♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> HELLO AND WELCOME TO INSIDE LOUISVILLE -- WHERE WE INTRODUCE YOU TO THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS THAT MAKE UP KENTUCKY'S LARGEST CITY.

I'M YOUR HOST, KELSEY STARKS.

SOME PEOPLE SAY LOUISVILLE IS BEST KNOWN FOR BOURBON, HORSERACING AND BASKETBALL.

WELL, THIS WEEK'S GUEST HAS HAD A HAND IN ALL THREE...

HE HELPED THE CARDINALS WIN A NATIONAL TITLE ON THE BASKETBALL COURT AND WENT ON TO PLAY IN THE NBA• COACH RICK PITINO NAMED ONE OF HIS RACE HORSES AFTER HIM• ....AND NOW HE'S CREATED HIS OWN LINE OF BOURBON.

YOU MIGHT KNOW HIM BEST AS RUSS-DICULOUS.

SINCE THAT TITLE GAME TEN YEAR AGO, RUSS SMITH HAS BEEN PLAYING BASKETBALL IN EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE...

BUT HE STILL CALLS LOUISVILLE HOME.

♪ ♪ HISTORY IN THE MAKING ♪ THIS IS WHERE YOU RISE ♪ THIS IS WHERE YOU SHINE ♪ ♪ THIS IS WHERE YOU BECOME THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME ♪ ♪ HISTORY IN THE MAKING... ♪ THIS IS WHERE YOU SHINE ♪ THIS IS WHERE YOU RISE.

♪ THIS IS WHERE YOU SHINE.

♪ THIS IS WHERE YOU BECOME THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME.

♪ HISTORY IN THE MAKING ♪ >> WELL, HELLO, RUSS.

IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT HAS BEEN ALMOST TEN YEARS SINCE YOU LEFT U OF L AND WERE DRAFTED BY THE NBA.

A LOT OF CARDINAL FANS HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING YOUR CAREER DURING THAT TIME HERE AND OVERSEAS.

FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT KNOW.

TELL US WHAT YOU'VE BEEN UP TO FOR THE PAST DECADE.

>> WOW.

SEEMS, YOU KNOW, SEEMS DOESN'T SEEM THAT LONG AT ALL.

>> ISN'T THAT CRAZY?

>> BUT STARTING OUT DRAFTED PELICANS FIRST THE SIXERS AND THEY TRADED ME 5 MINUTES LATER THEN PELICANS AND THEN A BRIEF STINT THERE.

WENT TO THE GRIZZLIES, HAD SOME THEN I SPENT PART OF THE SEASON IN THE G LEAGUE, DID REALLY WELL THERE AND THEN PLAYED EUROLEAGUE IN EUROPE•.

I HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE IN EUROPE.

THE BASKETBALL PART NOT SO MUCH THE WAY I WANTED.

THEN I CAME BACK HERE TO THE STATES AFTER THREE AND A HALF YEARS, THREE YEARS.

THEN I WAS IN CHINA FOR MAYBE HALF OF MY CAREER.

SO THAT'S ABOUT THREE YEARS, MAYBE THREE AND A HALF YEARS.

THEN AFTER CHINA WE DID, HAD A GREAT CAREER IN CHINA.

THEN I DID PUERTO RICO FOR A MONTH OR SO.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, I HAD SOME INJURIES OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER, BUT I'VE ALWAYS BOUNCED BACK.

AND AFTER PUERTO RICO, DID G LEAGUE AGAIN, CHINA AGAIN AND I'VE JUST BEEN ROLLING.

BUT THE BASKETBALL HAS BEEN GOING GREAT AND, YOU KNOW, I GOT MY HANDS IN BOURBON AND WHISKEY NOW AND I'VE HAD IT FOR THE PAST, HAD IT IN THERE THE PAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS, SO JUST WORKING EVERY DAY.

>> YOU NEVER STOP.

>> NO.

>> SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FANS FROM HERE KNOW YOU AS RUSS-DICULOUS.

IS THAT STILL YOUR PLAYING STYLE.

>> I DON'T THINK IT IS.

I JUST GOT THAT BECAUSE COACH THOUGHT I WAS UNPREDICTABLE.

I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING THE WHOLE TIME.

BUT TO RICK, IT WAS UNPREDICTABLE.

