(ethereal music) Welcome to "Business Forward", I'm your host Matt George.

Joining me tonight, oh, I'm pumped, Peorian Shaun Livingston, former Central star, McDonald's All-American, professional basketball player.

Here's something rare.

Three time NBA champ, welcome Shaun.

- Thanks for having me.

- I mean, if you think about, think how many guys go through NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, Dan Marino, never get to play in a Superbowl or never get to the NBA.

You've got three, in I think four years, in a four year period.

- Five.

- Five year period.

Dang.

- Yeah.

Somebody was looking out for me.

- Somebody is looking out for you.

- Somebody's looking out for me.

Very fortunate, a little bit of luck.

A lot of hard work but there's better players than I was in different sports.

You play your whole career sometimes and you don't make it.

- Well, I mean, we're gonna get to that because I have so much to talk to you about but very visible name in Peoria for obvious reasons.

But think about how many good basketball players came out of just this middle Illinois area.

I mean, the list is enormous, isn't it?

- It is, it is.

- And all around that same era of you and even before then, it goes back, I was talking to Curley Boo, he was on the show few months ago and David Booth, Derek, AJ.

- Keep going, keep going.

- Dan Ruffin.

I mean, the list goes on and on and on.

And Brandon Lee.

- Yeah.

- One of your buddies.

- Howard Nathan, Frank Williams, Sergio McClain.

I mean it's yeah.

- Get to the line, I guess yet I'm in the line, I guys.

- I mean, it's really cool.

And it really says something about our culture here.

Our area here, our coaching here, our grit.

I love that word for pure in this area, but you've been in the NBA a long time and you're retired and now you still are back in it.

Explain what you're doing right now.

- Yeah, so we've hosted a basketball camp probably for the past nine, 10 years now, myself, Aja, Guidon, Daniel Ruffin, Marcellus Somerville.

- Oh yeah.

- All Peoria guys, all Peoria high guys.

We kinda got together and it was trying to figure out, how can we give back?

We were all kind of doing individual camps and things of that nature.

We were all still young and playing and we came together formed kind of the pride of Peoria basketball skills clinic, that we've been doing now annually for like, like I mentioned about nine, 10 years.

- Yeah, so like when you four get together, do you play a little two on two?

- Oh man, we haven't done that in a while, but I know they, I know we all still got a little something the time.

- I know Marcellus is the.

- Absolutely he's playing MBT - He still looks like.

- That's right.

He still looks like he was a brat.

- That's right.

- I mean, that's pretty cool, but what's really one of the neatest things that you do.

And you're just talking about, but is all the good you do for the community?

Not just our community, but communities all over, back, in warrior town or your country.

And so talk about being on an NBA team and then what you saw from some of the veterans that you played with and what work they did in their communities and how that impacted you.

- Yeah, great question.

I was, again, I just feel very, very fortunate and I got to stress this because you, you kind of alluded to it earlier.

There was a lot of great players that came out of this city, this town.

And I mean, Peoria is not a big market town, like a Chicago, New York, Los Angeles.

And so for a minute there, they called it the Peoria pipeline.

And I mean, it was one after another.

And I mean, these are guys that I grew up watching grew up really just fantasizing like these, players I looked up to.

We had Michael Jordan right up the road, who was every kid's hero.

And here I am watching, like I mentioned, Howard Nathan and Frank Williams, Sergio those manual teams, central Aja guidance, even before then, Tyrone Howard and man, it was just some great ballplayers.

Tony White Singer Jesus.

- Tony White was great, I went to school with him.

- Absolutely.

- Another Illinois guy.

But I just feel like a product of all of those guys before me.

And, I felt like I was able to watch them fall in love with the game.

Those guys gave a lot and made me wanna be a basketball player.

And so, it's in the same breadth of paying it forward, getting drafted out of high school, being one of the first point guards ever taken.

Just a lot of, good luck happening in my life.

A lot of hard work as well.

But now to be able to come back and show kids that, there's something bigger than just what you see in front of you, that's really what it's well.

- In my job that I do, we see kids of all ages and I always say, it's our job.

No matter, I truly believe this it's everyone's job in our community to take care of our kids, all kids.

And I truly believe that.

And it's to give these kids a dream and that's exactly what you're talking about, what these kids dream.

- And, it feels that, Peoria was, it had more of that community feel when we were younger and growing up and I'm still feeling a little young, but I'm, getting up there and it's just like, now we're just trying to promote more of that.

To care about the kids in general, the youth in general, not, especially your kid, but not just your kid, your neighbor's kid.

And just, trying to promote good habits, good systems.

We talked about systems and processes and putting those in place.

And not really just being concerned about the credit because sometimes we can get caught up in that and you're right.

