
Loading summary
T-Mobile Advertiser
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption. Acquired card has no cash access and expires in six months.
Katherine Legge
The more you listen to your kids, the closer you'll be. So we asked kids, what do you want your parents to hear?
John Wall
I feel sometimes that I'm not listened to. I would just want you to listen to me more often and evaluate situations with me and lead me towards success.
Katherine Legge
Listening is a form of love. Find resources to help you support your kids and their emotional well being@sounditouttogether.org that's sounditouttogether.org brought to you by the ad.
Alec Baldwin
Council and pivotal hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, here's the thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policymakers and so many other fascinating people like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd.
Jon Stewart
I love writing more than anything. You're left alone.
Draymond Green
You know, you do three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon. Go pick up a kid from school and write at night and after nine.
John Wall
Hours you come out with seven pages.
Draymond Green
And then you're moving on.
Alec Baldwin
And actor and comedian Jack McBrayer. The most important aspect is the collaboration with people that I like, I trust are talented. That has been the most amazing gift to me about this crazy business that we've chosen. Meeting these people who have such diverse talents and you're able to create something together. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Katherine Legge
Hey you guys, I'm Katherine Legge.
John Wall
I'm a racing driver who's literally driven.
Katherine Legge
Everything with four wheels across the planet. And I've got a new podcast. It's called Throttle Therapy. This season I'm competing in some of.
John Wall
The world's most notorious racing events.
Katherine Legge
Tune into my new podcast, Throttle Therapy with Katherine Legge, an iHeart women's sports.
John Wall
Production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Katherine Legge
You can find us on the iHeartRadio.
John Wall
App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Katherine Legge
Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports the volume Calling All.
Draymond Green
College basketball fans I have some must watch TV for you. In two exciting new docu series, VI Sports will follow legendary head coaches, AR's John Calipari and St. John's Rick Pitino as they lead their teams through the ups and downs, triumph and trials of this long, competitive college basketball season.
Alec Baldwin
Each series features unprecedented behind the scenes access exclusive interviews that provide an intimate look at their coaching styles and how each works to get the most out of their players.
Draymond Green
Calipari, Razor's Edge is airing now on.
Alec Baldwin
Mondays at 10pm Eastern and Patino's Red Storm Rising premieres now and on Tuesdays at 10pm Eastern Time only on Vice TV.
Draymond Green
Tune in each week. Check the link in the bio for where to watch Vice tv.
Alec Baldwin
That's right.
Draymond Green
What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Draymond Green show with my dog, bd.
Alec Baldwin
You the boss. You the boss. How you feeling?
Draymond Green
I feel good, bro. I'm getting stronger, man. You know, I'm working, working, putting the work in so I can get back. Not playing basketball is boring, so doing rehab sucks. I do a lot of rehab, so I shorten it. Doing that every day is whack. But I feel good, bro. I'm getting stronger. That's the goal. We'll see, you know, so. But I feel good, brother.
Alec Baldwin
Good.
Draymond Green
Can't complain. But before we get into this, this special episode, please subscribe to the Draymond Green show with Baron Davis so you don't miss any episodes.
Alec Baldwin
That's right. Follow the show on all social media platforms at Draymond show so you don't miss none of our amazing announcements before our guest interview. I like to hear your thoughts, Trey, on the recent buzz suggesting that it may be time to blow up the Warriors.
Draymond Green
It's crazy. I saw that. I was like, I saw something that had a trade pack with me and Steph packaged together. I said, damn.
Alec Baldwin
That'S harsh.
Draymond Green
Yeah. I was like, damn. And then they gave reasoning behind it and I was like, man. And yeah, I just don't know. Like, like Steph Curry's an all star starter.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
Draymond Green
Like, and I like to think I'm a halfway decent basketball player at this point. And so I just don't know that the answer is you got an all start. Like if you say you want to be a good team.
John Wall
Right.
Draymond Green
Right. I'm not sure the answer is like, trade away an allstar starter. Okay. So let's get past that. I'm also not sure the answer is trade away. Just at the trade deadline, guys who've built a dynasty of an Organization that never had a dynasty. Like, I don't think that's just the method of things. So I get his point, you know, so I get his view, vantage point, you know what I'm saying? I understand what he's saying. I got what he was getting at. I'm just not sure that that's what's gonna happen at a trade deadline. Like, that's kind of, that's like something that like so many people have to talk just on a respect level and what's been built, you know what I'm saying? To do something like that at a trade deadline, I just don't think is high.
Alec Baldwin
Um, no, I don't think just too many moving pieces.
Draymond Green
Like, I. I just don't foresee that happen.
Alec Baldwin
Not definitely not trade that line. But as far as, you know, that time people are starting to say, oh, it's that time. Like, what are the warriors going to do? They've been hovering. They started out hot, you know, but when I look at your season, I say it's a. This is going to be your ultimate test. Because once you guys get everybody back, y'all gotta hit a. Y'all, y'all. Y'all just won six game, five game winning streak away from being back and forth, quiet building, and then you have the talent, right? Kaminga came a long way this year, right? Especially with you out. I think his breakthrough game was the Clipper game I went to when he finally figured out I can do everything right, offensively, defensively, you know, I think that he has so much more room to improve. I think the whole team got room to improve. But when you look at the injuries and how you guys have been injured, it's been staggering and it's like staggering injuries, right? Get off to a good start, then everybody start falling off. First it was D. Mel, boom. Then that was just the domino effect of, you know, the testament to the season. So I don't think personally that you're at the blow up phase. I think when you look at the record, you say, oh shit, they're in 11th or 10th. But you're also three games out of fifth. Fact, four games out of third, five games out of third or something like that. So I wouldn't panic. But I know like long term people are thinking, oh, it may be time to blow up the Warriors. I feel like, just like I felt in the beginning of the year, you guys are right there, talent wise with everybody else.
Draymond Green
There's not many teams that is from a talent perspective in the NBA. Cleveland has a good amount of talent. Okc, obviously, Boston. Right. But most NBA teams in the talent pool is kind of like right there. Which by the way, is what y'all wanted. Like y'all want it. No super teams, y'all wanted no dynasties, y'all wanted like fair play. Psych. Like, that's what everybody wanted and that's essentially what you got. And then everybody's saying the league ain't that fun like that. Like now you see, but, but like beggars can't be choosers, right? Like you, you chose that. You, like that's, that's the game that everybody wanted. Like, oh, we don't want to see Kevin Durant with the Warriors. We don't want to see. And now that you don't see those teams, it's not as exciting because you always speak about like those rivals, you.
Alec Baldwin
Know what I'm saying?
Draymond Green
Like having those rivalries, it's hard to.
Alec Baldwin
Create that with parody.
Draymond Green
It's hard to create that. And so, yeah, I definitely think we're still. Hey, if I just look at the games we just completely blown this year. Just those games alone were in fourth place, third place.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, that's four games right there.
Draymond Green
Like we've completely just blown like taking games light a match to it. Like completely blown games. So just those alone, we right there. And what does right there mean? Does that mean we're right there to win a championship? No, that's not what that means. That means we're right there with the rest of everyone else that's trying to figure it out and we, we have a chance to figure it out and we gonna do that and we gonna go for that. So that's what it is. That's where it's at. That's what it's gonna be for now. And we will continue on long term. Long term. At some point it's got to end. Right?
Alec Baldwin
Like all great.
Draymond Green
Like a long term, it's ending for sure. Is it closer to the end than.
Alec Baldwin
It is or it's a transformation, right? Yeah, yeah. I wouldn't necessarily say you guys have the ability to have a transformation.
Draymond Green
Yes.
Alec Baldwin
Right.
Draymond Green
And that's, that's kind of the whole idea of when you go on a two part timeline, right. Like not just going to go in all vests because you know you're going to bottom out with.
Alec Baldwin
Right.
Draymond Green
So you can go on this two part timeline right now. It's starting to get to that point of where you start to see it need to flip. That's kind of what you were going for. So you still Got to give that a chance to work. You can't just abort mission because that's a two timeline thing. That's not a one year thing. No, like it takes time to build up guys, to be ready to get at that level. So that's kind of what we, we went with. And you're kind of getting to that space now or where you see if it pans out ultimately. But you still, you're still not at the point of where it's like, oh, it was supposed to pan out this year. Like, I think you're still in that room. Like, Jonathan Kaminga doesn't have a new contract. Right. So you're still in that space.
Alec Baldwin
I think the smart teams make transformations. They don't blow things up and start over. Because if you blow something up and start over, you have to get lucky. That means you got to have the number one pick. When it's the number one pick and it got to be a wimby, it got to be a, you know, one of them ones. And then you have to have, you have to rebuild. It takes you way longer to rebuild to be mediocre. Right. Or to be. Well, to be mediocre and not make the playoffs. Right. Then it takes you to transform to be in the top 10, which is still a playoff position, and be one or two players away from being in the top four.
Draymond Green
Yep, yep. That's a fact. Well said.
Alec Baldwin
And I like that too, that two parts. I like what you said about that, like playing the two parts because that, that's the transformation as, as two more years, those kids are going to be all stars, enough for awards and they take the reign. And now you don't have to go and get veterans because your veterans are contribute high level. Like just like we talked, you know, on previous podcasts, you need vets to stabilize, but the vets are going to win the playoffs for you 1,000 years. Right? So new terrain for them, old terrain for them. You know, it's, it's. They've been through it together 1000%. Yeah, I like that.
T-Mobile Advertiser
Who's scoring big in the NBA this season? You are. All the new ways to get in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. Slams. Dishing the ball, cleaning the glass. Get behind your favorite players. Prop bets you can make on DraftKings. It's fun. The home of NBA player props. If you're ready to place your first bet, make it really simple. Pick how many points your favorite player is going to score. Go to DraftKings Sportsbook. They have an app. Download it. Make your pick. If you're a first timer, here's something special new DraftKings customers. All you have to do is bet 5 bucks. Get 150 in bonus bets instantly. So take it to the rack with DraftKings sportsbook. Every point counts. Download their app. Takes 90 seconds. Use the code Colin C O L I N to get 150 bones in bonus bets. Betting just five only on DraftKings. The crown is yours.
John Wall
Gambling problem. Call 1-800- gambler in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 In Connecticut, help.
T-Mobile Advertiser
Is available for problem gambling.
John Wall
Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Boyd in Ontario. New customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio.
T-Mobile Advertiser
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show, and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondence and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or or wherever you get your podcasts.
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say With Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else you can find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk Pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I, I texted you and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but like all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm going to be honest, it was a little pink.
Alec Baldwin
There was something sentimental.
John Wall
When you, like when you send it.
Alec Baldwin
It'S like, do I send the heart now?
Bobby Bones
I don't like the color edition.
Alec Baldwin
It's extremely pink.
Bobby Bones
Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Mel Reid
Hey, this is Mel Reid, LPGA Tour winner and six time Ladies European Tour.
Katherine Legge
Winner and Kyra K. Dixon, NBC sports reporter and host.
Mel Reid
You forgot to say warmer. Miss America, by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please with Mel and Kira.
Katherine Legge
We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haps and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their.
Mel Reid
Superpower or just people we like. Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, Brads and chads.
Katherine Legge
Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code and we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle, we, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baliotis.
Mel Reid
So if you want to keep up with us, and here is Yap, tune into our new podcast, listen to Quiet.
Katherine Legge
Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
Draymond Green
We got a incredible guest today. The number one pick in the 2010 NBA Draft from the University of Kentucky, all NBA all defensive team member, five time NBA all star, NBA slam dunk champion, none other, the one and only J Wall. What's up, my brother?
John Wall
What's up, sir? I ain't much chilling how you, bro?
Draymond Green
I can't complain, dog. I can't complain at all, man. We appreciate you coming on, bro.
Alec Baldwin
John Wall, my dog. What's up? Happy to have you on the show, bro. Happy to have you on the show. You know, you know how I feel about you. You know, you wanted the greats, you wanted a grace of your Time. You're a game changer. You came in, and I say, you know, you have the same kind of effect from the media side, like Allen Iverson. When you think about social media, when you think about, you know, becoming an icon early, right, and being able to hold that, carry that torch, right, and lead this new generation. I always look at you as, you know, a legend in your own right and a pioneer as far as being able to shepherd in this new energy of point guards, right? The dudes is dunking guys with personality, speed, and quickness. You know, how do you guard somebody like that? Just wanted to just shout you out, man. Just give your flowers on the show, you know, before we get going.
John Wall
Appreciate that. Appreciate that.
Draymond Green
Yeah, that's fire. That's. That's well said, brother. I tell you what. Hey, B.D. that was incredible. You had no choice but to get.
Alec Baldwin
That brother his flowers after he dunked over my birthday.
Draymond Green
I. I'm watching this video.
Alec Baldwin
Hey, Dre, you know what? Hey, Dre, I'm telling you, it's gonna be a moment. You're gonna be like, okay, I'm on my way out. Damn. That was. That was that moment.
Draymond Green
That's when you knew the end was there.
Alec Baldwin
I jumped for the lob, and I don't know why I jumped for the live. Like, I wasn't gonna get the ball, but I didn't. Wasn't thinking. Nobody was. I didn't. I wasn't thinking like a guard, man. This man jumped all over me, dog, and bang. I looked at Mike Bibby. He was like, happy birthday. I was like, this over, bro. This over. You thought that was funny, bro? You thought that was funny?
Draymond Green
Oh, man.
Alec Baldwin
So.
Draymond Green
So question. How much money did you proceed to steal after that? If you knew. If you knew, right in that moment, it was over. How much money did you proceed to steal after?
Alec Baldwin
No, I was done. I was done. That was the year I got hurt.
Draymond Green
Yeah.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah. Hey, bro, I just came back, so I was like, damn, I'm feeling good. I'm getting some minutes after that dunk. I was like, okay, I ain't got too much long. It's. It's over. And it was over at the end of that year in the playoffs. It's up. Yeah, man. When you know, you know, you know, you know.
John Wall
Yeah.
Draymond Green
And that Jay Wall, that's your rookie year?
Alec Baldwin
Nah, hell no.
John Wall
No. Second year. That's my second.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah. That's the set.
John Wall
Yeah, that's my second year. Yeah.
Alec Baldwin
No, that's probably like, your third year, bro.
Draymond Green
Now you trying to don't try to advance him along.
Alec Baldwin
It had to be a start year because I remember. I think it was his rookie year or second year now.
John Wall
Rookie. I had him zit text on them hot tops, so I knew it wasn't that. I ain't had him on it. Give me one.
