BraveMen S3E97: CJ Watson - From Talent to Character

I'm watching a highlight reel of CJ Watson is he scores 40 points against the Sacramento King because he's playing for the Golden State Warriors and in fact it's a game in which Steph Curry is also playing so it's a pretty amazing thing. Now I'll tell you what's wild about CJ is talking to him about where God's led him now out of this great basketball career he had into writing books for children with me as always is Chris our producer for Brave Men podcast and Chris it's amazing to watch him score that many points in his Steph Curry game. Yeah no more Steph's on the same team. Yes and he has 40 dude that's the NBA man. Yes serious deal. Big deal. This guy was a star and he played a number of different teams he did extremely well played for years and played some Europe right? Yes sir. Played some Europe and then but then the way we kind of all connected with him we knew about him but the way we connected was he started writing books for children. Yes. Yes sir. Remarkable thing. Yep and he wrote a trilogy you know CJ's big dream CJ's big project and CJ's big moment. What's what is what what if he writes another one? Well it's a quadrilogy what is I guess that's what it would be because that was a pretty good word I was really proud of you on that one. Yes but I'm thinking CJ's stock now. No because I to my understanding with these three books they were all going no no you know in his his his grandmother was the inspiration. Yes it's a it's a great interview. Yeah Mary L Watson. Yeah but his mom's an education dad has had a own business for years and but he's an achiever this guy you don't get to the NBA first one just get to it in the first place I don't care if you're number 12 on the bench. Yeah right. Mm-hmm you just don't get there unless you have worked your tail off. Yes because there's a lot of good players. Yes. Let me think about it right he was really good in college. Mm-hmm right. Yes. It's like all whatever he was gets all kinds of awards. Yes. Win stuff. Mm-hmm. Scores points. He's guard six two right six two six six two six two guard. Yep. So when you get the NBA six two guard is like it's like JJ Berea your shorter guy. I mean it's amazing to me being on the floor of NBA games which we've been and we're basketball fans you know like you are my sons and our family my daughter Lindsey we're we're into it. Mm-hmm. And uh but being on you know watching on TV and you go okay well like I was a shorter guy then you go stand on the floor and that shorter guy is like five inches taller than me right and then the guy that makes him look shorter is like ginormous. Yes. You know like my friend AC like he's six nine or something he was normal like you look at him out there and he's just walking around and standing next to other guy so it was normal and then there's a taller guy like a dork or somebody like that. Dork was about seven foot. Yes. Okay so now you've got guys now he's six two so to to really do as well to score 40 I'm watching this this highlight reel and you've got to be you've got to be stout. Yes and that was the amazing thing about watching CJ Watson's career he never ever gave up. I mean before we even started this show you and now we're talking about like the different jersey numbers he wore you know and he fought for what he wanted you know and that was the beauty of always watching him play like he may not start it out as the starter but he fought to become the starter. You know you don't get picked up by Larry Bird. You know Larry Bird picked him up with Indiana out of where was he at the time and that's I think maybe Brooklyn and so then you know you go in and you meet Larry Bird and Larry says I want you on my team dude you got to be bringing something. Yes. So I appreciate CJ Watson in that in our conversation with all that kind of background and for me like that's a big deal that stuff okay he's so humble. Yes it's just like a real guy. Yes even when I was you know talking to him about setting it up it it was not like pulling teeth it was yeah I would love anything you guys need you know it was that kind of mentality and even in his books you know that's what he's taking his life story and teaching kids how to do better than he did in a sense of like not leading with talent but leading with character. Yeah and that's really about character because he went through some up and downs in his own life and we talk about that today I'm brave men with CJ Watson. Brave men is a ministry outreach of the Christian men's network you can find all our tools and materials for discipling men discipling sons. I hope in your dad get better at cmn.men Christian men's network cmn.men it's a ministry outreach our our stated goal our desire is to end fatherlessness stop child abuse and end human trafficking we believe that when we raise up strong men we raise up strong families strong families make strong churches and the churches the hope of the world and I believe men like CJ Watson are what change the future and that's why we take men like that and the men we have in brave men and put them in a place where you hear them get connected to them tell somebody else about them and what should people do because you'd like it like it subscribe to it and share and share share is a big deal yes because you know somebody that needs to hear this inspirational message that's about to be served to you yeah yeah thrilled to have CJ Watson basketball great and now author of these amazing children's books today on brave men it's brave men with Paul Lewis Cole wisdom and courage for the journey talking with CJ Watson who's had an amazing professional basketball career and now a whole new part of his life and that he's writing books illustrated books for young men and women to help them in their journey to provoke their dreams and it's fantastic CJ it's great to talk to you today man oh thanks for having me appreciate it and we are a basketball family my sons and I we all played high school in college and uh so we're just into it okay it's great so I started my youngest son Bryce who coached in fact he coached a couple tournaments out there where you went to high school in Vegas AAU tournaments okay that uh so he's got opinions and all that stuff right yeah yeah now you were born in