The Professor and Main Event talk AND1

In this exciting episode of The Alley Oop Show, streetball legend The Professor joins Main Event for an in-depth conversation about AND1. The two break down the biggest moments from the episode, discuss standout players, unforgettable plays, and what continues to make the AND1 movement one of the most influential brands in basketball culture.

The Professor shares his perspective on the growth of streetball, the impact of the AND1 legacy, and how the game continues to evolve for a new generation of hoopers. Main Event brings his unique insight from the road, offering behind-the-scenes stories and experiences that fans won't hear anywhere else.

Whether you're a longtime AND1 fan or discovering the movement for the first time, this episode is packed with basketball knowledge, entertaining stories, and a celebration of the culture that changed the game.

Don't miss this must-watch conversation between two icons of the streetball world!

🏀 Like, Comment, Subscribe, and Share!

🎙️ Follow The Main Event Podcast for more exclusive interviews, sports talk, and basketball culture.

#TheAlleyOopShow #AND1 #AND1Basketball #Streetball #TheProfessor #MainEvent #BasketballCulture #Hoops #BasketballLife #StreetballLegend #AND1Mixtape #BasketballPodcast #SportsPodcast #HoopCulture #BasketballCommunity #StreetballCulture #SportsTalk #PodcastClips #BasketballFans #ViralBasketball #Hoopers #BasketballHighlights #SportsEntertainment #SetCulture #LegendaryHoopers

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:20

Welcome to the certified legend main event. This is the Alley U Sports Show, not your ordinary alley U.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

And it's your boy Rockstar Q, man. We outside today, Pops. We outside all the time, but today we specially outside. I'm talking about sunny, clear skies, maybe like 80 degrees. We outside today.

SPEAKER_04 0:35

Today I'd like to introduce my little bro, no other than Grayson Bouche, aka the Professor. Yo, yo.

SPEAKER_01 0:49

Nice to see you, man. Yeah, man. Thanks for having me in here, man.

SPEAKER_04 0:53

Yeah, like people don't know how far we go back. If I was to call my mother right now, she'll be like, I'm on with Professor. Yeah, you remember when we had to walk him through the kitchen? Now I'm not gonna tell y'all when we had to walk him through the kitchen to my 30th birthday party, but we had to go through the kitchen to get to the main party and sell out to my mom. But yo, fetch, man, you remember that night?

SPEAKER_00 1:13

It's crazy you were turning just 30. Like, dang.

unknown 1:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Wow. But no, I remember that night for sure. I I how could I forget it? That was shortly after, shortly after I won the contract. And then um, yeah, I no, I remember the whole night. I remember one time it was funny too. I was dancing with some girl. I remember I was dancing with some girl and they got a little bit long, but mind you, I'm 18. I'm just trying to figure it out. I don't even know what you do with the club. And I remember you came up to me like, yo, chill out, man. You don't even be dancing that way. There's a couple, just a snippet. Yeah. You remember we said like a motel. Remember? It was like people don't know the club? Yeah, well, the funny thing is, we in the nicer cities, we were like the Ritz, right? We're taking the bus to like like five-star hotels, but Jackson, Mississippi probably ain't got a five-star hotel. We were in a motel, but the crazy thing is the fans was like coming to the door. Knocking on the door. Like you would just pull up and like knocking on the door. I think sometimes even anyone didn't realize our popularity, like even the corporate, like sometimes, right? But the funny thing is, um, I remember they were talking about the show was gonna start up for the first episode of season two was gonna come on. And the crazy thing was, like, the season one is just about the guys, right? This before I'm on there. So it's just like, you know, the fellas, regular main team, right? I'm on the opposing team. I'm just trying out. So I was hoping maybe one of my highlights, because they did show the opposing team sometimes, right? If you gotta move off on one of the players, I was hoping maybe I could pause it and see myself. Maybe I call my homies back home, my family, and be like, yo, go to this park, yeah, you know, to check out my highlight. Lo and behold, I didn't even know it was about the contestants. Like, obviously, it's about the guys too, but it was largely about the contestants.

SPEAKER_04 2:44

But they didn't explain it to you. Maybe they did though. I was real green though. You know, I didn't hear nothing. I didn't even know it was going on the tour.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Yeah, so like I'm I'm I'm not hearing it. So, like when I seen it, um, and I'm probably on half the episode, right? Like, like it actually made me nervous because like, you know, when you first see yourself on camera, it's like, wow, I look like that, why I sound like that. And um, and I don't know, I was like, why my hair messed up? Like, I just didn't like I didn't like anything about it. I like I like that it was shown and it was surreal, but I'm like embarrassed. It's like made me nervous. But then I remember um only like an hour later we went somewhere and then we got mobbed. It's like overnight celebrity, literally, like literally. I mean, they was already on top, but for me, it was just crazy. It was like literally like one day. One day, because those episodes, we never really got the view count. We don't know the analytics, but think about it now. None of that stuff, in new media, we know like one YouTube can get a million, like one big YouTube video. But think about it, it was only a hundred channels. So those those probably getting 20 million plus easy per episode in my it aired like a hundred and sometimes throughout the the week because ESPN would air their best show all night. The street balls always like number one show. Probably one of the top shows on TV, though. If you think about it, like what showed a reality show really without knowing what's going on.

SPEAKER_02 3:57

I don't think there was a show after that. I don't like there wasn't ever like a like anything after that. I think they started showing old basketball games after that.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Yeah, or there's poker. I think it was like four or five shows on East B, right?

SPEAKER_04 4:08

It was like poker, it was like later on they had another show about basketball, but this is good because you know we never got a chance to really ask how did anyone feel like going through that? Because, like you said, we was doing what we was doing. I want to ask this question. Yeah, you didn't just wake up one day and be like, I'm gonna be the professor. What did you want to do like in school? What was your goal? Did you play high school basketball? Did you go to college? For those that don't know, what's what was what's gracing like?

SPEAKER_00 4:35

Oh, uh well, I want to make the NBA, you know, being a basketball player. I was pretty much always an underdog, but I always had always had like skills offensively, but I was so small, I always looked like I was 10 years younger than I was, so I never really got the opportunity. Um I wasn't even on varsity until I was a senior in high school. Wow. I was on the JV team. I've averaged 30 on the or 20 or 25 or something on the JV team. Yeah, I've had the skills, but nobody really saw it.

SPEAKER_04 5:02

What's the town? What's this town we're talking about?

SPEAKER_00 5:04

I'm from Oregon. Yeah, I'm from a small town in Oregon. So Kaiser, Oregon. It's like halfway in between um Eugene and Portland. So this is like a freeway town. Like you know me, you wouldn't know.

SPEAKER_04 5:13

And what was Kamechala? Because that's connected with your story.

SPEAKER_00 5:15

Shamecada. Shamecada. That's that's like the local uh community college. My my dad persuaded the coach to give me a shot to be on the team, and they let me red shirt, but then there was like a few injuries before the season, so I actually ended up suiting up. But um So you we talking about a player didn't play, only play varsity.

SPEAKER_04 5:34

Right.

unknown 5:35

Right.

