Coming to Los Angeles and Showtime

Have you guys noticed how handsome I am lately? Well my wife has so so of all my friends. Everywhere I go, people go, hey, is that Quince? That looks good. Is that Quin? Even when I'm not wearing Quince, if it looks good, people assume it's Quince. Quince has over taken my wardrobe. I'm more intentional about what I wear day to day. I lean into pieces that feel easy, comfortable, and nice put together. I call them my husband clothes. Quince will hook you up . I personally love the khaki slacks and I like a nice clean t-shirt. Hundred percent European linen shorts and shirts from thirty-four dollars. You hear what I'm saying? For $34, you get yourself a nice shirt. People go, hey, look at that guy. He looks nice. What does that guy think? He's Jay Moore. Because Jay Moore looks nice. You know why he looks nice? Because he's always wearing quince a go to quince.com slash more stories quints.com slash morestories for free shipping and three hundred and sixty five day returns you could be a real creep and wear this for 10 months and send it back and say, I don't like it. But you won't because it's quince. Q-U-I-N-C-E. Quince.com slash more stor ies for a full year return policy and free shipping . Athletic Brewing Company crafts award-winning non-alcoholic beers for those who want to be part of every round. With over 185 flavor awards, they're exceptional NA beers that fit your lifestyle and any social occasion. Summers full of good times and athletic fits right in. Go to athleticbrewing.com to have brews delivered to your door or find them at a bar, restaurant, or store near you. Near Beer, Athletic Brewing Company, fit for all times. The Palm Beaches community will soon have access to a new destination for health care. The Alan B. Miller Medical Center. A brand new hospital designed for clinical excellence and amenities to meet the highest standards in patient experience. With compassionate care, concier services, and private patient rooms, the Alan B. Miller Medical Center is your new destination for healthcare. Visit abmmedicalcenter.com . Put your name on. Just put your name on. That's all I say. Be a man or a woman, put your name on it. You're the tallest guy. Well, I don't know who's taller. You were old in Polynese. I am. By how much? Uh a few inches. Yeah. He's seven one. Are you a real seven? I'm seven one. What's big O? He's uh six ten, six eleven. You're more beloved than him, probably. You know what? We we play on on the Kings uh uh I mean he he was before me uh he gave my son basketball lessons in summer he wants to coach so bad. Yeah yeah I actually I interviewed him when I was a GM up there. Why why can't big men get coaching like Patrick Ewing always wants to coach and he was another one, you know. And I uh you know I tried to uh kinda help him out, you know, you know, it's the coaching is kinda tough because, you know, you have to be with the with the with the group, you know, the the the the you have to start with somebody and then you you build your resume or or or or but you know if you if you want to do like you know on your own it's kinda tough you know to enter. That's why I respect uh Derek Fish Like if you love to coach, you'll find a way to coach. You know, and then what do you think is harder, coaching high school boys or professional women? Uh pro woman probably. You know, the coaching college players, you know, it's much easier. You you develop them, you y they listen, you know. If you go in a pro, no but listen, you know, everybody thinks you know they're they're they're the they're the best. When you're a general manager , do you how often do players give you their ideas of what the team needs or are they too busy traveling and uh not not that much but I I I would approach to you know if if I know that some relationship would between the player that I'm looking for and and uh my players so I would I would check with them yeah. So looking you up, Vlad ay, and doing research for the podcast, without doubt, I've had famous, famous, famous people on the podcast. You are by far your Wikipedia page, you you're kind of living like a Bill Walton type life. Like no one's getting more out of life than Vladi Divans. Well, I'm I'm I'm trying. I enjoy my life. You know , I don't know many guys that are advisors to deputy prime ministers of their country. Like that's Yeah, that's uh that was like two thousand twelve, I believe. Yeah. How does that come about? How do you go from like basketball legend to like I'm just gonna tell the it's an interesting story. Um so I I was was I was back back home. I was back home uh my wife was in school with that dude, the pri uh with the Prime Minister. Yeah. So he had his own party. Friend of mine had uh the other party, you know, and I tried to put them together, you know, and they didn't like each other. So uh he actually told me like I'll I'll do it, but you gotta be my advisor, you know. And I didn't I didn't like p politics at all. So just for uh you know heck of of of their friendship, you know, I said, okay, I'll do it. And how long did you do it? I was doing for a month. Then I I said and I said I I after the month I said, look, you know, I I give my word, I'm I was your advisor and so I'm free now. So he said good enough. Could you do that remotely or did you go back to Serbia? Oh I was there. I was there. I was you just go into like the parliament buildings and not really everyy da, but like you know, let's say every time he needs something, you know, I w I would I would be there. Do you make some money? Do you get paid for it? I mean a little stipend. Yeah, I would you know, everything that I made from um outside of basketball, like you know, commercials, uh uh appearances, even though uh that paycheck that was coming from the government, I would uh shi uh shif shift to my uh foundation so the money would go that you know in my foundation for the children and are you still doing the Vladi Divas basketball camp? Um uh I do but more like you know uh I would like do like once in two years or three years. You know, before I was uh a player I was doing it like uh every year. I saw on your Instagram page you advertising it last year. Yeah, it was in Montenegro, yeah. It was just so funny you're like, plus there's lunch so you can get fueled up for the basketball club. Yeah. And a picture of me as a keepsake. Like you you just when I do the camps I really you know uh uh stayed there, you know, I w uh I talked to the kids, uh I I work with them, you know, it's not like you know, just show showing up, you know. Uh I'm involved uh uh all the time. That's good. Uh you gotta give back. And you're big on that. You're big about giving back, which I like. Uh the reason why uh I was a kid in my small town in Serb Serbia, you know, back then it was Yugoslavia, you know, and I was dreaming about the sports, any sports. I was playing everything, you know, volleyball, soccer, basketball, uh anything that was uh uh uh uh uh anything with a ball. Yeah. Yeah, basically. And I was dreaming like you know, I got I'm gonna be this guy, I'm gonna be that, you know. And uh when I' whenm I when I retired, you know, and I was looking, you know, my back to my career where I came from, I was like, wow. Even though all my medals from um World Cups, European championships, Olympics, um the the trophies from MBA uh my hall of fame trophy, I gave it to my city. You know, and they they made a little museum, a room where they put all those medals and jerseys and everything that I got from sports. My idea was like, you know, to show not just kids from my hometown, but anybody any kid that could come to see it. You don't need to be born in L L A or New York or you know to, uh um to make your dreams. You know, you can be born in Priapolia, the small town of fifteen, twenty thousand people and here I am. And if you're seven feet tall, you got a shot. Uh yeah. It helps it helps. Yeah. But if you were like 6'6, could you drain it from outside? