Club 520 - Kevin Johnson tells Jeff Teague CRAZY Charles Barkley stories, GUARDING Michael Jordan in NBA Finals

Summary

Club 520 Podcast – Kevin Johnson on Barkley Stories, Guarding MJ, and NBA Stories (Feb 2, 2026)

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Episode Overview

In this episode, NBA legend and former Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson joins Jeff Teague and the Club 520 crew for a lively conversation. They explore KJ’s overlooked legacy as a player, iconic NBA moments, his rivalry with contemporaries, untold stories about Charles Barkley, and what it was like to guard Michael Jordan in the Finals. The episode blends humor, storytelling, and real basketball insight, shining a light on the personalities and drama of ‘90s NBA basketball.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. On Being an Overlooked “Bucket” & Early NBA Motivation (04:49 – 06:09)

• The hosts introduce Kevin Johnson as one of the “forgotten buckets” of the NBA, with Jeff Teague noting, “when y’all talk about people not forgotten, but who got buckets that people ain’t too tapped in, it was like KJ back in the days” (04:44).
• KJ recounts the chip on his shoulder from draft day. The Sacramento Kings, his hometown team, chose Kenny Smith at No. 6; KJ was picked No. 7 by Cleveland:
  "So I'm mad at my hometown and I'm mad at Kenny Smith. So that's where the beef started…” (05:25 - 05:33)
  This fueled competitive encounters:
  “Every time I played him, I had that little chip on my shoulder, I'm like, get Kenny. I got to make them regret this.” (05:34 - 05:39)

2. Growing Up in Sacramento & Choosing Basketball Over Baseball (06:14 – 09:41)

• Sacramento’s forgotten status: “Ain't nobody thinking about Sacramento... There wasn't a lot of scouts and exposure and talent. It was before the AAU tournaments and all those sorts of things.” (06:24–06:38)
• KJ was a two-sport athlete, drafted in baseball by the Oakland A’s.
  "My first love was baseball... but basketball, I felt connected me to the Black community in a different way” (07:43–07:49)
• Used minor league baseball money to cover college and help family before ultimately following his calling in basketball.

3. What’s Harder: Hitting a Baseball or Performing Under Basketball Pressure? (09:28 – 10:55)

• On sports skills:
  “Hitting a baseball is hard. Yeah... a slider comes at you, breaks over the mitt. That's a hard pitch to hit.” (09:35 – 10:36)
• On basketball free throws under pressure:
  “If you shoot 85% from the line, you probably gonna hit 85 of the pressure shots. There's very few gonna fold and go from 85 to 50.” (10:16–10:32)

4. Cleveland Experience: Learning the League Is a Business (15:30–17:29)

• KJ describes "a cup of coffee" in Cleveland, stuck behind established players and unwelcome by teammates:
  “I came to an environment, it wasn't super welcoming and you had bad weather… I just thought basketball was a game… Overheard some people: ‘this new dude's gonna take money off my table.’ So I realized at that point it was a business.” (16:25–17:29)

5. Phoenix: Reinvention and Vengeance (17:30–22:22)

• On being traded to Phoenix:
  “I'm never going to walk on eggshells again. I’m going to act like I’m the new sheriff in town in Phoenix… I was on a mission.” (17:47–18:06)
• Iconic dunks on former teammates (e.g., Hot Rod Williams) were partly driven by grudge:
  “He wasn't nice to me in Cleveland." (18:13)
• On developing his explosive finishing style:
  “If you're gonna dunk, you gotta dunk on somebody big. If you're little ... it's to show that you're fearless, to try to change the momentum of a game…” (20:40–21:40)

6. The 1993 Suns: Special Squad & Leadership Regrets (39:23–43:46)

• Recaps the deep and talented Suns roster with Barkley, Dan Majerle, Danny Ainge, Cedric Ceballos, and others.
• candid reflection on leadership lessons: “As a point guard... I didn’t help as a point guard during those playoff runs when some of my teammates were struggling... I didn’t figure out how to get them involved… That’s something I regret deeply.” (40:00–43:46)
• Praises Magic Johnson’s leadership and efforts to boost teammates’ confidence at key moments.

7. Charles Barkley: Greatness & Outrageous Stories (44:03–51:00)

• On Barkley's unique game:
  "He did things at 6'4 and three-quarters...that nobody who's ever played this game has done—ever.” (44:03–44:21)
• Expresses frustration with modern commentary teasing Barkley for not winning a championship:
  “That one pisses me off every time I see him on TV, because if I could throw that at it, I would. As crazy as it sounds, I’d give up me winning the championship for him winning it because that brother deserves it.” (45:40–46:03)
• Classic Barkley tales:
  • The famous nightclub brawl in Orlando:
    “Charles Barkley picked the dude up and threw him out the window... The judge asked if he regrets it, Charles says, ‘I have one regret. I wish we were on the second floor.’” (47:28–48:51)
  • On Barkley's outspokenness and big heart:** “Charles is a modern day Muhammad Ali... he’s not afraid to speak his mind on social issues... And his heart is so big.” (50:00–50:49)

8. Guarding Michael Jordan in the 1993 Finals (57:48–61:53)

• KJ details the surprise of being tasked to guard MJ: “So we fly in from Phoenix to Chicago... the head coach wakes me up: ‘game three is gonna be your game... and you guard Michael Jordan.’” (58:37–59:19)
• On the overwhelming challenge:
  “I tell the equipment man to take my bags, I see a church across the street... I walk straight in that church, and I sit in the front row. I’m like, Jesus, I don’t believe in you no more. There’s no way... you’ll be having me guard Michael.” (59:39–60:10)
• On actually performing the assignment:
  “At this point it’s fight or flight... I’m like, I’m guarding you tonight. [Jordan says:] Huh?... We won the game... I guarded him the whole series... When people ask, ‘how did you do?’—I’m like, I held him under his average.” (60:20–61:51)
  • Jokes aside, Jordan still “averaged 44 on Dan Marley, 42 on me—but at least I kept him under!”

9. The NBA as a Business & MLK Day in Arizona (51:07–52:25)

• KJ reflects on the real reasons behind community activism for MLK Day in Arizona:
  “At the time, I’m thinking everybody doing it because they love Martin Luther King. They was doing it because they wanted to get the Super Bowl.” (51:13–51:54)
• Another reminder of the league’s business realities versus public perception.

10. Rivals: Gary Payton, Stockton, and Other ‘Real’ Point Guard Matchups (32:35–37:01)

• On Gary Payton:
  “Gary Payton by a landslide [as defender]... Now, we talk more than when we played. When we played, I didn’t like him, he didn’t like me.” (32:46–33:42)
• On John Stockton’s unbreakable assist record and mutual respect:
  “We just had these battles... When we beat them in one playoff... Stockton called me afterward and said, ‘man, you’re the best point guard in the league.’” (34:48–35:53)
• On being unafraid and always ready to compete:
  “I never thought I was gonna play against a point guard I could not get the best of... but I knew I had to get some extra sleep [against guys like Payton, Stockton, Tim Hardaway].” (37:01–37:24)

11. Transition from Basketball to Mayoral Career (65:04–66:44)

• KJ discusses the importance of having an “exit strategy”:
  “My grandfather told me, when I went into the NBA, you got to have an exit strategy, right? So when you go in, think about what you’re gonna do again afterwards.” (64:12–65:16)
• On leveraging connections and giving back in public service and business, including saving the Kings from relocation and his ongoing connection to the NBA.

12. Restaurant Entrepreneurship – Fixins Soul Kitchen (71:11–73:54)

• KJ describes researching soul food across the South, hiring Black chefs, and building the Fixins Soul Kitchen brand:
  “We want to be in all major cities, man. It’s a great product... all our spirits, beer and wine are Black owned. Everything we do is Blackity Black.” (71:19–72:58)
• Locations: Sacramento, LA, Tulsa, Detroit.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Draft Chip: "I'm mad at my hometown and I'm mad at Kenny Smith… That's where the beef started." (05:24–05:33, Kevin Johnson)
• On Barkley in Court: "The judge asked, 'Any regrets?' He said, 'Yeah, I wish we were on the second floor.'" (48:28–48:51, Kevin Johnson)
• On Barkley's Greatness: "He did things at six-four and three-quarters… that nobody who’s ever played this game has done—ever." (44:03–44:21, Kevin Johnson)
• On guarding MJ: "I see a church across the street... I walk in and sit in the front row. I’m like, Jesus, I don’t believe in you no more… you’ll be having me guard Michael." (59:39–60:10, Kevin Johnson)
• Jordan Stat Line: "When people ask, how’d you do? I say, I held him under his average... He averaged 44 [on Marley], 42 [on me]!” (61:39–61:53, Kevin Johnson)
• On Leaving the Game: “My grandfather told me... you got to have an exit strategy.... When I walked away from the game, I just turned the page.” (64:12–65:16, Kevin Johnson)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• KJ's draft story & Sacramento snub – 05:12–06:11
• Choosing basketball, life in 1980s Sacramento – 06:14–07:49
• Baseball vs. basketball difficulty – 09:28–10:55
• Early days in Cleveland and business lessons – 15:30–17:29
• Arrival in Phoenix, playing with a chip – 17:30–22:22
• Charles Barkley greatness & wild stories – 44:03–51:00
• Finals: Guarding Michael Jordan – 57:48–61:53
• Reflecting on Barkley’s lack of a ring – 45:40–46:22
• Fixins Soul Kitchen – building a Black-owned business – 71:11–73:54

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Tone & Language

This episode is filled with humor, nostalgia, and candid locker room storytelling. The hosts and KJ riff on each other's NBA memories in relaxed, genuine language. Kevin Johnson’s humility and insight stand out, as do the hosts' respect and playful banter.

