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Welcome to The Dr. JJ Thomas Podcast! Here I'll be talking all things physical therapy, raw and unplugged, giving you the unfiltered insights you've been searching for in your cash-based physical therapy business. If you're caught in the grind of the traditional model, swamped with paperwork, or feeling like you're not reaching your full potential as a physical therapist, this podcast was created just for you.
I I always look at it like this. You can't make any shots you don't take.
Dr. JJ Thomas:A 100%. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:And I live with the results. It is what it is. I put the work in. I live with the results. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:Welcome to the doctor JJ Thomas podcast.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Hi, everybody. Welcome to the doctor JJ Thomas podcast. I'm JJ Thomas. I'm here with a special friend and guest today, Jamir Nelson. Thanks, Nelson.
Jameer Nelson:You're welcome.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Nelson. I better redo that. Why did I just call you Nelson?
Jameer Nelson:I don't know. A lot of people call me Nelson. A lot even my it's funny. My family members call me Nelson.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Really?
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. Like, my brother. He like, what's up Nelson? So it's I'm I'm fine with it. I'm fine with it.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Jamere has a long history in the NBA. He's a super stud athlete and, his career has challenged him through many different ways, which is one of the reasons I wanted to have him on the show with us. Jamere has been a patient with us and and his entire family.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:And he always has great, insight on working with athletes, on his years as being of being an athlete in the in the NBA himself. And now Jamere has taken a role, with the Delaware Blue Coats, which is the the g, g league team of the of the Sixers and, also has another role with the Sixers as well. So we'll get into that. He so he basically, he wears a lot of hats in leadership in the athletic world, and, that's one of the reasons I'm just excited to have him here with us today. So thanks, Jamere.
Jameer Nelson:Thanks for having
Dr. JJ Thomas:me. One of the things I wanted to get into first is, really just a little bit of your history and your background in your early years and, just give the audience, a a little bit of background about how you got in how you got into basketball and and your journey there.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. So grew up in Chester, small city, 40,000, 35,000 people. And sports was kind of the way out because, poverty and, you know, high crime and things like that. So, you know, just just for me and and other people that I was around, we played a ton of sports, and growing up I played football, basketball, and baseball. Baseball was my number one sport, then football, then basketball up until my 9th grade, my freshman year of high school, I decided to play, basketball full time.
Jameer Nelson:Baseball got boring Yeah. And and football got real, so that's when it really started hitting. I was like, ah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's true. You're like, woah. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:Like, this I don't know. So but but basketball was something I started to, like, gravitate to more than the other 2 sports just because I think it was a lot of the action is action every play even if you don't have the ball. So, and and where I'm from, basketball is king, like, so when you're a basketball player and you're good in Chester, like, the entire city embraces you and they support you. And and for me, like, it's funny. People, like, oh, well, had a great supporting I had a whole city behind
Dr. JJ Thomas:me.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. So I I definitely appreciate the people and and my supporting cast throughout my my years of, growing up.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I think you bring up you bring up a really important point about athletics that I always that I love too with with all athletics. Like, it's it's true across the board. It just depends on the the community is what makes it different. And, like like, you know, some business men and women, they do business on the golf course. Right?
Dr. JJ Thomas:And, like, it sounds like growing up your community, you know, it's like you you earned respect on the basketball court, and then and then the community gave you all that respect back because because you earned it. That's really cool.
Jameer Nelson:It's funny it's funny you say I earned my respect because I actually did at my sophomore year. I technically played the best player in Chester. That's what he was known as, during that time. He was a little older than me. We played 1 on 1, and I can say it now, we play for money.
Jameer Nelson:People 1 on 1, we play for a couple $1,000.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh my god. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:It was kinda like
Dr. JJ Thomas:Sophomore year of high school?
Jameer Nelson:Sophomore year of high school. Yeah. When he was already, like, probably college or out of college. And he was well respected, as an athlete from, you know, Chester. So to me, it's like I just wanted to play, whatever.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. You know, my buddy, he was like, hey, Jahmira's better than this guy, better than this guy. So we played, I beat him. So that's when I was, like, people were like, oh, man, this dude is pretty good.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh, it's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:I earned my stripes.
Dr. JJ Thomas:So that was your sophomore year, and then when did you decide to go to Saint Joe's?
