Justin Begg is one of the best point guards in the city of Houston and he sits down with RDWA and Ez Corner to talk about his visit to George Mason and why he decided to commit. Begg also talk about the AAU Nike EYBL circuit and the impact it has on him and other top players. His father Christian Begg is one of the most influential people in the AAU circuit, he talks about his impact on his career and explains how it is to have him as a coach, and many more!
Justin Begg is one of the best point guards in the city of Houston and he sits down with RDWA and Ez Corner to talk about his visit to George Mason and why he decided to commit. Begg also talk about the AAU Nike EYBL circuit and the impact it has on him and other top players. His father Christian Begg is one of the most influential people in the AAU circuit, he talks about his impact on his career and explains how it is to have him as a coach, and many more!
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Speaker 2:Another day, another dollar. You know how I grind. It's another episode, like he said, of the easy corner, but also the collab with the real deal to kill. So it's something new and fresh. But anyway, my guests, as you guys can see, man, the killer from Episcopal State, champion YBL, on that court, on the YBL circuit, all state, mr Justin beg, man, how you doing today? Hey man, it's been a long time coming. We all know kind of a little bit. This interview was actually bound to happen, so like we can kind of get you up to speed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, let me know so.
Speaker 2:I interviewed the point guard at Houston, christian named Montana we were. One of the questions was who is the guy that brings the best out of you? He says this guy right here, justin beg. They had a classic SBC championship game which Episcopal fell short. Yeah, but we all know that we plan to see that. I plan, I'm gonna say it now. I think the rematch is gonna happen in the SBC championship, even though they're gonna play in district play. But I'd rather see the matchup with the biggest prize on the line. But that's this is where this interview step stems from. So obviously I've been watching Justin for a very, very long time. You know that I keep up with high school basketball real heavy. But this is Justin big. So just kind of just talk about your journey of basketball and like how, how kind of really started for you man.
Speaker 3:So, like my dad, christian beg Shot to him and he kept me in the game for a long time, still in the game because of him, his knowledge, he's a taught me a lot. You know, going through some ups and downs with him as our relationship, that coach relationship, but, like, since I was really like two or three years old, had a ball in my hand, just playing basketball with the older guys, that's when I was a little kid and maybe kindergarten, you know, playing up, yeah, play, and playing middle school basketball when I'm in elementary, not supposed to be dribbling the ball, my left hand being able to make a layup, like with my left hand when I'm like four or five, you know, but yeah, I shot, I shot up to my dad, really, that's that's why I'm playing basketball, that's where I do it for.
Speaker 2:That's okay.
Speaker 1:I do want to. I do want to stay on this part, because you say your dad because he's in the, he's in the sport, he's a big name out here. So having your dad be a like a coach but also father, how hard was that for you growing up.
Speaker 3:For me. Yeah, on the court, it was a little difficult because of the Feedback coming from him. Just it wasn't the same as it coming from another person. Yeah, I yell, coming from somebody else, compared to your dad, a little different touches, a little different. But besides that it's always been love.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know I used when I went out when I played ball my dad wasn't into that like it was the total I was out to get coached by, like the school coaches, or even a you, so I was once another dynamic when it came to father Coaches what's the conversation is like after games?
Speaker 2:when is it close? So like, does it, does it turn off? Or because I said I Know coaches they want to turn it off. But like, what's the conversation after the game?
Speaker 3:Especially after a bad performance man. So many that's the worst word, that's the worst like so many, like midday games, not how to back performance. Going straight to the hill, just straight to the gym. I believe you. I believe you know that our own drives, you know. You know, maybe some tears here and there, but we always man, I don't even know what to say. We all used to go back and forth with each other after, after a game, that's for sure.
Speaker 2:I remember the first time I'm seeing you play. I want to say that you're in seventh grade and you and you're playing with your Houston Hoops team at Crossover and I think you played an older team and all I just remember Just saying your dad, you guys won and I think somebody tried to argue something, something, and your dad was just like man no, no, no we won't, we, won't we just getting off the court?
Speaker 2:but just talk about your dad's passion and enthusiasm, because Obviously we know what he's done for you as a father. But just can you kind of elaborate what he's done for other stars, like there's a lot of stars that's like two-way stars football and basketball.
Speaker 3:A lot of other players in this city man, my dad has Brought so much knowledge to the game for other people and my dad is not, you know, and who does this for no dollar and then, like that, he just keeps it real with you. He he's not gonna sugarcoat nothing. If you're good enough, you're good enough, you're not, you're not. But yeah, that's all I can say. My dad's just knows the game on another level and it's it's proven by the guys he's had in the pros and and by all the guys he got coming up in the future too talk about your game and how's developed, because I'm gonna sit here and be honest, because this is what easy corner does Justin?
Speaker 2:it took you probably at least probably like three years to actually finally grow on me, because I was just looking like, okay, I Looked and I was just like he's good, but then all of a sudden I saw you in big games when you got better. So just talk about your you elevator game. By being small, just it now to filling in your body and you just knocking down shots when it's time to play.
Speaker 3:I think like since freshman year my games matured and I just gotten better mentally. You know I'm not the same timid Justin I might have been sophomore freshman year especially I'm a alpha's. Like I'm gonna get it, you know, like I want it in that big, in that big moment it's me, I want the shot, I want to play. You know I'm saying so, like I'm always looking for the next, the next big game, the next big moment. I'm just ready for it. Oh, I'm not taking nothing, nothing lightly. I take every game for a hundred. Maybe not everybody sees it that way, but that's why I play so hard, so confidence.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've been around players back in high school that had to grow confidence, because not everybody want to take that shot, people just want to pass the bomb, make the right basketball play, quote-unquote. Was there a certain game, certain message or certain practice that led to that class in one of my form? For my teammates, it took a practice with a sophomore for a coach to literally get on him, go on one-on-one in practice and then he got that dog in them. Was it a certain moment?
Speaker 3:I would say my sophomore year. Going to my sophomore year, after maybe the first or second game in the season, I knew like where we were and where we stood, like our talent was there. But we just needed that one guy who was gonna take us over the hill to To accomplish that big go at the end February, the SPC championship and I feel like my sophomore year was definitely that. No, especially leaving it out on the floor for a state championship, winning on a buzzer beater against the num1 team, arguably in Texas, with with that talent, everything like that. You know, I think that was the moment right there. Oh, you did a buzzer beater in the state championship.
