Where are they now? Former Sooners star Willie Warren | Willie Warren

I recently pulled an ab muscle, which is great, because I had no idea I had an ab muscle.
Mack Engle, footwear star telegram, Engle Engle podcast here on the Sunset Lounge.
A wonderful guest to this episode, a guy who at one time, more than 20 years ago, was one of the best basketball players in the state of Texas.
And for fans of college basketball, and specifically high school basketball, they will certainly remember this name.
And he's one of those names that you'll say, oh, I remember that guy. He was really, really good. What happened to him?
And what happened to this guy is what happens to a lot of top basketball players who realize they can do much better playing overseas internationally than they can playing trying to find a job.
His name is Willie Warren. Willie Warren was one of the best basketball players growing up when he attended North Crowley High School, where he graduated from in 2008.
He went on to play two seasons at the University of Oklahoma, including his freshman year, where he was a teammate of future NBA superstar Blake Griffin.
And when Willie was a freshman on that team, the sooners reached the elite eight in the NCAA tournament before the eventually lost to North Carolina.
Willie Warren came back for his sophomore season, where unfortunately he severed a myriad of injuries. And then at that time, he decided to turn professional.
In 2008, he was a draft, pardon me, in 2010, rather, he was a second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Clippers, achieving a lifelong dream.
He was the 54th overall pick. He played one season with the Clippers before he decided to go out and make his way playing overseas.
And since then, he has played for the following, but not every team is on this list that he's played for.
Rio Grande in Israel, Hungary, Italy, China, Iran, back to China, Lebanon, Mexico, Taiwan, Qatar, Venezuela, Iraq, and Kuwait.
Also sprinkled, then there were a couple of runs on glee teams in the United States, including the Texas legends in Frisco, Texas amongst, among many of Willie's achievements include.
He was a McDonald's all American in high school. He was a parade all American in high school. He was the 2008 number 10 player in the nation. And he was also Mr. basketball in the state of Texas.
That's a really fun interview with the guy I even talked on a long, long time. And this interview was actually recorded last season, but I didn't around to make a current, please welcome my guest, Mr. Willie Warren.
You remember the last time I talked to you.
You mentioned around the Clipper days, I think you said, right?
Yes.
Yeah, that was almost 20 years, not quite, but we didn't get in close today.
So you were in your rookie season with the Clippers, and I interviewed you outside the locker room at the American Airlines Center.
And yeah, I don't think you were really happy at that particular point in your life. Is that a correct assessment?
A little bit of both happy about being finally somewhere that I always wanted to be, but not happy about as much playing time as I was beating.
Yeah, that's what I want to get into. So Willie, I've written down just a whole bunch of questions.
No problem.
You as a basketball expert can ask, can answer all of these. So take me back to when you were a kid.
You're good basketball player, and I'm assuming you got into the AAU system. Is that correct?
Great.
Okay, so you don't know any better, and you're just doing what I'm assuming the adults tell you is the best way to get to college and then eventually the NBA.
Now that you're 20 years removed from it, and you can look back on that system, the AAU system, what do you think of it now as an adult?
To be honest with you, I've done now, so I'm starting to get more engaged in the AAU system now to where I give you a great answer to what you just asked.
To be honest with you, I think the AAU system was much better than it is now.
What changed?
You know, at least in my area, you know, being in the biggest, I feel like market in America outside of at the time, the East Coast, which is New York in California, it was Texas, you know, because of how big our population is, you know, it wasn't as many teams as there is now.
It's 50-60 teams that organization maybe has 10-12 teams, and I just think it's kind of watered down to where you can come to a gym and see what you want to see all in one gym back in my day.
You know, we had the Derek Rose's, Eric Gordon's and all those guys in one, I'm at the Peach Jam, but where now, you suddenly, though, I would have took a more Damien Lillard approach, Jason Tatum approach, you know, I was kind of well spoken, you know, so it kind of affected the way certain people thought, you know, about me, you know, I was more like Russell Westbrook, Anthony Edwards, you know, how outspoken they are, you know, I had a couple of stories with Kobe Bryant.
Kobe Bryant and LeBron camp and stuff, and I don't think it carried well, you know, when I eventually made it to, you know, exactly where I wanted to get, which was the NBA.
What happened when you said you had stories that the Kobe camp or LeBron James camp, what happened in those instances that you said, you don't think they carried well?
Just the Kobe camp where we had an instance where I was just being funny with them, you know, competitor, competitor, and the media took it as all this guys in humble.
He grades disrespectfully and then, you know, I was raised by my mom, who was a very, very, very competitive woman, Hall of Famer at Langston University, the great things in high school, basketball.