Las Vegas is that right yeah you have born and raised in Las Vegas born and raised in Vegas and went to Bishop Gorman Bishop Gorman high school yes sir and that's a pretty strong basketball program yeah it is uh I think first when I started going there I was more football but now you know obviously uh basketball was uh kind of been the rank to premium obviously football is still good actually I feel like we're good at every sport uh men's women's basketball uh men's women's soccer uh swimming I feel like we kind of get all the bases covered well so you're actually a fan of your high school that's pretty cool yeah definitely still a fan I still wore the gear I still go to some games actually my whole my old high school coach is still the head coach there now so I still support them and root for them uh definitely uh do do it all anything for Vegas I root for it well I want to talk about these books but I also want to talk some roundball too so you you had an amazing professional career you went everywhere from uh Greece uh to Turkey and NBA in between yeah yeah it was definitely a journey uh it was a weird one didn't get drafted and went undrafted out of college I thought I was gonna get drafted uh so then after that this kind of took my talents overseas to Italy uh I was broke at the time needed need some money so that was the whole basis of me going overseas so I had to make those you know tough decisions uh being alone 21 years old uh different country different atmosphere uh different culture and uh just trying to learn things about trying to grow as a man and uh I think uh basketball kind of helped me do that and taking your all around the world uh and pretty much for free uh this means of uh you know playing basketball and learning and seeing different things and I think that's how I helped me grow as a man yeah it's an amazing thing and you and you did you had to grow you hit the ground and you didn't know Italian like Kobe did no no I definitely didn't had to learn in a little bit of it and then Greece and then you came back and you worked your way up you were in the D-league yeah but you killed it in the D-league I mean yeah yeah that was a whole yeah I knew I knew I was I knew I would play well I know I would play good uh and now that like I said that was the whole goal my whole goal was I didn't want to go back overseas my first year overseas I didn't have a really good experience ahead uh a new a new coach every month so it's that's kind of hard to adjust to as a as a rookie player and especially being overseas in any situation it's tough to adjust to so my whole thing it was uh I just didn't want to go back overseas let's try this thing out and I just have my daughter so I wanted to be more uh in her life or whatever and uh and not be 3000 miles away or whatever and you know it's talking on Skype and things of that nature so I just said let's try this D-league D-league thing out and see if it works and if it doesn't you know then I'll just go another out yeah in the working well yeah it did it worked extremely well and you ended up with the Golden State Warriors you know uh going back how do you you know talking to men right now particularly guys who have young sons coming up yeah um how do we help our sons persevere that kind of pressure you had in Italy and Greece you know air coach every month what do we get into our sons and daughters yeah we just put in we just we just put them into a work ethic I think uh I only was successful because of my parents um support system that I had uh my parents uh worked hard they came up in poverty also and they uh they knew what they didn't want for their kid and they kind of pushed me in that direction um can help me work and there are three or four times where I wanted to quit basketball what I didn't get drafted when I did when things weren't going my way and I you know if it wasn't for my parents uh telling me to stick with it uh uh believe in yourself uh you know you believe in God and believe in the work that you put in and uh I would be where I am today wow so your dad and mom really uh that was part of the encouragement safety net if you will that that helped you stay in things yeah for sure yeah they definitely uh wanted to see better for me they knew how hard it works um and they knew you know things are gonna go well they they've been into these things before they've had ups and downs in life and uh it's kind of the same thing that I tell my daughter now when she's playing sports you know things are gonna go your way all the time but it's gotta stick through it you know and don't give up it's kind of like a growing ongoing thing yeah especially junior high in high school they don't have uh replay for the reps right yeah anyway and so you went to uh you went to Bishop Gorman uh but your dad taught you a work ethic how did he do that CJ um I think just kind of just getting this up early um in my little brother uh we always had a lot of um back yard fights and uh scruffles uh on the basketball court because of basketball but yeah I think that work ethic just came through through their parents through my grandparents uh um and my parents had their own business and they always worked hard and did the things that it was necessary even when when things weren't going right so they always kind of like back to the thing of keeping the faith and sticking through it they did the same thing and installed all those same morals and values into us now you know the um I think that's something that's something we teach a lot with christian as network is uh your children may not always listen to you but they'll always imitate you yeah for sure yeah no we're there they're watching what you do they're watching how you make decisions and how you handle you know your dad with a business how does he handle you know Thursday night when he's trying to make friday payroll uh i don't know and that's the guy you might have to ask him that yeah he's just I'm not in such decisions yeah yeah I know I I appreciate what's going on right yeah I think it's just something you know I mean even as a kid when your dad or mom is getting on you you kind of don't like him for but as you get older you uh you kind of realize and resonate what they were trying to say and it kind of hits you so you know it's