Speaker 1:Yes, hey man.
Speaker 2:Hey, that's right, when you edit this, run that clip. Run that clip when the corner of the pump fake. Yeah, did you like be honest, did you know that shot was going in when it left there? Yeah, because it was a. It was like that was the difference between a tough shot and a shot maker. So, like, did you just gotta just know? Like yeah, it's going.
Speaker 3:I need to store. Okay, we're in the state championship game against Green Hill. No, it shall be Lee Dordt, michael Robinson college. So they're the number one team in Texas and SBC private school basketball by far. Everybody thinks, oh, this is a breeze game. We come out, it's. I want to say we're either up at halftime or it's tie game. Fast forward, fourth-quarter. We're down. We're down. Maybe five with three left to go. They come down. Shot, hit, shot. I hit three threes in a row, three threes in a row, and two of them in the last minute. So when it came to that last one, I just knew it like it had to come to me. I'm hot, hot hand. Was it tired or was it? Was y'all down? We were down, we were down.
Speaker 2:He said he's one or two. Oh, two, three, how many seconds, little baby? Hey, it was 17 seconds left.
Speaker 3:Okay so 17 seconds. We got to go full court, yeah. So it was a dribble handoff play. I kind of like crowded the three-point line, got to the corner, pump fake in the corner, got him up in the air, shot on one leg, kind of fading away, and when I when I let it go, I just knew it was going. It would look too good. It was too clean too perfect.
Speaker 2:The funniest part about that play was you guys celebrated but you guys really actually ended up spring back on Like the turn, like they start spring down, like oh, that was one of the that's one of the best games I've ever seen. But I do want to actually touch on, though obviously I want to kind of shift gears to, but Not, I don't want to, I don't want to touch on right now you playing on it, but just experiencing it, knowing that, like I said, you've seen a lot of great performances and a lot of great play on the YBL circuit. For people that don't understand that environment, describe the environment as a fan.
Speaker 3:It's fast-paced killer be killed. No, no, plays off at all, it's. It's. It's not your, your local. Just get up and down the court, open gym run. This is a real deal. It's not. This is not a weekend tournament. This is something that people just want to do like they wish to do it in their life. You know, you know what I'm saying. Like this, this league, is something serious and it translates to, to the cause of them, to the next level and it gets you prepared for for when you have to go out and and be on your own next year as a senior or as a freshman College doctor.
Speaker 2:Give me some, some notable performances like you've seen on the on the YBL, because I got just said, like it's I kind of thought about it today like this probably gonna be the first time in a while knowing that you ain't going to the YBL, he's dead because you got to go off to college. Yeah, so just kind of just talk about the notable performances that you've seen on the YBL circuit.
Speaker 3:I'm gonna start off with my, my brother, jaylen Lowe. Last year I peed down. It was just crazy. Every game sitting on the bench with him playing up man it was, it was crazy. It was like. It was like as a whole new him. He was just he was turning up every game throwing logs to Jase Posey, joe Tuggler, yeah, ashton hard way hard away in threes. You know who else do we have?
Speaker 2:Jackson Prince was on that, jackson.
Speaker 3:Prince was on that team. Everything but some other notable Performances. I'll say my teammate Trey Johnson this year came off the plane from Hungry. You had 30 points, first game at Peach Jam.
Speaker 2:Just crazy off the plane like like it was nothing, tired, still Hung like everything you know this is gonna be a question I'm gonna ask you and I'm gonna ask your dad. When we get them on, there's the inklings that they think the game is rigged for Houston hoops to always make the Peach Jam, because every time they feel like, oh, we look at the status, ah, how did it? Who's making? Just talk about a little bit this, this? Can we just put to bed that myth that nobody is, nobody Is. It's swaying one way. Y'all just went at the right time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we just went at the right time and and Just like the name of the Houston hoops carries, carries a lot of respect with it, like mr Passner, he's had this for a long time. My dad, you know, those kind of people were just Just known around the world, not only for things that we do on the court, but things that we do off the court, like. I'll give you an example we, we try to be as respectful as we can. We have many, we get many messages that are about, oh, the Houston hoops. We're very respectful to us, they they're. They're nice here, they're nice there. They're not like everybody else. Maybe at a hotel people know our names, things like that. But also, I just want to say our place speaks for itself, yeah no, does it?
Speaker 2:does Y'all would like I say y'all, y'all, one at the right yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, and we, we deserve to be in the you, in the pcm every year, no matter, no matter the case, especially this year, especially years before. So I just want to put that to res like the hoops yeah, we, we, yeah, we.
Speaker 1:Now one of them like Stop playing go Give the people that's listening like a behind the scenes, like a schedule of a you, because obviously a you is, it's growing by the year. So talking about like a schedule for y'all.
Speaker 3:So really I want to say a you starts spring break, spring break.
Speaker 3:Yeah right after the state championship, spring break. You know you have everyday practice. Who's had two a days every day during spring break, except for that last little couple days. We have our Spring, you know, tournament or something, local tournament or we might travel and then we might have one more tournament after that and then with first you I bl session, after that, first you are below session, it's just constant practice. You I bl session practice, maybe a weekend off, but you write back on that schedule. So it's like just practice, practice, practice, just making sure everything's sharpened for the, for the session and just getting ready for that angle at pgm.
Speaker 2:I want you to talk about one relationship that you have, because I love this dynamic and he's one of my favorite players to watch. Talk about the relationship you have with one, aj Bates talk about him a little bit, because I I've enjoyed you. It just feels like you guys feed off each other Every time you play, so how different is gonna be knowing, when it comes marks, you're not playing with him?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I've been playing with Bates since I was a freshman, so really that's my guy. Like we are just one, two punch. I feel like we feed off each other. We know we have a little better IQ than some people we might be playing with or playing against on the court, so we know where we need to be, where we are at all times. It's almost like we have that twin connection to where we just know what to do and when to do it at the right times.
Speaker 2:The fact that Seven Lakes and Episcopal hasn't happened. I like hey y'all ducking that smoke.
