T.J. McConnell on Still Trying to Prove That He Belongs in the NBA
*This episode was recorded on March 30*
On this week’s episode we welcome point guard T.J. McConnell of the Indiana Pacers. T.J. opens up about his career up to this point including his University of Arizona teams in college, the start of his career on the Philadelphia 76ers with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and this season’s Pacers team. He also shares his relationship with Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, what he feels makes him a great defender, his mindset on needing to prove himself in the NBA, sh*ttalking, and much, much more. Let’s go!
0:00 Intro
0:43 Start of show
3:05 T.J.’s relationship with JJ Redick
6:16 High school career and the “Michael Jordan of Pittsburgh”
8:56 T.J.’s amazing college career and his Arizona teams
18:44 On his defensive skills
21:21 His Sixers years
31:31 T.J. as a sh*ttalker
36:20 Hardest part about leaving Philly
37:30 The pace of this Pacers team
42:14 Game 7 vs. Toronto & end of that Philly team
46:49 Advice on coming off the bench, important of being in shape
51:05 Teammate who plays the hardest
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