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. No, I was I actually you know the the I love the the the the style of uh the the games they play Do you y I think so? Do you think if like a shack or like those classic back to the basket guys came back, would the game adjust to them or would they have to readjust to the g Um I would say only uh guy from that era that would have an impact on today's game would be Shaq. Anybody else would be tough. They don't know what a monster he was. Shaq was like. But you always did good guarding him because you would just kind of pull the chair out behind him. Well I would do different stuff. You know, if you try to stop him, you you can't stop him. You know, he's gonna score his 30, 40 points, whatever, you know. Pushing the wall, pushing the shack is the same thing. So I try to run up and down the floor. I try to do different things that I can make him tired, you know, so those kind of stuff but there's more water too. You don't it'd be so funny watching the seven foot one guy hold the six ounce water. We don't like to spoil the guest, Vladay. No, no, no worries, no worries. Vlade, you are one of seven players with thirteen thousand points, nine thousand rebounds and three thousand assists can you name the other six thirteen thousand points nine thousand rebounds three thousand assists well this should be my uh idol, you know, and somebody that I replace on the Lakers. Kareem is there, right? Yes. Okay . So already we're in ridiculous company. Yeah, let's say . Then um probably second guy that I would mention would be uh Kim Olajuan. Yes. Yeah. Well I'm trying to see you know who played m uh I would just memorize it. Like if I was great like you, I would just know everybody I was as good as. No, but because because I I never paid attention to the stats and numbers. Really? No. Even uh it bothers me today, you know, when they uh uh the oh the record triple double whatever you know hey it's the numbers. You must hate watching the Lakers game 'cause that's all they talk about. No, I don't like that. Who cares about if I score 50 points and my team lose, you know? You know, that's Kareem Hakeem. Let's say Kareem It's a ridiculous list. Olajwan, David Robinson probably. No, same team. Team Duncan? Yeah. Okay . Uh that's three. Uh Patrick Hugh is there? No. No . Kevin Kevin Garnett? Yeah. Okay, yeah. I think my favorite player of all time. Yeah, he I love them. Uh that's four guys, right? One we mentioned already. One from uh So Kareem, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Olaju an , and two more, right? Yeah.. Hmm Two more. They give you the country. Uh is anybody uh a current player or no? No. Foreign born and local . Foreign born would be Dirk Nowitzki? Uh Shaq and Pow. Shack and Pow, okay. P Powow Pow, yeah, I love Pow. Pow Power. Pretty underrated. Totally. And by the way, he I think he's all of seven foot one too. Yes. I was shocked when I met him, but he just kept going up up. Because he because he's skinny, you know, but you know, he's very tall. Paul Listen to that list. Karim of Del Jabbar, Kevin Garnett, Hakeem Malajuan, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Pauga That's gotta feel good. You gotta be able to enjoy it. Well you talk about the team. When you watch the Lakers now, we're on nine in a row. Well, this is gonna air in fucking June. Who knows ? We're so we got so many in the bank. The Lakers really turned a corner. It seems like it's it's all about team now. That's that's the key. What do you think? How does that happen? How does a culture T all of a sudden it's just the Lakers now? Uh I I I I think they they realize, you know, the the the they have to do together. You know, y and you don't need to chase your numbers because the numbers gonna come numbers gonna be there if you are on a high level like LeBron and and Luca, they're gonna get their numbers. So you don't chase it. Just Would you max out as a j put your general manager hat on? Would you are you still with the Kings? Uh kinda advisory. Are you allowed to answer? If you can't answer it, yeah. I I I c you know. I don't care if I'm not, you know, I don't Would you max out Austin Reeves ? Uh I love his game , but I wouldn't as a GM. As a fan, I w I would because he he's a he's he's a great guy, he's a great player, but uh he's not on Lucas level, let's say. I just don't know how you let a guy like that play for someone else. You gotta make a you think you think somebody's gonna max him out uh one side? You sure? Absolutely. Well there's bad teams that'll do it. There's good teams that'll do it. The guy averages? No, no, no. You're both high. I mean, I think you're can you build I mean Vladi's here is the GM, but like your number one guy is authority. I know . Did you pass on Luca? I forget. Yeah. Yeah. Why'd you pass on Luca ? Why pass uh Luca uh uh I had the RM Fox on my team, so I was thinking, you know, drafting Luca I have to trade Fox because Luca is unbelievable . And um Foxy was start showing, you know, his capability and then I realized if I have a look at you know it's a small market team you know you can't you down the road you're not gonna keep him you know he's gonna go somewhere you know and uh and he did. did Did I make mista ke? Uh right now I I I I believe I did. But who knows, you know, down the road, you know. Darren Fox was a nice pick though, kid. Yeah. Darren Fox is nice like San Antonio. Look, San Antonio is playing in a beautiful thing. They're gonna be a problem .. Yeah Let me ask you something. Just now that's that's why. You know, a lot of people will say, you know, I love Luca. I love you know his game, his uh unbelievable talent. And I was so happy when when uh actually Lakers had the push. Who'd you take instead? Instead of Luca? Uh Marvin Bagley. Oof. Yeah, Marvin Bagley. Uh very talented kid, but unfortunately, you know, a lot of issues with the injuries. You know, he he actually he's now with the Dallas playing well. It seems like everybody came through Dallas this year. It's like uh it's like a goddamn revolving ball. You want to hear something funny when I learned I knew about the Luca trade for like six weeks and I had to keep my mouth shut because of genie. Yeah. And I was like, I would I I didn't say anything, but I was like, don't trade AD. That's crazy. I was obviously so thank God I kept my mouth shut. But you you want the funniest thing, you know, uh when uh the trade happened a friend of mine from uh florida calls me says you're off the hook now nobody's gonna talk about how why you passed the look the lookah you know everybody's gonna talk to uh about uh the Dallas G was he drafted by the Hawks first ? He was drafted by uh Hawks, yeah. Yeah. And they traded him for uh uh Trey Young, yeah. And uh number one and n uh first round pick f following year. It's pretty amazing. Like it it's all right. So No, it's look, you know, it i i i i i it's very hard, you know, you uh when you drafting people you d you don't know where it's gonna end, you know. Is there a guy that I guess Victor Wimbagnana was the last guy you go this is uh most ridiculous Shaq Victor it's always like a big you go this guy can't lose because it's a great prospect, you know, and and but you you don't know what's gonna happen. Like you, know, the health wise, the injuries, the development, you know, mentality of the of the player, you know, the it's all those com you know, stuff. And you think about all the guys who didn't go on. Kevin Durant didn't go one, Jordan didn't go one. You know, like other guys. Your draft class uh was insane. I mean, Glenn Rice, Sean Elliott . How Dana Barrows got picked before Sean Kemp by the same team is fucking beyond me. But the second round, Sherman Douglas, Cliff Robinson, Dino Hall of Famer, Dino Raja, Heyman Haywood, Wordman. Dino was the second round. That's