Full Transcript for Conch Pride with Conch 02 Basketball Legends

do. 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:03.120 I just heard typical pass first point guard looking for everybody, and then those guys made it easier for me. 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:12.240 Latron setting the tone on defense, Dominique and Lamar making sure that the wings are locked down and Eric holding a four down in the middle. 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:14.879 We just was a up and down team running gun. 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:19.199 And right now, I just got my doctorate degree. 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:28.800 So I'm just trying to figure out what next steps I'm gonna do after I got that degree and pretty much just, you know, be in in in sports, but not in sports as in coaching. 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:31.040 I'm not that's not for me right now. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:33.920 I'm not trying to lose more hair. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:39.680 I see my brother coaching, and that's all I'm good for, is to watch and you know, chime in here and there. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:42.160 I'm gonna pass it on. 00:05:42.399 --> 00:05:42.800 All right. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:45.839 Who well, since you passed the ball, who you want to pass it to? 00:05:45.839 --> 00:05:46.639 We got two more. 00:05:46.879 --> 00:05:48.240 I'm gonna I'm gonna pass it to Boo. 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:49.199 What's up, y'all? 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:50.639 My name's Latron Hickson. 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:51.759 I was the enforcer. 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:55.519 I was a defensive guy, you know, you know what I'm saying? 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:57.759 You know, basically, just play a little defense. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:01.439 I could score as well, you know, but I like to I like to play a little defense. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:04.079 I used to throw the ball off to Eric a little bit too, you know. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:11.519 And these are some special guys that's here with me right now, you know, because I never played with a point guard like like the guy just Demetrius. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:15.680 He was like one of the best guys I've seen play the point guard position, you know. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:19.759 But uh right now I'm just basically family, taking care of my family, that's it. 00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:20.879 That's all I can say. 00:06:20.879 --> 00:06:23.199 I don't want to do no coaching, none of that. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:25.040 I can't do it. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:26.879 It ain't that bad, man. 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:27.600 It ain't that bad. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:28.720 It's not good. 00:06:28.720 --> 00:06:29.519 It's not good. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:31.120 But this is the last thing I want to say. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:34.480 Eric was a baller. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:35.600 Appreciate you, man. 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:36.399 Yes, sir. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:43.839 Like I said, man, I I want to say every single guy when I team had the chance to put the ball in the basket. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:46.720 You don't get the you don't have you don't get a team like that. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:59.839 And everyone see your starting five can be um you know the the uh the most effective force, but then you got guys who can also come off the bench and replace the guys in the starting five. 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:01.839 I don't say I feel like y'all venture. 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:03.279 Yeah, y'all eventually. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:05.360 No, let me say something. 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:07.839 I think our best could have started somewhere else in Florida. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:10.240 Wait, hold up, hold up one, hold on one minute. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:10.879 Time out. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:12.079 I'm gonna I'm gonna blow it with you. 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:17.040 We we didn't introduce the bench. 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:18.000 We need to introduce you. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:19.439 We gotta introduce Mr. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:20.000 Basketball. 00:07:20.319 --> 00:07:20.560 Mr. 00:07:20.560 --> 00:07:21.199 Basketball. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:22.160 Go ahead, Dominique. 00:07:23.199 --> 00:07:28.480 Dominique Coleman, I was the shooting guard, three-man, four-man. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:33.120 We were kind of different little dynamic with having four guards and then one big. 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:35.920 So we just we just fed off each other. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:39.120 So I guess I can't really say what position I play. 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:42.399 We played whatever position was needed to be guarded. 00:07:42.560 --> 00:07:43.040 That's right. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:52.399 So as far as since that historic run, I had the luxury of going to University of Colorado playing at the University of Colorado. 00:07:52.399 --> 00:08:08.560 Then from there, 10 years pro being on teams like the Lakers and the Thunder for summer league and uh many camps and really getting to travel the world and play basketball, which is probably one of the best blessings that I can uh talk about. 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:22.720 But other than that, from now, in the sense of uh what I'm doing now, after I retired, I've just been kind of helping people, helping kids that was in my situation in a sense, try to get to where I was, and if not better. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:31.680 So right now I'm coaching at a junior college in Tampa, Florida, trying to have them take the same path that I have, if not go further and beyond. 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:43.759 So I just kind of use that uh platform that I had professionally to kind of just in a sense give them motivation of what they can do and what they uh could receive by playing basketball. 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:47.279 It could take you to places, it took me to places I never thought I would be. 00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:51.600 It helped me meet people and play against people I never thought I would play against. 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:52.960 So it's just been a blessing. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:09:00.879 Basketball has been a blessing, and it was that 2002 team that gave me not just the the the joy, but the the real

love. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:04.159 And that team was a brotherhood family. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:09.679 We fought, we cussed each other out, we hoped, we held each other accountable. 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:12.720 I had a bad game, Boo was gonna have a good one. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:16.480 I had a bad game, Lamar was gonna have three in a row good ones. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:17.519 I missed a shot. 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:22.559 Eric was cleaning it off the glass and throwing that thing down and getting everybody in the gym excited. 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:25.200 Demetrius is distributing to everybody. 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:38.960 So it was it was just a dynamic team that I'm glad I got to play with them then because I know I wouldn't have been able to play with them in no aspect of life because of how basketball is now. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:49.360 And that's kind of that's kind of the beauty of it because I was talking to somebody probably about a week ago and they asked me, they was like, about the 2002 team. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:52.720 They said, What if you guys played together now? 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:55.360 And I told them, I said, we wouldn't have. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:57.360 And they didn't understand what I meant. 00:09:57.360 --> 00:10:02.320 Eric Brown, Demetrius, and Lamar and Boo probably wouldn't have been on the team. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:06.080 Eric Brown, after his freshman year, he'd probably been like IMG. 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:09.519 Demetrius was top in the nation as a point guard. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:11.600 Somebody would have came grabbed him. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:15.679 Boo was like an unbelievable football player. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:18.159 They probably wouldn't have let him pick up a basketball. 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:20.320 So Lamar, he would have been gone. 00:10:20.320 --> 00:10:22.960 So I would have just been on the damn team by myself. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:25.360 It would have just been me and Deontay. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:34.080 So we I would have been out there, I would have been out there solo because I don't think people understand the dynamic of basketball and how good they were. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:36.480 Because we wouldn't have had Keith, we wouldn't have had Eric. 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:38.799 They would have been, like I said, IMG or somewhere. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:42.559 Demetrius would have been at a prep school in in New England. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:45.519 Boo would have been at a top school. 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:49.039 They would have tucked him away for football, you know what I mean? 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:52.559 And had he would have probably had NIL out of this world. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:58.879 And the things that we we we we blessed that we have are some blessings we miss now. 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:02.080 I'm gonna uh Nik, I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna follow you up on this. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.360 No one understood how great Ricky Clay was. 00:11:05.360 --> 00:11:06.639 I mean, come on, man. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:09.039 Ricky Clay was a great ball player too. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:10.240 We gotta give it to Ricky. 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:15.279 I haven't even I haven't even heard from Ricky maybe in like 15, 20 years. 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:17.360 It's been a while since I heard from Ricky. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:22.399 But Ricky Clay, I'm like, he was just as a force as anyone else. 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:26.720 That was that's what I'm I'm Ricky Clay, we got Keith McCloud, who else? 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:28.240 We had Ashley Thomas. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:30.080 We could just keep adding names. 00:11:30.320 --> 00:11:31.120 Lamar Folley. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:47.919 I mean, we could just keep adding names to all these guys, the rest of these guys, even though we had this phenomenal starting five that Dominique just named, we also had other guys that could replace us and keep the same flow going. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:48.559 That's how great. 00:11:49.039 --> 00:11:49.440 You know what I think? 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:50.639 Lamar ain't trying to cut you. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:52.639 I think the backup could have started somewhere in Florida. 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:55.279 The backup could have started somewhere in Florida. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:56.960 Anywhere for sure, for sure. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.879 Every team but our team. 00:11:58.879 --> 00:11:59.440 Yeah. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:04.240 Hey, Deontay, we can't leave out Deontay Dunny. 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:05.919 Deontay Dunny, Miss Joy. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:07.759 I can't leave out my boy Deontay. 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:08.720 Deontay was in there. 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:09.519 Nah, D. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:11.519 D was D was V. 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.799 I got all the names here, and I'll definitely put them up on the screen. 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:16.000 And I'll say this too. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:21.039 If we need to do more episodes, we can do that because this team deserves all the love. 00:12:21.039 --> 00:12:26.559 And I'm so thrilled that so many of you were able to get together at the same time to be able to record this. 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:28.559 But this doesn't have to be the only episode. 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:30.639 We we could do a whole mini-series. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:33.279 They need a documentary. 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:37.519 No, they took our they they they took they took our tablenship away from us. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:39.279 So let's talk about that run. 00:12:39.279 --> 00:12:40.159 Let's let's talk. 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:44.399 Let's talk about that run and what do you remember from that season, right? 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:47.120 Because it doesn't even happen really with one season. 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:52.559 Some of you were seniors, some of you were younger, but it's all the work leading up to that season. 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:59.360 But talk about that season

and when did you know that you guys had something special and we're gonna make a run at it? 00:13:02.799 --> 00:13:04.879 We knew we had something special in summer camp. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:05.200 Yes. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:08.159 Yeah, I was gonna say uh from the FIU. 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:12.000 What did y'all do for what did y'all do for summer camp? 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:12.879 Like where did y'all go? 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:14.399 We went to LU. 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:17.440 We went to the FIU camp. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:40.799 And that I think I think before that, that started it off because that season before when we lost to Bel Glades, when we probably, you know, mentally we didn't know how to play them because with our bodies, we went to, you know, they were so excited that we were in the in the tournament that they fed us like a buffet worth of food. 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:44.000 And all of us were were full and sluggish. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:47.039 We didn't do well what at all in that game. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:54.080 But that next that summer we started to train, we started to play in the gym together, we started to play the older guys. 00:13:54.080 --> 00:14:01.679 We used to have like they have basketball tournaments down there, and then we knew that we were gonna put R five versus anybody. 00:14:01.679 --> 00:14:07.279 And then we went to the FIU tournament, we went to the FIU tournament, and then we took off from there. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:11.600 So we started, we didn't lose a game at the FIU tournament. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:15.600 And so once that FIU tournament started, we knew our core. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:18.879 We knew that we were getting a strong defensive player in Boo. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:25.840 We knew Eric had a year under his belt, we know that our two wings were ready to go, and we just started to gel. 00:14:25.840 --> 00:14:28.559 We knew what everyone really had to do. 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.679 Like me, I was gonna start this tempo. 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:41.360 And we knew Boo had everything locked down defensively, and we had two of the probably best guards in the state playing with each other. 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:48.000 If you put us all on five different teams, all of us make an all-state team instead of just three. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:50.480 We had to split the rows literally. 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:53.279 Some games we would play one quarter and we was done. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:14:58.879 So our stats actually took a hit sometimes because we didn't even get to play a lot of games. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:03.039 We didn't play core shores, we didn't play marathon, we didn't play Ireland Christians. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.039 We said, well, that's a stat reducing game. 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:07.840 We ain't going in. 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:13.120 But oh that hurt us more than helped us. 00:15:13.120 --> 00:15:25.039 I'm gonna say the one what made me believe that we had something special going was uh like uh Demetrius said, after we lost to Belle Glades, and we we felt it it was it was hard. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:27.120 But uh we locked in the summer. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:30.320 We we were for the most part, we were all inseparable. 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:33.039 We were in whatever gym until it closed. 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:35.759 Then we went to the park until the lights turned off. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:45.039 But uh what really opened my eyes to what we had going on was when we went to the Seabring tournament and we were blowing everybody out the war. 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:53.120 And all of those teams, all of those teams were great, and the only team we lost to won the state championship. 00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.559 The only teams we lost to that whole season won state championships. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:58.960 Yeah, but Haynes City was Haynes City. 00:15:58.960 --> 00:15:59.120 Yeah. 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.360 Haynes City was like us, yeah, yeah. 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:02.960 Haynes City was like us. 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:10.159 And you guys, you guys had three games where you scored over a hundred points and you averaged 81 points, I believe. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:11.440 That was something, right? 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:22.399 And and that's that's that's a bad misconception because if you listen to what they said, I remember one game Boo came up to me and I had maybe probably about two layups. 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:23.840 He said, You tripping. 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:24.960 I said, What are you talking about? 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:27.440 He was like, bruh, you keep scoring, we're gonna come out. 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:30.399 And I was like, I was like, wait, hold up. 00:16:30.399 --> 00:16:38.080 I was like, I gotta score, but I feel you if I chill, I can score all game instead of in this first quarter. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:46.799 And Coach Butler, he was so nice that he wouldn't allow us to blow teams out. 00:16:47.039 --> 00:16:47.919 Oh, he won it. 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:51.440 Oh, so he he didn't allow y'all to blow teams out and y'all blew all the time. 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:54.159 He would not he would not let it. 00:16:54.159 --> 00:17:03.200 He would not if half of the season, literally half of the season, I swear to you, we played first quarter and third. 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:06.000 We never played second and fourth. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:06.400 Ever. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:07.599 No, never. 00:17:07.599 --> 00:17:12.640 Marathon, Core Shores, any of those teams, first and third only. 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:13.920 First and third. 00:17:13.920 --> 00:17:14.480 Only. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:17.920 You better get what you're gonna get because y'all are coming up. 00:17:18.880 --> 00:17:22.160 And I remember I remember we was in a huddle. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:24.640 We was like, hey, we could keep it close. 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:32.559 But we were so good, we couldn't, we it

