[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign
[00:00:04] Speaker B: to the Canadian basketball show your go to spot for the latest news stories and analysis on Canadian basketball. I'm your host, Lee Ban Osmond. We got a real legend joining us today. Played five seasons in the NBA, was a first round pick in a 2012 NBA Draft. The last player from Saint Bonaventure University to be selected in the NBA draft had stops with the Orlando Magic, the Washington Wizards, the Brooklyn Nets. It's Mississauga's very own Andrew Nicholson. Welcome to the show.
[00:00:32] Speaker A: Thanks for having me, man. Glad to be here.
[00:00:34] Speaker B: First off, I just want to give you your flowers.
[00:00:36] Speaker A: Oh, appreciate that.
[00:00:38] Speaker B: Alpha just before some Canadians like maybe thought you need to go to these top NCAA programs to get a look to become an NBA player.
Even though like say Bonaventure has a rich history. Yeah, I feel like what you did from a mid major school to get to the league going 19 impressive.
Kind of defied all of that talk, you know?
[00:01:03] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:01:04] Speaker B: Show that there's another path. Did you realize you were accomplishing like something that many weren't during that time, especially being Canadian and like, have you had time to kind of reflect on it?
[00:01:13] Speaker A: Yeah, I think I kind of realized it, I guess after my second year because originally I just went to the school just to get a scholarship to become a doctor, you know, that was, that was my goal.
I started with major in chemistry and that's really what got me to go to the school because they built a new chemistry building. Now I knew that they had a rich history of basketball so that was kind of like supplementary of my decision to go there. But I really wanted to get there to get a good education and then get a free education so my parents don't have to pay for it. But I guess after my first two years they were very strong, you know, rookie of the year, you know, second team.
And then my coach sat me down. He was like, hey Drew, you can be a pro, you know, if you really put your mind to it. And I think you can, you can do this. So that's when I kind of switched gears and I switched to. I switched to physics in that sense because physics was more, was more theory. And I had like one lab a week as opposed to chemistry having three labs a week. So I was able to focus more on, you know, my game. And I stayed every summer session. I got ahead of, I got ahead in classes and made my workload during the season a lot easier so I could, you know, focus more on getting better.
[00:02:21] Speaker B: Did you have any offers coming out?
[00:02:22] Speaker A: Not much. Honestly. I had A couple small mid major schools that are offering me nothing big, obviously. You know, I didn't go to. I didn't go to prep school. I didn't really play aau. I went to Father Gates. You know what I mean? I went to Father Gates and a coach found me. He heard of me and he came up, you know, drove through and a half hours to come watch our morning practice and then told the head coach about me. And I saw it as an opportunity to, like I said earlier, get an education. And that was really my goal.
[00:02:50] Speaker B: Talked about wanting to be a doctor. Did you know what type of doctor?
[00:02:52] Speaker A: Gastroenterology is what I wanted to do. I was really into that. I have a lot of doctors in my family. My mom, she was a trauma nurse at trillium for like 33 years. Right. So I was around that my whole life. I was around medicine and science and all that my whole life. So something that I wanted to continue.
[00:03:09] Speaker B: What was it like going to St. Bonavis? Because I asked that. I've been there.
[00:03:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:13] Speaker B: We did a podcast with Frank Mitchell.
[00:03:15] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:03:15] Speaker B: For the season started. Yeah. And just getting there. It's in the middle of nowhere.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: It is.
[00:03:20] Speaker B: You got to love, like, I was there. I'm like, you got to love basketball.
[00:03:23] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:24] Speaker B: To be here.
[00:03:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: And we went out there. Like I said, next time you go to Saint Bonaventure, don't ever take a Tesla.
[00:03:33] Speaker A: It's right.
[00:03:33] Speaker B: It took, literally, it doubles the trip.
[00:03:37] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:37] Speaker B: I don't want to shame anybody that made us take a Tesla, but, you know.
[00:03:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:03:41] Speaker B: Three hour drive turned into six hour drive. But we had a time. Wow. But when I got there, I'm like, there is nothing to do here. Focus on school and focus on basketball.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: Was.
[00:03:50] Speaker B: Was that what was like for you?
[00:03:51] Speaker A: Oh, 100, man. You're just. You're just locked in. Like I said, there's not a lot of distractions.
The people in the town, you know, they're very friendly. There's not a lot of them, but they're very friendly. The games are packed. I feel as though there's more people in the gym than there is in the town, to be honest with you. But.
[00:04:05] Speaker B: But they love this.
[00:04:06] Speaker A: They love it, man. They it. They're the biggest supporters.
The student section was phenomenal. Definitely a hard place to play. And because it was so easy for you to lock in, you know, there's no distractions like doing homework and getting in the gym was. Was easy. You know, I didn't have to worry about going out and doing all this stuff I was just, you know, school gym, wash, rinse, repeat, really, that was about it.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: Did you have any guys that you kind of like, fold, like sort of like a blueprint? Now I'm looking at it. Like, there's so many guys that give back. Like, I'm looking at Dylan Brooks, you know, there's a blueprint over there. People can look at him, follow, like, what they've done, you know. But during your time, was there anybody that you kind of looked at was like, hey, they're doing it. Let me follow their, like, trajectory and like, get to where they're getting. Or was it kind of tough being one of the only few Canadians?
[00:04:53] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I kind of wanted to create my own path, honestly. I wanted to be able to, you know, be successful and then create a path for the younger generation because I, I saw, you know, the opportunity to go to Bonaventure would be something that would elevate my, you know, my experience not only in life, but in basketball. Right. So I wanted to, you know, create my own path and let these guys know that, you know, you can do it the hard way too. Like, I didn't necessarily go to prep school, like I said earlier. I didn't do any of the flashy stuff. Like you can be a regular guy, you go into regular school, get an opportunity, go to a mid major, doesn't even have to be high. All you gotta do is just be successful. Now you're, your journey is going to be a little tougher, you got more to prove, so you have to be successful. So just want to let guys know, like, it's, it's possible.
[00:05:37] Speaker B: Yeah, mentioned. Obviously not highly recruited, but I work at the Toronto Star and I was reading back some of the archives and I'm like, this guy was high school All Star in 07 08. You were also, like, named MVP on like, five different tournaments. I'm like, damn. Like, this is, I don't know what you remember about with that, but what was it like growing up during that time? Was it harder as a Canadian during that time? And what was it like trying to get noticed by these college coaches?
[00:06:02] Speaker A: Yeah, I think, I think it was harder because, you know, the visibility in basketball Canada wasn't really that high at that time. Obviously now, you know, there's, there's more social media, there's more opportunities, there's, there's more talent, I would say so back then, you know, you had a, you had a chip on your shoulder. You know, we were known as a hockey country. You Know, our basketball team was just starting to grow.
Like, even with the national team, we were starting to grow. We're starting to get better. We saw that there was a lot of opportunity for the program to be great, and I was glad to be a part of the team.
Play, like, nine years on it. Nine, ten years or something like that. And then, you know, just watching the team grow to where it is now.
[00:06:37] Speaker B: Yeah. You graduated with degree in physics.
[00:06:39] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:06:41] Speaker B: How proud was your family? Because I'll be honest, I graduated with a journalism degree, and they're still trying to get me to go back to school.
[00:06:46] Speaker A: If I was you, it'd be different,
[00:06:47] Speaker B: you know, like, what was that, like, fault you talked about? Your family obviously had that lineage, doing that. What was that like, following that and also, like, juggling being a talented player.
[00:06:57] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:58] Speaker B: Major awards.
[00:06:59] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:07:00] Speaker B: And then you're taking physics classes.
[00:07:02] Speaker A: Honestly, that was the most impressive part. Being able to do the NCAA and do physics at the same time. Me finding a way to have great time management. And that comes from a lot of discipline. You know, you got to know what your priorities are. You know, you're there for school. You're there to make the program win. If you don't play well, they don't win. So there's a lot of.
