,
and that was like a very underrated Grant Hill season. Yeah, absolutely,
(15:11):
Robin Lopez underrated season from the step.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Up big for j Rich, stretch four, stretch five, which
is now the game.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Is now the game and we were so close and
the Lakers ripped our hearts out. But like that season,
your final season, like it would have been crazy to
get a ring man like it was right there.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Yeah. I mean going against Kobe though, that was because you.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Know, Kobe wasn't the easy gotta go against Bro. You
can't stop Kobe.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
I think back to the times though, where we bounced
them out as they eight seed after Shack left. Right,
anytime I get into arguments with Laker fans.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
We beat we beat the Lakers. We got Kobe out
of there in the first round, in the first round,
for sure, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I always bring that up because always do the Lebron
or Jordan verus Kobe because you know, I live in La,
so the LA fans they don't want to hear anything.
And I'm like, well, when Kobe was just Kobe and
there was no other guys eight seed and we got
them up out of there too, straight straight over the Lakers,
talk to me about that seed, So listen the what ifs?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Right?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You brought up Joe Johnson, which is one of the
more heartbreaking UH free agency departures because we think about
what could have been right, Like I remember being at
those games with Joe. I remember being at that Clippers
game where Tim Thomas hit that three in the corner
against the Clippers in the playoffs and the Clippers had
like samper, what like when as a player, what's the
(16:35):
morale like when the Joe Johnson thing happens and you're like,
this is this is an easy this this, I mean,
it has to kind of mess with you a little
bit where you're.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Like, yeah, I mean, Joe's my guy, like we both.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And it's such an obvious basketball move to make.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, yeah, you would think. So Joe was there my
rookie year, right, so we we was like around the
same age, and so we had great, you know, camaraderie
as young players. It's going to grow in this league, right,
we figured we'll be you know, on the same squad
for it for some time and keep growing and keep
getting better. And we had a solid playoff run, solid
you know, when we had q Rich and those guys.
(17:12):
We went to the Western Finals. And so when when
Joe leaves, I'm like, all right, well that's just a
bad move. He didn't really ask for a lot and
he wanted to stay. And as a player, I'm like
two years in, I can't really say much and try
to demand anything at that moment. You know what I'm saying.
I like, I don't know how this whole work, whole
thing works. So it was tough when Joe left, but
(17:35):
we had to keep pushing, pushing, and I think they knew,
like they had Stodamire and they Nash, which is the
cornerstone guys and Sean So whatever whatever players you bring
around them, it's gonna be successful regardless. So I think
that was the mindset. Also with the ownership, I.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Was gonna say, was there, Like I feel like back
then it wasn't as publicized because we were winning so much.
The Sarvor thing, you know. I feel like later on
during the dark years I call them, people were like
sell the team. Hashtag sell the team. Yeah, did you
guys realize, like your the ownership for the Sons at
that point in time is a little bit different than
some of the more marquee franchises in the league.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yeah, it was getting crazy, Bro. I mean I came.
I came into the Sons when we had Jerry Colangelo,
who was an awesome, awesome owner for sure, and then
it was a goat bro. And then and then Brian
Colangelo was our GM and he would bring players in.
It was signed players, and it wasn't it wasn't like
a stingy type of organization, like you the best players
want to come here, We're going to pay you to
come and we're going to play the win. Right. That
(18:32):
kind of shifted when Sarva came, it was like more
so trying to reconstruct deals. Joe's gone, not resigning statum
Like it was a whole thing that took place, which
wasn't the same energy as it was with mister Colangelo.
But long story short, we still had our core guys
who still had.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Success for sure, did they did? Ishpia and the Sons
leave it up to you whether you wanted to retire
one or thirty two.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Well, I've always put put it out there that I
want to retire thirty two, even before.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
It's came on, because books won. So it's like at
that point, it's.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Like even before a book came on, the team.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Right right, right right, so because thirty two, I feel like,
you man, both both sides, both jerseys you had. I mean, yeah,
thirty thirty twos were it started. Like when I'm buying
a retro, I'm buying the retro thirty two, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
So where it started. And the thing about the thirty
two jersey is, there's only one player that will ever
see or know in today's game, in the game of basketball,
that have ever been the first to get Rookie of
the Year out of high school. You will never see
that again, they have never been other first, So that
thirty two jersey represents that out of all the high
school players that came out into the NBA, the first
(19:46):
person to do it was that thirty two jersey in Phoenix.