And she didn't take pictures with women, you know, who were competitive with them. So at the LeBron camp, I didn't take a picture with LeBron.
And, you know, they took that, that was a comment from the people.
So, you know, they put two and two together and I just had a bad name with that, you know, move a forward.
And if I could change that, I would take that picture with LeBron. I wouldn't say anything competitive to Kobe, you know, to where they could even, you know, take it as a different thing.
You know, when you go back and you look at all of your achievements and I've written down a few of them, this is when you were in high school.
Texas, Mr. Basketball, McDonald's, All-American, Parade All-American. I mean, anything that you could pretty much achieve as a high school player, you did it.
So now you could go virtually, I'm assuming anywhere to college to play basketball.
You chose the University of Oklahoma. What was it about you that made you said, I'm going to Norman?
It was two things, what, three. Close the home, being one. And I was recruited by a guy called, called name, a rendez-telefero. He was at Arkansas.
And, Arkansas had let go of their whole staff. And, you know, real close with a rendez-tee. I really liked how he handled recruiting me. You know, he was always there, small tournament, big tournament.
And, you know, I felt comfortable with him. You know, wherever he was, I felt like, you know, I'd be in good hands. And, you know, when he got fired, he asked me, he was like, you know, about a couple of schools. I was like, oh, Miami's a little far. He was like, okay, you know, Oklahoma. And I was like, his blade going stay.
He was like, yeah, I was like, do it.
I know, I'm not really sure. I know, when you were, you were moving from it as a player. I know you're probably consumed as a fan, what we in the media sometimes hear about the recruiting process.
who are as good as you were coming out of high school,
which is, it's dirty, kid's being off,
they're all offered all this money.
And this was before NIL
and any of those opportunities existed above the table.
Willie, you lived it.
Were all those stories and perceptions true
of recruiting top high school athletes?
I'm pretty sure.
My mom was very hands on with my recruitment though,
so she didn't play that game.
She wanted to make sure
that my eligibility was clean cut.
We had no problems, no issues.
So when it come to being eligible,
so she didn't play those games.
She made it very up front
to the schools that I went to
in high school colleges,
all of that, she made it clear cut.
Like, hey, we're doing this the right way.
So we didn't play that game, you know,
but you know, you heard your stories
and as far as like gear from shoes,
like Nike and stuff like that,
like the Nike organization.
So you know, it wasn't like I was
being recruited to Nike.
It was like I played with a Nike team,
my whole life with team Texas,
and you know, they took care of all their players
and there was under their branch.
So stuff like that, yeah,
but as far as just under the table money,
my mom didn't play those games,
but you heard the story slow.
Willie, when you're in high school
and you're playing on the top teams in Texas,
the AAU teams, and you're on a great high school team.
North Carolle is one of the best teams
in the last 20 years in Texas.
You played against great players, great players,
and you were a great player.
Who did you play against when you were
before you got to the NBA and you became professional?
Willie, who did you play against
that made you stop and say,
holy God, this guy can play.
It was two guys and that was one reason
why I got hands on at the perfect time
with my son and the AAU world.
This is about, he's in the sixth grade,
and this is when I fifth grade,
I got out into AAU Nationals
and got to see outside of Texas basketball.
There was two guys, first guy I've seen
in about fifth, sixth grade with Brandon Jennings.
And Tariq Evans was in that mix with God.
What do you mean?
Tariq was just that big guard, you know,
when the ability you can see it,
but Brandon had that that's the best
tail fair to him from the West Coast street ball.
And it was just like this kid can go.
Yeah, the classification them two guys to me
was just like, bread that fit and drew holiday.
I was like, if I want to be,
these are going to be the seniors that I'm competing against.
So, Willie, when you were fifth grade, sixth grade,
seventh grade, and you're getting an idea that you're good,
like, good, good.
Who told you, or did you figure it out on your own
that you were exceptional,
that you could do something with basketball,
because I've met a ton of guys,
you've met a ton of guys who think,
I'm going to go to college, I'm going to league,
whatever else, but you had the talent to actually do it.
Did somebody tell you that,
or did you kind of figure it out on your own
that you were blessed with sort of next level skills?
A little bit of multiple things,
kind of like the kids today.
I paid attention to rankings,
and it's funny because I don't want my son to,
it's more because of how everything
goes on the media nowadays,
so it can just really drive you insane
when you just look at them.
You know, it was different for us.
We just go to hoop school, Texas Roundball,
that's really all we had, see what you are,
and keep it pushing.
When I finally became number one in ninth grade,
I was like, okay, you know,
but I knew what would come with that, you know,
and my mom kind of laid back off of me a little bit.