There's a lot of pressure to be. To be great. You know what I mean? Pressure does make greatness. Right. So I was able to prioritize my time. Like, I knew from Monday to Monday to Friday, I'm just locked in, locked in on school, locked in on basketball Saturday. Now, if I had time to hang out with my friend, I still had a college life, Right. But I balanced it. So I did my thing on Saturday, and then Sunday, it was just right back and locked in, locked in. So I was proud that I was able to, you know, get that achievement. I could have came out probably my third year, but I was like, you know, I got one more year now. Let me come back, get the degree, get better, get bigger and stronger, get more experience, and then be able to, you know, show the world that, yo, it's. It's possible, you know?
[00:08:01] Speaker B: Yeah. What would Andrew Nickerson be like in the Nil era?
[00:08:08] Speaker A: Like I said earlier, like, I was a pro kid on a scholarship now, right? So these guys now are getting paid so much money. I'm happy for them, but I think I. I think I would have got a decent amount of money. I was. I was young, I was athletic, I was scoring the ball. It would have been great. It probably Would have been a different story, too. Right. So I'm kind of still happy that my path was. Was my path. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Yeah, this. Maybe I could have been better, maybe I could have been worse, but I think the path that was given to me, I made the best out of it, and I was able to be where I am today.
[00:08:37] Speaker B: What do you like about Nil? Maybe dislike seeing it from afar now. And I think about, like, guys like Mike Bongo got the short end of stick. True. Now, you know, like going on a trip to Cleveland. Like, that's a standard, like, just to work out.
[00:08:51] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:08:52] Speaker B: We had him on a pod, talked about it. But for you, as someone that's out of it, like, what do you dislike? What do you like?
[00:08:59] Speaker A: The good. Okay, I'll give the good and bad. The good. I like about it that the kids are getting what they're. They're getting compensated.
[00:09:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:09:05] Speaker A: You know, I mean, for. For their talents. You know, they're making a lot of money. They're making enough money to, you know, get their family out of situations, you know, provide themselves opportunities to make their families better, make their lives better. Like, it's great. I'm happy they're getting compensated. But now the bad part is this kind of takes the essence out of college basketball, you know, like, when I'm in college, like, I know I'm not getting paid directly, but I know that it's, you know, me and my teammates were. We're fighting for the. The brand of the school. Now it's more like free agency. And, like, guys are going to be in and out. You don't know how they're going to stay, you know, and it's hard for alumni to actually connect with them, you know what I mean? Because, like, kids aren't staying four years anymore. You know, a guy comes in for one year, then he's out, and he's going to another school and he's out. So it's like, for the alumni and like the boosters and stuff, hard for them to connect for the program, and it is more of a business, but I see the good and bad in both of it, and that's going to be in any situation. You know what I mean?
[00:09:56] Speaker B: Yeah, it's like the. It's a lack of loyalty, right?
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:09:59] Speaker B: 100 on both sides. It's like, what have you done for me lately? And then also it's like, hey, yeah, I'm going to leave you. Don't up what they're. They're Paying.
[00:10:08] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:10:08] Speaker B: So it's a business.
[00:10:09] Speaker A: At the end of the day, it's a business. I get it. But it just. Man, when I was playing, like, we weren't like, we're all broke, man, and we're just.
We just know we got to go out there and we got to win a game. We got to win a game and we got to, you know, put on for the school.
[00:10:22] Speaker B: Yeah. What would be your first purchase? So you say the bag comes, hits the.
[00:10:26] Speaker A: As a kid.
[00:10:27] Speaker B: It hits. Yeah, it hits the account. What are you. What are you splurging on?
[00:10:30] Speaker A: That's the thing. As an 18 year old, making that
[00:10:32] Speaker B: like, what did you want at that time?
[00:10:34] Speaker A: The thing is, I don't even know if I. If I knew what I wanted, you know, I mean, I know what I probably needed, but would I get that? You know what I mean? Because my mind is not where. Where it is now, you know, I'm not really, like, back then, I didn't really know what an asset and a liability was, so I probably would have spent the money and bought something stupid.
[00:10:50] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: You know what I mean? And then that would have trickled down to a snowball effect and I just keep going and going and going.
So at that time, I probably would have got a car or something like that. Point, like, do I need one?
[00:11:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:02] Speaker A: Especially at St. Vin, I don't think I really needed one, you know, maybe
[00:11:06] Speaker B: to get back from Toronto, you know, just don't get a Tesla.
[00:11:08] Speaker A: Yeah. But things. I stay. I stayed there the whole time.
So I came back to Toronto maybe two or three weeks out of the whole year.
So summer school, I was there. Wintertime, I was there.
Yeah. Definitely wouldn't have got a test. I don't think I could fit in one.
[00:11:21] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. When did the moment hit you? You talked about your coaches, like, approaching you saying after year two, like, you can make the league. But when did it hit you personally? That was like, I have a chance.
[00:11:31] Speaker A: It hit me after he confirmed it. It kind of hit me. I think during my second season, I was like, you know, maybe I can do it, but I need someone to like, reinforce that. And I thank coach to this day for actually doing that for me because. Because I probably would have just been like, okay, I'm just good at basketball, but I'm still here to become a doc, you know what I mean? So him confirming that showed me that, you know, I can do it, I can do it. And I just kept working at it, kept being diligent. Like I said earlier, discipline and consistency. That's what's going to make you to be, you know, a professional. That's a professional mindset. So the amount of hook shots I shot every summer is crazy. That's why my hook is nice. I'll be honest with you. I shot so many left, so many right, I knew they were going to take my right hand away. So I worked on spinning to my left, and now it came to a point where I just get to my spot. You know, I just got to be able to get strong enough to get to my spot. So that's what I worked on my third year, working on my strength. Then I got to my spot, I started making hooks, and the double teams kept coming. So now I'm like, okay, I got to do something else. What do I work on? So my last season, my last summer, there a lot of threes shooting, threes shooting, mid ranges, shooting fadeaways and all that. So I just kept building and building and building and applying it to the game. That's one thing I really want the younger generation to start doing. Is this all the stuff that you're working on, if you don't apply, it doesn't mean anything. So I would pick one.
One major thing I want to get better at in the summer and then one, like, supplementary thing I want to get good at. So like I said earlier, it was my hook shot. So I just focused on that, only focusing on that and then maybe, you know, a couple dribble moves or whatever just to, you know, supplement that. But, you know, once I got better at that, I started working on applying it. So when we did open gym and open runs, those are the only moves I'd focus on. Like, I'm gonna make five right hooks this game. I have to. If I don't, if I don't make it, I didn't win. Even if I lost the game, if I won the game and I didn't make my hooks, I'd be mad. You know what I mean? So that's kind of like applying your stuff and that's what translates to make you getting better.
[00:13:27] Speaker B: Yeah. Spend four years, you talked about it, kind of honing on your skills every year, improving.
[00:13:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:13:32] Speaker B: And I kind of look at it like going back to nil for a second. It's like, now that players are getting paid, first round picks, late first round picks, are going back to school because the money's higher. Is that a good thing? Where it's like now, like, you're sort of more polished as a player. Like, what do you recommend like so many one and dones, you know, unless you're like a top guy, you're not gonna go one and done anymore. Like, what's your whole thought process on that? And maybe seeing guys in the past goal one and done. The stories that you've heard and which is four years is like, is that, is that what. Are you happy with that scene, seeing that model kind of go back?
[00:14:09] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, honestly, now that because it's just such a business, I'm just going to be on the player side because I understand that, you know, if you have to be one and done, there is a better opportunity. I get it. You know, I mean, like, it's, it's a business.
So if you need to stay one and done or you need to stay four years, do what is best for you and your situation so that you can be taken care of, you know, and protected throughout your career. Because you never know. If you leave then, you know, maybe you could have made more money going back and you, you took that, you disqualified that. Right. Or if you stay, maybe you're taking away another opportunity playing overseas and making some good money. Right. So whatever is best for the player situation. I advocate for. I'm an advocate for.
[00:14:50] Speaker B: I love that. Well, in your four years at Saint Bonaventure, was it like a fair moment that you had?