SPEAKER_04 5:35

Went to a local community college. Yep. Right? Yep. After the community college, um was it and one came about? Yeah, I mean I was kind of like a. I graduated 17.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

I'm real young, yeah. So like, yeah, basically a few injuries happened, so I ended up suiting up. I played three minutes a game. If the game was close, I didn't even go in. And um, I always had coaches who were real like uh, what am I trying to say? Real like Princeton offense, you know what I mean? Like a crossover was like showing off. I remember one time I did like a behind the back pass. Uh, you know that one where you let you put it behind your back this way and then you end up throwing it this way. I did that in practice, but it was like good passes. Dude dunked it. It was a good pass. And everything, but my coach he stopped the practice, like, what the hell? Yeah, I think what he said, he was like, what the hell is this AAU shit? You know what I'm saying? Like he flipped out, like just saying it was like showing off or whatever. And um, so I had that element to my game, but I wasn't able to do it, you know, like in conventional basketball. But I had like fundamental skills. I was always like real skilled, but players were just bigger, I was a little bit green, green, you know, like a little bit too uh puppy eye, you know, like like like I would back down sometimes if it was like real physical or whatever. But after that freshman year, though, I hit the weight room and I was doing like three a days. Like I had no social life, but just played basketball and I actually improved like 300%. Like I literally got three times better just committing myself to the game. I already played like twice a day, did two a days naturally, but nobody was there to really tell me how much better I had gotten. So by the time I meet y'all, I've got way better, but not even knowing it. So like I'm thinking, like on the tour, I was thinking I'll just get lucky.

SPEAKER_04 7:09

I was like, I don't know what's who was you watching? Was you watching the pro like who was some of your property? Oh, I see what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Yeah, so like your references, you know, Michael Jordan, obviously. I'm born in '84, so I saw Michael Jordan's whole run. Iverson was the first player I emulated. I had a trainer who started working on my ball handling skills when I was in fourth grade. And um that Iverson crossover he showed me, I learned how to do it in like a week. And then that was my first glimpse at like uh knowing that I could pick things up real fast from a ball handling standpoint. But I'll cross like grown adults with that move, you know, and I was like, I'm four foot something, you know, at that time. So um, so yeah, that's who I emulated. And then I never thought it was gonna be a career opportunity. You know, I thought I'd go back to school and you know, you're always a little bit delusional about your game. You know, I thought I was gonna make the NBA, even though I don't play in college. Like barely play at JUCO. Yeah, so um, I think it was just like that tryout was just like uh what do they say? When um preparation meets opportunity. That's right, you know, and then turned into a career opportunity, not even knowing it. Just so what was the moment? I was happy to see them. I really I went to the game as just a fan. And then they had to try out like the trial. I tried out the year before, too. You know, they always had the open run, but there wasn't no like reality show.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Like it was just the open run, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:21

So I played against sick with it. I played I played against you, yeah, like two games. I remember I got into it, was sick with it. Like you said, I was fouling him. I'm like, nobody called a foul.

SPEAKER_04 8:29

You know, like the street ball's sick. Come on now.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

No, no, salute is sick with it, yo. That's my gut. I was probably I was probably holding him or something, but we we kind of like got into it. I think I only scored twice. I didn't have no like highlight plays or anything like that. But the next year I hopped in again, just like, hey, nothing to lose. Let's let's get it. You know what I mean? Just excited to be there, excited to just watch them. But the next thing I know, I'm like, now you were part of them.

SPEAKER_02 8:50

Yeah. Yeah. So what was the moment when you finally, like, what was that moment that was like, yo, I'm the professor? Like, like, I know you had like a moment when you sat down or like something happened, yeah, where you was like, oh, I'm really the professor.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Like, I don't, man, you just crazy. I don't even know if I was that confident. Like, like, I'm always confident on the court. Like, something about me, like, everything goes out the window, and I'll be confident, locked in, and not nervous what once I run up and down after the jump ball. But I don't think I don't think I ever locked in and I would even say that. I was more so nervous when I thought about the game. But like once I get in it, I'm like, good. You know what I mean? So when did I have that thought? I don't even know. I think I think somewhere halfway through, we had like a break when we went home for the tour, and then we came back. We had that game in Detroit. Reality sets in. And I had that back and forth with hot sauce, and then I think we played a game in Toronto with Skip played. I think after those games, I thought to myself, like, like maybe I can't win. You know what I mean? Like, maybe I do have an opportunity. But I think that's as far as I went. I just said maybe I could be here.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

But then it happened.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

Yeah, because even even like after I signed the contract and then come back the next year, it was like hard to figure out how to play at their pace and how to fit in. You know, we remember we did the European tour. I think I only scored like three, I only scored like six points on that whole tour. Because I was just trying to figure out how to fit in and play at their pace. It was way faster pace than I was used to playing at.

SPEAKER_04 10:11

And people don't people don't really realize. We it was a time where we had to like far as the OGs was like, yo, man, we creating some monsters because we had Fest and them doing stuff we just wasn't doing. We wasn't running after the games, running before the games, push elves, working out. We would do what we do on the bus and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 10:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:30

So I think we we was preparing you for something that we didn't even know what we was preparing you for.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:36

So when people I get backlash and people be like, yo, you always protect the professor. And I don't know where I be getting these highlights from. I don't know if it's from your high school, from the college, uh huh, but I could tell when someone just has natural game. Uh-huh. They they miss that part. See, you can't do you can't do the flashiness and be successful without having that basic form of game. And you have that, you got the pull up jump shot. You got so we watching, we watching. I'm like, and what I want to tell you is this we had an opportunity. And um when you came on, we know you was young, and we could have said, you know what, we're gonna bring Fess over here on bus for, right? But I think at that time in our careers, that would have been that's not big bruh, little bruh because we was we was doing stuff that like you can't come over here with us, man. We smoking weed and stuff, we drinking alcohol. We I was 26 when I went to Anne 1. Right. So look at that disservice it would have had. And I'm thinking, I think the creator that we didn't go that route, you know, but I'm gonna throw this name at you. And you tell me how important he is because someone asked me, and they say that we don't talk a lot about this person. Okay. Um, Escalade.

SPEAKER_00 11:53

Escalate, yeah. Super important, bro. I think like something about Escalade, we just like clicked, you know what I mean? And he kind of like took me under his wing. Not for not for not hanging out with us? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:05

And with him? Mm-hmm. I know he, I know, because man, go ahead. That's that's Danek. I know that's your guy.

