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00:10 >> I think I'm way more excited this year than I've ever been putting on
00:24 the Charlotte Hornets uniform.
00:26 Main reason is because I think I took this summer, I had the best summer.
00:30 Just doing things that I wanted to do, standpoint is being in the gym and
00:35 being in the weight room, making sure my body is perfect.
00:39 And obviously, showing the young guys coming in here early before training camp,
00:44 start showing the young guys that I care and
00:46 showing that we're ready to all get over this hump.
00:50 And these last couple years haven't been what we wanted.
00:53 So me coming in early was just trying to let the young guys know that it's
00:57 important and that I care and we're ready to get to it.
01:01 >> [INAUDIBLE]
01:11 >> Personally, yeah, for myself,
01:18 as far as the way I think I performed last year,
01:21 it was definitely I knew like a reality hit.
01:24 So I just know I'm back to better than ever I ever been in my basketball as a person,
01:30 so I just feel great.
01:32 >> I heard a lot of people talk about the talent,
01:35 what's that talent been around, what does that look like on the court?
01:41 A lot of guys getting here early.
01:44 >> It just look like a lot of guys that can hoop and
01:48 just that can play, we've been playing a lot these last couple weeks.
01:54 And it's just when you're getting eight to ten guys out there that's talking and
01:59 really go get a bucket for themselves, really communicating, playing defense.
02:05 And we all got that togetherness up there before we even plan,
02:09 before we break down doing defensive drills.
02:12 You can just tell that everybody's buying in and that will make us different.
02:17 Even if last year's team, if we had what we had on paper,
02:21 if we wasn't here early, so just to see that.
02:24 I think this means a lot for us all to be here early and
02:27 see the guys really showing improvement from last season to this season.
02:31 >> [INAUDIBLE]
02:41 >> He's huge, he's huge.
02:42 He's definitely one of the guys I'm most excited about watching.
02:46 A boy can hoop, he can play make, he don't really need the ball to be out there and
02:51 to make a difference on the defense end or office end.
02:54 So I'm excited to see his growth already and
02:57 he definitely belong in this league, he got the perfect pace.
03:01 I'm excited and I think I can speak for us all, we all excited to see him.
03:05 >> [INAUDIBLE]
03:15 >> Yeah, I mean,
03:18 that's just kind of come with it, the East just got tougher.
03:21 The things that's going on, obviously our last two seasons,
03:23 dealing with injuries and stuff like that, dealing with guys not being on a team.
03:28 So that's always tough, but like I mentioned before,
03:31 I like being the team that everybody slept on.
03:33 So when you come in Charlotte, you think it's a night off or whatever,
03:37 it's gonna help us to our advantage.
03:38 >> [INAUDIBLE]
03:48 >> Yeah, I mean, it's no knock on our
03:57 previous Charlotte Hornets team, but this definitely by far the most talented.
04:03 Guys that really care in the locker room and
04:06 like I said, it's no knock on previous teams, but we have a great locker room.
04:11 We have guys that can really do what we need and play their role and
04:16 you could see that right now.
04:18 And it's just good to see that early before the season start us all getting in
04:21 there early.
04:22 But this is by far, I wouldn't say by far, but
04:24 this is definitely the most talented team since I put on Charlotte Hornets uniform.
04:28 >> [INAUDIBLE]
04:36 >> It's tough, it's tough.
04:37 I always tell them it's gonna be ups and downs.
04:40 It's gonna be a long season, it's gonna be bumps in the road.
04:43 It's gonna be times where you're gonna get more opportunities than you ever thought.
04:46 It's gonna be times where you don't get no opportunities at all.
04:49 But I was just reminding them to stay the course, like that's book night right there.
04:53 Trying to stay on the state of course, all the time.
04:56 But it's important, like I said, when you got a great locker room,
05:00 you got guys that really get along, they make my job easier.
05:03 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:10 >> Just a difference in them being in
05:12 there and just showing how bad they want it, how bad they wanna play and
05:16 stuff like that.
05:17 Book has always been a great talent that we all respect on the court.
05:21 So it's just good to see him.
05:22 Nick Smith is another guy that I wasn't really aware of, but
05:26 can really play, who plays hard.
05:28 And picking me up for since we've been playing fives.
05:33 So just seeing that right there is just, I like where the guys is.
05:37 And we're gonna be straight.
05:39 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:44 >> Yeah, that's my guy, that's my,
05:46 yeah, right.
05:46 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:48 >> Thanks.
05:49 >> [INAUDIBLE]
05:51 >> Yeah, no, I'm aware of his situation.
05:53 Been supporting him through all these years.
05:56 And he definitely has a little clothing line.
05:59 I got with him this summer and then it was right around the time when we heard
06:02 the news where he's gonna be with Charlotte Hornets.
06:05 So it's just good to see a friend to keep working and just had that bounce back.
06:11 And no matter what he went through,
06:13 it's still to show that he can play and do what he loves.
06:16 >> [INAUDIBLE]
06:17 >> I was excited.
06:18 I was excited.
06:19 I think we both was around Miami at the time.
06:21 So like I said, we kicked it.
06:22 We have more.
06:23 I was excited though.
06:25 Good for him, good for his family.
06:26 >> [INAUDIBLE]
06:36 >> No, I mean, I think last year was just,
06:43 it was just kind of a tough spot dealing with injuries.
06:46 Because all my life I've been a point guard, so it don't really matter.
06:50 I'm a combo guard, but one of my strengths, one of my main strengths is spotting
06:54 up shooting, I didn't really get that many last year.
