Daniel Rentie found his way to the AAU basketball circuit, played for Wakeland High School, and became a huge Jason Terry and Mavs fan, not to mention Texas Tech and the Chiefs. We talk with Daniel about his journey through sports as a player and a fan, having scored seats to some life-changing games over the years. We also learn how he incorporates sports into his college ministry here in Frisco.
Enjoy this chat and listen to other episodes of Hustle & Pro.
Show Notes
- [00:30] Quick Hits with Daniel Rentie
- [04:15] Sports path growing up & family influence
- [08:15] Basketball focus
- [11:55] Texas Tech
- [15:10] Mavs Moments
- [17:40] Lifelong Chiefs Fan
- [21:00] 3v3 League at Frisco First Baptist
Resources within this episode:
- Daniel Rentie: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
- The Panel, with Spoon and Rentie
- Frisco First Baptist’s Paradigm Ministry
- Kelly Walker: Instagram @kelly_walkertexas | Twitter: @kelly_walker_TX
Connect with Lifestyle Frisco:
Transcript: (machine-generated)
Welcome to Hustle and Pro season two, talking sports in Frisco from youth to pro. Now here’s your host Kelly Walker.
Welcome to today’s episode of Hustle and Pro. We are talking with the Frisconian, who is a product of Wakeland high school basketball and a fellow Texas Tech Red Raider. Now a leader here in Frisco, Daniel Rentie. How are you today? Daniel?
I’m doing well. Thank you for having me.
Yeah. Thanks for coming in. All right. Let’s jump in with some quick hits to get to know you a little bit better in your, in your sports world here. So if you had to say who your favorite athlete of all time was, who would that be?
Oh, man, that is tough. Uh, favorite athlete all time. Uh, Jason, Terry he’s one of my favorites is the random, but, um, I love Jason Terry out and my first Mavericks game, he went off for like 30 and I saw a lot of my playing style in Jason, Terry. And so, uh, it’s, it’s one of those like weirdest things is like, uh, like why is Jason Terry your favorite? But I really love his playing style. I love his confidence, um, and the way he carries himself. And then he brought our city at championship. Yeah.
Yeah. I don’t think it’s that weird. In fact, um, my second question, if you didn’t answer a Mav was going to be who’s your favorite Mav. So I guess that answers to that one too. Um, so he’s not, he’s not in Frisco anymore. He was here, you know, front office with the Legends this past season and just went back. I think he went back to his Alma mater maybe.
Yeah, Arizona. I think he’s an assistant coach right now. Yeah.
Yeah. So no more jet here in the, in the Frisco arena. That’s all right. Okay. Then who I’m. So sports wise, what’s your favorite sport to watch? And what’s your favorite sport to play yourself?
Favorite sport to watch is basketball and then my favorite sport to play as well as basketball too.
So travel wise. I know we’re gonna talk about maybe you doing some traveling when you were younger for sports, what’s the farthest distance you’ve ever traveled for sports to play or to watch to go to a game?
Um, I think, um, to play was, was Las Vegas. I think that was the furthest trip. Um, we always had the, uh, we had the super 60 for the Adidas invitational. Um, I think that was the furthest one, either that one, or I think Atlanta might be somewhere near the same digit. This is, but we flew for both. And then for, for traveling, um, I went to the, um, the Rams, Chiefs game in California. The one where they, it was like 52 to 55, the shootout that one was honestly, probably one of the best games I’ve ever been to. That was, uh, that was a fun one. That game was actually originally supposed to be in Mexico City. And, uh, I was planning on being out there for Thanksgiving and once they moved it up, I tried to see if I can get my flight moved up. Did, and that ended up being the game of the century. So yeah, it did.
