Vet Life Building A Legacy With Caron Butler
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Welcome to the All In Podcast. I'm your host, Rod Watson. I'm a proud father, husband, son, former athlete, and business owner of the LA VIP agent team.

The All In podcast is a dynamic audio experience where we interview the brightest minds in sports, entertainment and business. Join me as I host real conversations with industry elite top performers that foster growth and development, which leads to success in life and business for our listeners. Being all in is my mantra and it's what I live by. I hope that you find value in this podcast and I look forward to connecting with you on the other side. Let's go.

Alright guys, welcome to this episode of the All In Podcast. I'm your host Rod Watson. I'm here with special guest, NBA champion, two-time All-Star, 14 years in the league, Karan Butler. Thank you for coming out today and being willing to share your story with us today and allow me to kind of, you know,

get into some of the back story and some of the things you currently have going on post your NBA career. Appreciate it, brother. Yeah, no problem. Well, we're going to dive into what we call all-in or not. So I have a couple of questions for you pertaining to what's going on in the NBA and also what's going on with college sports and kind of get your perspective on it. So the new California law, pay for play, the new rule, all-in or not? All-in. You know, I think that, you know, for years when you look at the NCAA and it as an institution and as a

nonprofit organization. I think that's something that speaks volumes to see that the kids and the students that's on the platform is the ultimate carry. No one's coming to see the University of Louisville play. They're coming to see the kids that bring the value to the program perform at a high level. So when you see them not being rewarded financially,

and people always say well they get an education yeah that's part of it but that scholarship goes away after the four-year term with that window correct you know it don't it's not a lifetime scholarship because that scholarship is probably worth

let's say 150 160 000 which is a ton of money but what they're bringing to the university is millions and dollars yeah well you as you as you mentioned what they bring to university i mean you think about the ncaa tournament and i i recall you making a post where there's revenue somewhere between almost a billion dollars right just in that two just in that two week period of time we're not talking about other revenue that's generated off of merchandise sales

throughout the year that the universities, individual universities themselves generate off of a star player. Like say, for example, yourself, when you were coming out, you were a player of the year, the number three, you know, on your jersey. I'm pretty sure the University of UConn has some, you know, pretty good amount of sales, fans that were wearing those jerseys. Oh yeah. You didn't get to see a penny of that income. Yeah, I think they maximize that space where they get to sell your license. Correct. And, you know, fast forward, you see some of the guys, you know, being rewarded significantly. Uh,

in the NBA already. So they make the seamless transition and they understand their value and then they get agents to represent them that understand their value. And it's just like the stock market. You know, when you're high, you sell high. When you're low, you try to get out. And that's one of the things that, you know, you need representation on a collegiate level.

Yeah, I agree. Do you think that California setting this rule will kind of create a trickle effect where other states will begin to follow suit? Or do you think there's going to still be some backlash? I think there's still going to be some resistance just because.

That's the nature of this business. But, you know, things cannot remain the same. Absolutely. Like, that's, you know, it's unfair. It's been unfair for a long time. And it's great to see a lot of people in position trying to use their platform to, you know, move that needle. I agree. All right. So moving along and all in or not, next question is, we know that obviously the passing of Nipsey Hussle, who was an icon in my opinion, one of the greatest rappers, you know, I think in

with the modern era of hip-hop and rap recently passing a few months ago. However, there's been talk about the Lakers Clippers wearing the Crenshaw blue and then obviously the reds. What are your thoughts? And I also saw you made a post about that. Is that something you're all in or not for? Absolutely. I'm all in for it. You know, I reached out to, you know, I can't say names, but I reached out to some

Some highly execs in the Nike space and also reached out to Jenny Buss and just, you know, told them my two cents and my position and what I felt like it would mean for the culture and just for the game of basketball and, you know, unity as a whole. You know, I think that you have to find

clever ways of paying homage and honoring individuals, especially in the tragic way that he went out, but also uplifting his legacy. I agree, and keeping it going and pushing that momentum and saying that because of the substance that he stood for and the things that he was trying to

do like his dream and his mission would not die you know with that tragic and that you know this unfortunate situation I agree I think it's even become even his legacy is going to become even stronger and I do believe that obviously I think the

The perception is clear that the players have fully embraced what he represented. And I hope that we get to see that take place this year. I think that'll be a phenomenal game to see, to see each team wearing the opposite colors. And I think the unity also that it will bring. We know about the game culture here in Los Angeles and

and what it's done and how it's affected the African American community. And, you know, we'll get into later as we talk about the incarceration rate, you know, and then the deaths that have actually, you know, stem from the culture of gang violence. And it's great to see now that that unity is being expanded into a national platform like the NBA. Yeah, I think the NBA is one of the few when you're talking about Walt Disney, Apple,

Definitely the NBA, though, they do a remarkable job of gathering data and understanding the pulse of the people. I agree. And once you've seen the movement of the culture and just everyone behind Nipsey and what he meant for our culture and what he was trying to do in planting seeds, they're going to look at that and be like, wow, this is a powerful movement. This is something that we can at least honor him in. Exactly.