kind of the same things that I tell my daughter like I was going through it at a young age uh they want to listen to one to be hard headed but now that I see what they're trying to install into me and tell me so yeah as you get old the older you get the smarter your parents are yeah yeah very smart now how do you end up a university of Tennessee you come out of Las Vegas mission dormant uh had a good high school career and you end up being drafted you know I mean or recruited do you want yeah up at university of Tennessee so there's so there's a story I mean my dream school was to go to UCLA I mean I love LA I love California the beach I mean I guess he doesn't and that was my dream school I always see them on TV they had great teams going to the tournament and that's the school that I wanted to go to and I went on an unofficial visit there and I was gonna commit but then the coach got fired Steve Lavin so that was my whole reason of opening back up my recruiting process and my parents are from Nashville which is only two and a half hours from Knoxville and at the time uh Buzz Peterson uh near the new point guard coming in because the one he uh was about to graduate and he said you know this is your team this is your keys you can have the keys to the to the van uh he's coming here and work hard and we want to build around you and that's what he told me and you know I believed it yeah and and it worked out well you ended up all SEC and uh what would be one of the most memorable games you had as a Tennessee volunteer um I would say maybe my senior year we went to Texas and beat Texas on the road uh ranked team uh uh no one thought we wouldn't that game no one thought we'd be even halfway decent at year and we end up you know probably being thinking our highest ranking was like at number eight seed uh then we were two seed in the tournament so I think we kind of overachieved a lot of people's expectations at year wow that's fantastic who was coaching Texas back then uh Rick Barnes yeah that was the reason yeah he's actually a Tennessee now that's crazy that's right that's right he is uh yeah he had some he had some great teams he yeah and some really good players came out of there too yep you know that's amazing and so now here you are you're going to draft great great games you you've you've done some all SEC stuff you've come through persevered D1 done well and it's draft time yeah uh you didn't get a phone call yeah it's definitely uh shocking because I actually thought I had some great workouts uh I want to get some top tier point guards and uh didn't kill them or anything but I did played well held my own and uh I got a call by my agent on that on draft my say now I was going to get drafted with the last pick uh while the G Troop pistons and uh that pick comes uh and it doesn't happen so you know definitely uh um frustrated mad angry all the emotions you can have you know being disappointed and uh this and after that right next move was kind of like you know what what do I do next um and uh that's when we decided to go overseas to Italy how does your faith play into a moment like that CJ uh it comes in a lot I mean obviously you have those expectations you know why God why why let this happen to me you know how hard I worked things in that nature but also you know God only gives his uh his stuff his battles to his stuff his soldiers and I feel like you know at the time is probably something that I needed uh I need to say go and grow um and get better and to you know kind of see life and see what the world has to offer and I think that's what will happen yeah so you needed to really the process that the father I mean you know when Jesus told us pray he didn't say pray oh great sovereign one or or oh great theater he said pray our father so if we look at uh the moves of God in our lives as a father his goal for you is to be more mature right yeah definitely at that time I'm sure yeah and I think that's what going to Italy helped me do I mean I kind of cooked in college but I had to learn a lot more how to cook for myself when I was overseas uh learn to do things on my own you know you know me you know me just actually the way you play you're talking about actually cooking yeah actually cooking I never cooked yeah make sure you have a mom and stuff to do that yeah and then college we had like a little dorm where we had our own chef and stuff like that so you know I didn't have to do all that but right as time goes around you don't have those those things anymore so I had to buckle down and you know and do everything that I needed hey I'm talking with CJ Watson who had an amazing career as a professional basketball player and uh what most people probably don't know is you actually went back to university at Tennessee got your degree in psychology yeah yeah yeah that was the big thing that I promised my my late grandma before she passed away she passed away my sophomore year in college and promised her my mom that I would go to school you know and give my degree not just to go to school to play basketball and I wanted to keep that promise and that's why I went back I was only like I think eight credit short so I had like three or four classes and I went back for two summers and I really knocked that out and then I got it done you know that that shows a lot of grit right there brother and so I want to talk about these books CJ's big project CJ's big dream CJ's big moment I'm catching I'm catching a kind of a theme here yeah it's all about CJ CJ stories yeah CJ big but I love these stories man and obviously it wasn't like hey what do I do next I'll do some children's books obviously you have you have a passion for this because you've had to invest in it personally you and your family invest in it make it happen get them written produced and they are fantastic thank you we went on man I I I could see this as a cartoon I guess that's what we call stuff still yeah cartoon the graphic novels you know used to be character their graphic novels but but I can see this what big Albert could have been for today's generation I think CJ's big moment could be for this generation yeah I think they're fantastic so where can we find these is there a website we can find these on right now do you have a website yeah you can go to Amazon type in