MAYOR MORRELL SPEAKS
The vision plan for the Morrell Speaks Podcast is take the journey of Mayor Morrell into the streaming platforms that exists to engage all citizens with the community of Marion, IN and the State of Indiana at large! There has been a disconnect between former Mayors and the community of Marion, IN. The Mayor Morrell Speaks Podcast is a perfect way to bridge that gap!
MAYOR MORRELL SPEAKS
“OUT THE MUD” | SE. 3 EP. 7 FT. ZACH RANDOLPH
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On Season 3, Episode 7 of Mayor Morrell Speaks, Mayor Ronald Morrell, Jr. sits down with a true Marion legend, NBA powerhouse, and hometown hero: Zach Randolph. The episode is entitled "OUT THE MUD," capturing the definitive theme of Randolph’s life, career, and legacy.
In this exclusive, wide-ranging conversation, the two look back at where it all started—right on the courts of Marion, Indiana. Randolph shares raw reflections on his upbringing, the community that raised him, and the relentless mindset required to build a ferocious, multi-decade career at the absolute pinnacle of professional basketball.
But the hardwood was only the first chapter. This episode pulls back the curtain on Randolph's brilliant transition into a high-level music executive. The conversation breaks down the blueprint behind his powerhouse record label, N-Less Entertainment, detailing how he navigated a completely new industry from scratch, recognized raw talent, and ultimately signed multi-platinum hip-hop heavyweight Moneybagg Yo.
Deep dives in this episode include: 🏀 The Marion Core: How growing up in Marion built the mental and physical resilience that defined Randolph's signature "Grit and Grind" NBA era. 🏀 The Mindset of a Champion: The daily discipline, unseen sacrifices, and psychological tools necessary to sustain an elite professional athletic career. 🎶 The Corporate Pivot: How the competitive instincts of an elite athlete translate directly into the music business, negotiation rooms, and talent scouting. 🏢 Building an Entertainment Empire: The real story behind founding N-Less Entertainment and the strategic moves that launched global music icons.
This episode is packed with invaluable insight for aspiring athletes, creative entrepreneurs, and leaders looking for a masterclass in professional reinvention. No matter where a person starts, this conversation proves that an empire can be built straight out the mud.
Listen now: Stream Season 3, Episode 7 on Apple Podcasts today. Be sure to subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and review the show to support local stories of impact.
The "MAYOR MORRELL SPEAKS" podcast is produced by Frequency Canvas, LLC. All Audio Production (Recording, Editing, Mixing, & Mastering) is done by: Kyren Monteiro of Frequency Canvas, LLC.
Contact Frequency Canvas at: Office@FrequencyCanvas.com | https://www.FrequencyCanvas.com/ | 765-506-3380
Welcome to season three, episode number seven of the Memorial Speaks Podcast. I got a very, very special guest with me today. Man, Marion Indiana legend, Indiana legend. 17 years in NBA, NBA All-Star, family man, businessman. I mean, I tell people he's the uh he's the top three greatest Indiana players of all time. Appreciate that. We got one of the one one another, Zach Randolph. What's up, mayor? Pleasure, pleasure. Pleasure, pleasure. Glad to be here. Yes, sir. Yeah, thanks for uh thanks for coming on, man. So I like to uh start out every show with this question, man. Tell me who who is Zach? Who's Zach Randolph?
SPEAKER_00Who is Zach Randolph? Zach Randolph is a man from small town, uh, Marin Indiana, raised up on humbleness, um, forgiveness, um, hard work, tough, rough, um, and just instilled, you know, like a crazy worth ethic, and you know, believing in myself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So coming from here, man, so coming from Marion, Indiana, man, tell me about your upbringing in Marion.