[00:14:55] Speaker A: Winning the A10 ship, man, that was, that was first in school history.
[00:14:58] Speaker B: What was the atmosphere like?
[00:14:59] Speaker A: It was, it was, it was surreal. It was like a dream. Like we beat a team that would slap us all four years. Xavier, we never beat them. That was the first time we beat them. And I think we had, we had, obviously we had a lot of momentum going into it because we beat UMass before and then we beat St. Joe's two really, really good teams. And then we were like, yeah, we're here, you know, and I think maybe Xavier kind of, they maybe took us for granted, but we came out with a vengeance and we just destroyed them.
[00:15:28] Speaker B: You graduate and after your four years project to be a first round pick.
[00:15:34] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:15:35] Speaker B: When you see your name on like mock drafts, all that kind of stuff, were you paying attention to that kind of stuff? And like, what was that like, seeing your name? It's like, hey, I'm a first round pick. Guarantee.
[00:15:45] Speaker A: Yeah, Yeah, I saw it. I saw it, you know, go up and down, up and down. Throughout the whole season. I was, I was excited and that kind of motivated me more to become, you know, better. I just kept challenging myself. I'm like, okay, now I, I know I'M there. How do I solidify it and make sure that I actually do get drafted and go to a good situation where I can be successful?
[00:16:06] Speaker B: What was the combat like? I'm guessing you're interviewing with a bunch of teams throughout that. Do you remember what was that like? Did you play in the scrimmage at all?
[00:16:13] Speaker A: I did not play in the scrimmage.
[00:16:15] Speaker B: No one. No one plays in the scrimmage these days. But, like, I'm guessing you're interviewing with teams, talking.
[00:16:19] Speaker A: Yeah, it was funny. So I was. So, like, I started playing, like, basketball seriously at grade 11, grade 10, grade 11 of high school. So I wasn't familiar with, like, the whole, like, basketball culture and all that. So guys are going into the team interviews and, like, suit and ties and suitcases. I got my old Bonaventure T shirt in a backpack, right? So I'm like, damn, was I supposed to. Like, was I supposed to dress up? You know what I mean? So I came, and I just. I just. Was just myself. And I think the teams love that. And a lot of that was a lot of feedback. They're like, you know, my agent will call me, like, yeah, Drew. They just said, like, you're. You're being yourself, being genuine. I was like, I mean, I don't know what else to do. You know, this is. That's just me. So just being around that atmosphere, you know, they're asking you a lot of questions. You know, I had a clean slate, and they kind of knew that, you know, this sport was, like, new to me. So that time I was playing, what, maybe like, seven, eight years in. Wow. Like, I played before that, like, obviously, but not, like, competitively. Like, I'd recess, like, shoot around or do whatever, but nothing competitively. But, you know, seeing the. The different teams, you know, you know, going to different cities, it was. It was good. It was great, great experience.
[00:17:23] Speaker B: Did a team ask you any crazy questions? I hear a lot of stories about teams trying to throw players off in their interview process. You know, like. Like, question that someone asked you that was like, oh, my. Like, you still remember to this? Yeah.
[00:17:34] Speaker A: They asked like, do you have any kids? You drugs and all this stuff? And I'm like, I went to Bonaventure. Nah, man, I didn't do any of that.
I didn't do any of that, man. I was.
I was just a regular kid from Mississauga, you know, this is all new to me. I just want to. I just want to be good, you know? So just give me a. Give me a chance. Yeah.
[00:17:52] Speaker B: For me, the draft process is so fascinating because you work out for a dozen. How many teams did you work out for? Do you remember?
[00:17:59] Speaker A: I did 12.
[00:18:00] Speaker B: 12.
[00:18:01] Speaker A: I did 12 teams. City.
[00:18:02] Speaker B: The city.
[00:18:02] Speaker A: City. City. Yeah. Mostly on the East Coast.
[00:18:05] Speaker B: Was there a workout that you killed,
[00:18:06] Speaker A: that you're like, oh, yeah, Orlando. I killed. Okay. Okc. I killed. OKC was a really good one.
[00:18:13] Speaker B: Do you remember who was in those workouts?
[00:18:15] Speaker A: Who's in my okc? I know Draymond was in my workout.
[00:18:18] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:21] Speaker A: There was another guy, Perry Jones, in my workout.
[00:18:24] Speaker B: Perry Jones might have been him and
[00:18:28] Speaker A: a couple other guys. Yeah, that was a good workout. That was a really good one. But that gm, he was the assistant GM of that workout. And he went to Orlando the year they drafted me. So he told me. That's a big reason why they picked me, because I had a good. I had a good.
[00:18:42] Speaker B: For you. Was there a crazy workout? Like, I hear a lot of horror stories sometimes, like teams, you have to run a certain.
I know Boston's notorious for that kind of stuff.
[00:18:50] Speaker A: Yeah. Boston does a three minute run.
[00:18:52] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:53] Speaker A: That's not terrible. But Miami, oh, my gosh.
Full court, one on one.
[00:18:57] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, I was.
[00:18:58] Speaker A: That was. That was tough. And they had this one drill where, you know, they got the two cones on like the wings, where you gotta run, sprint. One guy's on offense, on defense, gotta come contest.
Yeah, a lot of guys got dunked on that one. But, you know, it was.
That was a tough workout. Miami is very tough. Houston was two hours. Houston was like a two hour practice.
[00:19:16] Speaker B: Yeah. Did you work out for Toronto?
[00:19:18] Speaker A: I did not know.
[00:19:19] Speaker B: No. Okay. Okay. You mentioned Draymond. I know. I'm not gonna rehash the stuff that he said, but I wanna.
[00:19:25] Speaker A: He talks about everybody.
[00:19:27] Speaker B: But what could he tell me about the workout with him? Was he, like, talking to. Is that. Has he been the same Draymond that, you know, you saw me.
[00:19:33] Speaker A: You know, it's funny, because I remember I had a workout with him in Boston and we. We went to the convenience store with.
I think, like, I bought him a bag of chips or he bought me a bag of chips.
[00:19:42] Speaker B: Oh, you guys were vibing.
[00:19:43] Speaker A: We were cool. It was a vibe. Yeah. Then we had a nice little talk after. But, you know, I guess, I mean, the league changes you sometimes, right? But I. I get why he's doing it. Maybe it's a publicity stunt. I don't know.
I'm not his publicist. Whatever. Or maybe the insecure. Insecurities. Loud. I don't know, you know, but I don't like to put other people down just so I can make myself look better. And that's something he's doing. I'm cool with that. But no, I was cool with him before. That's why when he made those comments, I was like, well, okay, yeah, that's crazy.
[00:20:10] Speaker B: You bought him a bag of chips.
[00:20:12] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:20:12] Speaker B: And the guys. That's.
But that's. That's Jim. Especially now, you think about, like, all the.
The player podcasts and stuff, everybody wanting a voice.
[00:20:20] Speaker A: Everyone's doing it. Yeah.
[00:20:21] Speaker B: It's.
Do you. You talked about the workout in Orlando going so well. Did you. Were you like, okay, this team is going to pick me? Like, did. Like when. When 19 came.
[00:20:32] Speaker A: Was like, I was very confident. I thought Houston was going to pick me too, because I had a really good one there. Do you remember they picked Royce White? They had, I want to say 16. I could be wrong. Yeah, 16 or 15.
[00:20:43] Speaker B: What's that, like, the weight? Because I. I've covered the last few drafts and, like, the way is pretty long. Like, you're there in person and it's like. Yeah, sometimes it's like you're waiting two and a half hours for it to be called. Even if you're like a top 20 pick, like the first pick, you're out of there in the first few minutes. Right. But after that, like, I can't imagine what it's like to be a second round pick. Now they got. They split it up where it's like two days. Two days, right?
[00:21:07] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:07] Speaker B: But previously it wasn't like that. What was it like waiting for your name, even though it's like you got picked pretty high, too. It's like, it's a long process.
