Transcript [00:00] Wow, this is incredible. This is [00:04] incredible. You know what? First off, I [00:05] want to thank God. I was the type of kid [00:07] who said my prayers every night. I was [00:09] always the one who obeyed my my mom, my [00:11] parents. [music] [00:12] I stayed very obedient far as keeping [00:14] those those laws that that that God [00:16] placed for me to follow and I kept that [00:17] to my heart and that helped build my [00:19] character in the midst of growing up in [00:20] poverty. I want to thank [music] the [00:21] Naymith Basketball Hall of Fame, the [00:24] Nate Smith family for creating the game [00:26] of basketball. Right. This game, this [00:28] game has brought me so much and it just [00:30] gave me gave me so [music] much. I want [00:32] to thank the fans, all my fans who who [00:34] watched me play, saw me flying through [00:36] the air, attacking the rim. They [00:38] appreciated me as well as I appreciate [00:41] them. My teammates, all my teammates I [00:44] played with in Phoenix, New York, Miami, [00:47] they took [music] upon my leadership. I [00:49] followed their leadership who happened [00:51] to build a great camaraderie with each [00:52] other and build something special in [00:54] basketball. All the coaches, all the [00:56] coaches took time [music] out to [00:57] dedicate their life to basketball, [00:59] spending time away from their families [01:01] and really trying and teaching us the [01:03] game of basketball. As a high [music] [01:04] school player, I needed that. I needed [01:07] that type of uh that type of leadership. [01:09] I played for the Phoenix Suns. I was [01:11] drafted by the great Jerry Kangelo. Rick [01:13] Welsh was the president of operations at [01:15] the time. [music] Playing for Phoenix as [01:17] a rookie was important for me as a high [01:20] school player [music] growing up in [01:21] Florida. you know, you're going to the [01:23] NBA and it's a different world. And to [01:25] have an organization that understood [01:27] that and really brought me in and and [01:30] really mold me as a basketball [music] [01:32] player, helped me to become who I am [01:33] today. And my basketball journey started [01:35] back when I was [music] in in Lake West, [01:37] Florida. My dad, blessed memory, took me [01:39] to my first basketball game. I saw [01:42] [music] my cousin, you know, play a high [01:43] school game. He called this live hung on [01:45] the rim. My dad was [music] like, [01:46] "That's your cousin." And from that [01:48] point on, I knew I wanted to play [01:50] basketball. I fell in love with the [01:51] game. My first basketball [music] I got [01:53] was from my mom. It was a gift. And that [01:55] basketball became my best friend, became [01:58] my therapist. We traveled through [02:00] [music] Lake Wells, Lake Wells, Florida, [02:02] where it all started. Went from Newberg, [02:04] New York to Port Jervis, New York to [02:06] Atlanta, Georgia to Winter Haven, [02:08] Florida. And despite the tribulations [02:10] that we had to face throughout that [02:11] time, I had my basketball with me. So [02:14] whenever there was issues or situation I [02:16] had to [music] deal with, I would go to [02:17] a court with my basketball and I would [02:19] play one-on-one with the imaginary [02:21] Michael Jordan. I was just [music] [02:22] engulfed in the in the game and it [02:24] became my therapist. I didn't start [02:26] playing organized basketball until I was [02:28] 13 years old. The Orlando Magic became a [02:31] expansion team [music] and they created [02:32] this program called the Junior Magic. [02:34] When the Junior Magic came about and we [02:36] had this game in Lake Wales, I played my [02:39] first game as a 13-year-old. I got the [02:42] ball. I took off. I dunked it. The crowd [02:43] went crazy as if they never seen a [02:45] 13-year-old dunk on someone before. And [02:48] from that point on, my [music] name [02:49] start buzzing around my my local [02:50] neighborhood. Then I start traveling, [02:53] playing AU basketball only in Florida. [02:56] So now I'm [music] 13, 14 years old, and [02:59] now my name is being known around the [03:00] state of Florida. But then I start [03:03] traveling even more nationally, playing [03:06] in national tournaments. And I wanted to [03:07] I wanted to take this sport to another [03:09] level. When I got to [music] high [03:11] school, my freshman year, I started to [03:13] go around a down a path I want I didn't [03:14] want to go down. I started hanging with [03:16] hanging out with the wrong crowd. And I [03:18] went to my my [music] JV coach and said, [03:20] "Coach, man, I got to get out of here." [03:21] And for a 15-year-old to make that kind [03:23] of decision was was not [music] easy for [03:25] me. All my friends and family was in [03:28] Lake Wales. So, my coach say, "Hey, [03:30] [music] Stat, you got two you got two [03:32] options. You got Oakill Academy or you [03:35] got Mount [music] Zion." So, I said, [03:36] "Well," he said, "Okill Academy is all [03:38] boys school." And I'm like, okay. And [03:41] then he said, and then he say you