Are you good at, you know,

like how to water polo, like water polo people, they know how to stay afloat. Yeah. Trent. Right. You're good at

that. What is that? Like where you just, you can't hold the side of the pool. You just got to stay in one place and tread water. Of course I'm

good at that. Yeah. I think that's a Euro thing, bro. Yeah. And my dad was a fisherman. Okay.

You know, and I grew up in like water. So yeah, always going somewhere, you know,

because

actually your teammate, fun fact, right? I was just in Serbia and, and well, Montenegro with Boban. Yeah, movie. We're playing like this water sport, right? And we're like 40, 50 feet above water. And I'm like, I'm, we're playing like this game where you got to catch, we're throwing like a little tennis ball around, or a little volleyball around, right? You got to catch it and you can't drop it and throw it to the next person. It's like four or five of us in the water. And I'm struggling. Like, they got two hands outside of the water. I got one. And I'm like using that one to like stay afloat. And I'm looking at them. And they like, like, bro, no. No cap, like damn near the abs was out the water. Well, Boban was probably standing.

That's what I asked. I'm like, bro, you did it. Yeah, I didn't tell him to

stand up. But his homies was, his homies was like, you know, five, eight, you know, like, they weren't like the best shape, you know what I mean? Like, you know, and they were like all the way out the water, like there's a picture. I'm going to show you a picture. Uh, and like our, our wives and shit is on the boat watching us. And they should, they take a picture of us. And I'm like literally like this waving, like damn near around. You know, it is like this. Trying to act like you're having fun. I had a blast, but like I was worn out like just from trying to stay afloat.

Oh, man, it's

crazy, man. When me going to Bahamas, you know, everyone does that. I wore the slides. Boban is so tall though, but he's not even scared. Like he does all of them, bro. Yeah. I got a, I got a, I got a little bobby.

I love bobby. Like as big as he is, like he's just a regular human being. Like he enjoys all the fun shit and like, and he doesn't care. Like if he, I'm big, so what? I'll try it. Oh, he's positive, you know. Yeah. Great teammate.

Great teammate. I don't know if you know, I'm

nosy on this show. Real

nosy. Are you? I know some things about you that you probably think I didn't even know. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to tell you what I did. I did my little research, right? Okay. Let me see. Try it out, you put the Rings in some Cougar Nerdy. So, you have one way to learn to join people, right? No, everything like speaking about the George Milla. Okay. He's how do you go? Well, the most interesting thing about the Sean and Louie most of the time what do you say earlier?

You may be like, are you going to taunt or rape characters? Okay. Still you might be booingup to make a shot oroma you play on on the note with being

18, winning all these MVPs,

the question I'm asking is kind of stupid, but I'm gonna go in action anyway.

How did you know it was time to move on to

the NBA? Like, it was really hard, you know? It was really hard for the like, European peoples coming to America, you know? And it was a lot of people, was telling me, don't go, don't go, play like in Euro League one year, get more input yourself, you know? But like, there's a lot of rules in like Europe, like you can handle it that easy. And for example, maybe you guys know of Panerwacha, it's a big club, you know what I'm saying? Maybe, it's like in big club in Turkey, you know? They have a lot of money and other shit. I was playing in Bishtash, it wasn't a like, Turkish League is like, they sang three, like three good, like good league in the world, you know? But I wasn't playing like other like champion league, championship league and like Euro League and other things. And Panerwacha, give me big money, like two million or something, two million Euro or something, they give it to me. I wasn't taking that much money from Bishtash, but if I was like expecting that contract, you know, it was everything getting harder for me, because they put in bio out your contract. And if you're gonna go NBA, you need to pay like three million dollars or some stuff, which is stupid because like they're gonna make money because I'm gonna play one year or something. And even they're not gonna let me go, you know? And I said, no, I'm just gonna play here. I'm playing 30, 35 minutes over here, you know? I don't wanna go big team and play 20 minutes because in Turkey, if you are like Turkish player, they're not like supporting you that much, you know what I'm saying? Like they always going American players, like Europe and players, you know? They're not supporting that much Turkish players. And then I said, I'm not gonna go over them, I'm just gonna go NBA. I'm just gonna go draft it in the summer. And even I'm not playing over there, I wanna like improve my language, my body, you know? And this time's gonna come and I'm gonna play one day, you know? And then that's happened. I didn't listen to anybody. Even my like agency was telling me, you know, wait, but I said no. I just wanna go.

