On this episode of Circuit of Success, host Brett Gilliland interviews former NBA player Larry Hughes. Hughes shares his journey of hard work and perseverance, his relationship with his godson Jason Tatum, and the lessons he learned from LeBron James. He also discusses the importance of attitude and gratitude, as well as his passion for basketball and his academy for young people. Tune in to learn more about Hughes’ insights on success and leadership.
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Speaker Brett Gilliland: Welcome to the Circuit of Success, and thank you for joining me. You know, it’s been said that success comes to those who wait, but believe the opposite. I believe that it’s earned with the right attitude, a great belief system, an action every single day. When you mix that in with faith, courage, Gilliland, and most importantly a vision, that’s when greatness happens. Now let’s dive right in to this week’s guest. Speaker Larry Hughes: Welcome to the Circuit of Success. I’m your host, Brett Gilliland. And today, Speaker Brett Gilliland: I mean, I’m fired up because Speaker Larry Hughes: I love basketball. I’m excited to be here with Mr. Larry Hughes. How you doing? Speaker 3: I’m good. Thanks for having me. Speaker Larry Hughes: Thanks for being here. We got our friend, our friend Ryan Luxafell over here. Speaker 3: Do Speaker Larry Hughes: we even talk about the quote that we just heard my friend, Mike, who you just met? Speaker 3: You know what? I hear it all the time. That’s his, that’s his go to. Speaker Larry Hughes: So Ryan likes to say he’s, he outscored you college, but the the context is there. How many years did it take Ryan to do that? Right? Speaker 3: Yeah. It took him, what, four or five. No. T took him four. It took me one. That’s right. But yeah. No. Those are good times. Definitely good times in my life. Well, we’ll Speaker Larry Hughes: talk more about that stuff. But for those people that may not know who Larry Hughes is, why don’t you give us a little background about yourself, where you grew up, what made you the man you are today? Speaker 3: Larry Hughes, thirty nine years old, from Saint Louis, Missouri, Downtown, Saint Louis. Born and raised, a bleed Saint Louis, bleed three one four. And that’s really what’s made me the person am today. My community, my surroundings, my environment, being raised by my mother who was a single parent, just still, you know, just values of working hard, you know, pushing through, never give up. You know, and that’s carried me, through my life and just, to, keep pushing. You always have adversity, and St. Louis is built around, you know, adversity and fighting through the struggle. So Really, that’s that’s what shaped me, you know, and that’s that’s what I carry with me, through the many places I’ve played in the NBA, the many places that I’ve traveled. You know, there’s no problems. There’s only solutions. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Yeah. Especially if you can be the, be the solution, right, come with the solution instead of having a problem and complain about it. We always talk about that here at work. Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean, that’s, that’s huge. I mean, you know, I obviously run run a run a business and, and, you know, have employees that work for me as well. And, you know, there’s always things that come up you know, there’s always things you have to deal with on a daily basis, but, you know, I’m I’m being gonna come to me with the solution to the problem that you thought you had as opposed to giving me a problem that you know — So Speaker Larry Hughes: you gotta fix. Speaker Brett Gilliland: — Speaker 3: that I have to fix. Exactly. Exactly right. Speaker Larry Hughes: So we gotta talk about it. You were on the, the Gilliland Wingo show yesterday. Now you gotta, you know, come hang out with this guy. Yeah. Which is kinda funny for me. Yeah. But, or cool for me. But, anyway, godfather Jason Tatum. Play with LeBron. Mhmm. We’re just talking about the game. What are your thoughts on what Jason’s doing for the Boston Celtics right now and being from Saint Louis? Speaker 3: Well, I’m I’m more I’m excited for him. I’m following them keeping up with them on my phone, you know, in television, you know, we’ve gone to a few games. But me and Jason’s dad are are closed Justin. We grew up together that’s like my brother. So, yes, that’s my godson, and that’s, you know, that’s the title. But he’s really like my nephew because me and Justin are, are our brothers. We, like I said, we’ve grown together. I call his mom, you know, my mom, his little, his little sister is my sister. So it’s a, it’s a family Gilliland, I’m just happy to see him successful. You dropped into a great situation being in Boston, with the great coach, great history, from an organizational standpoint. So I’m I’m happy. I’m glad that’s where he he ended up at. Speaker Larry Hughes: It’s phenomenal to see. And so I think what do you think? So right now, when you think about when you played or the mindset verbatim, I mean, some people get on that show and it’s the big light, right? And they don’t they don’t do what he’s doing. Yeah. Speaker 3: So what Speaker Larry Hughes: do you think he’s doing mentally that’s different than what a lot of other people maybe didn’t rise on the occasion with? Speaker 3: I think he’s been been prepped, you know, for the situation. I think he’s, you know, had a goal in mind from a young kid. I think, everyone around him, you know, supported