Frank The Tank
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00:00Gray Godin, perhaps the last true dominant big man drafted number one overall in an NBA
00:08draft.
00:09He led Ohio State to a national championship game appearance in 2007 before being selected
00:13number one overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.
00:16However, before playing his first game, knee injuries caused him to miss his rookie season.
00:23And injuries would plague him his entire NBA career, along with Brandon Roy.
00:29He is one of the biggest what-ifs could the Trail Blazers have been a generational team?
00:36We'll never know.
00:37But today I'm walking with Gray Godin, seeing what he's up to today, talking about his career,
00:43as well as talking about the game today and this upcoming NCAA season and big man's role
00:51in current basketball.
00:52Let's take a walk.
00:59Well, first off, I'm inspired by that, so I'm happy to be on this walk with you, honestly.
01:09I'm glad to hear that.
01:12It really doesn't surprise me how many people are just like, just inspired.
01:16I'm inspired.
01:17I had this one guy, Don, who was like fighting cancer, and he's out there walking.
01:23We had a guy that was a heart failure, I always blink on his name, Aaron, yeah.
01:31And then we got Dan.
01:32He's another guy that's had a lot of health issues, cancers and all.
01:38So if I can help anyone, it's been terrific.
01:43You know, what's funny is my uncle is a big guy, but he's like 6'4", and he was about
01:52a good 450 pounds, and he used to come and try to guard me in the post, and that was
01:59back at my strong days, and I just used to throw him around like it was nothing.
02:04Oh, jeez.
02:09You're originally from here?
02:10I'm from, well, yeah, I've lived in New Jersey, in New York, New Jersey most of my life.
02:18So that's why you're a Mets fan.
02:20Yep.
02:22I got you.
02:23So you've been hurting for a while.
02:24You guys got a good one last night, though, right?
02:27Yeah.
02:28Wasn't it last night?
02:29Yeah.
02:30Yeah, I mean, it's been an incredible run.
02:31Yes, sir.
02:32I'm happy to see it.
02:33Incredible run.
02:34Tell Greg that he got high, but he doesn't know your award.
02:37Oh, yeah, well, basically, I got discovered by Barstool, I was trying to get out to opening
02:43day in 2017, and the New Jersey transit system failed, which it does almost every other day.
02:50I mean, New Jersey transit, they work on every day except days that end in Y.
02:54That's funny.
02:57I like that.
03:00But yep, I've been full-time Barstool four years, and it's been fun, and this year's
03:05been probably the greatest year because I started doing these Frank Walk series, and
03:11it's been a lot of fun learning and meeting a lot of great people, and I'm glad that you're
03:15coming along for this walk.
03:17Well, thank you.
03:18I'm happy to be here for the walk, you know, being here in New York, it brings back a lot
03:23of memories for me, specifically, you know, the draft, and coaching a little bit, always
03:34come here.
03:35When I was coaching with Butler, you know, the Big East Tournament was here, so.
03:39Oh, the Big East Tournament.
03:40I think of all the conference tournaments, just because he's at the Garden, I think it's
03:46the best one.
03:47Yes, sir.
03:48Yes, sir.
03:49To me, Madison Square Garden is basketball.
03:52It really is just truly basketball.
03:57I will go against you on that one because I am from Indiana, so, you know, we bleed basketball.
04:03You're born with a basketball in your hand, so, but, you know, I was born here, too.
04:07I respect it.
04:08I respect Madison Square Garden, the Knicks, the Nets, you know, basketball's here.
04:15Now, I heard that you're on one of the greatest AAU teams of all time.
04:18Yes, sir.
04:19Mike Conley, Mark Titus?
04:23Mark Titus.
04:24I love that that's the second name, but yes, Mark was on that team.
04:28We had Josh McRoberts, we had Daquan Cook, Curtis White, Reese Cheatham, Devin Williams.
04:35We had a really good squad, and obviously, we were led by Mike Conley, so inherently,
04:41we were good in that sense.
