Welcome to the first episode of the VIP Podcast with Derek James Gregory.

Beyond the Spotlight: How Sports, Entertainment, and Poker Influence Each Other

We welcome Mitch Butler NBA Veteran & NBA Agent who taught me about consistency. As a UCLA Basketball Player and 8 Year NBA Veteran turned Agent representing luminaries like Dwight Howard, Avery Bradley, & Earl Watson.

(1:00) - Introduction

(5:30) - Mitch Butler talks about his upbringing and coming from the bottom

(9:51) - Mitch Butler dives into his faith

(12:03) - Poker’s Influence on Mitch’s Mindset

(16:07) - Happy Harrison’s Basketball Camp & it’s Influence

(18:01) - Mitch’s childhood friendship with ER & The Pitt Actor, Noah Wylie

(29:40) - The Root of Mitch Butler’s Discipline

(37:32) - How the support of his neighborhood allowed Mitch to pursue his basketball dream

(42:29) - The cost and commutes involved with pursuing Basketball

(45:52) - How Los Angeles became the hub of Basketball and Magic Johnson’s Role

(51:03) - Poker as a form of Networking (56:01) - Parallels between Christian Laettner and Cooper Flagg (58:45) - Mitch’s life changing conversation with Coach K

(102:25) - When Mitch realized that Basketball could be a life path for him

(1:10:02) - When Mitch Butler Met Shaq

(1:16:05) - How to push the development of young basketball players (1:23:00) - Mitch on his relationship with Coaches as an Agent and Advocate (1:35:26) - The world of poker in the NBA (1:43:52) - How Poker teaches you to read people (1:52:00) - Mitch Butler’s impact on the game of basketball