- Live on location we here in Atlanta
over here at the CNN facilities.
We got action going on in the background.
Don't worry about that
though 'cause we got
legendary status in the building with us.
We got the blackest one.
- You know that don't you.
- Dmiles in the building with us.
And then we got the special honorary guest
Ms Ty Young in the building from the WNBA
representing and blessing
us with her presence.
Appreciate you for coming through.
- [TY] Appreciate you for having me.
- [Quentin] Yes, yes, yes.
Let's go.
- Thanks for coming.
Toast to that.
(glasses clanking)
(hip hop music)
The first thing we ask everybody
that come on the show is
when you made it to the
WNBA who's the first person
to bust your ass?
- The first person was Taurasi.
And she like gave me
this elbow in the game.
I'm like, hold up.
I'm a rookie but I ain't no punk.
So I had to get aggressive back.
But she was probably
the first person to bust
my ass in the league.
- Was she hard to guard?
- [TY] Yeah she was.
- [Darius] Trust me.
- She's a great shooter.
She's super smart.
She know exactly where to
come off of the screens,
get to her spots.
So, yeah, I had to level
up with my defense.
'Cause coming in the league I wasn't
trying to play defense at first anyway.
- You wasn't trying to play D?
- Trying to get a bucket.
- I was trying to get buckets.
That's what I used to
do in college, so yeah.
- Just like me.
- Yeah.
- So, you wasn't trying to play defense,
but you had to play D.
- It went to either you gonna
play D or get embarrassed.
It was like, all right,
I'm gonna chose the less
of the evils.
I'm gonna go ahead and try and play D.
- [TY] Or sit on the bench.
- Yeah, but you're a defender now though.
I watch you, like you defend.
They put specifically put
you on they best scorers
to stop them.
So now you a defender now.
- Yeah, they changed my role.
I got a coach that was
like I got my scorer,
so you either gonna play
defense or you're gonna
sit on the bench.
I'm like all right, cool,
then I can't shoot the ball 20 times
I'm trying to lock
somebody up that's gonna
shoot the ball 20 times.
- I always got respect
for people like that
'cause I feel like that's
how I went in my career.
I went, I started out like
coming out of college it's like,
shh, I ain't never heard
of playing defense.
We didn't even play man to man in college.
We played zone.
I didn't even know principles or nothing.
So it was like, man you
remember when I first got here,
I'm like I'm bout to just score.
I'm gonna rebound it and score.
Then went to Phoenix,
they was like, "Nah."
You ain't posting up no more, just shoot.
Then I went from there
to like, nah, you bout to
play defense or get 60 put on you
by Kobe and Melo and LeBron.
I'm like all right, then
I became a defender.
So when I see people
that start out like that,
like you was a bucket getter.
But now they put you on the best defender.
Like I got big respect for that.
- Thank you.
- You just explained
all that and you ain't
never been a defender in your life.
Like why you just sit here and just lie
that whole little segment?
- Say bro, you need to quit it.
- You ain't never been
a defender in your life.
- Like I know we was together as Clippers
I was just trying to get buckets
and you was the lone ranger
running out guarding whoever.
Like later in my career bro
that's how I stick around.
- I apologize for that.
- So he gassing it?
He wasn't a defender.
- That was big gas, big gas.
- In the words of my
good friend and neighbor
Drew Gooden it's googleable people.
You can Google it, all right.
Ain't no lies told.
It's googleable.
- So you, you know, we
big Michael Jordan fans.
You went to the same high
school as Michael Jordan.
So when you came out of junior
high it was no question.
Was this the only high
school in Wilmington?
- No we had four or five in the area.
- [Darius] But it was question
you was going to the one
that Michael Jordan went to?
- That too, and my sister
was already going there.
My sister's three years older than me.
So, I mean, that made
it even better 'cause
you know I grew up in
Wilmington, so I grew up a
Michael Jordan fan.
So to go to the same high school
was like a no brainer.
- How was that to see
that jersey like hanging?
- Yeah, it was dope.
They had his pictures, his
jersey, everything round the gym.
You know, like this is
the greatest player ever
and you at the same high school.
So we got Jordans, Jordan
gear, so it was cool.
- So let me ask you this.
At high school did you like surpass any of
MJ records at school?
- Yeah, I scored more points than MJ.
- Wow, that's a bar.
- That's a bar with there.
You feel me, like, wait a minute.
(all laughing)
Like, you know what I'm saying,
that's a humble brag if there ever was one
ladies and gentlemen.
Ooo that's tough.
So you got the, you like
the all time scorer?
- Yeah, for the females.
It was one guy I think that had more.
But for the females I was, yeah.
- Who put the ball in your hand?
Who installed the game
of basketball in you?
- [TY] My brother.
- Your brother?
- Yeah, my big brother.
- Well, he used to play?
- Oh he used to kick my ass.
He used to play.
He didn't play college.
Like he went to a small high
school, but he was really good.
And he taught me and he helped me.
And it's like when I made it I was living
a dream for both of us.
- [Quentin] That's dope.
- Who's the women that
you seen that you was like
I want to be like there.
- Teresa Witherspoon.
- [Darius] Witherspoon.
- [Quentin] T. Spoon, woo yeah.
- My auntie was a Liberty
season ticket holder.
So she used to always take
me to the Liberty games.
And I just loved her game, her energy,
just how she was.
Her presence was always felt on the court.
So yeah.
- In high school you wasn't like
one of the top ranked players.
- No.
- In the state you was,
but not like in the nation.
- Yeah, not in the country, yeah.
- So like did you win
state when you was in?
