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After playing in the NBA for ten seasons, “The Manimal” Kenneth Faried is now working his way back to the league. On Front Row Seat, he opens about his career, and his journey back to the NBA. Plus, he has some thoughts on the NBA Finals, and his hosting a WatchParty for game 4 of the series between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.
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Episode # 6
Episode Title: Kenneth Faried
Episode Description: Spiritual faith, leadership mentality, hard work, and positivity in life; these are Kenneth Faried's foundation of perseverance throughout his basketball career. Making history after scoring career-high and breaking the NCAA rebounding record in 2014, this beast of a player is now trying his way back to the NBA for good.
Guest Information: Kenneth Faried, known as "The Manimal" due to his hustle on the court, is an American professional basketball player who played nine seasons in the NBA. He played college basketball for Morehead State University and is the NCAA all-time leading rebounder. He was selected as the 22nd overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets. He also played for the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets. He now plays for the Grand Rapids Gold of the NBA G League.
Show Summary
- Jimmy Butler's game on Heat vs. Celtics Eastern Conference Final
- Celtics vs. Warriors NBA Final
- Kenneth's Watch Party for Game 4 NBA Finals
- Family and growing up in Newark, New Jersey
- Morehead State scholarship
- Kenneth's experience of discrimination and harassment at school
- NCAA rebounding record
- 2011 NBA draft
- Playing for Denver Nuggets
- Scored career-high in the 2014 game vs. New Orleans Pelicans
- Playing for Team USA
- What it is playing for Coach K?
- Traded to Brooklyn Nets
- Muslim faith
- The Manimal as a gamer
Episode Links
Transcript:
Shane: Hello, I'm Shane Mercer and welcome to Front Row Seat. My guest today none other than “The Manimal” himself a Denver Nuggets fan favorite and one of the most entertaining and intense basketball players the NBA has seen in recent years Kenneth Faried. Thank you for joining me, man. How are you?
Kenneth: I'm good. I'm good. Thank you.
Shane: You've got an awesome nickname, “The Manimal”. It fits you perfectly. But I want to know when did you get that? At what age or what stage of your career were you given that nickname? And how did you get it?
Kenneth: Actually going through my draft process actually. It was kind of weird. During my rookie year the lockout happened so I didn't play at first and I was just like going around playing basketball and like going to different teams of course trying out, trying to showcase my talent, what you have to do through the draft process. Teams get to see you, you work out for them, you work out against other players and that's pretty much went through that.
And it was calling into my agent, my agent at the time MacIntyre and Guy. They basically was like, “Hey this kid's an animal, he's a beast. He's a man, he's a man amongst boys. He's a man child.” And they called me to his office, “Kenneth, hey come here.” Okay, what's up MacIntyre? “Hey, I was wondering all these teams calling you all these names that I just told you. Your nickname should be Manimal.” I'm like, Manimal? No, my nickname K Time. Like I already have a nickname from college. Everybody called me K Time, it's my time. How you got game time? My nickname was K Time before that.
Shane: Okay.
Kenneth: So college I had the K Time, all that great stuff. But he said, “No, we're going to call you Manimal instead.” It's like, and you don't get a nickname until NBA vet actually give you that name. I'm like, hold on, okay, you were an NBA vet, you played in the NBA. You're giving me a nickname. So I guess… He was like, “Yeah, you’re from Africa half man half lion.” I'm like, I was like, you know what? I like you, I got the lion hair. Like my dreads and all that. I'm like, “You know what? Yeah, I'll go with it. I’m Manimal.” Then everybody just loved it and it stick. So hey, how you doing? I’m “The Manimal”.
Shane: Hey, you know what, man, nicknames like that you got to earn them. And dude, like I said that name, it fits you perfectly like fits your playing style to a tee. As I said in the intro, you're such an entertaining player to watch, but it's all of that hustle and that energy that you bring. Plus as you mentioned, you've got the long dreads going, you know, and it's yeah, man, “The Manimal”, it fits perfectly.