Alec Baldwin
No, but I played against say I played.
Draymond Green
Say they may say the year on this clip. Give me one second.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, the rookie. That was another person that was original.
Draymond Green
So what year?
John Wall
How.
Draymond Green
How far apart?
Alec Baldwin
And then it's like a huge.
Draymond Green
Ali Singleton is a rookie on this clip.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, it's like a huge.
John Wall
That's my second year, I think. Yeah, I think it's my second year. That's because I remember when. When is mellow. Is mellow. Mellow on the Knicks right now. Right?
Draymond Green
I see. I see sh.
John Wall
Huh?
Draymond Green
I see sh. I see.
John Wall
That's 2012. So that's my third year.
Draymond Green
Yeah. No, I see Melody, man.
John Wall
That's the year Melo came to the. Y'all came to D.C. and Melo had like 20 straight, like five years ago in the second. Second quarter for half. And Chris, like, don't send no help. I don't need no help. I say, listen, we need to send double team. This ain't no fucking shot at Florida State where you got boxes and elbows. And we just sat there literally watching this man get abused in the mid post for four minutes straight. Dre, who was the coach, he had four fouls going into the halftime.
Draymond Green
Was Flip still the coach?
John Wall
I think Flip sounded was to the coach. If not, I think that's when Randy Whitman took over.
Draymond Green
That's old school NBA, though, bro. If. If you.
John Wall
That's what I'm saying. When I came in, they was like, listen, we told coach, listen, we ain't helping if he get five. He said he don't need no help. Gonna leave him on his.
Draymond Green
Bro. That's what you don't do. We. We keep talking about what these guys don't go through now in the NBA, and that's another one of those things, bro. Like, rookies don't get thrown in the fire and be like, yo, you go stop that guy. Like, if a rookie can't guard, they gonna try to hide the rookie. Like, it's crazy.
John Wall
You know what I'm saying?
Draymond Green
Or like, yo, they'll try to go zone. And as opposed to, like, Chris Singleton, a guy who actually was a good defender, his years in the league right here as a rookie getting cooked.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, for sure, right?
Draymond Green
And y'all just like, nope, that. That is what it is. That's old NBA, bro. It ain't like that. He asked for that. Yeah.
John Wall
Then they run his own. They. They showing on screens.
Draymond Green
Yeah, yeah.
Alec Baldwin
It's. It's way different. But I do. I do remember. I think I was in Golden State. It was your rookie year, and we was beating the crap out of y'all, man. And I don't know what you did, but you just kept getting the ball out of bounds. Remember that? And you was going, one, one on five, fast break.
John Wall
Yeah, I was just going.
Alec Baldwin
Nobody could stay in front of him. Coach called three timeouts. It was like, nobody can stop him. So he. We shoot. Boom. Say we score. He get the ball. Boom. Right down the court. And he was trying to bring him back. I damn near dove in front of you, bro, just to try and smile you down. There was no way.
Draymond Green
I was like, damn, dude.
Alec Baldwin
I ain't never seen nobody. This. This was crazy. I ain't never seen nobody that fast in my life.
Draymond Green
The warriors and speed.
Alec Baldwin
Hey, hey, bro. He was. Everybody on the team. Nobody could stop him. That shit was wild. J.
Draymond Green
Wall, have you seen anybody in the NBA from baseline to baseline, as fast as you, either. After you. Before you.
John Wall
Only one I could compare. You know, like. You know how this shit go, Dre. Everybody try to compare somebody to somebody. Only guy I've seen that's, like, close to me. I'd say, dear. And Fox, he just left. Like, I wonder. I remember. I forgot what year it was. We was in Houston about to play. We had a day off for the game. I went. I drove like, an hour or two hours to go watch him play.
Draymond Green
Wow.
John Wall
And I was like, you know what? This is the one kid I can say is close to what I could see in myself, because I was basically supposed to be left handed, but he was really left handed. And I'm like, this is the only guy I've seen that was close to me with that type of speed. Like, don't get me wrong, you know, like, D. Rose is quick. Like, his quick is on a whole nother level. You know what I mean? I feel like Ja got a different type of quick, but they don't have that speed to go baseline to baseline.
Draymond Green
Facts. That's a different speed.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
So I say, only one I can say is De'Aaron Fox.
Draymond Green
Speaking of D. Rose, it's funny, I was just about to ask you a question about D. Rose, just in light of him just retiring you coming into the league where prime D. Rose not even prom D. Rose. Cause I would say like, he never got the opportunity to really reach his prime. But what we know in his career is prime D. Rose, you coming into the league, what was those matchups like, you with the. Cause the thing about your speed was. It was speed, but your speed was powerful. You know what I'm saying? Like, you played with so much force to where it just wasn't like De'Aaron Fox. Speed was like, he still got it, but he played with way more pace now. But his speed was just fast speed. I feel like yours was fast, but it was also, like, powerful. And coming into the league with a guy like D. Rose that, like you said, quick, but also powerful, what was those matchups like early on in your career against D. Rose?
John Wall
Well, I tell you this, my rookie year was MVP year for him.
Draymond Green
Wow.
John Wall
So that was hell. Just. Just to be honest. But, I mean, we played him in preseason. I was just like, damn, this might be like the first guy I say that's like, quicker, faster than me. I mean, just because he's already been in the league, he already had his twitch. He already had know what he wanted to do. Because me, like, when I watched him play in college, I forget that's playing Tennessee. I'm in Oklahoma in the Garden, and I was like, this is where I'm going to school. Like, when I seen that game and I seen him play Tennessee and Memphis, I already knew in my mind, I'm going to play for Coach Kyle. Just because the way he allowed D. Rose to play, I knew I played a similar way. But when I was in the league, like I always tell you people, it's three people that was hard. Like three people. Three to four people. Hard as me, Kyrie, because he could do everything, scoring, every level. But the hardest person I had problems with was D. Rose.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, he was a problem because you.
John Wall
Gotta think with Tim's system, everybody around him was located to play defense, and.
Alec Baldwin
He was the guy. Get the ball.
John Wall
Yeah, go get the ball. And you couldn't stop. It's unlimited pick and rolls. He's scoring that wheel. And you look at any other guards that play for tip, they all got that freedom. But, you know, D. Rose just on a different level. And like I said, like I always say, like you. You know, injuries are part of the game. But I feel like if he ain't never had no injuries, bro, we wouldn't even be talking about a lot of these other guards the way we do.
Draymond Green
That's interesting.
John Wall
That's interesting because a lot of guys was acting like they were sick when he Came in town. Yeah, I got an ankle injury off. Yeah, I got the flu. Like, he was. He was scaring people.
Alec Baldwin
He was that good.
John Wall
Now look. And I look at it like my third year, I kind of realized that to build my confidence to another level where, like, I really can go at this guy toe to toe. But at first, demar Rookie, I was like, man, this shit ain't right. This guy's different.
Draymond Green
It's always interesting to think, like, what does the guard race, if you will, or the guard outlook, like, the outlook on the position look like if a D. Rose never got hurt. If a Penny never got hurt, right, John? If you never got hurt, I don't think people realize you got hurt right in the middle of your prime. And then it's like. And we'll get into the injuries a little later. But I always wonder, like, what does the guard position look like if that never. What does the rap game look like if Biggie or Pac never get killed, right? Like, you always had those what ifs of, like, you see how it played out, right? Like Steph's. Steph's goaded. Like Russ, like yourself, like the work everybody put in. But you just always wonder if it looks different at all if D. Rose never gets hurt. Like, how does that pan out?
John Wall
It's interesting, to be honest. I feel like, man, I don't know. Like you said, like, they were so close to getting close to the championship in the east. Like, if he don't get hurt, like, how they was giving Miami a run every time. I mean, when they started to get to that point, he was right there on their toes, so. And then you had Indiana, you know, like, with Paul George is there. So, like, it's just like you say, you just never really know what could have happened or what would have went on for sure. But, you know, I mean, like you said, you definitely got to get the roses flowers, bro. Cause being the youngest mvp, having the battles against him, and it was. It was super exciting to see him go through the journey he did and fighting back, you know, I mean, I watched the game and he had his first 50 point game and breaking down in tears. And I've been watching a lot. You know, he never really talked, so I watched a lot of his podcasts he'd be having. I mean, he was talking about, like, when he realized he was injured with his toy acl had to come back. Like, people don't realize that that's the.
Alec Baldwin
Hardest thing in the world, bro.
John Wall
Like, you be on top of the world and then you Just feel like you hit rock bottom and you just got to get through that. And everybody thinks everything's fine because we make the money and we living this latter's life. But the game we love is taken away from us for the time being. So you got to fight your ass off to get back to even feel like you're 100 healthy.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, that, that happened to me, you know, I. But I was.
John Wall
I know, I watched you.
Alec Baldwin
But in college, right. And it's a lonely island, especially as a point guard, when you're an explosive point guard. Because now you have to figure out a different way to jump, a different way to land. You know how to. You gotta change your game. And I was gonna ask you that, you know, as you came into the league, you know, as fast, explosive one man, fast break. Talk about, you know, the steps of how you evolve, right, From a point guard perspective from like year one, because you made the leap from year one to year three to being dominant. Right. Talk about that process.
John Wall
I think, like, really just, man, like having Sam Cassell around, you know, I mean, him being my coach, like he was the master of a mid range. So he was like, yo, you can't outrun everybody because I'll be pushing the breaking. Like, damn, where everybody at? They not even pass half court yet. So he was like, you got to slow down. Like, you got to figure it out. So just watching film with him and understand, like you had to master the mid range. But like I always told people my whole life, I never had to shoot. Like, I always got wherever I wanted. I mean, no matter if I played up or played, I never tried to play my age. I played up. I always got wherever I want. Even in college, like they go zone or box, I find ways to get there because we were just so talented. But in the league we had real power, four real centers. So nobody's. You might. Would probably shoot 10 threes, 11 threes the whole game.
Draymond Green
Yeah.
John Wall
So your most mid ranges was your formula. So the pain is back and then you come across the lane, they hitting you. So just, just working with Sam a lot. Working with Rob McClenham at the time, that was D. Rose, you know, Kevin Love, Russ, Kevin Durant, all those guys trainer. Just teaching me the basic like, yo, you just gotta slow down, you gotta be able to knock down the mid range. Because no, you was going on these screens, it's a race to the basket. I feel like I can get there every time, but I might have a seven footer there. So just learning that, like learning how to change my pace and learn how to knock down the mid range a lot more with confidence. I think that made my game evolve. Like, I was always good at passing, always trying to get my teammates involved in finding those guys. Because I knew in the fourth quarter, if I passed the bar early on in the fourth quarter, you can't double team as much because my teammates have the confidence to make these open shots instead of them only getting the ball in the fourth quarter and they're like, damn, bro, I don't got no rhythm. So that's kind of how I took my development. Just working with Sam a lot, working on my mid range, working on change of pace and just watching film, bro, and just watch how teams was guarding.
Alec Baldwin
On a side note, I wanted to, you know, like, what. What was your favorite memory? You know, you talked about Derrick Rose. What was your favorite memory about playing against Draymond? Besides. Besides.
John Wall
I know every time he played against Draymond, he was always gonna be somewhere helping. I was getting tired. He gonna talk a little while he guarded me. But we had. We had a funny brawl. Remember that brawl we had? Go to St.
Draymond Green
Listen, I got bullied. Brad wanted to be a bully that night. I got bullied. I tried not to let myself get slammed. I don't let myself get slammed. And I still got fined $35,000.
John Wall
And then on top of that, I run over there to see what's going on, and I get punched by Kelly, got punched by my teammate. I look back like, damn, who unstopped me? It's my own team. I said, I ain't going no fight with you.
Alec Baldwin
Damn, y'all was getting down like that.
John Wall
I just. But I just think just. I mean, I think Draymond just get credited, discredited for a lot of stuff he do, but he plays with that old school mentality, you know, I mean, like, he comes with that grit and grind. Like, he's probably been a 20 point scorer in high school. I mean, go to college, things change. Get to league. He not playing early on, he find his role, he find his niche. And that's been his. Been a dog for. Been a junkyard dog for his team. But on the. Also on the other end, on the off his end, he's a point forward, can run his offense, run his team. So I think every night going against Draymond, we couldn't really put our five men on him, which most teams try to do, because if you tried to pick and roll with Steph, he's good at passing, throwing lives and finding shooters. So you got to try to go small, but that shit don't work because he's still going to post up and find ways to do it. So I think just going against Draymond, we knew what he was going to bring defensively, his intensity. And if you try to get him in Foultro, that's the only way you can kind of beat the warriors, because when he in, he makes their whole show go. Like, we know Steph is this great and that goat. We know what Clay was and. But he was just a glue guy for me, too. When we played then we had the key in on him because he makes their whole go.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, I was gonna say. I know.
John Wall
Yeah.
Alec Baldwin
I always tell you that favorite moment was playing against you.
John Wall
What's this?
Alec Baldwin
Do you remember when Draymond Green dunked on you.
John Wall
Ringing McClip?
Draymond Green
Oh, hey, hey, hey. Oh, no foul. No. Oh, look at that at the end. Speed. We talking about John Wall. Speed. Did you just see where I started from?
Alec Baldwin
Okay.
Draymond Green
He took off.
Alec Baldwin
Damn.
John Wall
Dre got me. Dre got some sneaky bounce, though. He'll dunk something.
Alec Baldwin
Thank you, J. Cause he got me.
John Wall
I got. See, see. Hey, y'all showing that. Y'all gotta show BD oh, that was crazy.
Draymond Green
That was nice.
Alec Baldwin
It was like, oh, it was like, oh, you gotta show him that, Charles.
Draymond Green
B.D. you had no business jumping.
John Wall
I ain't think he was gonna jump. I didn't know he was gonna jump.
Alec Baldwin
I don't know what the I was thinking.
Draymond Green
You know what that's called?
Alec Baldwin
It was my birthday, too, bro.
Draymond Green
That's called getting old.
John Wall
But I didn't think he was gonna jump. I just told Jordan, like, throw that loud. Throw the loud. I'm in the garden. I needed some highlight. We getting spanked anyway, man, I was.
Alec Baldwin
Gonna knock the ball. I. I thought I timed it.
Draymond Green
Oh, yeah.
Alec Baldwin
Mike bit Mike Bibby over there crying.
Draymond Green
Dude, that is hilarious, man.
Alec Baldwin
That's the only time I got dunked out like that. All right, Charles, that's enough, dog. Okay. I never forget that, man. I never forget that. I never show my son either.