was no way we could fake it to make that team even stay close to us. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:36.319 Like it would, it was tough, but it was fun. 00:17:36.319 --> 00:17:43.519 And I think our connection was more, I won't say on the bench, but just talking about the players that were in the game. 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:44.160 You know what I mean? 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:44.880 That's it. 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:48.319 And just chilling on the sidelines and just different stuff like that. 00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:53.759 But as far as in the game, they be saying this person beat Lamar's record, or he beat the. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:18:00.079 I want to say, hey, look, this man played nine quarters for seven games. 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:03.519 Y'all sitting in a game, eight quarters in two games. 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:04.559 That's right. 00:18:04.559 --> 00:18:07.039 It the value's not there. 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:07.839 Absolutely. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:09.119 Right, me don't you? 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:11.200 You can't compare these stats. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:15.599 I know there's people who chime in, there's people like Mr. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:18.720 Julian Butler, Booby, and them, and I get it. 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:19.759 Trust me, I get it. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:25.759 You can't compare, but for the games that some of these guys had to sit. 00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:28.000 Me, I I I was scoring that thing. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:30.720 I didn't care if we was up five or fifty-five. 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:35.759 But there, like Eric, what, eight blocks in a game? 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:37.839 Eric set out the whole fourth. 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:38.640 Yeah. 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:41.039 Boom, nine steals. 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:43.680 We didn't play the last five and a half minutes. 00:18:43.680 --> 00:18:45.039 We up 22 points. 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:45.519 Yeah. 00:18:45.519 --> 00:18:52.799 So a lot of the stuff, as great as it was, it's really diluted to what it should have been. 00:18:53.039 --> 00:18:53.920 That's right, Neat. 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:55.920 Yeah, Neat, you're absolutely right. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:18:57.440 This is what I want to say. 00:18:57.440 --> 00:18:59.039 We always were unselfish. 00:18:59.039 --> 00:18:59.920 You know, we all, you know. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:00.720 Yeah, that's it. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.440 We just wanted to win. 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:02.880 You know what I'm saying? 00:19:02.880 --> 00:19:05.680 If I can steal the ball, I'm gonna throw it off the backboard to Eric. 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:07.440 You know, I ain't care about school, you know. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:08.319 I just wanted to win. 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:09.759 You know, that's what I want to do. 00:19:09.759 --> 00:19:10.319 Win. 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:12.720 Tommy, I'm gonna say this. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:16.480 We were so great, Tommy, and I and I'm gonna I'm gonna say it. 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:22.880 We were so great, Tommy, we took turns on who was gonna be the head, the head score each game. 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:24.000 We took turns. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:25.039 We took turns. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:27.440 Lamar, you saved us on pace, though. 00:19:27.440 --> 00:19:29.359 You saved us on pace, Lamar. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.519 Lamar saved us. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:33.759 Saved us top of the ladies and nuts. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:35.680 Yeah, but you know what? 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:36.400 You know what? 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:46.319 If it wasn't for y'all getting in my ass, because remember, man, I came in halftime, and I was like, I don't, I don't know what was going on with me. 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:54.160 But we came in, I came in halftime, and then that's when we came back out, and Demetrius pulled me to the side. 00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:59.599 Think it was Demetrius and Dominique pulled me to the side, and they told me this is what we're gonna do. 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:02.880 So we had this inbound play that we were gonna run. 00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:08.799 Demetrius said, soon as you curl, pop, curl out to the three and knock it down. 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:11.839 I think Dominique came and pulled the upstring. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:17.519 I came and flared out on a curl, and that's when Demetrius threw, he threw it to me. 00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:18.480 I hit the three. 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:20.640 And once I hit that three, boo, that was it. 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:24.079 Everybody knew from that point on it was on and going. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:30.240 But again, without all of us, because again, Boo, you had a great defensive game against base. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:34.000 Demetrius, I mean, Demetrius, you held your own, brother. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:36.880 You the way how you were handling that ball, man. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:47.200 I tell people all the time, when people bring you up as far as point guard, I say Demetrius is the greatest point guard I have ever seen and played with. 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:54.160 Demetrius Coleman led the NCAA Division I in assist for two years. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:56.799 Two years that I'll play the FAU. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:01.279 Demetrius Chris Paul was in school at that time too, right? 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:01.920 No, it was Felton. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.599 Marcus Williams. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:06.720 Marcus Williams. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:12.880 Marcus Williams was number two. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:16.720 Marcus Williams, yeah, but Demetrius, Demetrius lad, man. 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:18.160 Demetrius was up there. 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:19.279 And then here we go. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:20.799 We got Dominique Coleman. 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:22.000 Like, you know what I'm saying? 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:23.839 Phenomenal, phenomenal score. 00:21:23.839 --> 00:21:26.960 One of the greatest scores, again, I ever played with. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:30.160 So, and then Eric Brown,

like, I mean, come on, man. 00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:37.279 Like Eric Brown, like, Eric Brown could do everything that we can do, but at our but he was taller. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:39.519 Eric Brown was taller than us, Tommy. 00:21:39.519 --> 00:21:42.880 We all were legit, like, what, y'all 5'11? 00:21:42.880 --> 00:21:43.759 Um what? 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:46.000 He was like 5'11, 6'0. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:47.519 I mean, we wasn't that tall. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:50.240 We wasn't that tall of a team, but we were great. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:51.200 We were fast. 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:52.640 We knew how to rebound. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:54.559 We were very unselfish. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.200 And the other thing, too, guys, I'm gonna just say this. 00:21:57.200 --> 00:21:59.359 Just imagine if we were. 00:21:59.359 --> 00:22:04.720 If we knew the game of basketball, the way how it was played today. 00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:10.880 Like if we knew how to play the game, no one in the state of Florida would have beat us. 00:22:10.880 --> 00:22:13.519 Because we were that athletically gifted. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:14.880 That's how great we were. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:15.200 Yeah. 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:18.240 I was that was one of the questions I was gonna ask you guys. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:20.720 So were you multi-sport athletes? 00:22:20.880 --> 00:22:21.359 All of us. 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:21.920 All of us. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:22.079 No. 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:23.359 All of us miss joy. 00:22:23.359 --> 00:22:23.680 No. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:25.839 Dominic didn't play no other sport. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:29.279 Man, I got out there for about a hot hour. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:32.960 Boy, Dominic got out there for two plays. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:38.720 I played two plays a hot hour. 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:40.880 Boo and Eric. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:42.319 All of us. 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:42.799 And me. 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:44.079 Not me. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:44.799 I was cool. 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:46.720 I I went out there for a hot hour. 00:22:46.720 --> 00:22:52.240 Boo, Demetrius, and I I want to say Leon was getting all the reps, and I was just watching them. 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:53.279 I was like, nah, I'm good. 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:53.839 I'm good. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:23:01.599 So after that, and I I think, if I'm not mistaken, I think I went to a concert in the summer. 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:04.880 They had something and they kicked us off the team or something. 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:12.799 And after that, the spring, they had spring bling. 00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:19.359 And then they kicked us off the team, and I didn't go back after that. 00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:27.759 And to be honest, I kind of locked in because they all say they all say that we got connected at uh Miami. 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:29.119 But I don't know if they remember. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:29.839 I didn't play. 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:33.920 When Boop came back, he kind of bumped me and took my minutes. 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.160 And they had Keith in the lineup. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.680 And then I did something stupid with Humberto. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:41.680 I got arrested messing around. 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:43.440 That's right, man. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:44.799 I got arrested. 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:46.400 I got arrested. 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:51.920 While they were playing a championship game, me and Humberto was locked up. 00:23:51.920 --> 00:24:01.599 So I had I had no dog in that fight. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:06.720 But I will tell you that it helped me because I I I was jealous that they won. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:10.079 I was jealous that they won without me. 00:24:10.079 --> 00:24:15.359 So from there, Humberto and myself, that whole summer, we worked out together. 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:20.240 I would hoop with him because we were in trouble in a sense where we couldn't mess up no more. 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:21.519 So we hung out with each other. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:25.279 And it was kind of like my little young, young bro that I was hanging out. 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:27.759 We would just shoot, go in the gym, work out. 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:32.880 And I used that to almost play catch up to where they were at in the summer. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:35.759 So I used that to just focus in and lock in. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:39.599 Because I was like, shit, if I don't lock in, I'm not gonna play. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:49.119 If I don't lock in, I because at the point, at that time, I wasn't looking at it point guard, this position, this position, centered. 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:53.039 I was looking at it as like Boo and Lamar, I got to start over them. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:58.480 And then Coach Butler changed the whole narrative where he started all three of us. 00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:00.640 So that changed the whole perception. 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:03.519 So my mind was like, hey, I gotta work to get better than Boo. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:05.680 Or I gotta work to shoot better than Lamar. 00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:08.960 And in reality, he put us all together. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:10.640 He had four out, one in. 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:12.480 We ran this AP high. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:16.799 But for the most part, Boo would guard the four, and then he would guard the best player. 00:25:16.799 --> 00:25:22.880 Like they said, that what happened at Pace, but if he didn't lock down, I think his name was Richardson, who went to Oklahoma State. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.400 I think his name was Julian Richardson, something like that. 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:35.519 Yeah, so like it was just a different dynamic with with A. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:42.319 Remember when we played Westminster Academy, Blue Guarded, what's the young boy that played for Florida? 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:42.880 Nick. 00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:44.160 Torian Green.

00:25:44.160 --> 00:25:45.039 Torian Green. 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:46.000 That's him. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:46.400 Yeah. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:46.799 That's right. 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:48.240 Blue guarded Torian Green? 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:50.240 Blue guarded Torian Green the whole game. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:51.680 How you do? 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:52.240 How you do? 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:52.799 Huh? 00:25:52.799 --> 00:25:54.160 I'm five, nine and a half. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:57.680 Y'all know, y'all know what Tori and Green. 00:25:57.680 --> 00:25:58.640 Well, that's what you're saying. 00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:00.960 Y'all know what Torian Green went on, man. 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:01.440 Yeah. 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:06.400 Boo dealt at Tori and Green the whole game, Tommy. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:11.359 Man, listen, Eric sent me, I guess one of Eric buddies or something, wrote like an article around that time. 00:26:11.359 --> 00:26:12.640 And he sent it to me. 00:26:12.640 --> 00:26:14.400 And I read the whole article. 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:20.160 And man, that whoever wrote that article, I'm talking about he went through that game play for play. 00:26:20.160 --> 00:26:23.759 Like I got, I got I don't even know. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:24.960 I think he's Google. 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:28.000 Man, he went through the, he went through the. 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:29.119 You want to know what's crazy? 00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:35.519 After reading, I was reading that article after some time, and I back in the day I couldn't really fully grasp what was what was being said. 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:43.680 But Tommy, in our article, Coach Butler pretty, he called Coach Butler, and Coach Butler was like, put us against pretty much nobody wanted to play us. 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:44.400 That's right. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:51.920 That's well, uh everybody, everybody said no except for Westminster Academy. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:53.440 Westminster Academy. 00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:54.319 That's right, Ed. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:26:56.000 You're absolutely right. 00:26:56.240 --> 00:26:57.440 And we so wrong. 00:26:57.440 --> 00:27:02.640 We played a game the night before, stayed overnight, and we we wanted to smoke. 00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:04.480 Yeah, it played at the time. 00:27:04.480 --> 00:27:05.920 I think y'all played Gulliver. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:07.599 I I believe, yes, it was Gulliver. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:09.599 And we smoked the next night. 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:12.319 We we had we was we was there, we had to be there. 00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:19.519 We started off down at Gulliver, and then Demetrius had a crazy second half because I remember Spotswood. 00:27:19.519 --> 00:27:21.039 Spotswood gave him. 00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:25.119 You remember he used to get those game balls, those little game balls. 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:26.400 Yeah, yeah. 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:37.359 He gave the game ball, and then we had to be up in seven hours to uh after driving seven hours to go up there because Westminster said they wouldn't play at our place. 00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:37.759 Yeah. 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:39.839 Only if it was at their place. 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:41.920 And there's a reason why. 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:46.640 And there's a reason why because nobody, nobody wanted to run our court. 00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:48.480 Say that one more time, Eric. 00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:50.160 Nobody wanted to run our court. 00:27:50.160 --> 00:27:58.799 We had that old school original court, which was probably 10 to 15 feet longer, 10 feet wider, no AC, no fans. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:02.480 We were just running everybody out the gym because we were conditioned to do that. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:05.039 Coach Elliott made sure that we were commissioned. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:10.480 And let's let's give let's give the coaching staff, let's give the coaching staff some love. 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:14.640 Because we we talked about obviously Coach Bill Butler, the late great Bill Butler. 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:18.880 You just mentioned Coach Elliott and Tony McDowell, also on your coach. 00:28:18.880 --> 00:28:26.799 So talk about them and the work they did to get you guys ready and and and put that winning team out on the floor. 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:33.039 And let's also talk about the gym and how you guys packed it with the conk fans. 00:28:33.440 --> 00:28:35.839 The coaching staff really did like we did. 00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:37.279 We they each knew their role. 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:40.319 Coach Elliott was the one who was gonna be on us. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:46.000 He was a police officer down there, and he made sure we tried to stay out down the streets. 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:54.400 Coach Butler ran the scheme and Coach McDowell, he was like kind of like our age, but he was the big uncle in a sense. 00:28:54.400 --> 00:28:57.519 We he would be like, Yeah, what's good, what y'all doing, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:28:57.519 --> 00:28:59.599 But Coach Elliott kept us in shape. 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:03.119 He had us running, he'd had us get it in conditioning, and he had helped us. 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:09.359 Yeah, Mario would keep the stats and do everything for us, let us know what's going on. 00:29:09.359 --> 00:29:29.599 But the coaching staff is just like us, you know what you're gonna get out of Coach Bulla, Coach Elliott, Coach McDowell, Mario, as the same way as they knew that what they were gonna get out of Eric, Latron, Demetrius, Dominique, Lamar, and a person that we forgot that uh that was there every single day working hard. 00:29:29.599 --> 00:29:33.599 We used to we used to low bully them a little bit, Avery Jones. 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:36.559 That's right, man. 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:37.279 Avery Jones. 00:29:38.000 --> 00:29:44.480 Avery Jones probably had the him and Clint probably had the the a play that had the roof going through the gym. 00:29:44.480 -->

