NBA Champion Tristan Thompson on Educating Athletes About Bitcoin | Bitcoin Backstage

I think the problem for a lot of athletes, we're taught to just focus on the sport, but on your downtime, instead of wasting time, maybe playing video games or sleeping, look at other business opportunities, business ventures. Because if I took the same amount of time that I was doing playing video games or 2K and was on the internet reading about Bitcoin more, there would have been opportunities where I invest in other things. But what I always tell people, it's still not too late. We're here with Tristan Thompson. We got Eric Trump in the back. This is like a core memory moment for me. >> This is like This is like goating right here. You got me here. You got first. I got yourself. Then you got me cuz you're number one. >> Ah. Okay. Like >> I'll be number two and then we got Eric the back holding it down. So it's good. >> The trifecta. >> Exactly. Three P. >> So how's the conference been going for you? How is is this your first Bitcoin conference? >> No, it's actually my second one. Uh I attended last year. Uh, of course when you're when your orange peeled up, you got to show up to these events. They're super exciting. Uh, been having a great last three days. Um, so it was fun. >> Orange filled up. You talking the lingo. Who got you into Bitcoin? Like what's your Bitcoin story? >> Back in like 2015, a good friend of mine. He was actually like a day trader and I remember he mentioned Bitcoin to me. That was kind of my first introduction of Bitcoin. And then fast forward to 2020 during the pandemic COVID. uh started to learn more about it and then from there just kept growing and now Bitcoin Maxi. >> I love it. Bitcoin Maxi all the way. You came into the NBA in 2011. Back then money management, you know, for players meant a financial advisor. Was Bitcoin ever in the conversation and how different does that conversation sound in the NBA locker rooms there? >> Um when I first got into Bitcoin, it wasn't much in a conversation. You know, obviously you see a couple guys whether it was um you know Odell Beckham getting a part of his salary in Bitcoin or um you know Spencer Denwy trying to do his contract in cryptocurrency but in terms of Bitcoin it wasn't as much uh for me uh getting into the space I started helping guys and kind of educating them. You know, I was the same guy in the locker room that was yielding on Aerone and Orcon Radium doing USDC Salana pools or CVBTC uh ETH pools and and and and yielding all day long. So, uh it started to grow cuz my teammates started to see how serious I was about it. And obviously me coming to these uh conferences and I'm seeing where I'm at, it sparked their interest. And now I have teammates that call me all the time asking questions about whether or not they should buy, sell, hold, or what to do with it. And what's your advice to it? >> Well, I tell guys, you know, it's like a portfolio, right? The way I look at uh Bitcoin, I look at as a 401k. I look as a long-term hold because if you look at if you compare the 401k appreciation to Bitcoin, Bitcoin's outperformed your 401k. So, I almost look at as as a savings plan, right? Of course, for all of us, you know, we truly believe at some point, some day and age, Bitcoin will be worth a million dollars because at the end of the day, it's called supply and demand. There's only going to be 21 million Bitcoin ever, ever be able to be purchased. So once that stops, the supply and demand will increase and that causes price action. >> 100% supply and demand. I feel like they don't teach us about money, financial freedom, nothing. And it's crazy because it's the only thing aside from oxygen that we do the minute that we're born. Like you got to buy formula, diapers, all this stuff, and they don't even teach you about it. So you've s you've told the story of a friend in a basketball group chat begging you to buy Bitcoin when it was around $200. Has that guy let it go yet or does he still bring it up every now and then when you see him? >> When I post pictures from the conference, he'll he'll comment in my DM and say, "I told you so." But he knows I love him to death. Um, but it it's the fact that I'm giving him his flowers on these type of stages shows that the love and admiration I have for him. So, I'll never forget it and he'll always be part of my journey in the space in crypto and web 3 forever. >> Yeah. No. And so, everybody needs to have like different touch points at the same time. Very very few people actually go all in on Bitcoin from the first time that they heard it. >> Yeah. >> Is what it is. So you've said entering Bitcoin feels like being a rookie in the NBA all over again. Being part of an ecosystem, learning from the OGs. Who's been your veteran in [music] this league? Who's the person in Bitcoin? Who's taught you the most? >> It's a great question. You know, I learn I learned a lot and when I first got in space was from Ryan Fang. He was a co-founder of ENKR. Uh he's been in space for a long time. Cal Berkeley uh spent a lot of time in LA. Actually was a big Cavaliers fan. Is a big Cavaliers fan. So uh leaned on him a lot as kind of like my OG in the space to lean on. Um