Well, moving on to our next all-in or not topic, Karan Butler being a first ballot 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. That's crazy. That was just, you know, it was mind-blowing just even seeing that. Now, you know, I'm always...

unapologetically honest. You know what I mean? And just on that short list of the guys that I seen immediately, I was just like, all right, obviously Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant. That's a great list, man. Tim Duncan and those guys. Chris Bosh. You know, those are individuals that you cannot tell the story of basketball without mentioning. Absolutely. But at some point, you know, with my body of work and, you know, my contributions to the game,

it would be a unbelievable honor just to be in there yeah well i agree with you and i hope that some kind of way you end up being a first ballot i know we kind of talked in the background about more definitely a second but i think that it's not just your body of work in which you've done in the league but it's your representation of the league itself off the court you know how professionals should carry themselves uh your mentorship the way you

embraced other players and encouraged them throughout their process of development, both young and old. I think with that overall body of work, you definitely deserve to not only be amongst those guys, but I personally feel like you should be in that first ballot for sure. Thank you. All right, moving on. Lakers winning the Western, making it to the NBA Finals, all in or not? I would say all in. Just...

for the simple fact that you look at the western conference and it's it's really wild yeah i agree and it's a lot of parity amongst the association for the first time in a long time you know i felt like the last couple years it was

you know, the Golden State Invitational, you know, in the Western Conference. You knew that they was coming out in the Eastern Conference when LeBron's with the Cavs. Felt like it was the LeBron James Invitational. You knew he was coming out the Eastern Conference. But now so much parity where you look at LeBron and Anthony Davis. I think that Anthony Davis might be the most talented player that LeBron James has ever played with. Yes. You know, just from a talent standpoint. Not the best player because you got the D-Wage, you got the Kyries and all that, but...

just from a talent standpoint and you know at this point in his career he's going to ride him a lot yeah you know so he could preserve himself as much as possible I agree with you I think I think he is really a great complimentary piece to LeBron at this stage of his career especially with the style of play with that AD plays he can shoot the long ball he can put it on the floor he can attack the basket he

He can play with his back to the basket, and he can also defend and protect the rim. And at this stage in LeBron's career, I don't think he's ever had a player that's really been able to back him in that manner. He's obviously played with Dwayne. He's played with Chris. But what AD brings to the table, I feel, is a whole different dynamic. So I agree with you on that. I think he's re-energized, too. And he's got momentum in his favor for –

a lot of reasons when you talk about the Space Jam 2 and a project like that, you want to build that momentum for that project. And the only way you can show that you're the god amongst gods is going out there and winning it all. Putting it all on the line. Yeah, I think he's back re-engaged and

I think he's going to shock a lot of people. I agree with you. I think this season is going to be his breakout year, and I think he's going to pretty much put his footprint in the sand or on the stone, I should say, and submit himself to one of the greatest all-time Lakers. You know what that means to win three championships with three organizations? Has anybody done that? I think there's only been two. I don't think there's been a player, well, Robert Ory, a

But as a prominent star and a leader for a franchise, I don't think that's been done. That's different. Yeah. That's going to put him in a whole different category. All right. Last one for our all-in or not. You know, I was doing some research and just saw that Dean Bates is considering a $10 million fine to enforce tampering violations. You know, there's obviously been a lot of talk. You know, Magic Johnson and the Lakers were fined last year. A couple other teams were fined for tampering. What's your perspective? All-in on that or not? I'm not. Okay. Because...

you can't really gauge the tampering. And I will say this, players want to talk. Absolutely. No matter what. Now, when you're talking about elected officials, and we don't use the word owners in the association no more, so when you're talking about board of governors or...

you know, anyone that's in the front office positions having, you know, open conversations. Yeah, that has to be to a halt. But people still going to text because they got friendships beyond basketball. So that warrants them to still have relationships. And they're going to talk about things. Things being movements and players and things like that. So,

It's going to continue. It's just going to be a little more quiet and you probably see less woe bombs and things like that. Yeah, absolutely. Because I think that's what's really created this narrative around the tampering and stuff because people are so quick to report whatever information. And then now it's news to everyone and they share it. Exactly. Now it takes on a life of its own.

Do you think it's also perhaps maybe that the league is getting pressure from owners where you have small market teams like we've seen in the last few years? Chris Paul leaves New Orleans. Once again, AD leaves New Orleans. You're seeing max players going to bigger markets to play or team up with other players. Do you think maybe the league is receiving pressure from ownership from different franchises? I think they're receiving pressure, you know, not being able to obtain their star players and their talents. But, you know, my advice to, you know, those organizations is, you know,

Build your teams when you're in the moment. Absolutely. You know, and don't be stingy with, you know, going into the luxury tax base and, you know, making sure that you got a wealth of talent, young talent. And, you know, put a product out there on the floor that can compete. So the fan base loves it. And then your star player wants to be there because they know that you're doing everything in your power to make sure that they've got more assets around. Exactly. I agree with that.

We're moving on now. We're going to talk a little basketball, a little hoop talk, in particular, you know, your career and, you know, your experiences as a player growing up as a kid. Was there a particular player that inspired you and that you modeled your game after? Because, you know, when I watched you play, I saw, you know, a lot of similarities where there was a little bit of Mike, a little Kobe, you know, aggressive style slash and attack type player, but efficient as well, too. You know what? I watched a lot of people from, you know, Magic to...

Obviously, being in that Milwaukee area growing up, watching Sidney Moncrief, Michael Jordan, those guys battle at Grand Hill. Glenn Big Dog Robinson was my favorite player. I used to love watching him. I actually committed to the University of Purdue before I went to, you know, retreat that, pull out and go to the University of Connecticut. But, you know, that was someone that I just always modeled my game at.

I mean, his footwork was phenomenal back in the day. Like, instant. Automatic. No one talks about him or Jamal Mashburn or guys like that. And I'm just like, yo.