- [TY] Nope.
- You didn't win state.
- [TY] Never.
- Did you win Miss Basketball?
- For my region I did, yeah.
- [Darius] So you was a late bloomer?
- Yeah.
- So when people start noticing you
when did that come?
- It was my senior year.
Junior year we were at a
north, south all start game
and I won MVP and that's
when different college
coaches was like, "Well, who is this kid?"
I was, I started AAU late.
I didn't play AAU but for two years.
My sophomore year and my junior year.
And so schools didn't know who I was.
And then at that point
it was kind of too late
because I already had my
eyes set on the schools
that I were interested in that
showed me the most interest.
- They already had put
that time in with you.
I feel you.
- So could it have been any other school
outside of the school that you chose?
Was it a possibility you
was gonna go somewhere else.
- Not after the fact.
Previously I never thought
about going to James Madison.
You know, I was thinking of Carolina,
or NC State because those were the
big schools in my, in the
state that I lived in.
Even when I was in high school
we used to go to those
camps, NC State team camp.
So that's all I really knew.
But then as I started playing and teams
started sending me prospect letters
those schools wasn't
sending it until after that
they saw me and then they
started sending the letters.
I'm like, it's too late now.
- Some people they commit to
a school and then they just
like once this bigger
school want to get me
they just was like no, I
ain't going there no more.
I recommit and go there.
What made you not like
recommit when bigger
schools finally seen you
and still got of James?
- For one I'm a loyal person.
And for two, I wanted to go to a school
to make a difference.
I knew, you know, people were coming to me
like you can't make it to the
WNBA going to James Madison.
Where is James Madison?
I never heard of this school.
But the way the coach
and the team made me feel
when I went on my visit
and with the communication
I felt valuable and I felt like that's
where they really wanted me to be.
So growing up my mother always taught me,
you know, go where you're wanted.
And so that was the thing with JMU.
And I just felt comfortable
and I never wanted
to turn my back on the love
that they were showing me
from the beginning to somebody else.
- That's what I say.
Go where you're appreciated,
not where you're tolerated.
- Yeah exactly.
- Straight up bro.
So, at James Madison you there.
When did it click that you're just as good
as the other girls in the country.
Even though you're not
playing the bigger schools
like that or you're
not on TV, or you know,
getting most of the pub as
the UCONNs the Tennessee,
or any other.
When did it click that you was like,
I'm good enough to be
one of three best players
in the country?
- Probably my sophomore year.
I was invited to USA basketball.
And I thought I did well.
But of course it was about who you know
and what school and all of that.
- A lot of big names.
- So, yeah, when I got sent home I knew it
was something else.
But my coach was always
good with scheduling games
for non conference against
the higher ranked teams.
And when I used to go to
work and bust ass I'm like
I'm just as good as these
players, if not better.
So, it was probably then
my sophomore, junior year
where I realize it don't
matter really at this point
where I'm at, you know,
long as I'm getting buckets.
But even then they still
question after I got
drafted you know, because
I went to a mid-major
if I was good enough to be in the league.
- Getting buckets.
- You get drafted to the Dream.
And I know this is like a dream come true.
All of us want to get
drafted and so forth on.
So, how surreal was that
when you got drafted
and the Dream picked you
up, you're going to Atlanta.
That's close to North Carolina.
I know you probably done
been to Atlanta before.
- And you wasn't nothing but eight
after like, you know what I'm saying,
going to James Madison and
flying under the radar,
you know what I'm saying,
not making the USA team.
You, I know you got picked
over some people that
made it or whatever and all of that.
Like I won't that was.
- Definitely, so I was nervous.
But I was so excited.
And my coach was telling me,
you know, these are teams
that are interested.
I can go this number,
I can go that number.
But you never actually think
you're gonna go that high,
you know, coming from a mid-major.
And you got all of these
players from Tennessee, Duke,
UCONN at the draft.
So when my name was called
it was just like shook up.
It didn't seem real.
- Were you there?
Did you go?
- Yeah, I was there.
I was invited.
- That's dope.
- And so I remember whispering
in my mom's ear, like,
mom we made it.
- I know that's got to be sick to not,
to like have that, like
that non knowing feeling
of whether you gonna go high or low,
and then you go high like that
when you wasn't really like, that's dope.
- And people were still looking like
who is this kid.
- Right, right, that's dope, that's dope.
- Did that validate your
confidence and like,
'cause I know like when I came up
it was like people was
telling me you good,
you this, you gonna go high.
But it's like I went through so much
it was like it's hard to believe it.
Then when it actually happened it's like,
oh shit, they really did see
what I was seeing in myself.
- Yeah, I felt that way.
You know, it's like I'm
here, but it still was
things that was happening.
Because I was the eight pick.
And I still remember
to this day, you know,
all of the top players they
was having a conversation
after they got selected with Rebecca Lobo.
And so I don't think they
expected me because when I got
called she was like, "Oh,
we're running out of time."
I was like, how you running out of time?
I'm the eight pick.
But then here come the
round somebody from UCONN,
now y'all got time to interview her.
But you ain't have time to interview me
and I'm the eight pick.
So, you know, it was things
like that where I felt
I still, you know, had something to prove.
Like, okay, I see how it is.
- I'm gonna take that.
I'm gonna remember it.
- Still to this day 12
years later in the lead
I'm like you played me.
You know what I'm saying,
like all right yeah.
- I know that's real talk.
Like I feel like I agree with that though.
I told one of my friends long ago.
You know, that's something
that us as athletes
bar player when we watch
the draft every year
no matter who it is, wish
the youngins as well.
