Maxwell Lewis : He Almost Quit Basketball… Now He’s in the NBA | DSH #1560

Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Digital Social Hour
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Maxwell Lewis, NBA Player (Los Angeles Lakers)
Episode: #1560 – "He Almost Quit Basketball… Now He’s in the NBA"
Date: October 9, 2025

Sean Kelly sits down with Max Lewis for a candid conversation about Lewis’s unconventional path to the NBA, overcoming setbacks, absorbing NBA life with the Los Angeles Lakers, and his journey from a late-blooming high schooler to a promising pro. Full of personal insights, locker room stories, and reflections on basketball culture, the episode highlights the resilience and attitude required to chase professional basketball dreams.

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Key Discussion Points

Max Lewis’s Unconventional Basketball Journey

• Late start in basketball:
  • Max didn’t play AAU or travel basketball as a kid—his first real introduction came late in high school (00:00, 13:25).
  • “I was just a regular kid playing outside and just doing basic stuff. I never really got introduced to it… I played AU my 9th grade year and just got better.” – Max Lewis (00:00, 13:25)
• College path and challenges:
  • Began at Pepperdine for two years; overcame a serious wrist injury that altered his NBA draft chronology (01:13).
  • Considered alternative development pathways (“Chameleon BX”), but ended up choosing college after a brief, unsuccessful stint (02:30–04:10).
  • Credits coach Lorenzo Romar for helping him reach the league, highlighting Romar's reputation (04:13).

Life and Growth in the NBA

• Physical and mental adaptation:
  • The leap from college to NBA level involved adjusting to the faster game and developing his body (from 198 to 213 lbs) (05:21, 05:31).
  • “It’s a lot faster, you know, you got to be stronger. Those guys are really physical.” – Max Lewis (05:21)
  • Details the complexity and demands of NBA play, especially with the Lakers' attention to detail and schemes (06:19).
• Handling pressure:
  • Lewis feels little pressure after coming from low expectations (“no one thought I would have made it”)—instead, he sees each step as a bonus (06:35).
  • “It’s expectations, no pressure, just playing.” – Max Lewis (06:55)
• Learning from Lakers veterans:
  • Praises LeBron’s leadership, particularly his punctuality and professionalism (07:19).
    • “He says being on time actually is being late… he’s always just in the gym before everybody else.” – Max Lewis (07:19)
  • Commends D’Angelo Russell’s intensity and vocal leadership and values being around seasoned players (07:19, 07:56).
• Patience and development:
  • Acknowledges focusing on development; while feeling ready to play elsewhere, Max appreciates learning within a championship environment (08:18, 08:24).

The NBA In-Season Tournament Experience

• Winning and the quick turnaround:
  • Recalls the Lakers’ tournament win in Vegas and the contrasting reality of having to fly out that night for a G-League assignment (09:01–09:39).
  • “I had so many people at the game… We had Moneybagg Yo in the locker room, I’m singing with him… next morning I had to go play in the G League.” – Max Lewis (09:01)
• Financial details:
  • Shares the experience of getting the tournament payout (about $300K after taxes), and the excitement of seeing it hit his account (10:14–11:42).
  • Chooses to spend his winnings responsibly—paid off his car and saved most of it (11:54).

Roster Role and Aspirations

• Current contract details:
  • Three-year contract with a team option for a fourth; focused on doing all the “little things” to extend his stay (12:30).
  • “If I just do all the little things, right…they’ll resign me.” – Max Lewis (12:30)
• Game modeling:
  • Models his game on Rudy Gay, aiming to be a 3-and-D player but striving for versatile contributions (12:59).
• Late blooming as a competitive advantage:
  • Observes that starting basketball late might reduce long-term overuse injuries (14:14).

Candid NBA & Locker Room Tales

• Pranks and rookie duties:
  • Endured classic rookie pranks—fetching equipment for LeBron and almost getting soaked with a cake for D’Angelo Russell’s birthday (16:58, 17:46).
    • “Coach is like, ‘Rooks, sing Happy Birthday.’…holding the cake…and he like, tried to throw it like the cake literally on me…But it was fun though.” – Max Lewis (17:46)
  • Notes that initiation is tradition, but “it could have been worse”—some rookies rack up huge dinner bills (18:39).
• LeBron, the gamer:
  • Confirms LeBron is a serious Madden player, reputedly top 10 worldwide (18:59, 19:10).
• Off-court hobbies:
  • Played saxophone for years before basketball; wants to pick it up again (19:31).
  • Enjoys video games (Fortnite, 2K, Call of Duty) but finds limited free time during the season (20:52, 21:20).

