T.J. McConnell on Still Trying to Prove That He Belongs in the NBA

The Young Man and the Three

ThreeFourTwo Productions | Wondery

Sports

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 May 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

*This episode was recorded on March 30*

On this week’s episode we welcome point guard T.J. McConnell of the Indiana Pacers. T.J. opens up about his career up to this point including his University of Arizona teams in college, the start of his career on the Philadelphia 76ers with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and this season’s Pacers team. He also shares his relationship with Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, what he feels makes him a great defender, his mindset on needing to prove himself in the NBA, sh*ttalking, and much, much more. Let’s go!

0:00 Intro

0:43 Start of show

3:05 T.J.’s relationship with JJ Redick

6:16 High school career and the “Michael Jordan of Pittsburgh”

8:56 T.J.’s amazing college career and his Arizona teams

18:44 On his defensive skills

21:21 His Sixers years

31:31 T.J. as a sh*ttalker

36:20 Hardest part about leaving Philly

37:30 The pace of this Pacers team

42:14 Game 7 vs. Toronto & end of that Philly team

46:49 Advice on coming off the bench, important of being in shape

51:05 Teammate who plays the hardest

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Transcript

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1:08.3	I have this chip on my shoulder where I don't think I belong.
1:12.1	It's something that has motivated me and continues to motivate me to this day to go out there and prove that I do belong out here.
1:21.0	Even though I've played 10 years, I'm not going to change my mindset.
1:24.3	Is that technically imposter syndrome or is that a different thing? That's imposter
1:28.9	syndrome. I got it bad. I got it bad. I got it bad. I got it bad. Welcome to the young man in the three presented, as always, by 3-4-2 productions and wondering media.
1:56.6	Mr. T.J. McConnell, live from Oklahoma City.
1:59.7	It's been a long time since we've done this.
	...

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