Love how they feeling.
Love to see the feelings.
I don't feel that those
people up there the
analyst is doing they
job that day that should
be the one day that you can't
be critical of these kids.
I don't care what's going on.
And you know it's certain
stuff, hey you gotta
talk about this.
But you shouldn't be, 'cause I remember
in particular Jay Bilas.
I'm watching the draft and it's, you know,
Josh Smith get drafted.
It's when he went out of high school.
And they like he like, "If
we had to pick somebody
"he would be my pick for
the bust of the draft."
I'm looking like, man what the,
like why does that have to be said.
Like we don't have to pick a bust.
Like come on man.
Like everybody this kid has
ever known is seeing him today,
whether he still know them or not
from grade school to kindergarten.
Everybody that's ever
known them whether he still
know them or not this is his day.
And for y'all females this is y'all day.
Like nobody should be
able not be critical.
Like do all that shit tomorrow.
Do all that shit the next day.
But today when you out
there with your family
and you go up there with your suit
this is your one shining
moment for your life,
this is a hit.
Man, you shouldn't, nobody
shouldn't be nowhere
in that audience on the TV on the program
talking shit about you.
No type of way, form, or fashion.
I don't care what he did to
come out of school of whatever.
You know, nah, not right now bro.
Do all that shit in the recap.
Talk about that tomorrow.
Don't do that when my boy
up here with his family,
kids, crying and shit.
You over here talking about yeah,
he gonna be the, like what.
- But no I don't want to interview him.
We ain't got that much time.
- Come on bro, like that ain't cool.
Or, like that stuff usually
happen like it shouldn't be--
- Yeah, 'cause I was excited.
You know, I'm like oh man, what am I,
what is she gonna ask me.
What am I gonna talk about.
And I walked over and it's
like, oh, we're running
out of time.
I was like, oh okay.
- [Quentin] That's wack.
- Yeah that's wack yeah.
That whole day supposed
to go so perfect for you.
Like our day we got a chance
to experience it together.
And it was just like
man, it was of surreal.
So you shouldn't have
them moments like that,
like, but that's them UCONN
people they stick together.
(all laughing)
So you get drafted to Atlanta Dream.
Was Angel McCarthy there?
- No, she's a year after me.
- She's a year after you, okay, okay.
So you play for the Dream
and then you play for a year.
You're in Atlanta just for a year
and then you got to the Windy City?
- [TY] Yes.
- [Quentin] Chicago.
- Chicago.
And you spend time there
so I know your first year
was kind of, it was different.
It was like you was trying
to feel yourself out.
But in Chicago you had a couple of years
to kind of feel the city, you know,
get your friends, know your routine.
- [Quentin] Great city.
- It is.
I love Chicago.
- Stuff like that.
How was it playing for the Chicago Sky?
- It was different.
I was still young.
You know, I came in my
rookie year for Atlanta
and I had that scoring mentality.
And you know early my coach was like
you're not in college no more.
Use your teammates.
Everybody play together 'cause
soon as I touched the ball
I'm trying to score.
That's all I knew.
And so then I was traded
to Chicago and it was like
I had to start all over again.
I'm on a new team and
I had to find my way.
The girls were very welcoming
but it was different.
I was away from home.
But the city was love.
I adjusted.
As I said, my coach told
me I have my scorers.
If you want to play on this team defend.
- Were y'all practicing at Quest?
- Yeah, downtown.
- I remember that.
'Cause I remember this
was like coming up toward
the end of me working out with Tim Glover,
like my last couple years.
And like I remember,
'cause Sylvia Fowls came,
then she used to be in
there dunking that thing.
And we used to all be in there tripping.
Like Dupree used to be there with y'all.
Like I remember seeing y'all practice
and like us walking back
going to the weight room
and all that stuff.
So I remember that team.
- Yeah.
It was cool.
And it was fun.
Practicing at Quest because
we got to see you guys,
the NBA players come
through and it was all love.
I really loved Chicago.
I was was there for nine years,
so it's like a second home to me.
- Summertime Chi, yeah.
- So then you, Vegas get a team.
Vegas only had a team for what, two years?
- [TY] Two years.
- Two years, and it's Vegas.
Did you ever think that you
would be living in Las Vegas?
- Not at all.
- How exciting is that playing there too.
'Cause it seem like y'all games be lit.
- Yeah, our games, our fans are amazing.
You know, like every
home game we know it's
gonna be a great crowd.
I never imagine playing in Vegas.
I'm front the east coast, you know,
so going out west is far,
but the fans they make it amazing.
Our organization is super good.
So I love it, you know.
It's been a great time for
my last two years there.
- I had y'all winning the
WNBA championship this year.
I feel like y'all squad,
y'all got a deep squad.
Y'all got a deep bench.
Y'all got stars.
Y'all got everything that y'all need.
And the shot that your
teammate made from half court,
I felt like oh yeah, luck is on your side.
'Cause when you win a
championship you got to play hard.
You got to stay disciplined
and you got to have
a little bit of luck.
So when I seen that I said, oh yeah.
- She mouthed that thing.
I said oh.
- They gonna win it.
This the year they gonna win it.
So I know y'all lost and,
but y'all coming back with the same,
basically core so forth on.
What you look forward to
next season coming in,
'cause it's kind of like y'all first year
kind of really getting together.
Y'all just got Cambridge, just got you.
- Yeah, we made some, you
know, made some few changes
last year, but right now I'm a free agent.
So, I don't know if
I'll be there or if I'll
be somewhere else.
So, I mean, it's open, yeah.
- And they just changed the contract law.