BUT NOW I THINK I'M MORE-- LIKE I NEVER THOUGHT I WAS UNPREDICTABLE SO MAYBE I STILL AM.

SO, BUT HAVE I NO IDEA.

I THINK I'M A LOT MORE CONSERVATIVE AND I PICK MY SPOTS A LOT BETTER AS A PRO.

10 YEARS, NINE YEARS REMOVED, YOU HAVE TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER, RIGHT?

SO I THINK I'M A LITTLE ABOUT IT BETTER.

>> A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

OKAY.

ARVELGING-- AVERAGING RUSS-DICULOUS 62 POINTS A GAME IN CHINA.

GLTS THAT'S CRAZY.

I DON'T THINK NOBODY IS GROWING TO BREAK THAT.

>> I DON'T THINK SO EITHER.

BUT YOU ARE SURE FUN TO WATCH PLAY.

ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.

SO WHAT IS THAT LIKE PLAYING OVERSEAS AS COMPARED TO THE NBA HERE?

>> SO OVERSEAS I WOULD SAY IS A LOT DIFFERENT CULTURALLY.

YOU ARE AROUND DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

YOU ARE AROUND DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS, THE FOOD IS DIFFERENT.

LANGUAGE BARRIER, OF COURSE.

AND THEN SCHEDULES ARE DIFFERENT I MEAN I SPENT TIME IN ISRAEL NOT TOO LONG AGO.

AND YOU KNOW, SATURDAYS WERE LIKE SUNDAYS HERE.

EVERYTHING WAS CLOSED.

YOU HAVE SHABAT AND THEN ITALY IS SMALL BREAKFAST, MAYBE A CROISSANT, MAYBE SOME CAKE AND THEN THE AFTERNOON, YOU GET A BIG PASTA AF NOON LUNCH AND THEN A NICE PROTEIN DINNER AND CHINA IS JUST COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF STUFF IS BOILED AND A LOT OF CULTURAL SAUCES TO THE SPECIFIC AREA IN CHINA, SO IF YOU ARE IN SZECHEWAN, YOU HAVE THIS KIND OF SAUCE.

AND DIFFERENT STYLES.

IT HAS BEEN VERY DIFFERENT AND I ENJOYED IT A LOT.

FIRST AS AMERICA, YOU WAKE UP AT LIKE 4:30 IN THE MORNING, YOU GO GET YOU SOME WAFFLE HOUSE, RIGHT?

>> A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

>> YOU GO TO McCONLD'S AND YOU GET WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT OVERSEAS, IS VERY DIFFERENT.

>> PICKED UP SOME OF THE LANGUAGE?

THAT'S GOT TO BE HARD.

>> YEAH, WHAT I TRY TO DO IS LISTEN A LOT FIRST AND THEN SEE WHAT I CAN GET NATURALLY.

INSTEAD OF JUST GOING IN THERE TRYING TO LEARN IT BECAUSE I'M JUST GOING TO BOTCH EVERYTHING.

BUT I WOULD SAY CHINA, LIKE CHINESE, I PICKED UP MOST.

I HAVE BEEN THERE THE LONGEST.

SO I PICKED UP THE MOST.

WHEN I AM BACK THERE, I CAN KIND OF REMEMBER HOW I USED TO GET AROUND OR ORDER FOOD.

>> SO A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A REALLY BIG PRESENCE IN THE NBA WHEN YOU LEFT HERE.

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU NEVER GOT YOUR FOOTING THERE?

>> I THINK I COULD BE WRONG, PEOPLE LIKE TO SAY OPTICS, NEPOTISM, AGENDAS, POLITICS.

I HAVE NO IDEA.

IT'S UNFAIR FOR ME TO SAY WHY.

ALL I KNOW IS I WAS GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND I KNOW I'M AN AMAZING BASKETBALL PLAYER AND I'M MY BIGGER-- I'M MY BIGGEST FAN THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME.

AS LONG AS I GET TO PLAY THE GAME THE WAY I HAVE BEEN PLAYING IT SINCE I WAS TO OR THREE YEARS OLD, I'M FINE WITH THAT.

AND I'M FINE WITH HOW I'VE DONE IT.

I'VE BEEN GREAT EVERYWHERE I'VE PLAYED.

BEEN GREAT EVERYWHERE I'VE PLAYED.

THAT'S A FACT AND THE PLACES THAT I DIDN'T PLAY, I GUESS IS THEIR LOSS.

