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00:00 The floor for some questions.
00:01 Oh, I mean, really, uh, you said all man, just been able to be a part of something
00:07 that you've been watching for a long time and, um, able to, you know, help,
00:11 um, grow a lead that or a brand that's, you know, hit the scene and took off
00:17 running man. And, um, you know, I've been in nothing but, you know, peer
00:21 support since they've been doing this tournament. I've known multiple guys
00:25 from, you know, teammates to some of my close friends who was playing this
00:29 tournament over the years and stuff like that. So just being able to watch
00:32 it along, um, the years man, it's just been a great, um, you know,
00:37 experience to see and then to actually go and be a part of it. Um, you know,
00:42 it's even more bigger, you know, so just being able to be a part of it and
00:46 actually play this year. Um, you know, it's gonna be a lot of fun. I'm gonna
00:50 be around a lot of guys who, you know, have took different paths in their
00:55 career, um, been successful in their careers in different ways. Um, but,
01:00 you know, it's, it's gonna be great to get back together and just, um, be
01:03 around the guys that you, you know, did something special with, um, along
01:07 your years in college.
01:08 Awesome. First question here from Rick. Go ahead, Rick.
01:12 Yeah. Um, are you going to be involved in trying to recruit other guys to
01:18 the team?
01:20 Um, I mean, I'm not, I'm not sure. Uh, you know, I kind of know, um, the guy
01:26 who kind of runs it, runs it, um, Jordan. Um, I kind of know that Peyton
01:30 is back. Um, and it's me so far. I don't really know who he's all reaching
01:35 out to or who's looking to return from last season. Um, you know, I'm not
01:40 trying to come in and, you know, impose no will or say we should have this
01:43 person, this guy's trying to come back or anything like that. So, you know,
01:46 I'm just, you know, along for the ride, man. Um, you know, I'm working my
01:50 tail off to get back to where I once was before I had my injury. Um, and,
01:55 you know, I just can't wait to just get back to myself. So, um, really,
01:58 uh, really focusing on me and, um, trying to, you know, get back to where
02:03 I was and, um, you know, the four out movement and, uh, you know, person
02:09 that I was in basketball and, you know, I'm just working towards that. So
02:13 as far as like the whole ball team, I don't have no say on that. You know,
02:16 like I said, I'm just excited to just be a part of it.
02:18 All right. And then next question here from Matthew and then we'll go to
02:31 Jody. Good, Matthew.
02:32 Hey, Tres, obviously you didn't play in Freedom Hall while it was while in
02:38 college. But what was it like watching last year's event and seeing the crowd
02:42 and come together and watch some of your old former local teammates?
02:46 That was a great experience, man. Um, you know, I know the history of
02:50 Freedom Hall, um, you know, and was blessed to be able to be on teammates
02:54 with guys who have played in that arena. Um, and, you know, to be a part
02:58 of it and seeing a little bit of it, I can only imagine what it was like
03:03 back there when those guys was really rocking and having the arena fully
03:05 packed out, man. Um, it's a great space. Um, and, you know, really still
03:10 could be used as a, you know, top notch arena as far as any high school
03:15 goes or any event, man. So just to still see that a part of the city and
03:19 the atmosphere to, you know, the Louisville fans coming out, man, it's
03:24 just always a great feeling. That's just how Louisville fans are.
03:27 Matthew. Anything else?
03:32 Uh, yeah. Um, so what kind of went into your decision to go to join the TBD
03:40 team this year? Um, I mean, just my overall process of, you know, getting
03:46 back to, um, conditioning playing and, you know, building film to, you know,
03:53 put myself back out there. Um, you know, I had a crazy stint before I end up
03:58 getting hurt with my wrong with the Sixers and then I told my ACL. So
04:02 that's almost a year and a half where, you know, I haven't been actively in
04:06 the game of basketball already, man. So, um, it's a process with the injury
04:10 like this. Um, so it's really just about getting back out there and, you
04:14 know, not really, um, having people thinking that I'm done or, uh, that my
04:19 time in this game of basketball is over. So, um, you know, Jordan, uh, is a
04:25 great person. I've known Jordan since my freshman year coming into Louisville
04:28 and still have kept in contact with him throughout the years, um, where he
04:32 checks up on me, my family and my career, you know. So when the opportunity
04:36 presented itself, I was all in because, like I said, I'm working my tail off
04:41 to, you know, basically be back to the person that I was. So it was, uh,
04:46 and a quick follow up on that. How has your rehab gone? It's going great. Um,
04:54 really, man, I'm ahead of the process. I had surgery in August. Um, so I'm
04:59 probably about six months out from my surgery and I'm already cleared
05:02 basketball, um, workouts, running, moving. So now I'm just along the ride
05:08 of the process of strengthening my knee and, um, get to the four process to my
05:13 90, 95% to the point where I'm clear for completely live. But, um, I'm
05:18 cleared everything. Basketball, running, movement, jumping. I've been
05:22 working my tail off. Like I said, I'm ahead of the process, so, um, I really
05:26 don't see too much longer before I'm okay to, you know, get back into my
05:30 live play, which is 515 3 on three stuff like that and then building
05:34 towards the fallout in game shape stuff. So I guess I've been working my tail
05:39 off behind the scenes. Um, I'm ahead of the curve and, you know, that's all I've
05:43 been, you know, aiming for and trying to go to Jody next and then K. Haskell.