04:43I mean, Mike Conley was a great point guard, always a great playmaker.
04:49That's why I like the old dynamic, the point guard and the big man.
04:55You don't see that too much anymore in the league.
04:56The league has changed so much with the three-point shooters and everyone away from the ball and
05:02not under the hoop anymore.
05:03I mean, where have all the big men gone?
05:06Well, I just think the players in general have changed, you know.
05:11You got guys who are seven feet that can handle the ball and shoot the three.
05:15You got guys who are 6'5", that got better postgame than a lot of 6'10'' guys, and you
05:22know, the game is kind of to a point where it's a little bit fast-paced.
05:26You know, you're getting guards moving, you're getting bigs handling the ball, and you're
05:30also defensive-wise, you want to switch one through five, so I think the reason why it's
05:35not just a big and a little, because you want guys who can guard multiple positions.
05:40Because I look at someone like Karl-Anthony Towns, he wants to put up the three-pointers
05:46more than he wants to be under the hoop.
05:48Well, three is more than two, so it makes sense.
05:52But I will say, you know, a lot of these guys do settle a little bit more than I would like
05:58for them to, just because I'm the old-school big man, you know, back to the basket.
06:03Two dribbles, I'm going to dunk on you, stop me.
06:06But, you know, when you've got those skilled guys who, I say, you know, they're not a hybrid
06:11big or the new big, they're just a really good basketball player, you know, at that size.
06:16Now, I remember the 2007 season, the Final Four, I actually won an office poll that year,
06:25thank you.
06:26Well, that means you voted for Florida then, so that kind of hurt, you voted against us.
06:31Well, I actually got all four right, so.
06:33Oh, okay, I'll take that, I'll take that.
06:35I got all four right and the championship, I got everything right.
06:37Four right, the championship game right, and I did pick Florida.
06:40I was about to say, so you did pick Florida.
06:43Yeah, but, well, that was unusual of you, that was the first year of the BCS, and Florida
06:49also played Ohio State that year, too, and football was the first time that ever happened.
06:53I know, we were two-time losers, one in the football national championship, one in the
07:00basketball national championship, but I wouldn't change that year for anything, you know, all
07:05those players, just that university, the energy of that university that year was just amazing,
07:11and I'm happy to be a part of it and happy to be a part of Buckeye Nation for the rest
07:15of my life.
07:16I guess you went back to Ohio State recently and finished your degree.
07:20I did, so I actually graduated with my master's in August from The Ohio State University.
07:27It's been, let's see, 17 years coming, but I got there.
07:34I'm just so thankful to that university and the programs that let me get back there, and
07:39also my family for sticking with me while I took all the time I possibly can to finish
07:46all my homework to get these degrees.
07:47Well, you had an adventure in between.
07:50You played in Portland, you played in Miami with LeBron, you went to China.
07:57I was a little busy, but I was blessed, to be honest with you.
08:01Basketball has taken me all over the world, but I know getting my education is something
08:07that I'm going to need for the rest of my life, and it's going to serve me well.
08:11Now, you were the number one overall pick just ahead of Kevin Durant.
08:14Yes, sir.
08:15And now, you and Brandon Roy to me are the biggest what-ifs.
08:20If the two of you were to manage to just stay healthy your whole careers, how many championships
08:27do you think you could have brought to Portland?
08:30I'm going to answer with, I don't know.
08:33No, I'm kidding.
08:34I mean, it's hard to say.
08:36As you said, it was a big time what-if.
08:39I know we had a chance.
08:42We had the building blocks to build something special.
08:47As you can see, our record when we actually played was pretty decent, if I must say so
08:52myself.
08:54It's just the injuries happened so much and so often that we never really got the chance
09:00to be exactly what we all thought we could possibly be.
09:05Never going to forget LaMarcus Albridge and that group.
09:10It was a great team, Coach Nate McMillan.
