If you’re going to be great at something, there will be a lot of lonely moments. Moments when it’s just you. To be great you have to make sacrifices and master your craft. Portland Trail Blazer guard Damian Lillard said- “If you want to look good in front of thousands, you have to outwork thousands in front of nobody.”

As sports fans, we never see how hard athletes work behind the scenes. Blood, sweat, tears, self-doubt, frustration. We only see the final result which is gamedays.

The late Kobe Bryant inspired millions of people across the world with his work ethic and dedication. “There’s a choice that we have to make as people, as individuals. If you want to be great at something, there is a choice you have to make. We can all be masters at our craft, but you have to make a choice…There are inherent sacrifices that come along with that, family time, hanging out with your friends being a great friend, being a great son, nephew, whatever the case may be. There are sacrifices that come along with making that decision.”

I spoke with the current two-way contract player for the Phoenix Suns, Tariq Owens. We discussed the importance of work ethic, his time at Texas Tech, the late Kobe Bryant, and much more.

You have been on the move since high school and continued in college. Going to two different high schools and three different colleges. How has that helped and prepared you as a person and basketball player?

“It’s prepared me a lot honestly, just learning from so many different people. Not everyone likes to you know switch up so many different situations that often, but things happen. You get to learn a lot from different people and get put in different environments, learn how to adapt”

Congrats on the two-way deal with the Phoenix Suns. Where were you when you found out? What were your emotions?

“We were about to leave to get on the airplane for a road trip, so I was with the whole team, so we were all kicking it. Our coach and our GM Jeff Feld told me and it was just a shock. You know you set goals for yourself and want to achieve goals for yourself like that, it was just a shock”

First NBA game what were your emotions? What was it like on the court?

“It was definitely an experience; you dream of getting to moments like those. You know most times people get thrown into the game, and I actually got thrown into the fire. SO it was an early wake-up call, I was walking up to the scorer’s table like I’m really here, like I’m here. This is one of the best teams in the league and I’m about to go in the 2nd quarter, and I’m like oh shoot. It’s just a blessing just everything is a blessing.”

You were active for eight NBA games did you get to pick any of the players/coaches brains or ask for advice?

“Yeah actually, I got a chance to talk to a lot of them. Pretty much all the coaches and try to learn little stuff about the game. What has made them so successful thus far and coaches what helped them get and stay in the league, you know tryna learn things like that.

Your Current team the Northern Arizona Suns have a lot of great college guards on their roster such as Jared Harper, Ahmed Hill, Daxter Miles, Shawndre Jones, and the young buck Jalen Lecque. What is it like playing with them?

“It’s great they all do so many different things, so I get to see a lot of different ways guards play, it’s just great I’m learning a lot just because they are so different in many ways just learning how to play with all of them I get to see different reads, different coverages, and types of stuff so it’s great playing with them, they are great teammates and its great to learn”

You are one of the hardest working guys I know, where does that mindset come from?

“It’s really how I was raised, growing up my pops and my mom said “if you start something you aren’t allowed to quit” So you might as well be as good as you can because we aren’t gonna let you stop. So at a young age playing all these different sports, I just had to work hard even if I didn’t like it because there was nothing I could say or do to get me out of it. My dad is just a hard worker he lives at work he’s always was taught to never let people outwork you and put your best foot forward every time no matter, so those are just the principles I was raised on, even outside of sports.”

What impresses me the most about your game are two things. First, you’re elite defensively (always in the right spot) and how fast you develop as a player. Talk about your development as a player.

“Really it came from a lot of time in the gym and a lot of time watching film. I had to watch a lot of film, I’m not the heaviest guy out there, so I had to learn to use the tools I have to my advantage, so that was a big part, really just being in the gym and watching film”

Talk about your team right now. You guys are struggling, what do you guys have to do to improve going forward?

“We just have to clean up the little things, transition defense, communication, talking to each other, learning how to effectively communicate. That’s one of those things I picked up along the way in college, having to be a communicator and just ties into (what you were saying) being in the right spots. Just cause when you communicate and talk to each other you know where everybody is and you can see stuff develop faster. Just communication and trusting each other, you playing together. We have our spurts where it’s 1 on 1 ball we just have to put together a couple of full games

How much fun is it to have a former college teammate in Norense Odiase on your current team?