SPEAKER_00 12:11

It was like an odd connection. I don't even know why it just worked, though. But I think like he gave me some advice too, like, like, not many people were giving advice as I think we were all competing too, though, you know what I mean? So not necessarily gonna give advice to your opponent. Yeah, yeah, but um, yeah, we just clicked. He would like give me advice, and then um I think as to what you're saying, like when he was around me, he's keeping it, keeping it sober, keeping it just like professional and like cool so it felt like safe, you know, we'd hang out, and then you always make sure to include it. He was just a nice guy though, too, right? It's just like a real nice dude at heart. Even though he was funny and he he had his moments or whatever, but like he was like, he just made it um an effort to kind of like include me and like just be cool. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 12:54

Had you feel uncomfortable, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:56

And that and that was cool because see the one thing about I think um the road, it's almost like an adult AAU, right? You got your little clicks, you got this, you got that. Everybody knew who, everybody, if you had to find someone, yeah, there's a 90% chance you knew where they was at. Yo, with Fest hat, I don't know, I ain't see Fest. You say S or vice versa. Yo, you seen Prime, you seen AO. You seen Maine, you seen Shane. So clicked. When it was time to link up, we linked up. Agreed. When it comes to like your basketball skills, I tell people you, I I got respect for all the guys. I want to just say that I got respect for everybody. I have special respect for you, um the circus, Jerome Homan, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um helicopter and spider. Or if there's anyone else who I'm missing, the reason why I say that is that y'all had to go through 25 cities, every third game was an elimination game. Yeah. There was guys that was on the and one mixtape tour that couldn't do that. That couldn't do those 25 games. For a fact.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

I see what you're saying.

SPEAKER_04 14:06

For a fact. I see what you're saying, yeah. You know, for a fact, I knew they couldn't do it. So what was those moments like going out there, like you said, you going, it's competition. You know, opponents on competitors waiting for a stance, chance is still yours. Yeah. What was that third game like, which is considered for those that don't know, that third game was the elimination game. Yeah. What's that what's that day like from the morning into the actual game? What was that feeling like?

SPEAKER_00 14:29

You know, it's funny because a lot of people ask me that, like, like, were you nervous you wouldn't win? That's what they asked me. Like, were you nervous you wouldn't win? But I was like, funny, I didn't even think I could win. So like I'm just I was more so happy to be there.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

You just be there, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

Yeah, I'm just I'm just happy to be there to be with Maine, be with Hossos, be with A.O. Like I feel like I'm with Jordan and Iverson.

SPEAKER_02 14:47

You'd have made it already.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Yeah, so like I was just happy to be there. But but but I did feel a little bit of the tension, you know, like like I wanted to stay on as long as I could. So so yeah, I think like um it almost seemed like a like any other game, but then like when it came down to it, they would hype that up, like yo, somebody's gonna go home, you know what I mean? And so I would always step it up as naturally as a Hooper. I would always turn up those games. Because some games I did like have a hard time, right? Sick and them locked down. Hey, it was it was like personal. Some of the games I only scored like a couple buckets or like one bucket, you know what I mean? You didn't get no highlights, but when it came to elimination, it was nothing. Like, so yeah, so when it came to elimination, you had to go crazy.

SPEAKER_02 15:25

So you so it like you said, they said they made the tension feel if you felt the tension, sort of.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

Yeah, I mean it was all there. I mean, look, we played in front of Arena full every other night, so that was more. I was I I had only played in front of front of like maybe 300 people was the most people I ever played in front of before that tour. Before that tour. So it was always a little bit of tension going into the game, but then once the jump ball goes up and run up and down, I was always like.

SPEAKER_02 15:47

So what was like the hardest thing for you? Like what was the hardest thing? Like, what was the hardest going through that whole time? Because that seems like a lot. 25 games, and then every third game put out of the 25 is an elimination. That could that could be pretty stressful.

SPEAKER_00 16:00

Yeah, for sure. And then just trying to figure out how to play against them. They already know all the moves, right? It's like that's why like I had to stay in my regular ball bag more playing against them because like everybody's expecting between the legs off the heasy. Expecting the tricks, tricks, but they they're too good at defenders to do it. So, like, if I did get it, I have to like really sneak it in there within the flow of the game or uh or like do some promo moves and then do a regular move to go around. You know what I mean? Like, you're not really gonna you can't just do the regular move, make them fall or go, you know, turn them around. Like it's you, I suppose you could, but it's like a tougher play. So like, so yeah, for me, um, but I was always a regular ball player first, and people didn't know that.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

So they still don't, they don't think they're gonna that was y'all. That was all of y'all though. Y'all always could play.

SPEAKER_04 16:43

He's 17. Yeah, we in our 20s. Yeah. So he was doing that moment, we not like analyzing, like, nah, we just all right, young kid out here, but we knew who had game. Like Fessy got he got game because once he said, if this didn't work, he could always go to so that's just basketball. Yeah, once you're flat-out basketball.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

Okay, which is funny too, because uh I think I think people don't know though. I still think people don't know how high level it was. I always say it on every podcast. I'm always having to be the opposing viewpoint. Because remember, like on the ESPN doc, yeah, some of the NBA players like dog dogging the level of players. It gets misconstrued. I know what they're saying. They're saying, like, oh, maybe you couldn't be an NBA All-Star or get the shot we got, but that's not really they make it sound like they're trying to make it sound like y'all cut it and play with them.

SPEAKER_04 17:30

And then when I see those clips, I'll be like, you know what? Lil'Bruh always hit you up and tell you, like, yo, yo, you held it down because like ask big brothers questions. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? And it don't have to be me. You got other big brothers. Ask the other big brothers those questions. Yeah. Like when it comes to those things, but you always handle it right. You know, my thing when it comes to those, that is that you would never hear me say someone can't make it. Like far to whatever it is, because the actual game starts on the blacktop. You know, you got the MLB, you wind up getting a chance to play in the Major League Baseball. You got, we used to play free-for-all football, throw the football up, whoever gets it, they run, and that became the NFL. So, um, you know, I would never be a gatekeeper or knock someone, even if, you know, and I want to say this being never now. So this is the true story with KG, what he was trying to say. All right? Oh, yeah. We gotta clear this up. KG Silo ticket. So this this will happen. So you remember at Rucker Park, my bad boy team was we was popular. Shout out to Mousey, you know, shout out the whole bad boy. Um, don't condone none of that alleged stuff, none of that stuff. We was just playing basketball. But um, right, right, right. But you know, so um we everybody, it was a thing that after the games, we would go up to Justin's, that was Puff Spot. We all would go up there. Stefan Marberry and KG was part of the entourage that was following the bad boy team. Okay. So they came to the restaurant with us. They was, they was our guest at the restaurant. So uh Terminator Ramathai's, they was talking stuff, and he was like, yo, we're bushy, ASS, da da da da. Just just, you know, regular just talking. Yeah, yeah. So you know, we now, that's my big bro. Yeah, you know, Terminator so. We like, yeah, yeah. So when KG said he made it seem like we be following him around to places saying that we're better, that was just a lie. I see, I see. Now, maybe because that's been years ago, right? So, you know, we we give KG, but um. Yeah, I think it'd be blurry 20, 30 years back. Yeah, but I know it's very vivid. I know it because I was actually there. I was like that, that's what happened. So, you know, I I'll charge his mind and not his heart. Um, now I know, man, you people who don't know the relationship that you and I really have, I don't think we we may have gone through a spurt maybe a month or two where I would just say things was like confusing to where I'm looking, things should go this way or things should go that way, but at the end of the day, I gotta remember that people have to make decisions that could benefit them, right? But through those same times, we still stayed in touch, stayed in touch, stayed in touch. Um, I think that's what was more important than you would know. If it was 20 years ago, you know, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. And then if you look at my life, I look at your life, God plays a major part into um to all of this stuff. Super, yeah. You know, that's why I want to congratulate you uh for what you're doing, getting back with and one. You know, I know there were differences with some of the players at the time, but that just shows the power of God. Congrats, congrats. That shows the power of God that things can reconcile. Yep. You know what I'm saying? So I want to salue you, salute you on that, because that that is a bold move. You know what I mean? So Joe, salute on that, man. And keep doing your thing, man. You know, keep doing your thing. What you got, what you got, what you cool.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

It was a trip, though. It was that was cool. Like I hadn't seen, I don't think I had seen Shane since 2013. And I hadn't seen Sauce since 2010. Sheesh. And there was like some tension there, you know. You know, whatever it was.