the titles or you can go to my personal website cjpens.com and all the information is there it's a word to purchase and stuff like that cjpens.com so uh yeah I want to just encourage that and we'll put that in the show notes and make sure people have that kind of thing you played 600 games in the NBA that's it seems like a lot well that's you know for me it just makes my ankles hurt yeah yeah you know my key my key has been hurting for a while yeah but you played point guard it's too point guard and you ended up with a really a great career 10 years in the NBA's pretty remarkable considering what the average is you know a year and a half or something you know in and out and you started on some 10 day contracts it was not like oh hey the greatest player ever just dropped in our lap right yeah not like I said you know expect a testament of my faith in what I've been taught and what have been what's been instilled in me because those 10 days can be kind of walking on elk ships can be very nervous at times and you know you gotta do everything right for those 10 days just to get another 10 days and I think I did it three times and you know those that month probably was the most hectic month of my life traveling going back and forth and then you know just trying to be the best player and person I could be you know and to showcase my talents and I think it's like I said just to test my faith in the work that I put in yeah and that was that coach there was Don Nelson goes knows it yes sir yeah and of course I live in the Dallas area so we know Don know his son Donnie yeah and so you know the one thing I would know about Don Nelson is he just didn't suffer fool so he he not gonna be as you and blow smoke about stuff yeah no he's not the first day I met him he told me CJ I like you game a lot of him watching you I'm gonna throw you in the fire and see what you got and that's what he did he you know he kept get word that what he told me threw me out there let me get my feet wet and then sat me back down and then if I did anything wrong you tell me what I did wrong but anything right he would say keep doing that more yeah but he was but he was straight up about it wasn't he yeah he was definitely straight up that's why I love about him he was always straight up he I feel like his system was the most fun system for me to playing because that's the kind of basketball that I grew up playing running on time at basketball wasn't shooting a lot of threes but still just kind of fast break motion kind of offense and he let all his players do that yeah he's you know he's an interesting cat because he yeah no he played extremely well you know he was all everything with a boss yeah and then he coached smokes used to cigars no yeah all time yeah and then now just because I've got some background with with Willie plays a lot of poker with Willie Nelson yeah he used to talk about Willie Nelson all time and he got all his concerts and stuff like that well they have they have places in Hawaii right next to each other so they yeah all the time so that's but you had to come in and I mean we're talking this is stress man it's just like a golfer because you've got to it's a team sport but you got to make your thing happen or you're not on yeah well I mean it was stressful believing in it wasn't because I believed in myself I believed in my abilities I felt like I just needed the chance to you know someone take a chance on me as a young player and then for me to get the opportunity to play this little time to get out there and show what I can do for me with definitely stress we're not gonna lie and say it wasn't but I just feel like I need the opportunity that chance to show that I can play at this level yeah and and so you'd have you'd had attacks that allowed you to be ready if you will for this breakthrough moment yeah for sure yeah I think I'm not getting drafted to help me I mean I feel like that was the most pressure that I felt like I seen at that time and if I can get through that I can not break down you know and go out and do something stupid I would definitely be able to hear all the stress and pressure of you know a 10-day contract or whatever sometimes we think as as a young man particularly speaking to dads into a young man we kind of think hey I want this to happen this to happen this to happen yeah and you and I have seen that happen with men and then their character can't sustain what their talent has achieved right and and you've seen that I mean we have that here in Dallas he would be a lot older than you you may not remember him men unbelievable talent named Roy Tarplay and Roy came in here and he was all everything and then he had too much money right you know he just and he ended up playing in Siberia for a Siberian mogul or something crazy right and uh so the fact is is that what happened to you is your father helped you build character who would what would you say that your coaches helped you with and who would be some coaches that really helped you know put something in you well I would say all of them honestly uh one special one that ones I had growing up they all were beneficial and kind of like mentors and role models to me I still taught them to all this day um and uh they all kind of played a big part so um I think one actually was a professional NBA player he was my actual assistant high school coach he was a big reason that I wanted to play basketball and kind of go go to college and obviously go to the NBA because I've seen someone you know of my stature coming from the same neighborhoods that I come through uh and be successful uh and then a lot of my other coaches has helped me keep my my head on and uh straight now stay out of trouble um just keep me keep me focus really I always checked up on me make sure I was doing the right things you know you know didn't sway left the right and just kind of kept my head on the straight narrow hey this is Chris I want to take a moment right in the middle of this great conversation to let you know the Brave Men podcast is a production of the Christian men's network worldwide and the global fatherhood initiative Christian men's network has helped pastors and leaders disciple men for over 40 years you can find all the resources for mentoring and fatherhood at cmin.min that's the Christian