The Hidden Gems Podcast Presented by Swish Cultures

In this episode, we sit down with NBA veteran and current G League Ignite guard, John Jenkins. Join us as we go inside the world of an Ignite player, explore the benefits of the program and discuss NBA commissioner Adam Silver's recent remarks on reassessing the team. With two successful seasons representing Ignite, John has made significant contributions both on and off the court. Don't miss out as he shares his experiences and provides valuable insights into the journey of being an Ignite Player 1:33 Adam Silver reassessing the G league Ignite 4:02 G League Ignite Daily routine 7:51 Jordan talks about his experience with Ignite and being with team 6 days 9:44 John Jenkins talks about critics talking negative about Ignite that haven't been able to experience what they do 11:27 6-31 record and how competitive the G is 18:20 do scouts see players too much in the G and compared to overseas 21:00 Jordan breaks down youth basketball 27:00 how important are bringing in good vets and also vets being concerned about getting a 2 way and playing time 32:00 connections you make with being in the g league 33:00 can you get called up as a vet in the g league if your main focus is just to hoop 35:00 what if the ignite just brought the best players in the Gleague and meshed them with the G league development group would that help the young players ? 46:00 Coach Jason Hart and how important he is for the program 47: Ron holland

Kevin Punter stands out as one of the top American star players making waves in European basketball all while signing a 7 figure contract. Over the past few seasons, he has captured the attention of the basketball world while representing the Serbian powerhouse, Partizan. His journey has been remarkable, transitioning from going undrafted to facing challenging decisions regarding the NBA each summer. Tune in to discover why Europe is currently the ideal stage for KP's basketball career at the moment

Troy Payne shares his intriguing journey to becoming an NBA agent. A college basketball player with dreams of making it to the league, Payne found a different path to joining the NBA. As one of James Harden's childhood friends, who took his own route, they have now come together once again. Listen in to learn his advice for carving your path to success and advancing in the industry.

Jason Crowe Jr. is a talented high school basketball player from Lynwood, CA. He's just a sophomore but already making waves as a 6'3" point guard. During his freshman year at Lynwood High School, he averaged an incredible 36 points and 5 assists per game. What's even more special is that his dad, Jason Crowe Sr., is the team's head coach. Together, they led their school to victory in the CIF state D5 championship. In this episode, we catch up with this young and promising player as he talks about his game and exciting plans for his future basketball career. 0:30-4:38 his upbringing/ learning the game from his dad 4:45- 6:13 truth AAU. Relationship with Paul Pierce 6:17- 8:12 playing up 17's 8:42- 9:45 his confidence and composure 9:55-11:27 brining LA basketball back 13:55-15:10 winning state and being at the right school 17:35 -19:40 rapid fire

Jimmy Butler is him! It's safe to say things have heated all the way up in South Beach. The Heat have 3-0 lead over reigning Eastern Conference Champion Celtics. Four undrafted players are stealing the show for the Heat in this series. Can LeBron and the Lakers do the unthinkable and turn this series around? Listen here as we break down the Conference finals.

The Denver Nuggets are the real deal! Can Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray be stopped? The Nuggets are off to a hot start and doesn't look like they'll be cooling off anytime soon. Tune in here to listen to our adjustments for game three in LA. Also check out our predictions for the Eastern Conference Finals.

They tried to say the bubble didn't count, but it was real, and we're seeing history repeat itself. Will the Lakers be this year's world champs? The Denver Nuggets have some sleepers that will be key in this series. Can Jason Tatum be stopped? Listen in to hear all about the hottest topics in the NBA.We give our NBA draft Lottery predictions as the NBA draft lottery approaches us tonight.

As round two of the Playoffs continue to heat up, we break down what teams need to do to advance to the conference finals. We also give our feedback on the All-NBA Team and Defensive Team. Tune in to hear which stars need to step up to help their teams move on and which player was snubbed from making an All-NBA Team

Lonnie Walker saves the day for the Los Angeles Lakers. While Devin Booker and Kevin Durant put on an insane scoring display. Listen here to figure out what effect Lil Baby has on the Philadelphia 76ers and who's the next X-factor of the playoffs. On this episode, we take a deep look into the NBA playoffs and give our insight on some game adjustments heading into the next couple of rounds.

On this episode, we discuss our thoughts on Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder summer league team. The number two pick out of Gonzaga has already stolen the show after day one in the Salt Lake City summer league. The big question is will this translate into the regular NBA season and do the Thunder have too much young talent. Tune in as we dive deep into these topics.

On this episode, we get an inside look at the G League Ignite with head coach Jason Hart. Coach Hart is a California native with a wealth of knowledge of the game. After a stellar college career at Syracuse, Hart played ten years in the NBA. Before taking over as the head coach of the Ignite, Hart spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with Pepperdine and USC. Last summer, Hart took over as the head coach for the Ignite in their second season. Harts's passion and investment in developing these young men is helping to play a big part in shaping their careers. After a promising first season, Hart is gearing up for year two. Listen close to his in-depth breakdown of some of their top draft prospects and how the G League Ignite can help shape the culture of the NBA draft.

On this episode overseas pro Carlos Dune breaks down his unbelievable experiences fleeing the war in Ukraine. Dune was in the middle of the season preparing for a game and was interrupted by bomb sirens the next morning. We dive deep into Dune's career and how his professional basketball journey lead him to Ukraine. Listen here for an in-depth explanation to what people are dealing with in Ukraine.

On this episode we dive deep into the career and journey of Ben Uzoh. After going undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft Uzoh landed a guaranteed contract with the New Jersey Nets. Throughout his pro career he has also spent time with with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors. For years Uzoh has helped lead the Nigerian national team to much success. After eleven years of pro experience Uzoh decided to take his game and impact back to Africa to play in the Basketball African League (BAL). This past season was the first year of the BAL who was headlined by iconic rapper J. Cole. Having a former Nigerian NBA player with experience and knowledge was a big deal for the BAL.

