to be comfortable being Black Mamba

Right Like how did that happen

It's a good separation for me You know emotionally

to be able to put myself in a place where

at practice or when I'm training and doing games

I switch my mind to something else I switch my mode into something else

Right.

For me it's equivalent of Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator

picking up the dirt Smelling the dirt

It's go time Right.

So that was my mental switch It was like an actor getting ready

for a film you've got to put yourself in that cage

When you're in that cage you are that character Then when you leave there it's something completely

different But I'm in that cage bro don't f*cking touch

me don't talk to me

Leave me alone

So what is your recruiting approach

So if you're sitting down with me

I'm somebody you really want

you really want me on the team

What's your approach to recruit me ?

You want first place come play with me

you want a second place go somewhere else

Trivial things weren't gonna pull my attention It had to be sayings

weren't pull my attention It had to be things that were I had a purpose

I wanted to be one of the best basketball player ever play

and anything else that was outside of that lane

I don't have time for that At what age did that goal become crystal clear

? I made that deal with myself at 13 years old

At 13 years old ? At 13 years old I made

Crystal clear about it ? Crystal clear

And where did inspiration come from ? the love of the game

the love of the game the challenge

like I would watch Magic play I'd watch Michael play

and I will see them do these unbelievable things

and I say you know Can I get to that level?

I don't know but let's find out Let's find out

You know basketball for me was the most important thing

So everything I saw whether is TV shows

whether it was books I read People I talked to

Everything was done to try to learn how to become a better basketball

player Everything

and so when you have that point of view then literally the world becomes your library

to help you to become better at your craft

I had a kill list and so you know

they used to do these rankings who New Street & Smith basketball rankings

and I was nowhere to be found because I was like 6/4 scrawny

like 160 pounds soaking wet so I was like 57 on the list

and so I will look at 56 55 all the way up to number one

who these players are with club teams they played for

So when we go AAU travel circuit

I got to hunt them down Right and so that became my mission in high

school is to check off every other person

all those 56 other names hunt them down and knock them down

That's was it Had a target on him right off the bat

That was it Very simple

that's unbelievable

so we played at 13 I was size you up and see what your strengths and weekness are

how do you approach the game are you silly about it

are you goofy about it are you good at it

just because you're bigger and stronger than everybody else

Right.

Or is there actually thought and skill that you put into it

and when I play I played to my weaknesses

I wouldn't play to my strengths I play to my weaknesses

because when you're playing summer basketball there's so many games

so there is not a lot of skill work being done so when are you gonna get better ?

When you're playing in competition situations you're only playing to your strengths

Why ? Because you want to win

So what I would do I always work on the things during those games

that I was week at left-hand

pull up jumpshot post game

Right So I have a strategy

So then fast forward to when I'm 17 and my game is completely well-rounded

and that player at 13 that I saw at 13 is still doing the same sh*t at 17

Now you got a problem Right

You got a problem

Shaq was whispering something in your ear What did Shaq say to you in that moment ?

I don't even know You don't remember ?

No I won't pay attention You know like

like it was you know for me

it's maybe it's a little like a**hole for me

whatever but whatever

He was like he was trying to whisper encouraging things

I was like I'm f*cking fine Okay

I shot 5 air balls on national TV in front of millions of people

that cause us the series and I'm 18

I'm fine dude How do you get the mental

How does somebody get there menatlly with that public humiliation to some people

hurst them and they don't come back because you know there was a player Barbosa

I don't know if you remember abroad Of course remember

He was extremely talented for a quick first step

but they said he wouldn't do well when the spotlight was on him

How did you get mentally and emotionally so strong

where it doesn't bother you at all Well you know you got to look at the reality

of the situation You know like for me it's not you know you

kind of gotta get over yourself It's not about you man

Like ok you feel embarrassed you're not that important like

Get over yourself That's where you go

Get over yourself Right.

Like you're worried about how people may perceive you

and like you walk around it's embarrasing because you shot five air

balls Get over yourself

and then after that it's ok Well why did those air balls happen

Got it High school year before we play 35 games

Max Right.