have [03:43] Mount Zion, you have Mount Zion Academy [03:45] where Trace McGrady went. So I said, [03:47] "Coach, [music] isn't that what T-Mac, [03:49] didn't he go out of high school?" He's [03:50] like, "Yeah, he went out of high [03:51] school." I'm like, "Well, that's what [03:52] I'm trying to do." So that's why that's [03:54] why you see T-Mac here today because he [03:56] was an inspiration for me to have the [03:58] idea mindset coming from the same [04:00] hometown [music] [04:01] that one like me can now take that jump [04:03] to the NBA from high school. We had [04:06] basketball training, weight training [04:08] before practice, [music] after practice, [04:10] and by the time I went back to my [04:12] hometown in Lake Wales, I was a [04:14] basketball phenom. I was doing things in [04:16] the [music] air that I didn't I didn't [04:17] thought I I didn't think I can do. And [04:19] by the time my junior year, I was one of [04:21] the top players in the country without [04:23] my family being as stable as I would [04:25] like for them to be. I had to make those [04:27] decisions on my own. So, I travel from [04:29] [music] different schools trying to [04:30] figure out the best way to navigate. And [04:32] when you're the top player in the [04:33] country, you have everyone pulling at [04:35] you trying to get something from you. [04:37] And as a 16-year-old, you're not really [04:39] sure what all this is [music] and what [04:40] everyone's trying to do. You're trying [04:42] to play the game. You're trying to reach [04:44] your full potential. You're trying to go [04:45] to the NBA. So, I had these situations [04:48] where I would travel from school to [04:49] school and figure out how to really [04:51] navigate this space. It was a moment [04:53] where people thought maybe he's not [04:55] stable, he's not, but no one knew that [04:57] what I was dealing with as as a person. [04:58] So, my basketball and trying to achieve [05:00] my my goals were always close to my [05:03] heart. So, now I go to my senior high [05:05] school and now I'm, you know, McDonald's [05:07] All-American, winning Michael Jordan [05:09] Capital Classic game MVP, verbally [05:11] committed to the University of Memphis [05:12] to coach with coach John Caliperry. But [05:14] I decided to take my talents to the NBA. [05:16] So, when I entered the draft, had a [05:18] pre-draft workout with a couple of [05:20] teams, worked out in Phoenix, had a [05:21] brilliant workout. I felt great about [05:23] that. And I was drafted ninth to the [05:25] Phoenix Suns. And at that time, Jerry [05:28] Kangelo was the owner. Brian Kangelo was [05:29] the GM. And mind you, I played two years [05:31] of high school basketball. I played my [05:33] freshman year and my senior year. So, in [05:36] the midst of all this turmoil, always [05:39] stayed focused and I stayed locked in [05:41] and I persevered through all of it. So, [05:43] after playing two years of high school [05:44] basketball, I take my journey to the [05:46] NBA. When I got to the NBA, I started [05:49] learning the game. When you're a high [05:51] school player, you're 610. You're [05:53] athletic. Coach like, "Yeah, go out [05:55] there and play. you got it and you just [05:56] go out there and do what you know how to [05:58] do. But when I got to the NBA, I started [05:59] learning the game. My veteran guys, [06:01] Penny Hardway, Tom Bugli, Stefon [06:04] Malberry, these guys that were there my [06:06] [music] first year, I would ask these [06:07] guys questions and I'm the type player [06:09] that's going to ask executives [06:11] questions. Also, I'm speaking to Eddie [06:13] Johnson who was a coloring commentator. [06:14] I'm talking to the team security, Kevin [06:16] Tucker. I'm hanging out with Scott [06:18] Williams, these older veteran guys that [06:20] would teach me how to be a [music] [06:22] professional. I happened to play eight [06:24] years in Phoenix. Became a five-time [06:26] [music] all-star. Now I face some [06:28] adversity once again. Averaged 37 points [06:30] in the Western [music] Conference [06:31] Finals. My career is like taking off big [06:35] time. The following summer, I come back [06:37] in training camp. [music] We're trying [06:38] to win the championship. Me, Steve, [06:40] Sean, the guys, we're trying to win a [06:42] championship. I go into training camp [06:44] and I get the news that I [music] got to [06:46] have a micro fracture surgery. I had no [06:48] idea what that even meant at that time. [06:51] microactive [music] surgeries like it's [06:52] called retirement. It was very difficult [06:54] for me to deal with that because I was [06:56] on a trajectory to be on you know on a [06:58] path to be with the greats and I had to [07:01] sit out a full year and it was [07:02] excruciating pain to recover from that [07:04] and I'm hearing all the news all start. [07:08] It's over for him and this and that. So [07:10] once again perseverance stepped in. I [07:13] followed the training staff most of the [07:15] medical and training staff is here [07:16] tonight. I followed their their [07:17] leadership. I trained