She wasn't on me as much,
and we used to get our butts kicked by this team
called the Dallas Wildcats in Houston Hoops all the time.
And once we finally started,
then the one's giving the butt whoopens out, sir.
Pretty good, because we didn't,
it was me, Rodney Clark, and we had Chris Bat.
Other than that, we had a bunch of underclassments,
you know, who my, you coach field,
with what he thought we needed,
Jackson Jeff Coat, who ended up going
to play defensively in and University of Texas, you know.
Guys like that, it just come in to be physical rebound
and give the ball to me, and Rodney,
who arguably is one of the best shooters
I've ever played with.
Well, you played high school basketball with Jackson Jeff Coat.
Right, you ball?
I didn't, I'm not surprised.
I mean, he was an amazing athlete at UT.
Could he have been, and I know one thing I've learned
in my years doing this, you meet a lot of football players
who are frustrated basketball players, right?
I'm sure you've met a ton of them.
Oh, I kind of played basketball, but why didn't you?
Could Jackson Jeff Coat have played Division 1 basketball?
Man, I didn't even know he was as good as he was in football.
And somebody told me he was going to University of Texas.
I was like, what?
That was me.
Big basketball, that was my sin.
He was, he was perfect for me.
So you get to University of Oklahoma,
and you're paired with the eventual,
the eventual number one overall pick in the draft, Blake Griffin.
And of course, I had seen Blake play at Oklahoma,
but you got to practice with him.
Did you see him do anything Willie in practice
that made you just safe?
Who the hell is this guy?
Because obviously, the NBA is loaded with examples
of stupid, incredible athletic plays that he made at the rim.
Above the rim, at the ceiling,
did he do any of that stuff in practice?
Practice, how about games?
If you, if you look in the clippers, like games,
if you really got a little deep in the vents,
you know, like you're the end.
Actually, you just like, and people are looking at me,
like, you used to this, huh?
I'm like, yeah, he did this all the time in college.
The most amazing thing to me that he did
wasn't even a dunk on somebody or in-game.
We were doing our vertical test in practice,
and Coach Capel had us put like stickers on our hands,
and you could see where he touched the top of the bagboard.
I was like, his brother wasn't too far out,
but he literally only think he would have had to do
was grab it if he wanted to, but he lived in a better place.
So you spent two seasons at Oklahoma.
You obviously had great years.
And I had read, Willie, that you contemplated coming out
after your freshman year and declaring for the draft then,
but elected to come back for one more season.
What made you decide to stay another year
as opposed to coming out?
I wanted to be number one.
That was my whole thing.
I was like, man, you know, it was how I felt it.
I had been doing this so long,
playing against these guys for so long.
It was nothing I hadn't seen.
So I really felt like staying healthy the whole,
I could have had that chance to not be your number 14,
but top five.
So when you look back on it now,
we're wearing, you know, hindsight's 2020 glasses.
Was it the right decision to go back?
I mean, technically, no, but, you know,
I don't live off regret.
You know, I have kids now.
So I you live and you learn and I enjoy it my time.
To the fullest of Oklahoma,
I enjoy playing with Jeff Capel,
meeting the people that I met and, you know,
and during the things that I did at OU.
So no, you know, I wish I would have stayed two more.
So Willie, one thing that we've seen now,
it used to be, I think you're old enough to appreciate this.
It used to be you'd have a college player
and he really identified with one program, right?
Just one program because he was there three, maybe four,
maybe even five years at one place
and he really became, or she became
an a part of that community forever, right?
Well, now players, they're gone after a year.
They're playing for three different schools, et cetera.
Do you think a player in this era
can have the bond with the university,
the way the previous generations did
because they didn't have any choice they had to stay?
No, and that's funny.
You said that I literally just made this comment
like two days ago because they was talking about
a couple guys and an important season just ended.
And I was just like, as far as chemistry and camaraderie,
I was like, as a team, how do you,
I don't know if I would have been able to just
for four, three years go and have to
miss and bond with people because that's hard,
especially when you're trying to gain players trust.
Oh, this guy, he's just trying to come in
and get a bag and leave.
This guy just trying to, all he cares about is his self
and who, that's just, I know his guys out there.
I ain't gonna get this guy to ball
or if he missed a couple shots
because they feel like, you know, that stuff does
go into players' heads for sure.
So you played at Oklahoma for two seasons.
Do you feel like you're a part of that community?
It's somewhat, I think it's more so attached
to Blake Griffin in that team that we had
because that was a great team.
I think 34 and 5 maybe.
So as far as that team, yeah, but I was there a year and a half
got up out of there and, you know,
I've only been back like, because you know,
Jeff Capel left, like, but I've only been back like once.