You know what I'm saying, And that's that's a trivia
question on board games, like these games you.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Play because most people will say Lebron, but it was you, right, Yeah,
that's so. It's so crazy, man. I remember when we
after you and and and marrying within what was that
like a three year winner or whatever it was, It
felt like and we got Nash. It just felt like
tides were turning and they were turning, man Like. It's
crazy too because I feel like you were probably like
(20:15):
one of the best in game dunkers of all time.
You obviously did the dunk Contest in what one year,
I think twice. This last dunk contest was rough.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah, I mean it wasn't It wasn't worth watching.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
It was rough. Like do you think they could ever
fix the dunk contest?
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Yeah? You can. You gotta get guys who can dump
in the game, like you got you got Zion, you
have Jalen Green, you have you know, John Morant. You
get these guys in the dunk contest. When I was
coming up, we got in the dunk contest. That's the thing, like.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Kobe did the dunk content.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You want to be great, you you want to be great,
you go in the dunk Contest.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
I also think there's something to say about the judges
changing every year because some of these judges that they're like, hey,
this guy played for the Pace in nineteen eighty four,
and you know I was watching, like, I just don't
know how Jalen Brown made it to the finals. God
bless Jaylen Brown. He's an amazing guy.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And I don't understand that d Brown the Deep Brown.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
He hit it at the end on the floor, You're.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
On the ground and then you go, is that a
dad was at the Deep Brown? Which one is it was?
Speaker 1 (21:18):
It was crazy, man, it was crazy, just for me.
For me, man, I just want to say, like, you're
you were part of the best memories of a son
as a Suns fan until recently. We did go to
the finals recently, but like my childhood, Yeah, it's stat
It's it's Marion, It's it's it's Steve Nash. That Steve Nash.
Those back to back MVPs, Right, yep. A lot of
(21:40):
guys like to look back at those, specifically Shack for
the second one. Do you feel like Nash deserved that
second MVP over Shaquille and you, I.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Think what happened was because that second year I was
injured and Nash still was able to propel the team
to a sixty win season or fifties eight.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Win season without his nonumber one guy.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Without his man, without the leading scorer, leading.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Rebound leader, everything. Yeah, you were our guy. You were like,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And so for him to still manage that and still
have you know, I think it was the best record
in the NBA at the time. That is a lot
to be said. And so I think that's why he
was able to win that m v P the second one,
because he was able to like withstand his number one
guy out and still being the top team in the league.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Who was the most annoying player to play against? That
You have to either guard who guarded you most annoying player? Yeah,
just somebody who just like, God, damn it, this guy's
gonna guard me all day.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Like I mean, I didn't like guarding Elton Brand Elton Brand.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
He very slept on dude.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
People forget it about old Brand.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Hey, what he was with with Philly and eb What
he does.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
What he does is when you go when the rebound,
you go for the rebound he gets, he goes out
of bounds.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
What you're not supposed to do, right.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
And then your ball goes up. But he comes back
and just dug you in. Like that's just so aggravating
to me, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, but you
always get the inside position and get the off. It's
a rebound a score. I'm like, hold on, man, I
can't watch him out of bounds and watch the ball.
So I was tough. And also Kevin Garnett, he was
always like he couldn't he couldn't stop me. But it
was but he like to grab and hold and it's
(23:13):
like he's a defensive prouesst one of the things. So
it's like you got to bring your a game. But
yet he gets away with a few holes and grass
because his mentality, you know what I'm saying, So which
is which was? Which is always good to play against?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Last thing wanted to ask, man, just like tell me,
like you know, for the people of Arizona, for the
people of Phoenix who are watching this. Obviously all the
basketball fans are watching this just like you know, this
is a big deal being a part of the Ring
of Honor. Some of the names that are up there
with you way overdue. Uh. You know, what is your
message to the Suns fans?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Well, I think my messages is more so is you know,
the appreciation that the fans have for me, and they
watched me grow from a teenager all the way through
my twenties, right, and and to be and to be
able to now, you know, be inducted into the Ring
of Honor with a jersey retirement. They've they've been with
(24:07):
me from the start, you know. And so seeing the growth,
seeing the the determination, the will to persevere through injury,
to be in top shape, to try to contend for
a championship, the heart that I put in the basketball court,
the way I played in the passion I played with.
