[MUSIC PLAYING]
[APPLAUSE]
AUDIENCE: [INAUDIBLE]
BARON DAVIS: That's right.
Go Bruins.
Don't be afraid.
SACHIT EGAN: Thanks
for being here, Baron.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you, man.
I appreciate it.
SACHIT EGAN: You weren't
in Oakland too long ago.
I saw that with Big Three.
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, we were
here maybe three weeks ago.
SACHIT EGAN: Very cool.
How was that?
BARON DAVIS: I hit
the game winning shot.
It couldn't get much
better than that.
[LAUGHTER]
Right?
Against Al Harrington.
They was up.
And he was like, oh yeah,
we about to win this.
And I got lucky, man.
SACHIT EGAN: I'm
sure it wasn't luck.
BARON DAVIS: Brought back a
lot of nostalgia, you know?
SACHIT EGAN: Yeah, do you
have favorite memories
from your time
with the Warriors?
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, absolutely.
For me, it was like I didn't
want to come here, right?
SACHIT EGAN: Really?
[LAUGHTER]
BARON DAVIS: Now, everybody
want to come here.
But I didn't want to come here.
I was getting traded
to New Orleans.
And it was Golden State,
Minnesota, and somebody else.
And they were like,
all right, we're
going to trade you
to Golden State.
I was like, hell no.
I'm not going there.
They're terrible.
They are horrible.
What am I going
to do over there?
And then the trade
deadline was approaching.
And it was like five
minutes, two minutes--
I was like, fuck it, dude.
Just trade me to Golden State.
[LAUGHTER]
SACHIT EGAN: Get me out of here.
BARON DAVIS: When I
got here, no lie, I
used to always describe it
like it was just the most
depressed thing I'd ever--
it was like basketball
was dead, dude.
SACHIT EGAN: You're looking--
BARON DAVIS: You
know what I mean?
J. Rich was hurt.
Troy Murphy would walk into
practice like this every day.
Mike Dunleavy was just working.
He was like the only
dude that was working out
but was frustrated.
And then they had
lost so many games,
I didn't even know what
the record was, right?
So I got to the team, I was
like, man, what's going on?
And the coach, Mike
Montgomery, who was not
the brightest basketball mind.
But he did coach at Stanford,
so he should be intelligent.
[LAUGHTER]
Go Bruins.
Go Bruins.
[INAUDIBLE] Man, it
was just dead in there.
And I was like, damn, dude.
What am I going to do here?
When I first got there--
when I started playing, we
won 10 of the last 11 games.
And we had won like
eight in a row.
No, we won nine in a row.
And I was player of
the week for two weeks.
It was like, "boom!"
And I was like, damn, dude.
It was like 20,000
plus in their arena.
But they was there
when I got there.
I was like, this is probably
going to be an amazing place.
And then we play San
Antonio Spurs the next game.
And I went to the baseball game.
I was hanging out.
I was like, man, we
won eight in a row.
That's enough.
Don't want to give
them too much.
And the next year, we sucked.
And then we got the trade
with Stephen Jackson.
And then that was the
whole "we believe" thing.
So for me, it was just like--
you know, you coming into
a city, and you don't know.
Being from LA, I've always had--
we beef a lot.
I don't know if y'all know that.
It was like on all levels--
tag, basketball,
content, just style.
So I didn't really know how
the Bay Area would receive me
or how much I would like it.
Man, I fell in love.
You know what I mean?
The only time that
I wanted to leave
was during the summertime.
Because the most coldest
winter I've ever had
was a day of summer
in San Francisco.
SACHIT EGAN: Of course,
in San Francisco.
Very cool.
Talk about getting traded.
I think Wikipedia, where I did
some of my research yesterday,
[LAUGHTER] said that
you were thrilled
to come to Golden State,
because you always wanted
to come back to California.
And that's not so.
So--
BARON DAVIS: Well, no.
You know what?
When I thought about
it, I was like, damn.
I could be in Minnesota.
Like that's freezing.
Nah, you know what?
Send me to Oakland, dude.
At least they got good weather.
And I didn't really know
anything about the Bay Area.
Like in all ignorance, all I
knew was like Cal, Stanford--
I didn't know anything.
And so it was almost like an
enlightening moment for me
to come in, innocent,
not knowing anything.
So I just kind of
absorbed the culture
and the culture absorbed me.
SACHIT EGAN: Very cool.
What do you remember about
that culture that really stuck
with you-- about the area, the
people, the culture, anything
specific?
BARON DAVIS: Everybody
was so friendly.
And I think that's
why, ultimately, it's
easy to come here and
be a basketball star.
Because people see
you on the street,
they say what's up, give
you daps, keep it pushing.
They take a picture.
It was more like your peers.
It was like you going to work.
You just seeing people.
And people are super cool.
Share ideas.
People are more
interested in all
the other things
that I was doing
or the things that
I was interested in.
And so, for me, I live
right in south of Market,
by like Harlin, John Collins--
you know, all the clubs.
[LAUGHTER]
Just to stay on
top of everything.
But you know--
[LAUGHTER]
But it was a cool
community of people.
And then that's when I really
started getting into tech.
And I wanted to use my
brand to find people
to leverage what I could
do to, one, give back,
first and foremost.
SACHIT EGAN: We've
been looking forward
to having you for weeks, now.
Talking to people-- hey,
Baron Davis is coming.
Baron Davis is coming.
I keep hearing two things.
One, he's my favorite
Warrior of all time.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you.
Appreciate that.
[CHEERING]
SACHIT EGAN: And two--
BARON DAVIS: Probably like
four people are like, yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
SACHIT EGAN: And
two, I keep hearing
when he came to the town,
he really sparked something.
That's carried the Warriors
into this new era--
three championships.
Do you feel that
transition like you guys
really sparked something?
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, I think
that it's belief, right?
When I got here, like I
said, it was dead, dude.
I was like, shit, dude.
Like damn-- flat-line.
Seriously.
SACHIT EGAN: That was us.
BARON DAVIS: And I
was just like, man, it
started with belief.
So you got to--
it can't just be the
dudes on the team.
You got to figure out what
the assistants are doing,
what the team manager--
like what's the story?
So for me, it was just
really digging down deep
and finding out what the
story was, what we could do,
and what we could really
give back to the team.
And so once we figured that
out, it became easier to put on.
And to walk in that
arena and know,
all right, this
is how we're going
to turn this thing around.
So it was all with
the belief in people.
