- 10 minutes ago
Warriors big man Charles Bassey joins Willard and Dibs to break down his start to the season, the Warriors' five-game winning streak, his journey to the NBA and the Warriors, and more.
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00:00Richard holds the ball, shoveled over to Yaxle.
00:02He holds it up top, pressured by Brooks.
00:05Screamed by Bassey, but Yaxle stumbles.
00:07Pass over to the circling Curry.
00:09He drives on Booker, underhand scoop to the hoop.
00:11No good, rebound loose.
00:12Curry on his backside.
00:13Out to Yaxle for three.
00:15No good, tipped by Bassey.
00:17Good and a foul.
00:20Now, back to Willard and Dibbs on 95.7 The Game.
00:25Well, we've been looking forward to this all day.
00:27Anyway, love this, because this is a great story.
00:31He's performing at a high level.
00:33He's got everyone's attention.
00:35We haven't had a chance to talk to him before or get to know him.
00:38So this is a gift, and we're excited to do it right here on Willard and Dibbs 95.7 The
00:43Game.
00:43He was a big deal and a big part of this win last night for the Warriors.
00:49Joining us right now on the River Islands guest line is Charles Bassey.
00:53Charles, welcome to the show, man.
00:54How you doing?
00:56I'm doing good, man.
00:57I appreciate you guys for having me, and, you know, I'm doing great.
01:00I'm doing great.
01:00You sure are.
01:02Listen, this is amazing, man.
01:052026 is not even over yet, and I'm sitting here looking at this.
01:09December 27th of last year, you signed back with the Santa Cruz Warriors,
01:14but then about a month later, you go to the 76ers.
01:1710-day contract, 10-day contract.
01:20Play a little bit there.
01:21You play on, like, the Delaware Blue Coats or something like that, and then you come back, right?
01:29Then you come back to the Warriors.
01:31But then the Celtics call in March, and you go to the Celtics, and you play a little bit there,
01:35and then that goes away, and then April comes around, back to the Warriors, and this, that, and the other.
01:40Finally, in July, you're re-signed back with the Warriors on a one-year contract.
01:45And now look at you, man.
01:47Can you put into words what this whole year means to you?
01:52Man, it means a lot to me, man, you know.
01:54It just means, man, I just didn't give up, you know.
01:57I just kept walking, you know.
01:58Like I said, man, I just knew there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel,
02:03you know.
02:03So I just kept walking, you know.
02:06Every little opportunity I get, just kept using it, kept walking, kept taking it.
02:10And, you know, you know, this is, man, last year, like I was telling one of my teammates,
02:15like I said, last year was a, last year was a tough year, man.
02:19You know, I had ups and downs, you know.
02:21I mean, I'm glad for every team that brought me, you know.
02:24I had a lot of opportunities last year to be on a team.
02:29I just, you know, I felt like, you know, the Warriors gave me the better opportunity to do,
02:33to make, to make a roster spot and just end my spot.
02:36I said, I said, I said teammates in the overnight zone.
02:40So, I mean, it's been great, you know, being on the team and everything is going good right now.
02:47Yeah, it was going great.
02:48Last night was an awesome performance in a victory.
02:51Can we go even further back to your days as a young man in Nigeria
02:54and just exactly what that experience was like trying to be a soccer player
02:59and then becoming a basketball player and just trying to find your way to a better life?
03:05Oh, yeah, man.
03:06Like I said, man, you know, I grew up, I grew up in a rough area.
03:09I mean, everybody, you know, I was born in Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
03:12I was born and raised.
03:14Selling, I sold, I don't know, not a lot of people know this story,
03:18but I sold, I sold chicken on the side of the road growing up as a kid.
03:23So, it was, yeah, it was, you know, it was just me helping my family, you know,
03:32put some on the table for them.
03:34But, yeah, I mean, it was great, man.
03:36You know, growing up playing soccer, you know, went to school, played soccer, you know.
03:41Started playing basketball when I was 13.
03:43I was found by a coach called Coach Dele, who was trying to get chicken from me at the time.
03:48And, you know, he just saw this, you know, skinny, you know, skinny, tall kid who had a chance to
03:55be someone alive.
03:57And, you know, he approached me.
03:58And, of course, I said no because, you know, back then, it's like, you know, we kids in Africa, we
04:04love soccer.
04:04So, it's like nobody knew anything about basketball.
04:08But, you know, I felt like, you know, so he kept coming back, he kept coming back.
04:12Like, he met my parents, he went to my house, and, you know, I just felt like it was him,
04:16like, just kept coming back, nagging me, you know.
04:19Just gave me the ick to just go try it out.
04:21You know, I went to go try it out, and it was great, man.
04:24You know, I just loved it ever since, and I never had to look back.
