KENDRA SITS DOWN WITH TYUS JONES! | FULL INTERVIEW

KENDRA SITS DOWN WITH TYUS JONES! | FULL INTERVIEW

How are you? How you doing, man? I’m good. Congratulations. Appreciate. Yes, sir. What’s happening, man? What’s up, Magic fans? Kindra Douglas here with our new member, Tias Jones. Tus, just welcome to Orlando. How are you feeling in this moment? Yeah, I’m feeling excited. Um, grateful uh for the opportunity. Um, excited to be a part of what’s taking place here in Orlando. Um, you know, it’s it’s a a a young up and cominging team continuing to take steps uh forward in the right direction. So, I’m I’m excited to to try to be a part and kind of continue to try to help um push them push them over the hump. Yeah. I want to first start talking about just the free agency process and what kind of just stood out to you about that and what stood out to you about Orlando during this process as well. Yeah, I think just uh you know talking to to Jeff uh Coach Mo AP um just their vision of you know what they have you know in store for the team. um just wanting to get on board, you know, and be a part of that for me um was first and foremost. And then how they, you know, envisioned me kind of adding what I what I could bring to the table uh for the team. Um I think, you know, it was just a it was an easy an easy um pick for me um a easy decision um to join this team and to try to I have so many different connections already um on the roster. So, um, yeah, had a couple good conversations with with a couple of those guys and and it was a it was an easy decision, a magical decision. Exactly. I want to talk about those connections. One of them, of course, being a guy you’ve played with and Desmond, I mean, just how was that? I know you had to have talked with him about it. And also, just, you know, what’s it like now having the opportunity to play with him again? Yeah. Yeah. So, we had a we had a couple different conversations and um obviously um he was excited about uh getting traded here and the opportunity that that presented itself uh for him individually. Um and then when there was opportunity for me to join him here, uh we talked about what that could be like and and how I could kind of fit into the equation here and um we were just both super excited about that uh possibility. And then just what we’ve done um already, you know, down in in Memphis together. Um you know, just kind of how we play off of one another and play well together uh on the court. We just wanted to to to continue that and run that back um and kind of bring some of that uh here to Orlando. Um so we’re looking forward to it. That’s got to be so exciting though, too, just to get that. I mean, I’m sure you have the inside jokes and the fun times and the memories. I’m sure being here with someone you’ve already played with, connected with, that’s got to be like such a relaxing feeling, too. It is. It is. It’s a comfort comforting feeling. Um, and in the in the NBA, you you don’t often time get to kind of run back some of your teammates. So, um, but you know, Dez, one of my brothers, was at his wedding last summer. Um, our wives are extremely good friends. So, um, it’s it’s it’s a a great feeling to be able to, you know, go to a new team, but have a familiar face uh in the locker room. I want to talk about you as a player and what you’re bringing entering now what, year 11 in this league. just what have you learned about yourself as a player from year one to now? Yeah. Um just that, you know, I could overcome anything. Um just how resilient I am. Um and just I’ve just felt like I’ve I’ve grown um from my time when I was a rookie to now. Just learned so much about not only myself, but about the league, how to kind of manage and maneuver, and there’s so many ups and downs and a lot of moving pieces. um you know, but you also get to make so many different relationships and and kind of build on those and so many different experiences. So, um I’ve just grown a lot um as a as a person, you know, as a player, as a um off the court, just as a as a person, as I’m, you know, as a father, as a husband. So, um just just proud of where I am and still so much more to more to go. Yeah. And it’s interesting you’re I mean, this is still a very young group and technically you are kind of a veteran coming in. Yeah. Just like what do you hope you can bring with your veteran experience uh to help these guys out? Yeah, I think just a calming voice. Um just a calming voice. Just some experience. Um just just levelheadedness. Um not trying to come in and and make it about me or try to take over the show. Um but just trying to add to what’s already here and what’s already in place. Um, you know, talking with Jeff, um, what I’ve noticed is they’ve, you know, here has has done it organically in the right way. They haven’t skipped any steps. They’ve grown together, um, continue to get better each and every year, make the playoffs, and so for me, I just want to come in and help any way that I can, um, on and off the court, vocally, obviously with my my play as well. Um, but I don’t want to disrupt what’s going on. I just want to add to it. Yeah. And that’s an exciting feeling to be around this group too. You know, Coach Mosley always speaks about defense and also now you bring in a great shooting percentage too from the three as well. So like what have you noticed about just this group overall and I guess Coach Mosley as a as a coach and what he’s being able to do with this group too? Yeah, love Coach Mo. Um just how hard they play uh and their togetherness, the cohesiveness that they have. um you know, you can you can feel it, you can see it um as an as an opponent. Um so that’s something that that was enticing. You know, when you you see a team like that, there’s not a lot of locker rooms that are really together from top to bottom and that want to play hard for their coach uh each and every night. So that’s something for me that I’m excited about. Um and yeah, that’s pretty that’s pretty much it. This is a chance too where Magic fans are going to watch this and they want to get to know who you are outside of basketball. So, now that you are living here in Orlando, what are we doing for fun? What is an off day look like for you? Uh, for me, I got two two little ones. I got a 5-year-old son and a 2-year-old daughter, so it’s a lot of it’s a lot of family time. Um, getting out, a lot of time outside, going to the parks. My son loves basketball, so it’s basketball 24/7. Um, and then other than that, I’m I’m really a homebody, so going to try to get out and and see the city a little bit. I need restaurant recommendations. Those are always a good one. We always say that. So, need those. And then just trying to trying to experience Orlando a little bit and and you know, excited to make it my new home. With two young kids, I hear a lot of Disney. That’s what I’m hearing out of that. There’s already been a lot of Disney talks in the house. So, I can imagine the princess dresses. Are we Are we Are she into those? Yep. Okay. Into the princesses. Moana. Ariel. There we go. You know that. Yeah. Oh, yeah. That That’s amazing. And and ultimately, you know, just being here in Orlando, the fan base is just insane. I’m sure you’ve heard play the song multiple times over and over. And now you get the threads, too. Like this jersey. I mean, just how do you feel now being in this jersey, the new look that they’re doing? I mean, it’s a great time to be a part of this organization. Yeah, it really is. I’m just I’m thrilled. I’m excited. Um I don’t think there would be a better time, you know, to to join the organization and to be a part of of what’s going on. and it’s all, you know, everything’s on the up and up. Um, so I’m I’m just excited and and thrilled to be here. Awesome. Well, Tus, we’re excited to have you here and thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.

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