And then, when we got Stephen
Jackson and Al Harrington,
it was just like, all right.
We got to believe in ourselves.
And I don't know
if y'all remember,
but when they first
came, we sucked.
And then I got hurt.
And Nellie kind of gave up.
And pretty much everybody
else on the team gave up, too.
And I never forget.
I was like, I'm coming back.
And they were like, why
are you coming back?
Season's over.
I was like, dude, because we
can have something special.
If we can just
change our mentality
from partying in the club
to partying on the court--
let's make this the party.
Let's make this the party.
Like dog, ain't 20,000 people
showing up in the club.
There is like 500 people.
Sometimes it's hot.
Sometimes it's not.
But it's 20,000
people in the arena.
If we make this our party,
and we party hard here,
and we have as much fun,
then anything is possible.
And that's when the
"we believe" happened.
I think that kind of sparked the
community to be like, hold on.
We've been waiting for this.
We're the best at fandom.
We're the best at
supporting our team.
We got the rocking arena.
And when that shit turned
up, dude, it was phenomenal.
It was like you walking into the
arena already at an advantage,
like a super hero.
You know what I mean?
You pulling into
the parking lot.
And you don't even
care who you play.
You see people barbecuing
and shouting you out.
You like, man, whoever it
is, we about to smoke them.
[LAUGHTER] So we were kind of
like catalysts to the belief.
And then when the new regime
of ownership-- and you know,
you've got to have
something to build on.
And I think that belief and
that whole "we believe" thing
is something that
people never forget.
SACHIT EGAN: I like your
answer, because I remember
thinking that it was both.
It was two ways.
It always looked like you
were one of the catalysts, one
of the emotional cores
of the team, inspiring
people to believe.
But it looked like you
fed off of it, too.
Was it two ways?
BARON DAVIS: Absolutely.
Absolutely.
I think the whole
team fed off of it.
Because at that point, we
were not in the playoffs.
We were not going to
make the playoffs.
We needed to win
like 20 or 25 games.
I think we won like 21 or 22.
I don't even know.
Something like that.
I was like, yo dog, imagine
if we got to the playoffs.
That's like winning
a championship here.
Imagine what that
party would be like.
I was like, if we make
it to the playoffs,
I'm throwing the biggest
party in San Francisco,
because my birthday is
at the end of the season.
And we made the
playoffs in Portland.
And then our last game
was against Minnesota.
I had a birthday party.
Dude, it was like 7,000 people.
I don't know where
that shit was.
It was like a warehouse.
And it was booming!
[LAUGHTER] But it was just
like, man, if we keep going,
anything and
everything is possible.
But it was like all odds
were stacked against us.
And we kind of came together.
And when we started
coming together
and we started winning, the
city started coming together.
And the fans started
coming together.
And then we start hanging out--
Harlot, John Collins--
you know, with our peers.
But it was like they were fans.
But as soon as we walked off the
court, we were regular people.
And I think that's what gave us
the confidence to keep going.
SACHIT EGAN: And look, I
think, at the time, the first
and maybe the only number eight
seed to topple a number one
seed with the MVP, Dirk
Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks--
first time that happened
in the seven game format
for the first round
of the playoffs.
And then there's the dunk.
I don't know how often you talk
about the dunk on Kirilenko.
BARON DAVIS: Everybody
talk about it every day.
People talk about it
every day like it's new.
SACHIT EGAN: How many people in
this room screamed at their TV,
took their shirt off,
ran out in the street?
BARON DAVIS: I
took my shirt off.
SACHIT EGAN: We saw that!
[LAUGHTER]
Do you want to talk
about what was it like?
What was your mentality
leading up to that moment?
BARON DAVIS: I
always say I knew I
was going to dunk on him,
because he winked at me.
SACHIT EGAN: He did?
OK.
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, he
literally winked at me.
And if you watch
the play before--
I think it was
two plays before--
I went to the hole,
and he was there.
And I laid it up.
And he was like, OK.
Excuse my language.
He was like, all right,
mother fucker, do it again.
You know what I mean?
I know y'all loving
having a good time.
Don't play me.
You know Kirilenko-- you
don't play Kirilenko.
He's going to block it.
So I was like, OK.
It was like an acknowledgement.
He was like, all right.
I got you.
Dog, don't do that again.
I was like, hey, man.
Don't trip.
My fault. I ain't
going to rub it in.
[LAUGHTER]
And so I was like,
yo, I'm about to-- he
was on the other
side of the basket.
So I did the same move.
And when I saw him, I was
like, oh, shit, I got him.
I was like I got him.
Because I got off
the floor before him.
And so when I did
it, when I dunked,
I was like, dude, if I
make this shit, dude--
I don't even know what happened.
I was like, yo, if I make this
shit, dude, I'm telling you.
And that's what was
happening all in the moment.
And so when I looked up, I see
my teammates running over like,
oh, shit.
And so I'm like, oh.
And I just pulled
my shirt up like ah!
I didn't know what
the fuck I was doing.
Then I went back to being cool.
Like oh, that wasn't nothing.
And I'm seeing dudes
like oh, my god.
What the fuck happened?
And I'm like, yo.
I was like, shit.
But it was one of
those things like--
[LAUGHTER]
No, seriously.
It was one of those things.
I was thinking
about all this shit.
And I was like, damn, dude.
But if I do--
Stephen Jackson wiping me down--
I'm like, shit, dude.
Did I just fuck myself
and become the dude who's
only known for dunking on--
this is going to be the most
defining moment in my career.
And I like--
SACHIT EGAN: You're having
these thoughts on the floor?
BARON DAVIS: The whole thing.
I was like, damn, dude.
SACHIT EGAN: You
missed that free throw.
You realize that, right?
BARON DAVIS: Yeah,
I'm telling you.
I'm sure I did, dude.
This is all the stuff
that's going in my head.
I'm like, damn.
I'm a better player
than this fucking dunk.
But this dunk was epic.
[LAUGHTER]
And so it's like--
that's what haunts my life.
It keeps me alive and
keeps me relevant.
But at the same time,
it's like, hey, man.
I see you dunk on Kirilenko.
And I was like, damn, that
shit was like 20 years ago.
Sounds pretty good,
too, but fuck it.
SACHIT EGAN: So we're
learning something.
If you dunk on Andre Kirilenko,
game three of the West
semifinals, it's going to haunt
you for the rest of your life.
BARON DAVIS: Oh, it's gonna.
