The Trainer Who Built Us: Coach Ed Cooke Breaks Down the Henry Sibling Journey | EP 5

What truly goes into building elite, 5-star athletes? In Episode 5 of The Henry Legacy Podcast, the siblings sit down for an incredibly moving reunion with the man who laid their athletic foundation—Coach Ed Cooke from Charlotte, North Carolina.

In this episode:
- Coach Ed Cooke opens up about his journey into coaching inner-city youth, his hard-nosed but deeply loving coaching philosophy, and what it’s like balancing high-level training with fatherhood. He recalls his very first impressions of the Henry family and sharing classic, untold stories from their early gym days.
- Seini Henry gets real about her early days on the court when she could barely dribble or shoot, tracing how Coach Ed's refusal to let her make excuses molded her into the resilient Ohio State women's basketball player she is today.
- Chris Henry Jr. reflects on the invaluable lessons of quiet discipline and intense defensive work rate instilled by Coach Ed at a young age, and how those baseline expectations prepared him for the high-pressure environment of Ohio State Football.
- DeMarcus "Bubba" Henry shares an emotional thank you to Coach Ed for being the very first person outside of his immediate family to truly believe in his elite talent, paving the way for him to reach a Top 10 national basketball recruit ranking.

This episode also dives deep into:
- The "Most Likely To" Sibling Game: Find out who is most likely to talk their way out of a speeding ticket, forget their game day jersey, or survive a zombie apocalypse.
- Building Generational Wealth: Coach Ed’s crucial advice to the siblings on protecting their tight inner circle, ignoring outside noise, and focusing on taking care of their mom.
- Overcoming the Grind: Intense memories of the siblings dealing with asthma attacks, early workouts, and running parking lots until they threw up.

If you are a fan of high-school basketball recruiting, Ohio State athletics, organic athlete family dynamics, or real-life stories about the power of mentorship—this episode is an absolute must-watch.

#TheHenryLegacy #CoachEdCooke #ChrisHenryJr #SeiniHenry #BubbaHenry #OhioStateFootball #GoBucks #BuckeyeNation #CharlotteBasketball

📌 Subscribe to  @TheHenryLegacy   for future episodes tracking our crazy, busy lives!
📌 Comment below: What is the best piece of advice a coach has ever given you?

📸 Follow the journey on Instagram:  ⁨@TheHenryLegacy⁩  

00:00 — Welcome back to The Henry Legacy!
00:20 — Introducing Special Guest: Coach Ed Cooke from Charlotte, NC
01:14 — Coach Ed on fatherhood, family values, and raising children
02:52 — How basketball and a desire to help inner-city youth shaped his career
04:15 — Breaking down a "hard but loving" signature coaching style
06:40 — Witnessing the end result: Why Coach Ed brags about the Henry siblings
08:04 — Seini, Chris Jr., and Bubba define what Coach Ed means to them
12:00 — First impressions: The legendary Tuesday/Thursday 6 PM training sessions
14:52 — Classic gym stories: Slick courts, asthma pumps, and running parking lots
19:15 — Bubba on Coach Ed being the first person to truly believe in his talent
20:51 — A mother's business move: Respecting the circle and family sacrifices
23:00 — Sibling memories: Overcoming the shell and accepting tough coaching
27:17 — Mentality shifts: How early discipline translates directly to college sports
33:11 — Protecting the circle from outside noise and agents as things blow up
34:50 — Sibling Game Segment: "Who's Most Likely To...?"
41:01 — Final words of wisdom from Coach Ed on building generational wealth
45:22 — Wrap up: Where to find Coach Ed Cooke in Charlotte & subscribe!

Transcript

Introductions And Meeting Coach Ed

SPEAKER_05 0:00

What's up you guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Henry Legacy. I'm Stany.

SPEAKER_02 0:03

I'm Chris, aka Meman. And I'm Demarcus, aka Bubba.

SPEAKER_05 0:07

Today we have a special guest, and it was only right if we brought Coach Ed. He's from Charlotte, North Carolina, and he played a major role in my basketball journey, Bubba's and Memen as well.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

Yep, and he's definitely uh, you know, someone has been a role model for all of us and you know has coached all of us.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

And uh yeah, so let's give it up for Coach Ed Cook. So let's go welcome to Appreciate y'all.

SPEAKER_05 0:35

Welcome to the show, Coach Ed. Um share with everybody like where you're from and give our viewers like a little glimpse of everything about you.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

Uh so I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina. Um, grew up on the west side of Charlotte. Uh kind of got into coaching just because I just wanted to help kids like y'all. Um was into some crazy stuff, so it was kind of a way that I could just get back, just to make sure that I was trying to do the right thing. Um, so and just kind of went from there. Started coaching, helping some kids, some inner city kids, putting them in the gym, training them, practicing. It just went from there.