09:15As you said, it was a big what-if.
09:17Now, you spent one year in Miami with LeBron on that team.
09:23Yeah.
09:24What was that like?
09:25That team was freaking amazing.
09:27I love it.
09:28I was able to see some of the top-tier coaching, some of the top-tier players, some of the
09:34top-tier people in life with that one-year experience in Miami.
09:39I think what people didn't realize at the time is, yeah, obviously you have LeBron and
09:44the Super Team is just what a great coach our exposure is.
09:48Yes, sir.
09:49Yes, sir.
09:50That's one of the biggest things I took away.
09:52How he was able to manage those personalities, all those stars, and still get the best out
09:58of all of us.
09:59I just appreciate him and that staff and that organization for everything they've done.
10:04We were this close to them getting that third championship in a row and me getting my first
10:10one.
10:12I would love for that to be a part of my story, but getting the chance to play for the finals
10:18was just an awesome experience and something that I'll always remember.
10:22You went to China for a year, too.
10:24What was that like?
10:25I was just trying to play.
10:27At that point, it was a couple of surgeries.
10:30I just knew my passion was still that I wanted to get out there on the court and show what
10:34I could do.
10:35Unfortunately, it didn't last long because my body told me that, yeah, it was time to
10:41call it quits.
10:44After your career's over, what have you been working on since?
10:48I've coached for Butler University for two seasons.
10:51For the past five years, I've been working with a company called Educor, who teach athletes
10:57and entertainers about financial literacy.
11:00We provide a FEMFIT, which is an audit of your own finances, which is basically education
11:06of your own personal finances.
11:09Just trying to motivate younger athletes, teach them to be better and make different
11:15decisions than I did.
11:18Through my experiences, while also working with a financial professional, it's a give
11:27and take.
11:28I appreciate doing that.
11:29I've been doing that for five years, and now I'm going to jump full force in that.
11:32As I mentioned, I got my degree, so I'm looking to do other things, like possibly getting
11:40in the GM realm, behind the scenes of a sports team.
11:44That would be nice.
11:46I think that is important.
11:47I think a lot of these players, they come from no money at all, then they get the big
11:52money.
11:53Anyone.
11:54It's human nature.
11:55Well, I would say, I actually would look into being a college GM as well.
12:00These teams are getting NIL money, and earlier than later, the colleges, they need people
12:05like that to help with that money that's being sent to these athletes now.
12:09Here it is.
12:10Madison Square Garden.
12:11Yes, sir.
12:12Right where you were drafted.
12:13Yes, sir.
12:14Well, is there anything else you'd like to add or tell anyone?
12:20No.
12:21Just coming here, there's always a lot of great memories.
12:26Being with the team, being in the league at that time, getting drafted was always a special
12:32memory for me.
12:33That moment changed my life.
12:36Being here in New York, I'm just thankful.
12:41I mean, I would have loved to have seen you be healthy.
12:45Me too.
12:46I'm sure everyone else would love to see that.
12:50I appreciate that.
12:51Actually, fun fact, I never actually got a chance to play in Madison Square Garden when
12:58I was in the NBA.
12:59I was always rehabbing.
13:02Being with the team, having those experiences, being able to actually be in the city with
13:07my teammates, it was awesome.
13:09I think we got a couple of wins in here, too, so I'll take that.
13:12Well, that's not good for us, that's not good for the Knicks.
13:18But you know, thanks.
13:20Thanks a lot.
13:21Frank, thank you.
13:22I'm just so happy to be able to be a part of this walk with you, sir.
13:24Good luck with your endeavors, with helping these players.
13:28I think the team would be very wise to hire you to either run the NIL or bring in a front
13:34office.
13:35You have the experience.
13:36You know, you've been around everywhere.
13:39And you give some good advice.
13:42I appreciate that, sir.
13:43Well, thanks for joining us.
13:44Thank you for having me, sir.
13:45And thanks.