Jameer Nelson:So St. Joe's started recruiting me, summer after my sophomore year going into my junior year.
Dr. JJ Thomas:They heard about that. They were on the sidelines.
Jameer Nelson:It's funny. So they they actually came to see somebody else play. And I I was playing against it, and they they never told me I don't even know if I ever asked. They they came to recruit somebody else that I was playing against, and, I did my thing, and they started recruiting me.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's so cool.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. And I stuck with them, like, even when the bigger schools came and recruited me, I stuck with Saint Joe's just because they were the the school that came first, and they were loyal. And I and I felt, you know, that I'm a loyal person. Yeah. I like to think I am, I guess.
Dr. JJ Thomas:No. You are. I can say that, like, knowing you through the years, that's it's been so fun. You are. And and but it's like, it's a loyalty not just out of obligation.
Dr. JJ Thomas:It's a loyalty because you believe in that respect. Yes. And it it shows. It shows in your conversations with us, and I know it shows in your conversations with your athletes. Yeah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:It's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:No. Yeah. So I I, you know, ended up earning my stripes, and Saint Joe's recruited me and spent or went there for 4 years and had a really successful career individually and and as a university, making it to the n c NCAA tournament 3 times or 3 years out of my 4, and, and my last year made it to the league 8, and somebody missed a shot to send it to or or win the game for us.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh,
Jameer Nelson:stop. I missed this
Dr. JJ Thomas:shot. You're hilarious.
Jameer Nelson:But, you know, I I always look at it like this. You can't make any shots you don't take.
Dr. JJ Thomas:A 100%.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. And I live with the results. It is what it is. I put the work in. I live with the results.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah. And you you made thousands of other shots, by the way. Actually, we were talking to David. You guys, that are local here know, our David is one of our admins and he's awesome and he's, David's very eclectic in terms of his knowledge of all different types of things, and we were talking. And when we were when I first told him you're gonna come on the show, he's like, you know, he's actually might be embarrassed.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I'm sorry, David. I have to give this up. But he's like, you know, he's like, JJ, he's like basically, he's like, I don't know if other people know this, but Jamere basically changed the world of basketball with 3 point with his 3 points with his 3 pointers. And I was thinking of that, like, when I saw that Maxi shot. Like, I'd like, I I think I started reading up on some of your history and stuff like that, and I'm like, I think David's right.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I think Jamere did. So That's funny.
Jameer Nelson:That's funny.
Dr. JJ Thomas:So David didn't remember that shot. He remembered your your other all the positives.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. It's funny. I I remember I remember all of the not bad plays, but the plays I could've done something different or not that I regret things. I'm like, oh, I should've did this or I could've did that. I never remember all I remember I made this good play or that
Dr. JJ Thomas:good play. Right.
Jameer Nelson:Because most of my good plays are because of my instincts. And I right. So it's not like, you know I don't know. I don't know. But David
Dr. JJ Thomas:also think you, like I think you're a phenomenal athlete and I think from what I see and all the phenomenal athletes I work with is that they have a standard that's here. And so you're you're inclined to review those over your head because you're like, well, how do I change that? How do I change that or how do I change that for my athletes? Like now as a GM, you're like, how do I change that for my athletes. Right?
Jameer Nelson:Yes. It's it's it's different, like, in, you know, everybody said or most people said when I was playing that I'll be such a great coach. And I I still I'm not closing the door on coaching. I I love what I'm doing. I love helping and and almost like getting to coach in my own way.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. Help these guys grow and get to where they need to be in terms of of their development on and off the floor. The most important thing about my job is me giving back to the game, and I and I think a lot of former athletes should do this in their own way. And and whether it's training on the side or working for NBA team or whatever sport they play for or coaching, because it it's no other way. Like, you learn from other athletes.
Jameer Nelson:Right? We can talk about different things and, you know, that other people do, but athletes teach athletes. Mhmm.
Dr. JJ Thomas:So That's right. And, actually, as you're you and I were talking before the show about how how it is probably different, like, your role as GM with the blue coats versus if you were their coach. Mhmm. It's a little different, but you're also giving them the same you're giving them the same support.
Jameer Nelson:Yes.