his goals. To to help him get to to where he wanted to be. And I think he’s been prepped for it, playing a lot of basketball, doing a lot of skill development work, a lot of communication, going to a good high school, all that stuff plays into, you know, what he’s doing now. I mean, it’s his foundation, and that’s what’s he’s able to show, you know, once the lights come on? Speaker Larry Hughes: Yep. Yeah. So let’s talk about also then about LeBron James. You play with LeBron. Saw you were the second leading scorer behind LeBron James, the year you guys went to the NBA finals. And so, what’d you learn from LeBron or maybe what did you even teach LeBron? Speaker 3: Because you Speaker Larry Hughes: played with him when he was young mean, what was it like playing with a guy that now is, you know, arguably one of the top two or three greatest players in the ever to play? Speaker 3: Well, like I said, all those things that I learned you know, growing up, you know, as far as adversity, you know, never give up. I always fight through. I always push through. You know, those are the conversations that I was having with Braun. I mean, as as a young kid, you know, coming into the lead, you know, if it was a match up, if it was a tough match up, maybe it’s, say, Carmelo Anthony, A lot of times I had that matchup early on. Yeah. You know, but now you see Braun taking that matchup. It’s because that’s what we talked about. Right. If you that’s what you want. You have to take on that matchup. You have to take on that challenge and you have to push through. So think I had a, you know, a little hand in. You know, it’s kind of this early, thought process as far as to what, you know, he wanted to be in the league. Speaker Larry Hughes: So talk to us about success. What? How do you define success for your life and, and for others? Speaker 3: Success is, it’s a journey. It’s opportunity. And success is being prepared, to sacrifice. And I think you don’t get to to be successful if you don’t, sacrifice. Sacrificing time, that’s sacrificing family, that’s sacrificing excitement. So being successful for me is, just having the opportunity to to help others, at the same time, do right by yourself. Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: So, obviously, you, you know, sports guy, all that kind of stuff, but now being the business and we talked about that just a second ago. But why is the fundamentals? And I know it’s big in the Larry Hughes Basketball Academy, but but the fundamentals and the basics apply that to the business Gilliland for our listeners, the business leaders that are out there listening. Why are fundamentals in doing the basics so important? Speaker 3: I think it’s the foundation. Know, I think it’s it’s building the legs to the table. From a business standpoint, I mean, obviously having the right system in place of, you know, your your numbers and your performance, but, you know, hiring the right people, you know, and having the right people involved with with what your mission is and where you’re pushing to is you know, it’s the biggest factor in business. You know, but that’s how you lay your foundation. That’s how you build your culture of, you know, how you’re gonna operate as a business. And You know, it’s it’s a learning process, and and people have done it for years and years and years, so there’s books and there’s information out there. But until you’re in it, it it looks different you know, all the time. Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: And I think it’s hard too. Don’t I mean, I assume you would agree with this, but, you know, when you have been successful and you’ve done something for a long time to still commit to the basis Right? And so I remember I went to Cardinal Spring training a few years back. And I was just fascinated by the fact that they were, you know, practicing how to bunt and practicing how to the the the pitcher to go cover first base on a bunt and catch the ball, right? Those little things that As you probably see kids today and I know my kids and Ryan’s kids, it’s like for them to focus on those simple tasks, kids don’t want to do it. Speaker 3: Now, and and and we’re results driven. So they see that, and they think that that just kind of happened. Right? They just see that. Yeah. They’re maybe that they’re older. So they they just gain that sort of knowledge. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Speaker 3: You know, from the little kids. But, you know, if they continue to build in that way in that in, in that format, then they’ll have those skills to do the extra stuff. Yeah. Right? But the extra stuff only comes when you have the basics, like if Steph Curry couldn’t shoot a free throw, he couldn’t shoot at three point from half court. I mean, so he’s building that foundation and now be the person that you see. In in basketball, a lot of kids wanna follow because he shoots the ball from — Right. Speaker Brett Gilliland: — Speaker 3: from, you know, anyone Anywhere he wants. Right. Yep. Speaker Larry Hughes: It makes it. So, talk about that leadership. So on and off the court, and especially now using that business mindset, What does it take to be a great leader? Speaker 3: Man, that’s for me, it’s being a listener, being a listener, and in in giving or, allowing ownership of of what you’re doing. Right? Even if they’re an employee, if they’re an hourly employee, you know, letting them have ownership in what they’re doing, what they’re working with. I found that’s been good, you