Yeah, basically.
SACHIT EGAN: I have here--
I was going to ask you, was
that your defining moment?
[LAUGHTER] I have it here.
I think we're going
to skip that question.
All right, let's change
it up for a sec, here.
Something that I always really
loved about you and admired
is when you went to
Cleveland, you wore number 85.
I wore 85 as a receiver for the
Bellarmine Bells in San Jose.
You're an athlete who
always remembers your roots,
growing up on 85th
street in the LA area.
What was the toughest part about
getting from there to being
a two-time NBA All-Star.
BARON DAVIS: Survival.
So I say, as a kid, you
should never have to survive.
And so when you're
waking up every morning,
you're not thinking
about where you're going.
You're thinking about
how to get to sleep
to wake up the next day.
And so I think that
was the hardest part.
As a kid, it's like
you're seeing people
every day surviving.
They're living for the next day.
They're living to the next week.
And there's not a
lot of resources
that are opportunities
that's building
any kind of enlightenment
or anything.
Anything that happens-- if
something positive happened,
you best believe something--
two or three negative things.
And so, for me, it was
like looking at that,
looking at my grandmother
and my grandfather.
Looking at how they were
able to just live and be.
And create a foundation
where it was up to you if you
wanted to survive or not.
You know what I mean?
It was like you don't
have to survive.
You can have a nice home.
You can have great rules.
You know what I mean?
And I watched my parents'
generation and uncle's--
I watched them not
really respect that.
And so their lives took a turn.
So for me, as a kid,
I saw everything.
You know I mean?
SACHIT EGAN: If I may, your
grandparents opened up the idea
that you could have something
beyond that-- beyond survival?
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, it was
just like even though you
live in the hood and
you live in the house,
make sure your house clean.
Make sure it's spic and span.
Make sure you are presentable.
You are a gentleman.
You clean cut.
Everything that my grandmother
taught me and my grandfather
taught me was in preparation
to be the person that I'm
supposed to be.
And so society is
telling me I ain't shit.
Well, my grandparents is
telling me you're incredible.
And all you got
to do is take care
of these fundamental
things, as well as
have these life qualities.
The professionalism and
a gentleman's etiquette--
that's going to propel you
past all of the bullshit.
SACHIT EGAN: I like that.
I don't think I've read before,
what about your grandparents
made them that way-- made
them teach you that stuff?
BARON DAVIS: I think, for them,
they struggled through a lot.
They struggled through
raising their kids
and having their kids on drugs.
Some kids get locked
up for life in prison.
So they lived it.
And so I think that
religion was the thing that
kept them together.
And it kept them moving on.
It kept them moving
forward and forward.
But seeing their kids,
now that I have kids,
it's like seeing
your kids as adults
and then feeling there's
some sense of failure
and accountability on both ends.
And as the grandkid,
seeing this relationship
and trying to figure out
what it means to them
and what it means
to my parents--
it was confusing.
But my grandparents
always made it safe.
So you knew you
had a safe place.
You had a clean place.
You had food on your table.
You had to do your homework.
You got to go to school.
You got to do all
the other stuff.
But when you're with your
parents, it's like, shit,
you don't know what's going on.
You don't know if you
going to school for a week,
or you may just be
hanging out at the park.
I remember a lot of times--
and this is why people say,
damn, you never sleep--
when I was a kid, I used
to be there in the group.
And you'd be at the park from
12:00 to 4:00 in the morning.
And it's like three
or four other kids.
So you live with those things.
You remember those things.
You see those things.
But you're dying to get
back to your grandparents.
And that's the foundation.
They build the safe havens
where we can always go to.
SACHIT EGAN: That's amazing.
You have two kids?
BARON DAVIS: I got two kids.
SACHIT EGAN: I was looking at
your Instagram the other day.
BARON DAVIS: I'm waiting
for a picture to come up.
[LAUGHTER]
SACHIT EGAN: Not today, man.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
BARON DAVIS: They're great.
They're great.
SACHIT EGAN: Yeah, I haven't
seen too many athletes--
frankly, especially,
male athletes--
who have so many
pictures of their kids.
Obviously, parenthood
is super important.
Fatherhood is super
important to you.
What's it been like being a dad?
BARON DAVIS: It's
been everything.
I tell you, like Instagram,
people are like, damn, dude.
I always see your kid.
I'm like, shit.
How do people see my kid?
And I remember every
time I'm getting
ready to post something
on Instagram, I'm like,
damn, I need to post.
I only have pictures of my kids.
So I just post pictures
of my kid, and I forget.
But for me, I've learned
so much through my kids.
It's given me freedom
to be a kid again.
It's given me the freedom to
learn, and listen, and explore.
And that's probably
the best thing
that I've ever done in
my life or will ever do.
SACHIT EGAN: Better than
the dunk on Kirilenko?
BARON DAVIS: Man, way better
than the dunk on Kirilenko.
Way better.
SACHIT EGAN: And I just laugh,
because I think everybody here
would agree.
We always thought
of you and continue
to think of you as somebody
who was fun loving,
wasn't afraid to ask
questions, to listen to people,
to be a kid.
So it must be pretty
amazing to now relive
that with your own kids.
BARON DAVIS: Oh, my gosh.
It's tremendous.
You learn a lot.
You learn a lot, because
they're listening too.
So you better be
careful what you say.
SACHIT EGAN: Fair enough.
BARON DAVIS: I tell you that.
For new parents out
there, be careful what
you say in front of your kids.
They'll use it against you.
SACHIT EGAN: So obviously,
you've been an analyst now
for a while with Turner.
I'd be remiss if
I didn't ask you
a couple of questions about
the current state of the NBA.
And one thing you
already alluded to is
the Bay Area is starting
to become a real target
destination.
It used to be South
Beach, LA, New York.
And now, KD and Boogie,
obviously, the Warriors
are doing well.
But do you really
think Silicon Valley
is going to sustain itself as
a long term NBA destination?
BARON DAVIS: Definitely.
I think they have great
management, great ownership,
and they have great players.
And players want to
play with good players.
And they're winning.
And they do it with great style,
with great professionalism,
and you can't ask for
a better situation
if you're playing
basketball and you're
trying to play on the highest
stage at the highest level.
SACHIT EGAN: Now, I want to
ask you this too, because you
played for some non-big
market teams-- obviously,
the Knicks, the
Clippers, the Warriors.
But you played for Cleveland
right after LeBron left.
BARON DAVIS: Yes.