Dr. JJ Thomas:And and I was saying it must be really cool for them to have you as as a phenomenal player that, you know, they again, you earned that respect. But the on the on another note with that is, like, I think about our kid for example, we know you know, I have 3 kids. And and I think it's only natural for your kids to come to you. Like, some will come to me with thing sometimes they'll come to me with something and they might go to my husband for something else. And your athletes have their coach, but they also have you.
Dr. JJ Thomas:So they have all this, like, it's important to have that big support system.
Jameer Nelson:No. You're right. And it's funny. I never wanted my son to play basketball
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:Because, 1, we have the same name, and 2, the pressure of my career, will be added to him when he started playing. So, he was a baseball player growing up and, I I give a ton of advice to my kids and My girls are softball players, pretty high level. So I try to I try to, like, be in the background and just support, rather than dictate or, like, tell them what they should do. I trick them every now and then, but, hey, you know, today is a good day to go do this or go extra work.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:So I figured out how to do it, in a subtle way and not be demanding.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:I I think a lot of former athletes, as as a former athlete, like, I had to mature in the area of parenting to help my athletes in my house. Yeah. Because I know a ton, and I know, the right way to do things and a wrong way because I've been through it, but I have to allow them to have their space to figure it out because they're different, and I had to realize that, like, years ago.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I think that is one of like, if we could teach all parents that, I think that's so true. It's because I think even even parents even I mean, maybe especially, maybe not just even, but even parents who weren't professional players have that same, you know, it's like they they they know better, so they wanna save their kids the proud the the trouble and not have them go through that learning that they went through, but they have to. It's part of the process. Right?
Jameer Nelson:It's part of the process Yeah. And you also have to figure out at what point are you gonna stop telling your kids
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:It's okay.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Right.
Jameer Nelson:It's okay not to work hard or whatever whatever the case may be, but it's also, like, you have to allow them to fail too. That's that's the big that's the easiest way to teach them. I I think I'm I have a 11 year old daughter who is now starting to love working on softball.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Right.
Jameer Nelson:And it's because she
Dr. JJ Thomas:She's driving.
Jameer Nelson:She's driving it. Like, she'll go in the backyard and hit for a hour by herself.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:And it's because she wanted to be in a different part of the lineup.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I think that's right. I think when we try to force our kids or I mean and so for the PTs watching, like or our patients, when we try to force it on them and and they don't and they're not ready for it
Jameer Nelson:Right.
Dr. JJ Thomas:We're basically robbing them the they're we're robbing them the, like, the ability to earn their own respect Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:And and the lesson.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Because we're forcing it down their throat rather than them making the choice of I'm gonna I'm gonna choose to go out for an hour Yep. Or I'm gonna choose to do my Froggers, you know.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. Yeah. You know? Froggers, I see you on I see you on the social media. Go to Froggers, like, once a week, twice a week.
Jameer Nelson:And I'm like, man, I hate those things.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You know they're my favorite.
Jameer Nelson:I know. I know. I know. I'm I'm like, man, those things are, like, they're good for you Mhmm. But they're just, like, tough.
Jameer Nelson:They're hard. They're hard.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I know. I gotta come in I gotta come in and do some froggers with the boys. Put the blue coats on the ground. Yes. Yes.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That'd
Jameer Nelson:be fun. They they would
Dr. JJ Thomas:love that. I'm sure
Jameer Nelson:they would love that. It's so fun. It's funny, like, you you you don't realize how much things like that matter to athletes because it's a change of pace. Mhmm. You know, we we need we need structure and we need consistency, but we also need things to break it up.
Jameer Nelson:That's, like, that'll be fun for the guys.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Exactly.
Jameer Nelson:Like, some days when we warm up, we throw a football around
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:Or we play tag.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:We do certain things that's, like, not not as traditional as like, hey, get on the line, stretch.
Dr. JJ Thomas:They're like lighter. Yes. You feel like I'm just having fun in the community.
Jameer Nelson:Yes.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yes. That's so cool.
Jameer Nelson:As an athlete, you have a long season and you have to break up the monotony.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Basketball season is so long. I know. I I'm impressed. It is long and, like you said, it's fast paced. Like, there's so much.
Jameer Nelson:I mean, after after the 1st month, you kinda get into a groove and, you know, you you in your routine, you kinda do the same thing over and over and over again. But then when you get to February, March, you're like, man, like
Dr. JJ Thomas:Man, I'm tired. Tired.