Week in between spaced out plenty of time to rest

In NBA is back to back to back to back to back to back to back

I didn't have the legs So you look at the shot

every shot was on line Every shot was all line

but every shot was short I got to get stronger

I got to train differently The weight training program that I'm doing

I got to tailor it for an 82 game season

so that when the playoffs come around my legs are stronger and that ball get there

So I look at it with rationale and say ok

Well the reason why I shot air balls because my legs aren't there

I go well next year they'll be there

That was it Done

Done

What was realy your work ethic like and for how long did you stay discipline

well I mean everyday I mean since 20 years

it was an every day process in trying to figure out strengths and weaknesses

for example Jumping ability

Man my vertical was a 40 wasn't a 46 or 45

My hands are big but they are not massive

So you got to figure out ways to strengthen them

so your hands are strong enough to be palm a ball

and do things that you need to do Quickness

I was quick but not insanely quick

I was fast but not ridiculously fast

So I had to rely on skill a lot more I had to rely on angles a lot more

had to study the game a lot more and but I enjoyoyed it though

So like from the time I was I can't remember when I started watching the game

I studied the game and it just never change

What was the conversation like with your wife to say listen this the schedule

because look you know some entrepreneurs

they're coming home at night and late all my gosh my wife is upset because I came

home at 7:30 Oh my goodness what a sacrifice I'm making

You know this life you know I don't know if I can do this

You're on the road 9 months out of the year escpecially you play Olimpic

you won two gold medals so you're doing that on the off season

Are you trying to get that part going and training for doing your camps

What is the conversation life would like with your wife and kids

to say listen this is what I'm doing How did that conversation go

Well with the kids is difference So like the communication with the with our

children is that Pa is working hard

This is the level of attention to detail you need to have in everything you do

So it's setting the example Same thing with my wife

My wife is a stay-at-home wife It's the hardest job man

So she works really hard at that I mean it's you know

So her attention to detail with that as well are examples our children

and then for my wife It's you know

she's as competitive as I am She just like listen man

if you're gonna training 8 hours a day if you're gonna spend 9 months out of the

year away from the family you better f*cking win the championship

What are we doing this for Go ahead

Okay what are we doing this for what are we doing

what are we doing for you know

but it's a balancing act and that's the thing

that's important is understanding that

we have to have so much energy because for like Natalia and Gianna

when they were babies especially Natalia

because it was doing prime years and I go to practice

and I train and play the game I come home and I'd be sore and I'd be tired

and she wants to go swimming and she wants me to take her to the park

she wants to just jump on my back whatever the case may be

You can't say I'm too tired I'm going to lay down

That's not fair she don't know what the hell is going on

Right and is this was a game

you'd suck it up and play I play games with the flu

I play games with 102 degrees fever Man You can't do that

You can't You gotta beyond man

You're playing against the Golden State Warriors Score is 107-109

You guys are close to getting into the playoffs You know exactly what happens in game

You go up you're about to take your shot

and then all of a sudden boom Your Achilles happens right

Friend of mine, Nima he is here just to listen to

he played ball and he told me and said hey Patrick

I don't think you understand he said when I took my Archilles in high school

He said four friends of mine dragged me

I was crying from there straight to the hospital He said

I have no clue How the hell this guy did it

he went and hit the free throws and then you walked off the stage

and you got the surgery done

How the hell do you tolerate that kind of pain

You know I tell this example

and I think this is the best way to explain it

You know you have a hamstring injury you pull your hamstring

really really badly can't barely walk

Whether you play anything soccer, basketball, volleyball

whatever it's can't do it anything

doctor tells you go home sit on a couch

rest your hammie stay off of it

don't up no sudden movements

You're at home all of a sudden of a fire breaks out in the home

Your kids are upstairs wife is wherever she may be

you know sh*t going down Right

I'm willing to bet that you're going to forget about your hamstring

you're gonna sprint upstrairs you're gonna grab your kids

you'll make sure your wife is goog you're getting out of that house

Right Hamstring be damned

You're not gonna feel your hamstring Right

And the reason is because the lives of your family

are more important than the injury of your hamstring

and so when the game is more important than the injury itself

you don't feel that damage Not at that time

I went in the trainer's room and my kids are in there

and you know they're looking at you and stuff and I'm looking at them

and I like you know It's alright

Dad's gonna be all right We'll be fine

We'll be fine right It'll be all right

It'll be all right As a parent you got to set the example

you got to set the example This is another obstacle

This obstacle cannot define me It's not going to cripple me

It's not going to be responsible for me stepping away from the game that I

love I'm gonna step away on my own terms

And that's when the decision was make You know what

I'm doing it Doing it