I met the new coach literally last year
because I just came back last year from Kuwait
and I went up there to try to talk to the guys
about finishing my degree so I can get into coaching.
So I've told this to people and you can speak to it
a lot better than I can, which is,
fans will say, well, why isn't this player
or that player supporting their alma mater, their school?
And I said, because in my experience,
what I've learned is players commit more to the coach
or maybe a member of the coaching staff
than they do the school or the program.
And if that coach or that assistant coach leaves,
then they're tied to that school.
It's kind of gone.
Am I right or wrong on that?
I am, in my opinion, I think you're,
that's kind of how I feel, definitely how I feel,
not kind of, you know, when Jeff Capel left.
You know, I'm still a boomer sooner though.
You know, where I went, they gave me the chance
to play on a big stage.
It, oh, Jeff Capel and young recruiting me
but at the end of the day, Oklahoma had to, you know,
give best to him.
Like, okay, well, without his player to come in here
and, you know, represent us.
So I'm still a boomer sooner to this day,
but, you know, definitely, you know,
I think it's a little different, different for me
than it would be for Blake being from Oklahoma
going to school and only doing years.
You know, that's his, you know, his blood, you know,
that's where he's from, that's where he played.
So opposed me from Texas, when I tell somebody from Texas,
I went to OU, I get looks.
You're drafted in the second round by the LA Clippers.
Take me to draft day, Willie.
Was that a sad, hard day for you?
It was exciting because you were drafted by an NBA franchise.
Man, I was ecstatic.
You know, I was, I just wanted to get in there.
That was always my dream.
When I was a kid, I didn't write.
Be the number one pick.
Be the first round pick.
It was making today NBA.
So, damn, you know, making sure my name was called.
I have to ever be grateful of the LA Center, this Clippers.
And, and who, who drafted me there, Neil Dordy.
You know, I'll, he'll always be remembered for sure.
And I hear this a lot, is that unless you were really a top three
pick, you had a top three, maybe even top two,
the hardest adjustment for a great college player,
like you were, to the NBA is understanding,
you're not going to play for a little bit.
That you got to wait your turn.
I was, I was a little bubbler about that.
What did he say?
He said it would be tough, you know,
and he just used to try to tell me to keep my head
and, you know, and risked a piece of him,
but he don't know that he's scared to me more than ever
because I, I've really truly believed in my God giving ability.
You know, I think he blessed me, you know, to be,
to be, be as good as he, as he did.
And, you know, when Rasool used to tell him the stories of how good
he was at LaSalle, and, you know, when he got to the NBA,
they tried to make him three in D and that terrified him.
He was like a nightmare.
I was like, man, I don't want that to happen to me.
So, did anybody say, or did you see anything?
Because I saw a story when Steve Kerr was talking about
when he was a rookie during the preseason,
he said at the end of the bench,
and he said, I am scared to death.
Because he's like, I know I can't play with these guys.
He's like, I just, I know it.
And this is Steve Kerr, a guy who carved out
a nice NBA career as a three point shoe.
Willie, did you have any moments at practice or in preseason,
or any of those games where you're sitting
at the end of the bench second?
I don't know if I can play with these guys.
I used to play one-on-one with guys
and give guys the blues in practice.
I used to see them, the blues go out there and see them,
like, yeah, I just, don't you go wait, just be patient.
Just kept telling myself that and then came
into my second year in some little events
where I just felt like I just was going down the same path
as the year before after being promised this, this, that.
And I just, I just couldn't do it again.
Okay, so I heard a story about you,
and you can tell me if this is true or not.
The story was, you're at the end of the bench,
you're rookie season with the Clippers.
I don't know what game it was, but the game was out of hand.
Right, it's a 20 point deficit.
Vinny Delnette, do you know the story I'm going to tell you?
Okay, so Vinny Delnette grow is your coach,
and there's like 50 seconds, maybe 60 seconds
to go in the game.
And Vinny says, Willie, go on in.
Now it's a blowout.
And you said, now I'm not going in.
I'm not, I don't even know what you said,
but you passed on the opportunity to play,
and then it really soured Vinny on you.
Is that story true?
It is, but it's more to the story than that,
but that's definitely true.
It's 100% true, but it was more so.
I feel like I was being tested,
so I didn't think Vinny was on my side anyway.
He always did stuff that made me be like,
this guy I don't like me,
but I was drafted before he was the coach.
So I think the situation, Vinny asked about me,
and like I told you, the story's growing up.
He heard stories, so it was like,
ah, all right, I'm good with Blitz so,
and for Rook, you know, the two guys.
And so we came into an instance, that game,
and the game before he was like,
we were playing Sacramento Kings.