(24:27):
The fans appreciate that, you know, and I want to
let them know I appreciate them for their appreciation. You
know what I'm saying. Would you have a coach I
coached two years for player development with.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
The Nets remember that, Yep, when Nash was there.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's something that could happen, but
right now, I'm not looking forward.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
You think got a rough deal over there in Brooklyn, It.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Was a rough deal. He did the best he could,
which I thought he did a pretty good job, but
it was a rough stretch.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Well, listen, man, I appreciate you, appreciate your time, and
thank you for the memories. Man, yes, sir, out of
my ladies and gentlemen, let's go thirty two boom.
Bulet Cavs show man. We got a special guest as
an Arizona native. It is an honor one of my
favorite Phoenix Sons of all time, and his jersey is
going into rafters the Ring of Honor. I'm Mari Stoudamyer.
Welcome brother, long time coming man.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Yeah, yeah, we hear now, we hear now.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
I gotta tell you, man, Like, it just feels like
ever since Matt Ishbia bought this team, he is done
right by US fans and by like the era of
Sons basketball that we all love so much.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Absolutely, I mean he's great, bro, Like since he came in,
he started this new wave of like excellence with the organization.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Right, crazy, It's awesome, man, And it's so crazy because,
like you know, I feel like I pinched myself every
time he does some cool shit, like we get the
G League team now.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Right, he knows long time right, Yeah for sure.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Bro, games are free on TV, right. You know, it's crazy, man,
you are such a staple in this community, not just
on the court.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
I think back to like going to Stota Meres and
having penny drinks and getting wasted. Stottlem Myers was a
stable downtown for so long. I even think to when
you had your record label and you had like Judge
and Juice and those guys like and you were like
doing your part to kind of like help put on
like asy hip hop. Like all these years later, Like
(01:23):
how connected are you still to Phoenix? Obviously you know
you went to New York and had an amazing run there,
but like Phoenix is kind of like where it all
started for you.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, it is. It's where it all started, bro. And
I think my time in Phoenix was was great because
I was able to put on for the city you
were you know what I'm saying, Like you were saying
the record label who was doing the It was hosting
like talent shows and so local artists would get a
chance to to you know, broaden a platform from that standpoint,
(01:53):
from a fastest standpoint. I had fasties shows out here
for All Star Weekend and these things. I mean, it
was just its just Phoenix became a home to me,
you know what I'm saying. So I embraced it. I
even trained here in the summertimes, and most people will
leave and go to laause the summertime is hot. Whatever exactly,
I stayed here and train because the facilities are great,
and plus I want to be in top shape and
I felt comfortable in my own home training with my trainers, right,
(02:16):
you know what I'm saying. It was a good fit
for me.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
It's crazy, man, because I think back to like the
Sun's heyday, the seven seconds or less era of Phoenix
Suns basketball, and you know, a lot of highs, a
lot of heartbreak. Uh Western Conference Semifinals seven. You and
Boris jump off the bench to defend Steve nash yep.
I was Actually I made it on tn T because
(02:40):
at the time they called me bootleg Kre for a
reason because back then I used to bootleg everything, mixtapes
like Nicky Nice and all the stories around town. But
I had fuck Robert Ori T shirts that I made. Yeah,
I remember those, and I sold that was me and
I sold them on the corner in front of the
arena and Craig Sager remember that. I remember that one
on TV. That's right, That's right, And so that was
(03:02):
like it felt like that year was like our years.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah. Man, that was a crazy moment, bro, because no
one knew about this rule you can't step in the court, right,
No one heard of that the coaching staff didn't know.
If they would have known, they would have held us back,
or we would have just not stepped in the court,
you know what I'm saying. So, and I was always
pretty upset about that time too, because it's like, what
kind of rule is what kind of punishment is that
(03:26):
to suspend someone for a playoff game without a warning,
you know what I'm saying. But the following game I
came back, Game six. So what I did was that
game I spent a stud of Myers downtown, so I
had all my.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Sit there because you couldn't you couldn't even be in
the building.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Right right, So I was across the street from the arena,
and I went to the restaurant the big screen TV,
and we sat in eight Food and watched the game.