know, from from a leadership standpoint because you get to buy in. You know, and that’s, you know, being a leader. I mean, if you can get the buy in, and you’re headed in the right direction. Yep. Speaker Larry Hughes: And how do you do that? So I noticed you had your mission statement and all that kind of stuff. Is that that’s something that you you do because of your Gilliland you you take some time away from the business and work on that, or how does that come to your to your business world? Speaker 3: Well, I actually, It’s good to know people. Yep. So I’ve been connected. Had the opportunity to talk to some good business people, who build businesses. That’s what they do. Yep. You know, and not to be the smartest person in the room, I find that to be, you know, taking back steps. So I always want to surround myself with good people. And learn from them. So a lot of the information I’m giving you today or that I talk about is things that I’ve learned that I’ve heard that I’m able to apply to the things that I do in in everyday life. So so listening on both ends, you’re listening to your, your employees or your staff, but also listen to the people that done it before you that have made those mistakes and can make you a better, Speaker Larry Hughes: leader. Something I saw when I was researching this and I say it all the time and people around me probably get tired of hearing me saying it, but I say we gotta slow down to speed up. Speaker 3: Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: Right? And I heard you say in the I think it was yesterday, actually, on the the Golock show, and and you said you gotta slow down to speed up in the NBA because they were talking about how lebron’s average speed was the slowest in the NBA or something like that and how irrelevant that is. But talk to us about slowing down the speed up and why that’s so important Speaker 3: or in a basketball sense, I think that that’s how we develop the kids. They’re in the game, so they just start. A million things going on at one time. You got, you know, nine other kids asking for the basketball. You got five other people trying to snatch the basketball from you on defense. So there’s a lot of things going on. So their game is just fast. I mean, they’re running, you know, full speed. It’s a rat race. Right? In the NBA, you talk about, you slow down to get organized, then you go ahead and execute what you’ve been working on. That’s the difference between youth basketball and and obviously the professional level. But from a business standpoint, it’s just the the basic blocking, tackling, it’s to, you know, is your website accurate, right? If someone clicks onto your site, can they get to what they wanna get to, right? If they wanna sign up, they just have to click you know, one time or two times or three times, right? They click three times. They’re probably not gonna sign up. So these are the kind of things that we’ve learned from just from a basic, like blocking and tackling to make sure that what you’re offering, people can actually get to it. Speaker Larry Hughes: That’s good. That’s good advice too, because in the speed of the world, right, we live in. We wanna We want it right now. Speaker 3: Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. And I had a click three times. I’m not Speaker 3: doing it. You’re not doing it. Speaker Larry Hughes: Which is crazy. But, what would you tell the Larry Hughes of ten or fifteen years ago. Go back into your life, and what would you tell that guy? Speaker 3: Man, continue to listen, you know, continue to, keep your ears open. Your mouth closed, you know, you know, for the majority of the time, and be patient, continue to be patient And you’re gonna make mistakes, but I think that that’s adversity and that that builds your character. You know, as soon as you make those mistakes, the faster you can, planted information, be better than you were the first time, and stay positive, you know, because things happen in this world and in this space that you can’t control, and, you just have to adjust to it, you have to deal with it, and you gotta push through. So those are that’s what I would tell my Speaker Larry Hughes: Absolutely to adapt, right? Speaker 3: They did that for sure. Speaker Larry Hughes: And so when you think when you look back at Larry Hughes ten or fifteen years ago, you were playing, was there the Larry that maybe didn’t listen? Speaker 3: Of course. Of course. I mean, I remember first coming into the league, being under Larry Brown as, you know, eighteen year old kid that, you know, been playing basketball at a high level for, you know, a number of years, and you have to take it back a step so you can listen understand what the transition is from the NBA, excuse me, from college to the NBA. Yeah. So, yeah, I would definitely, you know, listen a little bit more, I’ve I’ve always been a listener, but how the other person received me listening, I would say that that’s one thing that I could change. Speaker Larry Hughes: That’s a big deal to listen, and I appreciate you keep talking about that because it is important. The more we talk, right? Speaker 3: The more we Oh, yeah. For sure. Speaker Larry Hughes: Probably get ourselves in more trouble we do anything. So what was it like? So you you go to slough. You guys had, you know, a great, your freshman year had a great season. Then you go to the NBA, or is it because, you know, you were this unbelievably good high school basketball player, great college basketball player, and now you