Those guys was killers in their own right. They were special. Yeah. They were special. Flat out scorers. And it is interesting that you, especially being Robinson, you know, back in the day when him and Sam Cassell teamed up and they had that run and, you know, they played against the Bulls. I mean, they were giving those guys five games, six game series, you know, and there wasn't no turnover. I mean, Mike and those guys had to go in there and play against those guys. Yeah, but. Next question is,

Who would you have loved to play with? I know you played with a lot of great guys. Shaq played with Kobe, Lamar Odom. Was there any particular player that you wish you would have gotten an opportunity to team up with and go at against other players? I would say Steve Nash. Why? You know, he was just an extremely selfless individual. When I look at those Phoenix Suns teams and Quinn Richardson and Joe Johnson, Sean Marion, and obviously Amari Stoudemire,

Just playing with a pure point guard like that is always refreshing because they're pass first, they're pass ahead. And I was always a guy that liked to get out on the perimeter early and get the pitch ahead where I got an isolation opportunity where I could take the defender and go downhill. And I saw that Grant Hill preserved his career playing alongside Steve Nash, and that was even on the back end of his career. So that was one of the guys that I was like,

So you would have loved to play on that 0-3, 0-4, Suns team. That whole window where they was really like the 7-2 or less, where they was just killing the game from 2003 all the way to about 2008, like Steve Mast is really...

You know, was doing some special things in the association. And that was pretty, you came in and league in 0-2. So you were a few years in. So that would have been phenomenal to see you run up and down and play with those guys. I always had my eye on that, you know, the Phoenix Suns and watching Steve Nash. And I was just like, if the trade had presented itself, I would definitely like. Send me to Phoenix. Yeah, I would definitely like lean that way and make it happen.

- Well, that's great. I mean, it's kind of odd. I would have thought maybe you just said somebody like Shaq, you know, to play with a dominant guy like him, which I do understand, you know, why you would select Steve, because one, you know you're gonna get shots. So your focus is, focus on where you're gonna get your shots. And when you're in practice, you know, you take those shots, you work on that. But in the game, you know you're going to get the ball. - With a guy like Shaq, he was so dominant, the most dominant player I've ever seen in my life from a physical standpoint. - I agree.

you know, non-matchable, like couldn't match up against him. It's funny. Me and my cousin was having this debate last night and he asked me, who do you think one of the two dominant duos, you know, he brought up Michael and Scott. And I told him I thought it was Kobe and Shaq because I've only seen, they were the only two guys I've seen both average 30 and win. I mean, you're talking about 60 points out of the gate

from the jump between those two players, whereas Pippen, I don't think he averaged more than 22 points a game. Ever. Ever. Mike, obviously, we know what he brought to the table, but two guys on the floor averaging 30 points is not easy to do and cohesively still be able to win. That still hasn't been reduplicated to this day. I think Shaq and Kobe, I think LeBron and D-Wade did a remarkable job also, but they had the big three. But when you talk about duo, that's probably the two most decorated players ever to play with each other.

in the primes during their careers. And then Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. I mean, they didn't win the championship together, but they got to the finals. And when you talk about this dominant, you know,

Throw the playbook out the window. They just got you there. They was that good. Some forces to be talked about. Absolutely. Now, moving forward, you talked a little bit about your relationship with Adam Silver. To me, looking at the overall body of work that he's done thus far, I think he's done a great job. But what's your take and your perspective on the work that Adam Silver has done as he's

kind of taken over the league and he's now transitioning and pushing the league forward and pushing the culture? Well, I think that, you know, for one, if I text Adam right now, he'll respond within 20 minutes. So that speaks volumes. And he's like that with players actively and former players. Like, he's always open to hear suggestions. And obviously I'm on the board for retired players, but

And I have a voice in a different way, but he's like that. And I get that from the universal conversation we talk about guys that's not in it. Correct. But he's still available and open. And he's trying to, you know, stay progressive. I think he's always open for different things and willing to listen. And not to say that David wasn't, but, you know, David, you know, was set in his way. Absolutely.

situations and things, but, you know... He wasn't as approachable. He was approachable, but at the same time, you know, he felt like this was the standard, this is what needed to be seen, and rightfully so. He did a remarkable job of growing the game from an international standpoint. Once Yao Ming came over, you know, the Asian market just opened up and boomed, but Adamus has taken all the things that, you know, when you talk about from a culture standpoint and everything and incorporated it

into the association and made a huge movement out of it. Think about hip-hop alone, like with the United Masters, and talk about what they've been able to do with that, incorporate hip-hop into the marketing of the association. That's been amazing. Yeah, I agree. And when you talk about the culture and how he's actually reached out to past players, and one in particular brings in mind is yourself, how he's...

pretty much

got you engaged as far as helping players from a financial standpoint, right? Financial literacy and helping these guys transition into the league and become solid pros. What has that meant to you to be able to take on that role and be more of a, how would I put it, a consultant or advisor for the league when it comes to helping these young players with the game of basketball and NBA? Well, the one thing I would say is I wasn't selected or elected, you know, by no means. You know, I think that, you know, my value showed from,

me doing my due diligence and him seeing from afar my work. Like I did internships. I went down to New York, spent the summer out there, you know, just learning the game, the business of basketball from a marketing standpoint. How are you going to, you know, push the players? How can you enhance the players? All these things. Spent some time with Sharif and public relations. And then eventually, you know, got my foot in the door where like, yo, this just, Karan, you know what?

How about you not be at an office desk or something like that? Just be you. And we're going to find a way to build

something around you being you. Like whether it's dealing with mass incarceration and the reform, okay, we're going to give you a platform for that. And now you can incorporate the players and help them. And that's exactly what the NBA has done. So it's been a great partnership and I look forward to doing more and more things with the association. Now, speaking on mass incarceration, obviously, you know, part of your story is you spent a few years in prison and I

I think that was a profound impact on your life. Obviously, we can both agree. I too can identify because I spent some time in jail at an early age and I recall some of the experiences you talked about and seeing and believing where you had that isolation. You had that time where you're locked down 20-odd hours out of the day. Can you kind of take us back to that mindset? What was that turning point where you made the decision to say, "I've got to change my life and be all in for rewriting this narrative and getting myself out of this situation?"

