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Candidates Make Final Push Ahead Of Pivotal Elections; Federal Agent Seen Striking Man In Head During DHS Operations; Food Stamp Benefits For 42 Million In Jeopardy As Shutdown Drags On. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired November 02, 2025 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:01:10]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone! Thank you so much for joining me. I am Fredricka Whitfield.

All right, to the countdown to Election Day. In just two days, several key races across the U.S. will be decided. On Tuesday, voters will head to the polls to elect a new governor in Virginia and New Jersey and a new mayor in New York City.

Today, the candidates and their surrogates are busy stumping for last minute support. Yesterday, former President Barack Obama returned to the trail as he rallied voters for the Democratic candidates in New Jersey and Virginia.

The outcome of Tuesday's vote could be the first big referendum on President Trump's second term, and provide insight into whether Democrats have improved their standing with the midterm elections just one year away.

We've got a team of correspondents covering these key races. Let's begin with Gloria Pazmino with that critical race for New York City Mayor.

Gloria, you just spoke to the frontrunner, Zohran Mamdani, as he campaigned in Brooklyn. And what is his closing message?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred.

And, you know, the reason it is so loud behind me, if you can hear it, is because its Marathon Sunday here in New York City, a day that really gets out so many New Yorkers on the street and that is part of the reason why Zohran Mamdani made it one of his campaign stops today. He stopped by the New York City Marathon to cheer on the runners, and it was a year ago that he himself was running in this marathon as he was beginning to launch his campaign for mayor.

Take a listen to part of what he told me just a short while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOHRAN MAMDANI (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: Look, we've got two days left. We have to try and speak to every single New Yorker we can find, whether they're at the club, whether they're here at the marathon, whether they are at church. They are all New Yorkers who are struggling to afford this city.

They deserve a mayor who sees them for what they are, which is the people that should be served by city hall, not actually sacrificed by them in the pursuit of personal freedom from the Donald Trump administration.

PAZMINO: You talked about the need to run through the tape. Are you feeling confident, and are you feeling confident that you can break that 50?

MAMDANI: I am feeling confident, but I am not feeling complacent. I can tell you that having run this marathon, the final miles are the most difficult ones and I am thankfully in a better position than I was when I was running it, in terms of this race. But we know that today, it comes down to how many doors do we knock, how many calls do we make? How many people go out there and vote?

And so as incredible as this is, the best parts of the day so far have really been speaking to canvassers because those are the people who are on the front lines of spreading our message that the most expensive city in America doesn't actually have to be this hard. It can actually be affordable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: And Fred, that is certainly something that all of the candidates are doing today. None of them are trying to take this for granted, even though Mamdani is solidly in the lead, he is continuing to campaign hour by hour. But so is Andrew Cuomo, the former governor who is running as an Independent, and the Republican, Curtis Sliwa.

Now, the polls show that Mamdani is solidly in the lead. But even today and yesterday, he has been campaigning in areas where he did not perform so well during the primary, specifically in some of the city's Black districts, which he actually lost to Andrew Cuomo in the primary.

He spent the morning in a Black church. He is meeting with Black leaders throughout the day. So clearly part of an effort by the campaign to make sure that they can drive up the numbers on that front.

Now, all of them are spending the last hours of this race campaigning, not taking anything for granted. We do not know where this election is going. But, Fred, one thing I can tell you for sure, the turnout is through the roof. Record breaking numbers. More than half a million New Yorkers have already cast their ballot. So if nothing else, we can say with confidence that there is an incredible amount of enthusiasm for this race -- Fred.

[15:05:08]

WHITFIELD: Big interest indeed. All right, Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much. All right, let's now go to Eva McKend, who is covering Virginia's gubernatorial race. So, Eva, are you finding the same kind of enthusiasm there? How are these two candidates making their closing arguments while on the campaign trail?

EVAN MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, good afternoon to you from Hanover. We are waiting for Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, the Republican candidate for governor here in Virginia. Her campaign bus to pull in shortly. Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger is campaigning in Northern Virginia, and it is here in Hanover, where the incumbent Republican Governor, Glenn Youngkin, who is term limited, he can't run again, but he did really well here in Hanover four years ago.