SPEAKER_04 20:52

What'd you say? Competitive, competitive tension that went over.

SPEAKER_00 20:57

I think it's like stuff. Stuff that stemmed from the past. Yeah, they was almost like, I forgot. I was like, what is it over again? You know what I mean? Like, what is it over again? You know, like I think I think they might say the same thing too. Yeah, yeah. Um, but uh, but yeah, it was all love. I think like like just seeing it getting in the room, sometimes it's just like it's just that's all you need to do, is just get in the room.

SPEAKER_02 21:18

Get in there. Once you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_00 21:21

The more you assume what that person thinks, they assume what you think. So we got in the room and um, yeah, it was all love, you know what I mean? It was great.

SPEAKER_04 21:30

And I won't put this on the record so so people don't get confused. I want to say this. So I don't think nobody would feel how I feel about and one, right? And and I and I say that respectfully because I know a lot of I know a lot of things that people just don't know. Right, right. Right? So when when see when people see me like spew out, it's not like the hate, it's just that when someone says, okay, we got the name and one, but you can't take the good without the bad and the indifference. So it's like it's bad. Oh nah, I gotta they want me to start naming names. This person, that person, nah, because it's the name. We built that name, right? We're a part of building that brand.

SPEAKER_00 22:09

Y'all built that.

SPEAKER_04 22:10

So when I do see the original, the original card.

SPEAKER_00 22:12

For the strangers, the original and one players.

SPEAKER_04 22:14

Yeah, the original, and no, no, but now you're a part of that conversation now.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

Oh god, I see what you're saying.

SPEAKER_04 22:18

You know what I mean? You you you embedded your because now it's it's bigger than the fame. It's bigger than the fame, it's the contribution now. I'm looking at it as a as the as the contribution. Who's contributing to this sport? Who's contributing to the sport that's saving lives? Not only saving lives, it saved my life. Street basketball saved my life. So when I go on about the and one stuff, I'm talking more from the the how can I say it? Um the the the pimping side, the culture side, the vulturist side. Yeah. Um not saying with with with this group. You know, you know what I mean? So my thing is if if they say that, this is what the people were saying. If I'm gonna be the author and the and and the overseer of the culture, I have to be able to spit the facts and not only give facts, but also say, this is my concern, this is why I do this. People say to me, Oh man, you you you're God fearing. But you be talking about politicians and stuff. You know why I talk about politicians and holding them accountable fest? It's because I'm a taxpayer. I have rights. That doesn't mean that I'm not God fearing.

SPEAKER_00 23:16

I don't think that's anti-faith.

SPEAKER_04 23:18

But some people, but some people they, oh, you say this, you say that. Nah. Just as I hold those accountable, yeah, remember it's the other side to that. Yeah, for sure. I have to be held accountable too.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:28

You know, so so I didn't want you to think like, yo, I'm back. Nah, I would never put you in a position to where I'm gonna bash anyone. My my indifference is with Aaron One is my indifference. I still want to see the best for you, the best for my brothers. Yeah, I just can't dance on that stage. I never but I still, I got told my son, I said, yo, I'm happy. Because you know why? Check this out. And I and I don't leave that alone. The reason when I saw that, that when I saw you doing that, right? Not only are you giving the brand CPR, but you giving my brothers over this CPR. Because I remember it was a time when you said when we had split, and you was like, dang, it's just not the same because the OGs wasn't there. Well, this is your opportunity. This is your opportunity because, like I said, it's CBR. You could breathe life back into that element of street basketball because it needs CPR.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

Yeah, it's CBR.

SPEAKER_04 24:23

And the creator blessed it for guys like you, guys like White Iverson, guys like the young boy, um, uh, what's his name? Um Leaky Roof. Leaky Roof. So now you taking that stance, just keep it or try to keep it authentic as possible. Yeah. Look at it as the creator have used you through your journeys to bring peace. I'm always gonna be your brother. I'm always gonna be the bro. Yeah. But I got a stage that I that I'm building, I gotta create because my vision may be different than the owner's vision over there, or who Dexter, or whoever ran the show. Our vision is a little bit different. Mine goes back to the initial uh planning for and one, and it was the community, it was given a second thing for alternatives for players who didn't make it to the league. Yeah, um, get an opportunity to go overseas. I I gotta go back to those traits. So don't never think that anything is at any of you guys, any of my brothers is directly at and one, period.

SPEAKER_00 25:23

No, I appreciate that. Yeah, and I like that though. That's that's what's cool about you. You always see like the bigger side of things. I think like you've evolved a lot, right, since and one. We all have, but no. But you especially, right? You see things more from a non-biased, like zoomed out, big picture viewpoint. But I feel what you're saying, though. Like you're saying, like your vision is different and it's gotta hit different for you too, though, right? Because I try to put myself in y'all shoes, right? You and Shane and the half and the the originals. I would feel different about it too, though. Because think about it, I came on just before the halfway point or something like that, right? From 98 to 08, I came on 03. So um yeah, had I been like one of the original five to like start the whole thing and then it ended how it ended, and then we split, right? Right after we looked at the sports illustrated, we gotta tell that story next. Right after we're on the cover of the Sports Illustrated, um they split. Basically, the OGs are gone. It was an AO, hot sauce, and escalator, the only ones that stayed. And then my myself, and then it's like a whole new regime, right? And it never was the same without them, right? It was just they were their blueprint. It was just magic, you know what I mean? Not that it wasn't cool, you know, it was just still some talented guys, but like it just wasn't quite the same. So I think like, yeah, if I if I was in your shoes, I would be hot. And then like also just the way the company ended and went down, and then like you said, the mixed safe tour was the heart, the heart and soul of the brand. It was like the like the trash talk tees are like the the the initial Kickstarter, and it's part of the identity, like the quotes and all that, and then some of the NBA players that was on there too. Of course, everything played a part, but it became the brand.

SPEAKER_04 26:58

The mixtape tour is your promo.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

It's bigger than the brand, it's bigger than the clothing. I think even to the point now, I signed. Touring's not a part of it, just so you know. I don't even know if you know that. Yeah, it's more it's more like um digital deliverables and trying to make the brand cooler. I think they wanted to just like package my brand in and one and just kind of like leave it there.

