Hawks AF - Jeff Teague on the 2015 team, getting left by the team bus, becoming a podcast sensation

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Speaker 3 I just think about how many people wanted to kill me when I pushed LeBron.

Speaker 3 I thought the fans was gonna ride with me.

Speaker 3 I was like, stand up, Hawks fans. They like, nah, that's the key.

Speaker 3 Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, America.

Speaker 3 Welcome to a brand new episode of Hawks and Friends, man. You know what? This feels like the backyard.

Speaker 3 It feels like my homeboy came back. You know what I'm saying? It feels like the one who went to college came back to the high school just to make sure the team's still good.

Speaker 3 We got an icon in the building. We got an ATL's legend in the building.
NBA champ,

Speaker 3 NBA All-Star, one of ATL's own JFT.

Speaker 3 Appreciate y'all having me on the show. Oh, man, man.
It's an honor, my guy. Welcome back to the setting.
I'm hype. You know, every time I come back to Atlanta, it's always like, home.

Speaker 3 I had to eat some J.R. crickets when I first got back.
Facts. Yeah.

Speaker 3 Probably get some American Deal. We go to the Blue Flames, dude.
Nah, I ain't been there yet. Okay, okay.

Speaker 3 I'm home.

Speaker 3 You're on your way.

Speaker 3 Nah, man. So, look, man, what was your favorite memory of playing with ATL Hawks?

Speaker 3 Getting drafted here.

Speaker 3 I got drafted here at 20 years old, getting drafted, living out your dream to come to Atlanta, one of the greatest cities in the world, and then be able to play with the Hawks and some of my favorite players growing up, like a Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, those guys.

Speaker 3 It was just dope. So speaking of that moment, like that draft day when the Hawks called your name, like

Speaker 3 give us that rundown. Yeah, I was at home.

Speaker 3 I didn't work out for the Hawks. So

Speaker 3 I didn't know anything about Atlanta. I'm from Indianapolis, Indiana, and I really didn't travel like that.
I went to North Carolina, well, Wake Forest, moved to North Carolina, and that's really my

Speaker 3 furthest I've ever been. So then when I get called by the Hawks, I knew nothing about Atlanta.
And my brother was like, Lil John, that's all I kept saying. Yeah, yeah, Lil John.

Speaker 3 I'm about to be with Lil John. And I was like, and that's crazy.
That's the first person he called. I swear, Lil John.
He must be with Lil John. Did you see him? I ain't never met Lil John.

Speaker 3 Oh, God.

Speaker 3 Say no, both. Man, you know what? You was a part of a unique squad, man.
That 2014-15 squad, like, it's hard to build momentum. It's hard to actually build a team that you can trust.

Speaker 3 Like, tell us about that squad. It was an unbelievable group.

Speaker 3 We played together. We enjoyed playing with one another.

Speaker 3 We just wanted to win. Right.
And we thought we had a team to win a championship. I think we had a really good season.
I mean, we went up against LeBron. Y'all did.

Speaker 3 It's going to be tough to beat LeBron, but that group, we played good together. We enjoyed playing playing for one another.
We wanted to win, and we didn't care who got the glory. Right.

Speaker 3 We was like, man, if we win, we all going to win. And that's what it was.
What did you miss most about that 2014-15 series? What I miss.

Speaker 3 I just missed the guys. Like, seeing them today.
Right. And, like, being around Kyle and Paul.
Even though we don't talk every day, but when we get around each other, man, it's like old times.

Speaker 3 We were just reminiscing about all the good stuff that we did. Just riding the bus rides, talking crazy on the court.
Me and Kyle used to do a shooting game every day.

Speaker 3 Obviously, obviously he was a way better shooter than me but i i beat him a couple times yeah and i made sure to let him know when i won and uh we was just talking about some of those moments now you you done played in a couple a couple eras man you know what i'm saying like now to be in the game what what how y'all said like after seven to eight years you are now like a super veteran yeah people don't really last that long so explain how the game changed from when you first started out When I first started,

Speaker 3 it was like a slow game. You threw the ball into the post,

Speaker 3 and then you had Joe Johnson. I was on tonight with Joe, so he got the chance to play ISO a lot.
Then as the years went on, it was way more three-point shots.

Speaker 3 Like, you didn't shoot fast break threes when I first got in the league. That's what I'm saying.
All this.

Speaker 3 Nah, you ain't doing that. Shoot that now.
You get kicked out of the game. Yeah.
But now you got to shoot them. So, like, watching that,

Speaker 3 just that whole transition is crazy. But.
It was just how cool to be able to be a part of both of those eras.