And so what we are seeing from Earle-Sears is them trying to replicate that success in communities like this one. Something that we've noticed different from her over the last few days on the trail is that she is focused more specifically on economic issues rather than social ones, that she did prior, like the rules around how trans children are governed in public schools. She is instead talking about eliminating the car tax and keeping taxes lower or low, more broadly, here in Virginia.

In many ways, Spanberger has always been on that economic message, trying to characterize herself as well suited to insulate Virginians from some of the policies coming out of Washington. But here is how Earle-Sears is making her case on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LT. GOV. WINSOME EARLE-SEARS (R), VIRGINIA: I don't want you to keep taxing me to death. That's simple. And that's another reason why we are finally going to get rid of the car tax. We are going to get rid of the car tax.

And now let's talk about job creation. Listen, we are doing very well and we are bringing jobs not just in our urban areas in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads and, you know, Central, but were pushing jobs out to the Southwest also.

We want to make sure every part of Virginia is prosperous, and so we have Merck. Merck is investing $3.5 billion in Virginia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCKEND: Now, Spanberger has long led Earle-Sears in public polling. But Earle-Sears' allies, say that that polling doesn't capture the level of support, especially that she has among conservatives in this state. Meanwhile, Fred, more than a million people have already voted early in Virginia. That is something that Democrats lobbied hard for, for Virginians to have the opportunity to vote early over this extended period.

But Earle-Sears and Spanberger still campaigning hard, trying to reach those voters or those voters for whatever reason, haven't made their minds up yet -- Fred. WHITFIELD: All right, everyone is at the edge of their seat. Thank you so much. Eva McKend, appreciate it.

And be sure to tune in Tuesday for CNN's Election Night coverage. That starts at 5:00 P.M. Eastern, right here on CNN, AND you can also stream our coverage on the CNN app.

All right, now, to a violent encounter sparking outrage near Chicago. Videos from social media show federal agents kneeling on a man's neck and repeatedly punching him in the head on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security said the man's arrest happened during an immigration operation, saying in a statement that the man kicked and assaulted a Border Patrol agent, but the footage does not readily support that action and that account.

Evanston's mayor, condemned the aggressive arrest, saying he was horrified by the video and now the city's police department is investigating.

Mayor Daniel Biss is joining me right now.

Mayor, DHS says they were only delivering defensive strikes in this incident. What's your account?

MAYOR DANIEL BISS (D), EVANSTON, ILLINOIS: My account is they are a bunch of liars. My account is that they deliberately caused a car accident. Why did they do that? Because residents were following them, trying to keep other neighbors safe. Because what they were doing in town in the first place was driving around looking for brown skinned people working on lawns so they could pick up and kidnap.

So they didn't like being followed because they don't like being watched, because they don't want the world to know what they're doing. They forced this car accident, and then they started literally beating up innocent bystanders. It is an outrage and it is something we've got to stand up against.

WHITFIELD: So we don't have video supporting what you are alleging, this deliberate, you know, accident. But can you describe for us what you mean?

BISS: Well, so they had been all over our town on Friday picking up landscapers, going after people, terrifying schoolchildren. And so there were a lot of folks in the community who have risen up to be a part of fighting back and one thing that they were doing was following ICE around. They don't like to be followed.

[15:10:10]

And so they jammed on the brakes as they were heading north, essentially to force a car accident, which then occurred and then that created this opportunity for all of the mayhem to go on. And when I say mayhem, I want to be very clear. Evanston residents, they were agitated. They said mean things. They were videotaping the Border Patrol officers. But the only violence was coming from ICE and their fellow agents. And again, it was punching. It was pulling guns on people, pointing guns at the faces of people for saying mean things.

This is not what America is supposed to be.

WHITFIELD: So you told CNN affiliate WLS that the people arrested during this operation have been released. What can you tell us about who they are? Where they are now? And what kind of condition are they in?

BISS: Well, they're just community members who are outraged at the attack on our community, who are a part of trying to help keep their neighbors safe. As I understand it, they were all released later on Friday because, after all, they didn't do anything wrong.

But at least one of them was in some rough shape. The one that you've seen this video of someone who has got an agent sitting on his neck punching him in the head. This guy is not in good shape. And by the way, they didn't take him away and take him to get medical care. They took him away and booked him and drove him around.

