Ish Smith Interview

I know because cross rings because that audio will be happy for you and you have represented those foster you just be proud like uses in studios this year and I wanted to ask you about this now that Smith is joining is now soon to be wake was Hall of Famer you got emotional there when you were telling him about being away for sports Hall of Famer and when Skip's name came up.

What was the source of that emotion. Why did I get the will. I came in with with edition the five freshmen and we did everything together. This was at the NBA camp and I was telling Coach Prosser about women. You know, we just came in together we grew up together and I saw every day. The amount of work that is Smith put in. I saw them in the gym after games late at night 1 o'clock in the morning rebound and wise getting up shots and just just to know that he embodied everything Coach Prosser called and and to get in and and be one of the one of those when his guys to get in and and haven't worked for Kochan in you know coach left us in an issue and I went through that. Together were coach passed away and we had to go through that season and when we that that group was really close. A lot of us are still really close because of coaches passing and you know to see somebody from that group be rewarded in that way and it BHP in the first one I think we'll have a couple more before it's over with, was just just because a edition Mann's relationship is just so special. You know he he's family to me and always will be this month. I think Mark's 15 years that we to them without gelato is July so last month we been without Skip prosper.

15 years now is Smith. So you hear what Coach Mears has to say there when what lesson or lessons do you take most that still resonate most with you that you learn from the late great Scott skip Prosser, all while all you know. So maybe if somebody indicated a regulative relationship to.is started vehicle with his relationship started high school my senior year I think a 20 minute block all go to the North I write yes or yes will go to the north and it was it was it was crazy because the AC came to a game scouting Jamie all the girls are scouting gave me a dogmatic dogI had a really good. David came out really good faith and we were solid but they bill okay we can meet each other in the final four are somewhere that lead a regional semifinals and so coach K wash your wife is playing and I still remember to this day watching the fate of and then how great of a program, you did any good became like a father figure all of you said in skip and him were coach. They were tied at the hip don't like whatever like culture because away like you want to go out, they were like Hector Diddley did everything together because he is you know coach piece all articles muse inhibited by first and so all is funny when you see goes muse and we know coach please not go on on to be with the Lord. We noted lauded PVC because these pages, that skip skip used to always tell us another delay, gratitude… Till children are to be buried. Then again, I think the Lord for the people you put in my life. You know coach muse could fallow coast cardio is skip it out because they teach you, life lessons delegate Bill IRA with trundling games and would try to make all of this druggie that it was more of a family atmosphere coach body so he's always talked to the janitor.

Talk to you have a semi-debt he owned his own janitorial business folk if it is resonated with me with your freshmen, and 78, though.

You see the head coach your basketball team have relationships with everybody on.

Benson worker.

It didn't matter.

And so used to always tell another delay, gratitude. If you know what that meant life okay will be good before you would not do for you always are thankful for what people do for you, and I was still again, I felt it was all the time actually to any school for one year with skip was better than four years with with some of the best college coaches ever live, because he taught me so much of their time.

I wonder, is Smith joining us here way for sports Hall of Fame if you're answering this question already. What you said there but any time I talk to guys that you played with and you been on a lot of NBA teams they I asked who their favorite teammate was guys that they look at and guys that they like a lot in your name always comes up first. Every single time. It's almost like I need to get to know this person just because of all these high-level players that swear by you as a teammate. I mean even the media Tom have a stroke was on, you're not too long ago say back when I was awake is Smith is my guys, my favorite guy in the league by doing yeah I'm just telling you know it's like where we know at times where you can get great playing attributes from who you can learn from teammates and coaches that way.

But who teaches you to be such a great teammate. Is that something you also get by expressing gratitude and skip Prosser.I was truly blessed. Gwen and Larry Smith. I would board. Throughout the 1988 Pres. Hospital in Charlotte North Carolina and when I you know those two put so much in artillery, but I have strong faith and the Lord is what he put me on earth and put them in my life and they put Christian base is a medium on regret my memo but a letter multiplying them.

I got two older sisters. They were playing with about with current character will you do have and we knew that was more Christlike than anything how you walk, how you treat people how you how you interact with people all those things are very very important in mama. The guys always tell me that all the time and then we came to the sport is always tell me you have to be humble in your mama that that paperwork yet to be humbly known that it would give the Lord bless you with you.

Take it away ethically take away or stripped from and so you have to know the disability in this collectivity? When it comes again the basketball it comes to more than meeting. They just articulate a basketball. So actually, truly, I give them 100 fair percent credit. I think the further formal.