00:29:45.279 Hey, remember Amy? 00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:47.599 Blew up when he dunked that ball? 00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:48.640 Yes, man. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.720 Yeah, the whole gym was excited. 00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:54.559 Yes. 00:29:54.559 --> 00:29:58.079 And our whole our whole team literally was excited for him. 00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:02.079 Because it wasn't that he dunked. 00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:06.000 He would try and dunk every time in practice that he couldn't dunk. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:07.359 He missed all the time. 00:30:07.359 --> 00:30:12.319 But that time when he took off, it like he was up on top of the box. 00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:12.799 Yeah. 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:15.839 He was he he was a he was a good player as well. 00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:19.119 He was younger, a little goofy, but he was A.V. 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:20.559 Jones could play a little bit. 00:30:20.559 --> 00:30:22.400 And him and Boo were brothers. 00:30:22.400 --> 00:30:23.279 Yeah, that's my brother. 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:26.559 I think we got two touchdown that poly. 00:30:26.559 --> 00:30:27.359 Oh yeah. 00:30:29.920 --> 00:30:31.759 Bro, they was like we stormed the court. 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:35.839 We can't forget about the other coach. 00:30:35.839 --> 00:30:41.039 He uh I mean he was uh he was on the sta on the staff, but he wasn't uh Coach Roderick. 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:44.400 Remember, he used to go and scout out the teams in the 74s. 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:46.400 Oh yes, that's right. 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:47.839 Roderick, man. 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:53.680 Yes, uh, a spy in the Miami area, but ain't nobody wanting to come down here and see us. 00:30:53.680 --> 00:31:00.319 Coach Roderick would go out and and scout the teams before we get to thought about Roderick, man. 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:11.039 And um, and back then a lot of teams wasn't interested in swapping tapes. 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:11.599 That's right. 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:17.359 But that that all came from Demetrius and Boo because they used to complain. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:20.160 They used to be like, man, well, we walk into the games. 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:28.160 And it and that's how the two coaches were too different because it was it was a good, it was a good and it was like, huh? 00:31:28.160 --> 00:31:30.240 But we didn't understand it at the time. 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:34.000 They wanted to know scouting for Demetrius and uh Boo. 00:31:34.000 --> 00:31:36.960 And Coach Butler was like, why would you care about anybody? 00:31:36.960 --> 00:31:40.079 You guys are good enough to just go up there and just kick their ass. 00:31:40.079 --> 00:31:42.640 Y'all don't need to know scouting reports, blah, blah, blah. 00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:45.759 And that's when Coach Elliott, he had a buddy who was in Miami. 00:31:45.759 --> 00:31:50.799 He was like, I'll just have my my buddy watch the game and he'll send it back and he'll text us. 00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:55.119 And then Coach Butler, I wouldn't say he was mad, but he was like, that doesn't keep us honest. 00:31:55.119 --> 00:31:58.000 That just keeps us to to playing in their way. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:31:59.279 Let's just do it our way. 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:00.880 And I was like, okay. 00:32:00.880 --> 00:32:06.400 And I felt both ways because I think as it moved on, we needed a scouting report. 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:18.160 But early, if we just play like us and we just play them honest, because now scouting reports, where you go under on this screen, you go over on that one, we was just like, you can't beat me regardless. 00:32:18.160 --> 00:32:22.240 So I'ma sit, I'ma sit, and then it is what it is. 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:32.240 And I think the best thing that happened to us is I think they said they wasn't practice players and and and Coach Butler lost it. 00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:41.119 Yeah, they said they was having a bad, I don't I won't say they was having a bad practice, but it was just they was just bullshitting. 00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:43.920 And he said, come on, they was like, what you talking about? 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:45.200 We're not practice players. 00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:46.480 We're gonna come for you in the game. 00:32:46.480 --> 00:32:48.640 He was like, bro, what are you talking about? 00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:51.200 But he just lost it. 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:57.039 But it just showed you like no matter what, every team is gonna go through some stuff. 00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:57.680 You know what I mean? 00:32:57.680 --> 00:32:58.880 They talked about Avery. 00:32:58.880 --> 00:33:03.279 I'm gonna be honest, I used to bully Avery just because he worked at Miami subs. 00:33:03.279 --> 00:33:10.480 And I I I I knew he was gonna hook me up if I if I bullied him, but if I was, if I wasn't, he wasn't giving me no sub. 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:16.559 He was, he was, but like I said, it was a team and he competed, he made us better. 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:23.200 As as crazy as it seems, if it wasn't for the last, what, eight guys, I don't think we get better. 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:29.440 As crazy as it seems, also I think the kid Peter, I don't know if anybody keeps him in contact with him. 00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:31.680 I think he pushed Eric a little bit. 00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:41.599 And he used to go at Eric because he was older than Eric and he wasn't getting the same reps and minutes, and I think those were some of the things that helped us because Brooks. 00:33:41.599 --> 00:33:43.839 Michael Brooks was another one. 00:33:43.839 --> 00:33:48.799 I think Michael Brooks went down. 00:33:48.799 --> 00:34:01.839 He went down and he came back up because I he got a little frustrated because of the minutes, and he said he wanted to go back down, and that's when Peter was kind of more of the defender on Brooks. 00:34:01.839 --> 00:34:04.160 And that kid, that white kid was strong as Oxford. 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:04.880 Yeah, yeah. 00:34:04.880

--> 00:34:07.759 I think he was from Poland, it sounded like that, right, Nick? 00:34:08.239 --> 00:34:09.280 Poland or Czech Republican. 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:11.679 He was something. 00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:23.360 But it it's it's it's a lot of people on that team that probably could have a better career or path if it wasn't for the five that we had out there. 00:34:23.360 --> 00:34:33.440 And then you had, you know, I mean, we had three starters off the bench with with, in my opinion, Keith, Deontay, yeah, those two for sure. 00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:40.480 And then, you know, I mean, we had kind of pieces after that, Ashley and other guys that could step up in a role. 00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:45.760 Because I think, you know, I mean, the game that we were supposed to lose, here comes Boo. 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:56.719 The game somebody has a layup and we're supposed to be down one, Eric come out of nowhere and get a block out of this world, Demetrius get a steal, Lamar makes a shot. 00:34:56.719 --> 00:35:02.880 So it was just a it was just a crazy dynamic to how how everything worked with that team. 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:12.480 We all grew together, and when you say when you thought it was special, we lost that C bring after that C bring tournament to, like they said, Haynes City. 00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:15.679 And I think we didn't we won so much. 00:35:15.679 --> 00:35:20.480 We only I think I would say this, we cried after our losses, and we didn't cry a lot. 00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:21.119 Yes, right. 00:35:21.440 --> 00:35:26.079 Coach Tony, you you gotta show this to you gotta show this to our team this year. 00:35:26.079 --> 00:35:29.039 No, but but I you can't you can't teach that, right? 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:35.199 You if you feel it that that you hate to lose so much that it No, that's why I'm doing it, man. 00:35:35.280 --> 00:35:38.480 You gotta you have to tap into the history of your program, man. 00:35:38.480 --> 00:35:40.559 And it's like I was a young boy. 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:45.039 I wasn't really, you know, too into what what they had going on at that time. 00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:46.639 I mean, my brother played too. 00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:50.559 My brother said his team was better the year before, but we ain't gonna talk about that. 00:35:50.559 --> 00:35:54.960 But yeah, no, you know, I was I was just I was just alongside it, man. 00:35:54.960 --> 00:36:02.559 I got I was so glad I got to witness it, and then I'm in the position I'm in now to, you know, coach in the high school, and it just uh came in my head. 00:36:02.559 --> 00:36:06.559 I'm like, you know, them dudes had that run 25 years ago, like we're gonna honor us. 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:09.199 And then my kids are always asking me about the history. 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:12.880 Like, you know, I got a lot of kids that's not even from these streets or from QS. 00:36:12.880 --> 00:36:19.760 They kind of want to know, like, what was it like, and this is the perfect

thing to do for them so they can know what, you know, the tradition of this program. 00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:31.599 The thing I would say with a good team, though, is that you gotta know your role and you gotta accept your role, and you gotta know that you get more exposure when you win. 00:36:31.599 --> 00:36:39.039 Like the individual statistics, it does it doesn't mean anything if there doesn't accumulate to to winning. 00:36:39.039 --> 00:36:45.440 So we started to win, it's the only time we got recognition because that year before we weren't winning like that. 00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:48.320 We were we were we were 500. 00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:50.159 So no one cared about us. 00:36:50.159 --> 00:37:00.320 But that next year, when we when we went to tournaments and we wasn't two and two this tournament, when we was four and oh and beating them by 22, and then we would come back home. 00:37:00.320 --> 00:37:09.599 And the first time it woke us up is when we seen that we were ranked, and we was like, okay, every Tuesday week in the morning, looking at the paper, like okay, where we at now? 00:37:09.599 --> 00:37:11.920 This person, this person, this person. 00:37:11.920 --> 00:37:12.960 Oh, we're better than them. 00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:14.000 Oh, we better than them. 00:37:14.000 --> 00:37:19.679 Kind of like we kind of felt like in that era, we was like, you we felt like we was the best team in Florida. 00:37:19.679 --> 00:37:21.920 We felt like no one could mess with us. 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:27.440 Dominique and Lamar, they acting buddy buddy, but they had a beef about who scored the most. 00:37:27.440 --> 00:37:28.960 He Lamar wanted to score the most. 00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:30.719 Dominique wanted to score the most. 00:37:30.719 --> 00:37:33.599 They was in competition. 00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:36.719 They can they can sit here buddy buddy all they want. 00:37:36.719 --> 00:37:38.320 They was in competition. 00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:43.440 Listen, this people, this people, I kid you not. 00:37:43.440 --> 00:37:47.679 I went to I I was in Key West a couple weeks ago, and I'm I'm out in the front. 00:37:47.679 --> 00:37:50.400 They was like, Demetrius, pass Lamar the ball more. 00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:51.599 And I'm like, what? 00:37:51.599 --> 00:37:56.880 This was miss, this was uh Miss Anita's sister, and it was like, pass the ball more. 00:37:56.880 --> 00:37:59.519 I was like, still, it people remember that. 00:37:59.519 --> 00:38:03.519 That was Mr. 00:38:03.519 --> 00:38:04.079 Butler White. 00:38:04.079 --> 00:38:04.559 Oh, Mr. 00:38:04.559 --> 00:38:05.360 Anita, yeah, yeah. 00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:05.519 Yeah. 00:38:05.519 --> 00:38:08.880 Yeah, me and Boo was outside and they were like, pass the ball to Lamar. 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:10.960 I was like, still you you say that? 00:38:10.960 --> 00:38:11.840 You know what I mean? 00:38:11.840 --> 00:38:23.599 But it it it was that memorable because I went because if let's say Dominic had 26,