This is lawlessness. This is an outrage. And everyone has got to stand up against it.

WHITFIELD: So what is your understanding about and if it is even an issue, you know citizenship you know, whether the people who were pulled out of the vehicle and, you know, as you described, subjected to this experience. Do you know anything about their status or is that a non-issue here?

BISS: Yes. I want to be really clear about this. As I understand it, they're all U.S. citizens. There are two separate things going on. One thing is where the ICE guys drive around looking for folks who, because of the color of their skin, they've decided, oh, you might be an immigrant. We are going to grab you on some sort of effort at immigration enforcement.

But now they've opened up a second front in the battle where they don't want to be watched. They don't want to be witnessed. They don't want to be criticized. They don't want neighbors to be helping protect their own neighbors. And so now they're just going after people who are watching them, who are videotaping them, who are criticizing them.

And so these three individuals who they attacked, who they took off the scene and handcuffs, they weren't even trying to enforce integration. They were just trying to go after dissent. And here is the whole point that is so important. If everybody who is outraged by these outrageous actions actually stands up and fights back, they are not going to be able to continue this nightmare. And so they want those of us who oppose their actions to be too scared to speak out. That's what they are trying to achieve on Friday in Evanston. And guess what? We are going to keep speaking out.

WHITFIELD: So is there an investigation? Is there a city-led investigation now of what is believed to be federal agents here as a result of what people eye-witnessed, those small portions that were videotaped, the accounts of -- and the experiences of those who were directly involved? BISS: Yes. And by the way, I really appreciate your language. You said those who appeared to be federal agents because, you know, these guys, usually they've got masks on and there is no identification of any kind. And so we have a new city policy where when something like this happens, a supervisor in our police department comes to the scene and guess what happened this time? That supervisor arrived and got a badge number from these agents.

So now we have the first step toward accountability by being able to identify them. We've now opened two different cases. One, to investigate the violence. Right? The attacks, the punching, the pulling of gun, stuff like that. And then a separate one to investigate the traffic accident. Because if I or you drive around my town and deliberately drive recklessly so as to cause a traffic accident, that requires a police response as well.

Now, look, I get it. This isn't a normal situation because we were there and got those badge numbers. We know. In fact, these are federal agents. And so we've got to handle this delicately, but were going to be thinking through options, including going to the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, or potentially communicating with our states attorney to figure out the right way to demand justice for our residents who were assaulted.

WHITFIELD: Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, thank you so much for being with us.

BISS: Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: Still ahead --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOMINIQUE ANDERSON, FEDERAL WORKER: When I first started working with the FDA, I really thought that that was the best career move. Honestly, this has been devastating.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The Trump administration calling food stamps program broken and corrupt as millions of Americans come face-to-face with food insecurity.

[15:15:09]

Plus, no meeting needed. The Kremlin pouring cold water on a proposed sit down between Presidents Trump Putin.

And he is a five-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer with one of the most iconic signature moves of the modern NBA, killer crossover, Tim Hardaway joining me to talk about the highs, the heartbreak and the hustle that defined his legendary career and his brand new book.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:20:18] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whatever I can do, if I can organize for families to get fed, then I want to do it.

The thought of kids not having food, or families not having food in life right now breaks my heart.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can sleep peacefully now. I was worried, I was scared.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I've got milk.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And she has her milk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Communities are stepping up to help feed their neighbors as the ongoing government shutdown impacts families' abilities to put food on the table. After food stamp benefits lapsed for tens of millions of Americans most neediest this weekend, the Trump administration is blasting the program as broken and corrupt, saying it needs to be reformed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE ROLLINS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: What this conversation has allowed is a national spotlight on a broken and corrupt program. We found one guy in six different states getting a benefit. We found about 5,000 people that are dead who are still getting benefits, like it is time to drastically reform this program so that we can make sure that those who are truly needy, truly vulnerable are getting what they need, and the rest of the corruption goes away and we can serve the American taxpayer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN correspondent, Julia Benbrook is in Florida, where the president is spending the weekend.

Julia, I mean, what else is the administration saying today about all this,

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump spent his weekend here in Florida, but he is headed back to Washington soon, and when he returns, the problems are still there.