Fatherhood Lessons And Raising Kids

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Uh talk about, you know, just being a dad and just, you know, raising, you know, like Kamari and Nas and Sarai, and just no talk about that.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Uh that's the most important thing on the table. Like, I do a lot, but that kind of keeps me grounded on what I need to do next. But that's always gonna be first, right? So having Kamari was kind of tough just because you ain't no book to this. You know what I'm saying? You gotta try to figure it out, try to go through your mistakes and just make things happen. You know what I'm saying? So with him, it was it was it was tough. Uh not because being a dad is tough, it's just making sure that you lead in the right direction for your son to be better than you, tough. You know what I'm saying? And if you're not a father, you really ain't gonna understand that. Um, but he was kind of a rebel kid, you know what I'm saying? Like, he gonna bucket. You know, he's gonna test you, he's gonna, he's gonna push you, he's gonna make sure that you're on top of your game. But that made me better, you know what I'm saying? Like, made me stand on my two, make sure that I kind of whatever I said, I gotta, I gotta make sure I deliver. So he held me to that standard. So that kind of made me a better man. And then, you know, with my bottom two, Nas was pretty easy, you know what I'm saying? Like, because I made the mistakes with Kamari. So I know with Nas, I know what I want to do. I know what I am gonna do with him. He just easy, you know what I'm saying? And the Sarat kind of is the toughest one because she a girl. And the attachment piece is kind of sticky, you know. Like, you can't talk to her the way I talk to my boys. You can't raise her the same way. So it's it's cool, man. Fatherhood cool. I enjoy

Basketball Detours That Shaped Him

SPEAKER_00 2:51

it.

SPEAKER_01 2:51

Well, uh, speak on like like basketball, like how how did like that start with basketball?

SPEAKER_00 2:56

Um, I played basketball in in high all younger ages, you know, since I've been probably about five. I always hoop. I was in all sports. It just I just kind of got in the wrong things. You know what I'm saying? So never took it seriously, ever. Like, never worked out, never did none of that. You know, we just hooped. Um played in high school, grades was okay. And then, you know, I just knew I needed to get away for a minute. So I went to junior college. Went to junior college, had a good, you know, career out there, wanted to go to college from there, got recruited out west, and then I had my oldest daughter. And so I kind of had to come home again, be a dad. Um, so but I still finished school, and then when I got to AT, hooping went on my mind. You know what I'm saying? It was just, yo, you gotta do this to make this work. So it just kind of went how it how it go. And then when I graduated school, I was like, I gotta do something different. You know what I'm saying? Um, I got a daughter now, and I just gotta figure it out. And um went home and just was doing a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Um that's why I was always in the forefront though. I think because that's what God showed me. Like, yo, listen, I'm gonna send you through this, but you gotta do this. Um, and then once I got to it, it just became easy, man. You know

Tough Love Coaching Built On Care

SPEAKER_00 4:15

what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_05 4:15

Yeah, so how would you describe your coaching style?

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Hard. I agree. I agree. Definitely hard. I mean, and again, it comes back to just being a man, right? Um, nothing's gonna come easy to you being a man. Or nowadays, not a woman either. You know what I'm saying? But men stand on men's time. So that's all I know. So I can't get in front of you and act like I don't know nothing else. It just, I know how to be a man. And I know how to put you in environments, you know what I'm saying, that make you tougher. I know how to push the certain buttons that you need to get pushed at a certain time. And I just know how to love on you too. And that's the piece that kind of gets me to be kind of who I am today. Like I know what to do. Um, but it's definitely hard. It ain't easy. You can't play for me if you don't have a hard shell, you know what I'm saying? Because I gotta be able to break you down in order you to get built back up in the right way, and that's the hard part. That's facts.

SPEAKER_05 5:14

Why do you love coaching? What made you fall in love with coaching?

SPEAKER_00 5:17

Kids like y'all, to be honest. Um, I got into this before I even started coaching my own kid. You see what I'm saying? So a lot of people like, oh, you do this for his kid. No, I don't. I don't even like coaching my kids. I didn't like coaching Kamar. Because I didn't get to see it. You see what I'm saying? Like, when you win it, you don't see it. So I ain't get to grow up with him, go through his games, you know what I'm saying? Like, his last year of high school, I went to his games because I made time for it. Then that means I went coaching him. But all them years, I ain't get to see it, and I'm standing right there. You know what I'm saying? So with Nas, it's kind of different. I get to see it. Because I let other people work with him. You know what I'm saying? For me to still be dad. I'm intentional about being dad with him. You know what I'm saying? So coaching just come, I just like helping kids. I like helping parents see their kids go through the process that they can't figure out. You know what I'm saying? And then like having kids like y'all just brought a different light to me on what I really needed to do. Everybody can glorify the, you know, the star kids, y'all stars now, right? But when we started, we had a you know what I'm saying, a vision and a mission on being a star. People can't do that. They can't build you up, they can't get to that point. So if I give up now, then that means some kids ain't gonna get that help that I gave y'all. And so that's important to me. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

So, like, what's your uh favorite thing uh of about coaching? Like, about coaching?

SPEAKER_00 6:46

Yes, sir. Um, this, like, I told myself I was done with podcasts, right? Until y'all came with it. And then now, kinda how this going for me, it just seemed like I'm everywhere. Um, I don't like it, but it comes with it because of y'all, kids like y'all. You know what I'm saying? Like, to see y'all do this, this what you kind of grind for. That's important. So it ain't the basketball piece, right? I don't even like basketball. But to see kind of the end result of your work, you can't ask for nothing else, you know what I'm saying? So I just keep going. Because I know it's more for me to do. It's gonna be some more kids that gonna be doing things like this, to see y'all kind of like entrepreneurs, to see what y'all doing. I brag about y'all all the time. You know what I'm saying? We brag about you.

