A Special Olympics Athlete Breaks Down How He Gets A Bucket

Zach from Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA) joins me to talk NBA playoff picks, how he learned the game from his Grandpa Jim, and what it takes to win with the Green Machine. We get into spin moves, Steph Curry threes, respectful trash talk, and a real debate on Draymond Green before closing with a meaningful night at the Porto Charities Gala. 

• OKC and New York Knicks Finals prediction 
• Passion for basketball growing after high school and college 
• Learning fundamentals and shooting form from Grandpa Jim 
• Back-to-back Special Olympics state titles built on teamwork and Coach Jeff’s leadership 
• Falling short on the three-peat while short-handed and staying humble 
• Favorite scoring moves including a spin move to the rim and hitting threes 
• What great basketball looks like: listen to your coach, lead by example, play defense 
• Rewatching the Heat title run and Ray Allen’s Game 6 shot 
• Lakers talk and what Zach likes about the team right now 
• Draymond Green argument on value, dirty plays, and where the line is 
• Porto Charities Gala experience and meeting top recruit Jordan Smith 

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Transcript

Welcome And Meet Zach

SPEAKER_02 0:00

What's up, everybody? It's your favorite show's favorite show, get a bucket. I'm your host, Trey, as usual. Hope you're all having a wonderful, wonderful day. Now, today I have one of the athletes from the Special Olympics of Virginia. He's taking place on Green Machine. Lean Mean Fighting Machine himself. Give it up, ladies and gentlemen, for my guy, Zach. Yes, guys, yes. Zach, how's everything, man? Great. That's great. That's great. You ready to talk a little basketball? Yes. Okay, okay, okay. Now, ladies and gentlemen, like I said, the show's called Get a Bucket. So you already knew we were gonna talk basketball. Basketball, as I usually say it sometimes. NBA, right? It's playoffs.

unknown 0:39

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 0:39

Who you got going to the finals, man? I think uh OKC and the New York Knicks.

How Zach Fell In Love With Basketball

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Huh. I did okay. Knicks. I can understand OKC. Knicks, I can kind of hear that too. I mean, I I mean I I didn't think I was gonna be really ever saying the Knicks in the finals in a sentence. That was unless they were watching it. But I mean, I I guess I hear it. I hear it. They they did put belt to tail against the Hawks recently, so that was ugly. I that was crazy. Yeah, that was very crazy. That was very crazy. So like you're you're you're a real fan, then. Am I am I correct? So then who anti heart, I I think. Okay, so who got you? When did you become this passionate about basketball?

SPEAKER_04 1:21

I came with this passionate since uh since coming out of high school at college. And that made me work at St. Leo the the grade as I am a school assistant.

SPEAKER_02 1:41

Okay, okay, okay. So you said high school and college, which to be clear, that was PVI and George Mason?

SPEAKER_03 1:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Alright, go, you know, go Patriots. Uh hell to George Mason, everything, roof, roof.

SPEAKER_03 1:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:54

Um I didn't I didn't attend PVI, but I knew I do know a couple of athletes that, well, not personally, but I've seen them on TV.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Learning The Game From Grandpa Jim

SPEAKER_02 2:02

Well, one in person, I guess, but we'll talk about that a little bit later. But so that's what sparked your interest is in in in basketball. Yep. Okay, now now, because when did you start actually practicing basketball then?

SPEAKER_04 2:14

So we start practicing.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

No, no, you you, you personally. Yeah, you personally.

SPEAKER_04 2:18

So I started playing basketball white one white after soccer.

SPEAKER_02 2:24

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 2:25

So it will be in the fall.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

Okay, okay. And what age? What age did you start playing basketball?

SPEAKER_04 2:31

I started playing uh uh well since I was little. Okay. I taught myself basket skateball for my uh grandpa Jim.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 2:42

He passed anyway when he was 80. The cause of that of that was a heart attack.

SPEAKER_02 2:49

Well, I'm sorry to hear that, and my condolences to you and the family. So that okay, so that so grandpa Jim helped teach you how to play basketball. So is that it was he the person who taught you proper form?

SPEAKER_04 3:02

Yes.

Special Olympics State Games Mindset

SPEAKER_02 3:03

Okay, because I will say I've I've seen you shoot the ball. Your form looked pretty decent. I may ask you for some tips myself. Yeah. Okay, all right, all right, okay. So state games for Special Olympics, right? Yes. Your team. It was close. You almost had that three P. Yep. It like, but take me back to when you guys won back-to-back championships. Like, what was that feeling like for the team? And what was the motivation going into the season to win it again?

SPEAKER_04 3:34

Well, uh, back to back was satisfied.

SPEAKER_03 3:38

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 3:41

Is it space on teamwork and team spirit led by Coach Jeff? Jeff, coach, coach.

SPEAKER_02 3:49

Yeah, okay, okay, all right, okay, okay, okay. So that was the energy after you guys won. What was the motivation going into the season? Like, were you guys hungry or did you guys feel like you were gonna win it anyways?