04:28Yeah.
04:30Yeah, sorry, Charles Bassey with us here on Willard & Dibs.
04:33Charles, like, I want to make sure everybody caught that.
04:35So, you're in Nigeria, you're selling chickens on the side of the road, and that's where you met the person
04:42who basically encouraged you to pick up basketball?
04:46Yeah, that was actually my coach in Nigeria.
04:50His name is Coach Dilley.
04:51He was actually trying to get chicken from me, like, I was selling chicken, so he was actually trying to
04:57buy a couple chickens from me, and then he just, because I remember I was sitting there, and then I
05:02just stood up, and then he just, like, oh.
05:05And he just saw, like, you know, 12 a.m. as a young kid, and then he talked to me
05:10on my back, because I remember then he trained only girls.
05:13He was about to start, like, a boys program, so he, like, approached me, and I was like, and I
05:20told him, like, I don't play basketball.
05:21I'm a soccer player, like, I play soccer, you know, so it's like, but he was willing to teach me,
05:26you know, everything, and, I mean, it's been great ever since, man.
05:30Every time I still go back home, I still talk to him, and still, you know, he still trains me
05:36when I go back home and everything.
05:38You know, he talks to me also today, so everything is good.
05:41We still, you know, we still go together.
05:44It's an incredible story, and I just wonder how quickly you were able to pick up basketball.
05:49Obviously, you were a good athlete, and you were a soccer player, but that's totally different than basketball.
05:54How quickly were you able to pick up the skills necessary to then go on and be a college and
05:59now pro player?
06:01Man, I mean, it was quick, man, because I remember growing up, I was a Tasselander, man, so, because I
06:06think I remember, like, he brought me, the first day I went to go, he was walking me out back
06:13in Nigeria.
06:14So, he brought me to the court.
06:15I remember I got there, and there were other guys he was training, too, like, some other players, like, some
06:21other guys he was training.
06:23And I think I got there, and then he just gave me a basketball, and then he was just, like,
06:28just, he told me, just do a layup, like, just count two steps and just shoot the ball.
06:33And then I remember, this is just my first time ever doing it, and then he told me what I
06:37was doing, and I did it.
06:38I showed the boy, went in, and then he looked at me, and he was like, he's been training these
06:42other guys for two weeks, they haven't got it.
06:44And then I did it in one day.
06:45So, imagine if I do it in one day, what all that stuff I could learn in a couple days.
06:50And I just felt like that gave me a little bit, you know, like, confidence to just start, you know,
06:56start playing basketball and stuff.
06:58So, I just feel like after that day, I just never looked back.
07:00I just started doing it.
07:03So great.
07:04Charles Bassey with us here on Withered and Tibbs.
07:06All right, Charles, let's get a little bit of the story of what's going on with this Warriors team right
07:12now.
07:12What goes through your head last night as you see Draymond Green get thrown out of the game?
07:18I mean, I knew I was the next man up, you know.
07:22I knew him getting thrown out of the game.
07:24I knew I was the next man up in line.
07:25I knew, you know, this is a chance to play, you know.
07:28Like I said, man, next man up mentality, man.
07:31I knew the team was going to need, you know, they was going to need me.
07:34They was going to need someone to just uncut the defense the way Dray does it.
07:39So, you know, I just have to step up my game, you know, and just give the team a little
07:44bit edge just to get a win last night.
07:47Well, yeah, man, great team win, great.
07:50But, yeah, I just have to do my job and just step it up a little bit and, yeah.
07:58So that happens.
07:59Draymond gets, you know, tangled up and he gets the tee and then Dylan Brooks runs in and now we've
08:03got ourselves a little bit of a situation.
08:05What did that do for the team in general?
08:07Was that a motivational moment to see Draymond willing to sacrifice his night for the squad?
08:14Yeah, of course, man.
08:15It's motivation.
08:16Like Steph said yesterday, I don't know if you guys have seen Steph's interview.
08:19He said that what happened yesterday, it fired the whole team up.
08:23Like, it lit something up in our body.
08:25Like, we was just, you know, it fires up, it fires up, man.
08:28Like, you know, he's willing to, like, you know, fight for his teammates.
08:32And I think there were other guys, too, on the team that was willing to do that, too.
08:36So, I mean, everybody's willing to do that, man.
08:38We just, we are, our togetherness is there.
08:42And I just feel like even after he got ejected yesterday, he just lit the whole squad up, man.
08:48And we knew going into that game, we would just, we'd have to get a win.
08:52We knew it was going to win because, man, we were edging close.
08:55I know we started, we started slow yesterday and, you know, came back and just got a win.
08:59But he just, you know, just lit something up and, you know, it's going to make sure we got the
09:03win.