Kenneth: Thank you. I appreciate that. I appreciate MacIntyre for giving me that nickname because it has stuck perfectly throughout my career and everybody loves it.
Shane: It's like I said it's perfect. One of the biggest stories right now Jimmy Butler, the way that the Heat Celtics Eastern Conference final ended. Jimmy Butler shooting up this 3, I think there was still like 16 seconds left on the clock. What did you think of that shot? What do you think about how that series ended?
Kenneth: Superstar. Did a superstar play. If he makes it, he's the hero. He's just so happened to miss it. So it's his life and he knew his decision, he decided to do what he wanted to do the team and everybody like was okay with him doing that also because the way he's been playing, he was playing great the whole series. I mean two games I don't even consider them bad games. There was just games where he was still trying to figure out like how to work his knee and make sure everything was okay.
So he still went out there trying to do his best, they lost but they still had a chance as you saw it. And if he makes that shot, we're talking completely different, like, wow he makes the shot. I guess he pulled the Dewayne or he pulled the LeBron or he pulled the a reality [ph] from Miami like right we're talking like that now but he missed. It’s his life. It happens. He's still a great player. I still I'm okay with his decision because great players going to do what great players do.
Shane: Yeah, yeah. You know, so just to be clear then you're on the side, take the shot, you're the star. You make it, you make it. You don't, you don't.
Kenneth: Take the shot on whatever you think is the best shot. Like some great players may, hey, I don't want to take this 3. I want to go in and make the layup. I want to go try to get anyone. He decided, hey, I want to take this 3. Okay, that was his decision. It doesn't matter, make the decision because somebody's going to have to do it. Somebody got to live with the consequences more than anybody. And if you missed that shot like Jimmy did, he's okay with living with those consequences. And I'm okay with it too as a player. Like, hey, I'm on that team. My star is doing this and the third if Steph Curry had the shot, I'm okay with him taking that shot. Clay Thompson even on the same team he had the shot. I'm okay with that. That's just smart basketball. You know?
For Denver, my old team Joker got the shot. I'm going to be okay with him taking that shot. Even if Jamal Murray got the shot, I'm okay with him taking that shot. But it's just, hey, like he missed. Everybody keeps talking about the missed. It's over with.
Shane: Now we've got a Celtics Golden State Warriors NBA final. Tell me about what you think of this matchup and how it looks on paper to you?
Kenneth: I think it looks good. It's going to be interesting. You know? Both teams got guys who play hard, both teams got defensive players of years. Both teams, defensive rating is very high. They can score in bunches, both teams, both sides. Both teams got big guards. It's going to be interesting to see how Markieff smart guard Steph Curry and then how Wiggins and Clay on guard Jason Tatum. Honestly Brown is a wild card with a lot of things. So Brown will go out there, he's going to do his thing probably in some games. I don't know. But you know who the star is going to be and they're going to step up. So it's going to be interesting.
Shane: And you left out one of the big men on the Celtics there. Al Horford, the vet.
Kenneth: Al Horford definitely like doing his thing. Like he turned back the hands of time.
Shane: Seriously, right?
Kenneth: He's showing up and everybody think that because you're older you can't do certain things or like he didn't have it anymore. That he's proving that theory so wrong and I love it. I love it because I'm an older player and I'm a vet so respectfully I'm going to give it up to my even older vets. He's considered a vet to me. So respectfully I'm going to give it up to him doing his thing out there in the playoff.
Shane: Big time. And you're actually going to be hosting a Watch Party for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on MILLIONS. Tell me a little bit about what fans can expect from that.
Kenneth: They should expect some excitement, engagement, me just feeling how I used to play against certain players and things, how much guys’ games have changed since then and how used to scout players this way, like when I played and now you got to do it this way because of the rule change and things like that. So yeah, I'm going to just be a great analyst of my perception of the game.
Shane: And it's a great way for fans to connect with you, right? And really kind of chat with you and like you said, get your perspective on things.
Kenneth: Yeah, it's going to be fun. The fans get to chime in, see what I think about certain players and certain players and it’s going to be fun.