John Wall
Well, you know, YouTube. Ron might be the only one gets stuck. Deleted off YouTube.
Alec Baldwin
What?
Draymond Green
Brian get deleted off YouTube.
John Wall
They gotta go. It gotta go.
Alec Baldwin
Cut.
Draymond Green
That video gotta be somewhere in the world now.
John Wall
Somebody. The reason why I brought up is somebody.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, they just posted.
John Wall
Yeah, they found. They said Brian didn't get this in the Go away, but I'm like, I ain't seen it in years.
Alec Baldwin
And it's super janky the way they. They filmed it.
John Wall
Like the film is behind the basket. Like you don't even know what's going on.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, I feel Brian probably put that out himself. Like, this is. This is the blurry edited version. Let me go and drop this. Draymond know he know that's his dog.
T-Mobile Advertiser
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
Jon Stewart
Catch Jon Stewart back in action on the Daily show and in your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. From his hilarious satirical takes on today's politics and entertainment to the unique voices of correspondents and contributors, it's your perfect companion to stay on top of what's happening now. Plus, you'll get special content just for podcast listeners, like in depth interviews and a roundup of the week's top headlines. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else are you going to find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I, I texted you and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like, it's all colored. They changed it and the, the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm gonna be honest, it was a little pink.
Alec Baldwin
There was something sentimental when you, like when, when you send it, you're, it's like, do I, I send the heart now?
Bobby Bones
I don't like the color edition.
Alec Baldwin
It's extremely pink.
Bobby Bones
Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Mel Reid
Hey, this is Mel Reed LPGA Tour winner and six time Ladies European Tour.
Katherine Legge
Winner and Kyra K. Dixon, NBC sports reporter and host.
Mel Reid
You forgot to say warmer. Miss America, by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please with Mel and Kira.
Katherine Legge
We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haps and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their.
Mel Reid
Superpower or just people we like. Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, Brads and chads.
Katherine Legge
Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code and we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle We, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baliotis.
Mel Reid
Susan, if you want to keep up with us. And here is yap, tune into our new podcast.
Katherine Legge
Listen to Quiet Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
Alec Baldwin
We mentioned you as a slam dunk champion and I'll be one of the judges this year for the slam dunk contest. Why do you think superstar players haven't, haven't recently wanted to participate in the dunk contest?
John Wall
I don't know. I think they should though, you know, I mean, like, I think like the old day they did. Like, I ain't really want to do it, but I told him, I said if I make the All Star game, I get in the dunk contest. I mean, and it was different. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna take my win. But it was different. Set up the year I did it, they want the regular way, but I never did that dump before neither. But one time, like the day before, I tried and I was like, man, I don't got nothing else to do. Either this gonna win or we gonna be losing. But I think all the stars should get into it. Like, I think that's what made All Star weekend fun, you know, I mean, you seeing all the greats that was going in the All Star game to be in a dunk contest. That's what people want to see, you know what I mean? Like, you got so many John Morant, you got, I mean, you had LeBron, you got Zion, you got all these great stars that be in the All Star game that they usually be in the dunk contest. And I think, I mean, you got to kind of try to get back to it. Because a lot of the guys that get in it, they're in the league, we know who they are, but they not like the name that everybody want to go see and be excited. I think probably, you know, me and Drake, we was there. I think the best one we had in a while was when that Aaron Gordon and Zachary went back to back. Like, that was the best one. You got to have those type of guys that's doing shit we ain't never seen if you ain't gonna have the stars in it. But it's kind of like you run out of options. Like, what more tricks can we really come up with?
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, I was gonna ask you, what would you do to get them to. What would you say? Like, what would you do to get them to compete?
John Wall
I don't think you could do anything. Cause they weren't doing it before. Yeah, they damn sure for sure not doing it.
Alec Baldwin
But, you know, if. When you look back in the league, the reason why the dun contest, to your point, the superstars, even if they got in the dun contest and didn't want to do it, like, they still gave the fans something. And then that name, that next name became a name, right? Like a Spud Web, right? Like Spud Webb became a thing and became a name because all the top dogs still got in the dunk contest, even if they wasn't tripping. And so I think, you know, it's an entertainment cadence, too, that go along with this kind of like a passing of the torch or all these dudes around, you know, a young dude, like, what's his name for the Clippers, who. Who won the dunk contest? Yeah, Jones, like, that type of energy right around these young dudes, even this year, like, finding a way to get this, you know, to get. Get them some more exposure. I like it be like, oh, who is that? Like, we know who these dudes are, but who is that? And, you know, that's the person who wind up winning and getting the name. That's how D. Brown got on, right? It wasn't because he was, you know, killer, like, or just killing. He got on because, you know, the dunk contest and got his name.
John Wall
Yeah, I think, like, if John the Kaminga won't hurt, like, you know, I mean, Dre, you see him probably do some. I feel like he'll be one of those guys that, like, people like to see him, because the dunks he do during the season, if he was healthy, if he got in there, because I seen him in My tournament, in my high school tournament and stuff I seen him do. I'm like, he'd be somebody that's a name that's right there that people are starting to hear about that can take that next jump to put him in that spotlight.
Draymond Green
Well, I think. I think, like, for. For young guys like jk, I think the thing that. And isn't just him. I just think as a whole, like, the thing that those guys don't understand is if they do, like, the dunk contest, what it can do for their personal brands. You know what I'm saying? So everybody, we live in this day and age where all of these young guys want to. Want to kind of push their own personal brands, right? But you have these rare instances, like a NBA All Star. I mean, like a dunk contest that you can do. Like, Mack McClung became somebody doing a dunk contest. He's not even in the NBA, you know what I'm saying? So just for what it could do for guys, personal brands, you would think that more young guys would do it for that reason. You know, before Zach Lavine ever became an All Star, he was at the dunk contest and made a name for himself, you know, And. And so I. I think young guys miss out on that side of it when. When they decide not to do it. I think they're leaving a massive opportunity on the table.
John Wall
I agree.
Draymond Green
Speaking of All Star weekend in general, feel like your all Star appearances, the game was still better. Like, it. Like, it wasn't the best, but it was still competitive. Competitive, like entertaining.
Alec Baldwin
I would say.
Draymond Green
What. What would you say has to happen today to get the game back good? Like, the game last year, the game was pathetic. Like, what do you think has to happen to get the game back good?
John Wall
I don't know. I think, like, they. And what they try to do, like, a total score every quarter, like every half or something. Like, I think they just got to go back east versus west, you know? I mean, to me, I feel like you should go east versus west, but it's hard to see, man. Like, I don't know, how can you raise the stakes to get everybody to want to compete? You know what I mean?
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
Because if your star stars, like, the guys that we want to go see ain't competing at a high level, it's kind of hard.
Alec Baldwin
It's too friend. Everybody too friendly.
John Wall
Like, it's like everybody just everybody too cool. All right, well, I'm gonna let you shoot 23s or I'm gonna let you get 90 dunks. And go get 50 points. Like, it's like, it's no pride into it, you know, I mean, like, you know, early on you might get a little bit of showcase here and there, but like you still want to keep the game close. And then, you know, we knew it going into the fourth quarter.
Draymond Green
It's go time.
John Wall
Lace them up. We trying to win, but like now it's just like you might be down 50 by the third quarter. I don't know. It's kind of hard to say because I like, you probably wonder too, like, how can you get the game back? And I'm like, I think it's just slipping away. Like, I think they got like a new format this year, right?
Draymond Green
That's a new format.
John Wall
It's like, like if the rookie sophomore game, whoever win that one play. So I didn't buy trying to see that.
Alec Baldwin
Gimmicks instead of watching dudes.
John Wall
But you're giving the rookies and sophomores the opportunity to feel like, oh well, I'm all star. Like for them, if they get the opportunity to play against the real all Star, they're gonna feel like they all stars at the time being, you know, I mean, so they gotta find a way.
Alec Baldwin
What is happening?
John Wall
They're gonna keep losing the fans. I think like the rookie sophomore play each other, right?
Draymond Green
So the way is. So you, you know, it's 24 all stars, 12 from the east, 12 from the west. There will be three teams of eight and they all make up three teams. And then the rookie all star game is doing the same thing. It's like three teams of eight or something like that. And the winner of their little bracket is going to be the fourth team versus the three teams of eight All Star.
Alec Baldwin
Oh, wow.
Draymond Green
And they'll play like some game.
Alec Baldwin
But don't they like one team play a game, they go to the locker, come back. Yeah, that's going to be hard to get all Stars to one play eight minutes, then go in the locker, chill and wait for another.
John Wall
They gonna check out.
Alec Baldwin
I mean, they gonna be checked out. What's missing, I think is the old school way. And nobody had no, no beef with each other. Nobody really like, oh, I get double team. So, you know, you can't double team me now. Kind of like that mano a mano, right? It's none of that. There's no beef. There's no, you know, nobody like, there's nobody antagonizing. The opportunity to get people riled up, to go at each other. Nobody goes at each other. And so at the End of the day, if everybody the John point, if you cool, then everything cool. And what. What we're watching is a lot of threes, dunks, and, you know, kids are like, man, I can go do that outside with three people. Right? It always looks like three people on the court and never like a full court game. So they got to make it a full court, five on five. The best players playing against the best players just for reasons, for names alone. And I want to make sure that people know I'm the best shooting guard, I'm the best point guard. I think that's what that was your. That was the last era of like, your time, John. You feel what I'm saying?
John Wall
Yeah. You went at each other like, oh, I don't like you throughout the season. And then I think, like, with these teams, like, I might have be with you. I might don't want to play against you. I'm just put you on my team. You know what I mean? But I feel like the one person that can't. Not one person can change the whole All Star formula, how they do it. But I feel like the one kid I know that got is Ant Man.
Draymond Green
Yes.
John Wall
Like, I feel like he gonna find somebody if he's starting or I'm gonna find somebody I don't like and I'm going at him. You know what I mean? Like, you need that type of competitiveness. Like, I mean, just what you need. I mean, I feel like if he go against KD or if he go against D Book or he go against Donovan Mitchell or whoever the next two guard is, he's trying to let them know, like, I'm the best two guard in the league. And I feel like he can bring that to the All Star Game. But I don't feel like he's at the level now where everybody will follow along. You know what I mean? But I feel like he can get there at some point. But you hopefully assume so that the All Star Game don't kind of go away with people just like me. You know what? I don't even care about it on the weekends. Yeah, we used to wait. We used to couldn't wait till Sunday and be like, man, I'm ready for this game now. It's like Sunday, people want to leave. They don't even care about going to the game.
Draymond Green
I think. I think one of the things, you know, that the NBA has to realize is also, like, when the games were good and the games were competitive, you also have to remember, like, BD back in y'all time, the Prep that y'all have for to get ready for a game. And the prep the guys have today are totally different.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, way.
Draymond Green
You know, there's. There's osteos, you know, you got pts. Like, you have a whole different type of prep now for games than when. Than back in the day. And so I think that's a huge part of it. Like, I think the NBA need to prioritize, yo, for every one of these guys who gets them ready for games during the season, okay, I know that first supposed to be on All Stars, I'm going to pay them $5,000 extra, $10,000 extra to be at All Star Weekend to prep Steph Curry, to be at All Star Weekend to prep, you know, and. And to make sure every single guy has their prep. Now, with that being said, no other requirements from All Stars. There's no other requirements. If you do some personal require, you know, some personal things that you want to do, then do that. But there's zero other requirements from All Star. The only thing you are here at All Star Weekend to do is to be ready to compete in this game. Get your body ready to play at a high level. And I think that's what the NBA needs to do. They need to make. Because to John's point, by the time you get to the game Sunday night, you've done so much, you've had so many obligations that it's like, oh, now we got the game. Like, man, get me out of here. But as opposed to if. If you don't have anything on the weekend, like, nothing. No requirements. You got this game in the NBA, but you can't make it so corporate, though. So you gotta pick what you want, right? Do you want a great game or do you want this corporate thing where, oh, the All Stars are here. And I think they need to make that decision because right now the game is suffering and guys live like it's just different now.
Alec Baldwin
Those used to look pick and choose.
Draymond Green
One just on that vibe.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, it used to be a thing. You look forward to the game, right? You're gonna get some dudes gonna get the big dogs gonna get their rest. The new guys gonna be out trying to get their name up. But you knew you had to show up to practice, media day and probably one or two appearances. That's it. But now you look at, you know, the game is so global. The responsibility on these dudes, the attention on these dudes, that they kind of just want to not be seen and chill. Like, All Star Weekend was like, it used to be rest but you treated it like it was another game. Like, this is the game I'm playing with all the juggernauts. Like, let me show who I am. And I don't think people get. We not setting our guys up for that or setting them up to fight. That should be the best fight, the most entertaining fight.
Draymond Green
Moving on. We had. You spoke about Sam Cassell and the impact, you know, that he had on your. On your game. We had him on the pod. He shared this story about you getting emotional after losing 25 games when it wasn't even December yet. Tell you a story.
John Wall
John Wall, his rookie year, he lost eight games. From high school to college. Two years knocked on my door.
Jon Stewart
I said, what's going on?
Draymond Green
John Wall, in tears.
Alec Baldwin
In tears, crying.
Draymond Green
He done lost 25 games.
John Wall
It ain't December yet.
Draymond Green
He asked me, say, OG, is it.
Alec Baldwin
Gonna get any better?
John Wall
You ask any guys I ever coached.
Draymond Green
I'm not gonna lie to you.
John Wall
I ain't gonna lie to you.
Draymond Green
I ain't gonna lie to you.
Alec Baldwin
I said. I looked him in the face.
Draymond Green
I come on.
John Wall
I broke him. I said, no.
Draymond Green
And guess what, J Dub, I throw.
Alec Baldwin
Him a towel, man. I say, it's gonna be bad next.
Draymond Green
Year, too, but we gotta grow. Absolutely. You gotta keep working. Can you walk us through that moment during your rookie year?
John Wall
I ain't gonna lie, man. We went on the road, we probably lost, like, 24 straight rolls. I'm like, what the hell is this, mind? You know? Like, my whole life, I probably never lost that many games. Like, in one year, I just left college, lost three games, and they called it the Doo Doo bowl, bro. We playing Cleveland. They lost 24 straight games complete. And we lost 24 straight on the road. So we just like, man, we gotta win this game. We finally get a win. I was like, if this how I go, I'm like, yo, we gonna lose like this. Can y'all just pay me and I go back to college and play? Like, can we make this work some way somehow? And I'm like, how long is it gonna last? He like, probably about two more years. You gotta draft some more guys. We gotta hopefully trade with some people. And I'm like, bro, the league is not like this. I'm like, there's no way. People don't care about. Because, you know, you first come in, you just looking like, I know people care about the game. Yeah, it's like, we losing. We grown. Like, we outside, like, bro, I don't want to be seen. We just lost by 30.