Speaker 3 So I get to hear the old heads talk crazy about how bad the game is but then i was also part of the era where you got to shoot a bunch of threes so it's cool so so give us a teammate who had like the biggest impact on your career because it's a lot of ins and out when it comes to the game and when it comes to the business like who was that big bro for you man it was a it was a guy damian wilkins um dominique's nephew he was on the team with us one year and uh

Speaker 3 it was my second year in the league he just pulled me to the side because i loved atlanta right and when i say i loved atlanta i was outside that means you was outside yeah i was outside so he just pulled me in and like let me know you can do both but you got to keep the main thing the main thing right and uh it kind of really saved my career because i was on a path of this i was gonna be out of there you know you don't play long it's only four years is like the average career right i was in year two and i wasn't playing that much so he pulled me to the side and he helped me out so

Speaker 3 Speaking of not playing that much and knowing your potential and knowing like, because I watched you, I watched you grow here and I watched you become a starter.

Speaker 3 I watched you go and go to the other team you played for him and become a champion. I know, I know

Speaker 3 it hurts, but just talk that elevation and that transition in the game when you got to wait your turn. And when it's time for you to shine, that's when you got to go out there and give it your all.

Speaker 3 Yeah, uh,

Speaker 3 at that time, when I came in the league, you had to learn. Like, not too many people just started right away.
You had to be like the top 10 pick, top five pick, and you got your chance to start.

Speaker 3 Uh, it's a little different now, but I had to wait my turn. We had Mike Dibby here.

Speaker 3 Mike was a vet. He was a good player.

Speaker 3 He was nice.

Speaker 3 So I had to wait my turn and he got traded.

Speaker 3 Kurt Henry came here. He was starting.
Then he got hurt and it was just my opportunity to play. And I just tried to make the most of it and I ran off with it.
And I tried not to look back. Pop it.

Speaker 3 Pop it. Now, now we go.
We gonna

Speaker 3 pivot a little bit because I seen the pick.

Speaker 3 Everybody's seen the pick.

Speaker 3 You know the pick I'm talking about. Go pull it up.
Pull it up on the app.

Speaker 3 Click. This one.
Not when I got left by the bus.

Speaker 3 Damn.

Speaker 3 That was it? With you holding the pizza? Yeah, they left me, man. And that's why you holding the pizza, bro.
Yeah, so

Speaker 3 my sister had came to the game in Detroit, and she hadn't seen me play before. Right.
So I was out after the game. You get to go talk to your family.
I was talking to her, and we just chopping it up.

Speaker 3 And I started looking around the arena. I'm like, dang, ain't nobody else out here.
Like, I know I ain't the only one with some family in Detroit.

Speaker 3 Then I go to the back and the dudes on the Detroit, the ball boys was like, dang. They left you.
They left you, bro. But don't they do a roll call?

Speaker 3 They forgot.

Speaker 3 I guess I didn't get the call. So I start calling all the phones.
And I'm like, hey, y'all left me. Come back.

Speaker 3 And they like 10 minutes out. They come back.
And I get on the bus.

Speaker 3 If y'all don't know me, I talk crazy all the time. I'm like, hey, how y'all going to leave me? I'm just playing.

Speaker 3 And Coach was like, sit yo. and he got got me a pattern he was hot damn how you mad at me

Speaker 3 for leaving me you left me but it's all good it's all good but i know a phone call you you you did get and that was to tap into this media space yeah yeah like you got a you got a podcast uh podcast club 520.

Speaker 3 yeah you dig like what made you start getting into the media into the media world

Speaker 3 Man, my homeboys that I do the podcast with, they were already doing a podcast.

Speaker 3 And I was just like, went on their show one day and I had fun, right? And I was like, Man,

Speaker 3 I can do that, right? I can do that, but I was like, I'm really kind of crazy. I'm like, I'm a little raw, right? And they like, that's what we like.
We like, bro, we want to keep it real.

Speaker 3 And once we started doing it, it just started flowing and it was cool. Now, now, speaking of raw, you, you got like the best story.
Like, I'll be tuned in, gang. You got some of the best stories.

Speaker 3 Give us a real, like, dope behind-the-scene NBA story that you ain't exclusive. A Hawks of Friends exclusive.
Uh, NBA story. Y'all, I don't, I can't think of nothing right now.

Speaker 3 I got to be put in the moment. So that's the thing about our podcast.
We don't just tell stories. Right.
It'd be organic. Like something to happen.
And I'd be like, man, I remember.

Speaker 3 Since we're in the Hawks. Because you came on the show.
I remember. And we was talking.
Yeah. And we was talking.
I'm talking about it.