But it's just about, the transformation and what's happening with, the generation after us.

- And another central guy who just got drafted by the Steelers, your buddy, Kendrick green.

He's not doing it for the credit either.

I mean, my son went to his camp last week and enjoyed it.

And that's given back before you even step on an NFL field.

- Which I think he charged the kids $1 to go to the camp $1.

And then made that, part of giving to a charity.

And so that's what it's about honestly.

Now this is his turn this is his time.

It's just getting drafted with the Steelers right here from Peoria, Illinois.

- Isn't that cool.

- And has a chance to play for one of the greatest organizations in the whole NFL and now for him to come back and do the same thing and not, he's not waiting.

He's, hitting the ground, doing the camp before he even plays his first game.

So, I'm proud of him.

- I'm proud of them too, and what's interesting we're, just talking basketball for the obvious reasons, but we're not even talking about Jim Tomey.

- That's right, Joe, Gerardi.

- Joe, Gerardi - All these guys, that are here, but here, I'm gonna go back to the beginning.

I know you don't like me saying this because you don't want the credit for it, but that's three rings, man.

I mean, you tell me, you tell me those guys aren't sitting here going, man, that is some cool stuff, because really when you're playing, no matter what anybody say, you're playing to win.

It's not just money, that's a sub set of it.

- Yeah, I mean work, you're competitive.

It's, the height, of competition and I'm not a pride and, guys are playing for, their families, their, the world's watching.

And I tell people, I'd like to remind people all the time.

I played with some pretty good teammates too, so I was fortunate to, play with some good teammates, but Jim Tomy Hall of Famer.

Wasn't fortunate enough to get to, the big one, but it's like, a great career.

- Great career, and then, I was thinking of another line.

I got, you played a Darren Williams.

- That's right.

- I knew Darren a little, and he was unbelievable player too.

So when you think of Peoria and take basketball out of it for a minute, when you think of Peoria, what are the pauses that you think about when you're thinking, man, I miss home right now, or I've just missed this restaurant or whatever it may be when you're in California or wherever you may be traveling.

- Family.

- Family.

- Family, I think just the feel of coming back to Peoria.

Just, it humbles me.

It reminds me, of where I'm from.

And there's a lot of grit to this town.

There's a lot of hard working people that live in this town, To kind of pull out the, pull the bootstraps up and hard hats.

so there's a lot of pride in the city, and I think that is kind of carried with me.

I've been all over the globe and tell people this basketball has been a vehicle for me.

And, it's allowing me to see some amazing things, amazing places, but, Peoria has kind of always stayed in the rib, and just been my foundation if you will.

- I was lucky enough you asked me to emcee your event when you're raising money for the gym at Concordia.

And, I was thinking back there that when you walked into the room, everybody was there to see you, but you handle it with such grace.

And, but so do all of the, the fans and supporters that you have to, they don't sit here and nag you all the time.

It's almost like it's such a loving community that they just are happy that you're back.

That you just haven't abandoned the area.

- That's right, that's right.

And that's what you get kind of in the small, it's more intimate.

I think it's more intimate in this, in Peoria.

It's more of, and, that's why we're trying to promote, the community environment amongst each other, because I think, we still have that in certain groups.

And that's always kind of been a pastime for Peoria, but just, still trying to remain consistent with those principles.

- Yeah, I mean, I think running children's home, like I do Marcellus running friendship house, and then you've got the car research and you've got all these different, great places in town.

The, I guess it's easy for me to say this, but you can make a difference, like others that can make a difference, not just, not with a checkbook, but just with caring, just to say, hey Shaun, would you come do this?

Or, Hey, Shaun, can you just give us a, little PR on your Instagram account?

Or can you just, all of those little things mean so much to our community.

I see them all the time that's why I'm saying it.

So that really says a lot about you as a person.

- I think, and I mean, I really feel this way, it's not just a campaign slogan.

It's like, I think the greatest form of currency we have is time.

- That's right.

- And when we give that to people, I think, that's where our value, is really held.

And so for me, time is, can be limited.

I got a lot on my plate, sometimes obviously family kids, and, it's very important, but there's a lot of great things I wanna do, and being able to help others.

And I think that's the way to do it.

Not just by, writing checks and taking pictures.

it's about giving people your time.

- It's, funny there's a little tidbit here when I did that with you a couple of years ago, a few years back then, about a month later, I mean, I hadn't seen you in a couple of years, then I saw you in the airport and then I was on an airplane with you.

And then we ran into each other about four times in about a four month period.

And I haven't seen you in a couple of years, so it's just kinda funny.

So you're still a young guy.

You kind of alluded to that earlier, but sometimes you think to yourself, wait a minute I played, I won championships with Steph Curry, Clay Thompson, Trayvon Green, all these guys, my coach, Steve Kerr.

