JA: Seeing players like Chauncey go through their journey and finding success, like KG and others, resonates with me deeply – sometimes too much, to the point where I lose sleep over it. But the rewarding part now is watching players like Ziaire Williams, who I’ve known since he was 14, thrive despite challenges. He was a McDonald’s All-American and a Top 10 draft pick, had early success in Memphis, but struggled with injuries and competition. Now, in Brooklyn, he’s thriving.

The same goes for others I’ve worked with, like Kyle Lowry. He transitioned from Memphis to Houston before becoming the seven-time All-Star we know in Toronto. Or Al Harrington, who joined the NBA at 18 and spent two years barely playing before building a 17-year career.

The cool thing now is, with guys like Ziaire, Blake Wesley, and Josh Green, you see the progression. There were times when people asked, “What’s going to happen with this guy?” But I’ve been through it so many times before. First of all, you have to be good enough, right? That’s part of it. You can’t just do this with anybody. But if you’re good enough, keep working, do the right things, prepare, and take advantage of your opportunity, things will work out.

And I have those stories to share. Like, “Hey, Chauncey Billups was on six teams before he found his home in Detroit.” And this guy’s in the Hall of Fame. Not everyone has a career like KG. Or look at a guy like Tyrese Haliburton. He got drafted to Sacramento, had an okay first year – they kind of had too many guards, him and Fox. He’s always been good, but it wasn’t until he got to Indiana that he became an All-Star. That’s early in his career, but his first two years weren’t perfect.

I have those experiences to draw on to talk to the young guys today and say, “Hey, this is what happens.” Yes, it tugs at me [his player’s success], but less than it used to because I see how it works out. I have a little more wisdom now than I did when I was 25 years old, living and dying on everything these guys did – emotionally, not financially. That’s where I’m at with that now.