go to the MBA right, where everybody’s good. Speaker 3: Yep. I Speaker Larry Hughes: mean, what was that transition like for you? Speaker 3: I enjoyed it, you know, because I enjoyed to compete. You know, I enjoyed, you know, before the league, I mean, I was actually traveling around and playing against high level competition. So I knew that I could, you know, play at a high level. When you get into a locker room with grown men and, you know, they they have different issues and different problems, and then you have it at eighteen. It’s it’s different. And then, and then the workload is is different. But for me, it was about to work. Like, if you said, you know, 06:00AM, 04:00AM, you had to get roll work in and then we have to go and practice. I’ll do it just because that’s the you know, the competition. That’s the workload. That’s what goes along with it. So there wasn’t a huge, huge transition other than the workload and obviously playing against you know, grown men. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Well, another professional athlete told me this one time, and they said that it the the hardest thing wasn’t getting in this a baseball player wasn’t getting to the big leagues, but it was staying in the big leagues. I mean, was that something you constantly focused on in the off season and did that drive you at all? Speaker 3: You know what? I didn’t think about that until probably 10:11, twelve years in. Like, you know, you think about the draft, right? They have a draft and thirty, forty kids get picked up. So that means thirty, somebody Speaker Larry Hughes: wants your job. Speaker 3: Yeah. Somebody has to go. Like, the number’s like, so somebody has to go. But I didn’t realize that, you know, from year one to seven or eight. I mean, like, it didn’t. I felt I was good enough that it just didn’t matter. Yeah. Right? But I didn’t, you know, until, you know, year ten, and I’m like, you know what? I gotta do extra work, not get in shape as fast as I, I, I, I usually do. Then you know what the draft’s coming around. Maybe somebody coming to take this spot. So, yeah, after year ten, I mean, that that came into play. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yep. Yep. So let’s talk about the circuits of success and, we talked very briefly about this earlier, but when you hear the word attitude, what comes to mind? Speaker 3: For me, it’s it’s your reflection. It’s, attitude has a lot to do with, with with gratitude. We kind of put those things together within our program’s attitude and gratitude is because, you know, if you’re able to show gratitude, then then your attitude is is it should be a positive one. Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: It’s hard to be, thankful and mad all at the same Speaker 3: time. Exactly. Speaker Larry Hughes: Exactly. So beliefs, what were your belief systems growing up playing? Today in the business world, what are those beliefs, those fundamentals that you know Larry Hughes has to do every single day to be successful? Speaker 3: I have a positive outlook. You know, when I wake up in the morning, I have a positive outlook. Speaker Larry Hughes: So how may I interrupt you, sorry, real quick? So how do you do that? So, because not every day you wake up and it’s like, oh, it’s, you know, like today, seventy two and sunny, So how do you, how do you get yourself in that positive mindset? Speaker 3: I think it’s, it’s over time for me, knowing that you’re not gonna win every day. So the the the your best chance to be successful in that day is to have a positive start to that day to think positive. And I have a huge to do list. So things that I don’t get to, I just roll it over to the next day. Yeah. So I’m continuously rolling. So when I wake up the next day, it’s like What do I have to attack today? Speaker Larry Hughes: Right. Speaker 3: Alright. What what sort of success will I find today? Because if I don’t find success in the first thing, I just move on to the second or to the third or to the fourth. Because I’ve created that mindset of these are the things that I wanna get done today. And if I don’t get them done today, then I’ll just roll them into the next day There’s no failure that I didn’t get to it that first day because I roll it into to the next day. Speaker Larry Hughes: Never give up on it. And so are you a visualization person? I mean, you know, a lot of people you’ll hear wake up in the morning and they visualize the day or they visualize their visions and the things they wanna do and who they wanna become. Is that, is that to you. Speaker 3: I I think that could be a would be a combination of of vision and planning. I’m a I’m a huge planner, use two different, you know, calendars, for my day, business and family. So I would definitely say that yes, that’s, you know, I envision being successful every day. Got it. I I envisioned being successful. I envision anything that I left off, you know, from a phone call or from an email to wake up in that email that said, yes, it’s approved, yes, it’s success, or yes, it’s a go. Yep. Like, I, I, you know, I look forward to that. Speaker Larry Hughes: Right. And wouldn’t you agree that it is a choice? I mean, because you could, you could wake up every day, right, and have a bad attitude. Speaker 3: Yeah. For sure. For sure. I I would definitely, a hundred percent, that that it’s a choice. Yep. Circumstances are what they are. But your mindset is, is, you know, something that, you know, most of us control. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yep. Absolutely. So what are the actions? I mean, what did you do again playing now in the business world, what are those actions? If you know, if you do these, you know, this one or two or three things every day, you’ll be successful. Speaker 3: I would have to say listen for me. Listen for me because I think in business, there’s a there’s always, you know, things on a table that are spinning that are, you know, just ready to tip-off the table. Yep. So me listening and understanding what those issues are and then applying energy, to certain situations. So it always comes back to to listening, and and and being prepared to to listen because you know, there’s a lot of hidden gems within conversations. Right. And if you don’t listen, then, you know, you can’t pick them up. Speaker Larry Hughes: So when I say the words, talent versus hard work, what comes to mind? Speaker 3: I think talent is is given and hard work is is something that you, you develop over time. But I definitely think that you’re you’re given talent. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Just kinda born with it? Yeah. Speaker 3: I think you’re you’re born with talent. Yeah. It’s it’s what you apply to that talent. That’s, you know, hard work and a dedication part that happens over time. Yep. Because you, you know, you won’t be successful just in one day. That’s something that’s gonna happen, you know, over time. So that’s, you know, that that’s really my my mindset. Speaker Larry Hughes: Right. Was the old saying something like, hard work beats talent, if talent doesn’t work. Exactly. Speaker 3: So you Speaker Larry Hughes: can be talented all day long, but if you don’t work at it, Yeah. Speaker 3: Because it’s a gift. Right. It’s a gift, just like it’s something that someone gives you for your birthday. And if it’s, you know, if it’s a video camera and you put it up on your shelf, and you, you never use it. And it you just got a video camera for, for a present, and you never, you never use it. But we’ll look at all those things that that video camera can do if you actually you know, apply what what it is. Speaker Larry Hughes: Good analogy. So let’s talk about fears. Did, were fears ever a big part of your, you know, either growing up or when playing all that stuff. Was it was feared that it drive you? Speaker 3: Yeah, fear drives you drives me. It motivates me. I really only fear loss, really, and that’s not lost in a in a competitive situation. That’s lost like you know, from a family or close friends standpoint. Like, I don’t fear anything else. Like, that’s that’s, you know, business day or basketball day or competition day, a hard work day, you know, no problems at all, you know, just one fear of, you know, the loss. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. And how many of the fears you put in your mind actually came true to the magnitude you put them in your mind to be? Speaker 3: Probably just won me. I lost my brother, you know, when I was, in Cleveland in, six, and that was something that was a fear that was like, it was real. Speaker Larry Hughes: Right. It Speaker 3: was real. And it was one of those tough things to get over. But using basketball helped me, you know, get over that, you know, that fear of what’s next? Speaker Larry Hughes: And he was sick for a while. Right? Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah. He was, he was a heart transplant recipient, and, he was, you know, getting ready pretty close to being on the list for a their heart. Wow. Because he had it for, ten plus years. So yeah. Wow. Speaker Larry Hughes: So that was, that was tough. So let’s talk about your habits and your rituals for success. What were those habits that you did every single day? I know you talked about the listening and the positive attitude, but what what was the Was it working out? Was it eating a certain way? Were you superstitious? I mean, what were the things that you did? Speaker 3: Nah. You know what? I have one habit or maybe super stitching is always put my right foot shoe on first. Speaker Larry Hughes: Is that right? Speaker 3: And that’s, you know, I don’t know where it came from. Maybe it was after having a good game or a good experience or something, but I’ve and I actually don’t really know when it start. I just noted myself. Yeah, because one day I put my left foot on him, I was like, oh, it’s not it’s not right. Red you. Take it off. Yeah. And put my right shoe on, and then put my my my left shoe. Speaker Larry Hughes: So for those of you listening, so Larry’s guaranteeing if you put your right shoe on first, you’ll be successful. Speaker 3: You may be successful. However, you you can always try it. You can always try it. Speaker Larry Hughes: So let’s talk about for people that, you you get off track, you get disappointed, right? Because not everything is a success and as much as we like to talk about success. It’s not reality to always be successful. So what did you do and what could you recommend? And even the people you saw that were great, at their sport, what did they do to bounce back quickly from disappointment? Speaker 3: I think preparation preparing yourself. It’s hard work, that’s road work, that’s doing everything before you actually get into that situation. So if you shot poorly, you’re getting up extra shots. You know, those are the things that are consistent. And that’s work. Work is consistent. If if if you’re able to apply the work, you can be consistent and, you know, things will will will using