That’s awesome. That great one that works out. One of our favorite, my, my husband and I favorite memories was a last minute kind of game that worked out too. We weren’t planning on being there. It was a, a Tech game in Lubbock. We were, um, it was just the last minute we, we accidentally kind of got these tickets we weren’t really supposed to have. And they ended up being like first row. And it was just one of those. Like, we will never forget being at that game. Sometimes those are the best ones. Uh, it was football game. Yeah. It was like a crab back in the Crabtree days. Yeah. I don’t even remember all the details. It was a, it was a UT game. And um, like we just, we thought we, well we’ll swing by and tailgate.
Was it, was it the game? She has an eight, the one crab. She had the game winning touchdown. Oh wow. You stumbled a little bit.
Yeah. We were supposed to just be tailgating with some friends and we kind of did that whole, you know, you’re not really supposed to do like walk around at the front and feel like, see if you can get some tickets. And some kids like sold us some tickets for cash, and we thought there’s a good chance. These might not even get us in. Right. You never know what you’re buying. And these kids said that their dads were in a suite and they had these extra seats, whatever. Well, we walk in and sure enough, we’re like on the front row, we couldn’t believe it. And we went back out at halftime and told our friends that we were tailgating with and they didn’t believe us. We were like, no, no, really. We were in there.
Your name too. Wow.
Yes, it was awesome. Okay. So what’s your favorite sports movie
Sports movie Space Jam.
Oh my gosh. Talk about that.
I watch Space Jam literally three times a day. I probably have known my parents with how much space jam got Space Jam Jersey t-shirts socks, everything. I can’t even wait for space jam two. I just hope they don’t mess it up.
That’s awesome. Okay. So I mentioned in the open that you, uh, went to Wakeland high school, so real quick, tell me kind of your sports path, you know, your life, your life sports story real quick.
Yeah. Um, one, it was, it was, it was definitely, really influenced a lot by my dad. My dad was a, um, a big time receiver, um, out of LBJ high school in Austin, Texas. And, uh, he ended up going to, um, to UTA UT Arlington while they had a program. And, um, he was like all central Texas and everything. And so I would say a lot of my athletic gifts were from him. Um, but I, I grew up falling in love with basketball. One of my cousins was, um, a big time running back in Kansas city, Missouri who Richmond, Missouri. And, uh, he used to shatter all the records. And so I grew up kinda in his, in his shadow and everybody thought we were we’re brothers because we live together and everything. And so, um, honestly I, I started competing at an early age and had a lot of success early too. Like I would have some ridiculous games just when I was young, early age, early, I’m talking about like little it called Eddie Biddy. Basketball is what they called it. Uh, four years old, literally playing basketball on the little mini hoop stuff. And so, um, they had some really, really good leagues when I was in Kansas city. And, um, I used to, when I think about it, I probably just didn’t pass the ball, but like anybody’s little league stuff yet.
Your natural inclination is not giving the ball away on purpose. So do you have siblings that you watched or was this your sibling for you?
It was my sibling figure. Um, cause I, um, my, my two sisters, um, one was cheerleading and volleyball. Um, but I was really, really close to my cousin, Jeremiah, just because of what he did. He used shattered almost a lot of running back records at his school, even play basketball was pretty good. Um, and so I kind of grew up under his influence and so it made me a very strong competitor and, uh, I played a lot of, a lot of basketball growing up. Um, I played football, competitive baseball leagues, um, uh, uh, like coming into to, to high school. We, uh, we went to state my sophomore year in basketball while I was in Missouri. You weren’t here yet. Right now. I was only a, it was my freshman, sophomore year was in Missouri. Um, and, uh, we, uh, had great influences that a coach that was, that was coming, he was a big time running back at OU. His name was Jomar mosey. And, uh, he, he was one of my, my big sports influences going up to in little league. And, uh, he actually ended up coming to my high school in Missouri, but I ended up transferring, moving to Texas. And so it was one of those things, but, um, but yeah, it got to Texas and, uh, I had some friends from Kansas City that were here in Frisco and, um, they, uh, they literally like family for us. Like we, uh, they used to really be close. They’re still close to my family to this day. Um, and, um, and I found that he was, he was here in Frisco, got connected with his AAU basketball team. Uh, and ever since then, I found out a bunch of those, those kids were from Wakeland. And so that’s how I ended up choosing Wakeland high school. And so, um, that’s just kinda how I got into that.