what I'm saying. The second round, Sherman Douglas, Cliff, Cliff Robins on, Dino Roger who's in the Hall of Fame, Haywood Workman, who was a damn good backup point guard for those Pacers teams that used to kick uh the Knicks dicks in the dirt. But when you're talking about second rounds, you know, we have a current player in the in the league, Nikola Yokic, he was second round. He's a M E P lay insane to me. Where where do you think he is gonna finish all time? I mean this he feels like a top ten all time player on the on the way. For me I don't want to be you know he's my uh my boy. Yeah is he serbian yeah uh i love the way he plays he's it's it's beautiful what to watch me because he doesn't jump no he's just the IQ is off the chart like you know he sees things like few seconds before. Yeah. You know, he's so um I don't wanna put him at number one, you know, but top five for me is is he's there, yeah. You know, he's a he's he's a uh this this new generation, you know, uh new way of uh the game, uh uh he's number one obviously. But you have to you know, Magic, you know, Kareem, Michael, Larry, you know, Corby. LeBron. Magic's he's LeBron uh uh uh don't get me wrong. He's great, but he's not my top ten. Not in your top ten. Nope. Wow. No. Look, magic's my number one overall. Yeah. If I'm starting a team intergalactic of all time, I'm going mad. I mean, you gotta take centers off the board. It's not even fair. Let me tell you, I play with magic. Let me tell you what he does . I would probably be okay NBA player. He made me a a Hall of Hammer. He makes everybody on the floor a better. You know, and that's you don't see that. And that's a quality that that, you know, you you can teach. Like Nikol Nikola Jokic, he makes everybody on a Nuggets team much better just because he uh he's present. That's magic. If I was the Nuggets coach, Jokic would take fifty shots a game. Like I, don't like why are we going through everybody else? Like, look at this guy. He hits threes. He's down low. He's all like just put him someplace, get him the ball over and over. I would just we'll chamberlain that shit every every single game. Yeah, but then you take take away f you his talent of passing ball, finding you know open shots, you know, so you know, you got to Do you know Vladi from his acting work? Married with children? Yeah. I gotta uh again funny story. I just this morning I had some meeting, you know, and I was talking about uh how you call that re uh you know the we getting checks from uh residuals. I got residuals the other day from some of the shows I made. I think the the the envelope and the postmark was more more uh uh value than uh the check. It was like uh one point twenty five cents or something like that. Yeah. It gets lower and lower every time. But still it's coming, you know. So you and Anna have been married how long? Uh got this. You know, I have to I have to I have to take time, you know. Otherwise, she's gonna be be upset. I'm just kidding. We got married at 89, so figure out So one woman, that's great. Okay. Every movie, Jerry Maguire, every TV show, everything I've ever done. They mail me a check and the mailman goes, No, no, no. Goes over there. No, that's nice. Look, in my case, it's not uh she deserves. In my case, you know, she was behind me all you know, ups and downs, you know, even now without even if I'm not married all to her. Your wife's a star, dude. No, she's great. She When I met her at the Lakers game, I just said to Joe before you came, I said, I uh she has to get on like real housewives at Beverly Hills or something. She's a she has to be on TV. You know the the sh she she finished the acting school back home, you know, and uh makes sense. And uh uh obviously she was thinking to act, you know, but um getting married, you know, kids, you know, she focused on the family. She says you ruined her career. Nah. No, she said it in front of you to me. She did , but you know, uh look. I had I I had a talent, you know, I had to take advantage of it. Um you how do you get married with children? Uh you know, being on the Lakers, you know, the it it's uh Hollywood, you know, they uh uh uh I did a lot of different shows, a few movies. Uh they called probably you know Office, you know, and uh asked for me, you know. It was me and uh uh a couple other guys. Clay, Cla uh yeah, Clay Clay Lexer was there. And uh McDaniel. Xavier McDaniel. Three of us. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. On the same episode? On the same episode, yeah. Who takes that call? Cup check? Jimmy Bus? Uh probably PRP John Black? John Black back then, yeah. Probably a big negotiation or they just said, bro, should you like to do it? Yeah, just send the car, I'll do it, right? That was funny, you know. You know, I love the guy. You know I don't know anybody that has anything bad to say about Ed O'Neill. He might be one of the most beloved human. No, he's he's he's great. And now you know when I w my favorite show right now is you know Mother and Family, so it's great. It's unbelievable. Watch over and over, especially on a plane, you know, flying you know over the world. It just press and were you ever on a team flight that almost crashed or anything? No, but again the funny story, I was uh I was in with Sacramento . So I was going my family was in LA, so every day off I I would use, you know, and um come to LA and we supposed to leave uh from Sacramento to Cleveland and uh and I I I supposed to fly from LA to Sacramento and then go with a team, but then I figure out, you know it,'s easier for me to just fly from LX straight to Cleveland and meet them there, right? As a player. As a player, yeah. That's uh that's rare, right? Yeah, very rare. You know, but I was lucky, you know, my uh back then the owner of the Kings he was from LA so he was flying with us. We would go on East Coast when we come back, you know, he would make plane, land in LA first, and then go to Sacramento. So I would go with him, right ? So uh so I meet uh the the team in uh in Cleveland and uh all teammates, especially because everybody talks about how lucky I am, right? So they fly into suck uh Cleveland and then turbulence start, you know plane goes up and down, you know. They freaked out. So they thought they they're gonna go down. And Peggio looking in the seat next to him, empty. It said, again. Lucky. He's gonna he's gonna survive. So that was that was uh the only thing that uh they had you weren't in it. No. Yeah, uh Byron Scott too. Like no, no, no, I as much as you guys fly, I think there'd be something crazy. I w I was lucky also with uh with uh with uh with that uh charter fries. You know, I was uh with the Lakers my a uh rookie year. That was uh probably first year or or maybe second year where they started using MGM uh company uh we had a yeah before it was a commercial. Like you know, they would they would go in a business class and that's it. If if it was enough business class. Who in your lifetime was the drunkest on an airpl ane . Hmm. Where you thought, oh my god, we might have to land and drop this guy off. No, you know, uh I can't remember. Any fist fights on airplanes? No. I uh uh really? No. No teammates getting after it? I have gambling debts? Sounds fun, right? Yeah. But my teams, like you know, I play with the Lakers, I play with the Hornets, I play with the Kings, and then I came back and played with the Lakers. So all those teams were winning teams. So we were very professional, we were, you know, we didn't do any crazy stuff, you know, we were focusing on on on the game. About gambling, you know, we uh we played cards and I would win a lot of money. But my uh principle was never take uh money from my teammates. So I would find, you know, if if you lose the m money, I would find a way you know, I say, Jay, go do this and that, you know, and uh we're even so that was uh my my game. Tell Joe the Bobbitt story. The rookie Bobbit. Oh