Well, I think when I was in the hole and spending time in the hole, I had two weeks aside of myself getting into it with someone from another side of town, which none of us own no property here or anything, but we were just beefing for whatever reason. And it ended up leading to me going to the hole, him being moved out of that correctional facility and

I came more in tune with myself by addressing some of my misbehaviors and my traumas.

And I felt like that was for the first time I was alone, but it made me stronger as an individual because I had to address my traumas on my own. Correct. And I had, you know, a whole lot of time to do it, 23 hours in a cell with no one else to talk to, identify my problems, and then, you know, come up with a plan. You know, people don't understand, like, when you're in the inner city, you're living in the moment so much that you're just trying to make it to the next hour, the next minute. Correct.

You're not thinking about the next day. It's just like I'm in it. And I'm just trying to make it. It's 12 o'clock now. I'm trying to make it to 3 o'clock. Then I'm going to make it to 5 o'clock hopefully. And that's how you live your life. And I started having more of a vision about my life once I went into the penitentiary.

So after you were out, obviously you got an opportunity, you got a break, you got an opportunity to earn your freedom, get your freedom back more or less, and you made the decision to go to the University of UConn. Can you talk about the relationship with Coach Calhoun and how that helped mold you and develop you into the man you are today? Yeah, that's everything. I love the way you put it, like where I got a chance to earn my freedom back because that's really what happened. I showed that I can be

uh, access to society again and, you know, the parole board granted me my freedom. Yeah. And when I got out, you know, when I talk about the relationship of, you know, Jim Calhoun and him giving me the opportunity because that's exactly what happened. You know, a lot of them

People passed on giving me a full-ride scholarship, and I was beyond doubt the number one player in the country at the time. Every piece, jam, anything, I was given 30 to 40 points and 20 rebounds. And I just couldn't get an opportunity at a major university. St. John's and those universities gave me opportunities. Obviously, John Thompson, I'm forever grateful to him. But Coach Calhoun went out on a limb

And said, you know what, I'm going to give this kid a shot. And I thank Allen Iverson for that because he was the first one that had the priors and went to a major university and performed at a high level, which opened the door for me with priors to say, you know what, Allen Iverson did it. I mean, I can do it too.

That's exactly what happened. So it's not a huge gamble because you see what just happened at Georgetown. UConn can do it too. And I think I'll probably open the lane for a lot of other people because they've seen my story and it's like, all right, well, we can do it because UConn did it. Absolutely.

Moving forward to draft day in 2002, it was said that during the period of time of the draft, you had slipped down below what was expected, probably top five pick. And you went to your agent and told him you were going to fuck him up if you didn't get drafted. Is that true? Yeah, man. I went right to him. You know, I said, I'll never forget when he was at the table and Raymond was like, man, you can go top five, you can go top five, man.

the phone wasn't ringing and I was like hey man if you brought me here on the national stage to get embarrassed my whole life everything will fuck you up and I was dead serious and he knew it a little bit of street came out of your head yeah man because it was just like man did you bring me here because I seen the stories in the

pass. That's happened to several players before. Yeah, when players get there, they go to the back, they put their hat on and they're mad upset because they didn't get drafted and all of a sudden they leave. So I didn't want that situation to be me. And Raymond was just like, he said a prayer with me.

and he said you're gonna be a draft yeah yeah well it's interesting you bring that up too i don't know if you recall with charlotte lewis to me he was expected to go 10 15 somewhere in there in the first round and he ended up going late second round and i think you know he's same situation he had his family there and it was very disappointing obviously for him but looking back it all worked out from a career perspective but

I can definitely understand how you may have felt being in that situation and the pressure of, you know, having family there and people expecting to see you not only get drafted, but go high in the draft. So when you talk about being selected at number 10,

The perspective that you had, obviously you weren't happy with that. Did that chip on your shoulder from that experience, did you believe, help you have that fuel to go in and to become a star player that you eventually became for your career? Was that the momentum push for you, you believe? Absolutely. I needed something to push me because, like, in life, like, I always felt like I was on a mission from that time I spent in the hole. And

I wanted to use the goals. People reach goals and then they get satisfied and they get reserved and they just chill out. But all those goals that I set were just all my checkpoints. I was like, I want to get drafted. And then I had to set another goal where I wanted to be all-rookie NBA. I wanted to win the MVP of the rookie game. I wanted to be NBA All-Star. I wanted to be NBA champion. And I just had all these enormous checkpoints.

for myself that I just started making because, and then I wanted to say it

everyone so they'll hold me accountable to what I just put out there absolutely man you said you wasn't make everybody pay what happened to that like so yeah I did you said it out there you put this you spoke on it you knew you had to go out there and deliver no doubt and that was the motivation of the few is to that you had to meet that you know that expectation once you said it out there I've got to get this yeah I put it out there for a reason now as your career evolved throughout

Throughout the years, you know, your first two years you were at Miami. Let's talk about the experience with the trade coming to L.A. What was that experience? I mean, I know obviously there was disappointment, but how do you think that trade affected you when you had to come to Los Angeles in 2004 and play with Kobe Bryant? It helped me beyond, I can't even put it into words because, you know, playing next to Kobe Bryant,

and with him and following him everywhere, being his shadow in the gym, it taught me a lot about the game of basketball. Because Miami was the best organization that anyone could

at a young age and get drafted to because they teach you all the ins and outs of being a professional and having longevity in this game. But I didn't have that veteran player because Alonzo Mourning got hurt. Correct. He had the kidney situation, so he wasn't available. He wasn't active. So I didn't have that guy that I can identify with and watch and watch his preparation every day until I came here to Los Angeles and I saw –

You know, one of the best players, if not the best player ever to play the game of basketball, Kobe Bryant and his preparation.