SPEAKER_04 27:15

Now that we're not who's best to go, who's best, like they got the one, like you listen, man. You you you you you was able to, man, you had hands-on from being in um, we gave you everything that the culture insists of. Yeah. From every aspect, from the time when I said, Yo, Fess, I don't know, man. Remember, you had your hair like this? Yeah. You remember my boy uh Gary G Ways gave you the shape up? You gave me the C- So we gave you every aspect, like everything?

SPEAKER_00 27:45

No, like like blueprint on down, especially Maine, especially though. That's what's crazy. I'm not even I knew that, but even talking through it and putting it together. It's crazy. But yeah, no, 100%. And like I was just a happy, like that's how I look at A1. I was just happy to be a part of it. I think, but if for you guys, like starting it and then the way it ended, it's kind of crazy. Like it definitely would feel different. And then moving forward. Of course, you have a different vision almost. You know, not saying maybe you could reconcile or something could be.

SPEAKER_04 28:12

It wasn't con it wasn't contractual. Yeah. It wasn't that. It was which I think is not ethical. If I say fetch, yo, here, take this right here. And then it just does a sense, like we we helped build something, so the whole thing was a family, which is different when you say it's a family. Yeah. But like I said, at the end of the day, I I've learned, man, that the creator takes us through different things and it's different seasons. He has allowed for us to be a part of each other's season.

SPEAKER_01 28:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 28:43

Even through a time or a season where things may not have grown. Right. Right? Right. We're still here. So I sit back and it's not, it's not anger, it's not, it's not that high. I feel as though anything or any information that I don't share with the future is in God's eyes is being selfish. So sometimes people could take my, uh, but Fess, if you look at anything I ever do or ever did, or doing, it's not about me. Yeah, it's about like the overall point and everything. Yeah. Because I'm saying this who else who I was doing it, Fets. So to get back to what you were saying with Anne One. Right. Who else better for them to pick for what you just described? You you got it, you got it. You got you got it. You feel me? You got it, you can you you was you was privy to have the best of both worlds.

SPEAKER_00 29:27

Appreciate that.

SPEAKER_04 29:28

You understand? Because you you able you you was able to get into doors that we can't get into for whatever reason. Right. But you never you never shined your back on us. Jokers who felt funny about you, you felt funny about them, and I would course you through that. Yo, Fetch, don't worry, yo. Do it this way, do it that way, blah, blah, blah, blah. Because I never wanted you because I know the love that we have for you.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:47

And your family. You understand? In the club, three in the morning. I don't know if you remember this. I'm in the club three in the morning, right? I don't know if Fets hurt his knee or ankle, something happened. I'm like, man, it's like three in the morning. I'm coming from the club. He was on my heart. I went to a Walgreens, I got a cart, got the guy that side of the car, nobody slipped it under your door. Damn, that's right. You know what I'm saying? So if you look back, bro, if you look back at it, yeah, we, you, you, you, bro, yo.

SPEAKER_00 30:10

Yeah, no, for real, bro. I super appreciate it. That's insane. That's insane, bro. Wow. Wow. Remember that.

SPEAKER_04 30:17

No, you was like, But no, literally. What you like? What was that experience for you seemed?

SPEAKER_02 30:21

I mean, like I said, it was different. It was different for me. Like, when y'all, when y'all used to go do what y'all did, I mean, like, I had my time with Fets. I mean, I remember dribbling in the little hotel hallway with them with and hot sauce in them. I used to be dribbling with y'all all the time. You feel me? Like, I used to never, I would never think now, like fast forward to now, like that would enhance me like when I play, but it worked. All that worked. Everybody's seen it up close.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Everybody's like Steph Curry and his dad.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

Everybody actually, like, where you learn dribble. I didn't do no ball handling drills. I never really dribbled with two basketballs. I used to sit, watch you, watch hot sauce, watch um silk. I used to watch, like, literally sit there and I'm just practicing in the crib. I remember when I first started doing uh and one and tricks and stuff. My pops used to tell me, yo, don't go do all that. Don't start doing all that. That'll get you cut. Next thing you know, next thing you know you get too caught up in it.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

Now he's too far away from real.

SPEAKER_02 31:16

Now in my mind, I'm trying to find ways to make the moves that y'all do make them legal. Yeah. Now I'm in the crib, now I'm just creating things. And then after that, it's just was like.

SPEAKER_00 31:24

You know what's crazy? I thought I used to think like that too, though. You know, like like I because I saw like how Skip played and I seen how Main played, and then Sauce had his own his own way of doing things, which is you know, super marketable in that way. Absolutely. I always try to be a little bit in between, you know, because like you you want the entertainment factor, but I was trying to figure out like how does Skip and them headache, they do it in the flow of the game. It's like different.

SPEAKER_02 31:45

Because they already playing.

SPEAKER_00 31:47

Yeah, so I actually I actually the carry moves was like a big trend back there, right? Sauce kind of created that wave. Maybe, maybe not, I don't, I actually don't know the full history, but obviously popularized that that style of play. So we all had a little bit of carry moves in our game, but I think like what I I seen how like a lot of uh basketball high-ups looked at viewed that, and I still I still had pro ambitions even during and one and and oh and just want to keep my brand respectable. So I've always like tried to not really exude in like too much carrying.

SPEAKER_02 32:16

Too much of the tricks and all that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:18

Yeah, and it's funny now the league they carry, so like I never get called for carrying no more. That's the crazy part. Like when I first was on social media and YouTube, like like in 2009 and 2011, all the comments were like everything's a carry. But then as time went on, it's like they can look at my favorite carrying.

SPEAKER_02 32:36

It's crazy. And it's wild, another thing, another thing that a lot of people didn't get a chance to see was y'all practice.

SPEAKER_04 32:42

Oh, bro, you know, people think we it's fake. Talk about the other thing.

SPEAKER_02 32:47

I've witnessed, I've witnessed it with my own eyes. You feel me? Like, I've I've seen, I've seen the fights, I've seen the the F you and the Yeah, but then it's all on the court though. That's one thing that them practices, listen, it was I ain't gonna say no names, but it's certain guys on that team that couldn't practice because it was it was a little too thorough. It wasn't no, it wasn't no tricks, it was all listen, game 21, it's gonna be the hardest 21 we're gonna get. You know what I mean? Like, I'm gonna bump, I'm gonna bump you, I'm gonna elbow you, yeah, I'm gonna, it's no fouls, none of that. And it used to be crazy.

SPEAKER_00 33:20

Bro, at one time, I think we were like in Australia, right? It was Australia, Europe, but we had practice like in between the games, like every other day. Bro, we might have gotten a fight every single one. Ended in a fight. Like every practice, I don't know how many, let me like six practices in a row every single one.

SPEAKER_04 33:38

Did that confuse you? That's crazy. Our practices was totally different than the game.

SPEAKER_00 33:42

Nah, because I just I just know how like competitive ball is, you know. Like, I've maybe seen it like in my suburb world, you know, that I grew up in, but I still like I get mad, I can't beat my dad. I kick the ball, you know, like yeah, like I mean my brother, we couldn't play, right? We'll end in a fight. So I just know basketball can end a fight, but this was like, this is like the gorilla, the next level. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_04 34:02

I think the practice is is going to be like the game. What I mean by is that the we wanted to see who really balling, right? So the game was more oops, it was more, yeah. We didn't practice, I tell people, we didn't practice the stuff y'all saw. Have you ever seen us practice anything? Like far as the only thing oops, and you can't practice it.