Was it your family that moved to Frisco?
Yeah, so I was originally born in Fort Worth, so I have a lot of family in Kansas City and in Texas, Texas was always at heart home for us, but we kinda just, uh, made a home in Kansas City. But the opportunity after my sister graduated from high school, uh, we kind of had the opportunity to move back and my mom found a good job and they asked her like, Hey, do you want to go back to Texas? I was like, yes, please, baby. I am the baby. Yep. I’m the last. And, um, my, uh, my other cousins, they were in the Duncanville area. And so in summer workouts, when I would come and visit, I would sometimes do it with them. And so I saw their facilities and so how much greater and bigger Texas things were? I was like, yes, please take me back to Texas. So that’s kinda how, uh, how that came about.
That’s awesome. And especially in Frisco, I mean, this couldn’t be a better place to move as a high school kid wanting to be in sports. Right. Yeah. So, so then when did you, you mentioned a couple multi sports, which I love, I think multi-sport athletes is the way to go just better for your body, better for just everything, about how to be a better all around athlete. When did you focus on basketball and start traveling?
When I, um, well, I started, uh, competitive basketball when I was in the fifth grade. I’m in Kansas city. So I always did that. Um, uh, even actually, when I think about it, even when I was in second grade, I was playing in two types of league, like a local league and a more competitive league. Um, I was always trying to play where the, where the best players were. I played up often, uh, that made me better as a player. Um, the baby piece of it. Yeah, I did. It’s true. It is true.
The baby or you’re the parents you realize, ah, he can do a little more, he can play with the older kids.
Exactly. You get thrown into the fire a bit more. It does. It really does. So, um, that, that’s kinda, uh, just how I, I, can you repeat the question again then?
I’m just asking when, so you talked about fifth grade, um, you were competitive and then, but when, so you, you traveled and did the, um, different tournament circuits, right? Yeah. So tell me, I guess, tell me about that. Was that mostly like high school?
Uh, well, yeah, so, like I said, I did that, um, that was, I started that in fifth grade. That’s where I got really exposed to, to AAU. That was like really for competitive basketball. That was kind of like the roots of like evolving into what it is today. And so, um, it, it definitely intensified once it got into high school, um, because it was a lot more exposure. Um, I mean, you would see just coaches from wherever. Like, um, I remember just that tournaments you would have UT you would have coach K you would have just all the, all the big time coaches, Brad Stevens at the time. And, uh, I remember running into a bunch of NBA players and stuff. And so, um, I, I loved it. It definitely was, it was a great culture and elevated game, cause it was super competitive. Everybody was going for scholarships and things like that. And so, um.
So some of these tournaments that you went to great American shootout, Adidas, super 64 [inaudible] nationals. I don’t know what that is. And then may be nationals. I’m not in the basketball circuit. So I don’t know all of those youth tournaments and stuff. So are those all just like, are these kind of weekend, like every other weekend, your family’s loading up and taking you somewhere?
Exactly what it was. Yep. All the time. So, um, summers were definitely busy.
Yeah, I bet. Yeah. So this was this something that you thought at some point you’d play it in college?
Yeah, for sure. Um, it was a big, big, big time dream of mine. I actually even tried a walking on when I was over at Kansas State. It actually ended up being one of the factors why I decided to go to Kansas State, um, cause I had an academic scholarship in architecture engineering, but I was like, you know what, this would be a good place to go out swinging if I wanted to try to fulfill this dream. Cause, um, I had some small school interest and, um, it was, uh, at the time when I look back on it, I probably should have gave it a lot at the end of day at school. And so I should have gave it a lot more, uh, consideration, but I was, I literally had that, like you said, last child syndrome. If I’m going to play, I might as well try to play amongst the best. And so I, I figured for me it was a more of a peace of mind if I like try to go out swinging at the best. And if it wasn’t for me, I was going to accept that. But I felt like I felt more satisfied knowing that took that risk.