[LAUGHTER]
SACHIT EGAN: New
Orleans, Charlotte--
as an analyst--
and by the way, you
mentioned not wanting
to go to Minnesota.
You are looking at the
largest Minnesota Timberwolves
fan in the Bay Area.
BARON DAVIS: I live
in Minnesota, man.
I like the hamster
wheels and all that.
I could've dealt with that.
I could've dealt with
that in the winter time.
SACHIT EGAN: If
Derrick Rose goes down,
they could use a backup.
BARON DAVIS: Hey, man.
Count me in.
SACHIT EGAN: You
heard it here, first.
BARON DAVIS: Count
me in, Thibodeau.
SACHIT EGAN: When I
used to play NBA Live,
the first thing I'd do is trade
Baron Davis to the T-wolves
every time as my point guard.
BARON DAVIS: Man, see.
SACHIT EGAN: How do you feel
for these small market teams--
Minnesota, and New
Orleans, Milwaukee.
I worry about them if they
can't get people for Giannis.
As a player, do you
worry about the equity
for those teams and those
markets, or not at all?
BARON DAVIS: No.
[LAUGHTER]
I mean, dude, just
hire better management.
Pick better guys.
I'm not going to feel
sorry for anybody.
A lot of these
teams are tanking.
They're hiring, sorry,
like data analysts
to figure out if
somebody is good or not.
I'm sorry.
All you have to do is
watch somebody play, right?
And then say, is he going to
be good for three years doing
that?
Or can he do that?
And the data is just
going to say, oh, shit.
There's a mark on the court.
He makes shots from there.
Duh-duh-duh.
So they have to do a
better job of bringing
in the right management,
drafting the right players,
trading for the right players,
and managing your budget.
There is a ton of good players.
How does a player go from
nothing to something?
How does somebody go
from sugar to shit?
It's all about the
team that they are on.
And so a lot of these
general managers and people--
you get somebody like
Giannis, and then
you panic instead
of understanding
what are the pieces I need
to put around Giannis.
And so when you look
at the Milwaukee Bucks,
and you look at that team, is
that the right team for him?
So they should have
probably started
doing that shit two years ago.
Minnesota--
SACHIT EGAN: Oh, boy.
BARON DAVIS: -- your team.
Just a little break down.
Did Jimmy Butler leave?
SACHIT EGAN: No, he's
going to, though.
BARON DAVIS: OK, yeah.
Because he probably should.
[LAUGHTER]
To be honest.
SACHIT EGAN: I hear you, man.
BARON DAVIS: You got Wiggins.
You've got KAT.
And now, you go and
get Jimmy Butler.
And then, who's the point guard?
Teague?
SACHIT EGAN: Teague.
BARON DAVIS: Do any four--
if you're picking
NBA 2K, would you
put those four players
on the team together?
SACHIT EGAN: No.
BARON DAVIS: Everybody
wants the ball.
SACHIT EGAN: It's
the Timber Bowl, man.
It's Thibodeau in
the Timber Bowl.
BARON DAVIS: And then
you hire Thibodeau
to be the GM and the coach.
And if you guys don't know
who Tom Thibodeau-- he sweats
thinking about basketball.
[LAUGHTER]
SACHIT EGAN: Dreaming
about everything.
BARON DAVIS: Man,
that's all he does.
He's like 24/7 basketball.
And so he's giving
out the checks.
So one day, he loves you.
The next day, he's
gonna trade you.
SACHIT EGAN: You're
in the doghouse.
BARON DAVIS: You can't give
a coach that much power.
Either you're the general
manager or the coach.
Because a general manager is
not going to fire himself.
And a coach is not
going to fire himself.
SACHIT EGAN: Sounds
like you might
have a future in management.
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, once
we kind of get all our--
once I get rich.
This guy right here.
He's going to make me rich.
SACHIT EGAN: OK.
[LAUGHTER]
Done.
We got to talk really
quick about super teams.
Judging by your
previous answer, I
don't think you care
too much about teams
that aren't super teams.
You're not worried about
KD coming to the Dubs.
I think about it
like playground--
BARON DAVIS: If he
went somewhere else,
I would have had a
lot of shit to say.
But he came to the Dubs.
So I don't really
have much to say.
SACHIT EGAN: What
about the GOAT.
I could be wrong.
I feel like I've seen you
say that LeBron is the GOAT?
BARON DAVIS: No.
SACHIT EGAN: OK, no.
[LAUGHTER]
BARON DAVIS: I
said he is a GOAT.
I said he is a GOAT.
Like the GOAT?
I say LeBron is a
GOAT because of who
he is as a person--
what he's been
able to do both on the
court and off the court.
And as the evolution
of the athlete grows,
so does our fandom, and
so does our celebrity.
And I think that he's
done an excellent job
of taking basketball and
taking who he is as a person
and building both
at the same time.
When you think of LeBron James,
even if you're not a basketball
fan, you appreciate and respect
him as a man, as a businessman,
as a father, and all that.
To me, that's why I give
him GOAT status so early.
Because he's actually
taken every sense
of the word of a
superstar, from the time
he's landed in the league.
And he's never disappointed us.
SACHIT EGAN: And
I like that answer
GOAT overall, but as
far as basketball GOAT
goes, do you care
about the rings?
Does he need six?
Does he need seven?
Or are you out of that debate?
BARON DAVIS: Michael Jordan
is 6-0 in the finals.
SACHIT EGAN: Hard to beat.
BARON DAVIS: Who else
is 6-0 in the finals?
SACHIT EGAN: Was Bill Russell?
BARON DAVIS: Bill
Russell got 11.
He was not 6-0, though.
SACHIT EGAN: That's true.
BARON DAVIS: He lost a couple.
But Bill Russell.
You got Kareem.
You got Michael Jordan.
You got LeBron.
You got Magic.
You got Bird.
You got Dr. J. It's hard to
have these conversations.
It's great to have them.
I think that the media
has these conversations,
because they don't have
nothing else to talk about.
[LAUGHTER]
And so when you
look in on the news,
it's like oh, LeBron said.
Oh, Scotty Pippin said.
Oh, it's like the same
conversation, dude.
SACHIT EGAN: I hear you.
BARON DAVIS: But
these guys, I like
to think of them as artists.
And a lot of these guys
are like one of ones.
Michael Jordan will never,
ever, ever be duplicated.
Neither will Iceman
George Gervin.
Neither will Larry Bird.