Lamar had 17, they're gonna be like, oh, Demetrius is going to his brother. 00:38:23.599 --> 00:38:26.239 It was like, yeah, I'm going to whoever's rolling. 00:38:26.239 --> 00:38:26.880 You know what I mean? 00:38:26.880 --> 00:38:29.679 If I'm a I'm gonna go to the person, whoever's rolling. 00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:38.320 So we was winning, but there was there was negative, there was negative attention because it was like they wanted to see if what could break us. 00:38:38.320 --> 00:38:40.559 And I was like, yo, I'm gonna feed whoever. 00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:42.159 I'll take away my points. 00:38:42.159 --> 00:38:45.119 Just let me get a dunk or two fast break, and I'm cool. 00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:45.920 You know what I mean? 00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:50.159 I'll just do my stuff with the in the yeah, what how I do it. 00:38:50.159 --> 00:38:52.719 But they was they was in competition. 00:38:52.719 --> 00:38:59.920 They was sometimes sometimes Lamar be at the park practice and I'm like, oh, look at him trying to get better. 00:38:59.920 --> 00:39:01.599 Let me let me go see what I'm gonna go do. 00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:05.920 He didn't sometimes he didn't even wanna he didn't want to rock with us, he wanted to be on his own. 00:39:05.920 --> 00:39:07.920 Him and uh what's the Damon? 00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:08.880 What's the Damon? 00:39:08.880 --> 00:39:11.039 Yeah, I think it was David Williams. 00:39:11.039 --> 00:39:11.599 What's that? 00:39:11.599 --> 00:39:13.599 Yeah, yeah. 00:39:13.599 --> 00:39:20.400 And I was like, yeah, yeah, but they can they can look all buddy buddy, but in high school, they was in competition. 00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:23.039 They was in competition who scored. 00:39:23.519 --> 00:39:25.440 Hey, that probably made them better though, man. 00:39:25.440 --> 00:39:26.639 Right, absolutely. 00:39:26.639 --> 00:39:28.480 Absolutely. 00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:34.000 And the thing is, is that the thing is that they say this, but they'll both be like, Dominica coming to me. 00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:35.039 Yo, I'm I'm going to my spot. 00:39:35.039 --> 00:39:36.719 Lamar be like, yo, I want it up top. 00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:38.159 And I'll be like, yo, man. 00:39:38.159 --> 00:39:38.960 Let me go. 00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:44.480 Like, sometimes I had to be like, yo, I could go to Lamar three times in a row, and he'd be fired. 00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:46.480 I'd be like, oh, damn, watch Boo get mad. 00:39:46.480 --> 00:39:51.599 Because Boop Boo made a lot of shots in the small amount that we let him. 00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:55.280 He boom, my Boo would get 12 points off three shots. 00:39:55.280 --> 00:39:59.199 But them two, boy, they wanted 10 to 20 in that thing. 00:39:59.199 --> 00:40:00.719 Let's join. 00:40:00.719 --> 00:40:06.159 Yes, yes, Eric. 00:40:06.159 --> 00:40:08.480 Listen, Eric had no plays for him. 00:40:08.480 --> 00:40:10.400 He got it off the miss, Duncan. 00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:12.960 He got it on the break going. 00:40:12.960 --> 00:40:17.519 So the plays only went to them two, and they was mad at each other, like they didn't get all the plays. 00:40:18.880 --> 00:40:19.760 They had all the plays. 00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:20.320 Yeah. 00:40:20.320 --> 00:40:21.199 That's funny. 00:40:21.199 --> 00:40:22.239 Hey, that's funny, man. 00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:23.119 Yeah. 00:40:23.119 --> 00:40:27.760 One thing I would say is we were very competitive. 00:40:27.760 --> 00:40:39.199 Like, without Dominique Coleman, I'll be honest with you, without Dominique Coleman, there won't be no Lamar Moore improving the player that he has always dreamt of being. 00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:46.800 Because that uh 2000, 2001 year, I was I was growing into being the player that I wanted. 00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:54.159 But, you know, you gotta remember that freshman year, that sophomore year, I was still kind of like developing. 00:40:54.159 --> 00:40:54.960 You know what I mean? 00:40:54.960 --> 00:40:56.880 I'm still trying to find myself. 00:40:56.880 --> 00:40:59.679 So here it is, here go Dominique and Demetrius. 00:40:59.679 --> 00:41:05.440 They come into town, and I'm like, shit, these guys, excuse my language, but I'm like, these guys can play. 00:41:05.440 --> 00:41:07.039 Like, you know, these guys can play. 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:16.800 So without them two, and not only just that, but Keith McLeod also, because remember, I had to compete with Keith McLeod also before Dominique and Demetrius. 00:41:16.800 --> 00:41:21.519 It was Keith McLeod, it was Deontay Dunning, and it was Latron Higson. 00:41:21.519 --> 00:41:29.199 Remember, Latron Higson is probably one of the greatest athletes that I have ever seen in my life. 00:41:29.199 --> 00:41:31.519 Because me and Latron grew up with each other. 00:41:31.519 --> 00:41:35.519 We played, I think it was Pee-We football for the Gators, I believe. 00:41:35.519 --> 00:41:36.320 Somebody like that. 00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:40.239 Nobody remembers it's not Latron Higson, it's Megatron. 00:41:40.239 --> 00:41:42.559 You remember, remember, it's Megatron. 00:41:42.559 --> 00:41:44.159 It ain't Latron Higson. 00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:45.440 It's Megatron. 00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:48.480 That's that's who that's who that's who Latron Higson is. 00:41:48.480 --> 00:41:57.840 So without Latron, Keith, and Deontay, and then Dominique and Demetrius, I don't grow to be the player that I have always dreamt of being. 00:41:57.840 --> 00:42:02.000 I tell you, man, Dominique was very competitive. 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:03.679 I was very competitive. 00:42:03.679 --> 00:42:05.199 Man, we competed. 00:42:05.199 --> 00:42:09.679 Like it was out, we were out there trying to outshine each other. 00:42:09.679 --> 00:42:11.679 Okay, you got 25. 00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:13.199 Okay, I'm right behind you. 00:42:13.199 --> 00:42:14.320 I got 22. 00:42:14.320 --> 00:42:15.599 Like, you know what I'm saying? 00:42:15.599 --> 00:42:16.480 Here it is. 00:42:16.480 -->

00:42:21.599 I think Dominique had a, I think Dominique had, what it was like 40-something one game me? 00:42:21.599 --> 00:42:22.800 You had what, 40? 00:42:22.800 --> 00:42:23.519 38. 00:42:23.519 --> 00:42:24.239 38. 00:42:24.239 --> 00:42:24.800 That's right. 00:42:24.800 --> 00:42:26.480 Dominique had 38. 00:42:26.480 --> 00:42:29.039 What game that was? 00:42:29.039 --> 00:42:29.679 Yeah. 00:42:29.679 --> 00:42:31.039 What game that was? 00:42:31.039 --> 00:42:31.679 That was West. 00:42:31.679 --> 00:42:32.719 Santa Fe. 00:42:32.719 --> 00:42:33.679 Again, Santa Fe. 00:42:33.679 --> 00:42:34.960 We all went off for that game. 00:42:34.960 --> 00:42:35.760 We all three went on. 00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:43.840 We all went off because they they had some guests, some guy that was going to be Shula. 00:42:43.840 --> 00:42:45.360 Some guy named Shula that was that was. 00:42:45.360 --> 00:42:46.559 He went to Winthrop. 00:42:46.559 --> 00:42:47.679 That's right. 00:42:47.679 --> 00:42:48.800 He was going to that. 00:42:48.800 --> 00:42:52.000 Yeah, he we knew we found out that he was going there. 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:54.159 And that was the game before state. 00:42:54.159 --> 00:42:55.519 Remember that, right, boo. 00:42:55.519 --> 00:42:57.679 The game before state, the state championship. 00:42:57.679 --> 00:42:59.599 Dominique had 38. 00:42:59.599 --> 00:43:02.800 I think I had what, 25 or something like that. 00:43:02.800 --> 00:43:05.119 So again, it was like, or maybe 20. 00:43:05.119 --> 00:43:08.079 Something between between 20 and 25. 00:43:08.079 --> 00:43:11.280 But again, like we were constantly competing. 00:43:11.280 --> 00:43:14.719 We were constantly trying to like outdo each other. 00:43:14.719 --> 00:43:16.800 I mean, again, it made us great. 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:19.039 It made us demand who we are today. 00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:21.679 Because again, we are brothers no matter what. 00:43:21.679 --> 00:43:32.880 Like, you know, we were at each other on that court, but we also know without each other, we don't be the team that we have, or we don't be the players that we have always jerked at being. 00:43:33.039 --> 00:43:33.360 Right. 00:43:33.360 --> 00:43:33.840 Yeah. 00:43:33.840 --> 00:43:42.480 That game, that game that I had 38, which is crazy, is I want to say I had 27 of our first 30. 00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:44.000 Yeah, that's right, man. 00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:46.000 But it was the second half. 00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:47.840 I didn't, I didn't have many points. 00:43:47.840 --> 00:43:49.760 Boo went crazy the second half. 00:43:49.760 --> 00:43:51.360 Yeah, Boo went crazy. 00:43:51.360 --> 00:43:53.519 Lamar went crazy the second half. 00:43:53.519 --> 00:44:06.719 And I I I think it it was, and they they say me and uh Lamar competed, and I I I I would say it was a competitive competitive jealousy almost in a sense. 00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:12.159 Because if his name was over mine in the paper, it's over. 00:44:12.159 -->

00:44:13.519 I'm allowed to. 00:44:13.519 --> 00:44:22.079 But we put the pre, we I don't think people understand the the type of pressure that we put on each other with that, though. 00:44:22.079 --> 00:44:26.159 Like I couldn't miss much because Lamar's on the other side. 00:44:26.159 --> 00:44:27.760 He ain't gonna come over this style. 00:44:28.239 --> 00:44:29.920 Tommy was right behind him, Tommy. 00:44:31.280 --> 00:44:37.440 Us if we're missing, Boo is gonna hit four six threes quick. 00:44:37.440 --> 00:44:38.239 You know what I mean? 00:44:38.239 --> 00:44:45.119 So it was a it was a competitive, it was a competitive jealousy in a sense. 00:44:45.119 --> 00:44:48.639 Like everybody will tell you, well, you can't be jealous. 00:44:48.639 --> 00:44:49.840 I was jealous. 00:44:49.840 --> 00:44:59.280 If I didn't work, if I didn't score more, if I didn't have more threes, I was jealous and it it fired me up. 00:44:59.280 --> 00:45:00.239 It pushed me. 00:45:00.239 --> 00:45:03.840 It was my motivation in a sense, if that makes sense. 00:45:03.840 --> 00:45:15.679 And I don't think I've ever had that from high school, a tenure professional at any point in my life, with the type of fire that was around me, if that makes sense. 00:45:15.679 --> 00:45:32.239 And I think that's what pushed me not only to be a professional, but it pushed me to be a leader of people who, if they are complacent or they don't push each other, it's like, where are you gonna get better at if the person next to you ain't gonna push you? 00:45:32.239 --> 00:45:35.440 If the person next to you don't have that fire. 00:45:35.440 --> 00:45:45.119 And I think now when you when you say, what can these teams coming up in Key West, what can they have to compete at a high level? 00:45:45.119 --> 00:45:51.280 Like you have to one-on-ones, the two-on-twos, the play to 11. 00:45:51.280 --> 00:45:54.320 And if you lose, hey, check that up again. 00:45:54.320 --> 00:45:56.079 If you lose, do it again. 00:45:56.079 --> 00:46:07.920 And that that that summer, I remember Boo came in my gym class in jeans, Air Force ones, and I had I was in gym class, and he beat me 11 to 2. 00:46:07.920 --> 00:46:13.440 And he walked out of there so cool, and I it burned me up for like months. 00:46:13.440 --> 00:46:30.320 And he just came in there from skipping class, marine biology, and this motherfucker beat me 11 to 2 and walked out, and he got Britney on his arm and this girl on the lap, and this I'm sitting there, I'm in gym class, I'm just dressing. 00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:46.239 He walked out like he just had the easiest game versus JV Kid, and I think people don't know what's in what fire is in you, and I don't know if people now have fire to compete versus each other, like we pushed. 00:46:47.039 --> 00:46:51.280 Let's talk about that now, because we were talking a little bit about that offline. 00:46:51.280 --> 00:47:03.440 How do you think athletes today, student athletes today, I don't want

to use comparisons, but what what's different about the athletes back, you know, 2000 compared to now 25 years? 00:47:03.440 --> 00:47:05.119 A lot of you are still in coaching. 00:47:05.519 --> 00:47:06.159 Go ahead, Aaron. 00:47:06.159 --> 00:47:07.360 Oh, Aaron, can you go? 00:47:07.360 --> 00:47:10.960 I think that is too much individualism. 00:47:10.960 --> 00:47:18.400 We've we've all said that we we've uh all know we knew our our our roles in the the program. 00:47:18.400 --> 00:47:20.800 So did everyone on the bench. 00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:30.800 When we were, you know, when off seasons, outside of practice, any of that, you you would see seven or eight of us together, no matter what. 00:47:30.800 --> 00:47:35.039 We're going from like I'm going from gym to gym, park to park, no matter what. 00:47:35.039 --> 00:47:38.079 Nowadays is too much individual practices. 00:47:38.079 --> 00:47:41.599 I only want to I only want to work with this one, I only want to work with that one. 00:47:41.599 --> 00:47:48.239 Nah, what we we ran with seven or eight of our own, and if we doing pickup games, we're picking our own. 00:47:48.239 --> 00:47:52.400 We didn't pick nobody else off the streets, and that's just how we were. 00:47:52.400 --> 00:47:56.239 And I think that I think that teams should get back to that. 00:47:56.239 --> 00:47:59.840 More team oriented, not individual oriented. 00:47:59.840 --> 00:48:03.199 You know, too much, it's too much individualism, if you ask me. 00:48:03.199 --> 00:48:05.199 Everybody's doing it for for clout. 00:48:05.199 --> 00:48:07.119 Social media is a big factor. 00:48:07.119 --> 00:48:14.400 Everybody wants to have a highlight for Instagram, everybody wants to have something to put on Facebook. 00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:14.960 Guess what? 00:48:14.960 --> 00:48:17.840 You have to for us, you have to come and see it to believe it. 00:48:17.840 --> 00:48:18.960 Yeah, yes. 00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:22.239 Like y'all said, like Dimitri said, right? 00:48:22.239 --> 00:48:24.480 Winning was the exposure, right? 00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:26.480 Nowadays, you know what I'm saying? 00:48:26.480 --> 00:48:32.559 It's not, you know, necessarily you got kids that are getting scholarships, they're not necessarily winning games. 00:48:32.559 --> 00:48:37.119 They're the ones that look the best on the on the on the screen, on the video. 00:48:37.119 --> 00:48:39.840 So that's just the way the game changed now. 00:48:39.840 --> 00:48:43.119 It's like Baldur's Life, uh, all this YouTube stuff. 00:48:43.119 --> 00:48:50.000 You just gotta go out there, hit, hit five threes, dunk on somebody, and now you got college coaches coming to your house looking for you. 00:48:50.000 --> 00:48:58.239 So they, I feel like the social media has a lot to do with it, creating that individualism in the game because now kids are just looking out for self. 00:48:58.239 --> 00:49:03.760 It's like, I'm gonna go out here and do my thing, and a college coach is