And then game six, I came back with thirty eight sixteen,
you know what I'm saying. But by that time, they
had the momentum.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
They did, They did, they did.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Man.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
You know, it's crazy. I recently, you know, as a fan,
like we carry sports fan hate with us, and when
Kobe passed away, I like hit me real hard. I
used to hate Kobe when he was alive as a player.
You know because I co co was Cole was a
Son's dagger exactly right. But you know when he died,
like I cried, you know, and I was like, it
made me like let go of like, you know, some
(04:17):
of the toxicity we have a sports fans. With that
being said, I'm not sure how much I've let go
of the Spurs hate that.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
Yeah, I'm not. I'm not I mean Spurs. I mean
I have less love for the Spurs. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
It's I want to like Wenby but he's got that jersey.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah for sure, for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
I just think all the heartbreak man, like it's crazy, Like, uh,
what was it like for you? Because you know when
we think of d'An tony like he wasn't high on defense,
but like you had to be the guy to like
guard Duncan a lot, you know what I'm saying. What
was the hardest part about he wasn't he didn't show
much emotion. I mean I remember he hit a three against.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Us in one of those playoffs and then I was
just like, that's the most most of you might have
seen his entire career. It's crazy.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Nonetheless, I think, like you know, he somehow gets when
we talk about the goats. He kind of slips through
those conversations when he should be imm he's the greatest
power for it of all time, like five rings, going
and on. But what was the hardest part about competing
against Tim Duncan in those high intensity series and games.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well, I mean the problem was is that the Spurs
were always well coached and were organized right, So and
with Tim, he was a player who playoff angles, so
that wherever he is on the court, he's figured a
way to get a basket or a rebound. And it's
not like allowed thirty points, right, it's a few free
(05:39):
throws here, it's a jump shot here, a couple offs.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
He's like, it works the angles of the game.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
You got thirty points and fifteen rebounds. Yeah, Like I'm
dunking the ball all night and you don't even know
my points are allowed? Right? His are like the end
of the game. It's right where you got thirty five
and fifteen. Yes, you know, but that's just how he played.
He played silently and got his job done.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
You got to play with Steve. I consider you to
be a top three or four son of all time.
I put you in that conversation obviously, a shout out
to Walter Davis, shout out to Steve Nash. You know,
I put Barkley a little lower because he only played
a few years for US. But I think Devin Booker
has taken the reins as the he might be up.
(06:20):
He might be the go to the Suns all time
for you. I know you, you know you, he had
said recently yesterday he actually said that when he was
going through a lot of the losing his rookie season,
you had kind of reached out to him. But like,
what's it like to just see a guy like Book,
you know, kind of carry the torch from what you
guys built because there was the dark ages and now
(06:42):
it's like, all right, we're relevant again. What's your guys'
relationship like? And you know, where would you put book
in terms of like the all time son's greats?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah, I think I think Books of a long ways
to go, Right, He's really just gonna started man's on
his mid twenties, right, you know what I'm saying, And
what he accomplished already is incredible. So he's definitely in
those top conversations for sure. And so yeah, there was
some times where when I played here, we had our
run and then there was, like you said, a dark moment,
(07:13):
and then they draft the book and then they start
to kind of revamp and now they're doing great, right
with KD and these guys. But Devin is definitely at
the top of the list when it comes to all
time suns and the way he plays a game. We
was at the game last night. The way he plays
the game is like fundamentally sound.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
He's got that, He's got that killer instig man.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Go he goes for it. It goes for it, you know
what I'm saying. And that's and that's what you want
from a from a coaching standpoint or just suspectator standpoint.
You want to see your player go for it. You
know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
For sure, for you Man twenty ten, you end up, well,
it was what summer of summer of the end of
the twenty ten season right going into twenty eleven, there's
the giant I guess, the most memorable offseason probably in
basketball history. Because you're a free agent. Lebron's a free agent,
Chris bosh is a free agent. You end up with
the Knicks. You have an MVP caliber season your first
(08:03):
year there, before the injuries happened, What was uh, tell me,
like what what your mind state was? Because it would
have been nice to have kept you, It would have
been nice to have kept a few people in the suns.