09:04Charles, would love further perspective also, though, on what you saw unfold there.
09:09Because we took note of your comments after the game that a lot of what was happening there with the
09:15Suns
09:15was a little bit of a fake tough guy act.
09:18What was happening between you and the Suns?
09:21I mean, I just, you know, nothing only happened, man.
09:24It was just me, between me and Jalen.
09:27I think we had the, we had the jump ball or something.
09:30I think I got the rebound there.
09:32He was right there, too.
09:33Like, he got, we held the ball together.
09:35So, I think we're just, you know, holding the ball together.
09:39I said, jump ball for some reason.
09:41I don't know what happened.
09:42And then, like, I think Miles, Miles Brazier just came from nowhere.
09:46I think shoved me or something like that.
09:48But, I mean, like I said, man, like, at that moment in the game, man, like, I just feel like,
09:53you know,
09:53at that moment in the game, I knew my team, my team needs me, man.
09:56I just, I just had to stay composed, you know.
09:58I just was composed, kept my composure, and just had to just go finish the game off.
10:02It was like, we did, and that's the win.
10:04But just staying composed at that moment was very, very important for me and my teammates.
10:08And I just, you know, we didn't want to get anyone to object that.
10:12We just wanted to finish the game.
10:14And that was just a weird moment where you had the ball, and then all of a sudden he's turned
10:18around,
10:18and now you're kind of around his neck in kind of an innocent fashion.
10:22It just seemed to be a weird tangle.
10:25And I wonder, Charles, is your background and is the fact that you've had such a long and arduous journey
10:31to the NBA,
10:31does that give you a little bit extra, I don't know, composure in those tense moments?
10:37Because you've been through a lot tougher situations.
10:40I mean, yeah, of course, man.
10:42I've been through way tougher situations.
10:44I mean, I've had, you know, I've had injuries.
10:47I mean, like, you know, my career has been up and down, you know.
10:51I've had the cities and stuff, and, you know, I'm only still composed, man.
10:56And in those moments, man, it's either, you know, you do what's going to help the team
11:02or you don't do what's going to help the team.
11:04And in that moment, I just felt like I felt the team need me on the floor, you know.
11:08And I mean, we're still, there was still, I think there was still, like, five or six minutes left on
11:12the clock.
11:13So there's still so much more game to play.
11:15So it's like just being composed in that moment was very, very important for me and my teammates, man.
11:21And I think we talked about it in the locker room, too.
11:24And I think everybody was calling me fake toughness after the game yesterday, which was funny.
11:31But, yeah, man, we just, like I said, man, just being composed was definitely important for us to get our
11:36way into the show.
11:38So I was Bassey with us here on Withered and Dibs.
11:40Hey, Charles, especially since it's your first time on the show and we're trying to get to know you a
11:44little bit,
11:45we got some fun kind of away-from-basketball questions on the way out the door that we call the
11:50Big Finish.
11:50Can we throw a few at you?
11:52Yeah, yeah, yeah, come on.
11:53All right, come on, come on.
11:56Charles Bassey on the Big Finish.
11:57We have two categories.
11:58You pick one.
11:59Do you want to do playing with the chef or Bassey is classy?
12:06Bassey is classy.
12:07Okay, Bassey is classy.
12:10If you could fly first class for the rest of your life or never have to pay for gas again,
12:17which would you choose?
12:22Man, I got to fly first class for the rest of my life, for sure, for sure.
12:29Yeah, I mean, it's $5.59 in Gallagher, right?
12:32Yeah, I can pay for gas.
12:34That's not a problem.
12:35I can pay for gas for the rest of my life.
12:38Yeah, that's not a problem.
12:39Yeah, I can pay for gas.
12:40The man is 6'9".
12:42He'll pay for gas and get some leg room.
12:44I get that.
12:44I mean, being stuck in coach versus, you know.
12:46I get the leg room and everything in there.
12:49Yeah, that's great, man.
12:49First class for sure.
12:51Yeah, you can get the seat all the way back and maybe get a little champagne and maybe a mint.
12:56Like, what are those?
12:56Yeah, man.
12:57First class, you got everything.
12:59You got the bed in there.
13:00You got the food.
13:01You got the drink, champagne.
13:03You got TV.
13:04You got everything you need in there, man.
13:06And, you know, so it's great.
13:08First class.
13:09I mean, it's first class.
13:10I wonder about you flying with the Warriors.
13:12Like, are you still kind of in that mode of, like, this is awesome?
13:16Or are you starting to get, like, kind of used to it by now?
13:20Yeah, it's awesome, man.
13:21I think the planes we fly, it's a huge plane, man.
13:24Like, I think, I mean, everybody's got space.