Another lesson I want to grab as a true statement, I wanted in Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior because your story is going up to my office door and we start realizing that it is bigger and you is not about like a man you show your techies are addicted to do that.

Whatever the case is struggling a little bit of pride to do that you place you in those position place around those people to really improve their life and make it better all and actually using the tools that I learned after my mama dedicate a lot of care for me. A lot of Christian character and is something that I put my children and I try to be the same thing in our charter now just because you gotta act on it. You have to incomparably slick mess up and different things like that old car.

I think that is something that my mom and dad. They did and I got to give them 100 business with us in looking at my commutes and you just look like you look like the way a proud father would look like hearing you speak you're just beaming right now I am beaming because everything he's saying is true and you know when when year-round high character people high character people breed other high character people and you know his in his upbringing with his parents and no one is mom and dad and his sisters and brothers and how he runs his camps down in Charlotte when he comes home in an din din to know that that's part of the reason why came to Wake Forest is because skip embodied it was just a carryover skip was part of that that journey to and it was just a perfect match. You know the work ethic.

The draft high character have values and when you have good people like Ishmael, you know that he didn't worry about awards or you know he just will store when he wants to be a great teammate.

He wants people to to get better in and he's willing to do whatever it takes and and when he realizes that and and he shares his faith. The way that he does to me. Me.

Eight. He's a coaches is a coaches dream might not care much about awards but awards still are pretty cool like being awake for sports Hall of Fame or like you are now asked when I look at guys were in the hall. I see Tim Duncan's name. I see Randolph Childress's name and now I'm seeing Ishmael Smith's name.

How does that hit you all and all I get to emotion because I do know that it is like I could not be. If you asked me like I wanted you to come out personal cell collar came into slumber. Do they do for couple years and killed like quick call in the margin can be a minimum goal in the NBA and local number and I got a different plan for you and so I got a pretty big time guys. They create to Randolph, these guys are there. Cream of the crop we got more godlike because music is not going and I'm telling you. Our team was just way too talented all you know I say Cheyenne go in and you know Matt for heart just so bigoted me all again.

You got on this and I'm very appreciative. All I did make every shot I didn't did make every right play all my it didn't matter to me. For me, I knew the journey of the coming awake. And what are the easiest for me because we did not tell you the whole story. He's been nice you know we lost it on the stair lovelies. Joyce lost his battle. We lost Chase's father like it was a lot that we went through all way in. We was on a campus together and so I told the guys take the God and ugliness with Coast news and everybody else when I went in the got artistry when Lord you loudly going everybody coaches all month teammate everybody went in because it's not an individual award really did people think it is this really that pain is really not like I know for me it was more the basketball war because I wasn't four-time All-American on I wasn't does God I was a somebody who I wanted to see God get better on the floor. I came in to the key I could play into fad wolves will value and are less know a man realizing what Wake Forest representative for me and my family moves afforded how little he waking the people have claimed Mr. Caldwell is so many people that I can think and Coast news.

He knows this type you know Coast called the other day and asked me thousand come now an on-site man you know coach I will let you know in this type of make music that my mom call me cousin, Emma Watson included exit to come there is a limit family settling on getting used to different go down there.

He actually go down there you go down to get me because ethical uses. For us he's not been humble because music everything was on a campus everything that I Would me and Jamie every day and never married James in there from there out through their it was just the never enabled LD then prevailing party. It was ethical as well as a soul you have on the reason why would like it because my mom addicted their bed. They did their best good grades got to be effective the 17th and they passed a law happens all pet me off. Use Gaudio battle Kelsey skip everyone else.

Coaches. Obsessional monkeys because I know your new coaches will be in North Carolina and so my mom knew the good handling and get people going.

Keep that same day, going to my parents would be there now so again it it is like I said is it bigger to me until he goes on his way, way bigger me. We realize your purpose and Waterloo are hedging their digital get proud about it.

You just thankful and hopefully there are other people in these this is how special issues issues a starting point guard against her.

We bring in Jeff T. Alana Garcia turned out to be okay to yet he you know they all started to get all and you know a lot of Gazan issues position. Artie been there and you're bringing in a stud would have packed up and left, especially this day and time.

They don't competition-ish thrived on that and iron sharpens iron and Ishmael and Jeff Teague went at it every single day. In practice, I mean they just got each other better. They elevated each other's game and I'm convinced as a coach that both of them had the careers they had in the NBA because they went at each other and then Chris would come back in the summers and he would go Adam with it and he would bring other NBA guys backs up so we had a culture that was where everybody was pushing everybody and that was so cool to watch that as a as a professional.