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Summary

This episode offers a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes NBA stories, from being passed over by his hometown, epic rivalries, and unforgettable dunks to mentoring and regrets about leadership. Kevin Johnson’s hilarious and heartfelt Barkley tales, plus insight into the pressure of guarding Michael Jordan, make for compelling listening. The discussion is punctuated by laughter, but always brings it back to lessons on legacy, business, Black excellence, and giving back to the community. It’s a must-listen for basketball history fans and anyone interested in the human side of professional sports.

Transcript

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[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

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[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

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[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

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[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

All right, man.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

We back another episode of Club 520 podcast. I'm your host. My name is DJ. Well, special guest in the building. You know the vibe. Introduce him last as usual. But first things first. Shout out to our sponsors, man, Boost Mobile. You know the vibes get you or your loved one that new iPhone 17. They'll pull up to your crib and handle the rest. Also, shout out to Hard Rock bet. My guy Behan, I'm sure you tapped in. He be making some crazy parlays, man. We don't have some success last couple weeks, but we trying to get it in, man. What you got behind?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, for sure, I got y'.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

All.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Y' all know it's going down every day. Hard Rock BET downloaded today.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Literally going down.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

It's going down.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

And if it gets too bad, call the hotline. All right, man. To my far left, we got my dog, Bishop B hitting out the prayer. How you at, Nasty?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Cool and nasty. Let's get to it, baby. I'm excited about this one. Yeah, we always talk about some real questions today. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You. You on our list, man. We always talk about people. You know what I'm saying? Not necessarily forgotten, but, like, who got buckets of people ain't too tapped in. Was like KJ back in the days, if you really knew was a real bucket.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

For sure, for sure.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah, we gonna have some fun today, man. To my right, my dog, Young Nacho, Young Teague. How you at cooling, brother?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

This was my NBA comparison. When I came into the league, they did draft express. They told me I was gonna play like Kevin Johnson. I was like, I don't know if I got that much bounce.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You was almost there.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

I probably didn't live up to it.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

But you could have passed the ball a little better.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

What else could I do?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Could have slid your feet a little bit. You really wasn't in the passing lanes like kj.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Okay.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You did good.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

The real breakdown, like we said, man. Special guest in the building, man. Come on. Multi time allstar. Multi time. All NBA. 12 years in the NBA. And after that, my man was the mayor in his hometown, man. We got the legend Mr. Kevin Johnson in the building.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Big Dog.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

We appreciate you sliding on us, brother.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Thank y' all for having me, man.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Come on, man. We always talk about you. One of the forgotten buckets, bro. One of the forgotten buckets of the NBA. We was around for that time period. You get used to give a lot of hell to them guards back in the day. Kenny Smith later. That boy, we seen him highlights. Did you have something against Kenny Smith? Cause every time you seen him, it was Christmas.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

You want me to tell you what happened?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Please.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

This is why we're here.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So I'm from Sacramento.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Kenny Smith and I came out the same year, got drafted. We play the same position. The Sacramento Kings pick Kenny Smith, number six.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Wow.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I go number seven to Cleveland. So I'm mad at my hometown, and I'm mad at Kenny Smith. So that's where the beef started way back then.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Every time I played when I had that little chip on my shoulder, I'm like, get Kenny. I got to make them regret this.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That is crazy that your hometown don't grab you.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

That's what I'm saying.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

That is wild.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And I blame it on Kenny. It wasn't even his fault. They didn't pick it.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Nah. But you gotta take it out on him, though.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Did he know about this?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

It was the one time he saw the board. Six, Kenny, seven. Kj. Yeah. He saw it.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Like, did you ever say anything in.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

The game, like, I'm at you, Like, I'm going at you?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Every time I sent that message, it was unspoken.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Okay. I respect it.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

And that's crazy because you had opportunity to be selected by hometown.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

It's been a block for a long time.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah. I ended up playing for him. That's all good.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

That is crazy, man. Let's talk about you said man from Sacramento. What was the hoop scene out in California at the time period?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So when I was growing up. La.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

New York, big markets, tons of talent, which makes sense.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Right.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Sacramento was like French Lick. Ain't nobody thinking about Sacramento. And the only player that ever came out was Bill Cartwright. So he went to usf, played in the league, you know, did great things, but there wasn't a lot of scouts and exposure and talent. It was before the AAU tournaments and all those sorts of things. So my first real exposure is we went down to LA for a big All Star tournament, and I got a chance to play against Reggie Miller and obviously all these great players. But prior to that, Sacramento never got exposure. You fast forward to the day. It's no different than the other city around the country because there's eyes on all the talent everywhere. But back then, I was one of those kids that most people didn't know cabal. I got lucky enough to get a scholarship to Cal Berkeley, which was great. I wanted to go to Cal because it was in a pack 10. Now it's pack 12, and now it's no longer anything but. That was the best conference back then, so not a lot of exposure. But, you know, we tried to rap best we could with the cow.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Heard you played baseball too, for a little bit.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah. I was 2. Sport. Played baseball in high school. My first love. You hear this a lot. My first love was baseball. I played in college. I got drafted in college. I had to make a choice between one or the other. And even though baseball was my first love, basketball, I felt connected me to the black community.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Like, in a different way.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And that's always been my north star. So I chose. I chose basketball. It worked out. I said I got drafted high, got drafted. Played in Cleveland for about six months. Cup of coffee, not cold weather.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

How was that, like, draft process, though, for the MLB for you? Like, they just give you a call. Do they tell you to pull up? Like, what was that like?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah, I think I was unique. I think because in high school I was gonna get drafted probably by the Yankees. They knew I was gonna go to college.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And they were right. Cause I'm about to get a free scholarship college. Like, I gotta do that. You know, that's how I was raised. So I knew I was gonna play basketball in college. NLB knew I was gonna play, so they didn't draft me coming outta high school.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Then when I got to college, I played one year and they're like, just in case this brother does not play basketball, we gonna draft them. So I got drafted by the Oakland A's. And the way they do it, you just. They just tell you, they talk to you before they say, we're probably gonna draft you. We don't know what round. Yeah, I get drafted, I'm going into my senior year of college. They paid me, so they paid me 40 grand. So basically nil. You know, I got paid 40 grand back then. So I lost my scholarship. But that 40 grand, I was able to take 10 of it, pay for my college, take another 10, buy a little car, take another 10, send home and save 10k. And then during the summertime between my junior and senior year, I played for the Oakland A's minor league baseball team during the summer. So that was kind of my. It was a little bit unique, but I gotta. I gotta put my foot in it. Got to taste it again. I love baseball, but basketball was just. It was just my calling. You know how you just. You just know. I was supposed to play on the Olympic stage.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

We always had this question, like, what's harder hitting a baseball?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Good question. For him.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

You think that's the hardest thing to do, is to hit a baseball?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Hit a baseball is hard. Yeah.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

He said he can do it.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He probably could, but it's still hard.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

You think what we say was harder, like kicking a field goal or hitting a baseball? Was that what we was comparing?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Or even. Or hitting the pressure of hitting a free throw like in the finals?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Nah, the free. Which we know. Free throw is just repetition. You don't put your time in, you're going to be good. If you got mental discipline, focus, all that, you don't get caught up in the fans and the pressure and all that.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

It's just, you know, basketball's last.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You say that from an excellent shooter standpoint. There's a lot of people who get up there on that line. Boy, they're 75% shooter. And that crowd rocking.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

He's smoking them.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Shit.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