05:48 Go, Jody.
05:49 Hey, dress. What? Uh, to kind of go along with that. What's the What is the
05:55 rehab process for you kind of like? And, um, you know, how are you kind of How
06:00 have you dealt with it kind of mentally not being in the game? It's tough, isn't
06:04 it? It's definitely tough. I mean, early in the stage of the injury was
06:08 definitely one of the toughest that I have to go to because you're not I'm
06:11 not on my custom or basically my everyday routine. Um, you know, I'm not
06:17 going to the gym for practices, shoot arounds, you know, feeling with the
06:22 team, you know, just my overall development with the player development
06:25 guys. So I had to really transition into, um, you know, what to do with a
06:32 lot of my time. You know that I got to the rehab is to start slowly. So I'm
06:38 really not one of those guys who like to ease into things or, you know, had
06:41 to put some on home, especially with something like this. I love to get
06:45 basketball and I play awesome around, man. So to actually have to call all
06:51 that into a abrupt stop, even with how I play in the summer, um, in the
06:55 least I play it, it's up. So it definitely was a mental process that I
06:59 had to really get past the first couple of months. Um, and then after that,
07:04 like I said, it's just a work, but that's never the hard part for me. I
07:08 have no problem working. I have no problem with, you know, trying to
07:11 improve myself, better myself, um, overall as a player and as a person.
07:15 Um, so that's the easy part. So I think that's why it's been so, um, easy
07:20 for me to get ahead of the curve as far as, you know, my process of coming
07:23 back, um, and rebuilding, um, everything that's happened because,
07:28 like I said, I have no problem with working. Um, it's just more so that
07:30 mental aspect was definitely something that you had to get it front of early
07:34 on because you're not doing your everyday routine. You kind of, you
07:37 kind of touched on a little bit, but how that may be fortunate this
07:41 opportunity for you to as you rehab and then you get back to basketball,
07:45 then you get this opportunity to show, uh, you know, others down the road
07:49 that you can still play the game.
07:50 Um, like I said, it was a blessing, man. Um, and it just goes to show that,
07:56 um, even further out in my life, my career that, you know, Louisville as,
08:01 um, a whole, you know, the actual core guys from Louisville from that team,
08:07 from the things that we actually went through to win a national championship,
08:11 you know, that's still there. And Jordan is a prime culprit of that. Um,
08:16 he was coached his assistant for all the years that I was there, even to
08:20 the years after, man. And, uh, he's a guy that, you know, still holds that
08:24 core of, you know, family and, um, you know, the, the ride along what we did
08:30 in that championship team, man, and for him to actually still follow my career
08:34 and know everything that I'm dealing with and, you know, reach out to me
08:37 with this opportunity. Like I said, it was a blessing, and I'm just happy to
08:40 be a part of it and, you know, ready, you know, to get out there and, you
08:45 know, even to get on the floor and just get back to playing the game of
08:47 basketball. But to do it, um, an atmosphere where I've got a lot of, you
08:53 know, fans, a lot of memories, um, you know, cherish a lot of my time and
08:58 to help me be the player that I am in my career, you know, to do it in front
09:01 of them. Um, a fan base like that, it's gonna be a lot of love. The last thing
09:05 for me is, you know how the fan base is and you know how how they can, you
09:10 know, support and that kind of thing. They're kind of starving for some wins
09:15 now with with the last couple of seasons. What? What kind of your
09:18 expectation as far as the fans and you saw it last year, kind of how crazy it
09:22 was in that building.
09:23 Be honest with you. Um, it's definitely a tough time right now as far as
09:28 moving sports, man. It's still trying to figure it out. Um, you know, as far
09:32 as the staff, um, team, it's a lot, man, because basketball is different
09:38 from, you know, where it was when I was there and how it is now. It's just
09:42 what it is, man. I've seen a report literally yesterday while I was in my
09:47 P. T. Working out of Coach P. Um, and how he said that, um, you know, this
09:52 time around, he's not really enjoying it, man, because it's not the same
09:56 game. It's not how it was back then. Um, so
10:00 it's
10:01 it's just tough to say. And it's hard right now, because, like I said, the
10:07 game is changed from then to now, and they're going through a rough patch.