We'll get to that, But what was like your mind
state year one in New York? You know, like because
you were playing with a chip on your shoulder that
first year, it was crazy. I think you had you
(08:26):
had a bunch of MVP votes, like I think I
think you guys were like a little over five hundred,
but you were balling. Like what was that first year
with New York?
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Like, I mean it was incredible, bros? Like New York
was a place always wanted to play in, right, everyone
wants to play a massive square garden and to be
a nick and to play in New York. And for
me to be able to just show my entire skill set, right,
so I was able to You're.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Still with Mike D'Antoni too, that's he was he was
coaching that year.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
So I was with Mike. Mike d'antonia was still coaching then,
and so now I'm able to really show my whole
package my game, you know what I'm saying. So when
I did that, It's like the league wasn't ready for
all of what I had in store. So so I
took the lead by staring crazy MVP chance. I was
leading candid for MVP halfway through the season, and the
city was on fire, right, every restaurant I go to,
(09:13):
everything's free. I mean everything was like New York was
on fire, bro, So it was it was a beautiful
time in New York. That.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Yeah, well, can you give me a little window of
what it was like to be around for the Insanity season,
because because I think you were you hurt when all
that was happening.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Nah, My brother had passed away, okay, and I had
went to Florida for like, I think a week or.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
So, and then it happened while you, while you were
while I was gone.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
So but I came back and caught it. So, so
what happened was a few players were hurt.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
Mellow was out right, Mellow was hurt, You were gone.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
I was gone, and there was a few other players
that were hurt. So Jamie Land was like the fifteen
mail on the roster whatever, twelve mil and the roster right,
and so he got a call to say, we need
you to play. I need you to start. You gotta
you gotta step up for us, and he stepped up
and had thirty points game one. All right, you know,
thirty points.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Anybody get thirty on any given.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
You know what I'm saying. It comes back with another thirty.
Like well all right, well, and I'm in Florida watching
the games. I'm like, dang Germany, Lynn going off and
then play the Lakers had thirty in on Kobe. I'm like, wait,
hold on that, hold on, something ain't right, what's going on?
And then I get back to New York and the
city's crazy. It's upside down. I mean, everybody's everywhere cheering channing.
The crowd was crazy in the streets, every single restaurant,
(10:26):
everywhere was like.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
It was a movement.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
It was a movie.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
It was all that was on TV.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
It's crazy, bro. And it lasted for a good two weeks.
It was fun.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
It was like two weeks. Yeah. Well then like because
like Mellow came back and I feel like, like I
think he's talked about it, like but like there was
like weird energy there, but like Lynn, Jeremy Lynn. Saturday
was a moment.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
So yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I was back. I
was back Also, we played the game against Toronto and
it was down to the last you know, a few
seconds and I'm like, all right, it's my time to
hit the game winner. Jerman Lynd kind of moves everybody
out the way. I'm like, okay, all right, Jerry, I
got this. I got this and pulled up for the three.
Won the game.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
So we were like, I'm gonna let him, I'm gonna
let him shine, I'm gonna let him be who he
is and have fun. But it all changed Mellow came back.
Then it kind of got a little a little shaky
because Jermanlyine wasn't playing much and the ball wasn't going
to him as much, so it kind of dropped there.
But it was a good run for him.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
You've played with a lot of amazing players, I mean,
obviously even throughout the later years of your career. H
when you're on certain rosters like back to back MVP,
Steve Nash, Mellow. Who's who, in your opinion, would be
the best player you played with or just your best
teammate you had.
Speaker 2 (11:38):
Man, I had a lot of cool teammates. Bro I
had a lot of fun, right. I was always invite
my teammates out to dinner, to gatherings.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
To Wyant, Yeah you didn't have a nightclub.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
You know what I'm saying. I was, I was viting
all my guys out to hang out because I think
the best thing about it was is to build team Canaderie.
For sure, because I'm on the court, I'm telling I'm
the leader that team, and I'm telling my guys, you
gotta do this, you gotta do that. It's like, after,
you know, demanding so much, they be like, man, I
can't you know, I can't take I can't take this.