SPEAKER_00Man, Marion, you know, my upbringing, Marion was, you know, it was rough. You know, my mother, she, we my family's from Lake Providence, Louisiana. Uh, my mom came to Marion when she was, I think, eight or nine. Um, and um, yeah, she, you know, had me here. I was born in Marion General, and um, you know, um, you know, we didn't have a lot. Um, we struggled. Um, but my mom, she always, you know, she did everything she could, you know, and um, she always worked hard and um, you know, did what she had to do. And um, you know, that instilled a lot of me, you know, work hard and seeing my mom doing what she had to do to, you know, because I didn't have no father, there was no man in the house. So, you know, raised up, I'm the oldest out of four, my brother and my two sisters and my mom. So, yeah, so we we came up and um up in Marion and man stilled a lot, a lot in me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man. So now um what's something about what's something about you that was built in Marion in the end that you couldn't have got nowhere else?
SPEAKER_00Man, my heart. Yeah. You know, having heart, having confidence, you know what I mean, and um that's that's all from this place. You know, I mean, cr coming up around here, seeing the guys that came before me, the Jody McCain's and the Hilton Randolphs, and you know, the guys that, you know, play sports and you know, um just always wanted to be a Marion Giant. I can remember me and the homies, we all eighth grade, like that was the greatest thing to do, go watch you know, the Giants play. And we was at every home game. And we were saying that's gonna be us.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know what I mean? We was like, yeah, it's gonna be us. Like, so like that tradition here and that that winning and um just you know having a great um sports city and it just filled in.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So when did you when was the first time you realized that I could actually I could actually make it for real? When was the first time that hit you?
SPEAKER_00Man, I you know what? I always was saying I'm gonna go to the league. Like you can ask, like I, you can actually like my brother, like I would tell him, like Michael, I was like, hey man, I'm going to the league. Yeah. Josh, I'm going to the league. I'd tell my brother, you know, rest in peace, I'm going to the league. So everybody in town, like, we'll go, you know, basketball, that's that's the thing around here. And um, you know, we would play, we played on parks, you know. I tell my kids, like, y'all spoiled. We gotta play on concrete, you know, 38th Street Park, you know, um, you know, outside Charles Park. And um, but yeah, just uh just just everything, man. This place right here is just it's made me, man. You know, and um, you know, I love this place, man.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, one of my favorite sayings you got, man, is uh get it out. Hold on, man. It's a city where bullies get bullied, man. So tell that story, man. That's what that's one of the greatest uh stories of all time, man.
SPEAKER_00Man, you know, shout out to my boy Demarcus Cousins, man. Yeah, he was he was he was messing with my teammate, Buddy Hill, at the time, you know. And um, you know, they boys, and we, you know, me and with me and um Boogie, we always talk stuff and talk shit to each other. So he I'm like, man, stop all that bully, man. I'm from where the bullies get bullied. But I'm not knowing the microphone. They got a new, and we had just implemented like you know, new mics. But it went viral, and people like, did he say bullies get bullied? And all that like, no, I didn't say nothing like that. I said, I'm from where the bullies get bullied. Yeah, man. And why I say that because this is where we're from. People around here, you know, we raised up, we're strong people. Yeah, you know, I mean, we're tough, man, we're resilient. You know how many times I've been knocked down, you know where I come from? Yeah, man. I come from this place, and you know, my upbringing wasn't a great, but I I learned so much. I instilled hard work. Yeah, and I don't know nothing about like these kids these these days, like my kids is different than how I was raised. So it's like I gotta understand them a little bit. Yeah. Because, you know, I'm like, hey man, you gotta get it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, ain't no sitting on your butt, ain't no, ain't no handouts, you gotta work.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So what, okay, so I mean, I I talk to a lot of young people, man. I spend a lot of time with young people. What is some advice? Somebody's looking at you today, you know, Zach Randolph. What is somebody, what's some advice you would give to the young people coming up now?
SPEAKER_00The advice that I would give to the young people, you got to sacrifice. You know, a lot of people want to skip straight to the front of the line.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00A lot of people feel entitled. You gotta work for it, man. Yeah. You gotta, you gotta, you gotta get it out the mud. You gotta start from the start, sacrifice, put your time in, set goals, set, set goals. What you want to do, have plans. You know what I mean? Like, you know, so if I tell a younger person, have have goals, set goals and and sacrifice, go through the steps to get to where you want to get to. Don't try to skip the fr to the front of the line or take a shortcut because you don't want that. Yeah. So do what necessary you gotta do. It's gonna be easy. Believe in yourself, have that confidence and believe in yourself.