SPEAKER_00 34:19

We need choreographic like to be showtime. But it sometimes we we all could do it in the flow of the game. So there'd be alley oops, right? Yeah, because we look but it'd be like if it's the best place. If it's the best play, yeah, yeah. Go look, it's the if it's the best place. So we probably all had a lot of flair in the game, but it was almost like that was.

SPEAKER_02 34:34

But it was more like a it was yo, it really was like a yeah, it was uh y'all practice was like a black ops run.

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Bro, it was slightly.

SPEAKER_02 34:42

It was like a it was like it was like a real legit, like like NBA dudes would have come in and they would have been like, oh nah, that was a great run. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like they wouldn't, they wouldn't look at it like, oh, this like wreck.

SPEAKER_00 34:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:53

Like you would think that because y'all, the way y'all play in the in the arena, but that's just for the fans.

SPEAKER_00 34:58

I know. And I think everybody was like around the prime of their career, right? I may have been young, but they were on their prime. 26, I think Shana was like in their 30s, so we like they trying to prove to each other who's best. I remember that's how Ali Moe and Ao got into it. I know that was crazy. Ayo was talking to him crazy, and then I was talking to him crazy. I know um half and go get it. Kind of they they get into it like those great matchups. Like that's girl. You wanna run up? Everybody was trying to prove how good. I was just trying to prove I belonged, right? Sick and them, sick, AO, they trying to prove he's the best guard up.

SPEAKER_02 35:31

That's my guy right there.

SPEAKER_00 35:32

I'm gonna throw, I'm gonna throw another name real quick at you. Um Flash. Flash, man. It's crazy. Um man, he was like so talented, bro. He had like, he had a real game, though. He played D1, right?

SPEAKER_02 35:48

Yeah, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 35:49

He played he played played Division I basketball. Spook. I didn't I'm bummed I didn't get to know him as much, right? Because like I just tried out that whole year. I never even played against him. That's the funny part. Like, we never were in the game going against each other, even though he was a guard. I always went against sick and uh hot sauce, mainly, right? Sometimes Shane, headache. But um he was just like the coolest dude ever. I never had no animosity. He never had no drama, right? Yeah, he just like would have his fun. He looked at it really like an all-star game. Like he he was never really going at anybody. Nah, he just had any. He didn't get in fights, yeah. He was just like cool, happy to be there, and then uh just a great guy. And then when he passed away, I remember, I remember I went, I went to his funeral, right? I just felt like it was right. He's like our teammate. I mean, some of the guys didn't go.

SPEAKER_04 36:35

We had just what happened was we had just came from overseas. Something was going on, like, it was the top thing. It was right after a tour. Right after.

SPEAKER_00 36:43

Bro, it didn't even make we went on a European tour, right? It was right after. The box thing.

SPEAKER_04 36:47

Remember, we had the box R.I.P. the goat. Um, so we're gonna give, you know, for our soldiers uh one more, man. Why we on that? Because uh just to get Tyrion up here, yo. Yeah, uh Ali Mo.

SPEAKER_02 36:58

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 36:59

Al was like Ali Mo. Man, actually it's crazy is Al was my homie like Escalade. For real, yeah. You know what I mean? Like, besides the funny thing is people don't know this. Me, you, sauce, and AO, we were on the whole tour, but everybody else rotated. You don't remember that? Wow. Every year, it was it was main event, hot sauce, me and AO were on the entire tour, but everybody else rotated. So sometimes Escalade wasn't there, but I would always hang with Allie Moe. And um, I got you know it's funny, I actually got a lot of my game from Ali. Like, I even I do moves at Ali Mo. Like, I can't do everything you do because he was so tall. But that whole like like around the shoulder, like a lot of spins where you bring it back. Um yeah, it's it's crazy how much I learned from the guy. I'm just like a hybrid of everybody, but like Ali Moe was somebody who I was I would call a friend. And it was sad how it ended though, because like when An one he stopped doing and one, I don't think he liked he didn't like the narrative that it wasn't real basketball, like a lot of high basketball high-ups. That's what people know. A lot of us couldn't make the NBA because at the top they hated and one. We on TV more than the NBA.

SPEAKER_02 38:02

Yeah, and then it's like it's not real. Like if Conda, in their eyes, they felt like y'all was feuding with them when it really, y'all just was playing basketball.

SPEAKER_00 38:11

Yeah, and I'm sure like if you're if you're uh Pat Riley, for example, I don't know Pat Riley, I've never met him, but I'm just saying if you're Pat Riley, you see in this product of basketballs on more than the NBA, obviously they they have a different standard of who's nice and who's not, right? So they're gonna think less of it. And even Skip had a hard time breaking breaking the mold, right? Like, and they would just they would go after him like he got called a carry in his first ever game. He wasn't even doing it.

SPEAKER_02 38:35

I remember that game. I was telling my pops, like, yo, skip by the play, skip by the play. First possession, he tried to do the little, they said turned it around. Then the next he tried to do the sham god, but then he studied his feet. And I was just like, Yeah, he got to get used to the just used to it.

SPEAKER_00 38:50

Like so it was personal, yeah. It was personal. But going back to Ali Mo, I think he took it personal too, because he probably saw where his peers were, you know, Skib and some other guys. He probably felt like he should be in the NBA. So I think like him quitting, I think that was what it actually was. He was trying to get serious about his game and like give one last shot at the NBA, which I don't think I even saw that. I don't think An one even knew that's what he was on. But 50 behind, the 50. And then oh, they went at it. Allen Moe 50 go at it. Everybody had their go. They're like the same height, but they like they're from completely different worlds. Two different worlds, two different playstyles, they don't think the same. 50 pull his articles out from the mad nice. Like obviously, but like 50 is mad nice too, like in his prime.

SPEAKER_02 39:31

But yeah, tough.

SPEAKER_00 39:32

I think uh, yeah, looking back at Allen Moe, it sucked that we we were like beefing when it ended. Like, I didn't feel like I could call him, right? It was like some sort of he probably could have though. Someone else was in control of the narrative. Yeah, so exactly. That's what it was. So I didn't even I like actually I actually regret I didn't even go to his funeral. And then I remember somebody was like, Are you going? I was like, I don't, he didn't even like me. I was like, I don't think I should go. But like, you know, I'm gonna know where that came from. I'm thinking like a like a kid. I'm thinking like a kid's mind, you know, like love, man. Yeah, yeah. So I I regret not going um to Al's Al's funeral. That's some I always uh sat with me, but we were great friends and it was always love, and I just thought, that's also true. I thought like a kid, I'm like, he's an adult, I'm a kid. I was like, he don't like me. I feel like I stay out of there. You know what I mean? But that was that's just like me listening to other people.