he's had a lot of success. Whenever you say his name, a lot of people that are in the space, it rings a lot of bells and have high regards for him. So uh he was someone that I leaned on a lot and uh took a lot of bits and pieces and I asked I even reach out to him all the time whenever I have questions about the space. you you say you lean on him and everything, but one of the things that I was like thinking about is like so you're an athlete like you're like top of the league. What is like your mental motto? Like do you have this mantra that you tell yourself every day or something? >> I want to be the best. I think the way you got to approach life is what's going to get you outside the bed and get you get the blood flowing, right? And for me, being in the space, like I said, like you said earlier, being a rookie in the space, but it's more so just because you're the new kid on the block, but it makes me super hungry to want to be the best and be a champion in the space because I I truly believe this is the future of finance and being a part of this legacy and this journey in a in history, not just American history, but world history. Being a a Black Panther for it, uh, it's a pretty cool thing. >> Do you think you're born with hunger or the hunger is like you learn it along the No, you got to be born with it. You got to be born with it. You know, I always we always have this question in sports, right? Can can you make somebody want to the desire to be great? It's you're born with it. I mean, that's what separates the good from the great, the average from the goods, right? It's that 1%. It's that 1% of like psycho stubborn and like smash your head through the brick wall because you truly believe that you're better, you're stronger than the brick. And I think that's something that's born in you from day one. It's probably passed on from a parent. And for me, I've always had that. And um I truly believe it's you're born with it. You can't get it. >> You're born with it. Is there anything you would tell your younger self? Like knowing everything you know now, like any little mission that you have. >> Um you know what I would tell my my what I what I tell my younger self is this. Um, and it's probably the only thing I would tell my the younger version of myself would be be willing because I think the problem for a lot of athletes, we're taught to just focus on the sport, which is great because you want to make sure you allocate enough time so you can be the best you could be in your career. At the end of the day, that's the most money you're ever going to make in your life is playing sports, right? If you're lucky to be able to do other things after basketball, it's venture, all that. But for the time being, focus on your craft. But on your downtime, instead of wasting time maybe playing video games or sleeping, look at other business opportunities, business ventures. Because if I took the same amount of time that I was doing playing video games or 2K and was on internet reading about Bitcoin more or just either like investments, real estate or VCs early, early investments, growth stages, there have been opportunities where I invest in early things. But what I always tell people, it's still not too late. It's still early. Especially in Bitcoin, in our world, web 3, it's still early. That's one reason why I'm super excited about the space. Super bullish. Even now with the market where it is and what the price point is of Bitcoin, I'm even more bullish because if you see what's going on right now, even at this conference, there's more regulators and politicians here than the average DGEN CT bros. But that shows you the foundation of crypto and Bitcoin is being backed by the high powers that run our country. >> Well, for sure. No, I love that because right now, like obviously you've been on this mission to educate young athletes and minorities about Bitcoin. Who's the hardest to sell in an NBA locker room? You know, the rookies who think they're invincible or the vets who already trust their financial advisor, >> you know. Um, I think as long as a player has respect for you, you can always have those kind of conversations. But it doesn't matter if you're a rookie or a vet because we all make those mistakes in life and we all wish we could have did things different. So like I know rookies that are scared to ask their business advisors why they have a power of attorney, but I know veterans that don't know the last time they ran an audit on their advisor, right? So, like we all have different areas that we can be better at. Um, but for me, my teammates all have respect for me and we all have a love and connection. So, me opening up about cryptocurrency, they've all been uh open to hearing it. [music] [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> for the room here who knows you as a champion and a competitor. What's the version of Tristan Thompson 5 years from now that they should be picturing >> five years from now? >> Yeah. >> The same way when people introduce me as an NBA champ with high regards and respect, I want that same respect in crypto. >> Yeah. Like like Michael Sailor >> up there. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> But I want to be up there with the Michael Sailors, the Arthur Hayes, uh the CZs of the world, the the the Adam Black, um all those guys. cuz I want to be up there without the greats. >> You are in the seat where all of them have been sitting. So, >> it's a good seat. It's a good start. Yes, exactly. >> So, now we're going to do the some fire questions. Okay. >> Okay. >> What's your hottest Bitcoin take? The one that might get you in trouble. >> That might get me in trouble. That Bitcoin is more valuable than the centralized banks. >> Hell yeah. >> Who knows, right? >> All right. What about Bitcoin hits a million? What's the first thing you do? Well, they say you should have a round trip, so maybe take some profits. >> Okay, >> take some profits. Nothing wrong with that. >> Nothing wrong with that. What's the most wrong you've ever been about Bitcoin? >> Uh, back in 2015 when I didn't buy it at $200 and I thought that it was just a a madeup thing. So, that was my biggest mistake. >> Yo, but my respects because so many people when they hear about it at $200, it's the ego that doesn't let them buy in later. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. You know what I mean? >> Cuz you feel like you already missed the wave. You missed. >> Yeah, but you haven't. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. >> So, be proud of yourself, man. >> Thank you. >> If you could Orangef one person on Earth who hasn't been Orangefilled yet, who would it be and why? >> Uh, I would say, let's just take a shot in the dark. Uh, I would love to orange peel Kevin Love, my old teammate. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> Kevin. >> Kevin Love. Yeah. >> You got to invite him next. >> Yeah. Next, do I do I got to get him here. >> So, give me a Bitcoin prediction for 2027. Something that you bet real money on. I think in 2026 I think Bitcoin gets back to about 125ish between 125 135. I think that by the end of this at some point this year we get to the 120s. So 2027 I think we would be in a bull run. So I think we could see close to a a 225 per Bitcoin. >> I'm going to time you for this one. You got 60 seconds to convince a skeptic about Bitcoin. >> You ready? >> Yeah. Three, two, one, go. >> Your money market account is terrible. They charge you 4%, but when you pull the money out, you get like 1% and then they also take a fee. So, it's terrible. So, you're actually giving money away to really not make no money. At least with Bitcoin, on average, the yield is historically been above 70%. Even with a bull or bare market. So, but even also if you do have Bitcoin and you wrap it with Coinbase or Cub BTC, you can actually go on Air Jordan and yield more than 4% in a year. you can actually yield about 4% in a week or in two weeks, which is actually outperforming your money market account. So, if you like to make money and you don't like to pay fees, Bitcoin is the way to go. >> That was less than 60 seconds. >> Yeah, it's all about making money. There you go. It's >> all about making money. >> It's all about making money. >> What was the thing that made Bitcoin click for you? >> Gaining back your control. I think the financial industry is the only industry where you have complete strangers that have full control of the hardearned money that you've accumulated over time. So I think Bitcoin is is the is the financial tool of freedom. It's the currency of freedom for our people. >> All right, finish the sentence. Bitcoin is inevitable because >> we live in a world of freedom of speech. >> Who in this industry deserves way more attention than they get? >> Who have we been sleeping on? Um myself. Why not pump myself? Yeah. What the heck? >> What the heck? >> Why would I pump somebody else? I pump myself. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> You're your biggest marketer. >> Exactly. There you go. >> What's the dumbest thing you believed about money before you found Bitcoin? >> That the banks are their only form of making money, which we were wrong about. Yeah, >> the banks. I think >> you're right. [laughter] >> Wait, TT, any last words? whatever you want the room to walk out of Vegas thinking about. >> Um, I think to everyone back home, everyone that's watching this, um, this is just the beginning. It's all right to stick out and not stick in. It's okay to think outside the box. Challenge yourself because there's always more to you than what meets the eye. And especially with cryptocurrency, all the outside noise and do whatever they can to diminish or minimize or or make you think negative about the space, but also understand that a lot of these people that say bad things about crypto have hidden agendas. And never forget the ones that speak the loudest that are against it are the ones on the back end that have a lot of crypto. So as long as you know that, then you're in good shape. So buy more Bitcoin, orange, fill it up. >> [music] >> Every year this community comes together to celebrate, [music] to debate, to build what comes next. [music] And every year the stage gets bigger. [music] Sound money center stage. So, where do you go to celebrate [music] the next chapter in Bitcoin history? You come home. Nashville, July 2027. [music]