SPEAKER_01So let's let's go back to the journey, right? So you leave, uh obviously you're in Marion, you're in the state, uh, big deal here, and then you go to Michigan State. Um, what was that journey from going to high school to um college like for you?
SPEAKER_00Man, you know what's so crazy? I was so close. Michigan, East Lancer from Marion was like two and a half hours. So I was literally in Marion. We had practice. Yeah. I'm coming to Mary. Like we didn't have games because I was so busy with the season. But I was actually here in Marion a lot during my freshman year in Michigan State. Okay. And um, so it was kind of like playing at home. You know what I mean? Not playing at home, but was close. You know, I family friends come up to Michigan a little quick drive, but it really kind of hit me when I got drafted.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's a long way. Yeah. You know, I never left Marion. So warning Lansing was like, uh, okay, I'm right here still in the town. So, you know, I'm I never wanted to leave this place. And, you know, I'm always, you know, I'm I'm Marion homegrown, so I always I love the town. So I ain't never thought about it. That's a long way away.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, you you was only what, 19? Yeah, 18. I got drafted at 18. That's crazy, man.
SPEAKER_00What was that adjustment like going to Portland? Man, it was that's I was it was crazy because Portland, I'm like, Oregon? Yeah, like yeah, like the Oregon Trail. You remember this is the game we should have on the computer, the Oregon Trail. So I'm like, you know, I'm like, damn, is it gonna be like that? You know, but no, I got all the way out there, man, and it was so different, you know what I mean? For me just coming from, you know, marrying going to Oregon, going to, you know, it's uh, you know, it's a beautiful city, you know what I mean? And it was it would rain every day during the season. It rains every day, but during the summertime, it's the most beautiful place. Okay. No humidity, I mean, just beautiful. I mean green, it's just it's that, but it rained every day. So I'm like, damn, like, it's like raining. It don't rain like five days straight. I'm like, I'm asking my teammate, I'm like, um, damn, Stodamer. I'm like, hey, big bro, is when the rain gonna stop? Yeah. You look, they say, he said it ain't. It is to keep rolling, yeah. And it rained for like two weeks straight. Man, I was depressed. I was out there by myself. I wasn't playing. Yeah. And it was raining every day. Oh man, yeah. And um, but what I did, the the the the older guys, they cuffed me, you know. So I was getting my extra work in, going in the gym early, learning how to become a professional, um, doing the necessary necessary things I need to do to, you know, um be ready when my number when my number was called.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a good point. Because when you first came in, you weren't getting no minutes right off the top. So sitting on the wood. Yeah, yeah. So what was that transition like? Because you was a star the whole time, right? High school star, Michigan State star, now you come in, now you on the bench. How was how you how you mentally deal with that?
SPEAKER_00It was tough. It was tough, but it was tough and easy because the older guys, they they seen it in me. You know, they they they seen what I could do and they believed in me. So I would get better practicing against I got Rasheed Wallace. Yeah, um, Dale Davis, Arvita Sabonis.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, you got some hitters in front of you, man. Yeah. Rasheed Wallace. Yeah. Oh, these power force, he's big. So I'm going against these guys every day. Right. So I'm getting so much better. You know what I mean? I'm going hard. They see my game proof and I'm staying in the gym, putting extra time in, yeah, working on my game.
SPEAKER_01That's great, man. Yeah. You had some, I mean, and at that time, the Western Conference, man, had a whole bunch of big dudes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00I call it the wild, wild west. You know what I mean? That was, yeah. The West always been dominant over the East. You know, I mean, except I the Jordan era probably, you know what I mean? But like, you know, for me, I was, I come in an era where it's power forged. Yeah. You know, the game has evolved. So every night, I got Dirk Nawiski, Chris Weber, Kevin Garnett. This is all Western conference. Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan. Yeah, man. Um, Amari Steidemeyer. Yeah. Carlos Boozer. That's crazy. Yes, man. You was banging every night. Every night. Yeah. Carl Malone. No, well, not Carl Malone. He's on it, but every, you know what I'm saying? Every KG.