10:13 They're still trying to figure it out. Man, it's a lot of things that come
10:15 into play nowadays. Man, guys are, you know, seeing some money that, you
10:19 know, they haven't seen before in their lives in these deals in order to
10:23 help the kids as well. But it hurts the program a little bit, man. So it's
10:27 just a lot that goes into it, man. Um, definitely. But at the same time, um,
10:33 the fans, I think this is gonna give them a boost a shot at life. Um,
10:38 because, like I said, any one of us, as far as that play in that Louisville
10:43 team, that was on national championship team that was part of that run, um,
10:47 still to this day, man could go back to that city and still be able to call a
10:51 place like that home. And that speaks volume more than anything, because it's
10:57 a team. It's a city that really gets behind their sports as far as the
11:02 cause, because that's all they got. I mean, just that's what it is. They only
11:07 got the college teams just like they live and value and treated like a NBA
11:12 team. And you feel that love, man. You know, when it's going through a rough
11:16 patch, when they're dealing with some like this type of how they're dealing
11:19 with, um, in the season and the past seasons that they had, you know, they
11:24 watched it. I mean, this is a blue collar city. It's a team. It's a city
11:27 that's that's built off hard work and dedication and and just, you know,
11:32 making some out of nothing. So, you know, when it's going through a past
11:36 like that, you know, they want to watch it because they feel like they're
11:39 going through it as well.
11:40 Next question here from K. Haskins. We'll go to Prince James story.
11:45 Hey, Trey, as you've come back to this town as often as you can, what does
11:51 the city mean to you and how special is it for you to be able to suit up and
11:55 for these fans and where the Louisville across the chest again? Um, I'm in the
11:59 city itself. Miss Lockman, I spent three years of my life there. Um, still
12:03 go back there to this day because my kids, um, their their mother, my lady,
12:09 her family still from there from the area, you know, so that my kids go
12:13 down up April in the summer. You see their grandparents. Um, and I'm down
12:16 there as well, because, like I said, I spent three years of my life there and
12:20 it helped mold me into the man that I am today. Um, I built a lot of friends
12:25 there, like I said, but a lot of memories there, man, like I said, I
12:28 didn't leave, um, the city of Louisville without them knowing that I
12:32 left my all there, um, for the time that I was there. And I think the city
12:36 felt that and they knew that, um, to the point where I go back to this day
12:40 and they it's it's nothing but love and, um, and so, like I said, to go
12:45 back into something like that and to be able to strike up those old memories
12:50 for the fans there for the city, um, and to, you know, just have them, you
12:56 know, like I said, feel that love and that atmosphere of, you know, the
13:01 memories that we accomplished along that ride that we did, um, in 2013 all
13:06 the way until I left, man, it's gonna be a amazing feeling. It's great.
13:10 Say how special is it for you to be able to get on the court again with
13:13 Peyton and assuming some other members of the 2013 team. I know you don't
13:17 know who the roster is gonna be yet, but I imagine a couple is gonna be on
13:20 there. Listen, I'm I'm very excited. Um, I talked to Peyton probably like
13:26 yesterday, day before yesterday when the news broke. Um, you know,
13:30 hopefully some more guys along my team, Russ, Wayne, Shane, Luke. Um,
13:37 hopefully we can get, uh, slime back, man. Like I said, we can get as many
13:42 guys back from the team, uh, that we had that made that run, man. It would
13:46 be nothing but one of the best reunions in the world. We kind of did it when
13:49 we came back to the city and had the ring ceremony from the time when we
13:54 wanted, but to do it and actually lace our shoes up, man, um, and do it for
13:59 the city once again. I think that that's gonna be something that's
14:02 almost record breaking.
14:03 Next question here from Prince James. Good.
14:11 Yes, sir.