perfectly. I did [07:20] everything I could to do to get back to [07:21] 100%. I came back first team all NBA [07:24] play a all all 82 games and we took off [07:27] from there [applause] [07:30] after having such a brilliant time and [07:32] and a [music] great moment in history in [07:34] Phoenix playing under coach Mike Danton [07:37] with the 7 seconds or less offense. We [07:39] had so much fun. We changed the game. [07:41] The game was so easy for us. We happened [07:43] to adapt to the strategy of Mike Danton. [07:46] We started playing positionless [07:47] basketball and we went off to the races. [07:49] After a while, I took my talents to New [07:51] York. I went back I went back to where [07:53] where it kind of all started, right? [07:54] Because I was raised in New York and I [07:56] was able to go back home. I when I as a [07:58] kid, I watched the Knicks play the Bulls [08:00] and [music] watching that whole rivalry [08:02] throughout my childhood years. And to be [08:04] back in New York was special for me. And [08:05] what I wanted to do is really establish [08:07] myself and really show the the world my [08:10] four talent. When I got to to New York, [08:12] Coach Danton [music] was there as well. [08:14] And I was able to then now have a coach [08:17] that knew my game and [music] allowed me [08:19] to play my game. And so in New York in [08:22] the garden, there's nothing like it. [08:23] When you hear MVP chants every night, [08:26] they're chanting your name. The the the [08:28] arena's rocking. New York is is is the [08:30] number one place to play. And I knew [08:32] that as a player, but before I got [08:34] there, no one else wanted to go to New [08:36] York. So that's why I was like, the [08:37] Knicks are back and we going to do this. [08:40] And so it's good [music] to see those [08:41] guys winning that championship this [08:42] year, 2026. [08:45] So after playing my time in New York and [08:48] having this having this great run there, [08:50] I took my talents down to Miami when the [08:52] team that with Dwade [music] and Pat [08:53] Riley and the guys down there went back [08:55] to Florida. And at the end of it all, I [08:58] wanted to go back to a place where [08:59] [music] I had a special connection to. I [09:01] was learning for 20 years prior [music] [09:04] secretly and I was learning Torah. I was [09:06] learning the Bible, the biblical [09:08] understanding of history and I wanted to [09:09] go to a [music] place where I can live [09:11] and also play. So my last game in Miami, [09:14] I took my [music] talents overseas to [09:16] Israel and I played in Israel and I [09:18] played in Jerusalem and so I'm there [09:20] with my family and now [music] go from [09:22] flying on private planes to fivestar [09:25] hotels to now taking the bus. Now we're [09:28] playing in smaller [music] arenas, but I [09:30] I was there for for a deeper purpose and [09:32] a reason. And my family and I truly [09:34] enjoyed our time there. I was able to [09:36] win my first championship in Jerusalem [09:38] and then I was able to now go back for [09:40] my last game as a [music] player to [09:43] Makabi Tel Aviv and I lived in Tel Aviv [09:46] on the Mediterranean Sea living the [09:48] dream. [music] It was great. It was [09:49] beautiful. I had a great time and I [09:51] finished my career with a championship [09:54] and the finals MVP. The journey take you [09:57] on paths and take you down lanes that [09:59] you don't [music] quite see in your [10:00] early years. But I'm very blessed to [10:02] have been able to persevere throughout [10:04] my career and really be able to to [10:06] finish my career with a championship. I [10:08] wouldn't be without my family. My [10:10] children, Aray, Amari, Sada, Elijah, [10:15] Zoe, Noah, everything I do is [music] [10:17] for them. I wouldn't be without my [10:19] family. They experienced my career. I [10:21] know I was away at times and when I come [10:23] home, I'm recovering and then I go to [10:25] practice early and I stay after, [music] [10:27] you know, doing all this extra work. But [10:28] you guys were there. I took you [10:30] everywhere with me. And I'm glad that [10:32] you're here to see the end of it all. To [10:34] my wife, thank you for being very [10:35] supportive and being and being there [10:37] with [music] me and experienced this [10:38] with me. To all my friends and family [10:40] who grew up with me from kindergarten [10:42] [music] all the way up to now, who [10:44] watched me play the game of basketball, [10:46] who've been with me, who've been through [10:47] the journey, who watched my journey, who [10:49] watched my growth. The most important [10:50] aspect that [music] I can give that I [10:52] experienced when you're growing up in an [10:54] environment where it's not always easy [10:55] to make it out of. The most important [10:57] factor for me was first of all stay out [11:00] of trouble, stay positive, stay focused, [11:03] stay meaningful and always keep in mind [11:05] that [music] perseverance no matter what [11:06] one goes through you can persevere [11:09] through anything. Thank you.