I mean, all the MVPs, right? When you

go? Yeah, I was sure. It's time to go. You don't need to be where you at no more? No, you just felt ready. Like wasn't... Yeah, I was ready. Yeah, but I knew it always, I'm gonna go NBA one day, but I didn't expect I'm going to die early. Like I was thinking 21, maybe 22, you know? But it was a big step when I went to Beshtash that year, you know? I can't say we were lucky because Beshtash didn't have that much money and they couldn't get like normally five American players you can get in your team and other players need to be Turkish, you know? And Beshtash didn't have that much money

and which was great for

us, you know? And then we were so young team and then they just got three American players. They didn't get anyone in front of me.

So it was a big chance for me to play. So... And I use it, you know? Got it. It's a rough way. Okay. So you make the jump to the NBA on on draft night, you know? You get drafted by Oklahoma, but then you immediately get traded to the Houston Rockets. And so you got introduced to the business side of the NBA. So talk a little bit just about the draft night, your experience, some of the emotions you had. And did you have any insight? Did you know you were going to be traded? No, I didn't know actually. Actually, I

like... It was like, you know, everyone I was talking about before draft that who's going to go this big, this big, you know? I expected I'm going to go before 10. It was like Orlando, Sacramento, like eight, nine, you know? We passed that and then they said Washington, Charlotte was other teams. But I knew it, they're not going to pick me because I didn't even work out with them. I didn't even work out with Houston, actually. But my agent was telling me all the time, they calling, they calling me for you. They want to learn what, like, what do you do? Like they calling everybody, you know? I was like getting bored because I was like getting nervous, they're not going to pick me, you know? Like I'm going hot pick, I didn't want that. Actually, I didn't want to go to OKC that much. Like, and how I can say my OKC worker wasn't like maybe some of my worst worker I did since I came here, you know? It was really so hard. They said, you going to OKC but my agency was in my table, you know? He said, you going to OKC but they're going to trade in Houston. But I don't even know anything about Houston. Because I didn't even talk to them, you know? But they were telling me OKC is so boring. I hope not you're not going over there. And I think, you know, when they told me you were going to Houston, I was a little happy, you know? Because something to do over there, people said. I was lucky, a lot of the talks people over there too. So we just helped me a lot.

So, man. I think you're fine. I think you're fine. Many Turkish people

in Oklahoma. No way. No way. Do what they call your name and you said you really didn't want to go. Like, how do you, like, kind of cover your emotions? Like, you have to go with their smile still. Like, eh. I really fucked up, actually, because,

you know, Adam Silver was saying, like, they were saying, hug him when you guys go over there, like, be comfy next to him, you know? But there's a video. I'm taking my cab and going next to him. He wanted to hug me. But I'm just holding his hand. And then, but because I'm so nervous, you know, I don't know what to do. And I don't know how to talk. I wasn't knowing English that time. Like, it was like zero or something, you know? I just said, yes, no. Like, you know, and I just hold his hand. He wanted to hug me, but I was so nervous. I didn't know. I've seen all that things after that night, you know, all the videos they were talking about, you know? But he was so nice. He was telling me, like, I'm sorry. I don't know if Turkish, like, you know, I can talk with you. I said, no problem. I was just saying, like, easy things. So that's what I can

say. It wasn't personal, Mr. Silver. It wasn't personal. Early in your career, combined for 42 wins, first couple of seasons in Houston. But I know that's different from you. You've been successful over in Turkey. You know what winning is like. You've won huge accolades. Now you're

in a new city, new culture, new

league. Talk to us about on the basketball side. You've been through that first couple of years in Houston. You guys weren't successful. Weren't winning. Tough times.