But if we go out, we have a good time.
You see. It's all coming from a good place. And
(12:13):
now when I demand my teammates to do something, it's
not reprimmending.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
They know you guys are friends my guys. Yeah, you
know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
And so I think for us in Phoenix, the team
we had with Nash, Sean Joe.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Johnson, We're gonna get to that team.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
But yeah, you know what I'm saying, those guys will
come out and will hang out like Nash will come
out of hang out in the clubs with us. Who
would have thought, you know what I'm saying, Yeah, yeah,
with the guys. Yeah, you know what I'm saying, And
so that team camaraderie helped. So I would say Steve
Nash is probably my favorite teammate that I played with,
not only as an unselfished player and he played with
(12:50):
a certain type of passion for the game, but I
enjoyed playing with Steve.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Your guys is two man game the lob man listen.
And I feel like somehow how Nash was like a
decade before it's time because I keep I think about
like the three point eer of the game, and how
good Nash is a shooter, Like how much he might
have averaged if the game was you know the way it.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Is, he shoot more threes. Now, I mean we left
the league in three point shooting I think shooting what
twelve three is a game?
Speaker 1 (13:18):
Yep, and got players that would probably be the last place.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Yeah, and we led the league in three point shooting
a percentages during that stretch. So we started this whole
wave of now three point shooters, right, we started that
whole thing for sure?
Speaker 1 (13:32):
Is it is there something about the seven seconds or
less thing that you feel like gets a bad rep
because you know, we always hear D'Antoni wasn't like he
didn't coach a lot of defense, right, yeah, Like, and
I've talked to other players who've said that, like Baron Davis. Yeah,
I mean, you know, but it obviously works to the
point where the Suns were the number one seed the
(13:53):
number two seed, like very like it. You know, caught
a couple of tough breaks in the playoffs, but like,
you know, I feel like that brand of basketball somehow,
Like when you talk to basketball and nerds, they're like, yeah,
but you'll never win a ring with that.
Speaker 2 (14:07):
But well, I mean the thing is, we could have
won a ring for sure, right, we had a couple
of couple of breaks. Yeah, we had you had a
couple of breaks, a couple of bad releases, right, certain players.
We could have signed Joe for like fifty something million,
and then he went to go sign for one hundred
and something million and become a six time All Star, Like,
we could have had him on our squad for a
long time. Twenty ten team eight eight or nineteen we
(14:31):
lost against the Lakers in the Western Finals.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
That was twy t Robin Lopez was starting center.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, and I had him playing well, he's
playing along side of me.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yeah, and then and then Ron Artest decided he wanted
to start making threes, right, and then.
Speaker 2 (14:43):
We go and not and not bring me back to
to to for the following year. And we're right there
the Western Finals, so we had chances to win with.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
That style, right, But well, that was that was Gentry though,
that was Gentry. That was Alvin Gentry, who had more
of a defensive mind. I was going to say, like
that season, somehow we forget about it, but that was
the closest you guys got to the finals and Marion
was not on that team. It was very it was like,
and that was like a very underrated Grant Hill season. Yeah, absolutely,
(15:11):
Robin Lopez underrated season from the step.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Up big for j Rich, stretch four, stretch five, which
is now the game.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
Is now the game and we were so close and
the Lakers ripped our hearts out. But like that season,
your final season, like it would have been crazy to
get a ring man like it was right there.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Yeah. I mean going against Kobe though, that was because you.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Know, Kobe wasn't the easy gotta go against Bro. You
can't stop Kobe.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
I think back to the times though, where we bounced
them out as they eight seed after Shack left. Right,
anytime I get into arguments with Laker fans.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
We beat we beat the Lakers. We got Kobe out
of there in the first round, in the first round,
for sure, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
I always bring that up because always do the Lebron
or Jordan verus Kobe because you know, I live in La,
so the LA fans they don't want to hear anything.
And I'm like, well, when Kobe was just Kobe and
there was no other guys eight seed and we got
them up out of there too, straight straight over the Lakers,
talk to me about that seed, So listen the what ifs?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Right?