Shane: Where do you think the series will be at come Game 4? It'll be in Boston, we know Game 4 will be in Boston. But where do you think the series is going to be at in terms of who's winning? Who's got the upper hand? Where it'll be at at that point?
Kenneth: I'm just hoping for a good series.
Shane: That's it. No predictions. Not trying to call any shots here.
Kenneth: Nope, I have no dog in this fight respectfully. Like I would say my guy is Clay, Steph and Draymond. Me and Clay, Steph, we go back from USA 2014. So those are my guys and respectfully, hey, if they go out there and show that us old guys they can still get it done and win a ring again, I'm going to be more than happy for them.
Shane: Yeah, I mean, that triple threat there of Clay, Steph and Draymond, I mean they've all been playing together for so long now too and they've got a stack of rings already.
Kenneth: Right. Respectfully, they're just showing that the old people can still do it. Like and Jayson Tatum and then they're showing that, hey, we've been through a lot and we're not young guys, but we're not old guys either. Like we're just in between a perfect peaking time. So I like both sides and respectfully though, like I said, 2014 USA Gold.
Shane: I want to talk, I want to get to that a little bit, but first before we get to sort of that stage of your career, I want to go all the way back to when you were in high school and growing up in Newark, New Jersey. Was it called Technology High School?
Kenneth: Yes. Technology actually.
Shane: Talk to me a little bit about your time at Technology High School and growing up in Newark.
Kenneth: It was hard. We didn't have much. Basically came from nothing. My outlet was always basketball. So I go to the park especially around this time of year, you know it's nice and hot and sunny. I've just been at park playing basketball all the time because I didn't have access to gyms like that. I'll be playing in park
Shane: In those years leading up to you, ending up at Morehead State, those high school years and then you get an offer to go to Morehead. Talk to me about what that moment was like, did you see yourself going to play basketball in college?
Kenneth: No. I thought I was like, I was… I had this delusional dream in my head to myself, like, hey, I'm going to the NBA after high school. I'm going to show everybody how good I am and I'm going to play AAU like J.R. Smith did because J.R. Smith just got drafted I think in 2004 that year. Yeah, I was in high school still. About to graduate in 2007 high school but I was watching J.R. get drafted when I was going into high school. But I'm looking like, whoa, he’s getting drafted out of high school. I could do that. I want to be like that. So, I had this delusional dream I could go to the NBA out of high school. So no, I didn't think I was going to need to go to college.
So when college came to the table and they said, hey, I know you feel like you're good and you're good enough to go to the NBA but we have these, the three schools coming after you. I was like, wait, what? Wait, what division do you have to be to get drafted to the NBA? And the people were like, Division 1. My coach so be, I'm like, more than likely you want to be Division 1, you'll get Seymour.
So I'm like I'm not going to none of these schools that come into me and actually really come here. So I basically just decided, all right, I need to go get exposure. So my junior year, I went to a camp top 100 in Pennsylvania. My high school coach drove me out there. I was good. My mom paid for it and I got my bunk and I showed out and won the MVP of the senior game because I was a junior going to be my senior year I played in the senior games. So I played in the senior game, won the MVP, and all these people was like, whoa who is this guy? Like he just came on the scene out of nowhere. It was like I basically had a bunch of energy. I was blocking a lot of shots and schools came after me but my grades wasn't the best. Like I said, I thought I was going to the NBA out of high school.
Shane: That was the plan.
Kenneth: Yeah that's my plan in my life. I don't know about everybody else. But that was my dream. That's my plan. It didn't happen. Like I said, I went to the camp, I did well, I got the MVP, next thing I lo and behold Morehead State coming at me asking me, other schools was coming bigger schools but I didn't have the grades. So Morehead said, hey if you get the grades, your grades will have to be as high here as the other big schools. You can come here at -- year if you don't have the right grades and then you go do work-study and basically do all this extra stuff in order to get the grades and then get a scholarship.