As a coach to to see those guys rally around each other and make each other better and speaking of those pro guys – I mean, it's gonna be a pretty good on the video we saw yesterday. You're telling coach for so much you like what you saw this past year I mean when you beat the team in Chapel Hill that wears blue last basketball season. I bet it feels good for you and Jeff Teague and other guys were in the league to watch the Demon deacons now and think where were back at it we used to have it back when we were playing in the mid to thousands and now it started to get back there. I'm so happy for Fort all about you a lot I can brag all right for Reichhold is followed up on time is Smith joining us here I think is probably turning away another call busy guy. I might be first on the show but hey, he's in Denver Wednesday coming down his face coming out sometimes. You know were door dedicating to locker rooms, clubhouses, as are called next week September 1 of the Chris Paul family basketball clubhouse and the Carol booth basketball clubhouse for the ladies in the Shaw basketball sinners can be a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 1 in the morning next week. Part of an open football day and no game going on, and so were going to have some people come by and celebrate the locker room open the clubhouse open issues. Some issues name is up in the locker level yellow lab movie tomorrow will mark my family I got try everywhere because the tribes of Tobago political they come in and did not address.

I do a talk about that… 14. I thought Michael for doing such a great job on, and the development of them talking too much because I do think of so many things. That is happened didn't understand or know and gently to the family for I probably got a convoy part of the that the God honest truth because when Jeff came the school all our credit is one of the best point guard in college basketball every single day. So I'm planning a jet I'm telling you, I will kill nobody say I love Randolph hello Chris Paul I love all those great point guard to lie down and go down the line, all the great Albano Kelly I know my history all you got been great just speak to me when one of the most talented players at that point of this ever walked on that campus is so I'm planning to give him every single day. I did it dawned of the light. Jacob held away Fort like he's not your low executive player so will effort. Jeff really had an option at his first year….That day a man was a member company card and that program lab fresh picked up a little bit. You know how I was starting plaintiff athletic cases I have on this with the point guard position especially under skip that part of it has to be strong and I just wasn't in.

I wasn't there I got better got better. The I got you got going Nichols use conveyed the knife in the jamboree looking if they'll be Nichols ballot for the devil over one) capitalize allegorically to now he comes out of office. This is skip had passed away, but gentry don't come late for I would never know what to look like easy Chris Paul come back and play like the district could come back and play also get Pete came in and Is in Jay's outgoing campus and Gary got them an example they came into play forth immediately from 511 meeting 79 different plan to get the guy. At that level every day medical back and forth and when I got hurt yet I was like the biggest cheerleader that don't get it at don't competitor so I wanted to be out there with those God loving J Jeff got the call and you know they draw brightness hello and satellite none on none will drag me I will and the stage got so I would have my, have a moment while frustrated plan, but I never ever teammate that man. I hope Jeff Nolan on the middle. While the covenant about read a mystery, not trying to take leg of the breath of the score with the childlike disc envelope in whatever the case is the last likely thing that I like. I hope you are out there playing together. All of us got a flow rhythm and full know it.

Jeff, 17, 18 again. James is getting 23 and admin seven.

11 and then I will trickle and nail my pleasant bumping point. That last wealthy. I've been ill do you really got out of the little for the last 18 days, but gentry don't avoid long. I'll know we have an accommodation now and I can't. I can't think of a better case for a Hall of Famer than that from just Teague but you get your butt down here because Mike you said so and I look forward to seeing you when that happens in boy.

I just that's still great that your Hall of Famer and it's just great to see good people rewarded and by all accounts you you check that box being a great teammate and a Skip Prosser guy so it's good to hear you always back on your man that you got and I do a good and I'm so thankful for the for you guys been away for the time people wanted to. Then consider what my classmate mile teammate Harvey Hill to Michael towards Bobby hosted the met with care fairly at me. I can honor God always neglected to 278 God without a God chases the data with those God but God competed.

Kevin sweetens may do all those God truly thankful for the coaches and I think the Lord did he allow the use all of us to be an example to have been in my gut say. Having a close look at the program back of the letter I got: on the day that all Vanessa Medical Center rental wall for some happy program is going good with that brighter light bigger than anything like the football team. The back wall paid to the local medical field hockey. You know we want a tight family and and I decided on the mission of school is doing so well, so I'm truly thankful I got there is not a individual war. All those people really really matter, and I think the Lord uses all and in my before waking political do well in Denver. Okay, thanks for doing this crusade to