Yeah. Of, of trying to walk on at Kansas State and then you didn’t play there. Right, right. So I know my husband is the same way he could have played somewhere at small small schools, but ultimately he wanted more of a bigger college school experience. Yeah. Over the playing. He played his whole life. I mean, he would have played, but you know what I mean? Like you said, you kind of then took, took the school route, I guess. Right. So how’d you end up at tech though.
So I ended up finding out that architecture engineering wasn’t for me. And so since I switched my major, I lost my scholarship. And so I was figuring out, okay, I got to go back state. And so I was really, really down to UNT and Texas Tech and Texas Tech was one of the original schools that I was considering. Um, cost was a lot cheaper and I had some, like two of my close friends from, uh, from Wakeland were there. And there were a lot of Frisco people there in general. And so I felt a little bit more at home and a little bit further away from home.
I went there. I was there a little earlier than you, but, um, so what was going on in Texas Tech sports when you were there?
Um, we were just on the upswing Tubby, Tubby was there just building the program. Basketball had missed a tournament when I first got there. Um, football, football was struggling. Um, Davis, Davis Webb was, um, out of Prosper. He was, that was his, I think it was his last year at tech before he ended up, uh, transformed, but they were, they were losing some competitive games. And that’s honestly that describes my time at Texas Tech. Like they would lose some really, really close ones. Like I saw the nail biter against TCU, the shootout, um, against Oklahoma. Like there was so many close games that we would lose by less than seven points. We would just come on the other side of it. And so I was a big, big believer in Cliff Kingsbury. I loved what he was doing with the program. I loved that. He loved Tech too. And so, um, and then in basketball, um, basketball, we were on the upswing. That was the, um, uh, I had a year of Tubby and then Chris beard came in and just changed everything. So, um, it’s been awesome seeing that transformation with Texas Tech sports Tadlock has just been killing it. It’s I’ve been there. So, um, Texas Tech sports, Oh, even track, uh, Palm squad, like almost a lot of sports, Texas Tech has just been killing it. She wants state. So I have to shout her out in her cheerleading. We had a lot of debates growing up, whether or not cheerleading was a sport. And by the time, like she got to her success, she fully, fully convinced me of just what it takes to be a cheerleader. You know? Exactly. It’s not, not at all.
Yeah. You knowing firsthand if, if that’s not an athlete. Right. What is, because those, those girls and guys are, they work hard.
Get up early in the morning, five o’clock and it’s yeah. It’s a different beast. She was like, Oh, okay. How about you? Try it? And next thing you know, I was like, okay, y’all cause I used to always say, Oh yeah, y’all are just fans. I don’t do normal stuff. But then seeing like their actual practices, This is legit.
It is legit. Right. And yet that’s one of those things that tech is good at. So that’s awesome. That’s um, you were there to kind of like you kept saying it upswing, right. When nothing was as big as it is right now. Right. Like tournament wise, basketball wise and then, um, some good football years. We’ve never, you know, hit as good as the football years as we, maybe one day. Yeah. But I always say that’s kind of what, what we expect that’s all right,
Right. Games are entertaining. We score. So.
The middle, middle of the pack is still fun and yeah. I loved watching cliff Kingsbury coach there. And I still, you know, I think a lot of Tech people follow his career now and still root for him to be successful. He’s my age. So we were there at the same time. Yeah. Yup. All right. So then tell me, so you mentioned earlier about Jason Terry, so obviously you’re a big mass fan. So what are your, your biggest Mavs memories? Like any, any noteworthy games or anything like that that you can brag about with them?
