What makes you an NBA veteran?

On the latest episode of Hustle Play, Thaddeus Young discusses his role as an NBA veteran and Chris Boucher outlines how helpful Young has been since he joined Toronto. Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts or watch on our Yahoo Sports Canada YouTube.

Video Transcript

- So a couple of questions, though. What was both of your first interaction like and you said, OK, 15 year vet. What really makes you a vet because I've heard you say just playing in the NBA doesn't make you a vet. So what really makes you a vet? Because Chris said as well, he didn't feel like a vet.

CHRIS BOUCHER: No.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Yeah, I mean, I think it's you know, the obstacles and stuff that you kind of been through. Like you've been in that fire, you've been in those battles all across the board, you know and then you have all the experience. Like I've played against obviously like Kobe, Shaq, like all those guys, Vince Carter like you know, when those guys were in their prime. So you know, I think that's one of the things that kind of like make you into a vet. Like when you have that type of experience against all those different guys. Like I remember going into like a playoff series and you know, I'm looking across the line at three or four Hall of Famers, and that was when we played the Celtics in the series. They actually made a movie about it like "Uncut Gems."

- Yeah, that movie was hot, yeah.

THADDEUS YOUNG: We were in that series with KG.

- Adam Sandler.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Adam Sandler.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Yeah. OK so it was like KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, like you line up against those guys, you're like OK. Well, we take them to 7 and you know, that was like one of the moments where I was like, man, this thing is really like crazy. And that was probably like in my maybe my third or fourth year or something like that. And you know, but just like that series alone kind of like sealed a lot in my mind about like how like you have to be ready for each and every situation that's going on. Because like these guys are like stone cold killers out there and you got to be ready for that moment.

- You've been playing in the NBA longer than Chris has been playing ball.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah, man.

- You know a bit about Chris' story already?

THADDEUS YOUNG: No, I haven't heard too much about it, but you know, I know like from the conversations we've had he's always said like, yeah, I haven't even been playing that long. I'm like, what?

CHRIS BOUCHER: No, man. I've been saying that to everybody.

THADDEUS YOUNG: It's crazy.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Be honest with you like when I see those 20-years-old, like Scotty and all that, I'm like they're killing at their age. Like remember when we had that talk in the bus and we're like man, go for it. We're looking like-- we're like parents like that have kids that are successful. Like go ahead, keep going.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Yeah, keep going. Like that's all I'm saying. Like hey, kid. Keep going. Keep doing your thing, like--

CHRIS BOUCHER: We're going to be right there to watch.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Yeah, like Scott-- like Scotty's a special talent. I mean, Precious is too.

- Yeah, yeah.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Like those guys are special talents and with them being special talents like you want to see them continue to grow. Like, and that's the one thing about like I think like about our guy team like nobody hates on each other or anything like that. Nobody doesn't want somebody to not do well. Everybody is like encouraging each other and like saying, look, like go. Like go do your thing.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah, yeah.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Like keep going.

- And speaking of that, I mean, Chris, what have you really liked about Thaddeus since he's joined the team?

CHRIS BOUCHER: I mean, it's like the energy change. You know obviously we're a pretty young team and you know, obviously we got Fred Pascal and there are our vets, but you could tell that as soon as he came in like, you know, the conversation were different. You know, like--

- Woah, wait. Do you mean?

CHRIS BOUCHER: The tight mounts. It's just-- it's like a further knowledge about the game. You know like when you haven't played games for so long when things go bad and stuff, it's easy to go start pointing fingers and stuff. But like he came in with the like, you know what? All right, man, just to make it down to five now. You know, oh, you need-- we need this with tonight. You know and with the young guys, it's like OK, like keep pushing. I'm going to be right there to help you and if you need anything, I'm always there. And those are things that we actually needed obviously because you know, he's probably been through that for the last 15 years and probably somebody did that for him.

And now he's bringing that to us and that's something that we needed. And you could see in the game like it doesn't look like we are ever too down on each other like, you know, and part of this is him. Part of this is the coaching staff and just knowing what to say at the [INAUDIBLE]. Sometimes I had moments with him too and it's good to know that somebody is, you know, understanding the game and knowing the moments when to say something. And like sometimes to tell you that Chris, you need to shut the fuck up a little bit because he told me that one time.

[LAUGHTER]

- I mean, you know, you know what? On that road trip though I think is when you guys kind of woke up the NBA little bit.

CHRIS BOUCHER: Yeah, yeah.

- I mean, people were talking about you a little bit before, but after that road trip knocking off Denver, knocking off Phoenix, knocking off the Clippers and that Clippers game was like neck and neck. That was right there. I didn't know how that was going to go, but who are some of the guys that you spoke to, Thaddeus, coming up growing, some of the guys you went to advice over years?

THADDEUS YOUNG: Like when I first came into the league I had really good like solid vets that like was willing to like more than willing to kind of like teach and tell me certain things like one of my vets was like Reggie Evans. He was like he taught me like how to just be tough. Another one was Elton Brand and then I obviously played with like--

- Love Elton Brand. Real cool dude.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Yeah, he's super cool and we had a like a lot of conversations like just dinner and planes and like everything all across the board. Tony Bettis.

- I have not heard that name in a long time.

THADDEUS YOUNG: Like, just like those-- but those guys were like great. Donyell Marshall, Theo Ratliff, like all those guys they play within like my first three or four years in league so they were like super solid vets. Like obviously like Andre Iguodala, he was like huge for like the growth of like me just kind of like sitting behind him and kind of like just watching it a lot. And you know, just having like those guys like really solidified like who I can be and what I can do, you know, in this league and it really put me in a position to like learn how to lead. And then Doug Collins, one of my coaches that I had for the Sixers, he will always encourage me to like speak up when, you know, I need to speak up or like always say something. Or like always be in a huddle like look, I know you're coming off the bench, but you're still a captain of this team. And you to, you know, you have to show that every single day and that's--

- And you were starting for a bit at that point too, didn't you?

THADDEUS YOUNG: Yeah, so I was like on and off kind of like starter and then like six man. Like Doug came to me and Lou was like look, I need both of you guys to come off the bench.

- You're like uh-uh.

THADDEUS YOUNG: You know and because we had like Jrue Holiday starting and Andre Iguodala, Willie Green, and all those guys. So he was like look, I need you guys to come off the bench so we can like we can win basketball games, so.

- You weren't having it at first. You didn't want to come back off the bench as a starter.

THADDEUS YOUNG: No, I wasn't trying to listen to him, but then he was like look. He was like-- he was like look, if you come off the bench I promise you're going to get paid. I was like all right, Bit.

[LAUGHTER]