- Oh, man its a, he's Chicago boWls.

- That's right.

- And so do you sit here and say, man, I have experienced so much in my lifetime and I'm only in my thirties.

I mean, do you think that.

- Yeah, I mean, again and I, that's what I was kind of talking about earlier.

It's just like, man, a lot of, I just feel so blessed.

So lucky to, I, man, there was just a lot of great people that influenced me too many to name.

We'd be here all day, but I was very fortunate to grow up and I went to, I went to Roosevelt, I grew up right across the street from Carver center.

I lived right across the street from Franklin grade school.

I went to Concordia Lutheran grade school.

I went to Roosevelt magnet grade school, went to Richwoods pure high, all these different places.

So what my father, by him putting me at a lot of these different schools and interacting with so many different people, it was almost molding me to, you have different experiences.

And now too, again, the journey just kept going.

It took off even from there getting drafted out of high school, playing with nine different teams, going to China, going to Europe all over south America, just to play basketball and meet different people, different experiences, try different foods, cultures.

I'm lucky, it's just man, I just, I feel blessed.

And so now it's like, I want other people to experience, that type of, that type of experience and man, it's just, hopefully the journey isn't over, it's like.

- I think it's just starting because if you watch the last five years of your career and maybe it's more, it better than me, but you became more of a matured leader on the court.

I mean, you really, it was so visible.

It was almost like, okay, I had to do this and this the first five years of my career and I ain't talking injury.

And then you were the glue that actually kept these guys.

Cause Steph Kurry's gonna get a shot, those other, Clay's gonna get his shots.

And so you were kind of the quarterback of that team and that had to, there's a responsibility with that.

- Yeah, I liked it, I likened it to, we were there the three wise men, it was myself, Andrea Godiva and David West.

And we were kind of all at the, kind of the pinnacle or the end prime of our careers.

David West, we had just got him, he took a pay cut to come from wherever he was, for shot at the championship.

And he was, big, strong guy, bruiser, enforcer.

He was kind of, I called him the dean.

He just, you didn't want to go see him in his office.

like the, that's not where you want it to be.

And myself and Andre, we were caught more of the analytical thinkers.

we were the counselors, if you will, come over here, let's grab you one-on-one and, let's talk about, what do you see, ask you some questions make you think, because it's, it can be emotional.

The competition and the spirit of the game, and, things don't always go your way.

It's a roller coaster.

So, just having that type of responsibility, it was great for me.

And I think it's even, it was also a great precursor for my job now in the front office.

Just to give me some of those type of responsibilities of managing guys, if you will, on the team.

- I was gonna ask you, I saw a quote that, you said the biggest hurdle we climb is the mountain of doubt on our head telling us what we can't accomplish.

Was that related to your injury?

- Yep.

- Okay.

So coming out of high school, you're drafted you're, you're a kid.

And injured early in your career, how many ups and downs mentally did you just sit there?

I mean, are you so competitive that you just sit, sat there and said, I'm gonna be good, I'll be fine.

- I mean, I think there was, it was weird.

It was always two sides.

And I think that's, we all kind of have that.

Everybody has the, they got the angel and you, the other one on the other side telling you, and it's, just, it's the brain man.

It's, the mindset, and we all have one and we're all, we all have doubts that creep in.

We all have, things that we wake up and, oh, I can't do this.

Or I don't feel like doing that when really we can, but it's just us training our minds, to push ourselves outside of our comfort zones, outside of our norms, our processes, our systems that we get conditioned to.

But, in the beginning, my confidence waver, just like an audience players.

I came in with a lot of hype.

I always had a lot of hype around me, there's this kid, Shaun Linux thesis of the day, I was on magazines in sixth grade.

It's like, so I always had a lot to live up to I'd expectation.

Sometimes I lived up to it, sometimes I didn't, He's not that good, he's, I, wasn't impressed.

And it's just, that can mess with you, it can mess with your mindset, your confidence.

And so, when I went through my injury, just being at the bottom, there was a lot of doubt, a lot of people that, they it's over, it's over for him, it's not, he's not coming back damaged goods and you can buy into other people's beliefs and their opinions.

- And haters.

- And haters.

I mean, that's the kind of the word for it, but it's true.

We can buy into, other people's knives, 'cause people will tell you things of what you can't do but they've never did it.

They've never done it.

And so you have to believe ultimately in yourself, the injury for me was my, that was kinda my testimony, to be able to believe in myself, to push myself outside of, what I thought I could accomplish.

I was fortunate to be young as well, so I had that on my side, but the stars aligned for me and, it was just about pushing through the doubt, in the fear of failure, and once I was able to do that, and once I was able to say, hey, I used to be this player, now I'm gonna be whatever player that I'm gonna be, but I have to just try, I got to show up, not, I was fourth picking the draft and I'm supposed to be this hall of fame player.