Speaker 2:Hey, they ducking that smoke. The fact that Seven Lakes and Episcopal hasn't happened in four years has really baffled me, because, like, because like is so much storylines going into that game, but also those are two of the better teams in the state. Like we have deserved to see that match up at least one time. Like you could arguably say, Seven Lakes is one of the best public schools, but also Episcopal, we know they're the one of the best private schools.
Speaker 1:So you think Seven Lakes is ducking y'all?
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure, bates knows it. Yeah, yeah, bates knows it. Nas too, yeah.
Speaker 1:So who made? But when it comes to like this, I mean it comes down to with the AD, the coach, and it gets out together like Nah, it really just takes one player from their side to say hey, coach, can we play Episcopal?
Speaker 3:Because? We've already put out the word there. It's up for them to accept the challenge.
Speaker 1:And then on the schedule is your obviously no, no, and this and this Ron. So this is like the game that's supposed to happen. Basically, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Because, like I said, when you think about it, these are two or probably the best point guards in 2024 in the city of Houston.
Speaker 3:Why not?
Speaker 2:Like, at the end of the day, they've been together for all these years. Like, why not their senior year? Like, and honestly, these are two pretty good teams as of right now, with notable wins. Like, everybody wants to see that match up. Everybody wants to. What's the ranking? I don't know what the ranking is, but as far as like, these are teams that can win SPC championship. These are teams that can win a state championship.
Speaker 1:So they play who you got.
Speaker 2:Who do I?
Speaker 1:got Honest opinion. Honest opinion Send the bios in the room. Nobody. Nobody. If, if, if, if, if, if, if you were talking.
Speaker 2:Because the thing is like I said I love Bates and I said I was at the breading game big, I was impressed. I was like they, they, they, they, they, they, they Kingston families, even though you had 39, but but big in that leadership, bates, net leadership. But then got, got big here. Man Like you, you can never count him out. I think that would be a classic game. But if I had to give the edge I would give the edge, and I'm not just saying this because here I'm going to give the edge to a Piscobo, because I think that boy, jaquiel Registe, makes the difference.
Speaker 2:Getting him back If it was last year's team I'm taking lakes, but this year's team, when that guy, jaquiel Registe, stayed back, I said I know what big and them are trying to, they, they trying to give this, they, they, they, they. They knew what happened last year in that SBC championship. They trying to rewrite some wrongs and say, hey, it's all right, get that, that, get back. Season is coming, yeah, so like so, so that's what? And so I would take a Piscobo as of right now. But speaking of a Piscobo, talk about playing for Coach Wayne Jones, talk about and the one thing that I appreciate about him is not just only the coach, the man that he is, so just talk about the man and the coach that Coach Wayne Jones is.
Speaker 3:Coach Jones is like a father figure at school, like anything you need. You go to Coach Jones. You know you need to talk to somebody. You go to him practice. You know he listens. He's a. He's a guy you can come to at any time of the day, no matter what it is basketball, schoolwork, problems at home, anything like that. But as a coach, coach Jones is is helping you for the next step in life, like your future. For me, I'm playing for something bigger than than just a Piscobo. I'm playing for my, my next year at George Mason, stuff like that. He's preparing you for the future and and just wants to see the best for you. You know what I'm saying. So plan for Coach Jones has been a great experience, especially since sophomore year. He really put the ball in my hands and trusted me just to for it to be like my team and and be the leader of the team. So I really thank him for that.
Speaker 2:Do you believe? Years prior it was probably the biggest misconception about private school. What have you feel like guys like you, montana Willard Montana Willard, nigel Walls, sebastian Sebastian Adams? What have y'all done for private school basketball?
Speaker 3:I feel like all those guys you just named, we've all made it to where, like people who are at public schools, they starting to realize, hey, I kind of want to go to this private school because, hey, this guy's getting all this pub from, from going here and turning this place up. That's kind of what we've done and and it's it's also been like people like Xavier Willard or, you know, da Hughes and our Jeharry Long, who's also Jaylen Waddle. Yeah, Jaylen Waddle paved the way for people like us, so yeah.
Speaker 2:Y'all guys. Y'all guys. Talk about your crew, your, your, your Piscoball crew. Obviously, shout out. I know my boy, deshawn Brody, is no longer there. Shout out, shout out, brody. But just talk about the messages between you, jekyll and and Breva. I just just talk about the what is the met, because I want the coaches out there. Obviously, we know if a Piscoball is going to go where they need to go, it's on y'all three, because this is y'all last year. What's the conversations like between y'all three?
Speaker 3:It's, it's real serious. That's what I was saying. It's real serious. When it comes game time, when it comes to the lights turning on at seven o'clock on that Friday afternoon SBC, you know, conference game it's time to lock in. It's no more fun and games it's it's winter going home at that point. So we, we, we lock in when it. When it comes to time, maybe, you know, there might be a couple of games during the season where we'll play around, but when it comes to those big games, yeah, we're really locked in, we're real focused. And those conversations get real deep with those, especially with them freshmen, or the people who just they're just there to be there. But hey, yeah, it's, it's some serious over there.
Speaker 2:Talk about the Episcopal community as a whole, because the one thing that I said I always resonate with, with you guys, and I think a lot of these kids just kind of just forget, like you guys embrace the dual sport. Yeah, and that's what I appreciate about Wayne Jones, like I, to me he's almost a mentality of a football coach when he when he got y'all, because it's just more like the dogs are off the leash. Go go, get a bucket. Go go go play hard defense. Let's play in transition. Justin, get these guys. You, you're setting the tone. So just talk about the Episcopal community as a whole.
Speaker 3:We are. We're not like people might think we're soft stuff like that, but like we play hard, we play together, we play smart, we try to play smart, we try to play smart. But having some freshmen like Aleema Lies won an eight and five. You know things might get out of hand, but when it comes to when it comes to it, like we are, are locked in on the game and just ready to go.
Speaker 2:What's the legacy that you want to kind of leave out, episcopal?
Speaker 3:I want to leave like I don't know what, like just a legendary one. Like I want to be just known as oh, that's that guy number five. Like I want to be known as that's five, right there, that's five, right there.