G-League and the NBA Pipeline

• Switching between leagues:
  • Describes being on assignment to the G-League—more playing time, faster pace and a place to hone individual skills before returning to the NBA (09:56, 22:05–22:28).
  • Averaged 15-16 points per game in the G-League as a rookie (22:32).

Personal Life and Pets

• His dog, Rylo:
  • Shares a funny story about bringing his mini cockapoo “everywhere” during his rookie year, even sneaking him onto road trips—a move that isn’t league-approved (23:11, 24:01).
    • “I literally brought him with me… trying to sneak him, but I’m like, I don’t know if that’s a good look…” – Max Lewis (24:01)
  • Now has a proper dog-sitter in place (25:15).

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Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• Max on NBA learning curve:
  “It’s not just ‘go out and play’. It’s a lot of schemes and just a lot of details. But I’m definitely adjusting more and more as time goes on.” (06:19)

• LeBron’s professionalism:
  “He says being on time actually is being late. He’s always just in the gym before everybody else…” (07:19)

• On development and belonging:
  “I feel like I can play on any other team, but this is a good team to really learn. And they always say if you can play on a championship-winning team, you could play for any team.” (08:24)

• On rookie hazing:
  “I remember one time LeBron asked me for this like Xbox travel thing… they only had one in Germany… I was just so like, scared to call him back and be like, I can’t get it.” (16:58–17:08)

• On youthful injuries and longevity:
  “That’s true. It’s just a lot on your body. My body hurts right now and I just started putting a tear on it. Imagine the guys that been doing this since they were, you know…” (14:14)

• On passion for music:
  “I do want to pick up the saxophone again… That was before I was into basketball.” (19:31)

• On G-League differences:
  “It’s a lot faster. Like, transition is just back and forth. Like, it’s barely stopped…everyone’s hungry for that contract.” (22:05)

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Important Timestamps

• Early basketball experiences: 00:00–01:07, 13:25
• Discussion about college pathway: 02:30–04:13
• Coach Lorenzo Romar’s impact: 04:13
• Transition to the NBA: 05:21–06:19
• LeBron and Lakers veterans: 07:19, 07:56
• NBA In-Season Tournament experience: 09:01–09:39
• Tournament payout moment: 10:14–11:42
• Contract and role: 12:30
• Modeling game after Rudy Gay: 12:59
• G-League assignments and comparison: 22:05–22:32
• Rookie hazing stories: 16:58–18:39
• Dog story (Rylo): 23:11–24:01

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Tone and Style

• The episode maintains a casual, friendly, and candid style, mirroring the natural back-and-forth of a locker room conversation.
• Max Lewis is humble, reflective, and forthright, sharing both humorous and challenging moments.
• Host Sean Kelly keeps the conversation energetic and relatable.

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Closing

Listeners walk away with a strong sense of Max Lewis’s resilience, humility, and genuine love for basketball, along with a behind-the-scenes appreciation of NBA locker room life. The episode is not just about stats and games, but also about perseverance, mentorship, and the often-unseen grind behind the glamour.

Transcript

[Max Lewis]

I started late. Late bloomer. Growing up, I really wasn't just playing AU and traveling. I was just a regular kid playing outside and just doing basic stuff. I never really got introduced to it. Once I did, I was already kind of late, but I got introduced to it late when I was in high school. I played AU my 9th grade year, and I just got better once I played 15, 16, 17U and then just went from there. I feel like I could play on any other team, any. Like the Rockets or the Spurs. But this is a good team to really learn. And they always say, if you can play on a championship win, you could play for any team. When playoffs comes, LeBron literally was like, that's when. Like, it's no mistakes, it's perfect. That's when whoever's good on the team, that's when it shows, you know?

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

Playoffs is the real deal.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. All right, guys, Max Lewis here today. Thanks for coming on, man. Yes, sir. Not often a guest is taller than me.

