Trey Jemison on Realizing the NBA Dream | Just Grizzlies

Trey Jemison on Realizing the NBA Dream | Just Grizzlies

Already messed up you ready I messed up you ready my pinky out okay there we go a we practice ready to chat let’s do it okay Trey I am going to use this opportunity as a way to kind of introduce you to Grizz Nation obviously not as a player

Like they’ve seen you but more as a person so we’re going to dive in I hope you’re prepared to talk about yourself let’s do it okay the way that I want to start is like so I hope it doesn’t seem surface level but the only way to look at you before

You meet you is your Instagram so I go on your Instagram I’m like scrolling through and one of your fir or one of your most recent posts is the caption I really liked so we’re going to dive into it okay so the caption that you put was doing stuff that my 10-year-old self

Couldn’t believe in my 80-year-old self is going to look back on and smile really cute right adorable but I want to dive in if your 10-year-old self saw you right now what would he think he would be amazed that I I made it this far but I’m actually playing here you know it’s

One thing to be in the NBA it’s nothing thing to play in the NBA you know a lot of guys get to play but I’ve started four or five games and just he’d be proud you talked like I’ve seen interviews of you and I’ve read articles now and you talked about like being

Outside like shooting with your mom growing up like is it is it crazy to reflect on all those hours were outside as a kid and you know then high school and college and like all of that has led up to playing in the NBA it’s been like

Surreal to be honest looking back like yo I used to just do this for fun and for free now have payment to do and it’s like everything I prayed for was coming to pass and it’s just amazing what do your parents think my mom and dad are

Just so proud of me they were just like cuz I was on quit basketball like two years ago and my mom and dad were like whatever you do we’ll support you and well probably no matter what and to see me just fight through and keep going they’re just so excited they want to

Come to every single game okay well now I have two different questions go ahead why did you want to quit I didn’t love it anymore it wasn’t fun I was just I played it cuz I was tall you know I was big body I was like let me just play pay

For my degree kind of just felt out of love for it you know and then through some up and downs I found a love again and went back to working out a little harder Look at me now so okay okay two years ago what was the point

Where you like wake up when when you’re like I just I’m burnt out like I just don’t love it yeah so I lost my grandparents the co and then after that I was like I’m just here just playing ball I don’t really care that much I wasn’t trying in practice I wasn’t

Trying any games and then it was like Hey something clicked like maybe last summer think about it like hey just give it your all one more time and see what happens okay well first of all I’m so sorry I’m so sorry uh how do do you I

Know you’re saying like you just woke up and it clicked yeah and that may be very accurate but if we dig deeper like what how did you fall back in love with it I think that’s a very common thing I don’t think it’s like uncommon because you’ve

Been doing it since you were a kid it’s every day like if I painted a picture every day since I was seven I’d get tired of painting yeah so what’s crazy like I was interning for Brassfield and goria construction company back home and I got off work one day at like 5:30 and

I prayed about like I’m going to keep hooping after this last year of college I had an extra year from Co years and I was like I’m God made me 7 foot for a reason and I remember going out my buddy one night it was probably 12:30 night

Like midnight late we just playing oneon-one and just having that Joy playing with him all night long I was like yeah this is is where I grew up like it actually is fun it actually is fun it actually is fun uh okay this may be an obvious thing I understand why you

Have the nickname talty get it but like where did it stem I know it stem from your height who where when uh my my buddy does anyone call you that or is it just like your not really it’s just like my Twitter hand yeah yeah so growing up

I might have been might have been third grade my best friend guy named Ryan Houston rest in peace uh his name was big red and he had like kind of red hair and he called me tall t one day jokingly and it just stuck Instagram came out

Like a few months later we made Instagram accounts he was Big R was tall te do you think about him when you go on social media now all the time keep tall te then it’s accurate I guess right I mean I’m about 16 so hey I’m kind of

Tall all right whatever so from Birmingham Alabama born and raised born and raised it’s not far from here not you did something that I don’t want to speak for every pro athlete out there but a lot of pro athletes would probably love to be able to do and probably will

Never be able to do is stay there stay there High School College I know you went away but you played college there and then you came back and played professional basketball there uh I don’t know if a lot of people know the Pelicans g-league affiliate is in