He was like, come on guys, let's get up 20 points
so we can get guys like Willie Warren
and Brian Cook and again, you know, just like, what?
And so then we come to this game,
and we're getting killed.
And Barron Davis was like, hey, Willie,
I'm saying to see how coach to put you in.
I was like, man, don't do that.
I was like, oh, if he wanna put me in, he'll put me in.
I was like, don't go tell coach to put me in.
He's like, man, I got you, I got you, I got you.
So then, Robert, Vinny doesn't even come tell me.
Robert Pack, one of our assistant folks comes down
and it's like, really, come on.
I was like, man, I'm good.
No, I ain't one maternity case.
If coach wanted to put me in, he would have put me in.
I didn't wanna be the guy, oh, listen, yeah.
It was at a mistake?
Yes, definitely, 100% was definitely a mistake,
but on my behalf.
So if you could go back and talk to your 20 year old self
who's an NBA rookie,
or, and I'm sure you've talked to other guys now
because you played professional basketball forever.
What would you tell yourself,
or a guy who's a second round pick
about ready to start an NBA career?
I told you early, I would have took more Damien Lillard,
Jason Tatum approach to the game,
never too high, never too low,
which is a big model for the NBA,
and I was always too high, or I was always too low.
When I was low, I was low, when I was high,
I was the greatest guy in the world.
Anybody?
And I was good.
When I was low, you can see it in body language
and everything, but just tell everybody,
just never too high, never too low.
You just gotta come with a cool calm,
collect demeanor at all times.
So when you say the Damien Lillard,
Jason Tatum approach, educate me on that,
what do you mean specifically by that kind of approach?
The way you wait even have it,
just that cool calm demeanor,
like you never, when they're having a bad game
or things aren't going their way,
you wouldn't be able to tell that they have 40 points
or three points, you know,
and that's where, you know,
I could have did a lot better.
And I think, you know, with that mindset
and that mentality,
when it comes to 50 seconds left in the game,
you don't have no problem going in,
you're just enjoying the moment, living in the moment.
And I feel like guys like Damien Lillard,
Jason Tatum, Dwayne Wade,
that's what those guys did.
They just lived in the moment, you know,
regardless if it was good or bad.
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Well, what made you decide?
Because I'm looking at your career now
and because of the internet, I could see
all the different places that you played.
Israel, Hungary, Italy, China, Lebanon, China, Iran,
Lebanon, Bakersfield, California, the Texas legends on and on.
Did you, did you at any point,
because I've talked to guys in your position
who said, you know what, I can make more money guarantee
playing overseas than I can necessarily
at the end of an NBA bench.
And I want to play.
I'd rather do that than that.
Was your decision to go overseas and do that
based on I can get guaranteed minutes and guaranteed money
over there, whereas I can't hear.
100%, but 100%, that's what it was about for me.
It wasn't about the money.
You know, I you can go make great amazing money
playing overseas, techs free, and play 35, 40 minutes again.
You know, I wasn't the type, you know,
the good thing outside of the money
and the main plan near family and, you know,
you have your clubs and your parties and your events.
I was never much of a club or a party and an event guy,
you know, I was basketball, you know,
I'd hang out at home.
Well, when I've interviewed overseas,
players who played overseas, guys you probably played with
against with really one or two of them have
pardon me, they usually have one or two horror stories
from playing overseas whether the team didn't give them a check.
I know talking to women's players who've played in Russia.
If they miss free throws, sometimes that check isn't as big
as it was promised to be because they missed shots.
Maybe living accommodations aren't what they thought
they were going to be.
Maybe they get cut and they don't even know it.
Maybe the coach is some drill sergeant
and they have them practice.
Remember talking one guy, he practiced six hours a day.
It was just insane of all the different places
that you played, Willie.
What were some of your crazier stories
that are nothing like playing here in the United States?
Thankfully, I didn't endure into
none of the financial problems,
but that's a big thing overseas.
You know, guys not getting paid
or not receiving what they thought they were going to get.
But for me, it was my very first year overseas
and I was perfectly fine, perfectly healthy.
I had never flown 15 hours before
and hopped off the plane and worked out right away
and never pavement.
As soon as I land, we was running on pavement
for like two miles and...
Where were you?
Hungry.
You were in hungry, okay.
I first year overseas after, after Israel.
I went to Israel first in hungry.
So my IT band like swilled upon me
and so I was the coach tried to say I came hurt
and he was trying not to get the club to cut me.
Oh, you got me this guy
because he came through that I was hired by the club.
That club brought me in, brought me in.
You got me to a guy that was hurt
and we don't need to pay him
and blah, blah, blah, and missing that in the third.
