D3 hooper and basketball influencer Matty Ice shares his journey with us and how he prepared for his first ever NBA G League tryout for the Osceola Magic.
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Make sure to subscribe and follow HoopDiamonds everywhere so you don't miss out on any of the action!
IG: http://www.instagram.com/hoopdiamonds
Playmaker Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@playmakr
HoopDiamonds is a grassroots & high school basketball content creation platform based out of South Florida, dedicated to bringing you the best and highest quality basketball video content on the internet. Powered by @Playmaker.
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00:50 Just to be out there with Justin Holliday, who's a proven NBA player,
01:06 who's a great player, he has a great career going.
01:11 And just being able to learn from him and his coach, his trainer,
01:15 it was nothing like it.
01:17 Just seeing how he works, you can't just be in that gym and not work hard as well.
01:23 So seeing him work and push how hard he does, how attention to detail he is,
01:28 it forced me to do the same thing.
01:30 And I really got better that week.
01:33 And especially being out there with the altitude in Denver, Colorado,
01:38 the conditioning was tough.
01:41 It was hard for me to breathe a lot of times.
01:44 Making shots from that NBA 3 consistently, I was missing some shots,
01:49 I'm not gonna lie, but I know that it just got me better.
01:53 So being out there was honestly a blessing.
01:55 Big shout out to him because there's a lot of NBA guys who wouldn't even do that,
02:00 or offer, or wanna get in work with just someone who's not in the league.
02:06 So yeah, we both got better that week, and yeah, I'm grateful for that, man.
02:12 I'm not gonna lie, if I didn't go train with Justin,
02:16 my confidence would have been lower.
02:18 But since I went through that full week of training,
02:21 I really felt confident going into that day.
02:25 It was kind of like I wasn't nervous, cuz I was prepared.
02:29 And a lot of people who would have gone through what I went through,
02:34 wouldn't even be thinking about an NBA G League tryout.
02:36 So that was a celebration, that was a W for me, personally.
02:41 Ever since I touched the ball, I loved it.
02:43 I always would play in our house and our backyard all day.
02:47 I'd say my biggest influence in my life is probably my mom.
02:53 She raised four kids by herself.
02:56 I didn't really realize it at a young age, what she was really doing.
02:59 But me being older now, I really see what she had to go through and
03:05 the sacrifice she made.
03:06 She just kept going, and that kind of inspires me even to this day.
03:10 At a young age, I got cut from actually my fifth grade team,
03:15 sixth and seventh grade team.
03:18 And I look back at that, and honestly, that really kinda started to drive and
03:23 hunger cuz I really wanted to make those teams and I didn't.
03:26 It made me realize that nothing is given to you.
03:30 Even to this day, I feel like that chip is still on my shoulder to just
03:35 prove them wrong, but more importantly, prove myself right that I can play.
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03:43 >> Appreciate you guys coming out.
03:45 It's a little rundown of today.
03:47 So we're gonna start with some three man weave.
03:49 First, we'll do a warm up on our training mark,
03:51 then we'll get into some three man weave.
03:53 Get you guys moving up and down a little bit.
03:55 Then we're gonna break into six nation, a bunch of different stuff.
03:57 Some decision making, some shooting, some one on one,
04:00 just to see you guys play a little bit.
04:02 And then we're gonna play fives on three courts.
04:05 >> So we got there, me and Christian, at like 8.30.
04:09 >> Fingers wide.
04:10 All right, we're working the fastest system that's coming all the way from your hands
04:13 to your toes.
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04:16 >> We first started off with stretching.
04:19 And we all just stretched in a line.
04:21 You could tell everyone was nervous and antsy.
04:24 People were trying to go hard during stretching.
04:27 I'm like, bro, it's just stretching.
04:29 >> Okay, the way we can do this, as this ball is coming here,
04:32 we're seeing two arms, legs spread.
04:34 Here, chest in front of the ball.
04:36 I'm gonna drop.
04:37 As you roll, your job is to not let it roll against the line.
04:42 Okay, your job is to fight, get back in front.
04:45 As this is happening, I'm guarding the corner.
04:48 [BLANK_AUDIO]
04:58 >> We did six different stations.
05:12 Stations like pick and roll station, three on two, two on one stations.
05:17 Decision making stations like for point guards and shooting stations.
05:22 Different stations, one on one stations too.
05:25 So different stations just to like, so
05:27 the coaches can see like, yo, like who's good, who's not, or who has potential.
05:32 So in those stations, I feel like I played really good.
05:36 >> Go play well, we'll pull you off.
05:38 >> That's it.
05:41 >> Good?
05:42 >> That's it.
05:43 >> Then it was time for five on five.
05:45 The coaches had seen everyone's skill in the stations.
05:48 So now it's five on five, the coaches line up.
05:51 He told everyone to line up on a line.
05:54 And then he said basically that they're gonna split up everyone.
05:59 They're gonna have a main court, and
06:01 then they're just gonna have people go in the back gym.
06:04 And I guess the people on the main court,
06:07 they were going to be playing in front of scouts, the coaches.
06:12 That's the main court, that's the court you want it to be on.
06:15 And then the back gym was for the people who weren't as good or who weren't picked.
06:20 The lady called out the names right from her phone and
06:24 she called out the number on your back of your jersey.
06:26 She started to call him out and
06:28 I didn't know the back of my jersey number because who cares?
06:32 I asked the guy behind me, someone else who was trying to, I'm like, yo, bro,
06:38 what's the number on the back of my jersey?