Draymond Green
Definitely.
John Wall
Like, I Want to just order room service. I don't want to be seen in the bar, nowhere downstairs. But like, it just taught me a lot though, because I had a lot of good vets though, throughout the years, you know, I mean, like Drew Goodening, Trevor Reza, Al Harrington, Andre Miller, Paul Pierce, just always talking to me this before he was my teammates, like after game they come whispered to me my ear, like, just stay the course, just continue to work. Like it get better at some point. And I think that kind of helped me a lot because I wasn't used to losing that much and I wasn't used to like being that type of environment. But I think just having great vets around understand that I was willing to work, I was willing to listen, I wasn't scared to ask questions. That kind of helped me pave my way. They figure it out throughout the league.
Draymond Green
Did you ever get used to the losing? Like, do you feel like at some point you ever like, just like, you know what it is, what it. Or did you ever not reach.
John Wall
No, I kind of, I kind of knew going like, you know, you go high pick, you're not gonna really go to a good team.
Draymond Green
I appreciate that. I wouldn't know.
John Wall
I was like, I knew it's like going through a rebuild process, you know what I mean? So I'm just like, all right, you know, I mean, Gil was there, so they was getting ready to trade Gill, you know what I mean? Then I had like Andre Blatch, Nick Young, Javille, and those guys was young because they didn't play as much when you had Karan Butler, Antoine Jameson, those guys there, they're huge. So just learning from those guys and just trying to build like who we drafted, who we drafted. And I remember like what, two, three years in a row we had like a top seven pick, you know what I mean? We had number six pick. Then we had, I remember we had like two first round picks, like back to back two years in a row. So I'm like, all right, hopefully we drafting the right guys to fit with our team. And I think that's the key to like all these GMs. They like a lot of GMs. They don't. I think a lot more players should be GMs. I mean, because we know the game very well. Just because you nice and I'm nice don't mean we mesh together. You know what I mean? You got to figure out, do they. Is they going. Is they going to balance it out, right? So I think that's more thing we got to Figure out with more GMs and things like that. But I think, like, down the road, it's about the work you put in as a player. Don't get used to the losing. So I never got used to it. I just like, okay, we got to find a way to get out of this. Like, what can I do to get better myself? I never try to blame the team. I'm like, well, Jon, can you come back better? And hopefully my other teammates are coming back better. And then we finally figured out, like, my third, fourth year figuring out, getting.
Draymond Green
Over the hump and looking back on it. Do you think the GM that you had that was doing the drafting, do you think he ultimately did a great, a good job?
John Wall
I think we missed out on some pieces. I think we missed out on a couple pieces. You know what I mean? Like, we could have drafted Clay. I mean, we took. We took Yambeshi. We thought he was the overseas Blake Griffin at the time. No, we did. That's what they drafted. That was it for sure, because he was athletic. But I'm like, yeah, we need a two car. This is before we drafted brass. I'm like, we need a two guard. You know, I mean, with me, I'm like, I need a two guard, knockdown shooter. The way I get into the paint, fine shooter. That would have worked for us. You know, I mean, I think. I mean, we got Brad, right? For sure. You know, I mean, I think Otto Porter was the best situation at that time. Coming out being a great three man for us and a slasher. We had guys, Trevor Booker, that was at that time for the four man. He was a hard worker, play hard, do all the dirty work. So those guys we drafted, you know, I mean, you try to hit on the right ones, but same time, it's hit or miss. But I feel like we missed out on a couple of pieces that could have helped us. Because imagine we draft. We draft Clayton next year, you get Brad.
Draymond Green
All right, we cool.
John Wall
Then I'm straight. I got a 2 and a 3 that's shooting the piss out the ball. I'm okay with that.
Draymond Green
Absolutely.
John Wall
You know what I mean? But it goes like that. But I also think so, like, when we got to that point, you also gotta try to make some trades. I think we did some great trades of getting Gore tie. You know, I mean, to help me a lot of my pick and roll, having Nene. I mean, then we got Trevor Reezy to help us at the three position going against Bron in the east and those guys. So he was a great mentor for us just because he had a championship, a championship pedigree to know what's going on and things like that. So he kind of helped me mold and understand like, okay, bro, you the best player out here. Every night. You got to think that. Like, you can't think nothing. Otherwise.
T-Mobile Advertiser
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T Mobile, keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com heap and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
Jon Stewart
Catch Jon Stewart back in action on the Daily show and in your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. From his hilarious satirical takes on today's politics and entertainment to the unique voices of correspondents and contributors, it's your perfect companion to stay on top of what's happening now. Plus, you'll get special content just for podcast listeners, like in depth interviews and a roundup of the week's top headline. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Bobby Bones. Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirror ball trophy from Dancing with a Star. So where else are you gonna find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit of everything because we got lots to say. I, I texted you and you texted me back. Now I don't know if you have the update, but like all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. If felt like I told you I loved you, I'm going to be honest, it was a little pink.
Alec Baldwin
There was something sentimental when you, like when, when you send it, you're like, do I send the heart now?
Bobby Bones
I don't like the color edition.
Alec Baldwin
It's extremely pink.
Bobby Bones
Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Mel Reid
Hey, this is Mel Reed LPG tour winner and six time ladies European tour.
Katherine Legge
Winner and Kira K. Dixon, NBC sports reporter and host.
Mel Reid
You forgot to say all my Miss America, by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please with Mel and Kira.
Katherine Legge
We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haps and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their.
Mel Reid
Superpower or just people we like. Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, Brads and chads.
John Wall
Yeah.
Katherine Legge
It's actually life's cheat code and we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle We, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baliotis.
Mel Reid
So if you want to keep up with us, and here is yap, tune into our new podcast, listen to Quiet.
Katherine Legge
Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
Draymond Green
I think we all have a moment in our careers, like, where there's a matchup that you take personally. You just mentioned mine. Like, for years in my career, I'd say maybe my first seven years, like, until I really felt like, all right, I've done enough in this personal matchup and in my resume to where, like, all right, I feel like I'm good with that now. Like, I've done that. And we all had that matchup of guys in our career. For me, it was Blake Griffin. Like, when I came in, everybody like, yo, this the next young dude up, right? Like, Blake was in it all NBAs and he was in the West. And so for me, I'm like, all right, if I'm trying to become an all star, that's the guy I need to go at and I need to take down. Who was. Who was that guy for both of y'all?
John Wall
I would say for me, Miles was gonna be D. Rose, you know, I mean, then he got hurt. Other than that, it would be Russ, because Russ was on the West. But for me, I'll say Kyrie. I mean, he was on the east.
Draymond Green
Okay?
John Wall
You know what I mean? Every time we played Cleveland, I know that game was on tnt. I know it was on espn. I'm like, these shoes got to be laid super tight because you know what Kyle Branging, like, you know what I mean? You've been against Khan of Finals. And he just. For me, I feel like he's the most skilled basketball player. There's nothing he cannot do on the basketball court. Catch and shoot off the dribble, post ups, left hand floater. So for me, I knew I had to lace these boots up. Like, forget what happened the night before. Forget going to dinner late. I'm. No, I'm in his bed getting some rest and I'm going at it. So I feel like Kyrie would be my guy. Like, that's who I say, I would always look forward for that matchup.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, I'd say for me it was always like Iverson or Kobe. Kobe. Because I, that was the only time I got a chance for people to see me on TV at home. When they, it was different back then, bro. When the league passed, you know, they come back, they come to Charlotte. Kobe coming to Charlotte. I had to put on the show or, you know, Allen Iverson, because growing up, everybody wanted to be like AI. Had it crossed over like AI. And I knew if I need to put myself in a certain category. But in our era, it was like night after night you had like, you had nightmares. Sam Cassell. Yeah, you got nightmares. You better get some sleep. Nick Van Exel, you're gonna have nightmares. You better get some sleep. Tim Hardaway, like, all these dudes was like, you know where I was when you dunked on me, John? Right. And so it was like one by one trying to take them out. And I think as I got older, you look at like Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash and Tony Parker, which a lot of people don't give a lot of credit to. Those were the dudes that, you know, I wanted to take out or had a certain chip on my shoulder when I saw them.
John Wall
Yeah, I had to stretch my rookie. I was like, nah, the league set me up. I had, I had, I had D Rose, Rondo and I go out west. I got Dan Williams. Yep, Utah, Russ and Steve Nash. I said, this some bullshit. Steve Nash won. Then they're like 10 for 10 for me, against me. And like, you know, you know, there's nothing you do. He run around the basket, he don't stop his dribble. I'm like, bro, this dude is cold. Like, yeah, so I had it. Like, I was just like, I had that. Do you know, I mean, I can't forget cp, you know, I mean, I had CP at the time. You still had Tony Parker. I mean, people forget about going Dragons. He was hooping at that shit. Like it was. I was like, yeah, the league is some guards in this.
Draymond Green
That's when every night at the point guard position was heading.
John Wall
Oh, yeah, for sure. And then. And then also, I couldn't go guard. No three man or a small four man that Mike can't shoot in the corner. You know what I mean? Like, I have to guard every night.
Alec Baldwin
Take your man.
John Wall
It was no ducking, no matchup. And I'm like, bro, I got to do this on the offense end and do this on the other end. So it was great. It was a time, like, I came in a great time where I had to play against a lot of great guards, and it kind of like, molded me to put my competitors level to another level.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah. I was going to say that as a guard, you come in and you shape by, like, your rookie year, you played against Rondo. He played way different than Steve Nash, who played different than Darren Williams, who played different than Chris Paul, who play different than Derrick Rose. And if you get caught up in trying to figure them out, right, then you'll never figure out who you are. And make them. You gotta make them scared of you.
John Wall
That's.
Alec Baldwin
That's what happened my rookie year.
John Wall
Oh, no, that's. Yeah, that's how I looked at it. I had to make people like, okay, like. And I try to make it to where it's not a matchup, you know? Like, I'm trying to go every possession back at them. Because if you like deros at that time, you try, oh, he score. I gotta go score. You know what I mean? And then we can't forget, like, when Steph started to figure it out and doing him, I'm like, oh, this is B.S. like, I gotta run around 90 screens, like. You know what I mean? Cause he don't stop moving. So I feel like that's the like. So when people say guarding stuff, I like, it's a whole nother level, because y'all set so many screens. Like, he might have a shot, throw it, and they hold it. He going off two more screens. I'm like, fuck, I ain't guarding nobody like this. So I'm preparing myself for this one game of how he's going. You know what I mean? Like you said, it's always different ways you got to guard certain people, and it just make it difficult.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah. One of my favorite memories of your career was your game when he shot against the Celtics in 2017. Yeah, it was ironic. What do you remember about the shot and what was that play? Was the play designed for you?
John Wall
No. Dre know the play. Cause Dre. I know Dre. Watch film. It's the same play we run all the time. I decoy to the corner, the four man dive. Brad gets the pin down from Gore. Tie. He pulled the catch. The ball at the top of the key. Marcus Smart was on top of the play. So I just legally run out the corner. Like, just give me the ball. Danny got a five second violation and stepped out of bounds. And I'm going against a great defender, which I don't understand how he never was all NBA first team. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but I don't think we Bradley ever made all NBA first team, which he should have. I might be wrong, but he was a hell of a defender. I played against him since my 11th grade year in high school. He played with Dual Gatti on the Seattle AU team. So I take one dribble and I'm like, bro, I can't get to the basket. I know they're not calling no foul. So I'm like, my only shot is to shoot the three when they go home. And you know, I mean, the went in and it was up after that one time.
Draymond Green
2016.
Alec Baldwin
One time.
John Wall
One time that year. Oh, it I'm wrong. He made it that one year, I was about to say, but I knew, like, trying to get by him with a certain time on the clock. I was like, it ain't gonna work. So I just pulled up and. But then it almost hit a damn bank shot. My heart was like, please don't.
Alec Baldwin
I need my game winner. This one, man.
John Wall
I need this. It's my one that maybe that helped me get my all day right there. 13.
Draymond Green
Okay, that in that same vein with the Celtics, that series they came in in all black, saying game six was a funeral. I remember you mentioned in the post game, was that a discussion for y'all going into that game? Like, yo, like talking about that because at that time, like, the fashion wasn't as in your face like it is now.
John Wall
Nah, like for me, it's like, you know how you sit back in the locker room, they got a little TV on and they show the teens walking in. I'm like, damn, this were all black.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
Hell no.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
He can't wear no fin. Like all black. And some somebody said funeral. So I kind of took it personal. You know how you warming up for the game? I tell the guys, like, yo, we can't lose. Like, they treating it like we done with. Like, they already put us in the cast. We over. And I'm like, we just gotta. We Gotta figure a way out. So, I mean, luckily, we came back and got the win, and then, you know, we lost in Game 7. But I feel, like, ironic. That's probably one of the best series in a long time. Like, was going toe to toe. And we really had real beef throughout the regular season. Like, we had real smokes throughout the regular season. So to get to them was very. Like, we needed that. Like, I wanted that smoke.
Draymond Green
Nah, them the fun times, man, when you got a little chippiness back and forth with a team, and then you get. You get matched up with that team in the playoffs. Like, we've had those times with, like, the Memphis Grizzlies. We've had those times with Houston where it's like this chippiness amongst you. Every game you got that same chippiness. And then you meet in the playoffs, and it's like, all right, here we go. Like, I got you.
John Wall
And, you know, every game is different, bro. Every game gonna be different. You, like, even you go down, too old, you up, too old, you like, man, shit, it ain't over.
Draymond Green
It don't matter. It don't matter.
John Wall
And, like, that's how I felt when we played Atlantic. We got to play Atlanta earlier that series. And I was mad because 2015, when I had Paul Pierce, I fractured my hand, and I finished the whole game. 1. I didn't know I had five fractions in my hand. I go to the back, take a shower. My hand, like a little white muffin hand. I'm like, yo, I can't watch my back. I'm like, shit, I'm out. I gotta miss, like, three games. So I mean, numb my hand up and finally came back and played. And I never forget, I blocked Schroeder's shot game five, and won't forget to rebound and score live, man, they go up three, two. I never forget. Didn't show them Ken baseman, like, did it, like, looking at me and posted a picture. I'm like, oh, I gotta get these motherfuckers. I gotta get them. I gotta get them. So when we went back and we got to play them that year, I had, like, 24 in the fourth. Like, I ended up with 42. I was like, I told you I was coming back. I told you I was coming back. So, you know, like, you say you have those beefing those personal battles that shit means.