Birmingham how special is that to you it’s amazing it actually is look back and think about I played each level of basketball in my city and what’s crazy the best part was just seeing people in the crowd that like I grew up with I remember one game seeing my math teacher

There from n9th grade and she just showed up to see see me play it was like stuff like that makes it so amazing to go play every night do people love you there when you go back kind of okay I don’t know anything about Bingham Alabama is it small like when you go

Back are you like uh no it’s not that small it’s big yeah it’s pretty big people know you yeah you went back even this past Allstar break and you’re in the student section at UAB yeah people know you there yeah definitely do that’s my University you know so what’s it like

Going back now it’s a different cuz like so many people are like wow like he’s an NBA player now I’m like I’m the same kid from college different job job title that’s all now you have scored your first NBA bucket though only three and a half hours away from your hometown where

You played forever walk me through that moment oh my goodness so I was nervous super nervous coach was like just go out there just trust to work and have fun and I was out there just playing and next thing you know rebound bucket and I ran back on defense

I was like I’m I’m really here it’s not a dream it went through your head yeah I’m I’m really here like it was a timeout I was like I’m really here I was just amazed to be like hey like I work so hard for this pray so long for this

And just ups and downs and I’m in the league when the rebound actually like comes down like your nerves go away right like when you’re actually playing it just like takes over facts but like what happened was like once you get out there playing you can’t think about the

Nerves you know there’s too much going on so like I got the ball and just automatically went up with it bucket I said yeah this is this is it this is it if that timeout doesn’t happen when do you think you would have had time to reflect on that probably a

Free throw or something yeah cuz I was just still shocked like looking around 20,000 people hearing the cheers hearing the cheers you know one one dude was yelling my name like cure I was like that’s that’s insane that’s insane that is insane do you remember talking to me

After that game I definitely do so we had like a little scrum in the locker room after and then like pull back the curtain cameras were done we put it away do you remember like sitting back reflecting and you’re like that’s crazy all like hey you got your first so

You going to get the ball yeah how cool is that moment like do you think about that all the time like I think about that and it wasn’t my bucket all the time I’m like that was the start there I not not everything but that’s like it’s

A big moment like so many guys wish for that moment just get it one bucket and I got it I was like wo this is this is it this isn’t 2K this is a video game this is a dream this is real life I’m getting

Buckets in the NBA yeah and I think it means more because of when you look back at your journey and we’re going to get into your journey here obviously but it was so nonlinear yeah and I guess we can just like let people know quickly in your senior year of high school you

Average 19 and 15 which is and five blocks which is outrageous right like outrageous yeah I was get to it yeah then a knee injury in your senior year yeah you head off to college and you go from being this 19 and 15 and five guy

Like the man to like not playing a whole lot yeah mentally how what told it that take on you it was it was a lot to be honest cuz in your mind you’re still that player you’re still of course you’re still a double double guy but in

Actuality you’re not I didn’t have the same lift I have the same speed and then also the game got faster guys got better so it was like thinking like hey you’re still there and you’re not it’s kind of humbling to realize hey like maybe you’re not that good maybe it’s people

You were playing to be honest and just having that moment for actually like two years took a lot on me but I persevere you sure did yeah uh you had talked about like looking back and being maybe I should have red shirted that year yeah why I thought I wasn’t completely

Healthy I wasn’t mature enough I just I wasn’t mentally just ready to go out there and just play you know but looking back on it I mean I’m glad I didn’t just because I learned so much in like is being patient sometimes if you rush your blessing you’ll miss out on some things

I think I Rush some things that year but I learned a lot you have to learn through failure what did you learn that it’s okay not to be the best all the time you want to be the best strive to be the best that’s the goal but you’re

Not going to always start as the best so work your way up I walked in with the mindset of hey I’m better than everybody here and I got humbled very quickly that was not and learn that made a difference does that happen again and we’re going

To go to UAB we’re going to talk about your successes too don’t worry but does that happen again when you enter like the next stage like you enter the G league and then you enter the NBA like every everyone in the NBA and I think that’s a misconception with fans yeah

They’re like hey that 15th guy on the bench like he sucks like I could be no you couldn’t no you couldn’t like that guy on the end of the bench they’re legit yeah and they averaged yeah that’s what I’m saying so everyone is the man you come in and you’re

Obviously proving yourself up you’re proving yourself to get on a roster you’re proving yourself to make a team do you get humbled again or is it like I’m here and like ready to work to move out I knew then I’m here now I understand my positioning like I’m