We just had an incident where we had a kid on our high school team, got fouled down one, had two free throws. The crowd was going crazy. He made one. But we was talking about the pressure of it.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah. I wasn't trying to say that the pressure wasn't real. Cause it is. I'm saying if you shoot 85% from the line, you probably gonna hit 85 of the pressure shots.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

There's very few are gonna fold and go from 85 to 50 in every pressure shot.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And if you're shooting 70%, you're gonna drop a little bit during the pressure. Just because it is what it is. But I'm saying hitting a baseball is, like, hard, you know. You know, a slider. It like, come at you. If you. Right hand. It come at you right. And then break over the mid. And that's a hard pitch to hit. I had to start switch hitting.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Dang.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So I can see it from a different angle. Yeah, bro.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You were gifted, bro.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah. I couldn't hit a slide, so I.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Learned how to hit my left hand. That's crazy.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

I never really heard too many basketball players, though, that played baseball and basketball. It's usually like football and baseball.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

It's true. But again, I'm. Y' all ain't even call me og. Yet, so thank you. I know it's coming in a minute.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

But, like, oh, it was on the way.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I know it's coming. But like, back in my era, Danny A played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Celtics. Oh, that's.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, he did.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So that I go back to that era where he did it, I'm like, if he did it, I could do it. So I had somebody that did it before me. To your point, it don't happen all the time, but I think this is what most people know. Y' all know this, man. Athletes that are good are good in multiple things. It don't matter what it is. It may not be to your point. Baseball and basketball. It could be basketball and football.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, yeah. You can't tell him. He can't do nothing.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So, yeah, that's what I'm saying. Athletes, you can't tell him either. Yeah, they play ping pong, they play pool. There's just a lot of. That's what athletes don't get enough credit for. These brothers can ball at multiple things. It's just not they one sport. You watch a highlight of LeBron running around playing football, and you're like, dang, yeah, we a tight end. Ain't no doubt about it.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

For sure. For sure.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah. Now the NFL players, they're gonna see us get mad because they always say we could hoop. Y' all can't play football.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, they always say that, but it ain't true.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

It doesn't matter anyway, like you said, college going through that process, killing. What was that draft process like, knowing that you about to go into the NBA because he was obviously a high pick, number seven.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I was, you know, taking a step back, going to Cal Berkeley. You. You didn't get NBA scouts coming all the time to our games. But when they did came. When they did come, if you knew they was in the stands, you got to show you know, you got that, like, I got to represent.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Got your shit off.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So I ended up getting invited to. It was called the Aloha Classic back then. So all the top players played in Hawaii after the season was over.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Damn.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And at that point, I was like a late first round, early second round pick. And I knew I wanted to try to move up in the draft and I had to play really well. Do y' all remember the name Lester Connor?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, he was my coach.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Oh, was he Lester?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, Lester. He called me all the time, actually.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah, yeah. Shout out. So Lester played at Golden State, played at Oregon State, was in the Bay Area. So I asked him. I Said, look, I'm about to go to classic tournament, what do I need to do to stand out? He said, everybody gonna be trying to score, just play defense. I said, huh? He said, play defense. Pick up full court.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Damn.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Every single possession. Now, I wasn't known as the defensive player, but I just thought that advice was so practical, right? I was always gonna score. That was a given. I picked up full court every single. It was seven days. You played two a days, but you had a practice scrimmage in the morning, then you had a game at night. I picked up full court every day for seven days. Couldn't walk at the end, was sore, got outstanding, best defensive player and moved up from late first round to early second round to a lottery pick just by that advice from, from Lester.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

And look at some of the names that was at this camp. You had David Robinson, Reggie Williams, Scotty Pippen, old colonies, Derek McKee, Reggie Miller, Mugsy Bows. It was some hitters in there.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

See, like all those guys didn't all go. All those guys were my class. They didn't all go play in this tournament. But like Scotty Pippen was another brother. He went. Nobody knew in central Arkansas, nobody knew who Scotty was. So we were the two that kind of stood out amongst the players that were there. And then Kenny Smith didn't go, so then I had another chip on my. I can't even play against him and show him who I am. So. Yeah, but we had a, you know, we had a super talented class, as you can see there. And Reggie Miller, who was, you know, game busters. And he went late, you know, mid second round, mid first round here. Indiana. Yeah.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Mark Jackson.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, that's a great turn.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Hey, hey.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You wouldn't. No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. O.J.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

But you, you wouldn't to the league was coming out.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You went to the league when I was born. So I got. I was born 87. OJ.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Oh, that's the year the M. You.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Got drafted 40 years ago. We gotta have a birthday party.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Why you. Why you rubbing?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I'm just, I'm just saying I was 88.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah, you wouldn't even thought of twinkle of the eye. All right, man, you get drafted, obviously a cup of coffee over there in Cleveland, you get to Phoenix. What was that like?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So cup of coffee in Cleveland.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Drafted. Yeah. I learned two things. I get drafted, I go to Cleveland. It's heck of cold, so I'm not that. That weather would just mess with me because I wasn't used to. You need A again, I said wind chill factor and defroster and, you know, it was all kind of terminology I didn't. I didn't understand. So anyway, I was dying to get out of there for. For this reason, I went to Cleveland. They had Mark Price as a point guard. They had Ron Harper as a two guard. Then they had Hot Rod Williams at the fourth spot, and they had Brad Dougherty at the five. So they had like this four or five deep team that was together for a year. So when I get drafted, all the Cleveland players were pissed off because they had Mark Price. So I came to an environment, it wasn't super welcoming and you had bad weather. And then I get there, what's that?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

That weather. Hold it down.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Oh, my God. So then I get there and I'm not playing well. And I'm thinking, Mark Price didn't have a great rookie year, but.

[Julian Edelman]

Right.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He outplaying me like this every day in practice. And this dude ain't even that good. Cause it was before he became good. I'm like, this is going to be a tough run for me. So I'm, you know, putting the time in, working hard. First one in the gym with Mark west, last one to leave with Mark west doing it day in and day out. And I wasn't getting a lot of run. I was very frustrated, and the team was solid, but I couldn't break through that. They had that little club, they had they boy, and they couldn't break through it. And I wasn't balling at that next level. So when I was there, my first big lesson was I just thought basketball was a game. It was a sport. Let's have some fun. I overheard some people that don't play a lot. They're like, this new dude gonna take money off my table. Like, I'm trying to get another year in the league so I can get a pension or I'm trying. And I was like, dang. They look at. I just thought we playing. But the people that were, you know, not in the rotation trying to get another year or two in the league. So I realized at that point it was a business.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So that was my first lesson I learned. I was like, okay, I got to. I got to flip the script on how I look at this. And then secondly, when I got traded, my head coach from Cleveland was Lenny Wilkins. Hall of Fame point guard Wayne Embry was the gm. I got traded to Phoenix. Number one, I was excited because of weather. Right. Like, I'm coming back to some sunshine. And number two, I said to Myself, I'm never going to walk on eggshells again. And I'm going to act like I'm the new sheriff in town in Phoenix. So I went there with gangbusters in my mind. I wasn't going to hold back because if I don't make it in the league, I'm at least do it my way. And if I do make it, it's going to be because I truly going to be who I am. So when I got to Phoenix, man, I was on a mission, okay.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Not to fast forward too far. Is this why you ducked on Hot Rod Williams?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Okay. One of your historic highlights. That's why you caught him black because.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He wasn't nice to me. In Cleveland.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You hold hella grudges.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I still got a couple more gonna come out on the show.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

So like we know Ron Harper from like we younger obviously you the og, that's number two. But no, we know Ron Harper from.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Like the Bulls era.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Right. Can you like explain to some of the people how good he was before the injury?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Young man, when he was coming out of Miami, Ohio in college, they called him the second coming of Michael Jordan. That's how talented he was, that's how athletic he was. It's like Randy, he came from a school that nobody knew and he was that good. So he gets to, he gets to Cleveland and he got all this athleticism. He talented, but he learning because you know the NBA, there's a lot of adjustments. You can't do what you do in college. Not too many players game just automatically transfer at the same level. So he in Cleveland, he doing his thing, he ballin but not at the next level. And then he had a knee injury so then that slowed him up. He wasn't as athletic. So he went from a superstar to being a really good team player. But everyone in Cleveland expected him to be at the next level, which he wasn't like athletically. But then when he went to Chicago and la, now his whole basketball IQ came out and that brother just fit in and was the missing piece. Man, you mad props to Ron. And he was one of the veterans when I got there that actually gave me a little love, talked to me a little bit and was supportive. So I've always thought very favorably of.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Ron Hops now it's crazy his kids in the league.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, that's what it's like to see. Yeah. So crazy.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

We got Dolly though. Yeah, we gotta play this. That's funny, I didn't know it was the backstory of this. But even better now revenge got my boy lacking.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Hey.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Oh, yeah. You were disrespectful Jersey.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

So crazy. Yeah, you got one of the most iconic jerseys of all time.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Bro at number seven.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Bro at number seven is crazy, huh?