Alec Baldwin
So, yeah, that. That. That all blacks in a funeral. That's kind of like a whole I couldn't go mantra, you know? But at. At the time, y'all in the playoffs, y'all making waves. Was there ever a Big three ERA moment for Washington where you and Brad were potentially going to get somebody? Or who was that player you were trying to add that you guys thought could help you get to the Finals?
John Wall
I really tried to get Paul George, you know, I mean, like, that year we were trying to get kd, I was like, bro, we gotta get Paul George. Like, we needed. This is a perfect three, man forge now. I feel like we had the four and the five. That was solid fours, me and Brad in the backcourt. We just. I just think Paul George could have helped us, because I feel like that time in the east is LeBron. I mean, everybody knows Bronnie, you gotta have a three that can guard. Not saying you're gonna be able to stop him, because we know how dominant great he is. Go back at him, too. That he has to respect. And I feel like Paul George would have been that guy. And we were trying to go get kd, and I was just like, we're not getting Kevin Durant. Like, he's not coming to dc. It's too much family stuff. It's too much. Nah, he ain't trying to do it. And we end up having Paul, which Paul ended up being great for, you know, like, great vet for me. Taught me a lot. His routine, the way he worked, it was amazing. And we kind of got Paul because we. He thought Sam was staying. He thought Sam Cassell was going to stay as our coach. And that's the year Sam went and went to the Clippers. So Paul stayed for that one year, and after that, we just had to try to figure it out. Yeah. But for that one year, I feel like we could have got to the east cotton, find the body, and break my hand. But that's the guy I was going for, for sure. Paul George.
Draymond Green
I remember y'all being on the list.
John Wall
For kd, because I think he went. Is that same year or the year after he went to okc, right?
Alec Baldwin
Oh, he went to okc. Yeah, he got.
John Wall
Yeah. So I was like, man, we gotta get him, like. Cause. Come on, right here. Like, what we doing? Yeah, that would be nice. Kevin Durant's not cut.
Alec Baldwin
If y'all could have got kd, if y'all could have got kd, it would have been rich.
John Wall
Like, we know what the hell that would have been. But I. In my mind, I'm just saying we're not getting Kevin D right now, like, where we are. We're not the level where we feel like we're a Championship team. That's what Kevin was going for. We need a person that's going to help us get there, which Kevin would have got us there. But I just felt Paul George would have been the best fit for us at the time.
Draymond Green
I knew when I was looking at KD list of, like, teams that he was looking at, we was in that running and trying to get. I knew the one team we didn't have to worry about was y'all, because I knew. I knew he wasn't. I knew he wasn't going home. I'm like, there's no chance.
John Wall
I told everybody, we're not going home. Yeah.
Draymond Green
You know, so I. I just knew, like, just for that reason alone, like, I knew. I'm like, bro, not going to the crib. Like, so I. I just. I knew that I. I was telling.
John Wall
This the whole time, like, well, we got to go get pg. Like, put all our focus on pg. Like, I mean, K ain't coming home, man.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, that point. That makes sense.
Draymond Green
And. And speaking of that big three and just you and Brad, like, playing together for eight years, what's your thoughts kind of on what's happening with him in Phoenix right now where it's kind of like, kind of like the. Almost. In some instances it comes off as, like, scapegoaters, but I don't know they locker room, so I can't necessarily say that. But, like, he obviously not starting, you know, like, so just kind of what his whole situation and what he going through there.
John Wall
I think it's tough. I mean, because, like, I thought it was a tough move anyway going there early on, you know, I mean, three guys that can score the ball at a high level, and they all three need the basketball, you know what I mean? But we know K is the one guy to those three guys that you just say, you know what? Just give me the ball in the mid coast, mid post in the fourth quarter. I'm gonna do my thing. I'm very efficient. So I think it was kind of tough because he didn't know where his shots was coming. And then all of his shots turned into being just catching shoot shots for real. And I mean, I think that kind of, like, wasn't his role. And kind of kind of listen to K had a Post interview and he was like, I know he probably don't want to come off the bench, and he's still playing starting men's like 35 minutes a night, but I think now he knows where his shots is coming from. Like, he's able to get into his rhythm, he's able to have big more scoring game. But it's like, Damn, I'm making 50 something million. Like I'm coming off the bench. This shit don't.
Alec Baldwin
Don't add up.
John Wall
It don't add up. You're not really getting a guy paying 50 million to come out the bench. So I think in their mindset, they're kind of looking for a guy that's more like a slasher, like glue guy for them. And. And it probably a fit better for them. You know, I mean, because I feel like Brad feel like the same time right now, he still can go get 20, 25 at any given night. And he's had proven that coming off the bench. So I think he want to kind of roll where he's going to have the ball more. And I think in Phoenix he's not going to work with D Book and K there with it.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
Draymond Green
And I think, I think it'll always be. And it's just, it's tough in general, like, because whether you're playing starter minutes or not, if you're coming off the bench, it essentially slots you into a role. And just as a role player, I don't think people understand you're not going to get the same shots every night. I don't care how many minutes you play. Yes. As a role player, you just not going to get the same shots every night because the offense isn't built for you to get those shots like the same.
John Wall
It's always a different game plan on how they guard.
Draymond Green
Absolutely. And so as a role player, the game plan may delete you right out of the offense because the offense ain't built for you anyway. So wear their guard or something. You may get two shots that night. I saw the other night where I think Brian had like five points. He took. Had like four or five shots. Right. Like there's going to be some nights like that one is not designed for you. And I just think, you know, if to have those nights like that.
Alec Baldwin
Too much talent, bro.
Draymond Green
Like, it's not, it's not. You're not getting the best out of Bradley.
John Wall
And it's like if you come off.
Draymond Green
Yeah.
John Wall
And I feel like if you like a guy that's been starting and been that role. And I get it, sometimes at some point in your career you have to take the backseat and come off the bench. But if you feel like you're still in that moment, you feel assuring that you can still be in that moment, it kind of fuck with your mind, your mentality coming into the game, you know, I mean, like, it kind of puts you in a position. Like, man, I know I can be out there. Like, I know I can help better. But like you said, you come out the bench like, well, you might get 15 minutes now, you might get 20 minutes now, or you might get two shots, or your leash is a lot shorter than it is. When you're the number one, number two option. Are you that franchise guy? So kind of accepting that role is a little bit difficult than a lot of people think. You know what I mean? No doubt they think it's so much easier. But if you used to being that guy and being that movement, it hurts. Yeah.
Alec Baldwin
Like, the worst thing to do is somebody with that much amount of talent and that much amount of game to know every game, how much time they gonna play. If you're a superstar, you know, okay, I'm finishing out the game. I'm closing out the game. If you. Somebody like Brad and you looking like, oh, man, I'm at 25, 30 minutes. I don't know how this is going. Once you start, once you got that mentality, it's frustrating. It hurts because you can't think past, like, the confidence of, I'm the closer or I'm on the closing team. You. It's unpredictable. So you ready? You unready, you getting shots, you not getting shots. So it really just play with your confidence and your psyche and more so your mentality going to the game. Cause if, you know, like, all right, some dudes who come off the bench and play 20 minutes a game, they know they playing 20 minutes a game. That's their role. Somebody who is nice, like Bradley Beal, that should be over capacity and can affect the game, that could potentially, you know, hurt his psyche or just hurt his rhythm. And hurt. It hurt the opportunities for. For the team to have a better rhythm and knowing how to win. But that's ultimately a coaching thing. You know, if you. If you got three higher guns on your team and you're not putting them in position to all be in rhythm, then you gotta start looking at man who. Who's mixing and matching these lineups where these dudes can't all get their game off.
Draymond Green
You went to a Wizards game earlier this month. How was it for you going back there to receive the reception that you did and your return to a game?
John Wall
Oh, it was dope, man. Like, I was in town. Cause one of my close friends had a baby shower. And I was like, man, the game on Sunday, like, I just stay and go to the game, you know what I mean? Like, just to be back around that love, you know, you see a lot of people from the facility, you know, that I haven't seen in a while. So it was dope, man. Like, I appreciate the tribute. The fans still show me the love that I feel like I deserve. And it was dope to be back in that environment. I mean, you kind of get the chill. They're trying not to like break down because you know what I mean? That was home for me. That was a place I never wanted to leave. I wanted to kind of play my whole career there until it got to a point where, you know, my, the front office might be like, you know what? We just trying to completely rebuild and we feel like you should go somewhere else. I mean, that's kind of the role I wanted to be, is play for one team, my organization. But I miss a business, shit happens, you move on from it. But I still got a lot of love for the city. That's my second home. The city still showed me love and I always try to do as much as I can when I go back there and try to visit as much as possible. So to get that type of love still and know like how much I meant to the community outside of just basketball, that's what I really prided myself stuff off of.
Draymond Green
You haven't officially retired though, so they can't tell you yet when your jersey getting retired.
John Wall
No, that gotta get retired for sure.
Alec Baldwin
Absolutely. Absolutely.
John Wall
Yeah.
T-Mobile Advertiser
You can count on T Mobile to help keep you connected from big cities to small towns on America's largest 5G network. Switch the T mobile keep your phone and they'll pay it off up to 800 bucks per line via prepaid card. Learn more@t mobile.com Keep and switch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days with device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is back at the Daily show and he's bringing his signature wit and insight straight to your ears with the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. Dive into John's unique take on the biggest topics in politics, entertainment, sports and more. Joined by the sharp voices of the show's correspondents and contributors, and with extended interviews and exclusive weekly headline roundups, this podcast gives you content you won't find anywhere else. Ready to laugh and stay informed, listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Bobby Bones
Hey, it's Bobby Bones Join me and former NFL quarterback Matt Castle every Wednesday for our new podcast, Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle. Between us, we have over 17,500 passing yards, multiple New York Times bestsellers, and one mirrorball trophy from Dancing with the Star. So where else you're gonna find a show with that much athleticism and football insight? Based in Nashville, we're more than just your basic NFL show. We talk sports, but we talk pop culture and music and a little bit everything. Because we got lots to say. I. I texted you and you texted me back. Now, I don't know if you have the update, but like, all the little thumbs up and heart and stuff, like it's all colored. They changed it and the heart's a little pink. It felt like I told you I loved you. I'm honest. It was a little pink pink.
Alec Baldwin
There was something sentimental when you, when you send it. It was like, do I send the heart now?
Bobby Bones
I don't like the color edition.
Alec Baldwin
It's extremely pink.
Bobby Bones
Listen to Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Mel Reid
Hey, this is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner and six time ladies European tour.
Katherine Legge
Winner, and Kira K. Dixon, NBC sports reporter and host.
Mel Reid
You forgot to say all my mistakes, America, by the way. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please with Mel and Kira.
Katherine Legge
We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some golf haps and interviews with incredible people who have figured out how to make golf their.
Mel Reid
Superpower or just people we like. Plus tales from the road and everything in between. By the way, golf isn't just for the dads, brads and chads.
Katherine Legge
Yeah, it's actually life's cheat code. And we're not going to be quiet about it on or off the course. We're bringing on some of our friends like Michelle We, Heather McMahon, Amanda Baliotis.
Mel Reid
So if you want to keep up with us and here's your app, tune into our new podcast, Listen to Quiet.
Katherine Legge
Please with Mel and Kira, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
Alec Baldwin
With your love of basketball and, you know, you watch a lot of games, what do you think of the current wizard squads and how would you improve the team?
John Wall
For me, I feel like they got to find that number one guy, you know what I mean? The franchise guy, you know what I mean? I think the young guys they drafted is pretty. They're going to be good. I think they're going to be some great role players to kind of go into what they system needs. But I think they like. I mean, like, they vets now don't want to. They kind of see like they want to be out, you know what I mean? So I think they got to find. And Drake probably contributed this. A lot of these teams don't really have vets that's mentoring these guys that want to be there. Like, you know, I mean, like, all right, you know, you signing me as a vet, I'm not going to play as much. I might not play, but I'm going to help the young guys know what the league is about. I think that's what some of these teams are missing. So I think if they can get a couple of those guys to help out. But yeah, I mean, they probably going to be in the draft with the next two or three years probably trying to get that one guy. That's that guy. And I think, I mean, once you find out who your guy is, I think all those young guys can learn from, you know, I mean, I kind of look at the Rockets, you know, I mean, they found out who they guys. They. I feel like it's Jalen Green right now on Segoon, and they put a lot of vets around him. They got a new coaches, a new coach. And so he don't around, he's like, this is what we're doing. This is how we going. And they drafted a lot of young, great talent. I think they drafted too much great young talent that they might have to get rid of some of those guys because they don't get to get on the floor. Yeah, I mean, but I feel like the Wizards are going the right direction. They just gotta. They got new front office and things like that. So it takes some time. I mean, but, you know, a lot of teams, a lot of fans don't want to waste no time waiting.
Alec Baldwin
And the worst thing you can have in player development when you have rookies and a young team is you can. The worst thing to have is vets that don't want to be there because that means that they don't really want to play or show the young or groom the young guys to show the.
John Wall
Young guys what's going on.
Alec Baldwin
There's no. There's no culture being built. So I agree. They got to. I got to be blown up fast also. One of the biggest traits being discussed Obviously, is Jimmy Butler. You went through a tough trade. You were traded from the Wizards, right, the city you love. He arrived in Houston when Harden was trying to be traded. You know, we thought we. I mean, I thought, okay, we crack it. You know, I thought it was gonna be cracking, man. That was.
John Wall
Yeah, I thought that was gonna be, too. I got there, and it was, you know.
Alec Baldwin
You went to the charity. He was picking up full locking up. Oh, it seemed like it was gonna be. Social media is tricky, bro.