Fighting my way for a spot so I don’t come in with the mindset hey like oh I’m better than everybody in the room cuz I know like actually I’m not you know what I’m saying I can’t work to get there one day but as of right now today I’m not

The best player on the roster and that’s okay but the mindset is hey keep going don’t get don’t stop don’t get comfortable just cuz you’re in the NBA now try to go be the best try to be the best rebounder the best shot blocker and

Just see where it takes you do you think that experience helped you oh 1000 understand I’m glad I learned it when I was 18 and not 24 cuz you can feel a little more to 18 it won’t cost you as much when you’re 24 okay and now I want

To talk about some of the good so you transfer to UAB in your uh man where I’m from we just do one two three years your junior year yeah okay it takes me a minute and then big success 25 or more minutes you’re averaging close to a double double every single year you’re

There you said three years because you had that extra Co year what was it about UAB that helped you thrive just the distractions you know at Clemens and I was having a good time as you could say um I went home and kind of just refocus

You know I did lose my grandparents that last year so it was rough for me but kind of just fighting through that and just being focused in my work you know getting my degree being focused on Christ and just trying to get better just the days got to stacking and you

Look back and now you’re winning a championship you know in in the NIT Championship like hey it’s paying off what was that like whenn the championship was amazing I remember the confetti the blo confetti coming down it was like we won one for the city

And I was just in awe the whole day and it’s your city yeah that’s that’s the crazier part right like cuz you grew up there and played every level there to win something for your for your city I know everyone like you come to Memphis an example and now you’re repping

Memphis and you always will like that’s like like that’s like your city I went home and like I I year we won is in the rafters so it’s just crazy to see that that is crazy what would you say because you brought you brought it up again you

Know like that last year you’re dealing with so much personal stuff what would you say to fans who cuz this happened and obviously to a different level but when Katie came out you know and someone called him the B- word he’s like I’m a human being I don’t

Think a lot of times people realize that college athletes professional athletes like well people and sometimes if you have a a crappy game like you have stuff going on back home you obviously had a lot going on what what do you say to fans to remind them I’m just like you at

The end of the day put my pants on one leg at a time I’mma eat breakfast in the morning I’m going work out my job TI is different doesn’t make me different so just if I have a off day I’m going bounce back period yeah we’re all going

To bounce back uh UAB how to prepare you for the next step my coach Andy Kennedy I love him the the death but he was a a character he taught me so much in so many ways just as being a man and just being a better basketball player and

Just my Approach every day the biggest thing he taught me was don’t compare yourself to anybody I was I was always big on seeing other people’s Journeys and trying to see what they were doing AK was like you going to lose your joy doing that worry about your you did for

A second I definitely did he was like worry about your story and the rest will be fine when you start comparing Journeys you’ll never be happy even like right now like if I compare my my story to JJ’s I’m like well I could be JJ and

I I would be upset but for my friend back home who’s not where I met I’m winning but if I just focus on Trey and what Trey is at life is good you know you got I mean I’m happy cuz like I’m doing good for myself you know not doing

Good for somebody else and it’s just he taught me that and that changed my whole mindset on a lot of things in life not just basketball I think comparing yourself to people is a dangerous game too because we’re comparing what we think we know yeah someone could be

Comparing themselves to you right now and think that it was a easy path all the way fact you know what I mean they could be like oh you had a knee injury okay yeah but you never know you never know people put out what they want to

Put out yeah my Instagram I show you what I want to show you you know I’m not going to show you my bad days I’m like forget this practice I don’t want to show I’m not going to show you that I’m going to show you the days where I had a

Double double or everything went right and we won 12 games in a row I’m not going to show you the they coaches spazzing on me doesn’t work that way I think that’s a lesson that obviously people like at our age can learn but the younger people too because they’re like

They grew up with Instagram and Twitter and social media and I think that’s a dangerous game to play but I’m glad you brought it up um let’s talk about Memphis now okay I think another misconception that people could have is like the ins and outs of the CBA like

You can’t come in and play 50 games which I think like if you just have like an outside knowledge of how the NBA Works twoa can come play a certain amount of games you are eligible for less amount of games than there is to play right so coming in and out and

