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  • Mark Ellis or just described with this season's been like for you on this season's been, you know, it has been great for me.

  • Has been, you know, a different perspective has been, you know, just a blessing to be on according a different type of enjoyment, to be out there playing right now.

  • So right now, it's just been all fun and and learning.

  • So I remember watching in college and I think of restricting seemed like always having fun playing ball.

  • You get to the pros.

  • It it's like you always have to think instead.

  • Definitely.

  • I think that's my biggest thing that I focused on going each and every game other than the game plan is, just make sure I have fun, you know, because you never know when it's gonna end.

  • You never know when it's gonna be the last time playing.

  • So my biggest thing is when I go on the floors, have fun and compete at a high level.

  • So you do never know when you're going through any at any point during your time in Philly after the whole stuff started, were you thinking this could possibly be, uh, not really.

  • I mean I was always thinking of different ways to get through what I was going through, trying to figure out what my injury was.

  • But, um, there were points when I was going to rehab.

  • I was thinking, you know that.

  • You know what?

  • If I never able to lift my arm up again, you know what?

  • I'm ever able to use my right arm and going to that.

  • That motivated me, you know?

  • And I told myself, Get those thoughts on my head and I had to think, you know, the right way And And everything in the working out of, you know, worked extremely hard to rehab to get right.

  • So it was all about, you know, those little thoughts popping in every once a while.

  • And I had to kick him out immediately.

  • One of the one of the positive Come out of this.

  • Did you find out who is really there for You tell me your support crew was one was one person in particular war there.

  • When you had your darkest times, I think the biggest You know, the best part of my support was my mom for sure.

  • My sister and my agent those my three biggest, you know, support people who has been there since the day.

  • One who's, you know, always been there since the beginning, and I just kept them close to me.

  • And in those times I kept him even closer than I had my group of friends, you know who were there that treated me the same no matter what.

  • So I'll say those those people and my friends were, you know, the closest people during those times.

  • Tell me about Mom.

  • Mom, Quiet supporter.

  • No, no, she's Ah, she's a little bit of both.

  • She's whatever I need at the time.

  • You know, if I need somebody to get in, you know, telling what I'm doing wrong and you let me show you should be there.

  • But she is always gonna be that one who's there supporting me and, you know, push me through any.

  • Even if I'm doing something wrong, you know she's gonna be there to support me, but she going tell me I'm doing long, But again, you know, you're gonna hear it when she's in the gym and then you know she's going Tell me if I'm not shooting enough.

  • If I'm not playing good defense, and I think that's what I always need, somebody who's gonna be honest with me.

  • So, uh, no.

  • She lives in Orlando with me, but she goes back and forth.

  • So Albany and sister Older young odor, odor years no and less thing for me as Steve Clifford is.

  • He's not the most known head coach, but every stop, but he's been at you.

  • Talked to guys when they talk about Kemba, Walker said.

  • He changed his life in Charlotte.

  • Tell me what he's been.

  • You know, A huge part of No one assumes I got here.

  • Just let me know to take my time on.

  • And there's no rush.

  • I think it was the biggest thing as soon as I got traded.

  • But you know, just him being a teacher and you know, a mentor as Faras caring about me more as a person and on the basketball court, you know, he's been I'm giving me advice in He's been open open arms, but also being on me at the same time, holding me accountable for things that I need to be held accountable for.

  • But I think I've learned a lot from him.

  • Um, not only on the court, but off the court, just about carrying myself and just being a good person.

  • So you mean you've come so far, You know, you got Yeah, when you had to, when you had the court.

  • That's right.

  • How far do you still have to go for what you thought you were before?

  • Um, I think soon as I hit the court, you know, everything's out my head.

  • It's more so, you know, again, I just think about having fun.

  • And that's literally what I'm saying to myself, inside my head as the tip balls going up is have fun to compete, and I just I get so excited when I'm going to court because I just think about you know how much I can improve and where I met.

  • And I think that's the most exciting part that I have so much more Doctor improve on.

  • And I just look forward to, you know, grind and every day to get better in.

  • And that's what makes it so far.

  • So from an athletic standpoint, because most of us might not have seen you, I think, and then all of a sudden you get and you just can't get was that a difficult time for you from a physical standpoint and saying I had a change.

  • I have changed everything.

  • Or did everything just come back?

  • So definitely being where I was that in college and then coming to India and getting hit with the injury, it was tough for me because the game of basketball something I love so much.

  • So, um, beings, though, that I love the game so much and I play it every day to be able to not just going to gym and, you know, go through ranges of motion and shoot the ball the way I wanted to.

  • It was it was extremely difficult.

  • But I also think that the love that I have for the game, uh, drove me so much to figure it out.

  • Um that, you know, I turned it into of almost another gay, you know, T get back on according and get back, you know, playing the way I want to play.

  • So, uh, it was a tough time, you know, going from playing the game every day, free lead.

  • I just haven't find toe, you know, being restricted in, You know, the game that you love having something taken away from me, so I had to fight.

  • You know, it was tough days, and it was good days, those bad days.

  • But, you know, I had one goal in mind, and I was just to get back out there to play the game I love, so All right, everybody.

  • Thank you.

  • Yes, sir.

  • Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  • Extreme.

  • Which is Yeah, E think to his point.

  • You've been such a great story this year.

  • Especially need feel good stories, but obviously your criticism definitely.

  • I definitely feel the love everywhere I go, you know, from coaches, toe players toe just the fans, you know, and, uh, it's great, you know, But again, you know I love it.

  • I appreciate all the love at the same time.

  • You know, it was a time where, you know, people were supporting it, but it's also people that doubted me.

  • But I think the biggest thing that I'm worried about is, you know, my team, how they view me, how my family views me, and that's that's really the only thing that matters to me, you know, and how I feel out before and but at the same time, you know it always feels good toe work hard and, you know, have other people see you know, your hard work and afford to show.

  • So I'm appreciating.

  • It just feels, you know, the fire that have under me to work even harder.

  • So this is good.

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Mark Ellis or just described with this season's been like for you on this season's been, you know, it has been great for me.

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