[00:21:16] Speaker A: Well, again, with me, like, I was. I was all new to this, so I didn't go to New York or wherever they had it. I had it here in Toronto.
[00:21:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: Yeah. I. I just threw a party at Real Sports Bar.
And I remember, like, all my bond adventure people came up, my family came up, and I knew I was going to go first round. But, you know, I guess traditionally if you're a first rounder, you go to there, you shake David Stern's hand. But I just wanted to have it in New York. So I've been traveling for like 12 teams. I was like, I just want to go home, celebrate with the family. Right. So we did that and we were sitting down and there's a video on YouTube. I remember I still have the picture.
[00:21:48] Speaker B: I was going to ask you about that to Me, you have the best reaction I've ever seen to a player getting drafted.
[00:21:54] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:55] Speaker B: I think you, like, you jumped up in the air, you fist pumped it.
[00:21:57] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:58] Speaker B: Like it was like, yeah, like, what was that like? Because nowadays teams will call the agent and tell a player, like, you're about to get drafted.
[00:22:06] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:06] Speaker B: It seemed like you just generally realized, like from the tv, you got drafted.
[00:22:10] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. I, like I said I thought I was like, maybe like 15, like 23. I thought I was going to go. So during that time, I was just. Heart just pounding when I heard my name. I was like, yes, I heard, you know, it was Orlando, it's Florida, it's warm Disney World, you know, all that good stuff. You know, it's. I was there a lot.
[00:22:26] Speaker B: Yeah. What was that moment like with the family and all the friends in the city? Like, I guess it's probably one of the best moments of your life.
[00:22:33] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what, that's how you, I think you, you'd want to have it, you know, your closest people around you who supported you the whole journey and this just being there with them and they can celebrate that moment that you can't probably ever recreate ever again.
[00:22:46] Speaker B: You know, I mean, did you feel any pressure coming into the league? Like, being one of the only Canadians? I think there was like two other Canadians drafted that year in there.
[00:22:52] Speaker A: Chris Joseph.
[00:22:53] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:54] Speaker A: And who was the other one?
[00:22:58] Speaker B: It might have been Robert Sacri.
[00:23:00] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:23:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:01] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:23:03] Speaker B: They got the year before you come in another first round pick, all the success, everyone's like, oh, can I got some talent?
[00:23:09] Speaker A: We're coming. Yeah.
[00:23:10] Speaker B: What was that like for you? And like, seeing that, um, was there, was there pressure at all?
[00:23:14] Speaker A: I mean, for me being Canadian, like I said, we weren't really known for basketball at that time, so I, I would say so there was some pressure to prove that, you know, we got some Hoopers up here. And then we were just wanting to, you know, pave the path for the young guys to come in.
[00:23:28] Speaker B: Is there something you wish you knew about the NBA before you. You got it. Cause some people like you, you can't really know what the league is like until you're fully immersed in it.
[00:23:36] Speaker A: Just the grind, man, 82 games is tough. My rookie year, I remember just waking up in February and I'm like, my body's just, oh, the rookie wall, he's dead.
Yeah. We had practice and I was like, man, how am I gonna get through this? So that's when I was like, you know, I gotta start Eating right, getting better, rest, taking care of myself, you know, because it's very, it's very hard to maintain that through a grueling season. As you see, there's, even in the playoffs, there's a lot of injuries. Right. So it's hard to.
Hard to maintain your body and make sure that you're, you're solid. That's why the summer is very important.
Summer's important to build that base so you can survive the, the regular season.
[00:24:11] Speaker B: Do you remember your first basket in that moment?
[00:24:14] Speaker A: My first basket preseason, we were in Mexico City playing against the Pelicans. Were they the Pelicans at the time or maybe the Hornets? New Orleans. We're playing against AD and I had a. I just had a simple put back. So tipping, simple tip. And that was my first bucket.
[00:24:30] Speaker B: Just relief off your.
[00:24:31] Speaker A: Yeah. I was like, yeah, got it done. I'm in there.
[00:24:35] Speaker B: Was there a player that you guarded that was like.
I watched you on tv. Yeah, but in person, respect.
[00:24:43] Speaker A: Yeah, respect. Al Jefferson was tough, man. Utah Al Jefferson? Yeah.
[00:24:47] Speaker B: Oh, people don't know about that.
[00:24:49] Speaker A: Tough man. Crazy footwork. All right hand, tough to guard.
[00:24:52] Speaker B: Great touch.
[00:24:53] Speaker A: Boogie was tough too. Sacramento Boogie.
[00:24:55] Speaker B: Oh, man.
[00:24:55] Speaker A: Yeah. He was so talented. Knew how to move.
Just. Bro, he'd score on you and just, just talk shit and it's like, what can you say?
Damn.
[00:25:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
You get to Orlando, what's your first impressions? Completely different. Toronto, I would say the weather also.
[00:25:11] Speaker A: Weather's phenomenal.
[00:25:12] Speaker B: Sorry. All year.
[00:25:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:25:13] Speaker B: I could live in. I could retire.
[00:25:14] Speaker A: Oh, it's so warm, man. It's very warm. The facility. I know they had done some renovations to it, so it was relatively new.
Smaller, smaller downtown core.
I could actually walk to practice, which was, which is very good. They advised me not to, but I ended up getting a car down there and I drive like 45 seconds to it. So.
No, Orlando was great. Phenomenal spot.
[00:25:39] Speaker B: What was your first big purchase in the league?
[00:25:42] Speaker A: First big porches. It's funny, they used to call me cheap because I always wanted to save my money because I didn't know what my next contract was going to be. So I actually rented a simple two bedroom and my first purchase was a BMW 5 Series, which I thought was nice.
[00:25:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:25:58] Speaker A: But you know, it was a little tight. Like I said, trying to, you know, I didn't know what my next contract was going to be. So they'd always clown me like, why are you driving a 5 Series? I'm like, I don't know. I. I thought it was good. Should I get Something better.
[00:26:10] Speaker B: What was everybody else driving, bro?
[00:26:12] Speaker A: These guys were driving cars, man. I remember Jir had a lot of nice cars to. He had a G Wagon. He had. Oh, man, he had so many cars, man. Like, obviously they're vets. They've been doing it for so long, right? But I ended up upgrading to. To a 7 series and as was a guy. Is that okay? You know, like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Get the approval. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was that. That was really it. That was my first one. Yeah.
[00:26:32] Speaker B: Did you have a vet that kind of took you in early on that was like, hey, Andrew, I'm gonna show you the ropes. This is what it. What it's like to be a pro or anything like that?
[00:26:39] Speaker A: No, actually, no, I didn't. I did not have that. We were a relatively young team, and we were rebuilding, so a lot of the mistakes I had to learn on my own. A lot I had to learn on my own. And we always, like, the young guys, we. We leaned on each other a lot. Right, so what'd you learn early on?
[00:26:53] Speaker B: Just, like, about, like, what not to do. And because you get to the league, it's like, I wouldn't say your life changes completely, but as an NBA player, I wouldn't say they have stuff kind of handed to them. But it's this level of, like, we want you to be the best you can be. That's right. So don't lay a finger type of thing. What did you learn about that? Kind of like how maybe easy it was to get access to things or whatever it is.
[00:27:22] Speaker A: It's very easy, honestly. I mean, you're the cream of the crop, the basketball world, right? So everything was pretty much done for you and just had to get used to that. Obviously, being a rookie and a younger guy, I had to be, you know, one of the first ones on the court, last ones to leave just to show some, you know, humility, which obviously makes sense.
And I was able to just get better that way, you know, doing extra shots, extra lifts. You know, Bill Burgos, he was my strength and conditioning guy. I still talk to him to this day. I learned a lot from him, a lot from him in terms of, like, strength and wellness and this keeping your body well. So I was. It's funny, they have this award called the Golden Hammer, where if you play over, I think it's like 72 games or something. Like, it's durability. It shows durability. And I thank him all the time. I still have it in my office at home for winning all those I won those, like, multiple years because I was. I was healthy, no injuries.