And I said, no, no, what's the other options? Then there was like, what? You can go to night school and do this night school thing and help get your grades up. So I said, okay, I'm doing that. So I took my time and did everything I can in my power going to that school every day. After school even my principal and teachers gave me my word that they're like, you're a senior, we're going to help you get into this Division 1 school. And they all helped me. It was a wonderful thing and lo and behold, the rest is history.
Shane: Wow. So a real team effort to end up at Morehead.
Kenneth: Yeah, it was.
Shane: And then of course you joined the basketball team there. And you say the rest is history. But I’d say you started to make history. I mean, so you broke the NCAA rebounding record that was set by one of the all-time greats, Tim Duncan.
Kenneth: Yeah I wasn’t setting out to do that when I went to college. At first, when I went to college, I'm like, all right, if I got to go to college, I guess I got to be one and done because the rule was just implemented that you have to go to college for at least one year. So I was watching guys like Kevin Durant, guys like Michael Beasley, basically saying I'm going for one year and then I'm going to the league. I'm like, oh I can do that. I think I can do that. So yeah, I'll go to Morehead, I reached 20 to 20, I'll get on everybody's radar and I'm going right to the NBA. And that was a reality check again.
But lo and behold, I stayed four years, got a degree in speech communications and I broke, like you said, Tim Duncan's rebounding record in the process.
Shane: Yeah. 1,673 rebounds in a career, a four-year career. I mean dude, that's crazy.
Kenneth: I don't really think it's even crazy. I think I could have done more.
Shane: You think you could have got more?
Kenneth: Yeah, it was times where I knew I could have broken his double doubles record in my senior year I was looking at it, but my coach would take me out at certain moments to the game and just be like, nah, we're beating this team too bad Kenneth. I'm sorry, you should have got it in the first half and I'll be so mad because I'm like, you want me to get the double doubles in the first? Alright, so that motivated me even more to get double doubles in the first half. So that motivated me even more to get more rebounds.
Shane: So let's fast forward a little bit then, the 2011 NBA draft, I mean when you set the new rebounding record in the NCAA, I mean dude, you got to feel like a shoo in for a high draft pick. Right?
Kenneth: I did. I thought maybe I was going to go lottery for sure, but people wasn't looking for bruiser, that type of player. Like they're looking for more of a player, get things done right away like more offensively. And nobody really understood my game just yet. Like who I was, how can I fit in the NBA, really, yeah, rebound and translate. But I went to Morehead State, I was playing against, not tall competition, not big competition. If I went to like Yukon or Duke or something like that and I was rebounding like that at their, or even if I went right up the road to UK or Louisville, like if I was rebounding there at those numbers and doing that there, for sure I would have been a lottery pick. But everything happens for a reason. Right?
Shane: What was it? 22nd overall?
Kenneth: Yes, 22nd to Denver.
Shane: I mean, hey, still first round and you end up in Denver which is a place where you had a lot of success.
Kenneth: I was just ecstatic. Like, I love Denver. I was just ecstatic to even be there when we went to go play in the NCAA tournament, beat Louisville there, ended my college career there, lost to Richmond. Then I got drafted there. I'm like, oh wow, okay. We went to the place that I just finished playing my college career. So yeah, this is going to be exciting, it's going to be interesting me going there, I had a great time, loved it, still love Denver, still support Denver, shoutout Joker for MVP. Congratulations on that. Jamal is going to be back next year, so I'm happy for that, that's my guy, like I'm proud of him for working his tail off to get back.
And I mean this year I was just playing for the Grand Rapids Gold. So yeah, I'm still attached to Denver and I still love Denver to this day.
Shane: Yeah, you know, yeah, you mentioned Joker MVP, you got to play with him quite a bit and of course the team didn't have Jamal who is a standout star and I'm a Toronto guy, so I'm a big Jamal fan. I just want to get your take on the state of the team and where you think that they could go?
Kenneth: They got some probably some things that will do this offseason, we'll see. But I think his team really has a chance for all the pieces in the place to go to the finals. At least back to the conference finals again, get there again for sure. Honestly I think I can help them a lot. Like I love that team and I know those guys and playing with Joker and Jamal again and like even practicing with Jamal during when I was playing for Grand Rapids, and he coming down and practicing with us, like I just felt like yo, whoa. Hey man, him was just messing so well and then he was like, yo man, this chemistry is great. Like his -- for me, like it was great, it was just natural, you know, because you know these guys and he was my rookie and Joker was too.