Speaker 2:Put the Jersey in the rafters right now.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like five people, people. I just want people to know like five is not not to be played where around.
Speaker 2:Because when I look at the Episcopal mantle point guard mantle I feel like it's been passed down and I want to know from like Juice Williams to Doc, now to you, who do you pass that throne to?
Speaker 3:I'm gonna say I'm passing that throne to Aleema Lies won an eight and five them two right there, but they just they're two young guys on varsity getting great minutes.
Speaker 2:You're great yeah.
Speaker 3:Producing a lot for us. You know sometimes the Leans out there scoring a lot Hidden Threes playing defense. You know his mid-ranges lethal. Same with Aiden. You know he's, he's gonna come out. I feel like next year is gonna be his year where he starts and turns into that, that starting point guard, the guy like me, my sophomore year. Yeah, take over the program.
Speaker 2:So I want to kind of just talk about those two in particular Vife and Alajuan. Obviously, this is you, your guys last ride. Yeah, obviously they're freshmen. We all know that you guys are, are, are, are going to the SBC tournament. You can almost book it like death taxes and you guys making the making, the tournament is guaranteed. By the time that rolls around, episcopal probably played 25 to 30 games. They're not freshmen anymore. They won't be considered freshmen anymore. How bad do you need those guys to produce to get where you want to go?
Speaker 3:I'm gonna start off with Aleem right here, aleem, aleem got to produce both mentally he got a mentally lock in and physically lock in. I just sometimes he just gets in his own hair. But you know, we're going to talk him through it, okay. Stuff like that, but it's just the it's. I feel like it's just the freshman jitters still.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:He's still not 100% used to it. You know they both coming from homeschool situations so they never really played in front of this like big crowds all the time. But yeah, when it comes to that time in next month January, february they go. It's going to be a different thing. You're going to see a difference.
Speaker 2:Because my whole thing is, a lot of freshmen can always just say hey, man, I have three years left, you're the senior. So what's kind of your message to them? Because at the end of the day, we know, like I said, it's strictly business you guys left something on the table that that believe that is rightfully you guys. So what is the message to them? That these three years can really go by? You're not guaranteed to win every year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you're not guaranteed anything next year. You never know what could happen during your summertime. So, just I'm like, just just treat others like the way you would want to be treated, Like I'm treating you with the most respect. Treat me with the most respect, but like, just lock in, like you don't have these moments for life.
Speaker 3:You know, I feel like my high school career has gone by like this. I feel like yesterday I was just a freshman and now I'm a senior, the season's halfway over. I'm just going to say cherish all these moments, man, Like it's. There are moments that are that they just go by so fast and you just, I don't even know, Like just time is moving. Time is moving too quickly for you to just cherish on someone that's in the past, work on your future and just make sure you lock in on everything you're doing.
Speaker 1:I do want to ask the situation last year. How sweet would it be if you in your high school career stay championship with another brother?
Speaker 3:Yeah, how would that feel? Man that would put the IC on the cape for my high school career.
Speaker 1:I'm going to put you best point guard and come out of the city.
Speaker 3:What best point guard? Come out of the city, for sure.
Speaker 1:City.
Speaker 3:Out the city, like out the city City of Houston Ever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, oh easy. I'm sorry, your face is easy. I'm saying okay, this is what I will say. If we talking about somebody getting two state champions, two state champions two buzzer beaters and brought every single year, brought my top. What you think, Is that so so so it.
Speaker 2:I would say it's tough GMG yeah, Top yeah.
Speaker 2:I don't think. I don't think. Nobody in the city is going to pay. I mean no, I would say the resume will stack up against anybody. But my whole thing is my rebuttal to you is this Montana really has one more year. What if he gets a state championship history? That would be my rebuttal. It would be. It would be not enough. I'll make the confidence though. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Think about it. He's not wrong Like it's, it's, he's in the discussion and it's a debate. So that's what it's, so that's so. That's my, that's my whole thing.
Speaker 1:So do you know the history? I'm pretty sure you're part of the history of TMG, yeah, bt about TJ4 or two.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that's that resume is going to be. You know what I?
Speaker 3:mean, and it doesn't just stop right here in high school, it obviously keeps on going. So like the way I see myself in the next five years, I feel like I will have that resume and just approve it to back it up. So like that also goes into what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:The one thing I do want to. I want to ask you this question, the one, the question that I want to ask you is for everybody that said they believe that your spot was given because who your? Dad is what's your answer to that?
Speaker 3:I've been in the gym too many late nights, early mornings, you know, work on my butt off. For somebody to sit here and say that until you put somebody in front of me, that's going to prove to me that they are better than me and I shouldn't be in the spot that that I was in. I earned every second, every minute, every moment I was in, so for somebody to say that that's just heartbreaking to towards me. Now it's not fair to me to say that to me because of the opportunity I've been been given, but I work for it, so it should have been given to me or I should have gotten it, okay.
Speaker 1:No, I do. I do want to shift a little bit because you said you want to George Mason. So why George Mason? What came to that conclusion? What stood out during that visit?
Speaker 3:Just everything really like. Even just getting to the airport, they treated me like family. As soon as I got there, the coaching staff, you know, coach skin, coach, a mic everybody just was like. It felt like a home environment. I would say like they just treated me with the utmost respect, especially my parents, which was a major thing. You know, fairfax Virginia is an amazing place. It's a new environment, new climate, all that a new region. I don't be starting a new journey at everything, but Mason, like the conference, are in everything. They're on the rise. I feel like you're going to hear a lot about George Mason and Pirate basketball in the coming future.
Speaker 2:Talk about George Mason a little bit, because they're actually kind of I see that they're actually recruiting Houston a lot. So, just kind of just talk about that. And quick story about George Mason. I watched the game in 06 when they beat you kind of go to the final four. So I just I do want to know too also how many play, because the head coach was on that final four too. How many, how many coaches are still like there at George Mason? That was on that final four.
Speaker 3:I believe there's another one, coach Butler, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Oh, he was in the corner, the corner side.
Speaker 1:It's your coach in there, George.
Speaker 2:Mason no, no, no, no, no, like they played, they played.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so they beat you. So they keep it within the family base?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, jim Larenega, man Shout out Jim Larenega, coach in Miami, but he was the head coach, yeah yeah, they keep that in the family, but was there any other schools or any other visits that?