you don't know about the story? This is the w I'm so happy you haven't heard this. Tony Bobbit, that was my last year with the Lakers, a the year after I retired. So I was a veteran on team. So we had a rookie guy, a couple of them. Uh and usually rookies uh help uh equipment manager, you know, before practice, after practice. But those two guys, you know, as soon as the practice is over, they would run uh run run run uh out, right? So equipment manager approached to me and said, Well, you know, gotta you gotta help me out and talk to those kids, you know, they have to kinda help. So I did. Second day , he said they ran again. Third day, they disappeared. So I told Tommy Bobby that I said, look, you know, you have two choice, to do do do this or I'll make something, you know, that you're gonna remember remember me the rest of your life, you know. So be careful . So he didn't listen. And then uh we played a game uh at uh at the staples back then and uh he was in a suit, you know, and uh he tried to be on the front seat. So there was a TNT game. I guess, you know, he wanted to friends or people from uh uh back home to see him on that he's with the Lakers. So he comes uh uh uh to me and says, instead of just telling the truth, you know, I want to be in the front seat so I can I can be on TV, he he makes makes up the story. It's a Lucy Lou, you know, across. She was there, yeah. She's looking at me, so you know, uh I think we we we have something going on. So okay, have a sit. You know, and I I let him sit. In the meantime I uh asked, you know, the the Uhers, you know, uh that I put the note on the writing, you know, hey Tony, this is Lucy Lulu, give me a call and leave the number. So I gave it to the security guy to give it to Tony. So he's reading, you know, and I'm watching. So he puts it in pocket, you know, and then he starts calling. But it was my number. But he didn't realize. So it's been happening for couple of weeks. And I told guys on the team, said, Don't tell him. Like, let 's have a game. So that was texting back and forth. He th he thinks he's uh with the Lucy Lou. And finally, I'll make a story short. No, no, no. Don't forget the Victoria's Secret and Oh . He knows everything, yeah. So basically, you know, I'm I'm I'm texting back, you know, and uh I told him uh Salu Clu , uh hey uh Tony, I'm doing some movie in San Francisco for a couple weeks. I'll give you a call when I come back. You know, I want to see you, blah blah blah. In the meantime, you know, uh I'm driving my kids to school, and he knows about it. So I'm driving, I can text it so i said look i why don't you text back to tony you know but make make sure it's a good message so he's asking lucy lu where are you and then look at texting, like you know, I'm at Vic Victoria's Secret buying something for you to see, you know. And he comes to practice, you know, he shows everybody, you know, the message, you know, and and finally, after a couple of weeks, we decide to to end the story, you know, and uh uh I text him, you know, I say, Hey Tony, I finished the movie, I'm coming back to LA, I'll send you a limo, give me the address. He gives the address to Lucy Lou, she sent the limo, he goes to Santa Monica in some restaurant. But in the meantime, you know, before he gets there, the whole team gather together. Oh my God. You know, and that's hilarious, you know. Kobe and uh and she was running late and she was you know at Kobe asked me to say, Where's your girl? She's late, you know. Say call her. Say, I just talked to her. Call her right now right now. And uh he calls and then my my my phone rings. I say, hi, this is Lucy Louis. He was like and the whole it's all on film. You can look it up on YouTube. Really? It's all on film? The whole TV. It's a private. It's a private . Yeah. Yeah. But that was it was a funny story. Yeah. That's amazing. How long was this whole prank from the from the moment on the bench to the restaurant? That was a probably a couple of weeks. And I was I was I was so bad. I was so bad I was I was thinking to go even further, but Lamar Lamar was very close to him, you know, so he he approached me one day and said Vlad I can't take it anymore. He's lying every day. So you gotta you gotta stop this. So we decide after a couple of weeks to They put cameras in the limo. Yeah. Yeah I put the camera in the limo your wife telling the story so funny, like he's in the back seat, his legs are wide open. And I told I told the driver, I said let me know when he goes to Limo so I can call guys and tell them he's on a limo. They start calling him. So he starts, you know, talking to them, you know. Uh uh and I have everything on a camera because I installed a camera in Limo. And I had a camera in a restaurant too, so that was a good one I'm a I'm a good good producer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you want to produce like TV and stuff? Look, Anna is a uh uh uh she was she finished acts in school and um Luca my oldest one he's in the movie business uh so I saw him in Star Wars no he was doing something on a stage. Yeah, I was he just recently. Yeah, yeah. Luca is a great, great kid, yeah. He's uh uh I have a funny story about him, you know. He was um a kid uh you know, every every parent wants their kid to do some sports right so he does uh he picks soccer, right? Goalie and I was so happy, you know, I'm European. I I start as a soccer goalie, right? So I thought, you know, my kid is uh going , you know , uh using my steps, right? So year after he said, nah, I'm gonna do ta Kwondo. I said, okay, Kata Kwondo, you know, it's mental thing, you know, be tough. That's okay . The third year he goes with the baseball. I said baseball. Nobody in Europe plays baseball. Yikes. I mean it's very popular. It's very very popular sports Why not do you think? We have equipment in the ba in a in a car, baseball bat. But we don't play baseball. And finally I asked him, you know, l uh yeah, he he he picked swimming one year. So I finally asked him, said Luca, I okay, t explain to me soccer, taekwondo, baseball, swimming . What's the what's the comment? He said, you know running. Yeah. And I'm like, you don't like to run? I said, no, I don't like to run. I said, why? When I ran, I got tired . I said Anna, this kid is not gonna be in sports. Put him somewhere. I hate running so much. I wrestle. I coach wrestling. Yeah. And I never make my wrestlers run because I'm not running. Yeah. I'll I'll do I'll wrestle all day until I puke. That's my oldest kid, yeah, yeah. But I'm not r I fucking hate running on a cellular level. I'm with you. You're a guy that ran all the time, but you were a notorious smoker. But but you know what? The uh basketball players we run, yeah, but it's more like a uh short first short distance speed. Like you know it's not like a long long run, you know. I don't like it. That's why I like wrestling practice. It's like okay, do this for a minute, stop, go climb that rope, stop , do push-ups, stop, go wrestle that guy. Wrestle that guy, actually. Go over here, do this. I'm like, all right, fine. I get too bored. Jay Moore here to tell you about Blue Chew. Time for you to get bonered up for your partner. When your partner sends you that eggplant emoji, oh boy, it's on. I know that feeling. You get all that rumbly in your stomach, like, oh my gosh, I'm actually gonna do it, but uh-oh, sometimes it doesn't work. That's why you get blue chew . Blue chew is the best. Less talkin', more rockin', less hangin', more bangin', less thinking, more dinkin'. Seriously, who wrote this? It's simple. Chew it and do it. Don't let your mind get in the way of a good time. That's my thing. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so great. The only thing that would make this bad is if I if I lost my erection. E ue the slide whistle. That's the sound of the blue chew kicking in. Man . They've been on a mission for years to get you bricked up, build your confidence, and help you actually perform in the bedroom. Their new arousal boosting formula, Blue Chew Gold, is helping millions of men have better sex in 202 6. Most ED meds only focus on blood flow. Blue Chew Gold goes further by combining two ingredients for blood flow with two ingredients for mental arousal and connection. So you're not just physically ready, you're actually in the mood. We got a special deal for our listeners right now. When you buy two months of Blue Chew Gold, you get the third for free with the promo code MORE M-O-H-R, like more girth, more stiffness . More boner action. Go deep into the fourth quarter with that boner. Visit Blue Chew dot com for more details and important safety information, and we thank Blue Chew for sponsoring the podcast and getting us all rock hard. A quick message from today's sponsor, the ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program. You ever heard this noise at two in the morning? Whoop. Whoop. Whoop. Your dog sitting's the there on the edge of bed trying to jump off, but like mine, they're too small to get off, and you know they're about to vomit everywhere because they put their face in something they shouldn't have. What do you need? You gotta take them to the vet. It's expensive. So maybe get that ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Program. When you enroll in an ASPCA pet health insurance plan, you could get a $25 Amazon gift card. It's a little treat for you while you're doing something great for your pet. The program offers customizable accident and illness plans, making it easier to get your pet the care they may need. It's been around for almost 20 years, and in that time they've covered nearly one million pets. Make your pet one million and one. You can tailor your plan to fit your budget, your lifestyle, and your pet's particular quirks. Maybe your dog likes to stick his face in rattlesnake nests all the time. You're probably gonna need a vet for that and it's probably gonna get really expensive. A spca pethealthinsurance.com slash more. M-O-H-R. Asp ca petinsurance dot com slash more Eligibility restrictions apply. Visit ASPCA pet insurance.com slash more . Hear my dog barking upstairs? That's what a fan she is. This is a paid advert isement. Insurance is underwritten by either Independence American Insurance Company or United States Fire Insurance Company and produced by PTZ Insurance Agency Limited. The ASPCA is not an insurance How many discounts does USAA Auto Insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount, safe driver discount, uh, new vehicle discount, storage discount, legacy. How many discounts will you stack up? Tap the banner or visit USAA.com slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. LinkedIn is pretty amazing at helping you grow your small business. We cannot make your email response time faster. We can help you sell, market, and hire in one place. We cannot help you find space for your three desk drinks. Why do you have three? And while we can't help you find the perfect volume for your presentation video, LinkedIn can help you find the perfect audience for your business. Grow your small business on LinkedIn. Learn more at LinkedIn.com/slash small business . Transport your senses with Sol de janado's limited edition perfume mist collection. At Sephora. Spritz on lush notes of rainforest orchid and crisp sea breeze with refresco paraíso. Embrace a floral and fruity scent inspired by Rio's nude beach with cheeky Bikini or Capture Sun Kissed Bliss with Zimonada Gelada, where Zesty Brazilian Lemonade Accord meets coconut milk and golden brown sugar. Don't miss Sol de Janeiro's Limited Edition Perfume Mist collection, only at Sephora . I I I get you, yeah. And that smoking didn't fuck you up? No, really, because you know what during my career I smoke very you know few cigarettes a day. Like, you know, we would be good. Really? Because you were like known for it on sports talk radio I know, but they they make making up star stuff. Like you know, I heard I heard somebody talking about uh smoking like in half time, you know, it's joke. I heard that. No didn't hear that? I never heard that Lottie ripping darts in the lobby. Yeah, it's a it's a good story, but I never did that. Like you know, I would I would you know, obviously in the morning after coffee Pat Riley did. Those guys all did, like I was joking I was joking with Pat Riley and he m he made me smoke, yeah. Your boy Cowan's was it was he he Uh he did, yeah. Yeah, those guys were different. Yeah. I remember about the Dave Dave it was um you know when they trade me for Kobe? It's right here in my notes. Traded for uh you were gonna retire? Yes. Then you and Dave Cowan somehow were meant to be it was that took care of you. It w I think it was a setup. It was a setup because you know uh I I I really thought I'm gonna retire because you know the the game of basketball for me was fun, you know, it wasn't a job. So it was the first time uh in my lifetime it happens something is not going my way. You know, somebody just decide, ladder you're gonna move from LA and you're gonna play there, right? And I said, that's not gonna work. I'm not I'm gonna I'm I'm not gonna go there. Well have you ever even heard of Charlotte before the NBA? Yeah, yeah, yeah. In Serbia, you know where Charlotte is. In Serbia no, I didn't. But you know, when I came here we we pla play against cornets, you know. So so but I love LA. I love like Lakers, right? So uh my family's here, so they told me like, you know, but your contract's gonna be void. I don't care. You know, I I play basketball for fun and you know, money is yeah, great, but it's coming because I'm I'm good enough, you know, to to to to earn those money. So they changed the approach because uh if Ire reti the deal would be off. Void yeah. Yeah. So they said why don't you go there for a week, you know, and just see it, you know, if you like it or not and then you make a decision, right? So then I went there, they've waited for me and then that's that's why I think it was a setup, you know, to make me feel good, you know. And set up how though? Uh probably you know Mitch uh or or Jerry called, you know, I said hey. Roll out the red carpet of Laddie. They would have anyway, don't you think? G give 'em a pack of cigarettes, you know. Now you talked about you were a Laker and the Lakers obviously have a storied history of being a winning team. Yeah. The Hornets do not. Nor do the Kings. And wherever you went, they were good. You wrote, yeah. My time in the Hornets, we won. But no, but I know that. I know you they were great when you were there. Yeah. And the Kings were great when you were there. What he's saying is everywhere you go, everywhere you better teams win. Uh we had a good team. Uh obviously uh uh uh um I knew how to you know bring people together, you know. Um we had uh Glenn Rice, Muggsy Bogues, Anthony Curry. Anthony Mason, Del Curry. Del Curry. That was a good team. He used to fucking kill us in the garden. Yeah. Oh. I have nightmares. We won. I think those two years I was there, we won first year 54, 55 games. The second year also 50 plus games. So how do you lose to the Knicks in the playoffs? Uh they were just better, you know, and experienced, you know, and uh actually uh they were we were fourth they were uh no they were fourth we are fifth but the following year wow following year we played in uh semis against chicago bulls the team that won seventy two games mm-hmm. And it was funny, BJ uh uh who played with just been uh to Chicago, he came to us. Yeah and they Oh, that's when he mouthed off to Jordan and Jordan fucking took his lunch. Look, you know, we be uh they they they won seventy two games And BJ started talking like, you know He should know better more than I'm and I'm like, what are you doing, man? And I remember Michael came to our locker room before the second