We are on Day 33 of this government shutdown, and no doubt Americans are feeling that impact. One of those big dates happened this weekend. That was the lapse in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP, and that impacts about 42 million recipients. To put that into perspective, that's about 12 percent of the population, one in eight Americans.

On Friday, though, we saw two federal judges rule that the Trump administration must tap in to billions of dollars in emergency funds to at least partially fund this program in November. Those orders reject an argument made by the Department of Agriculture that it could not use a contingency fund in order to do this. And in that same interview that you played there, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, she did acknowledge the rulings, but she did not provide a lot of clarity on next steps for the administration.

She said that they are working and they are exploring all different types of avenues at this point. When Trump himself responded to those orders, he said that government lawyers do not believe that they have the legal authority to use that money available in order to fund SNAP in that way, and that he is seeking clarity from the courts.

The administration does acknowledge that no matter what here, no matter how fast they act, there are likely going to be delays on those benefits this month and this is not a long-term fix either. The specific contingency plan that we are speaking about, the agency says it has about $5.3 billion in it, and typically it takes closer to $9 billion a month in order to fund this program.

But no real end in sight here to the shutdown. The arguments on Capitol Hill remain the same. Republicans continue to push for essentially an extension of current funding levels on a short-term basis, and Democrats, they are focusing in on health care. They want to address an extension of enhanced Obamacare subsidies now.

WHITFIELD: All right, Julia Benbrook, thank you so much.

All right, the candidates for New York City's mayor are on the ground courting supporters on the last day of early voting. It could be a historic and highly consequential election. But how are New Yorkers feeling about their options? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:35]

WHITFIELD: All right, we are just two days out from a high-stakes election that could shake up not just New York City, but the entire Democratic Party. Frontrunner and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is set for a final showdown with former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Today, the head of the DNC is pushing back on claims that Mamdani's rise is a sign that the party is moving left.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN MARTIN, CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: There is all this hullabaloo about, you know, the Democratic Party and what does it mean about Zohran's race in New York? Does it mean the party is going left?

I mean, look --

JONATHAN CAPEHART, MSNBC HOST: Well, does it?

MARTIN: Well, no, I mean, look at throughout the country, right? We are a big tent party. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Let's discuss more now with "Spectrum News New York 1" political correspondent, Kelly Mena.

Kelly, thank you so much for being here. So does a Mamdani win look, all but inevitable here?

KELLY MENA, "SPECTRUM NEWS NEW YORK 1" POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Thanks for having me. It looks so. It looks like the tea leaves mixed with the recent polls that we saw this week looks like he is set to have a significant win on Tuesday. All the polls show him having a double digit lead going into Tuesday, and that he continues to make strides with some group of voters, including Black voters.

We saw him out with the Reverend Al Sharpton, the Attorney General earlier this weekend, trying to energize that base. New York City in particular, traditionally and historically for many years, if you want to have a winning coalition when it comes to going into Gracie Mansion, into the Mayor's Mansion, that is a key voting bloc and that looks like it is going to continue to maybe propel him to become the next mayor of New York City.

[15:30:19]

WHITFIELD: And despite what we just heard the DNC chair say, you know, would a win by Mamdani force the Democratic Party to reevaluate some of its policy stances? Its approaches?

MENA: You know, I don't think so necessarily. I think this is a testing ground for the democratic socialist party, but I think it is more of a testing ground for big cities, Democratic big cities. Can they do well here? Do they present viable candidates that can take it all the way and actually win these very big races?

It is interesting that the head of the DNC said that because I believe the Minority Leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said a similar thing earlier today about not necessarily seeing Zohran Mamdani as a future of the party, that its more moderate. I don't think necessarily they're thinking that a candidate like Zohran Mamdani could do well in other, more moderate swing districts.

We know that the midterms are coming up next year, and that's what they are looking at trying to take back the House, trying to take back the Senate.

I think this is more of a proving ground for cities that already lean, very Democratic. We know here in the city, Democrats outnumber Republicans. I think its six or eight to one. So that's really what this is showing that they are viable and that they've grown their coalition and that they've grown their strengths in the last couple of years.