SPEAKER_01Every every team. So, man. So then. So then after that, that's the thing you went to New York next, right? So what was that like, man, playing in the garden?
SPEAKER_00Man, playing in the garden was great, man. You know, just that all that history, you know what I mean? And um, you know, I was, you know, I got traded. You know, I was in Portland my first seven years, getting traded. It was kind of tough for me. Because, you know, for every every young player coming into league at a young age, their first time getting traded, um, it's very difficult for them. And it was difficult for me going all the way from Portland to New York. And, you know, I felt like, you know, I still, you know, like why me, so yeah. But going to New York was a great experience. You know, I even though I was there for a short period of time, just being there, playing there, and the fans, once a Nick, always a Nick, and all the fans still show me love. I go to New York, I do stuff with the team, and yeah, you know, I got some friends in the organization, and um it's great. I'm happy for them. Congratulations, man. And they got that win. So you know, long time overdue.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man. So that's the that's another thing I think people don't talk about or realize that much, is the business side of the NBA, right? You can be traded anytime. I mean, you're flying and playing every day. What's that like? Um, let's do that first. What's it like, you know, just traveling all the time and just having to perform at the top notch just the next day?
SPEAKER_00Man, you know what? You get it, it's instilled in you. Like um, like traveling every day, like it's so much. Like it's a lot. You stay away, you know, you you're away from your kids, you're away from your family, um, you're not there on all the holidays. You know what I mean? And um it just um just like you said, it's just it's great. Like you said, just learning and you know, doing um, you know, um the things that you need to do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So then after your um the New York stretch, we went to um the Memphis, man. And that's it, that was a crazy ride. So I was when you was in Memphis, I was in high school, age, and I used to be going everywhere like, man, they can't stop that. They can't stop it in Memphis, man. It was a big, big deal. So what was that like, man, to be embraced by Memphis, man? Y'all had some great teams, man, and obviously beating Tim Buster in them that one time, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So tell me about that experience of Memphis. Man, going to Memphis was, you know, it was a blessing. I think, you know, you know, what God's had, what God has planned for you. Um He has planned for you, and I think this was in God's plan. You know, going there, going to a group where you got Mike Culling, he's coming up, and it's coming up, and you can see his ceiling is so high. You got Mark Gasot, you know, his ceiling's so high. He's coming to his own and getting there. My first year there, we're like six, seven games out the playoffs, so we see the potential. You know, Rudy Gay. And the next year, we like, you know, we're gonna make the playoffs. And we came back that next year and we did that, made the playoffs. But just going there, man, and and Memphis was a blessing. You know, I love that city. Um, that city, you know, they love me, man. And and you know, it I feel like Memphis and Marying has a lot of similarities. Like it's you know, we're it's blue-collar town. We're blue-collar people, you know. We we work, you know, we're blue-collar workers. It's a blue-collar town. It's the same way with Memphis, you know, a blue-collar town, man. Yeah, that's what's up, man. Great and grind city, man. And then and then, you know, so you know, hard work and I think, you know, it all instills in that too. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's good, man. So now the transition to this, I always like to ask this, right? So you're somebody who dealt with a lot of success early on. How do you, how do you mentally deal with that, right? How do you um because it can be a lot, right? To be so successful and so quick. Um, I know in this position I'm in now, it's like people want stuff, ask for stuff. I want you everywhere. How do you balance, you know, being successful and still, you know, taking care of yourself?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, being humble. Yeah. I never, I never turn down a picture. And I think I get a lot of them ways from, you know, where I come from, you know, the humble, the the humble beginnings.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And um, you know, never too up, never too low, you know what I mean. I treat everybody with respect. You know what I mean? I'm never the type of person to carry myself like that. That I'm, oh, I got more money than you, or you know, I I just never was that way. So I think just treating people respect and um, you know, not turning down pictures, I just that's just who I am. Yeah. You know what I mean? And I don't let, you know, all that. And so, and I don't let that, you know, get to my head. You know, I I stay, I stay level-headed. And I've been that way, like you said, for my career, but I be telling guys, like, for me, it kind of been like that in high school. You remember when I was playing here with the Giants? I had my own fan club, you know, after the kids after the game, like, um, waiting for me. So, like, just you know, high school playing Nike in all American camps. So it's like kind of, you know.