What did that do for you? It changed my life. Sports are so, they run a parallel with life. Correct. And when you find a way to be amongst people, to be an asset to a team, it helps you identify how to be an asset in life and in corporate world and be the best version of yourself and build something bigger than yourself and how to empower other people.

That experience, being with the Lakers, being with Kobe, I took that.

And I applied that to every aspect of my life and in my game and everything. So when I left here, I was able to be an all-star, you know, because I knew what work ethic was. And, you know, I was able to be even more successful off the court because I applied that to my life. Correct. Well, you know, the old adage is, you know, you are the company you keep, right? And I would say from watching you in Miami and going to the Lakers, I know obviously that was disappointing to have to leave Miami, but I personally believe

you playing with Kobe helped you take your game to another level. And as you shared, seeing his work ethic, his overall body of work, anybody that's sitting around and seeing that, if that doesn't motivate you, then obviously there's something wrong with you. But I saw your game change from that perspective after playing with him. And then obviously you moved on, and after that it was D.C., right? Yeah. So you had five years in Washington.

Talk about that experience. You know, you were very heavily involved in the community there. You know, your family embraced the city. Fans truly embraced you. And I even heard you share a quote like that's always going to be home. Talk about that experience and what it meant to you playing for that city. It was special because, you know, when I came to Los Angeles, it was still a business trip because I was still trying to.

Back then, you know, get that first big one. You know, try to get your first big contract. And the tangibles that I learned from Kobe as we touched on, you know,

got me prepared for that big moment for my blessing and when I went to Washington I knew exactly what I wanted to do you know I was always thinking outside of myself and living in the game of basketball I wanted to you know enhance people I wanted to plant seeds in the community and the most powerful you know city in the world gave me that opportunity absolutely rewarded me with a huge contract and I was able to get out in the community and make you know relationships that

would last a lifetime. And I was also able to plant the right seeds where, you know, to this day, I still got individuals coming up to me 20 years later that's talking about, man, I remember that message. I remember you gave me that and this is what happened from that. So that's why I'd always be home because I was there. I had the longest stint there. Five years, right? Five and a half years. And, you know, I still stayed there three years after. You know, I was still there in the community heavy. And, you know, I'm still actively there now. You talk about community. I mean...

I've looked at your overall body of work and you live it. I mean, you know, we hear LeBron James used to comment more than an athlete. I think you are the epitome of that. To see your body of work, of involvement with the community, to see how you embrace the

the fans and then how you extended yourself to go out of your way to help people that are less fortunate, people that are in need. You've written a book and now you're producing a film on your life story. You've got multiple projects. We'll talk about the new acquisition of the Insider, right? The paper that you purchased in, is it Wisconsin? Yeah, in Wisconsin.

What is it that drives you to reach back, as you will, to make sure that others are having these opportunities to be able to advance, especially for people that look like you and I? Man, I'll tell you this.

I'll never forget the feeling that I felt when I was at my lowest moment and I was picking up sacks and hustling and taking penitentiary chances and running the risk of taking somebody else's life or somebody taking my life. And I'll never forget where, damn, ain't nobody came out of here and came back and, like,

showed us no different shit, like no different hustle. So we're not informed enough to know anything else. So if I ever got in position and I had a seat at the table or understood the game or knew a recipe to make some good shit, I'm going to come back and give the recipe to everybody. So once I figured it out on how to be successful and how to make that transition,

I'm giving this recipe to everybody. And it's up to you to listen. If you got time to sit back and just take this information and get informed, this shit for you. You can have it. I'm going to tell you, I was at the worst of the worst. And I made this happen. All because I just paid attention to certain things. I applied it to my life.

in some aspect and I was able to change that shit and just pivot in the right direction. And I think that's phenomenal because my personal experience is obviously athletes are always praised for what they can do on the court or on the field. And very often do you really get to see the behind the scenes and the things that athletes go through because you're looked at as superhuman. And to see you taking your time away from your family or being involved in the community in the manner in which you are

Everyone's chasing money. Everyone's chasing accolades. But very few people, especially when they have everything, what I mean by that, you have the money, you have the lifestyle, you have the security. Very few people are interested in looking back or reaching back.

And I think that when you look at your overall body of work, I think it should be celebrated as one of the biggest individuals when it comes to being humanitarian. Because so often people can forget or people can say, well, I'm comfortable. That's not my responsibility anymore. That's not my problem.

I want to move forward and talk about the paper that you require, the insider. What was the reason for making that purchase and how does it align with your vision and goals of who you are as you pursue continuing to reach out to people in the community and then tell the stories of those individuals and making sure people have a full understanding of what's going on in the neighborhoods and the communities where we come from? I think the insider was the first thing I picked up where I can identify with. Correct. It was giving a real story, it was giving real information

and informing me and telling a narrative that was different than the one that I always picked up a scene on the news. And this goes back 40 plus years. And a guy by the name of Ken Lumpkin was always in the community highlighting people that were doing the positive things. And that's how you became a household name in our city. So fast forward to now, I wanted to enhance it because I share so many different platforms.

ranging from Fox to ESPN to Turner and all of them where I have relationships and a space where I have a platform to push narrative. And I said, you know what? Now that I'm in a position

I need to purchase this paper where I can plant the seeds of information in real time with one-on-one interviews with some of the most prominent people in the world, just giving information to help people be the best possible version of themselves. And that's just like different walks of life. It's not just basketball. It's not just entertainment. It's not just from an entrepreneurship standpoint or whatever philanthropy. It's just all things that anyone can identify with.

you know, with this paper, not just, you know, black and brown community, but everyone can benefit from it. Yeah. And I think that it's important for us to be able to control our narrative within our communities, you know, and being able to make sure our stories are being not only told properly, but the truth is being told and given a clear perspective on what's going on. Because I think

That's how, as we advance and we move forward in society, the younger generation can begin to take advantage of the experiences that our ancestors and individuals who are less fortunate because of the things that were going on during those times and how the narratives were controlled and the media was controlled. That's all being changed. And I think that ownership definitely is one of the ways to go, being able to take control. So I commend you on making that move. You used a great word. You said ancestors. We didn't do ancestors.