Talk to us a little bit about

that. Like you said, I was winning all the time in Turkey, you know, but, and in Europe is much more different because if you're losing, everyone is sad, like, no one having fun, you know, like, you can't even talk in the bus, you know what I'm saying? Because it looks bad to coach his eyes, you know? But when I came here, like, first weeks, you know, I wasn't having fun. I'm so sad. But I'm seeing everyone

is having fun, you

know? Because they saying, like, they saying we have game again today's later. If you like thinking this, you're not going to play good in another

game. Just a little bit, little bit, you know. But first weeks, like first week, a few weeks, I was like in a really bad mood all the time. But after some point, you know, I said, like, I will need to act like everybody act like, you

know, and then

I changed my dad feeling sexually. And you know, we like, you say we're losing a lot, actually, you know. And these things, like losing a winning after some point is getting used to it, you know, like another game you're going to, you're saying, like, we're going to lose again. He's putting it up mental, you know. So it was, which was bad for us. But now is, you know, a lot of things change, team change. Like, I can tell, like, right now is like, we are more mental, like more winning mental, you know, I'm saying, right now, like I said, first two years I was losing, but I was having fun. But now still that my old feelings come back, you know, like we're losing. And I'm like, bad that night, I don't want to do anything. Like, you know, I just, I'm just thinking about a game. But still, like, you know, I think it's great to be back that feelings and just winning mental, you know, and give your everything into court. And it's working, you know, we didn't great right now. Yeah. So how much you not bored, you good? Yeah. Yeah, because

I mean, it was a problem. The expectation is to win at this point, right? So like, you do go back to those feelings of like, all right, yeah, one game loss. We know what we got. We've been winning. Like, let's turn this around. Let's get back on track. Yes. I know exactly. Like, you know, we were struggling to get a win, you know, this past week or week and a half.

Well, you know, this is awkward. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, but you can speak on that, like knowing with that feeling is like, you know,

yes, probably

we win six in a row. It was so much fun, you know, everyone having fun, like happy in practice, you know, but first two years you are coming to practice. You are sad. We had still energy. We were so young, but now is much more different, you know, like everybody's happy.

Like, we are like winning team right now, you know, and everyone wants to win. That's the

big point. Everyone is helping each other, you know, and like, it's, we having fun, like, feel good, you know, like I never feel that way since I came here. No, it's just great for

me, you know, for teammates, you know. Talk a little bit about like your English because just talking with you, you're good. Like we understand you and all that, but when you when you get to Houston, you know, the Rockets maybe had a little concern. You're young, you don't know English. What have you been doing to learn English and what kind of communication did you have with your teammates when you first got there?

Okay, I'm going to tell like, you know, everyone is American in the team. Right. And like, you guys talking so fast, you know, it's like hard to understand. But like, you know, and we didn't have that much European player in our team, you know, first two years. Boban was on the team, but Boban English is not.

Not ready. Yeah. You're going to kill me if you see this. I mean, Boban, who's better at

English, Boban or

so? You know, I would say Boban is probably a little bit of a boy. Really? Boban's got two. You can't believe my years, you know,

you feel like talking shit about that. Like he talking shit about

him.

Yeah, my English like, I was really bad. First six months, I was like talking. I was I wasn't talking that much. You know, and I came with somebody else from I bring somebody from Turkey, which is he is English wasn't perfect too, but he let he live before in Europe and other things. And he's in my agent company and then he was living with me. But that's like, have some good points and bad points because like, you can be lazy because I was telling him, tell this, tell this, tell this. I was being lazy, you know, in first six months. And good things. It was helping me about everything, you know, but maybe I was learning quicker. If I was by myself, you know, I still learn, you know, and then I found out some girl like she's my sister, my girlfriend, like, in almost two years. So.

