... you're just at that point in your life where you feel like you wanna do that?

I think I always ...

Like, in college I was like that.

I was kinda like a, a leader in college.

Um, and obviously when I went to a different team, I was still trying to find myself in the NBA, just because you had different point guards who already been a leader, too, and I think that this is just the right opportunity.

I think that me starting last year, um, he wanted me to take on that role, but I just wasn't ready.

That's one you care about.

Yeah, that's the one I really want.

Yeah

...

I had to be the guy to get in the paint and make the plays for a lot of times, and now it's gonna be, "Okay, Davion, sit in the corner, and your guy might help 'cause Giannis is gonna drive, or somebody's gonna drive, and you just shoot the ball." You know what I'm saying? I think a lot of times I didn't get that, um, I did, as much as I did last year, as much as I, like, I wanted to.

You know what I'm saying? Obviously I had to do what it takes to win the game, and I knew I had to get in the paint to make plays for others, but I know I'm still gonna do that.

But I know this year it's not gonna be so much.

You know what I'm saying? Sometimes I'm just gonna be sit in the corner and I'm getting a wide open sh- catch and shoot because my man gotta help.

You know what I'm saying? So I think that's gonna be the difference.

Mm-hmm

What is it about this sport, man? When did you first get introduced to it? And why is it why do you love it so much?

think i my first actually playing basketball i remember i played so funny um my mom ran a youth center when i was younger um with a bunch of kids and i played rec there and um i think my first team was as funny as the i had the lakers jersey on i literally had a lakers jersey you know i remember i got the picture when i was little yeah i think i was like four maybe four or five one of those days it's probably that um And I don't know, I enjoy I mean, I enjoy more than just just getting better by enjoying the bonding with different people, learning different people's mentalities, just kind of taking things from everyone.

But also, I just want to be great.

I just want to be one of the best players play this game.

So I know what I what it takes.

So I got to push myself every single day.

So I think that's why I enjoy hiking, because it's like.

Who's one of the tougher covers that people wouldn't assume that's on this heat

What did having the consistent opportunity unlock for you and your confidence as well?

That's a good question.

I think that I would say the beginning of the year of last year, I just wasn't, I was going through a lot mentally, just having a kid.

um it was just a lot going on and i didn't honestly i didn't even feel like i was in the best shape at the beginning of the year last year like i wasn't even in the best shape but one thing i did like is like spo like he understood that and he like he respected everything that i do because i obviously he know i work hard right there's like people know that i work but it was a time and a moment where like mentally i was so messed up last year in the summertime that it was kind of hard for me to just be myself, even in training camp.

Like you, you ask him like he's, there's times in training camp, but I didn't even feel like myself.

Like I'm just super quiet.

I just really wasn't myself.

Like I can't imagine what it's going to do for your confidence, but also just even as you keep on growing as a player with your mentality, with your confidence and everything else, just like from the fundamental standpoint, don't you feel like you'll be able to just, I don't know, like have, have a different approach on how you even with some of your on-ball defense, like, will there be a different approach or will you just approach it how you always have?