So you, hey, we need to run it up now.
- Free agency came at
the right time, you know.
- Need to run it up now.
- Speaking on that, how
do you feel about those,
you know what I'm saying,
'cause I feel like it,
obviously a lot of people feel like those
things should have been in place.
But you know the different
flights and the travel,
like we talked to
Candice and she mentioned
a lot of those things that got upgraded
and improvements for y'all.
How do you feel about the
new CBA and a lot of the
improvements that have
been made for you women.
- I feel like it's amazing.
It's definitely, you know,
a great step in the right direction.
Some of the things that we
were having to deal with,
like the flights.
You're sitting in the back of a plane.
Luckily in Vegas we didn't
have to deal with that.
Bill was already booking us Delta Comfort,
or whatever airline we
were flying comfort seats.
Like he's, his mentality has
always been about the players.
So we were fortunate already to be getting
some of those perks.
But now it's league wide.
And those things are important
when you're on the road.
Players having to share rooms,
like we're grown women,
you know what I'm saying.
- Ridiculous.
- I used to pay extra
when I was younger before
I got my own room just
to have my own room.
But it's just the,
those little things that
changed already, also the money,
but just those little
things are big factors.
- So, Bill is you guys owner?
- No, he's the coach.
- Oh the coach, I didn't know
who she was talking about.
- You GM is the owner.
- Okay, well no, what
I'm saying is like those
people that were already
doing that for you guys
as a team they should
be saluted and touted
because they definitely
impacted the leagues doing that
because they can't have one
team being treated better
than others and being, they
help make that set the standards
is what I mean.
So they need to be saluted for that.
It kind of makes sense
that you said that Bill
was doing those things for you
'cause we just had Isaiah in and we talked
to him about a lot of
things and the Bad Boys
and the Pistons in particular.
They were like the trend
setters in the league.
He talked about it how
they were the first team
to start staying in five star
hotels, started traveling
and got they own private plane,
and started doing those different things.
And so from what you saying
it seems that he's still
continuing on the same
type of Bad Boy mantra
and doing the same things
and impacting the WNBA
in the same way that
the NBA impacted.
So just talk about Bill
doing those things and how
it is playing for him
as, you know, his Pistons
and his Bad Boy attitude
and mentality because
like Zeke was saying, he's one of the ones
that never really deterred
from that and that
he really preaches and
embraces the team aspect
of the team game.
- Yeah, you know Bill he's
definitely a players coach.
He's gonna keep it real with you.
He's very blunt.
So I feel if you're mentally
tough you can handle it.
But I've always respected
direct coaches that tell
you what they want and
tell you what it is.
But also as far as like,
off the court he takes
care of the team.
He's like these are the players.
You want to make sure they're comfortable
and make sure we don't have to worry about
anything outside of
basketball as far as like
where we're living, the
things that we need.
He even made a job available on the team
for someone to just take
care of the players.
He's like whatever you
need, if you get a flat tire
or whatever, yeah.
If something is wrong you
call this person and they're
gonna take care of it.
- [Quentin] That's dope, that's dope.
- And even like when we're flying.
He's like my players are
not sitting in the back.
You know, it's just little
things like that that
some people yeah we appreciate.
- As players overly appreciate.
- Yeah definitely.
- And notice.
- And you have people that
they don't think about those things.
But Bill, like you said, he was a player
and they had that mantra in Detroit
and I feel like he just carried it on.
People talk about Bill
or if you ask about how
he is as a coach they
always say, you know,
he takes care of the team for sure.
- Salute Bill, real one.
- You a shoe fanatic.
Like you love shoes.
What made you be, well you a hooper,
so I know that's what you
always have tennis shoes.
But what was about it
that you have to have,
like different styles, kind
that you just kind of got
a crazy more love than
the regular shoe person.
- I always been into
shoes since I was younger.
But my parents couldn't afford them.
So, I was used to getting,
you know, non-name brand shoes
unless, until it got to
a point where I got it
for a holiday or I worked for it.
And so--
- At least you got holidays.
- I got older, yeah.
You wasn't getting the holiday kicks?
- AJ 900 Pro Wings.
Then we got upgraded
Air Force Ones for $55.
That was as good as they got,
so I stuck there.
- Yeah.
- I was blessed.
Like I was in seventh grade wearing a 18.
So it was like I might
as well buy the best
kind of show, wouldn't want it to tear up.
- Wait, what size you wear now?
- 18.
- Wow, so you been wearing
that since seventh grade.
- Since seventh grade.
- Do you understand, them things is skis.
- Okay.
- Those are not shoes.
Those are skis.
- Almost boats.
- We not gonna talk about
your feet like that.
- I know.
Trust me I done heard them all.
- Oh man.
- Especially, see what I deal with.
I don't heard them all.
- Fool in the lunchroom.
- Yeah, I just love them,
especially like the old Gs,
the pairs that I couldn't get as a kid.
I made it a issue to get as I got older,
and then it's like now the world, everyone
is a sneaker head.
So like brands are creating
more and it's just getting
out of hand now.
- I think that's why the
Lord blessed me because he
knew how much I loved them
shoes when I was little
and I couldn't ever get
them and how much I wanted
to get them.
And I even used to be one
of the kids going to my pop,
like pop, I knew it wasn't happening.
It was just like wishful thinking, like,
boy when you get to
high school you get good
and you start kicking your shoes.
I was like ooo.
Then we got signed,
when we got signed together
you couldn't tell us.
Just imagine being able
to get anything you see
in the store it's already at my house.
Anything that you see at the store,
and it's been at my house for
a good month or two, right.