“It’s cool you know we went to college together, we are roommates now, road buddies. Now I get to spend another year with the big fella, you know so it’s cool. Norense is a great guy, that’s my road dog right there, he’s just one of those people if there’s anything you need he is always there for you. He’s a great teammate to have, great leader, and the same things we saw him do at Tech as a leader are the same things he does here. It’s just great having him around.

What is the biggest misconception about the G-League as opposed to the NBA?

“The biggest misconception is that it’s easy. People will say “well you’re just playing in the G-League that’s easy. You should do this or should do that” But in our reality, it’s not like that, the G-League is filled with a bunch of guys who are NBA athletes, NBA Pros, but there isn’t enough room for everybody. So everybody is fighting for the same positions and its really competitive. Everybody goes hard cause there are that many spots in the league. Its 300 of us in the G-League competing for the same 10 spots in the league. So it’s really competitive and really tough night in and night out and everybody is playing their hardest. So that’s the biggest misconception is that people think it’s easy or a lack of talent. Nah there is no lack of talent its not easy at all.”

What is life like as G-League (Exhibit-10 or Two-Way contract player)?

“Its a lot of traveling. You know you might be on the road for a road trip in the G-League and then get called up for a two-three game road trip in the NBA. So now you might be on the road for maybe 10 days cause you get your G-League trip and then you got called up couple game road trip in the league, then you gotta go back. So it’s a lot of back and forth, a lot of travel, but it’s just a great experience, I mean you’re getting to do the things that you love you get to play basketball. You get to travel and see different places and all types of stuff. So, it’s a small price to pay like with all the travel time.

With all the traveling how do you keep yourself physically and mentally prepared?

“You gotta stay locked in, you got your teammates and stuff. You gotta keep each other locked in and at the same time you gotta take care of your body, you have to, you have to, you gotta get the appropriate rest, you gotta go to sleep, you have to eat right. You have to do all the little things, you gotta go get treatment, you gotta spend that extra time in the weight room, you have to because with this many games and this much travel time your body will shut down on you.

What did the late Kobe Bryant mean to you?

“Man, he meant a lot. Work ethic, you know he was just a symbol for toughness and not letting anything stop you. I remember when I was younger those 6 a.m. workouts I was telling you about, some of the days I didn’t wanna get up. “Man, I’m tired of getting up at 6 a.m.” Then I would think to myself. You know what? Kobe Bryant is already up running or Kobe Bryant is already in the gym, Kobe Bryant is already up doing this, he would be my motivation to get up and go get in the gym. Just cause I knew Kobe was up working. So just hearing those stories about Kobe and how hard he worked and the things he did off the court to prepare himself were definitely an inspiration before but now that he’s gone we won’t be able to see any more of Kobe, but it will have a bigger impact now more than it ever did.

What would you tell upcoming basketball players that aspire to play in the NBA one day?

“To work. That’s the only thing you can do at this level. You know work and put yourself in the best position there is, but also while you’re working and trying to get to this level don’t be one of those people that change who they are or change things they do. Just work and be yourself. Things that are meant to be, will be, but you gotta put in the work. It’s extremely hard to get here and there is a lot of work that has to be done so if you short change the work you will short change yourself. That’s what I feel.

One thing I’ve noticed about you is that “Tariq always is fly” is it that East Coast background? or where does your fashion style come from?

“My fashion definitely my mom for sure. Growing up I always seen my mom tryna get fly. That was one thing I always picked up about her, she was always fly. Then I got her shopping habits and stuff, that’s really where it comes from, I just get it from her. Like always wanting to be fly, always wanting to you know pull up fresh before, when I go out to dress and stuff. So that’s definitely where it comes from, for sure.

Talk about pops, he is your biggest fan he is always on twitter talking about you and your success. What does he mean to you?