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You gotta take today for doing that hanging on the rim. That's hilarious.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Damn.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Where did that come from? Like, you driving the ball like that, like that fierce and like, trying to dunk on the big guys, like dunking on Hakeem, dunking on ride. Like, did that come from, like, growing up? Did you play 21 and stuff like that?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I was skinny in high school. Like, really skinny. And I was always fast. Like, fast was. Was. Was my thing. But I wasn't super athletic in terms of jumping, my jumping ability. So my senior high school, I had all my classes done and they let me take a off class off campus class at the junior college. And it was a weight training class. So I go to this weight training room and I just work on my. My leaps. I work. I'm doing squats, I'm doing a leaping machine. I'm doing that over and over, man. I went to the court one day and I was just like, whoa. And I couldn't dunk off two feet before. And then once I got that, I grew into it. I got a little bit stronger. And then that just became one of my weapons. I didn't do it all the time. You know, to me, it was try to make a statement. It was for. To show that you fearless is to try to change the momentum of a game. Momentum of a game. Or you gotta. If you're gonna dunk, you gotta dunk on somebody big. If you're little, if you dunk on some. A point guard, that ain't. You ain't gonna get no. Know, for me, it was always, man, if there's a big dude, I'm gonna try to send a message. So that's where it came from.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

I ain't gonna lie. Back in the days when you play, I'd have been super scared. Cause they used to white boys out. Like, I know you had some of them moments.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's why he said fearless. Yeah.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You had to be gonna die for that dunk, man. Playing detractors, playing the Pistons and trying to dunk.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

But, you know, y' all know how this is, though. It's true. They will wipe you out. So I knew how to get to where I needed to be. And there was no wiping out if.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

I got there okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Right. You know, if I can get to that spot, you can't now. If I take off from out here, anything is. So I had to get close enough that I knew if I went for it, I'm in control of what I can do there, even if they foul me. But if I took off too far, then to your point, anything could happen at that point. And I was. I just had to pick my spots. I had to be smart about it.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah, go ahead and load us up. We here.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, he has one of the craziest highlights.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Come here. Dream Conference finals, too. Yeah, set the vibes up. Kitty Smith getting blown by.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, you legit had bounce.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

That was going crazy.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Hell yeah. That's West Paul, baby.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

That's Wesley Person right there.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Wesley Person had a burner. Today's show is brought to you by our bed sponsor, the Gang, the Family, Hard Rock BET Florida Sportsbook and this big game week on Hard Rock Bet, Seattle is a 4 1/2 point favorite over New England.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

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[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

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[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

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[Rob Gronkowski]

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[Julian Edelman]

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[Rob Gronkowski]

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[Julian Edelman]

Like the workout? You can't tell.

[Rob Gronkowski]

No, I mean for your chips.

[Julian Edelman]

Oh, I knew that. Yeah, of course.

[Rob Gronkowski]

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[Julian Edelman]

Daisy like the sour cream brand?

[Rob Gronkowski]

Yep. That's how you know it's going to be fire. I use their sour cream all the time. Goes perfect with my taco Tuesday dinner.

[Julian Edelman]

Oh, Jules, the chef. I love it.

[Rob Gronkowski]

Yep. And now I've added the daisies French onion dip to my Sunday spread. They make it with all natural herbs and spices.

[Julian Edelman]

I like the sound of that. Everyone knows you need a good dip for game day. Personally, I like to dip everything I can. Veggies, crackers, chips. Heck, I might even dip a buffalo wing in there.

[Rob Gronkowski]

That reminds me, they also have Daisy's ranch dip.

[Julian Edelman]

Now you're speaking my language. Sundays on the couch just got even better.

[Rob Gronkowski]

Yup, seems like a no brainer on game day. So get out there and give the French onion dip a try. You won't regret it.

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[Rob Gronkowski]

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[Julian Edelman]

Y. Yeah, you just told me a second ago.

[Rob Gronkowski]

Fair enough. I'm guessing it has something to do with fighting dehydration.

[Julian Edelman]

Speaking of, do you know seven potential signs of mild to moderate dehydration?

[Rob Gronkowski]

There's thirst, obviously, and six more, right?

[Julian Edelman]

Fatigue, brain fog, nausea, headaches, irritability.

[Rob Gronkowski]

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[Julian Edelman]

You gotta stay hydrated.

[Rob Gronkowski]

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[Julian Edelman]

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[Julian Edelman]

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[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So what happened here again? You know, we players, you got memories, right? So we play in the Western Conference finals five plays before I penetrate, I pass. Charles goes up, Hakeems blocks it. Next time I come down, I penetrate. I pass. AC Green goes. Hakeem blocks it. Next time, you know, we going down, we going from being up 1 to down 1 to down 3. Next time I penetrate, I pass Dan Marley go up, get a block. I'm like, all right, give me the ball. So I had in my head right then, like, if I get a chance, I'm going for it. And we at home too, because our crowd is starting to feel like this game is getting away from us. So I take a shot, it comes back, Danny Ainge gets it and tosses to me. And I could see that I had a straight line to the basket. I mean, Kenny was right here.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

I guess. I said, you didn't see Kenny?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Kenny. Kenny was right here. Kenny, you know I love you, but you were right here. So I push you out the way. And I had a straight line to the basket. And I knew Akeem was going to take me for granted. Like, he wasn't thinking that I'm going to come in there and try to. He not gonna think that. So I knew the element of surprise was gonna be there. So I go, I go. And he turned around, he see me, he come over. And you know, I'm about to get a fifth block in a row and I go up. He going up. We going up. Then he start going down. I'm still going, bam. Right? And I do it. I go crazy. The fans go crazy. Everybody going crazy. Akeem going like this, all into the corner. And then later on, he come up to me, he's like, you got me. Little mon. This Akeem. Don't try it again. Little mon. I was cocky, right? Like thinking to myself, I only got to do it once. And then I went to the free throw line and, you know, it was a signature moment. We ended up losing this series, but it was a, it was a, it was a statement to, to let them know that we wasn't gonna back away.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And we, we meant business, so. And I'm representing the little guys there now.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You play both of these teams not to fast forward too much. You play that Bulls nine to see, obviously in the finals. We'll talk about that shortly. And you also play against that Rockets team. They always say that gap year with mj, you think that the Bulls would have took care of that Rockets team.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yes.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

So it's just Rockets fans who believe.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

That, basically because we had Mad Max on here.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You know, Mad Max, he want to smoke.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

He stood on business, though.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

He said, yeah, we didn't handle them anyway.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I love me some Mad Max. Here's the thing. Here's the thing. Let me give you my take. So, you know, we say this as athletes, every, every team, when you start a season, think you can win a championship, but only a few of them really know they got a shot. We had a three year window in Phoenix. In my 12 years, we had a three year window. 92, 93, we lose to the Bulls, which we can talk about. 93, 94, we lose to Houston, who won it. And 94, 95, we lost to Houston, who won it. So that was our three year window. We lose to Chicago, fine. We up Houston 3 1. Didn't nobody even including the Houston Rockets, think they were going to win that series. I'm walking around the mall in the Galleria, man, the fans was like, oh, my God, this team is so lame. And they didn't support them. They was having playoff games in. The fans wasn't even coming out, so they forgot all that. So then they win a game, pretty soon it's three. Three. They end up beating us. The fans now on board, right? They going crazy. And then they went on and did some great work for two years in a row. But there was a moment there that they were not that Houston Rockets team at that point. They became that Houston Rocket team playing against us and then went on and you know, one, two, championship, did a great. But I think we all think, I mean Chicago, until you beat them, you can't say you would have beat them.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

King was just so crazy though, bro. Oh, I think that have been a good matchup, bro.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

One of the best things.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

They didn't have nobody for him. Of course they had a bite for Jordan.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

But respect it have been great matchup. Yeah. The Cream Aem obviously the most skilled big man to ever play the game, man. Footwork.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, man, I'mma put you on the spot, man. Who's a better defender, Stockton or Gary Payton? Gary Payton by landslide.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Oh, yeah.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Who was harder to play against?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