I always tell my kids that, you know, right now, this is our window and our time. People that I identified as my role models and I grew up watching from afar and the way that they enhanced and influenced me, they're in their 60s and 70s and some no longer here. And now this is our window, you know, from, you know, your 30s all the way to your 60s to, you know, really,

you know identify that you do have a major massive platform and make sure that you steer that the right way when you talk about platforms i mean you're probably in my opinion one of the hardest working men in the business of media when it comes to sports and media when you look at a lot of the players

Yes, they will pursue post-career working in media using one network. You work for three, maybe four different networks, right? And it's obviously not for the paycheck. And it's not to have your face out for the fame. It seems that it's a little bit strategic. Can you get into why...

You're working the way that you are and taking the time to put yourself out there, not only learn that side of the business, but use the platforms to your advantage. Well, you want to educate. You want to educate as much as possible. And I think that sometimes when you get watered down content for years that's not 100 proof, you start identifying with the game and not understanding the game.

properly and you touched on it earlier when you talk about you know your relationship with coach all the famed coach one of the best ever to coach at the collegiate level when you talk about max good one of the best coaches ever to coach on the high school prep level when you talk about pat riley he's the godfather of the game of basketball so rudy t all these coaches you know i had

those times with them. We talk about players and guys that I played with. I wasn't too shabby myself. And I played with the Dwayne Ways and the Kobe Bryants and Russell Westbrooks and KDs and all of them. So my range of basketball knowledge

Like an encyclopedia for you. And I'm trying to let folks know the ins and outs of the game. We talk about preparation. We talk about film study. We talk about the counters. When you're talking about the overall objective and winning and being consistent in this space, I want to educate you on what it takes to be consistent. And the reason why I use all these different platforms is because sometimes you get shut off.

Because, you know, from a Turner standpoint, you may operate on a Tuesday and Thursday and people can identify with that. But that's that's one market in the Los Angeles market. You know, the Lakers is everything. So I'm working with Spectrum. Yes. And then you see me in the NBC market with the Washington Wizards, which is regionally dominated on the Eastern Conference. And then I do, you know, some Southern exposure and then I do a podcast also. So like you're getting that information out on various platforms. People are like, you know what? Yeah.

follow that wave because this is real, this is real content. And like, once you get it, you know that it's real. Absolutely. I mean, you've talked a lot about leading by example, and I think it's something that obviously you live by. And I've always told people, judge a man by the content of his, not just by the content of his character, but his overall body of work. And your overall body of work is very impressive. Talk to me a little bit about your perspective when it comes to

shifting away from basketball and business, right? Where did you gain your business acumen and that passion to not only just say, I want to be rich, but I want to build wealth? I think it happened, you know, watching my family, you know, migrate from the South. My grandmother working in cotton fields and

She's always telling me, like as a young boy, you know, baby, get your own. Don't work for nobody. Get your own. And when you're able to get it, you know, this is what you do with it. You get some land. You buy this. You buy that. And you make sure that you're on her and that you're in control of your destiny. And I watched her and my mom, you know, work at Ocean Spray, which is a great job opportunity. It's J.I. Case Factory. Worked on assembly lines doing, you know, hard manual labor for

for years and then, you know, just busting their tail, you know, not to really have nothing but a 401k to pull from. Yeah. And not that that's a bad thing, but I wanted to make sure I maximized the space that I was in. And when I was able to be in a position to make millions of dollars doing something that I love, I was just like, man, you know, I'm a

Start thinking from a business standpoint and everything that I do is going to be strategic. I always wanted to be owner I start buying properties always and I paid attention to what I was doing and I understood that the game of basketball at some point the air will go out that ball great so I wanted to put myself in position while

Why active? You know, to already have some momentum into the next phase of my life. Well, you've obviously done really well in business. I was doing some research. One of your first investments was Burger Kings, right? And that turned out to be a pretty good investment. You own five or six or so, correct? Yeah.

Do you mind sharing your message as far as what you would share with players when it comes to investing? Is it something they should be doing immediately during their careers, or is it something that, as you typically see most guys wait until post-career? When did that click for you, and what would you share with young players today? Treat every contract like it's your last, and put yourself in position and make the transition as early as possible. I think the mistake that a lot of athletes make is trying to make the transition early.

in their time because you just never know. You don't know if you're going to get rewarded another contract. Or your injury away. There's only a short list of the KBs and LeBrons that I can get hurt and still look at a match contract. Yeah. You know,

Sometimes if I can step off this step or anything and my Achilles goes and then now my whole life changes. Everything changes and affects everyone else around you too. Immediately. From an insurance policy, everything. Do I got 10 years in the association? Will I be able to draw a pension? All these things. Correct. So you have to start as early as possible as building these different things out. And I will always tell guys from a financial standpoint, when you go into cities,

and you got some of the wealthiest individuals in the world coming to watch you display your talent, create relationships with them. Take time to fly into cities and the turn up is to have a meeting, not to go literally turn up and have a party and do those things like create relationships, get around folks that did it before you, and apply those methods to you and what you're doing.