John Wall
Yeah. Like, we was going at the charity game, I thought. I thought. I thought it was gonna kind of work out, you know? I mean, like, try to figure out, like, which way they was going. And I. I feel like it just was a tough spot for me. I mean, getting traded there, which I love, like, didn't have no problem with the city of Houston. I mean, they showed me a lot of love. It was during cold, but it was a tough time. But it was just tough because I just came back and I'm like, okay, I'm getting back to myself. I'm healthy again. And I'm like, okay, I'm ready to hoop. Like, I ain't trying to sit down. I'm not trying to miss no time. I missed two years, you know what I mean, from my Achilles injury and then dealing with COVID and all the other personal problems I went through. And then after the first year, they just wanted to go to a rebuild, so I kind of got stuck in a position where it's like, I want to be playing. Like, I know I can still start and play at a high level for a team. And it's like, kind of like we were just saying, like, I don't want to come off the bench. You know what I mean? Like, because now if I do, this is going to be my trademark. To everybody else, every other team in the league is. John Walk is a bench player. Unless I'm going to back up, like, John Moran or Steph Curry, the one of those guys is that guy, then I could be okay with that. But I didn't feel like I was in that right situation at the right time. And they even told me that I don't feel like you should. But what they did, how they built their team out and made the changes, they're in a great position, so I can see what their future and what they plan was. It was just a bad spot for me.
Alec Baldwin
And then what was the atmosphere like, you know, having a teammate trying to be traded, you know, similar to what Miami going through with.
John Wall
To be honest, for Me, it wasn't bad. Like, James showed up every day, did his work. He was professional. He came, did his work. He didn't kind of act like he had any problems with us. Like, whatever problems he had with the front office or whatever anybody else was doing was trading them didn't affect our team, you know, I mean, came in, did his job, he did his work, and he got up out of there. So I can't say nothing bad about a guy that's still being professional coming in, doing his work, and going about his way. That's the way I would look at it. I mean, I feel like you just gotta continue to do what you got to do, and eventually it happens the way you want to happen. Like, I know they probably like, damn, Jim, you just still missing planes. They like, yes, they messing with that. You know what I mean?
Alec Baldwin
That's crazy.
John Wall
And I had to play. I had to explain to my homeboy.
Alec Baldwin
Because he was like, I've been on that, though.
John Wall
But he was like. He was like. He was like, don't y'all just get the fly problem? Like, no, bro. Like, unless you got a family matter or something going on.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, you got to be on the plane. Yeah, I went through some like that when I was having beef with the organization. I wouldn't fly my own plane, but I was. When you got to the airport, having my driver come get me and dunking out, oh, y'all ladies in the city.
John Wall
You know, that happens sometimes. I mean, you might get in late, you might want to go do your thing. But missing the team playing completely, and they waiting for you. It's like, we wait an hour for.
Alec Baldwin
It's like, man, I'll make sure I'm on my own also.
John Wall
He pull up. Oh, he pull up beside you in his jet. Like, jet waiting right there.
Draymond Green
I'm sorry, but put me on the team playing, man. No price for playing is expensive, man.
Alec Baldwin
Oh, my God.
John Wall
I did my. I did my share that. And I was like, this is nice.
Alec Baldwin
And you don't get the food. You get on the team playing well.
John Wall
You know, for us, I was telling them we had to order stuff. We all the go get the catering food. Yeah. But, yeah, I think, like, you know, I mean, like, as in that position, it could be, like, kind of a distraction, you know? I mean, like, you know, I mean, because, like, I. I never been played for the heat, but I, like, understand what the heat culture is and what they believe in. I think, like, me, I look at if I'm ever going through something like that. If I'm between these four lines, I'm giving everything I got. Because this could around be your last game. You know what I mean? So as long as you just being professional, I think that's the key. You got to look at it, into it, and hopefully they do the right thing by you, by you being professional, doing the right thing by them. But, like, we don't know. Like, I can't really say too much because I'm not in the locker room. I don't know what those conversations are. Like, they're just like, if it was a different scenario and what I knew what it was.
Draymond Green
You've always. You've always been passionate about the younger guys coming after you and having a high school tournament, you know, and being involved in the AAU scene. Just always been seen giving back. Are there any young guys that you are mentoring in the league coming up right now?
John Wall
Oh, yeah. Like, you know, I still try to talk to Jalen Green as much as possible. I was there when he was a rookie. He's blossomed into what everybody thought he could be, and I think he just found his niche. I still talk to KJ, Kenya Martin Jr. I mean, helping him out a lot. And then Rob, you know, Rob Dillingham, I known him since seventh grade when he played for combine. Jeff McGinnis, old high school team. So just try to talk to those guys. Like, I always tell all the young guys, like, I'm a phone call away. Like, I'm not one of those guys that's bitter that you getting to this level or doing that. Like, it's my job to pass along what I learned and the mistakes I made to help you out. So I even talked to all these high school kids. Like, I got the old Glaxo tournament, which is mine. We just had it. And I got, like, a lot of top kids in it, so it was dope. We had Westchester come out there, Trevor Reese's son. So they played pretty cool. But, yeah, I just got a lot of guys I just talked to, you know, I mean, I try to go to games whenever I'm in certain cities and they see me and I say, what's up?
Alec Baldwin
So college career.
Draymond Green
So true. 41. Do the job.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah. Do the John Wall, Troop 41.
John Wall
I don't know. That was out of nowhere.
Alec Baldwin
Where were you when you heard the track for the first time? I mean, you had a. Come on, man. You got a song in college about you.
John Wall
I wish they had Nil. But no, it's crazy because I didn't even know they like, I knew them, they younger than me and they kind of went to school like with my sister and couple my homeboys. And I forgot. I forgot where. I think I was still in college when they made this song, like in a regular season or in the tournament. And it's like, you got a song. I'm like, what the hell I got a song for? And it was just lit and I mean, I went up there and danced when I was up there.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
Kind of blocked the John wall.
Alec Baldwin
You had a dance. You know, like, think about it. You would have got bread. What are your thoughts? Yeah, what are your thoughts about Nil and. And how it's changing legally, he got.
Draymond Green
The bread because they was getting the bread at Kentucky. Wouldn't have been able to.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, legally, it would have been posted.
John Wall
And listen, I don't care. Listen, legally, not legally, I didn't get a dollar. No, I don't care. Listen. If NCAA is listening, not listening. This is the honest truth. Like on everything I love, I not got nuts.
Alec Baldwin
John Caliper.
John Wall
No video Coach Kyle. What I did do is went to summer school, had a job and got paid an hour, but only signed in for one hour. But like the money they getting like 50,000. Well, I couldn't wait for that.
Alec Baldwin
Pilgrim was everything.
John Wall
Like, I was wearing polo assass. I was getting Levi jeans. Like, yeah, this is what was going on in college. But I feel like like a thousand dollars going to my mom. Like it was nothing else. I couldn't take the whole. You know what I mean? But I think N is dope to a certain extent because they supposed to be naming liking. I mean, what you selling jersey like now it's to like a full bidding war. It's like every year, let's say like Drake, like, okay, look at the kid from Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith. Right. Somebody offered a 4.5 to hit the Portal.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
Like, why am I leaving the Ohio State? Like, I just want that gym show. Probably can go back the next two more years if I really want to. You know what I mean? So I get it for some kids that's probably not gonna make it to the league. And it's probably the most money they might see. But I don't. I think they gotta take the portal out though, because like everybody just going to the portal every year just to see.
Draymond Green
Yeah.
John Wall
Who gonna offer me the most money. Like, I know one kid that was at this school last year was making 20,000, right? He had the porter made 1.5. He only played two minutes a game.
Draymond Green
Jesus Christ.
John Wall
Happy for him though. Don't get me wrong, he's making the most money. Probably will unless he do something outside of basketball, go overseas, you know, I mean, because he's probably not going to be a pro. But now it's like every year, okay, who's going to offer me the most? I'm gone. Like imagine Drake, we was in high school, they making 6 million.
Draymond Green
$6 million.
John Wall
So you're pulling up to your school with the best car. You think you really listen to your college coach. Unless you got a great foundation of like assistant or mom or brother that's keeping anything in control. A lot of these kids lose their passion and love for the game because they're already reaching. What we try to get to the elite four is to take care of our families, take care of ourselves. They're getting this in high school.
Draymond Green
Yeah. A lot of these kids gonna be short sighted and think they doing it. Man, you're gonna miss out on the 500 million that's coming up in the industry.
John Wall
I'm in my tournament, right, man, my tournament. I'm seeing kids iced out, like walking in iced out. Gucci shoes. Gucci shoes. I'm talking about mirror pants. I'm like, all I had was a Nike sweatsuit. This is all I cared for. Like, you know what I mean? Going to a high school game, even if you go to the summer, like if you go like the AU tournament they got in the summer. I didn't even think about walking into the Louie store.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, Yeah.
Draymond Green
I didn't know what Louie was walk in there.
John Wall
I knew the flea market one when they put the Louis on his force and then. But I hope they figure it out and do it better. I mean, I feel like it's great for kids to get paid for what? Like, I feel like we all should have been paid for what we brought to the game. Like lightness and selling our jerseys. But I think some of it is going a little too far in my opinion.
Draymond Green
For sure. I was thankful. I was thankful to get a little nice little Nike package from Uncle Wes or Vince Ball.
John Wall
It was cool.
Draymond Green
Look out, they send you a Nike package every now and then. I get a couple sweatsuits out of there, a couple kicks, that's all good.
Alec Baldwin
I do got one more. And this is for you too, Dre. I just thought of this. John, give me your top 10 all time Kentucky team and then do you think that Kentucky, with all his great blue. Kentucky blue spirit and heritage, could they beat Michigan State? Hell, all time team.
John Wall
No chance. You don't even believe that?
Draymond Green
Are you crazy? Hell, no.
John Wall
All time.
Alec Baldwin
No.
John Wall
All time. All time.
Draymond Green
No chance.
John Wall
Like you said in college, like playing in college.
Draymond Green
Must we do this? Yes.
John Wall
Yes. Please.
Draymond Green
What are you crazy?
Alec Baldwin
Yes.
John Wall
Are you crazy? Come on.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
Draymond Green
One pick. Yeah.
Alec Baldwin
Who's the starting five? Who's the second five? And can that team beat Michigan State? All time team.
John Wall
I got. I got demarcus at my five.
Draymond Green
All right, so you taking demarcus, number one pick. I'm going to take the Irvin Magic Man Johnson himself.
John Wall
Okay. I got AD at my 4.
Draymond Green
AD at the 4. At the 4 for us.
Alec Baldwin
I am going to go the all time starting five. Oh, let's do this. AC Green. Did AC Green go to Michigan State?
Draymond Green
No chance. I think at the 4 I'm gonna go with myself.
Alec Baldwin
Of course.
John Wall
Okay. Of course. At the three, I'm going. Jamal Mashburn.
Draymond Green
Jamal Mashburn. At the three, I am going. Steve's Smith motorcycle.
Alec Baldwin
Oh.
John Wall
At the two, I'm going ta.
Draymond Green
At the two. At the two, I am going.
Alec Baldwin
It's getting real. Damn.
Draymond Green
Do I want Scott sky at the one or two Magic at the.
John Wall
He gotta match up with me.
Draymond Green
If he had the one Magic at the one. So Scott Sky.
John Wall
Oh, I met the one.
Draymond Green
Scott Scouser. And then that center.
Alec Baldwin
You gotta go with that jumping dude.
Draymond Green
That zebra, Johnny Green. You know jumping Johnny Green? Johnny Green.
Alec Baldwin
You got. You got Z Bo, too.
Draymond Green
Z Bo Animal.
Alec Baldwin
But Zebo, I give y'all six men for sure. Six and seven.
John Wall
It's too much. I don't even know. I got too many people. I. I just put anybody there. I got too many people.
Draymond Green
Y'all gonna lose for sure.
John Wall
You're crazy as hell.
Draymond Green
There's no better coach than cow. So we gonna out coach you off a show.
John Wall
It's happening. That's cool, y'all. You can out coaches.
Draymond Green
So we got. We. We gotta beat y'all. We're gonna be waiting.
John Wall
We gonna be up and down that court. We up down that court.
Draymond Green
Oh, yeah.
John Wall
Scott. Scouts ain't tough. Scott is tough. I know Scott. I'm just talking. I want to see what J about to say. Depression. He like Scott's girls.
Alec Baldwin
Hey, dude. The Jamal Mashburg Taysha Prince.
John Wall
Hey, listen. Nobody magic magician on mattation gonna get.
Draymond Green
Body put in that post.
John Wall
I'm saying, I just gotta. I gotta put him on him, though.
Draymond Green
Body in the post.
John Wall
Who your five man? Cause boogie is bullying whoever your five man is.
Draymond Green
Who do.
John Wall
Who did A.D. you not finish over A.D. draymond.
Draymond Green
A.D. hell, Cal, we almost play ADM and we. We lost.
John Wall
He back there having bat break.
Draymond Green
All type of hell.
John Wall
He was about to give him all type elbows.
Draymond Green
All type of hell on that block.
Alec Baldwin
Hey, AD Was smacking, pushing the break.
Draymond Green
No for sure.
John Wall
Who Your five, though. Your five gotta match your book. Cause bug on bully, too.
Alec Baldwin
I'm trying to think of that one.
John Wall
Y'all two should have matched that. Y'all would have got ejected first quarter. First, like, first two minutes.
Alec Baldwin
Oh, yeah. It wouldn't be Draymond Green and DeMarcus Cousins.
John Wall
Hey, Dre, y'all would have been like when Bud dropped the elbow on Swash, right? We played Louisville. He was supposed to be ejected the first two minutes. We had eight texts in the first minute of the game.
Draymond Green
That's crazy. That's crazy.
John Wall
This is a funny story, right? Tony Depp was on our staff, right? It's his cousin or nephew was on a Louisville team starting. We could not get e bled to calm down. He told Tony, deal, I'm gonna whoop his ass. Which side you picking? His. I'm like, bro, you can't tell the man to pick his cousin.
Alec Baldwin
I forgot he bland was there, too. That was my rook.
John Wall
Yeah, that was a pit bull. That was a pit bull.
Alec Baldwin
That was my rook.
Draymond Green
I think.
Alec Baldwin
I don't.
Draymond Green
I don't know.
Alec Baldwin
We.
Draymond Green
We might. We bu. Gonna have an advantage for sure. Sure, he'll have an advantage for sure.
John Wall
That's all we did.
Draymond Green
But we gonna get him in foul trouble. All that, like, his ways around just his talent advantage against us like that.
John Wall
I still think we win.
Draymond Green
It just won't be talent for talent there. Like, he gonna have that advantage for sure. 100%, no matter who I choose. He'll have an advantage at the 5. But everywhere else.
John Wall
What everywhere else? Hell, where don't I like Jamal Mad brain. Steve Smith. Ain't a great matchup.
Draymond Green
Great matchup. But Smitty and. Oh, man, Smitty.