For me personally, they both had their. Their strength, you know, Gary and play and I played against these at or he was at Oregon State. Yeah, I was in PAC 10. So we played him then I didn't like him then he didn't like me. I like it. That's real talk, right? And then we in the pros and I ain't like him then. And we would just battle, right? Time in and time out. And I remember this really funny story. Danny Ainge was on our team and Gary Payton scored. And Gary Payton said, you can't guard me. You can't guard me. And Danny, he said, we ain't trying to guard you, Gary. You ain't got no offensive game. And Gary went berserk at that point. And you know, he got the nickname the Glove because of how well he def. You know, how good a defender he was against me. Like his cousin gave him the nickname the Glove because I couldn't get away from him. So Gary was a. And now we talk more now than we did when we play each other. So I don't dislike them now, but when we play each other, I don't like you. We like this ain't like we friend, buddy, buddy, kissing, all that. That's not it. Now afterward, Gary and I are mad props. Big respect. And he was a tougher defensive player for me to. To guard Guard against or for him to guard me. Stockton was tougher because their overall team approach and how they played. They played. You know, they had Sloan as a coach, you had Karl Malone, and they was crafty and they knew how to play good team defense in a way that was. Was difficult for a point guard to play against as well.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Now get Barbie here in a second. But John Stockton, they said some of the stats is cooked. He was on the court. Is it, Cap?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's why I had to ask, because.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

That assist record is crazy.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That assist record, it would never be touched.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah, he, he. You know, going back, I didn't like Stockton either. Under 6:3, but like Stockton, man, we just had these. And again, you go back to our era in the late 80s and 90s, the Western Conference was stacked. You didn't have. It's kind of natural, just one team. You had like six or seven deep. And Stockton and I and Utah and Phoenix battle year after year after year. And when we beat them in one playoff to advance, you know, Stockton called me afterward and just said, man, you're the best point guard in the league. I just want to give you your props. And I was just like. So that professionalism, that even though we didn't like each other, you could put that aside for a minute. And that, to me, is what I learned from him and other magic and other players too, that you can battle, you can go at it, but there's a time to give the respect. It don't have to be during the season. It only had to be during our careers.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

But like, right now, that. That brother was legit. So I talked to him probably about six months ago for an hour on the phone. That's more than I talked to him my whole 12 years playing against him.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Hey, that's crazy because we was battling. Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I ain't trying to be nice. I ain't trying to ask about your family.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

I know asking you about point guards, but, like. And you didn't like anybody on a 6:3, and I respect that. But was there anyone when you, like, matched up, you was like. Like Miles was like Derrick Rose. I was like, yeah, it's probably gonna be a bad night tonight. Was it anybody like, you was like, man, not that you dread playing against, but you know you was gonna have to be up for it. Like, would it be Zeke? Any of them?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Tim Hardaway didn't like Tim.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And now. And now I love him because we would, like. Crazy, man. You don't understand, man.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

About to see the clip back.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He got me 20 yeah. Y' all see, he got me across. Oh, yeah. He got me plenty of time.

[Public Investing Commercial Narrator]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah. That's why I like me. Right? But. But, man, those. Those, man, we just had battles. So to your point, I never thought that I was gonna play against a point guard that I could not get the best of. I just didn't. I could score, you know, that was. I could score and I was athletic. I knew he was gonna battle. I knew I had to go to sleep and get some extra rest.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

That's what I mean.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Against Gary Payton, against Tim Hardaway, against John Stockton, of course, Magic and Isaiah. Against Terry Porter in Portland, had a burner. Derek Harper in Dallas. These are brothers, man. It was just a physical game back then. So all those guys, we was balling day in and day out across the board, so I had to get extra sleep against some of them to see.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Some of them players, though, like, when I, like, met him, when I got. When I got in the league or whatever. Like, see Derek Harper, I ain't know he was that big.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yes.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Like, I'm like, he's six' six, man.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He was tall.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

He was strong. He, like, big. Like a big person.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

I'm like, he got two in Dallas. I'm like, you was playing point guard, Blackman. Yeah.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

He like, yeah, I would have put you on the block. Young club. I'm like, you sure it wasn't. I found this out.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Did that kind of scare you a little bit when you got to the league and seen how big he was, or did you already know him prior to that?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Like, I didn't know how big people were to your point, and I didn't know how athletic they were. So, like, when you play college, if. If Jeff's right there and my man Malcolm over there, if I'm about to pass it to him, if I'm about to pass it to him, he can't get to it in college.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Because. Because of the distance in the pros, he's so much faster and longer and quicker. That same pass is going to get intercepted for sure. So I learned. I was like, whoa. So not only were they bigger and stronger, the athletic, the iq, the time, like, all of that, man, it just took me a minute to adjust because these brothers can play, you know, and nowadays, I mean, the skill level these folks playing now is just off the chart.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

We were just watching Wimby earlier.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Like, this guy.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Now we about to talk some real ball Barbie.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

We.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Sorry to keep you waiting. Our bartender man got us some drinks, man, while we up here.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yapping, no liquor today.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

No liquor today episode. We're gonna keep us over.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yes. So we have the fast break. Peach tea.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I'm okay. Thank you.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Thank you.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Unless you want to put it there for a prop. Yeah.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

For sake reason. Appreciate you, Barb. What's in here?

[Podcast Announcer]

So we have peach green tea.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Okay. Lemonade and mint lemons.

[Podcast Announcer]

A little bit of peach puree.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Okay, sure, I guess then.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Right on.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Appreciate you. Now, we talked about it, the final strip. But before we get there, y' all squad that made that run to the finals was crazy. I don't know if everybody's too familiar, but you, Chuck, like just go over that squad, how good y' all were. I think y' all wouldn't have forgotten teams because y' all was really, really good.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

They were special.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah, we had. I was a point.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

You had Dan Marley coming off as a two bounce. You had Danny Ainge coming off the bench at 2.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Then we had Chuck Charles. We had Mark west and Oliver Miller.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Oliver Miller.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And then we have Cedric Sabalos in the three spot.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's my guy.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And then Richard Dumas in the three spot. And then AC Green coming off AC and then we have Wayman Tisdale. You understand me? We had a. Then we brought Danny Manning in. In this three year spot, man, we had. We had the most talented squad killers in the league.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Did not know you play with A.C. green.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah, A.C. green came over. So we just had a squad man for those three years. We had that window and. And we couldn't get over the hump. And you know, people ask me all the time about what regrets do I have about playing in the league. I have one now that I didn't have then. It was like I didn't help as a point guard during those playoff runs when some of my teammates were struggling. Not me, not Charles. We could always get our shots off. But you have somebody like a Wayman Tisdale or some other teammate when they weren't balling. I didn't figure out how to get them involved, to get them to where they normally play. That would have got us over the hump. That's something I regret deeply. And I remember the story with Magic Johnson. Y' all remember Michael Thompson?

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Clay's dad played in the league. So Magic, my. My rookie year, we didn't make the playoffs. I got traded from Cleveland to Phoenix. We didn't make the playoffs. I'm going to la. I'm watching LA play the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs after our season's over. But they're still playing. Dallas is up like two or three games to one. Cream starts, Cream starts as a center and then Michael Thompson comes off the bench and plays the majority of the minutes because Cream is at the end of his career. Michael Thompson is having a horrendous series, playing horrible every open shot. You know, he hit that mid range. He wasn't making any of these shots. And one play happened that changed my perspective on basketball. Magic Johnson got a steal at half court. He's going down to lay it up. He all by himself. He stopped and he waved Michael Thompson at half court to come down. So Mike Thompson come lumbering. Magic gives it to him, he lays it up. His confidence at that point went off the chart, Started hitting the shots, started going harder for the rebounds, started making tip plays. And all this because Magic knew they were not going to win against the Dallas Mavericks unless they had Michael Thompson playing his best game as a player. I saw that and I did not do that for my team to the degree I should have in that three year window. And that's a regret. I mean, nobody gonna say that, but for me, I know that there's a couple players that was struggling during those playoff series. I didn't, I didn't do that extra to get them to their level. And that's a regret. I have.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

No, that's dope. That's dope. Cause you are damn near the most important piece out there, the leader. So.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah, and as a point guard, I mean, you just, you just know. Like Waymond Tisdale, Y' all remember Waymond, Indiana, like a ball. And he just couldn't get it going during, during some of these toughest times. And I didn't, I couldn't figure it out. And that, that just.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

What, what's some game that you, you said help him out. But what you mean though, can you kind of break that down? Like what you could have done to get him going?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I could have done two things.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Talk to him or what?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I could have done two things with Wayman. I'm using Wayman as an example. I had AC Green, I had a number of players this all applied to. But take Wayman. If this brother got the ball on the block and he got a chance to get over the shoulder, he wanted to get over. You can't stop it. There's nothing you can do. But if he missed one or two shots, then we went away from him.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Away from him. Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And now he not getting 40 minutes a game. He didn't take advantage of that five minutes period of time. He had. So then he off, he out the game.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And I'm saying I gotta find a way to get him another shot or bring him out. Let's do a pick and roll. I'm gonna come off your man, gonna trick your man, gonna double team you, roll to the basket. I'm gonna give you a bounce pass, get you a layup. Like there's all kind of little things. But I was in the moment and we trying to. Coaches pulling them out. And I'm like, yeah, we gotta get somebody. And we going. And then you look back at it. I'm like, man, we didn't take advantage of our most important weapon where Cedric Ceballis. I did that for Cedric and I could do that for Richard Dumas. Charles and me were always going to be fine, but I did not do that. So that's an example for me.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Okay. Yeah.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