Knowing there’s a spot for you and playing really well in the spots that you get and then not playing sometimes how do you stay prepared for games you just keep working you know you never know when coach going to text you that more say hey you’re going to play you

Just just keep working and no no matter when it comes the work going to show if you just stay ready you won’t be nervous about when the time comes you know I remember my first game I started I didn’t play the game before like coach I

Had a DMP coach’s decision and the next day coach like hey you’re going to start and I kind of I looked at him like I’m going start me and he was like yeah you going to start like cool whatever but like the work going to show like you

Trust the work go just have fun you’ll be all right so starting your first NBA game yeah when do the nerves stop after jump ball you’re lining up for tip off yes I’m nervous I we played in Boston Garden Boston Boston’s already insane as it is and they’re calling out my name

I’m I’m Amazed by that I go line up and it’s Jason t Chris porzingis and now Horford all in front of me I’m like this is leg I’m really about to start this game and like the ball goes up and I’m still kind of shook I Mis jump and then

Once the gang is gone you just calm down it’s just basketball the end of the day and then after the game oh you still you’re lit you’re watching film like that’s that’s me does it take a while for you to like chill out after games

Now too oh for sure even when I was in like college like Win Lose or Draw I’m going to be up for two hours just thinking about the game okay I I would have to like this is different obviously but after my college games I would have

To take like sleep drinks really you know s sleep is great I love s sleep that’s only in America but I love it yeah um speaking of starting lineups you were part of the 32nd different starting lineup this season with the Grizzlies when you started against the bucks right

Before Allstar um with Jordan Goodwin zy Williams Vince Williams Jr Sanel dama and got the win right before Allstar is it difficult being tasked to have chemistry is it’s insanely difficult to be honest because it’s just part of playing basketball is knowing who you out there with and I’ve seen a lot of

Those guys play I watch them on TV but being out there with them is totally different they don’t know your Tendencies they don’t know how you act and just hav to adjusted that and the fact we got that win is nothing but a miracle to be honest we came out there

With the minds of hey just play our butts off and whatever happens happens we’ll live with the results and we did that you know you just trust guys to do their job you do your job and the rest of all line where do you fit in with

This team I think I’m just the energy guy that they need here you know just and that enforcer I’m not they don’t need me to score 20 points here they don’t need me to be the Superstar they need me to be a dog I smile off the

Court on the court I have to be I have to be that dog I have to go out there and hit everybody in the chest I have to go take all the fights I have to go get every rebound block every shot if I need

A hard foul they going to call me go get it and that’s just how it is I have read a lot of Articles or watch podcasts about you when you talk about your physicality yeah and I can see you you’re a big dude but like has physicality has like that physical

Nature been a part of your game from the jump not not really the year that I was talking about like giving up a basketball I was kind of I mean I was I was physical but not as physical and my coach told me that hey he said if you

Want to be great this game just be the baddest guy out there at all times you don’t have to be the best scorer the best scorer won’t always paid the most to be the badest guy out there and I like I I try it out and I went out there

First few games literally just knocking out and the word you kind of put this fear in people like hey he’s going to hit me every time and it might not be a possession when he gets to rebound but I’m going to fail this take a ice bath

After cuz he’s just bothering me and that just stuck with me is there anyone you model after physicality wise what’s crazy Stephen Adams you know um I brought Stephen Adams since OKC days I saw you take a picture with him where was that uh it was in New York okay it

Was in New York I saw him in New York I was confused where that was yeah so that was dope I was what’s crazy I saw him I walked by I was like let me ask for a picture might as well well yeah was do okay I’m going to end this

With okay I fill in the blank because we started with an Instagram caption yeah and you’re obviously good with words you didn’t make that up you saw I made that up I made that one up I promise you I did I made that one up okay that’s cool okay from shooting

Outside with your mom as a kid so starting in the NBA starting your NBA Journey thus far has been a blessing I like that I like a blessing yeah only up from here only from here it’s just the beginning it’s just the beginning I’m just getting warmed up

It’s just oh oh bars Trey thank you for your time today thank you so much everyone back home if you’re watching this make sure you’re subscribed to the Memphis Grizzlies YouTube channel for more of these podcasts and more behind the scenes footage

Trey Jemison sits down with Kelcey Wright Johnson to talk about his journey to the NBA and playing throughout his career in close to his home town of Birmingham, Alabama.

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