SPEAKER_04 40:17

So him and that what what what Q just said about you know the style of play and this and that in the NBA, how would that make you feel when you hear um some of the greats like Kyrie Irving and Steph Curry say that they would go and mimic you guys' moves and and you know, how'd that make you feel?

SPEAKER_00 40:33

It's crazy, bro. It's crazy. Like, I guess that, yeah, I think I think when I'm finding out that it's part of us learning about ourselves too, right? We we didn't have any idea how big A1 was. Like, this is like a top 10 show on television for years, you know what I mean? For like, I don't know how many six, seven years, I don't know. But um, yeah, just I think what it was for me is just like a reflection of the impact, and it kind of like reminded me, like, dang, this thing was a huge, you know what I mean? Because when I first met Steph, it was like 2012. He asked me for a photo.

SPEAKER_05 41:02

So I'm saying, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 41:03

And then like I know Kyrie was following me before he was in the NBA, maybe in high school, but I found out about him when he was at Duke, and now I found his page or his Twitter. I didn't noticed he was already following. So um, yeah, I guess it was just an attestment to what y'all started, but then what the overall impact of the thing had on just the culture in the game. Like, it's actually it's it's unspoken. That's why, like you said, you're like, I'm doing this, who else is doing it? Like, nobody, you know what I mean? But like it has culture, man. Even though we had two documentaries go out a few years ago, right? Main's on them both, the the ESPN, and then the one I was on with him, Netflix one. Uh, I still feel like it's a little bit it's underestimated, it's unspoken. It needs another doc or a show or something.

SPEAKER_02 41:45

It needs something it needs a real authentic, oh like authentic. We're working on something. I got some most of the stuff.

SPEAKER_00 41:52

Yeah, you main's been working on something for a while, you can tell me about it.

SPEAKER_04 41:54

Because we didn't get, okay, so we got the corpus side, we got set free side with the greatest mixtape ever. That was from, you know, volume one through four. Yep. But we haven't heard from the fans and the players. We haven't heard the backstories like we're having a we're talking about right now, and there's so many stories, there's so many legends out there, there's so many um uh people who got an opportunity to play on the and one. It was an opportunity.

SPEAKER_00 42:17

And think about this. We heard Kyrie say bat. He's only there because he liked and one. He's only sitting in that seat because he was impacted by it, but they used the soundbite. Yeah, they used the soundbite that was against it. So, like, you could do another dock, and you could have Shaq, you have Steph Curry, you have Kyrie, and they would only say great things. It was an amazing movement. I was inspired by it. Because they picked the grew up off of it, you know what I'm saying? So, like, yeah, you're right, it's all narrative. Go ahead. I had to say that though.

SPEAKER_03 42:43

Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, you're right.

SPEAKER_04 42:44

You know, and that's little bro, you know, man. Jersey, um, North Rams, Sandy, roadrunners, but it's just you could tell sometime when it's kind of like script, and I learned that with uh some of the things I've been involved with, as far as when it comes to the camera and stuff. So we just gotta be careful of what we say, you know. Facts. But I don't hold them, I don't hold them guys, uh, I don't hold them guys accountable. You know, I don't hold them like nothing against them. Because I let someone um portray me in a way to where people think they couldn't even have a conversation with me. It's because I was aligned with someone, and at that time the creator was aligned with someone to be the authors of Wiley Dixon, which was the main event. Right. They don't they have no clue that I'm who I became. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 43:26

And people would say that to me from the whole session, like, yeah, I'll try to.

SPEAKER_02 43:29

You can't see LeBron every day. You know what I mean? You can't see the Kobe's and all that every day. We saw y'all every day. Like, even today though, people know that people talk about this to this day. My friends tell me all the time, like, yo, I remember when uh I remember when you uh uh we I came home from an AU tournament and the and the the the A1 bus was sitting in front of the house. In front of my house. Like you know what I'm saying? Like, just in front of the crib, it's just chilling there. No, nobody caring the world, but all of y'all in my backyard. Yeah, all in my backyard chilling. Everybody cooking on the grill. We having a good time. But like I said, they're accessible. Everybody, you guys were, you guys were the celebrities that people people want how they want their celebrities to be. You know, being able to be around the community. Being able to if if something was to happen, like I know for a fact, if y'all was on a bus and y'all see a homeless person or something going on, y'all would stop that bus and go, yo, you need anything? You need food? That's that's who you guys were, though.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:26

That's why every that's why to this day everybody love y'all and you know, thank y'all for what y'all did for the game of basketball and also for the game of life. You know what I mean? Y'all gave people hope in different avenues of sports and whatever they want to do. Yeah, tell that side. Yeah. We're gonna we're gonna do it, festival.

SPEAKER_04 44:46

However, on this, whatever, however, go, I think that need to be out because a lot of people get a chance to see the final product, not knowing your hard work. I had to I study you, man. I study because I feel as though if I'm gonna speak on something, I have to know as much as I can about that topic. And in my last, let's say, almost 20 years, you've been a topic. And I'm letting them know, like, yo, all right, yo, I tell people, if you think he can't play, guard him. It's real simple. It just check up. And I tell people this, and they look at me like, I this is one of my things I say often. I take professor anywhere I ever went to go play basketball, rather this time, uh, when I was in my prime, on the blacktop, anywhere and go play because you could play ball. We they say you can't teach someone heart. You already had heart when you came there. We just showed you how to adapt that heart when it's time to get right. When it's time for these jokers in DC trying to take our heads off. When we go on these soils, these uncommon grounds. We built you up for that. So I just be laughing, chuckling, like, if they only know. Yeah. Lil bro, we done took them through almost every facet of this game right here. Not only the game on the court, but also on the game of life. You seen, brother, you was involved, but you seen different things. You was privy to different things, and you know how to handle different situations, and I love how you do it.

SPEAKER_00 46:04

All from you guys, though. It's crazy, it's crazy, bro. I was like built, I was built from y'all, bro. Those crash the courts, I had it was just it was just a learning experience for me.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

It's different.

SPEAKER_00 46:13

Yeah, like you said, I had the heart, but I wasn't quite ready, you know, 18, 19, 20, to not to kill it. You know what I mean? Just that just the hang was cool, but but yeah, bro, I'm built from the originals, man.

SPEAKER_02 46:23

Yeah, something you want to do. What is it? So I got something special for you, huh? You look, you know? You know, I always, I know y'all, every all of y'all, y'all know y'all my uncles, man, because I I've been here forever. But on behalf, you know, I got my own company, Big Guard Mentality, hashtag skills oversize. So I'll put a little care package for you. Oh, appreciate that, bro. It's the first honorary member. Oh, wow. Big guard mentality. Wow. I mean, I put a little something together for you. Thank you, bro. Just wanted to appreciate that, man.

SPEAKER_00 46:50

That's dope though, because when we walked in, we saw the back of your shirt. I was like, skills oversized. I like that. I've seen heart over height. I never seen skills oversized.

SPEAKER_02 46:56

So when you were talking earlier, that that made me think about it when you were saying how you you was always the smallest, but yeah, they always put you with the big guys against the biggest guy. That's what it is, though. It's not about how small you are, it was the heart. You had the heart of a big guard at the end of the day. So that's why when I was saying, that's what it is, skills oversized. But I just want to first honor every member.