Speaker 1 (16:12):
You brought up Joe Johnson, which is one of the
more heartbreaking UH free agency departures because we think about
what could have been right, Like I remember being at
those games with Joe. I remember being at that Clippers
game where Tim Thomas hit that three in the corner
against the Clippers in the playoffs and the Clippers had
like samper, what like when as a player, what's the
(16:35):
morale like when the Joe Johnson thing happens and you're like,
this is this is an easy this this, I mean,
it has to kind of mess with you a little
bit where you're.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Like, yeah, I mean, Joe's my guy, like we both.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
And it's such an obvious basketball move to make.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, yeah, you would think. So Joe was there my
rookie year, right, so we we was like around the
same age, and so we had great, you know, camaraderie
as young players. It's going to grow in this league, right,
we figured we'll be you know, on the same squad
for it for some time and keep growing and keep
getting better. And we had a solid playoff run, solid
you know, when we had q Rich and those guys.
(17:12):
We went to the Western Finals. And so when when
Joe leaves, I'm like, all right, well that's just a
bad move. He didn't really ask for a lot and
he wanted to stay. And as a player, I'm like
two years in, I can't really say much and try
to demand anything at that moment. You know what I'm saying.
I like, I don't know how this whole work, whole
thing works. So it was tough when Joe left, but
(17:35):
we had to keep pushing, pushing, and I think they knew,
like they had Stodamire and they Nash, which is the
cornerstone guys and Sean So whatever whatever players you bring
around them, it's gonna be successful regardless. So I think
that was the mindset. Also with the ownership, I.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Was gonna say, was there, Like I feel like back
then it wasn't as publicized because we were winning so much.
The Sarvor thing, you know. I feel like later on
during the dark years I call them, people were like
sell the team. Hashtag sell the team. Yeah, did you
guys realize, like your the ownership for the Sons at
that point in time is a little bit different than
some of the more marquee franchises in the league.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yeah, it was getting crazy, Bro. I mean I came.
I came into the Sons when we had Jerry Colangelo,
who was an awesome, awesome owner for sure, and then
it was a goat bro. And then and then Brian
Colangelo was our GM and he would bring players in.
It was signed players, and it wasn't it wasn't like
a stingy type of organization, like you the best players
want to come here, We're going to pay you to
come and we're going to play the win. Right. That
(18:32):
kind of shifted when Sarva came, it was like more
so trying to reconstruct deals. Joe's gone, not resigning statum
Like it was a whole thing that took place, which
wasn't the same energy as it was with mister Colangelo.
But long story short, we still had our core guys
who still had.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Success for sure, did they did? Ishpia and the Sons
leave it up to you whether you wanted to retire
one or thirty two.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Well, I've always put put it out there that I
want to retire thirty two, even before.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
It's came on, because books won. So it's like at
that point, it's.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Like even before a book came on, the team.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Right right, right right, so because thirty two, I feel like,
you man, both both sides, both jerseys you had. I mean, yeah,
thirty thirty twos were it started. Like when I'm buying
a retro, I'm buying the retro thirty two, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
So where it started. And the thing about the thirty
two jersey is, there's only one player that will ever
see or know in today's game, in the game of basketball,
that have ever been the first to get Rookie of
the Year out of high school. You will never see
that again, they have never been other first, So that
thirty two jersey represents that out of all the high
school players that came out into the NBA, the first
(19:46):
person to do it was that thirty two jersey in Phoenix.
You know what I'm saying, And that's that's a trivia
question on board games, like these games you.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
Play because most people will say Lebron, but it was you, right, Yeah,
that's so. It's so crazy, man. I remember when we
after you and and and marrying within what was that
like a three year winner or whatever it was, It
felt like and we got Nash. It just felt like
tides were turning and they were turning, man Like. It's
crazy too because I feel like you were probably like
(20:15):
one of the best in game dunkers of all time.
You obviously did the dunk Contest in what one year,
I think twice. This last dunk contest was rough.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
Yeah, I mean it wasn't It wasn't worth watching.
Speaker 1 (20:31):
It was rough. Like do you think they could ever
fix the dunk contest?
Speaker 2 (20:35):
Yeah? You can. You gotta get guys who can dump
in the game, like you got you got Zion, you
have Jalen Green, you have you know, John Morant. You
get these guys in the dunk contest. When I was
coming up, we got in the dunk contest. That's the thing, like.