[Max Lewis]

How tall are you?

[Interviewer]

Six. Six. Oh, wow.

[Max Lewis]

Right there. Six, six, eight?

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Damn. Did you hit that in high school or did you keep growing after high school?

[Max Lewis]

I'll say I kept growing. Like college. I was five when I came in as a freshman. Then, like, I left at, like, 6, 7.

[Interviewer]

Damn. You were still going to college, Pepper Dying, right?

[Max Lewis]

Yes, sir.

[Interviewer]

How many years you play there?

[Max Lewis]

I did two.

[Interviewer]

Okay, two. And you were out? Yeah. Was that the plan?

[Max Lewis]

That was initially the plan. I wanted to leave after my first year, but I had broke my wrist. It was, like, three games left of conference, and I was. I stole the ball, went up for a dunk and, like, landed, like, right on my wrist. And I was like, gotta go back another year. So did that. And really took. Took off after.

[Interviewer]

Nice. How far did you guys make it in the tournament?

[Max Lewis]

We didn't make it to the tournament, but we were just. We were just pretty young, you know what I'm saying? It was just, like, six sophomores on the team, no seniors. We really have, like, no real vets on the team, so it was really just us. But we didn't really. We didn't make a tournament run.

[Interviewer]

Okay.

[Max Lewis]

We just were solid.

[Interviewer]

So if you're not on, like, a big team, you could still get drafted, though.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. Yeah. Mid major is definitely where it's at. I feel like if you're good enough and the GMs and those guys, they know if you're a pro or not, I don't think it matters on the level, you know what I'm saying?

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Cause it's hard to shine on an elite team. Cause everyone's so good, right?

[Max Lewis]

Exactly. It's just a better platform if you are on like a big five team. Power five at team. I meant like a Kentucky or Duke.

[Interviewer]

You know what I'm saying? Was that your thought process when you were choosing a college? Like, okay, I might not get as many minutes at some of these schools.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, no, that actually wasn't the plan. I don't know if you, you probably were going to ask me before, but around Covid, after high school, I had had this opportunity come up to me, this person, and it was like, do you want to work with me for a year? And it's called, it was called Chameleon BX at the time. And it was me, Kyrie Walker, Marjon Beauchamp and this other dude. But it was us, it was us four. And they were like, we'll pay you. And you know, you just work out with me for a year and put your name in the draft. And at the time, no one was getting like offered like that. Like, I don't even think Ignite was a. I mean, yeah, G league Ignite was a thing. And I'm like, like, yeah, like let's do it. But before that, my offers, my, like my top five was like St. John's Oklahoma, Baylor.

[Interviewer]

Baylor's. Nice. Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

I had had a good top five, so I wanted to go. I was gonna go to Baylor, but I just thought it was the best idea for me since COVID I didn't think like college was gonna be a thing at the time. I thought they was gonna shut like everything down, you know what I'm saying? So I took that and it didn't work after like four months, like, like the whole business went bankrupt and it was bad. So after that I went back to the drawing board and my AAU coach was like, you have to go to college. And I didn't really have those offers I had at the time and only had like Pepperdine, San Diego State, UC Santa Barbara, those mid major schools. And at the time, Lorenzo Romar was there. That's like the best coach I ever had. And he helped me get to the league for sure.

[Interviewer]

Wow. What do you think made him so good as a coach?

[Max Lewis]

Just his background, like, if you don't know him, then I feel like you don't know basketball in my opinion. Like, he just, he was on the championship winning team of ucla. I don't remember exactly when it was back in the day, in the 19, in the 90s. But who else? What else did. Oh, and then he was a head coach for St. Louis. You know, he just always. He, he was a head coach for Washington. You know, he did. What's his name? Isaiah Thomas. You know what I'm saying? Nate Robin. Nate Robinson. Yep. He had him and he had those guys. He got him. Markel Fultz was the number one pick, you know, so he had a good background. So.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, false was nasty in college, man. Injuries.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

What? He's one of those what if players. You know, I just saw him get waived and it's like damn, dude. If he didn't get injured, who knows.

[Max Lewis]

Exactly.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, it sucks crazy how one bad injury, but it's. Glad. I'm glad you recovered from that one.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, I appreciate that.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, I feel like the wrist ones you can recover from, but the, the knees.