WHITFIELD: And this has been a race full of many twists and turns, to say the very least. I mean, so far, nearly 600,000 New Yorkers have already voted. How does that compare to previous elections? MENA: Sorry, my son is here.

WHITFIELD: Oh, we have a guest.

MENA: We do. I am sorry for that.

WHITFIELD: That's okay. Hey, were in your home right now, so that's all right.

MENA: Can you repeat the question?

WHITFIELD: Oh, let me repeat that. Okay. So I am wondering, you know, so far nearly, you know, 600,000 New Yorkers have already voted, you know, how does that compare to previous elections?

MENA: Yes, this year, yes, we were outpacing four years ago. So I think that's just a sign of how important this race is and how voters are seeing it. You know, we are seeing a high turnout when it comes to older voters. Those 55 to 50 older and there really is an age gap, the generational gap between the Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, who is supported and energized by these younger voters, and Andrew Cuomo, the former governor, who has a lot of support in this group.

And I think this just shows how competitive and important this election is for New York City this year.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kelly Mena, thank you so much. Hey, I get it. Working mom. It is all the time.

MENA: It is. Thank you so much.

WHITFIELD: And that's all right. I commend you for it. Thanks for being with us. You were multitasking. Hey, little guy.

MENA: All right, take care!

WHITFIELD: All right, next time.

All right, coming up, new details about multiple arrests in connection with an alleged ISIS inspired terror plot thwarted by the FBI in Michigan. How officials say they discovered it and the questions still unanswered.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

]15:37:55]

WHITFIELD: All right, we are getting new details about an alleged ISIS inspired terror attack foiled by the FBI in Michigan. Two men are under arrest and three others are being questioned. The alleged ISIS inspired plot was discovered by the FBI through an online chat room that investigators had been monitoring for months. No charges have been filed so far.

With me right now is CNN global affairs analyst, Kimberly Dozier.

Kim, so great to see you. So what does it tell you that no charges have been filed so far?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: That they are likely looking through everything that they've confiscated from the suspects to see if they can find a smoking gun, proof that this was an actual violent plot that was about to unfold.

One of the toughest things for the FBI ever since nine over 9/11 in looking for terrorist suspects inside the United States, is they have rights to -- you have to come up with enough proof to surveil them and then --

WHITFIELD: Probable cause.

DOZIER: Probable cause, and then once you suspect that they're about to launch something, do you wait for them to actually do it and possibly lose lives? Or do you sweep in as they did in this case, collect as much evidence from phones, computers, et cetera. And see if you can find something beyond what's already triggered your suspicion.

WHITFIELD: Right. So, I mean, I guess it has to either go beyond intent or do you safely just stick with intent. So authorities describe it as an ISIS-inspired plot. Are groups like ISIS an ongoing threat to the U.S. Homeland, you know, through radicalized groups or even individuals?

DOZIER: Well, the ISIS threat never really went away. But since so much of the main ISIS financiers et cetera were rolled up in anti- terrorist operations, there hasn't been a lot of funding available. But when you look at things like what has been going on in Gaza, there are causes that are radicalizing young Muslims, young Arabs around the world, whether they'll take that the next step to violence, that's what the FBI is going to have to prove.

[16:40:10]

They might have been seeing a lot of chatter back and forth. They report that they had evidence that, these individuals were going to a gun ring and practicing -- sorry, a gun range and practicing things like quick reloading of their automatic weapons. But does that mean they were actually going to do some sort of an attack on Pumpkin Day -- which is apparently the phrase that was going back and forth between these suspects? That's what the FBI has now got to prove, especially if they lay charges. And then this goes before a jury.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's shift gears now and talk about Russia. I mean, the kremlin today saying there is, "no need for an imminent meeting" between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last month, Trump announced and then canceled a potential meeting between the two. Is Trump just, you know, growing exasperated with Putin at this point or what is happening? What should we decipher here.

DOZIER: Right now? What is happening on the ground, on the battlefield is Russian forces are about to encircle and take the key strategic city in the Donbas of Pokrovsk. They had been near to taking it before, the Ukrainians had beaten them back. This town, is at a crossroads in the Donbas in such a way that the Russians would be able to use it to reach other areas, and also impede Ukrainian troops movements. And this is right ahead of winter.