And no, I just wanna try, I wanna, I want to fail, and luckily, I kept, I got opportunities and I just tried to make the most of them, some of them didn't work out and some of them did.

And towards the end they did.

- I mean, it's meant to be, I mean, you think early on, I could be a hall of fame player, but the bottom line is you won championships.

You provide for your family.

But more importantly, like with my son here right now, and this probably is the only business show that we'll have a lot of kids watching it, because once we start telling, because the message here is don't give up the message is we live in a great community, the message is we need to take care of each other, no matter who it is, the message is, all of those things that you've been talking about.

And the reason why you're here in Peoria right now.

- Absolutely, and it's not a Shaun Livingstone thing.

It's not an NBA thing.

It's not a three-time champion thing.

It's a human component.

- That is exactly right.

- And it's something that everybody can grasp.

So it's just, like I mentioned, the mindset to me is what I really, I enjoy that I'm already kind of analytical and can go long winded about that, but it's, I enjoy diving into those type of conversations.

- And I think when you, when I bring up the three championships in NBA and all those things, it's the leverage you can provide to make change.

It's the same with Marcellus sack or any of them.

Any of any athlete, anybody in business that's done well, it's not, I said earlier, it's not checkbook all the time.

It's the leverage that you can bring to make change for good.

It's gotta be for good.

- Absolutely, and, that's the part sometimes that can, you can get twisted up into, the credit and trying to, perform cause, we all want to accomplish things, and be great as we should.

But I, again, I truly believe that's, our greatest asset, is serving and helping, and, that's what we can really look back on.

- I always tell my team, you don't work at this position and it doesn't matter whether you're in a CEO or cook or maintenance or frontline, it doesn't matter.

if someone asks you what you do, you change lives and you save lives.

That's what you do every day.

You change lives and save lives.

That should be your mission when you wake up, you want to run through a wall and fight for those kids and families that need it.

That's why you're in this business.

And they need it.

- And they need it.

- We've got a couple more minutes.

I wanna talk about mentors and I'm not even necessarily talking about coaches maybe it is, but Steve Kerr had a quote and he said, you're the rock of our foundation that's pretty cool.

And so that means a lot coming from a guy who's been around just about every professional athlete there is, but mentor wise, who do you look up to, or who do you, who helps you in the process?

And it's hard to, cause there's probably a hundred names.

It's not fair, but is there somebody that just put their arm around you and said, you know what?

We got you.

- Man, that's a, that is a tough one because no, no, no.

I mean, I do wanna give some shout outs because there are some good people here that really took the time out, number one, my father.

I mean, it's, just seeing some of the community and a lot of the hurt that goes on out here, there's, it starts at home.

And I was very lucky and very fortunate, to have somebody to care about me, the way that he did, and put the boy, he put the ball in my hand, and then obviously all the great coaches, there was a lot of coaches actually that came through the camp that made some appearances, starting with coach Bishar, obviously Peoria high hall of Famer there, a great relationship with him.

Coach Chuck Westendorf was another mentor to a lot of different guys, starting out at manual.

And I'm sure I forgot where he was before then I was too young.

But spent years with van psych at manual, came over to central.

I mean, he might have more rings than all of us, he's a great guy, coach Dan rough-in as well.

I think he was a, great mentor for a lot of young African-Americans, that didn't have fathers in a way that he was, a father figure to have out of players.

And he coached you tough, he was hard on you.

And, but at the end of the day, you could tell that he cared about the kids and, those three guys, obviously it was the Peoria high family Wayne Mclean, rest in peace, I looked up to him.

He was, a pioneer in our community and he really cared about the kids, Thomas Rupert, from Concordia I mean.

- Another legend.

- Another Roper Jim out there, absolutely.

Another legend really gave us a life people don't know he got drafted to go, into the NBA and decided to teach, and I mean his faith and, in the ministry.

So Mr. Mooney, at Christ Lutheran, all the work that he's done.

So I mean, oh, and one more Mr. Coach powers, down at Roosevelt, Lee Powers.

- I do know.

- Lee Powers was another one that just, these guys again, I mean, all of these guys were, I think father figures to a lot of us.

There was the basketball was just such a pipeline and Peoria everywhere you went, you, guys were riding bikes to go play.

You, go to community centers, you didn't have all the technology and stuff.

So we were outside, get outside and go play.

So these guys were father figures to a lot of players.

- Well, I appreciate it, Shaun, you, you're a true gentlemen and just what our community needs.

And I learned a lot from you today.

You're a good man, good family man.

We appreciate all that you do.

I'm Matt, George.

And this is another episode of business forward.

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