SPEAKER_04 47:16

Love, bro.

SPEAKER_02 47:16

You know what I mean? Love, always, bro.

SPEAKER_04 47:19

Thank you, man.

SPEAKER_01 47:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 47:20

Real quick, first, I want to just say about that day you was looking at the book over there with Tay and them in it. Yeah. And um, yeah, you look through the whole facility, man. It's crazy. All the memories in here. That's your autograph right there. Yeah. Oh, yeah. The my story is this facility, man. Shout out to Mr. Idea, our whole team here. The this whole facility, when you walk in, is like that nostalgia. You know, trying to bring it back from a lot of players played at Rucker Park, but if they ain't got that picture right there by God rest the dead, Sarab right here, then I, you, you, you was I. But certified ones got that picture right there. He put that collage together. Facts. Um, for me, I'm a true firm believer of uh just sometimes you gotta sit back. I don't know where anybody faith is at anything, but just sit back and not go with the everyday things that's going on, right? Our everyday necessities and just sit back and see how far the creator had brought us. Yeah. You could probably be a contest to this, man. I didn't, I I I knew, I knew I always loved God, I had God, but I ain't I wasn't showing you like no godly things. You probably would you, I know at one time you told me, like, wow, man, like, well, you told someone, it was like like man change. Like it, that that's that them changing and seeking him first. Yeah, he's he's my coach. He's who running, I'm just running the plays, and and and in those plays is that I forgive, but people or whatever, whoever it is, but I don't forget. And my thing is to be the author of how can I tell someone how to do something that I had a problem with that can help them in their journey? Because this is a journey. Yeah, this is a journey. See, destinations change journeys, you're gonna go through so many things. Like I said, yo, feds, meet me at Against Our Eyes, but I but they may something may happen. Yo, Fez, meet me at Cold Stone. See, the destination changed, but the journey, and that journey, you have become a part of my journey. The creator has blessed you and blessed us to be a part of each other's season. See, that's what things change at. You got the journey, then you got the seasons. Yeah. You know, and um, I just want to say, man, I'm so proud of you. I'm proud of you, man. And um definitely, definitely. Listen, we have had more great moments than we had times when maybe we just didn't speak for whatever it was, but the creator allowed you to become your man. And he allowed me to have patience. I just want the best for y'all.

SPEAKER_01 49:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 49:41

That's all I ever wanted. I just want the best. Remember, Anne One came to me and said they wanted my highlight tapes. That means that it would have been skip tape, mean volume two would have been all main event. But the creator was already in the process saying, nah, I'm gonna allow him to lead the flock. That's why I gotta go through stuff. I gotta go through a little bit more stuff when you're talking about this street basketball culture stuff. I gotta go through a little bit more stuff because the creator allowed me to lead the flock, and I don't mind.

SPEAKER_01 50:05

Right.

SPEAKER_04 50:06

Pee Wee Kirkland, Joe Hammond was my mentors, guys, who I could call and talk about, but I couldn't talk to them about no mixtape tour. That wasn't, that wasn't, that wasn't, they didn't do no mixtape tour.

SPEAKER_00 50:16

Yeah. So it's hooping.

SPEAKER_04 50:17

Us, and I say us now. You are part of that instrument into that history, your contributions, because when it's all said and done, and a kid, I got my two neighbors here, my neighbors here, man. My guys, I'll be training with them, right? But you got kids like that could go back 20, 30 years from now and say, look, Professor, see the hype, the the notoriety, but now it's all about now, you enter yourself in stone as far as your legacy. Rather, you touch a basketball, dribble a ball again. You set yourself up like we're trying to do now, and we're doing now to what after the ball stopped bouncing.

SPEAKER_01 50:55

Right.

SPEAKER_04 50:56

Your legacy is your story. Right. Don't let others tell your story. Facts. How Fest doing? Call them. You know what I'm saying? So that's one man. I just want, like I said, man, give you your roses, bro.

SPEAKER_02 51:08

Yeah, I want to say thank you for your impact for street ball, basketball, period, in general. You know what I mean? You changed the dynamic of what being a uh flashy guard is. You know what I'm saying? Like, is you all you guys did it, but y'all all had your own style. Everybody had their own way of playing. Like, yeah, that's one thing about the way you guys played. Nobody had the same game. You know what I'm saying? Like, everybody had something special that they were just special at. Like, it was just, it just so happened, like you said earlier, you became a hybrid. You became all of the OGs in one. Yes, besides the, besides the, besides the dunking. Yeah, I mean, man, man. Who knows? Come on, we're gonna go. I'm talking about off the backboard to sell out the East Vegas. I'm barely eating it. Barely clear it. It just you see the you see how you influence, you guys influenced the the younger generation. Well, my generation for sure. Yeah, I mean, like my generation for sure. We all the handle and all the stuff, the extra things that we had to add to our game. The Eurostep came during my time. Yeah, my dad kept calling it a travel.

SPEAKER_00 52:15

Yeah, yeah. I mean, what in certain things?

SPEAKER_02 52:18

That's a walk. It was a little everything is a walk in the 90s. You're cross, right? Once you do the cross now, and somebody, okay, now I'm a I gotta coming off a triple threat now. Yeah. That didn't, that, that, that didn't just happen. Yeah. I watched, we watched you guys to be able to, all right, we're gonna enhance this this way, we're gonna do this way. So I just want to salute and thank y'all because like I said, y'all brought that that gritty and that toughness to organize basketball.

SPEAKER_04 52:42

Love, man. Anything you got going on, anything you want to say? Whatever anybody, we didn't uh we miss anything, but sure. This is all just you, Fess.

SPEAKER_00 52:50

First, I'll just say humble, man. Appreciate you guys, man. Means a lot, mean. You know, just just coming up here, bro. It's like our stories are so intertwined. It's actually crazy. Like, and I knew that, but like after see seeing the visuals and all that, it's actually crazy talk talking about even the haircut and all that. It's nuts, bro. Like, our journeys are so intertwined. It's it's it's pretty crazy. So, so for you guys to uh, you know, just show love and say uh, you know, thanks so much. I I appreciate it too. You know, super appreciate you guys and uh, you know, main all the inspiration and everything to get to this point. Um but yeah, moving forward, you can check me out on YouTube, uh Professor Live, all other platforms is The Professor. But I do have a show actually coming out uh very soon. It's gonna be called The Handle. Um, I'm not gonna say too much about it, but it's like 70, 60, 70%, it's gonna be basketball. 20, 30% of it's gonna be culture stuff. I'm really excited about that. So stay tuned for the launch of that. Sure. Yeah, and a big shout out to Beyond Media Group, actually, the ones who made that possible.

SPEAKER_04 53:48

So shout out, shout out, shout out. I gotta get the shout out Beyond Media Group and everybody who's playing a part in that. We just want to thank y'all, thank y'all, thank y'all. And we just want to thank the creator for allowing this opportunity. Amen. God bless you all, and we out.

SPEAKER_03 54:04

That's the way the sport goes.