06:56 Obviously dealing with our strengths, our team and people being injured and
07:00 stuff like that.
07:01 But I never make excuses, whatever role I need to play,
07:04 I try to do it to my best ability.
07:06 Some nights I'm better than others is what it is.
07:09 But I'm just excited that for now that we got everybody in,
07:13 hopefully we're not gonna will be all stay healthy.
07:15 And I can do what I love and play at that combo guard spot.
07:18 >> [INAUDIBLE]
07:24 >> Miles my boy, I think everybody know
07:26 that, just super happy that he's back with us.
07:30 Definitely missed him last year.
07:31 He's a great guy in the locker room.
07:34 Great teammate, one of the funniest teammates I ever had.
07:36 He always lighten up the mood with situations.
07:39 He's a great talker.
07:40 A lot of people don't talk about his leadership skills.
07:43 Great talker whether in the timeouts and stuff like that.
07:45 So I think I can speak for us all.
07:47 It's a huge help to our team.
07:49 And I'm happy for him.
07:50 >> [INAUDIBLE]
08:00 >> I'm always willing to learn.
08:03 I can't really point out specifically what I've been taught.
08:07 But nothing really surprises me every day, how hard these guys work.
08:12 And it's just, I mean, I never played with a young guy like Mello before,
08:17 just being who he is and being in that space every day and see how he handled it.
08:22 But that's something that you could tell your kids.
08:26 I played with like, he younger than me, but that's still dope.
08:29 And but these young guys, like I said, man, they work hard.
08:33 And one thing I can learn from them is like, shit, they keep me young and
08:37 it makes me wanna keep working too every day.
08:39 And I ain't even old, but still, they keep me super young.
08:41 [LAUGH]
08:42 >> [INAUDIBLE]
08:52 >> Like you said, everybody leads
08:58 differently and I don't think I'm super demanding.
09:03 I'm more lead by example guy.
09:06 If I see something, then I try to still let people be professionals and
09:11 stay in their own space.
09:12 But I think Mello have a unique talent.
09:14 He is who he is.
09:15 You can never change that.
09:17 But I think the way he leads is gonna be a little different than people expect.
09:23 But at the same time, it's something that we never seen before in this game,
09:28 especially in this Hornets uniform.
09:29 So if everybody follows suit, we'd be all right.
09:32 >> [INAUDIBLE]
09:34 >> I tried this like four times today.
09:35 I'm tired of eating it, man.
09:37 >> [LAUGH]
09:39 >> Shout out to Mr. Beast.
09:42 >> [INAUDIBLE]
09:52 >> I think Cliff just giving us a shout
09:57 out cuz we was here and I think he respect that.
09:59 Nah, but it was a lot of fun, man, just us being here.
10:03 I always joke around with G, but it's just happy to see him in the sessions and
10:09 us hooping.
10:09 But what else did you ask?
10:11 I'm sorry.
10:12 >> I said from a [INAUDIBLE]
10:16 >> Yeah, right, yeah, career year, but
10:18 obviously I'm team first.
10:20 We still didn't do what we wanna do and that's make the playoffs.
10:24 I think obviously you take the points and assists, that's my highest.
10:29 But I think this is the worst year I could have had for
10:32 us leading and just being who I am.
10:35 So I think that kind of did, it played a lot into my summer.
10:39 And I feel great as I've ever been.
10:41 And I'm ready for this season, so it's gonna be super exciting.
10:44 >> [INAUDIBLE]
11:01 >> I'm always so motivated, so
11:02 I don't want nobody to think different than that.
11:04 I'm always, I wake up motivated, that's just who I am.
11:07 But it's just something different about this summer, me just taking full control
11:12 of what I wanted to do, as far as my body and on the court.
11:15 And I know it helped me become a better player in person right now.
11:19 So it definitely has some motivation behind last season versus
11:24 the last two seasons.
11:25 So this has been a great summer.
11:28 I'm excited for the season for sure.
11:30 >> [INAUDIBLE]
11:39 >> I like it, it's smart.
11:40 I know what they're doing.
11:41 But I would say we wanna get everybody to play as much games as they can.
11:45 And it means something.
11:47 All these games, you think about football and stuff like that.
11:50 They play once a week and it's like they got time to prepare.
11:53 We play so many games and you might get caught up in trying to take a game off or
11:57 not, thinking this doesn't mean anything, game 13 versus game 67.
12:02 So, just you throwing the tournaments is kind of like give you something to play
12:06 for or even the guys that never even played in the playoffs before.
12:08 It give you that kind of hunger that you can have,
12:12 that you can carry with you all season, so I like it.
12:14 >> [INAUDIBLE]
12:24 >> Yeah, automatically,
12:26 I think everybody know that you get paid the big bucks,
12:30 you got that respect all around.
12:33 But like I said, Miller was different, he always had that respect of just who he is.
12:41 But he not a guy who, he had everything,
12:44 he always had everything since he was young.
12:46 So he's the same every day, you wouldn't really notice the 260.
12:51 He's still cheap as hell, that's my boy, he's still cheap as hell.
12:54 [LAUGH] But no, but yeah, it's just, I'm excited to see it, the growth every day.
12:59 Whether it's 260, whether you keep getting paid another 260,
13:02 I'm glad that I can call him my teammate and
13:05 I'm glad for him that he stays the same no matter what.
13:08 >> [INAUDIBLE]
13:10 >> Appreciate it.
13:10 >> Appreciate you.
13:12 >> I'll try to be smart.
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