We're now joined by Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon.

It's always so nice to have you back with us.

Happy offseason, friend.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thanks for having me, Malcolm.

I am so interested in your hoops for humanity initiative.

We've talked about it several times on this show.

You were just kicking up with Chris Long and his whole group and, of course, the Malcolm Brogdon and Family Foundation doing such good work.

And when I heard you had new stuff going on, we had to have you back on.

Can you tell us a little bit about the latest developments?

For sure, you know, clean water is sort of sort of my thing off the court tryingto affect people in the best way possible tryingto help transform lives trying Thio.

People in on the other half of the world don't have the necessities we have So clean water, I think, is one of the biggest things toe helping people live a better life with a decent life.

Eso in the past, you know, I had an initiative called Hopes to Oh, but now I've moved that initiative to my foundation and it is called hoops for humanity.

I recently in the past two years I had maybe five or six n b a guys with me, and now I have, you know, upwards of 10 or 11 and I've added a few W NBA players.

Eso I'm super excited.

Um, you know, we're in the process off building our first well in the pattern, um, Bay area of Tanzania.

It's right outside of Arusha where element about mountain the Mountain Kilimanjaro list.

So we're, you know, there's a really exciting stuff on the horizon for us.

I love this making moves to I didn't even know you had made so many moves, but these were good moves, especially expanding out the n B A and w MBA circle.

I mean, I know you're Super Instant project to actually the last time when Malcolm was talking about I was hosting the show.

He came in Studio A Z.

I told you I'm a beast.

African heritage.

So I want to thank you again for all the work you've done.

I just was curious on Malcolm with Cove it and what's happening in the world.

How is that complicated?

How does that change the way the charities worked out there?

Uh, well, you know, it's for one.

It's hard to get over there.

It's harder to see the work and the wells that are being built, but the fundraising doesn't stop.

I think now is even a better time to fundraise more than ever, because I think, uh, covert is exposed.

So many deficiencies we have in this country.

Um, you know, I think it's unimaginable that people are going through that already.

Didn't have much.

Andi, I think people understand that.

So fundraising has gone Well, um, it's just really hard to get over there, but things have not slowed down.

We're still making a lot of progress.

Malcolm.

Obviously your team the patient's hired New York in as the new head coach.

Have you had a chance to speak with him yet?

I did.

I did.

I actually have lunch with him today.

Just a few hours ago, he was in Atlanta.

We had lunch.

Um, he's gonna be He's gonna be terrific.

He's gonna be terrific.

He's, uh, you know, Toronto has a great culture, as we all know.

Um ah, lot of bright young minds.

And he's one of them.

So I'm super excited to have him on board.

That's my guy.

Look at that breaking news.

This is this is literally is up to date is possible.

If you just had lunch with the man.

I love it.

Of course, the next question.

After that, Malcolm is.

When would you start playing for your new coach?

You are the vice president, a vice president of Players union.

What can you tell us about when you think next season might start?

There's certainly been reports of a push that the players wanted to go back to the possibility of Martin Luther King Day, whereas the owners would want to start closer to Christmas.

I'm interested in your opinion.

What do you Where do you expect next season to begin and what do you want?

Wow, Taking it down.

So, you know, I think it's I think it's just what you said.

I think those are the two options, Um, where they're going to start MLK Day, which I think a lot of the players are leaning towards or we're going to start, Um, you know, the 20 seconds at Christmas time, But you know, the huge differences revenue, its revenue.

I'm trying to get, you know, each season back on track to start in that September October range.

Um, so I think calculations are being done on both sides on how much revenue would be lost for each potential date.

And, you know, we'll have to come to some type of agreement and go from that.

There's a deadline tomorrow.

A dreamer.

Danowski came on our show yesterday, and he said that he expects that deadline to possibly be extended again.

It's been extended several times.

Do you expect it to be extended again?

Absolutely, Absolutely.

Um, you know, the way he talks of going.

This is a complicated issue.

There's a lot of balance Ah, lot of minds working on this collaboratively on both sides.

So, um, you know, it's it's gonna take some time, and, you know, I don't think a few weeks, but I think it will take at least a few more days.

Malcolm, Look, man, I want to say I appreciate I want to say I appreciate everything that you're doing in the community as a young leader, as a former player and a former MBA bet event.

I'm proud of what you're doing and what you're bringing to the table in my selfish ways, I want the season to start.

I need Christmas Day games, right.

But I want to talk about what you're gonna do this year on the court, right?

I'm a huge fan of yours.

I wanna know what you're doing to prepare yourself to take that bigger step in your game and be that number one number two option and put this pacer team on your back and carry them like I know you can.

What are you working on?

What is your team expectations?

What are your expectations going into next season for sure?

No, I appreciate everything you said.

Um, for me.

Ah, big piece of meat is being healthy.

Um, you know, my only fully healthy season has been my rookie year on in the past three years.

I've, you know, sat out of 15 to 20 games, so that's that's really hurt me.

And I think that's really hurt my team.

Um, but in the second piece is man making shots.

You know, this league is all about making shots.

It's all about shooting that three ball now.

Andi, I've been a good I've been a, uh excellent spot up shooter in the past from the from the three ball.

But now I'm not playing with honest now.

I'm not sitting on the perimeter weighting toe to get an open shot I'm having to create.

I'm having to create for my teammates.

I'm having to shoot tougher shots off the dribble.

Eso That's what I've been working on.

Onda shooting the ball from range, I think.

Shooting the ball Sure, the three ball consistently this season will be the difference.

Apartment Well, Malcolm, you hearken back to your rookie year.

You're not saying it, so I'm gonna brag on you for you.

Um, you won rookie of the year the last time you played a full season.

So yes, we would all like you to come back healthy and play a full season again because there's a lot we have seen.

You can dio I want to say again.

I know that we have so many young leaders in the n.

B.

A.

Right now it's almost an embarrassment of riches of you guys going out and doing so many projects to help our community here in America.

All the voting efforts, but also abroad in overseas uh, it doesn't go go without saying this is just really exceptional.

What you have done personally, what your family and group has done And what all of you around the MBA, the under 25 under 30 set in the MBA.

Um, they're coming.

You guys are serious force to deal with both on and off the court, and it's just really fun to talk to you about that.

Hopes for humanity all y'all have Google out there.

Go look it up.

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