Shane: I mean you know again you had so much success, I want to go back to one specific game though with the Denver Nuggets. We're going back to 2014, April 2nd, the New Orleans Pelicans. You posted 34 points, 13 rebounds in 27 minutes, You're the first guy to do that in NBA history in less than 27 minutes.
Kenneth: I don’t know.
Shane: Take me back to that night. What do you remember from that night?
Kenneth: Just playing basketball. Like honestly just getting a chance to play basketball. I love playing it, I don't really look to score like that. But that particular night my coach basically said something to me that kind of made me mad. It was going against Anthony Davis. So it was more like, you're going against Anthony Davis, you're going against All Star Future Hall of Famer Superstar, what are you going to do? Like are you going to step up? Like yeah we're down players but what are you going to do? Like are you going to play? I was like, oh, okay. So you don't think I'm like that caliber of a player too.
So but he just challenged me and I just stepped up to the plate and so it happened, I had a big scoring night and I made free throws. So when you make free throws that helps a lot too.
Shane: Making the free throws definitely helps. But it sounds like coach sort of poked the beast, was trying to wake up “The Manimal”.
Kenneth: Yeah, he did. He definitely unleashed “The Manimal”.
Shane: In 2014 you had a big year in 2014, you also played for Team USA. You were mentioning Steph and Clay, being part of that team and being able to form a connection with them. But tell me a little bit more about your time with Team USA and sort of what it meant to represent your country on the world stage.
Kenneth: Beautiful stage, beautiful time, beautiful atmosphere. I just loved every bit of it, you know. I want to say thank you for their services to all the veterans and fallen soldiers because Memorial Day did just pass. So that is thank you to them and an eye to them. But I felt great wearing the red, white and blue, you know. Representing my country, being out there, being with those guys and us having fun, just playing the game of basketball, no egos, we are coming from our respective teams. Yeah. Some of us superstars in our teams, some of us superstars in the NBA but we all just coming together for one goal and that's to win the gold.
So for me it was just mind blowing experience and it gave me more of an appreciation of basketball just being in the countries and Coach K taking us to the base up there and we're seeing the guys go to work and do their job. We're like, yo, we don't have people pointing guns at us while we're going to play this game. So why can't we play to our fullest extent and have fun doing it and enjoying it? So it's just give you a different perspective and like, hey a love for the game.
Shane: Yeah and you know you mentioned Coach K there, he just coached his last game just a few months ago. But what was it like playing for a coach of that caliber?
Kenneth: That was mind blowing honestly. He just instills so much confidence in you as a player and he heard the charter about everything about me as a player and everybody's saying like why am I even on the team? Like how did I even make the team, what am I even doing like playing for the Team USA still? Like all these other players like and they got basically the C Team out there and I'm like, wow, this is just like brutal stuff there. Why is Kenneth Faried was starting? Like he shouldn't be starting for that team, like they should have somebody else. And you don't even know me like as a player or you all are just saying this because I'm not one of the All Stars yet or I haven't made my All Star name yet.
But Coach K came up to me, he came up to me early and said, “Kenneth, I know you had a charter. That don't matter. I got you on the state for a reason. You're the engine for these guys. You're the motor. Do what you do. Play the game how you play and get these guys every night to play hard just like you do.” That's why I said, okay.
Shane: It sounds like he wanted some Manimal to rub off on those guys.
Kenneth: He basically said, everybody keep talking about how we're the B Team we’re the C Team and like this, that, and third and like we're going to go over there and lose to Spain and this is the first time in a long time that Coach K is going to lose the gold. And it's just disrespecting us and him. So he was like, yo, nah. Like we're going to take this, we're going to leave our egos at the door, we're going to all going to come together and we're going to shove this right back into everybody’s face. And that's what we did.