[Max Lewis]

Exactly.

[Interviewer]

You know, the acls. It's tough.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. It leaves a toll on you.

[Interviewer]

Absolutely. How tough was that transition from college to pro?

[Max Lewis]

From college to pro. It was definitely different. It's a lot faster, you know, you got to be stronger. You know what I'm saying? Those guys are, are really physical.

[Interviewer]

Did you have to put on weight?

[Max Lewis]

Exactly. I really put on more weight now. Last year I was like 198. Now I'm like 212, 213, you know, saying.

[Interviewer]

So that's all muscle too. Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

So it was, it was, it was a lot, it was a lot more schemes and more plays and more specific. Especially like being on the Lakers. Like I feel like they.

[Interviewer]

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[Max Lewis]

Go anywhere, take that stuff really seriously. It's not just go out and play like it's a lot of schemes and just a lot of details, you know what I'm saying? But I'm. I'm definitely adjusting more and more as time goes on.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Did you feel like the pressure was way more intense too?

[Max Lewis]

I'll say pressure for me, you know, from like my story and, and my background. Not really, you know, because I really came from nothing. I went to Pepperdine, so no one thought I would have made it to where I made it. So this is all just. Just going from here. You know, it's expectations, no pressure, just playing.

[Interviewer]

Have you been learning from the vets on the team?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, for sure. They're. There's some good vets. They're really mature and they take it really seriously.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. You got Braun ad d', Angelo, right?

[Max Lewis]

Exactly.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. It's tough to make it 10 plus years in the NBA.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, it is. And we have like four guys on the team that got 10 plus, so it's good.

[Interviewer]

What have some been things, like some takeaways from them that they've told you or shared with you?

[Max Lewis]

Well, just being around Braun and, and stuff like that. Just seeing him be on time. Not even on time, like, just early. He says being on time actually is being late, you know what I'm saying? So he's always just in the gym before everybody else and, you know, they're just. They're just big leaders, you know, Dlo was with Kobe, so he has that like, little mentality, you know what I'm saying, where he's like, he gets on you and just pushes everyone. He's always talking and just the loudest one in the room, you know what I'm saying? So those guys are just good. I love, I love being around them and just showing me the way.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

Whenever my turn comes, I love it.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. I think it's important to have vets these days. Yeah. Because you see some younger teams, but as soon as they get in the playoffs, they kind of struggle, you know?

[Max Lewis]

Exactly. It shows, you know what I'm saying? When playoffs comes, LeBron literally was like, that's when, like, it's no mistakes, it's perfect. That's when whoever's good on the team, that's when it shows, you know, playoffs is. Is the real deal. Yeah.

[Interviewer]

You got to have a lot of patience too. Right. Work your way up because I'm sure you're itching to get out there and play more.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. It's just with me, my situation, they're just trying to develop me as much as possible. I feel like I can play on any other team, you know what I'm saying? Any, like the Rockets or the spurs, but this is a good team to really learn. And they always say if you can play on a championship winning team, you could play for any team. So I definitely want to get a role on the. On the Lakers.

[Interviewer]

I love that. Can't wait to see it, man. Yeah, you Guys got a deep roster though.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, we're deep.

[Interviewer]

I mean, I can probably name eight guys right here. I can't do that with many other teams.

[Max Lewis]

Exactly. Yeah, we're. No, this is la, so, yeah, Lakers.

[Interviewer]

Is basketball super important. One of those markets in season tournament. Last year, what was that experience like?

[Max Lewis]

It was great. You know, at first I really didn't understand what was going on. I didn't know what it was, but I just remember like, oh, we win money if we win. So that was just great just to. And I'm from Vegas, so just playing out there was great. I had so many people at the game and it was just, it was a great experience, just winning. We had a money bag. Yo, in the locker room, I'm singing with him. And it was just, it was fun. It was a good celebration. And it's funny because literally the next morning I had to go play in the G League. So they called me. It was like, oh, you got to get up at 6 in the morning.

[Interviewer]

Damn.

[Max Lewis]

I'm like, all right. So I didn't even do it. I didn't even really celebrate, you know what I'm saying?

[Interviewer]

You didn't go out with the boys?