SPEAKER_01Because you've been, I mean, so I mean, what you now, you're 40, what? 44. So you've been dealing with this as high level of pressure and success since you were about what, 16, 17 years old? Oh, sir. That's your almost your whole life, man. So be able to be on top of that long, man. I want to give you your flowers for that. That's amazing. I appreciate it. Thank you. Because you know, a lot of people get up like that and they forget where they came from. And I always tell people, man, for you, you never forget where you came from. I call you, always answer, and even before I was even the mayor, right? So that's you know, that's I mean, kudos for that, because that is something, that's an example that I feel like everyone can get, right? Because everybody wants to be at the top, but then they forget, you know, where they come from, right? And I always appreciate you for that, man. Um, yeah, man. So now with your um so the NBA is over, man. So what's that transition like where you ain't waking up no more hooping every day?
SPEAKER_00It it's at the beginning at the beginning when I first retired, it was difficult for me. Yeah. Um the mental part. Not, you know, you used to being with the guys, you used to waking up, you know, you your your body is set, so I still wake up 6, 7, 30 in the morning because I've been doing it all my life for practice, getting ready to go to the gym early. So my body is set, so I'm up. So I train at eight, but um just going through that, my first couple years was hard. Yeah, you know, because I wasn't with the guys, wasn't traveling, so um, you know, and you can have I got all you got all the money in the world. So it's not like it's not about the money and people, you know, it's you want to do something. I'm 44 years old. I've retired I've been retired about going on seven, eight years. So just I'm not no type of person, even though I train every day. You know, I took care of my money. I don't want to just sit around. So I come up, you know, I I got a lot of businesses I'm invested in, doing things. You know, I work with the Grizzlies. Um, I got an entertainment company. So I keep myself busy. My kids, all of them play sports. So every weekend, one got a tournament here, one got a tournament here. So keeping myself busy and um spending time with my kids because I I lost a lot, you know. I was so I was always busy, gone, so you know, I lost a lot. So just man, okay.
SPEAKER_01The sacrifice of that, right? So people see the glitz and the glimmer, they see the uh the all all the stuff, but they don't understand the sacrifice you had to go through something like this. So, like how do you deal with now, you know, you losing all those years, you gone all the time, now trying to, you know, build relationships with kids and being there for that. It's been a challenge, or what's that like for you?
SPEAKER_00Man, it's been good. You know, I I I I think it's time. You know, it ain't it ain't about money, it's about time. So, you know, spending time with my kids, me and my 16-year-old daughter, we just went on a trip to Cowboys, you know, just doing things, me and her and um, you know, daddy daughter time. So I think just being time, you know, being time and let them know, hey man, I'm here now. Yeah, you know, Pop's here, you know, everywhere McKinley goes, you know, I'm in the cut, you know what I mean? She can be in Omaha, I'm in the cut or in the gym, you know what I mean? But so just being there and showing them there.
SPEAKER_01Yep. So now you mentioned a few other business mentions, man. So since you retired, man, tell me, walk me down. I know you um have an entertainment company in music, so tell me how you got into that and what's that like?
SPEAKER_00Man, you know, it's a blessing, man. Like I said, God is good. And um, I started the company in Memphis. We've we're going on about 10 years. Me and one of my best friends, uh, Marcus, CEO, head, we started the company with Moneybag. Yeah. Yo, and um how you how'd you find him? Well, how'd that happen? Just being, just being that pillar in the city. Just being the pillar in the city, and you know I mean, I get love from the city all around the city. So they see what type of person I am. You know what I mean? It makes you want, they want to work with you, and and like, hey, I'm like, hey, okay, come on. So that's how I was, bag. You know, wanted to mess with me, and and we started this record label, and he was the hottest, you know what I mean, around time, and I seen the talent in him, and um man, took off from the start. How you come up with the name, Endless? Where that comes from? Endless come from. I think, man, Big Homie G, one of my artists, he came up with the name. Okay. Yeah. Shout out to Big Homie.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I like it, man. So now you got obviously Moneybag. What's some other people that's on the um the label?