When you talk about relationships, obviously we've had this conversation. I believe as a form of currency, relationships are very powerful. And I think oftentimes relationships are overlooked as an investment, right? Because you have to invest time in people and oftentimes you're not going to see immediate results.

Talk about the relationship that you have with your agent, Raymond Brothers, and how that relationship has affected you and impacted you in your life to where you are today. I'll never forget. Someone told me about Raymond, and they said he runs a small boutique company. He's a genius at his craft, graduated top of his class.

And I was just like, man, I gotta meet this brother. And he was a brother. And I was just like, man, you know, I want somebody to represent me that understands where I come from. Correct. And he's gonna run through a brick wall for me. And I got on the phone with him and I was talking to him because I declared I was going to the NBA and

I've met with a lot of people so a lot of heavy hitters they sold me a dream they try to buy me but if you can be bought you can be sold and I always tell guys in this space that if you can be bought you can be sold if somebody's gonna hang something out there that's low hanging fruit it really is and it comes with a significant price and Raymond Brothers I told him go on the plane come see me I said I want to look at you in your eye face to face and I'll never forget back in 2002

He got on the plane, came out to see me in Connecticut, looked at him in his eye. We had a real conversation. I told him what the mission was and he was all in. Absolutely. And I knew that he was all in, you know, and that's just something you learn on the street. You can identify body language and everything. And I knew that he was with me. Absolutely. When you talk about aging,

and player relationship. Obviously, we're seeing now a lot of the players that go with the bigger agencies. And like you said, there may be speculation, are they being bought? How important is it for young guys today to really understand the dynamic and the importance? Because when you think about max contracts, there's obviously a lot of pressure and stress. And you oftentimes now see guys in today's league, they're going more for the numbers because maybe the agents in here are saying, hey, you need to be averaging this many points per game in order to get this contract.

What do you see? How does that direction the way things are moving in that agent-player relationship? What advice would you have for players? Get someone that's going to fight for you. Don't get no one that sells you on a dream on someone that they represented. And, you know, I got this big-name star. Because you might not be that big-name star. That means that your opportunities and things are going to be different. In fact, if he's just saying that big-name star name...

That should be something that you probably should pivot away from because that means that he only can represent that. He can't represent you because you're probably going to be a little different in representing. Like, it's going to be more phone calls. It's going to be, you know, knowing you as a person inside out and layers of representing you. And what I would say...

to a lot of athletes is that, you know, get somebody that's molded, that knows you inside out, that can go to the table and talk about you for more than two hours, you know, in different ways. That can sell you. That can really sell you. That's right. And you have to understand, like, it's just like a stock. You know, you may be, you know, late stage investment or you may be beginning stage, which means you require more risk. Correct. And high risk. But at the same time, you need someone to sell it

to the T that it's like, these are all the positives. He will not be high risk. This will be worth it. He's going to be an asset to this organization. Makes sense. Well, that's great. That's valuable information to actually share. So as we move into closing out, because I know we're going to be wrapping up here soon. Can you talk to me about when you get into investments, how has real estate helped shape your overall portfolios from a standpoint of building wealth?

and why is it important for players, and this is just my opinion, I think it is very important for players to consider real estate as an investment vehicle more so than ever before, but why would you say it's important from your own experience? Because it's not going nowhere. And I looked at my portfolio and some of the things that I wanted to do and generate cash flow, and I looked at it from a quarterly standpoint, and I'm like, man, if I really want to make

big allocation dollars and get some real cash flow, what we call mailbox money. I got to get into certain things, certain vehicles that's going to give me a return higher than my bank, my money just sitting in the bank, 6% to 8%. That's cool. And it's low risk and it's just sitting there. But how can I get some ownership? How can I get some equity and some spaces? And

I sat down with Rob Skinner and he was just like, "Man, we need to get into this space of real estate. We need to go over here where it's a TIF fund and it's an opportunity zone and you can get a couple of these properties at the low end and you can flip them and this could create, generate this type of cashflow and not only that, you'll be serving an unbelievable service to the community because you'll be giving the whole community a facelift." And I was just like, "Wow, if I can get in these type of projects,

It makes so much more from a cash flow standpoint. It made a lot of sense for me. How old were you and what stage were you in your career when you bought your first property? Oh, man. So I bought my first rental property when I was 25 years old. Wow. Yeah, I bought my first rental property. And I just always wanted to be

than a landlord. You know what I mean? Because I used to always recall a landlord putting eviction notices on our doors and stuff like that. And I was just like, man, I want to be a landlord. Yeah, I was just like, I want to be a landlord. I want to own my own property. And once I got my feet wet with that, I started buying more property. When you talk about policy,

positive cash flow, passive income. That's one of the things that I've seen that really drew me and made real estate attractive to me was that I could buy a piece of property. One, it would appreciate over time. Two, I could generate income off it on a monthly basis. And then you mentioned opportunity zones, which can both be coupled with the passive income and

tax deductions and deferring taxes on capital gains from a period if you own a property say 10 years or more now you're in a position where you're not paying taxes talk about is that something that you think players should be paying more attention to and really getting involved and especially from a standpoint of now that we're we know that these opportunities owns majority of these properties are in urban communities where you and I grew up

and where a lot of players that look like you and I have grown up, do you see it as a necessity of players to really pay attention to this and start getting the information and figuring out how they can maybe perhaps pool their money in and go all in and acquire as much posse as they possibly can that makes sense for them? Yeah, I really do. I think that especially now, like with the money that's being given out and earned by the players, I think that not only do you have first-generational riches, you have

generational wealth like you need 100, 200 million dollar contracts being handed out and all these guys come from different communities obviously different states so

you can single-handedly, you know, build you a fund and do a capital call within just the association of players of the brotherhood that you know and our small fraternity and just start building out your community. It's very powerful. I think it's underestimated. It's so crazy, but we have to think like that. And I think guys are starting to understand their influence from a

social media standpoint, from a social standpoint, where you see these deaths and all these things happening and people are merging together because they're using their voice and they're exercising their platform. But also, now you've got to use your economical dollar and put it back into the communities. And also, you can make it profitable for yourself also. You know what I mean? So when you give it back in a major way, those blessings have a strange way of repaying you in different ways also. So I think that's what it's all about. I agree with you.