SPEAKER_05 7:41

I brag about you. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

All the time. I tell everybody about y'all.

SPEAKER_05 7:47

Yeah. You said you were done with podcasts. Why'd you decide to, you know, do our podcast?

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Because it's y'all. And outside of, you know, like Sarah and Nas and my other kids, y'all, my kids. Yeah. So we just kind of go from there.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

All right, so like in one word, like, what would you describe his like coaching? Like one word.

SPEAKER_05 8:10

Um, like he said, hard. I feel like coach Ed. I'm acting I'm grateful that my basketball journey started off with you, because you prepared me for like everything, honestly. So like I started off hard, so like whatever I face, like you've already prepared me for anything, you know? Like you already instilled like the confidence, like being able to deal with adversity, you've already instilled all of that with me. So that whenever I am faced with adversity, I am faced with like hardships and stuff. I already know how to deal with it because you've instilled that with me. So I'd say your coaching style is very hard, but it's loving. It all comes out of love. Like it's not like a oh, I'm hard on you just because like I'm gonna yell at you and scream at you, coaching, because I want it this way, I want it my way. No, you do it out of love because you want to see us do better stuff. That's how I would describe your coaching.

SPEAKER_02 9:00

Yeah, nah, for sure. I'll describe it as like discipline, you know, just you know, just learning how to just come in every day and just like work hard and like deal all and you know, just um really that defensive part, you know, just learning how to be disciplined on defense, you know. I feel like that's still like a line to me. Because like um just learning how to be disciplined, you know, and just everything you do in life, it just it takes you for it take you far and like just anything for real. And just learning that from you was at a young age was definitely uh you know a big part of my life. So, you know, I appreciate you for that.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

No doubt. Sure. I describe it as like, you know, love in a way, because like, in a way, it's like you're just coaching us hard like out of love, and I gotta learn, like now that I'm older, and looking back at it, it's just like man, it's just a blessing to have somebody like you to just teach us everything like that I'm going through now. It's just I could just look back and just be like, oh yeah, man, I work hard with Coach Ed, man. So this is really easy. Like everything like that stuck with me, my work ethic, like everything I do, I learned like at an early age, and it like kind of gave me an advantage in a way to like attack like this high school stuff, like it's pretty easy for me to just stay locked in and just stay like disciplined, like you said, and just stay resilient. So, man, that's much love to you for like just taking us under your wing and just pushing us to be the best that we can be and be the best virgin of ourselves. So that's really a blessing to have you.

SPEAKER_00 10:26

And y'all making it for real. Like, I remember your mama told me this probably it was a long time ago, like when the social media first thing started popping, right? And I told her, I said, I'm just not a social media guy. You know what she said? She said, I just do this because people gotta see it, what's going on, the process to the journey that y'all was going on, right? I already knew you was gonna make it. I know you're gonna make it. I know you're gonna be a star. I was just talking with him about that in the car. You're gonna be you're destined for greatness, bro, because you always been that guy, right? The one that I'm most proud of is these two, really. Just because I know where she comes from, he never said nothing. But I just hear him saying that, I know he heard everything that I ever said to him. You see what I'm saying? I didn't know that, right? Because he was the hardest one to get through to. Because he just gave you a shit. That's him. Like, so for me, I never thought he heard me. You know what I'm saying? So it's like I used to have to say things to him more. And I ain't gonna lie, it used to be frustrating, you know what I'm saying? Cause I'm like, boy, you gonna ever get this? You know what I'm saying? And like to see him now, you know, you know what I pay attention to now? Everything that your mama posts that I ain't understand then, you see what I'm saying? Because I'm still now, I'm not a social media guy, but I I tune in because I get to see y'all, you know what I'm saying? And the process of it all. Like, so I'm proud of y'all. Appreciate it. Appreciate you, sir.

SPEAKER_05 12:00

So I know that you started off with the voice first, and then I kind of came in, but like, what was your first impressions of like our whole family whenever you first met us? Like

First Impressions And Earning Trust

SPEAKER_05 12:08

us first coming to grinds, all the Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m. sessions.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Yeah. Uh when I first got y'all, you know, I was asked to like, listen, I got some, it was a person in your family at the time. Right? Like, I got some nieces and nephews that need help. That's how I came. And everybody knows I help. Like, I asked, I asked that person, like, well, what do you need me to do? You know what I'm saying? Because there's different ways that you can deliver things to people to get them to go where they gotta go. Right? So he was like, man, they just need some basketball stuff and they just need some something to do. I said, well, I don't just do something. You know what I'm saying? Like, I ain't that person that just don't waste my time. Like, I got a million things to do. Right? But he was like, nah, nah, they really need you. So when he said that, I just automatically attached to what was next. You see what I'm saying? Because I know what's going on. You don't, I'm just one of the people you ain't gotta tell me what's going on, I already know. You know what I'm saying? And then I already knew kind of the story of everything, and I just prayed about it. You know what I'm saying? Because I knew like dealing with y'all was gonna be a little different because you was attached to my family. You know what I'm saying? My kids was, they was the first ones like attached to you. Like Kamari's attached to y'all. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes he don't even recognize that he got other brothers and sisters. Like y'all the ones, you know what I'm saying? That's his mama. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. So it was like, okay. And then when I first met you, it was like, oh, okay, this is gonna be tough. Cause you couldn't do nothing. He didn't say nothing, and she was terrible.