SPEAKER_00Man, we got D Mula, you know, he um about to drop. We got uh Big 30, he working. Yeah, we got um Big Homie G. We got we got um um Drake Baby. So we got some artists, man. We we working, we grinding, and then we just keep building, man. Dropping music and dropping good music. And yeah, um, I want to extend this thing. I want to get into different genres of music because I love music. You know what I mean? So I want to take it, take this to the next level. Did you ever think you'd be doing running the record label? Well, you know what's so crazy. I always love music. Me and my brother, we we love music. Yeah, you know what I mean? And I think for every basketball player, they love music for every rapper, they love basketball. So it's like we go together. So um, yeah, we just we we love music. And then it's it's been a blessing, man, to get to see, to learn about the music, learn about the production part and the writing part, and it's so many parts to the entertainment business. You know, it ain't just getting on the mic rapping, but it's so many components to it. You know, you got streams, you got your right, you got your credits, you got your publishing, and you know, it's so much.
SPEAKER_01So are you involved in all of that then? Like the publishing, the uh all the whole the whole thing? Yeah, the whole thing. Okay, man. So then um, so with the with the with the music business, how often do you uh how how are how involved are you? Are you intimately involved or you kind of just out back out?
SPEAKER_00I'm involved. I'm involved, but uh like I said, my brother Marcus, he he runs it day-to-day business. Um, you know, I got because I do a lot of travel, a lot of kids, so but I'm there for meetings and you know, I'm there um shows, and we've been doing it a long time. Okay. You know what I mean? We started this thing in the in the backwoods, man. You know what I mean? Going to get $2,500 a show and going to Mississippi, you know what I mean? Like in the backwoods, like, you know, out the mud. Yeah, we got the shit out the mud. So it's like we started now, yeah, now bag getting $300,000 a show. That's crazy, man. You know what I mean? We started at $2,000, and that's where I go back and tell the kids, you can't just jump to the front of line. You got to grind it out, you gotta work it out the mud, you gotta sacrifice, you gotta put your time in.
SPEAKER_01Yep. And that's a good transition to me in the title of your podcast, man, out the mud. Yes. How you get into that, man? Man, sitting around.
SPEAKER_00Sitting around thinking, okay, what can I come up with? Yeah. All right. I I'm gonna I'll I my relationships never burn no bridges. A stand-up guy. I gotta, I'm cool with everybody. All right, you know what I'm gonna get into this. I'm gonna get guys a flowers. Call my brother TA, Tony Allen. Come on, let's do this, man. Got it going. You know what I mean? And and all guys show love. And we give them guys their flowers, man. And I could I came up with out without the mud. Yeah. I'm out the mud. I come from out the mud, and but we grow to flowers, you know, to roses, you know what I mean? It ain't just out the mud, it's out the mud, but they can it's going up, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man. I like it, man. That that uh that name of that podcast really fits in with your whole story. Yeah. So you got the podcast, you got the music, what's some other adventures you going on?
SPEAKER_00I got an insurance insurance company called Legacy. Okay. Me and my boy, Craig Moore, shout to Craig, shout out to Legacy. We started an insurance company. Um, we've been going five years organic. We just started organic and and building this up, and it's been good, man. So Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01And what kind of insurance are you doing?
SPEAKER_00It's all man, we commercial property, we do uh life, we do everything.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So really, now you retired, but you're actually probably more busy with all the stuff. Sure. With all the stuff you got going on, man. Let's talk about uh your family, man. You got some great kids, man. Obviously, everybody knows McKinley's um doing big things, but you got some more, man. So tell so tell me about you know your family.