Like by the time it, like
man I was like oh man,
the Lord is good.
- What was that shoe,
like 'cause I know your
parents didn't buy you the
shoe 'cause they couldn't
afford the shoes, but what was that shoe
that when you finally
crossed over like nah,
I got to have that one.
I'm gonna save up.
I'm gonna do whatever, but I
gotta get them right there.
- Probably the Concord 11s.
I was in the ninth grade.
- That's one of the
GOAT shoes of all time.
And I see this kid with them on.
- That a high five moment.
- I seen this kid with them on.
He had like the black
and white striped shirt,
some black jeans and the Concords,
and that patent.
That patent I was like yo, I need those.
I begged my daddy to buy those.
So, I ended up getting them,
and I wore them out til the
patent started cracking, so.
- What was your top five shoes,
your favorite five shoes of all times
what was the five that you would say that
your fave five.
- So the Concord 11s, the
Chicago 1s, the Air Max 95,
the neon, the original
ones, the Stan Smith Adidas.
- This is a classic woman.
I can appreciate that.
This is very classy.
- I don't have a fifth one.
Those are, did I say five.
The Air Max, the Jordan, the
Stan Smith, the other Jordan.
I don't know.
Those a probably like my
top four, yeah for sure.
- What's your favorite shoe to play in?
The 11s.
- I don't really like playing in those.
I used to.
- You don't want to mess
them up or something?
- Yeah, but I used to, but as I got older
now I gotta, you know, make
sure my feet are comfortable.
And playing on defense I
gotta make sure I got a
good enough grip, you know.
- For me my favorite hooping
Js have always been the
10s and the 13s because
they got a little more room
in them I feel I can
thrown my two three pair
of socks on or whatever and
it's still got, whatever.
I feel like the 11s get a
little narrow on your feet.
But the 10s and the 13s.
- The 10s are super comfortable.
And I've always hooped in
Chris sneakers as well.
His shoes was comfortable.
- I love the patent leather.
I just feel like I just
look good out there
when I got them joints on.
Anything I do it's just like a moment.
Like you one of the, you
know, one of the more
famous people about shoes
and sort of forth on,
why you haven't signed a shoe contract
or even have you even
pursued to signed one.
- I haven't had the opportunity.
- You haven't had the opportunity.
- I've had people, you
know, talk about it.
But when it's time to send a contract
they never did, so.
- Who would you love if
you can be with anybody
who would you love to be with?
- Yeah, you know.
- I want her to say it.
- Jordan brand of course.
You know, it's a no brainer.
I went to Laney high school.
I played in Chicago for nine years.
You know, that's what, and
the other people expected,
you know what I'm saying.
- She scored more points than
MJ in high school being, so.
- That should be rewarded right.
- [Quentin] You feel me.
- I feel that.
- Your jersey up there too, right.
- Yeah, my jersey up there too.
- Her jersey in the same
rafters, you feel me,
right next to the GOAT.
- Definitely.
- Two GOATS.
- I'm GOATing around here too.
- I coulda hooped in the Laneys.
I coulda wore the Laney
t-shirts and joints.
I really was there, you feel me.
It's in line with what I do.
- It's in the books baby.
- So now it's, you know, it's at the point
like you said, I'm into fashion,
so I feel like at this point any brand
that I was able to sign
with I could rock off
and help it out tremendously.
- Let me ask you this.
Like I had a lot of shoes.
But I gave a lot of shoes to like kids
who couldn't get shoes that wore my size
in like high school,
junior high, or whatever.
Q has storage units full of shoes.
- Talking about right now.
- I know you have a lot of shoes.
Where do you keep your shoes?
- I don't have as many as Q for sure.
But I just moved.
So prior I had a shoe room.
So I had a bedroom that
I made just for my shoes.
So they're in a closet.
Right now I have them in
containers that I have
in storage as well.
But see I'm not a hoarder
and I hate having to move
all my shoes.
- Don't let my wife see this.
She just used the word.
- So then I get,
I get rid of a lot as well.
The more that I accumulate,
yeah, I start getting rid of.
- Yeah, you start blessing people.
- That's where I need to
get better at getting rid
of some shoes.
Don't laugh.
- It overwhelms me just
looking at all the shoes
that I don't wear, or can't wear.
- [Quentin] I don't have to see them.
- You know all that.
- It's in my best friend's
crib and my pops crib.
- Best friend's crib,
pops crib, storage unit,
two storage unit 223, storage unit c18.
- My plans I got so I
got two big boys coming.
I know for a fact.
They feet might get bigger,
but at some point they
gonna wear 15s and they
gonna love me for it.
- For sure.
- They gonna love me for it.
They gonna have the run of the mill.
When I say they have a foot locker.
I'm talking about from regular joints
to the most elite joints.
They can go from regular
degular to they ain't worry
about no shoes.
They won't be like they
daddy in grade school
or high school.
They ain't like me now.
They killing everything now.
I'm blessed with Jordan
brand be sending them stuff.
My little shorty,
what do they call them
now D Mile, flavors.
- Flavors.
- That what they calling them.
- Flavors, I want them flavors.
Chris Paul, he's one
of my favorite players.
I would love to play with him.
I would hate to play against him.
You know what I'm saying.
His attitude I like a
lot about Chris Paul.
Can you tell me what you
think about Chris Paul's game
as an NBA player and
as a basketball player
and what he means to you and what he means
to you being in your life.
- I think you made a
valid point where you were
saying you would hate to play against him.
A lot of people in the league,
Chris is my friend and I hear stories
that they don't like him.
He's a competitor.
He's a dog.