[00:28:15] Speaker B: Yeah. You entered free agency in 2016.
[00:28:18] Speaker A: 2016, that's right.
[00:28:19] Speaker B: What was that like in terms of your options and kind of figure out, like, what's best?
[00:28:24] Speaker A: For me, that was great. I had a great fourth year, actually. That was a great year. Going into.
Into free agency. I remember I locked in, didn't go out, stayed home, worked on my body. I Even on road trips, I literally just grabbed dinner, go home, watch a ton of anime. That's literally all I did, man.
At that time, I was watching Naruto like a. Like a. Yeah, bro. Like a disciple, bro. The whole season. Didn't do anything. Didn't do anything. I just locked in. I just locked in. Right. So it paid off. It paid off. I had no distractions, had a great season. And because of that, I did. I did have a couple options. You know, my agent came to me, he's like, you know, Washington wants to give you an offer. It can be a one year, two year, three or four year, you know, guaranteed. You can bet on yourself, do one year and see what the market's going to be next. Because that was the year the TV deal went in. That's when all the money went exponentially.
[00:29:15] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:29:16] Speaker A: And I was like, bird in the hand is worth more. Two in the bush. Right. So I'm like, let me take the four year and just, you know, just. Just go with it. So I took the four year. You know, that was. That was pressure, a little pressure off me. And I just started to, you know, just get adapted to how Washington style of play was.
[00:29:34] Speaker B: Yeah. What was different about Washington and Orlando during that time? And Washington, I think, was competing during those years.
[00:29:42] Speaker A: They were. Yeah, they had different. They had more vets. It was a different style, different coach.
And I mean, just getting used to the city too, in the environment was something that I had to get used to.
[00:29:52] Speaker B: This is my, like I describe it. Correct me if I'm wrong. People laugh at me when I say this. I call it like the. It's New York but cleaner and it's like less crowded.
[00:30:01] Speaker A: I could say that. Yeah, that makes sense.
[00:30:02] Speaker B: You got your monuments, you got your like sightseeing stuff.
[00:30:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:05] Speaker B: But it's like a lot more chill. You can kind of get out the city.
[00:30:08] Speaker A: That's right. That's right. And most of the people in D.C. aren't really from there. They're from Virginia or Maryland. So, like. Yeah, at nighttime it's a ghost town.
[00:30:16] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:30:16] Speaker A: But during the day, it's it's crazy.
[00:30:18] Speaker B: Like New York, New York. Like, no one lives in.
[00:30:21] Speaker A: Yeah, that's right.
[00:30:21] Speaker B: You know, everyone's like, traveling outside.
[00:30:23] Speaker A: That's right. That's right.
[00:30:23] Speaker B: How'd you find out you're heading to Brooklyn? Tell me about that.
[00:30:26] Speaker A: So I. I know that they traded me for.
What's his name? Was it Crab? Yeah. They needed a win because I remember Scott Brooks, he was more of like a small ball kind of player. And I was, at that time was a power forward. More like a low post power forward. Right. So I didn't really fit into his style of playing his rotation. So they needed more of, like a stretch for. So I remember they. They swapped us, and I ended up going to. Going to Brooklyn, who again, was rebuilding. But at that time, like, I signed the contract, I already signed the big deal, and I'm just like, okay, if that's what you want. I'm just gonna try and make the best out of that situation.
[00:31:03] Speaker B: Yeah, it was Marcus Thornton, first round. Thornton Ludanovich, Chris McCullough.
[00:31:08] Speaker A: Yes, that's right.
[00:31:09] Speaker B: Those guys.
[00:31:10] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:31:11] Speaker B: Brooklyn.
[00:31:12] Speaker A: Brooklyn. Yeah.
[00:31:13] Speaker B: Did you think you're gonna be there long?
[00:31:15] Speaker A: No, I knew I wasn't gonna be there long. Yeah, they were rebuilding. I think they already had their guys. I didn't play much there. Actually, it was towards the end of the season. Their season was already done, and they were just in a rebuild phase.
[00:31:26] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:31:26] Speaker A: So then.
[00:31:27] Speaker B: Yeah, because I think fans kind of see, like, they look at the league and it's like, oh, this glamorous thing. But a lot of guys, like, I think the lifespan in the league is like four years, you know?
[00:31:37] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:31:37] Speaker B: You did five years. Yeah. Amazing. Like, what's the hardest part about, like, surviving in the NBA that people don't realize it's.
[00:31:45] Speaker A: It could be opportunity.
[00:31:46] Speaker B: That's good. I was gonna say, too, because opportunity, a lot of it, too, from my understanding, is like, you can have a coach that loves you, watch your style, play.
[00:31:53] Speaker A: That was my situation.
[00:31:55] Speaker B: I'll pay you. Excellent. I'll play you 20 minutes, like 30 minutes, whatever it is.
[00:31:58] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:59] Speaker B: And then sometimes it's like, hey, we want to move in a completely different direction.
[00:32:03] Speaker A: 100. That was my situation. Yeah. My fourth year, I had a coach that led my game, and then I went to a team where a coach didn't really like my game. So it's like your opportunity was very, like, really diminished. And, you know, it's the NBA. Everyone's a good player. If they get an opportunity, they'll Be good enough. You know what I mean? So it's.
That's just how it is. I mean, and it's a business, you know, if that's how they want to run the team, I. I have no. No problem with that.
[00:32:27] Speaker B: The business side, what'd you learn about the business side of the league? And did you realize it was like, this is really just.
Yeah, it is about basketball.
[00:32:36] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:36] Speaker B: But it's also a whole different game, too.
[00:32:38] Speaker A: It is. I mean, like, you pay the guys the most money, they're going to play, and it makes sense. You're giving them a lot of what's in. What's in the. What's in the bank. Right. So you have to. Have to justify that. And a lot of. Most of the times, they deserve it. You know what I mean? So they.
They play the most, and then they have the most leeway. And then the guys who are trying to make it, you know, your. Your leash is a little bit shorter, but you just got to make the best of the opportunity when you get it.
[00:32:59] Speaker B: Yeah. Tell me about the decision to head overseas. How did that happen? And that, honestly, was an easy decision. Yeah.
[00:33:06] Speaker A: Because, you know, when they traded me to Portland, I still had about 19 million left on my contract, and they decided to stretch it over seven years.
[00:33:17] Speaker B: Oh, you're getting paid.
[00:33:18] Speaker A: Yeah. So I was like. My agent was like, do you want to go try to work out for a team, go to a training camp, try and make a team, or you want to go make some money overseas? I was like, I'm gonna double dip. Why would I not? Right. So I ended up going to China. Went to China. I played in Dongguan, Fujian, played in Guangzhou, went to Fujian again. Then I ended up going to Korea, first season. Then I went to another Chinese team, Bay Area Dragons. That was in the Philippines. And I did another three years in Korea. And the whole time, they were paying me, So I was gonna pay my two teams. I was like, why not?
[00:33:52] Speaker B: Are they still paying you to this day?
[00:33:53] Speaker A: No. Ended last October.
[00:33:56] Speaker B: The fact that last check, you're probably like, man, it was a good one.
[00:34:00] Speaker A: Thanks, Portland. Thanks.
[00:34:03] Speaker B: You talked about playing in Asia. I feel like most players, maybe, correct me if I'm wrong, guys kind of go across Europe, you know, like, they'll go different destinations, but you've kind of made, like, Asia your home.
[00:34:14] Speaker A: Yep.
[00:34:14] Speaker B: What is so special about it and why you've stayed there?
[00:34:20] Speaker A: I chose there. Honestly. It's. It's just the opportunity because they. They prefer players who can score. Right. Your. Your job is to go in there and put the ball in the basket and they're gonna pay you to do it. And I enjoyed the style of play like that out there. And I also enjoyed. I enjoyed the culture out there too. Everyone's. Everyone's nice, man. Like, they love basketball. It's insane how much, like, how much they love it out there. So just being a part of that for those. For those years, I started to learn how to. The lifestyle there is different from here, you know, it is. It is a 180. It is very different. There's pros and cons on both sides, but I was able to see both. That really, I think, helped shape me to who I am.