Yeah. Um, well, one I’ll start with heartbreak was the 2006, uh, uh, run. And, um, we were, we were up to, Oh, and you know, I was doing all the bragging to my friends talking about yeah. We about to win a championship. Um, yeah, this was actually one of the biggest years that I got in tune. It was the year before actually, because 2005, um, I came up for my first Maverick’s game and that was after I really saw Jason Terry and like kind of attached to him. And, um, it was crazy to the year after they actually had some big success, uh, with Avery Johnson, but he jumped in at a good time. Perfect time, actually, you can’t, you can’t can’t beat it. And, um, that was heartbreaking. I remember that feeling just the Duane way takeover, how many times, like he got, he got free throws and I feel like the rest kind of rigged that suit, I still to this day believe that. And so, um, I give that for context because it makes that 2011 run so much more special. And, um, that, that run, we, we beat some giants and to see, uh, to see the team play together, Jason [inaudible] get one dirt play the level that he was and the amount of defense and Rick Kala drawn up the plays that he did. It was amazing. It really was. And, um, I’ll never forget game six when we clenched it. Cause I could, I just could not believe that we were the underdog against the heat. Everything was just so special that series we actually were coming. It was, it was awesome. I, uh, we were on the road. We had just won a tournament in Tulsa, like my life AAU stuff. Um, and we were trying to get back just to watch the game. And Jason Terry was going, I was just hearing on the road, he had like 26 that game. And just to see the final moments of us collecting that championship. Yeah. That’d be the most, that’s the most special mass memory that I even chairs was that run.
They, the maps, uh, thankfully they timed those, those playoff runs with my children being born. So we were home and able to watch everything really in dune. I remember making my, uh, in 2006, my daughter was born and we made her like a baby newborn onesy. And I think I have a picture of us sitting in front watching the Mavs play off run. And then my son was in, um, late 2010. So we got to enjoy both of those playoff runs with our babies and indoctrinating them into Mavs world early on in their lives. That’s awesome. All right. So then talk to me about the chiefs. I know you’re a lifelong Chiefs fan, so man, talk about being a Chiefs fan right now. So last season, so did you, do you get to go back? Do you go to those games?
Yes. Um, and actually for anybody that’s right now, I am purposely wearing my Chief Superbowl shirt right now. Yes.
Your sporting both. Like what you’re having
Actually sport a lot right now. Cause my head is red, but it was from a Texas Tech Mavericks game side. Yeah. That’s really cool. Um, I get to support all the, my teams, but a way to pull in three teams of two things. Right. With the same it’s it’s special. But, um, but yeah, I get to go to some, some chiefs games here, here, and then I’ve actually yesterday I was looking because my boss is a big time Dolphins fan and they play in, um, an Arrowhead stadium on, um, in December of this year. And so I try to get to at least one game a year. Um, I drove up in the snow for 10 hours to, uh, the, the home playoff game against the Colts, not this past season, but the year before. And that was the first home playoff game that the Chiefs won, uh, since I was alive. And so, um, it was just really cool to see that part of just history be special in that stadium, Arrowhead stadium was just a special place to be at. And so, um, I, I try, I try not to do too much as far as just go into a lot, but I try to at least sneak in just a little opportunities. Yeah. I’ve been to a few big games. I was trying to hard to get to the super bowl too. Like I was.
Going back a step to the Mavs. We talk about D Wade and Dirks [inaudible].
Yes, yes. I actually went to that one too. That was, um, that was special. Cause, um, it’s just one of those things they’ve had just such a big rivalry against each other with the history of the championships and um, just the, the path of their legacies. Um, that was a really, really cool one to see, um, them, them going back and forth with each other for a little bit and seeing that special moment of them exchange and jerseys. Um, that’s one, I’ll never forget as well. Um, just because that was all in that same, that same, like that was just a very special sports year for me. We had that, that cheese Rams game that I went to and then it was, uh, Texas tech, final Ford after championship. And then it was, uh, uh, Dwayne Wade, um, that, uh, Dwayne Wade, uh, farewell tour farewell tour. So it was just, it was special.