Jameer Nelson:Like, I you you everybody hits a wall at some point. My wall was always probably around March. Yeah. Because I was on good teams, especially when I was on the good teams, I wanted to continue to grow and get better for the playoffs, but I wanted the playoffs to happen. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:So, you know, because that's what I'm preparing for. I'm preparing for the playoffs.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You gotta get there. Right? Yeah. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:So when you see March, you see you can you can almost touch the playoffs because, like, you know, April is the playoffs. Yeah. But, yeah, it it's it's a grind. It's fun, though. It's fun.
Jameer Nelson:I mean, some days you wake up and in whatever city, you don't know, you don't know your room number, you don't know what hotel you're in. I had to call multiple people or people multiple times to ask, like, when I left my hotel, what what hotel are we in? And then, like so I finally started, like, typing it in my phone Yeah. And typing my room number in
Dr. JJ Thomas:my phone. Like when I take the picture of my car at the at the airport
Jameer Nelson:now. Yeah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yes. Oh, that's so funny. Yep. What else so when as you're talking about that, I'm thinking, like, one of the, you know, one of the things I wanted to pick your brain on is being such a, you know, you were such you've been such a success, like, first as an athlete and now as a as a, a leader in the in the, organizations. And I think a lot I personally put a lot of stake in the the discipline that is required to do that.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Like, I think, we were talking about this before the show too, how, you know, younger athletes oftentimes, they see the they they see the very successful player, and they think they just fell out the sky like that, but, like, nobody comes out like that. Everybody goes through the work, goes through the discipline. And so, I guess, my question to you is, what do you attribute all the success
Jameer Nelson:to? So, for for me, I I I think it's different levels of it, for everybody. And and there are some players who are just naturally better and gifted, who don't have to work as hard as others. But for me, I'm again, from Chester, Pennsylvania, I beat those odds. I'm 6 foot.
Jameer Nelson:I beat those odds. Like so, like Yeah. It's just a lot of things that I individually have, inside of me that challenge myself Yeah. To do these certain things.
Dr. JJ Thomas:It's a drive.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. Yeah. And I tell people when I was a player and and it's a lot of people don't believe it, but my workout days, like in off season, was 6 to 8 hours depending on the day Wow. Depending on, like, time of the year and things like that. Be a couple hours at a time, take a break, cup a couple hours something else for a couple hours, take a break, like, continuous, 5 days a week.
Jameer Nelson:And and then as I gotten older, I started to work a little different, but it still was, like, efficient work.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Focused.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. So so to basically, my my my point is, like, you have to put the work in. Mhmm. Like, the results may not happen right away, and and I and I think a lot of young athletes don't realize, you you're you're actually putting deposits in the bank.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:You're putting deposits in the bank and and, you know, at time at some point, you're gonna need to make a withdraw.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:And and that deposit needs to be there, so I always look at things as, like, my perspective, not everybody's, but work is universal. Like, you you you can't work hard or you you can't work, I I guess, a little bit and expect a lot. Yeah. You know.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You're right. It's a it translates it's a it's a it's an equation.
Jameer Nelson:Yes. And and it's Yeah. It's for life. It's not just for, like, yeah, I'm an athlete, but, like, the things that I've done as an athlete, it helps me, in life. Like, if I wanted to be, I don't know, whatever else, I know how to work hard.
Dr. JJ Thomas:It's right. That's what I'm saying.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:It's like you, you know, you it all started from, you know, sophomore year on that community basketball court, and you just put the work in, and then it it went to your NBA career and then now towards your, career as a GM. Yep. I actually went as you were talking about, the equations and and having to put the work in, David Adelman said to me, and he it's a quote from somebody else, but I I can't think of who who it is now. But he said, success isn't, success isn't owned. It's rented.
Jameer Nelson:It's rented.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I love that.
Jameer Nelson:Gotta pay rent every day.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Gotta pay the rent every day. I love that.
Jameer Nelson:Every day.
Dr. JJ Thomas:And it's true whether you're coaching or running or, you know, GM ing or playing or a physical therapist or a patient, like, gotta pay the rent.