[Max Lewis]

Nah, I didn't even go out. I just stayed at the crib, the hotel and just left in the morning.

[Interviewer]

Damn. So, yeah, because you were on a two way contract, right?

[Max Lewis]

No, I'm not. I'm. I went 40.

[Interviewer]

Oh, 40.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, I went draft. I got drafted, so.

[Interviewer]

Oh, so they could just call you whenever though. How does that work?

[Max Lewis]

Basically, like when you go down to the G League, you're more like of an assignment, you know what I'm saying? So just to go down there and learn. But I'm more. I'm mostly with the team most of the time.

[Interviewer]

Oh, God.

[Max Lewis]

Just to get some burn after a while if I'm not playing or anything.

[Interviewer]

So. Yeah, that makes sense. Damn, that's wild. 500k must have been a nice payout.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, that was after. After taxes, but yeah, it was nice.

[Interviewer]

Oh, it's 500k after.

[Max Lewis]

No, after. No, it was like 300. Oh, yeah.

[Interviewer]

Still decent. All right.

[Max Lewis]

Still.

[Interviewer]

Was that the most you made at the time as a player?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, most I ever made it once. It was funny because me and my, my teammate at the time, we were hanging out and shout out to today's sponsor, Quince.

[Interviewer]

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[Max Lewis]

We got back home and we checked our phones and it was like, oh, it's 11:59. Let's check, let's check our accounts. And like the whole thing just.

[Interviewer]

It hit that quick?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, it was like a week later.

[Interviewer]

Damn.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. I was like, wow. We were like up screaming like we won the lottery and we were going crazy.

[Interviewer]

Oh, no. That's major though because for newer players entering the league, a lot of that money is not guaranteed. Right.

[Max Lewis]

Exactly. So that was a good, good money to really just have and know you got it.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. So did you buy a house with it?

[Max Lewis]

I did pay my car off and yeah, I saved a lot of it.

[Interviewer]

I love it, man.

[Max Lewis]

Was it always winning again?

[Interviewer]

Yes, sir. This year I'll be. That was a cool idea, to be honest, because the season's so long. 82 games. Right. So I feel like fans kind of like get lost halfway through.

[Max Lewis]

Right. Need something to make it interesting, you know. 82 is a long time.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean that's, that's hella tear on the body.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, for sure.

[Interviewer]

You know. Do you think you'll be like, I don't know the exact details of your contract, but is this something you want to do long term on the Lakers.

[Max Lewis]

For right now I have a three year play. An option player, option four. I'm at team option four. So after this year, if I just do all the little things, right. You know, not on the court, but just everything off the court. Right. And they'll resign me and then after next year is like, what's up? Like what are we, what are we doing?

[Interviewer]

Talk business, baby.

[Max Lewis]

Am I gonna stay in LA or am I gonna do whatever? So this is just learning right now, Learning years I love it.

[Interviewer]

Who do you model your game after?

[Max Lewis]

I model my game after a little bit of Rudy Gay, my trainer was like, he just made me watch him. And the more I like back in college, you know, my college role and coming out of high school now, it's different. I'm more of a 3 and D guy, but to my full potential, I feel like I could be like a Rudy Gay or somebody like that.

[Interviewer]

He got buckets. I remember Rudy Gay. Yeah. And he was consistent. I remember he played a long time in the league. You started late hooping 14 years old, right?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, I started late. Late bloomer. Growing up, I really wasn't just playing AU and traveling. I was just a regular kid playing outside and just doing basic stuff, you know what I'm saying? I never really got introduced to it. So once I did, I was already kind of late. I was like 6 foot, wearing a size 15 shoe. Like it was, it was crazy. But I got introduced to it late when I was in high school. I played AU my 9th grade year and just, I just got better once. I played 15, 16, 17U and then just went from there.

[Interviewer]

Damn, that's such a late start. These days I feel like parents are having their kids play like when they're five. Yeah. Like four or five years old. Yeah. But on the flip side of that, you see a lot of these younger guys getting injured because I think they're playing too much.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, that's true. It's just a lot on your body. Yeah, my body hurts right now and I just started putting a tear on it. So imagine the guys that been doing this since they were, you know, I'm saying.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

So.