gonna see me, and I'm gonna go division one. 00:49:03.760 --> 00:49:05.440 And I think that's just what it is. 00:49:05.440 --> 00:49:09.679 I felt like y'all lean more on each other and it turned out better for y'all. 00:49:09.679 --> 00:49:14.400 Now, the kids nowadays, man, it's just all about can I go out here score 30, do my thing. 00:49:14.400 --> 00:49:16.159 We win, we win, we lose, whatever. 00:49:16.159 --> 00:49:19.360 You know, it's that teeny element is kind of missing. 00:49:19.360 --> 00:49:20.880 To me, they're coddled. 00:49:21.199 --> 00:49:32.880 To me, they're coddled in a sense is that it's more what you can do to a cone, what you can do in the sense of I'm only going to be a person that does drills. 00:49:32.880 --> 00:49:37.199 You you you don't I don't see basketball being played in the streets. 00:49:37.199 --> 00:49:40.639 I don't see five-on-five pickup games, I don't see the gyms packed. 00:49:40.639 --> 00:49:46.400 When I go to downtown Douglas, I don't see anybody in there playing basketball five-on-five. 00:49:46.400 --> 00:49:50.159 If I do, it's not really competitive basketball. 00:49:50.159 --> 00:49:54.960 But it it it's what with our core, we were competitive. 00:49:54.960 --> 00:50:03.360 Like, I kid you not, it was me and Lamar, and I don't even think that the the generation that seen us play, understand this. 00:50:03.360 --> 00:50:15.199 Me and Lamar played a Division I game in Miami versus each other, and our entire high school team came up to watch an NCAA Division I basketball team play versus each other. 00:50:15.199 --> 00:50:18.639 They seen two people play versus each other, they seen me play versus Lamar. 00:50:18.639 --> 00:50:24.880 And the crazy thing about it is that when I played versus Lamar, Lamar was my biggest fan over there. 00:50:24.880 --> 00:50:26.400 He was like, yo, you can kill him. 00:50:26.400 --> 00:50:28.320 And I was like, oh, okay. 00:50:28.320 --> 00:50:33.519 He was like, yo, he was like, yo, you, yo, my coach was like, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. 00:50:33.519 --> 00:50:34.880 And I was like, you are. 00:50:34.880 --> 00:50:35.760 Yeah. 00:50:35.760 --> 00:50:36.880 I was telling him. 00:50:36.880 --> 00:50:37.840 I was telling him. 00:50:37.840 --> 00:50:46.159 I was like, man, it was crazy that you just, you just, we were that talented that we became opponents in college. 00:50:46.159 --> 00:50:48.639 We went from teammates to opponents in college. 00:50:48.639 --> 00:50:52.400 And then I went from a teammate to opponent to my brother in college. 00:50:52.400 --> 00:50:53.039 You know what I mean? 00:50:53.039 --> 00:50:55.440 He was he was at a different school than me. 00:50:55.440 --> 00:51:00.559 We were we had that much talent that we were able to go to college and compete against each other. 00:51:00.559 --> 00:51:03.840 And Tommy, Demetrius wanted me to transfer. 00:51:04.000 --> 00:51:06.159 Let me like we in it, we're in the game. 00:51:06.159 --> 00:51:11.920 We're

in the game talking to each other and telling each other, like, he's telling me to transfer to Mercer. 00:51:11.920 --> 00:51:13.760 Demetrius is telling me. 00:51:13.760 --> 00:51:17.199 We're talking to each other during the spot for you over here. 00:51:17.199 --> 00:51:19.360 We got a spot for you. 00:51:19.440 --> 00:51:20.639 Come on and transfer. 00:51:20.639 --> 00:51:21.760 Come to Mercer. 00:51:21.760 --> 00:51:25.039 I'm I'm dogging their point guards talking trash. 00:51:25.039 --> 00:51:27.599 And they don't and they don't know that. 00:51:27.599 --> 00:51:33.440 If today's age, our whole team could have played from going to high school to a college team. 00:51:33.440 --> 00:51:34.880 Our team was that good. 00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:37.199 We could have gone all D1 on a team. 00:51:37.199 --> 00:51:39.199 And we would have, we would have been competitive. 00:51:39.199 --> 00:51:44.480 We would have been smaller, we would have been, you know, we none of us was really in a weight room. 00:51:44.480 --> 00:51:46.320 I don't think nobody went to weight room. 00:51:46.320 --> 00:51:47.760 Probably Eric because of football. 00:51:47.760 --> 00:51:50.719 You couldn't get Boo in the in the weight room. 00:51:50.719 --> 00:51:51.920 Boo was chilling. 00:51:51.920 --> 00:51:54.159 He just had natural ability. 00:51:54.159 --> 00:51:56.239 Come come downtown. 00:51:56.239 --> 00:51:57.679 Yo, y'all want to race? 00:51:57.679 --> 00:51:59.840 He and Gene, it's a wrap. 00:51:59.840 --> 00:52:01.360 Put your money on Boo though. 00:52:01.360 --> 00:52:06.159 But we we we we we we definitely was is is just different. 00:52:06.159 --> 00:52:07.840 We just had a camaraderie. 00:52:07.840 --> 00:52:16.079 I think the best worst thing happened was us losing in the championship because you could boy, we would have won that championship, you couldn't tell us nothing. 00:52:16.079 --> 00:52:17.280 Still can to this day. 00:52:17.280 --> 00:52:18.159 No, you know what? 00:52:18.239 --> 00:52:22.239 That championship game, that was the worst, our worst half we ever had in our life. 00:52:22.239 --> 00:52:23.760 Second half. 00:52:23.760 --> 00:52:24.079 You know? 00:52:24.079 --> 00:52:27.760 Second half, we just come out and blow people out all the time, most of the time. 00:52:27.760 --> 00:52:29.519 We couldn't hit nothing in the second half. 00:52:29.679 --> 00:52:32.639 I think the moment was too big for us. 00:52:32.639 --> 00:52:35.119 I think the moment was just too big for us. 00:52:35.119 --> 00:52:35.440 No. 00:52:35.440 --> 00:52:39.920 And we had won the championship in the first half. 00:52:39.920 --> 00:52:41.840 We didn't know, we didn't know what to do. 00:52:41.840 --> 00:52:43.119 We were up 10 points. 00:52:43.119 --> 00:52:46.320 We didn't know how to deal with it. 00:52:46.320 --> 00:52:47.119 We didn't know. 00:52:47.119 --> 00:52:48.719 I think I got nervous. 00:52:48.719 --> 00:52:49.119 Shit. 00:52:49.119 --> 00:52:51.280 Keith was crying before the game. 00:52:51.280 --> 00:52:53.199 Miss Panchita was there. 00:52:53.199 --> 00:52:56.559 We never, we, we never seen her at a game like that. 00:52:56.559 --> 00:52:58.159 It was just a lot of stuff. 00:52:58.159 --> 00:53:01.440 And then the gym was full of Key West people. 00:53:01.440 --> 00:53:04.880 And I think the moment was just too big. 00:53:04.880 --> 00:53:06.880 Because I I could remember the first half. 00:53:06.880 --> 00:53:08.960 I can't remember the second half. 00:53:08.960 --> 00:53:10.400 I know it wasn't good. 00:53:10.400 --> 00:53:13.840 The moment was just too big, I think. 00:53:13.840 --> 00:53:14.559 You know what I mean? 00:53:14.559 --> 00:53:22.000 And I know, like they were talking about what's the difference between us, them, or this generation and that generation. 00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:26.719 You gotta, you gotta wanna compete, and they say with the drills and all. 00:53:26.719 --> 00:53:32.800 The drills and that is fine, but you gotta go into war with people you're gonna go to war with. 00:53:32.800 --> 00:53:35.199 You have to be able to compete. 00:53:35.199 --> 00:53:42.000 You have to be able to accept criticism, and you have to be able to give criticism. 00:53:42.000 --> 00:53:42.800 You know what I mean? 00:53:42.800 --> 00:53:44.480 And I don't think a lot of people can. 00:53:44.480 --> 00:53:51.840 You tell somebody something now, they about to transfer, they get in the in uh transfer portal, a parent wanna have this talk about that. 00:53:51.840 --> 00:53:54.000 And what is your kid doing? 00:53:54.000 --> 00:53:55.920 What is the the player doing? 00:53:55.920 --> 00:53:57.840 How is he doing to get better? 00:53:57.840 --> 00:53:58.639 You know what I mean? 00:53:58.639 --> 00:54:01.519 Demetrius and Boo and Eric, you know what I mean? 00:54:01.519 --> 00:54:06.159 Even though they were on the football field, that helps with basketball, with footwork, with speed. 00:54:06.159 --> 00:54:12.559 And then after practice, they go on downtown to the park where me and Lamar are already been playing at. 00:54:12.559 --> 00:54:13.280 You know what I mean? 00:54:13.280 --> 00:54:14.400 Then here comes Boo. 00:54:14.400 --> 00:54:18.079 And then it was always something that was competitive about it. 00:54:18.079 --> 00:54:18.880 You know what I mean? 00:54:18.880 --> 00:54:30.079 Me and Lamar will be there waiting, us two, and then they got the next five, and we already won three, so they gotta come on and be hot, or we're gonna run them off the court, and then they gotta wait. 00:54:30.079 --> 00:54:37.280 So it I think the competitiveness has decreased and the excuse making has increased. 00:54:37.280 --> 00:54:40.159 And if it changes, I think it'll be better. 00:54:40.159 --> 00:54:48.880 If they want more and they compete more and they understand what's the purpose, what's the goal, then it'll be better for them. 00:54:48.880 --> 00:55:01.599 But if they're gonna continue down the path

of excuses and working out with a trainer, but not really going hard or pushing, pushing a little pushing just enough and not more than enough. 00:55:01.599 --> 00:55:05.519 Because Key West is at the bottom of the map. 00:55:05.519 --> 00:55:10.000 And it will be hard to get out of there if you're not a dog. 00:55:10.239 --> 00:55:10.559 Yeah. 00:55:10.800 --> 00:55:15.119 If you're not a complete dog, then it's gonna be tough for you. 00:55:15.119 --> 00:55:19.360 If you're not jumping out of the gym like Eric Brown, it's gonna be tough for you. 00:55:19.360 --> 00:55:20.159 You gotta think. 00:55:20.159 --> 00:55:23.280 Me and Lamar average 20 plus. 00:55:23.280 --> 00:55:24.320 That's right, man. 00:55:24.320 --> 00:55:30.400 And there ain't nobody down there that understands that our road was JUCO, then division one. 00:55:30.400 --> 00:55:31.760 That's right. 00:55:31.920 --> 00:55:32.159 Yeah. 00:55:32.400 --> 00:55:35.119 So I don't I don't think they understand that. 00:55:35.119 --> 00:55:40.639 If you average 20 in Key West and you go JUCO, it gets tougher. 00:55:40.800 --> 00:55:41.039 Yeah. 00:55:41.199 --> 00:55:44.320 And then you get division one, then it gets really tough. 00:55:44.320 --> 00:55:47.119 So I think that it's not about the points down there. 00:55:47.119 --> 00:55:53.119 You better do some winning because with the winning, we was not, we wasn't even able. 00:55:53.119 --> 00:56:03.679 Like I was the only one on a team that lost three games that had a letter from a school at the end of the season. 00:56:03.679 --> 00:56:18.960 Then Demetrius got one from Maine, but I was the only one at one point for a team that lost three games, that had two people averaging 20 plus, that had a that had a kid who had blocks out of this world, steals out of this world by booths. 00:56:18.960 --> 00:56:22.079 So you have to win in order to get out of there. 00:56:22.079 --> 00:56:24.719 You have to do more than the next person. 00:56:24.719 --> 00:56:33.920 A person can save their time from going to Key West, and they can go to Miami and Fort Lauderdale and find the same thing, if not better, right there. 00:56:33.920 --> 00:56:40.800 That's a less than flying into the small Key West airport, going to Miami, which is easy. 00:56:40.800 --> 00:56:43.760 So you have to do more than score. 00:56:43.760 --> 00:56:45.360 You have to do more than win. 00:56:45.360 --> 00:56:47.360 You have to do them collectively. 00:56:47.360 --> 00:56:47.760 Right. 00:56:47.920 --> 00:56:56.800 That's why Neek, you said a mouthful, man, because that's what I try to explain to the kids up here. 00:56:56.800 --> 00:57:07.280 I try to explain, even when I came and did my camp, I try to explain to all the kids that it's not so much about individual stats, it's about team stats. 00:57:07.280 --> 00:57:08.800 It's about winning games. 00:57:08.800 --> 00:57:14.400 If you can show them that you can win, the coaches, the scouts, they're gonna come. 00:57:14.400 --> 00:57:16.960 You got to show that you can win first. 00:57:16.960 --> 00:57:24.079 Once you start winning games, then everything else, like, you know, everything else, you know, it it solves this problem. 00:57:24.079 --> 00:57:24.880 It falls into place. 00:57:24.880 --> 00:57:26.239 It falls into place. 00:57:26.239 --> 00:57:27.360 Thank you, Dominique. 00:57:27.360 --> 00:57:28.400 It falls into place. 00:57:28.400 --> 00:57:39.440 Like, you know, Tommy, you know, when I when I played up there at Vermilion Community College, Coach McDonald told you, he said, man, that one thing about me was that I was a winner. 00:57:39.440 --> 00:57:40.960 I wanted to win. 00:57:40.960 --> 00:57:43.760 There was nothing more that I wanted to do was win. 00:57:43.760 --> 00:57:48.880 Because I knew playing individually wasn't gonna get me where I need to go. 00:57:48.880 --> 00:57:50.320 It's winning games. 00:57:50.320 --> 00:57:53.920 And that's what I'm trying to explain to all of them. 00:57:53.920 --> 00:57:55.679 You gotta win games first. 00:57:55.679 --> 00:57:58.639 Once you win games, everything else falls in the place. 00:57:58.639 --> 00:57:59.599 Gotta win. 00:57:59.599 --> 00:58:00.559 You gotta win. 00:58:00.559 --> 00:58:01.199 We won. 00:58:01.199 --> 00:58:02.400 We won games. 00:58:02.400 --> 00:58:03.760 We won games, man. 00:58:03.920 --> 00:58:04.480 Y'all won. 00:58:04.480 --> 00:58:05.280 I think y'all won. 00:58:05.280 --> 00:58:06.639 Y'all, what was the streak? 00:58:06.639 --> 00:58:09.119 Y'all won 19 before y'all took y'all first L, correct? 00:58:09.119 --> 00:58:12.320 We didn't lose at home. 00:58:12.320 --> 00:58:13.760 It might have been 20. 00:58:13.760 --> 00:58:14.239 It might have. 00:58:14.239 --> 00:58:15.119 But I think it was 20. 00:58:16.960 --> 00:58:17.519 Might have been 20. 00:58:17.519 --> 00:58:18.800 20 shows. 00:58:18.800 --> 00:58:23.679 And there was 21, 21 wins until we lost to uh Westminster. 00:58:23.679 --> 00:58:24.800 That's right. 00:58:24.960 --> 00:58:25.360 That's right. 00:58:25.519 --> 00:58:26.239 We lose at home now. 00:58:26.480 --> 00:58:29.679 And Westminster was your first L of the recording season, yes. 00:58:29.679 --> 00:58:30.159 Second. 00:58:30.159 --> 00:58:32.800 That's a tough L, man. 00:58:32.800 --> 00:58:41.519 Like I said, that game, man, when I read that article, man, I was I was just we lost to Hayes City, and after Hayes City, that's when we went on that run. 00:58:41.679 --> 00:58:42.800 And we didn't lose. 00:58:42.800 --> 00:58:43.920 To Westminster. 00:58:43.920 --> 00:58:46.000 Westminster Academy. 00:58:46.159 --> 00:58:47.840 And then after Westminster won. 00:58:47.840 --> 00:58:51.519 Westminster won their state that year, correct? 00:58:52.159 --> 00:58:56.239 Westminster won that year, but after we played, now check this out. 00:58:56.239 --> 00:59:00.880 After we played and lost to Westminster, now you gotta note this. 00:59:00.880 --> 00:59:03.599 We ain't