Jameer Nelson:You gotta pay the rent every day. And, like, again, like, you you it's it's not fun at times, but
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:You know, if you want to accomplish something, you want something or you can see it, you gotta go get it. And, how you get it is continue to work, you put your head down, and, you live with the results. A lot of people, and and it's funny, a lot of people don't wanna be good at things, because they you have to if if you're good and you lead, you have to be good and lead every day.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:And that's that is, it's not for everybody.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Mm-mm.
Jameer Nelson:It's not.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You're right. It's not as right. It looks sexy from the sidelines. Yes. But when you're in it, it's not always sexy.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. And people think success is this. It's and you go down, and you gotta figure out a way up. And, you know, you're leading and, you know, you're having a bad day at home, but how how do I then put this aside to go and perform at my optimal level? Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:You know, so, like, for me, it was I was focused. I was very selfish in my career, because I knew I had a short window, and and my goal was to play 10 years. I ended up playing 14. Yeah. And when I got to 14, I was like, man, I can get to 15, but I was like, my body, I I, you know, I I squeezed all all the juice out the lemon.
Dr. JJ Thomas:So No. That's awesome. 14 is pretty darn good.
Jameer Nelson:14 is, I mean, 10 was the goal and like I said, I when I got to 9, I was like, oh, I can get 15.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh, yeah.
Jameer Nelson:I can get 15.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You're a legend around here. You know, we have we have Jamere's jersey up in our office, and he was kind enough to say some nice things on it. And you you don't know how many if I if if I gave you a nickel for every time somebody was like, ah, Jameer. Like, it's like it's like everybody everybody knows Jameer.
Jameer Nelson:It's funny. Don't don't tell, what's it called? Johnny's Pizza?
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah. Oh my god. I love him.
Jameer Nelson:I had his pizza for the first time, last week, and he's been asking me for a jersey. I'm like,
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh, Johnny. I won't tell him. He hasn't been in here yet.
Jameer Nelson:It's it's already out now.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's so funny. Oh, yeah. Sorry, Johnny.
Jameer Nelson:Probably out.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You'll get there, Johnny. Johnny, if you stick some needles in him, you'll be good.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I'm just kidding. What about tell me about your transition to your current role. Like, tell me a little bit more about, you know, maybe some of the challenges. Have there been any challenges or has it been, like, wow. This is this is awesome.
Dr. JJ Thomas:What about your new role?
Jameer Nelson:The the role is, 1, managing and and leading a group. I'm I'm a easy leader and and manager. I I don't I don't hover. I don't micromanage. I I have a thing where I it's bottom up leadership.
Jameer Nelson:Right? So, everybody has, a section of the blue coast that they're responsible for, and we expect each other to do each other's, you know, to do the individual job for that group. I tell my staff, like, if you guys need help, just let me know. If not,
Dr. JJ Thomas:let's You're good.
Jameer Nelson:You're good. You're good. There's no reason to check-in every day on something. There's no reason to have all these different meetings if we don't need them. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:And I try I try to be around the group as much as possible. I mean, because I still do college scouting, so I'm on a road quite a bit. I do NBA stuff as well, and also I have a family. So, like, trying to balance all of what I do, is hard, but it's it's manageable. I mean, my wife has been great and and very understanding of what I'm trying to accomplish.
Jameer Nelson:She's awesome. Yeah. And but but it's every day. I'm I'm, not every day, but I often put fires out Yeah. You know, because I have to I have to deal with the agents.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. There's gonna be some people on the team unhappy, and I just manage them in a way I know how I wanna be or what would've wanna be managed.
Dr. JJ Thomas:So Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:Or how I call. That's really
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's really cool.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. So I just I just take my experiences, and and the things I've learned on this side and kinda blend my my own opinion on things and and form my own work. And, so far, like, it is I've been I've been pretty successful at it. It's, it's challenging because the the g league level, it's a fluid situate situation where you can have one team this week, the next week you got 3 guys get call ups.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh, really?
Jameer Nelson:You gotta find guys in different cities. Like, it's like, for a while, we had, I think we had 7 players. And you don't you have to have 8 to play. So a couple times, I just I'll call the agent, hey. Do you have a guy in Atlanta?
Jameer Nelson:I was like, yeah. He'll go play for a day.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's ama it's literally like literally baseball that
Jameer Nelson:way.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You know what I mean? Like, calling him up. Wow.