men's network at cmin.min we have tremendous resources for churches with special discounts for groups on that website everything your church needs from a to z to mentor and disciple men of all ages and backgrounds and cmin has created a 12-part training course on how to create a successful ministry to men for pastors and leaders check it out majoringinmen.com which is the solution to men's discipleship because of the generous sponsorship of the Christian men's network partners what would normally cost 100 dollars is now free that's the majoringinmen.com it will help us continue to reach the lives of many men around the world if you would like us on Facebook follow us on instagram and subscribe to this podcast and share it that's the Christian men's network in Paul Lewis Cole now let's get back to this powerful interview between Paul and CJ Watson. You know I'll tell you something Jay and this is my big thing with Christian men's network and the global fatherhood initiatives that we've got my big push right now in the United States we're in over a hundred countries but in the US my big thing is I'm not only fatherhood but I'm pushing men to take the time to be a coach you know you can go down you know there's sports leagues that are closing across the US because they don't have enough coaches coaches here and and I think about a guy I don't even you don't even have to know that well how to play how to play a theater sport you just gonna show up Richard does now I love those kids man right yeah I think everyone needs a little love especially kids because it's kind of it's gonna make them break their future they know that someone's in their corner supporting them and and therefore and actually cares you know they'll do they'll run through a wall for you it's like a any player for a coach like if you'd like your coach and know I believe what your coach is telling you you're going through a wall for them I think we can I think CJ we can change the future in this nation if if every church in America had a program that that raised up you know young in other words particularly this the seventh grade and under yeah sports leagues you know once you get eighth ninth grade you're in in some sort of school program or maybe an AAU program right but but just the youth activity sports if we put coaches in there from all the churches I think it changed the future man I think you want to be a way better place you know like you said be more positive in enforcement and we keep kids on the straight narrow how have them something to look forward to I'll tell you what a basketball guy I am let me show you something I just I didn't think of this when we were getting ready to do the interview until I looked up on one of my shelves and I've got a bunch of different stuff here yeah this is basketball NBA basketball signed by Rick Barry and Nate Thurman okay okay San Francisco legends yeah those are legends for you ever yeah yeah I know about those guys actually these guys were legends before you were born for yeah yeah probably yeah for sure they went there we were in championships I think by a bad sign I was born yeah so Rick Barry he was the the last guy that did the underhanded while him and Kareem I guess did the underhanded for the studio and Nate Norman was just when I remember about him he's Hall of Fame 1985 and Rick Barry Hall of Fame 1987 so like I said waiting for you but nonetheless the same type of thing Nate Thurman to me was one of those guys that epitomized hard work yeah he made the Hall of Fame because he never it wasn't just his after there were probably more athletic guys right he just never stopped coming at you exactly yeah yeah yeah yeah I know a little bit about those guys from my time in the Warriors this was written up in the in the history books and stuff who was the toughest man you ever played up against in the NBA there's a lot of them yeah he but he guarded you you had to guard him and it just always kind of got you I would say Nate I mean the name but a 20 Parker was always a tough cover for me Darren Williams is a tough cover the point guard position is I feel like it's one of the toughest position because there's always another great all-star point guard Hall of Fame future point guard coming at you every night and you can't really rest so you know even the even the bench players the backup point guard those guys are are tough too so you can't really take them out off well you know for the average fan you know they I guess the thing is that you'd have to emphasize is 12 men on on the team in an NBA team you've only got you know four or five hundred guys that are playing it out of you know millions millions that have tried so you don't guide that you don't even know his name he's sitting down there on the bench that guy's really good really good yeah he's definitely he's good enough so I always tell people a lot of people always say like you know on the last person on the man of the bench they can be you know wisely on this team blah blah but I guarantee you that last one of the bench when played you 101 you would never ever say that was one of the game hey hey CJ I you know I played city league and stuff up till I was about 50 so I played a little you know when they were good but but I get get out there and I'll never forget playing a pickup game against girl came in I can't remember if she was tennis here anyway she was a D1 uh forward ball handler and she came and played a pick at game with us yeah she cleaned us man yeah this and I'm looking at this girl watching these moves going oh my and she's got handles you know right yeah yeah like man you know so you had to go up against that every every day how do you get mentally prepared to go up against a Tony Parker who's if he's not Hall of Fame will be I guess yeah I'm not sure I just kind of relished in the in the moment relished in playing the best competition and really mentally you know just try to get the get a good night sleep before you get a good meal and hopefully you hit the weight room you know and did a little bit of everything just to be ready for for that moment yeah I have a good friend who played a number of years AC green yeah ace would talk about his preparation you know doing it the same way every day every day yeah and the shoot around and a