[00:34:58] Speaker B: Favorite spot, Favorite spot out there, man.
[00:35:01] Speaker A: The Philippines, man. When we were in the Chinese team, Bay Area Dragons, we were a guest team in the pba. That was the probably the most fun year I've had in my career. I'm telling you. We were the Shangri La. That's where we lived.
Our gym was on the sixth floor. We had massage and sauna on the fifth floor with the full bro. Everything was there. Bgc. This, like, this area in Manila where this, like, just amazing. The food is good. It's clean and spotless. The weather's great. We had three, actually, no, we had three vacations during that season. We only played like 20 games. Wow. Yeah.
[00:35:37] Speaker B: What's the biggest misconception you think of, like, maybe playing in Asia for some people that are like, hey, some people will go. They want to go play and say the Euroleague or that kind of stuff, right? But you've enjoyed what is almost 10
[00:35:49] Speaker A: years in Asia, I think. I think the competition in Euroleague is a lot better, but Asia, I think there's. There's more opportunity to make more money. You just got to be a good person, man. Enjoy the culture, embrace it. You know, learn how to step out of your. Step out of your shell. Like, there's going to be foods over there you've never heard of, and you might. You might like it. But a lot of the guys, they come over there, they don't want to try to learn the language. Like I used to. I spoke a little Chinese, I could speak a little Korean. You know, you try to learn the language, try to adapt to their culture. There's a lot of things that they do that's actually like, really dope. But if you don't open yourself up, you're not going to be able to experience. That's when you have a bad time. That's why I decided to stay There because I was like, it was actually amazing.
[00:36:30] Speaker B: Being from Toronto. Did that kind of help too? It's like, because there's a lot of, like, it's so multicultural.
Did that help you, like, transition? It's like, hey, this is like going down to. To Chinatown and seeing, you know, and going. Getting food over there. It's like, did that kind of help you?
[00:36:43] Speaker A: It helped a lot, being in a diverse city like this, because I've. I've experienced it a lot, you know, So I was able to transition to that. I would say easier. Yeah, it wasn't easy, but it was easier because when I first got there, I remember I was done practice. I had my jerseys. This is my. Right after the league, I went up to our translator. I was like, here you go.
[00:37:06] Speaker B: Clean this. Yeah.
[00:37:07] Speaker A: He's like, what are you doing?
It's like, you have to wash it. I was like, wait, I have to wash this?
[00:37:12] Speaker B: What?
[00:37:13] Speaker A: Why? You know what I mean? And then it's like, so what do I do with my shoes? Like, you have to carry it.
What is this? Like, why do I have to carry this?
Why can't you carry it? These are not my shoes.
And then we had, like, two sets of jerseys. Don't lose one of these, otherwise you're not gonna have a jersey.
[00:37:31] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:37:31] Speaker A: And I was like, wow.
[00:37:32] Speaker B: And you get a different jersey every game.
[00:37:34] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's like, that's when it kind of hit me. It was like, you know, you took advantage. Took for granted. Not advantage. You took for granted the things that you had in the NBA, we had guys to do everything for us. Right. But you are over there. I got to carry my own shit and I got to wash my own stuff.
It was humbling. It's humbling. And I think I needed that. I needed to experience that because then I started to appreciate all the little things that everyone did for me while I was in the league. Yeah.
[00:38:00] Speaker B: Do you find that for players nowadays, maybe with Nil even too, it's like, I wouldn't say players are more stuck up, but it's like they're used to, like, what you're talking about, that type of stuff. And then it's like, maybe it's harder to adjust to things. Is that. Is that something you maybe see? Like, I don't know if you been around a lot of young players coming up.
[00:38:22] Speaker A: I haven't been around a lot of them, per se, but I can see how that could be.
How that could be an issue. Yeah, I can definitely see that. But, you know, I try to well, my parents have really instilled into me, you know, money should never change you at all. Should never change you at all. It just makes life a little easier. But it's not going to make you happy. So always be a good person. That's what they always told me.
[00:38:44] Speaker B: What's your favorite cuisine? You talk about cuisine, cuisine when you're out there and in Asia, what's like your.
I mean, this is my go to
[00:38:53] Speaker A: when I was in Korea.
First, I'll start in China. In China, I like hagao.
[00:38:57] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:38:57] Speaker A: That's like dim sum, right?
[00:38:58] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:38:59] Speaker A: And Korea, there's this soup called, like, doganitan, which is like beef tendon soup.
[00:39:05] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:39:06] Speaker A: And I love that because there's so much collagen. It's actually healthy for you. It's really, really good. They have samgyetang. It's like a ginseng chicken soup. Korean food is absolutely amazing, and it's healthy.
[00:39:17] Speaker B: I'm gonna hit you for recommendations when I get out there. Yeah, all you know about.
[00:39:20] Speaker A: Oh, there, I got you. I haven't found a good spot here. Yo.
[00:39:23] Speaker B: Yeah, no, I'm not.
[00:39:23] Speaker A: No, I'm saying, man, tap in Hong Shing. Yeah, but that's Chinese. But Korean.
[00:39:27] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:39:28] Speaker A: Hong Kong's my spot.
[00:39:30] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a spot. Shout to auction, man.
[00:39:32] Speaker A: Sir, you.
[00:39:34] Speaker B: You also played, like, I think almost like a decade with Canada basketball, right? Yeah, a lot of years. Put in the work, sort of.
You like, I consider you guys, like, laid the groundwork for what's happening right now.
[00:39:47] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:39:47] Speaker B: Where now we have a plethora of guys to choose from, which is amazing.
[00:39:52] Speaker A: Guys.
[00:39:53] Speaker B: How often do you keep up with the national team? And, yeah, it's.
How do you. How often do you keep up nowadays?
[00:39:59] Speaker A: So we have a. I guess you can call like a national team center where we. Where we guys come in the offseason. They get shots up and they train. It's down below. Yeah. So I'm there almost like every day during the week. So I see a lot of the guys there. And now we just check up on them, see how they're doing.
Seems that they're playing well, you know, they're playing very well. I'd like to.
I see their highlights on, you know, Instagram when I'm over there in Korea, see how the guys are doing.
I'm glad to see that the program's going where it needs to go, and I want them to be successful, you know, any way possible.
[00:40:30] Speaker B: What was that like early on for you? Where it's like, we're trying to get this off the ground. Where they had success, obviously in the early 2000s.
[00:40:37] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:40:39] Speaker B: And then kind of faltered maybe a bit. And we saw so much talent.
[00:40:44] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:40:44] Speaker B: In the league, but it didn't really result to anything. What was that like for you as a player? Was like, hey, we have the talent. We're just not getting there yet. What do you think was missing during those times?
[00:40:54] Speaker A: Just time, honestly, time. We just needed time to play together. Time to, you know, be around each other more. I think that's why this training center that they have right now is it's helpful to get guys in town and being able to, you know, play with each other. Like, we do run sometimes. We. We do competitive things. You know, we shoot around. And now that we've had that started and like, the time has been there, that's why guys are where they're at right now. And, you know, being able to be one of the few guys that started it, even though I'm not right now currently a part of where it is right now, I'm glad that I was able to have some sort of impact of help to get to where it needs to go.
[00:41:31] Speaker B: No, I consider you a pioneer. You guys trenches, man.
[00:41:34] Speaker A: Oh, we were in the trenches.
[00:41:36] Speaker B: I heard stories just about like, you guys used to like, bunk together.
[00:41:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:41:39] Speaker B: Now it's like, no way she's sharing a room with somebody else, you know?
[00:41:43] Speaker A: Yeah, we have to share the room. They just share the room. I remember my roommate in Venezuela, Joel. Joel Anthony. We were there for three weeks. Yeah, that's my guy.
[00:41:52] Speaker B: What was Joel like?
[00:41:53] Speaker A: Oh, he's a great guy. Great vet, man. Great vet. Great vet. Phenomenal defender, man. My God, this guy can block shots.