Well, as we begin to close, I know that family is a big thing for you. And, you know, I enjoy seeing your posts where you're traveling different places and you're taking your family with you, even when you're doing networks, you know, gigs from time to time or you're out on vacation or just doing simple things with your kids and being involved. How does it feel for you to be in a position where you've created a legacy of wealth, health and prosperity for your family? I mean, it's everything because

I tell guys that come sit with me and talk about the early stages of their careers and their training and working out and trying to figure it out. I just met a girl, all that stuff. I remember all those moments. And to be 18 years in with my queen, Andrea, and have my family, my kid in college, other kid creating her brand. Just being in this whole process. It's just like, man, time flies, one.

But it's an amazing, amazing blessing. Well, King, I definitely would tell you it's to be celebrated because it definitely doesn't fit the typical narrative of a pro player or just black males that look like you and I where you have someone that's been married to the same woman 18 years. You have a solid family. You're involved. You have a son in college who's doing really, really well, potentially could be following your footsteps and playing in the league one day. Talk about that relationship and sitting in the same stands this past season watching your son compete in the Nug.

big time national tournament NCAA tournament last year it was it was a blessing you know I had a I had the opportunity to call this game and that was a dream come true for me that was like a bucket list you ever imagine that I never imagined like I had a dream of doing it before yeah when he was in the eighth grade I remember he was playing for uh this uh team called uh the Golden Touch and I was just like man one day I'm gonna call this game but I just you know that's just me loosely thinking and then all of a sudden it actually happens it's just like wow

I had a moment where I was on television, on ESPN, and I was like, "I'm really calling my son Gabe." I said it live. I'm like, "I'm really calling my son Gabe." And my man, Bernie Bernstein was just like, "Man, he really doing it, man." It was just, it was a special moment. - Living the dream. - Yes. - Your relationship with your wife. - Everything. - Your best friend, your partner. How has that dynamic enabled you to be able to be all over and be places? And obviously you guys, she's involved in the businesses.

What does that relationship mean to you and how have you guys been able to build what you have in unity? I would say this, man, to anybody out there that's looking for their queen or their significant other, their soulmate, man, get you somebody that you can build with that you don't have to sleep with one eye open. You know what I mean? I know exactly, yes. Man, my wife is everything.

she understands my grind, she understands my passion. She understands that I have some things that I want to accomplish before I leave here. She's willing to sacrifice a

a lot of things that she wanted to do to see that happen. And that means everything to me, and I don't take that for granted. She's amazing. I mean, obviously, I've had an opportunity to meet her, see her from close and afar, and I think that, you know, it's a blessing to have a life partner. I've been married 16 years, and, you know, her and I were having a conversation. We both have, I have three daughters, you have three daughters, so there's some, you know, similarities there. But I agree, you have to have someone that is really,

solid and down for your best interest and there to support you through your ups and your downs. And she's been consistent. Obviously, you guys have been together since college. Now, having three daughters as a man, you know, what has that done for you? How has that motivated you to continue to evolve and grow and to be there for them as they mature into young ladies? Well, it's everything because I grew without a father, but I think that's the soft side of me.

And once I started having girls, I just started looking at the world differently from a different perspective. Absolutely. And I think it's important for me to identify my wife as a queen always because my little girls be watching. And I think that they're going to marry something extremely close.

to what I am I agree or the projecting of what they see from me so set the standard I gotta set the standard correct it's very important for me to set the standard well man I thank you for coming on today obviously this past summer you've been acknowledged with your own street in the city of what was uh racing in Wisconsin so in closing what did that mean to you and how did that even come about man I I got a call from the alderman and the chief uh in the city council

you know, they called me on speakerphone all at once and they just told me that they would love to get a date where they know where I'm going to get in town. And I was just like, why do you want to know when I'm in town? I come in, I always speak to them anyway, but they told me they need a date. And I said, well, I'm going to be there for Juneteenth Day because I sponsor it every year, my family. And they said, we want to honor you with, you know, Karambola Drive. I was like, oh, wow. I was like, eh, maybe. I was like, that's too much. But it...

It was everything because it was the block where I grew up at. Yes. It was the block where I got, you know, arrested numerous times and did everything at, but it's also the block where I gave back to the most. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So it was fitting, it made sense, and I was extremely, you know,

Well, man, it's been an honor and a privilege also to be able to have this opportunity to sit with you and ask you these questions and get your perspective. And also a blessing to be able to have the relationship. And obviously, I think a lot of those far and near would agree you are an inspiration for me.

I think you set the standard of what we all should strive for as far as being human beings and humanity and having compassion for others and doing the best that you can and using your platform to impact others' lives. So I thank you for the impact you've had on my life and I really do appreciate it.

And I wish you more success as you continue your endeavor because you're just getting started and you're building the Butler empire. And it's something I think that when we look back 10, 15, 20 years from now, a lot of athletes get talked about the things they do on the court. I truly believe you will be talked about about the body of work that you've done off the court. So I want to commend you on that. Thank you for coming on today. Karan Butler.

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