So for me, I kind of give
them their own superhero GOAT
status.
Because it's hard
to play in the sport
and transcend the sport
to where people know who
you are by how you play.
And they figure out your
personality by how you play.
SACHIT EGAN: Cool.
I'm going to ask you one
more basketball question.
I don't know how
you feel about this.
But you were there
for Linsanity.
And--
BARON DAVIS: Ah, man.
That was like the
craziest shit ever.
That was like the
worst thing ever, dude.
It was like being apart
of the worst thing ever.
[LAUGHTER] It was so great.
But to be the teammate,
it was just like, dude.
Are you-- is this
really happening?
SACHIT EGAN: That's
how we felt, yeah.
BARON DAVIS: And
after every game,
I would go to Mike D'Antoni.
And like the first game--
because I was like, coach,
you got to put him in, dude.
He's the only one who goes
north south until I come back.
So it was like, I'm supposed to
come back, play for the Knicks.
Jeremy Lin was there.
And I was like,
coach, I can't do it.
Jeremy Lin plays in Houston.
He scores six points, has
three assists in garbage time.
But he had more than Shump, who
was a rookie, and Tony Douglas,
who was just struggling
playing the point guard role.
So after the Houston game,
I was like, coach, man.
You got to play him.
He was like, I ain't
playing no Jeremy Lin.
That was garbage time.
I was like, he's only one
that goes north and south.
If anything, if we
can get 6 points and 3
assists somewhere
in the game, we
wouldn't be getting blown out.
[LAUGHTER] So I'm like,
coach, give me a week.
He was like, man,
I ain't got a week.
I'm going to lose my job.
I was like well, shit.
I can't help you, dog.
[LAUGHTER]
So I'm working out.
Melo gets hurt.
And I'm working out.
And we're watching the
Brooklyn, Nets game.
SACHIT EGAN: Oh, boy.
BARON DAVIS: And I'm
in the locker room.
And he puts Jeremy Lin in.
I'm like, come on, Jeremy Lin.
Let's go.
And he scores.
Boom!
Yeah, that's what I'm
talking about, man.
Make me look good.
6 points.
Boom!
18, 22, I'm like,
oh, shit, dude.
Like we [INAUDIBLE].
Dude's running in
the locker room.
Like the Knicks ain't
never felt like that.
Lifting him up.
So coach D'Antoni.
I was like, man.
He was like, ah,
get out of my face.
[LAUGHTER] Come
back the next game.
So come back the next
game, but the morale is up.
Melo still out.
The morale is up.
I'm coming back.
But everybody is like,
yo, this is fucking great.
This is the best thing
about basketball.
It doesn't matter who you are,
but if you are the least likely
person to help the
team win, he was just
like the darling for the day.
Then the next game, he
had another good game.
Wow!
This is amazing!
This is what winning
feels like, guys!
Two in a row.
[LAUGHTER]
All along, D'Antoni comes
in like, well, shit.
Second game he goes, [MUMBLING].
Third game, it was
like, OK, dude.
We about to play the
Lakers or something.
I think we were-- no,
we went to Toronto.
We play Toronto, and
that's when he hit the--
BOTH: Game winner.
BARON DAVIS: So it
was like all the drama
was building towards this dude
having the last second shot.
And he fucking made it.
SACHIT EGAN: It was a lot of--
BARON DAVIS: And it
was like, no way, dude.
It was like, no way, dude.
And everybody on the team
was like, yo, this is crazy.
So we rushed the court.
It was just like--
Jeremy Lin is the anti brand
of what you would think
of a superstar or an athlete.
Like Christian, sleeps
on his brother's couch.
It was like the best story ever.
And we get back to
New York, dude--
and I swear to God,
before the next game,
the media room was
like-- he had to go.
He couldn't even be
in the locker room.
There was this much
media in the locker.
And everybody was like,
you're shitting me, right?
You're shitting me, right?
And we played the Lakers.
So it was like, all right, man.
Kobe coming into the garden.
Kobe going to bust his bubble.
So I'm still out.
So I go to the
Laker locker room.
I'm like, Kobe,
man, you better not
let this dude bust your ass.
I swear.
[LAUGHTER] I swear to
god, you better not
let this dude bust your ass.
He was like, yeah, I got him.
And I said, all right, dude.
All right, dude.
I'm telling you.
He on a roll.
[MOUTH NOISES] Kicked
the Lakers ass.
Once he kicked the Lakers
ass, it was over, dude.
He could not go
anywhere in New York.
People were calling
me from LA like,
yo, what's up with Jeremy Lin?
What do you mean what's
up with Jeremy Lin?
Is he dating somebody?
Like, dude, get the
fuck off my line.
What are you talking about?
[LAUGHTER] So D'Antoni comes in.
And I'm like, dude.
He's like, this boy, he got
fucking angels in the outfield.
And so I was like, yeah this is.
This is angels in the outfield.
And I think we won like
three or another game or so.
And then Melo came back.
And then we lost.
[LAUGHTER]
SACHIT EGAN: He's
going back to D'Antoni.
BARON DAVIS: No, we lost a game.
We lost a game.
But it was because we played
against Brooklyn again.
And Deron Williams
wasn't having that shit.
He just wasn't having it.
You know what I mean?
So it was just like, uh oh.
OK, now the smoke is coming.
Man, I'm telling you.
It was only like two weeks.
It was the biggest shit
I've ever seen in my life.
It was like being on the team
with Michael Jordan times 10
for 2 weeks.
It was this amount of
media in the locker,
to where it was
like, come on, dude.
Please.
You couldn't get dressed.
It was just like, dude, just
go fucking get another locker
with all these like--
it was the craziest
thing I've ever--
It was great, but at the
same time, I was like, yo,
this can't last.
This can't last.
And it didn't.
Once we played Miami,
and LeBron them--
right before the
All-star game, they
wouldn't even let the dude
get on the court to warm up.
They were like salivating at
the mouth, like come on, dude.
Let's go.
We about to shut him up.
And that was the
end of Linsanity.
[LAUGHTER]
SACHIT EGAN: I'm going as
Baron one more question.
So if you want to start going
up to the mic for audience Q
and A, feel free to go ahead.
You brought this up in
your answer just now.
That's the greatest
thing about basketball.
This nobody, this
unexpected hero steps up.
Good game, good game, good game.
When you and I talked on the
phone a couple of weeks ago,
you told me that your thesis
in life and in business
now is I believe in underdogs.