I want to ask you this question. For a lot of people at home, like, especially kids only know Charles Barkley from being on tnt. They don't know how good he was to win MVP during the time when Michael Jordan was in the NBA. Like, could you please speak to Charles Barkley's greatness, especially being your teammate. Cause that was a crazy one, two punch.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, crazy one.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Man, he did things at six, four and three quarters. Yeah, I know how much. I know his real height. Six, four and three quarters. That nobody who's ever played this game has done facts ever. If you go back to Charles at Auburn, played at 300 pounds at Auburn, the round mound, a rebound at Auburn in 1984. He had a chance to make the Olympic team coming out of Auburn with Jordan and those guys on a team.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Wow.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And Bobby Knight sat here, fat boy. Yeah, Bobby Knight, like, he overweight and he don't play D and didn't make the team. And he outplayed everybody. So I remember being in college going, man, if I ever meet that brother, I'm a look out for him. I'm going to do my part. Because he should have made. So he got robbed back then. But that's how good he was coming out of Auburn. You fast forward, man. The thing that this brother could do on the court, could shoot threes, can dribble the ball up the court. How you going to rebound out? Rebound. Dudes that are seven feet night in and night out at six, four and three quarters, I'll round up. Like, that's just not possible. There was nothing that this dude couldn't do on the. And he wasn't afraid of the big moment. He Wasn't afraid of taking a big shot. He wasn't afraid to call it out on the court. Like, this is a brother you want to go to war with. And now y' all got me on my second regret, man. I hate watching him on TNT and now ESPN with Kenny and Charles. I mean Kenny and Shaq. And they get on him about not winning a championship. That one, that one. That one like he deserved an NBA championship. That brother fits in that league of elite players that have won an NBA champ. And the fact that he does it pisses me off every time I see him on tv because if I could throw that at it, because I would as crazy as I give up me winning the championship for him. Winning it because that brother deserves it, man. What this dude on court, night in, night out, man, was not. Was exceptional. And I got to watch him getting teased for.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's forever.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And those guys, did he go crazy too? You ain't got no defense for. We can say all we want. Well, Karl Malone didn't win a championship and all these great players, that brother's the champion. And it's sad that he don't have that ring to signify that. And that, that one, that one pisses me off too.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You got any off course stories with Chuck that you can share?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

How many you want?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I just want one that just pop up. Yeah, I, you know, just one.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

One or two.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You be two. That's my guy, man. I like to hear good things about ch. That's why I said, if you can share.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Oh, I'mma share. So one, one, one. A funny, Charles. I got so many of these. All right, so Charles, this is a two part. But it's one story. Charles was known for going out.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Like for real going out. And it got to the point where it was just a big joke. So he will be coming in Saturday morning, which is Sunday morning at like 7am wow. And I'd be going out because I'm going to church. So he coming from the strip clubs this way and I'm going to church that way. So, you know, just the thing with the H, I gotta pray for me. Cool. But my point on this one is. My point on this one is the.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Fact that y' all crossing each other.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And it was just like. It was like, look, I got you.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

So.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

But when Charles went to the club, you know, people get this liquor courage, right? They looking at him like he ain't as big as I think he is and he can't do this and he can't do that. So People just challenged him all the time. So this one time, I believe it was in Orlando, this dude saw Charles. They got into a little bit, threw some water on Charles and his guest. Charles looked at him. I wasn't there, but Charles looked at him like, picked this dude up and threw him out the window. No, no, for real. Threw him out the glass window. For real. Charles Barkley picked the dude up and threw him out the window. And then looked at him and said, I hope you hurting right now. Cause you deserve to be hurting.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That is crazy.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Hold on.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He get arrested an hour later. True story. He get arrested an hour later.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Chuck stayed on the scene.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Back then. You can't do it like back then. You just. You had to wait it out. So he get arrested. Then the judge about to give him his sentencing, right? And like Charles Barkley, do you have any regrets? Is there anything you'd like to say? He said, I have one regret. I wish we were on the second floor, yo.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Wow.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Come on, come on, come on.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

In the court.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Crazy.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's crazy. That's wild.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

That's one trial story. That one. Another one I got on whole bunch of y' all did Chuck. It's about to get dark after this. Wait, another funny one. Real quick is he came out with a book, right? He wrote a book. And he said all these things about his teammates and different things. One day a reporter said, hey, Charles, I'm looking at your book. And you said, X, Y and Z. Charles said, I didn't say that. And the reporter let me read you what you said. And Charles said, man, I got misquoted. He said, he got misquoted in his own. So, man, he got this just witness and this thing about him, and it's just so beloved. And on a serious side of it, everything I've done as it relates to running for mayor. Who was the first person there to support me? Charles Barkley. I opened a restaurant, Fix and Soul Kitchen out in la. Who the first person there for? Grant Charles. Man, his heart is so big. And what I think he presents that is not as prevalent as I would like to see today, he's not afraid to speak his mind on social issues. He's not afraid to take a stand on things that may not be politically correct. And his. His. His role model growing up was, you know, Muhammad Ali. And Charles is a modern day Muhammad Ali. And I don't say that lightly. Like, he just got this gift and it's likability. And you just root for him whether you agree with him or not. One Time his family, Charles was talking about maybe voting for George Bush, who's a Republican. Right. And his family getting on Charles, you can't vote for a Republican. You can't vote for Bush. He's for the rich people. And Charles, like, beg your pardon, I am rich now. So he just has so much of that. That's Chuck. That's why.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Well, people don't know is what he did for MLK Day. Just look it up. If you're not familiar. Like, I know we see Charles Baucki on tv, but he put the groundwork in a long time ago for a lot of political issues and speak his mind.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

For real. Yeah. And, you know, again, y' all always ask, you know, some guests like, for me, it was like, when did I realize it was a business.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I told you in Cleveland, when I heard them saying, I'm taking food off some of the players table because they don't get a paycheck.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I go to Phoenix, I get traded from Cleveland to Phoenix.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Phoenix had just got an MLK day in 97, 98. And the governor there, Evan Mecham, said, I'm a rescind it. I'm like, how are you going to take away a black person celebrity day that we celebrate in honor of Martin Luther King? So he took it away. He had the ability to take it away. So then everybody in the community that owns sports teams, all the owners came to us as players and said, hey, can you help raise some money? Because we're going to try to get the Martin Luther King Day pass. So, you know, we do it ends up getting passed. At the time, I'm thinking everybody doing it because they love Martin Luther King. They not doing it for that reason. They was doing it because they wanted to get the Super Bowl.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And if you didn't have Martin Luther King Day, the NFL wasn't gonna bring a Super bowl to a city or state that didn't have a Martin Luther King Day. And so I was like, dang. So a lot of times it's more than meets the eye, 1,000%. And that was another kind of wake up moment for me thinking, man, everybody love Martin. Let's go. Martin. Martin, Martin. It wasn't about Martin. It was like, yeah, we love Martin, but we love these Benjamins more than Martin. And we need to make sure that this super bowl happens here because that's a $400 million nowadays, a billion dollar economic boom for your community.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Wow, that is crazy.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

If you're not familiar, go read. Yeah. Very interesting part in Time for sure. Listen, shout out to gld, fellas. We tapped in here 520, and we all know how hard it is to get some nice jewelry, especially when it's quality and durable. Beheading you a fine connoisseur, boy. I know you tapped in for sure, man.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

GLD got waterproof jewelry, and they make your shopping experience easy as possible.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Come on, man, you can sweat in it. Yeah.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You can swim in it, take a shower in it.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, waterproof.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That means on in, off the court.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Come on, man, you know the vibes. You can look clean and shine everywhere you go with God. They got something for everybody. Listen, if you a sportsman, act like me, you could tap in and get your favorite team. Mlb, NBA, NFL, it don't matter. They got you covered. You can represent and look good at the same time. Be here. You get a lot of jury, man. I know you tapped in. What you get from them?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Last time, man, I got me a white gold, man. Every time I wear my white gold chain, I wear my dark outfit, my black. You know what I mean? Denim jeans, black tee, okay?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Like my man DJ said, they work with all the professional leagues. So for me, you know, I tapped.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

In with the Hawks.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Atlanta's my team. So I had to look out for GLD to make sure I got some Atlanta Hawks jewelry.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

And with that being said, if you don't have a team, that's cool. They do custom pieces as well, so you can represent you, your family, anything. GLD got you covered. And you know it's gonna be qual and durable as well. Listen, man, work hard and change the game. For a limited time only, new customers are getting an insane deal. That's right. Use that promo code, club520d.com and your first order is 50% off. That's right. Club520.com after your purchase, they're gonna ask, you heard about them, man. Tell them we sent you over there. Tap in with gld.