13:27Like, we lay down, you know, and the plane is so big.
13:30And it's great, man.
13:32It's great.
13:32We got so much space in that plane, man.
13:35Man, it's fun.
13:36It's fun flying with those planes.
13:38Oh, yeah.
13:38I can only imagine.
13:40That's an awesome answer.
13:41Number two, it's Bassie is Classy with Charles Bassie here.
13:44What's the one luxury item that you are most likely to spend a lot of money on?
13:49Is it watches, clothes, jewelry, cars?
13:52What is it, Charles?
13:54To be honest, man.
13:59Yeah?
14:00To be honest, man, I'll probably shit, like, man, I'll probably shit, like,
14:07clothes show up.
14:08I'll probably shit clothes.
14:10You know, like, I mean, I can have a watch here and then, like, maybe one or two watches
14:15and, like, you know, one or two jewelry.
14:17But I feel like with the clothes, I have to have, like, different kind of, like, clothes,
14:21like, bunch of clothes and stuff.
14:23Like, you know, I like trying some new stuff on, you know, new stuff with different kind
14:28of brands and stuff.
14:29So I'll probably shit, like, clothes.
14:31Okay.
14:31Definitely clothes.
14:32I mean, you scored 19 points in a game, Charles.
14:34They're going to be filming you on your way into the arena on Thursday night.
14:40Definitely clothes, for sure.
14:42All right.
14:42Last one.
14:43If you weren't an NBA player, what career path would you have chosen?
14:48Oh, I would definitely be a soccer player.
14:50I would definitely be a soccer player at all.
14:54When I think I'll be a pilot.
14:56Because I grew up, I always wanted to be a pilot.
14:58Okay.
14:59You know, yeah.
15:00I was going to be a pilot.
15:01It was either a pilot or a soccer player for me growing up.
15:04Because I think back home, I was, like, really, really interested to be a pilot, man.
15:09But I just felt like, you know, basketball just took over from everything, man, you know.
15:13All right.
15:14But, yeah, man.
15:15I was really, really high on, like, knowing how to fly a plane, like, being a pilot and stuff
15:19like that.
15:20I love that.
15:21So not side-of-the-road chicken salesman.
15:25Oh, my God.
15:27No.
15:28Uh, exactly.
15:32All right.
15:33You see Steph out there in the pregame, like, doing his little dribble, dribble, dribble
15:36with the basketball as part of his pregame routine.
15:40Does he have skills?
15:41Or are you looking at that like you're a far better soccer player than anything that anyone
15:45else can bring out?
15:47Who are you talking about?
15:48Well, Steph, you know, he does, like, the dribble and he kicks the ball and he'll, like,
15:52Oh, yeah.
15:53So Steph, Steph, yeah.
15:54Steph, Steph is different.
15:55He's got this, this guy, his game, his guy's different game plans and what he does before
16:01every game.
16:02And, you know, uh, I mean, his, his skill, his skill level is just way different, man.
16:07Like, it went out 38, he's still got it, you know, and still won't.
16:11That's the greatest, that's the greatest shot on the planet, man.
16:14You guys played the game yesterday, you know.
16:17Uh, but yeah, man, he makes this, this different kind of trick shots even in practice and stuff.
16:21Like, there was one time, I think, uh, the game we played and was there on the road against
16:27Minnesota doing shoot-around.
16:28He made, like, I think everybody was, everybody was sort of shooting, like, um, like, um, the
16:35half-court shot.
16:35He made, like, three or four in a row.
16:37And then we were just looking at him, like, like, he's shooting that, like, he's shooting
16:40like a regular three-point shot.
16:42You know, it's like, I'm like, yeah, it's just crazy, man, like, the way he does it.
16:46I think his skill level is off the chart, man.
16:49Like, his ball handling, his ball handling, everything, his foot walk.
16:52Yeah, it's, it's, it's crazy, man.
16:54It's crazy.
16:54It's just a joy to watch.
16:55And it's a joy to play with him, too, because that helps me out to a little bit, you know.
16:59Screen and roll, it frees me up so much, man.
17:03Like, playing with Steph, man, I get so much wide open.
17:06So, man, it's just, it's just been, it's been a joy playing with him, for sure.
17:09So, uh, love that.
17:10Awesome.
17:11Love, love the description.
17:12Charles, man, uh, you're a welcome addition.
17:15Uh, the team really needs a big man.
17:17And, uh, you look like you're stepping right into the role.
17:20Uh, what a, what a, what a fun time to talk to you, man.
17:23We really appreciate you on your off day giving us a ring.
17:27For sure, of course, man.
17:28Appreciate you guys having me in.
17:30Yeah, we'll do it again.
17:31There he is.
17:32Charles Bassey.