game . And hey guys, are you ready for tonight? Make sure you got all your gears ready uh ready and he fifty, sixty, seventy, whatever, four one. Go home. BJ was real hot in that game too. He was the everybody, everybody played a good game. BJ was yeah. BJ was the guy. Yeah, but he should know better than uh you know yeah, you played with Mike. Like how do you let that happen? Yeah. Anthony Mason and you got along great, good? Yeah, yeah. Very well. Tennessee state. Tennessee state, yeah. He came from New York. They made a deal Mason for Lady Johnson. Grandma , yeah. Oh boy. So here's what I want to know about you and Dave Cowens . You guys bonded. Dave Cowens to me is maybe one of the most underrated big men. I didn't know uh much about him in terms of uh his career. Yeah, you know, as a Celtic, but then uh you know you see what he did, you know, and uh I think he's a great coach. You know, for a big man, unbelievable. You know, I I really enjoy, you know, working with him. Runner-up MVP off the bench. Yeah. I don't I don't think he started until his last year. Totally underrated underrated player. He never started a game for the cell. Very tough. Very tough. He never started. Yeah. But think about it. You got Parrish, McHale, and Bird. Like where you got where? Who do you sit down? Bird? Yeah. You're gonna sit down, Larry Bird, Joe? Joe, let me ask you something. You gonna s I got this Jeannie bought this for me when a guest tells a joke that's not funny? Crickets Is that right? Yeah. But you I don't know. Jean Jeannie's funny. Jeannie people don't know that she's funny, yeah. She's hilarious. Yeah. Do you know you you know I h I I was holding her uh uh when um uh in the Playboy magazine. Excuse me? Yeah. What what? Yeah. Holding her. Oh, in the in the photo shoot. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, Jay. When we were dating, she's like, You've never seen my Playboy? And I go, No. And then she goes, Why won't you look at my Playboy? And I said, you only get to unwrap a present once. I don't want to peek. Okay. You know what I mean? Like I got you. I want the first time I I get everything to be the first. You know what I mean? Oh, okay. When you were dating yeah. And then now married, I look back at our playboys and I'm like, mm, get in the room. Yeah, she she she she looked she looked great. All right. So come on here. You send me nudes of Anna and we'll call it even. Well, look, you know, I uh you know, it wa it 's n it's n aice picture at the forum, you know. I was in a jersey. She I haven't looked at it. But now that I know Vladis in the in the shop. It's public record. It's weird when I go to like I'll go to a show with her, like an autograph show and people just show up with naked pictures for her to sign. I'm like that's ridiculous. Yeah. That's gotta be kinda weird. Like you just walk Kyle. Yeah, this people are just could you sign it right over this part? When you talk about that, like you know, during my career, you know, obviously now n it's uh less but you know, I'm with the kids, you know, someone in a restaurant and I have a like a uh spoon and soup, you know, just and the guy grabs me and says, Can I can you sign come on man let me let me let me know? I don't mean to interrupt. It's like yes you are. But you are interrupting. Yeah. That's what they say. I don't want to interrupt. It's like, but you already did. Yes, exactly. Dave Cowens and you, did you guys talk strategy? Did you talk about what it's like to be a big man for a storied franchise well uh he he was that was that was his uh first year uh as a coach when i came there 54 wins uh and the and and i think second year we won even more than fifty fifty four.way Any, he and you were unconscious in those playoffs. You were like twenty two and ten and I love playoffs. The playoffs my my uh when we talk about numbers. My numbers during the record season would go up. Always go up in the playoffs. I love the playoffs. Yeah. How'd you guys not get run down? It seems like today's players, when the playoffs come, it it's you gotta have the right mixture of young teams never win all the way. You gotta have the veterans. But the veterans, it's like it's a fucking grind. It's an extra month. Uh we talk about the Anna and family, you know, like, you know, when playoff comes, everybody, everybody around me were like, you know, culping to get dressed, get good food, get, you know, prepare for the games. It's unbelievable. You know, I w I was a king. You know, so well now we have now I have to go back because we said you said before, you don't have LeBron James top ten of all time. Yeah. When we're talking about these guys going through it, how just how long he's done it, isn't that? No, that's for uh all respect. Like, you know, what I what I what I like about LeBron and what I like about uh uh Luca being on Lakers, he can learn what Lebron does with his body and how he takes cares uh a million dollars a year on his health. Exactly. So you know when you're doing top ten of all time, it's not fair to have centers. Like I can't put a keem because a keem will kill everybody. I I can't put Shaq because that's Wilt Yeah. You can't you know you got you gotta go with Karim f let's say four four four, you know or or Oh by the way, that Charlotte Hornets team in ninety six ? Well, yeah. Or in the Lakers team that you left, everybody's six foot nine. Yeah. You were on the two tallest teams in my lifetime. Yeah. Like everybody, you and Eldon Campbell, seven foot. Yeah. Oh, big easy. Rest in peace. I was I was I was uh there with uh to see the family, you know. It was it was very hard for me, you know. What happened? Like it's uh like he was on a jet ski and he drowned? Yeah, something happened, you know. I didn't know. But everybody says something happened. Like what happened? What happened? What does the family say happened? I didn't I didn't um tragic. You know, it's just sad. He was a great guy, and I loved it. That really fucked me up. The best South Carolina athlete I I've got to do. couldn't believe it. Like you know, the today's uh you have this uh AI and things, you know, uh a lot of s uh news are fake news, right? Yeah. When I when I saw it first I was like it's one of those. But it hit me big time. You're gonna take Magic Johnson or LeBron James? You're the GM of all-time players. You're your start your number one pick forever. You taking Magic Johnson or LeBron James? I'm taking LeBron James. Well you I'm taking Magic. Magic. You taking Michael Jordan or you taking LeBron James? Me? Yeah. What my point now? You could do this for all of them. I'm taking LeBron James over everybody. Taking Larry Bird or you're taking LeBron James? Uh can I ask for uh MJ and uh LeBron? Yeah, you take an MJ. MJ. Larry Bird or LeBron James. LeBron. Uh Larry . See where we're going with Kobe or LeBron? Well listen, he took Martin Begley Jr. or whatever. So Well you're right. Give me the fucking button. Give me the button. Give me the button. Yeah. No, that's uh Kobe or LeBron? Kobe. He's a killer. Kobe's a fucking killer. I would take Kobe and then it's a big gap. Well he's LeBron. Okay, Matt Paul. Well, let me ask you something because I I'm not arguing. Anthony Peeler or LeBron Jeff is going to be a little bit of a. I'm not arguing with you because you're you uh you have been a GM in the league, you've played in the league. But you were a great passing big man. You talk about uh magic . Kobe not not a passer. LeBron is fourth all time in a great, great 's a fan. He forward. Led the league in assist three years ago because he felt like it. Yeah. Look, uh I love a pass ion. LeBron is a Kevin McHale or LeBron James? LeBron. All right. There's our one. Uh, but you know, I'm I'm I'm I'm a fan of players that stick with one franchise. Here's the big one though, Vladi. James Worthy or LeBron James? LeBron. Okay. Even though I love Jay Jay Dub Byron Scott's underrated. Big time. Sixteen points a game with But don't don't don't talk about uh offense. Talk talk about defense. Well my point about the offense is he played with Kareem Worthy and Magic. The only way he got a shot is if the bus crashed. Yeah. And he has to, you know, every time he's uh uh he has a ball, he has to make it. He's my favorite . Otherwise he wouldn't magic wouldn't pass to him. I gotta talk to you about the former Yugoslavia. Yeah. People in this country were dumb. Like if I if if a if a guy from Serbia comes to the United States and talks about Serbian politics, nobody knows what he's talking about. But if I go to Serbia and do stand-up and talk about Donald Trump, everybody knows. So in my lifetime, it was just Yugoslavia behind the Iron Curtain. Yeah. Then there's crazy ass wars. And now how many countries come out of Yugoslavia? Five ? Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro . Serbia. Let's say coming from the south. Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Slovenia. So six countries come from one. And it's about the size of roughly we'll say Pennsylvania. Well, the Yugoslavia was country of twenty two So it's like North Carolina. Basically, yeah . Now you guys, like you and Drazn Petrovic were boys, but then when this war happens, like you're not allowed to talk to them or you know it was dangerous to be seen with him? Well Dra Drajan was like a little bit older than me, but I was uh on the same same same uh uh um team uh in junior team uh with the Tony Kukoc, Dino Raja . So we grew up together. And then uh when we were 18, we joined Draj an uh and his boys uh and then from eighteen to twenty uhh three, three, four . We were together, you know, playing Olympics, World Cups. Yeah. We came same year together in NBA, 89 . He went to Portland. I came to the Lakers. And I thought he's gonna make it before anybody of European guys because he was so good. Well he kind of he was the guy. And it was it's interesting, you know, he went to Portland and his coach was uh um Dras en? No, Drasen went to Portland training. I only know him as a net. No, no. He was in Portland first. Okay . And uh uh and he he uh his coach was my coach on the Kings . Malone? No. Who? Come on. His son is coach of Adamant. So Rick had uh Drexler, he had uh Terry Porter, he had Danny Ench, and he had uh another guy, I think uh I forgot his first name, but Young, last name. So he didn't have a chance to give Drajan's minutes, right? So Drajan was very frustrated, you know, and so he asked the trade after a year or two, he went to Nets. Shot five I think he shot 50 fucking percent. Yeah. From three. Yeah. Rest in peace, Draws. And his work work his work ethic, it was unbelievable. Yeah? Oh. How was yours? It was okay. Like I was no, I was I was a a guy, you know, uh if you're a coach, you tell me what to do, I'll do everything. What you say. But to stay, you know, after or come before, no. Like, you know , I'll go early, but I don't like stay ing late. No, I I I'll show up two hours early. Uh but when it's time to go, yeah. I gotta go. Yeah, I I I do everything like, you know, uh and train, you know, uh probably you know the best I can, you know, to I I actually I I I train and play better uh in practice than in the game. Like, you know, it's more Yeah. Uh it's always more, you know, uh Well that's what you want. You want practice to be so hard that the game's easy, right? Yeah. So draws it in you, the war happens. The war happens and uh who's fighting who ? Everybody. Like we know nothing. Everybody. Basically, uh uh uh the Slovenia, which is the North part of the uh Republic declared dep independence, right ? And uh the the the Yugoslavian army, which armies from all those people , say no. You know, and they had a little fight, you know, and after a week, you know, Slovenia get independence. And then Croatia realiz ed we can do the same thing. They did the same thing, but in Croatia was difficult because a lot of Serbs lived in Croatia. They say, okay, if you want to go, we'll stay. And then start fighting. Serbs in Croatia. Yes. And then maybe a year later, Bosnia say, we'll go as independent. But problem in Bosnia is you have a b Bosnia Croatian and Serbs live together. So they said okay if you go we'll stay we go back, you know and they had the civil war there. It was a mess. It was um yeah nirvan is from Sarajevo yeah he grew up like it's there's trauma there that I don't really know fully about but it there's a darkness. It was it was terrible. Like you know, he uh they they would live in a city where it was surrounded by the the the the troops and they nobody could leave the the city and uh people were killed on the you go in the store, they shot you. It was terrible. So why couldn't you and Drasen So the story back to Drazen, you know? So um I was very uh uh uh uh open in terms of talking about it, like you know, the war, that it's a stupid , it's crazy. Uh the politicians from all sides made us fight between us. But uh other people, you know, they try to defend their their side, you know. And uh didn't want to, you know, talk to me. You know, and uh uh I remember what the last time I saw Draja and he said hey you know let's say let's let's stay away from each other you know f until the war is over and then we'll get back together. I said, you know, I don't have a friend's part time, you know, it's basically stupid. Stupid stupid reasons. So when Drazen dies, that's gotta hurt . When Drasen died, uh it hurts me big That's gotta hurt worse than if when you stay friends. Yeah, yeah. And uh especially the way he died and um he had a great career , you know, it just started to play well. I think you know, if he if he if he continued to play first international superstar. No no question. What a beautiful shot. Yeah. It was it was it was just So here in the States it would be as if cr from my understanding, it would be like New Jersey says, We're New Jersey. We're not this whole big thing. Yeah. New Jersey goes and then the federal government goes, no, no, no. And Jersey goes, no, fuck you, and they go, Well, gee, this isn't it. New Jersey, you can go. Pennsylvania goes, Well, we're gonna go too. But my dad, who's from New Jersey, now lives in Eastern Pennsylvania, so now he's stuck between two worlds. Exactly. But do that times six. Yeah. Yeah. It was it was just mess. And how is it now? Now he's uh better. I would say uh uh you know you don't have a war, so you must be better. But I don't like uh uh our politicians. Uh they all suck everywhere. Yeah. I don't like them, you know, in terms of especially in Bosnia. Like, you know, they every time they they wanna I read a book about the Bosnians and World War II and about how these guys were like heroes and I told Nirvana about it. He goes, That book's fucking bullshit. It's all propaganda. This is what really and I was like, Jesus Christ. But it was like a best selling like World War Two book about how this particular leader you know uh ran like underground channels for the US troops and hid them up in the mountains and Nirvana's like, fuck that. That guy was a piece of shit. But you know what w what what bothers me most actually what um um about that is that uh I I grew up in a in a multi ethnic uh city where we had uh you know Christians and Muslim, you know and it was great. I grew up in that th environment, you know, and I uh my my parents brought me to, you know, love everybody, you know, is and I lived lived until I moved here when I was twenty one I was twenty one. So for twenty years I lived in uh in uh uh in a lice . That's what hurts me. Yeah. You know, uh I thought you know we are all brotherhood, we were all together. But that's that makes sense as to who you were as a team player because you always bring people together. I guess so, yeah. When you go from there where, you go from Serbia and now you're playing in Los Angeles, that must have been like dying and