PLEASANT HILL, Calif. _ The trash talk mirrored what happens in an actual basketball game. But instead of Warriors center JaVale McGee throwing down lobs or blocking shots at Oracle Arena, he attempted to do something just as entertaining at the home of Warriors season-ticket holder Chris Santini.
McGee recently played Santini, who was picked randomly for a game of "H-O-U-S-E" as a knockoff of "H-O-R-S E" as part of a Warriors video promotion for Realtor.com. If Santini lost, he would complete 20 pushups. If Santini won, McGee promised to wash Santini's dishes.
McGee and Santini then traded trick shots. While Santini somehow bounced the ball off his garage into the basket, McGee blended in a mix of deep 3-pointers and shots from behind the hoop.
The promotional spot will be shown at Oracle and online by the end of the month. That McGee, 29, was chosen for this assignment shows how far he has come in shaking his league-wide reputation of being someone who preferred goofing off than taking basketball seriously. McGee has ingratiated himself with the Warriors by showing he can do both.
"On a bad team, a guy like JaVale is a distraction, perception wise. On a good team, he's eccentric, even if he's doing the exact same stuff," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "It's unfair. But it's just the reality how people are perceived, depending on their circumstances."
When he played in Washington (2008-12) and Denver (2012-15), McGee said he often heard internally and externally "you need to focus on basketball" any time he posted something on YouTube or Twitter. McGee recalled in frustration catching flak for filming the "Cinnamon Challenge" with then-and-current teammate Nick Young during their time with the Wizards. They filmed their attempt to see who could swallow cinnamon, something McGee noted happened during the 2011 NBA lockout.
"I was ahead of my time at the time. I didn't even know it," McGee said. "Now I feel like I'm in the prime location and environment to express myself in an artistic form and take advantage of opportunities my way."
Those opportunities vary on and off the court.
On the court, McGee is averaging near-career-lows in points (5.1) and minutes (8.6). But the Warriors appreciate what McGee brings to the team during that limited time: athleticism, dunks off lob passes and defense. Those qualities made McGee valuable enough for the Warriors to retain him last summer on a one-year deal at the veteran's minimum.
"He's revamped his career with us. It's great to see," Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. "I think that's why he re-signed. He's become such a vital part to our team and will be for a long time."
Off the court, McGee has followed the Warriors' encouragement to keep his social media profiles active. He has launched "Parking Lot Chronicles" on his YouTube page, which features teammates and fans talking all things Warriors. He shot a video with the Warriors, in which he attempted to scare teammates with different Halloween pranks. McGee and Young partnered with The Ringer, which filmed the two reenacting a scene from "Bad Boys II."
"It'll give him a chance to show who he is with his creativity, instead of doing some random stuff," Young said. "People won't think he's not taking basketball seriously."