SPEAKER_00Man, I got my kids, man. You know, um, you know, they my world, like I said, uh lost so much time during my career. You know, you got my daughter McKinley, she's down in Louisville. She's uh going into her junior year. Can she beat you? No. Not yet. She can't get you. Yeah. Okay. Not yet. She thinks she can, but she'll be like, dad, like, all right. She can't get you at all. Nah, I'm not taking her in the post or nothing. I'm straight three dribbles. Boom, boom, boom. I ain't doing all that back. Nah, let's vanish. I'm like three dribbles. Like, you can't beat me in three dribbles. She'll be like, yeah, right. But y'all have to record that, man.
SPEAKER_01Next time, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I'm so proud. I'm so proud of her, man. But you know, she worked hard. She just made all academic um ACC sports, you know what I mean? All academic teams. So, you know, she's good and you know, a great person. Um, but she does it in classroom off the court. You know, she she's very humble and um she works hard, man. And I got my I got ZJ. Um he's 12, he plays. Um I live in LA in Maziah. My other daughter, she's 16. She's uh playing. Okay. So yeah, so um, they keep me busy, man.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, that's good, man. So, so for fatherhood, man, what's some advice? Like, because I got a lot of different kinds of listeners, right? And one of my most popular sectors are the people who are like businessmen, like high people that are going all the time. What's some advice you have to fathers, man, that how they keep a relationship with their kids when they're like in high demand?
SPEAKER_00Well, it it ain't it ain't always been perfect. I went through things with my kids. Um, like you said, it's just life. But um, I stick with it. Don't, don't, don't, don't give up. You know, don't give up. I don't no matter how hard it might get, or if the kid dealing, or if you're not with the mother, you know, stick with it. You know, stick with being a father, man. I love being a father, you know, through the difficult times and the hard times and the good times. Yeah. So, you know, we cry together and we laugh and we smile together. So um I just just keep just keep fighting, man.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So what's um, so what's you're 44 now, when you're 50, man, what's next for you? What's your what's your goal for the next six years?
SPEAKER_00Man, um, just keep building. Yeah. Just keep building. I think um just keep, I just feel like I got so much potential and the ceiling, maybe do more things with the grizzlies in the front office. Um, you know, more ventures.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, you know, build the podcast out. We we on our like 56 episodes. But we're doing good. Um so man, just keep trying to build and focusing on my kids. Yeah. Focusing on my kids, you know what I mean? And um try to help them get to where they want to go.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, and what they want to be. Yeah. Yeah, I didn't ask you about that, the Grizzlies, man.
SPEAKER_01So how what's that like? Um, your partnership with them now?
SPEAKER_00Man, it's great. Man, it's great. You know, I'm I'm an ambassador, ambassador role, so they take care of me. Um, we got we got an event coming up, summer league this weekend. Okay. And um in Vegas, so we'll be out there. Okay. Yeah. And uh, we just got Cam Boozer. I mean, organization's going great. We just drafted Cam. Um, and um got Big Zach ED, you know. So we got we got we got some young guns, you know. And um it's gonna be an exciting season.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So, okay, man, um I gotta ask you this, man. Out of all the teams you played for, man, what should you mean your favorite one? Gotta be Memphis. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's Memphis. You know, they man, they show me love, man. And um, you know, they understood me. You know, I'm not, I don't have, I've been, you know how many times I've been knocked down? Yeah. But I've been so resilient. I keep getting up, I keep fighting. Yeah. You know, I get that from the town. Yeah. You know, I come from Marion. That that's instilled to me coming from this town. So, and them people, they understand me. They understood, and they see the hard work, they see the dedication, they see the, they see the love, they see the heart, and they see the real you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, man, that hustle, I mean, that's a I'm glad you keep saying it, man. That hustle was built in Marion, man. That's that's one thing about this city. We done been through a lot, man. You know, I mean, all the stuff over the years, jobs, clothing, things, leaving, you know, and then people still grinding out every day, and you get to be, you know, a nationwide, international example of what that can be. Um, so if somebody was, you know, so I use this podcast right to try to advertise our city. So if someone was looking to move to Marion, then what would you tell them the reason they should come here?