On this episode, we dive deep into the journey of 12-year vet Jordan Crawford. Crawford is one of the best pure professional basketball scorers in the world. He had an unusual career path, facing adversity in high school, leaving a mark in college playing for Indiana University and Xavier University. Then getting selected as the 27th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. As a professional, Crawford has played with All-Stars such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and John Wall and has competed at the highest levels around the globe through his time overseas. Crawford shares wisdom for high school kids and their families on how to help navigate through challenges and reach for a brighter future. Crawford also breaks down today's NBA game and the business of basketball. Take a listen to hear what gems he drops next.

On this episode we discuss the impact of being ranked and what it can do for your career. The million dollar question is does being ranked matter or not? The era we are currently living in as athletes you are always numbered and labeled. Some people strive to earn that top spot where others are patiently waiting for their opportunity. We dive deep and discuss the benefits of being ranked and marked as that top prospect coming out of high school. The real debate is wether or not your ranking out of high school is that important. We discuss the pros and cons that some of the top guys face compared to the late bloomers. Take a listen to hear our thoughts so you can join the debate.

On this episode we break down the different NBA contracts. Over the last couple of years the terms Two-way and exhibit 10 and used a lot with young players while signing with NBA teams. Your average fan doesn't understand the structure of these contracts. We give you and in-depth look of what these terms mean and the structure of these deals.

The Hidden Gems Basketball Podcast takes a dive into the unbelievable journey of Shannon Shorter. The 6'4 point guard out of Houston,Tx has a inspiring story about how to take advantage of your opportunities and make them work for you. This is a testament of how Shorter's basketball career started and continues today. After graduating from The University of North Texas in 2011 the four year guard had to patiently wait a year and a half before getting his first professional basketball job in Mexico. Shorter has been battle tested his whole life and he made sure to turn this first opportunity into future success. Shorter just entered his 10th professional season with Afyon Belediye S.K in Turkey. Last season Shorter won a championship with the Chiba Jets, which is one of the top teams in Japans highest division. This season Shorter will compete in the Turkish league which is one of the best leagues in Europe. Listen to all of the obstacles Shorter had to face and how he never gave up to get to this point.

On this episode we dive deep into the journey of Lorenzo Brown. Brown is a 6'5 veteran point guard with basketball experience at the highest levels around the world. Not many players can say they have the resume as Brown. He was a second round pick selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2013 NBA draft. As a second round pick normally that means your contract isn't guaranteed. This was the case for Brown and he's had to work and earn every opportunity during his NBA career. Brown describes his mindset heading into training camp and how to keep a roster spot in the NBA. Brown had four successful seasons in the NBA and was crowned as the 2018 NBA G League MVP. Throughout his four year stint in the NBA Brown also spent parts of those season in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). The CBA is the highest professional basketball league in Asia, which also comes with a lucrative contract. After finishing two strong seasons in the CBA Brown makes the jump to the Europe. In the summer of 2019 Brown signs with Euroleague powerhouse Crvena Zvezda also known as Red Star. After completing his first successful season in Europe he later than joined Fenerbahce for the 2021 season. Fenerbache is also one of the most prestigious clubs in Europe. In his first two seasons in Euroleague Brown has established himself as one of the best point guards in the competition. This season Brown is ready for another big year with UNICS Kazan in Russia. Let's listen to how Brown has been able to keep competing at the highest levels around the globe and his plans for this season in Russia.

Big news today Nico Mannion former McDonald's All-American and NBA draft pick decides to head overseas to Italy before entering his second NBA season. Mannion is of Italian decent and is currently coming of a strong summer in the Olympics with Italy. After being drafted in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors he was given a two-way contract. By Mannion choosing this path to go play for Virtus Bologna in Italy this allows him to receive a lucrative contract and a substantial role. He's going to be playing with some of Europe's top players such as Epke Udoh, Marco Belinelli, and Milos Tedosic. On this week's episode of the weekly update listen to our remarks on Mannion's journey

We dive deep into Kevin Punter Jr. pro journey which is like no other. Punter Jr. has been out to prove himself since coming out of the Bronx. His path hasn't been the easiest but the challenges he's faced have turned him to the tough hard noise player he is. KPJ attended State Fair Community College from 2012-2014 before ended his college career at The University of Tennessee. In 2016 the 6'4 guard made the Second Team - All SEC, finishing third in scoring with 22.1 points per game. Normally a player coming out of the SEC averaging these type of numbers has NBA written all over them. Unfortunately Punter Jr went undrafted in 2016. Instead on trying to make an NBA roster through the NBA G League he decided to take his game over to Europe. Over the past six seasons KPJ has been battled tested and grinder his way from the bottom to the top. He is now arguably one of the best American guards in all of Europe. This summer he just signed the largest contract in Serbian history for an American with power house Partizan. Let's hear what it to for Punter Jr to get here.

On this introduction episode of Hidden Gems Hosts Jordan Richard and Ray McCallum dive deep into the journey of former McDonald's All American unusual path to the NBA. After a standout high school career McCallum turned down a number of high major programs like UCLA and Arizona to stay home and play for his father at The University of Detroit Mercy. You don't typically see players of his caliber go this path but let's take a listen to how McCallum still managed to find his way to the NBA after being a three year guy. In this episode we will also get McCallum's thoughts on college athletes being able to get paid through NIL. Let's listen to some of his hidden gem experiences with the Sacramento Kings and former teammates who turned into the pizza guy as an endorsement deal.