>> I LIKE THAT ATTITUDE.

YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS HAVE HAD THAT POSITIVE OUTLOOK AND ATTITUDE.

IT'S JUST BEEN SO FUN WATCHING YOU OVER THE YEARS.

DO YOU STILL-- I GUESS LOOKING BACK ON YOUR TIME AT LOUISVILLE, HOW DO YOU REMEMBER THAT TIME IN YOUR LIFE?

BECAUSE COLLEGE WAS FUN, I MADE FRIENDS WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE BAND.

I MADE FRIENDS WITH A LOT OF FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, I ACTUALLY LIVED LIKE A STUDENT.

I DIDN'T LIVE LIKE A STUDENT ATHLETE.

I WAS ON THE TEAM BUT I WAS A STUDENT AND I HAD THE BEST COLLEGE EXPERIENCE LIKE I'M WILLING TO PUT MY COLLEGE EXPERIENCE UP AGAINST ANYBODY ELSE'S.

I HAD SO MUCH FUN.

SO THE FIRST YEAR WAS TOUGH AS A FRESHMAN, ONE CAN IMAGINE.

BUT I MADE FRIENDS.

SOPHOMORE YEAR WAS DOPE BECAUSE I KNEW EVERYBODY.

I HAD MORE FRIENDS THAN I COULD HANDLE.

AND THEN THE MIDDLE OF MY SOPHOMORE YEAR, I STARTED TO PLAY SO ALL MY FRIENDS WERE LIKE YOU WEREN'T LYING.

YOU ARE ON THE BASKETBALL TEAM.

AND THEN I HAD A GOOD YEAR AND MY JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR, MADE SOME HISTORY, SO, YEAH.

>> MADE A LOT OF HISTORY.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TEAM, THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND BEING BACK TOGETHER WITH THOSE SAME TEAMMATES NOW.

THEVILLES.

TELL US ABOUT THE TOBACCO TORN AM, THE REUNION, WHAT IS IT AND HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

>> I THINK THE GUYS THAT TBT DID A GREAT JOB PUTTING THIS TOURNAMENT TOGETHER.

IT HAS BEEN AROUND FOR CLOSE TO A DECADE NOW I BELIEVE.

AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GET A LOT OF GUYS FROM THEIR FORMER SCHOOLS AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, DROP THEM ON ONE TEAM SO I'M SURE WESTED VIRGINIA HAS A TEAM OR GEORGETOWN, SYRACUSE, FLORIDA.

AND YOU CAN, YOU KNOW-- IT'S NICE IF YOU GET GUYS BACK FROM THAT FORMER TEAM TO PLAY AGAIN BUT THEN SOME OTHER GUY SOMEWHAT SOME OF THOSE TEAMS THEY THEY GET SOME PROS FROM DIFFERENT PLACES SOME FELLOWS THAT MAY NOT HAVE WITH THEM.

BUT WITH US IS SPECIAL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK ESPN COLLEGE BASKETBALL BY STORM FOR FOUR, THREE YEARS.

SO YOU'RE AND WE'RE ALL WE'RE ALL GOING FRIENDS AND WE ALL DECIDED IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO TEAM UP AGAIN AND HAVE FUN.

I MEAN THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

YOU DON'T REALLY GET OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN GUYS ARE STILL ACTIVE AND PLAYING.

SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

>> YEAH.

SO DO YOU.

I MEAN, PEYTON SIVA, SHANE BOHANNAN AND KYLE KUREK ALL ON THIS TEAM.

DO YOU GUYS NORMALLY KEEP IN TOUCH STILL?

>> YEAH.

EVERY NOW AND THEN WE KEEP IN TOUCH AND WE CHECK IN WITH EACH OTHER.

WE'RE ALL REALLY, REALLY GOOD FRIENDS AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST HOPE TO BE ABLE TO TURN TO THE DROP OF A DIME.

GO.

ARE WE GOING TO PLAY WITH EACH OTHER AGAIN AND, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT WE COULD DO.

SO Y'ALL HAVE BEEN PLAYING TOGETHER.

WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE BEING BACK ON THE COURT WITH THEM?

>> IT'S FUN.

IT'S ALMOST NOSTALGIC.

YOU SEE SOME GUYS CAN'T JUMP AS HIGH AS THEY USED TO, YOU KNOW.