Speaker 1 (20:49):
Kobe did the dunk content.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
You want to be great, you you want to be great,
you go in the dunk Contest.
Speaker 1 (20:53):
I also think there's something to say about the judges
changing every year because some of these judges that they're like, hey,
this guy played for the Pace in nineteen eighty four,
and you know I was watching, like, I just don't
know how Jalen Brown made it to the finals. God
bless Jaylen Brown. He's an amazing guy.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
And I don't understand that d Brown the Deep Brown.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
He hit it at the end on the floor, You're.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
On the ground and then you go, is that a
dad was at the Deep Brown? Which one is it was?
Speaker 1 (21:18):
It was crazy, man, it was crazy, just for me.
For me, man, I just want to say, like, you're
you were part of the best memories of a son
as a Suns fan until recently. We did go to
the finals recently, but like my childhood, Yeah, it's stat
It's it's Marion, It's it's it's Steve Nash. That Steve Nash.
Those back to back MVPs, Right, yep. A lot of
(21:40):
guys like to look back at those, specifically Shack for
the second one. Do you feel like Nash deserved that
second MVP over Shaquille and you, I.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
Think what happened was because that second year I was
injured and Nash still was able to propel the team
to a sixty win season or fifties eight.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Win season without his nonumber one guy.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
Without his man, without the leading scorer, leading.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Rebound leader, everything. Yeah, you were our guy. You were like,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And so for him to still manage that and still
have you know, I think it was the best record
in the NBA at the time. That is a lot
to be said. And so I think that's why he
was able to win that m v P the second one,
because he was able to like withstand his number one
guy out and still being the top team in the league.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Who was the most annoying player to play against? That
You have to either guard who guarded you most annoying player? Yeah,
just somebody who just like, God, damn it, this guy's
gonna guard me all day.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Like I mean, I didn't like guarding Elton Brand Elton Brand.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
He very slept on dude.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
People forget it about old Brand.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Hey, what he was with with Philly and eb What
he does.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
What he does is when you go when the rebound,
you go for the rebound he gets, he goes out
of bounds.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
What you're not supposed to do, right.
Speaker 2 (22:52):
And then your ball goes up. But he comes back
and just dug you in. Like that's just so aggravating
to me, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, but you
always get the inside position and get the off. It's
a rebound a score. I'm like, hold on, man, I
can't watch him out of bounds and watch the ball.
So I was tough. And also Kevin Garnett, he was
always like he couldn't he couldn't stop me. But it
was but he like to grab and hold and it's
(23:13):
like he's a defensive prouesst one of the things. So
it's like you got to bring your a game. But
yet he gets away with a few holes and grass
because his mentality, you know what I'm saying, So which
is which was? Which is always good to play against?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Last thing wanted to ask, man, just like tell me,
like you know, for the people of Arizona, for the
people of Phoenix who are watching this. Obviously all the
basketball fans are watching this just like you know, this
is a big deal being a part of the Ring
of Honor. Some of the names that are up there
with you way overdue. Uh. You know, what is your
message to the Suns fans?
Speaker 2 (23:44):
Well, I think my messages is more so is you know,
the appreciation that the fans have for me, and they
watched me grow from a teenager all the way through
my twenties, right, and and to be and to be
able to now, you know, be inducted into the Ring
of Honor with a jersey retirement. They've they've been with
(24:07):
me from the start, you know. And so seeing the growth,
seeing the the determination, the will to persevere through injury,
to be in top shape, to try to contend for
a championship, the heart that I put in the basketball court,
the way I played in the passion I played with.
(24:27):
The fans appreciate that, you know, and I want to
let them know I appreciate them for their appreciation. You
know what I'm saying. Would you have a coach I
coached two years for player development with.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
The Nets remember that, Yep, when Nash was there.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, but it's something that could happen, but
right now, I'm not looking forward.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
You think got a rough deal over there in Brooklyn, It.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Was a rough deal. He did the best he could,
which I thought he did a pretty good job, but
it was a rough stretch.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Well, listen, man, I appreciate you, appreciate your time, and
thank you for the memories. Man, yes, sir, out of
my ladies and gentlemen, let's go thirty two boom.
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