Alec Baldwin
But Smitty was a point guard in college.
Draymond Green
He was. That's true.
Alec Baldwin
So you got Magic and Smitty at.
Draymond Green
The guard, but you figure that out like that, that's fine. Like, we'll be all right. You putting both of them on the first.
Alec Baldwin
I have to say, Draymond. Draymond. I feel like John Wall really know Kentucky basketball history. I feel right now, Draymond, you kind of. You kind of stuck. You kind of stuck.
Draymond Green
I'm stuck on a five because I'm.
John Wall
Stuck on a lot of positions, bro. Because I forgot. Like Derrick Anderson.
Draymond Green
No, for sure. Like, I I can go way deeper into the vault.
John Wall
I know I got, like, 15 teams.
Draymond Green
I can go way deeper into the vault, but I. I've been.
John Wall
I'm.
Draymond Green
I've been stuck at a five, man. I think, like, that's where. Yeah, that's why I said we're gonna. We're gonna struggle at five for sure. But everywhere else, I can go deep into the vault.
Alec Baldwin
Now, I built the AI Called Kobe. Let me ask Kobe. You got Greg Kessler, Greg Kelsey. Yeah. Greg Kelsey, Gregory Kelser, Davis.
Draymond Green
Paul Davis. But that's what I can't be like. I. I'm a big part of this, man. I can't be like Paul Davis against.
Alec Baldwin
Andre Hudson, DeMarcus cousin.
Draymond Green
Now, Paul Davis in. In real life, Kevin Willis.
Alec Baldwin
Kevin Willis.
Draymond Green
Kevin Willis for sure. But Kevin Willis.
Alec Baldwin
No way.
Draymond Green
Gave him some help.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, but he wouldn't have bullied him.
Draymond Green
No, not bullied him, but he would have gave him. He would. Gave him hell. He wouldn't bully no chance. Ain't nobody from Michigan State getting bullied.
Alec Baldwin
Adrian Payne. That's who I was thinking of, ap Adrian Payne.
John Wall
He was too little, but he was a good college player. I like Engine for sure.
Draymond Green
Ap. No, that's what I'm saying.
Alec Baldwin
But if I was doing Michigan State, I would say Matine Cleaves, of course, Magic. But I can't.
Draymond Green
I can't start most Magic.
Alec Baldwin
No, you start. You start. You start. Magic played it 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 for sure. Steve Smith played a 1, 2, 3 for sure. Put Matinee, Cleave. Steve Smith. Magic.
Draymond Green
I picked Smitty.
Alec Baldwin
Smitty, yeah. Steve Smith. Yeah.
Draymond Green
After three, I picked Magic.
Alec Baldwin
Yep.
Draymond Green
I picked myself.
Alec Baldwin
Oh, you put Scott Skiles, though. Yeah. Scott sky is a good one, too. You need a. You need a center, though.
John Wall
I got Rondo. I got, like.
Alec Baldwin
He got more.
John Wall
He got Ron Mercer, Antoine Walker.
Alec Baldwin
Oh, okay. Oh, there we go.
John Wall
Okay, I go, dear.
Alec Baldwin
Okay, Go. Follow me.
Draymond Green
Yeah, we keep going.
Alec Baldwin
Okay. Okay.
Draymond Green
It ain't sweet now.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
No, I know what y'all got.
Alec Baldwin
I don't know. You know, I'll put it into my AI algorithm, and I'll see. I say, yeah. Who got the best? Who got the better team? We know UCLA is uncomparable, so we won't even go there. Y'all can't compete with us.
John Wall
Who can't?
Alec Baldwin
Not Kentucky.
John Wall
You crazy as hell. Come on. Don't do that. Y'all got some.
Alec Baldwin
That's all you need to know. Stop. Yeah, Kareem, stop. Bill Wall.
Draymond Green
Kareem and Magic. Like, come on, now. We ain't gonna do that.
Alec Baldwin
No, we gonna do that in college, bro. Luau CINDER in college is a phenomenon. We're not even. We're not gonna.
Draymond Green
Magic, come on.
Alec Baldwin
No, no, no, no, no. We're not gonna even discuss that.
Draymond Green
Don't do that.
Alec Baldwin
We're not gonna.
John Wall
We brought the book off. We brought off the bench on our team. Like, that's how.
Draymond Green
He wasn't good enough yet.
Alec Baldwin
It's cool.
John Wall
No, he was cool. He just won't. No starter yet. He want no starter yet, for sure.
Draymond Green
Hey, Book about to break the all time leading score record in Phoenix history. So before he do it, I'm gonna just say right here, congrats to D. Book. That's fire.
John Wall
Congrats. Congrats.
Draymond Green
Hey, but B.D. hold on, Magic. And yes. Come on.
Alec Baldwin
Three national championships.
Draymond Green
Magic won 14 years. He won one sophomore year and got out of there.
Alec Baldwin
Hey, he.
John Wall
Hold on, Dre. Hold on, Dre. Who is he playing against, People?
Draymond Green
He beat Larry Bird in the national championship.
John Wall
No, I know. I know. I know who Magic beat. I know who Magic B. I'm talking about Kareem.
Draymond Green
Kareem was playing against bd.
John Wall
Yeah, that's what I said. I know Magic B. He started at center.
Alec Baldwin
Elvin Hayes, he was playing against. Come on, man. He was playing against all kind of. Yeah, come on, dude.
John Wall
No, they are greats.
Alec Baldwin
I'm not. I know him.
John Wall
I couldn't wear number 11 in D.C. exactly.
T-Mobile Advertiser
I know how great he was.
John Wall
But the teams we name, it's like three or four guys. It's like that.
Alec Baldwin
Come on.
Draymond Green
No, no.
John Wall
You name a team, they got one guy.
Alec Baldwin
Who's gonna stop. Who's gonna stop? Korean.
John Wall
Nobody's stopping him. But I'm putting AD on them.
Alec Baldwin
But nobody was a go.
Draymond Green
But I'm just saying, you're not gonna act like. Like, I am gonna have Magic. Y'all got Kareem. We can sit right in that conversation.
Alec Baldwin
College.
Draymond Green
No, right there in college. Are you.
Alec Baldwin
What? Are you kidding me?
John Wall
Are you kidding.
Draymond Green
What, Are you kidding me? Magic could have did it again. It was just like. Oh, my God, Los Angeles, bro.
Alec Baldwin
Put your glasses back down, bro. Put your glasses back on now.
Draymond Green
Who's that?
Alec Baldwin
Who's the other man?
John Wall
Charles, what you writing in the chat, man? Charge you.
Draymond Green
Yeah, we want to hear them other UCLA players.
Alec Baldwin
Bill Walton, Ed O'Bannon.
Draymond Green
No, no.
Alec Baldwin
Marcus Johnson.
Draymond Green
We only know. Nope, nope. It's only because of the.
Alec Baldwin
Marcus Johnson.
Draymond Green
He can't stand in this conversation, man.
Alec Baldwin
They all won.
Draymond Green
So yeah, that's fine.
Alec Baldwin
They all won.
Draymond Green
So did Matt Ishpia.
Alec Baldwin
Oh, my God.
Draymond Green
You not about to mention. You better stop it.
Alec Baldwin
And your uncle rounding out the five. I'm gonna take myself off the five. I'm gonna put Draymond's God, uncle and the five. The creator of the warriors run, Bob Myers. Talk about impact. Now say something.
Draymond Green
I got nothing.
John Wall
Right there. You can't do nothing but show.
Alec Baldwin
Love that jj.
Draymond Green
I got nothing.
Alec Baldwin
Who gonna stop by Myers when he doubled down on Draymond? When he tripled down on Draymond? Come on, dude.
Draymond Green
I got nothing below for Bob. We gonna move on. On that note, J Wall for you. What are you doing to continue to stay ready, optimistic about returning to the NBA? Are you kind of moving on from that? Are you optimistic you still want to return? Kind of where. Where you stand with that?
John Wall
Oh, I still got like a year. I think like a year or two. I'm gonna give it, you know, I mean, but I'm still working out every day, you know, I mean, but doing broadcast and getting into that field, you know, I mean, trying to do some games. I went to the G League showcase. Speak on that. I mean, I think that's something. Like, I still want to be involved in basketball. You know what I mean? Me, like broadcasting, try to be a GM one day. But also, you know, me just doing business stuff, networking. I mean, investing in certain things. But most important thing I'm doing now is being a father. I mean, being hands on, being able to be around my kids all day, every day. I mean, they get into all the sports.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah.
John Wall
I mean, my oldest son just asked me two weeks ago to play basketball.
Alec Baldwin
That's killer.
John Wall
I mean, they kind of brought some. Brought some tear and joy to my eyes because I didn't want to force them, you know. I mean, a lot of parents forced their kids. I want him to fall in love. What he want to fall in love with? He loves soccer right now. He's a soccer star. So he just got into basketball, baseball. My youngest one, that's the football guy, you know, I mean, he playing flag football. They tell him to put a flag. He hit the kids so hard. I'm like, I got one of those bruisers, you know what I mean? So I'm enjoying that, though, you know, I mean, I'm. I'm still like, staying ready, putting the work in, you know, I mean, enjoying the game, watching it. But, you know, I mean, you never know what happens. But I got like a. I give it like another year, like next Season, see what happens. If it don't happen, then I'm cool with, like, you know what I mean, giving it up. I mean, I feel like I had a great run. I wasn't mad about it.
Draymond Green
Incredible.
John Wall
I mean, injury's a part of the game, like we talked about, but you know what I mean, Basketball don't bounce forever, you know what I mean? I always want to be known as something more important than just a basketball player. That was a great thing and a great run in my career. That's how it ends. But you know what I mean, I got a lot more life to live, so, I mean, I can't trip off that.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, you got a lot more to give to the game. I know when I was. I call it basketball purgatory. When you want. You know, it's like, I got one or two more years. I just want to walk off the court on my own terms and feel that one more time and find a young dude that the last young dude I can mentor. I think, you know, all of that kind of like just tug at your soul. So I just wanted to know, you know, from you, like, going back to the league, kind of, what would your role, like, what is your mentality, you know, going back into the league, you know, in these. And I would say not the last few. I would say last few years, not two. Right. Because having someone like you would be valuable to teams.
John Wall
Oh, for me, like, just be real. Like, you know me, I'm just always want to be an honest person. So for me, if I go to a team that need help and I feel like I can feel that void. Cool. But if I go to a team where they're like, you know what? We don't even. We just need you to be a great vet presence. I'm fine with that. You know what I mean? Because up front, they're being honest with me. You know what I mean? It's kind of like you don't ever want to be blindsided, you know, but it's all part of a business. But just let me know what it is when I sign up for it. And if I sign those papers, I know what it is, you know what I mean? And I feel like I can help a lot of young guys out. I think a lot of teams need a vet to mentor these young guys, and that's even showing them how to watch film, showing them how to work, showing them how to be a point guard. All those things I think I can help with. And I'm cool with every role. I get opportunity to be in. Like you say, you just want to go out the way you want to go out and end on the cruise.
Draymond Green
Salem, that's a fact. Do you see teams right now that you like that team for? Sure. I could be a vet and help these guys out, to help culture, all of those things.
John Wall
Yeah, I see a few teams. I mean, you got D.C. especially a team. I've been there before. I feel like you got Charlotte that can help the young guys out in Lamelo and Brandon Miller and those guys. I think Utah, Utah can use some vets to help those guys out. You know what I mean? But I think a lot of. A lot of these teams are doing a better job of adding the vets that they know that they need nowadays. Because a lot of times, you know, they was booting the vets out. And I think because they. They was giving the vets kind of mixed signals, like, we might want you to play a lot of men that we might not. I think if you just tell them, like, you know, I mean, like, kind of like a Taj Gibson role, like he's doing. I mean, and out there in Charlotte, you look like Katrina Thompson roll. He's helping those guys out in Cleveland, you know, I mean, like, if I get in, I get in. If I don't, I'm here to help, help the mentor and try to keep those guys on the right path. And I think Ali needs to continue to have best, even if it's me or not me down the road. I think all teams need best to help these young guys, to keep them in that platform, to keep them to understand. And like you said, we kind of got to get that old culture back to them to understanding. It's not just sweet. Like these rookies get to walk in now, and it's no rookie duties. It's cakewalk is handed to him. Like, we all had to earn it. No matter if you was a top five pick, second round pick, undrafted, we had to earn what we had.
Alec Baldwin
Atlanta and New York, too. I would add those two teams, Atlanta and New York.
John Wall
New York. Hey, New York, you might not be a vet just on the sideline tears might have you doing suicides. Those guys got what, like four guys in a ton of draft, but that's.
Alec Baldwin
What I'm saying, you know, New York, they gonna, they gonna. They gonna phase out or they gonna tire out.
John Wall
Yeah, they gonna, they gonna burn out. They gonna burn out.
Alec Baldwin
Jalen Brunson being a small guard, that score a lot. I just see you being, you know, you could be a key Component defensively, you know, and still stabilize, especially in the playoffs. Right. Because you, you, you are born. You know, veterans are born for the playoffs. And I think that's where, you know, you really start seeing the true value of. Of an experienced guard or experienced vet. Because when you put them in in the playoffs, they've been there, they know, and they know how valuable possessions are. So. So, you know, I say the Knicks.
John Wall
And them had one S dot.
Draymond Green
Absolutely.
John Wall
Y'all had S dot S dot it's dot for like a year in D.C. man. It was special. And that's another guy we forgot, like, didn't have an injury.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, crazy. Yeah, it had been crazy.
John Wall
Bad boy.
Draymond Green
That's a fact.
John Wall
But he mastered that mid range, though.
Draymond Green
Could not block it. No, you followed him every time.
John Wall
You gonna foul it every time. Like go and give him two free throws. Yeah.
Draymond Green
Forget about deadliest mid range in the game. Crazy. Before we get out of here, always love a good list. Who's your top five number one picks?
John Wall
Since when?
Draymond Green
Since go. Go back to. Yeah, 2000, 2000.
Alec Baldwin
2000. That's my era.
Draymond Green
I can name every now from 2000 to now. And you number one pick, you should be.
Alec Baldwin
He looking at his computer right now, John, I'm telling you, don't let him fool you.
Draymond Green
I'm looking at the.
John Wall
I go 2010 to them.
Draymond Green
2010.
John Wall
I go me, Kai, AD, Anthony Edwards and Wimby. I really wanted to put Apollo up there, but I go Wimby, Ant Man. I gotta put Ant man up there, though, for sure.
