Transcription
Well, it's evident, Dad, you've never been shy about being the man to the media. The producers found a clip of "Where It All Began." Let's take a look.
As part of our relationship with the NFL and the NBA, we educate first-year players on how to deal with us, with the media. It's kind of like our own rookie camp. "All right, you guys have money, but you don't have attitude. You're too nice. It's pathetic. You're the man. Say it. You're the man. I'm the man. I'm the man. Be like, 'I'm the man. I'm the man.' Always refer to yourself in the third person. Kean did. Kobe did. Just cuss, man. Just cuss like a sailor. That's in. Now, they can bleep it out later. You got to say, 'That's a call.' We're making a difference, and you can see it every day." So, Dad, that's a real legendary. That's I had a skinny face. Yeah, there's legendary people in the commercial.
What was it like being around Kobe and Stuart Scott? Well, I mean, if you go back and you think about it, Kobe and I both came into our prospective leagues at the same time, same year. We both signed with Adidas shoe companies at the same time, same year. Sunny V. Caro both brought us both to Adidas. I mean, he was, Kobe was 18, 19 at the time. I mean, he was young. He just was a young, a young, young dude. I mean, that's all he was. It's just young Kobe. And he was an NBA guy. I didn't know no better. I was a college kid that graduated and went to USC, was a number one pick, and he was just a kid. I mean, you know, actually, Kobe was a person who taught me how to sign my autograph.
Because we were flying together on a private jet to Portland, Oregon, to do something for Adidas, some sort of event, and we had memorabilia we needed to sign before we landed. And I don't know, it might have been 30 different items, basketball, football, maybe it was like some jerseys or something. And, and I was signing them, but he had started when I started, but he had way before me because I was putting my entire name in the number, and he just was writing Kobe 8. And so I asked him, I said to him, I said, "Co, man, what, how the hell you finish so fast?" He was like, "What are you doing?" And I'm like, "I'm just..." He was like, "Let me see." And he leaned over, he's like, "Well, that's the problem right there. I had my whole name." And he was like, "Man, you got to just shorten it to Kean because it ain't another Kean on this Earth." And well, now there are, but back then, yeah. But back then, it's no, it's not. But then that time, I just, I shortened it to Kean and my number. That's his whole name. Yeah. We used to live with him. He was like across the street from us to Pelican Hill. And he just had that aura. Every time I saw him, I was like, I'm not usually scared to say anything to like any athletes because like I was born, but like Kobe was different.
But what about Stuart Scott? Stuart Scott, when I got to ESPN, well, obviously I knew Stu before I joined ESPN, but when I joined ESPN, one of the things that has stuck with me in through this whole entire 18 years of doing media, he said, "Don't allow them to change you and who you are as a person and a personality. Don't all of a sudden be up here, you know, well, I think tonight we're going to look at, you know, don't be that. Be exactly who I am. Don't change for nothing, for nobody. Speak the way I speak. Rock the way I rock." That was kind of his message to me from day one. And I used to work with him every Super Bowl Sunday. We did the wrap-up, the postgame SportsCenter, Super Bowl Sunday. So it would be me, Steve Levy, Stuart Scott, Trent Dilfer. Who else would join us at the time? I think it was just, it was us three, maybe Chris Carter joined in, but it was, I, it was mainly me, Trent, Levy, and Stu Scott the entire time that I was on Countdown for them, 10 years. We did the wrap-up show for Super Bowl Sunday. So I got a chance to obviously know him, knowing very well. Was a, was a, you know, one of those heavy losses when he passed away of cancer. And, and, you know, he was good to me. Was always good to me. Taught me a lot.
Okay, well, this is the part where I show you some social media stuff since you're never really on it. So not on it at all. Social media blows. We absolutely hope you enjoyed this video. If you want more from us, hit that subscribe button for all videos, full episodes, and exclusive content from the show. And don't forget to find all facts, no breaks on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.