>> BUT YOU CAN, RIGHT?

>> A LITTLE BIT.

SOME OF MY VERTICALS HAVE BEEN SHAVED DOWN.

IT HAS BEEN SHAVED, SOME GUYS BULKED UP A LITTLE BIT.

OTHER GUYS STAYED THE SAME BUT IT'S DOPE SEEING THEM OUT THERE AND PLAYING WITH THEM.

>> YEAH.

>> DO YOU STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE COACH?

>> YEAH, I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH RICK AND HE IS GOING TO KILL IT AT ST. JOHN'S AND I'M VERY HAPPY FOR HIM.

HOMETOWN, HOME TEAM.

I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL AROUND THE CORNER FROM ST. JOHN'S.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

WITH BISHOP MALLOY.

SO THAT KIND OF HITS HOME FOR ME.

I'M LIKE MAN, IF COACH WAS THERE WHEN I WAS AT MALLOY, MAYBE HE WOULD HAVE WALKED INTO THE GYM AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN A JOHNNY OR RED STORMER.

SO... >> IT'S FUNNY HOW LIFE WORKS, ISN'T IT?

SO YOU DO STILL CALL LOUISVILLE HOME.

>> YES.

YES.

SO I'M I'M HERE NOW ALMOST FULL TIME WHEN I'M NOT PLAYING, BUT WHEN I'M NOT PLAYING HOOP.

AND I'M HERE FULL TIME DO THE BOURBON AND DOING THE WHISKEY AND WORKING ON THE BASKETBALL AND DOING WHAT I CAN FOR THE COMMUNITY.

>> AND THAT'S A CHOICE.

WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO-- I MEAN YOU COULD PRETTY MUCH SET UP RESIDENCE ANYWHERE.

>> RIGHT.

>> WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE IT HERE?

>> I LIKE THE HOSPITALITY HERE IT'S IT'S VERY PEOPLE ARE WARMING AND EVERYONE'S NICE AND I LOVE THE SPIRITS INDUSTRY AS WELL.

I CAN'T LIE.

THE, UH, THE BOURBON WAS, WAS THE INDUSTRY ITSELF.

I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN THAT INDUSTRY, SO JUST BEING HERE AND UNDERSTANDING, GETTING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PASTIME WITH EDUCATION, YOU CAN'T GET THAT ANYWHERE ELSE.

SO THE INDUSTRY I'M IN, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I HAVE TO BE EDUCATED BECAUSE MY PEERS IN THE INDUSTRY ARE.

SO I GOT TO MAKE SURE I'M ALWAYS ON POINT.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BOURBON LINE.

OKAY, SO Mr. AND Mrs.

BOURBON.

HOW DID THIS EVEN COME ABOUT IN THE FIRST PLACE.

>> WELL, I'LL START BACK-- I'LL TAKE YOU BACK AGAIN.

WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP IN NEW YORK, IT'S A LOT OF VODKAS, TEQUILLA, COGNAC.

NIGHT LIFE.

WHEN I GOT TO LOUISVILLE, I WAS ALWAYS A GOOD BASKETBALL PLAYER BUT I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD PLAY AND MAKE NBA WHEN I FIRST CAME TO LOUISVILLE.

I ALWAYS HAD AN IDEA OF MAYBE DOING MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT, OR BEING IN THE SPIRITS INDUSTRY.

SO WHEN I FINISHED UP SCHOOL, I MET A LOT OF INDUSTRY FOLK OFF THE COURT AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD GO OUT.

WE WOULD HAVE DINNER AND IT WAS CASUAL CONVERSATIONS, FUN CONVERSATIONS, BUT OVER BOURBON AND OVER WHISKEY.

UNLIKE THE STUFF YOU DRINK IN COLLEGE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU FALL ON YOUR FACE OVER, RIGHT?

[LAUGHTER] SO THESE SPIRITS WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

>> YOU WEREN'T DRINKING THE GOOD STUFF IN COLLEGE?

>> OH NO, NO, I COULDN'T AFFORD...

I COULDN'T AFFORD... [LAUGHTER] BUT WE WOULD HAVE SOME GOOD STUFF.

AND I WAS LIKE, MAN, THIS WOULD BE A DOPE ENTRY POINT TO GET INTO THE SPIRITS INDUSTRY.