I grew H town. Okay. Okay. Okay. How did she feel about the

whole basketball thing? She doesn't know anything about basketball. Oh, my God. Like she doesn't know, she doesn't know anything about support, actually. He was asking you about what she jealous with you having, making love with the basketball. That's what she was asking. She always in my ass every after the game. She's saying, she's on what you told them, ball this time. Like, you know, so how

long did it take until you finally grasp like, okay, now I'm starting to understand like this

other language. I can't tell this year, actually. This year? Yeah. Even last year, I was like, do all that things with my, that talk guy, you know, all post came into some other things. But now I can tell I do everything

later by myself. And then your teammates teaching you some stuff?

They did before, but right now, Josh Christopher was teaching me a lot of things. And he knows a lot of like, she diverse and other. Yeah. Like, even you can't hear it anyway, but he was talking all the time, you know. Yeah. Jalen, I can say Jalen, teach me a lot of stuff too. Yeah.

And

yeah, but these little words, I can tell right now, but like, you know,

be careful. Yeah, a lot of things. It is. Have you ever took up another language? No, I wish I knew Spanish. I

want to do it for acting. I did Spanish four years of school. And you're no pakito.

It's little.

My wife Serbian. And so really? Yeah, she's Serbian. So when I went back to Serbia, you know, I didn't understand anything they were saying. So when we got back this summer, she got me in touch with a tutor. And so for the past, like, I don't know, a couple months, I've been, I've been picking up on the language, the Serbian language. And then I downloaded the Zab called Ling and was learning how to, you know, like a few words here in there. Same thing. Yeah. She's trying to learn Turkish. Yeah. We had Jalen Green here last season. And we was talking about his welcome to the NBA moments. And one of his moments was matched up against Joelle and B. Yeah. And he said it was just, you know, he punished me. It was nothing he could do. Garden. Joelle. What was your NBA, like rookie welcome into the NBA moment?

I can't say after the, after the guy drafted before the summer league. And, you know, we were working out with the team for getting ready for summer league. And KJ had done called me in the practice. Yeah. Yeah. He done called me in the practice. You know, I used to get black every shot in Turkey. Like I was a like block leader and other things in Turkey, which is the price for, you know, for you guys.

And yeah,

I give him space. I wasn't knowing him. You know, I didn't know who the KJ are before I came NBA. I give him space to, and I can jump with him in the same time, you know, and he go to the fucking two fast left, right and go with the left, you know, and then I was a little late. And he dunked on me, but I didn't even see he dunked on me or now. I just felt and then I said, it was my tough guy over there. I said,

did he dunk on me? And then he said, yeah. And then everyone was telling me, oh, yeah, welcome to them. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Was that an adjustment like the athleticism, like from being in Turkey or Turkey, and

then coming to the NBA, was that like just a while? Like it's I was in Turkey. I was really athletic guy.

Like, you know, because we have a little American place over there too, but

not like here.

Now when I came when I came here, like, you know, you can say any more, you are an athletic guy, and all that people's, but I still got some dungs, some games, you know, I like, if I kid somebody in the, uh, and under the ring, I still can dunk some.

But I think I know moments do y'all. Uh-uh. I've got any moments. Uh-uh.

No, no. No. Someone was getting dunked on yesterday though.

He had some posters yesterday. I felt bad about

his first game. It's like, oh, gosh, but he took it like a champ. He took it on

the gym. Yeah. He, uh, he that that's been

fucking moved that.

It's quick. It's quick.

I'm like, God, like the first time you did it, and I'm usually good picking up on moves.

So after you hit me the first time, I'm like, all right, I'm expecting. I knew it. You you think I'm going to go baseline because you all guys know. Yeah. When I get the ball of James, I'm calling baseline, baseline, baseline, like, you know, and they're like, I knew it. You're going to close the baseline. Yeah. And then when I feel it behind me, I said, let me do this. Yeah. And I got you, but

like I got crossed on the shimmy. Yeah. And I found you too. Yes. They didn't call me. I felt it was a big fail.

It was like, I see, I see. I see. I see. You mad too. They didn't call shit. They didn't call. I'm surprised.