nap and then what he ate you know before he ran and everything was always you know he just found a rhythm yeah I feel like that's uh that's how I was also always found the rhythm always try to get some shots up either before after shoot around definitely always eat and then take a good hour to our nap and then you know wake up and eat a good snack and then do the same thing it was kind of like a daily routine especially for practices in game days it was kind of like during the season it was kind of like you know this is what we do on this day and the next day didn't the same thing so really to a man listening right now it is success is in the habits you build into your life yeah for sure yeah you definitely got to build good habits and uh like says it's about a routine it's about being consistent it's about doing the same thing every day and uh kind of maybe after a couple months you know and kind of wears and tears on you and gets gets to you mentally but that's how you fight that mental toughness by doing the same thing keep it keep doing it keep appearing yourself because you never know when that moment is going to come I remember uh the quote mahalad Ali made years ago he said uh I never want I never want to match in the ring he said yeah on the road it formed right when nobody was looking right training doing all that kind of stuff I think another a huge quote that I like from mahalad Ali is work hard like a champion today so you can live like a champion later on and that's kind of uh testaments at hard work and uh like you said consistency and doing the same thing over and over yeah no kidding man that's and I think that's a testament you know to you cj give me props on this 10 years in the mba is a remarkable accomplishment you played turkey after that you played ill in Greece before that I mean you had a profession an incredible really when you look at it in a light of everything you had a fantastic professional career yeah definitely uh it was great I mean uh it went by fast uh definitely I think I think I'm gonna play maybe another year or two but you know uh things happened uh but uh definitely goes by fast and and definitely would say I definitely had a a blessed career especially coming from uh you know from Las Vegas from uh maybe no one ever seeing me ever being good enough to play the NBA and kind of turning into a career I definitely think it's uh something to be proud of yeah it really is and then uh these books what caused you to start writing these uh what do you call these graphic novels uh these books for uh children children's literature books okay yeah so uh the story uh goes uh I was done playing basketball I wanted to continue inspiring kids I felt like uh playing the NBA as an inspiration but I wanted to do you know something more and kind of kind of continue to give back like I've been doing and I never planned to be an author never was in the plans but I was just like you know how can I continue to tell my story and at the same time continue to inspire kids and I was like you know why not put it in a book where kids need to read kids love to read and then uh just kind of make uh tell my story through these books and tell my life lessons to these books well they're great and uh also so I get a couple questions out of the books yeah do you actually have a pair of lucky socks yeah I did when I was playing a I'm very superstitious when I played uh like it's kind of like AC green I was like I said I did a same roots team let's see if I had a good game I would keep the same socks I wouldn't wash I would do I would go to the bathroom you know in a certain place at the same time uh so I was very superstitious uh put my socks on a certain way uh take my pants off a certain way like when I go to the game uh so I was definitely superstitious uh I don't believe in superstition way you know it just kind of just happened I have a habit thing and you didn't break it especially if you had a couple good games in a row right yeah it's like Jordan it's like Jordan playing his uh college shorts underneath shorts all right yeah I think every athlete has something that you know that they continue to do especially like I said NBA season is long and over time you develop a habit and you create a habit and um continue to keep doing it over time well these are fantastic man and uh they say thank you you know I I really I want to see this stuff and you're writing more of them right yeah I'm working on my on the fourth one right now so uh just trying to you know uh continue to give kids inspiration and kind of like you said turn it into maybe a cartoon or a movie or tv show something of that sort or you know to you know give kids uh wisdom and fun and the beauty of this for me is it's general market but it but obviously as a follower of Christ nothing just uh everything you do has in it a message everything we're we're driving a foreclift or writing books right right and uh so I think these are great and then the other thing is is that uh you persevered you actually uh a lot of these stories are out of your life yeah all these are true stories honestly I'm not I'm not gonna say in lots of you they're all true stories what I wanted to did you get bullied yeah I got bullied every I think we all have got bullied in life uh my story is a little a little different uh actually when I in that book I try to uh reinforce the bully in a positive manner but when I get bullied I didn't use it in a positive manner actually hit the bully I don't want I don't want to teach kids going out there to hit other people or whatever yeah it's uh that's uh that's a that's a interesting thing is that you've got girls but it's a interesting thing for a father of boys there there's a little bit of a line there right yeah yeah you definitely gotta draw the line but where at some point you say son when that man steps over the line yeah drop them on the line yeah that's what that's what actually my mom taught me she would always say you know if you get beat up don't come back here you better go back and fight the fight on your own and uh I think my mom was yeah my mom was tougher than my dad I feel like you know she taught us you know never to to always hold your own and never back down so I think a lot of the feistiness we got is for my mom that's