and positive. Speaker Larry Hughes: So in your world, unlike, you know, my world, in the business world, we don’t have the, you know, the everyday media all over us. If we miss a shot, we do this or critique in every one of our moves. Right? So how did you clear the noise and just go perform? Speaker 3: I think that’s your mindset. My mindset, was to be focused on who I am, understand who I am. How I deal with the medias is was a thought process, right? They’re covering a game, they’re covering what your actions are, they’re covering what doing. They’re not necessarily covering who you are, what you’re going through or what you’ve been through because they don’t know a lot of times when you go, you know, o four eight, you know, what’s really going on in your head. Like, they don’t really know that. So they can only talk about what the action is. Yeah. So I never took it personal, and that allowed me just to move on. And I’m a huge listener. I’m not a big talker, so I see those guys out. There’s no there’s no issue. We just move on to the next you know, to to the next deal. Speaker Larry Hughes: Well, you got voted, most, like, most acceptable of the media. Speaker 3: Yeah. I did. I did in in in in Cleveland. Yeah. Because it’s it’s it’s their job. It’s their job. You communicate with them. But again, they don’t know what’s actually going on. They only know, you know, what those actions are. So for me, I never took anything personally. Oh, this guy shouldn’t be paid this amount of money. Well, it’s not up to you to decide. And my family is very happy that we’re in this position. So I wouldn’t take that personal. Yep. You know, so I’m able to not have any, you know, clouded thought process when I’m going out to play. It’s just the basketball game I’m going to play. Speaker Larry Hughes: It’s probably better to keep those guys on the good side anyway. Right? Speaker 3: Always. They have last word. Right. Exactly. They have the last word. It’s gonna be in print. They have the last word. And, you know, they’re trying to, to feed their families as well. Speaker Larry Hughes: So let’s talk about the Larry Hughes Basketball Academy Now, you obviously don’t have to do this stuff. So, I would assume that means it’s a passion and something you wanna help the community with. So so why is Larry Hughes, doing this basketball thing? Speaker 3: I wanted to be in the the basketball space, obviously, basketball’s given me a lot, through the years. But then again, I understand that we’re not all gonna be professional basketball players will be be paid to play a sport. So it’s huge that we build young people up, from a character development from a leadership, using basketball as that sport. Mhmm. Speaker Larry Hughes: So Speaker 3: I have, you know, more fun when, you know, the kids come in and, you know, we do a pound, or we do a high five, we look each other in the eye, you know, we say hi, we ask how your day is going, because those are the things that are gonna get them to where they wanna be in life, you know, ultimately. But for me, you know, I use basketball because I know basketball at the back of my hand, you know, It’s like a brain surgeon knows, you go see to have problems with your brain, you go see a brain surgeon. Well, I know basketball just that much. So to come back to Saint Louis and give some of that information out to the young people, whether they have aspirations of being professional basketball player, or they just want to compete and play with their friends in the backyard, everyone has an opportunity to be successful because it’s about who you are on and off the court. It’s not about, you know, basketball again. Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: So there’s obviously a much bigger picture here than just basketball. Right? I know it’s about basketball, but Speaker 3: There is. There is. I mean, I think a tons of parents put their kids in in, you know, programs and organizations that are, athletic, you know, programs that are driven just basically on the sport. And wonder why, you know, our young kids are, you know, not listening at home or not doing the right things in school, because it’s not just about the sport. Right. It’s just not just about to sport, especially as we work with the young kids, from, you know, K through eighth grade is really the sweet spot. Those kids need, you know, as much development, as much conversations, as much mentorship as possible. Speaker Larry Hughes: Right. Speaker 3: So they can be successful. Speaker Larry Hughes: So what’s your philosophy on, in today’s world? You know, Ryan and I talk a lot about this is, you know, we’re bouncing around from whether it’s basketball to baseball soccer to track meet in the list goes on and on. Right? And so, what’s your philosophy on multiple sports and what advice would you have for parents out there? Speaker 3: Well, I think this, in today’s, aged Gilliland families have to pick one sport sooner than ever. I think that that’s just the way it’s gone because of all the sport specific things that go on and just the high level of competition that goes on you know, after youth. But for me and our program, we we encourage multiple sports. You understand, different body movements. You’re around a different group of people. So you’re learning other people. I mean, that’s the most important is that your basketball people are not necessarily your soccer people or your soccer people are not necessarily your football people. So if you’re interacting with all these different