So they made me play, we had a scrimmage game
for a scrimmage game coming up.
And so I was good by the scrimmage game.
Like a week went by, I was telling me I'm man,
I was healthy before I came.
And this has just got me running on pavement.
Like I haven't done this before.
So they gave me up until the scrimmage game
and I did good in the scrimmage and was back healthy by then
and everything was well, but that was a big scare.
Flying 14 hours and a team,
I got out of the coach wanting to touch you
because you think you came hurt
and you're trying to disguise an injury
and get a free check and I'm like, what?
Like no, like, so that was my first scare.
Like, like in Israel, my first year,
they had that board going on.
So that was terrifying.
That you say it's terrifying.
What happened that scared the hell out of you?
Uh, the same thing that was just going on,
you know, I don't know if you've been seeing them
with fellow, you know, and that's just been going on
a long time and I was in the middle of that.
Like it just started up.
They signed the treaty, the,
not that I can't say the first peace treaty
because it's been going on.
But before they just started up this last time,
I was there when they signed the peace treaty
to finally stalled it out until they just started up to be in.
So one thing that I know it's tough sometimes
for an American player when they go overseas
is that sometimes adjusting to the culture is really hard
because sometimes you might be the only black person.
There might be a two or three black people in the community.
And I, and I realized, you know,
you've lived in situations in America
where you're probably accustomed to being
the minority amongst minorities in certain situations.
But over there, it's even more so.
Did you run into anything culturally
in any of those places where you lived?
Were you like, man, I really hate this.
This is just...
Nah, because like I said, I'm really low key.
Like I've never been much of the spotlight person.
Get out like, you know, I like to do like my mom.
If you're going to do something, do it at home.
You can't get in trouble when you're at home.
So that was always my thing.
You know, I was always at your home, guy.
So if you a guy like that is hard to get in trouble
in places and countries and catch yourself
in the midst of stuff, if you like that.
So I've never really just was like,
man, it's time to go home.
Like I need to come out of here.
The only thing when I played in Iran,
the area I was in, we lived in the cult of the sec.
And it was just like college all over.
It didn't go out of the cult's sec.
So I didn't like that, but outside of that, you know,
everywhere I've been, it's been great.
So you experienced something most Americans
in the last, since about, I guess, 1979
have been unable to live.
And that is to go to Iran.
You lived in Iran.
I don't know if I've even met any.
I've met one or two people who've been there.
What was Iran?
Because we all, we have these perceptions
of what Iran is like, Willie.
What is it like?
Every time I come back, people like, really, Iran
was especially Tehran.
Tehran.
You can have a great time in Tehran.
They got miles, the food in Iran is amazing.
You know, the whole Middle East, really, the food is amazing.
That's probably, I've been in the Middle East
the last seven, eight years of my career.
And it's four years.
So I love the Middle East, you know,
that all the food all over is great.
You run the food with great Tehran.
You know, it's very nice.
So you can, you can go to Tehran and have a great time.
But most of the other parts of Iran
is mostly just the deserts.
So is there any place that you lived
when I'm looking here?
Because you played in Italy, which is obviously
where former North Crowley star Keith Langford played
and did very well for a long time.
So Italy's a neat place.
But you've not started China a couple of places.
I love that you lived in Bakersfield.
Bakers shows one of the biggest towns
I've ever seen.
Those are my words, not yours.
But what was, did you live in any place
where you're like, that it was harder than others?
Are you able to adapt and make the best of it
wherever you are?
Iran.
I was there for the season.
It was like six, seven months.
It was my first year from China.
So I went from China for like three and a half years.
And then I went to Iran.
So that cultisex situation in Masha'a
and which is the hottest place in the world
or one of them.
Masha'a, Iran.
And I couldn't do it.
I got up out of there and I'm like, I'm one and a half.
Well, wait a minute.
You grew up in Texas.
So you know how hot is.
So if you're saying that place is hot, how hot was it?
Oh, man.
Because to me, it's hotter now in Texas than it was
when I grew up.
So it's about how hot it gets now.
But maybe a shade higher because it's a little drier.
You know, it sticks to you a little bit more.
It's like, you know, you can,
that don't get a little drier a little bit.
OK.
So explain this to me.
If I understand this right, if you go overseas
and play for a team in France or Italy,
they pay you tax-free, right?
They take care of your housing.
Take care of your food?
No, it depends.
You might get a per diem, maybe, depended.
It's part, especially by Italy, France.
They'll pay you well enough to wear your mind when you think
it's food.
How about you?
How about a car?
Give you that, too.
About everywhere overseas does all that for you.
So if you get all of that taken care of, Willie,
were you able to save?