Speaker 3:you took. No, I didn't. I didn't take any other visits and it was just kind of like like I took that first visit to George Mason, it just felt so good. I just it just felt like home, you know, and it was just the right time and the right place of when I got. When I got that offer and and the opportunity to go to George Mason, I was like, yeah, this is it for me.
Speaker 2:I want to kind of switch gears, because actually, obviously, like my job is to kind of study what you kind of do, talk about the painting your sister did the picture, and also talk about the modeling career at Episcopal. Man, got to, just got to just touch on those, though, because at the end of the day, you're more than an athlete. Yeah, this year there's NIL deals, you know, then you've got to kind of brand yourself. At the end of the day, you've been at Episcopal. That is more than sports is known for education. Just got to just talk about that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, my sister, she did like. She had like a little art project for art class photography class.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:She took a picture of me and and kind of matched that George Mason theme a little bit with the green and yellow and white-ish stuff, and I really my sister did a great job on that. And to speak on the modeling thing. It's like a little event that we do for our school. It's called the Style Show, senior Style Show and it was just a great experience. Got to model at the Galleria for Macy's and it was just it was.
Speaker 1:it was fun, you know lights on you, cameras on you smiling parents in the crowd.
Speaker 3:everything was just nice yeah.
Speaker 2:Obviously, like I just said, man for Episcopal to win the SBC Championship. What needs to happen?
Speaker 3:What needs to happen. What needs to happen? We just got a. We got a tough one in in St John's, houston Christian, st Mark's. I feel like those are the, the main people that we got to worry about. But it's really not about them. It's more about us and the way we got to play. We got to come out as a unit and play together and stop worrying about oh, I need mine, mine, mine. You know, if you get, if we get ours, yours comes with it Stuff like that. We're going to play together and just lock in on on what our main goal is and we'll achieve it.
Speaker 2:Talk about your secondary hobby, the collection of shoes. Talk, talk, talk about that and what has shoes? What kind of joy that has sneakers brought you. What's the? What's the best pair of sneakers you've ever played in? So kind of just talk about like you're, you're, like you're one of the shoe guys and your dad I can even get started about that man. We know who he is.
Speaker 3:Shoes has been a crucial part of my my life since little kid. I've always loved shoes, especially because of my dad. Jordan's really just everything Nike. I'm just keeping keeping real with you. Everything Nike and Jordan is about all we go. But you know, like best shoes I've played in, currently my favorite shoe to play in if I could play on it in it every day, would be my Kobe six UIBLs. But I also do like Jordan 11s. Jordan 11s is it's something when you break it in, you get the squeak and the comfort, the high top, everything like that. It looks nice, it feels nice, it's. It's not too heavy for me. But you know the bread 11 is my favorite shoe. I do have a question with that.
Speaker 2:Do you have to kind of get two pairs, one to play in and one for soap?
Speaker 3:It's like a certain point where, like your Jordan's, you wear your Jordan so much that it's just like, okay, it's about time for me to just start lacing them up and put them on the court. So like, that's what it was, especially with my bread 11s I I worn them a lot and it was just like, oh, they still look good. I hope you loved it. I ain't really wearing them out. I'ma put them all according.
Speaker 1:This is why I'm glad we collabing on this. I'm talking to the generation below us. When it comes to Jordans, y'all will never understand when it came to holiday time with them cool grays.
Speaker 1:You have to stand in line for shoes. You had to literally get up at three in the morning. Hey, you still up. You want to go to the mall? You gotta stand in line. You gotta get your ticket. Stand in line. Now, jordans, you can just go inside the store and get your pair. You know what I mean? It's totally different. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:What joy has shoes brought you? A lot of people just don't understand the shoe culture. But what does shoes do for your?
Speaker 3:confidence. Shoes is like it's a part of your persona. I say I'm five. People say there's something that was like five Me, I always gotta have the nicest shoes on my feet. I can't just be a regular snuggler guy. My dad always asks me hey, we playing this, we might be playing a not so good team. Why are you wearing these EYBO toe-bees up? I'm like I gotta look good, I look good, I play good. That's how I feel. I'm always rocking the accessory, not because I just want to look cute, I just want to look confident. Me having a nice drip is what they call it. Me having a nice drip is how I feel. Like I get buckets. That's just a part of me.
Speaker 1:You're gonna be like the loud color shoes. Yeah, loud color shoes.
Speaker 2:You ain't wearing a team color shoes. I got a question because you're one of the most elite. You're an elite guy in the city. What's your take on the trash wearing the great shoes? You have to be elite to wear the elite shoes because there's a lot of guys like me and my friend always had a say with back then with the elite socks. Don't wear elite socks if you're not elite. So just talk about when you see people with nice shoes but they ain't getting no PT.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you might, especially nowadays. You see a lot of these kids out here with some EYBL shoes and they ain't never stepped foot on an EYBL team, you know. It just comes apart where you earn that privilege to put these shoes on because of the status and the hard work that you put into all this stuff, especially with all these kids rocking these Kobe's and everything Like. If you ain't getting no playing time, why you wearing such nice shoes? Let somebody else get a chance to wear these. I don't want them, man.
Speaker 2:That's funny Talker. I would say this I'm about to almost get to a top five on this for you. Give me your top five Houston Hoops teammates.
Speaker 3:Team mates, team mates.
Speaker 2:Like in your whole career, Houston Hoops, and you know it spans back a long time. If I had a guest, I want to say this Just let me know, if I'm right, If it's two names that I'm going to put on there I don't know AJ Bates and Jamal Kreeti.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Are those two on the make the list? Okay, okay.
Speaker 3:I'm going to give all time just because of the history behind it. I want you to actually tell a little bit of the history. So I'm going to say these are my top five teammates Anthony Bates, aaron Valentine Drail and Miller Jamal. And who am I missing? Oh and Nephy, oh, okay, nephy, no okay.
Speaker 3:So these guys are all guys who like, who just been there for me when you know like as friends it could be, it could be anything like we've we've all separated now, but we all keep in contact and those are just my guys and such a, such a young age and like they just been my homies, my day ones. You know anything I need, I go to them still to this day. If I need to call Jamal, you know, call Jamal right now you'll still answer. You know, drail and he just got congratulations, colorado.