[Interviewer]

Well, a lot of the tall guys are just more injury prone, right?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Like you see them get injured all the time. Yeah. So. But you're, you've been fortunate not to have any major injuries other than. Right. Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

Big blessings.

[Interviewer]

Hats off to you, man. Who was your favorite dunker?

[Max Lewis]

My favorite Dunker was definitely Dr. J. Growing up, my dad always used to turn the TV on. We would watch the all star game and the dunk contest and it was just dope just to see a dude his height, his size do that stuff, you know.

[Interviewer]

How tall was he?

[Max Lewis]

I think he was about 6, 4, 6, 6 something. I could be wrong, but he got up there.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, we'll have to fact check that one. Did you watch the dunk contest growing up?

[Max Lewis]

A little bit. I watched the one Dwight Howard won. The one Zach Levine won was fire. Him and Aaron Gordon. I was fire.

[Interviewer]

That was the best one I've ever seen.

[Max Lewis]

I never really watched like an MJ one or like one like back in the day, you know?

[Interviewer]

Yeah, well, the quality is not the best. Almost.

[Max Lewis]

Right.

[Interviewer]

I just had Coutinho Mobley on the show. I was pulling up his highlights and it was so blurry, really. I mean, when you played in the 90s and early 2000s, camera sucked. Yeah. Now everything's in 4K, right. Too.

[Max Lewis]

Too close. Can get your nose here. It's like.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, it's almost too good. Because now when you get crossed up, it's like, oh, well, seeing that.

[Max Lewis]

Right.

[Interviewer]

Who are the most, like, I guess the toughest people.

[Max Lewis]

You've had to defend the toughest people. Well, one of them just because, like, I'm with him all the time. I'll definitely say Cam Reddish because, like, he's in. He's like. He sometimes is in the stay ready group with us.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

And I will play five on five, and he'll just like, play like how he did in high school, college, like, just tween. He's just how he moves. And who else? I would say I'll definitely say Austin Reeves playing him like he's a bucket. He's just so good at drawing fouls and he's just really smart. You know what I'm saying?

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

And I'll say dlo, too. I play him during the warm ups. I'm not even trying to think of people like. But that's just who I guard every day, you know? So those three guys, some good, good defenders.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. Dlo's shot's hard to block.

[Max Lewis]

Exactly.

[Interviewer]

I mean, he pulls up so quick.

[Max Lewis]

Super.

[Interviewer]

And ar. I mean, he's gonna have a great season. I feel like. I think he's gonna average like 15 to 20.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, he's gonna fry.

[Interviewer]

He had a great first game. And Cam Reddish, like, people don't even know. Like, these guys that aren't even playing can still hoop, you know?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. If he just had the right opportunity, I think he'll be good.

[Interviewer]

Absolutely. Was your rookie year pretty rough? Were they pranking you? Punking you?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, rookie year was really interesting to me. I definitely had to do a lot of things. Like, I remember one time LeBron asked me for like a. Like this, like, Xbox like, travel thing. I don't know what it's called. It's like a. Like a. You have to. You could take it on the plane and play and stuff like that. And they only had one in Germany, and he asked me like, the day before, so I'm looking. I was asking everybody, like, my agency and if they can get it for me really quick. And they asked, they was like, no, it takes like a week. And I was just so, like, scared to call him back and be like, I can't get it. I didn't know what he was gonna do. But other than that, it's cool. Like, I have to bring cards and stuff. I'll probably say the most, like, funniest one was it was dlo's birthday.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

And after the game, the coach is like, rooks, like, sing Happy Birthday. And so they made me hold the cake, right? And so I'm holding it and the lights is like lit up and stuff the flame on the cake. And after he's like, like, come closer because we all like sang it and like, so he can blow the candle. He like, tried to throw it like the cake literally on me and like, I scooted back and like, everybody was laughing and stuff. But like, it was fun though. Like, it was a lot, but it was, it was fun. Now that I'm not one anymore, I can just chill and get on the flight. Don't have to worry about everything.

[Interviewer]

It's tradition, right?

[Max Lewis]

And then it's tradition. He said he had it way worse like when he was with Kobe and.

[Interviewer]

Oh yeah, I can only imagine. I heard stories like, yeah, you had to buy food for everyone. Yeah. Put it on your bill. Even if it's not like 2,000 bucks.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, no, I never did that. Like, I heard like when you go to dinner, like, I heard like ten thousand.