14:14 Hey, sir. Can you talk about this is UK's first year of building a team in
14:19 TBT. Also, can you talk about kind of that rivalry between like you were UK
14:24 and maybe,
14:25 oh, it's still there, man. It's just this day. Um, really, man, I've seen
14:33 all the comments, all the hate and stuff already. Um, and this is funny
14:38 to me, man. Uh, how people can draw up any type of story or anything. I think
14:45 this happened, man. Once they see something like this going on, he's out
14:48 the league now. He's just that a third man. So it's still there, man. Um,
14:53 after all these years, man, um, and this is funny to me because I literally
14:57 once I've seen, uh, that Eric was a part of the Kentucky team. I knew that
15:03 I was in the national rule team. I messaged Eric and told him, Hey, you
15:06 see, they already building the robbery already. He messaged me back and said,
15:09 Yeah, laughing, but it's gonna be a lot of fun. It's gonna be good because it
15:14 is. But it just goes to show you, man, like it's kind of like one of those
15:18 drivers of
15:19 it's close to how the robbery is with the Lakers and the Clippers thing. But
15:26 it's way deeper as far as Kentucky and rule because that is, it's almost
15:31 composed compared to a gang man, blue and red man. Like, is it the blue, blue,
15:36 blue, red man? And it's crazy because it's a rival man is real. Um, you know,
15:41 people really
15:42 get behind these two teams because, like I said, in the state of Kentucky, um,
15:48 as far as teams, the only team that they really had as far as NBA is in
15:52 Indiana. And you got to think they have a college as well. You feel me? So it's
15:58 kind of tough to just dive all into the Indiana team. Um, being from the state
16:05 of Kentucky, because, like you said, you have Kentucky, you have over
16:08 basketball, man. And that's what the people get behind us. The people, you
16:12 know, port all the two if you're from one of the other places, man. So, um,
16:17 the rivalry still there. The blood still boils deep. Um, as far as the
16:21 rivalry, man, it's gonna be a lot of fun. Um, I don't really pay it no
16:26 mind. I've learned that over the years. It's kind of one of those things that
16:29 back in the day I would have probably argued around and yelled out any type
16:33 of facts that I can to, you know, go back and forth with you on it. But
16:37 that's not me no more that I don't really care about that, man. Like I
16:41 said, I know that love hate, um, thing between these two teams is definitely
16:45 real. But like Eric and he said, man, it's gonna be a lot of fun. Um, and if
16:49 we can match up to continue to advance right on down the road, then I think
16:54 there's gonna be something, like I said, record breaking, record breaking for
16:56 this, um, for this league.
16:58 Mhm.
16:58 And then I got time for maybe one or two more questions. Got a hand raised
17:07 from Rick. Rick, do you have another question?
17:09 Yeah, my trust. Just can you bring people? How is your goal to get back to
17:15 play in the NBA again? Is that what you'd like to do? Yes. My living. My
17:20 goal has been pushed to get back this season. Um, like I said, I'm on track.
17:24 Most people tear a ceo, but also to my meniscus as well. So most people have
17:29 injuries like this in the alpha nine months, and I'm already back to playing
17:34 basketball and working out for my rehab within six. So that's just tell you the
17:41 process that I'm looking to work my tail off to get back to what I love
17:47 doing. And, you know, the thing that helps, uh, we take care of my family.
17:52 You know, I'm not done. I've seen plenty of guys have this injury, and
17:57 it's not the same as it was back in the day. Most guys who have injured like
18:01 this back in the day, you will be done, but we're not. We're not there no more.
18:05 We're too many doctors out here. It's the surgeries like, literally, like I
18:09 said, I had my surgery August 23rd. I never forget that day and two weeks out.
18:14 I was on my crutches and really walking on my leg as far as the brace on my own.
18:19 So, no, I'm not done with the game of basketball. Yes, I'm planning on getting
18:23 back into the game of, uh, the NBA on my team and my agency that I just signed
18:28 with is definitely, you know, playing the help me along that path and, you
18:32 know, set me up on the right steps with on that, and I have no confidence. So
18:37 you got hurt last year after you were in Louisville to watch the tbt?
18:41 Yes. Yes. I got hurt over the summer working out.
18:46 And one last thing. A lot of guys, you know, if the NBA is their goal, they
18:50 wouldn't take the chance to play in this. Why? Why is it important to you
18:53 to play in it?
18:54 I played in the NBA. I've been in the NBA for eight years and had and really
18:59 made his name for myself from start to start to where I am now. And
19:05 I know what it takes to get there. I'm using this a part of my journey to get
19:13 back there. It's not nothing that is handicapping me. Um, honestly, man, it's
19:19 guys that has played in this who have been the league. It's guys that played
19:23 in this tournament that been the league multiple years longer than me. I watched
19:28 my one of my best played for the Florida team last year. Corey Brewer, man. So
19:33 it's not. It's not visualized how it is back there, man. Media makes things way
19:43 seem way different than what they really are, man. And that's just the
19:46 truth of it, man. It's just the world that we're living in nowadays. But, um,
19:51 me planning this doesn't hurt me because I've been in the NBA. I played in the
19:56 NBA for eight years. Only injury I've had is this injury right here. And
20:00 that's working out to better myself in the NBA, man. So this right here is a
20:06 as a helping tool for me, like I said, and a blessing for me because it's an
20:10 opportunity to show that all my hard work on my rehab that I put in towards
20:15 getting back to myself has paid off. And then I really worked my tail off to get
20:20 back to the much as hell that people know and seen.
20:23 Awesome. And if we have no more questions, I think we'll let Montrez
20:31 go. Montrez, thank you for your time for the media in attendance. We'll have a
20:34 video recording in that folder, which is linked out immediate advisory tries.
20:38 Thanks again for doing this.
20:39 No, no problem.
20:40 Thanks, Al. Thank you.
20:41 Have a good day. Bye.