“It means a lot when I first started playing basketball it was always him making me go to the gym, it was him making me go work out and put the extra time in. You on those Friday nights, early Saturday mornings, so it was always him pushing me until I just got it in my head myself that I can do this its something I could do, so until I got it myself he was always the one pushing me making me go to the gym and outside of basketball, honestly he’s my best friend. People will hear us on the phone and ill hangup, they will be like who were you just talking to? I’ll be like my dad, They will be like yo you and your dad are friends like that? I’ll be like “Yeah” It just cool you know to have that parent, son dynamic that we have. It’s cool to enjoy time with him, we just have a good relationship.

Do you have any memorable moments about your relationship? Maybe a time he was hard on you?

“Plenty of moments like that. My dad and I used to get into it all the time about basketball. Just because I was young and wanted to hang out with my friends and go to the skating rink. He was like “Nah you can’t go tonight, you gotta go to the gym”. We used to but heads all the time. Just countless 6 o’clock in the mornings, you know four days, five days a week getting up at 5:30 just to go drive all the way to go work out to come back and go to school and stuff like that. We were always on the road together, 24/7.

What do you think of this year’s Red Raider basketball team?

“I have my notifications on, you know that. Norense and I be lit tryna catch the games. Often times they play the same we play, but we usually catch the games on youtube after. They’re a good team they are young and to be such a young team and to play in that conference they are doing great. Of course, everybody would like to see better outcomes, but for a team that young, how hard they play, how scrappy they are, how gritty they are, I mean how many young teams in the country are that young that play that hard and do the things they do?

Do you think what Tech did last year put unrealistic expectations on this year’s team?

“Yeah, they lost their key guys from last year, new guys stepping into different roles. At the end of the day, you can’t short change the work. At the end of the day, we had a roster full of 15 guys including our walk-ons that worked, every single day. Our Walk-ons were some of the hardest workers on the team. Look at Avery Benson now. Avery Benson is playing purely off the work he put in. Earned a scholarship of purely the work he puts in. AB is the hardest worker I’ve ever seen and it’s crazy”

Your thoughts on the future of Texas Tech basketball with coach Beard? What has he done for you as a player?

“He’s done a lot for me, it’s hard to even put into words. He’s done a lot. But, for the program, they will be considered a blue-blood soon. I see Beard being one of those Coach K, Bill Self, Tom Izzo type coaches. He is just a sicko when it comes to the game of basketball. He obsessed with it. So, I don’t think there will be anybody ever that’s gonna outwork Coach Beard. I don’t think it’s possible. And the way he works its always gonna inspire his players to work. That’s why we worked so hard last year. Because we had a coach that never left the gym. So it’s like dang if he’s in here like this then man I need to get in here more.

What is your favorite Chris Beard Story?

“I think the best thing about Coach Beard is his song selection. He has a wide variety and whatever songs we play he has a 2 to 1. Hip-Hop, Rap or whatever to country ratio. Like every two or three of our songs, he is definitely playing a country song. But he’s a real coach, any of the songs he likes that we play, he will come to us ask what song is that? He’s like “Add that to the list” so now he adds our songs to the playlist. So when we are on the bus he will play his favorite song that we showed him, like all day. You know that song Down Below by Roddy Rich? Oh my goodness in the NCAA tournament we listened to that song every time we got on the bus. Every meal, every time we got on the bus, every meeting, Down Below was definitely playing. He’s definitely a players coach 1000% for sure.

What do you think of Jahmi’us Ramsey and the other freshmen?

“Man he’s tough. I like watching him play, I like watching all of them play. They play so hard. You know they have the heart, they have that dog in them. Now, they are getting some experience and learn from their mistakes this year and if they stay together, they are gonna be a great team.

Not only is Owens a tremendous talent on the court, but he is an even better person off it. The Phoenix Suns have found a diamond in the rough with the former Texas Tech big man. Over the past few years, the Northern Arizona Suns have made an immediate impact in developing their players, making them assets to several NBA teams since their inception in 2016 they have sent over 20 players to NBA franchises. Owens is in good hands with this organization going forward and the sky is the limit for his success.