lose no more until we got where? 00:59:03.599 --> 00:59:05.519 To the state championship. 00:59:05.519 --> 00:59:06.159 Yeah. 00:59:06.159 --> 00:59:07.360 We didn't lose no more. 00:59:07.360 --> 00:59:09.760 Thought we were gonna lose to Gulliver Prep. 00:59:09.760 --> 00:59:11.679 Everybody thought we were gonna lose to St. 00:59:11.679 --> 00:59:12.480 Paul, St. 00:59:12.480 --> 00:59:14.320 Polk John or whoever they are. 00:59:14.320 --> 00:59:16.960 Everybody thought we were gonna lose to Santa Fe. 00:59:16.960 --> 00:59:17.840 Yeah, man. 00:59:18.079 --> 00:59:19.519 Everybody thought we were gonna lose. 00:59:19.519 --> 00:59:21.920 This is how scary of a team we were. 00:59:21.920 --> 00:59:27.599 There was a team that we played in the in the tournament to you when you go on. 00:59:27.599 --> 00:59:30.320 They didn't shoot the ball because there was no shot clock. 00:59:30.320 --> 00:59:33.679 They just held the ball so we wouldn't go up and down and run. 00:59:33.679 --> 00:59:35.039 What what was that school? 00:59:35.039 --> 00:59:36.159 Y'all remember that game? 00:59:36.159 --> 00:59:39.519 Where they was trying to bleed the clock. 00:59:39.519 --> 00:59:43.039 They were just passing the ball around. 00:59:43.039 --> 00:59:44.559 They didn't want to shoot the ball. 00:59:45.360 --> 00:59:46.639 They were trying to get the first ransom. 00:59:46.639 --> 00:59:49.440 They wanted to get the first layup of the game and hold the ball, huh? 00:59:49.599 --> 00:59:50.960 That sounded like ransom everglades. 00:59:53.440 --> 00:59:54.400 They was holding the ball. 00:59:54.400 --> 00:59:57.760 They did not want to run with us. 00:59:57.760 --> 00:59:59.280 They didn't want to compete. 00:59:59.280 --> 01:00:03.519 They wanted to try and slow us down and just not let us score. 01:00:03.519 --> 01:00:05.840 And they would held the ball because we didn't have a shot clock. 01:00:05.840 --> 01:00:09.119 You could hold the ball for two minutes and you was good. 01:00:09.119 --> 01:00:11.039 They did not run us a score. 01:00:11.280 --> 01:00:15.599 Speaking of run, man, I want to dive more into what was y'all's practices like. 01:00:15.599 --> 01:00:16.559 What did y'all do? 01:00:16.559 --> 01:00:18.320 What was the pro what was the process like? 01:00:18.719 --> 01:00:19.519 White versus red. 01:00:19.519 --> 01:00:24.320 You grab a jersey and we play five on five. 01:00:24.320 --> 01:00:29.119 You ran, you play basically ran up and down against each other at the end of practice. 01:00:29.119 --> 01:00:31.760 We had shooting drills, free throw drills. 01:00:31.760 --> 01:00:34.159 We what we started off 24 laps. 01:00:34.400 --> 01:00:36.639 We started off 20 or 30 laps. 01:00:36.639 --> 01:00:37.920 Yes. 01:00:37.920 --> 01:00:40.719 And we're not talking about no lollygag laps. 01:00:40.719 --> 01:00:42.320 We're talking about Coach Elliott laps. 01:00:42.320 --> 01:00:47.119 And he's watching every inch of your feet to make sure that you're

keeping up to his standard. 01:00:47.119 --> 01:00:47.840 And it's crazy. 01:00:47.840 --> 01:00:48.719 We compete. 01:00:48.880 --> 01:00:51.920 Like I'm trying to, you know, I'm trying to get this the scoop. 01:00:51.920 --> 01:00:53.599 I done tapped into Coach Elliott. 01:00:53.599 --> 01:00:55.360 He said he's gonna send me some stuff. 01:00:55.360 --> 01:00:58.480 And it's just like I'm I don't know what I'm expecting, man. 01:00:58.480 --> 01:01:02.239 Like, I'm expecting to hear some crazy stories about practice. 01:01:02.239 --> 01:01:06.159 And every time I ask y'all or ask whoever, it's like, nah, we just played. 01:01:06.159 --> 01:01:06.800 We just ran. 01:01:06.800 --> 01:01:07.679 We was in shape. 01:01:07.679 --> 01:01:08.559 We just competed. 01:01:08.559 --> 01:01:10.239 And I'm just like, that can't be, that can't be. 01:01:13.199 --> 01:01:23.760 My craziest story was I think Coach Butler had kicked me out of practice one day because I think I, well, I don't think I I threw the ball at a player because he didn't do something. 01:01:23.760 --> 01:01:24.639 I kicked out. 01:01:24.639 --> 01:01:25.280 I'm downtown. 01:01:25.280 --> 01:01:30.239 So before I even get downtown, old heads are saying, Are you how you get kicked out of practice? 01:01:30.239 --> 01:01:31.199 And I'm like, What? 01:01:31.199 --> 01:01:33.039 They was like, you don't do that. 01:01:33.039 --> 01:01:43.840 You know, they're going off on you because I don't know if Coach Butler, Coach Elliott, they telling somebody downtown and they coming to me like, yo, how you how you doing this in practice at your level? 01:01:43.840 --> 01:01:58.000 And then when me and Boo says, We we game players, we find out, we hear that soon as we get dropped off downtown and they're chattering with us, but overall, we we were we were dogs at practice versus each other. 01:01:58.000 --> 01:01:58.480 You know what I mean? 01:01:58.480 --> 01:01:59.440 It got testy. 01:01:59.440 --> 01:02:01.920 We were we didn't want to lose at practice. 01:02:01.920 --> 01:02:04.559 We didn't want to lose versus each other at practice. 01:02:04.559 --> 01:02:08.239 We wanted to make sure that okay, I'm better than you. 01:02:08.239 --> 01:02:14.960 You I I'm not like you ever seen the there's a move, there's a movie, the movie called The Carter. 01:02:14.960 --> 01:02:22.639 It's like a Dallas football team, it's on Netflix, and one of the players says, our toughest opponents is at practice. 01:02:22.639 --> 01:02:25.360 We playing the best people at practice. 01:02:25.360 --> 01:02:31.199 And you gotta think, I'm I'm going home with one of the best players I've ever played against after practice. 01:02:31.199 --> 01:02:36.159 I'm going downtown and kicking it with one of the best players I've ever played against. 01:02:36.159 --> 01:02:37.599 I see them every day. 01:02:37.599 --> 01:02:41.679 I one of the most athletic centers I've ever played with, Eric Brown. 01:02:41.679 --> 01:02:44.320 I see him all the time, you know, just chilling. 01:02:44.320 --> 01:02:53.679 One of the best, three of the best shooters I've played with, not only here, not only in college, not and even overseas, I played in high school with. 01:02:53.679 --> 01:02:58.719 One of the best point guards I've ever played against was Keith McCloud, my backup. 01:02:58.719 --> 01:02:59.280 You know what I mean? 01:02:59.280 --> 01:03:01.519 One of the greatest overall players. 01:03:01.519 --> 01:03:04.639 He had like he had everything in his arsenal. 01:03:04.639 --> 01:03:09.599 You know, everything he was a better overall player. 01:03:09.599 --> 01:03:14.400 I just was I was older and I just knew my craft and I just dug in it. 01:03:14.400 --> 01:03:19.679 But I also knew that I'm going to I'm gonna outwork the next person. 01:03:19.679 --> 01:03:20.320 You know what I mean? 01:03:20.320 --> 01:03:22.000 We had that, oh, I'm gonna outwork you. 01:03:22.000 --> 01:03:26.960 Like Dominique said, if Lamar's name was there, he wanted to do better the next game. 01:03:26.960 --> 01:03:33.039 And me, I I wanted every time I wanted, I wanna be like, I hope that they got a picture of me on the paper. 01:03:33.039 --> 01:03:33.679 You know what I mean? 01:03:33.679 --> 01:03:34.639 That's my thought process. 01:03:34.639 --> 01:03:37.440 I was like, yo, I hope I hope this there, I hope this there. 01:03:37.440 --> 01:03:40.800 But it was competitive to to a T with us, you know. 01:03:40.800 --> 01:03:44.960 We just we just love the comp the competition in practice. 01:03:44.960 --> 01:03:46.960 But also we love being silly. 01:03:46.960 --> 01:03:49.280 We we we hung out too now. 01:03:49.280 --> 01:03:51.039 We we hung out. 01:03:51.039 --> 01:03:56.000 I tell you what, jumping over them epic banners at 16, trying to get up in there. 01:03:56.000 --> 01:04:00.719 We hung out trying to sneak in there, and and and that too. 01:04:00.719 --> 01:04:03.840 We hung out out after uh basketball. 01:04:03.840 --> 01:04:07.360 We tried to get into the nightclubs until they started letting us in there for free. 01:04:08.880 --> 01:04:09.679 We were winning. 01:04:09.679 --> 01:04:15.039 Oh Miss Joy, because we were winning games, Miss Joy. 01:04:15.039 --> 01:04:15.920 We were winning. 01:04:15.920 --> 01:04:19.519 Everyone knew who we were because we were winning games, you know what I'm saying? 01:04:20.480 --> 01:04:21.920 And it's a mile long. 01:04:22.400 --> 01:04:25.119 Yeah, and every everybody loves a winner, right? 01:04:25.119 --> 01:04:29.760 And uh everybody loves winning, and what you guys did was special. 01:04:29.760 --> 01:04:31.840 We were talking about this earlier offline. 01:04:31.840 --> 01:04:37.440 We have coming up on a hundred years of Kong basketball, I believe we're in the 99th season. 01:04:37.920 --> 01:04:38.559 Yeah, 99. 01:04:38.559 --> 01:04:39.519 This season is 99. 01:04:39.920 --> 01:04:44.320 Only two times, only two teams have made it to the