So basically, I don't think Russia wants to talk diplomacy at this point, even pretend diplomacy when it is about to get this area that it has invested so many troops, lost so many lives to capture, and will likely be able to get a big P.R. win afterwards, just to tell Donald Trump, see, the war is inevitable. We got across. We are going to get all of the Donbas. Why do you want us to talk peace?

WHITFIELD: Yes. Has there ever been diplomacy, you know, being pushed by Putin in this conflict?

DOZIER: Not really.

WHITFIELD: No. All right, Kimberly Dozier, great to see you. Thank you so much.

DOZIER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, up next, lessons of a lifetime from an NBA legend who earned every inch, Tim Hardaway joining me to talk about the state of the league and why he is sharing his story in a brand new book, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the NBA season is underway and there is already a lot of buzz around the league. Someone who has seen it all from courtside to center stage, five-time All-Star Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer, Tim Hardaway, Sr. His career spanned three decades across multiple teams, and he knows what it takes to weather the storms both on and off the court. He is also the author now of "Killer Crossover: My life From the Chicago Streets to Basketball Royalty."

And Tim is joining us right now. Congratulations on the book. I mean, what was it like -- I mean, putting this together because sometimes it really is hard trying to look at your life in its totality and say, huh, what are the highs? What are the lows? What do people care about? What do I include? What was that process like for you?

TIM HARDAWAY, SR. FIVE-TIME ALL-STAR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST AND HALL OF FAMER: First of all, thanks for having me on. I appreciate it and thank you for letting me have this opportunity to let everybody know about, you know, what I gave created with the book and everything. But I will tell you this, it is very, very hard to write a book. You know, you try to say things that you need to say. And then when you go back and think about it and then you want to say stuff, but you've got to you got to be real, real sensitive about the things that you're saying in the book about, you know, your parents or how you grew up, what experience you went through and all of that.

So, it is about me growing up, what made Tim Hardaway, Tim Hardaway, what made me be the player I was with the confidence, with the swag. You know, going out there playing the way I did, a small you know, status and making big plays and made things happen. So and the way I grew up, you know, it was hard. It was tough. You know, I took it as constructive criticism. You had to have tough, thick skin in Chicago. And a lot of people don't understand that. You know, we went through mental illness, too. You know, we went through mental illness, too, but we had to know how to -- we had to know how to channel it.

WHITFIELD: It didn't have a name, right? It really didn't have a name.

HARDAWAY: Right.

WHITFIELD: It was kind of like just, you know, buck up and get through it. What's your problem?

HARDAWAY: Exactly, exactly. Suck it up. Get through it. You know, you can manage it. You know, there was no talking to people. You were scared to talk to other people. There wasn't any counselor yet. There was counselors there, but you were scared to --

WHITFIELD: And maybe you didn't want to show what you thought would be considered a weakness, right?

HARDAWAY: Weakness. Correct. Correct. Correct. But, you know, back then it wasn't, you know, your parents was like, suck it up. You'd get through this. We got through it. Get through it and go from there.

And you know that made me tougher. That made me better, that made me understand what I need to do and how I need to do to make it, you know, playing basketball or being a professional athlete or just being a human being and a father.

WHITFIELD: Yes, maybe we can encapsulate a little bit because in your book, you know, "Killer Crossover: My Life From the Chicago Streets to Basketball Royalty," you know, you are inviting people, you know, into your path well, before NBA royalty, you grew up on Chicago's South Side in the 1970s.

[15:50:14]

There was constant push and pull from gang activity, drugs, you know, lots of other dangers. And you write about how your imagination was part of, you know, putting yourself in survival mode. I mean, describe what that means.

HARDAWAY: Well, you know, my dad taught me a lot of things, Donald Hardaway. He was a playground legend. I used to go watch him play all around the city of Chicago. And he always told me one thing, you know, always be on your Ps and Qs. That means always understand your surroundings, know where you are, know how to talk to people, know how to disengage an argument, know how to walk away from stuff that's about to happen and understand how to take care of yourself.

And that's the way it was in Chicago. You know, you had you -- you know, out on the streets playing basketball, you know, sometimes you could talk a lot of smack and sometimes you, you've got --

WHITFIELD: I mean, that's like a requirement, isn't it? On the court? You better be able to talk some smack.