SPEAKER_05 13:50

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

You know what I'm saying? But I knew one thing with her, it was gonna be easy with her because I knew she needed me more than y'all did at that time. You see what I'm saying? And so it's just like a father raising a daughter. And that's why I kind of like gravitate to her a lot, make sure she's okay. Walking through her walk. You know what I'm saying? Um, I knew mom kind of had y'all, but it I was gonna play my part with y'all too. And again, it was tough getting through him, because he just didn't say nothing. So it was like, man, I don't know. But I always used to say, if he ever opened up, he got stardom written all over his forehead. Just because his DNA, his genetics, you know what I'm saying? And if he learned how to work, he'll be fine. That's what happened. So I mean, I it I'm I'm up for the tough task always. You know what I'm saying? Like everything will grind with me. That's all I know. You know what I'm saying? Hard work and get shit done. Thanks.

Gym Stories That Forged Work Ethic

SPEAKER_05 14:53

All right, Coach, do you have like any stories or like anything that you remember specifically for all of us through the journey?

SPEAKER_00 15:02

Yeah. I remember when he came in there with them shoes, he was talking about. That was terrible. He knew. Well, he didn't know, right? But he came in there, and everybody knows like the way our gym set up was to make you tough. Court slick. You know what I'm saying? It was hot in there. At the time the air went working, like, he came in there, you know, got his face busted. You know what I'm saying? Running around with some, like he say, swimming slides. But he came back. Right? And that that that show what was next. That's that's a you know, a good character trait of him. Like now, you know, even the things he's going through now, right? Like when me and Sandy met last week in train, was it last week, two weeks ago, in train? She was telling me that he was kind of going through it mentally. No, I I ain't call him. I ain't text him, I ain't do nothing. Because he already knows how to figure it out. Just because uh that day. He knows what's going on. The court slip. You fall. What's next for you? I don't ever gotta call you and tell y'all that. Because y'all know what's gonna y'all know how to handle it. You already prepare for it. So um with her just getting kicked out, she got the worst attitude in the world. I don't just slam the basketball two weeks ago. I just kept training. She was air balling like the backboard. Shattered on top of the backboard.

SPEAKER_05 16:38

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Then I had to see, you know, when she first came out the center down there with the baby, she ain't like that. But I one thing I knew, it'll help her learn and it'll help her get from down there fast, right? It'll make you just adjust quick. It'll make you, you know, I don't like this. I'm uncomfortable. Right? And it made her who she is today. You know, even going through high school when she used to come and complain about the coaches and stuff. I just listened to her. I knew the coaches were terrible. But I ain't gonna tell you that. You know what I'm saying? Like, we ain't never hung our hats on complaints. I ain't never I ain't never taught y'all that. So we ain't gonna start that now. Like, we gotta figure this out and we gotta go through the adversity, and we gotta be stronger at the end. And look, look how hard she worked. She worked away from not being able to dribble, not being able to shoot, only being a rebounder, but she always played hard. That's a characteristic that I always told y'all, like, you just work hard, it's gonna work how it's supposed to work. You just gotta do your part. You know what I'm saying? So she made it. Um you by having an asthma attack, we was in Virginia, I think. My gosh. I couldn't, for the life of me, understand why you never carry the pump in your bag.

SPEAKER_04 17:55

Never. You never want to carry a pump. He still don't be carrying the pump.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

I grew out of asthma, but you just he getting better with it, right? But I'm a until I watch him all the time. Like to the day seeing him, I think I kinda, for a minute, I got caught up in it. Like being a fan. And so then I had to gonna get myself together. Like, it's a game, dude. And you coaching a team against this kid. But I just remember the conversation with you, you know what I'm saying? Like, just do this, just do that. And you just trust me, so seeing you today, bro. I don't ever gotta coach again. With him, I'll get through it, I'll probably be done after I coach laws. But like, seeing you today. I just meant a lot.

SPEAKER_01 19:15

Appreciate you. Nah, but like, it was like you was like the first like person, like really to like believe in me, like, because I remember like after a tournament, like I did good, and it was like you went back to the hotel, like, you told me you was like, Yeah, you gonna be something special, and I was like, No, I didn't really believe it, but I'm like, dang, like somebody really like believe in me and like after that I just like it was like man, I'ma just keep on working at it, and then I trusted the process and like stayed in the gym with you and just kept learning and learning and learning, and it's just like the the greatest thing I could do is just listen to what you had to say. Yeah, and I just like really like love that you was like the only person I ever like well the first person to ever believe in like my talents, because I really wasn't like doing nothing good until like grind, real.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