WHY DON'T I TAG ALONG WITH SOME PEOPLE, SHADOW SOME PEOPLE AND JUST SEE WHAT CAN COME UP OF IT AND I EVENTUALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.

FOLLOWED GUYS AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, EIGHT YEARS AGO BEING IN THE INDUSTRY, NOW FOUR, FIVE YEARS, HAVING THE COMPANY, HAVING THIS BIG PLAN.

AND NOW A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, TWO YEARS AGO, WE CAME TO MARKET.

SO SEEING THIS WHOLE THING JUST PLAY OUT THE WAY I WANTED IT TO HAS BEEN AMAZING AND I'VE KIND OF BECOME A CONNOISSEUR OF IT MYSELF.

>> YOU HAVE.

I WANT TO GO BACK TO SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID WHEN YOU CAME TO U OF L YOU DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE A BASKETBALL PLAYER.

YOU YOU WERE THINKING YOU WOULD BE IN MEDIA.

YOU DID AN INTERNSHIP WITH ME.

>> YEAH, RIGHT.

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO... YEAH, SO I'M PREPARING FOR WHATEVER LIFE'S GOING TO THROW OUT, THROW AT ME, OUTSIDE OF BASKETBALL BECAUSE I JUST DIDN'T KNOW.

I CAME IN AS A FRESHMAN 130 POUNDS COACH B WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE OUT OF PRACTICE AND AND THEN I'M GETTING YELLED AT.

AND I GOT DRAFTED AND I PUT THE OTHER STAFF ON THE SIDE.

I STILL WANTED TO DO IT.

I'M A VERY CURIOUS PERSON.

>> YOU WERE JUST ALWAYS LEARNING.

>> OKAY, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LEARNING PROCESS OF BECOMING A CONNOISSEUR OF BOURBON.

THAT IS NO EASY FEAT.

WHAT IS THAT LEARNING CURVE BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

>> I THINK-- WELL, I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT'S FOR ME, BUT IT'S SO-- IT'S DIFFICULT.

AND IT'S FUN.

I ENJOY BASKETBALL, EVEN THROUGH THE HARDSHIPS AND I FEEL LIKE IN THE SPIRITS INDUSTRY, THERE HAVE BEEN HARDSHIPS.

BUT I ENJOY IT.

I ENJOY THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF IT.

I ENJOY THE NIGHT LIFE.

I ENJOY MEETING PEOPLE, BEING AROUND PEOPLE.

BUT I THINK THE TOUGHEST PART THOUGH IS THE HISTORY, BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER KNOW ENOUGH-- LIKE I KNOW MAYBE FIVE OR 1010 OF WHATEVER-- 10% OF WHATEVER I NEED TO KNOW AND IT'S ALWAYS SHRINKING BECAUSE THE DEEPER I GET, THE MORE RABBIT HOLES I MIGHT HAVE TO GO DOWN.

AND THAT HAS BEEN THE TOUGHEST PART, THE HISTORY AND THE PASTTIME BUT I LOVE LEARNING ABOUT IT SO THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW, THERE IS ALWAYS A NEW LABEL I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

THERE IS ALWAYS A NEW STORY.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING.

AND THAT'S WHAT I ENJOY.

>> HOW INVOLVED ARE YOU IN THE PROCESS?

>> I AM SO INVOLVED.

LIKE I AM HANDS ON INVOLVED.

I MEAN I HANDLE EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE CHEMISTRY.

OF THE BOURBON AND WHISKEY SO I DECIDE WHAT COMES TO MARKET.

I'M BIG ON THE SELECTION OF THE BILLS.

I HANDLE DISTRIBUTION, I HANDLE DRY, I HANDLE WET.

I HANDLE SUPPLY CHAIN.

BOTTLING FACILITY, YOU NAME IT, I'M ALL OVER IT.

WELL I TRY TO BE, RIGHT?

I'M GOING TO MISS SOME STUFF BUT I TRY TO BE ALL OVER IT AND I HAVE TREMENDOUS PARTNERS AND THEY HAVE BEEN REALLY FUN TO WORK WITH AND THEY HAVE A BURN OF BUNCH A EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY.

I'M NOT TAKING ALL THE CREDIT.

THEY HAVE 100 PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND THROUGH BASKETBALL, YOU KIND OF LEARN TO WORK WITH OTHERS BECAUSE AS A TEAM, IT'S A TEAM SPORT.