A man you were living your best sports life that, yeah.
No, really.
All right. So you’re, so here you, you you’re back in Frisco. Um, so you run some three V three leagues, right? Some what? Football and basketball and volleyball.
Yeah. Yeah. So we actually will be in the fall. Okay.
Tell me about, right right now everything’s a question mark. Right. But, um, so tell me about like, you don’t work in sports, but how are you, how are you weaving sports into?
Yeah. Um, one thing I’m a big believer in, um, and you have to think about the things that unite people together and it’s, it’s sports and music. A lot of people come together for the big sports games or the big concerts. And so, um, me as, as my role in ministry was trying to find out, okay, how can I get involved in these things that help unite people together? And so, uh, me and a guy from our church named Mark Caswell, he’s over, um, just our sports ministries. We we’re getting together to do this, um, these sports leagues, uh, to kind of help build relationships with our community. Tell us what church, uh, Frisco First Baptist Church. Okay. Yup. And so, um, we are, uh, we’re, we’re hoping to do this in the fall. Um, we actually shot a commercial last week in August 11th is the date that we’re expecting hopefully, um, to be able to kick off these things.
Um, but, uh, it’ll be good. It’ll help people get active, get out into the community and meet other people, um, and ultimately build relationships and hopefully point people to Christ. And so, um, I think it’ll be a really, really fun thing, uh, to be able to do. Um, and, and Frisco is creating a little bit more of this college culture right now. And so I’m trying to create some events that college students can come to as well. Um, because we don’t always have that. Like when you’re in Lubbock at Texas Tech, we have the student union buildings to come to and meet together. We don’t necessarily always have that here in Frisco just yet, but we have to create that here, you know? And so I want, I want students to, to feel comfortable and to be able to network and meet people. And so I’d like to be able to create some spaces like that ministry is your wheelhouse.
Um, I’m in college ministry right now. I just started a college ministry in September and it’s called paradigm college ministry. And one mainly because, uh, UNT Frisco will be coming as a campus in a couple of years, even more. And so we want to be able to create a foundation before that really, really kicks off. And there’s a bunch of college students in our area in general, and that’s becoming more of a trend doing college from home anyways. And so we know that college students are here. And so we want to, uh, find ways to reach them.
What a better way than sports and music, like you said, to bring like, to fellowship together, bring people together, build relationships, and be able to have that kind of platform, I guess, to talk to them as young people about, about life. And what’s what they’re going to expect when they, you know, quote unquote, get out in the real world. I mean, I know you’re in the real world in college, but there’s still some attachments to be being a kid still at the same time. So that’s important role that you’re playing for those, for those young people.
Thank you. Yeah. Hope. Hopefully we can, we can grow this thing because we know the students are here. And so, uh, we just want to constantly find ways of how we can reach them. Fantastic.
And do you want to plug your own podcast?
Sure. Yeah. So, um, so me and my friend, uh, from Texas Tech, actually, we started a podcast a few weeks ago, perfect time. And actually, and it’s called spoon and Rentie that spoon A N D R E N T I E. And, uh, we basically give biblical perspective towards life experiences. And so we want to help make the Bible, uh, just relatable. And, uh, we know that it can be hard to understand at times just by herself. And so, uh, we want to help just explain it just in everyday life type of terms so that we can learn how to just apply our everyday situations to the word of God.
I love that. All right. So this is me signing off. Rarely do I ask you to subscribe to two podcasts, but subscribe to Hustle and Pro if you don’t already and go ahead and subscribe to Spoon and Rentie, I’m going to go do that when we, when we log off here so that I can go here. Daniel and Daniel and who? Greg?
Uh, La’Ryon Weatherspoon.
La’Ryon. Okay. Sorry. I don’t know why I said Greg, I’ll go listen to Daniel and La’Ryon talk. And, uh, so thanks for listening to this episode of Hustle and Pro and we will see you next week.
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