[Interviewer]

Holy.

[Max Lewis]

A ten thousand dollar, like bill for a rookie. So that's. I haven't. I didn't have it that bad. You know, it could have been worse.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. 10k for a rookie. That's like their whole net worth check.

[Max Lewis]

You know what I'm saying? Check.

[Interviewer]

That's craz. Yeah. Bron don't mess around with his video games though.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. Now he's a gamer. He's like top 10 in Madden or something like that. Yes.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, because I was watching that Netflix show starting five and he was playing Madden.

[Max Lewis]

That's all he plays.

[Interviewer]

Damn, he's top 10 in Madden.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, he's good. Oh, he talks about like he's a. He's a gamer. So I gotta go play Madden. Yeah, gotta play. I gotta get on Madden. Like that's his game.

[Interviewer]

I think it's smart to think of stuff like that while you're playing. Like what you could do afterwards.

[Max Lewis]

Right.

[Interviewer]

And streaming and gaming is hot right now for sure.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

And podcasts have you ever thought about. Because I know you used to play the saxophone. Have you ever thought about monetizing other hobbies in the future?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, I do want to pick up the saxophone again. Like, I used to play for, like four years, so that was. That was cool. That was before I was into basketball, you know. So then it's like once I got introduced to basketball, it was just like a lot, you know? So I just wanted to focus on hoop. I started getting offer. So I'm like, I'm gonna put the saxophone down, but I want to pick it up sooner or later just to. To get back into it and maybe.

[Interviewer]

You know, go from there, join a band.

[Max Lewis]

I don't know about that, but I do want to do something with this.

[Interviewer]

That's a lost instrument, I feel like these days. Yeah, I don't see it.

[Max Lewis]

Not our generation. No, it's definitely like a.

[Interviewer]

You must have an old soul or something.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, my uncle, like, got me introduced to it and I tried it. I got good at it. My pops was paying for lessons. I was doing like three, three days a week lessons. Like, he was. He wanted me to be good because he wanted to play. Yeah, he, like, wanted. He wanted me to play because a.

[Interviewer]

Lot of parents do that. They live vicariously through their kids.

[Max Lewis]

Exactly.

[Interviewer]

I. In my school, they made everyone play. Pick an instrument. I did trumpet.

[Max Lewis]

Okay.

[Interviewer]

It was tough.

[Max Lewis]

Solid.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, it was tough.

[Max Lewis]

Like, people think just because it's only three, like, it's so easy, but, like, it's. It's not.

[Interviewer]

Nah, there's different. Like, I don't even know what to call it. You know what I mean?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, yeah, it was.

[Interviewer]

It wasn't easy, man. That's why I respect those musical artists so much, especially with the instruments. Because that stuff is no joke, right? For sure. Yeah. You into video games or anything like that?

[Max Lewis]

I play 2K. A little bit. I play a little Fortnite. I'm about to get on cod. A new one. Call of Duty. My agent just sent me the. The. The code, so.

[Interviewer]

Okay. Okay.

[Max Lewis]

Whenever I get a time, we get on it.

[Interviewer]

We're gonna have to run some Fortnite, bro.

[Max Lewis]

Let's do it.

[Interviewer]

You play no Build or. Yeah, yeah, I don't play. Those kids. Those kids are. Try hard, bro. Oh, my gosh.

[Max Lewis]

It's too much.

[Interviewer]

You probably barely have time to even play, though, to be honest.

[Max Lewis]

On the road, we do. You know what I'm saying? Because, like, when we land, like, we have all that time before we have to go to sleep and stuff.

[Interviewer]

So how you're traveling, like, half the year, right?

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, I'm traveling. And, like, being in the G, like, you go like, you're in Detroit for, like, four days, and you'll go with the big team. Like, you're never at the house. You're always, like, when someone else is away, then you're away, you know?

[Interviewer]

Yeah. So, yeah, that must be tough on friends and family. Right. Because you're just on the go so much, and then you'll.

[Max Lewis]

You'll book their. Their flights, and then thinking that you're here, but you just got called from the gym or you got to go to this state with the G. You know what I'm saying? So it was a lot last year.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. How does the G league come, like, differ compared to the NBA?