SO I LOOK AT THOSE GUYS AS MY VETERANS, AS MY VETS.

AND I'M ALWAYS ASKING THEM FOR SOME ANSWERS AND ALWAYS ASKING THEM QUESTIONS.

>> THAT'S A COOL WAY TO LOOK AT IT, AS A COLLABORATION, A TEAM, JUST LIKE BASKETBALL.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> YOU RELY ON EACH OTHER.

AND I DID HEAR YOU SAY THAT YOU HAVE NOT PUT BECOMING A DISTILLER OFF THE TABLE.

THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ASPIRE TO DO?

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF TIME, SO THAT'S NOT OFF THE TABLE.

THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN.

BUT I WOULD HAVE TO FINISH BASKETBALL FIRST IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.

>> OKAY.

WELL LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BASKETBALL CA REAR GOING NEXT?

>> MAN, I JUST HAD A GREAT SEASON IN ITALY.

I LED ITALY IN SCORING LIKE 25 A GAME, SO I DIDN'T KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO DO 25 OR 26 A GAME.

SO NOW LIKE... >> YOU JUST KEEP... KEEP IMPROVING.

>> SO NOW I'M LIKE I CAN DO THIS FOR ANOTHER FIVE, EIGHT YEARS.

I DON'T KNOW.

>> YOU THINK SO?

>> OF COURSE.

THAT WAS PRETTY NICE WHAT I DID LAST YEAR.

>> PRETTY NICE I WOULD SAY.

>> SO I WAS LIKE YEAH, I GOT IT.

I CAN DEFINITELY KEEP THIS UP FOR A LONG TIME.

>> DO YOU STILL HAVE NBA ASPIRATIONS?

>> YEAH, BUT-- AND I THINK I CAN NOW, GETTING OLDER, LIKE I CAN HELP YOUNGER GUYS WHEN THEY'RE COMING INTO THE LEAGUE AND I'M GOOD ENOUGH TO WHERE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE'S FAVORITE PLAYERS LOVE ME AND LOVE MY GAME AND ARE FANS OF MY GAME, SO I THINK THE RESPECT I HAVE IS THERE AND THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD ADDITION FOR A LATE ROSTER EDITION ADDITION.

AT THIS POINT IN MY CAREER, YOU ARE NOT COMING IN TO BE THE STAR PLAYER.

YOU ARE COMING IN TO ADD VALUE.

WHEREVER I CAN ADD VALUE AT, THAT'S WHERE I WOULD HAVE TO ADD.

>> IT THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR A LITTLE BIT OF MATURITY, TOO.

>> YEAH, YOU NEED MATURITY ON A TEAM.

AND THE CLIMATE, THE NBA IS IN NOW, YOU CAN JUST SEE LIKE I FEEL LIKE THERE AREN'T MANY GOOD VETERANS AROUND A LOT OF THESE YOUNGER PLAYERS AND THERE WEREN'T MANY GOOD ROLE MODELS ON ROSTERS FOR A LOT OF THESE YOUNGER GUYS AND THEY NEED THAT.

AND I THINK MYSELF OR EVEN SOME OTHER GUYS THAT MAY NOT BE ON ROSTERS NOW, WOULD REALLY HELP THE YOUNGER GENERATION MAKE THAT TRANSITION, BECAUSE A LOT OF YOUNGER GUYS ARE COMING IN.

YOU SEE THE 17, 18, 19 YEAR OLDS AND THEY NEED PEOPLE THAT CAN TELL THEM HEY, DON'T DO THAT, YOU KNOW.

THAT'S CRAZY.

THIS IS WHY THIS ISN'T GOING TO WORK ON THE BASKETBALL COURT.

>> HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT COACHING?

>> I HAVE.

BUT THE MORE AND MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, THE MORE AND MORE I GET A HEADACHE.

[LAUGHTER] IT'S TOO MANY CRAZY RULES IN COLLEGE LIKE YOU CAN'T WATCH A KID PLAY FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS.

YOU CAN'T AREY CRUT DURING THE MONTH OF-- YOU CAN'T RECRUIT DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL.

I LIKE... >> YOU PLAY BY YOUR OWN RULES.

>> I LIKE BASKETBALL, MAN.

IF I WANT TO SEE A KID PLAY, I WANT TO SEE THEM PLAY.

I WANT TO PRACTICE.