[00:42:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
Obviously looking ahead to this Olympics, potentially, they're pretty close to qualifying for the World Cup. I'm. I'm looking at. They need a medal. What are your thoughts and just like what needs to happen for the program to get on the podium at the LA 2020 Olympics?
[00:42:15] Speaker A: So we just need to keep playing with each other and this. Just, just keep believing because, I mean, we've been together long enough. I think now's the time for us to show the world that like, like it's not a fluke anymore. Like, we're like, we're good, we're here. And I think the world. The world knows that we're here. We just need to. We should execute. Honestly, we have all the guys on board, you know, Great, great group of Corey on guys, you know, front and back core guys. Guys Are phenomenal. So we just need to get it done.
[00:42:40] Speaker B: You talk about like playing together. Was that just so hard? Because, like, now guys are.
There's so many players to choose from now. I would say, you know, where it's like, beforehand we had you guys, but it's like, say someone gets hurt, say someone needs to take off.
[00:42:57] Speaker A: Yep.
[00:42:58] Speaker B: This summer because they're in a contract here or whatever it is, they can't play. Was that kind of like. Oh, you felt it more than maybe now?
[00:43:06] Speaker A: I would say so. I mean, stuff happens in our, in our careers. Right. Like you said, injuries, contract situations.
I think at that time we weren't as close as where we are now. So that's probably why guys weren't inclined to come. But now that we're so close, I know guys are sacrificing that and they're being able to know that, you know, Canada is able to do something on a world stage for basketball for once.
[00:43:27] Speaker B: Yeah. I hear a lot about the work that you do in the community.
Just like helping players out, all that kind of stuff. Tell me about 44 hoops to non profit. I know you started doing camps in 2014. We're talking about that earlier.
[00:43:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:43:40] Speaker B: How did that even, like, come to, like, fruition and wanting to give back because, like, we'll talk about it, but I feel like there needs to be more. But you're doing the groundwork.
[00:43:51] Speaker A: Yeah, doing the groundwork. Like you said, Since 2014, we had the basketball camp. You know, I just wanted to give kids an opportunity to, you know, have that, you know, go to a camp hosted by a local NBA player. Right. And we kept that going strong until covet hit. And then when covet hit, you know, there was a lot of restrictions.
So I turned it into a non profit. We started doing online tutoring.
Now we start giving out scholarships to my high school father, Michael Gates.
[00:44:17] Speaker B: Nice.
[00:44:18] Speaker A: And the process of turning into a charity so we can do even more things in the community and provide more opportunities. Because opportunity is really. I've said it a bunch. This podcast. Opportunity is like, it's a big thing.
[00:44:27] Speaker B: Yeah. What's that like to when kids seen you come back and give back to the community, like had a basketball camp. What was that like for you? And I'm guessing if it meant something where it's like, hey, I used to be that kid.
[00:44:39] Speaker A: Yeah, that's. That's exactly why I did it. I used to be that kid and I did it, I guess, the hard way. And like, they're able to do it too. I just want to let them know, like it's possible. No, but me providing the opportunity is showing them that there is possibility for them to be successful.
[00:44:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Tell me about the importance of it all too, because I think about like seeing you do it was like kind of like the gateway, right? It's like you see a lot of, a lot of guys do it. What does that kind of do? I don't know. If you had somebody that you saw was like, wow, they can do it. I can do it. Coming from the city or whatever it is. But now like seeing.
I'm guessing you're probably proud of like seeing like guys like Dylan Brooks in the community always like, like when I hear about Dylan Brooks's name, it's like this guy's always helping the next generation players coming up, that kind of stuff. What's that like when it's like the work that you did is now.
The stars now are also giving back.
[00:45:31] Speaker A: That's amazing, man. We just got to keep the trend going because that's what's going to keep our, our, our basketball program consistent. You know, giving back to them, giving them opportunities. Like I said, the younger guys are doing it now. Who knows what the next star is going to be? You know, maybe Canada will produce a, another generational talent, you know what I mean?
So that's really what we're looking for, recess too.
[00:45:51] Speaker B: Tell me about recess.
[00:45:52] Speaker A: I know you recess. Yes, recess. That is my basketball facility. We have in Markham looking to expand into other locations. That was just me trying to give the pro experience to the community. Like over my 14 years, I would come home, I'd shoot at one spot, lift at one spot, get recovery at another spot. I wanted to have it all in one. A one stop shop where I knew that people can come in, get their lift in and get their shots. I've got their wellness done. But not just the pros, just the guys in the community as well too, because they would never get to experience the pro experience. So I want to give that to them. So all the stuff I experience in Orlando, Washington, China, all that, it's all in recess.
[00:46:34] Speaker B: Yeah, and I think about it too because like the access to gym sometimes is tough.
[00:46:40] Speaker A: It's very good.
[00:46:41] Speaker B: And you're providing that right where it's like now giving that. What was that, what was that like for you growing up where it's like trying to get access to a gym and now it's like, I'm guessing kids are probably coming up to you be like, thank you. This is like. And it Keeps them out of trouble. You know, it's like sometimes you could go get involved in other stuff, and it's like. Basketball's an outlet for a lot of people.
[00:46:59] Speaker A: 100. No. When I was growing up, I.
I just go to the ymca. Right. There's one in Mississauga I go to a lot, or sometimes we shoot after. After school, get some shots up in the gym. But now I wanted to give something consistent because those hours weren't always consistent. You know, sometimes the YMCA would have an event in the gym, or sometimes the gym would have the event. We weren't able to have that. So I wanted to give them all access, come to the community, come get that. And this is more of a passion project for me. It's not something I'm trying to retire on. I'm just trying to, you know, give opportunity. And obviously the business needs revenue, but that revenue is supposed to drive the business to create more and more opportunities.
[00:47:36] Speaker B: I was gonna ask, what do you want your kind of, like, I want to say legacy to be, but, like, thinking about.
You're still playing.
Shout to you.
I'm not saying you're old. Yeah, 36 is young. Very young.
[00:47:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:47:49] Speaker B: But, like, most guys don't play till the 30s.
[00:47:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:47:51] Speaker B: What's that like for you? And then also just like, you have a lot of others, you have your hand in a lot of stuff.
[00:47:56] Speaker A: I do, yeah. Well, I mean, I play this long because I take care of myself, you know, I eat well, I train well.
[00:48:03] Speaker B: What I need to get on, what's, like, what I gotta eat in the morning.
[00:48:06] Speaker A: Oh, that's. Man, we'll be here all day if I start to. I'm passionate about that, man.
[00:48:10] Speaker B: I don't know. I don't know if I'll follow it.
[00:48:12] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:48:12] Speaker B: Maybe just give me, like, I'll give
[00:48:14] Speaker A: you a gist of what I eat in the morning. So I'll boil either, like, six to eight eggs.
[00:48:17] Speaker B: I'm allergic to eggs.
[00:48:19] Speaker A: Are you really?
[00:48:19] Speaker B: Yeah.
Wow. So, like, I'm screwed already.
[00:48:23] Speaker A: Damn. Really?
[00:48:24] Speaker B: So I can't even.
[00:48:25] Speaker A: You know, eggs is, like, the most nutrient dense food on the planet, bro. I'm cooked. So it's so good. It's so good.
[00:48:31] Speaker B: So, like, let's just scrap it.
[00:48:33] Speaker A: Yeah, okay.
[00:48:33] Speaker B: I'm cooked. What else?
[00:48:34] Speaker A: So I'd have eggs. I'll either have, you know, a can of sardines, or I'll have some ground beef.
[00:48:38] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:48:39] Speaker A: I'll have an avocado.
[00:48:40] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:48:41] Speaker A: Sprinkle a little salt on it. Blueberries or blackberries? You know, drenched in honey. A lot of honey.
See? What else would I have? Chia water. I usually have chia seeds and water. Sprinkle, spritz a little lemon in it. And I'll have a smoothie. I'll have that prepared for after my workout. It's usually compiled of two bananas, one date creatine, almond butter, or.