SPEAKER_04 4:01

Well, we well, we thought we were gonna go go go go away, but we just fall short. Okay, okay, we were short-handed though.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

You were short-handed. Yeah. Okay, okay. So it was so it wasn't like luck. Yeah, that's what happens sometimes. Yeah, in injury injuries derail you sometimes, man. So you guys weren't cocky during the game. No. Okay, all right, all right, okay, okay. Yeah, then I can accept that then. You guys were cocky and you just got you, y'all just didn't practice hard enough or y'all didn't try hard enough, then I may have an issue with that. But it sounds like you guys were just short-handed. A team just got the better of you. It it happens to the best of us. It genuinely does.

SPEAKER_04 4:39

Yep.

Favorite Ways To Score

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Okay, all right, okay. Now, as a as a as a player, right? If you're trying to, if you're trying to get a bucket, how are you gonna try what's your favorite type of way to get a bucket? Is it a layup, a mid-range, a free throw, or three-pointer? I don't know if you're dunking out here, but like what's your what's your method? What's your thing?

SPEAKER_04 5:03

First of all, I got practiced on dunking. But everybody does. But I do a spin move, drive to it to the hoop.

SPEAKER_02 5:11

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 5:11

And sometimes I make three pointers.

SPEAKER_02 5:15

Okay, okay. Now when you s when you do that spin move, do you do like a pull-up or do you do a layup?

SPEAKER_04 5:20

Like what you what you it it can be uh from the from the right side or from the left.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:28

So it's either of the both.

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Okay, okay, okay, okay. And you said that you shoot three pointers. Is there like a is there like a NBA player? Uh Step Curry. Oh, you already knew. I was about to ask, huh? Okay. Yeah, okay, okay, okay. So you like Steph, like Wardale. That's your guy.

SPEAKER_04 5:46

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 5:47

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_04 5:48

I mean, his dad went to uh to a Virginia Tech, and I say so went to a tech two.

What Zach Loves About Basketball

SPEAKER_02 5:54

You are a Hokie fan. I because ladies and gentlemen, listen, when when when Duke was playing, he was always talking about, oh, we're gonna beat y'all, but he likes talking a little trash on the on and off the court. I played him a little bit, he talks a little trash, and then he like and then off the court he tried to talk a little trash. But here's the thing I will appreciate about you, Lisa. You you you you at least talk trash respectfully. You know, you're not calling me outside my name, you're not talking about my mama. You know, you you you we just we just we just I think I missed the shot one time, and you're like, ooh, that stinks. I'm like, oh, that's tough, Zach. That's tough. But it's just fun, yeah, yeah, it's just fun jokes with amongst friends. That's all it is. That's all it is, which is why I can appreciate trash talking. I oh I can. I can. I really truly can. Yeah. Yeah. What's your what's your favorite aspect of basketball? Like what do you like the most about basketball?

SPEAKER_04 6:53

That's a a unique quick quick question. Oh well, thank you. If you're all if you're on the team, uh huh, listen to your coach. Uh-huh. Leave leave by a a a a a example. Like uh, if you pass the the throw ball to to someone and make a shot and go down join your part on uh defense, it makes you real. That that means that makes you laugh great.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

I concur. I I I I I agree with that. I agree with that.

SPEAKER_04 7:42

And I can watch basketball on YouTube. I always watch the the 2000 and the teen my heat champion ship against uh where uh Way Allen made a uh a uh three punter to uh go to overtime. One was made by bye by uh Lobon James, made by my Bosh, and then to uh Allen that says the game to overtime in game six.

SPEAKER_02 8:15

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:17

That was a crazy game, man.

Heat Fandom And Classic Finals Moment

SPEAKER_02 8:19

That was a critical game. I'm telling you that right now. If he misses that, I always tell people, oh my gosh, see me I you're about to get me down a rabbit hole. I'm about to start talking about more stuff. Oh my goodness, that's but you are a Heat fan though. So is that when you became a Heat fan when they got LeBron James, or was it before when D Wade won the championship?

SPEAKER_04 8:42

It was love why.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

Okay, okay. So is is is Braun your favorite NBA player of all time?

SPEAKER_04 8:49

Well, uh but of course, my uh my uh good friend is a uh loves the the the the the um Miami Heat. She loves uh uh uh LA. Okay, okay like Washington, okay uh for for football team, yeah. Washington Wizards when they got gosh. And then then Davis and Trey Young.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

That is gonna be a now that can be for so for next season. If they stay healthy, right, the Wizards could be interesting. Well, let's wait and see because Oh, yeah, we have to wait and see.

SPEAKER_04 9:34

It is in it, I mean their season is over.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

Yeah, no, it is, and and it's definitely a wait and see moment. Even when the start of the season occurs, it's still going to be a wait and see. Because those two like at least AD gets injured quite often. He was just on my Lakers, on your girlfriend's Lakers. You know what I'm saying? Like, like, like that, like he was just there. So I I saw it, and it was just it was always disappointing. So if the Wizards can get a healthy AD, we can talk about that another discussion for another day.