fantastic man I think of feistiness I think of again an old friend of mine that graduated from Tennessee many years before you uh read you white then already yeah uh read you was a good friend but his wife Sarah Sarah might be five two five three yeah you know of course read you was you know uh an unbelievable tall large a man but when Sarah would turn and say something to him you know yeah he just straight up yeah I got you yeah I think of feisty I think of uh somebody like that and uh man this is CJ thanks for taking the time to be with us I don't know probably you know I'd love to talk more basketball but I know we've got we've got a certain amount of time on the program and you go certain on time but and you get children growing up you got girls right yeah all girls yeah and they're tearing the house up like usually I'm just cleaning it up every day you know what I my son law has three daughters and a son and I talked with a friend yesterday that he's got old girls and uh it seems to me that god gives daughters to men like yourself who know how to raise them up protect them affirm them yeah and and teach them of real life stuff so yeah because I mean we can talk basketball all day man you know yeah for sure yeah you know the best games your 40 point game you know in the NBA you know that that kind of stuff but I think at the end of the day the the thing is when you're 50 60 years old 70 years old and you're looking back on life to me CJ the biggest regrets will have as men is not what we did but what we didn't do right yeah yeah for sure I think I believe in in that whole heartily uh that's why I try to teach my kids and take everything don't take anything from granted always you know I'm trying to tell my oldest art to call her grandparents every two or three days you know we never know when it's our last time when it's our last car ride all that kind of stuff just try to teach a little intangibles that hopefully she'll you know she'll appreciate later on in life and hopefully now also but like you said you just got to kind of raise them right and teach them the right things and the right roles and values as we're growing up think a lot of things that we learned that we kind of learned later on that we didn't appreciate intentional intangibles yep and and then also one of my favorite stories in uh for you which book it is but it's the uh where you had oh it's the project class project yeah and uh where your project ended up of course being basketball and you were teaching on gravity using dribbling yeah it was that little creative spin on it uh definitely uh uh had a couple projects in my day when I got to ask and luckily my teacher let me uh redo the projects I can play in the basketball game and uh you know I kind of uh just took my uh my friend's advice and I kind of didn't think too hard about it and just thought about you know basketball is it's science and uh this is a different way that we look at it but I definitely explained it in a science way and people understood it and then and pass a project that actually happened to you yeah definitely having yet really that project what projects not just the story this actually happened yeah yeah all these are true stories so I definitely didn't want to tell a uh fall story that's fantastic that is that is awesome well I can't wait until we get to the children's books you do on Don Nelson and uh well I had no magic what was the most interesting guy that you played alongside a man you traveled with you spent a lot of time with them because you have different teams yeah um what were some of the fascinating characters I would say uh Joe Kim Noah was uh he's a he was a different different guy he was he was funny he was always like uh loud and voice with definitely a great guy I had a lot of great teammates um a lot of different egos a lot of different characters um yeah I think we all kind of mesh well and uh definitely appreciate the time that we did have together and just being able to plan the same basketball team on it hasn't the jock him Noah he uh french right french yeah is that french yep yeah and uh his dad was of course a great uh tennis player yeah uh and uh so maybe uh this last uh he just got cut yeah so we'll see I mean this guy how I mean he must uh he's probably played 15 years right yeah I think so yeah at least not that close to it so yeah he's had a long career in a and that's not really normal for guys his size and his athletic ability so definitely yeah achieve a lot of things well that's the thing isn't it uh cj is that uh jock him would would be a great example of a man who just stayed after it yep there may have been some better players more athletic guys could jump higher whatever but the thing you always know about him is wherever there's gonna be people on the ground he's probably gonna be on the ground right he's going after if there's a loose ball he's going after it yep uh and he just worked hard you see I watched him in the bubble you know which may be his last playoffs uh and I remember seeing him come in off the bench and and he always brought energy right yeah yeah that was his thing he always brought the energy always uh was 100% you know you know you might have been hurt or sick or whatever he always bring their energy and that focus to that to that game and it kind of just uh war off when you see someone else you know dive on the floor or uh doing multiple things on the court you know you you gotta do the same thing it's not more so it's definitely energy was contagious I'm sure with all the analytics they have now that that somebody could figure out how many charges he took but he took a lot oh yeah yeah I'm definitely sure I'm sure someone watching countin yeah analytics on everything now how fast do you run the break all that yeah yeah it's crazy but the incangible is uh the heart of a man yeah for sure yeah uh like a like a lot of people will always say you don't you can't teach hard and effort and uh like I said it's something that people just have and uh you get to gotta once you get that one person who has it you want to stick around them and stick and stick them on that team is once you you see the one person doing it I think everyone else to catch on and do the same thing yeah I think that speaks of of brotherhood and why we need