06:39 And he said 15.
06:40 So I'm listening and I don't hear my number called.
06:43 So I was kinda bummed out.
06:45 >> 112, 136, 115.
06:50 >> At the same time, I wasn't surprised because, man,
06:53 I've been doubted my whole life, whatever, cool.
06:56 The head coach did say, if you were frying, if you do really good in the back gym,
07:00 then you can get moved up to the main court.
07:03 So that was my mentality, whatever.
07:05 So I go back there, and honestly, it's low quality basketball.
07:10 No coaches were watching.
07:12 It just really felt like I was at the YMCA.
07:17 It was trash.
07:18 And I was pissed, I'm not gonna lie.
07:21 So I asked the guy next to me, one of the other guys who got picked in the back gym.
07:25 I'm like, bro, what's the number on the back of my jersey?
07:28 And he says 115.
07:30 And I'm still thinking, yeah, I probably didn't get called.
07:32 Something told me to go ask someone.
07:35 So I asked one of the Orlando Magic workers.
07:38 And I was like, hey, can you check if my number was called?
07:42 Because I think it was called.
07:45 So she said, OK.
07:47 And she went gratefully and checked.
07:50 And she was low-key taking too long.
07:52 Finally, she came back, and she pulled me off of the court.
07:57 And she was like, yes, your number was called.
07:59 So I sprinted over to the main court.
08:02 And I was pissed because I could have been hooping the whole time.
08:05 I could have been on first, and they could have saw me.
08:09 So I was like, whatever.
08:10 So make sure if y'all goes to try out, y'all know what to do.
08:14 Y'all ready.
08:15 Y'all know the number on the back of your jersey.
08:17 Finally, it was just five of us and started playing.
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09:25 The coaches were like, yeah, they
09:26 want to see a certain 10 players.
09:29 And they just want to see how they play.
09:31 And I wasn't picked in that 10 players.
09:34 So I mean, it's all good.
09:37 I felt good about how I played.
09:38 And there were some other people who were cooking, too,
09:40 that weren't picked.
09:41 So whatever.
09:42 The coaches, they thanked everyone for coming out.
09:45 And they said, if they like you, they'll reach out.
09:48 I'm happy how it went.
09:50 I really am confident about how I played.
09:53 And if they call me back, they call me back.
09:56 And you guys will see me on the G League roster.
09:59 And you tune in.
10:01 But if not, it's all good.
10:02 We're going to continue to stay on the grind,
10:05 continue to work hard.
10:06 And I hope this journey inspires other people
10:12 to do the same thing, man, to chase your dream.
10:15 As we grow up, people tell us, oh, we
10:17 can't do this because it's not possible or it's not realistic.
10:21 But I always try to keep that dream, man,
10:24 because you got one life.
10:26 So chase it.
10:28 So that's kind of been my mentality.
10:30 And I'm not trying to make the G League team just to act cool
10:36 or think that I'm tough or whatever.
10:39 I do it so I can inspire other people to chase their dreams.
10:43 And if I could do it, you definitely can do it.
10:46 My last year of college-- so it was my fifth year of college.
10:50 I played four years previously at Lycoming College
10:53 and had a really good career.
10:55 And I transferred to get my master's.
10:59 I couldn't stay at Lyco because they
11:01 didn't have a master's program.
11:02 So I transferred out.
11:03 And yeah, I was at Lancaster Bible College.
11:07 And it was good.
11:08 It was a good experience.
11:10 You met really good people there.
11:12 But on the court, I definitely faced some adversity.
11:15 And it was tough.
11:16 I'm not going to lie.
11:17 I almost contemplated quitting the game of basketball
11:21 because it just didn't work out for me there.
11:24 On the court, didn't really fit in with the team.
11:28 I played a little bit in the beginning of the year,
11:30 just trying to get my feet wet, trying to get ready.
11:32 But it also made me realize a lot of things.
11:37 I always knew that I couldn't quit.
11:40 It was times where I wanted to.
11:42 It was times where I usually work out before every game.
11:47 I stopped doing it.
11:48 It was a tough journey.
11:50 But it was worth it.
11:51 And it all paved out.
11:53 I think the main thing is just to never quit.
11:56 And I didn't.
11:56 And I'm glad I didn't.
11:57 Now I can relate to other people who
12:00 are in that situation and who are going through that situation
12:04 right now.
12:04 I kind of lost my way growing up a little bit.
12:08 And I always knew God was there.
12:10 But it took me to wake up.
12:14 And I'm glad I did.
12:17 And I still-- I'm not perfect.
12:20 And he continues to help me.
12:23 And I try to continue to pray and just kind of get
12:28 a close relationship with God.
12:29 But God has opened so many doors for me.
12:32 And even how I'm here, it's honestly a blessing.
12:37 It's a miracle.
12:39 And it just proves that God has everything written.
12:43 It's all written.
12:44 And his plan for you is big.
12:47 And that's what kind of helped me throughout my career.
12:49 Throughout college, high school, middle school,
12:51 I faced some really challenging times.
12:54 And I think God has really shown me
12:59 that if you just continue to trust me,
13:01 if you continue to put your faith in me
13:04 and not other people-- because other people will let you down.
13:07 But he hasn't let me down.
13:10 So you never know what's going to happen.
13:12 So stay tuned.
13:13 We might be going to other tryouts, too.
13:15 So this journey is far from over.
13:18 So stay tuned.
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