Can you talk about that and
what you're doing after your NBA
career with underdogs?
BARON DAVIS: So for me, opening
up a venture studio, marketing,
creative business
strategy, full production
and platform building--
and looking at athletes
as content makers.
Looking at content
makers as content makers.
Looking at all the things
that I had to go through
to reinvent myself.
I want to be a movie
producer and produce films.
And you go to a studio,
and they're like no.
No?
What the fuck you mean?
This shit is hot.
So it was like why
can't we say yes?
And I wanted to build
a platform and also
have venture capabilities
to be able to find
the next wave of talent,
to be able to give access
to the minority,
whatever you are.
The minority is somebody
who's just basically
been told that you can't do some
shit that you know you can do.
And so just building the
company and building a brand
off of connecting the
dots, packaging the dots,
and then fueling the dots
with the right people
and the right capital
and the right team
to get successes and wins.
Because not everybody is
going to be the Golden State
Warriors in tech.
Nobody's going to be the
big major investment firm.
But I think that if we
make smart decisions
and know what we
are and who we are--
and using sports
as the landscape
and also as my
business school, I
can apply that to pretty
much any industry,
knowing where my
talents of connectivity
and where we're smart at.
SACHIT EGAN: I just want to
say, you've taken that thesis--
that goal--
to help people who
are under-served
or minorities or underdogs.
You're doing a lot.
There's BIG-- Business
Inside the Game.
There's Black Santa Company.
Do you want to mention
any of that or--
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, so
Business Inside the Game is--
I have a lot of contacts and
just know a lot of people.
And I would start--
I got on the circuit
for the VC Summit
Circuit and all that shit.
And I was like, man,
this shit hella boring.
[LAUGHTER] I can't be
doing this the whole time.
So I'd go a day, and then
I'd leave like, man, this
is the same information.
And so I created
Business Inside the Game
based on the Notorious
B.I.G., because that stands
for business instead of game.
And so I was like, yo, we need
to have summits and dinners
and mixers where it's us--
where it's the next
generation of people
that are not getting the
access to these stiff crowds.
I don't want to be in the 1%.
Because that ain't cool.
I don't drink wine like that.
I don't shoot quail,
all that shit.
I don't do none of that.
I play video games,
and I make music.
But there's musicians.
There's athletes.
There's COOs that
are ready to leave.
And so for business
inside the game,
we want to create
a platform where
the culture has an opportunity
to share their wins.
And the culture
has an opportunity
to connect and build
partnerships and just
build friendships through
a well-manicured database
of executives, athletes,
and people who are cultured
and who know what their
next best business move is.
You Wish.
I trademarked Black
Santa, because I
am obsessed with Walt Disney.
And I felt, as a
creative, nobody
will really respect
me as a creative
until I created something.
And so I created Black Santa.
And that's due to
launch this Christmas.
But the thought around it was
there are no representations
of color in animation.
So as a kid, growing up,
going back to survival,
how can I get the--
and when you think
about what that survival leads
to from a police brutality
standpoint-- the things
that we're going through
from a social
justice standpoint--
it's because that kid don't
see himself in the cartoons.
That little girl don't
see herself as a princess.
And so from that, I wanted to
attack the most low hanging
fruit.
And that was Santa Claus.
He got $56 billion worth
of equity built into him.
And it was just like hey,
man, you need a competitor.
[LAUGHTER] Somebody
who's cool and cultured.
And I think that
we're launching You
Wish, which is a storytelling
platform for storytellers
and creators to be able to
tell stories of diversity
and basically, about how
we celebrate culture.
We celebrate heritage.
And we express that
through storytelling.
And then SLIC is obviously--
I'm an athlete--
Sports Lifestyle in Culture.
That's a platform
we're launching.
And that's really for
athletes to engage,
and their content
makers to engage
in the cool things around
the lifestyle of sport,
the lifestyle of music
and entertainment
converging on a platform.
Because we feel
that, through sports,
we have so many connectivities
and touch points,
why isn't basketball-- why isn't
a sport considered culture?
And so that's what we're
building with SLIC.
SACHIT EGAN: Very cool.
AUDIENCE: Thanks for
coming today, Baron.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you, man.
AUDIENCE: Quick
question for you.
Could you talk about
your experience playing
in the Big Three league?
And any future potential
you see for that league?
Where do you see that heading?
BARON DAVIS: It's
a great league.
They foul a lot.
They foul a lot.
[LAUGHTER] But I think Ice
Cube's doing a great job.
It's just showing that the
game that we're playing,
basketball, is expanding.
And there's room for disruption.
There's room for opportunity.
Summer basketball is
an untapped market.
Because the NBA hardly barely
ever plays in that time frame.
But when you look at
basketball as a global sport,
it's continuing to
reach higher limits.
And I think something
like the Big Three, when
you have retired guys who
still can play, or still
think they can play, or should
be on the Warriors for one
year and get a championship,
or something like that--
[LAUGHTER] --then
it gives us a chance
to just showcase what we do.
But whether we go back to the
NBA or get a job overseas,
we just fulfill that
nugget for the summer.
I think we're definitely
on to something with that.
AUDIENCE: Cool.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you.
AUDIENCE: This is a little
bit on a funnier note.
But when you made that
comedy series like,
Baron Davis Comeback,
and Steve Nash
tells you he doesn't
eat pizza, what
was going through your mind?
BARON DAVIS: Like what the fuck
you mean you don't eat pizza?
[LAUGHTER]
I hate Steve Nash, by
the way, because of that.
Because it actually makes me
look fat, you know what I mean?
All right.
AUDIENCE: Do you actually get
to eat pizza during the season?
Or do you try to refrain?
BARON DAVIS: I eat pizza
all the time, dog, shit.
[LAUGHTER] Shit.
I'm retired.
AUDIENCE: Thanks for making
Bay Area basketball relevant.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you.
I need a YouTube TV
channel, don't y'all think?
Make it out the bag.
What it do with the bag?
Never mind.
AUDIENCE: I remember growing
up and going to the games,
I watched Thunder, the mascot.
BARON DAVIS: Yeah,
rest in peace, right?
SACHIT EGAN: He died?
AUDIENCE: Well, no.
The second one.
I went to school with him.
He was-- he's still around.
BARON DAVIS: Oh, OK.
The one before him passed away.
AUDIENCE: Yeah, rest in peace.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But you came through,
and we were like, well,
we could watch people
play basketball and not
just the mascot.
