Digital Social Hour – Episode Summary

Podcast: Digital Social Hour
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: C.J. Watson (Ex-NBA Player, Author, Angel Investor)
Episode: #1617 – "CJ Watson Reveals What It’s Like to Guard Kobe & LeBron"
Date: November 13, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into C.J. Watson's life, from his days as a tenacious NBA point guard to his ventures as a children's book author and angel investor. Host Sean Kelly and Watson explore basketball’s shifting eras, the challenge of guarding legends, life after the league, parenting, and giving back to the Las Vegas community. The conversation is candid and reflects Watson's straightforward perspective on both the glamorous and gritty realities of pro sports and life beyond.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Guarding the Greats: Kobe & LeBron

• Toughest Matchup:
  • Watson immediately points to Kobe Bryant as the hardest player he ever had to guard:

    "Kobe for sure. Kobe was just like... I don't know what I was doing. I was calling for a double team." (00:01)

  • He highlights the mismatch due to size and skill:

    "I was still a small point guard. You know, he's 6'6, 6'7. A lot different." (00:22)

• On Kobe and LeBron’s Mindset:
  • Watson gives insight into the impossibility of stopping players at that level one-on-one:

    "Yeah, you gotta, you know, gotta ask for help." (00:14, repeated vividly at 11:59) "You need two or three guys or a whole team... I don't think you'll ever shut them down, but you can make their night tough." (12:19)

  • When asked who’s truly 'unguardable':

    "Shay's unguardable, Joker, LeBron to an extent, Steph to an extent, KD...there's a lot of great players out there who are unguardable." (12:19)

  • On defending in previous NBA eras:

    "...that's why Jordan was so dynamic…he did all that in the era where you could punch people...if he played in this era, he'd be probably averaging 40 or 50 points." (12:59)

2. Changes in the NBA: Then and Now

• Shifting Role of Veterans:
  • "Vets were always playing. The rookies were never playing." (02:38)
  • Now, he sees a lack of mentorship:

    "There's no vets, hardly. There's no coaching, like no one to really show you the game or give you the wisdom." (02:48)

• Shorter Careers & Injuries:
  • On modern athletes' injury woes and short tenures:

    "They got to figure out the injury stuff...maybe shorten the season...a lot of games being played, a lot of back to backs." (03:27)

• Game Evolution:
  • Reflects on the rise of the Warriors and a more offense-focused league:

    "Golden State was coming up at that time...they were really one of the only teams that were just running and gunning, and everyone kind of tried to copy what they did." (05:31)

  • On Steph Curry’s rise:

    "No one would ever thought that he would be, you know, this big of a player. Superstar. Change the game like he did. But you saw the work ethic." (05:50)

• Comparing Eras:
  • "I would have thrived in like the one on one system...shooting the threes and getting to the foul line." (05:14)
  • On career longevity:

    "I hope [NBA careers aren’t getting shorter]…but with injuries and style [they might]." (03:20)

3. Playoff Insights & Derrick Rose Reflection

• Most Memorable Playoff Exit:
  • "Philadelphia when I was with the Bulls...we lost that, we should have won. Right when D. Rose got hurt the second year." (07:44)
  • Rose's impact:

    "I can only take you so far...without Derrick Rose, we're not going to go too far." (08:05)

  • Rose’s unique drive:

    "His mindset, his tenacity, just the way he worked...MVP year was like nothing I’ve ever seen before...he was taking it to the rack every time, but you couldn’t stop him." (08:10–08:44)

  • On Rose's athleticism:

    "It’s just athletic ability, just the will to get to the rim. He was super fast, super quick, especially on the speed of a dime." (08:54)

4. LeBron, Pacers/Heat Rivalry & 'Unguardables'

• Playing Against LeBron:
  • "My daughter still doesn’t like him to this day because he fouled me hard one time." (09:56)
  • On LeBron's playoff mode:

    "He just had to switch...especially in Miami, it was crazy." (10:17)

• Unguardable Players:
  • Names current elite stars who can't be covered one-on-one:

    "Shay's unguardable, Joker, LeBron to extent. Steph to an extent." (12:19)

• The GOAT Debate:

  "Right now, for me, it’s Jordan, Kobe, and then Bron." (13:26)

5. Impact of Social Media & Trades

• Social Media Pressure:
  • "When we lost...to Philadelphia, I got a lot of death threats for passing the ball." (14:05)
  • Shows resilience and detachment:

    "I feel like if someone wants to threaten me, they'll walk up to me and say it. None of those people who tweeted that would have come into my face and said that." (14:41)

• Modern Player Mobility:
  • "There’s definitely no loyalty...it’s a business...I think the players have a lot of say now, more than they ever did." (15:59)

6. Life After the NBA: Investing, Writing & Community

• Angel Investing:
  • Investments include Instacart and a professional pickleball team; interested in tech, wellness, and private equity.