I just knew what you needed, man. You know what I'm saying? Like like the watch you work now, like when I see you working with other people, most people get offended, right? They'd be like, uh, I did this. I just ain't him. You know what I'm saying? Like you supposed to work with somebody else. Like, cause that's your that's that's what you into, you know? Like, yeah, but I know what's going on. You know what I'm saying? Like with all y'all. I don't none of that bothers me. Like, I don't sit home and be like, uh, why the mama doing this, why they doing that? But it started, you know what I'm saying, way back when your mama made a business move, and she came to me as a real G. Like, your mama ain't no, she a G. You know what I'm saying? She said, Look, I gotta make a business move for my baby. Ain't nothing personal. You know what I'm saying? She ain't say, look, you ain't getting it done. It just you was bigger than the program at that time. And I I respected that. That made me be like, okay, this gonna go a long way because parents don't give you that type of respect. They don't give you that type of love. And she understood what I did. Once you got that clearance, like, I don't care who you train with and who you who you coach by. People know what's going on because you say that. I don't say it. You know what I'm saying? You don't see me running around bragging about that. I post y'all because y'all deserve to be post. I post y'all, I post everybody who deserves to be post. Y'all bigger than me right now. And that's a that's a goal of fatherhood. You always want your kids to be better than you. And right now, y'all better than me. And I'm okay with that. You know what I'm saying? Because I know it took it took hard work to give. And I respect it. So that's why I wanted to I did the podcast. Your mama had to ask me twice. She ain't had to ask me at all. She could just hit the address. And I would have pulled up. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Because we know what's going on. You know what I'm saying? And so when you go to the draft and you go to the draft, and she's gonna be your manager, right? I don't want nothing. I already got what I needed. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's it. So I just want you to take care of your mama. Take care of your family. We talked about that when y'all was young. And we didn't even know what was going on. But you gotta you gotta speak things in, you know what I'm saying, to existence because I know how hard she worked to make sure that y'all straight. I know the sacrifices. Auntie Lupe ran around, Uncle Sion they run around, you know what I'm saying? Y'all running my kids around, everybody running around. Y'all run around. Y'all everywhere. She makes sure everybody's straight. Y'all owe that to her. No, facts.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

Facts.

SPEAKER_02 22:59

Alright, so you guys, like, what was y'all first impression of like, you know, Coach Ed? Like, what was your first memory of him?

SPEAKER_05 23:07

Um, my first memory. I was honestly very nervous because the boys started off with Coach at first, and I just always heard stories about Coach Ed and how hard he was and like how hard the training was, how he was just so like hard. And I was nervous because I knew like I never touched a basketball before. I knew I didn't know what the hell I was doing, what I was getting myself into, besides that Coach Ed goes hard and he's always gonna be on your ass. So I was very nervous, and then whenever I got in there, I mean you were exactly that. But yeah, that was my first impression. I was just honestly nervous to meet you. I was very, very nervous to meet you, and I I don't it took me a minute to get out of that shell, but you kind of like fell into a father figure role for me. So then I got out of that shell and like I leaned on you. I'm not gonna cry because I cried in like all the other damn episodes. But yeah, like you became a father figure, me, father figure role for me in my life, and so it got easier to open up to you, to depend on you and trust you, and you know, let you in and um just be able to learn from you and take not only basketball from you, but also like life lessons from you. Like you've taught me a lot as like a young woman, you know, because it's always been just like my mom.

SPEAKER_03 24:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 24:30

After Daddy Chris passed away. And just like you coming in and Uncle Siona and like you just being that father figure for me. So yeah, I would say that was my first impression, scared, but then once like I let my guard down and let you in, it was like, you know, now I'm like a big softy.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

But yeah. Nah, you the best, man. You the best.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

No, you're the best. Uh for me, it was like, I remember like, boom, after the trials, then we came like worked out or something. Yeah, I was terrible. I was terrible. And it was like, and he was just on on everybody. Yeah, I'm just like, damn, like I'm not used to this. Like, I'm just you know, I'm like a little softy, so I'm like whining and like he yelling at me. I'm just like, bro, what bro? I I can't even do it, bro. But like, yeah, I was just whining and then like, and as we just kept stacking days, it was just like I just started like, okay, he just trying to get me better, because I I start getting better, like, as we just kept going. So it's just like, okay, he just coached me hard, just teach me what I need to do. And just I just picked up basketball, like, and I just started, you know, just kept getting better. So like, she's like, I'm just thankful. Yeah, that's really my first impression though. Like, he just yelling at me. I'm like, I'm crying and stuff, like I'm coming home with the car crying, like cry, baby. I'm in the car crying, like, he won't stop yelling at me. Like, literally like, yeah, that was my first impression though, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, mine was kind of similar to Bub. It's like, because we came from like the wine CA, so we was like having like just some random dude coaching us, and it was like we wasn't used to that. And then it was like we came into there, and then you know, everything was hard. You feel me? We don't really know everything. We was kind of new to it, and everybody been there for a minute, and just coaching. It was just like, it was just tough, like that's all it was, like it was just tough on us, and you know, that was something that was just new, and you know, that's just my memory, just the tough and the defense part, man. Nigga used to have us doing the slots, oh my gosh, going outside, running on the defense. Oh, parking lots. Oh, them parking lots. We quit though. Yeah, I never. Y'all kept coming back.