Speaker 3 I'd be like, dang, am I supposed to even say that? Okay, but we're in the Hawk. What happened here that you can think of? Every time you come in, you think about it.
You like, boy.

Speaker 3 I just think about how many people wanted to kill me when I I pushed LeBron.

Speaker 3 I thought the fans was going to ride with me.

Speaker 3 I was like, stand up, Hawks fans. They like, nah, that's the key.

Speaker 3 No, man.

Speaker 3 So, so, when you down here in the A, like, I know you busted a couple old, you know what I'm saying, corners and some of your old favorite spots that you used to hit. Like,

Speaker 3 what's the Jeff T favorite restaurants when he in ATL? Well, I used to eat U.S. Cafe a lot.
I don't know if that's still open. But J.R.
Crickets was my spot.

Speaker 3 American Deli, obviously, was my spot, too.

Speaker 3 I think American Deli got crack in it, man.

Speaker 3 When I was younger, when I first got here, I used to like Mary Max. I don't know what it's hitting on now.

Speaker 3 When that's it? It's downtown. It's down here.
Oh, yeah.

Speaker 3 I know a lady named Miss Mary.

Speaker 3 Yeah, but that was really it.

Speaker 3 Obviously, you know.

Speaker 3 Lou, Lou know what a good chicken was. Yeah, you already, but you brought Lou in.
I already knew. I just, all I saw was.

Speaker 3 you know, what? Okay, okay, that's crazy because I need this card right here. Look at the dollar.
Fell in my lap. So, look, this is a speed round right here, gay.
Okay.

Speaker 3 So, we got to go back out here and see these Hawks. You know what? Hold on, before we get into speed round, because you talk.

Speaker 3 I cannot let you get out of here. It just hit my mind.
It was like a light bulb. Like, ding.

Speaker 3 Cause you raw. I want you to tell the truth.

Speaker 3 How? Do you feel about our Hawks right now?

Speaker 3 I'm a fan of the team. I know we went through some tough injuries.
Right. Jalen Johnson.
Right. I think he's an all-star.
He's a super beast. Yeah, I think he's cold.

Speaker 3 Obviously, Trey Young is who he is. All-star.
Code. I think when you got those two as your foundation going forward, they in good hands.

Speaker 3 Do you like our trades? Do you think we won?

Speaker 3 George Nean, he was my rookie. When I got traded from here to the Indiana,

Speaker 3 George was on the team with me. He was my rookie.
So that's my guy. Okay.
So

Speaker 3 that's my dog. I'm high P here because I know what Atlanta is like.
And I know he loves the city. We already talked about it.
He loves it here already. Right.

Speaker 3 So good to see him here playing with Coach Q already with Quinn. They played in Utah to get what he coached him in Utah.
So I know that's going to be a good blend. I like Karis Lavert.
He can hoop.

Speaker 3 And I like T-Man. He likes him.
He's aggressive. Yeah, T-Man good too.

Speaker 3 Everybody we got in a trade is dope. Okay.

Speaker 3 D-Hunt was my guy.

Speaker 3 He was my dog. So when I got traded back here, when D-Hunt, so seeing D-Hunt leave, and he was having a heck of a year.
He was having a hatch number.

Speaker 3 so.

Speaker 3 I mean, they got to do what they got to do. I know, man, it's business, but you know.
I understand the business side, so but De Hun was having a heck of a year, but shout out to them.

Speaker 3 I love, I like the guys we got, though. Yeah, I do too.
All right, okay, here we go. We got the speed round, okay.

Speaker 3 We got to go see the guys play because you know they're former lane trying to build energy, and we got to make sure we see play by play. Okay, favorite Hawks jersey

Speaker 3 the Pac-Man. Okay, okay.
Toughest defender you ever had to go up against, against?

Speaker 3 Toughest defender.

Speaker 3 Ty Bo Sephalosha. Ooh, okay, okay.
Best trash talker you ever played with or against? Kevin Garnett. Yeah, he talking.
He talking. Heavy.
First NBA jersey you ever owned.

Speaker 3 Penny Hardaway. Penny Hardaway.
Okay. Hey, man, there you have it.
ATL. Listen, man.
Y'all... Y'all really called this exclusive.
Like, they really was calling in, sending in emails.

Speaker 3 Like, you got to get Jeff T.

Speaker 3 Soon as we had Joe on here. I don't know how many more NBA players we're going to have, but y'all are more than welcome, bro.
And we appreciate you stopping us. I appreciate y'all having me, man.

Speaker 3 Keep doing your thing. Me too, brother.
Most definitely. And make sure y'all stay tuned, America, and make sure you watch Jeff T podcast Club 520 as well.
You did? Hawks and friends. Out.

Speaker 3 Feel me.

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