But how is your
relationship with the rest
of the "we believe" team.
BARON DAVIS: Oh,
we still hang out.
We still all in a group chat.
We do business together.
A couple of us playing
on the Big Three.
So we stay down for each other.
C.J. Watson just got married.
We was all at his
wedding turning up.
So shit don't stop.
It don't stop.
It's a brotherhood, you know?
It's a brotherhood.
So for me, I know I got a
responsibility to those dudes,
because we had
something special.
So I check on everybody
and keep them around.
AUDIENCE: Well, thank you.
And one day, I hope
you end up on Inside
the NBA with Shaq and them.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you, man.
I hope one day before that
I end up on the Warriors
and get me championship
or something.
[LAUGHTER]
AUDIENCE: I've got
a quick question.
As someone who invests
a lot in everything
from media to new
technology, how
do you evaluate if
something is worth your time
and energy to invest in?
BARON DAVIS: I think the
way that we look at it
is how can we help?
How can we support?
So I think listening, for me,
is the most important thing
to see where we can kind of
plug and play with the company.
So I'm sure, different than
a lot of other investors
or in venture funds, they'll
give you money and say go.
It's hard for us
to give you money.
So we're always looking
at what do you need?
How does this make sense for us?
How does this make sense
in the marketplace?
And then if we can plug-in
and support from what we do,
then that's where we
make the investment.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
Hi Baron, thanks for coming.
My name is Richard.
I'm from LA as well.
BARON DAVIS: OK, that's
what I'm talking about.
AUDIENCE: Long time Bruin fan.
BARON DAVIS: Dodgers?
AUDIENCE: Yes, sir.
Dodgers, Lakers--
BARON DAVIS: Yeah, Lakers?
I don't want to get rushed
in here, but you know.
AUDIENCE: Two part
question-- how
did it feel when you went back
home to play for the Clippers?
BARON DAVIS: Horrible.
No, I'm just playing.
Actually, I looked
at the Clippers.
I thought it was going to
be the same as the Warriors.
Give me three years.
I'll be able to turn
this thing around.
And we kind of did, but I didn't
know what I was necessarily
getting into.
I just think that it was
100 times worse than walking
into the Warriors, who was
just a bad organization
and bad at basketball
management.
The Clippers was just
all fucked up, man.
It was racist.
It was racist, sexist.
All kind of crazy weird
shit was going on.
And for me, it was like,
damn, how do you navigate?
How do you stand
above all of this?
And so for me, it
was probably the most
trying time in my life.
But I think out of that,
I became the most humble.
That was the most humbling
experience for me.
And it made my
character stronger.
AUDIENCE: Also lastly, how
about playing against Kobe?
How was that?
BARON DAVIS: It was cool.
[LAUGHTER]
Saw Kobe again on this one.
AUDIENCE: Hey Baron,
my name is Kyle.
And I support the
recruiting team.
So our intramural
team starts this week.
So if you want to join,
we need a fifth person.
BARON DAVIS: You got some money?
AUDIENCE: But my question--
BARON DAVIS: You got some money?
AUDIENCE: We can find some.
BARON DAVIS: All right.
Pay for my plane ticket.
Man, I'll be here.
Woo.
AUDIENCE: All right,
I'll let you know.
BARON DAVIS: Will
I get free lunch?
AUDIENCE: We got free food,
if you want free food.
BARON DAVIS: Yeah,
that's what I'm saying.
AUDIENCE: I'll take
you to the best places.
Anyway, if you could
have one more epic
highlight on any person, past
or present, who would you choose
and why?
Like one more epic
Kirilenko dunk or crossover.
BARON DAVIS: Who is the
most famous NBA player now?
I'd do something to him.
AUDIENCE: LeBron.
BARON DAVIS: Yeah,
I'd dunk on him.
I'd dunk on LeBron, since
he's the most popular.
That'd probably be it.
AUDIENCE: Cool, thanks.
I know the Kirilenko
dunk still haunts you,
like you were saying.
But it made me fall
in love with the game.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you, man.
AUDIENCE: I appreciate it.
But I wanted to know who was
the toughest defender you faced
and why?
And then also, who was the one
guy that tried to check you up,
and you would just
think, oh, it's over.
This is too easy.
BARON DAVIS: I hate
to sound cocky guys,
but nobody can guard me.
So-- [LAUGHTER] --I
even made t-shirts
saying, "can you guard me?"
I ask guys now in the
NBA, can they guard me?
So to that question, the
toughest defender was teams.
Because they would just
kind of stack the deck.
But individually, nobody.
I would love to have--
I love when it's a
one-- like with Kobe.
Or the best thing
about the NBA is when
guys start taking it personal.
It's like, man, I'm
going to check him.
Oh, I got him.
It's like, OK.
Don't tell them to help,
and let's see what happens.
[LAUGHTER] And so to
me, it didn't matter.
As a point guard, you got to
play against your defender.
And you got to read
the other eight.
The other eight players--
your players, their players.
So my responsibility was more
about archetyping the game
than worry about
who was guarding me.
That was the least
of my worries.
AUDIENCE: Just out of
curiosity, what is the best,
most messed up trash talk
you ever heard on the court?
SACHIT EGAN: It's got to be KG.
BARON DAVIS: Gary Payton.
It was my first
year in the league.
We're in Seattle.
It's 12:00.
Noon games are horrible for
NBA dudes, especially veterans,
because they don't
want to wake up.
And so I was like, damn, dude.
I'm going to go in early.
Because all the vets
don't like to wake up.
They don't get loose
til like 3 o'clock.
And so I checked in the game.
And two minutes after
the game is started,
and I was guarding Gary
Payton, and he got--
somebody got fouled.
He passed the ball and
somebody got fouled.
We're just standing right here.
And the dude's shooting
the free throw.
And the Seattle dude is
like, come on, Seattle!
Wake up!
Supersonics, let's go!
And there's nobody
in the arena, dude.
He's like, come on, guys.
Get fired up!
We can take control!
And Gary Peyton said, hey,
shut the [KNOCK NOISE] up.
[LAUGHTER] Now, sit down!
This is all going
on while somebody's
shooting the free throw.
And the dude goes, let's go!
So that was the worst.
That was the worst I've ever
seen, because I was scared.
I was like, damn, dude.
You can just talk to
the fans like that?
He was not having it.
Gary Peyton did not have
his coffee that morning.
And the dude had
too much energy.
He was like, sit your
ass down, shut up.