Alec Baldwin
Not Ben Simmons. All right, DeAndre.
John Wall
But if you take me off, If I take my. If I take myself off, I put Paulo in there. You know what I mean? But are you tell Kyrie. Huh?
Draymond Green
But are you taking yourself off?
Alec Baldwin
No. Absolutely.
Draymond Green
So you got.
John Wall
No, I'm not me, Kyrie. I'm the one. Kyrie. The two ain't my three. AD Is my four. And let Wimmy play the five.
Draymond Green
It's a great top five.
Alec Baldwin
No Zion. No Zion, no Ben Simmons.
John Wall
Don't start your shenanigans, Carl Anthony Towns. See, Cat is up there, but like, I just like you got AD and then the Wimby doing this Raquel, folks.
Alec Baldwin
You got Markel, folks.
John Wall
I think he would have been special if he didn't have that show.
Draymond Green
Then Anthony.
Alec Baldwin
Anthony Bennett. Anthony Bennett.
John Wall
Hey, he might be close to man.
Alec Baldwin
He could have been a Draymond Green type of, you know, man.
John Wall
Like, didn't he start his career where he missed like his first, what, like 20 some shots?
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, oh, yeah, that'll hurt.
Draymond Green
Set you back.
John Wall
I think that's. I think that's what killed your first three games. You don't score at all. Like, you couldn't get a free throw. I think they kind of killed his confidence. Yeah.
Draymond Green
No, that set, especially as a number one pick.
John Wall
What you. You want to score at least 10 on the first game. Like, you might not. Might have a bad game. Like, my first game we played, Dwight, I'm like, I can't shoot no limbs on this mud. This is what Dwight was. I was like, damn. I remember I spit on the court. He blocked the shot, bro.
Alec Baldwin
That's probably three. That's probably three. Rookie year that you showed up like, oh, that's number one pick. You got a nut. God damn. Hey, dude, you out here. You out here showing up serving donuts. Ouch. That's gotta.
John Wall
You know what? But you. But, you know, they said, listening.
Draymond Green
You.
John Wall
Know, that's like, am I.
Alec Baldwin
Like, I ain't scored? Am I asked? I scored. I scored it.
Draymond Green
I think. I think if he wasn't the number one pick, he would have. He would have been all right, decent career.
John Wall
But, like, who.
Alec Baldwin
Who went to that year, you know, Hashim. To beat.
John Wall
Beat was in the league way before the end.
Draymond Green
Victor Oladipo. Is that Vic?
John Wall
Did he go 3 or 4? Did Vic go 2 that year? Let's see to the magic.
Draymond Green
Yeah, I think Vick, maybe.
John Wall
Is that Waiter's draft?
Draymond Green
Yeah, four.
Alec Baldwin
That is.
Draymond Green
He was four.
John Wall
Wade is four. So Otto was three.
Alec Baldwin
Yeah, yeah.
John Wall
And Vic was two.
Draymond Green
Yeah.
John Wall
Yeah, man. Damn. I don't think they knew what to do. You know how you look at. Like they're supposed to be one out of these five? Like, I mean, I think I would have.
Alec Baldwin
Alex. Alex Lynn, you had Anthony Bennett, Victor Oladipo, Otto Porter, Cody Zeller. Alex Lynn, Ben McLemore, he was supposed.
John Wall
To be the number one pick, but he had towards ACL that year.
Alec Baldwin
Ben McLemore, 7. Kentavius Pope, 8. He was cold at Jordan, 9. C.J. mcCullough, he was cold. Michael Carter Williams was the Rookie of the year at 11. Giannis was 15, Stephen Adams, 12. Olympic.
John Wall
Yeah, nobody would have did that. But that should have been. You know, you go back sometime, they look 47.
Alec Baldwin
He was it rude. I got Rudy Go Bear as he was 27.
Draymond Green
Doing it today. Hey, dude, keep my mouth closed. Today.
Alec Baldwin
It's unanimous.
John Wall
I'm just saying that, like, listen, all right, this is my point. I do. Like I said, then we could go wherever y'all want to Go. You defensive player, bro. You got to be able to guard people. You can't just get put on the bench. If I gotta take you out because.
Alec Baldwin
You getting cooked, how are you the defensive player here?
John Wall
That's all. I. I have this conversation with my friends all the time. Like, bro.
Alec Baldwin
That don't make no sense at all.
John Wall
Nope. No brainer.
Draymond Green
Yeah, it's tough.
Alec Baldwin
You mentioned a little bit that you went back to the G League winning showcase, start doing some analyst work, you know, talk about that. How is that feeling for you? You know what you like about that?
John Wall
It was dope, man. It was something new. I mean, try to branch out and try something else. But, I mean, I see Dre do it, you know, I mean, I see Jamal Crawford, one of my good friends in the league, doing it, and I just get to talk about the game of basketball. You know? I mean, something that I love to do. And everybody always say, you always talking about it 24 7. Like, when I'm watching the games, I'm always acting like I'm coaching or playing still. So just to be in that environment where I get to talk about the game and be around the game, I love, I'm. I'm willing to try to do possibly anything except for coaching. I. I just can't do no coaching. Young guys, we make.
Alec Baldwin
You wanna get over here with a man purse.
John Wall
Nah, Dre. No, Dre, you coaching. You asked about the full nelson over there. You're gonna be like Charles Oakley in the court. Like, get up. Get your ass.
Alec Baldwin
I can't.
John Wall
Give me that $10 for lunch.
Alec Baldwin
I can't do a dude walking in the gym with a man purse. Not working hard. I mean, fire. I'll be fired.
John Wall
Come on, B.D. you can't do that.
Alec Baldwin
Today I go in there, I wanted the ball, boys cut all your Louis Vuitton luggage, cut his purse up. I bet you we get a reaction still his purse.
Draymond Green
Oh, my purse.
John Wall
My purse.
Draymond Green
J. Wall, we appreciate you coming on the show, brother. Good luck. Whenever you do decide that you done with it, congratulations on your jersey retirement, bro. Cause it's happening for sure. But, man, just. It's been an incredible journey. And regardless of what happened with it, like, what you did in the league, what you did coming from Raleigh and just continued. Like, you look at the young guards that come out of Carolina, like, CP a little removed from them, you know what I'm saying? And, like, you kind of filled that gap, you know what I'm saying? Like, with Steph. Steph is from Charlotte, but it wasn't like that.
John Wall
Right?
Draymond Green
Like, Steph, he was the kid of an NBA player. And so his upbringing was just different. It wasn't like he was the guy that was giving a young kid from North Carolina hope, you know what I'm saying? Because his upbringing was different. And you were that guy who was like giving these young guys hope. And now you look at the Rob Dillinghams, you look at the Aiden Holloways and all these young guys coming out of Carolina that come off the heels of what you did and what you brought and the swag that Rob Dillingham walk around with that come off the heels of what you brought to the game. And we honor that, bro. Like a lot of people try to make it, you know, try not to respect what's been done, brother. Your career, stellar, lived up to the hype, a number one pick and live up to it. We just talked about it. How many guys don't live up to it, bro? So I just want to tip my hat to you, bro, and thank you. We thank you for coming on the show.
John Wall
Appreciate that. Appreciate it. Thanks for having me, for sure.
Alec Baldwin
I want to just echo that, like your character, man. Just keep walking in your light, you know, keep basketball around you. You are basketball. And like everything you gave to the game and given to the game, you know, is more to come and you know who you are as a person in your game. You, you like the pride of every kid growing up that was a have not, you know, or a kid that won a half. And so you are you your story. And every, every day you walk, you know, just know that you're giving that to people and your character is what's going to continue to make you blossom for your second best act, you know, in basketball.
John Wall
Appreciate that. Appreciate every show.
Draymond Green
Absolutely. That's a wrap from this episode of the Draymond Green show with my dog bd. Special guest J. Wall. We appreciate you, brother.
John Wall
The volume.
Katherine Legge
The more you listen to your kids, the closer you'll be. So we asked kids, what do you want your parents to hear?
John Wall
I feel sometimes that I'm not listened to. I would just want you to listen to me more often and evaluate situations with me and lead me towards success. Listen.
Katherine Legge
Listening is a form of love. Find resources to help you support your kids and their emotional well being. @sounditout together.org that's sounditouttogether.org brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal.
Alec Baldwin
Hey, it's Alec Baldwin. This past season on my podcast, here's the thing, I spoke with more actors, musicians, policymakers, and so many other fascinating people like, like writer and actor Dan Aykroyd.
Jon Stewart
I love writing more than anything.
John Wall
You're left alone, you know, you do.
Draymond Green
Three hours in the morning, you write three hours in the afternoon, go pick up a kid from school and write at night, and after nine hours you come out with seven pages and then you're moving on.
Alec Baldwin
And actor and comedian Jack McBrayer. The most important aspect is the collaboration with people that I like, I trust are talented. That has been the most amazing gift to me about this crazy business that we've chosen. Meeting these people who have such diverse talents and you're able to create something together. Listen to here's the thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Katherine Legge
Hey you guys, I'm Katherine Legg.
John Wall
I'm a racing driver who's literally driven.
Katherine Legge
Everything with four wheels across the planet. And I've got a new podcast. It's called Throttle Therapy. This season, I'm competing in some of.
John Wall
The world's most notorious racing events.
Katherine Legge
Tune into my new podcast, Throttle Therapy with Katherine Legg, an iHeart women's sports.
John Wall
Production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Katherine Legge
You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports. I'm so sick of hearing men talk about women's basketball. This is Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose.
Alec Baldwin
And we've got a new podcast, Full Circle.
Katherine Legge
Every Wednesday, we're catching you up on what's going on in women's basketball. We've got you with analysis, inside stories.
John Wall
And a little bit of tea.
Katherine Legge
Full circle is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. Listen to Full circle on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.
Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: The Draymond Green Show w/Baron Davis: John Wall REVEALS NBA Secrets: D-Rose battles, Wizards mistakes & All-Star drama
Release Date: February 17, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Description: The Herd with Colin Cowherd takes you on a thought-provoking, opinionated journey through the top sports stories of the day. In this episode, Draymond Green and Alec Baldwin delve deep into NBA dynamics, featuring a special guest appearance by NBA star John Wall.
Draymond Green kicks off the episode by discussing his current state of recovery and the Warriors' performance amidst a challenging season marked by significant injuries.
Alec Baldwin engages in light-hearted banter with Draymond, emphasizing the importance of maintaining consistency and teamwork despite setbacks.
The conversation shifts to the Warriors' standing this season, with Alec Baldwin addressing rumors about the potential dismantling of the team.
Draymond Green counters these speculations by highlighting the team's resilience and the depth of talent across the NBA.
The hosts delve into the evolving nature of NBA All-Star Weekend, particularly focusing on dunk contests and their impact on player branding and entertainment.
Draymond Green and Alec Baldwin discuss how the absence of superstar participation has diluted the event's excitement.
The spotlight shifts to John Wall, a celebrated NBA point guard, who shares his journey, challenges, and insights into the league.
John Wall reminisces about his early days in the NBA, particularly his matchups against Derrick Rose and the impact of injuries on his career trajectory.
John Wall [26:36]:
"Playing against Derrick Rose was hell, especially during his MVP year. His relentless drive made our defenses rethink every play."
Alec Baldwin [34:51]:
"One of my favorite moments was when Draymond dunked on you. Do you remember that play?"
John Wall [34:59]:
"Yeah, that was my second year in the league. It was a defining moment, realizing the intensity and competitiveness required at this level."
Wall discusses overcoming significant injuries and the mental fortitude required to return to peak performance.
John Wall [29:59]:
"Getting back from an ACL injury felt like hitting rock bottom. I had to fight hard to feel 100% healthy again."
Draymond Green [53:31]:
"John, can you walk us through that moment during your rookie year?"
John Wall [54:21]:
"We lost 24 straight games on the road. I felt like quitting, but the veteran players mentored me to stay the course and keep working."
John Wall emphasizes the importance of mentoring young players and giving back to the community.
John Wall [90:53]:
"I still talk to Jalen Green and KJ Martin Jr., helping them navigate their careers. It's about passing along what I've learned."
Draymond Green [90:35]:
"You've always been passionate about mentoring. Are there any young guys you're currently mentoring in the league?"
The discussion transitions to broader NBA team-building strategies, the role of veterans, and the importance of a cohesive team culture.
Alec Baldwin [84:25]:
"What's your take on the current Wizards squad, and how would you improve the team?"
John Wall [84:25]:
"They need to find a number one guy, a franchise player. The young talent is promising, but they lack veteran presence to mentor and stabilize the team."
Draymond Green [85:14]:
"The worst thing for player development is vets who aren't committed to mentoring young talent. It disrupts team culture and hinders growth."
The hosts reflect on the current All-Star game formats and propose ideas to rejuvenate the event's competitiveness and entertainment value.
John Wall [46:09]:
"The rookie-sophomore game isn't compelling. Bringing back East vs. West could raise the stakes and make the game more exciting."
Draymond Green [50:28]:
"The NBA needs to prioritize preparation for All-Star Weekend. Players should focus on delivering competitive games rather than treating it as just another event."
As the episode wraps up, John Wall shares his future aspirations, including potential returns to the NBA, broadcasting, and mentoring roles.
John Wall [109:23]:
"I'm giving it another year or two in the league, but if it doesn't pan out, I'm content pivoting to broadcasting and mentoring young players."
Draymond Green [112:26]:
"You've filled a crucial gap for young guards coming out of Carolina. Your legacy extends beyond your on-court achievements."
Alec Baldwin [124:22]:
"Your character and dedication inspire countless young athletes. Keep walking in your light and continue to make an impact."
John Wall [26:36]:
"Playing against Derrick Rose was hell... His relentless drive made our defenses rethink every play."
Alec Baldwin [42:19]:
"The dunk contest gave All-Star weekend its fun factor, showcasing the greats and creating memorable moments for fans."
Draymond Green [05:18]:
"If you want to be a good team, keeping your core is essential. Trading away an All-Star starter isn't the solution."
This episode offers an in-depth exploration of the current state of the NBA, the evolving nature of All-Star events, and personal insights from NBA star John Wall. Draymond Green and Alec Baldwin provide thoughtful analysis on team dynamics, player development, and the importance of maintaining a strong team culture. John Wall's candid discussion about his career challenges, mentorship roles, and future aspirations adds a compelling narrative to the conversation, making this episode a must-listen for NBA enthusiasts.