SPEAKER_00I would tell them, come to this town, it's a bunch of great people here. Um, bunch of great people, hardworking people. Yeah. Um, I'd be telling Michon that I'm gonna build me a house here in a couple years. Okay. Yeah, you sit down now. You sit down. I'm recording. Listen, I'm not, it's not gonna be permanent. Oh, I'm just gonna have a house. So, you know, and I come back, yeah, I really state. Yeah, yeah. You know, I don't know where I'm from. Yeah, you know what I mean. And um, you know, when I when I first got in the NBA, man, I I was in, I was here in Marion, you know. I didn't I wasn't in LA or Atlanta for the summer or my summers, when I finished with the team, when I finished the season, I was here in Marion. Yeah. I wasn't going nowhere. You know what I mean? So, you know, I'm with my family, I'm with my friends. It's home, man. Yeah. Yeah. It's home, it's the town. Yep. So, you know, just but yeah, I'm gonna give me a house here, man. Okay. I think it is a great place, man. And um, you know, I mean, just every time I come back, I get a great feeling, get, you know, I mean, a warm feeling. Yeah. See my family, you know, you know, my friends, and you know, get to see the mayor. So I appreciate you for being here, man.
SPEAKER_01You know, show showing up and you know, we um when this uh when this is recorded, the car the car show was I think two days ago, man. You came in and the people loved it, man. They've been talking, they've been blowing my phone and email every up all day, man. Having you back here, you know, it means the world, you know, the people love you here, obviously, man. So I love the people here, man. Man, it's it's been it's been a it's been a great journey, and um, you know, having you back apart, this has been great. So uh one thing, closing out, man. If you can give any advice to someone who's in Marion who might feel I'll give you the background first. You know, a lot of Marion's been through a lot. Some people feel stuck, they feel like they can't go anywhere, you know, they feel all the things, right? So what advice you'd give to someone in Marion who feel like they're stuck, don't have any opportunities, as someone who's who's made it and been successful, what advice are you giving them? And come from that. Yeah, come from that.
SPEAKER_00So advice that I would give to them is believe in yourself, but you gotta take some kind of steps to get to where you want to go. You can't sit around, I tell my son I got a son in Baltimore, Zakari, he's he's 20. I tell him you can't sit around and talk about it. Yeah, but you gotta make a step. You gotta make a step to do something. Right. Okay. Uh, you you might gotta work two jobs. You know what I'm saying? You might gotta work a late night shift. Yeah. But that's your story, that's your grind. You gotta you're gonna look back and say, damn, damn, I worked two jobs. I did this, I went to school. Yeah, I put this too much time in, I ain't had this much time to get to where I'm at. So you can do it. Yeah, you can do it, man. You can you can do it. Coming from out of town, you can do it, but you gotta believe in yourself, you gotta take steps to get there. And you gotta surround yourself with good people. You gotta surround yourself around those type of people. Good people. I know it's not a lot, but if you see somebody, hey, walking a bit away from area. Hey, you how did you start this business? Or you know, you know, the owner or ask questions. You know, you might get turned around, or some you might get a manager, might say, okay, I you know, we what information you need. You know, go go out there, find some information.
SPEAKER_01You gotta have some action step. You can't just sit around and complain. You can't sit around and just not do anything. Yeah, that's good, man. Okay, one more, man. I for I forgot about this. So do you coming up, man, and you know, all this, how do you deal with the haters part of it?
SPEAKER_00Man, I'm man, God, God been blessing me so long, man, and protecting me. I don't really see it. It's there, but I'm so, have I been, you know, a lot of people, like you said, they don't know how to handle like when they like authority, or you could tell somebody when they ain't never had no authority. You know, I'm just saying, oh, you go into a club, oh, you can't get in here, or just so extra, because you know, they never had authority, but you know, just like you said, treating people all the same and and you know, um just believing in yourself, man, and and and and being honorable.
SPEAKER_01Yep. Well, 100%, man. Well, I appreciate you for taking the time coming on, man. It's been a blessing, man. It's been a great time. Thank you all for tuning in to uh season three, episode seven of the Memoral Speaks podcast on all major streaming platforms. And look forward to um hearing feedback. Thank you. Appreciate it. Appreciate it, Mayor.