going to heaven. Exactly. Palm trees? What are palm trees? In and out burgers, chicks? Even today I just you know, I wouldn't move from LA. I love this weather, you know You. know, when I love it. Somebody asked me where you live. I said uh it's summertime. I live in Montenegro, where it's uh basically same same climb. I have my boat, I go on uh ocean, you know, the winter time, yeah, fishing. I love to fish. Wintertime, I'm back to California. Are there black people in Serbia? Yeah, a few of them, and especially students in the capital of uh city, Belgrade. But nobody like grows up black and no, no, no. So that's you you're playing for like the showtime ish Lakers. I w yeah, I was uh I was thought you were in a movie. But you know uh car wash. But you know what ? W it it was interesting when I came in, you know, and uh I think that that's why they they took me under their wings because they realize who I am and where I coming from that I have no uh you know second thoughts. You know what I mean? Yeah. I grew up like we are all together. Who were you closest with on a team? Uh on a on a showti me? I was with uh with uh AC and uh Byron and uh Michael. Uh you and AC Green just chopping up the Bible? No, uh well, you know, I was uh it was even today AC remembers some words, you know, that I you know because I didn't speak English when I came here. Zero. Zero? Zero. I knew how to say hi bye. You know, maybe ordered the cheeseburger plain. That's it . But you know, after after you know, three to six months I start communicate and then uh obviously A C came to me, you know, approach to find a way how we can communicate. So I taught him you know Serbian, you know, he taught me English. Says, yeah , I gotta go come on, I gotta go. I this is the best. I hope you had a good time. Uh I love it. I have one important question before you go. I'm gonna answer this guy's text. You're seven foot two. When you're on the road, or seven foot one, when you're on the road, what are they doing? You sleep sideways in a king size bed? No no no no they they they have those beds now without the the how you call it the it blocks you without without a yeah okay yeah so it oh you're just hanging off the end? No it, just's uh usually it's it's it's a good length. But if it's if it's a little shorter you just put the the the chair or sofa, whatever. But I'm like I'm six foot four on the road and my feet are hanging off the bed and you got eight inches on it.. That's okay Especially now in those hotels, you know, maybe uh which town had the best strip club ? Um Atlanta. Magic City? I guess so, yeah. See, you know he you know better than I do. Yeah. You play the NBA or No, I don't fuck with I don't fuck with strip clubs. Those girls are magicians. They make the money and they're disappear and go over here. Oh yeah. Oh they deserve it. So you're just promoting just hanging out? Yeah, I'm just Vladis he is a total uniter . Now uh is the two thousand two series is that the the the Lakers series you guys lose in seven games is that like there's one series in your career is that do you think about that one a lot? No. Is it because you knew it was rigged? Oh my God Joe. You know what? Rigged how. Look, yeah, I I don't wanna go took four forty free throws in the fourth quarter. Look, don't foul him. Look, you know, I I looked at that serious and like we had you know, it was a great ride. It was uh it was uh I always looked positive, you know. In my mind, we won. So you know, somebody asked me, Oh you got you got a ring? He said, I got a ring. Show it to me. I show up and say, that's uh championship, it's uh it's uh merried, you know, the the with Anna, so that's most important ring. What's up? Huh? Yeah, my wedding ring is my most important ring. Thank you. Who what player in your life did the most with the least amount of talent that just went on through sheer hard work to become a great player? Uh well for me like you know everything uh uh the work that he puts Kobe it's it's amazing. I I can explain to you. What he did, you know, uh in practice, before practice, in a game. He was a winner. He was. The only thing that I didn't like about it is that he was expecting from all his teammates to do the same thing. Yeah, don't do your best, do my best. Yeah. Yeah . But he would push his teammates to be become better. It's amazing he was on a team with like swaggy P. But I I I'm so glad I'm so glad that I had opportunity to to to finish my career playing with him alongside. But uh also, you know , Jerry West drafted me. I play with Magic. How does he know who you are? Like it it wasn't like the video culture now. No, but years later, you know, Bob McAdoo was playing in Europe and he played against me. And I guess he told it's some kid over there, pay attention to him. And then we had a um a McDonald's tournament in in in uh which was like you know you bring the NBA team to Europe and then uh European teams playing against him. That was uh year eighty seven, eighty-eight. We play against Celtics in Madrid . Uh and I guess they saw some footage. And um That's a big swing with the twenty six twenty-sixth pick. Twenty-sixth pick. Did they fuck up your name in the draft? Did they say earlier? They probably did, yeah. Uh Vlade DeVox. Yeah. Something like that, yeah. And I was uh I thought you know I'm gonna my agent back then uh told me uh to I'm gonna be between ten and fifteen. Oh and uh fifteen sixteen seventeen nobody wants to pick me you know were you in Serbia during no I was in the medicine garden waiting oh no and I was so disappointed like you know nobody wants me you think that helped you your rookie year to have a chip on your shoulder? No really yeah I just I didn't you know, I know who I am, you know, I know what what I uh what can bring, you know, and uh uh I wanted to be uh show everybody back home I can make it. Because you know, in in Europe everybody thought oh in C MBA, you know, nobody can make it over there. That was my Hall of Fame, d ude. But we thought you were from another planet. Like I remember watching basketball and all you were like the first big European guy. It was like and your name was weird and the accents over the letters and shit. Like we didn't know what you were. I was lucky. We used to do bong hits, we'd smoke a lot of pot in New York City, we'd be in the apartment, and we'd get real hold on, we'd get really stoned and we would just sit there in our chairs going, Vla Lady Vas and the other L Lararryry you know the uh uh uh Lakers announcer uh Larry Divog. We would just sit there, Vladi Divates, like we were rolling. Number twelve divag s. And I was fighting for my name because a lot of a lot of name would a lot of people would call div ak div ak you know and I was I wan when I protect my last name you know I don't want to change it it's a divatz atz divatz divat accent yeah divatz div atz like Lucas got all lines it's almost like Vietnamese with all the lines over all the letters. Yeah. Yeah, but uh it's uh ch is uh Luca. Don't ch Yeah. But I'm div atz. Anyway, so uh I was lucky. Like I said, Jerry drafted me. I had opportunity to play with Magic, who made me. I had a coach Riley my first rookie year. I had my teammates James Ford. It was good seeing you with that Pat Riley. Yeah. And then you know what Lakers did? Very smart. Karim retired, but they kept him to work with me. So Karim helped me a lot, you know, during especially our training camp in Hawaii, you know, just to get feeling, you know, what's MBA is all about. They used to go to Hawaii. When Doctor Bus was alive, they trained him. Now they go to Hawaii. The best owner ever in history of the sports. Ever. Ever. That's what Byron says too, and that's sure. Look, you know, uh my last year, he called me. He says, kid, you start with the Lakers, you gotta finish with the Lakers. And that's why I came back. That's great. Because of Jerry Boss. And your back, your poor back.