 I'm here with a special guest today, Addison Barnes from the US, NBA superstar who plays with the Sacramento Kings now, but he has been a championship winner with arguably one of the greatest team in NBA history. So how has it been in India? It's been great being here in India. Just to be able to see some of the food and the people and experience it, it's been great. So you've seen some kids play over here in the last one week or so. And obviously, your career has been well followed or well documented from the time you used to play in school, from there on college superstar and then picked in the first round itself in the NBA draft and then from then on the championship and then with Dallas and now Sacramento Kings, right? So what do you reckon at what level our kids are over here, Indian kids, as far as skill is concerned, as far as physicality is concerned? Because I saw the selection over here and some of the kids that I've told us you, but what about the game? Yeah, the kids here, they're great. Just to see them and see how they play. They've had a lot of passion, a lot of intensity. So that's good. But the biggest thing in terms of growing, just takes time. These kids are going to feel out into their bodies. They're going to get stronger. They're going to develop certain things by just playing longer, playing in a more structured environment. I like the NBA Academy. So I think they're well on track to do everything they need to do. And you're right, some of those kids are tall. They probably will continue to be tall. So, but then there is a system in place in the US and in India that kind of a competition is not there, not existent at all. So how important is competition at that early stage? Does it bring you down because if you keep on losing, that's a negative impact, but then you play and you improve as well. So on that regard, what do you think India should do to aspire to reach not at the level the US is right now, but at least at a level where India is competitive at the world stage? Focus on the fundamentals. Building on those fundamentals and making sure that the kids understand, you know, the basic skills and mastering those. That's the biggest way to raise the collective level of talent. I mean, if the kids understand, okay, this is my building blocks, okay, and now I can add things on top of that, that's how you get better. But if you don't have that foundation, it's hard to build. So it's a question of basketball culture as well in a way. And so that brings you to another high point of your career, which was to represent the US in the Olympics and winning a gold medal. So how was your experience playing that basketball? Because it's, I mean, it's the same game, but it's different as well compared to NBA. Just the opportunity to represent your country. It means so much because, you know, you work all your life to get better and try to play at the highest level. And you have the opportunity to go and compete on the world's biggest stage once again. It's a surreal experience. And what about interacting with the other players? Because obviously you go in, the US team is a team full of superstars. And you go in, then all the other teams also look up to you. So have you interacted with them? Did you get a chance to interact with the other teams that came to play at the Olympics? And what is the basketball culture like? What is the difference? Did you observe anything? How are things seen differently? How is the game played? Things like that. The NBA is super diverse. So, you know, there was a lot of international players that you played against before or you had played with. So just seeing those guys on the national team is always a friendly camaraderie. And we all played the same game. We all love the same game. We all watch, you know, basketball at a high level, whether it's Euro League or whether it's the NBA or whether it's just international basketball in general. So just seeing other players is mutual respect between them when you step on the floor. And getting to your high point in the NBA, the Warriors team. So you were part of the team when the team was forming and building towards that championship. And so what makes that team special? I mean, it's beautiful to watch. So your experience with the team and about what made you tick, what made you rise above everyone and win the championship and then continue dominating the league? Just to be able to have a group of guys who, you know, were able to be together for four years. Some of those guys, even longer than that, you know, seven, eight years, it's really rare in the NBA to have that group. So I think we really got together along. We got along together off the floor and actually brought the chemistry on the floor. And we just, we hit at the right time that, you know, just allowed our team to take off. Off the floor, you meant. So what was the camaraderie like? What was your life like in general as a team? I think a lot of guys just really enjoyed being around each other. We enjoyed the conversations, just the vibe. It was mutual between a lot of us. And I think that's, you know, something that's really special because you see it maybe in a high school team where everyone's from the same city or a college team where you guys are living together in the same dorm. But at the NBA level, to be that close is pretty rare. So, but in a way, I used to drink with them because I read somewhere that you are a T-Total. Yeah. And that you drank first time in your life after the championship drinking. That is correct. So maybe you should drink more to win more championships. That's what my look at. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So getting into that again. So the move happened and all that. So now with Kings, you must be, you might be expected to take that leader's role where you have a lot of young players around you and to guide them to using your experience, using the experience of winning the big prize, things like that. So I will see a new role with the team, with Kings. Yeah, I'm excited to be with Sacramento. It's an opportunity to grow, but also try to do something special. You know, that franchise hasn't been in the playoffs in a long time. I haven't been in a playoffs in the last three years. You know, we have a lot of guys who are hungry, who are trying to grow and make a name for themselves in this league. So, you know, we have a lot of motivation as a group, as a team, as a franchise, as a city. It's really, you know, make an impact. And what does it take for the team to actually make an impact in the playoffs? Now, when you look at the season, it's over. And next season, the build-up will happen, things like that. So where do you think the team is lacking? What are the plans? How do you reckon that boost in the performance will happen from there? Just the attention to detail. You know, playing every single game, focusing on the little things, maybe that's really important. Just trying to go and take that next step. And we have the opportunity to do it, but we have to start from the beginning, just doing that every single day. And attention to detail means that, how does a NBA star or a NBA team work on attention? So there would be an individual session happening, there would be a team session happening. So how do you pan out the day or are we in training then? Just looking at a lot of film, analyzing kind of the mistakes that we made, maybe the day before, the game before, whatever it may be, and trying to correct those. And then hopefully that, you know, all the mistakes that you did continues to get smaller and smaller and smaller as the season goes on. She mentioned that you love Indian food so much so that she has given a challenge that you might be used to eating more spice than people like me. So, in your time here, what is the best Indian food that you have? Which is your favorite dish for you? Ooh, my favorite dish, that's tough. Probably either Pala Kpaneer or Chicken to Give Masala. Okay, and other than that, compared to the food that you have in the US on a regular basis, you follow a strict regimen being a professional athlete. And I don't think all those masala does well, so it's good that you came here during off season, right? Yes, this is definitely a little bit off the diet in terms of how much Indian food I ate, but when I get back home, I don't think I'll be able to eat as much as I have, since I've been here. But you do have an extra compared to your teammates and the other two that you're going to play. Do you have a head start compared to the other? Because you're here, you've already started and gotten used to the country, the weather, the people, the food and all that. So, when they come in, you would be expected to be the boss, so... We'll see, we'll see, you know, it's a long trip, you know, coming from Sacramento all the way out here. But, you know, it's something that we're all excited about. You know, a lot of the guys have never been Indian before, so we're looking forward to it. And last question. Personally, what is your... I mean, this would be stepping into a second... In essence, second part of your career with a new team and a slightly more leadership role in a way. And how do you look at what is your mission statement for the next part of your career, what are your dreams like, what do you want? I mean, obviously, championship is one dream that everybody has beyond that. What do you want to do in the game, beyond the game? Yeah, the biggest thing that I would say would be my mission statement or whatever it may be would be to pursue excellence. You know, that's ultimately what it comes down to, to be able to win, to be able to, you know, master your craft and just give your all to the game, to be the best player that you can be to help your team be the best they can be. That's what it's about. And, you know, that looks different day to day, time to time, but just always giving your all every single day and not regretting anything on the back end is the biggest thing. And beyond that, beyond your playing days and all that, how do you, like, can you be giving back to the game? Are you interested in that or are you looking at a career which is like completely different, away from the game? No, I mean, you know, every step along the way, you always, you know, give back. I didn't get here by myself. You know, it's a lot of people who sacrifice to give me here. So, and trying to give back is very important to me. Thanks for your time. And all the best with your career ahead with the Kings and beyond. Perfect. Thank you. And enjoy your stay in England. Thanks so much.