SPEAKER_05 26:52

Might go take a little thought break, be right back. The only time I ever threw up in workouts was with you.

SPEAKER_01 27:01

Ever. No, we can't practice. Like when you coached me and we was like practicing, that was my first time ever. Like, I ran through the side door, threw up on the wall, came back in though. We started doing it again. I went back out, threw up.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

Man, it was crazy.

Accountability Under Pressure And Focus

SPEAKER_00 27:17

It's the character building that I that that I think that y'all didn't run from, right? The making you great today. It's it's and I used to always tell y'all this nobody, what I mean nobody, is gonna ever tell you something that I ain't already told you. The way that it needs to be said. Nobody's gonna push you that hard. Cause don't nobody care about you that much on this side of the fence. Right? Every kid that comes through that gym, yeah. I mean, y'all know this. Everybody get treated the same. Girl, boy, whoever you are, right? It's the same love. And it's hard. But I know what next looks like. That's why y'all here. Cause of that, if you didn't go through that, you wouldn't be here right now. It'll take you a little longer. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? When they try to break you with the situation, it can't break you. Cause I've already done that. Right. You know what I'm saying? They just testing you and how you respond. Sorry, well. That comes from the house. You know what I'm saying? So, them guys today, right? I told the coach today, listen, you make sure you take care of him and make sure you give him what he needs. And what I meant by that was don't coddle him. Because you want to keep him. Right? He's gonna do what he's gonna do. Be tough on him. Hold him accountable. Because if you ain't doing that, then you're going against what I'm saying. Then I gotta remove him. You know what I'm saying? Because it's a different mission we on. If they ain't on that plan, they can't be around. So, I seen that, you know, and I see that with all y'all. She go through her thing too. She talked to me about it. I just listen. Because everywhere you go, they gon' do this, they gonna do this, they're gonna do that. Right? But what are you doing? Don't tell me, you know. She said, I ain't playing a lot. What you need to do to play? You gotta work harder. Because they feel like you ain't doing something right. You can't change their projectory or their thought process on you playing. Only you can go do your job and make make you gotta make them play you. Yeah. Thanks. Right? That's just that's just how we built.

SPEAKER_01 29:39

Yeah, speaking on that, that's just exactly like how I attacked everything that I did. Like, boom. Like I said, modern day, they wasn't trying to play me, and I just like I'm just keep my head down, I'm just keep working, I'm gonna keep working at it. And I got the starting spot. I I did sophomore of the year, like one of the like everything that you taught me just translated to like what I needed to like attack, like what I'm going through. Like, it's crazy, just how it's like how you taught us that, and then we're using it in life, and it's just like working. It's real though.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

Y'all got the biggest blow-ups ever, right? How you blew up, it just came out of nowhere. Remember you said that only kid over there. Scared to go across the middle. Remember that? I remember that, right? Coach Washington didn't even want to give you no burn. Yeah. You remember, like, it and I just being in a dad mode, right? You want to go say something. At the time, but it's like, man, look, what you're gonna say ain't gonna change their thought. Right? You just gotta make sure that you just keep preaching your sermon to them kids and just keep pointing to them kids and just keep going. I tell I tell my kids that too. Kamari going through what he's going through, man. Don't call me with that. Like, you know what's going on, figure it out. You know what I'm saying? Because if I gotta come up there, you already know what's going on. Like, don't put me in that position. You know what I'm saying? And I tell y'all the same thing. Don't put me in a position to make me feel like all the work we did don't get noticed. You gotta show the world what's going on. Not for me. The world is starting to see what's going on with me, cause of y'all. And cause of the kids that's that's that I'm helping, right? Cause of Nas. And it just, it's coming too fast for me. You know what I'm saying? Because you know, I don't want none of it. It ain't for me. I do it because it's gonna help people like my coaches and you know what I'm saying, my organization, stuff like that, man. But man, you can just put me in the back. Because I'm doing all the work in the front. And like to see my kids, see y'all, man, it's the biggest blow up. Blew up out of nowhere, blew up out of nowhere. You probably the hottest thing in America right now, dude. You know what I'm saying? Like, so you know, you talk about that to people. I don't I don't talk about that. I just post you and I put a heart by it. And if you know, you know. You know what I'm saying? You know, you know. If you don't know, you don't know. Yeah. But you'll figure it out. But that's important for me. Like, I I I go back into the gym, right? I just get back to work, and I know when it's time for y'all to come home, I know you're gonna see me. So that's all I be needing. I don't need much. But I'm proud of y'all. I'm like crazy proud of y'all. Um just like having a mind of your own and just following the game plan, man. You know, most people get straight off the game plan because they start getting these agents and people saying this, people saying this, people saying that. And again, it just go it just come back to the people y'all got in y'all corner, man. God first, you know what I'm saying? Grandma and grandad, the big family, you know what I'm saying? And y'all got the best woman in the world in your corner. And I know sometimes y'all don't see that. Right? There's a lot of moms that don't do nothing. They just take the role as being a mom. She plays everything. And she trusts who she trusts. And so that's how the circle gotta stay. You gonna experience something, you're gonna experience something, you too. It's gonna be people that's trying to infiltrate this circle. It can't happen. She ain't with it. She don't say much, but she ain't dumb. She knows who for her kids and who not for her kids, right? She knows she got protection behind the scene on that. So I just need y'all to stay focused. Don't lose, don't, don't get sidetracked. When they testing you, man, they keep pushing. Can't nobody fuck with you. You know what I'm saying? So I know that. I just keep watching. And I just stay a fan. Cause I'm the I'm the biggest fan. You know what I'm saying? Like, but then I had to catch myself, bro. So we just gotta keep going. There's more for us to get, you know what I'm saying? We got other people to help. We gotta, you know, I just need y'all to just when you get a chance. I've been watching you do community work. That's big. I'm proud of you for that. Hey, because I always told you give back, right? I don't care what it is. Just give it to him. Make sure you speak to every kid that you see. Right? Because I spoke to you when you didn't even know that you could be speaking to. You just keep talking. Shake hands, make sure you put a smile on your face, make sure you carry yourself like a man. Sure. Your pops gonna be proud of you, dude. Sure.