Speaker 3:Colorado, I'll call him right now. He gonna go answer all these guys Nephy, aaron Bates, all those guys just my boys from such a young age and made so many, so many memories together.
Speaker 2:What's your best team that you played on with my I?
Speaker 3:already know that answer.
Speaker 2:Eighth grade year Talk about it, talk about it. Eighth grade year Was that.
Speaker 3:COVID year. Covid, maybe wait, let me. Let me switch it up Seventh grade summer. Seventh grade summer was my favorite and best team. My dad was coaching no.
Speaker 2:I like I said that's the first time I saw y'all play at crossover. Y'all beat my boy coach Mo Jones, the assistant coach at same time as Episcopal. Y'all beat his team. I was there like because I think y'all beat him and that's when your dad walked off. No, no, no no, we would, we would. We would, because I got said oh no, no man, yes, so so, so so, but talk about that team.
Speaker 3:We just it was like those guys had been together since we were in fourth grade, maybe third fourth grade around those times. So we really just had a record. We really like meshed well together, like we knew everything. We knew the plays, we were all tight knit clothes, spending, spending 90, each other's houses, stuff like that. So like the relationship and the bond between us was like no other, like all those guys are like brothers to me, so I got a question that you say that because right now I actually teach on a middle school.
Speaker 2:When you say you kind of know the plays and stuff like that, I want you to kind of just talk about the unselfishness that you learned during the, during those years. And how did that start? Because there's a lot of middle schoolers. Look at me, I'm here to drop 40 or amen, I'm trying to get my 50 and it's just more like they're not really like students of the game. But when I watch a Houston Hoops young team play they know how to pass and cut, get to the red spots and do that. Talk about the knowledge in the student of the game. That started early.
Speaker 3:I'm going to say, I'm going to put that on my dad because he's the reason why we weren't selfish, we weren't just looking for me, me, me, me, me. It was about we, like my dad has, in the gym, to our practices, we start off some days we start off dribbling just on the baseline pass and bounce passes, chest as like fundamental things that most guys, most people, don't do during their normal a you practice. But we were doing those things. We were running plays. We knew to all the plays like the back of our hands, like we just knew it, so like that culture that my dad just instilled into us is the reason why we were like that.
Speaker 1:I want to shift it up a little bit. We talked about the generational gap, so I want to ask NBA. I know you watch a lot of NBA, you taking Michael all the bar. Michael Jordan, all right, I'm a LeBron fan, but I just want to see what you're going to say. Who are your top five players right now?
Speaker 3:In league. Kevin Durant. I'm going to give it to LeBron Kevin Durant, lebron Luca, kyrie and Jason Tatum.
Speaker 2:How does Yonus not make your?
Speaker 1:favorite. Oh, he's your favorite, or do you think this is the best? That's my favorite. This is Yonus. This is not the best, this is my favorite, yonus, is in that best.
Speaker 3:He's in the best right now. But those are just my favorite guys that if I'm bored at home NBA highlights at school I'm looking up Luca, kyrie, lebron. You know, sometimes Favorite artist, top five, top five Travis Scott, ot7, qwani. Shout out to OT7, qwani. Y'all don't know about that, what's?
Speaker 1:your name.
Speaker 3:OT7, Qwani.
Speaker 1:OT7, qwani Qwani. Yeah, Is that a rapper?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I did research. What are you from, philly?
Speaker 1:OT7, qwani. Yeah, that's two. Lil Uzi. I like his last album.
Speaker 3:Who else I said Travis Scott man. Oh, a little double low right now. I've been listening to a lot of V's lately. Some say these I got some underground rappers I listen to too. But yeah, I know like this dude named Jade's Rick Ross.
Speaker 2:I would say this I always because I'm an education. So the one of the first things I always say is I Tell a kid every day on, every time in the first day school, give me a song and give me a song so I should listen to. So I just think, as if you tell it, hit on him to do that, we got a reciprocate, the same energy, because I got you said I can't lie without my students, I'm not on baby, and I'm not on Rala without my students, I'm not on them.
Speaker 1:I was. It is some good music out here. I'm not gonna look like I did. I'll tell you, lose the first, last album I did like. So, matter of fact, give. I give you a quick story. So I don't. I'm starting to use tiktok more, so I did a review, lesson 20. That album was good, mm-hmm. So I get on there, do like a little review. I'm gonna get like a lot of likes and comments on it. I'm thinking the comments gonna be like some bashing yada yada. It was like there was a green. What I was saying about it. But they would shock me was that they start saying man, look, the og respects the younger rap. Wait, you know this person. At first I was in a fan, but he got yeah so if I give artists to?
Speaker 3:Oh, t7 Connie oh T7. Yeah, oh, t7, connie got the.
Speaker 2:Like the kids put me on, rala on baby, like they are only responsible for putting me on Rala Little baby, like, like. And then, honestly, I I do want you to talk about this. Talk about, because we didn't really have it, but we, it was the beginning. Talk about the mixtape era. You just talk about the big thing because you guys are almost making cartoonish that we've never seen before. You should just be raw clips, instrumentals. Now we just people turning into monsters, people popping out of cakes like they ducking the ball.
Speaker 3:So just talk about how the luxury of the mixtape era has enhanced you guys like I feel like the heart of the mixtape you got, the better, the talented guy you are, almost as if like I'll give you an example right now in the UIBO stage the people with the best you know mixtapes were. Like LA could do. You know, todd Petterford, those top ranked guys, and like the mixtape era is like what every kid's dreaming of. They dream of that stuff. You know I'm saying like that's not something that you could just go out there and buy like you got to be talented enough to Play good enough, get recorded by somebody and hopefully get it for free. You know, if you pan for a mixtape then you know, maybe you might not be there yet, but you know, like getting a mixtape on the UIBO level that's just amazing accomplishment if you can do it one day.
Speaker 2:How's it? How has it enhanced the basketball culture?