I'm just going to make up numbers.
Let's say they paid you $100,000.
I don't know.
I'm like I said, I'm making up a number.
But if they paid you $100,000, and that's tax-free,
were you able to save like 70% of it?
I mean, what could you do that?
No, if you get $100,000, you can leave from over there.
Depending on the type of person you are,
you leave with at least 90.
Depending on the length of the season and everything,
like that, that definitely comes into play.
Because Asia is only like five to six months,
where Europe is like 10.
You go to Asia, Europe, you'll get that same 100,
but you stretch it over 10 months.
The only difference is Europe don't respect some places
like Asia and Middle East playing style.
So if you leave, look and go get that 100.
When you come back, Europe, it might not be 100, no more.
You're more like 65.
So when you went over there, did you have any,
and I know you've played against European players,
whether probably in A.E. U.B.O. and Surlead and College,
but now you're an American player,
so everybody thinks you're better.
Did you have any idea that when you played against
a reigning guy or whatever,
I was like, man, I'm gonna mop the floor with these guys.
Or did you think, well, if they're here,
they're probably pretty good.
It's just how I looked at it was,
of course, our United States is much bigger,
and stuff like that, our population and diversity and everything,
but I had that mentality here.
So of course, when I went over there,
and it was only the bare kind of people,
and oh, yeah, I just thought it was gonna be too easy.
Not from a standpoint of their talent level.
It was more of a standpoint,
like I'm killing guys in America,
where the black, white, Hispanic,
self-slued me, regardless,
because we have all that diversity here.
So I'm coming over here, let's say Australia.
I've never been in Australia.
I mean, played in that league, but okay, yeah.
Now playing against only Australians,
I expect to have the same dominance in it.
Well, when you played against an Iranian or a guy from China,
did they ever catch you off guard?
Like, whoa, this guy's pretty good.
This guy's nice, I like him.
From my difference to this day,
we still keep in touch names.
Arsalan Kazimi, he was drafted by last pick,
by the Philadelphia 76ers.
He's a hundred percent Iranian.
He went to the Rice University.
I actually went to Iran.
The only reason why I agreed to play to you,
I told him, hey, I'm going to play with this team in Iran.
You coming with?
Yeah, and he's, man, put him in China.
Also, he's at, like in there,
and one of the other great bigs drafted,
so the NBA, Hadadi.
I'll move up, you know what, Dadi, seven foot name,
but three, seven foot two played in China.
One of the highest paid, if not the highest paid,
Iranian ever in the history,
like you've done, played everywhere.
Like Iran has some great players.
I don't think I ever heard anybody say that.
Grizzlies, I want to say Hadadi was.
That's why I heard from him.
That's why I knew he was at the Grizzlies.
Okay, so let me,
I've got a few more questions to wrap this up.
So I heard this story, so don't get mad at him.
You were at the end of your career,
and you got a phone call, Tommy Brackle,
your high school coach at North Krali, legend now.
Tells me the story, the Keith Lame forgave you a call.
And Keith kind of went through a little bit
what you went through in terms of his great college player.
He flirts with the NBA and then he goes overseas
and he really did very, very well.
And then he retired.
And I believe he lives in Austin now,
but he gave you a call, Willie,
to basically encourage you about where you were
in your career and not to get due caught up
and whether or not you had an NBA career or not,
that you did have a professional basketball career
and you made probably a pretty decent money at it.
And that's what we're celebrating.
And talking about identity and things like that.
Can you tell me what he said to you
that encouraged you about being where you were
and where you are?
It was the words also,
but I was more of a seeing than believing person.
So of course him calling and seeing those things to me,
it encouraged me to keep going.
Like, hey, if the NBA don't work out
and I can continue to pursue this dream,
but it was the fact,
because I remember him telling me,
he came from the bottom,
second, third division leagues and all that,
but by the time I got to Europe,
he was the highest paid American ever to come to Europe.
So when I heard and I seen that, I was just like,
okay.
So I believe you.
So what do you think of NCAA basketball now, Willie?
Man, I love it.
I love it.
I don't think it's had as far as the NBA portal
and stuff I hate it.
What?
The portal, like we said earlier,
discussing the gain in that chemistry and that trust,
just multiple years that you grind and you sweat.
And I was in some treacherous off seasons with my guys
when I was at Oklahoma,
like, especially my freshman year.
That was, that was tough for me.
If I didn't have Blake, I always tell people,
if I didn't have Blake, my freshman year,
I don't know, that was different.
That was a different type of work.
I didn't have to work like that in high school to,
you know, to win that, that we worked,
but it wouldn't like that
to win that state championship.