Who Is Most Likely To

SPEAKER_05 34:49

Okay, now you guys, we're about to get into a game segment. So the game is who's most likely to? So we're just gonna ask you c ask each other questions of who's most likely to, da da da, or like whatever.

SPEAKER_02 35:01

Alright, for coach, which sibling is most likely to have talked their way out of a speeding ticket?

SPEAKER_00 35:07

Oh, Sandy, for sure. What do you mean? You're gonna men gonna pull you over, you're gonna get in there. Exotic gonna be hot. You gonna be talking. And you're gonna just dismiss it. Warner.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

Like the overwhelming warner, right, bud?

SPEAKER_00 35:30

Go ahead, young. Let it go on. Stop speaking.

SPEAKER_05 35:34

Which sibling is most likely to have the best game day fit?

SPEAKER_00 35:38

Right now? Like as we speaking right now? Oh, definitely up. Why? Man, come on, you know what's up. You know what's up. No, you know what's up. You know what's up.

SPEAKER_01 35:50

Come on. Yeah. Who's the most likely to forget their own jersey at home for a road trip? You. Me, what? Yes. Yeah, you.

SPEAKER_05 36:01

That is you. That was me. Have you done it before? I think you've done it before. I forgot my shoes before. Yeah, I was just gonna say that.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

You done him. Exactly. Which sibling is most likely to have a check engine light on for six months? Same. Definitely.

SPEAKER_04 36:20

You know what? No, but okay.

SPEAKER_05 36:25

I call mom as soon as I get a light. I'd be like, mom, I have a light on. I don't know what it is. I'll be on top of my stuff. Okay, which sibling is most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse apocalypse. You can be honest. You gotta think of like who's the most responsible, who's the most logical thinking, who like does everything. Well, I mean, you the most responsible. Yeah, who can take it?

SPEAKER_01 36:49

But you gotta think about it though. She ain't gonna fight no zombies though.

SPEAKER_04 36:53

I'm the toughest one out of the zombie company.

SPEAKER_00 36:56

Nah. You was you were the toughest one for a long time. It's over now. Them days over. Yeah. So I think we I think the boy, I don't know. That's a tough question. But he's not smart enough though.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

He's not smart enough. I know how to start. How do you start fire? I'll show you if I'm like in there. I got you. How do you start fire? I don't know how to start making it. You don't know what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02 37:32

I'm the boy scale, first of all. Okay, but the question is who's getting eight first though? Wait, who's getting eight?

SPEAKER_01 37:50

Like, he's not smarter than he's strong, but he's not smart.

SPEAKER_05 37:52

You gotta you gotta think about it. No, you gotta pick one.

SPEAKER_01 37:59

Really, it's mean really. I'm gonna just answer foreign. He's he's just trying to be nice. He's trying to be nice. He's trying to say mean.

SPEAKER_05 38:05

So you said all of us, who's most likely to die first? You apocalypse.

SPEAKER_01 38:08

Yeah, you.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

Yeah. Yeah. Why me? I don't know. You're gonna be the first one to run. Okay. It's okay.

Final Takeaways On Faith And Grind

SPEAKER_00 38:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 38:19

One thing Coach A has taught me uh growing up is just, you know, like we talked about, just you know, how to go through adversity. You know, just stay strong during the storm, feel me. Uh, you know, you taught me a lot about discipline, just consistency, like, you know, come to training every day and just doing that at a young age. It just taught me a lot. And uh, you know, I learned a lot from Coach Ed, and you know, I'm just I'm grateful for that.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Yeah, one thing Coach Ed taught me is like, just, you know, feel me, just stay, uh, stay resilient in everything that you do. You know, just never just stay the process, trust the process, and just never get too high, never get too low. And like there's always like moments when I was younger where, you know, like I was like, I got better and I was real good. You know, I just got ahead of myself. But like, but you taught me to just stay poised, but like that kind of hurt me a little bit when I was younger. But but now that I think about it from like now I'm older, I'm looking back to it, just like you just taught us like so many different things. Like, just like stay the course and just just be in the gym, stay working hard, and just like you taught us how to face adversity head first, and just you know how just how to maneuver around it and all types of different things. So just grateful for a person like you in my life and just just I'm just man, just so blessed. Blessed. That's all I can really say. Blessed.