Shane: That's exactly what you guys did. Then you went on, you had some pretty great seasons after that, 2015 was solid, 2016. But then I guess you started to get hit with the injury bug.
Kenneth: Yeah, I hurt my lower back at the time and it tore my SI joint in my left lower back, so it kind of put me back, but I have worked myself tirelessly to get everything back right and everything and then I started to come back into my own again after getting traded from Denver and Brooklyn, you know, they were just wanting to go young so I had to understand that and I respected that. And then I went to Houston and yeah, everything turned around.
Shane: How did you find out you were getting traded?
Kenneth: My agent just called me and said, the Nuggets are trading you to the Nets. I said, oh, okay.
Shane: I mean did you see it coming? Was the writing on the wall? Was it a blind side?
Kenneth: No, it was kind of a writing on the wall.
Shane: Yeah.
Kenneth: It wasn’t, nothing bad, I wasn't being in the right mindset for myself at the time. I've matured since then. Like everything back then was like clouded. Too many people around me too much things going on and I was like, hey, I need to get rid of everything else and I've done that and I'm just I'm a family man, I'm just worried about my family and my kids and my loved ones and playing ball. Like I love basketball. So at the end of the day, I love my family, my wife and basketball.
Shane: Great things to love. You went overseas, you went to China, you went to Europe over these last couple of years. Talk to me a little bit about how the game is being played over there.
Kenneth: They play hard. It's like college basketball to me.
Shane: Okay.
Kenneth: Well, but with more talent. A lot of guys can play in the NBA.
Shane: Is this in China or in Europe that you're talking?
Kenneth: In Europe for sure. You have guys who never touched foot in the NBA but can probably played big minutes if they got the chance and do a lot of damage and not just play it, but like make a name, a household name for themselves. It's just, there's something about the NBA that's just, I love a lot more. Brings out the man and more, a lot more like respectfully. They got different perspectives on the game and you've got different coverages and you can do different things in Europe than you could do in NBA.
Shane: interesting. Okay, so now you're back, you're back on this side, you’re back in this continent and as you mentioned you're playing with the team in Grand Rapids.
Kenneth: Yeah.
Shane: Talk to me a little bit about how that's going and obviously as you mentioned and alluded to earlier, you're really trying to make your way back to the Denver Nuggets.
Kenneth: I'm trying my way back to the NBA.
Shane: Okay.
Kenneth: If it is the Denver Nuggets then for sure, like that's great. By the same token, the NBA I just want to be able to get out there and show that I'm still a valuable asset and still can help the team, not just physically but mentally because I've learned a lot and I've grown a lot as a vet and I've matured a lot. So it's not just, oh I can get out there and hoop and do. Yeah, I could do that but I can also help and now talk to guys and help them progress along and understand the business and both sides of the NBA, ins and out.
Shane: So is that something that you think that you were lacking a couple of years ago? Is it that sort of leadership mentality that developed over these last couple of years?
Kenneth: I do believe I was lacking it because I wasn't vocal in a sense. I just let my actions speak louder than my words. So you can't really let your actions speak when you're not playing and when you're not playing you can come sometimes getting into that, it's all about me, all about me and I'm not like that anymore. It's about the team, it's about us, it's about winning.
Shane: Right. Now, you know you have your few loves in your life, basketball, your family, your kids. I wanted to do a quick screen share here. You posted this a few weeks back and I thought this was an amazing picture, it's a great photo and you're celebrating Eid, the end of Ramadan. Yeah, with your family there. I mean that's it's such a great photo and it also says a lot about you. How important is faith in your life?
Kenneth: I pray every day so that should tell you a lot and repray five times a day as Muslims. So I take my prayer and Salah is very serious. That really has helped me to be more calm, patient and just a better overall human being.
Shane: Have you been a Muslim your whole life or is this something that you came to later in life?
Kenneth: I've been searching my whole life, I should say. Like my mom is Muslim, so I basically said, oh, I’m Muslim. I didn't until now understand it. Now I really, truly understand Islam through reading of the Koran and understanding it. So when I was younger I didn't really do that or understand or pray as much. And now that I'm older and more mature and understand life and just understand things, I'm way more down to just earth, you know? I'm grounded, like I feel that peace with a lot of things and I understand a lot of things better.