So, you know, just get that portal, guys,
just in and out, in and out, three, four schools
and four different years.
And, you know, I don't like that.
Like, you know, it kind of disrupts the whole family,
brotherhood that I think that came with, you know,
being on a basketball team.
So you talked about talking to, go ahead.
Aggressiveness and everything.
Oh, I love it.
It's still the same.
I tell people to this day that you need to watch college basketball
over NBA and everything.
If you want your child to learn basketball
and learn how to play the right way,
you go watch college.
Why do you say that?
Because I'm sure you've seen this.
The current NBA players are upset with the older NBA players
who kill routinely the way the game is played today.
And I'm a little tired of it too.
I was so much better back in the 80s and the 90s
and I'm an 80s and 90s kid.
And I'm here to tell you right now,
it's not necessarily any better than it was then,
the talent and skill level of these players today is just incredible.
So you're a fan.
What do you think of the state of NBA play today?
And NBA game.
And you know, you got people that's complaining
about the physicality is leaving.
And yeah, go ahead.
Be sure to focus.
50 praise.
If you drop 30 of those three downs and on a shoe 23,
you have 30 positions where you get some more physicality.
Get some more files and, you know, frustrated players
of those guys, you know, bumping in.
I mean, you might get that aggression, but it should be equal.
When you shoot 53s, that's a lot of positions.
But I have had multiple college coaches tell me
the most over recruited state by far in the nation is Texas.
Do you think the best basketball players in the United States
now are coming out of this state?
Or do you still think it's a predominantly East Coast thing?
I've never thought it was a East Coast thing.
If we've been the best, I let the McDonald's game
that's scoring.
I didn't know that.
That's pretty cool.
I've always felt like we've had the best players
in this area, you know, we play more simple.
So it's not as pretty, it's not as flashy,
it's not as like the East, that was the only difference.
We're more gritty.
We ain't scared to get into the trenches,
get down here, you'll show the bump you finish
and one Yale screen dunk on you and we're not gonna come down
here and put on a dribbling expedition
and shoot side step, fade away,
three is all game, man.
You know, that was more, you know, street ball,
that's more East Coast, West Coast, you know,
we let them have that.
We more of, all right, we hear you talking.
When you put up on us though, you're gonna feel this.
That's a great line.
What do you tell young people who say,
man, I want to go to the league, I want to go to the league.
And they don't worry about education or any of that other stuff.
They can't see beyond playing pro basketball
and the rest of their life.
What do you tell them?
What I've noticed when I got older,
what you learn in school is gonna benefit you later.
It's them preparing you for life.
If you especially, if you're gonna have a job
and try to be successful in life,
it's the being able to wake up and get to where you need to be
on time, being able to get in between your classes
or being able to follow and listen to instructions
from a superior because you're gonna,
everybody has a boss, you know,
it was the little things like that that I didn't realize
when I was a young one that I, when I got older
and was like, this is what we really were preparing for.
It wasn't what you were doing in a science class.
I mean, I mean, from the being else, it wasn't that, you know,
it was, it was being able to follow the instructions
to a team, being able to listen to someone,
being able to get to where you need to be
when you're supposed to be there
and it's being able to stick to a strict schedule, you know,
it was all those little things that I didn't know
that I would tell them, hey, it's a professionalism to it.
You know, when you make it to that NBA,
like it ain't just basketball.
You can, it's a bunch of talent in this world,
but if you can't be a professional, you won't last long.
You might get there, but you won't last long.
And if you wanna last, if you wanna stick,
you gotta separate yourself and that professionalism
is how you do it.
Wow, what a great answer.
I seriously, I, you know, my daughter's 16
and she's in that place.
I'm sure you can relate to some of this with your son.
Why am I doing this class, right?
And I have told her and you kind of just backed it up
a little bit and I said, you will separate yourself
if you show up on time.
Just show up on time.
There's one, you know, if you two minutes early,
you'll separate yourself a little bit.
If you're awake and you're engaged and you are trying,
you will separate yourself a little bit more from the rest.
I said, that's what you're learning how to do.
I said it and if you can excel in that class, even better,
but that's what you're learning how to do.
And if you do those things, it is amazing.
How many people you will separate yourself from?
Willie, I really, I really appreciate your time.
It's great to see you.
Thank you so much.
I know we yo-yoed back and forth on this for a while,
but Willie, congratulations for everything.
I really appreciate it.
I wish you all the success and continue to get help.
Thanks so much for doing this.
Thank you so much, man.
I hope you had a great one.
Thanks for having me.
You too.
Thanks, Willie.
Shining moment, you reached inside.
One shining moment, you knew you were up.
This is a stolen water media production.