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[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Almost.

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[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Like you said, that finals, y' all get through the threshold. Now you playing against MJ in the finals. Your squad promising, but they the champs. What was that like, man? Playing at the highest stage against one of the best players to ever do it.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Dream come true for number one. Yeah, got there once. Wish we could have got over the hump. We losing six. We go down 02. It was a dream season for us. Charles Barkley, the mvp. Yeah, we had the best record in the league. Everybody's thinking, this is our year. Everybody. We have home court, first two games. Dan Marley is guarding Michael Jordan. I don't have a good first two games. I don't play well. Dan Marley is getting scorched by Michael, but everybody is. That's like your badge of honor. Me too. You know, me too. He got me too different.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Me too.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So he gets for sure, for sure. So he gets scorched by. By Michael Jordan. He was our best defensive player. So we fly in from Phoenix to Chicago, and I fall asleep on the plane. And then the head coach wakes me up, right? And he says, hey, I just want to let you know, man, game three is going to be your game. So cool. You know, I believe that I'm gonna have bounce back. He's like, and you guard Michael Jordan. And I'm thinking, we owe two. We got O2. Our best player is getting scorched like we all did. And now you're gonna put me, who had a rough two games on Michael Jordan, right? So I go back to sleep, plane land awake. I'm like, damn, I had a nightmare. I was like, man, I thought the coach came and told me I guard my toy. Walking out the plane. We walked out the plane, the coach was right there. And I'm like, man, I had this dream that you came and Woke me up and told me, you guard Michael Jordan. He said, you are.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Wow.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

God is my witness. I get on team bus. We take it from the airport. We staying at the hotel downtown Chicago. I get off the bus, I tell the equipment man to take my bags. I see a church across the street. I walk straight in that church, and I sit in the front row. And I like Jesus, I don't believe in you no more. There's no way. If you love me and died on the cross and did all the things, you'll be having me guard Michael. That real talk right there.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Hold on. How did you even get in the church?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

The church door was open. A lot of these are always open, brother. You obviously don't. No, I'm just kidding. Church doors open often during the weekday, depending on where you are.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

His nickname is Bishop. I can't believe it.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's crazy.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So I get in the front row and I'm doing all that Chicago church, too. And I lost my. My faith at that point, clearly. So we go to game three, and then this is how it becomes real. You know, when you in the locker.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Room and they write their name, they.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Put the names up. So they. They putting. Who Garden, Scotty Pippen and who Garden, you know, all these different players. And they. And I was like, please don't let. Please don't put my name. Please don't put my name. They said, Michael. They said, michael Jordan. Kj. I was like, yeah, you. Fast forward. We had to jump. We had to circle, you know, where you bought the jump ball. And I'm next to Jordan. So now at this point, it's fight or flight, right? I'm like, I'm guarding you tonight. He was like, huh? I was like, yeah, I'm guarding you tonight. They threw the ball, I hit him. I'm scared as heck, right? But I gotta do something. Like, I gotta at least try to get in his head a little bit. We end up winning the game three. It was a triple overtime game. Yeah, I played every minute in the game. NBA Finals record, most minutes ever played. We won that game. We win two out of three in Chicago. Cause back then, it was a two, three, two. We went two out of three in Chicago. So, you know, it worked out. So by the end of the series, I gardened the whole series. So when people ask me, how'd you do? I'm like, I held him under his average. And then somebody asked me, well, what was his average? I'm like, well, Dan Marley, he averaged 40.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, I was so.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He averaged 44. He averaged 44. Then they like what he averaged against you? 42. But I kept him under it. Now they got real talk.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Take that, mic.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's crazy.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

MJ in the ace, too.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah. It was Christmas. You went to church, and somebody still averaged 40.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Hey, when we miss. He went to church in a different city.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He went to a Chicago church, straight to mor.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Oh, man, what a time, man.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Wait, wait. I got to tell you one other quick, fun, no talking Charles story. So Charles and I had a bet one time. I ain't gonna tell you what the bet was, but if I won, he had to go to church with me.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And if he won, I had to go to strip club with him. That was the bet. Whatever the bet was, I lost. That Negro made me go to a church, a strip club with him in Houston. Oh, perfect. Houston, of all places.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Wow. Beautiful city.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I ain't know what to do. I ain't. You know, I went. I'm not saying I was whatever, but I know what to do in one of them places. He said, just sit right there. Oh, you gotta do this.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

They go to the rest.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I said, how long? Gotta come in there. It was like hour. One hour. I hopped out of there. I was sweating.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

I was.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

But I paid my bet up. I paid my bet.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, you just had to go with it. You.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

N, N, N. Charles.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Well, he said he was going to.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Go to church with me, but he never went. And then one day, Dr. J went to church with me, and I figured, Charles. Dr. J probably went for Charles.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's a good sub.

[Public Investing Commercial Narrator]

That's.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Help us up. Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Heck of a sub. Heck of sub.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Shout out, Dr. J, man. Listen, man, we're gonna take a brief moment, man. Shout out to our family over there at Adidas, man. We tapped in. We sponsor for sure. Get you a little gift, man. Appreciate you sliding on this, man. For sure. Which way? Open those on. Mess it up for me. I'm just handing to you first.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

All right. Thank you.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

James Harden, man. Check them out, man.

[Commercial Narrator]

Our guy.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Okay.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You know what I'm saying? Relapse and get on the court. Want to get some more buckets, man? We got you squared away.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, man. Them for you, man.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Last time you got on the court.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Man, I'm gonna be 60 in March.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

The last time I touched a basketball, I was 45.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Wow, man.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I wasn't even on the court. I was trying to see if I can dunk. I was unsuccessful. Ooh.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

At 45, trying to get a boot.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I tried it at 40 and couldn't dunk. I don't know what made me think I could dunk at 45. So I gave it up after that.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Okay, man, you ain't touched the ball in 15 years.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

No, not one time at 40.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I mean, what happened, though? Your knees gave out or what, when you went for the dunk? What happened?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I don't want to talk about. You know, you just. Man, back then, man, you, you, you. Your. Your physical life shelf was. Is different. You know, I watched Lebron, right? I'm like, man, how in the heck he doing that at that age? You know, I had meniscus. I lost all my meniscus. I had a little nagging stuff, but not. Not anything that would keep me from running and jogging and all that. I just didn't have the. The bouncing. Yeah, I didn't have to bounce anymore. And, you know, I just didn't want to keep playing. I wanted to turn the page. I knew that if I kept trying to play, I was going to try to get another year in or try to do this and rip an Achilles. I felt like. My grandfather told me, when I went into the NBA, you got to have an exit strategy, right? So when you go in, think about what you're going to do again afterwards. So when I walked away from the game, I just turned to page. Love sports, still involved with the NBA every chance I get. But I just knew that I had other challenges, other things that I felt like I can do to get back to the league and to our, you know, black community in particular.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

When you started making that plan, like, what year was it for you?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

So I got drafted June of 87. So 87, 88. 1987. My first year. It was before I played my first game.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Damn.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

He was like, you got to think about what you're gonna do afterward. So he just put it in my head. So when I was playing, I was traveling, and we go to all these different NBA cities. I'm trying to meet people. It was like a field trip, right? People paying for you to go to all these places. When you grow up poor, you don't get to go do any of those places. So I'm trying to meet people. I'm trying to see things all around the country and trying to think about what I wanted to do afterward. And I just knew I wanted to stay involved with the game, but I knew I didn't want to coach, I didn't want to commentate. I wanted to do business and some other things beyond basketball, but still have that connect me back to basketball. So when I became mayor, I was the first NBA player to ever become a mayor of a city. Then after that, Dave Bing did it, and Brad Sellers and other people have done it. And then I brought all the mayors to the NBA all star game. So it was still this constant connection between me as a former basketball player, mayor with the NBA. I get to Sacramento on mayor. The Sacramento Kings team is about to leave. They almost got relocated to Seattle. So I had to work with David Stern and all the owners to keep the team there, which we did, which was great. Which, again, still doing my basketball family stuff. That was still part of my duty to try to keep the team there. And then lastly, when Donald Sterling made those comments about magic.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