finals. 01:04:44.320 --> 01:04:46.480 What does it mean to you? 01:04:46.480 --> 01:04:49.840 Let that let that sizzle in your spirit for a minute, right? 01:04:49.840 --> 01:04:50.880 Only two teams. 01:04:50.880 --> 01:05:00.079 What does it mean to know that you're part of a very unique group, a part of conk history that'll always be in the book? 01:05:00.480 --> 01:05:07.920 I don't think you really know what you're doing while you're in it, but you're just doing what you want what you're supposed to do. 01:05:08.159 --> 01:05:10.159 So But what does it mean to you now? 01:05:10.159 --> 01:05:11.360 What's it mean to you now? 01:05:11.360 --> 01:05:16.000 You're a grown man, you're in your coming up in your 40s, professional men. 01:05:16.000 --> 01:05:22.719 Does it still do you have a moment to think that you're part of this this history, this very unique history? 01:05:22.960 --> 01:05:24.960 I would probably say for me, bittersweet. 01:05:24.960 --> 01:05:30.960 I would say it was sweet that we got there, but it's also bitter that nobody has gotten back there. 01:05:30.960 --> 01:05:31.679 You know what I mean? 01:05:31.679 --> 01:05:36.400 Because what we want to leave is not, we did it and you can't, in a sense. 01:05:36.400 --> 01:05:40.800 It's almost like I would, I would love to travel to see them at state tournament. 01:05:40.800 --> 01:05:41.599 You know what I mean? 01:05:41.599 --> 01:05:46.159 I would love for us all to be there courtside and watching young people. 01:05:46.159 --> 01:05:49.039 And that's something, that's that's something to brag about. 01:05:49.039 --> 01:05:51.760 Shit, Key West in the state tournament, let's go up there. 01:05:51.760 --> 01:05:58.239 And I think sometimes Key West's mindset is like, oh, we did it, I don't want them to do it. 01:05:58.239 --> 01:05:59.119 You know what I mean? 01:05:59.119 --> 01:06:06.719 When it's like, We should embrace things that that that are beneficial to not only you, but shit, it put us back in the spotlight. 01:06:06.719 --> 01:06:09.119 I want to be back in the spotlight on that stage. 01:06:09.119 --> 01:06:12.559 Have me course I know I mean it might be some things out there. 01:06:12.559 --> 01:06:14.320 I might see somebody out there. 01:06:14.320 --> 01:06:14.880 I know. 01:06:14.880 --> 01:06:20.000 But no, I definitely, I definitely don't want it to be where we're the only two. 01:06:20.000 --> 01:06:22.000 I want to see what the next two gonna do. 01:06:22.000 --> 01:06:22.719 You know what I mean? 01:06:22.719 --> 01:06:25.599 I want to see if another team will go up there. 01:06:25.599 --> 01:06:28.239 I I want to be there watching and shit. 01:06:28.239 --> 01:06:30.880 Maybe I can pour some knowledge into him. 01:06:30.880 --> 01:06:32.960 Hey, look, it's not one half. 01:06:32.960 --> 01:06:33.599 It's two. 01:06:33.599 --> 01:06:35.760 It's not one two quarters. 01:06:35.760 --> 01:06:36.559 It's four. 01:06:36.559 --> 01:06:40.400 Because if the championship ended at halftime, I got one. 01:06:40.400 --> 01:06:42.880 But it ends after two halves. 01:06:42.880 --> 01:06:46.960 So just know that you got to be locked in from beginning to end. 01:06:46.960 --> 01:06:47.599 You know what I mean? 01:06:47.599 --> 01:06:49.679 I like I said, I think it's bittersweet. 01:06:49.679 --> 01:06:52.239 I would love to see another team go up there. 01:06:52.239 --> 01:06:58.480 I would love to be in attendance at watching somebody, like even somebody's kids, you know what I mean? 01:06:58.480 --> 01:07:08.480 If it's Boo's kid, if it's my brother's kid, Eric, Lamar's kid playing on Key West High, and we get to watch up there and see them get the job done. 01:07:08.480 --> 01:07:10.480 And I think that's my take on it. 01:07:10.480 --> 01:07:13.440 I know people are like, oh yeah, it's special because we're the only ones. 01:07:13.440 --> 01:07:20.639 No, I wanted to open the door for many to go on and get up there just as well because I think now it's in Jacksonville or something. 01:07:20.639 --> 01:07:26.880 So I would love to take a drive over there and see Tommy leading the team to the state tournament. 01:07:26.880 --> 01:07:30.639 I would love to everybody to drive up. 01:07:30.639 --> 01:07:31.360 You know what I mean? 01:07:31.360 --> 01:07:36.000 Because if you think about what we did in that moment, it was unreal. 01:07:36.000 --> 01:07:39.119 We had people driving from Key West to Miami. 01:07:39.360 --> 01:07:40.639 Y'all shut the city down. 01:07:40.639 --> 01:07:42.000 Everybody was closed. 01:07:42.480 --> 01:07:44.400 No, I'm not talking about state tournament. 01:07:44.400 --> 01:07:45.920 I'm talking about pace. 01:07:45.920 --> 01:07:49.599 I don't think, I don't think nobody was, nobody left behind. 01:07:49.599 --> 01:07:52.000 I didn't go to, I don't think I went to school the next day. 01:07:52.000 --> 01:07:59.679 We had people driving to Pace, Gulliver Prep, the cheerleaders, the cheerleaders was doing overnight trips for our games. 01:07:59.679 --> 01:08:02.320 They was they was right behind the bus. 01:08:02.320 --> 01:08:06.480 I remember everybody traveled to see us play. 01:08:06.480 --> 01:08:07.199 You know what I mean? 01:08:07.199 --> 01:08:12.239 I think it I I won't say a movement, but we had motherfuckers moving to come watch us play. 01:08:12.239 --> 01:08:15.440 Key West to Miami is not no short trip. 01:08:15.440 --> 01:08:17.760 And we was playing beyond Miami. 01:08:17.760 --> 01:08:18.399 You know what I mean? 01:08:18.399 --> 01:08:19.760 We was going everywhere. 01:08:19.760 --> 01:08:20.880 We went to pace. 01:08:20.880 --> 01:08:25.279 It was just in that moment, it was regular to us. 01:08:25.279 --> 01:08:30.399 But after the moment, we see how special and what we kind of did and what we kind of left behind. 01:08:30.399 --> 01:08:34.720 And hopefully we leave back, you know what I mean, motivation for guys to get there. 01:08:34.720 --> 01:08:42.640 Or

we leave back, you know what I mean, inspiration for somebody to push themselves to not play professionally in Europe. 01:08:42.640 --> 01:08:46.880 Because I got when I was when I was with the Lakers when the Thunder, I got cut. 01:08:46.880 --> 01:08:51.119 I want to see somebody from Key West be on the team, 15-man roster. 01:08:51.119 --> 01:08:51.600 You know what I mean? 01:08:51.600 --> 01:08:56.079 I want to see somebody that I can go up, hey, young fella, sign this jersey for me. 01:08:56.079 --> 01:08:58.000 Or hey, look, I'm gonna come check you out. 01:08:58.000 --> 01:08:58.800 I don't want nothing. 01:08:58.800 --> 01:09:00.399 I just throw me a dry fit. 01:09:00.399 --> 01:09:03.600 I don't need nothing, no, no, no, no favors, no nothing. 01:09:03.600 --> 01:09:05.119 Just let me pull up and watch. 01:09:05.119 --> 01:09:05.760 Absolutely. 01:09:05.760 --> 01:09:11.039 And we we also we we have to understand that the whole community was behind us. 01:09:11.039 --> 01:09:17.840 Like, after every game, you gotta think, after every game, Eric Brown's mom used to make sure we was we was good and fed. 01:09:17.840 --> 01:09:19.199 She made sure we ate. 01:09:19.199 --> 01:09:28.800 Soon it win or lose, after every game for the two years I was there, I knew after the game Miss Brown was going to make sure we ate. 01:09:28.800 --> 01:09:32.960 You know, I knew that Miss Anita Butler was gonna be there with a hug. 01:09:32.960 --> 01:09:36.800 You know, the the the whole community was behind us and it was strong. 01:09:36.800 --> 01:09:38.880 And you know, we want to see that. 01:09:38.880 --> 01:09:42.880 That's when you're most connected, is when you're winning in the programs. 01:09:42.880 --> 01:09:45.680 Like you want it to be basketball as well as baseball. 01:09:45.680 --> 01:09:50.720 You want it to be to where these people, you know, these kids of color get out of that environment. 01:09:50.720 --> 01:09:54.000 It's okay to retire there, but explore the world. 01:09:54.000 --> 01:09:58.159 You you some of them don't go outside of traveling for sports. 01:09:58.159 --> 01:10:06.319 So winning allows you to do that, it allows you to see other places outside of your everyday norm. 01:10:06.319 --> 01:10:08.239 And we were seeing that all the time. 01:10:08.239 --> 01:10:20.399 Because I tell you what, each person in here was getting a cheeseburger and whatever they want after the game because uh Eric Brown's mom, and she made sure that she had them for us. 01:10:20.399 --> 01:10:22.720 And those were the small small gestures like that. 01:10:22.720 --> 01:10:25.119 And once you're just can't leave out like that. 01:10:25.119 --> 01:10:25.600 Yeah. 01:10:25.600 --> 01:10:29.279 So it was it was can't leave out, Miss Joey. 01:10:29.359 --> 01:10:30.880 It was collaborating all around. 01:10:31.199 --> 01:10:34.479 They win and winning win and give you win and give you an opportunity. 01:10:34.479 --> 01:10:36.079 All these kids need is

the opportunity. 01:10:36.079 --> 01:10:37.920 When you win, you're gonna get you a good opportunity. 01:10:37.920 --> 01:10:39.439 You just need one good opportunity. 01:10:39.439 --> 01:10:40.239 That's all you need. 01:10:40.960 --> 01:10:44.640 I would say, Miss Joey and Coach Tommy, that it was a bless. 01:10:44.640 --> 01:10:50.399 It's a blessing that we are remembered, but also we want to be a blessing for others. 01:10:50.399 --> 01:10:51.359 You know what I'm saying? 01:10:51.359 --> 01:11:03.039 That's why like I try to, and I think I think all of us, not only me, but I think we all would love to be a voice for the future. 01:11:03.039 --> 01:11:09.920 You know, I mean, so all you have to do is probably, I mean, well, all the up-and-coming generation has to do is just ask. 01:11:09.920 --> 01:11:11.520 You know, how did you guys win? 01:11:11.520 --> 01:11:12.319 You know what I'm saying? 01:11:12.319 --> 01:11:14.560 Like, what did you guys do to get there? 01:11:14.560 --> 01:11:15.680 Like, you know what I mean? 01:11:15.680 --> 01:11:19.600 Or like, what did it take you guys to get there? 01:11:19.600 --> 01:11:21.359 Like, like what was your role? 01:11:21.359 --> 01:11:24.560 Or, you know, how how much time did you have in the gym? 01:11:24.560 --> 01:11:34.880 Or so when things between you and Dominique and uh Demetrius and Boo, who did this, or Eric, well, what did Eric Brown do? 01:11:34.880 --> 01:11:45.439 We all we want to be a voice, but in order for us to be a voice for the community, like we put us in a place where we can be that. 01:11:45.439 --> 01:11:56.000 Because in order for us to be that, you got to approach us with that so we can be that force to help, not just like how we grew, but the up and coming future. 01:11:56.000 --> 01:11:59.039 We we want to see key west basketball history. 01:11:59.039 --> 01:12:00.239 We want to see that grow. 01:12:00.239 --> 01:12:01.039 You know what I mean? 01:12:01.039 --> 01:12:09.279 I would love, again, and I'm I'm with these guys, I would love to see someone else or another team go to the state championship. 01:12:09.279 --> 01:12:21.520 Because it would be great to see what they have, what they accomplished, but also it would be great to see that it's another, it was another great team out there that done something special that we've done. 01:12:21.520 --> 01:12:24.720 So yeah, man, it's it's a great, it's a blessing, man. 01:12:24.720 --> 01:12:38.239 I mean, I can't tell you, man, these guys are my brothers, but also I would love to see you or whoever in the near future take that program to that level of where that program can be. 01:12:38.239 --> 01:12:41.840 Because Key West is not only known for baseball, y'all. 01:12:41.840 --> 01:12:48.479 I know I'm on this, I'm I'm on this podcast, and I don't want to start no beef with baseball, football with anyone. 01:12:48.479 --> 01:12:51.600 Key West is also known for basketball, too. 01:12:51.600 --> 01:12:55.119 Because we have some great athletes that came out of there with basketball. 01:12:55.119 --> 01:12:55.680 We have. 01:12:56.000 --> 01:12:56.399 Absolutely. 01:12:56.399 --> 01:13:01.680 It's a very important part of our athletic history, and that's that's what all this is about. 01:13:01.680 --> 01:13:06.239 Coach Tommy, I know you're hearing all this, and you must want to go to the gym right now. 01:13:06.239 --> 01:13:06.960 Call the kids. 01:13:07.119 --> 01:13:08.399 Yeah, we're gonna practice, right? 01:13:08.399 --> 01:13:09.680 I'm about to call the kids. 01:13:09.680 --> 01:13:14.640 Hey, this group, this group right, I have right now, they'll they'll be in the gym. 01:13:14.640 --> 01:13:17.439 I said, hey God, me in there in 30 minutes, they'll be there. 01:13:17.439 --> 01:13:19.279 So that's one thing I can say about this group. 01:13:19.279 --> 01:13:20.000 They're hungry. 01:13:20.000 --> 01:13:22.720 And it's just I just, man, to be around this great. 01:13:22.720 --> 01:13:25.039 And it's like I said, I grew up with all these guys, man. 01:13:25.039 --> 01:13:26.720 I was the young, the young boy. 01:13:26.720 --> 01:13:31.199 So, but man, just to hear it and I got to see it a little bit, but I didn't really understand it. 01:13:31.199 --> 01:13:32.960 I was nine, nine years old. 01:13:32.960 --> 01:13:35.520 I didn't understand what they were doing until now. 01:13:35.520 --> 01:13:40.640 And it's just being older and being a coach myself and being close to the game of basketball. 01:13:40.640 --> 01:13:43.680 I kind of understood how important what they did was. 01:13:43.680 --> 01:13:46.159 You know, when I was so young, I didn't really understand it. 01:13:46.159 --> 01:13:49.359 But uh, you know, I just something came over me one day. 01:13:49.359 --> 01:13:51.600 I was with, I was actually with Keith McLeod. 01:13:51.600 --> 01:13:56.159 And I was just like, man, have anybody ever tapped back into y'all, honored y'all for anything? 01:13:56.159 --> 01:13:57.199 And he was like, nah. 01:13:57.199 --> 01:13:59.840 And I was just like, man, I'm I'm the coach now, man. 01:13:59.840 --> 01:14:04.000 I'm I'm I'm gonna change that because I I can't never let that be forgotten, man. 01:14:04.000 --> 01:14:05.680 Like win or lose, and I get it. 01:14:05.920 --> 01:14:06.479 You know, too. 01:14:06.880 --> 01:14:07.520 I get it. 01:14:07.760 --> 01:14:12.560 You know, I'm gonna say this, and I there's no hard feelings to anyone in the city of Key West. 01:14:12.560 --> 01:14:14.239 Yes, Lamar Moore said it. 01:14:14.239 --> 01:14:19.119 It hurts my feelings whenever I walk inside that gym and there's not a 2002. 01:14:19.119 --> 01:14:23.359 Even though we were the championship runner-up team, but there's not a banner in there. 01:14:23.359 --> 01:14:24.159 Let's say that. 01:14:24.159 --> 01:14:26.319 Doesn't even say people do their name. 01:14:27.600 --> 01:14:28.880 Do they have a bigger thing? 01:14:32.239 --> 01:14:42.800 I'm not gonna,