NOW IT'S THE NIL STUFF AND TRANSFER PORTALS.

IT'S CRAZY.

>> IT'S CHANGED A LOT.

IT'S CHANGED A LOT.

SO FROM YOUR RUSS-DICULOUS DAYS, HOW DO YOU THINK YOU'VE CHANGED SINCE THEN?

>> I HAVE BECOME MORE PATIENT AS A PERSON.

I THINK THAT COMES FROM ME BEING IN CHINA, HONESTLY.

BUT I HAVE BEEN MORE PATIENT AND MORE ACCEPTING AND JUST MORE LIKE AT PEACE AND COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF.

BEFORE I WOULD TRY REALLY, REALLY HARD TO IMPRESS SOMEONE OR SOME ENTITY OR WHOEVER IT MAY BE AND NOW I'M JUST VERY-- I'M OKAY WITH WHO I AM.

I'M GREAT WITH WHO I AM AND I THINK THAT'S JUST THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE.

THAT'S NIGHT AND DAY.

>> AND YOU ARE DOING WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO.

>> DOING WHAT I LOVE TO DO, RIGHT?

>> SO HAVE I TO ASK.

I WANT TO KNOW THE Mr. AND Mrs.

BOURBON.

WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?

>> THE NAME.

>> I WAS SURPRISED IT WASN'T CALLED RUSS-DICULOUS.

[LAUGHTER] >> THE NAME IS-- WELL, RUSS-DICULOUS IS ON THE BOTTLE SO I DID LEAVE A SIGNATURE.

THE PICTURE IS ON IT.

THE NAME Mr. AND Mrs..

I'M THE Mr. AND THE Mrs. IS EVERYTHING THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH WHEN I CAME TO KENTUCKY.

SO ONE BEING BASKETBALL, RIGHT?

BASKETBALL BROUGHT ME TO LOUISVILLE, BROUGHT ME TO KENTUCKY.

2, MY LADY, SHE MADE THE FACE LABEL.

>> SHE DREW THAT?

>> SHE DREW THAT.

>> OH WOW.

SHE IS AMAZING.

AND THEN THE THIRD IS THE BOURBON WHISKEY INDUSTRY ITSELF.

IT GOT ME INTO THE SPIRITS INDUSTRY AND THE INDUSTRY I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE IN SO ALL OF THAT JUST FALLS UNDER THE Mrs. CATEGORY FOR ME.

>> IT'S THE TRIFECTA.

>> THE TRIFECTA.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU?

WERE YOU JUST GOING TO CONTINUE IN THE BOURBON INDUSTRY?

>> YEAH I THINK I'M GOING TO... >> STUFF IN YOUR BACK POCKET.

>> I THINK I'M GOING TO STAY.

I'M GOING TO STAY IN THE BOURBON WHISKEY INDUSTRY.

I LOVE IT.

AND I WANT TO STAY SOME SPIRITS INDUSTRY ITSELF.

I LOVE THE PEOPLE.

I LOVE THE LINE OF WORK.

UM, I LOVE TO, TO, TO SOCIALIZE AND I LOVE THE NIGHTLIFE ASPECT OF IT, OF WHAT I CAN TURN INTO.

SO I'M JUST A BIG FAN OF THAT OVERALL, AND IT ALL JUST GOES HAND-IN-HAND.

>> DO YOU THINK YOU'LL STAY HERE IN LOUISVILLE?

>> I THINK SO.

I THINK SO.

UM, MAYBE.

MAYBE A LITTLE OUTSIDE OF LOUISVILLE.

BUT YEAH, I THINK I'LL BE IN KENTUCKY FOR SURE.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> BY THE WAY, THE VILLE BASKETBALL TEAM PLAYED PHENOMENALLY IN THE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT -- TO SOME VERY ENTHUSIASTIC FANS IN FREEDOM HALL.

ULTIMATELY, THEY DIDN'T WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT TIME.

DON'T FORGET YOU CAN WATCH, STREAM AND SHARE OUR SHOW ONLINE AT KET.ORG/INSIDELOUISVILLE.

YOU CAN FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM AT KET IN LOU.

THANKS FOR SPENDING A LITTLE TIME GETTING TO KNOW LOUISVILLE THIS WEEK.

I HOPE WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME FOR INSIDE LOUISVILLE... UNTIL THEN, MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK!

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