[00:49:03] Speaker B: You're locked in.
[00:49:04] Speaker A: That's got a lot of stuff there.
[00:49:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:49:05] Speaker A: Cacao, maple syrup, a little salts. This could be for weeks, huh?
[00:49:11] Speaker B: This could be like breakfast or.
[00:49:13] Speaker A: Yeah, like for weeks. But usually I'll have that after my workout, so. Yeah, but I eat a lot. For me, I eat a lot of red meat, and that's why my inflammation is very, very low. Even though some people think that red meat's not good for you, it's actually one of the best things for you. I'll get that. Well, I don't want to go down that rabbit hole right now, but I'm living proof of it. But, yeah, a lot of fish, a lot of whole foods. A lot of whole foods. I don't need a lot of processed stuff. I don't need pork either. Very inflammatory. You know, shellfish. I stay away from all that stuff.
[00:49:40] Speaker B: Yeah, pork. Shout out to you. Yeah, my brother, I'm Muslim, so, you know.
[00:49:43] Speaker A: Oh, yeah.
[00:49:43] Speaker B: Shout out to you.
[00:49:44] Speaker A: So I just don't eat pork because pigs are dirty, bro. They're nasty. I've seen pigs eat the most diabolical.
[00:49:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:49:49] Speaker A: And I'm like, I'm not eating that. Because they don't sweat.
[00:49:51] Speaker B: Yeah, they don't sweat.
[00:49:53] Speaker A: You know,
[00:49:57] Speaker B: how would you, like, how's your definition of success? Maybe changed over the years.
[00:50:01] Speaker A: Definition of success is discipline and consistency, man. Honestly. And obviously, you need an opportunity, but you got to be prepared. You got to be prepared. When the opportunity comes and you're not prepared, you're screwed. So I'm always big on, like, preparing yourself, making sure you're prepared for all the situations. How you do that through discipline, and you do that through being consistent.
[00:50:21] Speaker B: When I went to Saint Bonaventure, your jersey's hung up there.
[00:50:24] Speaker A: Yeah, it is. Yes.
[00:50:25] Speaker B: How involved are you with the program now? Obviously, what would just was involved, seeing all that kind of stuff there. I think I saw a video where you were there for the new head coach.
What's that like being like. I'm guessing when you go there, it's like the crowd loves you. It's like, it's probably the best feeling going. It's like home in a way, right.
[00:50:42] Speaker A: I Mean, honestly, it's like going home. It's like going home, being able to see a lot of the same faces there, you know, the jersey on the wall. Seeing how the renovations have, you know, changed and how the guys are, you know, using the new space to, you know, help them become successful. I'm just gonna be. Do my part up here in Canada by just providing opportunities for them for. If they ever want to come up here, if they ever need Canadian kids, you know, I'll be. I'll be there to. For them to lean on.
[00:51:07] Speaker B: Now say Bonaventure. I feel like it's a. It's a breeding ground potentially for a lot of Canadian talents.
[00:51:12] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:51:12] Speaker B: Could be.
[00:51:13] Speaker A: And it's close.
[00:51:14] Speaker B: Yeah, it's close. Three hour drive. Just don't take a Tesla.
[00:51:16] Speaker A: Don't not take a Tesla, guys. Do not take a Tesla.
Yeah, we're not doing that. Yeah.
[00:51:20] Speaker B: Shout out to Abel. But last question I was gonna ask you.
[00:51:23] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:51:23] Speaker B: What part of the GTA do you think produces the best talent?
[00:51:27] Speaker A: Part of the gta?
I'm biased. I'm going to say Mississauga.
[00:51:31] Speaker B: But who's your starting five? Mississauga.
[00:51:33] Speaker A: Mississauga. Shoot, you got me. Rj.
[00:51:36] Speaker B: Oh, Dylan B. Oh, man.
[00:51:38] Speaker A: Nick Stowskius.
[00:51:39] Speaker B: Oh, man.
[00:51:40] Speaker A: Do we need a fifth?
[00:51:42] Speaker B: That four kid.
That four could take over.
[00:51:45] Speaker A: Who would be. Who would be our fifth? That's a good question.
[00:51:48] Speaker B: I'm forgetting names.
[00:51:49] Speaker A: Yeah.
David Tindale.
[00:51:51] Speaker B: Boom, David.
[00:51:52] Speaker A: Tell me about him.
[00:51:53] Speaker B: I know you work out with him.
[00:51:54] Speaker A: That's my guy.
[00:51:55] Speaker B: He's like one of the best trainers, I think.
[00:51:57] Speaker A: I believe so.
[00:51:57] Speaker B: I see his videos. I'm like, this guy is everywhere.
[00:51:59] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:52:00] Speaker B: Working with. With Dylan and also working with you and then working with the younger generation coming up.
[00:52:04] Speaker A: I give him a lot of credit. He really expanded my game because I remember when I was going to China, he tried to start getting me to do some guard stuff, and I'm like, yeah, I'm a big, you know, I don't. I don't do anything past three dribbles. And he's like, that's crazy. Like, he's like, you're going to China. You got to be able to do that. Right? So we started working my face of game, dribble game. And now one of the best shooters. If not, well, I'm the best shooter in our Korean league, that's for sure. But if not in Asia, right? Three point shooting. So.
[00:52:28] Speaker B: Yeah. What's next now for you, Andrew Nicholson?
[00:52:31] Speaker A: Me, honestly, I just want to keep building. I want to keep Building what I have here. I have about seven, eight businesses up here that I'm continuing to build and I want to provide opportunities for these young guys if they ever wanted to get into the next step of, you know, business. Like, I want to be the guy that makes sure that, you know, that they're taken care of because, like, my business journey has not been perfect, right. There's been a lot of stuff that's happened, but people are going to be seeing your. Your successes, right? So I've made, I've made the mistakes and I'm continuing to get better. I'm going to make a lot of, like, corrections and a lot of opportunities to become successful. So for me, I'm just going to be there for them if they ever want to, you know, embark on that journey. Because we're doing it right now and we're building a lot. We're doing very well with what we're. What we're doing. You know, Peace knows he's a part of it.
[00:53:15] Speaker B: Shout out to Jeremy.
[00:53:16] Speaker A: Shout out to Jeremy.
[00:53:17] Speaker B: Yeah.
Last thing before I let you go. How can people get involved with 44?
[00:53:21] Speaker A: 44 Hoops?
[00:53:23] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:53:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Find
[email protected] you know, we're take donations, we take people who want to volunteer. Just help make the community a better place because we want to be able to. Not only in Mississauga, because that's where I'm starting now. That's where I'm from. I want to spread this to GTA because I've been saying this word, the whole podcast opportunity. I want kids to have that. There's a lot of people who don't have it and a lot of people who do deserve it, but they don't have the opportunity to get it.
[00:53:48] Speaker B: The jersey number 44, what's the origin story?
[00:53:52] Speaker A: That's the only jersey I had a gates that fit me. So I just rocked with it. Literally just rocked with it. It's a good college pros. Everything. I rocked at 44. So it's done. It's done me well. Now it's bad luck in China, though. Yeah, yeah, it's just bad luck. That's a bad number in China. They always ask me, why are you wearing that number? Like, that's what I had since high school, man. Yeah, but.
[00:54:13] Speaker B: And, and I using it. Giving Back to community. 44Hoops Tap in with Andrew Nicholson, sir pioneer. I consider. And yeah, just always giving back. I can't thank you enough just for taking the time on this podcast and.
[00:54:25] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:54:25] Speaker B: It's been a pleasure chatting with you, hearing some stories. I was interested in just your journey coming up and. Yeah, can't thank you enough.
[00:54:32] Speaker A: Appreciate it. Thanks for having me, man. This is fun. Yeah. Good.
[00:54:35] Speaker B: This has been the Canadian Basketball show. Your go to spot for the latest news stories and analysis on Canadian basketball with my guy, Andrew Nukerson.
[00:54:41] Speaker A: Sir.
[00:54:42] Speaker B: And we out.