Speaker 3:Oh, you know, people put their own songs on. Like I can get a mixtape, somebody can send me a mixtape. Y'all could just video and no sound. I could put Ochi-Semmokani in the back and just turn it up a little bit like that's just like your own little spit on it, like like back in the day, if y'all had that, that technology, my dad probably put some DJ screw on the back of his His bass on mixtape stuff like that. But like it's definitely. I'm not gonna say he's just helped, but as far as like stuff like Instagram, tick, tock, you know it, it helps your, your peace of mind For your friends to see what, what's up with you.
Speaker 2:Obviously, like I just said, I think we all in the in the social media era, we're all living it. But just talk about what is the social media culture do for you, for your friends and you're who you hang out with.
Speaker 3:Social media can help, but it can also hurt a lot. Like Twitter is a great way to Get in contact with all these coaches, but, like you just gotta be mindful of what you do, especially for like Instagram. They're, like, there's a lot of stuff like you might have put out in the past. I can just resurface, but I just say, just be mindful of what you do, what you post and what kind of things that you look at on your Instagram and the things that you promote. Because, like nowadays it's all about your NIL, your name, image and likeness, stuff like that. So I can always ruin stuff and you can just think Opportunities can be taken away from from stupid mistakes that you make just post on your Instagram.
Speaker 2:Give all the way.
Speaker 1:I'm not gonna talk about social media real quick, because a lot when you, when you balling the way you are, they could be kids at either school or social media. Oh, he's him. Yeah, he's the goat, he's a legend. All those things. Does that like boost your confidence? Or there's something you try to like ignore a little bit, because I can you know?
Speaker 3:Yeah, especially at school, I will say this like like I might joke around and be like oh yeah, I'm him, like this isn't this, but like I don't really just act like that. I'm not. I'm not that type of person who's just gonna be like oh yeah, I deserve more than you because of this thing. At the end of the day, we're all human, we all. I go to the school just like you do. I tie my shoes, I wake up, brush my teeth, just like you do. So we're not any different, and a lot of people don't see that, but that's how I View the world as far as right now, because a lot of people are getting big headed in the things that they do and I just my parents taught me differently than that. So that's just my view on those.
Speaker 2:We touched on sister. I'm sweet Just on pops. Talk about mom's, talk about what, what, what she's done for you, because at the end of the day, like you know, obviously You're always gonna be attached to Christian. Yeah, that's it, but can you just talk about mom's for a little bit? Oh?
Speaker 3:My mom's a different, different animal. You know, like my mom, she's at a lot of my home games. Recently she's been a lot of my my piss will games, but my mom's just she couldn't always be out to every a you game like my dad Could. You know my dad's with the team and everything, but my mom is the most supportive person ever. If I'm going through something especially though, like we talked about those bad games you know we're driving home with my dad. I go see my mom. You know she's real supportive, but my dad might think I just went home crying to my mom, but my mom would always sit down, have, sit down, talk to me and like things I need to do to get better in those situations, stuff like that. So my mom's helped me mentally overcome some some, some roadblocks.
Speaker 2:Talk. Give me a player that you always in the city, that you felt like. I wish I would have played with him played with him I. Got a player in mind, but I want you to say your player first.
Speaker 3:Play with him, rob.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a good one. I wasn't even thinking about him, yeah, but I was thinking about I would always it would have been interesting to see you even though I love AJ Bennett's you and Zion Piffed into the back. I would, I would, I would actually want to see, to see that. No, but it could have been three guys, three starting, three starting guards and you, aj and Zion. But I would always want to see that. I was actually at that game this year when Clu-Cuze played the hook. That was actually one of the most intense games. I see, like it was a good game, but like, but like I just said that that's the player that I was thinking about, rob, yeah, I kind of forgot about it.
Speaker 3:If you're throwing that, love yeah, that screen picking role, somebody help up the big, help up that love he gets in that every time.
Speaker 2:I do have a question but like it's because he's my guy and I want, I just want. I want you to describe one player to me and he's my guy and I'm going to have him on easy corner. How did you and AJ Bates kind of control, divide who goes competitive?
Speaker 3:Because, like I love my boy Divon.
Speaker 2:I said. But sometimes I should be like deep, what was it? Easy, you know me? I said I bet, so just talk about the misconception of him. But also like when he's locked in, he's one of the best guards in the state.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. He just man like Divon's competitive nature is something different. You know, like him on the court is a lot different from him off the court.
Speaker 2:Because the only reason why I said that? Because I was at that Coos game and like he did something, he said something and then you and AJ just go over to him and he's like all right, all right. So just talk about, like that relationship you have with him, that you I think y'all are probably one of the few guys that can really talk to him. What do you want to really talk about?
Speaker 3:Just the relationship. Like I said, we've been together since freshman year. So it was like a different aspect that we have towards each other, like at the end of the day, we might say we better than one another, but like we still in this together. We were still, you know, going and seeing each other every day, practicing with each other. We've been with each other since freshman year. So, like just, he has a different type of respect towards us than he might have towards other people, but like Devon, like I said, different on the court than he is off the court. He's the loudest person all the time off the court and on the court and I don't know, you know what I'm saying but but like his play is loud. When he's locked in, his play is loud. So you know, that's my guy. I love that dude.
Speaker 2:Talk about this 2020 class, Just talk about it as a whole, because I think I kind of told I told the last interview I did was with David Ellis, the detaker from Hottel, and I said 2024 throughout the board of sports of the city was pretty. I told myself I ain't going to really get emotional, but I am going to get emotional because 2024, like I feel like I watched all grow up. So it's just more like just talk about some of the notable players and stuff like that, Because to me, you're the head of that forefront. Like if there is basketball in the city, there is guys that represent the city. You got a guy that goes like you AJ Bates, Robert Miller, Zion Pippkins, guys that been on top for so long. Now you guys are almost three months away from the end. Talk about your class.
Speaker 3:You know, I would say people like the people you name. Jared Harris, yes, you're Harris. You know Kate Dodson.
Speaker 2:Clarence.
Speaker 3:Pia, you know what? I'm saying Like McDermott yeah, people like Ashton Shadow, cam Patterson.
Speaker 2:Yeah, cam, that's my guy right there Cam.