[Max Lewis]

It's a lot faster. Like, transition is just back and forth. Like, it's barely stopped. Like, they don't really stop. Wow. So.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, because everyone's hungry for that contract.

[Max Lewis]

Exactly. So it's just. It's faster, but it's fun, you know, you get to work on your game and keep your confidence up. So whenever that time you get called up, you're, like, ready, you know? So you get way more shots up than you would on a regular team, you know? So that's good.

[Interviewer]

Facts. How much. How many points per game you averaging there?

[Max Lewis]

Last year I averaged about, like, 15, 16.

[Interviewer]

Nice. You know, so for a rookie, that's. That's fire. Yeah. Well done, brother. Matt, you played against Mac McLung over there.

[Max Lewis]

No, I didn't.

[Interviewer]

Oh, you did.

[Max Lewis]

I think when we were supposed to. I got called back with the big team, so I wasn't.

[Interviewer]

I'm ruined for him, man. Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

Nah, me too. I like his. I used to watch him in high school. Same bounce.

[Interviewer]

Yeah, Bounce for days. And he's been kind of doubted, I feel like. Yeah. Like, he hasn't gotten a deal last few years, but he's still trying.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, it's tough.

[Interviewer]

Yeah. He's winning those dunk contests, man.

[Max Lewis]

He is. He's showing. He got some athleticism.

[Interviewer]

Facts. Well, dude. Oh, yeah. Let's show the dog here.

[Max Lewis]

It's my son, Rylo, man.

[Interviewer]

When did you get Rylo?

[Max Lewis]

When did I get him? About a year ago from today. His birthday is October 25, so happy birthday tomorrow. Facts.

[Interviewer]

Go. What breed is he?

[Max Lewis]

He's a mini cockapoo. He's a cocker spaniel and a poodle.

[Interviewer]

It's awesome.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, it's my dog.

[Interviewer]

I love dogs, dude. I got two.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. Really?

[Interviewer]

Yeah. They're life changing. Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

I have a funny story. I don't know if I'm supposed to share this, but I probably. It's probably okay. But early on when I first got in the league and I didn't really know, obviously, like, I know it was dumb, but I didn't have a. When I got him, was like super random. Out of nowhere, like, the lady was like, oh, your dog's ready. And I had pre order him in this. Like, like, saved a spot. Like, book my spot.

[Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Max Lewis]

Way before. And I thought about him like, I don't want one anymore. But it was too late. So I took him. Three days later, the G League is like, oh, we got like a 10 day road trip. And I didn't have no one to watch him. And I literally brought him with me. Like, him with me, like, in the hotel room, everything. Like, I was trying to sneak them, but I'm like, I don't know if that's a good look. And so I just like, told one of the trainers, I was like, yeah, he's with me. And then I thought it was cool. And then come to find out, I get back and one of the. One of my teammates is like, yeah, bro, you. You effed up. Like. Like you weren't supposed to meet that dog. Like, it's all like, I. I got shit for it for like, like a couple months. But it's better now.

[Interviewer]

But you got to sign him up as a service animal.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah, but you just can't in the league. You can't.

[Interviewer]

Oh, you can't.

[Max Lewis]

Can't bring a dog.

[Interviewer]

You know, you were bringing him to the games.

[Max Lewis]

Like, I brought him everywhere. Like, I swear, like, everywhere he was. He wasn't just chilling at the hotel. Like, I'm holding him to hold him with me at the game.

[Interviewer]

So he was on the.

[Max Lewis]

He was in the locker room.

[Interviewer]

You're wild. And yeah, I do a lot for my dogs, though, so I could. I could feel that.

[Max Lewis]

Yeah. But it was early, so now I got to. Now I got a dog sitter.

[Interviewer]

Got a sitter. That's cool, man. Well, good luck tomorrow. And where can people keep up with you, man?

[Max Lewis]

On my Instagram is Max Lou, 22. And that's really it. I'm not really on any other social media. Boom.

[Interviewer]

We'll link below. Thanks for coming on, brother.

[Max Lewis]

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

[Interviewer]

I hope you guys are enjoying the show. Please don't forget to like and subscribe.

[Max Lewis]

It helps the show a lot with the algorithm.

[Interviewer]

Thank you.