Jameer Nelson:Get a call up, but also the people that you're calling up, they're getting they're getting opportunities.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's great.
Jameer Nelson:So, like, it it's like I said, it's fluid. It's fluid, and we have a good infrastructure, in place because our staff has been together, and we understand each other. We can we you know, it's it's a well oiled machine, and and I think the the support that I get from, the Sixers and the owners and things like that, I think that, allows me to be myself and and and run the program the way I wanna run it.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's cool. Well, I think, again, I feel like you earn that, you know.
Jameer Nelson:No. You know.
Dr. JJ Thomas:No. No.
Jameer Nelson:I mean You gotta earn everything.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You do. That's what I'm saying. I think I think that, you know, I mean, I obviously can't speak for them, but I think it's true. I think from what I know, I know of, you know, a fair number of the community members of of of 6ers and you from Blue Coat. So it just seems like everybody had had they're based on respect, which is awesome.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah. I appreciate it. When you were talking about, I love the dynamic of that fluid, you know, guys getting called up and because it also I imagine that really that keeps the level of play pretty pretty high in the sense that, like, although you have to adapt to now this new guy and and figuring out how they're gonna blend with the team in a certain way, it also keeps everybody the the freshness of it probably keeps everybody on their game a little bit.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. You have to be.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah. You you
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. Have to stay ready.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:You have to be good at your job. And we we have what you call two way players. We get 3 of them, so they can go play for the sixers or the blue coats. Oh, cool. But they get 50 50 games for the sixers, and they can't play in the playoffs.
Jameer Nelson:So in the course of a season, if they're not playing for sixers, they'll send them down.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Got it.
Jameer Nelson:And they'll play for us. So then that knocks a guy out who won't play.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Got it.
Jameer Nelson:Of course, that guy is a competitor. He's mad, but stay ready. Yeah. And I've been sick I've I've been I've been fortunate to have some really good pros at the g league level who understands, even through their frustration, that this is how it goes.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:And I you can't control it.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Right.
Jameer Nelson:It is what it is and and we move on.
Dr. JJ Thomas:And if I just keep my head down and keep working, maybe next year I'll be that guy.
Jameer Nelson:Yes.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Right?
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. And that's all these guys, the the the the goal is to develop them, to win, because you you wanna develop in a winning environment as much as you can, and and you want guys to be happy. And it seems like they're happy in our program, but also you want them to get paid. I I mean, you want them to get paid by the sixers, But, you know, we had we had a guy who get who got a a pretty lucrative deal in Europe this year. We had another guy who got picked up by another team.
Jameer Nelson:Couple other guys got picked up by couple teams. So you you said that they go because they're really good players Yeah. But it's part of my job as a former player too to to help these guys, not necessarily prolong their career, but, like, continue their career and and and kinda help them excel. Yeah. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:So it's it's fun. It's fun seeing, young athletes grow and and, you know, it's it's a little weird when they they first talk to me because they're like, oh my god.
Dr. JJ Thomas:They feel nervous?
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. Like, a little nervous. They'll say, I play I used to play with you on 2 ks, stuff like that.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh, that's so cool.
Jameer Nelson:So I'm like, oh, man, I gotta break the ice with this guy in a different way. Yeah. And I just I really like, I try to be as transparent with him. I try to communicate with him as much as possible, and and I tell them the truth. I'm not gonna like, if a guy is not playing good, I tell them.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. And he'll ask me how does he get better, and I'll tell him this is how I think you can get better. Or sometimes I'll filter it through the coaches Yeah. In a subtle way because I have to also allow the coaches to grow too and figure out things.
Dr. JJ Thomas:It's awesome. I'm loving here like, that what you just all of what you just said, I wanna bottle up. I'm gonna I'm gonna save it for myself because it's such a good leadership. Like, I'm sitting here thinking about, you know, a lot of people that listen to my podcast are PTs trying to open their own cash based practice, and and I feel like a lot of the struggles come come really, it's leadership. Like, leadership is what drives so many businesses, and we were talking about the business side of things earlier.
Jameer Nelson:Mhmm.