He want to win and that's how he plays.
So if you're playing against
him you're not gonna like him.
But he's also a good teammate.
He always takes care
of the younger players.
He's a leader.
I love his game.
As a friend we're close.
He's like a brother to me.
We've gotten close over the years.
And so he's a valuable
person in my life for sure.
- Those things that were like how you say,
people don't like him, I was
always thrown off by that.
'Cause you know we met CP as a,
was he still in high school or college?
- High school.
- So we met him when he was really young
when he first started
coming to Jordan camp.
By then we had already
been counselors there.
Now we were in the NBA
and we were living in LA.
So it was literally
like a hour drive for us
to get there.
We were like we know it's
gonna be some good bump
up there because they got
the best college players.
And you know we had been there.
So we're like we're gonna
go up there and play
in the counselor game.
So that was when we first met him.
But like from day one super
cool, personable, chill,
down to earth dude and loved to hoop.
And he was sick.
'Cause like, you remember
MJ put him on our team.
It was me, you, him, MJ and one other.
We ran the court like,
you know what I'm saying.
It was like that year in particular
it was some competition up there.
They had Gilbert Arenas, Richard
Jefferson, Jason Gardner,
all of the Arizona kids.
It was like all the kids
from all around the country.
The Feltons from UNC,
Sean May, Shark, McGants,
all them was there.
That was like when I first saw like,
yo, we all kind of saw, me, him and MJ
we sat down at the end.
MJ say like them right over
there know how to play.
And it was like to see
somebody at such a young age
be able to be the general on the floor
that was when I knew right then like yo,
I don't know what type
of scorer he gonna be,
but like this boy know
how to run the show.
He was out there like--
- Navigating it.
- Yeah, that was when we first
knew like okay, he's special.
Then we saw Felton and saw him.
And it was like that was when
we first started to know him
and get to know those guys.
But I always saw the same thing.
'Cause you know, he had
that competitive side.
You'll see he might jab
somebody in the stomach.
You was like oh shit.
Yeah, he did that like, hey we out here,
you know what I'm saying.
But you respected that.
And so I agree with you.
It was the same thing.
You love to play with him.
You don't want to play
against him type deals.
- How much have you benefited for him
being with Jordan brand?
Do CP send you shoes.
This the homey.
- Is he the plug.
He's supposed to be the plug.
- He send me his shoes.
- What about everything else?
- No, yeah.
- I'm looking into the camera, Chris Paul.
- I don't really like to
ask for things either,
you know what I'm saying.
- We all know.
- I already know
he got a lot of people
that he's, you know,
looking after.
- Yeah, he do.
- Yeah you right.
- So I appreciate, you know,
when he send me his kicks,
the family and friends kicks.
- Now that's real though
'cause those are rare.
People can't get the
family and friends joints.
So that's still, you
still being the plug bro.
I ain't gonna get on you too hard.
- We was trying to make a
situation where I could be
under Jordan brand or be
under him with Jordan brand,
but that didn't fall through, so.
- You got a clothing
line, Ty Clothing Line.
Why not add the shoes
with the clothing line?
Evidently you got all
the swag and the style
and like why not?
Why not just try to create your own shoe?
- I mean, I came out with a shoe before,
like a casual shoe, not a basketball shoe.
It did pretty well.
It's a lot harder finding
the right production company
for shoes than it is for clothes.
So I just haven't, you know,
ventured out in that aspect yet.
- So let's talk about
the clothes, Ty Brand.
You hoodie is super dope that you got on.
- She gonna get us one.
She already asked our sizes.
And like y'all gonna be
seeing it on the Knuckleheads
with us one time, you feel me.
- So what made you get into fashion,
'cause we know you love shoes.
So now you into the clothes
and I hear a lot of people
when I see you I like the way you dress,
like how you present yourself.
So what made you want to put
it out there for everybody?
- Well, it initially
started with the fans.
When I was in Chicago they
wasn't selling my jersey
and I was one of the fan's favorite.
But I wasn't, you know, the
superstar where they would
sell the jersey.
So it started with, you know, t-shirts--
- [Quentin] I like this.
- For the fan base to have
something that represented me.
It started with just logos.
Like TY1 logo.
And it went well, you know.
Started doing better
than I actually thought.
So I was like, okay, let me
venture out to hats and hoodies
and joggers and socks, and
that's just how it went.
And now it's just more
so I started doing things
with phrases or words.
- Yeah, I love them.
That's what I love, the message.
Like believe in yourself.
Be yourself.
I think that's a, you
know what I'm saying,
a powerful message,
especially to the youth
and just people in general 'cause I think
in this era or generation or
whatever you want to call it
with the social media it's
so much fraudulent behavior.
People out there trying to
portray and be things they not
when it's like you can only be you.
That's the only person available.
Everybody else taken up.
No matter what you try
and put that front on for
we are gonna see you eventually.
So just go ahead choose
up and be who you are.
So I love that, that messaging on there.
- Thank you.
- The NBA has teams now they
have different type of jerseys.
I like the Los Angeles Clippers.
- The San Andreas.
- The San Andreas type jersey.
I like the Bed-Stuy from Brooklyn.
- [Quentin] That's them Coogie joints.
- [TY] Definitely.
- It's a couple of them I like.
Which ones that stuck out
to you that you thought
like oh man them dope, dope colors?
- I definitely wanted the Bed-Stuy one,
the Brooklyn one.
- [Quentin] That's joint hard.
- [Darius] That was dope.
- Growing up always
visiting my aunt in New York
knowing about Bed-Stuy
it related more to me.