SPEAKER_03 10:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

We can definitely do that. I I I I do agree with you on that. Speaking of my Lakers, yes, how do you like my Lakers? What are what are the chances you give us?

SPEAKER_04 10:14

Well, they well well, they beat my uh Miami Heat teams in in 2020 since uh COVID.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Yeah, I don't really like the bubble year personally. But how but I mean that's again, that's another discussion for another day. Although I have talked about that in spades, ladies and gentlemen. I don't mind having that discussion again, though, Zach. So we can talk about it again. But how about this season? How about this season? What do you like about us? What do you like about my team?

SPEAKER_04 10:37

Uh they should, I mean, they're playing great. Uh under uh uh J uh under uh JJ's uh tenure with uh Lakers where um when they give I mean when he gave some good a advice about the about the team and some and a bit uh about the negative the negative thoughts so my advice for for the N for the NBA is no doing plays.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

Just like Draymond has been has been doing no we would not have that elephant in the room Yes Ladies and gentlemen, like real quick, we're in a fantasy basketball chat, right? Group. Yeah. And in the in the chat, Zach goes, hey fellas, good season, but next season, can we I can no one please nobody draft Draymond Green? He's a dirty player. And I'm I so when he brought this up again, I that I really just laughed from a j from a from a good healthy place. I I mean he's a multiple-time champion.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

And he he mattered greatly to that team.

SPEAKER_04 12:14

Not done that.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

Okay, but hear me out. MJ did punch Steve Kerr. Oh boy, yeah. So I mean, you know, like I'm not trying to say, I'm not trying to validate Draymond Green punching Jordan Poole, nor am I trying to validate Jordan punching Steve Kerr. I also was not in the room, so I don't know what was said. And as athletes, they tend to get aggressive sometimes, even though the NBA is being, or basketball players in general are talked about as being more passive than an NFL player, right? Yeah. But still, I'm sure like in behind closed doors where there's no real cameras, they probably do get a little active. I'm assuming so I'm assuming so every once in a while. So I'm not gonna condone it, but at the same time, I'm not gonna act like I don't understand it. Because maybe, maybe Steve Curry, maybe Jordan Poole said something aggressive. I we we we never know. We'll never know. We weren't there, but yeah, it's funny that you mentioned Draymond Green because I mean he's a valuable player, he's a valuable player to the Warriors. Poor Stephen Curry. I mean, again, Steph Curry has four championships, and and a solid part of that has to deal with because of Draymond Green. So I I hear it, but at the same time, we really can't say poor Steph. But we can poor Stephen.

SPEAKER_04 13:37

I would say that because he's shouting up on uh Draymond when he punches his old teammate. Why is he punching his no no answer?

SPEAKER_02 13:50

I mean, I'm sure they had a conversation. I hope they had a conversation.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

God!

Portal Charities Gala And Jordan Smith

SPEAKER_02 13:55

Yeah, that you really don't like Draymond Green. Draymond, I hope you're listening to this. This if so, you Yeah, you lost a fan, champ. You lost a fan. Now, Zach, real quick, uh, I know you wanted to talk about this, so this will be the last segment before we close up shop here for the episode. But yeah at at your Porto Charities Gala, right? It was a good time. We actually saw Jordan Smith, a top recruit in in high school basketball there. Right. It was a it was a fun environment. You had the photo booth, you had a it was a wonderful environment.

SPEAKER_04 14:30

He was very special.

SPEAKER_02 14:32

Oh well, okay. Well, real quick, talk about the moment, talk about the portal charities gala, and talk about the time with Jordan and then what your experience was like.

SPEAKER_04 14:40

Yep, Jordan is very special. And I and I caught that avoid Blue Christie. Yeah, uh, he he earned that avoid because he loves special needs and he loves playing basketball just like me because I work at at a Catholic school because I I taught great when I work at uh at my uh job campus and I know that completely wait from day in and day out, from my day in and day out because it it is very, very critical of me because um for the past year I earned my my uh my uh my uh school board from the bishop and and it brings me great great joy when I talked about this boy thing and so have a kid. I can like I I can look my my my my hands in the sky that it was God. I mean, he loves me when I do great things and we are filled and I'm filled with joy.

Where To Find Zach And Closing

SPEAKER_02 16:15

That's well that's nice. I'm glad to hear that for sure. I'm glad to hear that for sure. And thank you for coming on to the show because this has been a good one. It really has. Well, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, like like you just heard, that does conclude the end of the episode. Zach, once again, yeah, that's thank you for coming on to the show. And uh you can catch Zach at some uh special Olympic Games. Remember, he's one of the advocates.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

In fair facts.

SPEAKER_02 16:41

Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep, yep. So, with that being said, ladies and gentlemen, like I said, that does conclude the end of the episode. So please make sure to like, subscribe, comment, tell anyone who's anyone about the show. My name is Trey. I'm the host get a bucket. I hope you're all having a good one. Take care.