SPEAKER_05 39:37

Yeah, blessed. Yeah, um, going off of what they said, just being able to deal with adversity. Um you just like taught me like hard work is always gonna show. As long as I keep showing up every single day, keep putting forth effort and the work, it's gonna pay off. And I feel like my whole basketball journey, not like it's been very hard. Like high school, I'm always faced with something, either every year and then college, faced with something, but I know how to approach it, how to attack it, and because you instilled that in me. So like not even with basketball, even like life as well. Like whenever I'm faced with stuff that like may seem like it's impossible. I know it's possible if I put my head to it, you know, block out the house. I know it's focused and lock in and you know, put my all into it. And yeah, you just taught me like keep working, the hard work gonna pay off, and it's not on my time, it's on God's time. You know, like I can't rely on myself and trust my like self. Trust I need to trust the process, trust God, and know that He got me. So that's what I feel like you've taught me, and it helps me a lot. It helps me like stay level headed and you know, always know that there's something more to come than what I'm dealing with. Like, this is just like little compared to what what's ahead. For sure. For sure. Do you have anything else you would like to, you know, tell our viewers or anything before we end the episode?

SPEAKER_00 41:07

Um yeah. I just appreciate y'all for making me big. Uh like so now when when y'all when people see y'all, they kind of attach me to it. Right? Outside of outside of Nas. Like, you Nas dad? Like, I don't got no name. You know what I'm saying? But like attached to y'all, it just big. Because I think now people just see y'all as these big people, right? Y'all really keep still. I just look at it like y'all my babies. Y'all big girl. Right. You know what I'm saying? But like I keep going because I I just always remember, like, I you or you got kids that need help like them. It's it's days I want to just be like, you know what, I'm tired. You know, because I do be tired. Like it's non-start running. You know what I'm saying? Like from 3 30 in the morning, that's every morning, just running, just making sure that everybody's straight. Right. And when things get hard for me, I just always think about the things I told you, the things I tell my kids. Man, it was like, bro, you gotta keep ticking. So you just gotta keep pushing, man. Cause I don't wanna be no hypocrite. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't want to tell you one thing and then I don't do it. I ain't really, that ain't never been me. You know, and I I know what also kept me around is just being able to see y'all when y'all went away. I knew that we'd see each other on these trips, you know what I'm saying? Cause I knew at the time I I just couldn't get to you. And sometimes you gotta see your kids, man. You know what I'm saying? Like it just be love and and just come from where I come from and just going through what I'm going through, like that that that be important. As a man, that's important to know that your kids love you back. So that's why, you know, this is bigger than what it is, you know. I get major love from, you know. He tell me he loves me all the time. But I know he loved me just because uh I know the attachment, but she tells me that all the time. You tell me that all the time. He just learning to talk, so I can't expect that from him too much right now, right? But when I see him like catch some touchdowns and do that, you know what I'm saying? First thing I just think about is like, hey bro, we we talked about this. So was new to the world, it's old to me. Because I already knew this. You know what I'm saying? Like I knew, I knew you had the right person in your corner to kind of like push the envelope outside of me. Like, y'all watch your mama hustle. And I just taught you how to grind. It's two different things. So with that, man, I'm just I just I just want y'all to just get what you deserve. I don't want you to go out here and put none of this in vain. You know what I'm saying? We gotta cash out on this shit. And we thought about that too. Put yourself in a position to take care of your family, that's generational wealth. That's what I want you to be on. And when you go outside and you talk, you make sure they understand and they hear you. Don't never leave nothing where they don't hear you. However, you gotta leave that impression, you leave it. But you better say the right things to make sure they hear you. Because everybody looking at you now. Now the spotlight on you. You can't fold because we waited on this. We was patiently waiting and we worked hard. So I'm just happy. You know what I'm saying? Um, and I just appreciate y'all just you know, just believing in me. You're talking about believing in you. It takes a hard thought process to believe in somebody that's gonna yell at you all the time. You know what I'm saying? But it wasn't, it was, it was meant to break you. Because when you can break a person, you can rebuild them. I know how to do all that. And I just appreciate you just showing the world kind of what we got at home. You know what I'm saying? Where we where we built from with our hands and our feet. And can't nobody take that from us. So I love y'all. We love you.

SPEAKER_05 45:24

Well, we love you too, Coach

Where To Find Coach Ed

SPEAKER_05 45:26

Ed. And that's a wrap for today's episode. If anybody in Charlotte, North Carolina needs a trainer or anything, Coach Ed's the one. Like, for real. Because, like we said earlier, none of us would be in the position that we are outside of basketball, like, outside of sports. Like the life lessons he teaches, teaches kids, teaches us, it goes a long way. And we're an example of that. And there's multiple other kids that he's coached that he has been with that are examples of that. So, and if you need anything, 2200 actually broke, okay? Thank you. All right, you guys. Well, that's to wrap up today's episode.

SPEAKER_01 46:07

We appreciate y'all for tuning in and catching up with us.

SPEAKER_02 46:09

Make sure you like, comment, and subscribe, and follow us at the Henry Legacy on all platforms to stay up to date with us.

SPEAKER_04 46:15

Thank you guys for watching. Bye.