And sit your-- that
haunted me the whole game.
I was like, damn, dude.
AUDIENCE: Thank you.
Hey, Baron.
So a question about
playoffs of 2007.
So back to then, Don
Nelson was the head coach.
And he is probably the
man who knows Dirk best.
And so I want to know,
what's the impact
he brought to the team?
And what he helped
guys to win the series?
BARON DAVIS: He
came to us before we
played the first game.
And he said, yo, we're
going to beat them.
And I want you guys to
be humble in the paper.
I want you to praise them.
I want you to say it's
the most impossible thing.
It's going to be the most
impossible thing in the world.
We'll just keep downplaying it.
But we're going to beat
the shit out of them.
And he basically knew Dirk.
And he knew Josh Howard.
Those were their
two primary players.
So he knew Dirk's moves and what
made Dirk comfortable scoring.
And so once he gave that
to us, Stephen Jackson
took the challenge
to push him right.
And if he pushed
him right, he was
going to spin back to
shoot this fade-away.
If he went left, he would
step away and shoot the fade,
or he would spin
right for the lay-up.
So all we had to do
as soon as Dirk caught
the ball is play straight up.
So you make him put
the ball on the floor,
because you don't want
him shooting over you.
And he dribbles right.
As soon as he dribbles
right, when he spins back,
somebody has to--
it don't matter who.
The next person better be there.
Either foul the shit out
of him, dive for the ball,
but we should get a steal.
And so that, if you go
back and watch the game,
it was him and Josh Howard.
And they were really left
hand dominant guys who
we were pushing to their right.
Because they couldn't
make all the decisions
that they needed to.
So credit to Don Nelson.
AUDIENCE: Hey, Baron.
And just a quick
question on leadership.
You walked into some
situations like you said,
Warriors and the Clippers.
As a leader, and an elite
athlete, and a leader
even in the business
world today,
how do you determine
to pick your battles?
With the pull you have, you
could say, trade this guy.
Trade that guy.
But without becoming the
squeaky wheel too much,
I'm curious how you make that--
BARON DAVIS: I think
in order to-- you've
got to learn everybody, first.
You have to learn everybody.
And then, you have to learn
yourself in the environment.
Because picking and choosing
your battles in leadership
is the most important thing.
When to blow up, when to not.
You may blow up when
you don't even have to.
But if you have a leadership
strategy, you're doing it for--
you're always thinking future.
And so when I look at great
leaders or coaches and things
like that, it's never
about your moment.
Or never about how
you emotionally
feel about something
or certain things,
it's about where is that going
to get you and your goals.
And so how do you manage
yourself in the environment.
And I think the best way to
do that is to learn everybody
on the team, what they
do, how they feel,
how they feel about what.
And then, as you
insert yourself,
you can really start to see
how you can motivate people,
see which battles-- like
this guy right here.
He probably doesn't do well
if I yell at him, right?
And so I need to learn that.
But a lot of that comes from
trial and error and listening.
But it's also just more
listening and paying
attention to the people that
are your team and the people
that you work with.
How can I best support them?
Because at that
point, they're going
to let me know how
they best work.
AUDIENCE: I just wanted to
speak to your comment about data
analysts.
[LAUGHTER] Just because I
find it really interesting
that you said that.
In this data driven
world, they literally
record data on everything.
So do you think in analyzing
all this data, that it's
created a more positive impact
in how to consider players
and recruiting talent?
Or do you think it's
clouded judgement?
And what do you
think about that?
BARON DAVIS: I'll tell you this.
I don't think that teams
really know what data is.
Because they're
not using it right.
Period.
Point blank.
If you're using data to tell
me that a dude made or missed
a shot that he already took--
[LAUGHTER]
You just watch him play.
I'm like, shit, dude.
He's going to miss that.
So data is good information to--
AUDIENCE: For projection?
BARON DAVIS: But it's tough,
because to me, it doesn't work.
And it has every
place in the game
for the fan, the fan
experience, for the information
of the team.
But you cannot rely on data,
because you're taking away from
the art of the game.
And basketball is
art and science.
And when you see art,
science, and performance
at its perfection, you
get Michael Jordan.
You get LeBron James.
You get Kobe Bryant.
You get the Golden
State Warriors.
You get excellent basketball.
When you go data, you get teams
like what the Philadelphia
76ers were for four years.
And then a lot of the
teams in the Midwest--
and so they are
hiding behind numbers.
Or smaller market teams
are hiding behind numbers,
and they're drafting
and judging on numbers
and shot charts and
things like that.
When the data that they
should be paying attention to
is health,
understanding, learning,
their mental capacity,
their range of explosion.
Things like that are helpful.
But it can't take away
from the eye test.
Because if the guy
can play, he can play.
He may have horrible
stats in college.
But may be the perfect fit at
6'9", 240, can shoot and dunk.
But in college, he was horrible,
because the coach played him
out of position.
So a lot of the data that's
been drawn is really from--
you have to include everything.
Is he playing on the right team?
Is he playing for
the right coach?
Is that the right
personality matches?
Is he in with the right guys?
You know the whole
plus minus thing.
If you're a smart player,
all you have to do is tell
the coach, hey, man.
My plus minus is going to be.
Let me check out.
You get a whole $50
million contract
by being the player with the
best plus minus in the league.
But you probably ain't
did shit for a team.
You know what I mean?
You ain't did nothing.
You're no good.
You ain't playing.
You just check in the game
and know when to check out.
And so you'll have more players
doing that to get contracts
or saying, you know
what, I probably
shouldn't take this shot,
because the data says--
or the coach will say,
yo, don't shoot that shot.
And it's like, man,
game on the line.
50/50 chance.
AUDIENCE: So what do you think
about NBA and sports betting?
BARON DAVIS: That's
going to be interesting.
Fun and interesting.
AUDIENCE: I think so, too.
BARON DAVIS: I think that people
have been doing it illegally.
I think legalizing
it is going to--
it'll be interesting to see
how the different rules and all
those things work.
But I don't know.
Can I gamble?
Can I?
SACHIT EGAN: I'm
pretty sure you can.
BARON DAVIS: Maybe
that's a new profession.
No, I'm joking.
AUDIENCE: Thank you so much.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you.
Yeah, I'm not sure
about gambling.
That's going to be fun, though.
It will be fun.
SACHIT EGAN: Baron, thanks
so much for being here, man.
BARON DAVIS: Thank you guys.
Appreciate you.
[CHEERING]