You know, back in the day, the players association asked me to represent them with Adam Silver, and we basically got Donald Stern Sterling out of ownership in a very short period of time. So there's been a lot of things I've been able to do with the NBA and player, which is awesome for me.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, that's dope.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah, I agree. It's like, man, just for you to be the mayor of your hometown, like, to win in your hometown, had that support. What was that feeling like?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Craziest thing was on election. On election day, you know when you go to the little booth and you got a vote?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

It's ballot. You get your ballot to vote. I looked on it and it said, president United States. You have two choices, Barack Obama. I was like, dang. And then down, you have my name, Mayor of Sacramento. So I'm like, I'm on the same ballot as Barack Obama.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I'm like, I need to keep this. I should keep this as a collector item.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Then I was like, dang, what if I lose by one vote? Gonna be all right. So I threw that little thing and I got. I won, he won. We celebrated. We both made history together. But I didn't keep that. But I told that story one time, and then somebody sent me like, a whole box of. In my home, I got a whole box full of ballads that my name is on. I mean, that's just historical. I mean, real talk, losing by one.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You would have kept him up with a big person.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I ain't gonna lie, though. You probably should have let the Sacramento Kings go home to Seattle, though. It's been. It's been rough. It's been rough.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Hold on.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

You gota look at. You gotta look at me. Don't look over there. I ain't gonna lie.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I'll let you do your thing. You had a great.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

What you did for do early. They should have did for anybody.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

You should have let them go be a supersonic. I ain't gonna lie to you. But you did it for the tail.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

You did it for the to say Y.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Okay, J cuz what they put y' all through down there, it's unprecedented.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Cuz you got him to stay, but you should, you should have stayed in there, cuz. V should not have been in there at all.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Crazy.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Crazy. That's funny.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

We just, we just be. He loves the Sacramento King, everybody.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

We trade everybody to Sacramento.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

He just trades everybody to sac. So that's funny.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

That's where you go to get rehabilitated, man.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

What about the Windsors?

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

You go there if you want to hold on. Rehabilitation back.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Now they're back.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Now they got young core. But that's on the same page. I agree. They was on a night's watch.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

All jokes aside though, what do you think the Sacramento Kings can do to be back to a decent team again, Man? Your honest opinion, for real?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I think, you know, every. People ask me all the time, is the NBA global? Right?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Fair question.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And I mean, you look at five of the best players in the league right now.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

From.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

From Shea to the Greek, Luka Yokovic. I'm missing one. That's.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I mean, you say whoever. Just a lot of.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Right. Yeah. I mean that, that, that's just crazy. Right? So it's global. We got global owners.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

We got a global brand. But one of the things that makes something global and successful is you got to care about the mid sized markets too. It can't just be the big LA in New York you got. As an NBA owner, you got to make sure the mid sized markets do well. So two examples of that right now are San Antonio and Oklahoma City. Right. So Sacramento and Indianapolis are in that same boat. So my point to answer your question is you get the right ownership, you start drafting properly, you grow up from within, you develop players. You can't make mistakes on your drafts. You gotta be very strategic with this very complicated salary cap dynamic. And you can, it can be done.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

That's a fact.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

But if you have a draft and you choose the wrong player over and over again, then you're gonna go to the back of the line, you're gonna be there for a long time and trying to do it where you get in the big three and you hire. That's just not, not in the Mid sized market. That's just not gonna work. You have a different strategy and philosophy. And all you gotta do is look at San Antonio and Oklahoma City as two examples that it can be done. That's what Sacramento, in my opinion, needs to do more of that.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

They trade.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Trade the franchise players.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Like trading with Tyrese Halberton, Dearon Fox.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

That's crazy.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Each of those.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Each of those come back and bite you.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And then it sets you back. Not one year, three years.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Three years for sure.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And then three year becomes six. And then you making comments like you.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

All the fight he had.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Right, right. I get you for you got me.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

K. They always work to light the beam. And you try to get rid of it that quick.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Trying to push beam out.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

You said you got some rush. You got restaurants.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

And we like, we soul food connoisseurs over here.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Sure.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Every city we go to, we find a soul food restaurant. What made you get into the food business?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

When I got done being mayor in 2016, I wanted to get. I want to do a black business.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And you know, I'm not an entertainer. That's not my gift. I'm not doing hair makeup. Oh. That's not my gift for black products. I was like, soul food. I love soul food. My grandma from the South.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

When I was in the NBA, I went to all the soul food restaurants. Even here right now. You got a very good one. Country Kitchen. Country Kitchen, you know, which is awesome. Shout out to Ms. Wilson. But I would go to all soul food restaurants around the country. So I had that in the back of my head what a good restaurant was. I get out of office. Many Years later in 2017, I started doing research. My wife and I, we go to all the soul food restaurants in Tennessee and Alabama and Mississippi just doing research.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

I was locked in.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah. We was going to that do it real the right ways. And then I came back to Sacramento. So we had all our research and then I brought in eight black chefs from around the country and they all did a contest to try to be our, you know, chef for the new restaurant. We're open, so we choose, chose a brother. And then he took my family recipes, his recipes, and we put a fix and soul food menu together. And our goal is to do 50 around the country. We have one in Sacramento that does well in my hometown.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

The one in LA is killing it. We have one in Tulsa because of black Wall Street. We opened in Detroit last year, which is doing well. We're negotiating on New York and another one in la. Inglewood right now. But we want to be in all the major cities, man. And it's. It's a great product. We hire 100 plus people. So now you got a black business that has 100 people that are black and brown that work for this particular company. We doing things at a really high level. Our spirits, our beer and our wine are all black owned. So everything we do is blackity black. So we doing.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Hell, yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

And the one in Sacramento doing well, too. Before you.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I was gonna say send that one to Seattle, too.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Now, listen, we're gonna be LA soon.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I want to go.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I got y'. All.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

That's our resident. Be here as a caterer. I don't know if you stepped in.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I read up. I know.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Keep it out.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I would. Where is it at, though?

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

LA Live.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Okay.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

100 yards from the crypto staples. We right there.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Oh, we going there for sure.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Wait, wait. You know, it's funny. The space win used to be Shaq's restaurant. Oh, it used to be called Shaquille's. Really? For whatever the re. You know, he got so many things to work out. This one just came up a little short, so we slid in his face n. That's we rocking it.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Hey, turn up, I need something smothered off that menu.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

We got you. Got you some smothered chicken. Smothered pork chop.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

We got some oxtails.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

You got oxtail? Best oxtails you going to eat. Best oxtails you going to eat. You thought you had me on the oxtail. Yeah.

[Verizon Commercial Narrator]

Bring it. Yeah.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Keep going, keep going. Come on, come on.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Hey, kj Ho.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Grunty old restaurant.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

So you know what I mean. You're gonna be fine. You know, we good.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Get some content in there. For sure.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

We got you. Yeah, it's dope space. You'll see it. It's beautiful.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Nah, we got a sloppy shot when we pull up. All star. All right, before we get out of here, I gotta ask you this. I know it's been a while since you hoop. If we line it up, you and Kenny Smith. 1v1. What can we do?

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Be here.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Hard Rock bet. Who you take your bet on?

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Man, I gotta watch KJ walk up out of here.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Gotta watch KJ roll up. I said he walk in. I got kj.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Yeah, Kenny.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

No, I got kj. I got kj.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Yeah, I see him walk to the.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Floor too many times.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

That's what I'm saying. You done saw him walk. Knock knee, knee. Hey, look, y' all starting to piss me off.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Look who got to watch.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

I got kj. For sure.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

For sure. Listen, man, we appreciate you. We definitely pulling up. We gotta pull up the fixings, man. One more time. Tell people that can find it in Sacramento, in la so they can slide, man.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Fixing Soul Kitchen Sacramento, Fixing Soul Kitchen la. Fixing Soul Kitchen Tulsa. And fixing Soul Kitchen Detroit.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Yes sir.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

Pull up.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Especially in Detroit. Our family, we out there. Definitely gotta go.

[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

We go back to Detroit.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

I'm proud of y'. All real quick. I'm just man mad. Prof. Love you guys.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Appreciate you for all.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

Yours too.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

You know that. Thank you.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

Thank you love man. Be here before we get out of here. Tell the people they can grab some.

[Bishop B (NBA Player Guest)]

[e-mail] man, you know the vibes.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

We appreciate y'.

[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

All.

[DJ (Host of Club 520 Podcast)]

We'll catch y' all next time. Club520 the volume.

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[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

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[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

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[Kevin Johnson (NBA Legend and Former Mayor)]

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[Young Teague (NBA Player Guest)]

Guaranteed human.