Dr. JJ Thomas:And, everything you just said is is helpful for PTs who are opening their practice and thinking about how to, you know, how to because you you wanna make sure you're like, we wanna make sure our PTs, our staff, are always playing their best, so to speak. You know? And you gotta be honest with them when they're not.
Jameer Nelson:Yes.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yes. Because, yeah, because the you're on the mission. You know? The mission is to win games. The mission is to get people better.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Mhmm. That's cool.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. We we also we also have a motto, with the Blue Coast. I'm not a huge, like, Bruce Lee fan. I I I love Bruce Lee for what he did, but, like, it's the whole be water model.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh, yes. Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:You have to be water. And and my my counterpart, my my my form my coworker who was, the general manager of the Blue Coast, before me, he came up with that along with the, coach that was there before the coach that we have now, and then I added to it, like, weather the storm. You know? Be be prepared for the storm is coming. Your job is not to stop the storm because you can't.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah. Your
Jameer Nelson:job is to figure it out and get through it and because there's gonna be another one coming. So we we have a good understanding of how to basically handle adversity. And and I think at that level, at the minor league level, that's what you have to do because it's gonna be a ton of adversity hit, and it hits at the NBA level as well, but this is a little different.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah.
Jameer Nelson:It's a little different in NBA than it is in minor league. So
Dr. JJ Thomas:Yeah. Definitely. I think because they're still they're probably still struggling at that point with I'm honestly, I think imposter syndrome is real at every level, first of all. Like, I was just gonna say, like, it might be harder at the minor league level because there's still feel like they're trying to prove themselves. Mhmm.
Dr. JJ Thomas:But I can only imagine that you get to the NBA
Jameer Nelson:Still Trump approves.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Level, and you're still trying to prove yourself. So as I I, like, interrupted myself because I'm like, who you
Jameer Nelson:can Yeah.
Dr. JJ Thomas:You gotta prove like we said, you gotta pay the rent every day. Every day. Doesn't matter.
Jameer Nelson:Every day.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Doesn't matter what level you're at.
Jameer Nelson:Nope.
Dr. JJ Thomas:So, yeah. That's good stuff, Jamir.
Jameer Nelson:Finally got me on a podcast. We've been trying to do this for months.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I know. Thank you so much. No. I know. Now next is a workout, we said.
Jameer Nelson:Workout and, you know.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Maybe a little little little workout drink afterward. Little whiskey.
Jameer Nelson:No. That's right.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Oh, it's awesome.
Jameer Nelson:No. And I and I I mean, just speaking, like, about PTs and people that helped me, I I had a ton of people help me throughout my career, like trainers, PTs, and, strength coaches and things like that. And you don't like, as as a young player, I don't know if I realized how important they were to me. Yeah. But once I got to around year 10, 11, 12, I started to do things different where I would bring in my own PTO, help me out with things, or I will call you in the summer to help me out with things.
Jameer Nelson:Yeah. Where before it was like, I'm young, I'll figure it out. Yeah. But it's like, no. I have these resources, that are really good, and just like if you're going to school, you're struggling with school, you get a tutor.
Dr. JJ Thomas:That's right.
Jameer Nelson:I I had to figure out a way to do it, and and, one of the guys that that helped me out the most was my my trainer in Orlando. His name is, Keon Weese, and, a PT that I used 2 PTs. One name was, his name is Derek McBride. Really good. He was in Denver.
Jameer Nelson:And another guy, name is Andy Barr
Dr. JJ Thomas:Okay.
Jameer Nelson:Along with you. Like, the the the group that helped me don't even know each other. Yeah. You know, but I gravitated towards you because of the way, Derek and Andy helped me.
Dr. JJ Thomas:Right.
Jameer Nelson:Because they everybody is, like, work the same way, and I was, like, okay. This makes sense.
Dr. JJ Thomas:I would love to hear I mean, you know, I would love to hear your perspective. Yeah. What do you mean by that? Like, just so that more so that when p PTs know what especially what high level athletes will value in their work, like, what what made the 3 of us similar, I guess?
Jameer Nelson:How genuine you are and how you treated me as a person. Oh. That's the the main thing because I and no disrespect to any PT or any doctor or anything, but you guys are all high level, all really smart, and I didn't have any, like, major injuries, so I could have gotten help from a lot of different places. But for me, it's like I'm I'm not gonna go somewhere where I don't have