- Brooklyn Nets get Ty
Young a Bed-Stuy jersey.
Send it to her with her name on it.
Hook it up.
Man, this is nothing
for y'all PR department.
This is easy.
We got a ex PR department from the Knicks.
We know how this goes.
Make it happen man, T Young.
- Who has the best looking
jerseys in the WNBA?
- Our jerseys are the best.
- [Darius] The Aces?
- Yeah.
The black with the red,
got the red on the side.
- With the Ace across the front.
- Even the red ones that we wore this year
were super dope.
I had so many people
trying to get my jersey.
And it was like I need that,
'cause they didn't sell the red ones.
They sold the black ones.
- Yeah, them definitely
one of my favorite jerseys.
- For you like, so for us obviously,
well, for the world
obviously Jordan is the GOAT.
For you, who is the
female version of Jordan
for you that you grew up looking at
and was like the best
female player to you.
- Growing up it was Cynthia Cooper.
- [Quentin] Cynthia Cooper was the one.
- And for me growing
up I was a point guard.
So I always watched point guards play.
And that's why, how
Teresa became a favorite
and how Cooper was one
of my favorites too.
- That's who you patent your game after.
She used to raise the roof in that joint.
- And I used to do all type of stuff
like that in college, so yeah.
- [Darius] Party.
- I know what I want to know,
'cause you said like me,
we all grew up you know
a little, not the richest or whatever,
not the most fortunate.
So, when you first start getting the money
when you look back now
you 12, 13 years deep,
what is it that you bought
that now that 13, 12
year vet looking back
like you was tripping.
But even though you know
you was tripping, like,
you're like this was every bit worth it
at the time when I did it.
- I was spending money
on designer everything,
clothes, belts, bags, shoes.
And now I look at it like, I
don't care about none of that.
- Yeah, ain't that crazy how
we go through that process
we done spent all that money
on Louis, Gucci, everything.
- Coming in the league I was
spending money on everything.
Yeah.
- Man you be looking back
like bro I got so much stuff
that literally I don't use.
My wife found out this
consignment type place
where you can, man what,
we can sell this shit.
Get rid of all that.
I don't use none of that.
Man look, dead serious,
that's real talk right there.
Consign all this stuff.
- Yeah, take it all.
- My mom passed away from cancer.
Your pops passed away from cancer.
After they passed away
you decided to do the
American Cancer Foundation,
be an ambassador for it.
What made you go that hard into it?
- Well, when my father was
diagnosed I'd never heard of
pancreatic cancer.
So I started googling
and trying to figure out
what it was, how do you get it.
And then I felt after that if I didn't
know what it was and I had
someone that close to me
a lot of other people didn't either.
So I wanted to do more
to make it an awareness.
Because you know everyone
knows about breast cancer
more so than, you know, a lot of other.
And so I just felt like with my platform
and with how it affected
my family I could do more
to bring awareness to it.
- First time I met Michael Jordan I was
like in awe.
I couldn't believe he cussed.
Like he was like, it's
like he had the glow.
You know, I don't know
if y'all ever watched
the movie with "Last Dragon" with Bruce--
- Leroy.
- With Bruce Leroy,
but Mike had that glow,
that ring around him when
I first met him young.
When you first met Mike,
like how did you feel?
How was that for you?
- I was speechless.
Like I was with my best friend.
He had to talk for me because
I couldn't say anything.
I'm like, it's like there's MJ.
You know, we were in Barney's.
And I'm like MJ, who's MJ?
Michael Jordan.
I'm like wait, what.
And so when I saw him I just froze.
My stomach was hurting.
Like I couldn't say a word.
Like he was talking to me
and I was just looking at him
like yo, you are the GOAT,
you know what I'm saying.
I was speechless.
- That's what's up.
- It was amazing 'cause it's been years,
you know, coming from the same hometown
that was my first time ever meeting him.
- So you play a lot overseas
and a lot of different places.
And I hear a lot of
different stories from both
women and men.
I got partners that played
overseas and different
type of stories.
How was your overseas experience?
And, you know, what did
you think of your years
in different places?
Did you like them?
Did you not?
- Hold up, hold up before you start.
How was Brazil?
- Brazil was beautiful.
- Brazil.
- Brazil.
- I like Brazil a lot.
The weather was nice.
I was on the beach.
It was hot.
- [Quentin] That's why he
want to know about Brazil.
He talking about the beach in the Brazil.
- The league wasn't that big.
But I still enjoyed it.
- You enjoyed it over there.
- He said how, hold up.
- Yeah, you had to talk
about Brazil first,
then we can get to all the other stuff.
So how was the rest of the places?
- Israel was probably
one of my favorite as far
as it being Americanized
and everyone speak English.
- Was it Tel Aviv?
- I played in Herzliya and
Ashdod when I was in Israel.
But for me overseas it was tough.
I wasn't really on top teams
like that except for one year in Israel.
And Israel isn't at the
top of the margin as far
as the teams.
So it was tough for me.
I felt like I could have
been on better teams.
But it's the same as
they go with WNBA stats,
or you know the WNBA stars they kind of
goes over for overseas.
The top teams that's
who they want as well.
So, I've enjoyed the experience.
There's countries that
I would never have been
if it wasn't for basketball.
So I was super blessed
for those opportunities.
But I love being at home.
So now I'm just, I'm kind
of done with overseas, yeah.
- Well, the contracts done went up,
so it's kind of giving
you a better opportunity
to just stick around.
You don't have to go and just
try to get the extra money
and support at all.
- Definitely.
- You come over here and you
play a season in the WNBA,
and then you go overseas and come back.