    "I love the angel investing, private equity, VC world. It's always interesting to me." (16:56)

  • Goal: Make more in investing than his NBA earnings.

    "That was my goal—to make more off this venture than in my playing career." (17:22)

  • Influences and books:

    "The guy named Rashawn Williams...he's my mentor. He's on Shark Tank now." (17:39) "Why Should All The White Guys Have Fun?" and "Angel List" cited as his favorites. (17:56)

• Children’s Books & Animation:
  • Working to turn his books into a cartoon:

    "Trying to turn my books right now to a cartoon series...there’s not a lot of African American cartoons out there either, and ones that teach and preach positivity." (19:10–19:21)

• Quiet Storm Foundation:
  • Runs a foundation that provides free basketball, after-school health programming, and a Black history essay contest.

    "Just trying to empower kids, give them a different sense of humility, sense of being, and just a chance that knowing that they can go out there and make it." (19:39)

7. Parenthood, Vegas Living & Youth Sports

• Parenting Teenagers:

  "They just talk back. They think they know everything...but they'll come back eventually, hopefully." (00:59)

• Living in Las Vegas:
  • "Vegas is expensive now...you've gotta make at least $100,000 to be comfortable." (20:41)
  • Observes the larger changes, increasing cost, shifting sports culture, and potential for more pro sports teams in the city.
• Youth Sports View:
  • Did not push his kids to play sports, wary of mental health impacts:

    "I had a lot of friends with mental issues and depression...didn't really want them to go through that...But sports teaches a lot: resiliency, teamwork..." (22:07)

  • Critique of AAU basketball:

    "It's not about development for the AAU system. It's just about who can make the most money off a kid and a team..." (22:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kobe Bryant’s Toughness:

  "Kobe for sure. Kobe was just like...I don't know what I was doing. I was calling for a double team." – C.J. Watson (00:01, 11:52)

• On Playing with Derrick Rose:

  "That MVP year was like nothing I've ever seen before...you knew he was taking it to the rack every time, but you couldn't stop him." – C.J. Watson (08:39)

• On GOATs:

  "Right now, for me, it’s Jordan, Kobe, and then Bron." – C.J. Watson (13:26)

• Candid on NBA Realities:

  "It’s a business...the players have a lot of say now, more than they ever did." – C.J. Watson (15:59)

• On Social Media Hate:

  "None of those people who tweeted that would have come into my face and said that." – C.J. Watson (14:41)

• Vegas’s Cost of Living:

  "Vegas is expensive now...you've gotta make at least $100,000 to be comfortable." – C.J. Watson (20:41)

• Real Talk on Youth Sports:

  "I said I would never be that parent because I've seen a lot of kids...their parents do that to their kids, and I didn't want that for my kid." – C.J. Watson (22:36)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:00–00:22] — What it’s really like to guard Kobe & LeBron
• [01:10–02:23] — Teenage years, focus on college, and career expectations
• [02:23–03:45] — Business side of NBA, length of NBA careers, and injuries
• [05:31–06:20] — Influence of Warriors, Steph Curry’s work ethic
• [07:44–08:44] — The Bulls, Derrick Rose, and playoff heartbreak
• [09:39–10:20] — Pacers/Heat playoff battles, LeBron’s playoff switch
• [12:19–12:59] — Who is unguardable in today’s NBA, defensive changes
• [13:15–13:39] — GOAT debate: Jordan, Kobe, Bron
• [14:05–14:52] — Social media hate and coping with criticism
• [15:16–15:59] — NBA trades, business, and player loyalty
• [16:56–17:22] — Angel investing, Instacart & pickleball
• [19:07–19:29] — Transition to children’s books and cartoons
• [22:07–22:55] — Parenting philosophies, AAU and youth sports

Final Thoughts

C.J. Watson shares a nuanced outlook on life in and out of the NBA: the mental and physical challenges of guarding all-time greats, adapting to a changing league, life after basketball, and building a lasting legacy through business and philanthropy. His grounded, practical perspective is especially valuable for anyone interested in the human side of pro sports, family, and personal reinvention.