I'm not gonna Demetrius Dominique, do you guys see a banner in there right now that say 2002 State Runner of Champions? 01:14:46.720 --> 01:14:47.760 Look here, look here. 01:14:47.760 --> 01:14:56.399 So in November 20th, Friday night, November 20th, alumni night, who's gonna be able to, who's gonna be able to be there? 01:14:56.640 --> 01:14:57.680 We're gonna make it happen. 01:14:57.680 --> 01:14:59.760 Yeah, who that's the real question. 01:14:59.760 --> 01:15:00.960 Who coming? 01:15:00.960 --> 01:15:04.079 Well, I'm gonna make it, man. 01:15:04.079 --> 01:15:04.960 Oh, Eric. 01:15:04.960 --> 01:15:06.319 I know Eric's gonna be there. 01:15:06.319 --> 01:15:07.359 Boo, you're gonna be there. 01:15:07.359 --> 01:15:09.439 Boo's gonna be there. 01:15:09.439 --> 01:15:10.560 Lamar, what's up, man? 01:15:10.560 --> 01:15:12.960 Lamar is the one, man. 01:15:12.960 --> 01:15:13.359 I don't know. 01:15:13.359 --> 01:15:14.800 Lamar look, he's smiling. 01:15:14.800 --> 01:15:15.600 Look, come on. 01:15:16.079 --> 01:15:17.119 No, it would be great. 01:15:17.119 --> 01:15:18.319 It would be great to have a lot of. 01:15:24.479 --> 01:15:27.520 It's gonna be, it's gonna, it's going to be a special night, man. 01:15:27.520 --> 01:15:34.800 I mean, I mean, I'm not gonna do too much, but trust me, what you just said, it's been going through my mind. 01:15:34.800 --> 01:15:37.680 I I go, I'm in that gym every day, you know. 01:15:37.680 --> 01:15:50.239 I'm looking up in the Raptors, I'm seeing uh everything, and I'm just like, I can't believe there's there's nothing here to you know, especially, you know, I'm traveling, I'm going to Miami, I'm going to your St. 01:15:50.239 --> 01:15:55.920 Brendan's, I'm going to all your schools, and I'm seeing all the different banners up there about this team, this and that. 01:15:55.920 --> 01:15:57.840 I'm like, why don't we why haven't we done that? 01:15:58.000 --> 01:16:00.880 They got them for districts, regionals, they got them for everything. 01:16:01.039 --> 01:16:07.039 So I'm like, while I'm here and I'm the act, I'm the coach, I'm in charge of this, I'm gonna change that. 01:16:07.039 --> 01:16:11.840 So I'm yeah, I'm just just just come on November 20th, and you you might be surprised. 01:16:11.920 --> 01:16:18.800 You might see tell them to get us some hats and some some some hoodies so we can represent outside of them. 01:16:19.840 --> 01:16:22.399 I mean, no matter what, right, man. 01:16:23.359 --> 01:16:24.800 That that's easy work, man. 01:16:24.800 --> 01:16:26.000 I can get all that done. 01:16:26.000 --> 01:16:27.520 I like I want a black hoodie. 01:16:29.920 --> 01:16:32.560 So listen, fellas, this has been tremendous. 01:16:32.560 --> 01:16:35.279 I'm honored that you were all able to get together. 01:16:35.279 --> 01:16:37.760 I didn't know how many people were gonna be able to show up. 01:16:37.760 --> 01:16:40.720 This is an extension of that alumni night. 01:16:40.720 --> 01:16:52.079 If

you're not able to make it back, the messages that you dropped here today will definitely be in the hands of this team, the conk team that's getting ready to take the court here in a couple weeks. 01:16:52.079 --> 01:16:53.600 We're we're in November now. 01:16:53.600 --> 01:16:54.880 We've got a big season. 01:16:54.880 --> 01:17:03.359 I know you're looking forward to alumni night, but what other games are on the schedule for any conk fans that are listening that we we all need to show up? 01:17:03.520 --> 01:17:04.800 There's a there's a ton. 01:17:04.800 --> 01:17:05.600 Every night. 01:17:05.760 --> 01:17:06.960 We got plenty home games. 01:17:07.199 --> 01:17:11.600 I would say the first that first that first week we have Somerset. 01:17:11.600 --> 01:17:12.880 That's a district game now. 01:17:12.880 --> 01:17:15.920 So Somerset is now in our district, so that game's gonna be big. 01:17:16.239 --> 01:17:17.840 And that's that's alumni night. 01:17:18.000 --> 01:17:18.880 That's alumni night. 01:17:18.880 --> 01:17:20.720 We battle with them every year. 01:17:20.720 --> 01:17:23.680 So uh, you know, that's like they beat us in the face. 01:17:23.840 --> 01:17:24.159 That's a big thing. 01:17:24.640 --> 01:17:25.199 They beat us. 01:17:25.199 --> 01:17:26.399 They beat us last year. 01:17:26.399 --> 01:17:28.159 The year before that, we beat them. 01:17:28.159 --> 01:17:31.920 And it's like we're going back and forth with them, and then they just put them in our district. 01:17:31.920 --> 01:17:33.600 So that's a real big game. 01:17:33.600 --> 01:17:40.720 The Saturday game against Manatee, that's like a 6A school out of uh out of uh Naples or something like that. 01:17:40.720 --> 01:17:42.800 They came down here two years ago. 01:17:42.800 --> 01:17:46.079 they thought they were gonna beat up on us, and and we gave it to them. 01:17:46.079 --> 01:17:50.880 We ended up beating them by like 2025, and they were pissed, and they've been trying to come down here ever since. 01:17:50.880 --> 01:17:53.119 So that manatee game is huge. 01:17:53.119 --> 01:17:55.760 Westminster Christians coming down. 01:17:55.760 --> 01:17:59.039 Not the Westminster that y'all played, it's a different one. 01:17:59.039 --> 01:18:03.600 they got another one in Miami called Westminster Christian or something like that Academy. 01:18:03.600 --> 01:18:05.600 But we've been battling with them every year. 01:18:05.600 --> 01:18:08.960 We haven't quite beat them yet uh over the last three years, two, three years. 01:18:08.960 --> 01:18:11.760 So they'll be coming down, I think, in January. 01:18:11.760 --> 01:18:13.279 That's another big game. 01:18:13.279 --> 01:18:16.560 Other than that, man, it's just, I mean, you just got a ton of games. 01:18:16.560 --> 01:18:19.119 Man, we got some games that are away that are huge. 01:18:19.119 --> 01:18:21.279 But we got Homestead High first game. 01:18:21.279 --> 01:18:21.920 We got St. 01:18:21.920 --> 01:18:22.800 Thomas, St.

01:18:22.800 --> 01:18:23.840 Thomas Aquinas. 01:18:23.840 --> 01:18:29.279 They're they're number two in the state of Florida right now, and number like, probably like number 15 in nation. 01:18:29.279 --> 01:18:30.479 Good on you. 01:18:30.640 --> 01:18:32.319 That's we need to play those teams. 01:18:32.319 --> 01:18:34.640 They're talking about this on the map. 01:18:34.720 --> 01:18:37.279 That's how we're not gonna shy away from a challenge. 01:18:37.279 --> 01:18:40.159 You know, the coach wrote me and I said, let's get it done, man. 01:18:40.159 --> 01:18:40.720 You know, St. 01:18:40.720 --> 01:18:44.399 Thomas, they six, eight state champ, two years in a row, back to back. 01:18:44.399 --> 01:18:46.800 So, you know, we're gonna we're gonna see if we're gonna compete. 01:18:46.800 --> 01:18:48.399 Like the boy said, you gotta compete. 01:18:48.399 --> 01:18:50.800 You gotta play the best if you want to be the best. 01:18:50.800 --> 01:18:51.439 Absolutely. 01:18:51.680 --> 01:18:52.079 Absolutely. 01:18:52.079 --> 01:18:54.159 I think I think that's a mic drop moment. 01:18:54.159 --> 01:18:55.600 We could we could wrap it up there. 01:18:55.600 --> 01:19:01.039 Anyone have any final words, anything they want to say that that's on your tongue that you didn't get to say? 01:19:01.279 --> 01:19:01.600 I do. 01:19:01.600 --> 01:19:09.520 I wanna say that I don't think any of us five would be on this screen had it not been for the late great coach Bill Butler. 01:19:09.520 --> 01:19:13.760 You know, I gave him his flowers when he was here, I'm gonna give him his flowers now. 01:19:13.760 --> 01:19:15.119 He held us to a standard. 01:19:15.119 --> 01:19:16.880 He held us to a very high standard. 01:19:16.880 --> 01:19:19.840 He made sure that we held each other accountable. 01:19:19.840 --> 01:19:21.279 He held us accountable. 01:19:21.279 --> 01:19:23.039 He he he loved us. 01:19:23.039 --> 01:19:32.800 And I just think that he should, he's not, I mean, obviously, he's never gonna be forgotten, but he was very instrumental in this team. 01:19:32.800 --> 01:19:36.479 That's what I have to say to Long live Bill Butler. 01:19:37.359 --> 01:19:37.760 For sure. 01:19:38.159 --> 01:19:38.800 Beautiful way to do it. 01:19:39.039 --> 01:19:39.920 Long live Bill Butler. 01:19:39.920 --> 01:19:41.039 Long live Bill Butler. 01:19:41.039 --> 01:19:41.760 Coach Bill. 01:19:41.760 --> 01:19:42.560 Long live Coach. 01:19:42.560 --> 01:19:43.359 Coach Bill. 01:19:43.359 --> 01:19:57.760 See, Lamong was talking about reaching out and and and having the O2 team drop gems, since we wanted the only two teams to make it to drop gems on uh on the younger guys, but we didn't have to call nobody. 01:19:57.760 --> 01:19:59.359 We had it there in the gym with us. 01:19:59.359 --> 01:20:03.520 So we had an advantage there. 01:20:03.520 --> 01:20:10.239 He was the the imagine being the first team to go and win it and to the championship. 01:20:10.239 --> 01:20:15.039 Only a couple years after taking the the reins of the the program. 01:20:15.039 --> 01:20:15.439 Yeah. 01:20:15.439 --> 01:20:17.359 So I just want to give him his flowers. 01:20:17.520 --> 01:20:19.439 Give a shout out, gotta give him his flowers, man. 01:20:19.439 --> 01:20:20.560 I yeah, I love that. 01:20:20.560 --> 01:20:21.439 I thank you, Eric. 01:20:21.439 --> 01:20:22.079 It's a show. 01:20:23.439 --> 01:20:26.800 And I think I think that's a that's a good place to end it right there. 01:20:26.800 --> 01:20:28.960 So, gentlemen, thank you so much. 01:20:28.960 --> 01:20:30.479 I I appreciate it. 01:20:30.479 --> 01:20:39.680 I look forward to uh sharing this with the conk community, and congratulations on all your success after QSI and the great run. 01:20:39.680 --> 01:20:41.359 You're always part of our history. 01:20:41.520 --> 01:20:42.159 Go conk. 01:20:42.159 --> 01:20:46.399 Go Conchs, go Conchs, go conk. 01:20:46.800 --> 01:20:50.479 I'm Joy Newleich, and I appreciate you tuning into my podcast. 01:20:50.479 --> 01:20:56.399 If you enjoyed this episode, drop a review, share, and subscribe because there's a lot of good stuff on top. 01:20:56.399 --> 01:21:03.039 You can find more joyful content on YouTube, Instagram, or check my website at joynoolish.com. 01:21:03.039 --> 01:21:06.239 Or go surround yourself with the things that bring joy to your world. 01:21:06.239 --> 01:21:08.720 Until next time, what's up?