It's like playing two seasons for
two different teams in
two different countries
like twice a year.
How is that?
How's the grind of doing
that then coming back
and doing that?
- It's definitely for
the love of the game.
It's tough and it wears on your body.
And that is a reason that
I used to take years off.
I went five years straight
WNBA and overseas.
And then I took some overseas time off
because I'm a stickler
with taking care of my body
and I believe that's why
a lot of women have these
nagging injuries or that
have different injuries
that prolonged because
you don't take a break,
because you're, you know, chasing that bag
and you're not really
taking care of your body.
- How was the practices over there?
'Cause I was hearing that--
- That's what I've always heard.
It's like two a days.
- Your practices is like crazy over there.
- Depending on what country,
a lot of the countries,
and that was one reason
I used to go to Israel
where we practiced once.
But a lot of countries
you practiced twice a day.
In the morning it's more
like a shooting practice,
and then in the evening it's
like a get after it practice.
It just depends on the country
that you're in and what
that culture wants.
Some countries, when I was
in China they practiced
twice and day and was just running.
But I had it in my contract
where I only practiced once.
But it was a lot to see
those little girls the things
that they were having
them do it was a lot.
- Top five women's players of all time.
Well, not top five, your
favorite five women players
of all time.
- [Quentin] Your Mount Rushmore.
- It don't got to be
like the usual top five,
just who you like the most.
- Tina Thompson, Teresa Witherspoon,
Cynthia Cooper, Swoops--
- [Quentin] Them Comets.
- Da, I would put myself of course.
- [Quentin] Straight up.
- Taurasi, Da.
- We like to play start,
bench or cut, right.
And it's, to me it's a fun game.
I like these three young
boys that's coming up
and I feel like all of
them kind of getting
disrespected on the All
Star edition of things.
I think we as a league
need to really identify
and put out there what the
standards of voting is.
Like are we, is it an individual award.
Is it a team award.
Is it what your team?
We need to identify so
people won't be upset.
'cause in my opinion
all three of these dudes
are All Star caliber level players.
So I'm gonna ask you who
would you start, bench, cut.
Bradley Beal, Devin
Booker, and Zach Levine.
All three studs.
All three of them is
super stars in the making
and they big boy balling at the two guard.
- So what are we starting
for, like All-Star?
- No, just start.
If you the coach who you gonna
start, who you gonna bench,
who you gonna cut.
- [Quentin] Just period.
It ain't not particular game or whatever.
Just in your, it's all on your opinion.
Like somebody else,
like I might say a
different one than you do.
- And who are the three again?
- Brad Beal, Devin Booker, Zach Lavine,
young boy edition.
- I'm gonna start Brad.
I'm gonna bench Book.
And I'm gonna cut Zach.
- Another one.
- Another one.
- Taurasi, Cooper, Witherspoon.
Who would you start, bench, cut.
- Man that's crazy.
Taurasi, Witherspoon and Cooper.
- [Quentin] That's a tough one.
That is a good one.
- Wow.
That's tough man.
That's crazy.
Start, bench, cut.
- Gonna hear about who you cut over there.
- I know.
I don't care.
- It's all clean based.
It's all good.
It's no, all of them in the
category 'cause they all cold.
So nobody lose.
- Right.
That's tough.
I'm starting T. Spoon.
I'm coming off the bench with Coop
and I gotta cut DT.
- [Darius] Okay, okay.
- When it come to the NBA right now,
like outside of CP3 'cause
we know that's your partner
who do you like, like who would you go
like if they came to Atlanta
and you ain't got nothing
to do you got a chance like,
I want to go see this dude play in person.
'Cause whatever they do
I'm rocking with them.
I'm a fan of how they play.
Like somebody told me, I
mean obvious we all know the
LeBrons, the Yannis', those
are the clear cut we know guys,
you know what I'm saying.
But who is somebody else
that you, maybe a young guy,
or maybe a middle you know,
in the middle of this career
what guy that we wouldn't
just jump off the page
that you want to go to
the arena and see play.
- Well, he's also my friend,
but he's not like a big star.
Jordan for Washington.
- McCray, okay yeah.
No have a bucket getter.
He's a bucket getter for real.
- Even when he was in the G
League to coming back to the.
- Cleveland, when he had
that stay in Cleveland
I remember, I was scouting
then so I was a pro scout,
so I used to--
- The minutes he's going after
it and I love to watch that.
- He is a bucket for real, Jordan McCray.
And right now he'll get 30.
Like somebody, Brad Beal
or somebody get hurt
he'll have 30, right now.
- Shout out Jordan McCray.
- Just no too long ago he
had like 32 or something
when B. Beal had missed a couple games.
He definitely, he a bucket.
- Right on.
- You know what I'm saying,
but here this is actually
The Blackest One's creation.
We came with the black box
so we trying to show love
to our girl.
You know when you got
the merch and the hoodie,
so you know we want to try and show love.
This the same one he got on.
- I like this.
- [Quentin] Little hat, little t-shirt.
- Yeah, I appreciate it.
- And then we got very
very special sponsors,
Hennessy, AKA Yak, but they hook us up
with the special Knuckleheads edition.
So you know what I'm
saying, like that good Yak.
- [Darius] You can't get that
in stores, so sip that slow.
Sip that slow.
Yeah, sip it slow.
- Yeah, so you know.
- Appreciate it.
We definitely appreciate
you coming through
rocking with us, blessing
us with your presence.
- I appreciate y'all having me.
- [Darius] Yeah, you know,
we keep GOATS on here.
We think you one of the GOATS.
- I appreciate that.