groups, not only is we’re we’re talking about learning the different sports and the body movements, but you learn about people, you know, and where they come from and and, you know, what their interests are, why are they in involved in soccer and not basketball or involved in basketball and not football. So I think that that’s, you know, the most important piece to us encouraging our young people to go out and experience different sports. They’re experiencing different, you know, ways of life. Yep. Speaker Larry Hughes: That’s a great perspective. So what what are we doing? Let’s not say what’s Ryan doing wrong? What are parents doing wrong in today’s world? What are our parents? How are we screwing up our kids? Speaker 3: I think we’re in the middle. I think we’re in the middle. I, I think, when I go to games, I have the opportunity to, to be a dad understands and not necessarily be a coach on sidelines. So I’m able to see things, you know, from all different angles. And I think our parents, especially from a competition side in basketball, do a very poor job of supporting their kids during the competition because what I find is that they’re more focused on the coach of either team, whether it’s their team or the other team and the referees. They’re not necessarily focused on what their kid is doing or what the team is doing they’re more concerned about what the referee is doing. So I think that that that hurts the kids because they don’t get that encouragement from the stands. And then after the game, the first thing I said is something about that coach or something about that referee, and not that, Hey, I’m proud of you. You had a great game. You know, we didn’t win this one and we didn’t make this one. We’ll get it next time. You know, I think a lot of the conversation in hear and see a lot of the conversations are about the coach Speaker Brett Gilliland: — Speaker Larry Hughes: Yep. — or the referees. It’s always somebody else’s fault. Speaker 3: It’s always someone else’s fault. I think that that’s teaching a bad message. Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: So what, what do you wish you had more time right now that you were able to do more of? Speaker 3: Right now is golf. Right now is golf. I’ve actually picked up the clubs a few years ago, and then I I hurt my back. So I had to shut it down a little bit. But really golf. I’ve been getting out on the driving range and, and, you know, plan to hit the course, sometime in June. But that for me is is something away from what I’m normally doing and and really what I’m comfortable doing. Yeah. Because it’s something new and it’s something different. So, yeah, I wanna have spends more time, you know, playing golf and being out there. Speaker Larry Hughes: Maybe I can help you with that. So, when you look back and so you think about your academy now and and so you get the parents involved, you get the kids involved. What, you know, if I’m a parent, listen, of this, what what makes your academy different that you’re gonna help my son with? Speaker 3: Or daughter? I think it’s the information. It’s the information and it’s the foundation. It’s a lot of the whys and why these kids are doing what they’re doing on the playing field. It’s why you take that first step. It’s how you take that first step. To why you use, you know, your inside hand on defense, when you’re in the passing lane or versus the other hand. So a lot of that information be come from my years in the NBA being around tons of coaches. Tons of information and bringing that information back. Yeah. So with our program, what you’ll get most importantly is the information. And then how you apply that information, how many hours you work, outside of the academy, because we only get them an hour, you know, at night. So it’s what they’re doing outside of the academy, that’s really gonna turn tell the difference. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. That’s big deal. So what risk when you look back at your life are you happy you took? Speaker 3: I think going to Saint Louis University, I mean, I was pushed to go outside of St. Louis. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I was I was pushed to go outside of St. Louis. I mean, and it started, you know, very early in high school. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Do you remember that first call? Like, how, like, what grade were you in Speaker 3: I think I was fifteen. Yeah. I I was fifteen. And it’s a little different, obviously, back then. It was, you know, they had these guys called runners, so they kinda. They can get they can get who they needed to get to. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Speaker 3: But it’s, it started very early. But my family being here from Saint Louis and everything I knew and understood was in Saint Louis. I mean, I think that that was a risk that I was willing to take. Yeah. And and obviously it paid off, but a lot of the other programs, you know, push a number of pros out, you know, of their, their universities. But, you know, we made it happen in Saint Louis. I’m definitely happy that, I took that chance. Speaker Larry Hughes: That’s awesome. And then, I guess final questions when you think about that success you’ve had and you think about, the next generation. What what do you hope? You have Larry Hughes junior. Mhmm. Speaker 3: Right? And do Speaker Larry Hughes: you have other do you have other kiddos? Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah. Two, daughters that are older. Actually, one in, single University. Oh, okay. And the other one is, will be at TCU next year. Speaker Larry Hughes: Oh, awesome. Yeah. I did see that. Yeah. So on Instagram. So what what do you hope that you’re passing on to them What’s your legacy for them? Speaker 3: Hard work, hard work, I’ll be consistent. Give energy and effort to the things that you’re doing, whether that’s in school work or that’s on a playing field. And just be be encouraged, you know, be be encouraged to be successful, be encouraged to help people, be encouraged to motivate, because a lot of things that happen are not necessarily money driven, you know, they’re not necessarily money driven. So be happy with what you’re doing, be passionate in what you’re doing. And like they said, never a a day of work, feel like work. So it it should always be something that you you enjoy doing. Speaker Larry Hughes: So tell us the greatest player you played with, and the greatest player you played again Speaker 3: I would say width would have to be Michael Jordan. You know, I play with Mike in in in DC. Obviously, he wasn’t you know, the black Jesus of of of Speaker Larry Hughes: of old. Right. Speaker 3: But he’s still He’s pretty darn close. He’s he’s he’s still, the greatest basketball player that that that I’ve seen play it and play with. Speaker Larry Hughes: So if somebody asks you, and we can, we can always edit this out if we have to. But if somebody asks you Kobe, LeBron, Michael, you gotta start a team. Larry Hughes gets first pick in the draft. Who’s he picked? Speaker 3: Oh, that’s an easy one. That’s that takes up, point, point one seconds. That’s that’s Michael Jordan. Can I Speaker Larry Hughes: answer before I stop asking? Speaker 3: That’s that’s that’s Michael Jordan. Alright. Speaker Larry Hughes: And why is it? Speaker 3: His his mentality, his, his never give, mentality how hard he worked as understanding of the game. Yep. His and I think really just everything that goes along with mentality, you know, and being successful. Yep. It’s it’s it’s what, you know, what draws me to, to, to, to Mike. Speaker Larry Hughes: I had the privilege of, watching him play, I guess, four I get to go see him play as a bulls player. Speaker 3: Yeah. Speaker Larry Hughes: Many him at a golf tournament one time, and I slip down a hill, and he literally grabs my arm and pulls me back up. He’s You aren’t right, kid? Speaker 3: I’m like, Speaker Larry Hughes: I couldn’t even talk. It was awesome. And he gave me his autograph, so Speaker 3: pretty cool. That’s that’s good. I gotta I have his jersey up in my house. Speaker Larry Hughes: It’s only one of one Speaker 3: of few that I have at the house, and, he’s definitely one of them. Speaker Larry Hughes: So he was the best one you played with. And who was, who was one of the guys to play against? Speaker 3: I would say, you know what, I have, Three. Can I give you three? Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Absolutely. Speaker 3: You got Ellen Iverson, who’s always my matchup because we were good friends and the coaches felt like he wouldn’t go at me as hard as he would go at everybody else. Then there’s, Kobe. Yeah. Who was just an assassin with, you know, you know, the the amount of time he touched the basketball, the amount of times that he was able to shoot the ball and develop a shot, so he was just always tough to guard. And then Tracy McGrady, Tracy Mcgrady, started off a little bit slow. But once he got to Orlando, again, he was always my matchup and, you know, he’s six eight and one of those guys that that’s deadly. So those three guys are the toughest guys that I’ve played in the league. Speaker Larry Hughes: So if you could apply to the the LeBron’s, the Kobe’s, the Tracy McGrady’s, the Larry Hughes’s of the world. What if you could say one thing that you could apply from that that would help our listeners in the business world. What is it? Speaker 3: I think never give up, you know, the attitude is the mindset. Yeah. I think it never give up. Because playing in the NBA, it’s it’s grueling. I mean, it’s it’s hard work to product that you see on the court, you know, on a nightly basis is is the results of a lot of hours of preparation and hard work and dedication to their bodies, to their minds, and just to their craft of of the basketball game. So I think that, you know, in a business space, with that same so that I’ve never given up knowing that you won’t win every day is is very valuable. Because again, it allows you to to move on to the next day. It allows you to to continue to fight, continue to, to, to try to win and be successful. Speaker Larry Hughes: Awesome. So working our listeners find more of more of you. Social media? Speaker 3: Yes. Social media, the real LUs, on on all the platforms. Instagram, Twitter. I think that’s really the only ones that I kind of use. Speaker Larry Hughes: I’m There’s so many of them. Right? Speaker 3: There there’s so many of them. And then the LHVA platform. Our website, we do a great job of getting the information out, and and just being really current and up to date with anything that someone wants to know whether it’s skill development, whether it’s team play, whether it’s character development or leadership, or just, just the opportunities that are involved, with the program. That’s a h b a s t o dot com. You know, that website is is is great. Speaker Larry Hughes: Yeah. Absolutely. Well, Larry, thank you for being here. Speaker 3: Thank you. Speaker Larry Hughes: It’s great. Slide.