friends why we need brothers proverbs four says you know whatever you put into your heart is what your life will become you know what we talk about is uh your hands will eventually do what you've put in your heart um religion tries to change us from the outside but Christ changes us from the inside out changes our heart and uh and definitely CJ you did that your folks did that coaches different people in your life help put things in your heart and I pray uh that these books uh will be huge uh I pray that that millions of young men and women will have their lives impacted deeply impacted by what you've invested not only your time but your finances your effort your you know your relationships you've invested in this to see to touch the lives of young people and I definitely thank the Lord for you CJ and we pray every every place you put your feet will be holy ground and everything your hands touch will prosper and I can't wait to see the first uh you know whether it's on Netflix or Amazon or something I can't wait to see the first uh move you out of these things man yeah definitely let you know when it does happen yeah well God bless you CJ thank you for taking the time and uh uh Lord bless you in this uh next season of your life and I pray that uh this will actually be uh this would be this would be the greatest championship right right yeah yeah for sure that'd be mine yeah my only championship the ultimate championship yeah that's the only one we got blessed to see CJ thanks for taking the time man it was great to meet you bro no thank you thank you thanks for having also all right God bless man all right Paul you're a father and a grandfather and you've spoken to the lives of many men of all ages what is something that we can just grasp through this you know the the beauty of this for me that CJ head is uh it really comes out of his life doesn't it because the interview was great and the fact is that he's written these books and you can find them on Amazon yes I think we mentioned that and then he's got a website and so forth but you know the deal is what he did is he said you know the way I got some places I had to persevere I had to work hard and characters what took me there so good and you know he had some ups and downs he had some uncharacter moments yes right in his life and yet through it all he comes out the other side he says hey this is what we're you know this is what I'm about this is what what the strength is in a young man's life and I think that's what we have to do and we've got to promote things like this yeah the help of character in young men because you know some of these books you know CJ's big dream CJ's big project but I think the big dream one about you know just going after it even when it doesn't go well or really the big moment where people are putting you down yes and we we tend to listen to what other people say or we tend to project what they may think right yeah well they probably don't think this is very cool so I won't do it and it's like we find out later they weren't even thinking at all yeah and frankly it doesn't matter and I think that's part of what we come out with today we have some in fact you know part of the whole money nightmare and just a bartender we just finished the affirmations yes that they can get they write to us at Paul at cmn dot men Paul at cmn dot men and this is what CJ and I were talking about Chris it's it's character and these affirmations something you can pick up we've got it on a PDF you can download it right to us at Paul at cmn dot men if I if I overlook it Chris will get it somebody will get it and it has a number of scriptures on here about fixing your thoughts on what is true and honest right pure I have the peace of God surpasses on our standing I have the mind of Christ I'm alive with Christ I'm free from the love sin and death so right to us at cmn dot men and we'll get that to you also at cmn dot men are all the tools to help the cypill men do a men's group minister to men and the other things were involved with which is dangerous nations campaign reaching the 50 most dangerous nations in the world with teaching leaders have a disciple men and then the Monday night men which were going through starting in August 23rd 2021 depending on when you're listening to this this type in Monday night men on youtube and you can find what's on there now courage strong men and tough times just bartender and power potential and so never quit and never quit yeah so that's all on there and those are the things that that will enlarge and strengthen your life so that that's why we do what we do yes right yes so we're better men so when you talk about you know being a grandpa my thing dude being in a boilow now my life you know this time I want my young grandchildren boys and girls to have character yeah long term they're working on talent stuff and they're incredibly talented young people but long term what's going to sustain their lives what's going to help them become something this character so that's why thank god for cj you know guy it's known as a talented man you know everybody would know him for his talent like I said with this start looking at this highlight reel so dude are you kidding me it was pretty amazing but the thing that stands out now with his his writings and the things you will be writing or the character yeah so good yeah that's it that's it that's what you got so that's all you got just so good it's so good you're done you're finished podcast is over no are you closing yeah so good it's like okay bye no that's yeah you got coffee or something you need some coffee what do you need Chris no I had fun to get Chris a bad time hey in all the team with christian men's network thank you for being a part of this thank you for supporting this and thank you for walking through these things telling people about it we love what we do we love helping building men yes and building stronger men so for a christian who just bailed oh my god so good so for christian all this christian is that we're hey remember hope no hope hope now hope always god bless we'll see you next time on brave man you just experienced brave man with Paul Lewis Cole Paul is president of the Christian men's network connect with Paul at seaman dot men or write to him at Paul at seaman dot man