Shane: You know, you mentioned earlier that a few years ago your mind was feeling clouded. You felt like there was too much noise. Would you say that that your faith has helped sort of clear those clouds?
Kenneth: 100%. I believe my faith just helped me like just blossomed to the father, the man, and the player I want to be.
Shane: We dove into a lot of heavy stuff here. I want to have a little bit of fun, a little bit more fun with you. I want to know what does “The Manimal” do for fun? I know that you're a gamer, right? And you stream on Twitch, is that right?
Kenneth: Yeah, I'm a big time gamer. I haven't been streaming lately right now. I'm like getting some things in order and trying to just grind and get in best shape of my life for hopefully an NBA bet camp return and making my way. Who knows right now? But right now, yeah, I'm more so just, like I said, working out and worried about my kids. The gaming part, I still do, but it's not really on Twitch as much. So that's the only difference.
Shane: Okay, so you're just doing a little more casual gaming.
Kenneth: Yeah. Yeah.
Shane: So what do you play? What system are you on? And what games you like?
Kenneth: I'm on a laptop, it's so much easier.
Shane: Oh.
Kenneth: You can play any games, but I do have PS5 so I don't get twisted. I played Call of Duty, I play God of War, I play Assassin's Creed. I play Fortnite, play Apex. I play a lot of video games.
Shane: That’s awesome man. That’s fun.
Kenneth: My son got me playing Sonic right now because he loves Sonic. So all the Sonic type games and the Mario racing and all that stuff, parties and all that.
Shane: Well, plus we got those movies. Right? So he's seeing all of that out there. Right?
Kenneth: Right, right. It's enticing him to want to play Sonic and I'm like, I used to love Sonic. So this is a great bonding moment. Come on.
Shane: That's awesome man. Obviously, your fans want to see you back on the NBA court. What's your target? What's your goal? What's your deadline for when you want to see yourself back on that NBA court?
Kenneth: Everything is written in life. Nothing I could do except just go about life and do the best I can do.
Shane: You know us here at MILLIONS, we're rooting for you. I personally am rooting for you because I've always loved watching you play.
Kenneth: Thanks, Shane.
Shane: And you're a fantasy beast. For anybody out there that loves fantasy sports and fantasy basketball, dude, like you are a fantasy Manimal. There's no other way to put it.
Kenneth: I've heard this before. I've heard a lot of it. You won me games single handedly. I’m, like, huh? What? What are you talking about?
Shane: Dude, because your stuff in the statute, right? When you're getting blocks, steals, plus all the rebounds, and then you're adding points. Dude, you're doing it all. It's a fantasy beast. That's how fantasy beasts are made.
Kenneth: Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that.
Shane: I can't wait to see you back out on the court. I had a great time chatting with you man. And like I said, we're rooting for you and everyone out there, don't forget June 10th, game four of the NBA Finals, Kenneth Faried hosting a MILLIONS Watch Party. It's going to be awesome. I'll be tuning in for sure and joining the conversation. I think it'll just be a lot of fun for anyone who loves basketball.
Kenneth: Please, please. Tune in, tune in. Enjoy.
Shane: Definitely. Alright man, well thanks for coming out. Really appreciate it. Best of luck on your journey back to the NBA bro.
Kenneth: Thank you. Thank you.
Shane: Thank you so much for joining me in the Front Row Seat with “The Manimal” Kenneth Faried. Once again, I'm your host, Shane Mercer and this podcast is presented by millions.co. If you want to support and interact with Kenneth visit millions.co to shop his merch and join him for exclusive live events including that Watch Party for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday, June 10th. You can also find Front Row Seat on MILLIONS to shop our merchandise. Don't forget to subscribe to this podcast on YouTube and follow us on all the socials at frontrow.pod. We'll see you next week with our next special guest as we dive deep and give you the Front Row Seat.
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