Speaker 3:All these people, we've just we've been head of 100 since for a long, long time, like we've made noise in the city since we were in eighth grade and like to finally see us all grow up and all taking our own separate ways. It's a little sad, but you know, like we, just we ready for that next step in life and that's the ultimate goal being able to go to concert free and play and continue to play basketball.
Speaker 2:That's the other question that I have Obviously I kind of make it jokingly the transfer portal of high school basketball. But obviously you've been loyal and I would say a lot of your 2024 compadres actually been loyal to that. Talk about you guys standing on that and finishing what you guys started, because Jared Harris we know he wants that state championship. Jekyll Rajiste has came back to Episcopal to get a state championship. Cam Patterson four years at Summer Creek. Aj Bates at Seven Lakes, when everybody and their mama thought that Devon was leaving. Clements he got Clements at 13 and 0. That's my guy. He got Clements at 13 and 0. So just talk about the journey and the loyalty of 2024 and finishing something that you guys started.
Speaker 3:We like. For me especially, I feel like I owe that to my coaches, the loyalty, you know, the promise I gave to my guys last year about just coming back, just trying to win another state championship this year after coming short, falling short last year. I feel like we all know all the guys that we just named. We all can go somewhere else and just and produce at a higher level possibly. But you know, staying loyal to where you know is home, where you know people love you and have your back, that's what I'm looking for, that's what I like.
Speaker 3:You know, Episcopal has just been home to me for the last four years and they've been treating me with the utmost respect and brought me new opportunities in life that I might not ever get. You know, I could call my friends back in five years. In five years I might be able to make a connection on man at Episcopal, just off of staying here. And you know, J'Kill, coming back is an amazing thing. So I feel like we got that chance to just put the icing on the cake and win that state championship this year.
Speaker 2:And I got two more questions. I know if you had to do more, but I'm not going to. Okay, one of my questions is give me four, two thousand and twenty four guys in the city of Houston that you will pick a game or run away.
Speaker 3:On my team.
Speaker 2:On your team. You got to pick four.
Speaker 3:Four, hmm, twenty twenty four guys, twenty twenty four, I'm going to pick. I'm going to pick Rob Miller.
Speaker 2:Yes, it doesn't have to be my position. You just pick the best five, or you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm going to pick Rob Miller. I'm going to pick J'Kill, okay, because I know his strength and his weaknesses. Yeah, yeah, I'm going to pick. I'm sorry, so I'm not going to pick Bates as my guy, but I'm just Bates. He's not going to pick you right now. Okay, get your seven lakes at.
Speaker 2:Episcopal matchup yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm going to pick. Jared Harris, I'm going to pick.
Speaker 2:Payet Okay.
Speaker 3:That's four. Yeah, that's four, that's four.
Speaker 2:I'm paying, okay, okay, I'll take that and I think my well, I actually really do have another question after that, but I'm going to let you ask this question before I ask this question. But let me ask this question real quick. Who is the person Like I asked Montana Wheeler who is the person that brings the absolute best out of you in this city?
Speaker 3:It got to be Montana. Wheeler it got to be Montana.
Speaker 2:Wheeler what he told me, his reasons. I want to know your reasons. What about that matchup makes it so special?
Speaker 3:I feel like it's the fact that we've been playing each other since the beginning of of you know, rivalries. I feel like our fathers on two different oh two of the best dads in the game.
Speaker 2:Man, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, two different sides of. I didn't even put that into consideration. You got Teddy with on one side and Christian Big on one other side. Oh God, oh God, yeah.
Speaker 3:Oh God, oh God, the two different. You know circuit teams. You know he's a big Adidas guy.
Speaker 3:Yeah, my dad's a big Nike guy. So going head to head, are you know two sons, you know a Revalent around the same era, you know same conferences, stuff like that. So playing him, I played him every year for the last four years, except freshman year, except freshman. So those battles we've been going at it since fifth grade, fourth grade. He used to play on the blue chips. I used to be on this team called Texas Thunder, that long ago. So stuff like that and that's my dog at the end of the day. But we always are just competitive. It's always going to be a movie when UCS play.
Speaker 2:The last statement that he made that he says I guard Hill, but I feel like their best players don't guard me. You say what to that statement?
Speaker 3:I'm going to say this last year. Last year was a little different because we didn't have nobody. If I wasn't guarding you then, or if Braylon wasn't guarding you and I wasn't guarding you, we didn't have nothing else. So this year you're going to see a little different. It's me versus him. This year, head on head, I'm guarding him 90, 40.
Speaker 2:When you saw that what was your mindset. He used to get me on the show. I told him that. I told him he used to get me. Yeah, Go ahead and kill me. Go ahead with your question man.
Speaker 1:So this is going to be a little bit of a change of subject. One game, let's say you're going to 15. Who's winning? You or your pups?
Speaker 3:Me what. He can't guard me, though. What's going? Hey, I'll tell you a quick story. Story time with Bay. I'll tell you a quick story. I have not beat him yet, but he's ducking the smoke. I have not played him in two years. Every time we play, we used to play for these Kobe's. I eventually got him, but we didn't end up playing for him the last time. But last time we played he beat me. It was about two years ago. It's a little different. Now I'm a little more of a try. He used to give me a little blocking back. Yeah, post-duck, he can't hold me. Now I'm a little too fast for him.
Speaker 1:Why do you think he played in two years? What do you think it's?
Speaker 3:him he can't keep up, no more. He realized it he cannot keep up. He lost, yeah, he lost His knees hurt His knees hurt, his knees cracked.
Speaker 1:His knees popped.
Speaker 3:He make excuses and things.
Speaker 2:Paul, paul, did you believe that he can't beat me on the block? He just got on this one shot, I got you, I got the rebound. That's how.
Speaker 1:I'm good, thanks, that was my last one.
Speaker 2:And my last question, I want you to actually say it in the camera who is Justin Begg?
Speaker 3:Justin Begg. Clash of 2024, alpha Dog. I'm just me, at the end of the day. I'm not looking to be nobody else, I'm just five.
Speaker 2:Let me go to the camera with the real deal with a kill man. Follow us on all social media platforms. Episode coming soon. We're here with five Episcopal Killer, the George Mason commit, eybl circuit, all SBC state champ, all state Justin Ben.
Speaker 1:We out.