HARDAWAY: Yes, it is requirement. It is a requirement, but you've got to know when to and how to because its other stipulations around you. So you had to know how to walk very quietly and gingerly and understand the temperature around you. So, that's what I was able to do and that's how you were able to survive in the city of Chicago.

And I used to -- you know, I used to take basketball and take it and use that to get my anger out, you know, about being at home, just being in a situation at home with my dad, being abusive, my dad being an alcoholic. And, you know, we had to -- I had to get out there and release a lot of stuff. And I had great friends around me to make me understand what I need to do. Great coaches around me to make me understand how to take care of myself, how to take care of my mom and my brother, and how to grow up and what they expected from me.

And so, you know, without those friends, they always say, it takes a village to raise a kid. That is absolutely correct. But I am going to tell you this, a kid has to listen to that village. And if a kid doesn't listen to that village, that kid is not going to make it.

WHITFIELD: Oh, that's a great point. I mean, you know, to talk and zero in a little bit more on how basketball really was your sanctuary. I mean, you know, talk to me a little bit more about how, you know sometimes just the solitude with the basketball, you know, was all you needed. You wouldn't necessarily need to be going to the court. You know, I understand with your, you know, with the ball kind of nestled right there on your bicycle, somehow you're holding on to it, you know, and getting to the court. They didn't have to be people there.

But you were -- you could be there alone. That's where you would find solace. You would dream and you would build. Talk to me about that.

HARDAWAY: You know, I had an unfinished basement, and people still ask me today, how did you invent the crossover? Where did the crossover -- the killer crossover come from? I say, you know what? I am going to tell you this. I really don't know. I had unfinished basement downstairs and in Chicago, you know, back then, sometimes it was two degrees, below five degrees, below a bunch of snow. And we didn't have all of these, T.V. channels or Atari. And we had Atari, but not all of these, you know, these action games and all that type of stuff.

We had one -- we had one video game that, you know, the little dock goes up and you kind of turn this and make it so, so I didn't play that often.

WHITFIELD: But you had personal creativity. That's what I'm hearing.

HARDAWAY: Right. You're right. You're right.

WHITFIELD: Go ahead.

HARDAWAY: You had to have personal creativity, and I had, you know, about a six to eight foot basement downstairs. And I would just go downstairs and just practice on my game. I had two beams, and I used to envision people that I wanted to play against, and I wanted to go out there and give them the business. And I used to go out there and play like -- downstairs, like I was playing real basketball in the basement.

And when kids tell me, you know it is insulting to me when kids tell me I can't work on my game by myself. I can't do this by myself. I did. I did it. I made it all the way to the Hall of Fame by working on my game, by myself in a basement, working on my ball handling skills.

So when I did it down there, I was so confident that when I played against people that I knew that they couldn't take the ball away from me. I was just out there doing the things I did downstairs in that basement on that court.

WHITFIELD: I love it.

HARDAWAY: And I envisioned their faces being downstairs. So when I got in front of them, I knew that I could do it, and I was confident that I could go against them.

WHITFIELD: Wow. That's beautiful. That's the lesson for kids. I mean, it is about that imagination I love. I mean, I can envision you as a kid now just in that room, but you have imagined all these other opponents, teammates, et cetera, in the room, which is part of the secret to your success.

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I remember hearing something very similar about it, you know, Deion Sanders, like, you know, at night, you know, just tossing the ball. I mean, he was able to work on, you know his manipulation of his hands and the ball at night. I mean, nobody was there. It wasn't about resources. It really was about challenging yourself. And it sounds like that's exactly what you did and that's one of the many keys to your success.

Tim Hardaway, Sr., congratulations on the book. Thank you so much. "Killer Crossover," I love it. It is a great title. Thank you so much for being with us. And all the best as you continue to influence and impact so many.

HARDAWAY: Thank you. Coming out in a week, coming out November 11th.

WHITFIELD: Can't wait. Got it. Yes, I was wondering where my hard copy was. I was like, wait, I didn't get it. But now I understand. Okay, it is on the way. Tim Hardaway, thank you so much.

HARDAWAY: Yes, on the way.

WHITFIELD: Congratulations. Thank you so much. We will be right back.

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